Backlist and Reviews

I'm happy to announce that the reviews are starting to come in for His Heart's Desire, my first full length Scottish timetravel. It was a fun story to write and I'm thrilled that readers are enjoying the story and the characters.

Waiting for the reviews are always so nerve wracking. You want honest feedback so you know where and what to tweak the next time a story is written, but at the same time, it’s difficult to read a review that is less then positive. Lucky for me, so far my reviews have all been positive and the readers really seem to enjoy the stories I write.

For those of you looking for my back list I’ve decided to list them for you here. Most are still available either on the Nook or Kindle and a few titles included in print anthologies are still available in print. YAY!
Here is the link at Amazon for my backlist…

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Akristi+ahlers&keywords=kristi+ahlers&ie=UTF8&qid=1358887807

And here is my backlist on B&N

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/kristi-ahlers?keyword=kristi+ahlers&store=allproducts

I’d love to know what your favorite story has been and why. Leave me a comment and let me know!

Books and the Movies

Books and movies…
Seems like a natural fit really, someone writes a book, the options to the movie are sold and then BAM, author enjoys instant success and millions are exposed to their writing. Yeah, sure, if you’re J.K. Rowling or Stephanie Myer, or Nicholas Sparks. In truth it’s seldom authors enjoy the actual bragging rights to say their book or series of books are going to be turned into some cinematic must see.

There are those that refuse to see a movie if they’ve read the book. I mean what’s the point really, they know the story, they know how it’s going to play out…why spend the money. Then there is the flip side of the coin those that don’t tend to do a lot of reading can get caught up on the latest “trending” must read.

Last year I paid attention, there were a great many wonderful stories turned into film. Les Miserables, Anna Karenina, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, The Lorax, Alex Cross, Cloud Atlas, and let’s not forget The Hunger Games and the Hobbit.

One of my favorite classics is Les Miserables. Jean Valjean is one of the most unique hero’s I’ve ever read, his journey is beyond comprehension and proves that yes, if given half a chance a person can change, be a good human being, no matter how low their circumstances. Les Miserables was published back in the 1860’s and still holds a place in people’s hearts in 2013! Granted it’s more in theater and now in a movie, and I must agree the songs are incredibly important in telling the heartbreaking story of Fantine and Valjean.  However, if you haven’t read the book, please do so, there is so much not included in the movie/musical that is in the book which only makes this read so much richer.

Anna Karenina returned to the silver screen last year as well. I admit that I have picked up and put down this title a couple of times, never making it through to the end…why, it’s depressing. More depressing then Les Miserables you ask? Maybe…I do know the ending so that might be what’s keeping me from finishing it. However, this year I vow to read it from cover to cover so I can be one of those that can say “why yes, I’ve read that title!” I love Russia, I find her history dynamic and extremely moving and inspiring.

One movie I thoroughly enjoyed but had read the book is Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. That was a fast paced, incredibly entertaining movie and I’ve actually added this read to my “must read” list for the year!
I love Nicholas Sparks’s movies, and I confess I haven’t read his books. My favorite of the movies has so far been The Notebook. I’ve added and bought, Safe Haven to my must be read pile for the year. We’ll see, it’s rare that the movie is better than the book but it has happened.

So do you read the book before you go to the movies, or do you let the movies be your book reading?

And the Envelope Please!

So how many of you were surprised by last night’s a Golden Globe award? Did all of your picks win or where you left scratching your head? I for one will now have to check out what Homeland and Girls are all about as they seemed to really walk away with the lion’s share of the television awards. Of course they’re on cable channels I don’t have so that explains a lot for me as to why I’ve missed these.

I was thrilled that Maggie Smith won an award for her role in Downton Abby. I adore that program, which was on last night as well. I DVR’d it and watched it after the Golden Globe’s. Oh boy, this season is surely going to have to be nominated for awards next year.

I was surprised…or maybe I shouldn’t have been by all the awards Argo won! Holy cow, they stripped a good number of globes from would be winners…including STEVEN SPIELBERG, I admit, I didn’t see that one coming. Congrats to Ben Affleck. It’s a shame that he won’t be up for these awards at the Academy Awards!

A great many of the movies up for Academy Awards have been film adaptations of books. And last year a great many books were turned into film. Anna Karenina, Safe Haven,(I won’t name all of Nicholas Sparks books that have been turned into film as too many of them have been)  Life of Pi, Les Miserable, The Hunger Games, The Lorax, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, Cloud Atlas, and Alex Cross, to mention a few. Hey not too bad since I just did this off the top of my head, and yes I know I missed a few, I’m sorry…Anyhow, back to my point, two of books, which I can probably safely say not everyone has bothered to read, Anna Karenina, and Les Miserable where adapted to the big screen, and Les Mis, has been walking away with the awards, which I will say thrills me as I’m bias.

So what’s your favorite part of the awards show and which is your least favorite?

Inspiration

One of the most asked questions is what inspired me to write a story. For each story it’s different. Sometimes, the inspiration is a line of dialogue that comes to me…normally in my sleep, or maybe the title inspires me (which is rare since coming up with titles at times can be as torturous as writing they synopsis). Maybe it’s a character that whispers to me and I ignore them for a few days or week until something fully forms. For me the creative process is rather easy since I seldom sit down to write a story that hasn’t already morphed fully in my head. Or at the very least I have the start and the end and the middle is something that will take care of itself once I’m in the process of writing.

However this isn’t to say I don’t need the occasional inspiration to keep going. The middle is normally the hardest part of the book for me to write. Well, that and any intimate scenes I may choose to include are difficult for me as I don’t want to lose and this is where my inspiration wall comes into play!

For every writer this is a different thing. For me, it’s a corkboard with my covers printed and hung, a reminder that yes, you can start and finish a story that is worthy for publishing. Then I have my knick knack shelf. I have signed ballet slippers from April Daly (dancer with Joffery Ballet), Eiffel Tower statues, framed pictures of me and my writing family that I make sure I hook up with at least once a year. And on the wall directly in front of my desk I have an original painted writer fairy hanging inspiring me to get to it.

But when these things don’t work, I do tend to head out to the blogosphere, or Pintrest or Facebook, which, generally means I’ll be suitable (or unsuitably depending on your outlook) for at least an hour if not more. Yeah all those places have the ability to suck you in like no one’s business. But, it helps.

So what do you do to inspire you to do something?

Blog Share....

This year I'm also going to share blogs that I feel are interesting or entertaining or both. My first one is THE FRENCH SAMPLER...

http://thefrenchsampler.blogspot.com/2010/04/ladies-of-demi-monde-and-lady-emma.html

The Classics

I had a friend the other day ask me what I was reading and I told them I was reading Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. It's a long story, over 1200 pages and for a great many people they find the story either too long, or too depressing to bother with...I told them they couldn't be more wrong, that this is a story of overcoming and never giving up.

I'm a reader despite being published. Books have been a staple in my life since I was a little girl and I always make a book list of the titles I vow to read in a year, which is added to the books that I pick up as the year goes on. I mean I'm not going to walk away from a Heather Graham read, or a Kresley Cole book...EVER...no my book list that I create are books that are considered classics...

This year the list includes....

Vanity Fair. I have seen the movie with Reese Witherspoon and always vowed I'd rad the book but have never bothered to pick it up. I did so this year with a gift card and I'm really anxious to start it after I finish Les Mis...

A tale of Two Cities...I haven't read this title as of yet, hence the reason it's on my list. I have however read Dickens in the past and love his writing. Again most of his books aren't going to be in the vain of Jane Austen, he loves to tackle the very serious issues of the day (which most classic authors did) and my mother swears that this book is without a doubt one of the best books she's ever read...

Anna Karenina is making my list this year as well. When I was going to college and going for my degree in history, I declared Russian history my focus. I find the people and the country completely fascinating! I know this is not going to be a feel good read, and this is one of the reasons I chose to read it. It's a wonderful time capsule that has captured this part of Russian history...

So what is on your reading list this year? What do you dare to read...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well, dear reader, today things got back to “normal” meaning my son returned to the Navy, house was cleaned for the first time in a week, laundry was done, and I settled down to write only to have my laptop “Pop” and smoke came out the back and horror of horrors my laptop died.  Seriously?  I don’t need this. I have books to write, FB status’s to update, emails to check, books to write…oh wait I already mentioned that. Anyhow, I allowed myself a slight meltdown, okay it was pretty impressive. I’m tired and missing my son and feeling a little at odds with what was going on. Screwed it together and pulled out the antiquated desk top I have and went and bought a $10 keyboard (and let me tell you, you get what you pay for in this case) and tried to upload my back up to the desktop…alas, backup didn’t back up since I guess my computer was failing a week ago without my knowing it…and decided “screw it” and stepped away from technology (which at this point was seriously not my friend) and cuddled under the blanket with my lil dog and felt sorry for myself. Normally, I’m not one to give into pity parties as I find they don’t really serve a purpose…in the end I managed to have a nice day, reading and relaxing, guess that’s what I needed and just didn’t realize it.

I’m hoping this isn’t a sign of things to come for 2013 as I’ve been looking forward to this year as a new start for myself. So tell me, when things get rough for you, how do you deal? Do you have a fit and throw a tantrum, do you have a good cry and move on, or do you throw yourself the king of pity parties?