Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Author Take Over: Kat Bastion, author of the Highland Legends Guest post + Giveaway

Hello my friends (and new ones coming by),
today I have the wonderful author Kat Bastion coming over for this weeks Author Take Over. She has written a Guest Post with a topic that lies close to my heart. I have to admit, it tore at my heart string reading this Guest Post.
Also, please notice the AWESOME giveaway in the end (Rafflecopter).

So, without anymore delays... please welcome my friend Kat - make sure to give her a big hug!!!

Teddy Bear Hugs photo TeddyBearHugs.gif


Risk Taking, Rule Breaking, and Other Contrarian Tendencies…

Do you like to paint outside the lines?

When familiar choices are on the menu, do you ever try something new?

After “follow me” is uttered, do you ever find yourself wandering in the other direction?

{smiles slowly}

If you answered yes to any of the above, you might be a contrarian.

 

Risk Taking

As I experimented through life, I ebbed and flowed between belonging and standing apart. Through school, “fitting-in” brought feelings of security, a nurturing environment that fostered the bonds of friendship. But every time I dared to break away from the crowd, growth occurred. And the feeling was amazing.

Some gave praise for my actions, others criticized…

Ultimately, the path chosen had been ruled by my need to discover myself while exploring the countless facets of the world around me. With each risk, decisions were made by being true to my heart, consequences be damned.

Of course, the safest risks are calculated. Have I ever leapt off the edge without knowing if I could fly? Yes. Did I sometimes fall flat on my face? You bet. Lessons learned along the way teach those who take leaps of faith to choose their cliffs wisely.

I now go into any endeavor with certain questions in my mind:

“What’s the worst thing that can happen?”
“How much am I willing to lose if I’m wrong?”
“Can I employ factors that will help me succeed?”
“Is there any upside to the downside?”

If I’m willing to live with the worst-possible scenario, I take the chance and jump. And hope a soaring thermal protects me from the jagged bottom.

And if I’m wrong?

It had better be a spectacular fall…

How has risk taking related to my writing?

With my wild spirit, I need to go on a true adventure in my stories. My inner explorer has to traipse into territory uncharted to satisfy the wanderlust in my heart.

Several workshops I attended after I’d drafted my first manuscript talked about the cyclical nature of different genres, expounded on how to take advantage of what’s hot, and schooled us in the traditionally accepted plot layouts.

I fell asleep.

None of their craft methods spoke to my daring nature. Methods of using outlines certainly didn’t fit the way I enjoyed to write. Formulaic techniques threatened to suppress the passion I had in telling stories.

And then I rebelled…

 

Rule Breaking

A wise man once told me innate talent is unteachable. “Try to train a natural shot, and he’ll miss the side of the barn by a mile.”

So with faith in my fundamental abilities, I wrote like the true pantster I was, relying on gut instinct and intuition.

After I’d drafted two manuscripts, I read an article advising new writers not to write in first person point of view. The author went on to describe the difficulties in connecting the reader emotionally to the other characters.

While such a warning might have waved off those who play it safe, I smiled and accepted the challenge. With a bit of research and a lot of skill sharpening, I began writing Forged in Dreams and Magick in first person. Later, I received validation that my gamble paid off when contest judges praised my ability to do so.

Another contest judge who awarded my writing the win in Best Paranormal Romance said she doubted the story could be written where readers connect emotionally with two heroes over two time periods in 100,000 words.

Did you hear a suggestion in there? I couldn’t. All my daring nature heard was a challenge. With great defiance, my inner voice said with conviction, “Game. On.”

Rules aren’t laws. They’re guidelines meant for the masses. For the most part, they keep us safe.

If you stray from common advice?

Be the exception to the rule.

 

Contrarian Tendencies

Turn left on occasion, instead of always going right. Question why you would make a safe choice, and perhaps venture into taking a risk.

The new perspective might surprise you.

By expressing our individuality, we distinguish our work from the deluge of books on the market. Although there are advantages to being similar to best-selling novels, there are far greater rewards to being unique among your peers.

Instead of emulating stories told a thousand times, dare to be one of a kind.

In a review of my latest release, Bound by Wish and Mistletoe, Leslie Fear from The Indie Bookshelf wrote, “She has a way of telling a story like no other author I’ve read.”

My inner contrarian beamed.

And Robert Frost described the notion so eloquently in his poem “The Road Not Taken” in the last lines…

“I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

About Kat Bastion:
 

Kat Bastion is an award-winning paranormal romance writer, poetic warrior, and eternal optimist who loves getting lost in the beauty of nature.

On a never-ending, wondrous path of self-discovery, Kat throws her characters into incredible situations with the hope that readers join her in learning more about the meaning of life and love.

Her first published work, Utterly Loved, was shared with the world to benefit others. All proceeds from Utterly Loved, and a portion of the proceeds of all her other books, support charities who help those lost in this world.

Kat lives with her husband amid the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Visit her blog at www.talktotheshoe.com, her website at www.katbastion.com, and her Twitter account at https://twitter.com/KatBastion for more information.

Kat's Books:
 

Forged in Dreams and Magick:
Isobel MacInnes wakes up in present-day California, lunches in medieval Scotland, and by ten days’ end, falls in love with a man and his country, only to lose them in a heart-wrenching twist of fate . . .

       Found in the arms of her second soul mate . . .

       Forced to balance the delicate strands of time between two millennia . . .

       Shocked by revelations rewriting the very foundations of history . . . of everything.

Isobel, a rising-star archaeology student, is dropped into two ancient worlds without warning . . . or her permission. Her fiery spirit resists the dependency thrust upon her. Amid frustration at her lack of control, she helplessly falls in love. Twice.

She struggles to adjust to the unimaginable demands of two leaders of men—a laird in the thirteenth-century Highlands and a Pict chieftain in a more ancient Scotland. Isobel transforms from an academic, hell-bent on obtaining archaeological recognition, to a woman striving to care for those she loves, and ultimately . . . into a fearless warrior risking everything to protect them.
Read my review here
You can buy Forged in Dreams and Magick here:
 

Bound by Wish and Mistletoe:
Desperate to honor a life-long promise, Susanna MacEalan escapes her abusive clan with the fierce determination of never falling under the power of a man. Ever.

Aggravated by shallow-hearted pursuing lasses, Robert Brodie, commander of his clan’s elite guard, has foresworn scheming women. Forever.

When magick transforms Brodie Castle into a Christmas wonderland, the two despondent souls find solace in a most unexpected place . . . each other’s arms.

Amid a whirlwind of escalating events, Susanna’s traumatic past threatens Robert’s ability to protect the one woman meant for him. In a harrowing moment, as her fears and demons coalesce, will hope, faith, and love be enough to save them?
You can read my review here
Buy Bound by Wish and Mistletoe here: (NOT affiliate links, use the buttons in the sidebar if you wish to support me):
GIVEAWAY:
 

This one is international :-)

You can win a SIGNED paper copy set of Kat's books!!!

Just enter the rafflecopter below and cross your fingers! The Giveaway ends Monday, and the winner have 48 hours to respond on my email, otherwise another winner will be found.
 

3 comments:

  1. Thanks, Kat, for being here today! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your books! Your Bound by Wish and Mistletoe has become my favorite Christmas book! I'm going to make it my tradition to re-read it every Christmas... and perhaps a few times during the year :-))

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really wanted to win .... now will have to support Kat the old fashioned way.

    ReplyDelete