kelly said

F is for FANGTALES! The first story I ever had accepted for publication is in this book!

FANGTALES was a fun anthology to write for – Wyvern Publications set a high bar for acceptance. They were looking for stories that featured traditional vampires, ones not found walking during the day, ones that feared things like garlic, holy water and the power of the cross. The requirement was we had to make it scary and we had to feature a new twist on a classic tale.

My story, SANCTUARY, is about a teenage boy facing a difficult decision as he sticks his neck on the line for the girl of his dreams. However, for my main character, doing what he feels is right will reveal a horrible truth.

FANGTALES came out in October 2011. I had originally viewed the call for submissions the previous October and just squeaked in by the submission deadline in January 2011. I remember trying to calculate the time difference between Colorado and the UK, just to make sure my story made it on time, teehee!

Whew, took me three months to write 5,200 words, but receiving that acceptance for publication let me know it’s okay that I’m not one of those writers who can whip a story out in like, two weeks. The only thing I control are things like, putting my best effort forward to tell the most amazing story I can and to get it done by deadline.

Having my story, SANCTUARY, accepted into the FANGTALES anthology prompted a celebration of sorts, hehe! My first publication! Sure, there were some family members a little worried that I had dared to explore the darker side of young adult fiction, hahaha! but once the initial horror wore off, the smiles and pats on the back (minus the worried looks in their eyes) felt nice, the congratulations, the requests for autographs (Yup, my inner dweeb totally dorked out on some of those first signings, lol!) and celebration gifts rolled in.

One of my favorite gifts to commemorate this special milestone was a vampire themed scarf made by a special fan. See, I love scarves, long, skinny, fluffy or wild of pattern, I love making them, I love wearing them. *confesses* I probably have more scarves than pairs of socks, lol!

My first publication prompted my first tradition, a new scarf for every new contract signed! Awesome! My favorite kind of publication prize, hehe!

Omgosh, you guys! I can’t wait to show you the one I received for TIDAL WHISPERS! It’s as if someone took the ocean, fish, plantlife, everything aquatic and knitted them up into this scarf!

So my friendly followers, what about you guys? Do you have anything special you do to commemorate any of your exciting milestones?

4 Comments | In: A2Z, FANGTALES, SANCTUARY, Wyvern Publications | tags: A2Z, FANGTALES, SANCTUARY, Wyvern Publications. | #

We interrupt our regularly scheduled routine of not posting on Thursdays to bring you this update:

The WINNER of my cozy little Fangtales comment to win contest is! …

Comment #1, J.A. Belfield! *confetti falls, balloons rise, crowds cheer*

< The ol’ RNG took the emotion out of having to pick between my friends, hehe, whew!

JAB, when the moment becomes available, please email me an address I can ship your most fabulous prize to. ( ks @ kellysaid dot com )

I would like to sincerely thank everyone who commented for their chance to win, I appreciate your friendship and support! And who knows, maybe soon I’ll have another anthology to give away — I’m working on a short story for submission now… hehe!

In the meantime, Fangtales is currently available at BN, Amazon and the Denver Public Library.

Happy Holidays!

4 Comments | In: FANGTALES, my first publication, SANCTUARY, Wyvern Publications | tags: FANGTALES, SANCTUARY, vampire, Wyvern Publications, YA. | #

Hello! Thank you for joining me for Six Sentence Sunday.

These six pick up a little bit further from where we left off last week with CHOMP (my YA horror NiP), where Penny and Luke were riding the school bus home when a military convoy curiously blasted through the stop sign, skimming past the nose of the bus.

Later that evening…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Running never used to hurt. The pins holding my leg bones together kept transmitting hot flashes of electricity though, reminding me again of how my life had changed. At least adrenaline had turned me back into a sprinter. Sort of.

The thundering feet and slobbery grunting at my back was gaining on me.

“Luke!” I screamed, run-hopping across the moon-lit field separating our houses.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Excerpt CHOMP © 2010 Kelly Said

What’s chasing Penny? Will Luke hear her cries for help? hehe! *rubs hands with glee* Well, that’s what I’ve been working on, slow but steady.

Thank you so much for reading! Please wander around to see what some of the other #sixsunday participants have revealed.

Also, as a friendly reminder, Wednesday, December 21 is the last day to comment to win a free copy of Fangtales, a YA vampire anthology that includes my short story, Sanctuary.

28 Comments | In: CHOMP, FANGTALES, Horror, SANCTUARY, Six Sentence Sunday, writing | tags: FANGTALES, SANCTUARY, YA. | #

I’m spreading a little holiday fright this year by giving away a copy of FANGTALES, the YA vampire anthology featuring my short story, Sanctuary!

Fangtales visits the terrifying realms of one of the most popular creatures ever to grace the pages of fantasy fiction. The vampire. These eighteen tales are fresh, original and scary enough to send delicious shivers down the spine of every reader. Each story brings something new to the genre, and will be a welcome addition to any fantasy fan’s bookshelf.

Lose yourself in the blood-soaked pages of Fangtales, where a best friend mysteriously disappears; wonder why a small child roams the woods alone at midnight, and how a terrified girl can get help when her house is surrounded by hungry vampires.

Fangtales is the third anthology in the popular ‘tales’ collections published for the YA market by Wyvern Publications. It joins Dragontales, published in 2009, and Mertales, published in 2010.

So, how do I enter?

Simply leave a comment on this post below.

That’s it!

You can say “Hi! Hey! What’s Up?!” or “I’d like to be entered” or whatever you’d like (provided it’s not offensive, think PG-13ish).

You’ll see your comment will be assigned a number, like a raffle ticket for a drawing.

How do I win?

Numbered comments will be tossed into a cyber-hat and a WINNER will be chosen via random number generator. I’d recommend subscribing to receive the instant update on winner status.

Rules: Drawing is open to any and all who read this blog and who enjoy reading traditional vampire stories written for young adults. Please feel free to comment as often as you’d like, HOWEVER I can only allow one “entry” per person. In the event a winner is chosen and doesn’t acknowledge or claim their prize within 3 days, we’ll pull another number from the cyber-hat.

End date: December 21, 2011 @ 11:59 p.m. MST.

Winner will be announced via *un-scheduled* blog post, hence my recommendation to subscribe. ;)

Questions? Concerns? please feel free to contact me ( comments @ kellysaid . com )

So that’s it, one free book, one winner, no strings attached. Just my fun way of sharing an anthology I really enjoyed reading, and one I was so thrilled and honored to be a part of.

Thank you for stopping by!

14 Comments | In: FANGTALES, READING, SANCTUARY, Wyvern Publications | tags: FANGTALES, Publication Credits, READING, SANCTUARY, vampire, Wyvern Publications, YA. | #

*NEWS FLASH*

I’m preparing to host a giveaway!

I have an extra copy of FANGTALES ready to find a new home! This YA vampire anthology features 18 terrifying tales including my short story, SANCTUARY – where a teenage boy discovers a terrible secret when he puts his neck on the line for the girl of his dreams.

Please stay tuned to my regularly scheduled posts, because I’ll be sharing details on how YOU can enter to win!

3 Comments | In: FANGTALES, my first publication, READING, SANCTUARY, Wyvern Publications | tags: FANGTALES, Publication Credits, READING, SANCTUARY, vampire, Wyvern Publications, YA. | #