Guest Post: A. Katie Rose

A Professional Writer

Is that what I am? I received a discounted rate from Poets and Writers Magazine because I’m a professional writer. I never thought of it that way until I got their invitation. Though “In a Wolf’s Eyes” was published last year, and the second of the series, “Catch a Wolf” came out a few weeks ago, I haven’t quit my day job yet. I’ve wanted to be a writer since junior high school. In the nineties, I tried publishing the earlier version of what I later called “In a Wolf’s Eyes”. Of course, it wasn’t published and when I reread it now, I know why. It’s crap.

My personal writing journey truly took off more than five years ago. Though I re-started “In a Wolf’s Eyes” in 1998, I didn’t write on it for years, as I was newly divorced, making a living, doing what newly divorced people do: meet other divorced people. Over time, I left Colorado and moved to Texas, working and spending time with a new man. My book hadn’t been touched for I don’t know how many years. I don’t honestly remember. In the spring of 2008, nursing a shattered heart with time on my hands, I thought to myself, “Why am I not finishing that book?”

Broken hearts can sometimes be good things, in my opinion. In order to overcome it, I threw myself into my day job as a photographer and my evening job as a writer. I wrote and wrote and then for variety wrote some more. Then I edited, revised, pulled apart, nit-picked and offered it up for a critique. A sweet young thang from Michigan read it.

Every writer should have a sweet young thang read their manuscripts. She said, “It’s good, but it needs work.” With her advice and opinions, I revised and reworked and nit-picked it, and discovered an entire realm of possibilities for my characters. When she suggested I rewrite a scene not as a backstory as I originally wrote it, but as present tense and pulling my reader in, she had no idea what monster she created. I rewrote it. I’m almost astonished at myself, writing that scene being the horse lover that I am. I won’t tell you what it is – you’ll have to read it for yourself. One of my readers wanted to throw the book across the room upon discovering what I put my characters through. Not because of bad writing, but because I invoked such an emotional response.

I think many writers on their own personal journeys must go through stages of maturity. I know mine certainly did. When I reread my earlier work, I felt embarrassment. I wrote that? Good god! While I tried invoking an emotional response at the time, it was in a very juvenile fashion. I tried the syrupy-sweet, touchy-feely stuff that might work in a romance novel, but not a sword-and-sorcery epic fantasy. At least not in mine. Now when I write to bring my readers to laughter, to tears, to anger, it’s in not just a mature method of writing, but, I think, in a more skillful manner. Because practice makes perfect. I learned from my mistakes. I am my own worst critic. If I can laugh and cry over my own bloody books, then I figure my readers will do the same. I wrote that?

Yessss!

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The Unforgiven was honored with a Kirkus starred review, indicating it’s a book of exceptional merit. It was also granted the distinction of being one of Kirkus Magazine’s Best Indie Books of 2016. Yet, I humbly ask those followers of this blog tour to read The Unforgiven and post reviews of it online. I made some mistakes with it in its early days, and didn’t format it properly. It has since been fixed, but I need more reviews of it.

Please pwetty pweeze with sugar on top will you folks read and review The Unforgiven novel? Thank you so much, in advance, if you say yes!

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About the Book

When the moon and the sun
Are joined as one,
From tears of strife, from the bitter ashes,
From sorrow and from rage
That what was once parted
Shall again be one.

First Captain Vanyar: Disgraced. Outlawed. Haunted by the chilling murder of his own men, he is consumed by guilt and knows he can never find redemption for his crimes. The most talented Shape-Shifter ever born, only he can save Princess Iyumi from a Witch’s evil, and help her find the child of prophecy. But his Atani brothers, seeking justice for the slaying of Vanyar’s unit, plan his private execution against the King’s orders.

Princess Iyumi: She is the legendary “She Who Hears”, the voice of the gods, and the gods’ chosen tool. Only she knows where to find the child spoken of in the ancient prophecy, the child who will unite two feuding countries and protect the world of magic from obliteration. Caught between two warring men, only her love is hers to give, to offer to the only man she ever wanted.

Prince Flynn: Despised by his own people, cruelly abused by his father, he fights to hide his magical gifts from those who would slay him for possessing them. By blood and by fire, he gains a terrible power, and condemns his own soul. He must find Princess Iyumi and the child, and bring them to his father’s mistress, the Red Witch. Or the only people who ever mattered to him, his mother and his sister, will die.

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About the Author

A. Katie Rose is a workaholic living in San Antonio, Texas. With her day job as a photographer, she writes in what little remains of her spare time. She enjoys long walks, reading (when possible), watching movies, red wine, and drinking beer around a fire with friends. Among her extracurricular activities, she rides her horses and rescues cats.

A Colorado native, she earned her B.A. in literature and history at Western State College, in Gunnison, Colorado. Her first novel, In a Wolf’s Eyes, was published in April of 2012. Her second book, Catch a Wolf, was released in July, 2013. The third of the series, Prince Wolf, was released in May of 2014. The Unforgiven was published in March of 2015. Book Four, Under the Wolf’s Shadow was published in June of 2016. She is busy working on the fifth of the Saga of the Black Wolf series, The Kinslayer.

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