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Maximum Effort – Geek Chic – the November issue

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Welcome to the first in a series of newsletters I’m sending out again.
I know the sign says bi-weekly. I kinda got off track a bit. BUUUUT….we’re baaaaaack….

This. Is. NANO!

Yeah, it’s Nanowrimo. My 19th year.
After everything collapsed (in August/September), I got kinda…a lot discouraged. I took a step back and while I was a step back or so, I just… paused.
There’s a lot to be said about standing your ground, instead of just giving in entirely. Resting, instead of retreating. Or a strategic retreat. But, the one thing I didn’t want to do was give in entirely. I’ll be honest though, I’m kinda suprised at how long it took for me to get there. But i’m here.
I’m doing a vision board. It’s a huge Whiteboard in my office, so I’ve got plenty of scope.
And I even know what’s happening for Nanowrimo. Elliot is back, and wants his ‘Hate Crime’ Trilogy. Which is cool. I’m sure other projects will be added as we go, but I’ll talk more about them as he tells me.
Yup. I’m winging it. Utterly.

Next up!

We’ve got several books coming from KushkaPress. This site and KushkaPress however are in redesign, so there are no specific book announcements.

Ludosport…. for the win

So, one of the things I’ve promised myself is to plan better, to use my office space more and to actually take time out to exercise. OK. That’s three, I know. For the exercising properly, my partner told me a while back about Ludosport. I do have my own lightsabre, and I am really quite happy messing around with it, but we went for tryouts, and quite honestly, I’m hooked. I LOVED IT! My knees knew about it for the next few days too, but I’m sure I’ll get over that with work.
This is my lightsaber. This is the way! Seriously though, if you’ve got a chance to try it, do. Local to me, we have a wonderful group in Bristol, running taster sessions. I had a blast, but yeah, it’s quite the workout. And I’m going back. Plus, we’ve got a fairer way to solve arguments now. (no, really) 😉

A Nanowrimo Love Story

Later tonight, I’ll be writing up my Nanowrimo ‘love story’. It’s both how I met Tempus, my life parner, my soulmate, my everything. But it’s all about Nanowrimo. My first book. Well, not my first book, but the first book that really took me and led me to lots of things.
You can read

Over to you guys

This month, I’ve only got one book to share (as this is an all ages newsletter). My friend Valerie released something really HOT though late last month, if you check her website and mythological RH is right up your street, she’s got a great book over there (along with others in most genres!) I’ve also got this one for you!

Blade of the Faithful by RG Long

Disgraced or deserved, a journey begins.

Beaten and left for dead, Kyne is a quiet but skilled warrior. Lost on an island beset with pirate attacks and a mysterious sickness, there’s little hope for his future. Though his wounds may heal, his fate is unsure. Eileen is a wild but confident healer. Ostracized for her deadly skill as a potion maker, the very bravest seek her out for her restorative balms. After saving Kyne from bloodthirsty pirates, she becomes entangled in a journey of fate. Together, they set out to recover the one thing that may rid the land of plague. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the precious cure. The pirates who seek to plunder and pillage have nefarious plans of their own. Will Kyne seek out his own good and leave the island behind, or will he aid those in desperate need? Grab your copy today!

Finally, some recommendations

I’ve got some tool recommendations, and reviews I’ll be offering in the future. Some are free, some are affiliate linked (marked with *). If they’re marked with *, I’ll earn something or get points or similar from them. If I can, I donate to charity, or give away what I earn, but if I can’t, I offset it instead.
Enjoy! K-Lytics - while many of my readers are, well, readers, some of you are authors, and I’ve found some really neat information in their reports. The latest one is sci-fi and fantasy, and it’s absolutely amazing. Their research and analysis is really interesting, and there are always nuggets in there that are really crucial to a great head start with planning books, either written to market or improving your writing. Evernote – Evernote is proving to be critical to my work, for more reason than one. It used to have a referral plan, it’s currently suspended, so I’m just recommending it 😉 I use this for organising study and storage. Scrivener – Might have an affiliate scheme, can’t find it, highly recommended regardless. I’ll always complain I can’t use it on Dex (Android, specifically my Samsung tablet) but it’s a minor annoyance for what I do. Remember, Nanowrimo participants get vouchers for participating sometimes, so if you’re looking to take part and do those projects, there’s always that option.

Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - text by Kai

Maximum Effort – Geek Chic – the May Newsletter

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(please note, this is one of those one day evolving documents, because it’s going to cross link with my newsletter, a new toy I’m playing with on Twitter, and here. if the links don’t quite work yet, I apologise – the important thing is the book links DO, even if the rest isn’t all linked up at the start. :)) May. #Kaiatus. I sometimes think that says it all for me. In case it doesn’t, I’ll be blogging more about it later.

Lifting, lifting…

In the UK, lockdown is mostly lifted – non-essential shops have opened, and we’re a year on from our first lockdown plus a few weeks. The weather is nicer, and while I can’t say ‘all’s well in the world’, things are feeling a lot more bearable, knowing that I can go back to the library, that we could do what we did yesterday and grab essentials and continue organising. Books too are starting to come together, and though I still really miss my gran, life has to go on. So, we’re going home and spending a bit of time with family, then I’ll be doing a lot of working on stuff.

The ‘little thoughts’ blog…

WHile I was away, I realised that one of the things I used to do quite a bit, just for an internal group of us, was to share my ‘little thoughts’ for the day. They usually weren’t actually that little but gave people a jumping off point to … reason through some of the stuff they’ve been feeling. A few of those little thoughts grew up into big books. And I’ll be focussing on bringing the little thoughts and the books to the fore in the coming weeks.

How I’m doing that…

Gotta be honest, there’s no one way I’m doing it. I sat down while at my MIL’s (she’s got a very peaceful house, and a very boisterous puppy which is the best combination to

Planning books, making goals and more. I’ve tried out several planners, and am trying this one. I’m not sure I’ll like it, but it’s looking ok so far. I’m not entirely certain of how I’ll use it, but balancing publishing, work, Uni, promo and family needs a legendary system. This might be it, and it was on offer, so win-win.
(You can get it on Amazon*).

Over to you guys

I do really want to start featuring reads – of my blog and my newsletter – so it’s over to you. My next newsletter is 1st June and you can apply by getting in touch on my form, and I do mini ones on Twitter between Friday and Sunday, so, if you’d like to talk to me about exchanging project mentions, please get in touch! I have a few rules about it, which is why my exchange page explains a few things. If those rules aren’t to your liking, we just don’t exchange. I can’t bend these rules – having done so in the past, I’ve found that people take it too far. And while I don’t like to think some of it is deliberate, sometimes it totally is, so thank the people that didn’t follow through last time if you’re not able to swap with me because there’s a boundary you don’t meet. The option is always there though, and I always make room to pay forward.

Finally, some recommendations

I’ve got some tool recommendations, and reviews I’ll be offering in the future. Some are free, some are affiliate linked (marked with *). If they’re marked with *, I’ll earn something or get points or similar from them. If I can, I donate to charity, or give away what I earn, but if I can’t, I offset it instead.
Enjoy! K-Lytics - while many of my readers are, well, readers, some of you are authors, and I’ve found some really neat information in their reports. The latest one is sci-fi and fantasy, and it’s absolutely amazing. Their research and analysis is really interesting, and there are always nuggets in there that are really crucial to a great head start with planning books, either written to market or improving your writing. Evernote – Evernote is proving to be critical to my work, for more reason than one. It used to have a referral plan, it’s currently suspended, so I’m just recommending it 😉 I use this for organising study and storage. Scrivener – Might have an affiliate scheme, can’t find it, highly recommended regardless. I’ll always complain I can’t use it on Dex (Android, specifically my Samsung tablet) but it’s a minor annoyance for what I do. Remember, Nanowrimo participants get vouchers for participating sometimes, so if you’re looking to take part and do those projects, there’s always that option.

Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - text by Kai

G is for Garrett #atozchallenge

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I guess one of the things I’ve been talking about at the edges of at least, is a set of stories called Garrett. And origionally, this post was supposed to be talking about how I’d signed this for something really cool, but instead, we’ve pushed that off onto another region of my timeline, so instead, I’m going to share the beginning of the bit that links Harper (and by extension, Elliot), to Garrett. It’s also the opening to Existence Oblivion, which ties it to that too.

Prologue

Afterwards, the clear images were shards, splashes, and strips of confetti – long, finger length pieces of cloth, a small lump and tufts at one end, that shimmered in the lights, all over the floor. Hours later, he finally realized they were the hairbands from her pot by the door. But, in those first moments, all he could think was “confetti; all elastic and glass”. The wall at the bottom of the stairs was splashed and spattered with blood. There was one pool, a small one, three steps up, along with the detritus of resuscitation. A failed resuscitation, his traitor thoughts insisted. Confetti, shards and masks. A larger puddle was staining the floor. His brain kept stuttering, eyes bouncing from the shimmering fabric strips, the size and width of a plaster, reflecting back the swirling blue lights outside as if they were silvered, the glass in constellations of portended violence, and the discarded gloves, mask and boluses. The smell got him next. Copper sickly sweet, stinger than the lilacs over the door. Then the cardamom in the chai tea she offered, over the scent, the breath of her. The copper top and bottom note obliterated everything. “Sir?” a voice said, behind him. He turned. “She died on the way to the hospital. They restarted her heart, but…” he closed his eyes, as the words washed past him. “Does the director know?” He said, finally. There was a mild tremor in his voice, and he had locked his knees, hands rammed in his pockets. “Yes sir,” the quiet, calm voice said. He spun on his heel, turning his back on the tableau, which was now burning in his mind, igniting anger, grief, and something…something else. “Doxxies only,” he said. “Full record mode from arrival at boundary gate,” The soft-spoken man seemed to go blank, and swiftly, stiffly spun, and he and two others left through the gate, paused, turned and then, re-entered. He walked to the nearest one and said “DTC Marcus, going to London House. Doxxie only command issued at….” he stopped. “It’s logged. One confirmed death, three missing. Reporting for the Flag, The Priestess of Care expired on the way to Nightfall Luna.” She was such a good woman. And all that’s left is stains, constellations and confetti. He was still seeing the shimmer, gleams and highlights as he got into his car and headed towards Vauxhall. Stuck there, the savage, alien beauty. The last of Maehb. 
Book Cover: Existence Oblivion
Existence Oblivion
Book Cover: Funhouse by Kai Ellory Viola
Funhouse by Kai Ellory Viola

Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - text by Kai

D is for Darkness PD

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I guess my AtoZ of books couldn’t be complete without a mention of D for Darkness PD. It is a huge part of the worlds that I write in.

The place

Darkness PD is the main police station that Elliot, Harper and Morrigan are all based at. Darkness itself is a city of four districts, and Elliot works for district 1.

Most of Darkness PD is technologically connected, but Elliot, Harper and Morri have different difficulties with it – Elliot doesn’t like tech, Harper can’t use it due to the fact that he’s a technomage, and Morri is working undercover to expose the corruption in the police itself.

Technomage

Harper’s status is mostly explained later in the storyline, but technological mages in Darkness itself is a bit of a mystery, which I’ll be talking about in M for Magic – another area where I’ll be talking about all three book types.
You can read more about DarknessPD on the website.

Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - text by Kai

C is for Cantrips

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I thought today, I’d introduce you to Shula, my changeling mage. She’s quite a lot of fun, and though I can’t see what the link she has to Elliot, yet, she does link through the rest of my IP’s via the latter part of AMFAR, and she is brilliant fun, meet my changeling, Shula.

Shula is a late teenage changeling, running away from her ‘destiny’ – as a elemental fire hag’s daughter. But when her questing companions each discover they need to return home to deal with various issues, she realises a more powerful force is moving against them, and has to deal with all of the issues that are building to a change that cannot be.

I’ll be talking about her more, in a post called H for Houses, where I introduce her first trilogy.

Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - text by Kai

B is for Black Monday #atozchallenge

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Black Monday is one my series’ that I wrote, starting in 2004. It span off into Salvagers and some other books, but at it’s core, it was the first place – ever – I found and created Farran.
It’s a book though I can’t really talk about right now. Mostly because it’s a bit hard to write about the Apocalypse when you kinda feel like you’re loving through it in some ways (see A for Almost, or A for Are we there yet?)

Talking about why the earth still ends…

I gotta be honest, the core premise for Black Monday is an actual explosion on Earth that wiped it out…entirely.
So. One of the major things that I discovered, is that I didn’t want to write about it when I was worrying about Tom and his kidney surgery. Then…well, the world did kinda go into various versions of lockdown.

It’s been tiring and scary the last few months especially, so I thought I’d ease back into Black Monday and talk about the Captain and 2IC.

Captain Gedren and Lt Farran

One of the main character pairings in Black Monday is Gedren and Farran. Gedren is the Captain of the Grey Shadow, which is one of the five ships in the colony group. That colony group was originally set to inhabit a new part of the universe, knowing they could come home. So when the earth is destroyed, as they leave, the reactions of Gedren and Farran are almost polar opposite.

Gedren is more than a little over the top in his reactions, and basically becomes the worst of whatever he had been before he and the ship left. Slightly controlling before, he becomes a despot, and creates the beginning of the flotilla split. the worst of his character flaws lead to the destruction of not only the earth but one of the landing sites for the original flotilla, and sets up book 2 of the series, though as both the destruction of the Earth and the original flotilla spot is discussed in flashback, it’s not too much of a spoiler :).

Farran, on the other hand, basically ends up convicted of the destruction of earth, and becomes less cocky and sure of himself. Before where he was a fine, if flawed second in command, he becomes someone that needs to make things right. Farran’s story ends in the middle of Black Monday, as he’s placed is Stasis, and is picked up again in Salvagers.

I guess Black Monday will be back on the docket soon – we do have a cover for it after all, but it’s still a story I’m struggling with. Ending an earth that had a near miss isn’t really something I’d like to do right now.

Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - Books by D Kai Wilson-Viola - text by Kai