And the Weekend Cometh…

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Kourtney

This gallery contains 16 photos.

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How To Support Your Favorite Writers — Library Recommendations

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Kourtney

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I’m stuck in revisions. My book is pretty much a giant pile of silver poo right now. All part of the process, I know.

So I thought I’d share a great post on how to support your favorite writers from a blog buddy of mine!

Source: How To Support Your Favorite Writers — Library Recommendations

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Panels Galore-NY and Boston Adventures

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Kourtney

 

I took the bus into New York on Wednesday, grabbed a delicious chicken cobb salad near my friend’s apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, and then prepped for panel at MWA-NY meeting that night.

I made a bad call about the subway and rode it to the Village. My best friend and I have a history of getting turned around on those damn diagonal streets. It’s always been a problem. So of course, I end up accidentally walking southwest instead of northeast.

Upside is I got to see some of my old haunts. And of course, I was early so I still arrived perfectly on time to the Salmagundi Club.

It’s a really cool space. Historic feeling. Perfect for the MWA meeting. There’s a room for the actual panel, another room for the bar and a third room for the dinner. Great flow and lots of opportunity to chat and meet amazing authors.

As I got my drink, I bumped into Laura K. Curtis, S.W. Hubbard, and Jillian Abbott–my fellow panelists and chatted with them. They are lovely and funny and charming and I am definitely adding their books to my tbr list!

After drinks, Jillian and I ended up eating together and I had a great time getting to know her. We were joined by fellow author Mitch and the hour passed far to quickly!

The food was delicious–steak, scallops, tomato soup, salad, veggies, mashed potatoes.

After dinner, we adjourned to the meeting room for the MWA monthly meeting and panel.

Big thanks to Laura K. Curtis for being a wonderful moderator! The panel went so fast! I learned so much from my fellow panelists. I wish I could have taken notes during our panel. We had a good crowd and there were lots of questions. Laura said we’d continue the discussion on the MWA-NY blog so when that happens, I’ll link to it.

Key takeaways were:

There are no short cuts in self publishing. You have to be involved in everything, even the stuff you delegate. You are the project manager and have to make sure all the pieces come together.

You also have to be willing to try things and then check and see if they lead to sales. If not, move on to another marketing tactic.

Marketing and promotion are a major part of self publishing. If you hate doing it, you can hire others to help, but it’s a money to time tradeoff. Also, you still have to know what they should be doing and make sure they do it. And keep in mind it’s your book, no one cares more than you do!

There are tons of resources out there and Google is a great place to start. Keep in mind the landscape changes so what worked for one person or what worked a year ago for sales may not work any longer. Tactics change, strategies don’t.

 

 

The next day was my day off in the city. I went to the dentist–no cavities. Got to see my friend Ant’s new digs out in Jackson Heights and walked around the historic district there. Grabbed some delicious Indian food for lunch too.

Came back to the city for dinner with Brett at Green Bo. We ordered our three favs. I picked up a few new scarves in Chinatown. Then we subwayed back to his place for Chinese pastries and a bad horror flick, Blood Lake.

Friday I took the bus home and got ready for Arisia where I was on a panel about friends of authors and how to support them with Crystal Huff (who was a terrific moderator), Timothy Goyette, Deborah Kaminski, and Elizabeth McCoy.

 

Saturday, we drove to Boston (Me, Mom, and Aunt Sue). We stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch and dinner. Arisia was cool. Love the costumes. I got to have a drink with Toni Kelner and get her to sign her newest release. She’s one of my favorite authors to sit and chat with. My panel went well. I love when I can share a couple stories that make the audience laugh.

The big takeaways are:

When they are first published, authors look to their close friends to write reviews or at least read the book and give them feedback.

The more prolific an author is, the less she/he expects you to read and review their work.

Authors appreciate a response when you ask to see their work. If you don’t end up reading it, just say so. Don’t make them ask. It’s awkward for everyone.

You can always find one nice thing to say about something. Even if you don’t particularly connect with a book, try to find the positive when you are talking to an author friend about it. Remember they spent years working on this. You wouldn’t want them to tell you that your newborn baby is ugly, even if it is. Show them the same consideration. While honesty may be appreciated, tact will keep a friendship intact.

We didn’t get to it during the panel, but there are lots of ways to support authors that don’t involve buying the book or writing a review. I have a blog post where I talked about other ways to support author buddies.

 

 

 

 

Posted in author appearance, conventions, fantasy convention, manhattan, new york, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

Holiday Blog Hiatus

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Kourtney

IMG_1902I hope everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving. Mine was filled with silly moments including how many Eugenes are in my family (we’re Italian on Mom’s side) and Grandma H announcing my father only had 10 years left to live.

The food was amazing! But all those carbs swelled my stomach up majorly. I am just starting to feel my ribs again.

My buddy Brett came in from NYC and we got to watch Killer Mermaid and Devil. We love a bad horror movie.

The best takeaway from Devil–if the devil is nearby, when you drop a piece of toast with jam on it, it will always land jam side down. Also children will hit their heads on tables. So there’s your litmus test. Have toast and jam or a small child on hand at all times.

I’m finally going to clean my room. Woohoo. It’s been about two months since the last time I did it. Last week, I started with the drawers and the shelves for clothes. This week dust and vacuum.

I’ve sent Six Train’s sequel off to my editor for developmental editing.

I’m doing a self study writing workshop in December with Margie Lawson. I’ve done two of them and I can’t wait to do this one. It’s part of my preparation for a 4 day writing boot camp with her in July 2016.

The book tour for The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts is almost wrapped up, so it’s the perfect time to take a break from blogging.

My blog hiatus starts December 5. I’ll be back here on the blog January 5, 2016. Until then I’ll be popping in on Facebook and Twitter a few times a week.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. I look forward to catching up in the new year!

 

Posted in book tour, Personal, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 31 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving + Final Book Tour Stops

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Kourtney

IMG_8938Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m grateful to get to spend this holiday with my good friend Brett and my family. I’m also grateful to be finishing up Six Train’s sequel and sending it to my editor next week. Most importantly, I’m grateful to finally have some energy back and to be feeling like I’m on the other side of being sick.

What are you grateful for this year?

***

I’m at the end of the book tour.

Here are my last two author appearances for 2015:

November 29th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In Southington, CT, at the Aquaturf Convention Center for the 19th Annual Holiday Craft Fair: selling signed copies of my novels.
December 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In Unionville, CT, at the West District School (114 West District Road) for the West District 37th Annual Holiday Crafts Fair: selling and signing copies of my books.

 

If you weren’t able to make it to one of my events, and you would like a signed copy of The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts or a signed bookplate for your book, please contact me at: kourtney(dot)heintz(at)yahoo.com to discuss the cost.

 

 

Posted in author appearance, Personal, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

The End of the Book Tour

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Kourtney

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This was my last appearance in October at the Boston Book Festival in the Sisters in Crime booth. The day before I got taken down by a nasty respiratory infection.

I’ve been offline most of the past 2 weeks getting better. I’d say I’m 85% there.

But as I lay in bed trying to breathe, I realized how hard and how fast I’ve been going for months. I was at such a stressed out level that it became my normal. All the things I had convinced myself I had to do really weren’t do or die.

So I’m going to step back a bit on promo stuff now.

In order to finish Six Train’s sequel and get it to my editor in December, I’ve got to give myself a break from Facebook and Twitter in November. I’ll try to stop by if I can, but it may only be once a week.

I’ll be here on the blog and on email, but I need to quiet my mind and get the story structure worked out.

***

I’ve also got three more events to wrap up the book tour. If you want to meet me and get a signed copy of either of my books, here’s where I’ll be:

November 14th from 9:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. In Meriden, CT, at the Horace C. Wilcox Technical High School Craft Fair (298 Oregon Road): selling and signing books.
November 29th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In Southington, CT, at the Aquaturf Convention Center for the 19th Annual Holiday Craft Fair: selling signed copies of my novels.
December 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In Unionville, CT, at the West District School (114 West District Road) for the West District 37th Annual Holiday Crafts Fair: selling and signing copies of my books.

 

Posted in author appearance, illness, wrtiting | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

How an Extreme Introvert Can Survive A Day at NY Comic Con

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Kourtney

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Despite living in Manhattan and DC for 12 years of my life, crowds have always made me nervous. Specifically being trapped in giant crowds of shuffling people who are brushing up against me and stepping on me.

Which is pretty much a constant at NY Comic Con.

So how did I go and have a great time?

  1. Plan Ahead

I read the emails from NY Comic Con and followed their advice on prepping. I brought my own food to avoid the crazy food lines (which snaked all over and looked to be an hour each). I brought water to stay hydrated. I downloaded the NY Comic Con app and planned out a possible itinerary. I dressed in what was comfy for me. The temperature inside ranged from cool to warm so layers are key.

2. Bring a Friend

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My buddy Ant met me on 10th and 38th and we walked in together. It’s always easier to face a crowd with a wingman. It’s also less overwhelming when you’ve got a buddy to consult with and help navigate three stories of crowds.

3. Select Panels That Fit Your Interests and Your Personality

To avoid constant crowds and long waits, I picked the writing panels which tend to be less crowded at comic cons and are also where my interests lie. Win-win. Sitting inside the panels is also a great break from the crowds.

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Storytelling on the Page

This panel was about creating story in comic books. What was most fascinating was how much of it translated to novel writing (for me) and play writing (for Ant).

My favorite take aways?

*Start close on purpose to create unease.

*180 rule switch angle in comic is jarring to reader. Avoid interruption. Engage in stream of consciousness storytelling and don’t knock them out of it.

We even got a free comic book from Valiant and it’s gorgeous!

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Let Me Hear You Scream

*I know that’s ghosts aren’t real, but the ghosts are in my brain.

*Horror confirms secret truths.

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Wicked Reads

*I’m not afraid of the dark. I’m afraid of what’s in the dark.

*I have a fear of bad situation with no good choices.

4. Get The Lay of the Land

Give yourself time to figure out where the panels you want to get to are and where everything is. It’s a little disorienting at first. So arrive with an hour before anything you are dying to do. Keep in mind there are always lines for the ladies’ room, especially when people are in costume.

5. Budget Lots of Time to Get Around

Everyone shuffles around because there is so much to do and see. There are people in cosplay posing and taking pictures. There are lines and freebies. It’s like a casino on crack.

Between panels, we wandered around the exhibit hall area. It was amazing and intense and massive. I got a few free books from Del Rey. Woohoo!

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Exhibit Hall

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Main Entry Level

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Then we checked out Artist’s Alley.

6. Be Nice

I said excuse me and sorry more in one day than I do in a month. Why? Because it lets people know I had no intention of bumping or stepping on them and also reminds me that as many times as I get bumped I’m bumping someone else.  Being nice makes it easier on everyone.

I even gave a girl a tampon in the bathroom. Because no one should have to use those horrible machine ones.

7. Have an Exit Strategy That Fits You

I knew I couldn’t last more than 6-8 hours there, so I planned my arrival time accordingly and also had potential panels only for that time frame.

8. Schedule Time to Decompress Afterwards

All the people and noise get me really wound up. I needed time with close friends to decompress. Ant and I met up with Brett in Chinatown for dimsum. We’ve known each other decades so it was the perfect way to end the day.

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Lychee martinis for all of us. Steamed pork buns, steamed shrimp dumplings, sticky rice in lotus leaf.

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This is the hardest dish to get in Chinatown at dinner time. For years, Brett and I would order it and be told, “Sorry, we sold out.” We ordered two servings! It’s shrimp wrapped in a gelatinous rice noodle. Num num.

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After dinner, we of course needed dessert.

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So we headed to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. I got Pandan–my favorite. Ant got Chocolate Oreo. Brett tried Durian. It starts out tasting bitter and then the scent of garbage fills your mouth. I’m not kidding, I tried it.

Worst dessert ever!

After a few bites Brett gave up on it and tossed it.

Then we went in search of a palate cleanser. None of the Chinatown bakeries were open.  We ended up at Ferrara’s in Little Italy.

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As Brett savored his cream puff, I decided I didn’t want our food crawl to end and we went in search of bubble tea something I hadn’t had in a decade!

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Brett and I shared Taro Milk Tea at ChaTime. Ant just came along for the excitement.

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Here’s all my goodies from NY Comic Con. So that book in the middle was the best surprise ever–Stephenie Meyer was there on Thursday and the bookstore was still selling signed copies of her 10th Anniversary Edition of Twilight. Squee! I got a signed copy.

Twilight was one of my favorite series and taught me so much about writing a compelling story. I never thought I’d have a signed copy of her book. Thanks NY Comic Con!

Posted in conventions, manhattan, new york | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Where’s Kourtney in October + What’s She Reading?

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Kourtney

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October is my busiest month this year. I’m on the road the most I’ve ever been and doing the most events in the shortest bursts of time.

I always try to schedule one event a week, but well, sometimes an opportunity pops up and you have to take it. So  I have seven events in October. Three of which are out of state.

So here’s what my month looks like:

October Schedule
October 9th In New York, NY: attending New York Comic Con.
October 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In Wolcott, CT, at the Farmingbury Woman’s Club Annual Craft Fair at Alcott School: selling signed copies of my novels.
October 19th In Wolcott, CT: teaching a workshop on Storyboarding: Laying out your Story for Girls Inc.
October 24th from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. In Boston, MA, at the Boston Book Festival in the Sisters in Crime Booth: selling and signing books and giving away author goodies.
October 26th from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. In Manchester, NH, at the New England Library Association Conference in the Sisters in Crime booth: giving away author goodies and a few copies of my book.
October 29th to November 1st I will be in Nashville, TN: attending the Killer Nashville Mystery Conference and signing books.
October 31st from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. I will be in Nashville, TN, at the Killer Nashville Conference: signing copies of my book, sharing freebies, & giving away cool prizes.

***

thekillingkind

I’m currently reading The Killing Kind, an amazing thriller by a terrific author I know, Chris Holm. It’s one of those books you want to rush through, but you don’t because the writing is so good, you want to savor it. I alternate between gobbling up chapters and soaking in his brilliant prose and plotting.

It’s got a truly original premise (back cover blurb):

A hitman who only kills other hitmen winds up a target himself.
Michael Hendricks kills people for money. That aside, he’s not so bad a guy.
Once a covert operative for a false-flag unit of the US military, Hendricks was presumed dead after a mission in Afghanistan went sideways. He left behind his old life–and beloved fiancée–and set out on a path of redemption…or perhaps one of willful self-destruction.
Now Hendricks makes his living as a hitman entrepreneur of sorts–he only hits other hitmen. For ten times the price on your head, he’ll make sure whoever’s coming to kill you winds up in the ground instead. Not a bad way for a guy with his skill-set to make a living–but a great way to make himself a target.

I’m not the only one raving about it– check out the reviews he’s getting from NPR, AP, Kirkus Reviews (starred) and PW (to name a few).

If you only have time to read one book in October–read this book!

Posted in author appearance, Book Review, book tour, thriller | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Baltimore Book Festival + Fan Interaction + Upcoming Workshop

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Kourtney

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Apologies for the late post today. Mom and I drove down to Baltimore on Thursday for the Baltimore Book Festival and got back Sunday afternoon. I wasn’t able to do the post ahead of time for this morning and then I had to take Grandma E to the doctor.

So here’s what the last 4 days looked like.

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View from our room.

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Our room at the Residence Inn

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USS Constitution

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Spinach Salad at M&S Grill

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Parmesan crusted flounder

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Author tents on Friday

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The Inner Harbor

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Loved this dog at the Visitor Center

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SFWA panel on what’s new in Sci-fi and fantasy

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RWA Book Cover Bingo–most fun hour of panels

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I won the fabulous Rebecca Rivard’s book in bingo!

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Lunch on Friday

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crossing genres panel

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Dinner at the James Joyce Pub in Harbor East with the amazing Lauren and Sean–my bmore buddies!

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The dessert that made me clap my hands. Bailey’s ice cream with caramelized brown bread pieces mixed in. Plus a fan of apples and strawberries.

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Saturday in my author tent

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Awesome shot of me signing books by JM McDowell, who came up to say hi and helped out during the unexpected tent move. 🙂

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I reconnected with a high school friend at our 20th reunion last weekend and he came out to see me and get my books when we realized I would be in his city! Thanks Kadin! 🙂

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The best chicken sandwich ever–Chick-Fil-A

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Free hotel breakfasts rock!

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Home!

***

Had some cool experiences already with readers from the Baltimore Book Festival.

First, someone came out to see me because he joined my mailing list at last year’s event and wanted to tell me how much he enjoyed Six Train. So cool!

Second, Emma, this adorable girl I met at this year’s event, bought my book and immediately started reading it. I know because she texted me the next day to let me know she loved the opening and that it was a “page turner.” I was so thrilled to hear from her!

 ***

I am teaching a one week online workshop on The Importance of Giving Up over on Savvy Authors next week. There’s still time to sign up if your interested.

Workshop Summary

We all have moments of self-doubt. Times where we wonder if we are on the right track with a story or with our pursuit of publication. Everyone talks about the power of perseverance, but no one really talks about how important it is to give up. To let yourself admit that things aren’t working out and to re-evaluate what you are doing. Sometimes we need to step back and decide if something is really worth it. We need to remember that this is a choice. And at any time we can choose to stop or choose to keep going. Sometimes giving up is the only way to find our way back to our story and our dream of publication.

Level: Mixed
Where:  The Savvy Forums
Cost:  Premium Members $20 / Basic Members $30

***

Posted in book festival, Promotion | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Launch Party, 20th Reunion, And Brooklyn Book Festival in 4 days

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Kourtney
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At Bin 300 Bistro release party for The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts

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With Dorothy my Sunday school teacher at the release party

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Chase Collegiate 20th reunion brunch

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The Night Circus Themed Sesquicentennial Celebration at Chase Collegiate

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A Sweet Maria’s layer cake for each school name!

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Sweet Maria’s–I’ve never had such vanilla flavored vanilla cake!

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The party

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On Metro North to NYC the next morning with Mom for the Brooklyn Book Festival.

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Lunch with Cousin A.

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Diet Root Beer Float.

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At the Brooklyn Book Festival in the MWA booth selling books!

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At the Brooklyn Book Festival!

This has been my last four days in photos.

Now I’m gearing up for the Baltimore Book Festival this week!

I’ll be there Saturday, September 26, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the Author’s Tent on Pier 1 beside the USS Constellation ship. Stop by to say hi, chat writing, and ask questions about The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts!

And Boston friends, I just found out I have a spot at the Boston Book Festival in the Sisters in Crime booth from 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, signing books!

I had a blog Q&A with Samantha at Thoughts on Tomes about Kat’s best friend, her fav social media, and my inspiration. In case anyone wants to check it out. 🙂

Posted in author appearance, book festival, release party | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments