Meeting Dorothy Allison

Okay, I will confess I didn’t know who this keynote speaker at the GCLS Con was.  I did my research and read about her and her book BASTARD OUT OF CAROLINA which was made into a movie…cool.  I didn’t expect to find myself sitting NEXT to her at my first reading…and again, I was sick and clueless and didn’t recognize this great author.  Thank goodness MY reading of SHIPS, my FIRST novel written in 2003 was before this great orator went on to deliver her reading.  She blew us ALL away and following her would never have the impact.  I was absolutely astounded when this woman leaned over after my reading and said, “Good Job!  Great story.”  It’s always wonderful to be told that, but to be told by someone who you cannot help but admire…well, let’s just say WOW and leave it at that.  Her reading left the audience in tears, mesmerized by her words, her delivery, and the story…  Seeing her at the awards dinner later in the week was only a bonus, she is gracious, kind, and down to earth.  Her southern accent endears the listener and enhances what she has to say.  Whether you have read her works or not, run, don’t walk, and get them!

To rub shoulders with the greats, to have them acknowledge a fellow author, these things stay with a person.  I can only hope if/when I might make that status that I remember humbly how wonderful they made me feel at a moment in time…and pass it on.

Skittles

This year for swag for the GCLS Con in New Orleans I bought small bags of skittles…I mean, C’mon…TASTE the Rainbow? …It was a blast, more blogs to come about it.  I bought this five POUND bag of little packets and unfortunately it couldn’t sit on my dining room table for the time it took for the con to come around without my ‘sampling’ the packets…you know, to make sure that quality control was up there and all that?  By the time the con actually rolled around I worried that I would have to buy another five POUND bag….I needn’t have worried…I came home with MORE skittles than I left with due to gifts that friends gave me of MORE skittles…I think I’m set for a few months…maybe weeks….possibly days….yep…TASTE THE RAINBOW and read Lesbian Fiction! http://www.kannemeinel.com

Thank you!

I’d like to take a moment to just say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the fans who read my novels.  I was looking at the stats today off of just Amazon and this is what I found for just one of my books:

This means for that one book alone I am selling more than one 100 a day which thrills me and I can’t say thank you enough to those who enjoy my many books and give me the feedback that they do.  My current book that came out last month, BLOWN AWAY has TWO covers:

and here is what some people are saying:

both are available in both E-Book and Paperback editions.  If you go to my website www.kannemeinel.com there is even a button

to get them or any of my paperbacks personally signed and mailed to you!

Again, THANK YOU to the fans, you are one the many reasons I keep writing!

New and Improved! RE-release of REPRESENTED

Coming out is hard.  Coming out in the public eye is even harder.  People think they own a piece of you, your work, and your life, they feel they have the right to judge you.  You lose not only friends but fans and ultimately, possibly, your career…or your life.

Cassie Summers is a Southern Rock Star; she came out so that she could feel true to herself.  Her family including her band and those important to her support her but there are others that feel she betrayed them, they have revenge on their minds…

Karin Myers is a Rock Star in her own right; she is one of those new super promoters: Manager, go-to gal, agent, public relations expert, and hand-holder all in one.  Her name is synonymous with getting someone recognized, promoted, and making money.  She only handles particular clients though; she’s choosy…for some very specific reasons.

Meeting Cassie at a party there is a definite attraction.  She does not however wish to represent her despite her excellent reputation.  She fights it tooth and nail until she is contractually required to do so.  In nearly costs them more than either of them anticipated….their lives.

In E-Book & Paperback

Pay it Forward….with BOOKS!

Several years ago when Harry Potter was at its height and kids anxiously awaited each and EVERY release, my kids included, we ran into a problem at the school library.  Our school was brand spanking new and as a result got the new books LAST before the more established grade schools.  So, for like 400 kids waiting for a book there might be one or two, if that.  Then you had the time while someone had it checked out and you had to wait for them to return it before it became available for the next student…and the next.

I was in a good place in my life.  Two homes, two vehicles, and two boys who LOVED the HARRY POTTER books, which had been introduced to them by their loving Grandmother, my mother.  We all enjoyed the books both written and on tape as we took many trips together during that time.  My boys had a rule though; we ALL had to read the books FIRST before we could listen to them read to us on tape.  It was great as the boys read these thick volumes and enjoyed the stories.  Their imaginations soared.  But then we found out about the local library and their problems.

So, I went out and bought two complete sets of the books and ‘donated’ them to our school library.  The librarian couldn’t understand what my son meant at first when he brought them in to her.  When she finally realized what it was about she got up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, requesting that he give me the same.  Every new book that came out got a ‘donation’ or two to the school library so that more copies were available to the kids whose parents either couldn’t afford to buy them or didn’t realize their children were reading them.  My kids too got such a kick out of knowing their friends could read the same stories and enjoy them the same way they did.

A few years later, they were out of the school system but their mom (me) began to write her own novels.  I now donate them to the local library here in small-town USA as the LGBT section is woefully neglected.  I don’t think they appreciate Lesbian Fiction but I don’t really care for their narrow-mindedness.  I did hear from someone in town who was able to borrow one of my books and has since purchased ones that aren’t available by paperback.  I’ll continue to pay it forward…with books.  Thank you for reading!

My books are available through Shadoe Publishing @ www.shadoepublishing.com or on my own website at www.kannemeinel.com

My current release is available with two different covers:

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