2021-12-04 01:30
I'm in a bit of a block right now with revisions, and so usually what I do if I'm creatively stuck with a book is to try and do something else creative related to the novel, just to keep the… Read More
Blog Directory > Books & Literature Blogs > Kristina Elyse Butke books-and-literature Blog >
Kristina Elyse Butke Blog
kristinaelysebutke.com
Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
2021-12-03 05:23
Photo by Anna Gru on UnsplashI'm busy dealing with some seasonal mood swings that I get every year, unfortunately, so that means a lot of stuff I've been working on has slowed down considera… Read More
2021-11-14 02:13
Photo by Jp Valery on UnsplashI wrote all the way back in March of this year about pursuing traditional publishing because self-publishing was likely too expensive for me to do. My exact wor… Read More
2021-10-16 03:51
Photo by DDP on UnsplashI got my beta reading reports from Independent Book Review earlier this month, and I've sat on them for about ten days or so, trying to process them. They had pa… Read More
2021-10-10 04:02
Greetings, friends. I'm sad to report I didn't get much reading done during this two-month period. I was busy reading a friend's book that was a bit of a whopper in size (558 pages… Read More
2021-10-05 01:23
Source: TwitterConfession: I saw this on Twitter but I have no idea what the #auswrites handle is referring to or what it stands for. I’m supposed to do this on Twitter every few days… Read More
2021-09-22 09:39
Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on UnsplashI finished Son of the Siren in August. Since then I made it through developmental edits and completed a third draft of the book with revisions, and sent… Read More
2021-09-20 07:08
I. I am not a patient person I have trouble waiting for things to happen especially when it has to do with my writing Oh my gosh I have three beta reading reports coming in but not unti… Read More
2021-08-28 04:01
Photo by Laura Kapfer on UnsplashI thought maybe it would be interesting to chronicle my journey into self-publishing Son of the Siren just in case it could help people out who are also… Read More
2021-08-25 06:16
Photo by Laura Ollier on UnsplashGreetings, readers! I found this fun book tag post from And On She Reads and thought since I've been reading lots of fantasy lately (thou… Read More
2021-08-13 02:25
Photo by Arno Senoner on UnsplashThanks to a series of back-to-back holidays, one vacation day, and two sets of weekends, I have nine days off from work. What did I do during this time… Read More
2021-08-04 03:50
Photo by James Tarbotton on UnsplashMy, what an emotional journey I've been on trying to decide what to do while writing Son of the Siren. And as you know, I don't really hide my… Read More
2021-07-31 01:20
Photo by Anthony Tran on UnsplashThe course of this reading project has seen many ups and downs, starting out with a very ambitious reading amount in the first period, then dwindling reading… Read More
2021-07-25 01:32
I am delighted to show you this incredible artwork from Juhaihai of the lead character from my novel, Son of the Siren. Here is a quick description of Son of the Siren: Eighteen-ye… Read More
2021-07-24 08:23
Do remember this post? I talk about being a broke writer and how I'm trying to go the traditional publishing route because I priced out some services for self-published authors and I di… Read More
2021-06-06 15:00
Photo by Mimipic Photography on UnsplashWell, isn't this project becoming more and more of a sinking ship! In December and January, I read 24 YA fantasy books. That decreased significan… Read More
2021-06-05 02:56
Photo by Jon Tyson on UnsplashI've talked about it on the blog a few times, but I'd thought I'd go into it a little bit deeper for today's post. I'm riddled with anxiety as I write my Y… Read More
2021-05-23 01:18
Photo by NeONBRAND on UnsplashThis took a really long time, with many starts and stops, but I finally broke 200 pages of writing the book. I like to use the Pacemaker app to keep track… Read More
2021-05-16 08:33
Photo by Andrey Metelev on UnsplashSo, I put up a panicky emergency post yesterday because I didn't know what was happening to this website (I deleted it because I wanted to give you the ful… Read More
2021-05-15 01:03
This is an emergency post. I'm trying to nip this in the bud to not lose 10+ years of content, but it looks like that's what is happening. Blogger/Google has already started removing my… Read More
2021-05-03 23:00
Image from the Invincible Wiki via Fandom.comOn March 26, 2021, Invincible premiered worldwide on Amazon Prime, and its first season of eight episodes wrapped April 30. As someone… Read More
2021-05-03 04:17
Image from the #52 Writing Cards Project. For all of their maps, click here!I. Shoes for exercise -- I've got my hiking boots that I purchased in the USA right before coming to Japan. I… Read More
2021-04-25 12:50
Photo by freddie marriage on UnsplashToday's blog post comes courtesy of The Literary Lollipop. Considering I'm reading a lot of stuff to familiarize myself with the YA fantasy genre, I'm fi… Read More
2021-04-17 15:00
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on UnsplashThe title of this blog is a quote from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, which popped up in my inbox recently. It got me thinking about my big dream, whi… Read More
2021-04-17 03:24
Photo by Vlad Kutepov on Unsplash.I've used Blogger as my website for ten years now and am not exactly the most technologically literate person. I've learned to design this blog and add… Read More
2021-04-11 10:59
Photo by Alice Alinari on UnsplashIt occurred to me I forgot to update everyone about my the reading project. I got off to a great start in December and January, reading a total of 24 b… Read More
2021-04-11 10:01
I got some fun news in my email! Writerlicious, the Flipboard magazine I've curated for years and years, was chosen for the April 10th Today's Picks! I *think* I started Write… Read More
2021-03-27 06:00
By Florencia Viadana on UnsplashToday's Writers #Ask meme comes from tumblr user M. Kirin, a fellow author and artist. M. Kirin's blog is full of all sorts of juicy, helpful things for… Read More
2021-03-23 22:17
Greetings!As I work on Son of the Siren, I figure I'd take a moment to talk about my eventual goal with the work: traditional publishing. I've thought long and hard about this and I've come… Read More
2021-03-14 01:57
Photo by Jason Leung on UnsplashJust a quick post to give you an update on Son of the Siren. In a recent post, I shared that I cut 78 pages of writing (not sure how many word… Read More
2021-03-07 04:37
A version of this prompt appears on the How to Turn Food into Words Writing Map. Illustrated by Dilly Boase.I'm not following the rules to this exactly -- hooray for artistic… Read More
2021-02-26 01:08
Photo by Ellieelien on UnsplashHello, all! I've been doing a lot of work lately that doesn't actually feel like work. As you know, I've been reading a lot of YA fantasy in order to… Read More
2021-01-30 09:22
Photo by Ferdinand studio on UnsplashHail and well met, friends!Last month I announced I was going to start reading YA fantasy because, as various professional writers have noted, if you wan… Read More
2020-12-12 04:24
Photo by Alice Alinari on UnsplashHello folks and happy December! I hope you're holding up well enough in these strange times. You last heard from me in October when I mentioned being a… Read More
2020-10-10 02:52
Photo by Tianshu Liu on UnsplashThis year I'm participating in the Japan Writer's Conference, which will be held online for 2020 via Zoom due to the coronavirus. Check out the… Read More
2020-08-30 15:00
A version of this prompt appears on the Writing Art Writing Map illustrated by Alex Green.Seafoam GreenNeither the internet or myself can agree on what color constitutes seafo… Read More
2020-08-29 04:18
Photo by hannah grace on UnsplashToday's post prompts come from the tumblr of author Amanda Witow. ✧༺♥༻✧The Basics1. Do you listen to… Read More
2020-08-25 04:59
A version of this prompt appears on the Description Writing Map illustrated by Ricky Butler.Pandemic List - Doing, Seeing, Experiencing, Witnessing1. Having lots of… Read More
2020-08-23 21:00
I can't believe it, but 10 years ago today, this website came into being. This site started out as a required component for my graduate degree program -- the Writing Popular Fiction Pro… Read More
2020-08-22 06:13
A version of this prompt appears on the Big Gay Writing Map illustrated by James Daw.When we got to the top of Mount Snowdon, one of the first things I noticed in my… Read More
2020-08-08 03:01
Photo by Floris Andréa on UnsplashOnce upon a time, I wrote a book that was my graduate thesis at Seton Hill University. It was my first book ever, completed in 2013. And for a long t… Read More
2020-08-01 12:55
A version of this prompt appears on the Writing the Love Writing Map illustrated by Işık Bayraktar.I. Kikuchi GorgeKikuchi Gorge is part of the Aso Kuju National Par… Read More
2020-07-02 13:36
I am pleased to introduce to you the lead character of my current work in progress, Lirien of Ardeth, from Son of the Siren. Lirien, the Son of the Siren (c) 2020 Lauren WalshI commissi… Read More
2020-06-28 15:00
Blend of images by Shot by Cerqueira and Alice Alinari on UnsplashToday's post is inspired by Paper Fury, an excellent book blog and one of the prettiest websites I've ever se… Read More
2020-06-27 07:45
A version of this prompt appears on the How to Turn Food into Words Writing Map illustrated by Dilly Boase.I. Kitchen Utensil CollectiveOur owner is a terrible… Read More
2020-06-26 11:46
Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on UnsplashHere's a fun writing prompt that popped into my inbox today:If only there were a writing genie. Over on The Write Life Facebook community… Read More
2020-06-06 23:15
Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash.Black lives matter. Justice for victims. Police reform now. HELPFUL RESOURCESKnow Your RightsProtestors' Rights by The Amer… Read More
2020-05-23 03:38
Hello friends! As you may already know, I'm an editor and contributor over at Speculative Chic, a genre webzine that celebrates science fiction, fantasy, and horror -- and our angle is "Ladi… Read More
2020-05-17 00:50
A version of this prompt appears on the The Voice and Point of View Writing Map illustrated by Sarah Edmonds.I. Some writers and their works I fell in love with… Read More
2020-05-12 01:34
A version of this prompt appears on the Write by the Sea Writing Map illustrated by Fathima Kathrada.The beaches I've been to worldwide.I. As much as I lov… Read More
2020-05-08 22:00
Greetings, star stuff! As you may know, I'm an editor and contributor over at Speculative Chic, and every year contributors do a Resolution Project where they commit to some sort of goal rel… Read More
2020-05-07 06:47
Original photo by Hannah Olinger on UnsplashTumblr is a compendium of fun writing #asks, and today's comes from The Republic of Letters. Some of these I've answered before, bu… Read More
2020-05-06 03:37
A version of this prompt appears on the Write Around the House Writing Map illustrations by Stephen Longwill.I. Full-Length MirrorI have only two mirrors in my house… Read More
2020-05-03 07:47
A version of this prompt appears on the Write Up You Street Writing Map illustrated by Andrew Carter.I. Photo by Bérénice Blanc on… Read More
2020-04-28 10:50
A version of this prompt appears on the Write Through School Writing Map with illustrations by Steve Wiltshire.I. Daisy Time/LIFE image sourced from Crumpl… Read More
2020-04-24 21:00
Photo by RetroSupply on UnsplashAll right, you've reached the end of the tunnel! I hammered through 53 writing questions in the epic Ask Game for writers o… Read More
2020-04-24 01:26
Photo by RetroSupply on UnsplashHello again! I'm continuing the epic Ask Game for writers on Tumblr, courtesy of author R. Meisel. There are 53 questi… Read More
2020-04-23 09:55
Photo by RetroSupply on UnsplashWelcome back! I'm continuing the epic Ask Game for writers on Tumblr, courtesy of author R. Meisel. There are 53 questions… Read More
2020-04-21 07:38
Today's post comes from a special Ask Game for writers on Tumblr from author R. Meisel. There are 53 questions total, so I'm breaking them up into three posts. Join me wi… Read More
2020-04-18 03:42
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on UnsplashExactly two years ago today I joined the gang over at Speculative Chic, a site touted as "A fanzine dedicated to the lines where geek and chi… Read More
2020-04-17 23:19
Image by Writing Maps, host of the #52writingcards project.Sometimes when you write for the web, it feels like shouting into a great giant void: "Is anyone reading these posts? Hmm...no comm… Read More
2020-04-12 21:00
From an original photo by Evie S. on UnsplashToday's post is inspired by this little meme running around the blogs of authors and book reviewers. I discovered this first… Read More
2020-04-03 21:00
A version of this prompt appears on the The Café Writing Map illustrated by Stefania Manzi.I. Three Cakes in Japan Soufflé Pancakes – They look like little pi… Read More
2020-04-01 22:00
A version of this prompt appears on the Writing Things Writing Map illustrated by Me & OliI. ClarinetThe ebony wood, called granadilla, makes this a distinctiv… Read More
2020-03-30 23:01
A version of this prompt appears on the Writing the Love Writing Map illustrated by Işık Bayraktar.I. Legs Gone Lost - TenbyDinbych Y Pwsgod, anglicized as Tenby, is… Read More
2020-03-30 11:20
Hello friends! As you may already know, I'm an editor and contributor over at Speculative Chic, a genre webzine that celebrates science fiction, fantasy, and horror -- and our angle is … Read More
2020-02-02 05:44
Over at Speculative Chic I've started my 2020 Resolution Project, and I'll be knocking through reviewing all eight seasons of Voltron: Legendary Defender as well as The Dragon Prince&nb&hell…Read More
2020-01-30 22:00
A version of this prompt appears on the Write Around the House Writing Mapillustrated by Stephen Longwill.I.The bed I'm sleeping on isn't what you'd call a bed. When I first moved… Read More
2020-01-29 12:15
Over at Speculative Chic, we've got one of the funnest guest columns around. Every Monday we invite top-notch writers in sci fi, fantasy, and horror to share with us what their genre loves a… Read More
2020-01-26 22:00
I've mentioned a huge chunk of my blogging is devoted to an awesome site I'm proud to work for, Speculative Chic. I joined spring of 2018 and primarily work as a content editor, but I a… Read More
2020-01-24 22:00
In my last post I mentioned most of my blogging was devoted to an awesome site I'm proud to work for, Speculative Chic. I joined spring of 2018 and primarily work as a content editor, but I… Read More
2020-01-23 09:09
Acknowledging for the billionth time, I have let my personal site fall by the wayside, and I'm so embarrassed about this. For a very long period, I had trouble making the effort to post freq… Read More
2019-06-15 07:05
Photo by Peter Fogden on UnsplashHowdy, all! I mentioned recently that I rejoined Twitter after an absence of quite a few years. I left because I was grossed out by all o… Read More
2019-06-03 02:43
お久しぶりです！It's been a while. Months ago I devised some sort of themed posting schedule to prompt writing on this site regularly, and tha… Read More
2019-03-04 15:30
Original photo by Nick Morrison via UnsplashThis blog series comes from a special Ask Game for writers on Tumblr from author R. Meisel. Every Tuesday I’ll answer a question from the li… Read More
2019-01-26 13:48
Writing is definitely part toil and trouble.After I made the decision to redo The Name and the Key from scratch, I hit some snags, and fixing some of the problems of the book was starting to… Read More
2019-01-20 11:00
It's been months since I wrote on this blog, and the only post I wrote for all of 2018 was a bombshell admission that the thing I had spent years chronicling on this blog - my book… Read More
2018-07-01 03:51
These are thoughts a long time coming, and I think they grew out of two things; the climate in which we live, and the fact that I've gotten more mature as a thinker and writer as the years h… Read More
2018-01-24 10:03
Klingon Success! (c) KEB.Vintage woman by Freepik; Qapla by Carlos Francisco Cruz Fierro.I've continued to break rules as I write, and this includes some of the self… Read More
2018-01-20 01:34
Photo by Steven VanDesande Jr on UnsplashSomething wonderful has happened since changing jobs (adjunct professor to assistant language teacher). I had hoped I would have a bet… Read More
2017-09-05 15:00
By David Revoy / Blender Foundation - Own work, CC BY 3.0, LinkIn my last post I mentioned the decision to make my own World Book, a manual to consult as I continue rewriting The Name and th… Read More
2017-09-03 06:25
Image from The USC Cinematic Arts' Worldbuilding Institute.With The Name and the Key and The Step and the Walk, I was always very strict about how I would build the world for the series… Read More
2017-09-01 16:34
From Big Hero 6 via Writer's Relief. Lord love a duck, it's been ages since I've last posted! Some of it had to do with the crazy technology issues I've had (internet has been such… Read More
2017-01-28 09:03
Synaeresis issue one now available! Read "Coppelius" here.I am pleased to announce that my poem "Coppelius" is a part of a new online poetry and arts journal, Synaeresis. I am… Read More
2017-01-04 02:47
From the Kickstarter page for Skip Beat!In my other post, I mentioned that one of the projects I'd been working on was actually kind of a big deal.☺ I am a small part of the official N… Read More
2017-01-02 16:03
Photo (c) Clark Young via Unsplash.The Name and the KeyI've got to say, my Nanowrimo revisions goal was not met, as I feared but somewhat expected. I hoped to revise my entire novel, The Nam… Read More
2016-10-27 06:00
Photo (c) Cliff Johnson via Unsplash.As you may or may not know, I've been living in Japan since August. And one of my larger goals besides updating this website for the first time in what w… Read More
2016-10-02 03:25
Higanbana flowers in Japan. (c) KEB...And I am SO FAR BEHIND on writing and updating this website because of it!Some things to know since my last post in June:I am an assistant language teac… Read More
2016-06-21 14:37
Takayama, Souvenir, Gift, Omiyage - レインボーさるぼぼBy Bryan, [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia CommonsI have a little over a mo… Read More
2016-06-01 04:00
Available now!SYNOPSISAurora is the only daughter of two of Fredan’s most influential figures, but all of the money in the world can’t help her feel as if she belongs in that wor… Read More
2016-05-31 22:15
Longtime readers of this blog will notice that I have frequently showcased the works of other writers on my website, either through my Proust Your Protagonist series, or through volunteering… Read More
2016-05-30 04:00
Welcome to the blog tour of "Walton 2016" by Andrew Rickert. The full schedule for the tour can be found here.THIS BOOK IS FREE ON JUNE 2ND AT AMAZON! GRAB YOUR COPY!BOOK DESCRIPTIONJa… Read More
2016-05-29 03:24
View from Kumamoto Castle Keep Tower / 熊本市風景Photo by 663highland, CC BY 2.5 Since my last Japan-related post, with bated breath I waited to hear of my… Read More
2016-05-24 04:00
Now available!SYNOPSISOlivia Donnelly never meant to fall in love with a hot, sexy vampire. But she did and, against all reason, now she’s been turned herself and is fast learning ther… Read More
2016-05-09 04:00
Welcome to the blog tour of "Busy, Stressed, and Food Obsessed" by Lisa Lewtan. The full schedule for the tour can be found here.BOOK DESCRIPTIONWhen stress comes knocking, we eat. Whe… Read More
2016-05-09 04:00
Welcome to the blog tour of "Busy, Stressed, and Food Obsessed" by Lisa Lewtan. The full schedule for the tour can be found here.BOOK DESCRIPTIONWhen stress comes knocking, we eat. Whe… Read More
2016-05-01 21:15
Photo by Galen Crout, via UnsplashOne of the most difficult things about being a professor has been maintaining a work-life balance. Long-time readers of this blog will note that this has be… Read More
2016-04-15 04:00
Welcome to my tour stop for "Hairy Tales" by Clifford James Hayes. Please refer the tour page for the full list of bloggers who are participating in this tour.Name: Hairy Tales: A Coll… Read More
2016-04-15 04:00
Welcome to my tour stop for "Hairy Tales" by Clifford James Hayes. Please refer the tour page for the full list of bloggers who are participating in this tour.Name: Hairy Tales: A Coll… Read More
2016-03-23 04:00
Welcome to my tour stop for IA: Initiate by John Darryl Winston. This tour runs from March 21 to 25. Please refer the tour page for the full list of bloggers who are participatin… Read More
Subscribe to Kristina Elyse Butke
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!