Things Are A Bit Different Around Here
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Things are a bit different around here

Back in early October, I mentioned that a change was coming. If you’re a regular reader, by now you’ve probably noticed things look quite a bit different. While on vacation last week, I took some time to redesign the site and move some things around. Some of this was to prep for the coming of Gleam Upon the Waves, and some of it was to reduce the amount of time I dealt with random web stuff. So… what’s new? Let me tell you.

New Domain

Well, kinda. There was always a KMAlexander.com, but before it took you to a static page. Now it brings you here. I’ll touch a little more on this in a bit. Since the domain changed, it felt more appropriate to be a little more professional with the title. The form blog title “I Make Stories” is no more. (Don’t worry, I’m still making stories.)

Sub-Domains Are Gone… Mostly

My book sites used to be on separate webpages nestled under subdomains most of those are now gone and only a few remain. (store.kmalexander.com is one.) If you came from thestarswereright.kmalexander.com, chances are you’ll have landed here. This is part of the redirect process and I’m still trying to figure out a solution. But, those webpages still exist. All my books can now found up on the menu. Which brings me to the next part…

New Book Landing Pages

As I mentioned, in the before times, I had different sites for each book, and each of those had subsites. It was a lot to juggle. With this new site, all those have been merged here! You can find them up under the Bell Forging Cycle tab in the menu. They’re a bit cleaner and will look so much better for those folks using mobile devices. Moving to a more mobile-friendly approach was a big consideration for this redesign. You should check ’em out (share them with your friends.) I think they turned out great.

New About Section

I’ve streamlined all the stuff about me. The Appearances and Contact Info pages are now consolidated under the About section. Those pages will continue to get streamlined, but it made more sense to group them together than have them divergent. Also freed up more room in the menu and simplified things a lot more.

A New Home Page

This one is a bit odd. Since, if you come to kmalexander.com, you’ll land here, on the blog. That’s by design since this is the best place to get news and updates, and I’m not one of those authors who only post once a year. The homepage is currently a catch-all page, and it’s modeled after my old homepage. Still feeling this one out. It might eventually go away. I like the idea of the blog being front and center, but I can see an appeal for a homepage focused mostly on books. So, we’ll see how this goes.

New Sidebar & Footer

Juggled a few things around in the sidebar, and I’m still rearranging the footer. Search is now clearer, as is access to the archives. Overall, I think it’s a bit more streamlined. I’ve got plenty of working space, so don’t be surprised if I add some other stuff in that area as well.

So that’s some of the new changes you’ll find around here. Overall I think this is a solid step forward, and it’s nice not to have to fiddle with many different sites whenever I want to make simple changes. Also, being more mobile-friendly doesn’t hurt. What do you think? Leave a comment below and let me know.

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Change Is in the Air

I’ve had this blog since 2012, and for the extent of its life, it’s looked the same. Header, sidebar, posts, pages—everything has remained more or less unchanged for the last eight years and nearly nine-hundred posts. I love it, but sometimes we outgrow the things we love. It’s something I’m facing now.

As the title suggests, a change is coming. While the WordPress theme I started with (Twenty-Thirteen) has served me well, I’m starting to run into various walls. It’s old. Which means it’s not taking advantage of new technology. It’s not as responsive as I want, and the limited space really hinders me from doing some new things I’ve wanted to do.

So, over the next few weeks, expect to see some changes around here. Most of the changes you’ll see will be visual. But the functionality will remain largely unchanged. You’ll still be able to access all of the content, download my brushes, and read previous posts, but there’s a potential that some of the changes might mess with the format of some of my old posts and pages. So I apologize in advance if that happens, it’ll eventually get sorted out.

So, keep an eye out! Changes are coming and I think they’ll be good ones.

Reading Recommendation: Blogroll #2
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Reading Recommendation: Blogroll #2

Last time I did this, it was 2013. So it’s been a ridiculously long time between posts. A lot has changed since those carefree halcyon days of yore. Blogs have fallen off my RSS reader, others have been abandoned, and new ones have risen to take their rightful place. Since it has been internet eons, I thought it was high-time to take a moment and share five blogs I’ve been enjoying over the last few years.

File 770

Mike Glyer’s Hugo Award-winning fanzine is a reliable resource for those who want to stay in touch with the comings and goings in science-fiction and fantasy. If you write speculative fiction, or if you’re just a fan I highly recommend making File 770 a part of your day. (In particular pay close attention to their daily Pixel Scroll.)

Pornokitsch

Don’t let the name fool you, Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin run a solid fanzine. While you’ll find the more standard book reviews and opinion articles among their content, Pornokitsch also focuses on sharing longer-format articles. Well written and often thought-provoking these posts make Pornokitsch stand out.

Mythcreants

A blog about RPGs and writing with a focus on gaming and worldbuilding, Mythcreants goes out of their way to be a resource for the creator. There’s a lot of content, from podcasts and how-to articles, all work towards making your work the best it can be.

MONSTER BRAINS

Those who have been reading my blog (and books) for any length of time know that I am a big fan of old art—epsecially the weird stuff. (Heck, the engravings of Gustave Doré features prominently on the covers of The Bell Forging Cycle.) MONSTER BRAINS celebrates the weird old creations and highlights the strange. It’s an excellent resource and a must-follow for monster fans.

Fantasy Book Critic

The good folks at Fantasy Book Critic focus on—as one would expect from their name—reviewing fantasy books. But, unlike many other sites of their size, they’re also active in the indie community and go out of their way to feature articles from newcomers. It’s a great community and a phenomenal blog.

Hopefully, it doesn’t take me four more years before I  serve up another blog roll. In the meantime, I hope you find these five blogs handy. Perhaps they will become regular reading for you as well.

How about you? What are your go-to daily blogs? Leave a comment below and let me know!

The Stars Were Right & Old Broken Road
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Three Recent Reviews

It’s been awhile since I have done this, and I really wanted to share some recent reviews with everyone. In the past I have pulled quotes from Goodreads or Amazon so I am going to change it up this time and pull some quotes straight from some blog posts. Links to the full review will be below the quote.

A. Fae reviewed The Stars Were Right:

“I read straight through the night and couldn’t put it down. Mr. Alexander is a wizard at creating a world one could only dream about.”

Read the rest of A. Fae’s review at Truth About Books →

Lisa also reviewed The Stars Were Right:

“The Stars Were Right is a great effort for a first book. Author K.M. Alexander creates a vivid and complex fantasy world with likeable characters.”

Read the rest of Lisa’s review at The Dunwich Review →

Kristen reviewed Old Broken Road:

[In Old Broken Road] “He stays true to the strange world he has created, full of various species, languages, religions, and its unique blend of ancient troubles and modern conflicts.”

Read the rest of Kristen’s review at Black Heart Magazine →

Big thanks to these three for reading my books and posting a review. I really appreciate it. If you have read my books please consider taking the time to write an honest review. It doesn’t have to be on a blog, doesn’t have to be long, but leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads goes a long way towards helping me out and it helps out your fellow readers as well.

Are you a book blogger looking for something new to read and review? I have review copies of both my books available! Contact me, let’s talk about stuff →

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New Address: blog.kmalexander.com

K. M. Alexander
I’m doing a little bit of backend work on the blog, it’s very exciting stuff and will focus mainly around me moving the ol’ blog to its new address. Ooooo…yeah, okay, it’s not that exciting but it’s for the best. None of my regular readers will have to do anything everything should be done automagically on the backend. In fact you should already be seeing I Make Stories at its new location: blog.kmalexander.com.

Have a good weekend!

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Introducing: The Telegram

The Telegram

I am starting an email newsletter! For now I am going to shoot for monthly messages, but I intend to ramp up to a bi-monthly distribution later this fall. It’ll be full of all sorts of stuff: tips on writing, reading recommendations, news on my books, interesting links, maybe even a few guest posts. You can sign up for The Telegram here!

Also, some of my old readers might notice there is a new look going on here at my blog. I spent some time over the weekend working on the site while prepping for the release of The Stars Were Right. The goal is simple, keep content the focus but still surface some other important information in a sidebar. I hope everyone likes it. Pardon my dust while I keep adjusting things.