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Tag Archives: Tips and Tools

Tips and tools for writers from Kayelle Allen

The major illustrator for my website is Jamin Allen, the founder of Nimajination Studios, who is known as "Volgraza" on the popular YouTube channel V^2Gamers and Twitch. The site features game play, advice, update information for games such as SpaceEngineers, and other games on Steam. He also streams live on Twitch, where he teaches art and design. He is a professional graphic designer. He is also my son.

His professional training as an illustrator began at the Art Institute of Atlanta, but he knew he wanted to be an artist from the time he was five. His favorite gifts on birthdays and at Christmas were always art supplies.

His site, V^2Gamers features his original art and videos he has created to illustrate aspects of various games. He narrates and does creative voiceovers.

Jamin has collaborated on many aspects of my website and my books, and he is the co-illustrator for the Tarthian Empire Companion and a collaborator on An Immortal's Guide to Tarth. The drawings of the Kyrenie firestorms, the FIST (Facility for Imperial Ships and Transports), and the logos for the rock groups in my books were all conceived and created by Jamin.

A published author in his own right, he wrote and designed N-OC: Nameless Original Characters, an artbook created to de-stress creatives with coloring and imaginative storytelling. Available on Amazon.

Jamin Allen, graphic designer, gamer, is also a host on #Twitch as Volgraza and on #Twitter as @JaminAllen1

Kyrenie Firestorm
Kyrenie firestorm from the books by Kayelle Allen #SciFi #SciFiArt

Jamin created the Tarthian Tour Company logo

Jamin created the Kumwhatmay logo for the rock group in Kayelle Allen's books

Jamin created the Iron Soul logo for the rock group in Kayelle Allen's books

Belyaeva Yuliya - AKA By_Cosphoto

 

Belyaeva Yuliya

Photographer, Cosplayer, Model
Patreon

Instagram - Cosplay

Instagram - Photographer

Twitter

VK

Belyaeva Yuliya is a photographer and cosplayer who created the imagery of Pietas used all over my website. She is known on Instagram as photographer @by_cosphoto, and as cosplayer @by_yulli.

The English variant of her name is Julia.

If you are in Russia and want her to photograph your cosplay, you're in luck. That's her location also! You can find her pricing on VK (the Russian equivalent of Facebook).

 

Nik in the Rain

One of my favorite photos of Nik.

Taken by Belyaeva Yuliya

Nik Nitsvetov is a photographer and award-winning cosplayer who often serves as a cosplay judge at conventions. A gamer and anime fan, he cosplays characters from many popular series. He lives in Russia and is a strong supporter of Russian Cosplay. His personal photography ranges from cosplay to portraits and often includes animals and nature. You will find him online through various social media.

The first weekend in September 2018, Nik portrayed Pietas, the immortal king from the Bringer of Chaos series. The cosplay was performed in a live feed from Russia. To take part in future cosplays, follow Nik on Instagram. Exact date and time of these cosplays will be announced. Images on this page licensed and used with permission.

Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas the immortal king

Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas in the Bringer of Chaos series by Kayelle Allen


Nik as Pietas

Book banners for
Bringer of Chaos
by
Kayelle Allen

Nik as Viktor
Yuri On Ice

Nik as Soldier 76
Overwatch

Nik as Mario
Super Mario Brothers

Nik in the Rain
Photo by Belyaeva Yuliya

Nik in the Rain Fanart
Commissioned by Kayelle Allen
Art by Jamin Allen

download and print free adult coloring books, free coloring books, Kayelle Allen coloring books

Color the Characters, then read the books.

The books below all open in new windows so you can view, download, and then come back for more.

Take all you want. There's a link in the footer of each book that will lead you back to this page so you can look for more books.

download and print free adult coloring books, free coloring books, Kayelle Allen coloring books

download and print free adult coloring books, free coloring books, Kayelle Allen coloring books

download and print free adult coloring books, free coloring books, Kayelle Allen coloring books

download and print free adult coloring books, free coloring books, Kayelle Allen coloring books

download and print free adult coloring books, free coloring books, Kayelle Allen coloring books

download and print free adult coloring books, free coloring books, Kayelle Allen coloring books

download and print free adult coloring books, free coloring books, Kayelle Allen coloring books

download and print free adult coloring books, free coloring books, Kayelle Allen coloring books

Multiple books to choose from

Are you looking for coloring books for adults? Want some that are FREE? This is the place. Free is my favorite price! Why did I make these? I love art and I love creating. I'm also an author. By combining my love of art with my love of the creative writing process, I have the best of both worlds.

My son (Jamin Allen of Nimajination Studios) created nearly all the art. I added details and patterns. Click any image in the gallery below to download your printable books. Each one has a link inside to bring you back for fresh copies or to share with a friend.

Have you tried coloring games? Pass out multiple copies of your coloring pages and have a contest. You decide what the rules are and how to play.

Benefits of Coloring

In their Health division, the news giant CNN suggests you take a mental health day and enjoy coloring. Art therapy (making and creating artwork) can help "explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness" and more. Art helps adults de-stress and self-express. The activity can help achieve mindfulness.

Some books call themselves "art therapy." Are they? It's more likely you'll achieve less stress if you're creating the art yourself, rather than filling in someone else's design in a coloring book. Painting on a blank canvas, laying out the design for a dress and then sewing it, building a sculpture with clay, and other art activities use a skillset different from coloring simple designs created by another person.

Does that mean you shouldn't do it? Absolutely not. Adult coloring books are relaxing, fun, and takes your mind away from your troubles. That can be a good thing!

How to Use Adult Coloring Books

The first thing to remember is -- Relax! This is supposed to be fun. Now, with that out of the way, let's talk about technique.

Don't try to color the entire picture at one time. Your hand might cramp. You might lose patience. You could run out of ink. The point of adult coloring is to relax and take your time. Don't do this on a schedule where you're snapping your mental fingers saying "Hurry up!" Again, this is fun.

If you haven't spent time coloring in a coloring book since you were a kid, it might surprise you that A) you still know how, and B) you need practice. If you've never colored before, congratulations! Coloring pictures will be relaxing and produce something beautiful you can enjoy seeing.

I print coupons on my computer, and there are always long strips of white paper left over. I use these to do color swatches when I'm working on a project.

Some basic "rules"
* Work from the outside in. It will help you keep from going outside the lines (if you're trying to avoid that).
* Press gently. You can build up color by repeating strokes.
* Have a sharpener nearby for pencils. Use it often.
* Put the caps back on your pens. They might not dry out, but cleanup will be easier if you don't have to find missing caps.
* Test your ink on a scrap paper first.
* You can never have too many pencils or pens!
* Color outside the lines. It's okay. No one is going to slap your hand. Scribble in the margins and make your own doodles.
* Rules are made to be broken. The main thing is to have fun and relax.

Do I need special pens or pencils?

Not really. Feel free to sit down with your kids while they're coloring and use their box of crayons. Not only is it a fun family time, it takes you back to your childhood. Remember opening that new box of crayons in school? The smell of the fresh crayons? Ahh... nice.

If you prefer fine-tipped pencils or gel pens, or you like vibrant colors, I can recommend these coloring pens and pencils for adult coloring books on Amazon.  Any will do. They are all good. These are popular items and are often on sale. You might find a deal.

Characters mentioned on this page might be found in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.


~ Copyright ©2024 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!


To experience art, sci-fi, romance, and space opera with unstoppable, unshakeable, unforgettable characters so real you'll swear you've met them, join me on Ream Stories!

Fun Facts Solar Eclipse 2017 #solareclipse #eclipse2017While researching the solar eclipse happening in 2017, I discovered some fun facts. Here they are, in no particular order.

  • The last total solar eclipse in the continental United States was 38 years ago on Feb 26, 1979. The one prior to that was all the way back in 1442.
  • Totality is the time when the sun’s light is completely blocked by the moon.
  • This time totality only happens in the US.
  • Everyone in the continental US can see at least a partial eclipse. So will most of Canada and Mexico.
  • State capitols in the path of totality include Salem (OR), Jefferson City (MO), Nashville (TN), and Columbia (SC).
  • Telescopes aren’t necessary. You can see the effects of the solar eclipse with the naked eye.
  • Which brings me to the next point. Don’t LOOK at directly at the sun! Use proper eye protection. Here’s a link to solid info you can trust. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
  • The eclipse will plunge 14 different states into the dark.
  • You can see stars during the day during the eclipse.
  • A lunar eclipse occurs about two weeks before or after a solar eclipse.

Types of Solar Eclipse

  • Partial eclipses occur when the moon doesn’t line up completely. It only blocks part of the light.
  • Annular eclipses occur when the moon and sun line up directly but the moon is too far away from the Earth or we are closer to the sun. This makes a ring of light show around the moon.
  • Hybrid eclipses shift between a total and annular eclipse depending on where you view it from on Earth.
  • Total solar eclipses when the moon is the right distance to completely block the light.
  • Each year there are between 2-5 solar eclipses. They rarely cross the US, so we don’t see them.

Solar Eclipse Videos

This video is from an app guide. Be sure to check out the website too. The link is below.

Tour the Great American Eclipse app guide from Michael Zeiler on Vimeo.

Watch this entertaining video about the solar eclipse, presented by Wired Magazine.

Are you planning to watch the eclipse? Will you be in the path of totality? I’d love to hear your story! Please share it in the comments.

 

How to Upload to Instagram from your PC

How to Upload to Instagram from your PC #tips from LA Sartor @LesannSartor

Share Your Tips

Want another tip? Here's How to Watch an Instagram Feed Live on Your PC.

If you're an author with tips for social media, contact me. I'd be happy to share your ideas.

Do you have any tips for using Instagram? Please share in the comments. I'd love to know what you might like me to share on future posts.

 

This tip is one I doubt I'd ever have discovered on my own. How to upload to Instagram from my PC. What a timesaver. My thanks to author LA Sartor for this one!

Sometimes I'm on my pc and have things I want to share on Instagram. Sometimes I save images from my phone to the cloud and then want to download and use them. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way to upload to Instagram from my PC?

Guess what? You can.

There might be other ways to upload to Instagram but this one, using Chrome, is one of the easiest, and for me the best.

Upload to Instagram

My friend, author LA Sartor, shared her tip with my writer marketing group, Marketing for Romance Writers. It was so helpful that I asked LA if I could share it on my blog as well. Happily for us, she agreed. So I'm also sharing her book, Prince Of Granola. Wait till you see how that title came about!

A picture is worth 1000 words, they say. In this case I agree.

Here's the infographic on how to upload to Instagram that made the rounds on MFRW.

Prince Of Granola by LA Sartor

Cacao. Long a symbol of wealth, love, and power – now the center of a powerful rivalry.

The fabled Costa Rican Plantation of White Treasure, source of the rarest form of the cacao bean, is up for sale. Though two fierce competitors have been invited to bid on it, only one can win.

For Drew Hopkins, purchasing the plantation is the perfect solution to escape a life she never wanted.

For Robert Prince, it's the perfect route to revenge.

Drew, the founder's daughter and now CEO of HH Chocolate, heads a company whose sales are waning. Robert, CEO of Prince Organics, a man driven by excellence, despises everything and everyone labeled Hopkins.

But it wasn't always that way.

Will their forced proximity at the lush and exotic plantation rekindle old flames or will it fan the fires of antagonism?

Free on Kindle Unlimited https://amzn.to/2RcSEum

LA Sartor

Author LA SartorLA Sartor is a bestselling, award-winning author. She began telling stories around the age of 4 when her mother, at LA's insistence, wrote them down and LA illustrated them. As an adult, she writes suspense and action-adventure novels with a dash of romance, and screenplays--she's had a contracted adaptation! She lives in Colorado with her husband whom she met on a blind date. LA loves to travel and thinks life is an adventure and we should embrace the journey.
Website https://lesliesartor.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/LesannSartor
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Leslie.Ann.Sartor
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lesann415/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesann415/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6535151.L_A_Sartor
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/L-A-Sartor/e/B0091XR9VK

Please come check out my Instagram

Nik Nitsvetov as PietasPlease stop by and check out my Instagram. I follow cosplay and some seriously awesome cosplayers. My favorite is Nik Nitsvetov, who cosplays my character Pietas. That totally focused and intense blond on the right is Nik as Pietas, from my Bringer of Chaos series.

My interests in archaeology, geology, and astronomy are reflected in stories I share on Instagram. I also follow many of the national parks in the US and share their images. Right now, I need a reminder of the majesty and beauty of our amazing world. Don't you?

I rarely post anything about my books, but if you want to know more about me as a person, Instagram is a good place to start.