Blog — Page 68

Mar 09 2015

A Productive Weekend

I actually surprised myself this weekend by pulling out Shiva’s Bow and finishing a solid first draft (as opposed to the messy zero I wrote last year) for my beta. There are still a number of things wrong with it but I’ve reached the point where I have to talk it out before I go in and fix it, both to confirm what I already know and to come at it from angles I haven’t thought of.

What surprised me most of all was that of the new characters in this book, there was one who, in the zero draft, just sort of disappeared and did nothing, and he had no function whatsoever. So I was fully planning to delete him. Just…excise him entirely from the manuscript. The books in this series are fairly hefty to begin with and a lot goes on in them, and anyone not pulling their weight gets fired.

I hit his first scene with plans to remove him when something stopped me. Just a little whisper that came to the back of my mind and said, “Hold on a second. Just see how this plays out.” I grudgingly listened (if I didn’t, it would’ve driven me nuts). By the time I got 3/4 through the book, it suddenly hit me why he was REALLY there. And I felt bloody stupid for not realizing it sooner. After I talk it out with the beta–what I think I need to do with him–I’ll go back and anyone reading the book in the future will have no idea that it wasn’t planned that way all along.

All that is to say that books, at least for me, come pre-existing and writing is a form of excavating. It’s better now than years ago–generally I know the shape of the thing and where I have to carve first, which only experience can bring–but there are always surprises as I go and I wouldn’t say it ever gets easier.

One of the surprises with this series was that I wrote Shiva’s Bow thinking it was the third book only to realize it’s the fourth, so now I have to go back and fill in another book: Zheng’s Tomb, wherein our intrepid heroine ends up in the boobytrapped tomb of Qin Shi Huang, crossing a lake of mercury and battling his terracotta army (which of course are brought to life, because Reasons. Badass reasons).

I can’t wait.

Anyway, it’s Daylight Saving Time now in my neck of the woods and thank gods I don’t have any early mornings this week as I am right confused. It’s just me and work, and everything else is scheduled to go this week, so I don’t have to brain much.

Two points of interest for readers this week:

Author October Weeks has invited me to celebrate the release of her urban fantasy novel, The Damned, over on Facebook. I’ll be there from around 7:30 – 8 EST on Thursday, March 12, giving away a book or two and chatting. Please consider attending if you’re on FB and giving October some support.
Rebellion will be released on Friday, for real and for true. This is the first time I’ve revisited the River Wolfe world with new content in several years so I’m hoping people check it out and enjoy it. Patrons can currently download the novella free. It’ll be for sale here and on Payhip on Friday, and then next week you can read it on my blog free over a period of four days.

Rebellion is another example of a book surprising me–there were a few details about the night River was changed into a human that I had no idea about until the end of the novella. It certainly brings a new perspective to the events of River and I hope you dig it. (It also sets up where the River-ten-years-later short story will go, which I’m writing after Wolfe is re-released, and y’all are gonna kick me for that one, so sorry in advance.)

Well, back to work for me. I hope to see you on Facebook this Thursday and then back here for Rebellion‘s release on Friday!

Mar 06 2015

Words, Miles, and Rest

For the first time in quite a while, I have enough money to pay all my bills and enough work lined up that I won’t be in a panic at the end of the month even with no ETA on finishing a few of long-term ones. Being sick for six months combined with the ensuing recovery time, it started to feel like PANIC!PANIC!PANIC had become my default state again, like I couldn’t quite get my feet up under me again with the unpredictability of freelancing and half of my pets requiring unexpected medical care.

In the past year and a half of freelancing, I’ve picked up a handful of regular clients, about half of whom have me do multiple things for them (like editing and cover art), and a steady stream of regulars means far more to me than a revolving door of new people every month. For one thing, it tells me I must be doing something right if people trust me over and over with their book babies (a trust I do not take lightly), and for another, it reminds me of one of the few good things I miss about my old job–building a rapport and working with great authors to prepare their work for the world.

Of course working nonstop over the past few months means I have horrible wrist pain flaring up again. NSAIDs are no longer safe for me to take, which just leaves me with the option of rest to ease the pain (unless I go asking for prescription painkillers, and I’d rather not).

I’m on a break for three days, housecleaning (dear GOD, the spare room…the spare room…) so I’m not on the keyboard/mouse as much, and I’ll poke at one of my WIPs for my brain. Some people take a break by reading; I like, the Great and Holy Whedon, just switch gears and write a new project as “vacation”. Plus I don’t know about other writers, but for me, sometimes I need to read my own work. I need my voice, my words, my characters, instead of refilling the well with other people’s. So I think this weekend I’ll get working on that cleaned up first draft of Shiva’s Bow; I have a character I had planned to fire, but I’m giving him one more shot to carry his weight. Otherwise, I excise him from the manuscript.

In the last few weeks I’ve finished Rebellion (which I am still hoping you’ll get to read next week, provided I complete revisions on time) and Prey (which is posted for patrons). All told, I’ve written about 170K words in the past three months, so the wheels are turning again in my brain and, once I have a few partial projects here settled, I’ll be on track to write a long novel again at last.

In a similar vein, I’m now running three 12-minute miles a day, which I realize is not super fast but it’s huge for me who is asthmatic and started again back in December barely able to walk for five minutes due to weakness. Next stop: five miles a day, and hopefully eventually ten-minute ones. I want to be running outside by spring, which is going to involve putting away some pennies for new running shoes as mine have split up and down the sides and my toes peek out. That’s made for a fun winter. But anyway.

Have an excellent weekend, my loves.

Mar 03 2015

Guest Post: Vampires Make the Best Rock Stars by Seleste deLaney

I am so excited to have author Seleste deLaney at my blog today. I’ve known Seleste online for many years now, as a friend, an editor at my ex-employer, and as partners in eviltry at the Evil League of Evil Writers. Today she’s sharing a guest post for her blog tour to promote her newest release Kiss of Life (which I helped work on!) and talking about one of my favourite characters in the book, Remy.

Please join me in welcome Seleste, and if you dig well-written, super sexy urban fantasy, check out her Blood Kissed series.

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Have you ever noticed how many vampires are musicians? And why not? They have all that time on their hands to learn new things, why not instruments, right? Honestly, vampires are in kind of ideal situations to position themselves as rock stars for several reasons:

Sure a mere mortal can learn to play an instrument or twelve, but how many of them have the time to become great at all of them? Not many. Vampires have centuries to learn and practice.
Another thing they have time for? Linguistics. Not only can they build a huge vocabulary in their native tongue, they have time to learn multiple languages. Bilingual artists, eat your hearts out, our vampire rockstars can sing in a dozen languages without missing a beat.
I’m talking musical influence here. Sure, anyone can sample from Motown, but when you’re talking vampires, they’ll be taking their influence from generations of music. Mozart-inspired rock music? I could totally get behind that.
Vampires spend their lives learning to blend in and hide. They are consummate actors.
Eternal (or at least lengthy) youth. Have you looked at Jon Bon Jovi lately? Other than the hair, he looks almost the same as he did in the early 90s. Yes, I think he’s a vampire. Yes, it makes me like him even more.
Sleep all day, party all night, it’s fun being a rock star…er, I mean vampire. Let’s face it, there’s not really another career path as well suited to a creature of the night as being a rock star.
Another win for the undead is the clothes. Rock stars are allowed—and often encouraged—to dress outlandishly. So a guy showing up in a peacock feathered jacket one day and a top hat and studded tailcoat the next isn’t really that crazy…if he’s a rock god.
No one cares if a rock star keeps odd hours or behaves weirdly. We expect it. What better hiding place than out in the open but draping oneself in layers and sunglasses?
Okay, not all vampires have magic, but think about one who does and if they can imbue their voice with it. A vampire could have half the modern world under their spell before the first chorus. Now that’s power.

I get asked sometimes why I made Remy a rock star. After all, he doesn’t perform that often in the Blood Kissed books. The easy answer is that I modeled him after a musician, but that’s not the whole truth. You see, that list of things up there? That’s Remy in spades. He’s the character who likes to keep everyone around him guessing, so he embraces “rock god” like it’s the title he was born for.

Or would that be died for?

About Kiss of Life:

The vampire’s curse has been awakened, and Jocelyn has no choice but to accept her destiny as the Blood Kissed—the one destined to destroy the vampires…or rule them. While Max and Chad want to help her reach her full potential, not all of the supernaturals share their plan.

The Council of Elders, a crazed sorcerer assassin, and a vampire hunter out for revenge have driven Jocelyn into hiding. She and her ragtag army have holed up in the forests of Michigan’s upper peninsula to get ready for the fight. If training is any indication, they should be ready for war by the time she turns fifty.

But no one is going to let her wait that long. War is nigh, the death toll is rising, and when Michigan’s most famous harbinger of doom shows up on the scene, the army of the Blood Kissed is hoping for a miracle, praying to be graced with a little kiss of life…

Buy on Smashwords, Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Nook, iTunes, AllRomanceeBooks.

About Seleste:

At a young age, Seleste deLaney discovered the trick to not being afraid of the monsters under the bed was to turn them into heroes. Since that time, she’s seen enough of human monsters that she prefers to escape to fictional worlds where even the worst demons have to play by the rules and the good guys might end up battered and bruised (or dead), but they always win. And really, isn’t that the way it should be?

She resides in the Detroit area with all her favorite monsters (nice ones—some are furry and the others call her Mom) and is hard at work on her next book. In those rare moments when she isn’t battling terrorists, vampires, or rogue clockworks, she can be found all over the Internet, where she loves to interact with readers.

Visit Seleste online at www.selestedelaney.com

Mar 01 2015

Soundtrack Sunday – DIAL V FOR VAMPIRE Edition

I ended up skipping the Damaged soundtrack as there wasn’t really anything new for Zara songs (other than “Titanium” by David Guetta ft Sia, both the original and this cover), so we go straight to Dial V for Vampire.

This one’s a bit bittersweet. Dial V‘s soundtrack also would’ve been Solace‘s (book six)–that’s how it’s labelled on iTunes for me and what I used when writing this novella. When I pulled it out to set up this draft post a month ago, the music made me nostalgic and I got that sad, “I want to write these books” feeling, and thought maybe, MAYBE, I could try swinging one book a year later despite the horrifically low sales because I so want to tell more of these stories.

Twenty-four hours later, Exhumed ended up on a piracy site.

So.

This is it for these characters. Solace will never be published; Dial V for Vampire will have to suffice as the only glimpse at Zara’s future.

Most of the songs lean toward sappy. Shut up, I CAN be girly sometimes.

Jake Coco and Madilyn Bailey (cover) – “Somebody That I Used to Know“
The opening chapters of DVfV was written to this one.
You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness//Like resignation to the end, always the end

Jewel – “Break Me“
I will let you undress me//But I warn you I have thorns//Like any rose

Pink – “I Don’t Believe You“
It’s like you’re the swing set and I’m the kid that falls

Within Temptation – “All I Need“
There’s a very specific scene in Solace with this one. And now I’m just making myself sad.
Do you still see//The heart of me? and also: Make my heart a better place//Give me something I can believe//Don’t tear me down//You’ve opened the door now, don’t let it close

E.S. Posthumus – “Unstoppable“

The Cranberries – “Linger“
You know I’m such a fool for you//You’ve got me wrapped around your finger

Lisa Loeb – “How“
I didn’t come this far for you to make this hard for me.

Two Steps from Hell – “After the Fall“

Two Steps from Hell – “Protectors of the Earth“
One of the themes of the, er, creatures Zara battles when she and Maximilian go looking for evidence at the apartment.

Sara Bareilles – “Gravity“
This was basically the theme song for Solace and every post-Exhumed Z/N meeting.
Something always brings me back to you//It never takes too long

Elijah Bossenbroek – “I Give Up“

Adele – “Lovesong”
The epilogue song for this one, and also what Z/N danced to at Alchemy Red.
Whenever I’m alone with you//You make me feel like I am home again

Bonus: Viral song

Andrew Belle – “In My Veins“
This was to be Nate’s book, the eighth, and this was a theme for it.
Oh, you’re in my veins//And I cannot get you out

So that’s it for this series of soundtracks until it’s time for Oblivion. I’m taking next week off and then it’ll be time for Rebellion.

Feb 27 2015

The Thing They Don’t Tell You

Yesterday I got excellent news from Dr. M, my specialist. My MRI showed no active disease and I’m not that badly damaged yet, I don’t yet require surgery, and I seem to be tolerating the medication well. I can cut down on my visits to her AND my frequent bloodwork.

I sort of sat there and blinked for a few moments, because I wasn’t prepared for that.

I prepare for worst case scenario, always, because bad news always hurts that much more when you have hope. At least for me. So I was quite prepared for something dire and had trouble adjusting to the idea that, for a little while, I’m okay. It’s that “for a little while” that is key, however. It’s not permanent. It’s never permanent; this can’t be cured. Oddly, it’s a little like mental illness that way. Periods of wellness in between periods of, “Oh, fuck”. There are all kinds of instructions on how to deal with bad news, but the thing they don’t tell you about is the good.

For a brief moment, sitting there with my doctor, I nearly stumbled over words (thank GOD she seems to find me coherent and like me as a patient, at least I’m generally educated on things) and the question flared in my head, “What now?” A different sort of panic than I’m used to, the good news triggering another shuffling of the ground beneath me. I’d mentally prepared me for one path and yet here is another, brighter one.

I recovered quickly, of course. Because the answer to that question is, well, carry on.Maximize this time of wellness, do all the things you comfortably can, and enjoy the hell out of it. Don’t ever squander it.

Anyway, this should mean we’re back to our regularly scheduled bloggage about books and such.

So I came home yesterday to the internet losing its damn mind (I still don’t even know wtf) AND the wonderful surprise of Patreon meeting its first milestone(!). This means that not only is my monthly medication paid for, but the Alchemy Red short, Prey, will soon be posted (one scene to finish and then a proofread on my end) for patrons. It’s a lot of fun and contains several familiar faces even if that’s not initially apparent from the description.

March also continues to be a busy month as things are on track to release the novella Rebellion. This is the first time I’ve revisited the River Wolfe world with new content as a writer since 2008 and for readers (when Wolfe was actually publisher), 2009. I am reasonably certain I am the only one excited for this novella (other than the friend who is currently reading it for coherency for me), but I don’t care: I’m tremendously pleased and I hope River Wolfe readers who catch it enjoy it.

So that’s it for me today. Errands to run, a flat to clean, some naughty assassins to get into trouble with some of your favourite characters, editing to do…

And possibly some nachos. Remission feels good.