Skyla Dawn Cameron

My characters kill people so I don't have to.

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“When’s That Book Coming?” S̶p̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ PANDEMIC 2020 Edition

Well! This year is certainly a thing that is happening!

The past week has been much better for productivity, but I’m finding my anxiety coming out in less expected ways. I’m competent and calm in crises but that energy still goes somewhere, so for me it’s been often VERY uncharitable thoughts (that I have to remind myself not to use my outside voice for), and I find email/conversations really exhausting.

If I didn’t have to work, I’d be writing. All the WIPs are just flying in my brain at all times and I’ve been doing project research on the side. Very few writers I know are productive right now, but for me, I find storytelling comforting so my brain has decided “Oh, I know this feeling! Let’s write books where we make sense of everything again!” (More on this shortly.)

Of course yesterday the news dropped that The Last of Us 2 is being delayed indefinitely due to the pandemic. It was due out Feb of this year, then that was pushed to the end of May, and I’d scheduled time off work accordingly. Now ????

I’m incredibly disappointed. I don’t have a lot I look forward to and this game was top of the list (with Wonder Woman 1984). Particularly right now, although I know it’ll be a hell of a brutal game, I was looking forward to the catharsis of it. (AND JOEL! *sobs*)

I do worry about this sense people have that they can just postpone or rearrange things for when “everything gets back to normal”. That is unlikely to happen–this is the new normal. The likelihood is that social distancing will probably have to be in place for months yet, and even then, nothing is going to be quite like it was before. The point of flattening the curve is to keep the healthcare system from collapsing; we’re a long ways off from a vaccine (and people are so fucking stupid they’ll likely not get it and then claim cayenne pepper can heal them), so people will still get sick and the virus will still spread, it’ll just be better distributed over months instead of hitting all at once.

Adapt and survive.

So here’s the quarterly book update! I already don’t rely on public launches or bookstores, so little is changing around here. (I am braced, however, for something bad to hit me this month–every April. Every. Damn. April. Last year it was Gus–so. Yeah.)

What Released

Counterpoint: Always Kill a Boy on the First Date released the end of January. Zara Lain goes on a date, and it (of course) ends badly.

What’s Upcoming

A first-book bundle of Solomon’s Seal, Bloodlines, and River will release in Dawning as a Kindle exclusive on April 21, which means it’s free to read if you have Kindle Unlimited, giving a sample of three of my paranormal series.

Join the dawning of a new adventure with three complete first-in-a-series novels by urban fantasy author Skyla Dawn Cameron.

In SOLOMON’S SEAL, treasure hunter and single mom Livi Talbot caves, climbs, dives, battles serpent dragons, tries to outplay her famous archaeologist older brother, tangles with mercenaries, and takes on a client who isn’t all he seems–while trying to make parent-teacher meetings and wrangle her six-year-old. Features: a smart and capable though entirely human Lara-Croft-meets-Gilmore-Girls heroine, found family, the slowest burn romance imaginable, and high-octane adventure. NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow calls it, “Whip-smart, gritty, and fascinating.”

In BLOODLINES, narcissistic vampire Zara Lain is making her living as a thief turned assassin when her witchy best friend hands her a contract that turns out to be a very bad idea on a very bad night that disrupts the entire supernatural world. Armed with a lot of weapons, a couple of allies she doesn’t trust, and a whole lot of snark, Zara takes on this new unknown villain and uncovers a shadowy organization that will have long-reaching consequences in the coming apocalypse. Features: a lone-wolf heroine out for herself, car chases and gunfights, lots of naughty language, and did we mention the snark? Bitten by Books says, “This not-to-be-missed release rocks from word one.”

In RIVER, defiant, moody, nocturnal River Wolfe sounds like a typical teenager, although she’s anything but. River is a werewolf, once the alpha female of a wolf pack turned into a human and with no way to change back–or at least until she finds the mysterious human who changed her. As if being stuck in a world she hates, with a life she never asked for, and faced with a destiny she doesn’t want wasn’t bad enough, River still must find a way to survive every human’s greatest challenge: high school. Features: a werewolf who has to face her inner human rather than battle the beast within, found family, forgiveness, and a frequent desire to murder people and bury their bodies in the woods. Also reluctant vegetarianism. ParaNormal Romance Reviews says it’s “…a terrific book, filled with unique and well-drawn characters, realistic dialogue, and a great deal of humor…”

After that, it’s time for Elis O’Connor!

Blood Ties has been posting on Patreon and will conclude in about three weeks. I’m working on a round of revisions right now after initial edits were returned, then I’ll be sending it to my copyeditor. Release date is June 2!

Elis O’Connor kills people.

“Garbage men”, to be exact—the predators, the abusers…and the occasional mansplainer. It scratches an itch and, since the death of her mother sent her spiraling, it hardly seems like the worst way to pass her time in a post-apocalyptic city crawling with demons and dimensional tears.

One thing she doesn’t do is save men.

But when a woman comes to her door for help finding her missing cousin, she realizes she might have to do just that. Because while Elis would love to send her packing, this cousin isn’t just anyone: he’s Elis’s estranged older half-brother Dev, and he’s gotten himself into trouble even the considerable magic ability they both share can’t get him out of.

Kindle | Kobo | iBooks | Nook 

Other 2020 Releases

I am really hoping to have a non-paranormal mystery/thriller out in the fall. I’d planned it to be the first Waverley Jones mystery but I’m halfway through a domestic thriller, and if I buckle down and finish it, that’ll close out the year.

There’ll also be something probably late summer or fall.

Hmm.

Not sure what that’ll be.

What could I have possibly finished last month?

Any guesses?

Turns out a global pandemic is a GREAT time to write about a character dealing with undiagnosed severe anxiety and depression while terrible things happen. WHO KNEW??

That’s it for me today–I’m having a mental health day, someone got me the new Resident Evil 3 remake out today (S.T.A.R.S.!), I bought way too many appetizers, and I’m playing my first game of D&D tonight (online).

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Obligatory Pandemic Post

So…how you doing out there?

It feels kind of adorable how everyone was eager for 2019 to end and 2020 to begin, right? I mean, I wasn’t, because I know every time one thinks “This can’t get worse”, it is literally about to get worse. I don’t know if that’s purely my anxiety speaking or what, but thus far it’s been true.

There is apparently a Russian expression “we thought we’d hit rock bottom, but then someone knocked from below.” Yes, that.

It’s okay to not be doing okay! The speed of news and information exhausts your brain. It makes you feel like time is slowing to a crawl. I remember by Monday evening it had already felt like the longest week ever, despite only being a day. Now Friday, that feels like a year ago.

First, me: I am pretty okay. I’ve been making jokes about it, but honestly there is a lot that has equipped me to deal with social distancing and emergencies.

  • I already have overwhelming, constant anxiety that has me worried about every single worse-case scenario. I keep a machete tucked near my front door in case of zombies, so quarantining in my home for a couple of weeks? OH YEAH, I GOT THIS. I have not been out emergency-buying anything, I’m already covered. The sheer number of purse-sized hand sanitizer bottles I have is fucking WILD.
  • I already work from home! I’m used to spending all day inside not talking to anyone but my cats. While I have worry about clients needing to cancel work and not be able to pay me, I’m in a far better position than folks working in other industries AND I’m used to living on very little and rationing groceries when necessary.
  • I grew up an only child in an apartment with no other kids to play with. I am HIGHLY skilled at keeping myself occupied and not socializing. If you were giving me Sims 4 traits, Loner would be one of them: I do not get lonely, I regain energy by not having contact with people, and my need-to-socialize bar degrades much more slowly than the average person’s.
  • I worked the midnight shift in a convenience store many moons ago. I sold a LOT of porn and I had a lot of customers (men, okay? Always men) cough into their hand before they reached for their money. I learned to wash my hands every ten minutes. I know people–particularly cis men!–are fucking disgusting, and I’m immunocompromised so I’m already pretty good at hygiene and distancing when I go out.
  • C-PTSD! We hit a crisis and my brain goes “Oh YEAH, I know what I’m doing here–oooh, and a hit of adrenaline? Oh baby, that’s the stuff!” I’m calm in emergencies because I suddenly feel like I’m at home.

While a lot has been shared with advice for dealing with social distancing, I’ve largely stayed out of it. “Here’s how to be more productive!” “Here’s how to cope with working from home!” Then last night I was talking with a friend who was raised a survivalist and her job was that of morale booster. This is how she was raised and what she’s good at doing.

So I looked at all I have mentioned above–how I was raised, how I live. And what there might be useful to people who are just now getting the level of anxiety I live with on a daily basis.

So here are some things!

CLICKY-CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

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Soundtrack Sunday – “On a Mission”

We’re going waaaaay back to the very first song on the Solomon’s Seal playlist.

The first book. The first scene. Livi in the rental Jeep chasing down her brother–and the artifact they were both after. I’d sketched out some of the backstory already (yes, even that), knew the overall shape of the book, the artifact/location/villain, the themes.

“On a Mission” by Gabriella Cilmi. This was the first Livi song.

 It’s tough for me to make a move
And I know what I gotta do
Cause I got everything to prove
I got a plan I’m sticking to

I first heard it via a Buffy fan vid to it, which is sadly no longer available, and I hate the original music video but I found one using the Captain Marvel trailer.

I ain’t nobody’s push around
If they could only see me now
 
I am a woman on a mission
Nothing can stop me, I’m stronger than ever
I’m gonna see this through
I am a woman on a mission
Whatever it takes I will do what I gotta do

This was the very core of Livi for me–her determination, whatever the task. That adrenaline-junkie energy of going, going, going. Her insistence she’ll see something through. Her confidence in her own abilities. 

So read the writing on the wall
I’m ready and I’m standing tall
Some people think they know it all,
I guess I’ll have to show ‘em all

I still throw the song on periodically for those high-octane adventure action scenes, but in my head it’s always Livi driving in that Jeep backwards, standing and firing at her brother to stop him.

Stand aside 'cause I’m on a mission
I’m on fire, there’s no competition.
You can’t blame me I got intuition
And I never miss a trick just like a magician

You don’t need cash, you don’t need permission,
If you think I’m scared, you must be tripping. 
Foot on gas, key in ignition,
Can’t stop now 'cause I’m on a mission

If you haven’t had a chance to read Solomon’s Seal yet, you can grab it free on Payhip right now.

I never do freebies for a variety of reasons, but a lot of folks are self-quarantining right now and living with a lot of uncertainty. I’m a little uncertain too–I feel in a better position than others, but I still worry that as clients feel the financial pinch right now, they’ll cancel work and I’ll be in trouble. Or that book-buying habits will drop and so will the sales I rely on.

But Livi was always meant to be a bit of an escape and adventure for others, and it feels like the kind of book that can be helpful right now. If you haven’t read it, grab a copy now. Coupon code ESCAPE at checkout.

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Soundtrack Sunday – “Wonderwall”

So, obviously, I have a lot of playlists.

Series have playlists. Individual books within them have playlists. Characters have playlists. Couples have playlists. Scenes have playlists (usually 1-5 songs on repeat). Chapters have playlists (you’ll notice most of the Livi books have Epilogue titles that are also song titles; same with Demons of Oblivion. Those were the songs playing on repeat when I wrote the ends of those books). Playlists will also have “moods” that I repeat throughout the book.

Several weeks ago I was working on Blood Ties–finally, finally, I figured out how to fix the middle, and did so without throwing it at my long-suffering beta and running away screaming–and one of the songs on it twigged something, which is what led to me figuring out what the book needed.

The song in question was this cover of “Wonderwall”:

(This book has a whole host of epic covers.)

The book wanted kissing.

IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A KISSING BOOK. Plus I don’t like writing first book kissing–I like slow-burn! (Exhibit A through E: Livi and West.) But Elis is not that sort of character. She is not the sort of character who doesn’t act on sexual tension, and she doesn’t care about me wanting her to get back together with her ex-girlfriend–she wants kissing in the middle of the book.

Our conversation went like this:

Me: Okay you have to leave the bar now and kill this dude.

Elis: But FIRST…kissing.

Me: No, murder.

Elis: Right but also kissing.

Me: …

Elis: K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Me:

Elis:

Me: Seriously–

Elis: Kiss. KISS.

I did manage to avoid the kissing, but she was VERY loud about it. She settled for some dancing. If Elis and Melinoe end up striking up a relationship later, the epic version of “Wonderwall” would probably be their theme song, however it obviously would not be playing on the bar’s jukebox in the story. I found two others that work instead.

It’s new love, and longing, and desire, and an edge of hope. It’s slow-dancing in a roomful of strangers but not seeing anyone else in the room but your partner. 

I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do, about you now 
And all the roads that lead you there are winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding
There are many things that I
Would like to say to you but I don't know how
Because maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me

Blood Ties is currently serializing at Patreon for all patrons and will be available everywhere June 2. There is minimum kissing, though, because I am the author and I’m driving this car. For now.

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Soundtrack Sunday – “In the End”

Haven’t done one of these in a while–work has turned my brain to porridge and I’m this close to running screaming into the woods. But I remembered it was Sunday, so here we are with another soundtrack song!

Every book has an epic trailer theme song–the track that plays over the highlights like it was advertising a movie.

Yampellec’s Idol has “In the End”, the cover by 2WEI.

A cover of the Lincoln Park original, of course it’s hella angsty with the lyrics, and the epic arrangement works for Livi’s epic stories.

Picture the dark jungle of Peru, a jaguar through the trees. A boat drifting down a narrow quiet river while an anaconda slithers past. 

I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter

Livi falling on her knees in defeat in the dark muddy jungle.

I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go

A screaming fight with West (that you know is coming).

An old Spanish mission falling apart, the floor collapsing. Leaping over traps underground. Chasing a mysterious figure through the jungle. Discovering the ruins of a Sicán temple and stepping down into the dark underground chambers with a sense of foreboding. Facing a moment of sacrifice and confronting what one is truly capable of.

Tell me you can’t see it all when hearing that song?

MEET SKYLA DAWN

Writer of urban fantasy, thrillers/mysteries, and horror.
Fifth-generation crazy cat lady. Bitchy feminist.
So tired all the goddamn time.

My characters kill people so I don’t have to.

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What I’m Working On:

Writing Waverly 8 and revising Waverly 4.