I hope everyone had a nice holiday. My daughter was off for five straight days, so I didn’t do much writing. She’s five and it’s possible to get work done with her around, but I wanted to spend some quality time with my girl, so I took the time off.
We saw Arthur Christmas in 3d (super cute, btw), had Thanksgiving at my aunt’s house (first time in eight years I didn’t host/cook…and it was SUBLIME), baked snickerdoodle cookies (our fav), and took her ice skating for the first time.
Growing up in Minnesota, back before global warming caused temps there to grow milder, my life was filled with ice and snow. I was on my high school figure skating team and can remember getting up at five in the morning in the dead of winter, temperature fifteen below zero, and heading into the rink for practice before school. These are good memories from good times.
So I was excited to share the joy of skating with my daughter and a bit scared too. I hadn’t strapped on a pair of skates in years and my daughter…well, she’d never worn a pair. Together we hobbled out onto the ice. My daughter turned to me immediately and said in an accusing voice, “You didn’t tell me ice was so cold and slippery!” Erm, yeah, I guess I just assumed she’d know, but she is only five.
We clung to the boards the first two times around, my daughter learning how to balance on the skates and me trying to remember. When she fell on her butt the first time and exclaimed about how the ice wasn’t only cold and slippery, it was !!!hard!!! too, I thought it was over. I thought she’d say she’d want to quit, but instead she pulled herself up (okay, I helped) and continued on.
Slowly I got my legs back under me. Muscle memory is an incredible thing. And, slowly, my daughter figured out how to keep her balance and move forward. She fell. A LOT. Over and over. Hard thumps onto her butt, sometimes onto her knees. Every time she fell, I thought, this is it. She’ll want to quit now. But every time, she pulled herself up, more determined than ever to learn how to skate.
By the end of the session, she could skate all around the rink by herself, completely unafraid of falling. I was so proud of her. It’s important to learn how to fall, important to be okay with falling. It’s even more important to be able to pick yourself up after a fall and move on. She showed an incredible amount of perseverance on the ice that day, and she loved skating. She’s already bugging me to go back. :)
So, what did you do on your Thanksgiving holiday? (…if, of course, you celebrated it.)
Jaded releases in less than a month. I can’t believe it’s almost June!
Jaded is the sequel to Jeweled, which came out last November, and will end this short two-book series. Both books are menage a trois romances (M/F/M, in case you’re wondering). They are very hot and are both very romantic. There’s also a significant amount of worldbuilding in the books.
I am of the opinion that it is possible to write erotic stories that are both romantic AND are set in elaborate worlds. I think it IS possible to have it all. Honestly, I can’t write any other way because I get bored.
Jeweled and Jaded are set in a world flavored with the French Revolution with a dash of Russian Bolshevik uprising. Up until the beginning of Jeweled, only those with magick are privileged and wealthy. Those born into the lower classes who have so much as a breath of magick are whisked away from their families (willingly or not) and fostered at the royal palace.
If they pass a test of their magick at age eighteen, they are fitted with a precious jewel–in the small of the back for the women and the back of the neck for the men. Then they are considered “washed” of their low born status and fit for marriage into the royal family. This is, of course, simply a way to keep the royal family in control of the country.
Except the lower classes become fed up with this system that keeps them so impoverished. They rise up, storm the palace, and hunt down every member of the royal family and every one of the “Jeweled” they can find.
These books are historical fantasy, a setting you don’t see often in romance. The world has a Victorian feel, but, although certain technologies are beginning to be developed, I wouldn’t call these stories steampunk.
Jeweled features Evangeline, who hates her fall from grace. For her, adjustment from life as a celebrated “Jeweled” is very tough. The reader might not like her much at first, but stick with her, she changes and grows over the course of the novel.
Jaded has a much different type of heroine. Lilya is not magicked at all. She comes from a very rough background and has spent her life as a courtesan, one who is in charge of every aspect of her business–from the selection of her clients to what she does with them. All of that is turned on its head when two particular men enter her life and she is forced to confront her past and readjust her present. If she doesn’t, she’ll have no future.
I hope you all will enjoy Jaded. I’m getting very excited for its release!
So right now I’m building a world. (In my head I’m hearing Let’s build a word! Let’s built it! Let’s build it now! which you won’t understand unless you have a child who watches Word World on PBS Kids.) Ahem. Anyway, right now I’m building a world (and some words too).
This world is new for me, having wrapped up the end of my Dark Magick series with Midnight Enchantment (Jan, 2012). I’m now hard at work on the first book of my new series for Berkley. It’s based in large part on Nordic mythology and I’m breaking my brain (honestly, not the strongest organ of my body anyway) on a whole bunch of books about it.
I’m not creating a who’s who of Nordic myth, though. I’m using it as a foundation. I’m weaving in legend from many countries and then adding my own twist. My “twist” is pretty significant. I’m hoping that my world is much different than others of authors who have also used these traditions to build their worlds.
It will be. Because that’s the really cool thing about minds. They’re all different. We all interpret things differently, “read” texts differently, ect. We all have different filters through which we view our worlds that are created as a result of just about everything that’s happened to us since we were born (well, and our basic genetic makeup) It’s what gives every author her individual voice.
So I’m wrestling with some significant questions like, what kind of religion exists for these people I’ve created? How are laws made and enforced? What are the conflicts between the different types of supernaturals within this world? Lots of questions. So far I only have partial answers for some of them, but it’s amazing how more answers evolve as I write. If I sit there with the questions in front of me, trying to answer them like the essay section of an exam, I can’t do it. But if I put myself in the world, write from inside my character’s heads…it develops. That means a bit of rewriting, of course, but whatever is most effective, right?
Sometimes I wish I could rearrange my real world like that. Just a little rewrite over here…no more homophobia! Gone! Hit the delete key and make a little change over there…ethnic cleansing? *poof* Racism? Goodbye! Famine? Disappear! People putting melamine in baby formula? Never happened! You get the picture.
These are things I’ve learned about writing. They might not be true for everyone. Accept at will.
1. Writers Write to be Read.
I don’t know why, but they do. Most writers don’t write manuscripts and then hide them under their beds or only let their relatives and friends read the book. Writers want to give their words exposure. I’m no exhibitionist…er, actually, let me rephrase…I’m pretty shy and introverted and would never want to be a celebrity or anything, but I want my words read. I want to share my characters and my worlds with others. That’s a strong motivator for me.
2. Write What You Love, Not for Market.
I know it’s a cliche, but it’s true. It’s always one of those things that women writers are told, (along with a condescending pat on the head), more than male writers are told. I do think to some extent a writer should be looking at the market, but within that parameter they should write something they love. I’ve watched writers trudge away at a book in a genre they don’t enjoy, just because they think it will sell. The problem is that their lack of enthusiasm comes out in the writing. That’s going to be a No Go no matter what, eventually.
3. Being Able to Butcher Your Baby Look at Your Writing Objectively is a Good Thing.
I have developed the ability to stand back (well, okay, mostly) and look at my book when it’s done and then say, “Oh! Lookee! That book should begin on page 50! That thar is a false beginning!” and then cut the first 50 pages out with a nary a blink of my eye. (Okay, I might blink, and I definitely wouldn’t use so many exclamation points.) It’s easy to get so attached to your work that you can’t cut text, or delete unnecessary subplots or characters. Eventually you have to learn to do it because sometimes cutting out some of your precious words makes the work stronger.
4. Crit and Be Critted.
Join a crit group or find a good crit partner. Although, caveat…it may take you a few times to find one you fit with. I learned so much by critting and being critted. Not only does it allow you to glean and share crafty-type knowledge and learn from the writerly travesties and triumphs of others, it toughens up your skin. You need to have a few callouses built up before you try and publish, and you *really* need them after you’ve published.
5. Make Friends With Other Writers.
So important. Only another writers know and understand common writerly angst. There is SO MUCH writerly angst. Plus, the sharing of knowledge is good — which houses and editors are acquiring, ect. Joining RWA as an unpubbed writer was one of the best moves I ever made.
6. Develop a Writing Habit.
Set aside time to write no matter what. If the muse isn’t working with you, if the words aren’t flowing, write anyway. Shite can be revised. You can’t wait for inspiration all the time. Sometimes that’s a long wait for a train don’t come, (2 pts for anyone who can name the movie I took that from). Sometimes you have put your ass in the chair and just write. “BICHOK” say the category romance authors — Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard.
7. You Can Always “Deepen” Your Character(s).
I have found I can always go back to a manuscript and find new ways to bring depth to my characters, whether it’s in the characterization or in their overall development. There’s always somehow I can make my characters more “real,” or show the changes they’ve undergone a little better. Always.
8. The Publishing Industry is about Money and Marketability, Not About “Art”.
The publishing industry is not an industry filled with fluffy bunnies. Editors are looking at the bottom line. They’re looking at marketability. That’s how badly written books make the bestseller list and some well written books never see print. It’s just a fact.
9. You Must Put Yourself Out There.
Over and over and over. Initially it’s sending your stuff out to be critted. Then it’s sending your stuff out to be assessed by editors and agents. Finally, it’s with the readers. Every day I throw myself out there, whether it’s socializing on my loop, posting excerpts, or arranging chats. I throw myself out there knowing that sometimes I won’t get responses, my excerpts will be ignored, ect… It’s just something a writer has to do. Throw ourselves out there and know we might be rejected. Over and over and over, and in many different ways.
10. I’m never happy with the finished product.
I’m never happy with my finished work. I can always go back and find flaws and things I’d like to change. I actually try very hard to never read my work after it’s been published because of this. If I must, I do it through my fingers (you know, like how some people watch a horror movie?). I’m extremely critical of my work. I’m probably my own worst critic, in fact.
Music really helps me when I write. In fact, I think my iPod and iTunes should qualify as a tax deduction. They’re writing tools. (Too bad the IRS doesn’t agree with me.) Anyway, music can help get my head in the game when I’m distracted or not feeling the way I should be emotionally for a scene.
Because of this, every book I write gets a play list. The music I use differs according to book and series. For example, the music I’ll be selecting for my new Brotherhood of the Damned series will be a little bit harder and intense than a lot of the music I used for my Dark Magick series, which tended to be (yes) darker and a tad more mystical sounding.
I use music that complements the tone and pacing of the book I’m writing, so when I’m working on the story, it puts me in the right frame of mind.
Here’s my play list for the book I’m writing currently, Embrace of the Damned:
1.) Seven Sirens and a Silver Tear – Sirenia
2.) Turn the Sky (featuring Apocalyptica) – Angelzoom
3.) Liar – Rollins Band
4.) Cokkha – Apocalyptica
5.) It Can’t Rain All the Time – Jane Siberry
6.) I’m not Jesus (Featuring Corey Taylor) – Apocalyptica
7.) Golgotha Tenement Blues – Machines of Loving Grace
8.) Stop a Bullet – Black Light Burns
9.) Color me Once – Violent Femmes
10.) Uninvited – Alanis Morissette
I thought about finding all these on Youtube and posting the vids here for your listening pleasure, but, frankly, I’m not sure that would be kosher copyright-wise, so I’ll let you look them up on your own if you’re interested in hearing any of them.
Just because I’m always looking for new fodder for my play lists, what music do you listen to or what would you recommend to me? I listen to all kinds of stuff, but I definitely have my favorites. What are a few of your favs? You know, those tracks you play over and over again and never get sick of.
Oh, and speaking of vids, I just finished the book video for Dark Enchantment (April 5th). The music used in all my book vids is purchased from a stock music site. It’s always rough trying to find the right sound to fit the book, especially when my options are limited. I was going for dark, dreamy and intense for this one.
The morning after Charlotte Bennett has the most deliciously decadent and erotic dream she’s ever had, she’s dismayed to discover it wasn’t a dream at all. It was a binding spell, laid by Kieran Aimhrea, one of the biggest, baddest Unseelie fae around.
Charlotte is a human who has been raised to hate and fear the fae, and, especially, to never, ever visit Piefferburg, the place where they live. Even so, through the magick of the binding spell, Kieran draws her inexorably across the country to that magickal prison. Charlotte carries the secret of the location of an ancient artifact that can break the wards that imprison the fae and Kieran will risk anything to get it.
And Kieran is risking a lot.
He is the recipient of one of the most unpleasant curses that can be laid—if he ever falls in love, he and his partner will die horribly. The binding spell he’s cast on Charlotte is designed to lure love to his side, which is why he has never used it. But the stakes are high and he figures his heart is far too dark and jaded to love at this point, and Charlotte is hardly love match material anyway. Surely there’s no chance they will succumb…right?
Yet love is a force that can never be planned for or controlled, it simply is. And hearts sometime change, grow wiser, when offered new perspectives from which to see the world.
As it turns out, the love curse is the least of their problems. There are plenty of people who don’t want the fae to be freed from Piefferburg and every last one of them is going to stand in their way.
I hope you enjoy taking this magickal journey with Kieran and Charlotte as much as I enjoyed writing it. These characters have chemistry that sizzles on the page and I really had fun with them.
Operation Auction is to benefit Fatin, a friend of the romance community, who was recently widowed due to an awful act of violence. She has children to take care of, so the romance community has pulled together to raise money for her.
Stop on by and take a look. There are some great things to bid on and it’s all for an excellent cause. My agent, Laura Bradford, has a critique up for auction, as does my editor at Berkley, Cindy Hwang.
I have a critique up for bids too–the first three chapters and a synopsis of a paranormal and/or erotic romance.
If you’re an aspiring writer, this is a great time to get feedback you might never have a chance to obtain otherwise! If you’re not interested in critiques, there are baskets of goodies, ARCs up for grabs, conference packages, all kinds of stuff.
