Quick Links To Yasmine's Website, Forums & GF Blog
7.17.2009
7.14.2009
Winners of the Dancing in the Streets Contest
Congratulations to the winners below! My assistant Justine will be in touch with you shortly. WAIT for her email--do not contact me until she's emailed you, please. I have to say, sorting through all the entries that didn’t follow the rules was kind of sad—automatic disqualification, guys, if you don’t follow rules. But it was fun reading everybody’s party entry and thank you all for playing!
Yasmine
The Faerie Basket: Autumn Shelly
$50 online gift certificate to Amazon.com: Xamnagol
The Tote o’ Books: Breia B
Three $25 Gift Certificates to Amazon.com:
Kitten
Jo
Jan
Yasmine
The Faerie Basket: Autumn Shelly
$50 online gift certificate to Amazon.com: Xamnagol
The Tote o’ Books: Breia B
Three $25 Gift Certificates to Amazon.com:
Kitten
Jo
Jan
Inked Cover
Ain't it purty? *grins* I'm still spoiled--I love Tony's covers better, but this is lovely.
Release date: January 5, 2010 Pre-order here (remember, my contribution is Etched in Silver: the Camille/Trillian story).
Yasmine
7.11.2009
Announcement & More Reader Questions
So I had the root canal. My mouth is too small inside and now my jaw hurts like hell. They had to inject some of the Novocain into connective tissue (yeah, that feels JUST as good as it sounds like it does), and man, my cheek hurts. The root canal itself went smoothly and I’m praying no problems other than the usual aches my jaw/gums go through after major work. Hold good thoughts for me!
The 9th was hard for me, and tomorrow will be too, because a year ago during this time period we lost our Luna and Keeter kitties. I am mourning their loss, even though we firmly believe both are with us today in new bodies. The trauma of the loss, the loss of 33 combined years of feline love, was horrendous and my heart is still sad from it.
More reader questions today! But first, an announcement:
I had dropped back to one Otherworld book and one Indigo Court book a year. But with my new assistant, Justine (who is wonderful), and with streamlining a few other things, I asked my publisher if I could go back to 2 OW books and 1 IC book per year—and they were happy to say yes. I don’t have the new release dates, but in 2010 you should also get Harvest Hunting later in the year, along with Bone Magic, Night Myst, and the Inked anthology. ~smiles~
BUT—it means I won’t be on Twitter and FB and MS, not even as much as I’ve dropped back to now. I’ll be blogging, but mainly dropping into Twitter to say hi a couple times a day if that, and of course, Samwise is doing my MySpace for me and Justine, my FB. Keep track on MySpace and my website for updates! And I’ll still be hanging out in my forums.
Reader Questions now:
Question: Will you ever publish the 7 fiction novels in your closet?
Answer: First, a note—novels ARE fiction, so fictional novels is a redundant term. If you are an aspiring writer submitting a novel to an agent or publisher, don’t use both words. Just use ‘novel.’ That’s just a minor tip for the writers reading my blogs. Now, to the question: no. The thing is this: most first books, most 2nd books, a lot of books thereafter simply are not good enough to publish. None of them were. Period. They weren’t up to anywhere near the quality of what I write now—and I have no desire to have lower quality work out there. I plunder them for an occasional character or turn of the phrase, but nope. And I have instructions that they’re never to reach a publisher’s hands after my death. I want them cremated. Like I’ll be when the time comes (knock wood not for many, many years).
Question: Have you ever tried iced cappuccino with a shot of mint and whipped topping?
Answer: No—I can’t have whipped topping, and I now prefer my drinks less sweet so I make my triple shot rice-milk iced lattes at home, and when I go out, I have the same, only soy milk (most places don’t serve rice milk, sadly).
Question: How does or doesn't being a witch affect your writing career? and: How do you dance/deal with that mutable line between real and fantasy magic?
Answer: Hmm…in off-track ways. One, my world view is colored by my spirituality, of course (and no, I’m not Wiccan—I’m a shamanic witch and Pagan; there is a difference). Therefore, most of what I write will be colored by my beliefs. But I don’t write ‘pagan’ fiction, I write urban fantasy. And yes, some ‘real’ magic is mixed up with the fantasy magic, but for the most part, I try to avoid anything that’s too closely aligned to my personal spirituality. I wrote metaphysical nonfiction, if I wanted to write more about that, I wouldn’t cloak it with fiction. (Just my personal choice).
Okay, I’m off to work because three books a year do NOT write themselves! Cheers and keep the questions coming. J
Yasmine
The 9th was hard for me, and tomorrow will be too, because a year ago during this time period we lost our Luna and Keeter kitties. I am mourning their loss, even though we firmly believe both are with us today in new bodies. The trauma of the loss, the loss of 33 combined years of feline love, was horrendous and my heart is still sad from it.
More reader questions today! But first, an announcement:
I had dropped back to one Otherworld book and one Indigo Court book a year. But with my new assistant, Justine (who is wonderful), and with streamlining a few other things, I asked my publisher if I could go back to 2 OW books and 1 IC book per year—and they were happy to say yes. I don’t have the new release dates, but in 2010 you should also get Harvest Hunting later in the year, along with Bone Magic, Night Myst, and the Inked anthology. ~smiles~
BUT—it means I won’t be on Twitter and FB and MS, not even as much as I’ve dropped back to now. I’ll be blogging, but mainly dropping into Twitter to say hi a couple times a day if that, and of course, Samwise is doing my MySpace for me and Justine, my FB. Keep track on MySpace and my website for updates! And I’ll still be hanging out in my forums.
Reader Questions now:
Question: Will you ever publish the 7 fiction novels in your closet?
Answer: First, a note—novels ARE fiction, so fictional novels is a redundant term. If you are an aspiring writer submitting a novel to an agent or publisher, don’t use both words. Just use ‘novel.’ That’s just a minor tip for the writers reading my blogs. Now, to the question: no. The thing is this: most first books, most 2nd books, a lot of books thereafter simply are not good enough to publish. None of them were. Period. They weren’t up to anywhere near the quality of what I write now—and I have no desire to have lower quality work out there. I plunder them for an occasional character or turn of the phrase, but nope. And I have instructions that they’re never to reach a publisher’s hands after my death. I want them cremated. Like I’ll be when the time comes (knock wood not for many, many years).
Question: Have you ever tried iced cappuccino with a shot of mint and whipped topping?
Answer: No—I can’t have whipped topping, and I now prefer my drinks less sweet so I make my triple shot rice-milk iced lattes at home, and when I go out, I have the same, only soy milk (most places don’t serve rice milk, sadly).
Question: How does or doesn't being a witch affect your writing career? and: How do you dance/deal with that mutable line between real and fantasy magic?
Answer: Hmm…in off-track ways. One, my world view is colored by my spirituality, of course (and no, I’m not Wiccan—I’m a shamanic witch and Pagan; there is a difference). Therefore, most of what I write will be colored by my beliefs. But I don’t write ‘pagan’ fiction, I write urban fantasy. And yes, some ‘real’ magic is mixed up with the fantasy magic, but for the most part, I try to avoid anything that’s too closely aligned to my personal spirituality. I wrote metaphysical nonfiction, if I wanted to write more about that, I wouldn’t cloak it with fiction. (Just my personal choice).
Okay, I’m off to work because three books a year do NOT write themselves! Cheers and keep the questions coming. J
Yasmine
7.10.2009
Answering Reader Questions
Time to answer reader questions!
Question: What's the most moving scene you've ever written? Read?
Answer: I think the most moving scene I’ve ever written—the one that affected me most—has to be a tie. First, in A HARVEST OF BONES, where Emerald looks over and sees Samantha run out from under the bushes, safe and home again, is one of the two because that book was partially based on the disappearance of two of our cats and I know exactly how Emerald felt. In fact, you can read the ‘story behind the story’ of A Harvest of Bones on MJ Rose’s blog.
The second scene tying for most moving is the one in DARKLING where Menolly thinks she’s escaped, and suddenly Dredge appears to take her back down into the cavern. She thinks about the life she’ll never lead, she thinks about what’s waiting for her at his hands, and she looks for the last time at the sky ‘through untainted eyes.’
The most moving scene I’ve read—the one that has reduced me to tears time and again, is the end scene in WATERSHIP DOWN where Hazel dies, and finds himself standing there, watching the community he’s helped to build, and he sees the Black Rabbit come for him, and the Black Rabbit tells him he’s come to offer Hazel a chance to join his Owsla, and not to worry, his children, his rabbits, will be fine and grow strong and continue for generations after him. I cry every time Hazel slips out of his body and runs off, young again.
Question: How did you find your way into the genre you like to write? Did you write what you wanted to read?
Answer: It took me awhile. My first loves in reading were always science fiction and fantasy. I started out wanting to be a science fiction and fantasy author. That was my dream for many, many years, so that aspect has always been there. When I was a kid, I devoured Asimov and Clark. I cut my teeth on Bradbury and Pohl. Luckily, our library didn't divide the books into adult and children’s sections, at least in terms of what you were allowed to check out. So I plundered the science fiction shelves in the adult section of the library. I wrote seven novels that never got published, eight nonfiction books, then eight mysteries before maneuvering into the genre I love. One night, I was just sitting there watching TV when the sisters just flew in. All of a sudden, they were there in my mind, introducing themselves, and I was thinking, “Hello! This sounds like fun!” I wrote up a proposal, sent it to my agent and editor, and before I knew it, I was establishing myself in the urban fantasy genre, which is right where I wanted to be.
Question: Do you allow fanfiction of your work?
Answer: No. Period. I don’t like it and I won’t condone it. If you want to write, write something original that you can eventually publish if you reach that point. I especially dislike slash fanfiction. And I do not care what other authors feel about the subject, that's their business. For me and my worlds: do not try to second guess me with the plots, worlds and characters that I’ve created in my mind, that live within my imagination, that I’ve put months and years of work into. I don’t consider it a compliment, and I’m territorial. The bottom line is: if you respect me and my work, you’ll respect my wishes on this subject.
More answers later! Cheers and have a good day.
Yasmine
Question: What's the most moving scene you've ever written? Read?
Answer: I think the most moving scene I’ve ever written—the one that affected me most—has to be a tie. First, in A HARVEST OF BONES, where Emerald looks over and sees Samantha run out from under the bushes, safe and home again, is one of the two because that book was partially based on the disappearance of two of our cats and I know exactly how Emerald felt. In fact, you can read the ‘story behind the story’ of A Harvest of Bones on MJ Rose’s blog.
The second scene tying for most moving is the one in DARKLING where Menolly thinks she’s escaped, and suddenly Dredge appears to take her back down into the cavern. She thinks about the life she’ll never lead, she thinks about what’s waiting for her at his hands, and she looks for the last time at the sky ‘through untainted eyes.’
The most moving scene I’ve read—the one that has reduced me to tears time and again, is the end scene in WATERSHIP DOWN where Hazel dies, and finds himself standing there, watching the community he’s helped to build, and he sees the Black Rabbit come for him, and the Black Rabbit tells him he’s come to offer Hazel a chance to join his Owsla, and not to worry, his children, his rabbits, will be fine and grow strong and continue for generations after him. I cry every time Hazel slips out of his body and runs off, young again.
Question: How did you find your way into the genre you like to write? Did you write what you wanted to read?
Answer: It took me awhile. My first loves in reading were always science fiction and fantasy. I started out wanting to be a science fiction and fantasy author. That was my dream for many, many years, so that aspect has always been there. When I was a kid, I devoured Asimov and Clark. I cut my teeth on Bradbury and Pohl. Luckily, our library didn't divide the books into adult and children’s sections, at least in terms of what you were allowed to check out. So I plundered the science fiction shelves in the adult section of the library. I wrote seven novels that never got published, eight nonfiction books, then eight mysteries before maneuvering into the genre I love. One night, I was just sitting there watching TV when the sisters just flew in. All of a sudden, they were there in my mind, introducing themselves, and I was thinking, “Hello! This sounds like fun!” I wrote up a proposal, sent it to my agent and editor, and before I knew it, I was establishing myself in the urban fantasy genre, which is right where I wanted to be.
Question: Do you allow fanfiction of your work?
Answer: No. Period. I don’t like it and I won’t condone it. If you want to write, write something original that you can eventually publish if you reach that point. I especially dislike slash fanfiction. And I do not care what other authors feel about the subject, that's their business. For me and my worlds: do not try to second guess me with the plots, worlds and characters that I’ve created in my mind, that live within my imagination, that I’ve put months and years of work into. I don’t consider it a compliment, and I’m territorial. The bottom line is: if you respect me and my work, you’ll respect my wishes on this subject.
More answers later! Cheers and have a good day.
Yasmine
7.06.2009
A Few Notes & Playlist For Harvest Hunting
Okay, several things today, quick-like.
First: on Twitter, my assistant Justine is now using this account: http://www.twitter.com/GeekGyrlFriGEV to carry out her official work for me. I’m not following many people, due to time constraints, but will be answering questions sent to me on the blog.
Second: I keep getting questions on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter about who my publisher is, what my books are about, etc.. Peeps, please check my website for information before asking . Every book I’ve written is listed, along with the publisher of said book, you’ll find info about me, about my forums, about the fan club, everything there. That’s what the website is for—and it saves both my assistant Justine and my husband time if they don’t have to answer these same questions over and over. A little legwork is not going to hurt you. Writers have to do research all the time. It’s not difficult. ~grins~
Third: When you enter my contests, please READ the directions/instructions. And please do NOT enter after the contest closes. You won’t be eligible and it just makes more work for us. I also get annoyed because that means you didn’t bother reading the rules and probably didn’t enter correctly. And if I’m giving away what are –at times- expensive gifts, then I expect people to at least abide by the contest rules. The winners of the Dancing in the Streets contest will be announced later this week.
Fourth: I got a question about playlists today. Yes, I use a different playlist for each book, and each playlist shakes out over the writing of the book. Some songs get added, some get deleted. You can see the final lists for each book on my website, on the page for that particular book. The most recent two are: Bone Magic and Night Myst. How do I create them? I have to have it done before I write the first page of the book. I go through and think about the book to come and what I know will happen and what I think will happen. And certain songs will ‘stand out’ to me as I look through my WinMedia Player. I’ve got all my music burned on my computer. As I write the book, some songs never get played so I remove them. Others get played over and over. Still others get added.
As far as a suggestion on Facebook to use classical music—while I enjoy a lot of classical music, it doesn’t play into my writing much at all. The music has to fit the feel of the book to me.
So, here’s the first draft picks for the Harvest Hunting playlist (Delilah’s third book). Enjoy!
Yasmine
3 Doors Down: Kryptonite
Aerosmith: Sweet Emotion
Al Stewart: Life in Dark Water
Beck:
Farewell Ride
Nausea
Bob Seager: Turn the Page
B.O.C.: (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Bravery, The: Believe
Cher: The Beat Goes On
Cobra Verde: Don't Play With Fire
Cream: I Feel Free
Crosby, Stills & Nash: Woodstock
David Bowie: Golden Years
Doors:
Not To Touch The Earth
Strange Days
Everlast:
What It's like
Mercy on My Soul
Fleetwood Mac: The Chain
Gabrielle Roth:
Black Mesa
Zone Unknown
Gary Numan:
Innocence Bleeding
Dominion Day
Down in the Park
Dream Killer
Hybrid
My Shadow in Vain
Prophecy
She's Got Claws
Stormtrooper in Drag
The Angel Wars
Tread Careful
Heather Alexander:
Blood Brothers
Fallen Angel
March of Cambreadth
Wolfen One
Jace Everett: Bad Things
Jethro Tull:
Mountain Men
No Lullaby
Rocks on the Road
Lee Dorsey: Give it Up
Little Big Town: Bones
Low: Half Light
Neil Young: Ohio
Nirvana:
Lake of Fire
Plataeu
Ringo Starr: It Don't Come Easy
Simple Minds: Don't You (Forget About Me)
Stealers Wheel: Stuck in the Middle With You
Tangerine Dream:
Beaver Town
Dr. Destructo
Grind
Hyde Park
Thompson Twins: Sister of Mercy
Tina Turner: I Can't stand the Rain
Tori Amos:
Blood Roses
Muhammad My Friend
Zero Seven: In the Waiting Line
First: on Twitter, my assistant Justine is now using this account: http://www.twitter.com/GeekGyrlFriGEV to carry out her official work for me. I’m not following many people, due to time constraints, but will be answering questions sent to me on the blog.
Second: I keep getting questions on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter about who my publisher is, what my books are about, etc.. Peeps, please check my website for information before asking . Every book I’ve written is listed, along with the publisher of said book, you’ll find info about me, about my forums, about the fan club, everything there. That’s what the website is for—and it saves both my assistant Justine and my husband time if they don’t have to answer these same questions over and over. A little legwork is not going to hurt you. Writers have to do research all the time. It’s not difficult. ~grins~
Third: When you enter my contests, please READ the directions/instructions. And please do NOT enter after the contest closes. You won’t be eligible and it just makes more work for us. I also get annoyed because that means you didn’t bother reading the rules and probably didn’t enter correctly. And if I’m giving away what are –at times- expensive gifts, then I expect people to at least abide by the contest rules. The winners of the Dancing in the Streets contest will be announced later this week.
Fourth: I got a question about playlists today. Yes, I use a different playlist for each book, and each playlist shakes out over the writing of the book. Some songs get added, some get deleted. You can see the final lists for each book on my website, on the page for that particular book. The most recent two are: Bone Magic and Night Myst. How do I create them? I have to have it done before I write the first page of the book. I go through and think about the book to come and what I know will happen and what I think will happen. And certain songs will ‘stand out’ to me as I look through my WinMedia Player. I’ve got all my music burned on my computer. As I write the book, some songs never get played so I remove them. Others get played over and over. Still others get added.
As far as a suggestion on Facebook to use classical music—while I enjoy a lot of classical music, it doesn’t play into my writing much at all. The music has to fit the feel of the book to me.
So, here’s the first draft picks for the Harvest Hunting playlist (Delilah’s third book). Enjoy!
Yasmine
3 Doors Down: Kryptonite
Aerosmith: Sweet Emotion
Al Stewart: Life in Dark Water
Beck:
Farewell Ride
Nausea
Bob Seager: Turn the Page
B.O.C.: (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Bravery, The: Believe
Cher: The Beat Goes On
Cobra Verde: Don't Play With Fire
Cream: I Feel Free
Crosby, Stills & Nash: Woodstock
David Bowie: Golden Years
Doors:
Not To Touch The Earth
Strange Days
Everlast:
What It's like
Mercy on My Soul
Fleetwood Mac: The Chain
Gabrielle Roth:
Black Mesa
Zone Unknown
Gary Numan:
Innocence Bleeding
Dominion Day
Down in the Park
Dream Killer
Hybrid
My Shadow in Vain
Prophecy
She's Got Claws
Stormtrooper in Drag
The Angel Wars
Tread Careful
Heather Alexander:
Blood Brothers
Fallen Angel
March of Cambreadth
Wolfen One
Jace Everett: Bad Things
Jethro Tull:
Mountain Men
No Lullaby
Rocks on the Road
Lee Dorsey: Give it Up
Little Big Town: Bones
Low: Half Light
Neil Young: Ohio
Nirvana:
Lake of Fire
Plataeu
Ringo Starr: It Don't Come Easy
Simple Minds: Don't You (Forget About Me)
Stealers Wheel: Stuck in the Middle With You
Tangerine Dream:
Beaver Town
Dr. Destructo
Grind
Hyde Park
Thompson Twins: Sister of Mercy
Tina Turner: I Can't stand the Rain
Tori Amos:
Blood Roses
Muhammad My Friend
Zero Seven: In the Waiting Line
7.03.2009
7.01.2009
Bone Magic & Inked Pre-Order
Bone Magic now available for pre-order!
And Inked now available for pre-order!
I'll have more of a blog up later this week. :)
Yasmine
And Inked now available for pre-order!
I'll have more of a blog up later this week. :)
Yasmine
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