Guest Blogger: Michelle Rowen

I'm not sure where I first met Michelle--or even when. She's a net buddy and it's been a couple years, at least. But one way or another, we started talking more on Twitter and I thought it would be fun to have her guest blog here. Please welcome her in (and her contest is open to international readers too). --Yasmine

HERO TYPES

by Michelle Rowen

I’ve recently come to the realization that I have two hero archetypes I’m drawn to as a writer. I can best explain them as Kirk and Spock. I think just about every single one of my heroes will fit one type or the other. And this is not because I’m a Trekkie, ‘cause I’m not (although there was a short time in the early nineties that I was way too into ST:TNG), it’s simply fallen into these categories and the two characters seem to sum it up quite nicely.

Kirk, for those not familiar with the Star Trek franchise, is a man of emotion, of gut instinct, and he’s definitely an attractive ladies’ man (in his prime). He’s a leader, but a rogue, love ‘em and leave ‘em, but it’s questionable if he’s ever truly been in love before beyond a quick roll in the hay. And he can be really funny, too.

Spock is a man of science, of intellect, and most importantly, he’s unemotional. He prides himself on his control above all else. But you just know, underneath all that cool control, there’s something very hot and passionate just waiting to get out.

So these are my types. I like to write either the rogue who’s never been in love before, or the emotionally repressed jerk who has layers just waiting to be uncovered.

In NIGHTSHADE, the first book in my new urban fantasy romance series, my hero Declan Reyes definitely does not appear (at first glance) to be a typical romantic lead who does the right thing and always saves the day due to his strong morals. As a dhampyr (half vampire/half human) assassin, he shows his many scars -- literal and metaphorical -- on the surface. Add to that, the fact he’s on a serum that totally flattens out his emotions and empathy, it makes him cold, hard, and emotionally unavailable. In a word, he’s coldblooded.

Definitely a Spock. Of course, according to my theory, Spock has layers beyond what is immediately visible. So does Declan. When his trusty serum is taken away, so is his ability to control his emotions, especially around my heroine, Jillian, whose blood is irresistible...and poisonous...to vampires. It’s the most fun with a “Spock” to strip away his protective layers and let him figure things out now that he’s lost his precious control and is now all exposed. Literally and figuratively. Poor Declan. I strip him down really well.

Is there a Kirk character in NIGHTSHADE as well? I like to balance my books with one of each, for sure, especially if I’m setting up a potential love triangle—which I’m often guilty of (I adore love triangles!). So yeah, there’s definitely a Lothario-esque Kirk in the book, too. Kirks are whole lot of fun to write, let me tell you. They can be very naughty boys if you give them half a chance. And I do.

So there you have it: how I use Star Trek to figure out my heroes.

I’d love to give away a signed copy of NIGHTSHADE to a commenter. Just tell me, what’s your favorite hero archetype: Kirk or Spock? Feel free to give examples from your favorite novels! Contest ends midnight Friday April 1st, and you must check in on the blog Sunday to see who won. :)

Happy reading!
Michelle

National bestselling author Michelle Rowen writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and young adult fantasy, both light and dark, sexy and sweet, long and short -- it all depends on the story! She's won a Holt Medallion for Best First Book and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award for Best Vampire Romance. Her hobbies include writing, writing, and...well, that's about it. For more information, please visit Michelle at her website at http://www.michellerowen.com/.

Writer Wednesday: Fantasy Merging With Reality

My post today may ramble a bit, because what I want to say is rather hard to put into words. Bear with me, please.

When the idea first came to me for the Sisters series, it was like being struck by a lightning bolt. I remember—I was sitting in the living room, watching TV, when I looked up at one of the windows and it was like the three sisters just leapt through the window into my mind. I could see them—Camille first, then Delilah and Menolly…they were there, fully dressed, clear as a bell, and they introduced themselves to me. And I knew I had to write their story—whatever it might be.

I absolutely love writing the Otherworld series (aka the Sisters of the Moon series—or SOTM series)—and the Indigo Court series. They are, to me, so much more ‘me’ than anything else I’ve ever written, published or unpublished. The two worlds are ones where magic and technology walk hand-in-hand, like my own world. Where mythology has come to life and interacts with the modern world—right out in the open. It’s a world where everything is possible, where almost all mythologies and legends have some sort of validity. Where sex and love and passion blend into both the magical and the mundane.

My editor gave me one instruction for the revisions of Witchling. She said, “I love it, but take it over the top. Let yourself go.” And so I did, and the book took on a life of its own. And with each book since then, the world of the sisters has unfolded in its own way, expanding and growing. As is Cicely’s world.

Fantasy has always been my passion—since I was a little girl. I read mysteries, romance, and other genres, but I always gravitated toward fantasy because in my mind, it was more ‘real’ than a lot of the other work.

And, as a shamanic witch in my own life, I walk in two worlds at once—the world of spirit and the world of the physical. I merged two seemingly disparate paths—the magical path and the ‘logical’ path—and found the spiritual system worked for me—it’s the right path for me to be on this lifetime. With the urban fantasy worlds, I’m simply extrapolating on what I personally believe, and taking it over the top.

A few years back, during a signing for Witchling, one reader asked me, “So tell me, is what you wrote in the book real? Because it feels real.”

I looked at her for a moment. I understood her question and why she asked it—some stories just feel real when you read them because they resonate with something inside.

When I answered, I chose my words carefully because I did not want to be misunderstood. I said, “If you’re asking are the sisters real, then no. Not if you want to meet them here, in the flesh, in the store. But are they part of who I am? Yes. And yes, they and their friends seem to have taken on a life of their own. And I believe in a lot of the things that I write.”

I personally believe the Fae are real, and no, I have never seen them as the sweet cherubs the Victorians tried to turn them into. So yes, I believe that the Fae exist and I've seen a few of them. And yes, I believe in dragons and unicorns and a lot of creatures we think of as ‘mythological,’ but I believe they live in a parallel dimension and on rare occasion, cross over to our realm.

I envision the existence of other dimensions a lot like I’ve put forth in my vision of “Otherworld” and the portals. As for demons, unfortunately yes, I most assuredly believe that evil exists as a force in the world and that it fuels a lot of the hatred and anger. It cloaks itself in the guise of intolerance and bigotry and prejudice and self-righteousness a lot of the times.

For me, writing urban fantasy is like writing a vision—not of what is, but of the way life might possibly be. Do I wish it were true? Well, not the war against the demons, no—that would be hideous. As would Myst and her Vampiric Fae.

But having the Fae come out in the open? Well, that would certainly shake up our xenophobic society, for sure! And if Smoky came striding into my house, I wouldn’t shut the door on him, that’s for certain. ~grins~

I’ll be the first to admit that I change legends and legendary creatures as needed for the story line. So never rely on my books for an accurate lesson in mythology the way you're going to learn it in class! My books are, after all, fiction.

And when I can’t find what I want in terms of mythological creatures, I have no hesitation in making them up, but I try to make them believable for the situation. The Corpse Talkers are one example. Do they exist? I highly doubt it, unless one follows the line of thought that ‘everything exists, just within a different realm.’ But they’re damned cool, in my opinion.

As I said, I’m a shamanic witch. I practice magic. Not Camille’s fireworks and energy bolts kind, but magic nonetheless and I know it works. I’ve seen ghosts, I’ve seen things that aren’t supposed to exist and yet, I know what I saw. I’m also a very practical person, with a strong scientific bent. I don’t accept anything at face value. I live in a world where mythology and the mundane meet and the mix is very real to me. But I never hesitate to question what I see, feel, hear, believe...I never accept answers blindly without making sure I've examined the situation for myself.

So writing about the Sisters and Cicely is a blast for me, but also second nature. It’s a way to allow my magical side/self to extrapolate on my beliefs, creating what I hope is a fantastical—but almost believable—ride for others. And it’s a ride I’d love to stay on for a long, long time.

Yasmine

Cool Stuffz for You!

Okay, today it’s all about cool stuffz for you, from me. ;)

First, Operation Auction, designed to benefit a friend of the romance writer’s community who suffered a horrible tragedy, is going strong. You can bid on a signed copy of my first 9 Otherworld books HERE. You can bid on an ARC of Night Veil (sorry, not signed—it’s from my editor)—HERE. And a lot of other cool stuff, HERE. Help out a good cause and get something fun in return. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE...this is a SHORT running auction. If you want something, go check on it NOW.

Second: A little bird whispers in your ear: There will be postcards of Trillian, Smoky, Morio, and Maggie available in a few weeks. We’ll start out at one per person, and I’ll have to charge $1 and an SASE for you to get all four postcards. More details soon! The backs of the postcards will contain a few fun facts about the guys and Maggie.

Third: Postcards for COURTING DARKNESS available soon!

Fourth: We now have the contest page up—you can enter the contest(s) and protect your email. Please, one entry per person. You can find the first contest via the page HERE. Night Veil Excerpts contest ends tomorrow night at midnight.

Fifth: It looks like I’ll be doing a few more signings this year than I did last year. I am trying to set something up in Portland OR, too. As soon as dates are firm, I’ll put up an itinerary.

OK, that’s about it. I’m off to do stuff like WRITE. ~grins~

Yasmine

SNIPPET MONDAYS #6: NIGHT VEIL

We’re counting down to NIGHT VEIL’s July release with a snippet from Chapter 2 and a little contest every week!

You can read the first chapter of NIGHT VEIL in the back of BLOOD WYNE, or up on Yasmine's site. So we'll be posting snippets from chapter 2 each Monday until the release date. If we find anybody reproducing this on other sites we'll stop and everybody loses out. That means: NO cutting/pasting/copying/sending through email.

Remember, you can pre-order NIGHT VEIL from Amazon.com or BN.com!

NIGHT VEIL
CHAPTER TWO
First Chapter
Excerpts Already Posted

"Oh, I don't think people are that dense. They know something's out there. They also must realize by now that the cops aren't going to protect them. I can understand why the magic-born aren't all leaving-we're connected to this land by the energy. But why aren't the yummanii leaving?"

Yummanii was the term the magic-born used among themselves for those born fully human. The yummanii possessed their own kind of magic-not as obvious or flamboyant as the magic-born, but a psychic energy . . . call it instinct, if you will, and the power had grown more noticeable among the yummanii children of the past few generations. Whether the yummanii realized they were growing strong, we did not know. But it wasn't our place to tell them or we risked altering their natural evolution.

As for the yummanii, they had always known about the magic-born, and they accepted us. Just like they knew about the Weres and the vampires and Fae.

"Perhaps they can't leave. It costs money to pull up stakes, to head out of town and start a new life. And if you have a good job, or children, then it's that much harder. Unemployment is low here in New Forest and-until Myst came-life was relatively safe. Geoffrey keeps a watch on the vampires and doesn't allow many rogues. All sound reasons to stay put." Kaylin shrugged. "It's easier to take a few precautions and hope for the best."

I nodded. The dreamwalker made a lot of sense.

Brain Candy Friday: Secret Confessions

There’s something about admitting your weaknesses that—if it doesn’t make you a better person, at least helps you feel like you’ve snared somebody else in on it. After all, if we don’t tell our best friend we want to get a taste of the new neighbor even though he’s pretty much the reject from hell, then we have to carry that icky feeling secret around. Once we share it with our buddies, then we’ve spread the misery. ~grins~ Now, I’m NOT talking about the serious secrets, the ones we struggle with because they are painful or soul-wearying. This is, after all, Brain Candy Friday, so kind of a fluff day.


So, yah…let’s see. What can I actually say without letting you know the depths of my debauchery? It may sound lame, but some day I’d love to be able to go on my blog or Twitter and say something totally outrageous (perhaps true, perhaps not) that would totally stir the pot and start up a major internet controversy. But…I’m more level headed than that. But oh the fun it could be!

What’s a secret wish of yours that you can share without making yourself sound heinously warped? (I keep my most heinously warped secrets tight, under lock and key).

Yasmine

Blogging over at Fire & Ice Today

I'm blogging over at Between Fire & Ice today! Hop over and say hi there!


Yasmine

Writer Wednesday: Priorities

I mentioned in my post on March 9th that I’d had an experience that had helped me shape my writing priorities. It’s a little story I’ve told at several discussion groups and workshops on writing that I’ve led and I’m going to tell it to you now, because it’s just as valid as the day it happened.


I urge you to remember it—because it’s probably the best writing lesson I can offer you. I consider what I learned absolutely vital for for anybody pursuing a career that takes practice, talent, and skill.

On December 17th, 1993, I was recuperating from pneumonia when I made the mistake of eating some popcorn. I coughed, inhaled an unpopped kernel, and couldn't breathe. My husband was at work and I was home alone.

Within seconds, everything started going fuzzy as I realized I couldn’t dislodge the kernel. Somehow, I managed to stand up and the moment I did, I promptly fainted. Luckily, when I hit the floor the popcorn dislodged and I started breathing again. A few minutes later, I regained consciousness.

I was okay, I hadn’t suffered any permanent damage. The only thing different about my life was that it had almost ended within the past five minutes. And that fact made all the difference in my world.

Shaking and crying, I sat at my desk, thinking about what had happened. I wasn’t afraid of dying, per se—years before I’d made my peace with the concept of mortality. What bothered me was that I began to think about what I would have regretted if I’d actually died that night.

And the one regret that cropped up—besides missing my wonderful new husband and my cats more than I could imagine—would have been that I hadn’t published a book yet. I’d wanted to be a writer since I was three. I had a number of novels in my closet that I’d written but never managed to get more than a handwritten note of encouragement from agents and publishers. And I admit it, I’d goofed off more than I wrote, and made excuses for why I wasn't trying harder.

Right then, my priorities shifted. I strengthened my resolve that, damn it, I was going to get published and I’d do what it took to achieve my goal.

I was at a crossroads in my writing and I knew it. At that moment, I decided that—no matter how many rejections I received—I had to persevere and to work toward my goal on a daily basis. That night was a turning point. It led me to realize this simple truth: if I wanted to make it as a writer, I had to develop professional writing habits and self-discipline.

I used to say, “Someday, when I publish a book—” but the truth of the matter is that someday almost never came. Someday might never come. People die every day. People get hit by buses, have car wrecks because of deer, drunk drivers, black ice. People have heart attacks, are random targets for road rage. People have accidents, get killed, people do choke to death. And I was almost one of the statistics. There’s no guarantee that any of us will be alive tonight.

A near-death experience or a loved one’s sudden demise triggers an awareness of just how quickly life can be snuffed out. It changes our perception. We no longer look at life the same again when we understand how fragile it can be. And suddenly, taking life for granted seems like a colossal sin. Wasted time is the one thing we can’t recover.

And so I began to live deliberately. No, I don’t treat each moment like it’s my last, but I make sure that I’m doing what I want to be doing, even if it’s sitting there, watching TV.

In the months following my near-death experience, I tried to become more flexible in what I wrote, I tried out new approaches, I quit saying “I should be writing this” and experimented with other forms, other subjects. I began to study the editing and revision process with renewed enthusiasm.

It took another three years but in April 1996, I sat in the car, hugging my first book contract to my chest, crying. My dream had been realized, I’d achieved a lifelong goal. A legitimate publisher wanted to publish my book. The fact that it was nonfiction didn’t matter. I’d moved from ‘aspiring writer’ to ‘author’ and there would be a book with my name on it, sitting on the bookshelves, and a publisher was going to pay me to write it.

I had manifested my dream. I also realized, in that moment, that I would never have achieved my goal if I had slacked off or made excuses for why I couldn’t write this or that day, or if I’d spent my time partying or shopping or goofing around rather than knuckling down to do the actual work.

Now, almost twenty years later, fifteen since I received my first contract, I have eighteen novels, two novellas, and eight nonfiction books on the bookstore shelves. I’ve got two more books and a novella coming out this year. I’ve got three books still contracted to write.

I’m a New York Times bestselling author, I’ve hit the USA Today lists a number of times, and the Publishers Weekly list. I've spoken at a number of conventions and groups and am earning a living with my work.

I’ve also discovered that the other side of publishing—the professional one—is a lot harder work than most aspiring writers ever want to believe it is. But it’s worth it because it’s what I love to do. It’s worth it because I am following through on my dreams.

Nothing is more satisfying than sitting back, holding a new book or another contract in my hands, knowing that I put my heart, soul, and sweat into making the story the best I could at the time I wrote it. I routinely work 60-80 hours a week to make this happen but I love the work, even when I’m exhausted. I love the work even when I hate it.

I love it. I love it all. The worst day writing is better than the best day at an office job. Well, maybe not, but hey, every career has it's downsides. ~grins~

But none of this would have happened if I hadn’t organized my priorities, if I hadn’t sat there that dark night, touching my throat, feeling how raw it was from choking and coughing, thinking, “What if I hadn’t woken up? What if the kernel hadn’t dislodged? I’d be dead.”

And then: “What can I do to make sure I don’t regret it when my time really does come? I don’t want to regret things undone in my life.”

And then, followed through.

So tell me, what do you want out of life? What are your priorities? Are you working to achieve your goals, or are you just daydreaming about someday? I wish you all the luck in the world to achieving your goals—and the drive and ambition to make sure they happen.

Yasmine

Charity of the Month Post: Dabs The AIDS Bear

Yasmine: I've decided we'll be highlighting one charity each month, and my fan-mail and forum assistant Jennifer Price will be conducting the interviews/writing the articles. This month, we're focusing on an AIDS project--one aimed at helping children with HIV/AIDs.


Dabs the AIDS Bear
Jennifer: Each month I will be spotlighting a different charity for various causes. Since this is the first month I will be doing this I chose a charity that raises awareness for a cause that is near and dear to my heart: HIV/AIDS. The charity I chose is the Dab the AIDS Bear Project. The reason I chose this particular charity is that Dab Garner’s story and why he does what he does has touched my heart in a big way. He is a 30 year survivor of HIV and founder of the Dab the AIDS Bear Project, and he is one of my heroes because of all he has done and continues to do. I asked Mr. Garner if he would answer a few questions for me about himself and his project and he graciously agreed.


Jenn: Dab why don’t you tell us a little bit about you and how you got started in your project?

Dab: I was one of the first 20 Americans diagnosed with HIV, when it was still called GRID - gay related immune deficiency. Now a 30 year survivor/activist/speaker and creator of Dab the AIDS Bear, the bear and I travel the world speaking at AIDS Walks, Rides, conferences, health fairs, colleges, schools, GLBT Pride events, churches and groups. We do an average of 150 events a year not including our Teddy Bear Touchdowns.

Dab the AIDS Bear and my work have been featured in POZ Magazine, The Body, HIV Plus Magazine, A & U, OUT Magazine, 60 Minutes, CNN Headline News, CNN Newsroom, POZIAM Radio, Who's Positive Radio, Soap Opera Digest and over 170 newspapers, news coverage and magazines around the world.

Jenn: What made you decide to use teddy bears?

Dab: I decided to use teddy bears because it was 1981 and my friends and then my partner were dying in quarantine from GRID (gay related immune deficiency - what HIV was originally called). I was called teddy bear by friends because of being a hairy young gay man. (I was 18 when my first friend went into quarantine. Besides so many people love and get comfort from teddy bears since it reminds them of their childhood.)

It broke my heart to watch friends, and then my first partner, dying along in quarantine without the comfort of friends and family being able to visit, hold their hand or comfort them. So I would include a note with each bear to let them know I loved and cared about them. I watched as they held onto their bears while dying. Even the nurses and doctors wore protective NASA like suits when going into quarantine.

I found out myself how scary, lonely and upsetting quarantine was after being admitted to the hospital in Feb and then diagnose with GRID on Valentine's Day. So I continued to give teddy bears to friends. Dab the AIDS Bear turns 30 on March 20, 2011.

Jenn: The Dab the AIDS Bear project is celebrating its 30th year how does that make you feel?

Dab: I actually started Dab the AIDS Bear Project in 2003 because a friend died on the ADAP waiting list in Kentucky. After speaking with several other long term survivor/activists, we decided we had to do something. As a long term survivor, I was outraged that an American with HIV/AIDS was allowed to die only because they could not afford the lifesaving medications. We considered it a dishonor to all those who had sacrificed and died before we had lifesaving HIV meds in 1996. So officially we are celebrating our 8th anniversary as a community based organization this year. Besides doing HIV/AIDS awareness, education and prevention, we also advocate at the state and national level on HIV/AIDS issues and funding. We also do yearly holiday parties for kids with HIV and AIDS called Teddy Bear Touchdowns.

Jenn: Who do the proceeds from your project help?

Dab: The proceeds from our project fund our Teddy Bear Touchdowns. We are different from most organizations. Everyone at Dab the AIDS Bear Project, including myself, are non-paid volunteers. That also includes our Board of Directors, Ambassadors of Hope, and staff. That enables us to keep 90 cents of every dollar going to our children's events. The other 10 cents of each dollar pay for printing, website and our 501(c)3 tax deductible status through our fiscal agent Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida.

So why do we do holiday events for children with HIV and AIDS? I was the god-father to one of the first children born with HIV in San Francisco. She was also born deformed because of Alcohol Fetal Syndrome. My partner and I were contacted by Dept. of Family Services since we were both out about our HIV status because no one wanted a child with HIV in the 80s... much less one that was born deformed. Her mother died shortly after childbirth and they never knew who her father was. Although they said she probably would not live 6 months, she ended up living to be 5 years old.

I had met other children with HIV when I would take her for her doctor appointments. We were a young couple so we shopped for her Christmas presents all year long. She passed away in Aug of '89 so I decided to pass our her gifts to the other children at the clinic at Christmas in her memory. I had promised her as she was dying that I would help other children with HIV feel the love I had given to her. The next year, we expanded the Teddy Bear Touchdowns to Los Angeles and New York City. Over the years, we started the events in more cities as the virus was spread to newborns across the country. In our 21st year (2010), we held our event in over 20 cities in the United States and 11 foreign countries helping over 65,000 children.

Jenn: What are the Ambassadors of Hope?

Dab: Ambassadors of Hope is a program we started in the late 90s to help empower people with HIV and our allies to find their voice in activism and HIV/AIDS awareness, education and prevention. They go to HIV/AIDS events, walks, rides, conferences, LGBT pride events, community meetings, health fairs and some even on vacation with their own Dab the AIDS Bear. Many take pics at the event with their bears and post the pics on Facebook, MySpace, POZIAM and other social networks. We also use the pictures on the project website.

Jenn: How does someone become an Ambassador of Hope?

Dab: People become an Ambassador of Hope by asking to become one. Then I have them tell me why they want to be an Ambassador of Hope. If it is because they want to help people with HIV or be an activist; then then are usually approved. Each Ambassador is responsible for attending at least 4 events a year and taking at least 50 pics at the event. They also shared Dab the AIDS Bear's story of hope at events.

So what does this program all boil down to and why? Many of the other activists I knew in the 80s and 90s are gone now. So we started this program to help encourage and train the next generation to make sure our community is always protected and served to ensure people with HIV can access the services they need to live with HIV and AIDS. About 85 percent of our Ambassadors around the world are HIV positive. The other 15 percent are negative and either have known someone with HIV or work with our community in an AIDS Service Organization, community based organization, HIV/AIDS publication/media or national organization. Our goal is to end up with 200 Ambassadors of Hope around the world.

Jenn: How can the readers of this article help your project?

Dab: The readers can help in a number of ways. They can donate to get their own Dab the AIDS Bear, HIV/AIDS awareness pin, or they can "adopt a child" for our TBTs on our website at http://www.dabtheaidsbearproject.com under the "Make a Donation" section.

They can also donate teddy bears, toys or gift cards to places like Wal-Mart, Kmart, ToysRUS, Target etc. by mailing the items to: Dab the AIDS Bear Project, 325 NE 21st Street, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. Or they can make out a check to Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida and put "Dab the AIDS Bear Project" in the memo field of the check. Then mail the check to the address above.

If you would like to read more about Dab and his story you can check out his daily blog here: http://www.dabtheaidsbearproject.com/daddydabsblog.html  You can also read the stories about the Teddy Bear Touchdowns and Dab the AIDS Bear here on the project’s site. http://www.dabtheaidsbearproject.com/  You can also hear an interview with Dab on POZIAM Radio at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/poziam/2011/02/21/dab-the-aids-bear--30-years-anniversary

I would like to thank Dab Garner for taking the time to answer my questions and also for everything he does for the HIV/AIDS community.

My name is Jennifer Price and I am a mom, stepmom, and step grandmother. I am Yasmine Galenorn’s head forum mod and fan mail assistant. I have HIV; I do a bit of activism online for it and plan to do more in the future. I live to read, play computer and video games, and collect bears and fairies. You can reach me on Twitter at @jennlpa

SNIPPET MONDAYS #5: NIGHT VEIL

We’re starting our countdown to NIGHT VEIL’s July release with a snippet from Chapter 2. This week there will be no contest because of a spammer who's taken advantage of Yasmine's readers here on the blog. Samwise is making a contest page to protect your privacy so bear with us, but you do get snippets today!

You can read the first chapter of NIGHT VEIL in the back of BLOOD WYNE, or up on Yasmine's site. So we'll be posting snippets from chapter 2 each Monday until the release date. If we find anybody reproducing this on other sites we'll stop and everybody loses out. That means: NO cutting/pasting/copying/sending through email.

Remember, you can pre-order NIGHT VEIL from Amazon.com or BN.com!

• Vampires, Fae, or Magic-born (in the Indigo Court world): Which would you rather be and why?


NIGHT VEIL
CHAPTER TWO
First Chapter
Excerpts Already Posted

That was the longest speech I'd heard out of Leo and I wasn't sure I wanted to hear another. He seemed too willing to take Lannan's side. But I had to admit, he was probably right. Lannan wouldn't have been the engineer on this plan. He wasn't that ambitious. It was probably all Regina could do to force him to play his part in carrying it out.

"If Myst gains control of New Forest, his stable will end up as mangled as that goblin did," I muttered.

"Crap, that was Anadey. There's been another attack," Rhiannon said as she replaced the receiver on the cradle. She paled, shaking her head.

"Another? Where? Who?" The past five days had been hell. The attack on a movie theater the other night pretty much outed the fact that a pack of hunters was on the loose. The majority of people didn't know exactly who was behind the attacks, but they knew that anybody was fair game and that people were dying.

"Two. A mother and a child. Eaten down to the bone. Cops found them two hours ago and are circulating the rumor that there are wild dogs in the area."

"That makes ten victims, including two children." I stopped, giving her a bewildered look. "Did you say wild dogs? They really expect people to believe that?"

Kaylin bookmarked his novel and put it on the table. He frowned. "It's amazing what people will accept when they don't want to believe something worse."

Courting Darkness Cover

COURTING DARKNESS

11.1.2011

Available for Pre-Order Now

(cover artist: yes, once again, Tony Mauro)

Brain Candy Friday: Video Games

One of the things I miss most with my schedule is the time to both read and game. Reading goes with out saying, but gaming—I love video games. I love both the puzzles and fantasy RPGs. I don’t game online because I know myself and I know how easy I get addicted to things. I’d probably be a WOW addict in a matter of minutes, but truth is, I don’t have time to deal with Guild politics, etc..

And yes, I can lose time on the games—time I don’t have. I can sit here and four hours later, blink and realize no, it really IS getting dark outside.

Recently I read an article where they’re now saying playing video games 1-3 hours a day can increase self-esteem and the ability to interact with others in social circles. I can attest to that—and when I played old school AD&D (which I also miss)—it also gave me a personal feeling of empowerment. So what kind of games do I like?

I love Dungeon Siege (both 1 & 2) and am eagerly awaiting the release of DS3. I love Diablo 2 and again—am (patiently, hopefully) awaiting the release of Diablo 3. I’ve got just about every version of the Sims ever made, Sim Cities, Zoo Tycoon (I like letting the dinosaurs out to run amok). I’m a rabid puzzle gamer-Bejeweled (so far, my personal best on the timed version of Bejeweled2 is 799,950 points). I love Drops in it’s various incarnations, and Tetris, and Aqua Bubble, and I have Bejeweled 3 as well. I like love the Sega Sonic games, and Sega Columns and Klax—some of which I can now play on X-Box.

What kind of games do you like? Or, if you don’t like video games, what are your addicting habits (besides reading, LOL, I know y’all love to read)!

Yasmine

Blogging over at Fire & Ice Today

I'm blogging over at Between Fire & Ice today! Hop over and say hi there!



Yasmine

Writer Wednesday: Proud To Be A Genre Writer

You know, sometimes I get a little depressed when I hear people say "Oh, she just writes genre, not real literature…" or when supposedly well-meaning acquaintances (because I sure wouldn't consider someone a friend who said this) ask, "When are you going to sit down and write a real book?"


A) I get depressed because I’m a New York Times bestselling author and if I’m not writing real books, what the fuck am I doing, thank you very much!

And B) I get depressed because they're caught up in the literary snobbery that keeps them from acknowledging the wealth of wonderful books out there in science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, and other genres. There's greatness to be found in every niche, just like there are some books that you just shake your head over.

Anybody who tries to tell me that Tolkien, Daphne du Maurier, Ray Bradbury, CS Lewis, Ursula Le Guin, Madeleine L'Engle, Guy Gavriel Kay, John Crowley, Morgan Llewellyn, and Mary Stewart aren't on par with the best of literature needs a reality check. And yet, all of these writers write in genre, and they're all brilliant.

Back in 2001, on 9/11, when the towers came crashing down and our world changed, I was in the middle of reading one of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. I set it down when I turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane fly into the trade center, and it was six weeks before I picked it up again.

By that time I was feeling shell-shocked, like the majority of Americans, and so tired that I could barely watch the news. I'd been working on Ghost of a Chance, but had developed a guilt complex about writing "light work" and I'd just stopped in the middle of it, too. After all, how could I focus on entertainment when such a calamity had happened to our country?

And then one day, exhausted from worrying and needing a break, I picked up the Stephanie Plum book again, and sat down to finish it. By the time I was done, I was laughing and smiling again—for the first time in six weeks. I felt like I could breathe again. Her humor had infected me and though I was still shell-shocked, I felt a little more cushioned, a little more clearheaded.

It was at that moment that I realized just how important entertainment is. In dark times, it buoys us up. It offers an escape from reality, and when we aren't in control of a situation, sometimes we desperately need that escape. Entertainment offers hope, it offers a good scare, a good laugh, an adventure which can help us weather the storms that come through our lives. And in good times, it gives us a breather from our daily routine, a chance to shake off the mundane and jump into another world.

Fast forward to 2005, and Hurricane Katrina. A couple months after the storm leveled the Gulf Coast, I received a letter from a reader. She was writing to thank me. During the hurricane, she'd had to evacuate, not knowing if her home or anything she owned would be there when she got back. She took along three of my Chintz 'n China books.

She told me that my books kept her from thinking about what might be happening to her home. They offered her an escape during a time in which she could do nothing but wait. They gave her a chance to breathe, to laugh, to lose herself in a story. Her letter made me cry because I realized that my work was able to offer—even for a brief time—a shelter from the storm. Ironically in this case, the metaphor became a reality.

Fast forward to a year or so ago at a signing. A woman brought in a copy of Darkling for me to sign. She said she kept it in a special place on her wall where she could see it because it kept her going through life-threatening surgery and recovery. She never looked at it without seeing something that shored her up and gave her strength.

And that's what it's all about, folks. That's one of the perks of writing books that touch readers. To know that we can reach out and give someone a much-needed break, even for a few hours, or shelter from a raging storm, or a touchstone during a life-changing situation—well, that’s the heart and soul of being a writer.

That's why we love to hear from our readers, because it lets us know that—even in a small way—we've made somebody's life better through our stories, our visions, the words we spin. Entertainment can help save sanity. And I'm proud to say that I'm an urban fantasy writer—that I write genre. My books are all about entertainment, escape, and magic, and I’m damned proud of it.

Yasmine

Guest Blogger: Diana P. Francis

I met Diana on Twitter. We chatted a little at first, then more, and then realized our mutual (and questionable) love for those oh-so-bad-they're-good movies like Zardoz and Barbarella and Ice Spiders and gee, before long we started doing our own version of MST3K on Twitter, but more fun because we play drinking games (SNAKE ON A BOX--DRINK!!!! SNAKE IN A SUB--DRINK!!! SNAKE IN SEAN CONNERY'S RED DIAPER-LIKE-ONESIE--DRINK!!!). *koffs* Anyway, I thought it would be fun to have her guest blog here, so here she is--urban fantasy author and Very Cool Woman--Diana P. Francis. Please welcome her in--Yasmine.

Diana: Hi everyone!

I’m here to talk about killing. It’s on my mind, you see, and not because anybody left the cap of the toothpaste or didn’t put their dishes in the dishwasher. It’s on my mind because sometimes writers have to kill characters. Sometimes we like to. Sometimes we totally revel in it. And sometimes we weep because the killing is painful. Hopefully necessary to the story, but painful.

I just finished my third book in my Horngate witches series, and I had to kill  someone I cared about a whole lot. I was horrible. I cried. I can’t tell you how traumatic it was for me. Now, you might say that I’m the author and I didn’t really have to do anything in my books that I don’t want to do. I didn’t have to kill someone I cared about. And to some extent you would be right.

But.

What kind of story would it be if no one really had to struggle? If you knew everything was going to turn out all right? If you knew that there was nothing really at stake because no one could get hurt. I’ll tell you what kind. Boooooooring.

When you write a book, you have to be faithful to the story. You have to write the hard things. Characters have to struggle and I have to know, and I need my reader to know, that they can fail. That my characters can get hurt and even die. I need to know that so that when I’m writing the story, I am involved as my characters. I have to love with them, suffer with them, laugh with them.

I’m one of those writers who write for myself. Oh, yeah, I want you the readers to enjoy the books, but I’m spending months and months with the book and I can’t stand to do that if I’m not deeply invested. I get bored. And if I’m bored, what are you the readers going to feel?

So that’s how I come to this:

Reader, I killed him. (My little tribute to Jane Eyre, a book I adore).

Have you ever read a book where you agonized over a death and yet you knew it was right and necessary? Or did you hate it completely? Have you cried when a character died? Do you get as attached as the writers do?
-----------------

Diana Pharaoh Francis has written several fantasy series, including The Horngate Witches series, The Crosspointe Chronicles, and The Path trilogy. Bitter Night was nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice for Best Urban Fantasy of 2009, and Crimson Wind was a Romantic Times Top Pick. Path of Fate was nominated for the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award. Diana teaches in the English Department at the University of Montana Western, and is a lover of chocolate, Victoriana and sparkley things. Plus she recently developed a deep and unholy love for yarn and crocheting. For a lot more information about her, visit www.dianapfrancis.com. She can also be found on Twitter, where she frequently twitter snarks with Yasmine about bad Syfy channel movies.

SNIPPET MONDAYS #4: NIGHT VEIL

We’re starting our countdown to NIGHT VEIL’s July release with a snippet from Chapter 2. This week there will be no contest because of a spammer who's taken advantage of Yasmine's readers here on the blog. Samwise is making a contest page to protect your privacy so bear with us, but you do get snippets today!

You can read the first chapter of NIGHT VEIL in the back of BLOOD WYNE, or up on Yasmine's site. So we'll be posting snippets from chapter 2 each Monday until the release date. If we find anybody reproducing this on other sites we'll stop and everybody loses out. That means: NO cutting/pasting/copying/sending through email.

Remember, you can pre-order NIGHT VEIL from Amazon.com or BN.com!

Contests for today:

Find post on FACEBOOK for contest by reading posts on my wall for today. Must follow my fan page there to enter, Comment ON THAT POST (NOT here on the blog for the contest and NOT in a separate post on my FB Wall) and say something to make me smile. ;) Ends midnight tonight. Prizes--1 will be on Facebook, the other on Twitter. 1 entry per person. All can enter.

On Twitter: Must follow me there to enter, @ reply me there on Twitter and say something to make me smile. ;) Use the hashtag #contest Ends midnight tonight. Prizes--1 will be on Facebook, the other on Twitter. 1 entry per person. Do NOT try to enter on this blog (but comments on the excerpts here are welcome)

NIGHT VEIL
CHAPTER TWO
First Chapter
Excerpts Already Posted


"He was doing his job," Leo said, grimly. "Remember, when Regina and Geoffrey decide something, everybody jumps. Even Lannan."

"Right. Doing his job, just like the SS during World War Two. Goddamn, I'd like to dust that pervert. He hurt Grieve! And he . . ." I stopped, not wanting to think about what he'd done to me. "You just know Lannan's going to sit there, looking so smug and self-satisfied-"

At Kaylin's raised eyebrows, I stopped, catching my breath. My fury surprised even me. I knew I wanted to dust Lannan, but I didn't expect to be quite so explosive about it. After a moment, I added, "Okay, okay. I promise. I'll keep my mouth shut. But I don't have to like it."

The phone rang and Rhiannon answered while we went on talking.

"Actually, I doubt Lannan had much to do with producing the virus," Leo said, sliding on his gloves. "And he's one of the true vampires-why would he care about Grieve? He cares about no one except his sister and himself. Lannan's not interested in politics, and my bet is he'd rather ignore Myst and her Court. He's too self-centered to really give a fuck about whether the Shadow Hunters take over the town, as long as they leave him and his stable alone."

-----

Would you rather be an owl or a wolf shifter? (one or the other, no other animals allowed!) Why?

Brain Candy Friday: House Hunters

As most of you who follow my blog and/or Twitter and/or Facebook know, last year my husband and I bought our first house. Finally, after all these years, we have a home of our own. While house hunting, I got hooked on the show House Hunters on HGTV, along with Property Virgins and Your First Place. I thought my passion for these shows would die down once we found a house but to my surprise, months later, I still like watching the shows. And I still like driving around, looking at houses (from the outside, I never really have the desire to go inside anymore) on a weekend afternoon, but I think the latter is more from the fact that it gives Sam and me time in the car together, where we can just talk. No computers, no email, no TV, just us.


But the house hunting shows on TV…I’m not terribly concerned but I wonder why I still want to watch them? Is it to relive that tense but exciting feeling of ‘this may be the one’ –and then I wonder if my house will think I’m cheating on it. And I find myself thinking, “Why the hell did you go that ugly fixer-upper instead of the gorgeous turnkey house?” I also grimace every time I see a house twice as large as ours for half the cost but have to remind myself I live in a high cost of living area. Houses here aren’t cheap.

But…back to my curiosity—I still find myself thinking, Have I become a lookie-loo? Have I become a veteran house snoop? Or am I just hooked on houses?

What about you? Do you go to open houses on a regular basis? Do you like watching the house hunter shows? Why?

Yasmine

Blogging over at Fire & Ice Today

I'm blogging over at Between Fire & Ice today! Hop over and say hi there!

Yasmine

Writer Wednesday: The Process of Becoming

A reader recently asked me, “What was your first step toward becoming an author? And what has kept you writing?”

The first part of the question is a little hard for me. While some authors may have a decisive moment that they can point to and say, “This is where it started and how,” and have it be a turning point in their lives—mine is a little different. I do remember the first time I decided that I was going to be an author, and it was momentous in that yes—I never looked back—but I can’t really say that any one person or book influenced me.

I was three years old, and I vaguely remember that it finally clicked: the books I was learning to read, that I so loved to hear my mom read from, these books and stories were made by people. And then it hit me: people “made” books—and if other people made books, I could grow up and make books too. And that was that. I decided then and there I was going to grow up and make books and have people read my stories. And from there, I started making up stories (I wasn’t quite up to the print-your-name level so I just made them up in my head), and kept on going. When I could finally wield a pencil, I began writing them down. I began submitting poetry and stories when I was around 12-13 and my first poem was published when I was 15. I was over the moon excited. By that time, I was in college and seeing my poem in print basically reinforced my gut feeling (and the encouragement I was getting from my professors) that yes, I could make it as a writer.

But—and this is a big but—I knew it would take time and work. I did the research, even back then. I read the how-to books. I read the writers’ magazines. I wrote and did my best to revise. And fearless of rejection, I submitted. In fact, short of getting an acceptance, getting those rejection slips in the mail were a gold ribbon to me because it meant I was Serious. I was an Aspiring Author. I wasn’t about to let a few ‘no’s’ stop me.

I wrote short stories and poetry—a lot of poetry. I wrote plays (I was majoring in theatre, it seemed like a good idea at the time to stretch out and try other things). I wrote many beginnings to novels and never finished them. I still have one of my first long short stories that I wrote—and finished—and even in that, I see the hints of the writer I’ve become. Was it well-written? No, although it did make one of my sisters blink and ask, “Did you really write this?” Was it a good concept? Yeah, even now I think it was. I just didn’t have the skill or refinement needed at that point. But I kept trying.

By the time I was in my mid-20’s, I was actively writing nonfiction articles for some of the smaller pagan journals. I was sending off short story after short story and getting hand written rejection notes encouraging me on. And then I wrote a book. I started submitting. And receiving rejection notes…but by then I was writing the next one. I was with my ex and he was NOT supportive of my work—in fact, just the opposite. But I kept going, often writing when he didn’t know so he couldn’t make sarcastic comments. I managed to write five novels during my twenties but none were quite ready for publication, though I did sell a couple short stories.

Then, I left my ex and after a couple years, met Samwise, who not only encouraged me, but cheered me on. I wrote two more novels before I received my first book contract—which was for my first non-fiction book. By that time I’d accumulate SIX HUNDRED rejection slips from agents, editors, and publishers.

Did I get discouraged during that time? Yes. Did I let it stop me? No—because my writing was a priority. I’ll talk about what kept me going and priorities in a later post. I wrote eight nonfiction books, and then burned out on the NF. And the next novel I wrote landed me an agent, and a three book-contract with Berkley. And then, eight mysteries down the line, I finally landed in the genre I love to write—urban fantasy. And that’s when my career really began to soar.

So that is my convoluted ‘step’ toward publishing. And that’s why I don’t want to hear people whine about a few rejection slips. Wear them like badges. It’s okay to be disappointed, but you have to be able to face rejection and not let it tear you apart if you expect to be a career writer. There are no guarantees in this business, and it’s not easy to do. Just because you can work a keyboard doesn’t mean you can write a book, just like because I can bang the keys on the piano doesn’t mean I can play in a symphony (or even in public, for that matter). You have to go on faith, and you have to be your own cheerleader.

As to the second part of the question: What keeps me going?

This is my career. This is my passion, my obsession. How can I NOT keep going? This is what I do, it’s a part of my being. The writing takes over and I’m immersed in the worlds spinning out of my mind. I had the faith that I could do it—that I’d break through. At times that was the ONLY support I had—the belief in myself. So you need to become your own cheerleader, because your work doesn’t matter to anybody as much as it matters to yourself. You’re the one with the most invested—you need to cling to that.

Lastly, I leave you with my new book video I made for NIGHT VEIL:



Yamine

SNIPPET MONDAYS #3: NIGHT VEIL

We’re starting our countdown to NIGHT VEIL’s July release with a snippet from Chapter 2. This week there will be no contest because of a spammer who's taken advantage of Yasmine's readers here on the blog. Samwise is making a contest page to protect your privacy so bear with us, but you do get snippets today!

You can read the first chapter of NIGHT VEIL in the back of BLOOD WYNE, or up on Yasmine's site. So we'll be posting snippets from chapter 2 each Monday until the release date. If we find anybody reproducing this on other sites we'll stop and everybody loses out. That means: NO cutting/pasting/copying/sending through email.

Remember, you can pre-order NIGHT VEIL from Amazon.com or BN.com!

NIGHT VEIL
CHAPTER TWO
First Chapter
Excerpts Already Posted

Lannan. My face flushed and I let out a low growl. Lannan Altos was near the top of my wish-you-were-dead list, only slightly lower than Myst. He was a vampire-one of the Vein Lords-and I was bound to him by an ironclad contract. He'd mind-fucked me once already while drinking the monthly blood tithe I owed him. Next time it would be worse.

Lannan wants to break you, Ulean whispered on a light current of air.

I know, trust me. I know. He can try all he likes, he won't do it.

Ulean brushed me with her impatience. Don't be too cocky. Lannan has thousands of years of experience. He is a master of head games. Just be careful.I will. Have no fear. I've already made too many mistakes. I'll watch my back.
"Cicely? Promise us you won't go off on Lannan? We can't afford to alienate him." Kaylin caught my gaze and would not let go.

"Because he's helped us so much already?" I shot him a nasty look.

"Lannan knew he was infecting me and that I'd infect Grieve, and now look at the whole mess. The Indigo Court is far more dangerous than they were, even if they can no longer walk under the sun. They were bad enough before; now they're like a pack of rabid dogs. With nasty big teeth and soul-sucking abilities."

Geoffrey and Regina, agents for the Crimson Queen-the queen of true vampires-had come up with a hunky-dory plan to stop the Vampiric Fae. Only it hadn't worked right. It prevented the Indigo Court Fae from walking abroad during the day all right, but now light sent them into a feeding frenzy-a rage from which they could not extricate themselves until the darkness once again hit. I'd been the weapon, unknowingly passing a plague to them when I'd kissed Grieve, thanks to Lannan's infecting me with his bite, and I'd never forgive them for that.

Sunday Chitchat

Remember, this week we'll have Monday Snippets for NIGHT VEIL tomorrow--but no contest this week, thanks to some ass spammer who was harvesting emails from the comment trail. :( My husband's working on a contest app for our website to make this a moot issue.

Wednesday will be Writer Wednesday on the Blog, Thursday I'm blogging over at my new Between Fire & Ice Blog, and Friday will be Brain Candy Friday here on the blog. So drop by. I won't be on Twitter/FB as much now that I'm back to blogging more, but I'll still be around there a bit.

Tonight the Chopped All-Stars battle begins. I can hardly wait!

I have to finish page proofs of NIGHT VEIL this week! Woot! Yeehaw! (Hey, I can use the cheerleading, even if I have to do it myself). Anyway, there may or may not be something on the blog Tuesday--if there is, will be freeform and just chatty. OK, off to work! What are your plans for the week?

Yasmine

PS: good gods, I overused exclamation points in this post. I'm really NOT that peppy. I promise. LOL

Brain Candy Friday: Comfort Food

Brain Candy Friday: Comfort Food

I’m starting a new tradition on the blog, which I hope to keep up. Monday’s will be Snippet Monday (of whatever book comes next), Wednesdays will be Writer Wednesday, where I talk about writing/answer questions about the books. Thursday I’ll be blogging about whatever over at my new Between Fire and Ice Blog that I’ve started with Anya Bast. And Fridays will be: Brain Candy Fridays, where I talk about favorites, oddities, and other thoughts.

So today, for Brain Candy Friday, I am thinking about comfort food. I’m tired, and lately have been wanting a lot of comfort food just to give me a feeling of being shored up by some little pampering. Now, the comfort food has to fit with my dietary needs, but I think one of my favorite comfort foods is macaroni and cheese. So I use rice noodles and goat cheese, and it’s tasty, with protein, but doesn’t bother my allergies. Sure, I miss the creamy golden mac ‘n cheese, but seriously, my substitute does the trick and if I had more time, It would be more the creamy saucy mac ‘n cheese that I love so much.

When you think of comfort food, what one comes up most? What do you turn to when you need a meal that you can rely on, that’s simple to eat and makes you feel like you’re nurturing yourself in that slightly indulgent way?

Yasmine

Blogging over at the Penguin Website

I talked about the origins of the Otherworld Series and the D'Artigo Series over at Penguin's website today.