Brynn Chapman's Blog: Brynns Release Schedule 2023/24, page 12
March 14, 2014
March 5, 2014
Writers Journey-Tanisha Jones
Writer's Journey--where Brynn speaks with up-and-coming writers about their path to publication as well as the stories they love to read.
Welcome, Tanisha. Tell us about your writing journey?
I’ve written off and on for years, but only in the past three years have I been focusing seriously on my writing.
My Journey as a writer has taken the scenic route. I began writing at an early age about seven or eight years old. I was an only child until I was eleven and though I have a very tight knit extended family, I was the only girl in a family of boys. I think that’s why most of my characters are such strong willed women. I have a complete understanding of men because I grew up with boys and I have seen everything they do, the way they speak to each other, the way they interact, so I understand those characters. I also have an affinity for strong female characters that still have softness and vulnerability that makes others want to protect them.
By the time I reached middle school, I had written my first young adult series, The Ten, about a group of high school kids, reminiscent of Sweet valley High but with a more diverse cast of characters. My writing has always been multi-cultural since I have never lived a segregated life, neither has any character I’ve ever written. It became even more important to me to have diverse characters once my daughter was born, since she is bi-racial (we’ll tri-racial according to her) I wanted her to see that there are no limits to who your friends or loved ones are. Especially since my daughter is fair skinned with red hair and I am soo not.
I also have a love of everything sci fi, kung fu and comic book related. As I said, I grew up with boys which has basically turned my into a twelve year old boy in the guise of a grown woman. So not only do I watch the New Orleans Saints every Sunday during football season ( it’s a religion here in New Orleans) but I will geek out for hours on movies, books, tv shows and cartoons, in my pajamas with my daughter. She happens to be thrilled beyond belief that she may make it to Comic Con next year and is currently planning a costume.
What genre do you write?
I write paranormal romance when I write “adult” stories, but I began as a young adult writer. I still dabble every now and then, as a matter of fact I recently completed Day Fall, a retelling of little red riding hood. The main character is a 14 year old girl who has taken on the provider roll as a hunter since her mother was killed in a hunting accident. The main character, Lycia, tells of her village and the coming harvest and the choosing ceremony in which she will chose her marit (husband) and the impending danger of the Soltaia, the solstice in which the moons and suns of Eldorra rise and set at the same time, when the beasties that roam during the day are able to stalk the villagers at night as well. The nights are when the women of Lycia’s village hunt and fish, since the sun damages their delicate skin, while the men take on the traditionally female roles.
This story actually came about while watching television with my own very opinionated and strong willed 10 year old daughter. She was watching a movie and realized that if the bad guy was after the girl and everyone else was running, why didn’t the girl just set a trap and kill it, instead of waiting for someone else to do it. It made me wonder, why doesn’t she just kill it?
I wrote Dayfall that night, for her. She loved it. It’s posted on my blog tanishadelill.wordpress.com if you want to read it.
What are your favorite books and why?
My taste in books runs the gamut, Everything from Harry Potter to Kill a Mockingbird. I’ve always read and love stories about under dogs or strong characters. I’m a fan of Anne rice because of the gothic elements in her books. Janet Evanovich, she infuses so much humor into her characters, Charlaine Harris, love Sookie Stackhouse’s spunk, but most of her characters are spunky self-sufficient women. And of course, Sherilyn Kenyon who inspired me to write about the fantastic in everyday life.
Tell us about what your agent is shopping now, and what you have in the works?
Currently, my agent is shopping around the first in a plan series, “The First to Fall”. The First to fall, the first in a series, introduces New Orleans police detective Elijah Cain. Standing nearly seven feet tall with eyes the color of turquoise, he has the ability to read minds and live the memories of others making him intimidating and unnerving. When he meets the woman who has haunted his dreams for nearly a year, the attraction is immediate and all consuming. The enigmatic Dr. C. Keegan Kent is everything he’s ever wanted and more than he could ever imagine. As they grow closer, he is drawn into a world he never knew existed and a war that has been centuries in the making.
BIO:
Tanisha Jones is a writer of Urban Theological Mythological Slightly Erotic Romance or Paranormal romance for the less creative thinker. She was born and raised in New Orleans, where she still lives with her daughter. When she isn’t writing, she is a true New Orleanian either cooking, reading or watching the New Orleans Saints.
Follow Tanisha at:
Tanisha D Jones, Divinely Dark Romance:
http://tanishadelill.wordpress.com
Twitter: @tanishadelill
Welcome, Tanisha. Tell us about your writing journey?
I’ve written off and on for years, but only in the past three years have I been focusing seriously on my writing.
My Journey as a writer has taken the scenic route. I began writing at an early age about seven or eight years old. I was an only child until I was eleven and though I have a very tight knit extended family, I was the only girl in a family of boys. I think that’s why most of my characters are such strong willed women. I have a complete understanding of men because I grew up with boys and I have seen everything they do, the way they speak to each other, the way they interact, so I understand those characters. I also have an affinity for strong female characters that still have softness and vulnerability that makes others want to protect them.
By the time I reached middle school, I had written my first young adult series, The Ten, about a group of high school kids, reminiscent of Sweet valley High but with a more diverse cast of characters. My writing has always been multi-cultural since I have never lived a segregated life, neither has any character I’ve ever written. It became even more important to me to have diverse characters once my daughter was born, since she is bi-racial (we’ll tri-racial according to her) I wanted her to see that there are no limits to who your friends or loved ones are. Especially since my daughter is fair skinned with red hair and I am soo not.
I also have a love of everything sci fi, kung fu and comic book related. As I said, I grew up with boys which has basically turned my into a twelve year old boy in the guise of a grown woman. So not only do I watch the New Orleans Saints every Sunday during football season ( it’s a religion here in New Orleans) but I will geek out for hours on movies, books, tv shows and cartoons, in my pajamas with my daughter. She happens to be thrilled beyond belief that she may make it to Comic Con next year and is currently planning a costume.
What genre do you write?
I write paranormal romance when I write “adult” stories, but I began as a young adult writer. I still dabble every now and then, as a matter of fact I recently completed Day Fall, a retelling of little red riding hood. The main character is a 14 year old girl who has taken on the provider roll as a hunter since her mother was killed in a hunting accident. The main character, Lycia, tells of her village and the coming harvest and the choosing ceremony in which she will chose her marit (husband) and the impending danger of the Soltaia, the solstice in which the moons and suns of Eldorra rise and set at the same time, when the beasties that roam during the day are able to stalk the villagers at night as well. The nights are when the women of Lycia’s village hunt and fish, since the sun damages their delicate skin, while the men take on the traditionally female roles.
This story actually came about while watching television with my own very opinionated and strong willed 10 year old daughter. She was watching a movie and realized that if the bad guy was after the girl and everyone else was running, why didn’t the girl just set a trap and kill it, instead of waiting for someone else to do it. It made me wonder, why doesn’t she just kill it?
I wrote Dayfall that night, for her. She loved it. It’s posted on my blog tanishadelill.wordpress.com if you want to read it.
What are your favorite books and why?
My taste in books runs the gamut, Everything from Harry Potter to Kill a Mockingbird. I’ve always read and love stories about under dogs or strong characters. I’m a fan of Anne rice because of the gothic elements in her books. Janet Evanovich, she infuses so much humor into her characters, Charlaine Harris, love Sookie Stackhouse’s spunk, but most of her characters are spunky self-sufficient women. And of course, Sherilyn Kenyon who inspired me to write about the fantastic in everyday life.
Tell us about what your agent is shopping now, and what you have in the works?
Currently, my agent is shopping around the first in a plan series, “The First to Fall”. The First to fall, the first in a series, introduces New Orleans police detective Elijah Cain. Standing nearly seven feet tall with eyes the color of turquoise, he has the ability to read minds and live the memories of others making him intimidating and unnerving. When he meets the woman who has haunted his dreams for nearly a year, the attraction is immediate and all consuming. The enigmatic Dr. C. Keegan Kent is everything he’s ever wanted and more than he could ever imagine. As they grow closer, he is drawn into a world he never knew existed and a war that has been centuries in the making.
BIO:
Tanisha Jones is a writer of Urban Theological Mythological Slightly Erotic Romance or Paranormal romance for the less creative thinker. She was born and raised in New Orleans, where she still lives with her daughter. When she isn’t writing, she is a true New Orleanian either cooking, reading or watching the New Orleans Saints.
Follow Tanisha at:
Tanisha D Jones, Divinely Dark Romance:
http://tanishadelill.wordpress.com
Twitter: @tanishadelill
February 25, 2014
Requiem Red cover reveal
The following is an interview by the lovely Dana Brantley Seiders. You can visit her at http://www.dbsieders.wordpress.com/
I am delighted to welcome Brynn Chapman to my blog.
Brynn is a fellow member of team Aponte Literary, represented by our wonderful agent Victoria Lea, and I recently had the great pleasure of reading her YA Fantasy Romance, Where Bluebirds Fly. Now I’m not normally a fan of YA, but Verity Montague is such a unique and compelling heroine that I was captivated from the get-go. Forget typical teen angst (mean girl peers, boyfriend woes, my-parents-don’t-understand-me), Verity is a young woman forced to grow up fast during a time when survival was a struggle and neighbors could turn enemy without warning. She has to conform and protect her brother, her only remaining family and a young man for whom conformity is an even greater struggle. Her fight to protect him leads her through time and to an equally compelling hero, one who shares her unique gifts.
Verity Montague and her brother John have secrets. They’re different from their fellows in 17th Century Salem, and in this time of paranoia and suspicion, difference is a death sentence. When they can no longer hide their strange way of perceiving the world, not to mention the injustice of the persecution that surrounds them, they are condemned as witches. Their only chance to escape is a mysterious portal through time.
Truman Johnstone has dedicated his life to helping children with autism, giving them the love and support he never had during his own troubled childhood. When he hears a desperate cry for help one dark night, he answers without question. But saving a beautiful girl from the past puts his sanity in question and his orphanage for troubled youths in jeopardy. Can the unusual traits they share save them?
Thanks for being here with me today, Brynn! I was fascinated by your spin on witch hunts, a very dark spot in American history. Sadly, in troubled times, the ugliest part of human nature often leads us to target those who are different as scapegoats. In this case, indentured servants Verity and John are singled out because of their unique way of perceiving the world. Can you tell us more about the phenomenon of synesthesia and what inspired you to use it in your story?
I first heard of the phenomenon on NPR, and as is my way, proceeded to devour several books on the subject (the man who tasted shapes and others) I then went on the cognitive neuroscience boards and interviewed people who had it—their experiences, how it affected their daily lives to try and be accurate in my representation.
Heres a handy-dandy neuroscience video
http://youtu.be/FTr1VnXKr4A
I very much enjoyed the setting for your story, rich in historical detail. Looking at some of your other work, you seem drawn both the distant past and an imagined not-too-distant future (e.g. Project Mendel). How do you decide (or how do your characters tell you) where/when your stories take place?
Hmm. I am fascinated with all things historical—anywhere from 1700 to 1930 is typically where I write. My father was a history teacher and used to drag me to historical sites all over America—which I hated—which I now love.
Most of my favorite paranormal stories blend elements based in fact/science seamlessly with the supernatural to create a setting just one or two shades shy of reality. You do that quite well – how extensively is your research for each story and how do you approach it?
I’m one of those obsessive researchers. I went to Salem and experienced every historical tour I could find, wandered through the graveyards. Read and have extensive tomes on the subject. I’m very Aspergerian in my research obsessions.
So… the ending of Where Bluebirds Fly just screams sequel. Any hints of what’s next in the Synesthesia-Shift Series?
WHY yes. Why don’t we just do the cover reveal for Requiem Red! Look for it in March or April of this year. Book Two in the Synesthesia Shift Series. What I can tell you—is it takes place in a 18th century asylum…and that I am going to tour and do a photoshoot at one such asylum next month.
Random question just for fun – dark chocolate or milk?
Neither, allergic. Bummer, I know.
How do you balance life and writing (yes, I’m always looking for advice on that!)?
Ug. I have to write in fits and spurts. Luckily, I do write fast—so days off, holidays, evenings, weekends—wherever I can fit it in.
Top three absolute favorite fantasy books?
I’m just going to give you my favorite of late. They seem to change every few years.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Entwined, and Matched stand out in my mind today.
Thank you so much for the wonderful intervi
I am delighted to welcome Brynn Chapman to my blog.
Brynn is a fellow member of team Aponte Literary, represented by our wonderful agent Victoria Lea, and I recently had the great pleasure of reading her YA Fantasy Romance, Where Bluebirds Fly. Now I’m not normally a fan of YA, but Verity Montague is such a unique and compelling heroine that I was captivated from the get-go. Forget typical teen angst (mean girl peers, boyfriend woes, my-parents-don’t-understand-me), Verity is a young woman forced to grow up fast during a time when survival was a struggle and neighbors could turn enemy without warning. She has to conform and protect her brother, her only remaining family and a young man for whom conformity is an even greater struggle. Her fight to protect him leads her through time and to an equally compelling hero, one who shares her unique gifts.
Verity Montague and her brother John have secrets. They’re different from their fellows in 17th Century Salem, and in this time of paranoia and suspicion, difference is a death sentence. When they can no longer hide their strange way of perceiving the world, not to mention the injustice of the persecution that surrounds them, they are condemned as witches. Their only chance to escape is a mysterious portal through time.
Truman Johnstone has dedicated his life to helping children with autism, giving them the love and support he never had during his own troubled childhood. When he hears a desperate cry for help one dark night, he answers without question. But saving a beautiful girl from the past puts his sanity in question and his orphanage for troubled youths in jeopardy. Can the unusual traits they share save them?
Thanks for being here with me today, Brynn! I was fascinated by your spin on witch hunts, a very dark spot in American history. Sadly, in troubled times, the ugliest part of human nature often leads us to target those who are different as scapegoats. In this case, indentured servants Verity and John are singled out because of their unique way of perceiving the world. Can you tell us more about the phenomenon of synesthesia and what inspired you to use it in your story?
I first heard of the phenomenon on NPR, and as is my way, proceeded to devour several books on the subject (the man who tasted shapes and others) I then went on the cognitive neuroscience boards and interviewed people who had it—their experiences, how it affected their daily lives to try and be accurate in my representation.
Heres a handy-dandy neuroscience video
http://youtu.be/FTr1VnXKr4A
I very much enjoyed the setting for your story, rich in historical detail. Looking at some of your other work, you seem drawn both the distant past and an imagined not-too-distant future (e.g. Project Mendel). How do you decide (or how do your characters tell you) where/when your stories take place?
Hmm. I am fascinated with all things historical—anywhere from 1700 to 1930 is typically where I write. My father was a history teacher and used to drag me to historical sites all over America—which I hated—which I now love.
Most of my favorite paranormal stories blend elements based in fact/science seamlessly with the supernatural to create a setting just one or two shades shy of reality. You do that quite well – how extensively is your research for each story and how do you approach it?
I’m one of those obsessive researchers. I went to Salem and experienced every historical tour I could find, wandered through the graveyards. Read and have extensive tomes on the subject. I’m very Aspergerian in my research obsessions.
So… the ending of Where Bluebirds Fly just screams sequel. Any hints of what’s next in the Synesthesia-Shift Series?
WHY yes. Why don’t we just do the cover reveal for Requiem Red! Look for it in March or April of this year. Book Two in the Synesthesia Shift Series. What I can tell you—is it takes place in a 18th century asylum…and that I am going to tour and do a photoshoot at one such asylum next month.
Random question just for fun – dark chocolate or milk?
Neither, allergic. Bummer, I know.
How do you balance life and writing (yes, I’m always looking for advice on that!)?
Ug. I have to write in fits and spurts. Luckily, I do write fast—so days off, holidays, evenings, weekends—wherever I can fit it in.
Top three absolute favorite fantasy books?
I’m just going to give you my favorite of late. They seem to change every few years.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Entwined, and Matched stand out in my mind today.
Thank you so much for the wonderful intervi
February 23, 2014
Requiem In Red
Hi all. I wanted to let you know on the 25th will be a cover reveal here:
http://blameitonthemuse.com/requiem-i...
Book Two of the Synesthesia Shift Series, Requiem Red.
Release date coming soon. Watch this space.
Thanks for reading.
http://blameitonthemuse.com/requiem-i...
Book Two of the Synesthesia Shift Series, Requiem Red.
Release date coming soon. Watch this space.
Thanks for reading.
February 12, 2014
New Release
My upcoming release from Month9 books appeared on Goodreads.
Give it a look see.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Give it a look see.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
January 29, 2014
Flashes of Brillance
A few years back, I read a biography about Louisa May Alcott. Her family was often concerned when she would begin a new book, as she would often write for days at a time, barely pausing to eat, sleep etc.
She described this as, "The Vortex". I remember where I was when I read those words. It was like a mental telepathy from a woman behind a wooden writing desk, in a drafty house, and most likely a quill pen rushed forward to connect to me-in bed in the 21st century. That is precisely the word I would use to describe writing, and reading, for that matter.
Often I will find a turn of phrase or an idea, that leaves me speechless, and moved and wishing I had thought of it lol.
The most recent 'flash of brillance' needs some backstory; bear with me.
So...I read The Hunger Games. Great story. I...hated Katniss. I know. Ducking.
She did not move me. I believe it was because of her cool, calculating exterior. I dont want to hear, but look what she's been through-blah, blah. As a parent of a child with autism, a pediatric therapist and more horrors that shall be unmentioned, I have never developed such an exterior. Ie. I think I saw myself in her, and I didnt like it lol.
On to holiday movie viewing. Friends, who read the second and third books, drag me to see Catching Fire. Here is where the flash of brillance hit.
When Katniss and Peta are in the woods, well, here...
http://youtu.be/ALau4P5kuCg
Katniss hears those she loves in the birds voices. Almost driving her mad, while Peta is unable to help, repeating over and over, "They arent real."
Brilliant concept. Brillantly executed.
Thank you, and I CURSE you, Jennifer Lawrence, for not only making me like and respect Katniss, by making her human...but making me add it to my TBR pile. Sigh.
How about you-movie or book flashes of brillance you'd like to share?
She described this as, "The Vortex". I remember where I was when I read those words. It was like a mental telepathy from a woman behind a wooden writing desk, in a drafty house, and most likely a quill pen rushed forward to connect to me-in bed in the 21st century. That is precisely the word I would use to describe writing, and reading, for that matter.
Often I will find a turn of phrase or an idea, that leaves me speechless, and moved and wishing I had thought of it lol.
The most recent 'flash of brillance' needs some backstory; bear with me.
So...I read The Hunger Games. Great story. I...hated Katniss. I know. Ducking.
She did not move me. I believe it was because of her cool, calculating exterior. I dont want to hear, but look what she's been through-blah, blah. As a parent of a child with autism, a pediatric therapist and more horrors that shall be unmentioned, I have never developed such an exterior. Ie. I think I saw myself in her, and I didnt like it lol.
On to holiday movie viewing. Friends, who read the second and third books, drag me to see Catching Fire. Here is where the flash of brillance hit.
When Katniss and Peta are in the woods, well, here...
http://youtu.be/ALau4P5kuCg
Katniss hears those she loves in the birds voices. Almost driving her mad, while Peta is unable to help, repeating over and over, "They arent real."
Brilliant concept. Brillantly executed.
Thank you, and I CURSE you, Jennifer Lawrence, for not only making me like and respect Katniss, by making her human...but making me add it to my TBR pile. Sigh.
How about you-movie or book flashes of brillance you'd like to share?
December 25, 2013
Free Ebook Today
I am featured today right under Diary of a whimpy kid!! Happy reading!
Please share if you know those with new kindles!
http://nar.r.mailjet.com/redirect/s5n...
Please share if you know those with new kindles!
http://nar.r.mailjet.com/redirect/s5n...
October 29, 2013
Giveaway Print
October 28, 2013
Enter to win
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Heart Murmurs
by R.R. Smythe
Giveaway ends November 27, 2013.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter to win
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Where Bluebirds Fly
by Brynn Chapman
Giveaway ends November 27, 2013.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter to win
Brynns Release Schedule 2023/24
Brynns rights have reverted on several novels so she will be re releasing them--many that have never been in KDP. Watch this space
The publishing schedule for 2023/34
Aug/Sept release of Once Upon a Sid ...more
The publishing schedule for 2023/34
Aug/Sept release of Once Upon a Sid ...more
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