Cynthia Eden's Blog, page 102

Manic Readers

Hi, everyone! Today I'm chatting about Bad Boys (particularly, Zane from ETERNAL FLAME) over at the Manic Readers blog.  Come on by–one commenter will win a copy of ETERNAL FLAME.

Have a great Tuesday!

NaNaWriMo – again!

Hi, everyone! Today it is my pleasure to welcome my Brava Writing With The Stars mentee, Dale Mayer, back to my blog. I'd like to congratulate Dale on advancing to the second round of the competition. Way to go, Dale!  And, don't forget–you can vote now. The second round of voting focuses on the heroes and heroines.

Thank you for being here, Dale!  And good luck in the rest of the contest!

***

Thanks to Cynthia for inviting me to join you here again today.  It's always a pleasure, particularly as we're discussing one of my favourite events – NaNoWriMo!

I see the Internet is abuzz with both good and bad comments about this annual Write a Book in a Month event and although, I'm not big on controversy I am big on doing what works for you.

NaNo works for me.

Why?  For many reasons.  Let me explain.  NaNo for me is a challenge – not against everyone else, but against the amount of work I set FOR myself.  I'm a fast typist and a fast writer (no they are not the same thing) and I love to see what I can do.  I've done NaNo for several years and I've won the challenge each time.  That's not the point.  The point is that I set the goal and I reached the goal.  Finished.

Regardless of how you view NaNo, it does create a lot of enthusiasm and 'get up and go' energy.  What you do with that energy is up to you.

Two years ago, I finished my 50,000 words a little early and continued to add to my novel.  Last year though, I blew through a barrier I hadn't even known existed until I butted up against it.  I wrote a complete first draft of 93,600 words.  I was amazed at how the book went down on paper.  I was an all out pantzer with only the characters' names and occupations and a two sentence blurb in my head as to who and what was going to happen.  Yes, it took several drafts this last year to pull it into shape and yes, there is one final one to go.  That doesn't mean it wasn't worth doing.  As a matter of fact, that manuscript has turned out phenomenally well.

My reasons for participating two years ago were to finish in decent shape at the end of the month.  Done.  Last year I wanted to stretch and see what I could do.  Done – and now I understand the limits I had placed on my own abilities.  This year, well it's not like I can sit back and not try to repeat last year's success – right?  So I set a daily word count of 3,000 for 30 days to make 90,000 again.  As of today I haven't missed hitting that mark.  If fact, I'm just over 46,000 at the halfway mark.  So all's good right?

Except for two things.  This year I went into the NaNo process with some story architecture behind me, compliments of Larry Brooks and his very helpful website.  I'm still learning but the adaptations had made it easier for me to hit the high points in the story and whip past them to the next major point.  Is this making it easier to do NaNo – No.  Will it give me a cleaner first draft when I'm done?  I hope so.  According to Larry it will, so I'm willing to go on a little trust here.

The second thing I have changed this year and I don't know how successful I'm going to be with this addition to my work load, is I am printing off what I have written during the week and am redlining all of it over the weekend and inputting the changes as I move forward.  This might seem unnecessary at this stage, for me however, it helps to keep the various threads running through the story.  Then if I drop one, I can catch it and fix it right away and it helps me to keep my characters in…well… in character!  I'm not naive enough to think this changes the story from a first draft to a finished draft because if doesn't.  What it does do is help me make as a clean and as accurate a first draft as I can.

That's what I mean about challenging myself.  The choices I make that are right for me are not the same choices that are right for you.  They aren't supposed to be.

Don't kid yourself.  Finishing your NaNo novel does not put you up on the NY Times bestsellers list!  However, it does make you a winner in so many ways!

For me it works!  How about you.  Do you NaNo?  Do you enjoy it?  Hate it?  Are you participating this year and if you are – how are you doing?  Are you on track?  Or are you so far behind you're considering quitting?  Or have you blown the competition away and have started your second book?  Yeah, I'm kidding on the last one! Or do you stay as far away from us nutcases during this time as you can?

Dale Mayer

www.dalemayer.com

Writing for the Stars Finalist – Round 2 and counting!

Dale can be found on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/dalemayer or you can follow her on Facebook .

ETERNAL FLAME, Open Road, and Me

Hi, everyone! Today I wanted to share something fun and new with you. The wonderful folks at Kensington and the equally amazing people at Open Road Media have created this video. Hope you enjoy it! (It will give you a glimpse into my life and into my writing.) Thanks!

Writing With the Stars, Round 2

It's round 2 time!!  Yes, Writing With The Stars, Round 2! This time, you get to vote for the best hero and heroine.  All of the finalists have posted their information on the Romantic Times site.  And, of course, I have to give a special shout to my mentee, Dale Mayer!  I'm very proud of Dale and the work that she has done. All of the finalists have amazing talent, and I wish them all well.

Birmingham Bound (and other stuff!)

First, my apologies for being so quiet this week. Awesome person that I am–well, I awesomely poured my Fruit Loops and a ton of milk on my laptop at the beginning of the week. Guess what happened? Fried laptop. So I've been jumping online whenever someone else's computer is available. My email has been crazy, but I'm getting back on track now. Really!  And I've learned a very important lesson: Fruit Loops and laptops don't mix. 

But on to other news…

On Saturday, I'll be  driving up to Birmingham, Alabama, for the Southern Magic Reader's Luncheon.  If you're in the area, I hope to see you there!  The luncheon will begin at 11 a.m. in the Homewood Public Library.  Looking forward to the fun!

Before I go, I've got one more thing to share:

(Thanks to the fantastic folks to Kensington!)

Magical Musings

I'm over at Magical Musings today. Talking about holidays, books, and why I am one of THOSE people…

National Novel Writing Month

Have you ever thought about writing a novel? Or, have you started a novel before, but you just didn't finish it? Then November is the month for you. November is National Novel Writing Month.   Here's the basic goal of NaNoWriMo:  Write one 50,000 word novel in a month.  Think you're up for the challenge? Then check out the NaNoWriMo website–and good luck!

Halloween Round Robin: It's The End!!

Happy Halloween!  I hope you have a wonderful day full of lovely treats and not-so-bad tricks.  Thanks so much for checking out the Halloween Round Robin. Today's installment is from my Brava buddy Rebecca Zanetti (look for her book FATED in early 2011).

(BAD MOON RISING, Part 1 by Cynthia Eden)

(BAD MOON RISING, Part 2 by Shelli Stevens)

(BAD MOON RISING, Part 3 by Juliana Stone)

(BAD MOON RISING, Part 4 by Shelli Stevens)

And here we go with BAD MOON RISING, Part 5 by Rebecca Zanetti:

"Screwed this up?"  Karen gasped, her hand going to the bite mark on her neck.  The bite mark that suddenly throbbed along with her entire head.  "You know him?"  Her voice waivered.  Damn it.  Her voice never wavered.

Jon stalked closer, his eyes a pissed green, his scent of spiced pine filling her senses.  "Not as well as you do, sweetheart."

A shiver wound down her spine.  Desire, fear, anger.  Karen shifted, pressing her back against the wall, keeping them both in her sights.  "Grandma?"

A blue glow surrounded her grandma as the fairy reached out and slapped Jon on the back of the head.  "I told you not to approach her yet, you dumb dog."

Karen pivoted, muscles bunching to defend the elderly fairy and then she stopped, dumbfounded, as Jon dropped his head.  "Sorry, ma'am."  He lifted up, his gaze cutting to Karen.  "But she's mine.  I'm done waiting."

"Yours?"  Fire swept through Karen until temper made her ears ring.  "No fucking way."

"Ah, darlin'," he reached out and ran one calloused finger over the mark on her neck.  "Don't make me bite you again." Before she could react, an arrow crashed through the window aimed at her head.  Jon yanked her to the side, emitting a low growl when it pierced his chest.

He dropped to his knees.

Oh god.  She rushed forward and eased him back against the wall.  The arrowhead was buried in his flesh.  Blue rings began to cascade out.  "The tip is silver."  Dread and fear slammed into her so hard her mind fuzzed.  She measured the single inch from the wound to his heart, glancing up at the slight smile playing on his full lips.  "What's so funny?"

"You like me."  While his words remained light, his jaw clenched hard.  The wolf was pissed.

No, she loved him.  Damn it.  "You're not going to like me in a minute."  She grasped the vibrating wood and planted one boot against his solar plexus.  "So.  How do you know my grandmother?"  She yanked, falling on her ass as the arrow sprang free.

"Holy mother f—" Jon bellowed, grabbing his chest and throwing his head back, the cords of his neck turning purple.  Shimmers filled the air as his wolf stretched to life beneath his skin.  He took several deep breaths until his shoulders relaxed and his head lowered.  His gaze pierced hers.  The hole in his broad chest slowly closed.  The blue rings lightened.  They'd remain for a week or so.  "You enjoyed that."

She smiled.  "Maybe a little."

Her grandmother grabbed a bow from the bedroom, lighting an arrow tip on fire with a butane lighter.  She took aim outside the now broken window and let the projectile loose.  A furious howl filled the night.  "Got the blood sucking vulture."  She cocked another arrow, glancing over her tiny shoulder.  "You two going to help or what?"

Karen crept toward the window to peer into the darkness.  "It's dawn."

Her grandmother pointed at angry thunderclouds rushing across the desert sky.  "Bad storm.  Should last hours.  The vampires are safe from sunlight, for now."

A whistle pierced the air outside.  "Come on out, folks.  Don't make me huff and puff," a low male voice bellowed.

"It's Degatto."  Jon leapt toward the window with a deep growl.  "I'm the wolf, you asshole.  Get your legends straight."

"You're a damn traitor," Degatto yelled back.  "Do you really think I didn't know about the alliance?  The peace declared last spring?"

Karen gasped, her gaze shifting to her grandmother.  "Peace?  You declared peace with the werewolves?"  What the hell was going on?  "Wait a minute.  Last spring we sent you on that singles cruise for three months.  When did you have time to broker peace?"

Her grandmother cleared her throat, a fine pink spreading under her pale skin.  "Well, I mean, I met Jordan on the ship."

"Jordan Sirius?  The fucking Alpha?"

"Watch your mouth, dear."  Her grandmother lit another arrow, squinted into the darkness and took aim.  A shriek filled the abyss.  "Jordan is retired.  We're going on a year-long cruise next month."  She cocked another arrow.  "You mated the current Alpha."

Holy freaking crap.  "I don't believe this."  She was a hunter.  Not a wolf mate.

Jon edged toward the door.  "The war is stupid and began with a lover's quarrel three centuries ago.  Werewolves and fairies are meant to mate; we're both stronger for it.  And we need an alliance against the damn blood suckers, who are making a move."  He leaned against the wall, settling his stance, his gaze on the oak.  "I love you.  We're meant to be together."

The words sent a rush of pleasure through her to thump her heart.  Hard.  "So why the secrecy?  Why not just tell me?"

Her grandmother sighed.  "Well, dear…you're a dedicated hunter.  And rather stubborn.  We sent Jon undercover with Degatto to figure out the vamp's strategy, and then Jonny was supposed to contact you for help."  She glared at the wolf.  "Not mate and marry you."  She sniffed.  "At least right away."

Karen exhaled her gaze on her husband.  "But you tried to take me to Degatto yesterday."

Jon shook his head, keeping his focus on the closed door.  "Yeah.  I figured you'd be enough of a distraction that I could kill him and be done with this."  A low growl emerged from the wolf.  "Then you shot me."

Before Karen could respond, the front door shattered and a seven foot vampire rushed inside.  Degatto.  Jon lowered his lead and leapt forward to tackle the monster to the floor.  The entire house rocked on its foundation.   A blaze of silver glinted as Jon's blade slashed into the vampire's neck.  Jon twisted his wrist, and Degatto's head rolled off his body.  Poof.  Only a fine sheen of dust remained.

Jon stood, wiping particles off his face.  "I knew he'd come in the front door.  Obvious bastard."

Three more vamps rushed inside.  Karen leapt for one, jumping on his back and digging her knife into his jugular.  Two hard pulls and she decapitated the creature, landing on her feet to assist with the others as it disintegrated.  Only Jon and Grandma remained, both covered in light dust.

Sunlight began to filter through the clouds outside.  She replaced her knife in her boot.  "So what now?"

Her grandmother shrugged, sidling toward the bedroom.  "Now?  I'm going to take a nap and when I awaken, I'm going to live my life.  I suggest you do the same."  The door shut with a smart snap.

Karen took a deep breath, her gaze traveling up the hard thighs, flat stomach and massive chest to her lover's face.  Her mate.  "Well?"

He smiled, slow and sure.  "First we nap."  The glint in his eye promised there would be no sleeping.  "Then, I'm thinking a honeymoon.  A real one on the beach with no clothes and lots of sex."  He grasped her arms and tugged her toward him.  "I love you."

Acceptance settled on her shoulders as warmth spread around her heart.  A honeymoon sounded perfect.  "I love you, too."  She yelped as he swept her off the ground.  "My.  What large muscles you have."

He chuckled.  "All the better…"

Damn but she loved her big bad wolf.

***

Thanks for checking out the round robin! Thanks to Shelli, Juliana, Jess, and Rebecca for writing such great segments! Happy Halloween!

Halloween Round Robin, Part 4

Hi, everyone! Wow, just one more day until Halloween! Are you ready? 

Time for our fourth installment of BAD MOON RISING. Today, the round robin author is talented Jess Granger (a real sweetheart of a lady).

(Part One by Cynthia Eden)

(Part Two by Shelli Stevens)

(Part Three by Juliana Stone)

BAD MOON RISING, PART 4

BY: JESS GRANGER

Karen raced down the strip, dodging through the bewildered pedestrians and drunk frat boys with long plastic tubes of neon colored drinks hanging around their necks.  A pair of Degatto's thugs on sleek black bikes peeled out of one of the service entrances to the casino.

The engines roared as the lights from the strip reflected off the black visors covering their faces.

Damn it.

Karen switched direction, doubling back toward the casino.  The bikes couldn't turn around for another block and it would give her time.  Ahead two more black clad morons ran out from the casino, wearing sunglasses at night.  Perfect.  What was it about frickin' vampires and their sunglasses?  Honestly?

And why the hell was a werewolf mixed up with the bloodsuckers?  In the history of all things unnatural, that never happened.  Ever.

Karen took a deep breath and centered herself.  She still had a trick or two up her sleeve.  She just hated exposing herself on the Strip.

Unlike half the other drunks in the city.

"Degatto wants a word with you."  One of the vamps held out his hands, and she could feel the power draw toward him, a rush like air being pulled into a tornado.

"Tell your boss, he's going to have to do better than that."  She let her true form blaze, shining as brightly as the sun.  The Vampires hissed, covering their faces like cheap leather-clad imitations of Bela Lugosi.

She smiled.  Someone had to put the fairy in fairy tales.  She transformed, shrinking into an insubstantial point of light, no more conspicuous than a firefly.  In the lights of Vegas, she was as good as invisible.  She floated above the Strip, drifting over the sound of the tourist's applause.

Yeah, well, when she returned, she'd really put on a show.  It had been too long since someone imploded a casino on the Strip.

***

The stars above the desert stretched overhead as Karen trudged through the sage and twisted Joshua trees of the high desert.  The journey would have taken her maybe an hour and a half by car, but on foot, she'd been walking all night.  The first gray light of dawn nearly broke on the horizon.  There was only one place she could go.

Karen stumbled up the long gravel drive of a patched together little stucco house with a red tile roof and a scraggly cactus garden in the front.  She let her fairy light out, burning with the glow as she inspected the outside of the house.  Nothing seemed disturbed, except the fresh scuff of tire treads through the gravel.

A knot twisted deep inside Karen.  She rubbed the mark at her neck.

Had she killed him?

She shouldn't have felt guilt.  She never felt guilt.  She was a physical embodiment of the light.  It was her duty to destroy the darkness, wasn't it?

She couldn't stop thinking about Jon's eyes, the way he closed them in the grips of passion.  Passion for her.  There was no hiding it, no masking it.

Her fingertips trailed just beneath his mark, and she felt the slight touch shoot through her body, a white-hot lance of pleasure and pain that shimmered inside her as brightly as the light.

He couldn't fake what she'd seen in his eyes.

Karen swallowed the lump in her throat and knocked on the scuffed up door.  "Is anyone home?" she choked out, her voice catching.  She tried to convince herself it was only the dust caught there, and not her clawing guilt.

Karen opened the door.  It was unlocked.

"Hello?"  She gripped her knife, easing into the familiar living room.  The worn rust-orange shag caught on the heel of her boot.  After forty years, it was about time to redecorate.  Something stirred in the back.

Karen crept down the hall, the faded pictures of a lifetime of memories closed in on either side of the narrow passage.

"Grandma, is that you?"  Apprehension slithered up her spine as she pushed open the door to her Grandma's bedroom.

A pair of glowing green eyes stared at her in malice.

Her heart leapt, relief coursing through her blood before she fought the annoying sensation with every ticked off bone in her body.  "Why wolf, what big eyes you have."

He huffed as he struggled to raise himself on an elbow.  His chest had been neatly bandaged.  "I'd love to say I'm happy to see you too, angel face, but under the circumstances…"  He pulled out his piece and aimed it between her eyes.

"What did you do to Grandma?"  She gripped the knife tighter, ready to throw it at his heart should the need arise.

"Well, I didn't eat her, if that's what you're implying."  He gave her a wolfish grin as his burning gaze drifted down her body.

"Enough, both of you!" The iron-like voice of Grandma Harvey shot through the dark. Karen jumped and wheeled around to face the awesome power of the elder fairy.  "You've both screwed this up bad enough as is."

***

Before you head out trick-or-treating tomorrow, be sure to come back by to read the story's conclusion! My Brava buddy Rebecca Zanetti will give us an ending you won't soon forget!

Halloween Round Robin: Part 3

Today the lovely and talented Juliana Stone takes up our round robin adventure.

(Round Robin Part One by Cynthia Eden)

(Round Robin Part Two by Shelli Stevens)

Paranormal Round Robin: Part 3

by: Juliana Stone

They dressed in silence.

Modesty had found Karen and she kept her back to him, though the mirror to her left allowed study as he rooted through his bag for an extra pair of jeans.

Why was it that the most attractive men were also the biggest assholes?  Why did she have to go and marry the bastard?  Couldn't the bed breaking sex have been enough?

Oh yeah, the wolf blood infused drink.  Nice. She gritted her teeth.  He was so going to pay for that.

She tightened her belt and slipped denim clad legs into kick ass boots.  An image of her foot, planted firmly against his butt made her smile, if only for a second. Once her leather coat was in place she arched a brow and sneered.  "So where we headed?"

Jon slipped a black t-shirt over his head, grabbed his bag and smiled.  "Black Magick."

Karen's eyes widened.  "Seriously." It wasn't a question, so much as a statement.

Jon opened the door and stood back, motioning with his hand.  "After you."

If looks could kill the werewolf would be a toasty mess of burning fur.  Fuck.  She'd not seen that coming.

Karen slipped past him, face blank, while inside her mind was freaking out.  How the hell had she gotten herself into this stinking crap situation?  She'd not pulled such a newbie boner since she'd swapped spit with wolf boy Caleb Nelson at her high school prom.

And that had turned into a fucking fiasco, resulting in murder, mayhem and her ass grounded for months.  Christ would she never learn?

Twenty minutes later she was behind the wheel of her sleek, black, Porsche and they pulled out of valet parking, slipping into the throng of traffic that clogged Las Vegas's strip.   She was aware that Jon kept his piece—a modified glock—close to his heart.  It was in a holster beneath his leather jacket.

Motely Crue blasted from the speakers and he snorted.  "Really?"

"Hey," she snapped, "the 80's might have been before my time but the music rocked."  She increased the volume and smiled to herself as they roared down the strip.  Shout at the Devil, indeed.

"So," she began, licking her lips as a frown furrowed between her eyebrows.  "You targeted me."  She glanced toward him—big mistake.  His dark eyes were settled on her in a way that screamed possession.

Karen jerked her head back and gazed at the road ahead.  It was bumper to bumper.  Shit, this could take awhile—not that she was in any hurry to get to Black Magick.  Her gut tightened at the thought.

"I didn't target you per say."

Why the hell did his voice sound like aged whiskey poured over cool ice?  Totally wasn't fair.

"Oh?  What exactly is your, um, per say."  Good.  She sounded calm. Neutral.  Slightly sarcastic.

"I work for Del Degatto."

Okay, that's not what she'd wanted to hear.  Karen's fingers gripped the wheel tightly, so much so, her knuckles were white.  Her breath hitched at the back of her throat and for a second she was afraid she'd choke.

She exhaled a ragged breath, caught sight of her face in the mirror and winced.  She looked like a weak kneed, wet behind the ears, scared out her mind newbie.

Damn but she needed to keep it together.

"Degatto know you put your mark on me?" Anger erupted inside her chest.  "Was that his plan all along?"  Her eyes flashed as she snarled the words.  "Screw the hunter and then really screw her over?"

"No." He answered tersely.

She snorted.  "What's he going to say when he finds out we're mated, you and I?"

Karen paused, angry and curious.  "Why did you do it?"  They were stopped at a traffic light, surrounded on all sides by people, cars and noise.  "You didn't have to bite me.  Hell, you'd already screwed me over, and then some.  Why the claiming?  Was it some nasty ass joke?"

Jon growled. The air around him shimmered and his wolf shifted beneath his skin. His handsome face was tense.  The shifter was on edge.

"Claiming for a wolf is never a joke."  His eyes narrowed and he ran his hand through the shaggy mane of hair at his nape.

Traffic started to move.   Ahead Black Magick, taunted. It was the newest casino on the strip and one she'd vowed never to enter.  She had minutes to formulate a plan.

A spot opened and she changed lanes, her eyes ahead, focused.  She saw her chance and took it, accelerating to top speed in seconds.  The car jumped the curb, narrowly missing a pack of tourists—their pasty white legs were a dead giveaway.  They crashed into a large cement structure and then there was silence.

"What the fuck?" Stunned, Jon turned to her but Karen was out of her seat, her hands clutching a mini crossbow that had been hidden beneath her seat.

Time slowed down and did that weird slow motion thing as she sailed over the hood of the car, narrowly avoiding a swipe from the wolf's hand.  She pressed the trigger, letting rip a barrage of small silver arrows.

She landed in a crouch, ignoring the howl of pain that erupted from Jon.  The radio blasted suddenly.  Karen was up in an instant.  She was running for her life, but spared a smile as the heavy beat of The Crue followed in her wake.  Kickstart my Heart.

She hazarded a glance back and felt her mouth go dry at the fury that laced Jon's dark eyes.  She turned and raced past Black Magick, flipping the bird at the security cameras as she did so.

"Kickstart that, assholes."

***

Tune in tomorrow as Jess Granger takes up the Bad Moon Rising adventure! And have a great Friday!