Lucienne Diver's Blog: Lucienne Diver's Drivel, page 11

Write What You Love by Molly Cochran

Molly Cochran is the author and co-author with Warren Murphy of many amazing books, including the New York Times Bestseller and classic Arthurian novel THE FOREVER KING (as well as the sequels THE BROKEN SWORD and THE THIRD MAGIC).�� If you liked T.H. White’s THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING, Mary Stewart’s CRYSTAL CAVES or Marion Zimmer Bradley’s THE MISTS OF AVALON, you’ll love Molly’s work.�� And the best part is that she’s brought the Arthurian legends to modern day while still keeping all the historical feel and flavor.�� The same goes for her Katy Ainsworth novels, set in a town in Massachussets run by witches where the young heroine discovers her very dark and dangerous legacy (LEGACY, POISON and SEDUCTION…and also her novella “Wishes”).�� Really, you won’t want to miss Molly’s work…or her guest blog below.

WRITE WHAT YOU LOVE

������������������������������ Write what you know. It���s the First Great Commandment of writing, and it���s true. You can���t write convincingly about Admiral Byrd���s expedition to the South Pole if you���ve never been cold. Unfortunately, that dictum has scared a lot of would-be novelists into writing only about their own personal experiences. That���s fine as far as it goes���provided your xperience has been so extraordinary that people who don���t know you will want to read about it���but that sort of extremely personal work, generally known as a coming-of-age novel, tends to be a one-shot deal. It���s nothing if not restrictive if you���re planning a career as a writer.

So a better mantra than write what you know might be, in my opinion, write what you love. What excites you? Baseball? Fashion? Paris? Whatever your passion, whether it���s knitting or speculating about the end of the world, your interest in the subject will breathe life into your work.

Writing what you know helps if what you know is something special. Patricia Cornwell, who writes so convincingly about forensic science, spent many years working as a medical examiner. Not surprisingly, Scott Turow and John Grisham, both lawyers, bring insider knowledge to their novels about corporate crime. But let���s be honest: How many jobs have you held that you would deem worthy of a novel?

Intimate and esoteric knowledge is the key to writing a work that stands out from the crowd, but that knowledge need not come from direct experience. In William Wharton���s bestseller Birdy, the protagonist is an autistic man who owns hundreds of birds. Obviously the author has an encyclopedic knowledge of these creatures, but it is his passion, not his knowledge, that allows him to write in a way that makes birds fascinating to the general public.

Think about the things you love to do���cooking, skateboarding, surfing, skiing, playing an instrument, dancing, video games . . . or the things you���d love to learn about���movies, dogs, design, magic, the music industry, the history of the town where you live . . . Those subjects are all fodder for possible bestsellers, founded on knowledge of your subject and ignited by your passion for it. That passion might even be for something that doesn���t exist. Anne Rice has made no secret of her obsession with the idea of vampires walking undetected among us. Whitley Strieber is clearly fascinated by the possibility of extraterrestrial aliens visiting earth.

In my own case, a lifelong interest in the legend of King Arthur has borne fruit in not one, but two books. Since childhood, I���ve read obsessively about Arthur Pendragon and the Knights of the Round Table. In grade school, I studied the clothing and architecture of Fifth Century Britain. I devoured tracts on sword making and medieval combat. T.H.White���s The Once and Future King and Mary Stewart���s Merlin trilogy were my bibles. The first time I saw John Boorman���s Excalibur, I thought I���d found my way to heaven.

So it was almost inevitable that one day I would write my own version of Camelot. In The Forever King, ten-year-old Arthur Blessing is unaware that he is the reincarnation of King Arthur of Britain until he discovers a cup that heals wounds and bestows eternal life���the Holy Grail, that brings with it great danger and the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. That book became an international bestseller, and I believe that much of its success was because I was so deeply invested in the subject that the novel reflected more than mere factual knowledge: It was filled with love.

That love carried over into a second novel, written much later. In Poison, I revisited the Arthur legend by reworking the character of Morgan le Fay into a feminist archetype that lent humanity to a woman who has been historically depicted as a villainess. In both cases, my passion for the subject drove both the story and the writing of that story, and as a result, both novels were deeply satisfying projects for me.

So if you���re thinking that you have to write another Divergent or Twilight to make it as a writer, think again. Writing a novel is a long, complex process. Copying someone else, no matter how successful that writer is, probably won���t work, because you can only put your heart into something you love.

And your heart will show, on every page., in every sentence. Love makes the difference. Write what you love.

THE EXILE by C.T. Adams – Guest Blog

First things first, is this not one of the most beautiful covers you’ve ever seen?�� Is that just me?�� Yes, the book inside is worthy of the gorgeous cover and yes, if you like urban fantasy, political intrigue and the Fae, you’re going to want to read THE EXILE.�� But you don’t have to believe me.�� I’m the agent and thus surely biased.�� You can listen to Publishers Weekly and Kirkus below!

PW: “VERDICT Adams (author of several urban fantasy and paranormal novels with Cathy Clamp under the name Cat Adams, most recently To Dance with the Devil) goes sole with this new series launch, which has all the right ingredients for a long run: political intrigue, magical struggles, even a possibility that there might be a romantic entanglement somewhere down the line. This should appeal to fans of Seanan McGuire���s ���October Daye��� series.”

KIRKUS: “. . . this book (the first in a planned series) will entertain readers looking for a fun fantasy that mixes adventure with just a bit of romance.”

Right?

THE EXILE comes out March 10th, but (hint, hint), it’s already available for pre-order!

In honor of her upcoming new release, I’ve asked C.T. Adams to come blog for me, and here she is with…

…A Thing or Two…

You would think after twenty published novels and God alone knows how many short stories I’d have this writing thing down to a science.

You’d be wrong.

Oh, I’ve learned a lot–that no matter how good the outline, you’re probably going to make changes; that at some point in pretty much every novel I will desperately want to just hit the delete key. ��But every book is as individual as the characters living it.

And that’s a good thing.

Don’t get me wrong, I rejoice when the occasional book comes along that grabs the bit in its teeth and runs out of my fingers in an exhilerating and exhausting rush. ��And I curse (and swear, and grumble) the books that I have to DRAG kicking and screaming out of the depths of my psyche.

But even at the worst, it’s the best job I’ve ever had.

I learn new things every day. ��Some aren’t particularly useful, (what is the sunset time in Kuala Lumpur on July 15?). ��Some are a little alarming (how a serial killer typically stalks their victims.) ��But it is never, ever dull. And I love it.

BUT it is not for everyone. ��For one thing it is WORK. ��There’s so much more to it than just sitting down at the keyboard and pumping out words. ��(There’s definitely that too-you have to write for the words to get written. ��And you have to write to deadlines whether or not you feel like it.) ��Some of it is fun. ��But, as in any job, some of it isn’t.

In my experience writing takes big, honking chunks of time. ��And for everyone I know, time is at a premium. ��Our lives are scheduled practically to death, we’re at the mercy of cell phones, emails, and the like. ��So many people tell me “I’d love to write a book, if I just had the time.”

And that’s the trick. ��If you really want to do it you have to MAKE the time. ��I still work a day job 8-5. ��So my writing takes place from 4:45 a.m. to 6:15 a.m. weekdays and on weekends. ��It has to. ��I’m too beat at the end of the day for anything requiring creativity. ��But it works for me, and it’s worth it to me, because I can look up and see 20 books on the shelves that I either wrote or co-wrote.

Life will steal your writing time if you let it. ��You have to decide not to let it. ��OR you have to acknowledge when life is being particularly . . . lifish . . . and not beat yourself bloody about not writing. ��It happens. ��The tricky part is, if it happens too much you’ll lose your edge, and it will get harder and harder to start back up. ��And when you do the first few efforts are liable to be total dreck.

But persevere. ��Writing as a career is a marathon, not a sprint.

And, for me at least, it is SO worth it.

��______________________

C.T. Adams is a USA TODAY bestselling author with 20 books and innumerable short stories to her credit. ��Her newest solo offering THE EXILE: ��BOOK 1 OF THE FAE hits the shelves in March and is the first book in a highly anticipated new reality series.

THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman

��Sometimes a book/series comes along that pushes all your buttons in just the right way.�� THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman is one of those.�� I’m so excited that the critics agree!�� I’m honestly struggling a bit here for an introduction that will do the work justice.�� It’s like, what do you say to the book that has everything?�� Hmm, maybe I just let the characters speak for themselves.

Genevieve has kindly provided us with a short dialogue between her main characters, just to give you a taste.�� (And read on for cover copy and fantastic quotes.���� The book is getting quote the buzz.�� Right now out in the UK and elsewhere, I’ll keep you updated on when it comes to the US.)

A peek behind the curtains…

IRENE: There have been some questions about what I actually have on my own bookshelves. I���m afraid that the answer is very prosaic. When I actually got lodgings in Vale���s world, I started assembling books that would be useful. Necessary, even. Dictionaries, grammars, atlases, encyclopedias, catalogues from rare book collections���

KAI: (emerging with an armful of books) Irene, you won���t believe this! Dumas actually completed The Knight of Saint-Hermine in this world! And there are sequels!

IRENE: (interested) Oh, excellent! (she remembers the interview) That is, as you can see, we���re also working on establishing what books are unique to this world, since even if the Library hasn���t requested them yet, they may be called for in the future. And of course, other Librarians like to fill their own collections. We do each other favours.

KAI: Is that why you were looking for the entire set of Herg�� Tintin books?

IRENE: Exactly.

KAI: Why are they in your bedroom?

IRENE: I need to check them first. Anyhow, what I was going on to say is that since this world doesn���t have an internet ���

KAI: Or cybernet, or Mesh, or whatever you call it ���

IRENE: We have to resort to encyclopedias quite a lot when researching things. Authors, locations, history, whatever. That is one thing I do regret about living here ��� no convenient online mass communications.

KAI: Right. I still think there has to be some way we can capitalise on that, you know. Work out a way to handle the demonic possession, bring in mass communications, become incredibly wealthy ���

IRENE: And incredibly public and obvious. No.

KAI: Shell companies and false identities, Irene. Everyone���s doing it. It���s the in thing.

IRENE: (forcibly changing the subject) What are the other books you���ve got there?

KAI: Mostly poetry, but I did find a catalogue for the upcoming auction at Lord Cymbris��� estate.

IRENE: Is the local �� Rebours listed in it? The Huysmans? I���ve had a request for that.

KAI: Yes, but they haven���t listed a price, so it���s going to be expensive.

IRENE: (thoughtfully) We should probably attend, just to see who picks it up.

KAI: Right. So we���ll want maps of the estate, a full list of collectors attending the sale, check with Vale about whoever the purchaser was in case he���s got relevant information, and ���

IRENE: Wait a moment. Let me check my calendar. That���s the same day as the jumble sale at the Starry Wisdom Cathedral at Ely. Damn. I knew there was something I should be remembering.

KAI: Let���s toss for it. I call heads.

IRENE: Let���s be practical about this. The auction���s the one with the book that we actually want, the jumble sale���s just speculative. It���s safer if we both attend the auction.

KAI: Safer for who, exactly?

IRENE: Naming no names, but would you or Vale know anything about the fire at the Southend Shelter last week, and the reports of sea monsters?

KAI: (pauses) That was my night off. We agreed not to ask questions about each others��� nights off.

IRENE: So we did. But we���re both going to be attending that auction.

KAI: Can I at least wear a decent suit?

IRENE: Of course.

KAI: And dance at the dinner afterwards?

IRENE: Don���t push your luck.

____________

Cover Copy:

Irene must be at the top of her game or she’ll be off the case – permanently…

Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she’s posted to an alternative London. Their mission – to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it’s already been stolen. London’s underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.

Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested – the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene’s new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.

Soon, she’s up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option – the nature of reality itself is at stake.

Quotes:

���Cogman conjures visuals that scream to be brought to life by ILM and brought to the masses who – for reasons unfathomable – bypass the book stores. Get in early and make sure you get on the I-read-the-book-before-it-was-a-movie side of the fence, you know how us readers like to be smug������ ���GEEKChocolate

���The Invisible Library” is one of the most pleasurable debuts of the year.��� ���Upcoming 4.me

���The Invisible Library is great fun���a total geek-out for bibliophiles.������PopVerse

���An involving, thoroughly enjoyable adventure that will bring the reader back for more.��� ���Sci-Fi Bulletin

���The Invisible Library is an interesting mix; Sapphire and Steel meets The Unseen University by way of The Parasol Protectorate, which makes it a thoroughly entertaining mis-match and great fantasy romp.��� ���Starburst Magazine

“THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY is everything I could ever want out of a book” ���Fantasy Book Review

���The Invisible Library is a great start of the new series, inventive and highly addicted.��� ���Book Plank

���Holy WOW, this is quite possibly my favourite new book of the year! Seriously, it’s kicking off an an amazingly unique series, and I just well and truly loved it!��� ���Reality���s a Bore

���I loved The Invisible Library and the world Cogman has created in her debut. This book is just an amazingly fun read��� With The Invisible Library Cogman has set the bar high for 2015 debuts, for pure fun, enjoyment and zest for life if nothing else.��� ���Fantastical Librarian

���Genevieve Cogman offers an addictive start to a new series���if you���re a fan of the likes of Doctor Who, Fringe or The Librarians, or in fact, just fun urban fantasy in general, you won���t want to miss this.��� ���The Fictional Hangout

A very rare interview…

I asked the fantastically amazing David B. Coe to guest blog for me today to promote his new series, The Case Files of Justis Fearsson, and he came up with something just a little bit different…�� In the past he’s done some great blogs for me as D.B. Jackson (author of the “tricorn punk” Thieftaker series).�� Some of those include: Where Does the Author and and the Character Begin and History and POV.�� He’s also a regular blogger for Magical Words, where I think he does some of the most helpful and informative posts for writers.

Today, though, he managed to wrangle a particularly reticent character into an interview.�� I have to say that I think this is the first time anyone’s ever gotten a runemyste to speak publicly and it may very well be the last, so enjoy!�� What’s a runemyste, you ask?�� Well, I think I’ll let Namid speak for himself.

Interview with Namid’skemu

Welcome! Today we are most fortunate to have with us Namid���skemu, one of only thirty-nine runemystes in the entire world. Namid���skemu, who in life was a shaman in the K���ya���na-Kwe clan of the A���shiwi, or Zuni nation, gave his life centuries ago so that he could be transformed into a runemyste, a protector of magic in our world, and a teacher of those who would learn spellcraft. He is a somewhat reticent individual, and we are truly honored that he has consented to join us today.

 

Hello, Namid���skemu. Welcome.

N: Greetings.

 

Do you mind if I call you Namid?

N: Some call me this. You may as well.

 

Thank you. Can you tell us a bit about what it means to be a runemyste?

N: You have spoken of this already. I am a guardian of magic in your world, and I would train those who carry runeclave blood in their veins.

 

Of course, but I���m sure our readers would like some more details. What exactly does that mean?

N: Which of the words I used did you not understand?

 

It���s not that I . . . Never mind. From whom do you guard the magic?

N: There are some among the weremystes of the world who have turned to dark magic, who cast blood spells or seek to escape the effects of the moontimes by using forbidden magic. My fellow runemystes and I watch for signs of this dark magic, and we train weremystes of your world so that they might prevent such abuses.

 

The moontimes?

N: What runecrafters would call phasings. Each month, on the night of the full moon and the nights before and after, weremystes lose control of their minds, even as their magic is enhanced. It is the natural way of things, the price of the magic weremystes wield. But some seek to evade this law of runecrafting, and often their attempts to do so involve blood rituals, even murders. We cannot sanction this, but we also cannot interfere in your world. And so those we train act in our stead.

 

I see. And among those you train — you in particular, I mean — is one Justis Fearsson, a former police detective turned private eye.

N: What of him?

 

What can you tell us about him?

N: He is a runecrafter of limited ability but uncommon potential. He is also a most difficult man. He has an odd sense of humor which he displays at the most inopportune times. He is reckless and does not show enough discipline in his training.

 

So you don���t like him.

N: I did not say that. I am not sure what right you have to inquire about our personal interactions, but as it happens I consider Ohanko a good friend.

 

Ohanko?

N: It means ���reckless one.���

 

Has he–

N: If you wish to ask questions about Justis Fearsson, perhaps you should speak with him.

 

Very well. Let���s move on. Your appearance is most unusual. You appear to be made entirely of water, and yet you have substance and form. How is this possible?

N: I am of the K���ya���na-Kwe clan, the water people. My line is now extinct, but we were a proud, powerful, spiritual people. Centuries ago, when as a living man I was sacrificed by the runeclave, the magic that transformed me into a runemyste allowed me to take my true spiritual form. And so I am as I appear before you: a shaman and the living embodiment of the water people.

 

So you���re sort of a ghost.

N: I am not a ghost! Why is it that humans of your world are so limited that they cannot conceive of a spirit being as anything other than a ghost?

 

Forgive me. I didn���t–

N: Justis Fearsson calls me a ghost as well, though he does this to annoy me. He knows better. But you . . . Ask your next question.

 

Are you immortal?

N: I am not. My kind can be killed, though it is most unusual — in all the hundreds of years since the runemystes were created, not one of us has perished. But we exist to fight those with dark magic, and so our vigilance cannot slacken.

 

Are all of your kind like you?

N: If you mean do they appear as I do, the answer is of course they do not. Each man and woman who was sacrificed by the runeclave took a form natural to his or her heritage — some are stone or wood, others are comprised of wind, of music, of soil, of light itself. They were drawn from all over the known world, and they are as diverse as the people who now inhabit the earth.

 

And are they as committed as you are to the protection of magic?

N: Why do you ask this? What have you heard?

 

I���ve heard nothing. I���m curious is all.

N: I probably should not speak of this, but the truth is, some are not as devoted in their opposition to dark magic. Some — one runemyste in particular — has chafed at the limitations placed upon our kind by the runeclave all those many years ago. He wishes to do more, to extend his influence beyond what is thought proper by the rest. He bears watching, this runemyste, for he may well be a threat to all that we hold dear.

 

Who is he? What���s his name?

N: [Shaking his head] I have already said more than I should. I know nothing for certain. I have heard rumors, whispers riding the wind. I will say no more on the matter. Indeed, I have tarried here too long. I must return to my kind. Farewell.

 

Thank you, Namid���skemu. This was a most interesting conversation, cryptic as it was. Good day to you.

 

*****

David B. Coe is the award-winning author of more than fifteen fantasy novels. His newest series, a contemporary urban fantasy called The Case Files of Justis Fearsson, debuts with the January 2015 release from Baen Books of Spell Blind. The second book, His Father���s Eyes, will be out in August 2015. Writing as D.B. Jackson, he is the author of the Thieftaker Chronicles, a historical urban fantasy from Tor Books that includes Thieftaker, Thieves��� Quarry, A Plunder of Souls, and Dead Man���s Reach (coming in July 2015). He lives on the Cumberland Plateau with his wife and two teenaged daughters. They���re all smarter and prettier than he is, but they keep him around because he makes a mean vegetarian fajita. When he���s not writing he likes to hike, play guitar, and stalk the perfect image with his camera.

Where he can be found: his blog, D.B. Jackson website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon.

 

 

Emergency Backup Fantasy World by Steven Harper

��As promised, I’m really pleased to introduce Steven Harper, author of IRON AXE, the first book in a wonderful Norse-inspired series about an outcast, half-troll boy given an earth-shattering (or saving) mission by Death herself.�� Publishers Weekly says of it, ���Harper begins the Books of Blood and Iron series with an exciting and somewhat unusual quest��� His reinterpretations of trolls, giants, and fae folk give this series opener a fresh feeling, while his nods to Norse mythology and folklore root it strongly in fantasy tradition. Readers will be eager to see what���s in store.����� If you want to see what’s in store, comment below for a chance to win the audio edition (via Audible) of IRON AXE!

For those who don’t know, I’ve represented Steven for a long time now…almost exactly a week longer than I’ve been married to my husband.�� I started reading his work shortly before taking time off for the last minute wedding prep and literally couldn’t put it down.�� I was haggling with the caterer and his publisher all at the same time.�� (Can you say��insanity?�� Sure you can!)�� As Steven Harper, he’s written the steampunk Clockwork Empire books for Ace (THE DOOMSDAY VAULT, THE IMPOSSIBLE CUBE, THE DRAGON MEN and THE HAVOC MACHINE), as well as The Silent Empire series and other books like WRITING THE PARANORMAL NOVEL (Writers Digest Books).�� As Steven Piziks, he’s written original sf thrillers IN THE COMPANY OF MIND and THE CORPORATE MENTALITY as well as various tie-ins.�� And today, he’s written for you about his…

Emergency Backup Fantasy World

When I was sixteen, I doodled a map of a city with a strangely-shaped harbor.�� Eventually, I wondered what the country around the city looked like, so I doodled that, too.�� Then, just for fun, I drew the countries around it, and eventually the continent.�� By now I had so much time invested in it that I had to keep going.�� I got some good drawing paper and colored pencils and put in the terrain and geography.�� I worked out weather patterns.

Then I worked out the people.�� Since I liked fantasy, the place became a fantasy world.�� This country was ruled by elves.�� This one by humans, but it was fragmented like Europe in the 1700s.�� This country was for dwarves, and over here, merfolk.�� I created gods and goddesses as well, nine of them in all.�� The notes grew and grew, and I put them into a big blue binder.�� Since I called the world Terra, the binder became the Terra File.

Over the years, I used the Terra File on and off.�� It was a role-playing game for a long time.�� I wrote a couple of short stories set on Terra, but nothing major.�� Eventually, I put the Terra File aside and forgot about it.

Then I talked to my editor, Anne.�� We were at World Fantasy Con, and she wanted to know what my next writing project would be.�� I pitched several ideas, but none grabbed her.�� Finally, in desperation, I remembered a short story I’d written years ago about an outcast teenaged boy who was half human, half troll.�� I’d always wanted to write a novel about Trollboy, so I pitched that.�� The setting was historical Norway, and I’d done a fair amount of research into Viking culture.

“Hmmm,” Anne said.�� “I like the character and story, but Vikings are a hard sell.”

Think fast, Steven.�� Think!�� And I remembered the Terra file.

“Well,” I replied slowly, “I do have an emergency backup fantasy world.”

Anne blinked.�� “You have an emergency backup fantasy world?”

“Doesn’t every author?” I said, and described Terra.�� “What if I put Trollboy there?”

“I like it!” she said.�� “Send me a synopsis, and we’ll talk.”

Back home, I dug out the Terra file and went to work.�� A couple weeks later, I had my synopsis and was working on IRON AXE, the first novel in the Books of Blood and Iron.�� Trollboy lives!

It pays to keep an emergency back up.

_____________

Steven Harper Piziks was born with a name that no one can reliably spell or pronounce, so he often writes under the pen name Steven Harper. He lives in Michigan with his family.���� When not at the keyboard, he plays the folk harp, fiddles with video games, and pretends he doesn���t talk to the household cats. In the past, he���s held jobs as a reporter, theater producer, secretary, and substitute teacher. He maintains that the most interesting thing about him is that he writes books.

The buzzword is NEW! And also EXCITING!

In addition to the continuation of many awesome, popular series in 2015, like Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires, Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock, D.B. Jackson’s Thieftaker, Carol Berg’s Sanctuary, Diana Pharaoh Francis’s Diamond City Magic, Debra Mullins’s Truthseers, Vicky Dreiling’s Sinful Scoundrels, Susan Krinard’s Midgard and Nightsiders…the new year is going to be full of incredible new releases as well!�� Over the next few days, some of my winter/spring release authors have taken time out of their writing schedules to do up guest blogs for me, and I’ll be posting them here, so stay tuned!�� Specifically, I’ll have:

��Steven Harper, the author of the Norse-inspired novel IRON AXE, first in the Books of Blood and Iron.

��David B. Coe, author of SPELL BLIND, first in The Case Books of Justis Fearsson, in which a former police detective has to battle his own mind and magic in order to take a special and sadistic serial killer.

Genevieve Cogman, debut author of THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY, which her publisher Tor UK calls, “Dr. Who with Librarian spies.”�� (Right now available in the UK, but will keep you updated on when to expect it in the US.)

C.T. Adams, author of THE EXILE, a novel of conspiracy, magic, and most assuredly the Fae.

You’ll also be hearing a lot more about the following upcoming new authors/titles/series this year (listed below in order of publication)!�� Some are already available for pre-order.

��RUNAWAY LIES by Shannon Curtis (Harlequin Australia, coming January 19th)

THE HANGED MAN by P.N. Elrod (Tor Books, coming May 19… “Murder, mayhem and tea���a well-bred Victorian urban fantasy thriller. Prepare, o reader, to be enthralled.” says Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times Best Selling Author of the Mercy Thompson series

INK AND BONE by Rachel Caine (NAL, coming July 7)…In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.���

��ALICE by Christina Henry (Ace Books, coming August 4)… A mind-bending new novel inspired by the twisted and wondrous works of Lewis Carroll…

��THE VEIL by Chloe Neill (NAL, coming August 4)… a new series by New York Times bestselling author set in a war-torn New Orleans, still recovering and now living in the shadow of Devil’s Isle, a walled district confining the paranormal powers that crashed into our world when the Veil fell.�� Well, mostly confined…

��NIGHTWISE by R. S. Belcher (Tor Books, coming August 18)…Featuring Laytham Ballard. It���s said he raised the dead at the age of ten, ripped off the Philosopher���s Stone in Vegas back in 1999, and survived the bloodsucking kiss of the Mosquito Queen. The legends are only a fraction of the truth.

On top of all THAT, I’m waiting on some firm publication dates for later in the year, like for a new series by Faith Hunter and a debut urban fantasy series by Michelle Belanger…�� Watch this blog; it’s going to be an exciting year!!!�� (And 2016 won’t be too shabby either!)

Happy New Year, PSA and New Releases

Happy New Year, all!�� I hope your holidays were as wonderful and relaxing as mine.�� You just can’t beat holding your new baby niece in your arms and having her tiny fingers clench yours.�� Nope, you just can’t.

So much to celebrate this year, and I will in just a second, but I’m going to start off with a public service announcement.�� GET YOUR EYES CHECKED.�� Yes, seriously. If you’re anything like me, you put off taking care of yourself, especially for things that don’t seem massively urgent, like dental care, eye care, blood work, mammograms…�� Well, the problem there is that sometimes you don’t catch things until they’re irreversible rather than early on when they can be more easily treated.�� I usually order multiple boxes of contact lenses so that I don’t have to go back to the eye doctor for practically ever.�� (The prescriptions themselves are only good for a year.)�� So, it had been…far too long since I’d been in for an eye exam.�� Luckily (not that I thought so at the time) my supply ran out in December, and I grudgingly went to the doctor, which is where I discovered that I didn’t have to suffer through the eye strain and fatigue that had plagued me for too long.�� In short, I was having to work really hard to read.�� The lettering all seemed too small, too faint, too fuzzy and by 8 pm, which is when I do a lot of my reading, my eyes wanted to give out.�� They didn’t want to focus at all.�� It was slowing me down, and as any of you who’ve read my blogs know, that’s just not an option.�� Most days I’m tapdancing as fast as I can just to keep up with things.�� The solution here was blessedly simple.�� My prescription had changed, my astigmatism had changed, and I now needed to wear readers over my contacts.�� Did I feel old?�� Yes.�� Did I get cute little reading glasses to make up for it?�� You betcha.�� So, no deep coded message here.�� The take-away is that taking a little time can save a lot of time and strain and grief down the line, so, as Nike would say, JUST DO IT.

Now that we have that out of the way, I want to introduce some just-released books that you might want to feast those eyes on!

SPELL BLIND by David B. Coe (hardcover, e-book from Baen)

“Coe brings deep knowledge of both fantasy and mystery to his well-structured first urban fantasy novel.” – Publishers Weekly

Book #1 in The Case Files of Justis Fearsson, a new contemporary fantasy series from fantasy all-star David B. Coe. A hardboiled, magic-using private detective hunts a serial killer in Phoenix, Arizona.

Justis Fearsson is a private investigator on the trail of a serial killer in Phoenix, Arizona. Justis is also a weremyste���a person with a wizard���s gifts and the ability to see into the paranormal world. Unfortunately, weremystes also tend to go crazy on the full moon���which is why Justis is no longer a cop. Hard to explain those absences as anything but mental breakdown. But now an old case from his police detective days has come back to haunt him, literally, as a serial killer known as the Blind Angel strikes again. His signature stroke: burning out the victims��� eyes with magic. Now the victims are piling up, including the daughter of a senator, and Justis must race to stop the Blind Angel before he, she, or it kills again. There���s only one clue he���s got to go on: the Blind Angel is using the most powerful magic Justis has ever encountered, and if he doesn���t watch his own magical step, he may end up just as dead as the other vics.

IRON AXE by Steven Harper (mass market, e-book from Roc)

“Harper begins the Books of Blood and Iron series with an exciting and somewhat unusual quest… His reinterpretations of trolls, giants, and fae folk give this series opener a fresh feeling, while his nods to Norse mythology and folklore root it strongly in fantasy tradition. Readers will be eager to see what���s in store.” – Publishers Weekly

In this brand new series from the author of the Clockwork Empire series, a hopeless outcast must answer Death���s call and embark on an epic adventure….

Although Danr���s mother was human, his father was one of the hated Stane, a troll from the mountains. Now Danr has nothing to look forward to but a life of disapproval and mistrust, answering to ���Trollboy��� and condemned to hard labor on a farm.

Until, without warning, strange creatures come down from the mountains to attack the village. Spirits walk the land, terrifying the living. Trolls creep out from under the mountain, provoking war with the elves. And Death herself calls upon Danr to set things right.

At Death���s insistence, Danr heads out to find the Iron Axe, the weapon that sundered the continent a thousand years ago. Together with unlikely companions, Danr will brave fantastic and dangerous creatures to find a weapon that could save the world���or destroy it.

SHADES OF THE WOLF by Karen Whiddon (e-book out now, 2-in-1 paperback out in March, Harlequin Nocturne)

Could she lead him to the one thing he’d missed when he was alive?

Ever since her husband died in Afghanistan, shape-shifter Anabel Lee has been haunted���by every ghost except the one she longs to see. But when Tyler Rogers appears, Anabel senses something different about him. It’s not just his piercing blue eyes or sexy voice. Even though he’s a ghost, Tyler is more real than anyone she’s met in years.

Tyler needs Anabel’s help. His sister has been abducted by a powerful warlock, and he can sense her light fading fast. Confined to the spirit realm, he needs to join his powers with Anabel’s to bring his sister back from the darkness. As they work together against time and magic, will they discover a passion strong enough to bridge this world and the next?

 

Happy reading!

 

Book Birthdays and a Secret Santa Story

So many book birthdays to celebrate this month!  Some you’ve already heard me talk about, like the mass market release of Chloe Neill’s TWICE BITTEN.  Others I’ve crowed about on Twitter but have been a bit too crazed to post here…yet.  Today that changes.  I know, I can sense your excitement from here!

So, happy book birthdays to N.K. Jemisin for the omnibus of her INHERITANCE TRILOGY (plus and all-new novella!), to Molly Cochran for SEDUCTION, and Beth Cornelison for her Mansfield Brothers book, THE MANSFIELD RESCUE.  Covers, quotes and book blurbs are below!

Also, happy sort-of birthday to me.  I’m celebrating the holidays over on Sharing Links and Wisdom with a very short Latter-Day Olympians story with a special secret Santa.

 INHERITANCE TRILOGY by N.K. Jemisin

“Ah N.K. Jemisin, you can do no wrong…The blend of cultures and lore she draws on to make this very unique world is just stunning, and the fact that she inhabits it with such 3-dimensional characters is even more impressive…If you want to get away from traditional fantasy world-building, but keep the compelling characters and deep lore, definitely pick this up!!”—Felicia Day on The Killing Moon

“Jemisin’s engaging debut grabs readers right from the start…a complex, edge-of-your-seat story with plenty of funny, scary, and bittersweet twists.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

“An offbeat, engaging tale by a talented and original newcomer.”—Kirkus on The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

“An astounding debut novel…the world building is solid, the characterization superb, the plot complicated but clear.”—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) on The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

“A delight for the fantasy reader.”—Library Journal (Starred Review) on The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

Book Blurb: The Inheritance Trilogy omnibus includes the novels: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms, The Kingdom of Gods, and a brand new novella set in the same world: The Awakened Kingdom.

A REALM OF GODS AND MORTALS.

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.

 SEDUCTION by Molly Cochran (sequel to LEGACY and POISON)

“Cochran (Legacy, 2011) cleverly interweaves Katy’s first-person, present-day narrative with flashbacks revealed through the pages of an ancient book to bring readers along for an exciting, sexy and sometimes-heartbreaking ride as Katy struggles to uncover the secrets of the mysterious women of the Abbey of Lost Souls…a layered and well-told story with an unlikely and endearing heroine.” —Kirkus Reviews on Seduction

“Cochran revisits Arthurian legend while continuing the adventures of powerful, young witch Katy Ainsworth. . . . Fans will be poised for the next installment.”—Booklist on Poison

“Fans of Arthurian legend will appreciate this alternative view of the infamous Morgan le Fay.”—School Library Journal on Poison

“A fast-paced, electrifying read! My heart throbbed for the tender romance trapped in a world of boarding-school backstabbing. With a courageous yet achingly human heroine, Molly Cochran made me believe in magic!”—Jeri Smith-Ready, award-winning author of the SHADE trilogy on Legacy

“an exciting and well-written tale of contemporary witchcraft and romance…should please the legions of paranormal fans looking for a sophisticated supernatural thriller.” —Publishers Weekly on Legacy

Book Blurb: The Darkness follows Katy to Paris in the final book in New York Times bestselling author Molly Cochran’s Legacy trilogy, rife with paranormal witchcraft and romance.

Katy can’t stand the fact that her boyfriend, Peter, has changed so much since his wealthy uncle Jeremiah took him under his wing. In a fit of rebellion, she flies to Paris to attend cooking school. Lonely, she visits a schoolmate, Fabienne, who lives in a beautiful mansion in Paris. But it’s Peter who answers the door.

Katy is devastated that Peter is in Paris—on business for his uncle, he claims—and didn’t tell her. Soon Katy is wrapped up in the mysteries of the strange house, which is occupied by only beautiful, shallow people. And they don’t seem to age. Then an accidental trip through the underground passages of Paris leads Katy to the discovery of an ancient book that just might hold the secrets to the mansion…

 THE MANSFIELD RESCUE by Beth Cornelison

“The flirtatious banter between Grant and Amy shines and emotionally complex characters complete a well-developed, heartfelt plot.” —Romantic Times Book Reviews, 4 Stars

“Readers won’t want to miss this emotionally driven book by Beth Cornelison.” —Night Owl Reviews

Book Blurb

A single father discovers the price of revenge and the power of love

After his wife’s murder, Grant Mansfield vowed to stay true to her memory and to protect their children. But fate has other plans. His temporary houseguest, injured smokejumper Amy Robinson, has him burning with a white-hot attraction, and the single dad’s nightmare comes true when his older daughter is kidnapped.

Grant is just the man the adventurous Amy never knew she needed, his children the family she never knew she wanted. Before she can rescue his lonely heart, the handsome widower must become a hero. Only Grant can rescue his little girl. But time is running out…

How’s the writing going?

How’s the writing going today, you ask.  Well, actually, you didn’t, but I’ll tell you anyway.  Remember that old campfire/scouting song about the swimming hole (lyrics below)?  Well…

(My version)

Stalling, stalling…the writing’s not going well.

Some days are hot, some days are cold, some are just plain hell.

Plotting, pacing, get the voice right too…

But there’s dishes and vacuuming, laundry and e-mail and so much else to do!

(Original lyrics)

Swimming, Swimming, in the swimming hole,

When days are hot, when days are cold, in the swimming hole.

Breast stroke, side stroke, fancy diving too…

Don’t you wish you never had anything else to do?

(BTW, if you can’t imagine how it sounds, here’s a YouTube video.  Or an even cuter, but less musical video with an adorable little boy.)

A Couple of Quick Things

Happy belated Thanksgiving, everyone and absolutely the best of the season to you all!

Those who follow me on Facebook and Twitter may already know I’ve been under the weather for a bit with a respiratory infection.  So what I’m most thankful for at the moment is to be feeling better!  I may not be ready to run marathons – I leave those to Christina Henry and Chloe Neill – but I have something of a voice again and I’m no longer trying to cough up a lung, so I call that a win!

 Speaking of Chloe Neill, her third Chicagoland Vampires novel TWICE BITTEN comes out tomorrow in its mass market edition.  To celebrate, Chloe is giving away five signed sets of the mass market editions of SOME GIRLS BITE, FRIDAY NIGHT BITES and TWICE BITTEN.  Check out her website for the Rafflecopter giveaway!

Shortly before the holiday, Tor.com did a cover reveal of Genevieve Cogman’s upcoming debut THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY.  I can’t wait until the reviews start rolling in so that I can crow even louder about this new series, but for now, just let me say that it has everything.  EVERYTHING.  It’s a must read.

Okay, all, I have to catch up on everything that piled up over the Thanksgiving break, but I expect that I’ll be back as the day or week goes on when I spot special book-related Cyber Monday deals and the like.

Enjoy!