Travis Heermann's Blog, page 13
September 17, 2014
Goodreads Giveaway-palooza
Are you a member of GoodReads? Want a chance at some free books? I’m giving away copies of all my current titles, and all you have to do click.
Enjoy!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Heart of the Ronin
by Travis Heermann
Giveaway ends October 12, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Rogues of the Black Fury
by Travis Heermann
Giveaway ends October 12, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Sword of the Ronin
by Travis Heermann
Giveaway ends October 12, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Wild Boys
by Travis Heermann
Giveaway ends October 12, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Cthulhu Passant
by Travis Heermann
Giveaway ends October 12, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
August 28, 2014
Here There Be DragonCon
This weekend will mark my second foray into the insanity of DragonCon. 80,000+ frothing geeks–cosplayers, gamers, nerds, readers, comics fans, SF fans, Whovians, stormtroopers, sharknadoes–egads!
I will be joining with several authors, such as C.L. Wilson, David B. Coe/D.B. Jackson, E.C. Ambrose, and Alethea Kontis, in the Tairen’s Lair booth at various times over the weekend.
My only panel is on the YA Literature track on The Future of the Potterverse, which will take place on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
The craziness is just beginning, and it ain’t gonna stop till Tuesday!
June 10, 2014
Exploding with Geekery at Denver Comic Con
This weekend, June 13-15, I’ll be appearing on an avalanche of panels at Denver Comic Con. Of course, my inner twelve-year-old nerd is buzzing with anticipation like a phaser set to overload.
In addition to my panel schedule, I’ll be hanging out with the likes of Guy Anthony De Marco, Quincy J. Allen, and Vivian Caethe at the Evil Brain Trust booth in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #1013).
Friday
12:15 p.m. – Authors vs. Fans: The Throwdown
1:30 p.m. – Character Building
4:00 p.m. – Realities of Crowdfunding for Indie Authors
5:15 p.m. – Flash Fiction: Writing at the Speed of Light
Saturday
11:00 a.m. – Marketing for Writers and Artists
2:45 p.m. – Unlocking the Story Within
Sunday
11:00 a.m. – What’s the Difference between Sword & Sorcery and Epic Fantasy?
1:30 p.m. – How NOT to Get Published
So get your Geek on. And look me up when you get there and let us frolic.
June 1, 2014
Farewell and Adieu, Jay Lake
Jay Lake passed away today. It was no surprise to anyone aware of who he was. His long, losing struggle with cancer was well known throughout the universe of speculative fiction writers and readers, and I am among many thousands who will mourn his passing as a friend, a colleague, one of the best men they have ever known.
At my very first big SF convention, Denvention 3, otherwise known as World Con 2008, I met a host of amazing, talented writers, most of whom were farther down the path than I was. Among them was Jay Lake, a long-haired, fast-talking punster with a shirt that looked like it was on fire. Over drinks and conversation, he discovered that I was living in Omaha at the time, a destination to which his day job took him about once a month, and he was gracious enough to invite me into his circle of Omaha friends. Each of his trips to Omaha would include a pizza get-together that was known as the Omaha Beach Party, and it was there that I got to know him.
Even then, more than five years ago, he was fighting through one of his first bouts of cancer.
Having dinner with Jay Lake meant being on one’s toes. The puns and witticisms flew so fast that you could take a moment to cut your calzone and be left two or three jokes in the dust.
His was one of the sharpest, most incisive minds I have ever encountered. He was one of those people who operate in gears a few orders of magnitude beyond most other people, and that is reflected in his fiction, which tears along at breakneck pace and just dares you to try to keep up.
He was one of those writers who could sneeze and three thousand words would hit the page, the kind of productivity that leaves the vast majority of other writers suppressing their envy.
At World Fantasy in San Jose, California in 2009, Jay was the toastmaster, and it was there that I was introduced to his Guerilla Cheese Party, a phantom event he hosted at various conventions that featured hosts of exotic cheeses. He called it “guerilla” because it could show up anywhere at an undisclosed location. At that party, I was treated to the musical stylings of Ken Scholes, Jay’s good friend and fellow writer, with his guitar and harmonica. The pinnacle of that performance was Ken’s rendition of U2′s “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” sang as if in duet by Queen Elizabeth II and Bob Dylan. Ken and Jay are the perfect example of how great men often come together. I can only imagine the anguish Ken has felt over the years of Jay’s long struggle.
In spring of 2012, I invited Jay to my Science Fiction Literature class at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and he was gracious enough to take time out from his job to come to class, where we spoke at length of fiction writing and time travel stories, and he charmed my students just like he charmed everyone who met him. He also showed them his tattoos, inscribed on his flesh as badges of honor for how many times he had faced cancer and survived.
It was soon after that the cancer came roaring back for the final battle it would ultimately win.
Last year, I had the honor of attending Jay’s birthday party in Omaha, hosted by the Omaha Beach Party. It became an event I will never forget, complete with Darth Vader, an escort of stormtroopers and an Imperial Guard from the 501st Legion, who all jumped at the chance to honor Jay at what was likely his last birthday party. One would never know from looking at him–recently regrown hair notwithstanding–that there was anything at all wrong with him, except for the inevitable onset of weariness. It was the most strangely joyous and sad and bittersweet event I have ever attended.
Jay was my friend and an inspiration to me as a writer, and this is how he touched my life. The world is less worthy place without him in it.
Fuck cancer.
May 26, 2014
Author Interview Series #77 – Kelley Armstrong
New York Times Bestselling Author Kelley Armstrong is a born storyteller, one of those kids that invariably dismayed her teachers. “If asked for a story about girls and dolls, mine would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls,” she says. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed. Even now, today, she is locked away in her writing dungeon, spinning tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves. You know, the fun stuff.
With four books, three novels and an anthology, being released in 2014, she is cranking out the word count, and still found time to talk to us.
TH: What is The Story of Kelley? An urban fantasy monster-fest? A mythical, childlike adventure?
KA: I was born in Sudbury, Ontario, moved to London, Ontario as an infant and grew up there with three younger siblings. I attended the University of Western Ontario for a BA in Psychology, then Fanshawe College for computer programming. Sold my first novel “Bitten” in 1999, but continued working as a programmer until I sold the second novel. Live in rural southwestern Ontario with my husband and three kids. Yep, pretty normal!
TH: What were your first serious creative impulses that led you to a creative career?
KA: Honestly? I don’t know. I’ve been interested in the paranormal since early childhood. I often jokingly blame Scooby Doo, but that was probably my first exposure to werewolves, vampires and things that go bump in the night.
TH: Do you have any writing stuck away somewhere that will never see the light of day, but nevertheless helped you build your skills?
KA: Lots! Besides countless short stories, I have three completed novels that I’ll never publish and many partials that I’ll never finish. Of course, at the time, I thought they were perfect. Now I know they were crap. They were practice work that helped me improve my craft until I was ready for publication.
TH: Every writer has things they would like to accomplish, e.g. first sale, next sale, first novel sale, first bestseller, etc. What accomplishment are you striving for right now?
KA: Maintenance. I’ve gotten to a place I’m very happy with. It’s a good balance of success and stress. I’ve learned that (at least for me) success brings stress—increased pressure, expectations etc—and I’ve hit the perfect balance. My mission now is how stay in the sweet spot.
TH: What about the writing process most appeals to you? What is the most fun?
KA: There isn’t any part that I dislike, but if I had to pick my favourite, it would be writing the first draft. It’s the creative process of seeing an idea unfold into a story that I like best. That’s the most fun and most appealing. Next would be editing, because I really appreciate that chance to polish the story!
TH: Have your reached the point at which you realized that you had “made it” as an writer? If so, can you describe the milestone or circumstances where you had that realization? Do you recall how that felt? If not, what is the milestone you’re seeking?
KA: I’m often asked at what point I felt successful. It’s never been a point, but rather a process. I thought when I first sold a book, I’d have that “I made it!” moment. Then I worried something would go wrong and it wouldn’t come out, so I thought I’d get my moment when it hit the shelves. Then I worried it wouldn’t sell and I’d lose my chance at this great career, so I thought it’d come when I reached a bestseller list. Then I… You get the point. That makes it sound like I’m constantly worrying and dissatisfied with my progress, which isn’t the case at all. I’m extremely happy with my career, more so than most authors I know. I definitely feel like I’ve made it, yet there was no defining moment.
TH: Some say that artists have to look at themselves as a business, a branded commodity. Do you take that approach?
KA: It’s tough to talk about branding and commodities as a genre writer. When I do, it makes it sound like I’m pumping out product, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I know what would make my books more marketable, yet I don’t make those changes because they interfere with what I want to do creatively. I absolutely love storytelling, and I would never sacrifice that passion for profit. That said, though, when I consider a new endeavour, I do look at how it fits my “brand”—i.e. what the market and my readers expect from me. I weigh that against my excitement for the project. If there are two projects to choose from and I’m equally excited about both, but one is more suitable as a “Kelley Armstrong” project, I’ll take that one. It’s just good business sense, and there needs to be a little of that in my long-term plan if I want to keep feeding my family!
TH: What are the most effective ways you have found to promote yourself?
KA: I think the most effective thing an author can do promotionally is write the next book. Nothing should interfere with building a backlist, because it will pay off—it certainly has in my case. Otherwise, I believe we should be aware of all the various ways we can promote our books, try as many as we can, and stick with the ones we find both effective and enjoyable. For example, I don’t blog because I can’t help but think of a blog as “500 words I could have used telling a story.” So instead, I write e-serials, which I offer free (and later put up as e-books) Is that effective as promotion? I don’t know, but I love doing it and readers seem to appreciate it, and that’s what matters for me.
TH: Can you recall a moment when a two or more influences or inspirations came together and smacked you with a cool idea?
KA: My next book—Sea of Shadows—is a perfect example of that. I’d wanted to write a YA horror and epic fantasy crossover for years, but when I’d never had a clear-cut plot. I just knew the genres. When I watched the first season of Game of Thrones, I was struck by that very first scene in episode one, with the massacre in the woods. I wanted to stick to that, but of course the story moved elsewhere quickly. Then I was talking to someone about Japan’s Sea of Trees, and I watched a video of volunteers going into the forest to retrieve the bodies of suicide victims. The two things—that video and the Game of Thrones opening scene—collided and gave me an idea for the inciting incident for Sea of Shadows.
TH: What is the most memorable moment (good, bad, or other) you have had in your life as a writer?
There have been so many. I’ll give one that stuck with me…for good and for bad. The day Bitten was released, my husband and I were out for dinner, and I wanted to stop by this tiny book store. I doubted they’d have it—first day of release for a debut author—but I had to check. They had two copies on the new-fiction shelf, and I was so thrilled. I told the clerk that I’d written them and asked if they’d like them signed. I’m an introvert, so it was tough to work up the nerve to do this, but I managed it. She just gave me this look like “Why would we want you to sign them?” She said I’d have to speak to the manager. I wrote down my name and number and said I’d happily come back to sign them. I never heard back, and I got the feeling she trashed my number as soon as I walked out the door. It was very . . . humbling. Let’s just say it was many years before I offered to sign a store’s stock again!
TH: What can readers expect to see from you in the near future? What are you working on?
KA: Lots! Sea of Shadows comes out in April. Then in May it’s Odin’s Ravens, book 2 in my middle-grade Blackwell Pages middle-grade trilogy (co-written with Melissa Marr.) The second in the Cainsville series (Visions) comes out in August. I still have a few Otherworld projects on the go, due out late this year (an anthology, a graphic novella and a prose novella.) I’m currently writing an e-serial novella for my “completed” YA series. I’ll start posting chapters from that in May.
May 19, 2014
Author Interview Series #76 – Mignon Fogarty
I first heard of Grammar Girl via her podcast some years ago. As an English geek, I immediately took to its straightforward explanations mixed with her engaging, entertaining style. Since those early days, Grammar Girl has become a New York Times best-seller.
Grammar Girl was created by Mignon Fogarty, a magazine writer, technical writer, and entrepreneur. She has served as a senior editor and producer at a number of health and science web sites and has a B.A. in English from the University of Washington in Seattle and an M.S. in biology from Stanford University.
Mignon believes that learning is fun, and the vast rules of grammar are wonderful fodder for lifelong study. She strives to be a friendly guide in the writing world. Her arch enemy is the evil Grammar Maven, who inspires terror in the untrained and is neither friendly nor helpful. Using the Fountain Pen of Niceness and the Shield of Dictionarium, she keeps the Grammar Maven at bay, while still finding time to talk to us.
TH: What is The Story of Grammar Girl? A harrowing descent into apostrophe-stoked rage? An uplifting tale of grammatical redemption?
MF: I had fallen in love with podcasting, and when I noticed my editing clients were always making the same mistakes (affect versus effect, who versus whom, lay versus lie, and so on), I thought it would be fun and helpful to produce a short podcast with a quick writing tip every week. The podcast rocketed up the iTunes charts and I had a huge audience within a month. It was in the right place at the right time with the right idea, and then I worked my tail off to turn it into a business.
TH: Why grammar?
MF: Actually, I write about grammar, usage, punctuation, linguistics, and word origins, so it’s not just grammar. A lay person often thinks of all these things as grammar though, so “grammar” is the best single term to convey the range of topics I cover.
TH: What is your background/qualifications as grammar guru?
MF: I have an undergraduate degree in English and I was a working writer and editor before I became Grammar Girl, but I didn’t have any real expertise when I started. I’ve developed my expertise over the last seven years with all the research I do for my Grammar Girl work.
TH: Do you have any writing stuck away somewhere that will never see the light of day, but nevertheless helped you build your skills?
MF: Not really. Nonfiction writers don’t do a lot of writing that sits around unpublished.
TH: Every writer has things they would like to accomplish, e.g. first sale, next sale, first novel sale, first bestseller, etc. What accomplishment are you striving for right now?
MF: I’m working on an outline for a novel, but I have been working on it for a long time.
TH: What about the writing process most appeals to you? What is the most fun?
MF: Research is the best part for me. I love learning new things.
TH: Have your reached the point at which you realized that you had “made it” as an writer? If so, can you describe the milestone or circumstances where you had that realization? Do you recall how that felt? If not, what is the milestone you’re seeking?
MF: I definitely felt like I had made it when Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing made the New York Times bestseller list–that was an amazing day–but those moments are fleeting and the euphoria fades. I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I can rest on my laurels. Every new project is a chance to succeed and a chance to fail.
TH: Some say that artists have to look at themselves as a business, a branded commodity. Do you take that approach?
MF: Absolutely. Grammar Girl is a brand and I have built a business around that brand. My books are a big part of that business, but I have other Grammar Girl products too. For example, I have two Grammar Girl branded games: an iOS game called Grammar Pop and a card game called Peeve Wars.
TH: So, Peeve Wars. Why do you find “literally” to be the most annoying?
MF: That’s based on what I hear from other people and how annoying they find “literally.”
TH: What are the most effective ways you have found to promote yourself?
MF: I love social media, so I spend a lot of time on Twitter and Facebook. Nothing beats an e-mail newsletter for promotion though. Every author should have an e-mail newsletter.
TH: Can you recall a moment when a two or more influences or inspirations came together and smacked you with a cool idea?
MF: Sorry. No.
TH: What is the most memorable moment (good, bad, or other) you have had in your life as a writer?
MF: The first time I was ever in New York was to fly in and sign my book and partnership contract. Sitting in the top corner office of the Flatiron Building with the CEO, president, and publisher of Macmillan was definitely a memorable moment.
TH: What can readers expect to see from you in the near future? What are you working on?
MF: In the near future, I’ll be doing an update to Grammar Pop and getting my card game, Peeve Wars, published now that the crowd funding part of that project is complete. After that, I’ll be starting a job as the Chair of Media Entrepreneurship in the School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. I’m sure it will take some time for me to get used to teaching, and then I’ll have to decide whether to make more games, write another Grammar Girl book, or do some other new entrepreneurial project.
TH: Is this something that extends into your daily life? How frequently do people come to you with grammar questions?
MF: I answer multiple grammar and language questions every day.
TH: From a linguistic standpoint, do you consider yourself a descriptive or a prescriptive grammarian?
MF: I consider myself to be a descriptivist-prescriptivist blend. Personally, I’m lean toward the descriptive, but as Grammar Girl, I know that people are coming to me for answers about what is right or wrong. I give prescriptive advice, but also try to provide a descriptivist perspective so people understand why I’m giving them the advice that I do–that it’s often not as simple as right or wrong.
TH: What resources do you use most often in your research?
MF: I use Garner’s Modern American Usage and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage almost every day.
May 9, 2014
Blog Hop – The Writing Process
My good friend, Colette Black, tagged me as part of The Writing Process blog tour. She’s a talented writer with her first novel The Noble Ark recently released, plus a collection of short stories called The Black Side.
So, here are the questions, and my answers:
1. What are you working on?
I’m working on a science fiction-noir novel best described as Gladiator meets Pro Wrestling. It’s an expansion of a short story called “The Hammer”, which I wrote at the Odyssey Writing Workshop in 2009, and which was subsequently published in OG’s Speculative Fiction. I had been itching to take the main character and give him a novel, so that’s what I decided to do for NaNoWriMo last year. And now, the first draft is almost finished.
2. How does your work differ from others in its genre?
That’s hard to say. I’ve never heard of a mash-up of this particular type before. As the book has progressed, I realize that it’s getting at some things relevant right now, which I suppose is what all the best SF does.
And thus far, I have yet to settle on a particular genre. I have a historical fantasy series, a swashbuckling adventure novel, a YA supernatural thriller, and short stories and screenplays all over the genre map.
3. Why do you write what you write?
I get an idea. I get a lot of ideas. Some of them I write down for later. Some of them stick in my brain with little barbs like fish hooks that won’t let me forget them until they’re written. That idea that just. won’t. go. away. is the book that gets written next.
Another way to answer this is that I want to tell stories that I enjoy, books I would want to read, and once I get going on something, I often don’t know how it will end until I write it. Apparently my subconscious likes to explore dark corners, with larger-than-life characters and lots of action and romance along the way.
I suppose it’s plausible that I’ll someday write a story filled with rainbows, puppies, and unicorns, but the puppies might be rabid, the leprechauns hiding under the rainbow are nasty little buggers, and the unicorns, well, they do have that horn as a weapon.
4. What is your writing process?
It varies, it seems, with whatever I’m working on. Ideally, I shoot for about 1,500-2,000 words a day, and then each day I will go back and revise and edit what I wrote the day before, as a way to get started. So it’s a recursive process. I also occasionally have ideas pop into my head like popcorn, with things to add on my work-in-progress, and I’ll go back and add those in. If I don’t grab them immediately, they fall through the floor drain, never to be heard from again.
So, in turn, I now tag four more writers whose work is worthy of your attention.
Quincy Allen is a self-proclaimed cross-genre author. What that really means is that he’s got enough ADHD to not stick with any single genre and, like his cooking, prefers to mix and match to suit his tastes of the day. He has been published in multiple anthologies, online and print magazines. He’s written for Internet radio and his novel Chemical Burn—a finalist in the Rocky Mountain Writers Association Colorado Gold Writing Contest—was is due out in 2014 in a newly revamped edition from Word Fire Press. His new novel Jake Lasater: Blood Curse, is also due out this year as well as a military sci-fi novel from Twisted Core Press. He works part-time as a tech-writer to pay his bills, does book design and eBook conversions for Word Fire Press by night, and lives in a lovely house that he considers his very own sanctuary.
Betsy Dornbusch is the author of a dozen short stories, three novellas, and three novels. In addition to speaking at numerous conventions every year, she also is an editor with the speculative fiction magazine Electric Spec and the longtime proprietress of Sex Scenes at Starbucks. She splits her time between Boulder and Grand Lake, Colorado.
Susan Ee is the bestselling author of the Penryn & the End of Days series which takes place in the San Francisco bay area. The first book, ANGELFALL, is being translated into 20
languages around the world. The second book, WORLD AFTER, was recently released in Nov. 2013 to international acclaim. The film rights to the series have been optioned by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Good Universe. Susan used to be a lawyer but loves being a writer because it allows her imagination to bust out and go feral.
Patrick Hester is an author, blogger and a 2013 Hugo Award Winner. He writes science fiction and fantasy (mostly), and his Functional Nerds and SF Signal weekly podcasts have both been nominated for Parsec awards and the SFSignal podcast was nominated in 2012, 2013 and 2014 for Hugo Awards. Patrick also produces ‘I Should Be Writing‘, the podcast for wannabe fiction writers created/hosted by 2013 Campbell Award Winner Mur Lafferty. He writes for his website, All Things from My Brain, SFSignal.com, FunctionalNerds.com and KirkusReviews.com. His fiction appears in the various anthologies and eBooks available via Amazon.com
May 6, 2014
Author Interview Series #75 – Lori Handeland
Lori Handeland is a New York Times, USA Today, Waldenbooks and Bookscan Bestselling Author and the recipient of many industry awards, including two RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America for Best Paranormal (BLUE MOON) and Best Long Contemporary Romance (THE MOMMY QUEST), a Romantic Times Award for Best Harlequin Superromance (A SOLDIER’S QUEST), the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, the Write Touch Readers Award, the National Readers Choice Award and the Prism Award. Her published genres include–historical, contemporary, series and paranormal romance, as well as urban fantasy and historical fantasy, and her publishers are a Who’s Who of romance and urban fantasy–Dorchester, Kensington, Harlequin, St. Martin’s Press, Harper-Collins, Simon and Schuster and Penguin/Putnam. She also publishes gritty, sexy western historical romance under the name Lori Austin.
Despite all that, she still graciously made some time to talk to us.
TH: What is The Story of Lori? An unintentional rhyme? An urban fantasy potboiler? A contemporary romance with the blank page?
LH: My story would be a hodge podge of genres, just like my books. I guess I’m easily bored.
TH: The only constant theme in your writing seems to be romance! You have Westerns, werewolves, psychics, and undead Shakespeare! Why the wide reaching themes? Do you have a favorite genre or sub-genre?
LH: I’m prolific so I like to change it up. If I didn’t, I doubt I’d still be writing 20 years after I sold my first novel. But I believe in the essential theme of romance–the promised happy ending. If I want an unhappy ending, I turn on the news. (I never turn on the news.)
My favorite sub-genre is usually the one I’m writing now, or depending on how difficult the book I’m writing now is, the one I plan to write next.
TH: What were your first serious creative impulses that led you to a creative career?
LH: I can remember sitting at a typewriter long before I knew how to type, pecking out a story about a family who went into space. (Lost in Space, with romance!) As an only child, my summers were spent with books, TV and that typewriter.
TH: Do you have any writing stuck away somewhere that will never see the light of day, but nevertheless helped you build your skills?
LH: I must have nearly 15 western historical romance proposals I wrote back in the day that never sold, but they did teach me how to write a rocking proposal. And I actually sold one of them recently.
TH: Every writer has things they would like to accomplish, e.g. first sale, next sale, first novel sale, first bestseller, etc. What accomplishment are you striving for right now?
LH: I would love to be inducted into the Romance Writers Hall of Fame. It’s a huge honor.
TH: What about the writing process most appeals to you? What is the most fun?
LH: I love rewriting, when the story is all there and I can tweak and twitch it into the shape I imagined when I started.
TH: Have your reached the point at which you realized that you had “made it” as an writer? If so, can you describe the milestone or circumstances where you had that realization? Do you recall how that felt? If not, what is the milestone you’re seeking?
LH: I don’t feel like I’ve made it yet. I wish I knew what would make me feel that way. I have no idea.
TH: Some say that artists have to look at themselves as a business, a branded commodity. Do you take that approach?
LH: I do. This is my job. I write every day. I schedule appointments after my working hours. I don’t answer the phone when I’m working. I ask myself “If I had a job outside of the house, would I be able to do that?” If the answer is no, then the answer is no.
TH: What are the most effective ways you have found to promote yourself?
LH: I’m hoping Facebook is effective, since I spend a lot of time there. An updated, engaging website helps too.
TH: Can you recall a moment when a two or more influences or inspirations came together and smacked you with a cool idea?
LH: I’d been toying with the idea of writing a western historical continuing series. I thought of it as Stephanie Plumb goes West. I started writing and about 50 pages in realized that not only is my humor dark and sarcastic, but as much as I love to read Janet Evanovich, I don’t write like Janet Evanovich. Everyone’s voice is different and should be embraced and developed for what it is. I rewrote that proposal as a western historical romance, and it became the first book in my Lori Austin “Once Upon a Time in the West” series, BEAUTY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTER.
TH: What is the most memorable moment (good, bad, or other) you have had in your life as a writer?
LH: Winning my first RITA award from Romance Writers of America for BLUE MOON. One of my best writer friends handed me the award, my husband was in the audience. It was a dream come true.
TH: I have to say, I LOVED Dead Man Dating, your contribution to Dates From Hell. When you get the opportunity to do an anthology, what is the process? How much direction/freedom were you given?
LH: Thank you!
For anthologies the publisher/editor chooses the authors–sometimes all their own authors, sometimes a few from other publishers. In the case of DATES FROM HELL, the editor at Harper/Collins had read my novel HUNTER’S MOON and enjoyed it. When she saw that the first novel in the Nightcreature Novels was a RITA finalist, she emailed to congratulate me. A few days later she called my agent and asked if I’d like to be in the Dates anthology. The only instruction we were given was to write a paranormal romance story that fit the title.
TH: So, why wolves? You have 11 Nightcreature novels plus a short story. What’s the fascination?
LH: I like wolves. They’re attractive and photogenic, from a distance. I also wanted to do something different and at the time it was all vampires, all day.
TH: If you weren’t a writer, how would you be ideally spending your days?
LH: Independently wealthy on a beach, holding a Corona and a book.
TH: What can readers expect to see from you in the near future? What are you working on?
LH: I will have a trilogy about three witch sisters released from St. Martin’s Press in June, July, August of 2015. I’m writing the second book right now.
April 29, 2014
Announcing a New Charity Anthology — Cthulhu Passant
I am delighted to announce the release of Cthulhu Passant, a collaborative project that includes two Bram Stoker nominees, Peter J. Wacks and Guy Anthony De Marco, plus the talents of Vivian Caethe and Sam Knight.
Strange things can happen at conventions.
A group of writers can be sitting around in the bar talking about writing, talking about the composition process, talking about challenges, talking about Lovecraft, talking about chess, and then suddenly we’ve challenged each other to write a Lovecraftian story with chess as a principal element.
And then we’ll put them all together into an anthology and publish it for charity!
So what charity? How about programs to benefit battered women? Perfect! Let’s do this!
So we did it. And here it is.
Along the way we picked up the artistic talents of Chaz Kemp, who created the awesome cover illustration, plusillustrations for each of the stories.
The intricacies of chess meet the matchless Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. Stories of doors, of passages, of patterns. Squares and threats, moves and counter-moves. Forbidden knowledge and cosmic horrors.
… Two young lovers and the hand that plays them
… A man trapped with an unwholesome companion uncovers the secret of a cosmic struggle
… A professor and his protégé find themselves pawns on an ancient chessboard
… A young Soviet boy’s chess match holds the fate of his nation in the balance
… A battered woman seeks safety in a shelter, only to find there might be no safety anywhere
All proceeds from this book go to benefit programs for women suffering from domestic violence.
Available everywhere in print and ebook. However, if you want to maximize your charitable support, buy directly from the publisher here.
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EPUB
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April 15, 2014
Author Interview Series # 74 – Jeanne Stein
Jeanne Stein’s writing epitomizes the urban fantasy genre. Her character, Anna Strong, is that iconic butt-kicking, powerful female that has come be associated with what we call urban fantasy nowadays, and now, seven books along in the series, they’re as popular as ever. She has shared anthology pages with other luminaries of genre: Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, and Kelley Armstrong. And on top of all that, she is an exceedingly gracious lady. How far will Anna Strong go? That remains to be seen, but if you corner her at a convention, she might confide that she wants to write more mysteries.
TH: What is The Story of Jeanne? A butt-kicking urban fantasy romp? A long, angst-ridden slog into professional writer-dom?
JS: Ha! A butt-kicking urban fantasy romp? That’s only in my dreams. My story is the same of just about every writer I know. Submissions, rejections, submissions, more rejections until finally, “it” happened…I got the call!
TH: What were your first serious creative impulses that led you to a creative career?
JS: I can’t say for sure. I do have a picture of me when I was about in second grade with a pencil in my hand and a serious expression on my face. Still, I think it was reading that gradually led me into a writing career. In the late 70’s I joined a mystery reading group held in a bookstore with an owner that had ridiculously wonderful connections. We had Sue Grafton, Robert B. Parker, James Elroy, Martha Grimes and so many other first rate mystery writers actually come to the store to talk with us. It was the first time I started wondering if maybe I could write a mystery, too. I joined Sisters in Crime and began to write in earnest.
TH: Do you have any writing stuck away somewhere that will never see the light of day, but nevertheless helped you build your skills?
JS: Doesn’t everyone? In fact, I’ve scavenged bits and pieces of those books to create new stories.
TH: Every writer has things they would like to accomplish, e.g. first sale, next sale, first novel sale, first bestseller, etc., but you already have a substantial body of work. What accomplishment are you striving for right now?
JS: I’d very much like to make the NYT list and USA list high enough to be recognized by my publisher. Penguin says you have to be above 30 to be able to claim the NYT Bestselling author title. I’ve hit 32 and 35. I’m also looking forward to taking a foray into self-publishing and maybe get one or two of those straight mysteries out there.
TH: What about the writing process most appeals to you? What is the most fun?
JS: Plotting and beginning a new story is the most fun for me.
TH: What is your go-to research book? If we walked into your office, what book would be at the top of the pile?
JS: A Thesaurus. A big one.
TH: Have your reached the point at which you realized that you had “made it” as an writer? If so, can you describe the milestone or circumstances where you had that realization? Do you recall how that felt? If not, what is the milestone you’re seeking?
JS: I think a writing career is full of moments where you feel you’re a little closer to that magic moment. Acceptance by an agent, first contract with a publisher, holding your book for the first time, seeing your book in a bookstore, finding your name on a bestsellers list. But I’m not sure what “making it” means at this point in my career. I just want to keep writing books that readers want to read.
TH: Some say that artists have to look at themselves as a business, a branded commodity. Do you take that approach?
JS: Writers who want a career have to look at the business side of things because publishers certainly do. As much as we like to think of ourselves as artists, to our editors, we’re a bottom line commodity. I try to approach writing as a professional, knowing marketing and a presence on social media may be a drain on time and finances, but it’s necessary. I treat the process of writing the same way—as a job. It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had, but it’s also the best. But to be successful, I have to turn out a product and that takes discipline and work.
TH: What are the most effective ways you have found to promote yourself?
JS: I don’t know that I’ve found the most effective way yet. I’m on Facebook and Twitter, though Twitter doesn’t get much attention because I can’t think of clever or interesting things to say a dozen times a day. I attend conferences and that’s fun and work. I love meeting fans and being on panels. I take out ads in magazines that appeal to readers of my genre. I need to revamp my website, although the S. J. Harper site is really quite nice. Samantha Sommersby, my coauthor, has hired someone to take care of it for us. I love doing classes and talking to book clubs. Can I say any of these are more effective than any other? No. After ten books, I’m still experimenting.
TH: Can you recall a moment when a two or more influences or inspirations came together and smacked you with a cool idea?
JS: Maybe when I was coming up with the character of Anna Strong. I knew I wanted to write a vampire story, but not the angst-filled-I’ve-been-turned-and-I-hate-my-life kind of vampire story, but a story of a strong female who has to face a life turned upside down. Who has a human family and friends that she has to hide her new reality from while coming to terms with the vampire existence. Anna was a tough cookie before being turned and that didn’t change after. I got to take all the characteristics I admire in women and use them to forge her personality.
TH: What is the most memorable moment (good, bad, or other) you have had in your life as a writer?
JS: There are two wonderful ones— the first was at ComicCon in San Diego when I heard a voice behind me say, “Aren’t you Jeanne Stein, the author?” I actually looked around thinking there must be another Jeanne Stein, that that person couldn’t possibly be talking to me. But she was. And that person, Kris Bochum, is a friend to this day!
The second was when a reader told me that she loved my books because they were five-hour vacations. That’s exactly what I was going for—a way to take a reader out of their regular lives and let them escape into another world for an afternoon. I look on myself as an entertainer and if I achieve that for someone, I’m a success.
TH: A few years ago, you contributed to an anthology called Many Bloody Returns with some fellow big names in Urban Fantasy (Charlaine Harris – Sookie Stackhouse series, Jim Butcher – Dresden Files, Kelley Armstrong – Bitten series). Were you invited or did you submit a story? Did you know in advance who your fellow contributors were? What was your reaction?
JS: Charlaine and I have been friends for years but it was still quite a thrill to get that invitation. Yes, I knew who the other contributors were, which was another thrill. I still get royalties from that one! I have another story in a Charlaine Harris anthology coming out first in audio book in May, then later in HB and paper. The name of that one is Dead but Not Forgotten: Stories from the world of Sookie Stackhouse. I wrote about Sookie’s Gran, Adele Stackhouse. It was harder than I thought it would be to write in someone else’s world—but fun, too!!
TH: How has being a member of various writing communities (Sisters in Crime, Horror Writers of America, RWA & RMFW) affected your writing career?
JS: I think the most important benefit of belonging to writing groups is that they provide a sense of community. Writing is a solitary endeavor. It’s nice to get together with others who share the same passion. Sisters in Crime provided my first introduction to critique. Romance Writers of America provides educational opportunities. Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers does both. I’ve been in the same critique group for years. My writing is stronger because of it.
TH: If you got the opportunity to get Anna Strong up on the big screen, who should play her?
JS: Okay, you may think this weird, but I liked the model used in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which is an action-adventure video game. If you’ve seen it, you know how remarkable the animation is. Anyway, that Lara is lean, heroic, strong and realistic in her vulnerabilities. I can’t help thinking
that the performance capture technique is perfect for the Anna Strong books.
TH: In other interviews you’ve named Laurell K. Hamilton as a big influence for you. If you could do some sort of crossover novel or shared-world story, which of her characters would you love to work with most?
JS: I suppose Anita Blake. I have to admit, I am not so enamored of LKH as I was when I began. But she must be given credit for being one of the founding creators of Urban Fantasy. Her style of writing greatly influenced me when I was beginning the series.
TH: What can readers expect to see from you in the near future? What are you working on?
JS: Like every author I know, I’m looking at self-pubbing. I have three projects right now— a novella in the Fallen Siren Series Samantha and I hope to have out in April or May; a mystery novella I’m in the process of editing; and a mystery novel that’s through the first draft process. Then it’s on to writing another Anna Strong book. It’s an exciting time to be an author because there are so many opportunities out there now! And of course, the second book in the Fallen Siren series, Reckoning, is scheduled to be released in October.
TH: Is there anything else you would like to talk about?
JS: I suppose the only thing to add is to the newbies out there—don’t ever stop writing. Remember Robert Heinlein’s five rules:
You Must Write
Finish What You Start
You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order (Debatable, this one—I know he took it literally. I take it as don’t get bogged down with chapter one, trying to make it perfect)
You Must Put Your Story on the Market
You Must Keep it on the Market until it has sold
Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
