Seleste deLaney's Blog, page 8

Why Writing People of Color Is Hard

We don't live in a white world. We live in a world full of color, and that goes for people as well as things. So, why do so many books end up mono-ethnic? Truth is there's all sorts of reasons. In a lot of ways, people naturally segregate. It sucks, but it's true. Books about family don't get a lot of options unless it's about a person of another race coming into the family. Sometimes, because of the story the author is telling, it just "doesn't work" to be multi-cultural. And that's fair.

But...

Naming Names

Last night I was on the last stages of wrapping up a YA project (or at least wrapping it up as in all-I-can-do-with-it-at-this-point) and decided to open a new scrivener file. I have a bunch of critiquing to do this week, but I also wanted to get started on a new Cupid's Conquest story. I'd love to say this one has been bouncing around in my brain for a while, blah, blah, blah, but that would be a lie. This is a brand new shiny thing. I'm hoping it shines bright enough that it becomes one of...

RT Madness

See? Katee Robert & I *are* different peopleIf you saw my RT schedule, you know that it was shaping up to be a crazy convention. I may have over-extended myself a teeny bit. Maybe. Hell, I'm probably going to do the same thing next year (minus the photo shoot). Someone just remind me of two things next year:

Pace myself because Saturday night is a long way away. If I plan on drinking a lot, do not (under any circumstances) mix vodka and rum. I should know this by now, but I...

Find Me at RT!

(If you will be at RT and collect buttons like I do, make sure you read all the way to the end...)

Twenty-four months ago, I attended my first Romantic Times Booklovers' Convention as an aspiring author. Now I have three short stories, three novellas, and one full-length novel (under my YA name) tucked under my belt, along with the first Blood Kissed novel coming later this year. Today... I leave for my third RT Convention.

My how times have changed. The first year, no one knew who I was, but i...

Searching for Seleste...

This is going to be a rather long, rambly post--possibly with a good deal of cursing. If you don't feel like actually reading it, I understand. If you want to be able to pretend you did, give me virtual hugs on facebook and commend me for my effective use of Firefly quotes.

Those of you who want to stick around, you might want to grab a chair (who am I kidding... only crazy people read on those treadmill desks).

Some of you have known me for most of my life. Others for several years. And others...

What Do You Mean 'Headache'?

I am not one of those authors who is detached from her characters. They are "alive" in my head and, especially when I'm pantsing, tend to direct the action. When I plot, they do the same thing, they're just nice enough to do it in advance.

Now, a not-so-secret secret. I like sex in my books. I prefer characters who, if they're going to do the deed, do it on screen. Fade-to-black tends to be reserved for my YA work. (There are occasionally characters who don't have sex, but that's a post for a ...

Lucky 7: Peek at Gaming for Keeps

This is also known as the "I hate you, Katee Robert" post. But I will play along.

The Rules:

Go to page 77 of your current WiP.
Go to line 7.
Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences, and post them as they're written. No cheating.
Tag 7 other victimes... er, authors.


Since my WiP is not to page 77 yet, I told Katee to pick a page. From page 46 of Gaming for Keeps:


Their bodies slippery, he held her close with one arm and brushed herhair back with the other. A piece of green fabric caught between his...

Blood Kissed Announcement!

Short post this week, but I hope it's one you'll get excited with me about...

A bunch of people have been asking for a while about the status of the Blood Kissed series. Well, today I'm happy to let you know that there's more Jocelyn coming and, as requested over and over again, it's longer--a lot longer :) This announcement was going to wait for cover art, but I needed to celebrate something good today. (Plus, it gives me another easy blogging day when cover art comes in--WOOT!)

I am crazy-hap...

Sometimes Hot Just Ain't Enough

So, Angela James's post over at the Carina Press blog got me to thinking about music, and for whatever reason, the Patty Smyth song, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," came to mind. Now, I'm not going to break down the song and the tragically beautiful story it tells. Because, really, where's the fun in that?
Instead, thinking of the song started me thinking about beautiful people. Now, I don't mean lovely people--the ones who are attractive and funny with great personalities who donate time ...

But... Is It Art?

(Warning: This post may be NSFW)

In the literary world, we get a lot of dissent (I'll call it that to be polite) about what constitutes art. Pretty much, the big guns are of the opinion that if it isn't literary fiction, it isn't art. And, it seems as if it's too popular, it isn't art either, but I could be wrong on that last bit. A few years ago, Stephen King got some big deal award and the literary world was all up in arms because he wrote popular fiction and, not just that, but *gasp* genre...