Elizabeth Hunter's Blog, page 34
June 10, 2013
Default Hero Love! (And what you can do to combat it.)
June 7, 2013
Reading Watching Listening: Extra Long Summer Fun Edition
June 5, 2013
An excellent reader question about Tenzin and Ben, and an answer (sort of).
Reader Elizabeth Arrowood asked a great question over on the Facebook page, and I wanted to take some time to answer it here on the blog at a little more length, because this is a question I get fairly often, and I want you guys to get where I’m coming from.
“So, just wondering- how long might we have to wait for this Ben & Tenzin Series? I can hardly STAND how excited I am about it! 
“
First off, I love your excitement! I’m so glad you love these characters. I love them, too. But this is one of those questions with a short and long answer.
The short answer is: I don’t know.
The longer answer is: I don’t see myself starting on that series for at least a year. Possibly longer. And I can promise it’s NOT because I’m not excited to work on it. It’s not because I don’t know the overarching plot line of that series. And it’s NOT because I don’t think it’s important.
There are two factors at play here. One, Ben is still pretty young in my mind. I don’t know how exactly to explain it, but he just is! When I first started writing that character, he was a child. A mature, somewhat jaded child, but a child. And as the series has progressed, he’s grown, obviously. BUT, he’s not there yet, for me. I hope that makes sense. It’s not a YA or NA series. He still needs some time to mature.
The second factor is Tenzin. Ah, Tenzin. I love Tenzin. She’s awesome. She’s also a really difficult character to write. REALLY difficult. That’s part of the reason I love her. She’s a challenge. And she’s had a very dark life, which means that a series with her as a main character is going to have some very dark moments. It’s possible that I’ll be writing some of her background in short story or novella form at some point. I haven’t decided yet.
(Please understand, her life was not pretty. And it wouldn’t be a “nice” story. But it might be an important story for the overall series, so it’s possible. I know what she’s been through in my mind, but writing it all out becomes infinitely more difficult.)
Can I tell you how it’s all going to work out? Nope. I don’t see anything predictable for those two characters, so I can’t really tell you what to expect. Expect Tenzin and Ben. Being themselves. Trust me, they’re talking to me, (Figuratively, of course. Please don’t call the men in white coats.) and I’ll keep listening. Can you expect a book shortly? No. Can you expect some shorts or extras? Probably.
Trust me, their stories will be written. But you’ll have to be patient.
Elizabeth, thanks for the great question, and I hope that answers it. And thanks to everyone who has shown so much enthusiasm for these two characters.
(And if you’re a Tenzin fan, and you haven’t read Wind Speaks, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to peek into her thoughts a little.)
Thanks for reading! And thanks for the awesome reception for BLOOD AND SAND. I am truly blessed.
All the best,
Elizabeth
May 28, 2013
Happy book birthday, BLOOD AND SAND. Let’s celebrate with a give-away!
I was hoping to wait on this post until all the sales links were live, but Barnes & Noble is still not up, and I didn’t want to wait any longer.
Happy release day to BLOOD AND SAND!
You know, I honestly didn’t know how many readers were going to be enthusiastic about a book about Baojia. He was a relatively minor side character in the Elemental Mysteries, and he was decidedly on the quiet side. So the fact that you guys have embraced his story the way you have just thrills me.
So with no further ado, here are your sales links!
Amazon (e-book and paperback)
Kobo
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble (I’ll update when I can)
Amazon.uk
Createspace (paperback)
And when you’re finished with the book, if you could leave an honest review where you bought it, that would be fabulous and greatly appreciated.
Also, in celebration of the new release, I’ll be giving away one signed paperback of the new book here on the blog. To enter, just leave a comment between now and Friday, telling me who you’d like to read about next in the Elemental World (OTHER THAN Ben and Tenzin, who are getting their own series in the future.) So, let me hear ya!
And I hope you enjoy BLOOD AND SAND.
Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth
May 26, 2013
Happy Birthday to me.
May 21, 2013
Teaser Tuesday: Last Teaser for BLOOD AND SAND
Okay, the release for BLOOD AND SAND is only a week away, so I’m giving you one last teaser to tide you over. It’s a shorty, but I’m constantly asked whether or not Gio and Beatrice are going to be in any of the other books, so I hope this answers that question!
***
Baojia raced through different scenarios, most of them ending with Natalie and him both dead, until he settled on one that had a chance of working. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but he’d at least survive long enough to make sure Natalie would be safe. Turning back toward Pasadena, he gritted his teeth and prepared for the night to get even worse.
He parked a block away, knowing that approaching on foot would be less threatening. As he neared the gate, he heard the fluttering sound overhead and the slight smoky smell that permeated the grounds. By the time he was in sight, the Italian was already leaning against a brick pillar, his guard vampire perched on top with her legs crossed under her and an enormous smile on her face.
“I told you,” she said.
Baojia halted across the street, hands hanging in his pockets as he stared at the fire vampire who stared back.
This was going to suck.
“Giovanni Vecchio,” he said. “I need your help.”
***
If you can, pop over to the Facebook page today and let me know who you see as Baojia! I’ll have an album up, and I’m curious who you’re thinking of when you read his parts.
E
May 20, 2013
Book news and new fan art.
I posted this over on Facebook, then realized, I really should have made this a blog post for you non-FB readers.
News! Let’s see what’s happening in Hunter book world:
Lots happening this week. I’m doing the formatting for both ebook and paperback versions of BLOOD AND SAND so it’ll be all shiny and ready to go next Tuesday. Only a little over a week! Can you believe how this month flew?
I’m also reformatting the paperback cover for BUILDING FROM ASHES right now, which is why it’s currently unavailable to order. I will do my best to have that done TODAY, so that book is available by the end of the week at the latest. I really apologize for the delay on that.
I’ve also been formatting a paperback version of WATERLOCKED, for those of you who love that little novella. I’m NOT enabling expanded distribution on that, however, in order to keep the costs down. That means it will only be available from Amazon or the Createspace store. I understand that’s not ideal for some readers, but I’m trying to keep costs as low as possible, because it’s a novella, not a full book. I believe the cover price will be around $6.99.
Audio news! I have been informed by the lovely people at Audible that JULY 18TH is the day they’re hoping to release the complete audio set of the Elemental Mysteries/Elemental World series. That’s right, ALL the books (including Blood and Sand) will be available for download. Crossing fingers that everything goes well and stays on schedule! I know some of you have been waiting for those.
That’s it for me. Might do something fun on the page (that’s the Facebook page, blog readers) if I get all my work done early today. We’re on summer schedule here at Casa de Hunter, so Small Boy is running around creating mischief (which is always fun), and work-time is a little harder to come by.
There is new fan art posted on the FanArt page. It’s a very cool sketch by the lovely Sharon Fruth, which was inspired by a Fuseli sketch and Gio and Beatrice. She titled it “An Eternal Love” and was kind enough to send it to me. Thanks, Sharon!
Teaser from Blood and Sand tomorrow? What do you think?
May 16, 2013
Blood and Sand: Soundtrack
I had some valid complaints on Facebook last week. (Sorry!) It seems a lot of you really like it when I put up the soundtracks I use when I write my books. And I haven’t done that in a while. Mea culpa, my readers. I’m posting the soundtrack for Blood and Sand today. And I’ll try to update some of the others when I get a chance.
Soundtracks. Hmm. What do they mean? For me, music plays a big part in how I write. It’s one of the things I use to trigger my personal creative process. Sometimes, soundtracks can be spoiler-y. For reasons that became obvious, I didn’t post the full soundtrack for The Force of Wind until AFTER the book came out. (“Dante’s Prayer” might have given more than a little away.) Sometimes, there’s a lyric in a particular song that really expresses something about a character or a relationship or a scene. Sometimes, it’s a mood or an emotion that I want to evoke. A lot of times, a song just sounds right for the scene that I imagine. There’s no science to it, so don’t take them too literally.
Many thanks to the amazing artists on this list. They are all inspiring in different ways. A HUGE thank you has to go to Florence + The Machine on this book because “Ceremonials” was all over this soundtrack. Love that album. In fact, if I had to pick one song for this book that really captures the mood and the feel, it would be “No Light, No Light.” Here’s a video of Florence performing it live (which you MUST go see if you have a chance) and soundtrack details are after the break.
Music for Blood and Sand: Elemental World Book Two
No Light, No Light—Florence + The Machine
Heavy Metal Lover—Lady Gaga
American Girl—Tom Petty
#1 Crush—Garbage
Crash Into Me—Dave Matthews Band
Lights—Ellie Goulding
Iris—The Goo Goo Dolls
All Through the Night—Cyndi Lauper
Possession—Sarah McLachlan
Leave My Body—F+TM
Down—Jason Walker
Fearless—Cyndi Lauper
Demons—Imagine Dragons
Heartlines—F+TM
Set Fire to the Rain—Adele
Never Let Me Go—F+TM
And there you have it! You’ll have to tell me what songs you hear when you read the book after it comes out on the 28th!
Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth
May 13, 2013
For Writers: Teaching Patience to the Muse
May 11, 2013
Random Ramblings about new releases, travel, and future projects.
