Jami Gray's Blog, page 29
July 10, 2013
Why we love NYT Bestselling author @Jennifer_Estep…oh, btw there’s a #giveaway too!
Today Smokey has thrown together some savory BBQ in honor of our guest, the New York Times Best Selling author, Jennifer Estep. (Of course, we’re not asking what supplied the meat, suffice to say it is scrumptious.) For those unfamiliar with her work, you are so missing out on some fantastically deadly adventures!
The Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series focuses on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.
If that’s not enough to whet your reading appetite, she’s also the creative mind behind The Mythos Academy, a young adult urban fantasy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.
If your character(s) came with a warning label, what would it say?
JE: Sassy, sarcastic, southern, loves to cook, good with knives. That would describe Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, the heroine of my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series.
As much as Gin makes me tremble, I have to admit, I’d love to sit down at the Pork Pit…yummm
Whether we’re plotters or pantsers (outlines not needed), creating our stories takes us on very memorable journeys. Sometimes we may be part way through before we realize some major aspect of our story is just not working (plot, character, setting). Have you ever hit this sharp, pointy snag and if so, how did you escape? We’re you battered and bruised or a bloody mess?
JE: I’ve definitely hit snags in my writing where something just isn’t working. Sometimes, I can figure out what the problem is right away, and sometimes, I’ll get close to the end of a draft before I figure out what’s wrong and have to go back and rethink just about everything.
But for me, it’s getting the words down in the first place that’s the most important thing. So if I think that something isn’t working, I just keep on writing. Eventually, the solution will come to me. And I find that it’s easier to go back and fix things when you have something on the page to work with, rather than no pages and no story and no characters at all.
I have to agree with you on that one, it’s so much easier to drag my Muse out of Filet Your Own Deli if I have something she can work with. Unfortunately, she likes to wait until the most inconvenient times to allow me flashes of solutions…*cough, cough* mid-suds in shower.
Many writers have that first novel which will never see the light of day. Out of curiosity, do you have one stashed somewhere? Inquiring minds want to know: what was your first attempt at writing and how old were you?
JE: I wrote my first book one summer during college. It was a really bad epic fantasy book, and, like you said, it will never see the light of day. LOL.
I’m tempted to burn my first one, a YA fantasy, just so it can never be used against me in a court of law… However it did provide endless entertainment at the last gathering at the retreat with the other Evil six…
What’s some of the funniest/sweetest/strangest things you’ve heard from your readers?
JE: I’ve gotten so many nice comments and e-mails about my books, and they always make my day. Knowing that folks are enjoying my books makes all of the long hours at the computer worthwhile.
Since Gin owns a barbecue restaurant, I write about food a lot, which I really enjoy doing. I’ve gotten several comments from folks saying that reading the books makes them hungry. So that’s kind of fun for me to hear.
Let me just add, I tend to read, then re-read your series often, so I am humbly grateful for all those hours at the keyboard, Jennifer!
Ready for the bullet list, fellow Swamp goers? Strap down and hang on!
Blades, guns, fists or feet?
Blades
Yep, right there with you!
Favorite Fairy Tale of all time?
Beauty and the Beast
Nicceee…I’m a firm believer Belle’s hiding leathers under her gown…
Three titles and their authors sitting on your nightstand/bookcase/table/floor waiting to be read?
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo; Hounded by Kevin Hearne; and Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder
Kevin’s HUNTED is at the top of my to-read pile…
Greatest one liner of all time?
“Inconceivable!” (From The Princess Bride movie)
Most awesome movie…EVER!
Sarcastic witticism, Southern sweetness or Geeky disdain?
Sarcastic witticism
mmm…yes, sarcasm it is the way of my people…
Strangest item currently taking up space in your writing cave?
I have a calendar of corgi dogs hanging on a wall in my office. I had a sweet little corgi mix dog for many years, and the calendar reminds me of him. So it’s more sentimental than strange.
I could lend you Hellhound, problem is, he’s kind like having a whole litter of corgis…or two…
Favorite supernatural creature?
Dwarves
And this is why we love you, Jennifer!
Thank you, Jennifer for taking time to spend with us! And for sharing a chance to acquire DEADLY STING!
Want more of Jennifer Estep and Gin Blanco? Then here’s your chance!
Just click on the Rafflecopter giveaway link below, then tweet or comment on this post for your chance to get a copy of Jennifer Estep’s DEADLY STING, the next exciting installment in her Elemental Assassin’s series!
Open to US Residents only, please. Winner will be announced on July 17th!
Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.
She can be found at the following locations:
July 4, 2013
#SizzlingHop Excerpt from #SHADOW’SSOUL from @JamiGrayAuthor #Giveaway #ParaRom
Welcome to the first annual SIZZLING SUMMER BLOG HOP! Check out the great authors taking part and look for the announcement of our grand prize winner by Krystal Shannan at the end of our hop!
For now, enjoy this sizzling excerpt from Shadow’s Soul, the second book in my Kyn Kronicles.
SHADOW’S SOUL, 2012 Shooting Star Paranormal Romance winner, by Jami Gray…
Unable to stop she reached out to gently touch his clenched jaw. Just under the anger in his voice was the one emotion she thought she’d never hear from him, fear. “You have to be one of the most disciplined men I know, Gavin.”
“It may not be enough this time.” His voice was quiet, eerily empty.
She narrowed her eyes. “Bullshit.” The word was a whip. “I don’t believe that. It’s magic, no matter how it was created. You are Kyn. Not only are you Kyn, but you are a Wraith. You have fought worse things and walked away.”
“Yeah but those monsters didn’t live inside me.”
Her short laugh was sharp. “Think about it. As Wraiths we’re the bogeymen to all bad little Kyn. You think that monster came from Lawson’s little drug cocktail?” She leaned forward. “I hate to break it to you, but it was already there. It’s why you’re a Wraith. Don’t you understand? We were picked to be Wraiths because to hunt the monsters, you don’t send out hunters, you send out other monsters.”
The bitterness in her own words rang through the car’s interior. She defiantly held his narrow-eyed stare and folded her arms defensively across her chest as the windows around them began to fog over. Obviously Rio’s little digs about judges and jury had gotten under her skin more than she realized.
“I’m not a teenager,” he said, watching her. “I’m older and have a hell of a lot of practice with shields. You spent months at the mercy of twisted men. I spent a few hours. It was enough to do damage, but I’ve spent the last three months trying to come to terms with what’s been unlocked.
“Some days are easier than others. For the first couple of weeks, it was all I could do to keep sane. If it wasn’t for you and Cassandra, I’m not sure I would have been back.”
She looked away. “I didn’t do anything,” she muttered, fighting back the shame. She had wanted to see him, but her guilt at putting him in Lawson’s line of fire had held her back.
He grabbed her chin. “You survived, and I couldn’t do anything less.”
The intensity of his look had her tongue nervously wetting her lips. His thumb rasped against her lower lip, following the moist trail. The simple caress made her breath catch, and when his head lowered, she met him halfway.
The minute his lips touched hers, heat engulfed her. The whispers of doubt fled under the fire, and she gave in to the inevitable. He made her want things she hadn’t thought she’d ever get. And he made her believe.
His groan as her tongue teased his turned her blood to molten lava. Their rising passion drew her in and sucked her under. Tunneling her fingers through his hair, she reveled in the feel of the silky strands, using them to hold him close so she could plunder the heated depths of his mouth. The seatbelt was a minor inconvenience, holding her back from crawling closer.
His hands were busy as his talented mouth. They stroked over her neck and caressed downward until he could fill his palms with her breasts. Her shirt was a flimsy barrier to his sensual assault. Ripping his mouth away, he flicked his tongue to trace the cord in her throat. Her head fell back, giving him better access. He gently nipped her skin where neck and shoulder met, his stinging bite lost in her rising passion. Those clever fingers forged a fiery trail that left her breasts feeling full and heavy, causing a small whimper of need to escape her. Constrained by the seatbelt, she could do nothing but surrender to his touch.
With a wicked chuckle, he bent down and drew one tight nipple into his mouth, shirt and all. She was lost as her body rocked under his touch. His tongue curled over her, tugging her deeper into his mouth, as his hand plucked and teased her other breast. The feel of being restrained as he teased her was almost more than she could take.
The blast of a car horn shattered her haze of passion. “Gavin,” she breathed, her voice hoarse with need, as awareness of where they were flooded back.
Let me know if you enjoyed this small peek into the intriguing relationship of Raine McCord and Gavin Durand. Leave your comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! I’ll announce the winner on July 8th!
For more sizzling reads, check out other stunning authors at:
GRAND PRIZE: IPAD MINI (US ONLY) alternate prize for International winner!
TWO, yes TWO Fabulous SWAG PACKS will be given away as well!
July 3, 2013
It’s Coming! THE ROMANCE TROUPE’S SIZZLING SUMMER BLOG HOP (7/4-7/7)! #SizzlingHop
Please join over 40 authors and bloggers as we celebrate summer with some fabulous romantic tales.
Starting tomorrow, 7/4/13 through 7/7/13!
Each blog will feature a SIZZLING excerpt from one of the author’s own books or from one of their favorite reads.
Dive into the fun on July 4th as we kick off our shoes,
find our favorite lounge chair,
put on our big straw hat (so we can see our eReader, of course),
and enjoy the summer sun.
You could win……
An iPAD MINI
(US ONLY)
(Alternate prize for international winner)
OR
Grand Prize #2
$50 Amazon/B&N Gift Card
+ Several Surprise Digital Books
OR
Fabulous Swag Pack #1
+ $10 Amazon/B&N GC
+ Several surprise digital books
(US ONLY for Swag)
OR
Fabulous Swag Pack #2
+ $10 Amazon/B&N GC
+ Several surprise digital books
(US ONLY for Swag)
We can’t wait to meet you!
Follow all Hop announcements via
www.theromancetroupe.com
and on Twitter hashtag
#SizzlingHop
July 2, 2013
Time to get hoppin’!
Are you ready to get hoppin’?
This month is filled with blog hops, giveaways and freakin’ fantastic interviews!
Gear up, hydrate, and get ready to rock-n-roll…
We start off with the SIZZLING SUMMER BLOG HOP from July 4th through July 7th!
Come on over tomorrow and check out my favorite scene from one of my titles and a giveaway. But the fun doesn’t stop there, oh no! You must check out all the other awesome authors and reviewers taking part in the SIZZLING SUMMER BLOG HOP by clicking the link in my post to start your journey for other great reads and giveaways!
Then we’re on to our Swamp Interview for July and it’s truly magnificent if I do say so myself. July 10th, the wonderful JENNIFER ESTEP is stopping by and she’s even giving away a copy of her next Elemental Assassin series with the dangerously witty, Gin Blanco–DEADLY STING (limited to US residents only, please).
Come check out Jennifer’s interview when we were able to tangle her in our mossy web for a few minutes. Comment, say hi, ask questions and take part in the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a copy of upcoming release! We’ll announce the winner on July 17th!
The Blogger Book Fair is back for a SUMMER RESORT! July 22nd through July 26th we’ll be taking part with numerous other others and bloggers while we explore new titles and writers!
Giveaways, interviews, contests, we have it all! Stop on by and increase your summer reading list!
We finish our rockin’ July with HOT PARANORMAL NIGHTS BLOG HOP from July 25th through July 30th!
This hop celebrates all things that go bump in the night. Whether you like your sexy heroes to have fangs or fur, or your spunky heroines to harness magical forces, or any other sort of paranormal elements to spice up your romances, this is the hop for you! Mark off the dates!
Now that you have your route line out, are you ready?
June 26, 2013
Returning to our regular programming…
So I made it back, dragging 29 pages behind me. Mentally exhausted, pleasantly over stuffed on great food and endless pots of coffee, it’s taking a few day to drop down from my caffeine high.
The Prankster Duo and The Knight managed to survive, the shack was still standing, albeit a little lopsided, but upright. The backyard, aka the jungle of horrors, looks like it got into a fight with a machete wielding barber, but at least you don’t have to send up signal flares to find your way back. And I had nothing to do with it! Nope, the title of Conqueror goes to the Knight. *folds hands under chin and sighs*
We managed to lure out the Muses with promises of uninterrupted “them” time and then proceeded to hold on tight as they dragged us through our paces. Mighty Dwarf caught a late night broom into town and joined the fun. Even our newest member, Ninja Dwarf, snuck in. One minute not there, the next-POOF-she’s right behind you! You have to be careful not to trip over her though, small and quiet isn’t always the best combo!
Snarky whipped out a couple of outlines, Eerie figured out a few new ways to enjoy the delicacy of brains, Smokey got dragged out of a cavern and into a new dragon infested world, and Quirky, although he wouldn’t share, was stuffing pages into his bags at the end of trip. So I think we can consider this a productive retreat.
At one time the Muses decided we could indulge in a short reprieve, so we quickly made our escape to swing by a lovely little place in Winslow to enjoy the visual offerings of Tina Mion. So before I sign off for this week, I’ll share with you one of my favorite photos. You want the story to it? Check out Tina’s site or if you’re in the area, swing over to La Posada Hotel in Winslow and see it for yourself!
Until next week…
June 19, 2013
Beeeppppp….
Hello you have reached the Swamp habitat of Wicked, Knight in Slightly Muddy Armor, the Prankster Duo, Hellhound and the Garden Gnomes. We are unable to take your smoke signal at this time. Please don’t bother with a message, I won’t get it. I’m gone, the boys are trying to survive alone without supervision, so it’s anyone’s guess if the shack will still be standing when I return.
On the plus side, I’m heading out of the heat to cooler climes to spend time with the other Evil Six to lure our Muses out into the open. We’re hoping to bleed a little for them.
I promise we’ll return to our normal programming next week!
Until then, Ciao!
June 12, 2013
Problem Between Muse and Keyboard…
What do you do when your plot backs you to the crumbling edge of your story?
Do you throw your hands up and wave them like you just don’t care? (Sorry, the 90’s were visiting this week!)
Do you wrap your rappelling rope of character motivation around your leg and step back, praying it holds?
Do you scream like a little girl and jump?
Or do you push back?
Unfortunately, my storyline took me to task the last couple of weeks. I’d get a couple chapters ahead, then she’d slap me back a chapter and a half. I’d dodge around her, when she wasn’t looking, only to find myself face first in the dirt.
How did this happen to me? Well, it’s not because I’m a panster, because I do have a general outline of where my story needs to go, I know my characters and what drives them, and my world is very, very familiar.
Nope, can’t pin it on any of the normal suspects.
So who was the culprit?
Um that would be the person between the Muse and the keyboard. Will call her ‘The Operator’. Seems The Operator decided we needed to do an entire scene of Q&A’s in this Paranormal Suspense. No matter how much the Muse or the characters threatened bodily harm, horrific turns of fate, The Operator determined a long, drawn out Q&A needed to be RIGHT HERE.
So Muse and the characters got together and managed to infect The Operator with a lovely serum of Second Guesses. Since The Operator refused to listen, they decided to skew her POV. They sent her out on a ‘was’ hunt, because we all know ‘was’ is not a verb.
Battered and bloodied, The Operator made it back to the dreaded chapter of contention. Tired, she decided she needed a shower to wash all the gore off. In the midst of washing the was right out of her hair, a brilliant idea formed.
Why not skip the Q&A? Why not just recapped it in a paragraph and move on. Since it’s first person POV, readers could discover the information with the main character. Besides, most of the characters’ pulses had leveled off, it was time to get their adrenalin pumping and move to the next BIG THING.
Ecstatic, The Operator, dashed out of the shower, careful to keep a protective hand over her eyes, fumbled for a pen, jotted the idea down and realized the inside of her head had finally fallen silent.
Muse and characters didn’t let her hear their cheers, but they’re ready to proceed now that The Operator stop being a boob!
Feel free to share your trembling moments of impending disaster and how you escaped!
June 5, 2013
A Swamp Visit with #pararom author @LivRancourt and her new release…
Today began like any other day. Hellhound greeted the heralding light of a new day with a rousing chorus of canine delight. The Prankster Duo is prepping for their summer of total dominion. The Knight is considering various siege targets.
And me?
I’m sneaking over to Snarky’s place because the talented and honored Dwarf Friend, Liv Rancourt, is stopping by. As a matter of fact, in apologies for sending buckets full of rain her way the other week, I invited her down to our sunnier part of the world to dry out and rediscover what the word ‘sky’ and ‘dry’ have in common.
It helps that Eerie and Mischievous managed to tick off the Voodoo Queen down south, because it’s been a little warmer than normal. So much so, even the moss between toes has dried out and Dreamer’s become a little perturbed at the beating her flowers have taken. I think she sent a few air elementals southward to Queenie’s place to help her re-arrange her perspective.
Regardless, now that Snarky has set out some really cool pastries and Eerie’s coffee is scenting the air, it’s time to grill……ask Liv a few questions before we dive into her Paranormal Romance, FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN…
As children we tend to have an idea of what we want to be by the time we’re ten. Before you decided to pursue the artistic dream of being a writer, what did you want to be and why?
The thing is, before I was ten I knew I wanted to be a writer, though by the time high school rolled around, I’d kind of forgotten. Writing was cool, singing was cool, but the future? Who knew?
One of my college roommates was a nurse, and I figured there was NO WAY I was smart enough to do that. Then I got into nursing school, and figured there was NO WAY I could handle the responsibility of the job.
Heh.
It was only after twenty-some years of nursing that I figured if I was ever going to do that writing thing, I better get on it. So now you know that my life was a clueless stumble from point A to point B – though I will say I’m pretty happy with where I am now.
-Isn’t that how we all get to where we’re going? Trodding the straight and narrow is so boring. At least when you stumble, exciting things happen…besides smashing face first into the ground!
Personally, I tend to be a bit on the introverted side so the thought of being in the actual presence of one of my favorite writers makes my heart race, my knees shake and tangles my tongue (yes classic fan girl behavior). Who could reduce you to such a level and how do you imagine your initial meeting?
Neil Gaiman. OMG just saying his name …. I imagine if I ever met him, there’d be lots of silence with me sitting awkwardly, unable to connect my brain to any higher verbal functions, and him sitting awkwardly, wondering why this relatively normal woman has turned into a gibbering zombie.
-But you’d be such an attractive zombie, I’m sure he’d overlook the gibbering thing…
Growing up, what was your favorite book, comic, game or movie and did you create a character/player that might resemble you?
For a while I was the best friend Laura Ingalls never had, and then I lived in the attic next door to Sara Crewe (A Little Princess). I solved mysteries with Nancy, and survived the Crimean War with Florence Nightingale. So yeah, I pretty much plunked myself into just about every book I read. Actually, I kind of still do…
-Shhh! I won’t tell if you won’t…
Whether we’re plotters or pantsers (outlines not needed), creating our stories takes us on very memorable journeys. Sometimes we may be part way through before we realize some major aspect of our story is just not working (plot, character, setting). Have you ever hit this sharp, pointy snag and if so, how did you escape? We’re you battered and bruised or a bloody mess?
It’ s all about the characters. If I feel like something’s not working, I break out the notebook, grab my pencil (because pens make me crazy) and start writing from the POV of whichever character’s most involved in the situation that’s giving me trouble. Sometimes it’s more than one character, but either way, it helps to refresh my memory of who each person is and how they’d respond to things.
If that doesn’t work, I step away from the piece for a while and work on something else. Taking the dog for a walk can help, too, as can sleeping on it. Often when I wake up in the morning, I find yesterday’s plot macramé has unraveled itself nicely.
-I’m with you. Sometimes I’ll write from a secondary character’s POV just to figure out where in the hell are we going with this…
What is the best advice you can share with others?
My standard answer to this question is: “WRITE”. But I’m going to vary that a little. Write some, share what you’ve written and ask for feedback, and write some more. Get yourself a couple good books, like “Goal, Motivation & Conflict” by Debra Dixon, or “Save The Cat” by Blake Snyder. Write some more. Sign up for a class – there are a bazillion on-line classes so you can work from home and on your own schedule. Write some more.
These steps can occur in any order you choose. The important thing is to learn the craft and to get feedback. Oh, and write some more.
-And when all else fails, WRITE!
Now it’s time for quick fire round (and yes, I have been watching way too much Top Chef!)
Blades, guns, fists or feet?
Fangs. It’s all about the vampires, baby.
-As long as they don’t sparkle, I’m good…
Favorite Fairy Tale of all time?
Does “The Lord Of The Rings” count? On their own, fairytales are a little…basic. I’d rather read a book that does a good job repurposing several to create something new.
-LOTR works, and because we love you, we’ll count it as a fairytale!
Three titles and their authors sitting on your nightstand/bookcase/table/floor waiting to be read?
“Breathing His Air” by Debra Kayn (Crimson Romance), “Tarnished” by Karina Cooper, “Winter Knights” by Harper Frost, “Winterblaze” by Kristen Callihan, “The Chalice” by Nancy Bilyeau…oh, you said just three, right. Oops.
-I’ve yet to find a writer that can stop at three…
Greatest one liner of all time?
Don’t know about “all time”, but right now my favorite one-liner happens in my current WIP (working title King Stud). The main character Danielle is exasperated with her best friend’s younger brother, who’s a carpenter. He tells her there’s so much original woodwork in the house she inherited it’s making his dick hard. She says, “You’re like twenty five years old. Your dick gets hard when the wind blows.”
And he says, “Twenty four, and…well…”
He’s pretty confident for a youngster.
-*snort, giggle* niceeee…….
Sarcastic witticism, Southern sweetness or Geeky disdain?
Sarcasm FTW!
-and this is why we’re friends….
Strangest item currently taking up space in your writing cave?
I am the Queen of Clutter, and my “writing cave” is the dining room table. Someone has left a beret on the table. I don’t know who, and I don’t know why. I’m not writing about France or anything. Maybe I should be…
-Or maybe someone should take you to France? *waggles eyebrow*
Favorite supernatural creature?
Vampires. But you knew that.
-*big grin*
Big love to Liv for braving our wilds once more and bringing such a great title with her!
Want to spice up your reading list this summer? Check out Liv’s latest release and must have: FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN
Molly, a forty-something single mom, tangles with the wrong guy and gets a hell of a hickey. That blotch is really a demon’s mark, and she’ll have to face the three things that scare her most to get rid of it. First, Molly loses her job and then she has a near-sex experience with her philandering, not-quite-ex-husband. Worst of all, she has to sit by a hospital bed, wondering if her son is ever going to wake up.
The Powers That Be assign Cass to help her. He’s an angel who’s trying to earn a seat in the celestial choir by helping out a human in need. Vanquishing the demon would be his ticket up, but only if he plays by the rules. He’ll never earn his wings if he loses his heart to the lovely Molly. But she has even bigger things to worry about. She stands to lose her soul.
Buy Links:
Crimson Romance/ Amazon/ Barnes & Noble/ ARe
Liv Rancourt writes paranormal and romance, often at the same time. She lives with her husband, two teenagers, two cats and one wayward puppy. She likes to create stories that have happy endings, and finds it is a good way to balance her other job in the neonatal intensive care unit. Liv can be found on-line at her website (http://www.livrancourt.com), her blog (http://www.liv-rancourt.blogspot.com), on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/liv.rancourt), or on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/LivRancourt).
May 29, 2013
Writer research…AKA–getting to live other people’s lives…
What do you think of when you hear the words ‘writer’ and ‘research’? When I first began to seriously pay attention to the necessary skills inheritant to a writer, I had this vague image in my head of an investigative reporter in a fedora and topcoat skulking around dark corners, spying on nefarious types. Unfortunately that’s not the way it really is. My reference library of actual books has increased exponentially over the years with such titles as: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology, The Search for ‘The Manchurian Candidate’, Monsters and Demons, Letters of Enoch, Navaho Indian Myths, Conflict, Action & Suspense, The Scene of a Crime,The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, Werewolves, The Book of Everything Feckin’ Irish, and so on.
It’s varied enough, the titles are housed in my bedroom closet so the impressionable minds in the house have limited access. Trying to explain to a teacher why my sons understand how to tell a were from a shifter and what weapon is easily modified to take out hearts is not a conversation I want to repeat.
But, as much information as you can gain from various books from a wide range of subject experts, nothing beats expierecing it for yourself or talking to those who’ve already been there and done that. Granted, for Urban Fantasy, finding a reliable source who’s fought off a werewolf or back a slavering vamp down is a bit hard to find, but there are ways around such things. For example, in SHADOW’S MOON, most of my research circled around wild wolves and their behaviors. Not because the story is packed with information, but because I needed my characters reactions to read true to their animal natures. Conversations with my brother in law who enjoys spending time dressed like a tree, helped me consider how a human hunter’s mind could work in conjunction with a wild predator’s intellect. Viola! Alpha werewolf in human skin.
In my current work, I’m pulling on other sources. Sources Knight and I have known for years, and we’re lucky enough to still have in our life considering their chosen lifestyle revolves around repeated tours overseas to keep me and mine safe. Not to say I’m not pouring through various texts on military tactics or the psychology of special forces, but those can’t show me the depth of courage and honor it really takes to face something that most of us (thank goodness) never have to face. Not only has our friend been a great resource in the creation of my characters, but the more I talk to him, the more I realize how lucky we are to have him in our lives.
Despite my anti-social, watch from the sidelines typical reserve, I’m discovering just how much more beneficial it is to go and start a conversation with those in my life. All those personalities, all those stories, it’s a treasure trove out there. Each person has stories that boggle the mind, each of them have something to contribute to my growing mental library of character motivation, scene creation and plot devices. More than books, there is no better research tool than the world we live in, because more time than naught, it’s the unexpected realities that make heart pounding adventures we writers depend on.
What are some of your best research tools?
PS Don’t miss next week’s visitor, LIV RANCOURT!
May 22, 2013
Plunging into your characters…
I follow a number of blogs, from everything for Zombie Preparedness, to writing techniques, to pure humor. One of my favorites is Kristen Lamb at warriorwriters.wordpress.com and this week she hit on something I’ve been chatting over with some other writerly friends for awhile–how do make your characters ‘real’?
As writers, we’ve been told many, many, many times (ad naseum) that there only so many archetypes for our characters, to differentiate them we have to make them ‘unique’. Uh-huh, right then and how do we do that? Well, I like what Kristen’s outline in her blog so I’m linking it right here:
Take the time to read this post. I’m a hugely character driven writer, so the more complex and intricate I can make my peeps, the more ‘real’ they come across to my readers. No one wants to read the same stereotype character with a different hair color/eye color/warts/plaid/polka dots/height. The more you can shade them, giving them corners no one wants to admit to having the more your readers will be inclined to follow along and invest themselves in your world.
It’s sharing time….feel free to add bits and pieces you’ve discovered in making your characters ‘real’.
