Alex Hughes's Blog, page 11

New Short Story in Adam’s World Now Available

Hi all,

I am thrilled to announce that a new short story in Adam’s world, “Rabbit Trick,” is now available to purchase. It’s about 9000 words and has two bonus short stories in other worlds that you will also enjoy.

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Here’s the info:

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Open Mind

When the cops call me in the middle of the night, I know it’s bad. One of their own is dead, strangled in her car by a professional killer, and it’s up to me, telepath consultant extraordinaire, to pull the rabbit out of my hat and solve the case. Only this time I’m not so sure I can.

Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino is breathing down my neck. The dead cop’s partner is too. And now, the worst—there was a five-year-old kid in the car, a kid no one can find. 

Note from the author: “Rabbit Trick” takes place before the events of Clean, so the hero intentionally remains nameless. 

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The story is now available on Kindle and in most formats on Smashwords now, and will be available on Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc. in the next few days. I’ll post links here as I have them.

As a special thank-you to my blog readers I’ve arranged for a coupon for half price (99 cents) on Smashwords) until October 2014. Use coupon code LN76Q at checkout.

Slaying Monsters

As those of you who’ve been following my Twitter feed know, a few weeks ago Sam got sick. Like, really sick–two rounds of antibiotics nasty sick. And, being a sharing kind of person, he gave me a lighter case of the same thing. Thanks lots.

Before it got really bad, I did manage to make it to Coastal Magic, in which I met amazing people (you know who you are – but if you don’t many pictures here, thanks to the incredible Lucienne Diver). I had a blast talking books and participating in the infamous Flash Fiction panel (there are rumored to be videos out there somewhere), and came back exhausted, happy, and with songs of Mermaid Ninja Turtle Cats on Broadway in my head.

Then the real sickness hit. There’s nothing quite like being a matter of weeks from deadline and your upcoming blog tour that makes being sick particularly tortuous. My To-Do List grew into a hulking monster with feet that followed me around the house as I was collapsed into momentary sick huddles (or fetching tea and meds for Sam, who was the same but much worse). The To-Do List stood over me as I attempted to sleep. It stood over me as I stared at the keyboard and slowly got words done. And then it brought its brother, No Energy Man, to the party.

After more than a week I vanquished the monsters–or at least fought them to a standstill–and wrote a new synopsis for Book Four. This is the one, I can feel it–at least, I can when I’m awake and feeling decently. The new round of antibiotics seems to be working for Sam, and I’m getting better at about the same rate. (Turns out I heal quickly when he’s not reinfecting my air.) Today is the first day where I felt like a full human being. And if I want a nap at the moment, I will fight it off. Stupid No Energy Man, you are a liar.

Unfortunately, the Yoga Challenge has died a sad death, slayed by No Energy Man, sickness, and deadlines. It will resurrect from its ashes another day. In the meantime, I sit down at my keyboard and fight the good fight and drink coffee like mad against the auspices of No Energy Man. He will die.

Today I get serious. Today I begin the Big Battle. Today I slay the monster that is The Next Book On Deadline, and do the amazing thing that is the Next Blog Tour. (You will likely hear very little from me in the next two months if it’s not a part of the tour. This is normal. This means I am sweating out beautiful words you will get to read in December.)

And today–today I wish you strength and fine weapons to slay your own personal monsters and get your own Shit Done. Who’s with me?

Can I ask a silly question?

Hi all,

I’d like to ask a very silly question of you guys. What do I write? I have a hard time putting a genre on it, and would like your opinion. What would you call my stuff, and what do you like about it?

(I’m working on my blurbs for conventions and would like to do a better job of introducing my work–and I’d love the reader perspective.)

Thanks in advance for your input. I appreciate!

Finding the Joy

So this week I’m hanging out with friends from Odyssey for a writing retreat focused on finding our joy in writing. It’s so easy for publishing and deadlines and craft and pressures both internal and external to steal that joy, so periodically we come back together to encourage one another. I am *so* lucky to have such amazing friends who really understand my writing journey and help me along it.

I’ve kept up the yoga, but I’ve missed two days out of the week, which is frustrating. Still, the point of the challenge for me was to stretch myself and sit with uncertainty, and I feel like I’m making great progress with both.

We’ve had a lot of great discussions over the week so far, everything from haunted instruments to life after death, women and science fiction to Daleks and Dr. Who. Plus food. We all love food, and I’ve eaten an incredible number of amazing vegetables (including artichokes with yogurt sauce) that I wouldn’t ordinarily make. Writing-wise, we have discussed character in depth, how to structure stories, how to take something from an idea to a full-fledged story, how to get unstuck. In our process talk last night, I had a breakthrough. My most natural process, as I explained to the group, is all about three-dimensional spaces with mood and sight and sound and smell. A strong space/mood and a character I can really get into the head of is all I really need. If I have both, the story starts weaving out from there. The threads appear, and it becomes natural, and glorious, and interesting. It becomes something I love to do. Whereas, when I start with too rigid a structure, I get stuck. It feels clunky and wrong.

So, in the current projects, both Adam #4 and Secret Project #1, I’m trying to do more of my natural process. Take the space and mood and the character I love, who speaks to me, and let them develop as they will. Already, I’m feeling the joy much more.

It’s amazing how a small creative spark and the support of great friends can make all the difference. Even if I am doing a lot of yoga in the process

Email newsletter going out tomorrow

Hi all,

Make sure you’re signed up for my email newsletter, because tomorrow I’m sending out a short story to the list. Inky Black Sea features a Venetian, a sea captain, and a very mysterious occurrence.

If you sign up through February 15th, I’ll hand-deliver the story to you so you won’t miss out.

Alex

40 Days of Challenge, or Breathing through the Uncertainty

As some of you may already know from my post on social media, this Sunday I started a 40 Day Yoga Challenge through my local studio. Most of the folks who signed up are committing to an hour a day at the studio, but since I’ll be traveling during some of the time, I’ll be doing an hour a day wherever I am for the entire 40 days. This should be interesting at the Coastal Magic Conference in Florida… perhaps I can find a way to practice on the beach if it’s not too cold.

I’m currently on the fourth official day of the challenge, but since I went to the studio for Saturday as well, I’ve already done four days of yoga in a row. I’m sore, oddly enough especially in my foot muscles, but I’m happy and I seem to have more energy. I’ve also been forceably humbled; I thought I was getting pretty good at this yoga thing until I walked into the Dynamic class and saw people contorted and doing headstands for fun. I’m drenched in sweat, muscles shaking, and they’re looking angelic in poses three steps harder. This is when the instructor tells you to close your eyes and breathe. So I breathe, try to forget about them, and do my best not to fall over. Of course, I do anyway, but I get back up.

Writing is like this for me sometimes. There are times when I’m feeling on top of the world and things come easily, and there are times (like lately) where I struggle for every word. But what this challenge is about for me is showing up. Learning to lean into the discomfort and uncertainty and be okay with not having all the answers. Learning to have faith in the process and in myself, that the project will come together as it should and that if I keep showing up, and keep working, I’ll get stronger. I’ll get this done.

I went to the Atlanta Arts Movement dinner on Monday, which is always incredibly inspiring (more about this in a future post). I got to talk to artists and musicians in a variety of mediums, and it struck me all over again that real artists embrace the struggle. Even Suzy Schultz, one of the most accomplished full-time painters I’ve ever met, rarely knows where the canvas will take her when she sits down to paint. That faith, that adventure into the unknown is something that all the artists and musicians talked about. And it’s something I don’t think we allow ourselves to feel in the writing world as much as we should.

This last year I’ve read so many articles on being a better businessperson, on handling your marketing and promotion better, on systems and methods to improve your writing and to be more efficient. Rachel Aaron even talks about scientific data gathering in her famous 2k to 10k post/book. And there’s a part of me, the part that used to hang out with engineers, who thinks if I pull the right levers and do the right process, I can learn to be a near-literal writing machine.

But great art is about that uncertainty. Great art is about the magic coming together, about the unexpected you find along the way. Great art takes discomfort and uncertainty and the stretching of new muscles. Great art also takes time, time seated at the canvas or the keyboard, time sitting with that uncertainty.

So, this 40 days, when I commit to yoga every day, I also commit to letting go of my levers and gears. I commit to spending time at the keyboard, to reconnecting with my muse, to looking for the great art that’s buried within me. Ultimately, this will mean that I must, like in yoga class, stand with muscles shaking, breathing through the uncertainty and discomfort. I will stand with respect for myself and the non-linear process that is my writing.

I expect interesting things to happen this 40 days. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Kerry Schafer Talks Fiction Without Labels

Hi all, my good friend and writing partner Kerry Schafer stopped by the blog today to talk about writing books that don’t fit in boxes. Thought you guys would enjoy.

Take it away, Kerry.

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I’m not a fan of labels.

Whenever anybody says to me something along the lines of, “Oh, you’re a nurse/mother/counselor/survivor” or – and I really hate this one – “widow” – it makes me want to snarl and throw things. None of these things define me. I currently work as a nurse, but I have also worked as a mental health counselor and lumber piler, among other things. And yep, I’ve got kids, but there’s a lot more to me than motherhood. As for the whole widow thing, it’s a horrible word and a nasty little box I refuse to be crammed into.

When it comes to books, I feel the same way, although I do acknowledge the necessity of some sort of classification system to make it possible to find what you’re looking for.

For example, if you want to buy a book in which an intelligent protagonist solves a crime, you look under mystery, or possibly thriller. The words High Fantasy conjure up an instant image of swords and mages and and maybe an elf or two. Urban Fantasy tends to be a kick ass heroine faced with supernatural elements in and out of the real world. But what happens to the half breed books that are neither one nor the other? What shelf do they end up on in the bookstore? How can they be marketed so that the reader expecting one thing is isn’t disappointed by finding something different on the page?

I was blissfully ignorant of sub genre when I was writing my first published novel, Between. In the privacy of my own head the division is pretty clear cut. Books are either Fantasy, or Not Fantasy. I will happily read anything with fantastical elements, so long as it’s well written and has characters I like to hang out with. It doesn’t matter to me what kind of magic is involved, or whether there are swords or guns, vampires or orcs, so long as I’m taken on a journey far away from reality.

So I wrote what I like to read – a mix of fantastic and real life elements, with characters who must grow into their destiny. When my brand new editor said, “I think we’ll market this as Urban Fantasy,” I said, “Okay, sure,” and then hit the internet to find out exactly what Urban Fantasy was. As it turned out, a lot of hard core Urban Fantasy fans were not entirely happy with this decision, as Between doesn’t quite fit the bill.

 

According to Wikipedia:

Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Urban fantasy exists on one side of a spectrum, opposite high fantasy, which is set in an entirely fictitious world. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods, and the settings may include fictional elements. The prerequisite is that they must be primarily set in a city.

There are other expectations for Urban Fantasy: a kick ass hero or heroine defending the real world from supernatural creatures. Often there are vampires or werewolves. I’ve never written an urban setting in my life, and my characters aren’t so good with the kick ass program, since I like to make them as real as possible and see how they react to a sudden weirdness in their world.

When I wrote the Dream Wars novellas, even though by then I was thoroughly aware of the genre conventions, I ran into trouble yet again. Fantastical elements are woven into an ordinary little town. The characters are human with no supernatural powers, and the forays into an alternate reality are brief. The Dream Merchant is known and accepted in the same matter of fact way the gods of Olympus were accepted by characters in the Greek myths. The supernatural blends in with the ordinary and even science in an inseparable way.

So where does this tale fit as far as genre? It’s not really fantasy and it’s not typical paranormal. There are elements of magical realism, but since it’s not literary fiction that’s not right either. There are no shape shifters or ghosts or vampires to be seen.

I have, once again, managed to write an odd book out, one that doesn’t play nicely on the shelves with others.

But the thing is, I love books like this, which is maybe why I write them. Just for fun, I did a little internet research on a couple of books from my shelf that I see as not conforming to genre: A Fine and Private Place, by Peter S. Beagle, and Isle of Dogs, by Patricia Cornwell.

A Fine and Private Place is set in a real life graveyard. The main character talks to the dead and is fed by a raven. Interestingly, the novel is listed as Fantasy, plain and simple. No “paranormal” or “urban fantasy” descriptors even come up.

Cornwell’s Isle of Dogs is classified under Mystery/Thriller, even though it includes a talking fish at one point, and is possibly the weirdest book I’ve ever read. The vast majority of readers who reviewed on Amazon – accustomed to Kay Scarpetta and a traditional thriller – hated this book with great venom. It was not what they expected and they were not happy about that.

Which brings us back again to the question – what is a writer to do?

And the answer, for me, is to just keep on writing what I love, and hope to find the readers who will go with me into fictional realms unlimited by labels.

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Alex: You can find out more about Kerry at her website at http://www.kerryschafer.com/. Her latest project, the Dream Runner, is a series of novellas featuring a woman who delivers custom-ordered dreams for a mysterious Merchant. She must return to her hometown, the site of a terrible tragedy. The stories are rich and deep and lovely, and I’m not just saying so because I critiqued them in process.

Buy the first one on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, or Kobo. 

Waking Up The Braincells, or a Long Winter’s Nap

In high tradition of me, I took the week of Christmas off, and worked only half-time on the week of New Year’s. This was wonderful and terrible.

The glorious consequences:

*I experienced Plants vs. Zombies 2 on the iPad. For hours. The chicken zombies were particularly fearsome, but I slayed them all. Well, except in endless mode. (I may never get the theme song out of my head.)

*I played through the first episode of The Wolf Among Us, a video game based on a graphic novel with a story that plays like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. I am hooked. I want to write many such things, and see them come to life. Because it was awesome.

*I spent time with family and friends. This involved many board games, card games, and a rediscovery of my mad bridge skills. Also, conversation and cooking. My chicken parmesean recipe & homemade granola won Christmas. (Yes, perhaps, not a competition, but if it was, I totally won.)

*I completed much needed Boring Paperwork for the writing business.

*I cleaned out my office. (I’m looking at you, Leaning Tower of Random Paper to Sort. I have conquered you. Please do not return.)

*I did some planning & idea work on Super Secret Projects.

*I slept in. Every day.

*I cleaned the entire house.

*I learned that Ecco Domani Moscato is amazingness.

*And many amazing readers reached out to me to say how much they’ve enjoyed my books. It has been extraordinary. I’ve also gotten positive reviews, and two folks referenced my book(s) in their end of year lineups. (Tara Day http://bit.ly/1a54yrz and Fantasy Literature http://bit.ly/1ie33gi.) I am blown away and deeply honored by all of this. You guys are amazing.

But, of course, not everything can be glorious. There must be downsides and sadness to all great things as well.

The sad tragedy of the vacation:

*I got a total of 950 words written. (In two weeks. Very sad.)

*The internet ate my brain. This may or may not have had anything to do with the zombies game and reading comments on blogs. Holy crap, social controversy. And… wow, there were three logical fallacies in that two-line comment on that blog post there. Plus a character attack. My brain is deeply confused.

*It became Deeply, Horribly Cold. For days and days. My heating blanket and I have refused to be parted.

*I have discovered that tiny pet giraffes are an urban myth.

*My to-do list has procreated with itself while I walked away. The resultant budding has grown to the point where I Will Never Get Everything Done. This makes me sad. Also, email.

*And worst of all, in coming back to Book Four this week, my writing muscles are stiff and slow. They–and my poor internet-eaten brain–are stretching out only slowly. I am remembering why I rarely take such a long vacation.

*Also, I must now get up at a reasonable time.

 

And how about you, dear readers? How did your holiday vacation time go? Tell me of your tragedies and triumphs. Go.

Interview in Which I Talk Novels, Biology, and Benedict Cumberbatch

Brandon Sears interviewed me today over at Every Read Thing. I may have mentioned my grandfather, some cool science books and a certain actor from Sherlock. 

Click on the link for all the details here: http://everyreadthing.com/2014/01/06/interview-alex-hughes/

Interview with Jennifer Estep (and Giveaway!)

I’m excited today to welcome Jennifer Estep, one of my favorite authors, to the blog to celebrate the release of The Spider, the new Gin Blanco book in the Elemental Assassins series. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. First off, the information about the book. Then, the interview.

 

How did I end up in a career where I always have blood on my hands? Well, let me tell you a story about an assassin who thought she could do no wrong. . . . 

Ten years ago. A blistering hot August night. I remember like it was yesterday. The night I, Gin Blanco, truly became the Spider. Killing people is what I do best, especially now that I’ve honed my Ice and Stone magic. But back then, I had yet to learn one very important rule: arrogance will get you, every single time. 

This particular job seemed simple: murder a crooked building contractor with ties to ruthless Fire elemental Mab Monroe. My mentor, Fletcher Lane, had some misgivings, but I was certain that I had the situation under control . . . right up until I exposed my weaknesses to a merciless opponent who exploited every single one of them. There’s a reason assassins aren’t supposed to feel anything. Luckily, a knife to the heart can fix that problem, especially when I’m the one wielding it. . . .

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ka2nf8z

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/qf3kfop

Books-A-Million: http://tinyurl.com/oh39r4c

iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/ld6odgn

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/odwowov

Audible: http://tinyurl.com/oxbqwwn 

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Alex: Welcome, Jennifer! Please tell readers about your Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series.

JE: Thanks for hosting me on your blog. I appreciate it.

I write the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. The books focus 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.

Alex: The latest book in the series is THE SPIDER. Can you tell us a little about it?

JE: THE SPIDER is the 10th book in my Elemental Assassin series. It’s a little different in that it is a prequel book set 10 years before the events of SPIDER’S BITE, the first book in the series. So THE SPIDER is sort of an origin story about how Gin truly became an assassin.

It was really fun for me to write the book and show how Gin “meets” some of the secondary characters for the first time. THE SPIDER also includes a lot of shout-outs to people and places in the books for fans of the series, and I hope that new readers will enjoy this look back into Gin’s past as well.

Alex: That sounds really fun. What appeals to you about the fantasy genre in general?

JE: I’ve always loved fantasy books, movies, TV shows, etc. I just really like the idea of people having these magical powers, going on epic adventures, and using their abilities for good.

Alex: What inspired you to write the Elemental Assassin series?

JE: I’ve always enjoyed reading stories about assassins, especially in fantasy books. Assassins can be everything from cold to calculating to crazy, and it seems like there are a lot of different stories you can tell with them. One day, I thought it would be fun to write my own assassin character with my own magic and world building, so that was sort of the beginning of the series.

Alex: What are some of your favorite fantasy books/authors and why?

JE: When I was in high school, I discovered epic fantasy, so I read a lot of books by authors like David Eddings and Terry Brooks. Today, I read all kinds of fantasy – epic, urban, young adult. Some fantasy authors that I enjoy reading are Alex Bledsoe, Scott Lynch, Maria V. Snyder, and many others. I also really enjoy fairy tale retellings, like Beauty by Robin McKinley.

Alex: I love Robin McKinley! Guess we have a lot in common. Have you always wanted to be a writer? What got you started on your writing journey?

JE: My mom used to take me to the library every Saturday when I was a kid. So that’s how I fell in love with reading and books in the first place. I think that love of reading and books is one of the things that led me to want to write my own book with my own characters and tell the story that I wanted to tell. I wrote my first book one summer during college, and I’ve been writing ever since.

Alex: What’s next for you? Will there be more books in the Elemental Assassin series?

JE: As of right now, there will be at least 12 books in my Elemental Assassin series. POISON PROMISE, the 11th book,  is set to be published on July 22, 2014, with the 12th book set to be published in December 2014. I’m also mulling over some ideas for new books.

Happy reading, everyone!

Alex: Thanks again for being on the blog, Jennifer, and happy book birthday!

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BIO INFO:

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. The Spider, the 10th book in her Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will be released on Dec. 24. For more information, visit www.jenniferestep.com or follow Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

JENNIFER’S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:  

Website: http://www.jenniferestep.com/

Blog: http://www.jenniferestep.com/blog/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferEstepAuthor?fref=ts

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Jennifer_Estep  (@Jennifer_Estep)

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/580315.Jennifer_Estep

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Jennifer has graciously offered a free copy of The Spider to one lucky reader (US shipping only). Leave a comment on the post to enter! I’ll notify the winner via email during the highly-imprecise time period When I Get to It Over the Holidays. Likely this Sunday.