Susan Simone's Blog, page 6
June 8, 2013
A Quick and Dirty Interview with Scotty Schrier
Hi Everyone! More quick and dirty interviews! You know you love em. The author of the day is Scotty Schrier a fabulous horror writer that is sure to have his books flying off the shelves. His new book Jode Unforgiven is releasing June 14th 2013Q: Give me one quote from your book that sums up the mood.
A: Jode's eyes burned into the gunslinger. "Now, you listen here you little turd. I told you once, you don't make threats you can't back up. Your tough talk doesn't work in here. Now, you're going to sit here healing up for your trip to Tucson where I'm assuming you're going to hang. But if you don't, and you still feel raw about our little toe to toe, you come and find me. But you better bring a pine box with you. Otherwise, I'll watch the vultures eat your eyes."
Q: In 100 words or less, what is your book about?
A: The demon, Ophidian, killed Jode's wife and son and tried to kill him too. Through sheer willpower, Jode survived. He didn't come out unscathed, though. Jode was denied access to heaven because of the demon blood coursing through his veins. Years later, he's tracking a team of demons through the desert, searching for Ophidian. He finds his prey, and in the process stumbles across a plot so sinister, he has no choice but to gather a group of misfits from the small town of Viejo. He also has to accept help from the very forces he's fighting against, in order to save the world from total annihilation.
Q: What made you start writing?
A: I started reading Stephen King in high school and fell in love with is words. It was like the door opened up and someone said, "Hey look, books don't have to be dry and boring and old! They can be fun, and scare the crap out of you too!"
So, my English teacher my Junior year made us write. Usually an essay every two days or so. I hated it. Then one day she told us to write a short story. I remember when she said it had to be 10-12 pages long, I almost fainted. There was no way I could do that. After serious edits, I turned in a 15 page story. That was when I got the writing bug. I could put down all the weird crap in my mind on paper!
Fast forward 20 years to a particularly bad day working pest control, and I wrote a fictionalized account of what happened. That was my first short story that people actually liked. And I've been honing my craft ever since.
Q: Where do your story ideas come from?
A: I have no idea. Sometimes, just like a bolt from the blue. Other times, it's like a niggling thought that's just under the surface of my mind that's just trying to dig itself free. But when the ideas hit, and they almost always do, there's no stopping them until I've at least written out part of it just to see if the concept might work. It's sort of like an exorcism by typing.
Q: Do you have any weird writing rituals?
I wouldn't say weird, per se, but I have to be away from the house. Otherwise, I feel like I need to get up every 15 minutes to help out with the kids, chores, etc. By the end of the day, I might have two or three pages done. But when I get away, I can hammer out ten to twenty in a sitting. Also, I keep soundtracks on my computer so I can plug the headphones in while writing.
I have a Young Adult novel I'm working on that is being written to a John William's soundtrack. My current novel Jode Unforgiven was written almost entirely while listening to "Hurt" (the Johnny Cash remake of the NIN song) on repeat.
Q: What author influenced you the most and why?
Stephen King started the motor with his fiction, but he kicked me into turbo mode when I read "On Writing". That has been the single most valuable book I've ever read on the craft of writing.
A: What are your three favorite ideas for future books?
I've got a Young Adult series that I'm developing that takes place in an alternate universe where the world is covered with 90% water.
I'm also working on a connected anthology of zombie fiction.
And, of course, the sequel to the book I'm putting out now!
To learn more about Scotty check out his Facebook and website. Think you have what it takes to hob knob with Scotty? Go to J. Ellington Ashton Press and submit your work!
June 6, 2013
A Quick and Dirty Interview with Daniel J. Williams
It’s time for another quick and dirty interview! With me today is Daniel J. Williams, author of Children of the Apocalypse, and Value of Jade, which have gotten rave reviews on Amazon and Good reads. His third book, Mace of the Apocalypse is due to be re-released on June 14th 2013.Q: Give me one quote from your book that sums up the mood
A: The last grains of sand now sifted through the demented hourglass of horror. The dance with the undead arrived.
Q: In 100 words or less, what is your book about?
A: Mace of the Apocalypse is about a small group of survivors in San Francisco who fight to stay alive during the beginning phase of a zombie apocalypse.
A toxin released by a fundamentalist group devastates the Bay Area. There is a partial antidote to the virus, but it is almost as dangerous as the infection itself. A teenage gang revels in the power the antidote gives them, and they declare war on all who get in their way.
The survivors soon discover that the living-dead may not be their greatest threat.
Lives will be surrendered. Heroes will rise.
Q: What made you start writing?
A: From a young age, I was always fascinated with story-telling. I remember writing pages of synopses for stories, then trying to figure out which one to write. I am happiest when I am thoroughly engaged in a project.
Q: Where do your story ideas come from?
A: Somewhere in my twisted little brain.
Q: What author influenced you the most and why?
A: To pick only one is tough, however I love Dean Koontz. He has such a poetic way with words. The way they flow leaves me awed. It is his imagination that ultimately draws me to his books, though. I love how he can create a truly horrific atmosphere yet still inject humor into a story.
Q: What are your three favorite ideas for future books?
A: I’m working on the last book in the Mace of the Apocalypse series now, and that will be completely different from its predecessors. I am very excited about it. It will be very gritty. I’ve had a story with aliens in my head for quite a while now. It’s a time-travel thing that I think could be quite clever if fleshed out enough. I’ve also been interested in a wild story about a prison rehabilitation program.
For more Info on Dan visit his Website, Twitter, or Facebook!
Think you have what it takes to the join the ranks with Dan and other great writers? Go to J. Ellington Ashton Press and submit your work!
June 1, 2013
A Quick and Dirty Interview With Scarlett Metal
I want to introduce you all to Scarlett Metal, JEA's premier erotica writer. Her newest book, "Finally" is due to launch June 6th, 2013. Enjoy this interview with a truly amazing writer.Q: Give me one quote from your book that sums up the mood.
A: “My woman in my shirt”
Q: In 100 words or less, what is your book about?
A: Passion and getting to be with someone you’ve always secretly wanted.
Q: What made you start writing?
A: I started blogging to make extra money. I found I liked writing and started doing a few magazine type articles. I’d dabbled on and off in fiction since after high school. Magazine writing wasn’t really for me so I tried to write more fiction. I love to make people FEEL.
Q: Where do your story ideas come from?
A: My life and music.
Q: Do you have any weird writing rituals?
A: I find one song I like that inspires at that moment and I will blast it and put it on repeat.
Q: What author influenced you the most and why?
A: Stephen King. He’s just amazing. If you don’t believe me, read his book “On Writing”. Best book on writing out there.
Q: What are your three favorite ideas for future books?
A super secret western A dominatrix A group of southern belles who like to have a sexy good time.
May 18, 2013
What Does Size Have To Do With It?
Warning this has nothing to do with writing.
This is an old pet peeve of mine and probably not the last time you will hear about it. Every so often I kind of have enough of the media and the skewed images it forces on us. I get easily up in arms and pull out the soap box.
So here it is. News flash!
I'm a big woman. That's right I'm fat. By today's standards I'm probably downright obese. How many of you right now are thinking, "Whoopie freaking doo! A fat chic on the rampage. What else is new?" Maybe this isn't some major revelation but it still needs being said. Here's another news flash:
Big women are just as beautiful and desirable as skinny women.
Let me repeat that. Big women are just as beautiful and desirable as skinny women. That's right, I said it,and I stand by it. Here's another shocker:
I'm a big woman in the United States and I DON'T have body image issues. While I could stand to lose a few pounds for health, I still feel beautiful, feminine, confident, and desirable. I may not be every man or woman's cup of tea, but you'd be surprised at the offers I get, even being married, and not just from the freaks. Some of these men and women are GORGEOUS! And just to put this in perspective when I say confident, I don't mean in a put on a girdle and fake it till you make it kind of way. I'm talking, I once had to take a life drawing class online. This is the nude model class. Guess what happens when you have to do that online? You draw yourself. I had the guts to take a mirror and draw myself nude, in all my round glory, and I wasn't afraid of the reaction. In fact I got nothing but good comments.
It shocks me a little sometimes when people expect me to be depressed or want to hide myself because I'm big. I look at them and wonder what planet they live on. The average size woman in the USA is about an 18. The average size woman in the world is a 14. While there may be some countries that worry more about obesity in general, the fact remains, fat people live there too. Big and small people live everywhere.
I wasn't always confident. In my youth I struggled a lot with body image. The messages all around me were telling me I was ugly because I was fat. My mother mad major issues with obesity so the messages I got from my family were the same. "Don't be like your mother." They said this out of love and as an adult I can respect that, but as a kid...yeah it messed me up a little. Messed my mom up too. I was the freak. The outcast. I really was depressed because I was starved for peer attention but didn't understand what I had done to send them all away. And through this my heart kept telling me there was nothing wrong with me. But the evidence was to the contrary right?
Here is a truth I learned in adulthood, after having children, bad relationships, and a lot of time down and out.
1. It takes all kinds. There is every size shape and color imaginable on this planet and all of them are beautiful. If you take the time to see it and not be afraid of going against what the media says you're supposed to like, you'll see it for yourself. Get rid of the size 0 model image in your head. Drop the idea that women need to have DD breasts or men need to have washboard stomachs and really *look* at the person next to you. There's beauty there.
2. Your body has a natural place it likes to be. If we stop dieting and take the time to eat right--I'm not saying go ultra mega vegan, but maybe cut out fast food when you can and make better choices when you cant, and eat fruit and vegetables--and stay active--again you don't need to run a triathlon, but go play with your kids, do things you love, take a walk--your body will naturally find where it likes to be and go there. For some of us it really will be a size 8, for others it might be a 28. I know people in my life who are legitimately 300lbs and perfectly healthy. No heart trouble, no diabetes, no joint complaints. And I know 100lbs people are very sickly.
3. The media will only show the minority, not the ideal. There are very few people who can fit Abercrombie clothes. They show us that because it's exotic. Those models aren't always healthy, or happy. They do not love their bodies unconditionally or even their souls and minds.
4. There is more to life than beauty. Yes I am beautiful in my way, but I'm also smart, kind, creative, and funny. I love these things about me. I'm not perfect. I have flaws like everyone else, but when I started to love myself for these other qualities instead of judging myself by someone else's standard of beauty I began to love the whole package and that's when others started to notice me. It wasn't my size or shape that attracted other people it was the confidence shining out from underneath that attracted them. If you hide yourself and sulk you can look like a million bucks and no one will pay you any mind. If you walk tall and smile and let your soul shine, then you can be fugly and you'll attract everyone around you.
Copyright Les Toil Here's a good example of all my points. I am a huge fan of Les Toil. He does BBW pin up girls. Look at this woman. She has to be over 300 lbs easily. Look at how lovely she is? How alluring? How sensual? How confident? How many women of all shapes want to be her right now?
Size means diddly. Living your life and loving yourself unconditionally is much more important and will do wonders for every part of your life.
Just to be very clear. Unconditionally means you love yourself regardless of what others think of you. Not judging yourself by other people's standards. Forgiving yourself for your mistakes. Wanting good things for yourself. Taking chances to make those things happen. Standing up for what you believe in. Loving ALL your good qualities. Knowing that even when life throws you for a loop you are worth the work it takes to see the other side.
That is my wish, ladies and gentlemen. That each of you can learn to love yourself unconditionally and stop the media blind side telling who and what we should be. They're not in your mind, your heart, or your soul. Who the hell are they to judge you anyway?
This is an old pet peeve of mine and probably not the last time you will hear about it. Every so often I kind of have enough of the media and the skewed images it forces on us. I get easily up in arms and pull out the soap box.
So here it is. News flash!
I'm a big woman. That's right I'm fat. By today's standards I'm probably downright obese. How many of you right now are thinking, "Whoopie freaking doo! A fat chic on the rampage. What else is new?" Maybe this isn't some major revelation but it still needs being said. Here's another news flash:
Big women are just as beautiful and desirable as skinny women.
Let me repeat that. Big women are just as beautiful and desirable as skinny women. That's right, I said it,and I stand by it. Here's another shocker:
I'm a big woman in the United States and I DON'T have body image issues. While I could stand to lose a few pounds for health, I still feel beautiful, feminine, confident, and desirable. I may not be every man or woman's cup of tea, but you'd be surprised at the offers I get, even being married, and not just from the freaks. Some of these men and women are GORGEOUS! And just to put this in perspective when I say confident, I don't mean in a put on a girdle and fake it till you make it kind of way. I'm talking, I once had to take a life drawing class online. This is the nude model class. Guess what happens when you have to do that online? You draw yourself. I had the guts to take a mirror and draw myself nude, in all my round glory, and I wasn't afraid of the reaction. In fact I got nothing but good comments.
It shocks me a little sometimes when people expect me to be depressed or want to hide myself because I'm big. I look at them and wonder what planet they live on. The average size woman in the USA is about an 18. The average size woman in the world is a 14. While there may be some countries that worry more about obesity in general, the fact remains, fat people live there too. Big and small people live everywhere.
I wasn't always confident. In my youth I struggled a lot with body image. The messages all around me were telling me I was ugly because I was fat. My mother mad major issues with obesity so the messages I got from my family were the same. "Don't be like your mother." They said this out of love and as an adult I can respect that, but as a kid...yeah it messed me up a little. Messed my mom up too. I was the freak. The outcast. I really was depressed because I was starved for peer attention but didn't understand what I had done to send them all away. And through this my heart kept telling me there was nothing wrong with me. But the evidence was to the contrary right?
Here is a truth I learned in adulthood, after having children, bad relationships, and a lot of time down and out.
1. It takes all kinds. There is every size shape and color imaginable on this planet and all of them are beautiful. If you take the time to see it and not be afraid of going against what the media says you're supposed to like, you'll see it for yourself. Get rid of the size 0 model image in your head. Drop the idea that women need to have DD breasts or men need to have washboard stomachs and really *look* at the person next to you. There's beauty there.
2. Your body has a natural place it likes to be. If we stop dieting and take the time to eat right--I'm not saying go ultra mega vegan, but maybe cut out fast food when you can and make better choices when you cant, and eat fruit and vegetables--and stay active--again you don't need to run a triathlon, but go play with your kids, do things you love, take a walk--your body will naturally find where it likes to be and go there. For some of us it really will be a size 8, for others it might be a 28. I know people in my life who are legitimately 300lbs and perfectly healthy. No heart trouble, no diabetes, no joint complaints. And I know 100lbs people are very sickly.
3. The media will only show the minority, not the ideal. There are very few people who can fit Abercrombie clothes. They show us that because it's exotic. Those models aren't always healthy, or happy. They do not love their bodies unconditionally or even their souls and minds.
4. There is more to life than beauty. Yes I am beautiful in my way, but I'm also smart, kind, creative, and funny. I love these things about me. I'm not perfect. I have flaws like everyone else, but when I started to love myself for these other qualities instead of judging myself by someone else's standard of beauty I began to love the whole package and that's when others started to notice me. It wasn't my size or shape that attracted other people it was the confidence shining out from underneath that attracted them. If you hide yourself and sulk you can look like a million bucks and no one will pay you any mind. If you walk tall and smile and let your soul shine, then you can be fugly and you'll attract everyone around you.
Copyright Les Toil Here's a good example of all my points. I am a huge fan of Les Toil. He does BBW pin up girls. Look at this woman. She has to be over 300 lbs easily. Look at how lovely she is? How alluring? How sensual? How confident? How many women of all shapes want to be her right now?Size means diddly. Living your life and loving yourself unconditionally is much more important and will do wonders for every part of your life.
Just to be very clear. Unconditionally means you love yourself regardless of what others think of you. Not judging yourself by other people's standards. Forgiving yourself for your mistakes. Wanting good things for yourself. Taking chances to make those things happen. Standing up for what you believe in. Loving ALL your good qualities. Knowing that even when life throws you for a loop you are worth the work it takes to see the other side.
That is my wish, ladies and gentlemen. That each of you can learn to love yourself unconditionally and stop the media blind side telling who and what we should be. They're not in your mind, your heart, or your soul. Who the hell are they to judge you anyway?
May 13, 2013
Changes They Are A-Comin'
Okay so are you all sick of hearing about it yet? Too bad! I'm just so excited, you're going to hear about it again. What the facebook group knows and the few who occasionally stop by the website know, but the GoodReads folks don't know yet, is that I am officially moving out of the indie market and into the mainstream. Frankly I'm still a little shocked, but a publisher actually wants my work...current and future work too if you can believe that. I've signed with J. Ellington Ashton Press. It's a little operation that's just beginning but these folks know good work. I feel like they want to take a chance on me, so I'm going to take a chance on them. I think this is going to be great. Sometimes you just know in your gut it's gonna be good.
I'll be honest. I went straight to self publish and skipped all the usual agonizing steps trying to land a contract. Fear effects us all. Kind of funny that most of my heroines teach themselves to rise above their own fear in impossible situations. I never thought I was that good. I knew I was better than some that get published but more like high school essay good, nothing that would hold up to critical analysis in the mainstream. I put my books out on the self pub market more as an experiment than anything else. Then the weirdest thing happened. People liked it. Strangers. People I have no connection to what so ever were reading my words and liking it. Amazing.
I'm a bit of a chicken really. I don't think I would have submitted my work to JEA at all if it weren't for a friend insisting I talk to one of his friends. He wouldn't even tell me why I should talk to her or how he knew her, just that I needed to talk to this woman. One day he asked me if he should go get 'Catt'. I said I had no idea and laughed it off. Next thing I know I'm having a conversation with the CEO of this little publishing company. I never felt more like a writer in my life than at that moment. I'm asking intelligent questions and words like 'distribution' and 'royalties' are rolling off my tongue. Two months prior I'm not even sure I could have told what a good or bad distribution was. That convo made me say, 'Why not?'.
Just to be clear I didn't get any special treatment. These people don't publish crap no matter how much they may like you personally. I had to go through the same submission process as everyone else. I had to sit for a few weeks wondering if I was good enough.
This was rougher on me than it normally would have been. Towards the end of my wait my husband ended up in the hospital. He does have heart problems to begin with but this visit was hard. They shipped him 2hrs away from me. I *shame faced* do not have a licence so I couldn't get to him. There were complications. The kids were acting out from the stress... Life was kicking my ass all over the place. There are no words for how stressed I was. I'm still feeling the after effects. I almost *almost!* went to my friend and said, 'Look if it's good news I really need some now, if it's not please wait until this is over.' I stopped myself but only barely. Then the night my husband finally came home, very late in the evening, the contract was waiting in my e-mail. I'm of the opinion they were watching my facebook and waiting to see what happened before sending it, which I greatly appreciate. Made for a very good ending to a long day.
Now I'm just so excited. My dreams are coming true. All the things I've worked so hard for are paying off. Life while you're writing your first manuscript is lonely. Everyone sort of brushes it off as a pipe dream until someone in the industry recognizes it. They might accept that you love to write, but you have no credibility. Being signed is huge! There are 100's of amazing writers in the self pub market that never get noticed, never make a dime. I suppose a lot them are like me and afraid to submit anything and others are getting lost in the hustle and bustle of the larger companies. Give an indie writer a chance. You might find a jewel in the rough.
I'll be honest. I went straight to self publish and skipped all the usual agonizing steps trying to land a contract. Fear effects us all. Kind of funny that most of my heroines teach themselves to rise above their own fear in impossible situations. I never thought I was that good. I knew I was better than some that get published but more like high school essay good, nothing that would hold up to critical analysis in the mainstream. I put my books out on the self pub market more as an experiment than anything else. Then the weirdest thing happened. People liked it. Strangers. People I have no connection to what so ever were reading my words and liking it. Amazing.
I'm a bit of a chicken really. I don't think I would have submitted my work to JEA at all if it weren't for a friend insisting I talk to one of his friends. He wouldn't even tell me why I should talk to her or how he knew her, just that I needed to talk to this woman. One day he asked me if he should go get 'Catt'. I said I had no idea and laughed it off. Next thing I know I'm having a conversation with the CEO of this little publishing company. I never felt more like a writer in my life than at that moment. I'm asking intelligent questions and words like 'distribution' and 'royalties' are rolling off my tongue. Two months prior I'm not even sure I could have told what a good or bad distribution was. That convo made me say, 'Why not?'.
Just to be clear I didn't get any special treatment. These people don't publish crap no matter how much they may like you personally. I had to go through the same submission process as everyone else. I had to sit for a few weeks wondering if I was good enough.
This was rougher on me than it normally would have been. Towards the end of my wait my husband ended up in the hospital. He does have heart problems to begin with but this visit was hard. They shipped him 2hrs away from me. I *shame faced* do not have a licence so I couldn't get to him. There were complications. The kids were acting out from the stress... Life was kicking my ass all over the place. There are no words for how stressed I was. I'm still feeling the after effects. I almost *almost!* went to my friend and said, 'Look if it's good news I really need some now, if it's not please wait until this is over.' I stopped myself but only barely. Then the night my husband finally came home, very late in the evening, the contract was waiting in my e-mail. I'm of the opinion they were watching my facebook and waiting to see what happened before sending it, which I greatly appreciate. Made for a very good ending to a long day.
Now I'm just so excited. My dreams are coming true. All the things I've worked so hard for are paying off. Life while you're writing your first manuscript is lonely. Everyone sort of brushes it off as a pipe dream until someone in the industry recognizes it. They might accept that you love to write, but you have no credibility. Being signed is huge! There are 100's of amazing writers in the self pub market that never get noticed, never make a dime. I suppose a lot them are like me and afraid to submit anything and others are getting lost in the hustle and bustle of the larger companies. Give an indie writer a chance. You might find a jewel in the rough.
May 1, 2013
Pieces Of Me
You may have noticed, even when I don't, but there are pieces of me everywhere. I suppose that's the nature of life and the exchange of ideas that leads to language and communication. The very act of conveying a thought and seeing that thought filter through another soul leaves a piece of your energy on that person. Every thought and idea leaves its imprint not only on you but on everything around you. We leave pieces of ourselves with every step.
Where was I going with this? I did have a more mundane point. It's Beltane so my mind is on the ethereal. I've noticed that pieces of me end up all over my writing. One heroine is a singer. I've sung all my life, with bands, with choirs, with symphonies.... One is an artist. Another plays cello. I played cello as a kid, but broke my bowing arm and lost interest when I fell behind. One heroine is a pagan through and through, but another is a teacher raised in a bible thumping church. One of my favorites is demon possessed and diagnosed schizophrenic. A little known fact is my mother is schizophrenic. All them are real in that they are scared and often clueless of how to handle the huge revelations that come upon them. And all of them have attributes about them I wish I had.
Each of these characters is a piece of me. I didn't do that on purpose. I do spend a lot of time thinking about what would I do if these things happened to me. What kind of raw emotions translate through different personalities. While I have always loved fantasy and sci-fi, I've never been impressed with the fantastic.
If a bomb goes off, you're going to feel it. Even the most battle hardened hero or heroine in the world is going to feel that. The noise that leaves your skin tingling like miniature shock-waves the vibration of the earth, the bright lights even in day...the utter sense of wrongness a bomb creates. Ask any veteran. The fear never goes away, you just learn to ignore it. Most of our military heroes will tell you they were scared shitless and aren't sure how they did it. If a bomb goes off the hero/heroine is not going to just watch calmly and walk easily though the heat and flames into the sunset. They're going to have a ton of emotions and fears and random thoughts, and mostly "Oh shit!". Bill Cosby once said, "First you say it, then you do it." Very true I've found. I try very hard to make sure those bits are included. The scene is only half of it. I guess it's no wonder that my characters are all parts of me. They would have to be for me to understand them.
What does this mean of me? I'm not sure I could tell you. If you combined all my heroines you *might* have a small idea of who I am, but that picture will be skewed with who I want to be and who I don't want to be all mixed up. It wouldn't be a clear picture, but I'm not sure I could separate these characters from the true picture of me either. It's all a piece of modern art, evoking emotion without a clear reason why.
Where was I going with this? I did have a more mundane point. It's Beltane so my mind is on the ethereal. I've noticed that pieces of me end up all over my writing. One heroine is a singer. I've sung all my life, with bands, with choirs, with symphonies.... One is an artist. Another plays cello. I played cello as a kid, but broke my bowing arm and lost interest when I fell behind. One heroine is a pagan through and through, but another is a teacher raised in a bible thumping church. One of my favorites is demon possessed and diagnosed schizophrenic. A little known fact is my mother is schizophrenic. All them are real in that they are scared and often clueless of how to handle the huge revelations that come upon them. And all of them have attributes about them I wish I had.
Each of these characters is a piece of me. I didn't do that on purpose. I do spend a lot of time thinking about what would I do if these things happened to me. What kind of raw emotions translate through different personalities. While I have always loved fantasy and sci-fi, I've never been impressed with the fantastic.
If a bomb goes off, you're going to feel it. Even the most battle hardened hero or heroine in the world is going to feel that. The noise that leaves your skin tingling like miniature shock-waves the vibration of the earth, the bright lights even in day...the utter sense of wrongness a bomb creates. Ask any veteran. The fear never goes away, you just learn to ignore it. Most of our military heroes will tell you they were scared shitless and aren't sure how they did it. If a bomb goes off the hero/heroine is not going to just watch calmly and walk easily though the heat and flames into the sunset. They're going to have a ton of emotions and fears and random thoughts, and mostly "Oh shit!". Bill Cosby once said, "First you say it, then you do it." Very true I've found. I try very hard to make sure those bits are included. The scene is only half of it. I guess it's no wonder that my characters are all parts of me. They would have to be for me to understand them.
What does this mean of me? I'm not sure I could tell you. If you combined all my heroines you *might* have a small idea of who I am, but that picture will be skewed with who I want to be and who I don't want to be all mixed up. It wouldn't be a clear picture, but I'm not sure I could separate these characters from the true picture of me either. It's all a piece of modern art, evoking emotion without a clear reason why.
April 24, 2013
Another New Project
Don't worry I'm still working on polishing 'Morning Song'. I haven't put that one aside entirely, but I've done as much editing as I can do for the moment and I wanted to give my readers a break between books, so it is percolating for a month or two and then I'll go back into editing. In the meantime....
I have about 20 books in various stages of development on my hard drive. I picked one I have been thinking about and pulled it out. I'm not 100% it's going to be my next project, but it probably will. Besides a friend who helped me with research wants me to publish this one (mostly because I promised I'd dedicate it to him lol). I don't have a name for it yet. It will be something about life and death. Very simply it's a semi-dark novel in which death falls in love with life. It's probably going to be another stand alone. I can't see how I can turn this into a series, but you never know. I do have one that will be a series, probably a long one, but I have a touch of writer's block where it's concerned so I have to play with other projects for awhile.
Here is a short sample of it. For now we will call this one Lychee and Corin after the main characters.
Death walked through the alley casually, in no hurry. His prey would be waiting for him. It always was. Sometimes in his more philosophical moments he believed that prey was born to be prey and while they would put on a chase, in the end they knew their place. Eventually whether he rushed or not, it would be waiting for him, ready for the final fight. Some prey would fight, wanting to end their lives in some twisted idea of honor—he respected that—but mostly they were tired. Sure, there was fear in their eyes, but they still resigned to it, like it had all been fate.
Corin was a big man, strong and broad. He was taller and wider than most humans, though humans had gotten taller in recent years. He had been built for speed, strength and agility. He was aware the appeal this had for women. On the rare occasion the mood struck him, he held no qualms about using this to get what he wanted. He was a predator. In those moments his quarry had simply shifted and the method of satisfaction changed. He would binge until the mood passed and then he went back to his prey.
His boots kicked away the random trash that followed humanity and crunched on the filthy, cracked cement. His long grey hair was tied tightly back from an eternally young face in a queue. His long grey coat trailed behind him as he moved effortlessly around a corner looking like some movie version of the honorable assassin. The irony was not lost on him. Sometimes it helped to dress the way humanity thought he should, sometimes it didn’t. The boots and the coat were useful though. He may hold on to them after culture changed its expectations again.
He turned another corner following a trail only he could perceive down the dark expanse; something as elusive as the change before the change in the wind signaling a storm. Some places in the city were vast networks of alleys and sewer systems. A shadow city all its own hidden from the light in the perpetual warm of the southern United States. He knew these streets as well as he knew the streets that stayed in the sun and the endless electric lights of night. He walked the roads of man since before they were glorified foot paths. He’d seen societies rise and societies fall. This society would fall too, as surely as the Romans had, and those that came before them.
There was a sound to the side of him. It was small and harsh, like silent keening when all the horrors of life had taken your voice. He slowed down enough to open his senses beyond his prey. Something shifted in the pile of trash and refuse that somehow missed the empty dumpster. He turned slowly, tracking the sound. Everything went still. That was more an indication of someone hiding than anything else. An animal wouldn’t have stilled.
He could smell the fear in the air. It was deeper and sharper than what his prey normally felt. Blood mixed with it. Something was wrong. He took a step to the pile and suddenly everything exploded. Boxes, trash, papers, rotted food all went up in a whirlwind clattering harmlessly about him, all the while a scream cutting the still night air like a jagged knife.
It was over as fast as it started. There was nothing else to be thrown. He saw a part of a leg and an arm trying to hide under what was left of the pile. The box on top was quivering slightly as if the person was shivering with cold. He reached down and pulled off the box...
...And the rest you'll all just have to wait for. :-)
Still I do welcome comments and critiques. Especially at this stage.
I have about 20 books in various stages of development on my hard drive. I picked one I have been thinking about and pulled it out. I'm not 100% it's going to be my next project, but it probably will. Besides a friend who helped me with research wants me to publish this one (mostly because I promised I'd dedicate it to him lol). I don't have a name for it yet. It will be something about life and death. Very simply it's a semi-dark novel in which death falls in love with life. It's probably going to be another stand alone. I can't see how I can turn this into a series, but you never know. I do have one that will be a series, probably a long one, but I have a touch of writer's block where it's concerned so I have to play with other projects for awhile.
Here is a short sample of it. For now we will call this one Lychee and Corin after the main characters.
Death walked through the alley casually, in no hurry. His prey would be waiting for him. It always was. Sometimes in his more philosophical moments he believed that prey was born to be prey and while they would put on a chase, in the end they knew their place. Eventually whether he rushed or not, it would be waiting for him, ready for the final fight. Some prey would fight, wanting to end their lives in some twisted idea of honor—he respected that—but mostly they were tired. Sure, there was fear in their eyes, but they still resigned to it, like it had all been fate.
Corin was a big man, strong and broad. He was taller and wider than most humans, though humans had gotten taller in recent years. He had been built for speed, strength and agility. He was aware the appeal this had for women. On the rare occasion the mood struck him, he held no qualms about using this to get what he wanted. He was a predator. In those moments his quarry had simply shifted and the method of satisfaction changed. He would binge until the mood passed and then he went back to his prey.
His boots kicked away the random trash that followed humanity and crunched on the filthy, cracked cement. His long grey hair was tied tightly back from an eternally young face in a queue. His long grey coat trailed behind him as he moved effortlessly around a corner looking like some movie version of the honorable assassin. The irony was not lost on him. Sometimes it helped to dress the way humanity thought he should, sometimes it didn’t. The boots and the coat were useful though. He may hold on to them after culture changed its expectations again.
He turned another corner following a trail only he could perceive down the dark expanse; something as elusive as the change before the change in the wind signaling a storm. Some places in the city were vast networks of alleys and sewer systems. A shadow city all its own hidden from the light in the perpetual warm of the southern United States. He knew these streets as well as he knew the streets that stayed in the sun and the endless electric lights of night. He walked the roads of man since before they were glorified foot paths. He’d seen societies rise and societies fall. This society would fall too, as surely as the Romans had, and those that came before them.
There was a sound to the side of him. It was small and harsh, like silent keening when all the horrors of life had taken your voice. He slowed down enough to open his senses beyond his prey. Something shifted in the pile of trash and refuse that somehow missed the empty dumpster. He turned slowly, tracking the sound. Everything went still. That was more an indication of someone hiding than anything else. An animal wouldn’t have stilled.
He could smell the fear in the air. It was deeper and sharper than what his prey normally felt. Blood mixed with it. Something was wrong. He took a step to the pile and suddenly everything exploded. Boxes, trash, papers, rotted food all went up in a whirlwind clattering harmlessly about him, all the while a scream cutting the still night air like a jagged knife.
It was over as fast as it started. There was nothing else to be thrown. He saw a part of a leg and an arm trying to hide under what was left of the pile. The box on top was quivering slightly as if the person was shivering with cold. He reached down and pulled off the box...
...And the rest you'll all just have to wait for. :-)
Still I do welcome comments and critiques. Especially at this stage.
April 21, 2013
April 21st, 2013
You know I'm getting psyched about this next book. It needed a lot of rewrites but the joy of rewrites is, as much as they suck, in the end you get something so much better than you ever thought possible. The flow is going much better and I was able to eliminate things that grated on my nerves. Not that I understood much why these things bothered me, just that they did.
The book is set in post apocalyptic United States, but not immediately after whatever it was that caused the destruction. It's sort of like Steven King's Gunslinger world. Things are practically back to a medieval level, but with random references to the world we live in now. One of the major ones will be music. The heroine is a singer as well as many other things. **Warning: Small Spoiler** A very small part of her back-story is her parents were traveling minstrels that studied the music of the "ancients". Just imagine all the fun that could be had with that. I'm interweaving songs from today, looking at the melody and the lyrics for things that would have meaning in this new world.
Just of a couple of the groups included will be Plumb and Soundgarden as well as few individuals like Adelle and Corine Bailey Rae. I want to show readers new music they might never have listened to as well as give them a chance to see it in a whole new light. Lets look at how these songs effect a generation and how it would be seen to following generations. When George Gershwin wrote music did he know it was going to shape an entire genre? Did the Beetles know how much they would effect an entire generation and the generations that followed? What music now will stand the test of time and why?
Making all these changes I'm falling in love with the story again. Its not heavy action like 'Silent Heart' Or 'Under A Twisted Moon'. There are some real life issues but the descriptions aren't as brutal. There isn't a whole lot of wondering and worrying if the hero and heroine will fall in love. However, this is a book of enduring love. It's almost a snapshot of a year in the couple's life and all the things that brought them closer together. A look at the way solid marriages work. There is a deep earth magick involved and the fate of a nation. Its a softer book than I normally write which is why I wasn't sure I was going to share it with the world at all, but I think it's time Morna and Arrick got out of my hard drive. They have lessons to teach and you know, sometimes you just want a book that makes you feel good. Life for them is never picture perfect, only moments, but they make you smile anyway.
Keep a look out for 'Morning Song' hopefully coming July or August.
The book is set in post apocalyptic United States, but not immediately after whatever it was that caused the destruction. It's sort of like Steven King's Gunslinger world. Things are practically back to a medieval level, but with random references to the world we live in now. One of the major ones will be music. The heroine is a singer as well as many other things. **Warning: Small Spoiler** A very small part of her back-story is her parents were traveling minstrels that studied the music of the "ancients". Just imagine all the fun that could be had with that. I'm interweaving songs from today, looking at the melody and the lyrics for things that would have meaning in this new world.
Just of a couple of the groups included will be Plumb and Soundgarden as well as few individuals like Adelle and Corine Bailey Rae. I want to show readers new music they might never have listened to as well as give them a chance to see it in a whole new light. Lets look at how these songs effect a generation and how it would be seen to following generations. When George Gershwin wrote music did he know it was going to shape an entire genre? Did the Beetles know how much they would effect an entire generation and the generations that followed? What music now will stand the test of time and why?
Making all these changes I'm falling in love with the story again. Its not heavy action like 'Silent Heart' Or 'Under A Twisted Moon'. There are some real life issues but the descriptions aren't as brutal. There isn't a whole lot of wondering and worrying if the hero and heroine will fall in love. However, this is a book of enduring love. It's almost a snapshot of a year in the couple's life and all the things that brought them closer together. A look at the way solid marriages work. There is a deep earth magick involved and the fate of a nation. Its a softer book than I normally write which is why I wasn't sure I was going to share it with the world at all, but I think it's time Morna and Arrick got out of my hard drive. They have lessons to teach and you know, sometimes you just want a book that makes you feel good. Life for them is never picture perfect, only moments, but they make you smile anyway.
Keep a look out for 'Morning Song' hopefully coming July or August.
April 15, 2013
Falling Behind
I feel like I've been a little lax on the blogs of late. To be honest I'm not entirely sure who reads them but I like to keep folks updated, so I try to check in.
I'm sort of knee deep in trying to market. It is very hard to self market. Word of mouth is everything. It takes one person to trash my work and I'll never be credible again, but it takes 100 people to like my work to start making headway into the mainstream. Of course my ultimate goal would be to make enough money writing books to support my family, but right now every single reader and fan is a huge success, so to all those that read these: THANKS! You have no idea how much you mean to me and how much I value you and your feedback. Yes I welcome random feedback. It's how I improve as a writer.
I have a third book in the works. I wasn't going to publish it even though it is one of my personal favorites because I always thought it was fluffy dreck. I sent it to a friend whose opinion I value only to find out its good. So now I'm in the process of rewrites to clean up the things I don't like and make nice and shiny. I don't know when I'll have it out but I'm shooting for July. After this one I'm done with the finished work sitting idly on my hard drive and will turn to unfinished work giving them life.
The way I look at it, as long as I love what I do, I'm just going to keep pumping the books out and hope others enjoy what I do as much as I do. This has been a dream so far and it just keep growing. :-)
I'm sort of knee deep in trying to market. It is very hard to self market. Word of mouth is everything. It takes one person to trash my work and I'll never be credible again, but it takes 100 people to like my work to start making headway into the mainstream. Of course my ultimate goal would be to make enough money writing books to support my family, but right now every single reader and fan is a huge success, so to all those that read these: THANKS! You have no idea how much you mean to me and how much I value you and your feedback. Yes I welcome random feedback. It's how I improve as a writer.
I have a third book in the works. I wasn't going to publish it even though it is one of my personal favorites because I always thought it was fluffy dreck. I sent it to a friend whose opinion I value only to find out its good. So now I'm in the process of rewrites to clean up the things I don't like and make nice and shiny. I don't know when I'll have it out but I'm shooting for July. After this one I'm done with the finished work sitting idly on my hard drive and will turn to unfinished work giving them life.
The way I look at it, as long as I love what I do, I'm just going to keep pumping the books out and hope others enjoy what I do as much as I do. This has been a dream so far and it just keep growing. :-)
April 12, 2013
Under A Twisted Moon is here!
Well it's about that time. Time for shameless self promotion.
The much anticipated, "Under A Twisted Moon" is finally here!
Amelie hid what she was her whole life, always running from the monster inside, afraid one day it would come out unbidden and destroy everything she knew. She found herself trapped in a life with no escape, sleeping with the enemy and avoiding anything that brought her joy,
Until the day the monster broke free.
Amelie was thrust into a world of new dangers and
challenges only to find where she truly belonged. Now if she could only do something about the enemy in her bed...
Paperback $15.00
https://www.createspace.com/4240151
Kindle $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C...
Amazon also gives you a 5 chapter preview! And check out my very first review on Amazon!
The much anticipated, "Under A Twisted Moon" is finally here!
Amelie hid what she was her whole life, always running from the monster inside, afraid one day it would come out unbidden and destroy everything she knew. She found herself trapped in a life with no escape, sleeping with the enemy and avoiding anything that brought her joy,
Until the day the monster broke free.
Amelie was thrust into a world of new dangers and
challenges only to find where she truly belonged. Now if she could only do something about the enemy in her bed...
Paperback $15.00
https://www.createspace.com/4240151
Kindle $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C...
Amazon also gives you a 5 chapter preview! And check out my very first review on Amazon!
