Jane Cousins's Blog, page 7

Yes, that is totally my butt waggling in your face....

.... I'm channelling Darcy, and doing a little victory dance. The draft for book 12 - To Handle A Hellcat is done.
I can sense the excitement levels sky-rocket. Only problem is... now the draft will go on a metaphorical shelf for about six months whilst I switch gears and begin the edit of book 11 - To Fight A Fate. Publish that. And then start writing book 13.
And your hopes plummet.... honestly, this writer/reader thing is a rollercoaster, isn't it?

Sorry people, but not only is it the writing process for me. But there are quite a few things that have to happen in book 11, before Darcy can take centre stage. Riya and Maat Warrior, Marcus, will be stepping up. We'll solve the mystery of why Riya was suddenly seven months pregnant at Hadleigh's meld party. We'll find out what happened to the five chaos rubies, that have the potential to wake Apep, the God of Chaos. And we will also see who wins the race to give birth - not that Hadleigh really gives a crap, but Gaia will not let it go. Gotta love her. Could Riya be a dark horse and take the title?

First though, I am going to take a short break. Am off to Shanghai next week, with my Mum and older sister (UK based). Going to do some shopping and some quaffing of cocktails. Can't wait.

You started reading this blog on such a high, only to plummet to the depths.... so let me send you soaring again. Book 11 - To Fight A Fate, will be published first week of December, Merry Christmas and all that. My gift... except you will have to pay for it... to you.

If you want to stay current with everything in my world, you should follow me on twitter @JCousins_Author
Except things will be quiet on all fronts next week as I am on holidays. But after that I will be keeping you up to date with all the non-nail biting tension of the edit/re-write and publishing news in regards to book 11.

Happy Reading

That bitchy fine line...

Bitchy characters are the most fun to write - hands down. They get to say and do what ever the hell they want. No apologies. No tears. No angst.

I have very fond memories of writing Queen vamp Destiny, the villain from book 4 - To Seduce A Siren (Yes, I know she makes an appearance in book 3. But book 4, was her show). To the point where I kept putting off killing her because I was having such a blast with my snarky, catsuit wearing bitch from hell - who just wanted to make Maat Warrior, Nate, her eternal chew toy.

And this might shock you, but Devon Patel, the mean girl who appears as Nell's nemesis in book 2 - To Trap A Temptress, was never scheduled to have her own book. But when I was plotting book 7, her character just hip-checked all the other potential heroine leads out the way and demanded I write her tale - To Shackle A Shrew.
And while I could get away with making a villain like Destiny, the vamp, a balls out bitch, I had to rein Devon in a little.
We all can be bitchy, but there is a lot more to us than just that. Bitchy all the time is boring. So she had to have facets (like we all do) - so I made her practical, methodical, and added a couple of family issues to make her more relatable. And let's not forget her developing friendship with Nell and all the other Sanctuary inhabitants - who much to Devon's dismay appreciate a bitch. And when faced with her snarky ways, often just laughed.
After all, they are used to dealing with Darcy.

Darcy - our fave sociopath with well intentioned homicidal tendencies, is proving a real challenge to write in book 12 - To Handle A Hellcat (remember - book 11 hasn't been published yet, so cool your jets). She says the most amazingly blunt things, and gets away with it. Yes, yes, I know I'm the writer, but seriously, some characters just seem to write themselves.
But softening Darcy, not really an option. But hopefully when reading her tale you will begin to understand why she is like she is.
Obviously she has major trouble relating to emotions. And we will get to meet the rest of her family, besides big sister, Nell, and perhaps gain a greater insight into the combination of factors that make her so unique.
At least Darcy will never bore you.

In the midst of finalising the final third of the draft for To Handle A Hellcat, I had a horrid realisation, no more bitchy characters lined up... then I relaxed, my feral Goddess, Copper, will be stepping up to the plate for book 13. Okay, I'm not sure I can technically call her a bitch, although Elijah might beg to differ, since she is out to ruin his life in revenge.
Hmmm, the more I think about it, the more potential I see for Copper to tap into her inner bitch. Yeah.

So to all my readers, don't be afraid to embrace your inner bitch occasionally, why not, it doesn't define you. We are all so much more - helpers, healers, cheer-leaders, chauffeurs, maids, divas, fighters, mediators...

Happy Reading

What's up next in the Southern Sanctuary Series?

Yes, it's time to talk book 11 and beyond.

To Fight A Fate - will see Riya and Marcus taking the leads.
I had fun with these two. I've dropped a few hints regarding their story and characters over the last ten books. Feel free to go re-read the series and check, I'll wait.... or, I could just re-cap a few things here.
Damn, I spoil you guys.

Riya, is a Fate Weaver. Her magic manifests through the clothes she sews. Helping people on the path to their destiny by providing them with the perfect outfit - it might sound lame to some (Marcus certainly thinks so). But clothes can give you courage, help win a war or just win over your new parents-in-law. Clothes can give you the confidence to seize an opportunity, or sometimes, more importantly, help you to stand up and say 'no'.
Riya is also part dragon, with ten brothers who put the -ram - in rambunctious. And, yes, all those brothers will be making an appearance in book 11.

What can I say about Marcus? Hmmm, gorgeous Maat Warrior, who specialises in hi-tech and information gathering. Marcus likes facts, figures and is all about results.

I won't give much about the story away - except to hint at how they meet.
Riya, wakes the morning of Vaughn & Hadleigh's official meld party, to discover she is seven months pregnant (I really have been dropping hints about this storyline since way back in book 2 - Nell's genuine medical mystery in chapter one - yep, that was Riya calling for help). Let's just say that a perplexed Riya and a distracted Marcus really don't hit it off - and lots of fun ensues.
Plus - we also follow up on Hadleigh and Gaia's pregnancies - things continue to be very... challenging on that front.

Book 12 - To Handle A Hellcat.
Writing Darcy's story is a blast and a half. I'm at about the half way mark when it comes to the first draft.

What can I tell you about it so far? Hmmm, well we get to meet more of Darcy's family. There's a missing Incubus to find and Declan's mysterious past bring a whole lot of trouble to the Southern Sanctuary.
Nothing our favourite sociopath with well intention homicidal tendencies can't deal with... although she's not coping well with her developing attraction to Declan, and we wouldn't have it any other way, would we?

I won't say too much more - mainly because I'm still writing the darn thing. But if you want more, then follow me on Twitter - @JCousins_Author
Where I am known to drop regular teasing, annoying hints about what I am currently writing. Hey, I need to get my jollies somehow.

Book 13? So needy. I haven't plotted it. Yes, I have some ideas. And yes, those ideas involve Elijah and Copper. To Goad A Goddess - is the current tentative title.

Book 14? Give me a break....

I'm outta here.

Happy Reading

Free - To Woo A Warrior - Two days left on offer

Spread the word - Two days left on this free offer. Head on over to Amazon and scoop up book one of the Southern Sanctuary Series.


It was common knowledge that Hadleigh Valhalla was a complete failure when it came to men. Too blood thirsty. Too tall at six foot six and without a coy bone in her too voluptuous body. If there had been a ‘fun, flirty and feminine’ test, she would have failed it hands down.
Thankfully she was much more suited to her role as an Enforcer, protecting her magically enhanced eccentric extended family on a daily basis from all kinds of nasties. It was a job she loved, much preferring to be out there beheading the baddies than dating any day of the week … much less stressful.
Except now there’s a new threat in town. Great-Aunt Alma, the family match maker, has returned to the fold and set her sights squarely on all the singletons. Hadleigh will do anything she has to in order to avoid Alma’s matchmaking manoeuvres even if that means signing on as the newest member of the hit reality TV show ‘Paranormal Exterminators.’

Vaughn, Captain of the Goddess Maat’s Elite Warriors, has a mission, to find and annihilate any and all magical beings that threaten to tilt the scales of justice into chaos.
A paranormal reality TV show provides the perfect cover. But there’s trouble on set. Their only female cast member has gone missing and they need a replacement fast. Enter Hadleigh Valhalla, the most luscious thing on two legs he’s seen in a century. From the moment he sets eyes on her he’s determined to make her his.
There’s only one problem, Hadleigh insists she has a strict no dating policy. Claiming she’d rather be fighting than flirting.
A series of mishaps means it’s a race against time for Vaughn and Hadleigh to discover just who is targeting the show and stop them before someone gets seriously hurt or dead. While doing so Vaughn intends to teach Hadleigh to break all the rules and prove to her she is just as much woman as she is warrior.
His warrior. His woman.

Because I don't have enough on my plate...

Hello gorgeous people, kisses and hugs for everyone. Okay, so it's been a month since you heard from me.

You probably imagined that the moment after I hit the publish button on To Surprise A Seer (Book 10 of my Southern Sanctuary Series) I closed up my house in Melbourne, hopped on my luxury cruiser, cracked open a bottle of bubbly and instructed the Captain to set course for the Maldives.
Wow, what an imagination you have. If only.

No. I immediately turned around and began drafting Book 12 - Darcy's story. To Handle A Hellcat. And what fun I'm having writing about that wicked, wonderful woman.
If you want updates you should follow me on Twitter @JCousins_Author.
Where I will drop the occasional hint about what is going on with the story and our fave sociopath Heroine.

And because I don't have enough things to do. I decided to revisit a few of the early books I published and give them a bit of a spruce... a bit of a polish... a Spring clean. Except it is winter here and I'm freezing my chilly digits off.

Why am I tampering with perfection? You really are too kind. But let's face it, no one, least of all me, is perfect.
This writing - publishing journey has proven quite the learning curve.
And I've been wanting for quite some time to fix one continuity error in Book 1 - To Woo A Warrior. It wasn't until book three when I physically mapped out the Town that I realised the High Council Building has to be located on the western side of the Town Square - not the South - Doh.
And when I decided to fix that - I realised there were a few other things I could tweak (no dancing involved at all - I promise)
Because when I built the Southern Sanctuary and the characters that inhabited it - a few things were still kind of hazy and ill-defined in my head.

I haven't done much - promise. In all I believe I've barely added five hundred words (the equivalent of 22 seconds added in the directors cut of "Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark" BBT joke - Bazinga).
I cleaned up some punctuation. Fixed a few spelling errors. Re-worded a couple of awkward sentences. And generally attempted to buff my beautiful first step into the Southern Sanctuary so it would shine.

Next stop - Book 2 - To Trap A Temptress. An author's work is never done.

Happy Reading all!

To Surprise A Seer (Southern Sanctuary - Book 10) Just Released.

Psychiatrist and Seer, Quinn Bennett, is haunted by her cursed bloodline. Afraid that if she ever strays from her strict, rigid lifestyle, that she will succumb to insanity

Every day Matias Yanez’s memories reset and he wakes tormented by the fact his parents have just been murdered and his sister is missing. Except, that happened ten years ago. All he can do now is grapple with this crappy half life and act the gruff jerk, so no one discovers his secret.

When these two touch, wildly unpredictable things happen. Flashes of an impossible future. Gateways opening to a terrible past. Quinn is terrified that her fears of going insane are about to become a reality. Matias is hopeful that he’s found the one person to help him find his missing sister and bring his parents’ killer to justice.

Together they will travel through time. Fight deadly hybrid Jaguar creatures. And face off against a power-hungry High Priest who wants to rule the world. Quinn has never been more terrified of losing everything. Matias is determined to tempt Quinn from her straight and narrow existence. And maybe, just maybe, surprise a Seer with true love.

Time for the dreaded relationship talk.

Hey, we need to talk. No, it's nothing bad. Well, I don't think so. But, we've been together for a while now and I was wondering where we stand... relationship wise?

I mean, I don't want to put labels on us, or anything. Except, Goodreads has done that for us. I'm the Author. And you're the casual reader, Follower or Friend.

But I'm wondering about your expectations. It's not like I can invite you over to my place for a drink and a chat. And the old Author - Reader relationship is so over - you know, the one where I release a book every year, you buy it and... repeat. No expectations. No contact.
Now, we have the internet, e-books, twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and email.
So things are different - way different. And evolving all the time. And different Authors appear to think their readers/followers want different things.
Some tweet hourly about word count achieved, some blog sporadically about upcoming book details and some... well, some seem to be too busy to have a relationship with their readers at all.
Having a webpage that never gets updated kind of doesn't count in the relationship stakes. Well, certainly not any more.

So here is how I see us. You, the Reader, want the following:
- As much information as possible about upcoming books. The when, the who, and if possible, the how.
- Sporadic, yet reasonably frequent contact. With the occasional hint or two dropped about forthcoming books.
-You don't want to hear about the grind - the word count, the off days, or the lost work (unless there is a funny story attached to it)
- When you have a question - about the plot/a character, or the series - you want your answer in a timely fashion.

Here's the reality -
- Life gets in my way. Friends, family, the house (plumbing, wi-fi and a myriad of other stuff) constantly throw up road bumps to try to derail me. So I will always be a bit - ish - when it comes to the publication date. You know - like... Juneish.
- Amazon and the international dateline also get in my way. I live in Australia, generally a day ahead of the rest of the world. And I'm never quite sure how long things will take to clear Amazon's review processes. Sometimes it is hours - sometimes days.
- And as for spoilers. I know you say you want them... but really you don't, trust me on this. Why would you buy a book if you knew all the good stuff? So yes, I will be a bit of a tease, but I'll never blab.
- I write out of sequence. Generally I am writing two books ahead of the book I am publishing. So whilst I might Tweet the occasional plot point, I don't Blog about what I am currently writing - because it won't make sense in the scheme/series of things.

Now what are my expectations - as the Author in our relationship.
- Well, in an ideal world, I will receive a bucket load of daily five star affirmations of how wonderful I am. There will be rave reviews published every hour, on the hour. Appearing on both the Goodreads site and Amazon.
.... sorry, what... oh, it was all just a wonderful dream.

Honestly - I get a thrill every time I make a sale. A tingle every time I get a rating, or someone befriends/follows me on Goodreads or Twitter.
I love it even more when I get a question about the characters or the series. Because then I know you guys are invested in the world I have created just as much as I am.
I'm not the boldest when it comes to marketing - I received an email the other day from an author who stated that because I had read a specific book and rated it on Goodreads - they thought I might like to read their book. Wow - I was kind of envious of their balls-out courage. At the same time, I resented their unasked for intrusion in my little world - and didn't buy their book.

We all walk a fine line in relationships. And like I said, thanks to new technology, the relationship of Reader and Author is always evolving. How long before Authors begin live-streaming whilst they write?
It will be like watching paint dry. Hmm, means I'll have to brush my hair and change out of my pyjamas for another thing.

So, back to why I started writing this blog... our relationship. Personally, I think it is going great. Sure, I know you wish I would publish more books, more often... but I point to reality.
I wish I could invite you guys over for that wine and a chat. But barring that, let me know if you have any burning questions regarding my books or the future of the series. Or if you have any suggestions on how I can improve our relationship.

Oh, and as a reward for reading through to the end of this blog - just to advise that book 10, To Surprise A Seer, will be published in about two weeks time. Currently I am working with my book cover designer and I have two more rounds of final editing to complete. So like I said... soon-ish

Move over Billionaire Bear shifters, it's time for the next trend.

As shocking as this might sound - being an author is not just all about the writing. In fact, it is a business. Not only do we write, but we edit, publish, market, blog, tweet, hold book signings, lead workshops, sit on panels and attend conventions.
And another role of the author is to be on the look-out for trends. Sometimes to get in early, ahead of the pack. Sometimes we are late to the party - but we have a fresh take so we hop on the bandwagon.
And sometimes it is just to ensure that we steer well clear of a new, emerging trend, that already seems over bloated, and flagging fast.

I know, surprising, right? We don't just hide away in a dark corner, hunched over a keyboard, pounding out chapter after chapter. Oh, and let's not forget all the planning, plotting and character development that occurs before the first key is ever struck.
Honestly, it's a wonder any of us ever find the time to actually write.

But I'm digressing. Trends. It used to be sparkly vampires. Wolf shifters took over big time. Then bears had a moment. And extended that moment when they became filthy rich billionaire bear shifters. And then they managed to extend their moment in the sun a little more by having super sperm - seriously, how many titles did I see at one stage "Having the Billionaire Bear's Baby" ???? Or something in a similar vein.

Arising from the ashes of late - are the Dragons. Warrior Dragons. Dragon shifters in kilts. Dragon shifters who work a day job as fireman. You always know a trend is beginning to flag when the mash ups begin appearing - Vampire Dragon shifters, anyone?

I couldn't take a guess at the next trend on the horizon. And it wouldn't matter if I did - I've said previously I can't write to a trend. The voice... muse in my head has an agenda of its own.
But still, I follow trends because I am in the business of writing. And not only that, I'm a reader. When a new trend hits, it can be exciting. Basically, a breath of fresh air before the niche becomes over-saturated with wannabe copycats.

Even better - are the authors who never write to a trend. Who zig and zag with their plot lines. Populating their stories with characters/creatures who are unique and creative. We are exposed to fresh worlds. New rules.
Yes, I like the familiar sometimes when I read. But I love being surprised. Swept away. Discovering new lands. A different Earth. New Heroines. Unique Heroes.

So move over Billionaire Bears (and your super sperm) - I think you've had your time in the sun.

I've never denied that the romance genre can be rather formulaic

How can I deny such an accusation when the evidence is all too obvious. Take any romance book and you will find the formula is very clear - take two people, human, alien, male, female... in any combination you like (for the purposes of this blog I will be going with the male/female hook-up) and add one HEA.
Ta-dah... done.

Except, that simplifies things to the extreme. If books were that generic, why the hell would we bother to read them?

So it's unfair to label romance books as formulaic, when ALL books, to a certain degree, are the sum of their genre.
Take the mystery genre. Where would it be without the dead body and the hunt for the murderer?
The political thrillers? Add one threat against the world and assign characters to prevent that threat.

So if every book is formulaic - why the hell do we keep reading?
Because it's not about the destination - the Happily Ever After, in the case of romance novels - It's about the journey. The characters.
That feel-good peek into someone else's life as if we are let in on a wonderful secret.

When the reader's emotions are involved - when they care for the characters. They wish good things for them. Wince, and sympathise when things go wrong. Feel warm and gooey inside, when things go right.

Reading is an escape from our day to day lives - and to a certain extent I think we all want the familiar, the expected HEA.
But we also need to be entertained, surprised, shocked, amused, and so on.
We want to empathise or admire the heroine. Or instantly feel like she is our new best friend.
The Hero, is a fantasy all on his own. We want him to be perfect for our new fave Heroine - but we also kind of want him for ourselves as well (don't tell our new best friend the heroine that)

The journey the Hero and Heroine embark on, might be kind of familiar... the family wedding, a holiday house locale. Or it might be out of this world... literally.
And yes, they'll fight, chat, discuss, flirt, clash, love, lust, yell - in any and all combinations. But thanks to the author they will do so in their own unique, true to the characters, way.
There will hopefully be some twists and turns in their journey. Some obstacles. New places. New characters to meet. Hopefully we will laugh, sigh and cry.

And at the very end, because it's the author's job to actually stick to the formula - you'll get the Happily Ever After. Which is what you wanted, right? I mean, you did pick up the romance novel in the first place. So you know you are going to get a HEA.
But the HEA is, and isn't, the reason you keep buying romance books.

You buy them for the escape, for the journey. To meet new people. Make new friends, even if they are fictional. To travel to new places, on this planet and off of it. You want to laugh. To cry. To immerse yourself in emotions, because sometimes it is easier to let go in the fantasy world than in the real one.
And at the very end of it all, you want to snap the book closed and feel satisfied.
The characters were wonderful. The journey was captivating. And the end... that happily ever after was perfect. Exactly what you needed.

Because let's face facts - the formula, works. But it isn't as simple as everyone thinks - add one heroine, one hero, shake and HEA.
No, you and and I know that to get the perfect romance is a rare combination of factors - it takes complex, layered characters. It requires those characters to embark upon a journey - sometimes a short, uncomplicated one. Sometimes it is convoluted, heart-breaking and scary. Sometimes there is laughter. Sometimes there are tears.

And for every author out there - writing romance, I say thank you. Yes, like alchemy, we all hope to turn the written word into gold. But I can only be thankful that there are so many damn people trying. And that all those recipes are unique, even if the goal is the same.
Because though we might require the HEA, we keep coming back for the journey.

Put that old favourite re-read down and back away... slowly

I get it. The weather is crappy. The man and/or kids are moody. And every book you pick up, two chapters in, you find your nose wrinkling in distaste. Yikes, what is it suddenly with all the one/two star reads in your life?

And you think you know just the ticket to kick the doldrums out the door. You'll pick up one of your old favourites.
You know the one. It got you hooked on the romance genre in the first place. The one with the dreamy hero and the sassy heroine. You remember how wonderful the story was, the HEA was feel-good and beyond satisfying.

But I'm telling you now, if that 'old' favourite was published more than fifteen years ago, then you might want to re-think picking it up. And instead leave it relegated to just one of those fond memories. Because let me tell you, if you do pick it up - you are going to be in for a nasty surprise.

Suddenly the Hero will seem domineering, arrogant and humourless. The Heroine, for all her sass, will be a virgin and surprisingly kind of weak.
And you'll quickly realise the storyline only progresses because she makes one silly mistake after the other. And it will be up to the Hero to save the day.
Their first time sexual encounter will be impossibly wonderful. He manfully takes control and brings her to dizzying heights (whilst now you cringe and chuckle at the idea).

Not only have romance novels changed rather dramatically in the past fifteen years - thanks go to all the independent, capable women out there who have driven this movement.
But you personally have changed. I know I certainly have. What I once found dreamy and romantic, I now find myself rolling my eyes over. I want a discussion and a matching of wits, not a Hero to swoop in and save the TSTL Heroine from herself.

So when it comes to re-reading those 'old' favourites, tread gently my friends, or you may soon find they are favourites no more.