S.N. Graves's Blog, page 2

Episode Five is Live!

Episode Five is live and waiting to be read by you, and I have lots of discounts to get you started in the series...cuz, that's just how much I love you guys. :)





Episode One FREE today ONLY! 11/10
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N18HXHG

Also, to celebrate being so close to the end (one more episode left!), I have dropped the price on half of the series to 99 cents each episode. I may discount the rest of the serial if the response is good enough. It’s also available on unlimited. I would LOVE feedback in any form!

Find all Episodes here!
http://www.amazon.com/S.N.-Graves/e/B00N2JPFL0
Look Back in Anger is a paranormal/urban fantasy with high levels of romantic suspense.

Episode Five - Cover Reveal - Paranormal Romance Blog Tour -- Final Day

Hey all!
For the final day of the blog tour, I thought I would share the rough cover of my upcoming Episode Five for Look Back in Anger. It will probably undergo some changes before I finalize it, but this will give you an idea what to expect. 

Raffle Winners Announced!

Raffle Winners Announced!
Amber P.

Wins the first THREE Episodes in Look Back in Anger! Mobi, PDF, or Epub format.

Custom Cover Art for Your Next E-Book by Grave Designs!
See samples here -- http://www.sngraves.com/#!coverart/c1orx

This is a coupon for 50 dollars off any cover art purchase. Choose an option that will get you a whole cover FREE or use the prize as a discount toward a more complex cover.

Greg T.

$25 off any editing service from S.N. Graves

S.N. Graves is a senior editor for a reputable publishing house and holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. This prize entitles the winner to twenty-five dollars off any purchase of editing services. This can be used toward the purchase of a total book edit, or used to help you retool that one scene that’s been hanging up your manuscript!

See services here -- http://www.sngraves.com/#!services3/cn63

Kathleen C.

Wins the first THREE Episodes in Look Back in Anger! Mobi, PDF, or Epub format.

Casey C.


Wins the first THREE Episodes in Look Back in Anger! Mobi, PDF, or Epub format.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

PNRBT: Author Interview -- Ariana Hawkes

Welcome all! For day four of the Paranormal Romance Blog Tour we have an interview with Ariana Hawkes where she discusses, her inspirations, what's next for her characters, and the challenges and research that goes into writing a novel about shifters!



https://www.facebook.com/ArianaHawkes

1. When did you know you were a writer?

Pretty much as soon as I learned to write. I was always writing long, involved stories, usually about horses. My teacher would look at them wearily and say, here’s the next Lord of the Rings.

2. Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

Isabel, definitely. I like the combination of feistiness and fragility, and the way that’s she’s just awakening into being this really sexual person, after ending a safe but boring relationship.

3. How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

I enjoy writing the character of Kara, but in real life, she’d probably annoy the hell out of me, as she’s just too much all the time! At the same time, I’d admire someone who’s intelligent and lots of fun, with a strong appetite for sex. 

4. I so relate to Isabel—my family and friends always tell me to meet them about an hour or half hour before any get together because time and me have a poor relationship. Is she based on anyone in real life, or are her quirks maybe inspired by your own?

Haha! Yes, unfortunately that aspect of her character was inspired by my own! Most of my friends are the same, but it drives my partner crazy!

5. Okay Lupus11 would have lost me at the “let’s be on time.” He has some moments of coming off a bit like an ass in instant messages. What is it about Isabel that makes her look past that, and if someone spoke to you that way, would you respond differently?

She decides to give him a chance because she knows that kinky hook-ups function differently from normal dating – even if she doesn’t understand how. She’s also keen to experience new things, and not afraid to take a risk. If I encountered Peter in a similar situation, I’d hook up with him, but I wouldn’t date him. What I look for in a sexy game situation and a potential partner are thankfully very different things!

6. What authors, or books, have influenced you?

My degree is in English and Latin Literature, so I’ve had so many influences from the ancient world onwards. Latin and Ancient Greek poets wrote a lot about shapeshifters, and I’d always wanted to write a modern version that would appeal to lots of people. Then I came across werewolves, and I was like…duh!

7. What is it about wolves that drew you to write about them? Why not cats or birds or any number of creatures in the animal kingdom?

I wanted to go back to an old shapeshifter myth and give it new life, and the Dracula story was an obvious choice for me, as it’s still the scariest book I’ve read. So I had Peter coming from Transylvania, which has very old vampire and werewolf myths. Silver City, where the book is set, is also the only place in the southern states that still has wolves, so it was also a strategic choice. 

8. Give us an interesting fun fact, or a few, about your series and where it’s going.

It’s going to Transylvania! But only if Isabel can get to the bottom of Peter and his weird ways!

10. What genre would you love to write but haven’t tackled yet? What’s stopping you?

I’d love to write a domestic thriller. I have it all planned out actually, but time has been the main barrier so far!

11. What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

I had to do quite a bit of research on the area where the story is set, and once I get on Wikipedia, hours and hours disappear! It was also hard to know how full on the sex scenes could be, so I’ve spent quite a lot of time writing and rewriting them to get the tone right. 

12. Do you have any advice for new authors?


If you have a daily writing target, stick with it, unless something dramatic happens during the day! It’s too easy to get side-tracked and lose the flow. Also, read plenty of books on writing to improve your style and plot and characterization techniques. There are so many useful tips you can pick up – and there’s no need to try to reinvent the wheel by figuring them out by yourself!







From now until the 31st of the month I will be posting and linking to interviews, book reviews, and more from participating paranormal romance authors. We have giveaways, cover reveals, and lots of fun things planned in the week to come.

We’re all trying to stick close to the same format, so our basic schedule template is as follows:

Mon 10/27 Intro/Master List post/Giveaways posted
Tues. 10/28 Open Blog Post: Choose topic
Wed. 10/29 Book Review of Fellow Author
Thurs. 10/30 Author Interview Day
Oct. 10/31 Sneak Previews of Books/Cover Reveals/Closing of Blog Tour



1) S.N. Graves       Series to Promote: Look Back in Anger Serial
(http://www.amazon.com/S.N.-Graves/e/B00N2JPFL0)
Blog: http://disturbedgraves.blogspot.comWebsite: http://www.sngraves.com/
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a55679c81/
2) Marilyn Vix    Series to Promote: Beware of Warlocks Series
(http://www.amazon.com/Never-Warlock-Beware-Warlocks-Novelette-ebook/dp/B00FNI0C98)
Website/Blog: http://marilynvix.com
Never Marry A Warlock Free Copy through Smashwords
Coupon good through Oct. 26-Oct. 31, 2014:  UB92D
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/20834f9e5/

3) Aimee Easterling
Book or Book Series to Promote: Shiftless (www.amazon.com/dp/B00J6EFD8K/)
Blog Site: www.wetknee.com/news
Bloodling Wolf (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IKPJBNE/)
Free 10/23 – 10/27
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDViNjkwNjRhNDRjZTRmZjA0OTM5MzE0MWQzMjg2OjMz/

4) Sara C. Roethle       Book to Promote: Falling Betwixt  (http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Betwixt-Book-Vaettir-Romance-ebook/dp/B00OJI0KSG)
Website/Blog: http://saracroethle.com/


5) Ariana Hawkes   Book to Promote: Isabel and the Wolf (a Rafflecopter giveaway)
 Isabel and the Wolf : http://amzn.to/1DyoEsn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianaHawkes



a Rafflecopter giveaway

PNRBT: Author Interview -- Marilyn Vix

Welcome all! For day four of the Paranormal Romance Blog Tour we have an interview with Marilyn Vix where she discusses current projects, her inspirations, and romance in the digital age!

1) How did you get the idea for your current book?

I had a dream in which I found a man in bed with another woman. I'd been looking through far too many romance novel covers. It spilled into the dream. He was hot, and bare chested, just like a romance novel cover. 

I started launching a fireball attack at him, and he jumped out of the bed through the window. I hit him with another spell, and it threw him into the pool. As he came out of the pool, I started to fully wake up. I got up, started the coffee pot, and grabbed my laptop. 10 minutes later I wrote down my dream, and continued the scene. I finished my coffee, and it became chapter one in Never Marry A Warlock. It definitely proves that you never know when inspiration may strike.

2) What inspirational advice would you give a new paranormal romance writer?

Don't give up! You never know what will happen unless you write it down. Get that butt in a chair, and write something. Then, get used to sitting there for longer periods at a time. Read lots of paranormal romances. You always want to know what is out there and what is already done. The secret is to try to do something no one else has tried. Then, you can give your story the twist it needs. Plus, start looking into joining writing groups and going to writing conferences. Increase your craft. Writing can only get better.

3) Who inspired you the most to become a writer?

Anne Rice. There was a biography on her I read in 1993. It talked about how she wrote Interview With A Vampire as her master's degree project. She was working out the death of her 5 year old daughter in creating Claudia. I started writing Sci-Fi, and have moved onto trying other genres. I feel I finally have found my voice in paranormal romance. The characters keep bugging me to write them. It's what Anne has described with Lestat. I finally know how she feels. 

4) Do you think romance is alive and well or becoming lost in the technology age?

I met my husband in a pub. It may not have been romantic, but then, I ended up happy. I don't think it matters how you may find the person, but that you somehow connect. Technology is just another way to connect. I think finding the special someone can get easier if you let no stone go unturned. 

5) What current projects are you working on?

I'm working on a Time Travel Romance that I'm hoping to get completed with National Writing Month (http://nanowrimo.org/). Plus, I'm working on Never Cross A Warlock, the third novelette in the Beware of Warlocks series. I just wish I'd write faster. Life does get in the way, but sometimes you have to make time for writing. I'm hoping to write 50,000 words in a month will get me more focused on writing. Then, it's off to my editor. 

For more information on Marilyn Vix, you can visit her website at: marilynvix.com.





From now until the 31st of the month I will be posting and linking to interviews, book reviews, and more from participating paranormal romance authors. We have giveaways, cover reveals, and lots of fun things planned in the week to come.

We’re all trying to stick close to the same format, so our basic schedule template is as follows:

Mon 10/27 Intro/Master List post/Giveaways posted
Tues. 10/28 Open Blog Post: Choose topic
Wed. 10/29 Book Review of Fellow Author
Thurs. 10/30 Author Interview Day
Oct. 10/31 Sneak Previews of Books/Cover Reveals/Closing of Blog Tour



1) S.N. Graves       Series to Promote: Look Back in Anger Serial
(http://www.amazon.com/S.N.-Graves/e/B00N2JPFL0)
Blog: http://disturbedgraves.blogspot.comWebsite: http://www.sngraves.com/
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a55679c81/
2) Marilyn Vix    Series to Promote: Beware of Warlocks Series
(http://www.amazon.com/Never-Warlock-Beware-Warlocks-Novelette-ebook/dp/B00FNI0C98)
Website/Blog: http://marilynvix.com
Never Marry A Warlock Free Copy through Smashwords
Coupon good through Oct. 26-Oct. 31, 2014:  UB92D
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/20834f9e5/

3) Aimee Easterling
Book or Book Series to Promote: Shiftless (www.amazon.com/dp/B00J6EFD8K/)
Blog Site: www.wetknee.com/news
Bloodling Wolf (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IKPJBNE/)
Free 10/23 – 10/27
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDViNjkwNjRhNDRjZTRmZjA0OTM5MzE0MWQzMjg2OjMz/

4) Sara C. Roethle       Book to Promote: Falling Betwixt  (http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Betwixt-Book-Vaettir-Romance-ebook/dp/B00OJI0KSG)
Website/Blog: http://saracroethle.com/


5) Ariana Hawkes   Book to Promote: Isabel and the Wolf (a Rafflecopter giveaway)
 Isabel and the Wolf : http://amzn.to/1DyoEsn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianaHawkes



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review! Never Marry A Warlock by Marilyn Vix

Never Marry A Warlock (A Beware of Warlocks Novelette) byMarilyn VixBuy at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1wGPxtU
Catherine walks in on her husband in bed with her best friend. What is a woman to do? It helps that she is a witch. Unfortunately, so is her husband. Before you can say spell battle, Catherine high tails it up the coast of California to clear her head. Lucky for her, she finds an Aussie hitchhiker. She's going to have to face her husband in the awaiting spell battle. Can she have a little fun with her new found boy toy, or will he get scorched in the foreplay? 

Warning: This paranormal romance novelette contains some heated intimate scenes that are for ages 18 and older. Length: 11,256 words


Hell hath no fury like a witch scorned…

As soon as I finished reading the first installment in the Beware of Warlocks series my reaction was “No fair! You can’t end it there!”

Never Marry a Warlock is an incredibly fast-paced read. It starts with great action when Cat finds her husband Richard in bed with her best friend, and the sparks fly in a full-on magical duel. It doesn't slow from there as we follow Cat on her journey to set herself right and recover from the betrayal. There were times I wished it would have taken a more scenic route in the exposition, just because I wasn't ready to move on, and I wanted so much more of the characters than this teaser allowed, but the installment definitely did it job in making me hungry for more. 

Vix's style lends itself well to the ratcheted pace, and is very conversational—there is no getting bogged down by purple prose or evidence of an author so enamored with her own words that she meanders. Vix does not meander. Her characters are a lot of fun, and it’s hard not to like Cat right from the start, especially with Vix's sharp wit and humor that kept me snickering as I turned the pages.

I got the feeling Jeff is to be the main love interest of the series, and I was supposed to really hate Richard, but dang it…

Maybe it’s the jerk magnet in me (no offence Hubby, light of my life) but Richard is my kind of dick. I know he’s bad, but I just don’t care—he’s awesome bad. He smiles at just the right time, and it could just be that warlock glamour he’s putting off, but if this series turns into one of those “Who will she choose” deals, I’m going to be team Richard all the way. 

Oh, and also...best line ever -- “I’m a witch, you bitch.”



Welcome to day three of the 2014 Paranormal Blog Tour!

From now until the 31st of the month I will be posting and linking to interviews, book reviews, and more from participating paranormal romance authors. We have giveaways, cover reveals, and lots of fun things planned in the week to come.

We’re all trying to stick close to the same format, so our basic schedule template is as follows:

Mon 10/27 Intro/Master List post/Giveaways posted
Tues. 10/28 Open Blog Post: Choose topic
Wed. 10/29 Book Review of Fellow Author
Thurs. 10/30 Author Interview Day
Oct. 10/31 Sneak Previews of Books/Cover Reveals/Closing of Blog Tour



1) S.N. Graves       Series to Promote: Look Back in Anger Serial
(http://www.amazon.com/S.N.-Graves/e/B00N2JPFL0)
Blog: http://disturbedgraves.blogspot.comWebsite: http://www.sngraves.com/
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a55679c81/
2) Marilyn Vix    Series to Promote: Beware of Warlocks Series
(http://www.amazon.com/Never-Warlock-Beware-Warlocks-Novelette-ebook/dp/B00FNI0C98)
Website/Blog: http://marilynvix.com
Never Marry A Warlock Free Copy through Smashwords
Coupon good through Oct. 26-Oct. 31, 2014:  UB92D
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/20834f9e5/

3) Aimee Easterling
Book or Book Series to Promote: Shiftless (www.amazon.com/dp/B00J6EFD8K/)
Blog Site: www.wetknee.com/news
Bloodling Wolf (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IKPJBNE/)
Free 10/23 – 10/27
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDViNjkwNjRhNDRjZTRmZjA0OTM5MzE0MWQzMjg2OjMz/

4) Sara C. Roethle       Book to Promote: Falling Betwixt  (http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Betwixt-Book-Vaettir-Romance-ebook/dp/B00OJI0KSG)
Website/Blog: http://saracroethle.com/


5) Ariana Hawkes   Book to Promote: Isabel and the Wolf (a Rafflecopter giveaway)
 Isabel and the Wolf : http://amzn.to/1DyoEsn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianaHawkes


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review! Isabel and the Wolf: Part One

Isabel and the Wolf
by
 Ariana Hawkes



Facebook: facebook.com/ArianaHawkes


Buy it on Amazon : http://amzn.to/1FWw5hb



She’s looking for a dominant man. He’s looking for a mate. Can they find what they need in each other? 

Isabel Alexander has no idea that werewolves exist. Until now, this hadn't been an issue, but she’s just moved to the only region in the southern states where wolves still roam free. And where there are wolves, there are werewolves. 

Her quest for a dominant man gets the attention of one such specimen – the sexy, mysterious Peter. However, his wolf is so close to the surface that he can barely keep it hidden from a human female. After a storm ruins their first date plans, Isabel is confronted by a man as unsettling as he is captivating. 
At the same time, she can’t shake her attraction for the good-looking stranger. While sense tells her it might be dangerous, stronger emotions lead her to his house, where, for the first time, she learns what alpha really means. 



Isabel and The Wolf: Part One is a 16,000 word novella and the first episode in the new werewolf erotic romance serial by Ariana Hawkes. It contains strong sexual themes and is not intended for readers under the age of 18. 





Often when you pick up the start of a self-published series on Amazon, you don’t expect a lot. If you’re going for romance or erotica especially, expectations of great editing, clear and concise wording, truly interesting characters, and a plot worth following will usually only end in disappointment. That’s not to say I don’t have respect for self-publishing—I absolutely love indie authors, heck, I am one—but we’d all be fooling ourselves if we didn't acknowledge that most of what’s available is kinda awful. At the very least, not very polished.
Ariana Hawkes has none of the negative hallmarks of a self-published author.
Ariana's covers are stunning, her characters are incredibly intriguing, and the story is a total page turner. It’s truly rare to find so much world building in such a short installment, but Book One rings with authenticity and realism. You believe the world we’re in, and even if you don’t agree with the characters, they too ring true as fully developed, interesting people who you want to get to know. It’s easy to become so involved you end up wanting to shout at the characters when you see them doing something no sane person would do—like going to a strange man’s house when you've never even really met him. I kinda wanted to smack Kara for encouraging Isabel to do the hook-up—of course as my sister has always said of me, I’m a paranoid killjoy who would rather spend a night in shouting at fictional people than taking any real risk outside my front door, so maybe I’m over reacting a bit.

And just a bit of a spoiler—he sniffs her. HE SNIFFS HER. Ladies, this is the point where I would giggle like a maniac and leave a Looney Toon dust trail behind me as I fled the scene. 

But he totally makes up for it with that first kiss. The heat between these two is palpable, and Ariana is an expert at crafting sensual prose. By the time this first installment ended, I wasn't near ready to stop reading, and was quick to seek out Book Two. This is a series and an author that will definitely be going on my must read list. If you want wolves, hot romance, and an alpha male as frustrating as he is alluring, this is the series to read. 
Welcome to day three of the 2014 Paranormal Blog Tour!

From now until the 31st of the month I will be posting and linking to interviews, book reviews, and more from participating paranormal romance authors. We have giveaways, cover reveals, and lots of fun things planned in the week to come.

We’re all trying to stick close to the same format, so our basic schedule template is as follows:

Mon 10/27 Intro/Master List post/Giveaways posted
Tues. 10/28 Open Blog Post: Choose topic
Wed. 10/29 Book Review of Fellow Author
Thurs. 10/30 Author Interview Day
Oct. 10/31 Sneak Previews of Books/Cover Reveals/Closing of Blog Tour



1) S.N. Graves       Series to Promote: Look Back in Anger Serial
(http://www.amazon.com/S.N.-Graves/e/B00N2JPFL0)
Blog: http://disturbedgraves.blogspot.comWebsite: http://www.sngraves.com/
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a55679c81/
2) Marilyn Vix    Series to Promote: Beware of Warlocks Series
(http://www.amazon.com/Never-Warlock-Beware-Warlocks-Novelette-ebook/dp/B00FNI0C98)
Website/Blog: http://marilynvix.com
Never Marry A Warlock Free Copy through Smashwords
Coupon good through Oct. 26-Oct. 31, 2014:  UB92D
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/20834f9e5/

3) Aimee Easterling
Book or Book Series to Promote: Shiftless (www.amazon.com/dp/B00J6EFD8K/)
Blog Site: www.wetknee.com/news
Bloodling Wolf (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IKPJBNE/)
Free 10/23 – 10/27
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDViNjkwNjRhNDRjZTRmZjA0OTM5MzE0MWQzMjg2OjMz/

4) Sara C. Roethle       Book to Promote: Falling Betwixt  (http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Betwixt-Book-Vaettir-Romance-ebook/dp/B00OJI0KSG)
Website/Blog: http://saracroethle.com/


5) Ariana Hawkes   Book to Promote: Isabel and the Wolf (a Rafflecopter giveaway Isabel-Werewolf-alpha-erotic-romance-ebook/dp/B00O3QDW2U">http://www.amazon.com/Isabel-Werewolf...)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianaHawkes


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don���t blink! Authors Don���t Look Away. (Part One of My Unsolicited Advice Series)

Well, some do, and when an author blinks an angel eats their soul with spidery mandibles and coughs up a hairball of mediocre prose that gives us all a bad name. Okay, so maybe it���s not that bad, but it can take a potentially amazing work and make it blah.

As a professional editor, I've found the advice I end up giving to my authors more often than not is to get deeper into their character���s POV, and to not be afraid to type the words that make them cringe. Good writing comes from the heart. Awe inspiring comes from the gut, particularly if you���ve torn it out and drizzled it all over the paper���go there, say it, write it. The more difficult a scene feels to approach, the more important it is that you free yourself to write it.

Let the bad guys be BAD.

One of the worst lit crimes I see, and I see it often, is when authors write jerks. Jerks, asses, and douche-bags get no love in most books. They may get a lot of screen time (probably not) but they don���t get the TLC of a protagonist. This is a problem, because you could have a book with really well developed protagonists,but when you pit them against their jerky rival, the scene loses balance and authenticity���it���s hard to take a hero seriously when he���s fighting a cardboard cut out of a cartoon bad guy. If you really want to make that ���bad guy��� believable, and the threat to the protagonist genuine, you need to employ the same sort of deep POV and characterization you use with your protagonists.

I know it feels icky and you want to distance yourself from feeling like an ass as much as possible���nobody wants to get under the skin of a character no one is supposed to like���but you will thank me for it later if you really give yourself over to it���and so will your readers. What���s the worst that could happen? A reader picks up your book and makes the mistake of thinking some part of you is just like the jerk in your story? Well, yeah, that may happen, but it���s better than the reader thinking some part of you is a clich��, mustache twirling, drama hound, right? Give yourself permission to say all the vile, awful things that little dark part of your heart has always wanted to say. Give yourself permission to slip into the shoes of your berating father, your overbearing mother, that jackass at work who doesn���t know his sexist jokes aren���t funny and spits a little when he talks. These wonderful models of terrible people in your life are not contagious���you can wear their skin for a scene and go right back to being your usual pleasant self���after you show your ass in the scene and make your protagonist really uncomfortable. Don���t hold back. Don���t parrot the words of bad guys from TV���it comes off sounding like a bad high school play���get real, get ugly, and go there.


Don���t tone it down.
Don���t just give your readers what you think they can handle in terms of asshole people.
Don't do that! Don't write a jerk, BE a jerk.
Don't tell yourself "I can't have them say this because...it doesn't sound like writing" or pull back because some part of you is just afraid to relive those words people have said to YOU again.
Just spill it. Let your jerk be full-on rotten.
And let him or her be inspired by the full-on rotten people in your life. It's like method acting. You channel that hateful awful person through yourself, to the keyboard. Let us see you be bad!

Don’t blink! Authors Don’t Look Away. (Part One of My Unsolicited Advice Series)

Well, some do, and when an author blinks an angel eats their soul with spidery mandibles and coughs up a hairball of mediocre prose that gives us all a bad name. Okay, so maybe it’s not that bad, but it can take a potentially amazing work and make it blah.

As a professional editor, I've found the advice I end up giving to my authors more often than not is to get deeper into their character’s POV, and to not be afraid to type the words that make them cringe. Good writing comes from the heart. Awe inspiring comes from the gut, particularly if you’ve torn it out and drizzled it all over the paper—go there, say it, write it. The more difficult a scene feels to approach, the more important it is that you free yourself to write it.

Let the bad guys be BAD.

One of the worst lit crimes I see, and I see it often, is when authors write jerks. Jerks, asses, and douche-bags get no love in most books. They may get a lot of screen time (probably not) but they don’t get the TLC of a protagonist. This is a problem, because you could have a book with really well developed protagonists,but when you pit them against their jerky rival, the scene loses balance and authenticity—it’s hard to take a hero seriously when he’s fighting a cardboard cut out of a cartoon bad guy. If you really want to make that “bad guy” believable, and the threat to the protagonist genuine, you need to employ the same sort of deep POV and characterization you use with your protagonists.

I know it feels icky and you want to distance yourself from feeling like an ass as much as possible—nobody wants to get under the skin of a character no one is supposed to like—but you will thank me for it later if you really give yourself over to it…and so will your readers. What’s the worst that could happen? A reader picks up your book and makes the mistake of thinking some part of you is just like the jerk in your story? Well, yeah, that may happen, but it’s better than the reader thinking some part of you is a cliché, mustache twirling, drama hound, right? Give yourself permission to say all the vile, awful things that little dark part of your heart has always wanted to say. Give yourself permission to slip into the shoes of your berating father, your overbearing mother, that jackass at work who doesn’t know his sexist jokes aren’t funny and spits a little when he talks. These wonderful models of terrible people in your life are not contagious—you can wear their skin for a scene and go right back to being your usual pleasant self…after you show your ass in the scene and make your protagonist really uncomfortable. Don’t hold back. Don’t parrot the words of bad guys from TV—it comes off sounding like a bad high school play—get real, get ugly, and go there.


Don’t tone it down.
Don’t just give your readers what you think they can handle in terms of asshole people.
Don't do that! Don't write a jerk, BE a jerk.
Don't tell yourself "I can't have them say this because...it doesn't sound like writing" or pull back because some part of you is just afraid to relive those words people have said to YOU again.
Just spill it. Let your jerk be full-on rotten.
And let him or her be inspired by the full-on rotten people in your life. It's like method acting. You channel that hateful awful person through yourself, to the keyboard. Let us see you be bad!


Welcome to day two of the 2014 Paranormal Blog Tour!

From now until the 31st of the month I will be posting and linking to interviews, book reviews, and more from participating paranormal romance authors. We have giveaways, cover reveals, and lots of fun things planned in the week to come.

We’re all trying to stick close to the same format, so our basic schedule template is as follows:

Mon 10/27 Intro/Master List post/Giveaways posted
Tues. 10/28 Open Blog Post: Choose topic
Wed. 10/29 Book Review of Fellow Author
Thurs. 10/30 Author Interview Day
Oct. 10/31 Sneak Previews of Books/Cover Reveals/Closing of Blog Tour

As this is day one of the tour, let me introduce you to all the participating authors. I encourage you to check out their blogs, follow them, and engage with the awesome raffles and giveaways they have planned. It’s free stuff, man—why wouldn’t you check it out?


1) S.N. Graves       Series to Promote: Look Back in Anger Serial
(http://www.amazon.com/S.N.-Graves/e/B00N2JPFL0)
Blog: http://disturbedgraves.blogspot.comWebsite: http://www.sngraves.com/
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a55679c81/
2) Marilyn Vix    Series to Promote: Beware of Warlocks Series
(http://www.amazon.com/Never-Warlock-Beware-Warlocks-Novelette-ebook/dp/B00FNI0C98)
Website/Blog: http://marilynvix.com
Never Marry A Warlock Free Copy through Smashwords
Coupon good through Oct. 26-Oct. 31, 2014:  UB92D
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/20834f9e5/

3) Aimee Easterling
Book or Book Series to Promote: Shiftless (www.amazon.com/dp/B00J6EFD8K/)
Blog Site: www.wetknee.com/news
Bloodling Wolf (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IKPJBNE/)
Free 10/23 – 10/27
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDViNjkwNjRhNDRjZTRmZjA0OTM5MzE0MWQzMjg2OjMz/

4) Sara C. Roethle       Book to Promote: Falling Betwixt  (http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Betwixt-Book-Vaettir-Romance-ebook/dp/B00OJI0KSG)
Website/Blog: http://saracroethle.com/


5) Ariana Hawkes   Book to Promote: Isabel and the Wolf (a Rafflecopter giveaway Isabel-Werewolf-alpha-erotic-romance-ebook/dp/B00O3QDW2U">http://www.amazon.com/Isabel-Werewolf...)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianaHawkes


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to the 2014 Paranormal Blog Tour!

Welcome to the 2014 Paranormal Blog Tour!
From now until the 31st of the month I will be posting and linking to interviews, book reviews, and more from participating paranormal romance authors. We have giveaways, cover reveals, and lots of fun things planned in the week to come.

We’re all trying to stick close to the same format, so our basic schedule template is as follows:

Mon 10/27 Intro/Master List post/Giveaways posted
Tues. 10/28 Open Blog Post: Choose topic
Wed. 10/29 Book Review of Fellow Author
Thurs. 10/30 Author Interview Day
Oct. 10/31 Sneak Previews of Books/Cover Reveals/Closing of Blog Tour

As this is day one of the tour, let me introduce you to all the participating authors. I encourage you to check out their blogs, follow them, and engage with the awesome raffles and giveaways they have planned. It’s free stuff, man—why wouldn’t you check it out?


1) S.N. Graves       Series to Promote: Look Back in Anger Serial
(http://www.amazon.com/S.N.-Graves/e/B00N2JPFL0)
Blog: http://disturbedgraves.blogspot.comWebsite: http://www.sngraves.com/
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a55679c81/
2) Marilyn Vix    Series to Promote: Beware of Warlocks Series
(http://www.amazon.com/Never-Warlock-Beware-Warlocks-Novelette-ebook/dp/B00FNI0C98)
Website/Blog: http://marilynvix.com
Never Marry A Warlock Free Copy through Smashwords
Coupon good through Oct. 26-Oct. 31, 2014:  UB92D
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/20834f9e5/

3) Aimee Easterling
Book or Book Series to Promote: Shiftless (www.amazon.com/dp/B00J6EFD8K/)
Blog Site: www.wetknee.com/news
Bloodling Wolf (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IKPJBNE/)
Free 10/23 – 10/27
GIVEAWAY RAFFLE http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDViNjkwNjRhNDRjZTRmZjA0OTM5MzE0MWQzMjg2OjMz/

4) Sara C. Roethle       Book to Promote: Falling Betwixt  (http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Betwixt-Book-Vaettir-Romance-ebook/dp/B00OJI0KSG)
Website/Blog: http://saracroethle.com/


5) Ariana Hawkes   Book to Promote: Isabel and the Wolf (a Rafflecopter giveawayIsabel-Werewolf-alpha-erotic-romance-ebook/dp/B00O3QDW2U">http://www.amazon.com/Isabel-Werewolf...)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArianaHawkes




a Rafflecopter giveaway