VISITING DIGNITARY - CATHY L. CLAMP

Yes folks, indeed, in honor of the release of THE ISIS COLLAR we have the other half of the dynamic duo visiting today.  Give a warm welcome to CATHY L. CLAMP!  (WOOOO HOOOO!!!!)

The Making of a Hero

In THE ISIS COLLAR, our heroine Celia Graves continues to struggle with which of her two favorite guys she prefers. Bruno DeLuca is low-key and thoughtful but funny. He’s caring but sometimes thoughtless, while John Creede is flashy but surprisingly private. He’s supportive but sometimes condescending. In other words, two very typical alpha males. They’re both heroic in their own ways, and both can often clash with what Celia needs or wants.

How does an author create a hero? What traits do they need to be BOTH a knight in shining armor while still realistic enough to have conflicts with the heroine. Most alpha males have things in common that make them the modern equivalent of knights. They frequently have a willingness to help others (or at least can be talked into it with money or power.) They’re physically and mentally tough enough to get through a crisis. They’re driven to excel in what they do and have a high opinion of their talents (usually justified.)

But the flip side of those coins are what are often exasperating to a likewise driven female warrior. They have egos. Oh, lord do they have egos! They expect to get their own way (read as: tough and driven), whether or not anyone has other plans. They’re often moody when they’re losing or likely to lose.

So what makes them so darned endearing? At least for Celia, it’s the caring. Her alpha heroes care about doing the right thing. Yes, sometimes they tromp on the flowers on the way to saving the forest, but by hell or high water, the forest will be saved! They’ll give their last dying breath to be sure they attain their goal. And who doesn’t find that loveable?

We recently did a poll at Coffeetime Romance to ask whether Celia should wind up with Bruno or Creede. So far, Creede is in the lead. But Bruno is the shining star of THE ISIS COLLAR, so will the polls change once everyone has had a chance to read it? Only you can be the judge! Here’s an exclusive excerpt of a kiss from each of the guys. Which one rung Celia’s chime more? Let us know and you’ll be in a drawing to WIN an autographed copy of THE ISIS COLLAR!

First is Creede (because I created Creede so he’s my fav to win!)

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Creede knelt in front of me, his hands still on my shoulders. His gaze locked with mine and the compassion in his eyes made me believe the words he spoke next. “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out. I promise.” His fingers squeezed just a bit. “All right?”

A promise from him could be put in the bank. “Okay. Thanks. What should I do until then?”

The corner of his mouth turned up a fraction and his hands moved until they were on either side of my face. “Quit trying to be superwoman. Ask for help when you’re hurt. Remember that if you’re hurt, it’s serious.”

It sounded so logical when he said it. But . . . “That’s not so easy for me.”

The quirk of a smile became an amused flash of teeth. “Tell me about it.”  Without any warning, he leaned forward and eased his lips against mine. I found myself being pulled into the kiss before I realized what was happening. His hand slid around my head, fingers twining in my hair and my eyes closed automatically. I leaned into him before I realized I was doing it. My breath froze in my lungs and I couldn’t seem to think past the dual sensations of magic and gentle pressure as he slowly moved his soft, full lips against mine. Warm breath on my cheek, magic sweet as candy and the caress of his tongue made my knees weak and my stomach do flip-flops. His hand, lightly stroking my hair, sent electric shocks to my scalp. It was a good thing I was sitting down. My heart began pounding hard and my fingers buried themselves in the fabric of the armrests to keep from wrapping around him and pulling him into my lap. I wanted to . . . a lot. The strength of the desire terrified me.

The kiss was probably over in seconds, though it felt like it lasted a week. He drew back slowly and I wound up suspended, eyes closed, enjoying the remaining pull of the magic that tugged at my stomach. A quick, nearly chaste kiss in the back of a store shouldn’t really be that big a deal.

Right.

**********************

And now it’s Bruno’s turn (Bruno is Cie’s favorite, so he always gets equal time!):

**********************

Bruno arrived first and wrapped me in a hug when I opened the door that left me warm but breathless. Then the kiss he bestowed turned what was left of my muscles into jello. “How you doin’?”

I let out a slow sigh and allowed myself to rest against his muscled chest. “Better. The feds used some magic on me. Apparently, my vampire healing doesn’t work on burns. I could still use a little more rest. You?”

He nodded and lowered his mouth to mine once more. I could feel his warm breath on my face as his mouth ate at mine gently. God, those lips. I’d missed them. He smoothed his hands down my back, knowing just where to touch to make me moan. I pulled away after a few moments, shaky but pleased. “Mmm. Much better now. Actually, I’m headed back to New Jersey. Just stopped by on the way to the airport.”

*********************

Which of Celia’s guys do you like better, and why? We really want to know!

Oh, and if you’re intrigued (and you know you are) go out and buy THE ISIS COLLAR by Cat Adams right away! And if you’ve never heard of Celia Graves’ earlier adventures in BLOOD SONG, SIREN SONG and DEMON SONG, they’re on sale until the release of ISIS! It’s a really good sale, too: only $2.99 for a Kindle download. Heck, that’s three for the price of one! And if you’re a print fanatic, they’re also on sale at Amazon on a 4-for-3 special. But lots of other retailers have them on sale too, so go to our publisher’s website (http://us.macmillan.com/theisiscollar/CatAdams) , scroll all the way to the bottom and choose your favorite store.

Edits going well, closing in on the end./Breakfast Serial

Edits are going well.  I'm closing in on the end.  YAHOO.  Not there yet, but progress is being made.  So is research.  LOL.

Okay, I'm doing a short serial this week so I can get back to my edits. 

**************************

Who in the @#$&* is Boone Carter
(Who is, alas, still in flashback mode.  Were this a book I'd be checking to see if it was too long and needed editing.  Good information, but need to get back to the main plot.)

Even seeing the headlights, knowing it was probably them, the first impact was a hell of a shock.  My mother swore, fighting for control of the truck, Sara roused enough to scream.  They hit us again right before the next curve.  The truck swerved.  Metal screamed as we scraped against the guard rail.  The truck bucked and wove.  Mom might have recovered control if they hadn't chose that precise moment to hit us again.

There was a horrible, sickening moment when the guardrail gave, and we were airborne.

*************

PLEASE COMMENT.

Hanging in there.

Sometimes I just get tired.  Part of it is physical.  Part of it is mental and emotional.

I'm VERY glad it is Friday.  I truly hope to get some rest this weekend.  It doesn't look like I should.  But I think I may do it anyway.

Toodles.

Cie

DOUBLE FEATURE VISITING DIGNITARIES

Okay guys, life occasionally (oh, who am I kidding, FREQUENTLY) gets away from me.  I've been working really hard on scheduling the Visiting Dignitaries.  Lots of e-mails, lots of talks with old friends and new ones.  Pull out the calendar and write down the dates.  Fun, not to hard.

And then (cue danger music)

The dog (who spends most of her time in the office) decided to chase the cat across the desk and corner him.  They were just playing.  The animals are fine.  My calendar -- not so much.  February and March don't exist.  I have a ten month calendar--starting in April. 

Which is how I ended up with two people scheduled for today, Leap Day.  So I'm calling it a Leap Day Bonus.  You are going along with me on this.  Right?  I said RIGHT?

So, for our first guest I am proud and pleased to introduce the lovely, talented (and possibly shizoid--just kidding folks, but she does have work with a number of pen names).  JADE LEE.  (Cue the applause).

Our second lovely guest is a friend from the convention circuit and a wonderful author of short fiction.  She is also the voice of a redhead, from the apocalypse.  Give a HUGE WARM WELCOME folks to RHONDA EUDALY!

Riff This... By Jade Lee

Ever get up and try to be funny? Really clever, cute, and funny? Lots of people do because they’re naturally delightful. My brother-in-law for one. He’s hysterical which is good because he’s in advertising. For me to be clever and funny/delightful, I need (a) coffee and (b) someone to play off of. Another person who can sparkle back at me. And I need rhythm. Dialogue rhythm, setting rhythm, alcohol rhythm.

Which is why–in my split personality–I am funny as Kathy Lyons for my Harlequin Blazes. They’re short, sweet, contemporary, and I can set up a situation and just riff. Those are my funny books, written mostly in the afternoon, and with a large sense of the ridiculous. My historicals as Jade Lee are dark, sensuous character stories of people struggling in a difficult time. Jade is SEXY (and yes, I managed to find a way to be sexy first thing in the morning. Well...after my latte). But when my editor asked me to bring my Kathy Lyons humor to the regency for the new series, I thought she was...well, joking. Jade Lee was serious. She wasn’t...oh right. She’s not really a person. She’s ME and I can be funny. Or so I promised my editor.

It took me a LONG time to get the right note. A long, struggling time of bad jokes, worse puns, and really nothing at all delightful except for when I hit the delete key. Apparently, I sucked at HISTORICAL funny. And then I remembered something really key. I remembered all those regency romances from when I was a kid. The ones that were sweet and funny and could still manage sexy. It’s what brought me to the time period in the first place. So I embarked on a remember-why-you-love-the-regency campaign. I found it. In lots of places. And, I have to admit, in writing a lot of bad words until I found the right ones.

I’m happy to say that I think I succeeded. Publishers Weekly said I had charming verbal fencing, clever retorts, and an entertaining read. WOO HOO! But that’s not what really counts. What counts is what YOU think is funny. So click on this link [http://jadeleeauthor.com/books/bridal-favors-series/wedded-in-scandal/wedded-in-scandal-excerpt] and you’ll get one of my most favorite scenes in the book. Someone who comments on this excerpt will get a free copy of Wedded in Scandal! And for those of you who feel left out, click on this link [http://jadeleeauthor.com/engaged-in-wickedness-free ] and you’ll get a free e-copy of the prequel novella Engaged in Wickedness.

So....you tell me. Did I succeed in being funny? Or do I need to get some more alcohol and try again? PS. You can also tell me what books you run to get your love of the regency back!

AND NOW  --- RHONDA!

I want to thank you for having my as a Visiting Dignitary. Though, seeing some of the other dignitaries here, I have to admit I don't feel very "Dignified". I will do my best to entertain you - or at least sound coherent.

For those who don't know me, I'm Rhonda Eudaly. I've done a lot of short fiction work both in print and online. I'm moving into longer work. I'm best known for my collaborative work, The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse with Yard Dog Press. I write the character, Zoe - who is Death. What most people don't realize is that I do write more than humor fantasy. I have a wide range of stories, including one really dark Science Fiction piece which was part of a Bram Stoker nominated anthology in 2006 put out by Apex Book Company.

Now that you know a little bit about WHO I am, let's talk about more about what and how I do what I do. All writers get the "how do you get your ideas" questions. But I've also been asked "HOW do you become a writer?" almost as much. The really simplistic answer is: apply behind to chair, write a story, finish the story, and submit the story -- even though there is so much more to it these days. A writer isn't a JUST a writer any more.

I've spoken and written about the "American Idol Effect" (or if you're "of a certain age", the "MTV Effect") for writers where NOW it's not enough to write a brilliant story writers are now required to market, promote, have an active online presence and even (sometimes literally) sing and dance - and that's if you're traditionally published. If you choose self-publishing you have all that PLUS editing, proofreading, and actually PUBLISHING added on.

It can be a tedious and daunting task to figure out the time management aspects of what constitutes a writing career. But we have an outlet. We have CONVENTIONS. This is a marketing/promoting outlet that lets writers get out among their fellow writers, editors, and readers. Even as we sit on panels talking about various aspects of writing, we are recharged creatively by being among people who think we are the universe's MOST SPECIAL OF SNOWFLAKES. And that can be exhilarating (and a bit embarrassing if YOU are trying to be a fan and have a book signed, and you're pulled out of said line to sign one of YOUR books for someone else - but embarrassing in a cool way).

However, Special Snowflake Syndrome (as fun as it is) has a shelf life of 3-5 days (depending on the length of the convention). It's like Cinderella's dress and coach - it expires when you pull back into the driveway of your home. We all want to still be that Special Snowflake even after the convention - but it's hard to hold on to that when sorting laundry and putting unsold books back on a shelf.

And that's the reality of writing. Depending on how many conventions or If you're on major signing tours - a writer like me spends at the most 10% of the year in the Special Snowflake Zone. The other 90% of the time is dealing with the "chore" part of this industry - writing, typing, market research, editing, and market research. We are feeding families, housecleaning, and paying bills -- just like everyone else and it's a hard thing (sometimes) to readjust to - because we all want to hold on to the Special Snowflake feeling.

So if you think you're not getting anywhere in your writing, keep at it. Keep plugging along in that 90% or so range, because for what it's worth? Those times when you're in the Special Snowflake Zone? It really does help motivate you (well, me) to keep moving forward. To keep producing new material to keep the buzz going with the loyal fans and to bring in new ones. It makes it all worth it.

Saturday Evening Post AND Sunday Morning Breakfast Serial

That's right folks, "Two great tastes that taste great together."  No, wait, that's a Reeses.  But still.

Yesterday I was working on edits.  Hard.  When I got stuck I would do housework or attack the weeds in the back yard with the scythe.  Nothing like a little physical labor to clear the head.

I made excellent progress, but I was at it until bedtime so, no post.

Now it is Sunday morning and since I skipped the serial last week, I really feel like I should do it too.  I mean, I left my poor guy in the middle of a flashback/escape with the girl of his dreams.  How sad is that.  SO, since it's been two weeks I'm going to post the last couple of sentences of the last post to remind you where you left off and go from there. 

Oh, and YES I am behind on sending prizes AGAIN.  I just get caught up and then you guys go and win things.  JEEZ.  (LOL)  But I will get it done.  Probably next weekend. 

Now, without further ado, I give you. . . . (drum roll)

Who in the @#$@# is Boone Carter?


"Bitch." Abraham's wife had a bright red handprint on one side of her face and blood at the corner of her mouth. "You'll pay for that." She stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Even from where I stood I could hear the bolt shoot home.

My mother wasted no time. She scrambled over to the window, unlocked it and pulled it open. "Come, quickly. We don't have much time."

I climbed in seconds before she went out.  "Wrap her up in the blankets and bring her out through the window.  I'll get a car."

That wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded.  This was a 'closed compound.'  Abe didn't want any of the followers just wandering off.  But I didn't question her.  There was no time.  Another contraction had hit Sara.  She was screaming, and there was more blood. 

I ran to the bed.  It took a minute or so for the contraction to pass, when it did, and she opened her eyes she saw me there.

"Sam."  She whispered, giving me a weak smile that tore at my heart.

"I'm here.  I'm here."  I pulled the sheets and blankets off of the edge of the bed, wrapping them all around her.  "Hang on.  We're getting you to the hospital."

"I'm glad you're here." 

I bent to pick her up.  She wasn't heavy, more awkward than anything else.  She tried to help, reaching up to put her arms around my neck, but she there was no strength in them.  She was so weak.

Getting through the window with  her was difficult, but I managed.  Just in time too.  My mom came peeling up in a battered old truck that had belonged to my dad before he died and she joined up.  She flung open the door and I dashed up as lights came on and shouts were heard.

"COME ON!"  My mom ordered.  I didn't argue.  I set Sara on the seat as gently and quickly as I could and climbed in.  We were moving before I could even shut the door, sending the guards scrambling and diving for cover when it was clear we weren't stopping for anything. 

We blasted through the gate, and were down the drive and onto the highway.  Looking over my shoulder I saw men running for the garage and the other vehicles.

Mom drove as fast as she dared.  We needed to get a lead on our pursuers, and get to the hospital soonest, but the narrow, twisting roads, with their sharp drops guarded only my thin metal rails required care and moderation.  I held Sara close, her moans of pain tearing at my heart and prayed that we'd make it as I looked over my shoulder again and again.

We were less than halfway down when I saw what I'd been dreading.

Headlights.

VISITING DIGNITARY - Keith R. A. DeCandido

GUYS I WANT A REALLY WARM WELCOME for a very interesting author.  He's clever, he's charming, he's eminently readable.  (Well, his work is.  You get the point.  I'm not sure if he is actually.  Keith, do you have any tattoos?  MANY tattoos?  Inquiring minds want to know.  Of course, if not, we could just go for palm reading.)  ANYWAY, without further digression or ado, I present:

KEITH R.A. DeCANDIDO

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS FROM THE GALLERY)

OH and guys.  Prizes to random commenters.  Be sure to leave your e-mails.  :)

FANTASTICAL COPS

by Keith R.A. DeCandido

I've always been a huge fan of police procedurals. I think it can be blamed on watching Hill Street Blues at an impressionable young age (I was 12 when the show debuted). Probably my favorite nonfiction book of all time is David Simon's Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, the book that served as the direct basis of the NBC series Homicide: Life on the Streets, and the indirect inspiration for Simon's HBO TV series The Wire.

What fascinates me are the elements you often don't see on most cop shows (though you did see them on HSB, Homicide, and The Wire, as well as such shows as DaVinci's Inquest and The Shield), to wit, the politics, the difficulties, the frustrations. What I like are stories about cops who aren't (necessarily) noble paragons of order and justice who view the job as a calling (the Dragnet model), nor do I like stories where the crimefighting tools are all available, reliable, and instant (the CSI model). I prefer it when the good guys don't always win, when the cases are messy and difficult, and when the lab results aren't always fast or accurate or definitive. And I prefer it when the cops have to deal with the day-to-day realities of budgetary and political expediency instead of magically having everything they need.

Plus, of course, you have the interrogations. There are few things more fun to read than interrogations, a cop and a suspect doing a verbal fencing match as the former tries to get the latter to talk through deceit and manipulation and cleverness. Simon put it best in his Homicide book: the interrogating detective is "a salesman, a huckster as thieving and silver-tongued as any man who ever moved used cars or aluminum siding—more so, in fact, when you consider that he's selling long prison terms to customers who have no genuine need for the product."

I've always wanted to write procedurals, which fall under the mystery rubric, but I'm at heart a science fiction/fantasy writer. Luckily, the two genres mix quite well—SF/F is a genre of setting, where mystery is a genre of plot.

My very first novel, Spider-Man: Venom's Wrath in 1998 (written with José R. Nieto), had Spider-Man working with NYPD detectives on a case—and I wrote another Spidey novel (solo this time) in 2005, Down These Mean Streets, that also showed the hero collaborating with New York's Finest. I did other tie-ins that brought cops into the storyline (Supernatural: Nevermore, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Blackout), and I always tried to follow the example provided by Hill Street and by Simon's amazing book.

(I also wrote a CSI: NY book, Four Walls, which proved an interesting challenge, as that franchise exists in a world where DNA tests happen instantaneously and lab techs carry guns and solve cases. I did, however, have fun giving one murder scene the trace evidence of a black cotton/polyester blend fiber. As anyone who lives in New York knows, that does nothing to narrow the suspect pool, since everyone 'round here wears black...)

It was so much fun to insert cops into Marvel's New York, or amidst the Winchester Brothers' monster-hunting, or the demon-infested world of Vampire Slayers, that I needed to do it some more.

Hence, my two original series.

Dragon Precinct (2004, reissued in 2011) and its sequels, Unicorn Precinct (2011) and the spring 2012 release Goblin Precinct, puts cops in a very traditional fantasy setting, one that wouldn't be out of place in Tolkien or your average Dungeons & Dragons game. The port city of Cliff's End is a crossroads of humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings, and the Castle Guard is tasked with maintaining law and order—including a squad of detectives who solve the bigger crimes in the city-state. There's an M.E. who inspects the crime scene—a magical examiner on loan from the Brotherhood of Wizards—and interference from politicians who are more concerned with expediency than crime-solving.

The crimes themselves are, of course, fantastical variants on what we come to expect from our mysteries: a serial rapist who uses a store-bought spell to turn himself invisible; a succubus whose disguise as a human interferes with the M.E.'s "peel-back" spell; a magickal drug that causes people to overdose; bank robbers who use glamours to disguise themselves; and so on.

The other series is called SCPD—the first book, The Case of the Claw, is now out digitally, with the trade paperback edition due shortly, and the second, Avenging Amethyst, is in the works. It's about the adventures of the Super City Police Department. Like Metropolis or Gotham City, Super City is a fictional environment that is full to bursting with superheroes: the Superior Six, the Terrific Trio, the Bruiser, the Cowboy, Spectacular Man, and more.

But this isn't their story. It's the story of how the cops deal with the property damage, the insufficient evidence, the nightmare of solving the "murder" of the Clone Master who has multiple versions of himself, and, of course, heroes who don't testify in court, lest they risk their secret identities. The Cowboy stops a purse snatcher and ties him to a lamppost, but by the time the cops arrive the Cowboy and the victim are long gone, and the suspect must be kicked for lack of evidence. The Bolt is arrested on a DUI with no ID; when he sobers up, he blows a hole in the holding-cell wall. When the Superior Six battle the Brute Squad, one of the latter misplaces a ray-gun that is found by an abused woman who uses it on her husband when next he beats her.

The best part of all of these? Writing the interrogations. Whether it's Lieutenants Danthres Tresyllione and Torin ban Wyvald getting Bogg the Barbarian to admit to who he and his friends were after in Dragon Precinct, or Detectives Peter MacAvoy and Kristin Milewski talking to a bunch of high school kids who may or may not have witnessed a murder in The Case of the Claw, the give-and-take of the interview process is some of the most compelling stuff to write—and, I hope, to read.

(To purchase SCPD: The Case of the Claw, Dragon Precinct, or Unicorn Precinct, go to www.DeCandido.net, where there are purchasing links for Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, and directly from the publisher—Crossroad Press for SCPD, Dark Quest Books for the Precinct books.)

Keith R.A. DeCandido is the author of 45 novels, as well as a mess of short stories, comic books, novellas, and more. In 2009, the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers granted him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of licensed work in multiple media universes. His other recent work besides the procedurals mentioned above include Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Sun: Under the Crimson Sun, Guilt in Innocence: A Tale of the Scattered Earth, the post-"Peacekeeper Wars" Farscape graphic novels, -30- (with Steven Savile), and stories in the anthologies VWars (edited by Jonathan Maberry), Dragon's Lure, Tales from the House Band, Liar Liar, and Bad-Ass Faeries 4: It's Elemental. Friend him on Facebook (facebook.com/kradec), follow him on Twitter (@KRADeC), read his blog (kradical.livejournal.com), and listen to his twice-monthly podcast Dead Kitchen Radio (deadkitchenradio.mevio.com).

Working Hard on Edits

Working hard.  Think it's going well.  :)

But it means I'm not going to be doing much online for a bit.  I'll try to post the serial tomorrow.  But if not, forgive me.