I'm still working my way through the latest round of Shadow Kiss revisions, and I am so wonderfully close to putting it to bed. Then I get to start writing Succubus Heat, which is going to be really fun. What's also going to be fun is Storm Born's release, which has been two years in the making! But seeing as that's one month away still, I wanted to throw out a couple other books you might want to peruse in the meantime. I like both of these ladies immensely, and ironically, I always mispell their names the first time I try to write them. I have to go back and double-check the spelling each time--and I'm always wrong. I'm just glad neither of them is named Jocelynn Pettersson.


The Touch of Twilight by Vicki Pettersson
This is the third book in Vicki's Sign of the Zodiac series, and I feel bad because I was supposed to mention it when it came out a month ago. Unfortunately, I was too scattered by work and missed it. I'm sorry, Vicki! Here's the description:

On the surface she's a sexy, sophisticated socialite, at home among the beautiful people of the Las Vegas upper crust. But Joanna Archer inhabits another world: a place ordinary humans cannot see . . . a dangerous dimension where an eternal battle rages between the agents of Light and Shadow. And Joanna is both.

Stalked by an enigmatic doppelganger from a preternatural realm, Joanna can feel the Light failing—which is propelling her toward a terrifying confrontation with the ultimate master of evil, the dark lord of Shadow: her father.

Vegas is all about winning big . . . or losing everything. To save her friends, her future, her worlds, Joanna Archer must gamble it all by fully embracing the darkness inside her.



Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake
This is Jocelynn's debut novel. I met her at the RT Convention and was delighted to see the wickedness and wit that lurked within. Don't be fooled by her innocent face! Here's what this one's about:

For centuries Mira has been a nightwalker—an unstoppable enforcer for a mysterious organization that manipulates earth-shaking events from the darkest shadows. But elemental mastery over fire sets her apart from others of her night-prowling breed . . . and may be all that prevents her doom.

The foe she now faces is human: the vampire hunter called Danaus, who has already destroyed so many undead. For Mira, the time has come to hunt . . . or be hunted.

1. As many of you have probably seen by now, four student laptops were stolen from the Clarion West writing workshop. This is awful on to levels. There's the financial side, since students at the workshop take six weeks off of work or else quit their jobs entirely, not to mention the cost of attending. There's also the loss of your work, both what you've already written and the potential work still to come during the remainder of the workshop. If you've ever watched a junkie go through withdrawal, you have some idea what it's like to be a writer who loses his/her ability to write. Cory Doctorow has more information in this post, including a link to donate and help the students.

2. Public Service Announcement: As of 1:30 this morning, it was no longer the 4th of July, which means y'all probably could have quit setting off firecrackers in the street and let us old farts get some sleep. M'kay?

3. Today I writed many words, including a rough draft of the introduction for the German collection. I decided to go with a short introduction by me in the beginning, and then to do a brief dialogue between Jig, Veka, and Grell to introduce each of the individual stories. Some of those bits work better than others, but I think I like this approach. I miss writing for my goblins ... they're such fun characters.

4. Does anyone know why the arm where they missed the vein hurts more than the one where they actually got the vein and drew blood? That seems backwards, somehow. (This was for my regular labwork to make sure the diabetes hasn't killed me yet.)

I had just messaged Leslie asking if it was cool to repost the statement she’s emailing around … when I saw that Cory beat me to it. Click that link for the full update, straight from the Clarion West folks.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

I figured I'd write about this here, although really, it probably needs to go on my website. Hopefully I can get it up there the next time I update the site--which is eventually (fingers crossed) undergoing a remodel soon.

Anyway, I'm starting to get a lot of questions sent to me either in comments to these LJ posts, in LJ mail, or in MySpace comments/mail. I do try to keep track of these, but they tend to get lost in the shuffle, so the best way to get in touch with me is to email me. I do actually answer every email I'm sent, but I'm usually running behind. Right now, I'm a month behind in reader email, though it's better than it was a couple weeks ago when I knocked off 100 responses and got myself down from being two months behind!

I hate the lag, and I apologize to any who have been waiting for responses. I really appreciate people writing to me! Like I said, I do read every email. I also read every LJ comment (thanks for those - they're great!), though people who have been following this blog for a while have undoubtedly noticed my responses have dropped off. Every once in a while, I'll toss one out, but please don't take offense if I don't answer your question here! And please don't stop the comments. I really do love them. If I get really busy with a deadline, I tag my email and toss it into a folder that I can then go through later. LJ comments and MySpace comments are harder to tag and separate out, which is why they get missed. So, again, email me with questions! They'll get answered...eventually.

The only letters I won't answer now are if people send me stories/excerpts to read and critique. I'm sorry. Please don't send them! Make your friends read them. :) That's what I did early on, and they turned out to be my biggest source of inspiration. Also, if you do send me LJ mail, make sure you've got the thing turned on where you can receive LJ mail back! Twice now, when I actually have answered some LJ mail, I got the letters bounced back to me.

And finally, a huge percentage of the mail I get usually contains one of these questions, so here are the answers, and again, I really need to put them on my website so people aren't waiting a month!

1. Who's on the cover of Frostbite (and the other books)?
The girl on Frostbite is Rose (as is the girl on #1), but she doesn't look the way Rose is described in the book. As for the guy on Frostbite...well, actually I have no clue who he's supposed to be. He doesn't look like any of the characters! Authors often don't have much control over the covers. They're done by the book company's art department. I'm not sure who they had in mind for that guy...maybe no one. Sometimes the goal is just to have a pretty cover! Personally, I think he'd look exactly like Christian if he didn't have red eyes. The Shadow Kiss people are Dimitri and Lissa, but don't worry. He doesn't cut his hair or anything.

2. Will you make a movie of Vampire Academy?
Sadly, this isn't something I can just do. A movie type person/company has to decide to buy the film rights to the books, and then they're the ones who will make the movie. There are a couple of ways that can happen. They could stumble onto the book and decide they like it, or my agent may pitch it to them, and then they decide they like it. Really, it's a waiting game. If it happens, I'll definitely let you know.

3. How many books are going be in the VA series, and when is the next one coming out?
Right now, there will be at least five books total in the series, and I can't say for sure after that. The next book, Shadow Kiss, comes out November 13. You can follow my updates on my Calendar Page or the Vampire Academy Page. I also tend to ping my mailing list with updates.

Wow, that was a lot of stuff! I hope it helps and doesn't sound too preachy. I also hope it explains why you don't always get answers from me. It's really important to me to give everyone a response, so just hang in there with me. I'll be getting some downtime in a couple weeks or so, so hopefully I can get back on track then.

Hello all,

I know that i mostly lurk and post very little but i have a few questions. I have a character who is a vegitarian, while he will eat fish dairy he wont eat eggs and the like, if possible can you please inform me of some everyday meals from breakfast to late night snackage. Oh and also if any one can give me a few examples of winter fruit i'd be super greatful

Thank you for taking the time to read this and or help.
dj

Hey guys, I'm hoping you can help me find a book that I read several years ago.

It was a chick lit book, published probably in the past 10 years or so.  A girl starts a website where she writes stories/essays.  One of the stories is about the Barbie dolls she had as a kid.  Through the website, she starts communicating with a guy, and they eventually plan a trip to meet each other and fall in love. 

That's really all I remember.  Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Thanks for any help.

No, I'm not talking about the sound of 4th of July fireworks still going off even in London, but about the sort of noise that stops us from really thinking.

I realised today that this is part of the problem I'm having with finding the right angle on my revisions for DOL. I am constantly taking in information/input - whether it's from conversation, the internet, television, reading... I can't remember the last time I just sat quietly and thought about my work. I tend to come up with a lot of my material while I'm actually in the process of writing, which is fine - but what about revisions and planning and coming up with new ideas? What about the fact that I really need to change some things in this manuscript before I'm even willing to let my CPs get their hands on it? What about the fact that I need to spend some serious time thinking about the story and characters and those changes that I know I have to make? It's important to make time for that, but normally I freak out if I don't have something to read on a train or bus - I rarely just give myself time to take things in. I even read in the bath...

Today, I didn't pick up the book in my bag while travelling back from the city. Instead, I stared out of the window and thought about DOL and the work that needs to be done. And I'm pleased to report that I actually came up with a whole new twist on things that might... just might work.

I need to do more of this 'sitting quietly' stuff. ;-)

...Reminded me of a picture book I loved as a child (early 90s). I want to say the characters were anthropomorphic animals, and the plot centered on a lady's hat and a fancy cake for a garden party. They were both in boxes, and of course the boxes got mixed up, so the one who expected a hat got cake on her head instead...and at the garden party, the ladies commented on how very hard the decorative bits of fruit were (I think maybe someone broke a tooth on them).

I mentioned it to my mother, and neither of us can remember what the book was called! Looking for it would be pretty futile atm, since it's packed away somewhere in the basement, and so I come to all of you. Does it ring a bell for anyone?

Thanks!

Found! It's Florence and Eric Take the Cake by Jocelyn Wild.

Ah, yes. The Fourth of July. The day when Americans, whether they failed U.S. History or not, celebrate the independence of this nation.

Today finds me having a leisurely time with lolcatz and our friend Mark. We have a few things planned for the evening, but it should be nice and low-key. I will say this, though, no Fourth will ever reach its full potential of awesomeness without lighting off my own fireworks.

Where I grew up in Michigan, we almost never went to professional shows. Instead, we bought those bags of fireworks from the grocery store, the ones filled with crowd pleasers like Witch's Whistle, Sparklers, assorted fountains, and that weird ash snake thing. I loved that and would happily take that over professional shows and crowds. But here's the problem. Here, in the greater Seattle area, we can't light off our own fireworks in our yards. It's a fire hazard because around this time of year, we kick into drought season. Yup, drought season. Take that, all you people who think we live in constant downpours. It hasn't been as dry here as it has in past summers, but the law's the law.

So, if you live somewhere where you can light off cheap fireworks in your yard, I envy you and hope you have a good time. In fact, whatever you end up doing, I hope you have a fun day. Light a Hornet's Next for me.

Draft three is done at 87,700 words. Looking back, I did the last chapter backwards and I need to flip two scenes, and there's a lot of work to be done between now and 8/1, but still... ::Insert Kermit-style cheer here::

Part of the problem with being a "full time writer" is that you don't actually get to spend the whole day writing. Taking the past few days as an example, my full-time writing has also included lawn mowing, gutter cleaning, setting up my parents' computer*, running a check to the bank for my wife, chasing down and medicating one neurotic dog who is already so freaked out by the firecrackers that she won't even let me use the bathroom in peace, cleaning the house, and oh yeah, minor things like meals.

I've settled into a routine with three writing stints: one stretch in the morning, one after lunch, and one in the evening. If I do 1000-1500 words each time, I come out with a respectible day's work. But it's a nice little reality-check to the daydream about quitting the day job.

Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions about the collection intro. Sorry I haven't been quite as responsive as usual, but if you've been reading, you know why.

Finally, I noticed that the "Friend of" list just crossed the 600 mark. Which doesn't actually mean anything, but it's fun to see the numbers turn over. I know a few people de-friended me the day of the pig/frog post, which I kind of expected, but it's nice to see more new people stopping by.

And now I'm off again to:

A) Start re-reading The Mermaid's Madness
B) Start writing that introduction
C) Start writing a letter of reference for a friend

But before I go back to the writing, I have to:

D) Clip a dog's toenails so she stops tearing up our door**

-----
*They fed me dinner, so I'm certainly not complaining!

**Because the cats have already been vaccuumed.

When I was a little girl, I, naturally liked horses. And at one point I too fell for unicorns. This leads me to my book ( inquiry. )

Thank you!

UPDATED: SEE BELOW.

Students in the Clarion West writers’ workshop are not having a particularly joyful Independence Day, I fear. Someone broke into the house where they’re staying (a sorority house in the U-district, I believe) and stole four laptops, some clothes, and possibly some other items; the damage is still being tallied.

Everyone is okay and the house has been secured, but as you might imagine this is a serious blow to participants in the industry’s premiere speculative fiction writing workshop. The students who lost these laptops cannot afford to replace them immediately, but they can’t really continue their workshop experience without them; and if you’re familiar with Clarion, then you know exactly how tough it is to land a spot — and how demanding, intensive, and rewarding it can be. Most of the students have quit their jobs to attend the 6-week course, and many went to great lengths to raise the money to attend.

These are writers. These aren’t rich folks who can eat the loss without a blink.

Therefore, if anyone in the greater Seattle area would be willing to donate a spare laptop to the Clarion folks, then now’s the time to speak up. I believe that monetary donations are also being accepted, but I’m not sure exactly what the plan is on that front. This only happened a few hours ago, and administrators are still scrambling to sort out the details.

If there’s anything you can do to help, please contact:

Leslie or Neile, via
info @ clarionwest . org (remove spaces)

They’re very good folks; I’ve worked with them before, and I’ll personally vouch for them, in case that means anything. And by all means, feel free to link this post around.

UPDATE: Money donations can be made directly here, through the Clarion West website. If you’d like to contribute, please do so through that paypal button and mark it for Computer Replacement, or something like that — so the recipients know it isn’t part of their regular drive. All donations are tax deductible; Clarion West is classified as a non-profit educational organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal EIN 91-1352168)

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

It feels like I’ve been running from them forever, but that’s not what I tell her.  

Instead, I say, “I can drop you off at the next town, if that’s what you want, or I can take you as far as Chicago.” Really, I could offer to take her as far as Denver, or L. A., or Montreal, or Mexico, because I have no doubt I’ll get around to all of them eventually. If I live that long. The key is to keep moving. And stay in the car as much as possible.

It was really stupid to stop for her, really. I look in the rearview mirror. It looks like we’re still alone, but in this rain, it’s hard to tell what’s just normal darkness and what’s something worse.

“Chicago would be awesome,” she says. She’s still completely disheveled; now that her hair is drying, it’s curling out all over the place in dark brown springs. She keeps rummaging around in her purse-bag thing like she’s expecting to find peace in there. Stuff is falling out of it as she does: snowflakes of tissues, volleys of pens, armies of business cards. She hurries to get it off the floor of my car. “Your car’s so neat.”
    
She doesn’t mean clean. She’s talking about the box of alphabetized CDs at her feet and the carefully packed bag of granola bars and jugs of juice next to it. Or maybe she means the photographs I have taped all along the dash. My family. I remember them. I wonder if they do the same for me.

I look in the rearview mirror again. I had lost them for hours, before I stopped for her. “Why did he throw you out of the car?” It sounds rude and accusatory, so I wince and add, “Sorry. Do you mind me asking?”

“He’s an ass,” she says, pulling a washcloth out of her bag. She scrubs her face dry with it. “Thanks for picking me up. I wouldn’t normally take a ride – I mean, no offense – but it’s just not a good idea. But it’s the middle of nowhere. And it’s raining.”
   
I’m not a big fan of stating the obvious, so I wince again, but she doesn’t seem to notice. She’s digging in her bag again. If she uses her bag so much, why doesn’t she clean it up a bit? Seriously. It’s driving me crazy. I look in the mirrors again, looking for glowing red eyes reflecting in the ditch or running dark forms, but the wet road is still empty. Just my home on wheels and me. And her.

“What are you running from?” she asks, after about two seconds flat of silence. She flashes me a big smile. “If you don’t mind me asking.” I must look freaked out or something, because she adds, “Your car is stocked like a grocery store. You running away from home or something?”

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

http://www.leagueofreluctantadults.com/2008/07/if-we-took-holiday.html

Hello, my pretties!

I was tempted to use Independence Day as an excuse to declare freedom from blogging for a day. Alas, I could not, for I actually have a topic today.

For our U.S. readers, today is a holiday that marks a big occassion in the history of our country. It celebrates the day America first discovered fire crackers. Or beer.* I can't remember exactly. However, for people in other countries its just another Friday.

And that got me thinking about writing, or more specifically, world building. A well-built world--even when set within our own-- will include things like religion, government, cultural traditions, and, yes, even holidays.

Even if the race you're writing about doesn't have their own holidays, they'll at least have opinions about the ones happening around them. For example, what would a vampire think of Christmas? Or a werewolf think of Halloween (they already have a costume)?

Just some food for thought. What made up holidays can you think of for paranormal creatures?

I'll start. Mummy's Day.

*Seriously, don't send me angry emails. I know what the holiday celebrates. Obviously, it's the day we chose to honor Bastille Day.

Originally published at Insert Witty Title Here. You can comment here or there.

Is today…

(A) Independence Day?
(B) Tax Deduction The Younger’s birthday?
(C) The day I posted another fantabulous Cat and Muse interview?
(D) All of the above?

Yes, Avid Fans, you guessed correctly! D! So have a terrific holiday if you’re here in the States, wish TDTY a happy fifth birthday, and come on over to Cat and Muse to say hello to Charlie Stross’s femmebot, Freya.

Ok this story was about a girl whos little brother gets a stamp on his hand from a vampire which is slowly withering him away and no one can figure out whats wrong except this boy she goes to school with who has grey eyes and lives in a mansion up the road on a hill. He's a witch and comes from a long line of female witches 2 or 3 of which he lives with. Somehow they trick the psychic vampire into releasing her brother. Also I think The author may be either British or Australian. 

...to all my friends in the USA, and to my American friends over here in Britain or elsewhere in the world. If you celebrate it, have fun!

I was inspired by someone else wanting to find a book they hated. I hated this book so much I gave it away, and have wanted to re-read it to remember the cheesiness ever since.

A young, engaged couple, driving someplace, end up on an alien ship. The young man's very contemptuous of the aliens and the woman becomes very friendly with one of them, who seems to be looking after them in some way. The alien has rather a caring, paternalistic kind of attitude and appears to be male and the man becomes jealous of how close his fiancee is to him. It turns out that the alien has some sort of psychic power that I think he tries to share with the woman. He also turns out to be a hermaphrodite which I remember scares the woman a bit because she has pretty much fallen in love with him. The man's completely horrified and disgusted by the discovery that the alien is both male and female and can choose when to be pregnant (I seem to remember that the woman somehow gets him pregnant, but I could be imagining that bit).

It could be set or written somewhere between the 50s and 70s I would say by what I remember and the possessiveness of the man had an old-fashioned feel. The copy I had was probably ex-library and definitely black hardback.

As you can see it is rather a cheesy book, but I'd love to hunt it down at the library or someplace to re-read it and refresh my memory!