What Do You Want to Read? - Ends 12/17

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What Do You Want to Read? by F.L. Bicknell

As a reader, what do you want to read? Do you prefer something fluffy and simplistic with characters who are in need of better development or do you want plots that make you think, plots that keep you guessing? Do you like settings that feel as though you stepped right into the book with the characters? How about characters who grow as the book progresses?

Is graphic sex a requirement when you read a romance? Does the wording have to be vulgar? And what about subplots? Do you like a couple of subplots that ties nicely with the main plot?

I suppose there's a place for fluffy fiction, but has the readership truly gone awry? I'm told it has. I'm told readers don't want to puzzle out a plot to see if they're right or wrong. I'm told that readers don't want more than one subplot and I also hear that intricate characters are too much for readers to absorb.

Is this true?

I for one do not believe these things are true. I feel most readers want a book that's engaging in all areas, ones that make them think, gasp, laugh, cry, and puzzle out the mystery or try to figure out which character is lying. I believe readers should tell publishers what they want.

It seems like it has become the quest for next book that's easily turned into a movie. Sure, publishing is a business, but without readers, there is no business. I think that's why more and more readers are turning to e-books. With an e-publisher the author isn't so restricted, he can write in more detail and develop all the things that make a wonderful novel come to life.

Maybe I'm the oddball out there who feels this way, but I'd really like to know what readers think. My paranormal romances are bursting with memorable characters, vivid settings, atmosphere, and plots that keep you guessing with every turn of a page. Isn't that how fiction is supposed to be? One good example is The Darkness of Sable. My heroine, Sable, is looking for her missing daughter, but she's also dealing with the paranormal that's trying to woo her to its side, her growing romance with the hero, Thomas, and fighting with an ex-husband who decided to go to the dark side to defeat her for some mysterious reason.

Then there's Feathers of Silver, a contemporary/urban fantasy romance where the reader must figure out who's lying and why the heroine, Lizzy, hides her son from the hero. I often challenge readers to see if they can figure this novel out. And then there's The Most Intimate Wish where Dinah is convinced her long time live-in lover is seeing another woman, but Dinah's landlady keeps telling her things aren't always as they seem. Is Jeff seeing another woman? And is Dinah imagining the paranormal occurrences in her life?

Books should be so engaging they grab the reader by the throat and yank him into the characters' world. Books should be a means of escape for the reader, and a book should live forever in a reader's memory.

What do you think?

Visit my alter ego www.mollydiamond.com

My website is coming soon www.faithbicknell.com

You can find The Darkness of Sable (print available at Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon), Feathers of Silver (www.silverpublishing.info) and The Most Intimate Wish at ARe, Fictionwise, Kindle, Smashwords and many other distributors.

Pirates and File "Sharing" Sites by Gail Koger

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Pirates and File "Sharing" Sites by Gail Koger

Writers are having problems with pirates. No, not the kind with big ass swords who yell, “I’m going to use your guts for garters, my pretty.” These internet pirates are stealing our books.

Authors and publishers are being forced to walk the financial plank. Not only do these brigands cost us hard-earned income, they can even contribute to ending our careers. Sales determine an author’s success and if thousands of our books are being downloaded from the pirate sites instead of legitimate sites, it can seriously impact our sales and future career.

What surprises us the most about these bandits is they list “being a mom” on their profiles. Are these moms going into grocery stores and stealing food? If they need a new car, do they steal the neighbor’s? Do they spot a designer dress and stuff it in their pants and run out the front door? Probably not, because they know they’ll end up in jail with a nice arrest record and fingerprint goop all over their hands.

The pirates know they are doing wrong but just don’t seem to care and here’s a list of excuses they hide behind.

Pending legislation is censorship and it violates freedom of speech. Say what? Stealing other people’s work is NOT freedom of speech. It’s theft, plain and simple. How would the pirates like it, if they worked a 60 hour week and on payday someone came in and snatched 90% of their pay away claiming it was their “right” to do so?

The economy. Guess what? Writers eat, too. We’re working stiffs trying to make ends meet. Our books usually equal the price of a Happy Meal. A damn good bargain. Our books are our paychecks and we only get paid based on the sales of our books. We don’t get a penny from the misinformed bargain hunters who troll pirate sites looking for “free” downloads.

Writers are rich, greedy pigs. Rich? I wish. Most authors make less than a Walmart greeter. Sad but true. Very few of us live in a mansion and jet to Europe for the weekend.

They’re doing us a favor by putting our books on these sites. Are you kidding me? You’re helping them rob us blind. Our kids get really cranky when we don’t feed them.

It’s a criminal act to upload or download books you didn’t write. Most of the “free” download sites are basically criminal organizations. The Torrents are Russian pirates who allow stolen books, videos, music and movies to be downloaded to their sites and set up advertising accounts to rake in the money.

Pending senate bill S3804 will stop copyright infringement. However, this bill was stashed when the Senators made a mad dash home to save their flagging careers. The elections are over folks. Let’s get this bill passed. www.washingtonwatch.com

I was recently interviewed by KPHO, a CBS station in Phoenix but this is a national problem. http://www.kpho.com/news/25653553/detail.html?taf=pho

Authors and publishers are fighting a losing battle to eradicate these sites and we need help. Before you visit one of these sites looking for “free” downloads think of the damage it does to the creators of the works you so admire.

Gail Koger

http://gailkoger.com

The Forever Queen - Ends 12/10

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Enter to win a copy of The Forever Queen - To enter you must be a member of the NOR newsletter / Fan Club, leave the first bit of your email address on the post, and leave a meaningful comment. USA / Canada Shipping only. No P.O. Boxes. Publisher to ship prize. Two winners will be selected. Contest Ends 12/10/2010

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The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick

I have always wanted to write. One of my earliest memories is coming out of the library clutching a Little Grey Rabbit story by Alison Utley. I must have been four years old. I vividly recall the delight at having found a book I had not “read”.

By the age of thirteen I was scribbling stories. Did I ever complete any? LOL Probably not! I was writing pony stories. I desperately wanted a pony of my own – so I made one up. At the time I assumed everyone wrote stories as an “alternative existence”.

I was always reading a book or writing a story. I did not have many friends and was a lonely child; my “friends” were characters in books. To me they were real; as the characters I write about now are real. Is there some sort of parallel world I wonder, where fiction and imagination blend to become reality?

I hated school. It was a girls’ school where most of us were considered to be not very bright–having failed the exam to enter the grammar school–and the expectation was for us to become shop workers, secretaries, housewives and mothers. The only lesson I enjoyed was English, even though the English tutor was a dragon. She encouraged my writing, however. I guess she recognised my ability.

I had a short story published in an animal magazine when I was 16–the story of a foal lost in a sudden blizzard. That gave me the fire I needed to keep writing. Through the following years I drove everyone mad with ‘When I write my book’ meaning, when I get published. It was to be another twenty four or so years before I achieved it!

From school I went to work as a library assistant. By then I had a horse of my own, so I had no need of an imaginary one; I turned to science fiction instead. This was the age of Star Wars, first time around.

While working at the library I discovered King Arthur. The possible ‘real’ Arthur that is. Author Mary Stewart had added an author’s note to her novel the Crystal Cave in which she said that if Arthur had existed he would have lived circa 450-550. This was exciting! I had never much liked the legendary knight in armour Arthur; those stories had no feeling of reality to me. A post-Roman Arthur was a different matter entirely so I delved into some research, got hooked and wrote what eventually became The Kingmaking and the rest of the Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy: Pendragon’s Banner and Shadow of the King.

When I was thirty, I’d had a small success with a children’s safety book (Come And Tell Me, now sadly, out of print) which gave me the boost I needed to be serious about my writing. Thanks to the encouragement of author Sharon Penman I submitted my work to an agent and I was accepted for publication by William Heinemann (Random House) one week after my fortieth birthday. From there I finished the Arthur Trilogy, wrote Harold the King, the story of the Battle of Hastings (to be published in the US as I Am The Chosen King in March 2011) and A Hollow Crown – The Forever Queen as it has been re-titled for Sourcebooks, and the reason I am here as guest on this blog.

In between the publication of Crown in 2005 and now though, I had a falling out with my agent and my backlist became out of print. I obtained the rights to my first four novels and took them to a UK self-publishing company. That gave me the confidence to go my own path and publish the book that my agent and I had disagreed over–Sea Witch, a pirate-based adventure fantasy for young at heart grown ups in search of a well-written fun read.

As a 50+ lady who had fallen hook line and sinker for Johnny Depp’s character Jack Sparrow, I wanted to read novels similar in nature to the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, a light hearted, full to the scuppers, treasure chest of pirate fun with a touch of believable fantasy thrown in for good measure. I could find no fiction to fit the bill, so I wrote my own–thus, Sea Witch and my Captain Jesamiah Acorne were created. Problem. My agent wanted me to write it for teenage boys. I wanted to write it for adult pirate fans. She dumped me. Her loss!

Sea Witch is mainstream published by a small UK independent publisher and is gaining in popularity. There is a huge gap in the vast pirate appreciation fan base for good pirate fantasy fiction. Jesamiah and I, with the aid of a few enthusiastic readers, aim to fill it.

When Sourcebooks approached me for the rights of my serious historical fiction I was delighted! The Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy has already been published by them, making a moderate success, with The Forever Queen newly out this month, and I Am The Chosen King to follow next March.

I have had a roller-coaster publishing ride with enormous highs and deep, often despairing, lows; but fingers crossed, the future is looking good and at the moment I am loving every minute of it – thanks to Sourcebooks Inc and wonderful US bloggers and readers. It is nice to have the last laugh against my ex-agent and those people from the past who used to roll their eyes and sigh whenever I said “When I write my book…..”

THE FOREVER QUEEN BY HELEN HOLLICK – IN STORES NOVEMBER 2010

What kind of woman becomes the wife of two kings, and the mother of two more? Saxon England, 1002. Not only is Æthelred a failure as King, but his young bride, Emma of Normandy, soon discovers he is even worse as a husband. When the Danish Vikings, led by Swein Forkbeard and his son, Cnut, cause a maelstrom of chaos, Emma, as Queen, must take control if the Kingdom—and her crown—are to be salvaged. Smarter than history remembers, and stronger than the foreign invaders who threaten England’s shores, Emma risks everything on a gamble that could either fulfill her ambitions and dreams or destroy her completely.

Emma, the Queen of Saxon England, comes to life through the exquisite writing of Helen Hollick, who shows in this epic tale how one of the most compelling and vivid heroines in English history stood tall through a turbulent fifty-year reign of proud determination, tragic despair, and triumph over treachery.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helen Hollick lives in northeast London with her husband, daughter and a variety of pets, which include several horses, cats and two dogs. She has two major interests: Roman / Saxon Britain and the Golden Age of Piracy--the early eighteenth century. Sourcebooks Landmark will release the next chapter on Helen’s 1066 saga, I Am the Chose King, in Spring 2011. For more information, please visit http://www.helenhollick.net.

Marjorie M. Liu & C.L. Wilson - Virtual & Live Signing!

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 A Booklover’s Fantasy:

Romance & Fantasy Fans Worldwide Can Attend

Virtual/Live Book Signing Event at Joseph-Beth Booksellers

With New York Times Bestselling Authors Marjorie M. Liu & C.L. Wilson

WHAT:

The Book Signing. Revolutionized.

Marjorie M. Liu and C.L. Wilson headline an innovative live/virtual book signing, powered by Vivo (http://www.vivolive.com/harpercollins/majorieliuandclwilson). Both authors will be reading, answering questions, and signing copies for anyone who attends the event at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati--in-person or online.

“We recently had our first experiment with a virtual event, featuring New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn…not only did we have a packed house in-store, but we had more than 500 virtual attendees from around the globe.  With the powerhouse duo of Marjorie M. Liu and C.L. Wilson, we expect to have a dynamic audience and record-setting online attendance for their Joseph Beth event – whether fans attend in flesh or in virtual reality, they can interact with these beloved authors and get signed copies of their newest books,” says Pam Jaffee, director of publicity for Avon Books.

WHO:

New York Times bestselling author Marjorie M. Liu is known for her paranormal romance novels and comic books. She recently gained national renown with her video game, Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box. Marjorie is also an attorney, and divides her time between China and Indiana.

New York Times bestselling author C.L. Wilson wrote her first novel at age six…but it wasn’t until 2006 that she sold her first book, an epic fantasy then entitled Tairen Soul, at auction.  This debut novel was an instant bestseller – as has been every other novel in the series. The author lives in Florida.

WHEN:

Thursday, December 2^nd, 2010. 6:00pm EST

WHERE:

Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati (2692 Madison Road, Cincinnati OH 45208, 513.396.8960)

 

Online at www.vivolive.com, www.josephbeth.com, and www.avonromance.com.

WHY:

To celebrate the release of two of the most anticipated books of the season—

IN THE DARK OF DREAMS (9780062020161, on sale 11/30 from Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins)

CROWN OF CRYSTAL FLAME (9780062018960, on sale 10/26 from Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins)

NOTE: Readers can log onto Joseph-Beth Booksellers web site to pre-order a signed copies of IN THE DARK OF DREAMS HERE (http://www.josephbeth.com/Products/56281-in-the-dark-of-dreams-a-dirk-steele-novel-author-signed.aspx)and CROWN OF CRYSTAL FLAME HERE (http://www.josephbeth.com/Products/56287-crown-of-crystal-flame-author-signed.aspx)

A Leap Into the Unknown - Ends 11/26

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Enter to win a copy of Dating Mr. December. Just comment on this post.

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A LEAP INTO THE UNKNOWN by Phillipa Ashley

Hi there, First, a huge thanks to Night Owl Romance for asking me over to tell you about my new release, Dating Mr. December. I thought I’d talk about taking a leap into the unknown, because that’s what my characters have to do – and I guess it’s what I’m doing too!

Starting writing in itself was like jumping head first into a whole new world for me, not to mention showing my ‘baby’ to other people – family, friends, other writers, agents and editors.

Like anyone stepping into the unknown, I’ve gone through a whirl of emotions at every stage: excitement, anticipation – and yes – a little apprehension!

So it’s probably no surprise that Dating Mr. December is a book about two people, who have to face up their biggest fears in order to have a chance of love. Emma, the heroine of Dating Mr. December, arrives in the small Lake District community of

Bannerdale with her heart shredded after a double betrayal by her boyfriend and her boss. She’s determined to make a fresh start with a new job in a new community and for now, celibacy seems like a very tempting prospect.

Emma decides to use her skills as a top PR specialist to help the local mountain rescue team raise funds for their new base. She genuinely wants to help and deep down, this is a way she can recover some of her self-esteem.

However she hasn’t reckoned with Will, the local bad boy.

Tall, dark and ruggedly handsome, Will Tennant is definitely going to look amazing naked - but he’s also totally infuriating! He opposes Emma’s plans for the calendar and seems intent on crossing swords with her at every opportunity. He’s also a powerful man in the community, so Emma has to fight hard to get her voice heard.

Even when she succeeds in getting the calendar up and running, Will is hell bent on complicating her life.

When Emma realises that Will’s determined to get her into his bed, she’s torn. His raw sex appeal drives her crazy but she’s unwilling to get any closer to him, and worse, she begins to believe he may want more than a one night stand – can she even trust Will, or herself, even an inch?

Will has an even bigger leap of faith to make. He knows he’s got a reputation as a bad boy – and if he’s honest, he’s being living up to it! He’s physically brave and thinks nothing of risking his life to rescue other people. But when it comes to risking his emotions or exposing his vulnerability, courage fails him.

The question is, will either of them take that big step over the edge?

There’s a lot about this book that’s a first for me. It was the first novel I wrote after discovering a new passion for writing romance. It’s also my debut novel in the USA – I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have.

I’d love to know: have you ever had to step out of your comfort zone and take a chance - and did it work?

DATING MR. DECEMBER BY PHILLIPA ASHLEY – IN STORES NOVEMBER 2010 She doesn’t need rescuing, she only needs a change of scenery...

After a disastrous discovery loses Emma Tremayne both her boyfriend and her high-profile PR job in London, she moves to the Lake District to recover her confidence and live a simpler life. She loves her new job with the tourist board, and she’s settling into small town life just fine—until she ends up responsible for a fundraising effort that calls for twelve naked mountain rescuers...

Buy it here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Phillipa Ashley studied English Language and Literature at Oxford before becoming a freelance copywriter and journalist. Dating Mr. December (called Decent Exposure in the UK) was the basis of last year’s Lifetime TV Movie “The 12 Men of Christmas.”

She lives with her husband and daughter in Staffordshire, UK. For more information, please visit http://phillipa-ashley.com/, follower her on Twitter or find her on Facebook!

Are Canadians Sexy Writers? - Ends 11/26

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Comment for the chance to win an eBook copy of "Be My Vampire Tonight"! To enter to you must be a member of the NOR newsletter and leave the first part of your email address with your comment. Newsletter and comment email must match for entry. Ends 11/26/2010


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Are Canadians Sexy Writers? by Renee Field

Us Canadians Like to Write Hot

      What’s with being a Canadian erotica writer? Whenever I tell people I’m a Canadian and I write erotica I get the ‘look’. I’m not talking about the “what you write erotic’ look, I’m talking about the ‘what a Canadian writes erotic’. Seriously, is it just me that feels that way? I know us Canadians are all about peace but many of us are very passionate.

      I know a number of other Canadian erotic writers like my fellow Ellora’s Cave authors Christine d’Abo and Cathryn Fox, who also writes for NAL, Harlequin Spice Briefs, Samhain and my good friend Lilly Cain, who writes for both Red Sage and Carina Press. There are tons more out there and we all live double lives (lol).

      I have to quickly say that when the other moms I know found out what I wrote they all wanted to read it. Of course, I thought they were being polite but a few weeks later a few of them came right up to be with a big smile plastered on their faces telling me how much they enjoyed my erotic reads and how surprised they were that I wrote them. Okay, maybe I should confess that my hot look only goes as far at the color of my hair but inside my mind a thousand stories are brewing.

      I want to hear from my fellow Canadian erotic writers. What you love about erotic writing? The preconceived notions when other non-Canadians, or even when your neighbor finds out you write erotica. Tell us your stories.

The Taming of the Wolf - Ends 11/26

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Enter to win a set of 4 Lydia Dare books (A Certain Wolfish Charm, Tall Dark and Wolfish, The Wolf Next Door and The Taming of the Wolf)! Just comment on this post to win.

To enter you must be a member of the NOR newsletter, leave the first bit of your email address on the post, and leave a meaningful comment. USA / Canada Shipping only. No P.O. Boxes. Publisher to ship prize. Two winners will be selected. Contest Ends 11/26/2010

***
The Taming of the Wolf by Lydia Dare

Lydia Dare: I’d like to first thank everyone at Night Owl Romance for having all of us today. (Yes, there are several of us crowded in this blog right now) So before the sisterly bickering begins, I should introduce everyone to my coven of Scottish witches – the Còig, in case you haven’t met them yet. Actually, on second thought, ladies, why don’t you each introduce yourselves instead?


Sorcha: Honestly, Ms. Dare, no one really cares about any of us right now. Well, except for Cait that is. (The youngest witch rolls her eyes.)

Caitrin: Sorch! That’s no’ true. I’m sure everyone would love ta ken all about ye and the others.

Lydia Dare: Fine, fine. I’ll do the introductions. The Còig is made of up five talented witches, each with their own special abilities. Elspeth Westfield has the power to heal the sick. Sorcha Ferguson communes with plants. Blaire Lindsay can fight better than any warrior. Rhiannon Sinclair can control the weather. And Caitrin Macleod—

Sorcha: Caught a Lycan for herself after vowin’ that she couldna abide the beasts.

Elspeth covers her snort with a monogrammed handkerchief.

Blaire: Ye’re just jealous, Sorcha. Ye should let Ms. Dare have her say.

Sorcha: Of course I’m jealous. I’ve been dyin’ for a Lycan of my own ever since I learned about them. Playful. Loyal. Handsome. What’s no’ ta want?

Rhiannon: Flea bitten mutts. (All eyes turn to the normally quiet weather-witch who shrugs.) I’m only quotin’ Cait. How many times has she said that?

Elspeth: Among other unflatterin’ terms, usually directed at my husband.

Caitrin grins unrepentantly.

Sorcha: Exactly. And then she goes out and snares one for her very own. It’s just no’ fair.

Caitrin: I wouldna exactly use the word snare. I dinna mean ta catch Dash. In fact, I tried my hardest ta avoid the beast all together. (She smiles wistfully.) He did grow on me, though.

Elspeth: Just be careful, Cait. The man has a sordid past. He’s dangerous.

Caitrin: I am well aware of his past.

Sorcha: I think he’s charmin’. (She sighs dreamily.)

Blaire: (under her breath) Ye doona think at all.

Sorcha: There’s no reason ta be bitter, Blaire.

Rhiannon: She’s not the one who sounds bitter, Sorch.

Sorcha: (scowls at her sister witches) I’m no’ bitter. I just want what Cait has – a handsome Lycan who adores her. That’s no’ so much ta want, is it?

Rhiannon: I think Cait is amazingly fortunate. No’ every lass finds a man who adores her the way Lord Brimsworth does. I doona even dare hope for such a thing myself.

Blaire: Me either.

Sorcha: (scoffs) Why no’? Goin’ after yer dreams doesna cost ye anythin’.

Caitrin: Sorcha’s right. And I can see happy endings for each of ye.

Lydia Dare: I suppose now would be the time to tell everyone out there that Caitrin’s special power is that of clairvoyance. You can read her book The Taming of the Wolf and see how she captured the wolfish Lord Brimsworth. And now, since you’ve all gotten a chance to meet all of the witches of the Còig, I’d like to open the floor up to all you. I can’t promise they’ll be on their best behavior, but do you have a question for any of these ladies?

THE TAMING OF THE WOLF BY LYDIA DARE—IN STORES NOVEMBER 2010

A fresh and imaginative world of noble werewolves, each of whom encounters nearly insurmountable problems in his quest to live a normal life among England’s Regency society.

Dashiel Thorpe has grown up with the sobriquet “The monster of Eynsford.” Each full moon, when he turns into a wild beast, he has been chained to the wall to protect those around him. He has never before encountered a creature like himself, until he goes to visit his university friend and encounters a family of Lycans living just next door.

When the full moon turns the pack of them into wolves, Dashiel’s feral ways bring him to near-disaster, and when he bites Caitrin McLeod he unknowingly sets off a chain of events that could lead to his ultimate destruction.

Banished to Scotland to find a mentor and get trained in how to be a proper werewolf, Dashiel must also find Caitrin and persuade her that she’s his only chance for salvation…

About the Author

Lydia Dare is the writing team of Tammy Falkner and Jodie Pearson. Both Tammy and Jodie are active members of the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and live near Raleigh, North Carolina. They are working together on their next paranormal historical trilogy as Lydia Dare, which will be released by Sourcebooks Casablanca in 2011! For more information, please visit http://www.lydiadare.com.

Research? But I write fiction... - Ends 11/19

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Enter to win PDF copies of Garnet Dreams and Amethyst Enchantment from Lila Pearce.


To enter you must Be a member of the NOR newsletter, leave the first bit of your email address on the post, and leave a meaningful comment. Contest Ends 11/19/2010

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Research?  But I write fiction... by Lila Pearce

We've all heard the old axiom:  write what you know.  I generally twist that a tad and say "write what interests you."  Don't limit yourself to what you know today; allow yourself the room to grow.  I will be the first to admit that I knew nothing about Bedouin culture, or the typical floor plan of a Greek statesman's house, or Japanese pearl diving before I started the Jewels of Desire series.  I'm still no expert, but I definitely know more now.  I wouldn't call myself an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I am confident in my ability to set a realistic scene.  Each installment of the series has hours upon hours of research behind it, just to support one or two scenes that occur in a different place and time.

Is it worth it?  Of course--you always come out knowing something new.  Historical romance still needs to be grounded in fact.  On the other hand, chances are that you will always have readers that know quite a bit more than you do, regardless of what you're scribbling about.  Never forget that--no matter how much effort you put into research, you still stand the chance of getting something wrong.  There are two very important things to keep in mind when you use fact to create fiction:


1.  You don't need to be a subject matter expert to sound like one.


2.  If you question something but decide not to look it up, you will be wrong, and someone will point it out.  How public and how prominent this is announced will be directly proportional to the gravity of your mistake and/or the level to which you are known in the industry.  (This being the Murphy's Law of historical fiction).
Right about now I will have readers saying, "But Lila, you just said to research, and now you say I don't have to?  What gives?"  No, you do not have to be a subject matter expert to sound like you know what you're talking about.  That doesn't mean "go ahead and make it all up."  When broaching a topic such as Mayan ritual human sacrifice for the third installment of the series, for example, I started with a broad overview.  

Google and Wikipedia can be your best introduction from a 50,000-foot view, but I wouldn't stake my name on any individual facts that aren't clearly cited from a reputable source (which means, look up the source).  From the web, I was able to glean a basic understanding of the structure of Mayan pyramids, warrior fashion, and that they drank a bitter beverage made from cacao.  For details such as what kind of altar would be used, and how to explain away a deserted city, I looked up books written on daily life during the height of the civilization.  I learned so many interesting facts, I wanted to show them all off in Emerald Seduction.  Alas, self-editing is another important aspect of research.


How do you decide what is relevant?  I would say 80% of my research is never seen in the finished draft.  It's important to identify facts that are relevant to the plot and characters of your story--if your female lead is obsessed with The Perfect Wedding Ring, it makes sense for her to continually notice and describe jewelry in detail.  If your male lead, who is interested in a) fast cars and b) the female lead, did this, it would be odd.  As with everything else, research is all about striking a balance between setting a scene and moving the story forward.  The easy way to begin creating this balance is to do some general big-picture research and then choose a few small aspects to describe in detail.  Maybe you couldn't find an image of a traditional altar, but you did find several of ceremonial chalices--call the altar "made of stone" and devote a few sentences to the markings on the chalice.  You'd be amazed how far describing just one specific object will go to color your setting.


And if you ever question something you write down as a "fact," do yourself a favor--look it up.  Twice.  You may get lucky and have a rock-star editor that will catch your mistakes, but chances are, they're no more an expert in 17th century table etiquette than you.

Jennifer Estep In The House! - Ends 11/12

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Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to say thanks to Tammie and the other folks at Night Owl Reviews for having me on the blog today. Thanks, guys!

Some of you might know me as the author of the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals - Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

The first two books in the series are Spider’s Bite and Web of Lies. Venom, the third book, came out on Sept. 28. Tangled Threads, the fourth book, will be published in May 2011, while the fifth book (untitled) will be released in October 2011.

I’ve also sold a young adult urban fantasy series called Mythos Academy. The first book is called Touch of Frost and will be out in August 2011. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen finds herself shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendents of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, and more.

So today I thought that I would talk a little about the setting and the various magic users in my Elemental Assassin series for folks who haven’t read any of the books yet. Here goes:

Ashland: The books take place in the fictional city of Ashland, that’s located where Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina meet in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. Ashland is a dirty, violent, corrupt Southern city that’s divided into two sections - Northtown and Southtown.
  
Northtown is the expensive, high falutin’ part of town where the rich and powerful live, while Southtown is where the poor and down-on-their-luck live. Violence is common in both sections though. The only difference is the folks in Northtown will call you honey to your face before they stick a dagger in your back.

Elementals: There are four main types of elementals in my books - Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone. Being an elemental basically means that you can control your specific element any way you want to, from making fireballs with your bare hands, to creating ice sculptures, to sucking all the air out of a room and suffocating someone.

My heroine, Gin Blanco, has the rare gift of being able to control two elements - Ice and Stone in her case. Gin uses her dual elemental powers to do all sorts of things, like make her own skin as hard as marble so nothing can hurt her, or using her ice magic to make lock picks when she needs to get into a locked building or room.
  
Why did I decide to write about elementals? Well, there are so many vampire and werewolf books out there right now, I thought it would be fun to write about a different kind of magic user. Plus, I thought using the four elements could let me be creative and come up with some really cool powers for Gin as well as all the bad guys that she takes on in the books.

Dwarves: I also have dwarves in my books. Most of them are five feet tall or less with incredible strength. One of my favorite characters in the series is Sophia Deveraux, the dwarven cook at Gin’s restaurant, the Pork Pit. Sophia happens to be a Goth, and it’s a lot of fun for me to dream up the various T-shirts and other clothes that she wears.

Giants: In contrast to dwarves, there are also giants in my books. Most of them are around seven feet tall and have incredible strength. A lot of the giants hire themselves out as bodyguards to the rich and powerful in Ashland.

In Venom, the newest book in the Elemental Assassin series, Gin tangles with Elliot Slater, the city’s most dangerous and powerful giant - and wonders if she’s finally met her match.
  
Vampires: I have vampires in my books, but they’re not really the super-strong creatures that you see in other books. They drink blood, which gives them enhanced senses, above-average strength, and a few other perks. 


Again, I just wanted to do a little something different in my books and put my own spin on vampires. 


So there you have it. A little bit about the world and creatures in the Elemental Assassin books.  


What about you guys? What are some of your favorite fantasy creatures and books?