A Couple of Links

I said I'd be back with a few links to some of the guest posts floating around out there. Check them out and leave them a little love in the form of a comment.

A discussion of villain dynamics in the MetaWars world is up over at CMash Reads.

This possibility of change was one of the big building blocks of TEMPEST.  I used this book to really explore the hero/villain dynamic of the MetaWars world. 

"The Family You Make" is over at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs.

But families are more than simple biology.  They the people you choose to love and to allow into your life.  They laugh with you, cry with you, and they'll bury a body for you (metaphorically, in most cases, but you never know….).   I appreciate "made families" in real life, but I truly enjoy exploring those dynamics in fiction—movies, television, and books.

I'm participating in the Fantastic Fables event at Dark Faerie Tales. My story is a bit of a MetaWars take on Hansel and Gretel, starring Ethan and Marco, called "Cookie Monster."

We weren’t Hansel and Gretel traipsing through the woods, so I had no reason to fear whatever was behind the gingerbread door, but that didn’t mean I was going to walk up to it and invite myself into trouble.  I attracted injuries like a human lodestone.

An interview at Bibliophilic Book Blog.

Q. What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Telling myself that it's okay to stop and walk away for a while.

 

Housekeeping and Other Sundries

Wow.  I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last blog post.  I suppose the main reason for that is I haven't had much to report on, or anything truly interesting to say.  So I do apologize to folks who've been checking in for something.

With TEMPEST's release only six days away, you'll probably see me popping up on various blogs, doing interviews and guest posts. I'll link back when things go live.  Right now I have a post up at My World....in Words and Pages as part of their Mythical Monday Meme.  I talk "Of Heroes and Titans" and how mythology helped create the MetaWars world.

CHIMERA (MetaWars #4, aka Renee's book) is up for pre-order!

I'm excited to announce that I'll be a Featured Author at Authors After Dark: Charlotte in 2014. I had so much fun at AAD last year, and I'm sad to miss it this year (but for a very good reason, as my BFF is getting married at the same time). Mistress of Ceremonies is Alexandra Ivy, who I had the pleasure of meeting in New Orleans. I can't wait!

Last, but certainly not least, is the ReDeus anthology. I've mentioned a few times that I'll have a story in this collection, put out by my friends at Crazy8Press.  The official title is ReDeus: Beyond Borders, and there's a nifty little post over at the Crazy8 Blog.  The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and the anthology will debut this year at Balticon.

Where I'll Be in August

August 1st. I ask you, where on earth has the summer gone? Two months are down, and August will be half over before I come up for air.  These next two weeks are packed full of fun things for me!

First up is Shore Leave 34 this weekend, at the Hunt Valley Inn, near Baltimore, MD. This is my twelfth year going to this particular convention, and I'm excited to go again and see old friends. I'll once again be participating in the All Kinds of Writing Workshop on Saturday, as well as several other panels: Superheroes In Between, Self-Publishing and Small Press Publishing, Genre Mash-ups, and Pro-Writing Basics. 

After Shore Leave, I'm home for two days before leaving for Authors After Dark: New Orleans!!!! I cannot wait for this! It's my first AAD, as well as my first trip to NOLA. I can't wait to catch up with some writer friends, meet some other authors, and get to chat personally with bloggers and fans. I already have my costume for the masquerade ball!  It should be a lot of fun.

Once I get home, I have two guest posts going up for two different, awesome month-long events.  The first I mentioned last month:



My post goes up August 13.  Since I'm on the Romp team, Dahlia "Ember" Perkins will be interviewing her boss and mentor Teresa "Trance" West on what it's like to be a superhero, a team leader, and juggle a relationship.

The second guest post is for my second foray into:



Last year, Milo Gant took you on a trip through Dreg City.  This year, you're getting a bird's eye view of the Meta Wars world, lead by Ethan "Tempest" Swift and Marco "Onyx" Mendoza.  They'll give you an overview of the post-War United States and warn you of the places to stay away from.  Plus Ethan gets a little more face-time before his book, TEMPEST (MetaWars #3) comes out next year.  The tour goes up on August 14th!

Stomp vs Romp and Other Things

First off, Happy 4th to those who celebrate.  And for those who don't, Happy Wednesday!

You may have seen this around Twitter, but in August a new blog event called STOMP VS ROMP is beginning, and I agreed to participate.



Authors will be going head-to-head to see if Action or Romance reigns supreme. But some odd twist of fate, I've ended up on the Romance side of the battle.  And anyone whose read my books knows that will be a big handicap for our side, since I'm more of an Action girl (as are my characters).  We'll see how things shake out.

There is a new interview with me up at Calliope's Domain, as well as a giveaway. The winner has their choice of a signed copy of TRANCE or CHANGELING.  Only a few have entered, so your chance of winning are incredibly good.

The Pocket After Dark community is offering TRANCE for free this month!  Free read! Check out the MetaWars world.  Read it, love it, go buy CHANGELING!  All you have to do is join the community, which is quick and easy.

Today I am blogging at Literary Escapism, talking about Authors After Dark and the things I hope to see and do in New Orleans this summer.

My Top 10 Reads for 2011

A few weeks ago, I was invited to post my Top 5 reads from 2011 on the blog Nice Girls Don't Read Naughty Books. The post went live today, and you can see my picks, along with top reads from Nicole Peeler, Dakota Cassidy, Michelle Rowen, Laurie London, and several other authors.

I wanted to do a Top 10 reads of 2011 post, anyway. In 2011, I read 126 books. 43 were ebook, 83 were physical books. 8 were nonfiction. I read a bunch of different novel genres: literary, all kinds of romance, horror, urban fantasy, SF, mystery. And everything from adult to YA to middle grade. All in all, it was a very successful year of reading.

And here are my favorites:

#1 Soft Apocalypse, by Will McIntosh / Science Fiction / This is the only book I read this year that gave me actual nightmares. I thought about it for days after the final pages, because it's the kind of SF novel that really could happen--sooner, rather than later. Riveting and dramatic, it has one of the most brutal death scenes I've ever read.

#2 Sweet as Sin, by Inez Kelley / Contemporary Romance / A beautifully written love story about two damaged people who find each other. I loved the way the author used the book-within-a-book method to further illustrate the emotional battle waged by the hero, as he comes to terms with his past in order to find a happy future.

#3 Deadline, by Chris Crutcher / Contemporary YA / Even though the description of the book makes the ending a gimme, I still sobbed, because I loved the main character that much. A wonderful story about making the best of the time you have left.

#4 Precious and Fragile Things, by Megan Hart / Contemporary Fiction / I'm a huge fan of Hart's erotic contemporaries, and this book was a super departure for her. It was the first book I read in 2011, and it's still one of the best, with its nail-biting story line and a heartbreaking conclusion.

#5 Across the Universe, by Beth Revis / YA Science Fiction / Lovely writing, a fresh premise, and a tense mystery all wrapped up in a spaceship-shaped package, with a dash of teen love story. I loved everything about this book, and I can't wait for the sequel coming in 2012.

#6 Twisted, Laurie Halse Anderson / Contemporary YA / A book I couldn't put down once I started, it brilliantly shows how a single mistake can label you forever--especially in the unforgivable world of high school.

#7 Okay For Now, by Gary D Schmidt / Middle Grade / Set in the late sixties, this story of a boy, his dysfunctional family, and his discovered love of drawing is incredibly heart-wrenching and well-written. The backdrop of the Vietnam war just added to the many layers of this story.

#8 Bad Boyfriend, by KA Mitchell / m/m Contemporary Romance / The sequel to Bad Company, I fell head over heels for Eli and Quinn in this book. Both funny and heartbreaking, this showcases what I love most about Mitchell's books and realistically drawn characters.

#9 The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific, by J. Maarten Troost / Memoir / The author's sharp wit and sarcasm kept me glued to this story of two years spent on an equatorial atoll. From illness to insects to beer shortages, I was right there in Kiribati with him--and at the same time, extremely glad to be in the comfort of my own home.

#10 Double Blind, by Heidi Cullinan / m/m Contemporary Romance / A long, meaty love story between two very different protagonists. I loved the intimate look at Las Vegas casinos, and the intricate plot kept me on the edge of my seat.

What were some of your favorite reads this year?

Spooky Legends and Chili

My post for Spooky Legends extravaganza is up at All Things Urban Fantasy. Teresa "Trance" West tells her rendition of the "finger in Wendy's chili" tale.

Abigail also reviewed TRANCE here.

Several other awesome advanced reviews have been popping up, and I'm tickled to see readers embracing the new series. Little birds have told that copies of TRANCE have been spotted in the wild at Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, so you might be able to find yours early!

Ten hours left until official release! Squee!!!!

A Gathering of Links

To celebrate the upcoming release of TRANCE, I've put together a couple of fun character interviews, in which a character from the Dreg City books chats up their counterpart in the MetaWars series.

Thursday, the first interview went up at Book Faery's Blog. In it, Evy Stone and Teresa West discuss leadership, powers, and the man in their lives.

Friday, interview two is up at Smexy Books. Wyatt Truman and Gage McAllister...get through it. What can I say? My heroes aren't very gregarious.

Saturday, the third interview is up at Kevin Hearne's blog. I love this one. Milo Gant gets moderately terrorized by the force of nature that is Renee Duvall. *grin*

Edit: added a link 10/22.

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On another note, I'm excited and humbled by the positive reviews that have been popping up for TRANCE. It won't be everyone's cuppa, but so far it's been well-received.

This morning I woke up to a fab review from Julie, at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks, and it just made me grin like a loon. Julie is a big fan of the Dreg City books, and her comparison of the two was terrific. Plus, one of the giggle-worthy quotes she picked out is one of my absolute favorites, too.

Here's another, from one of my previous ARC giveaway winners!

Four more days until the MetaWars start! Eeeeee!

Supernatural Smackdown Time!

You may have heard that Dark Faerie Tales and Parajunkee's View are hosting another Supernatural Smackdown on their respective sites, and this year I'm participating. Well, I'm not, but the heroine of TRANCE, Teresa West, is!

Check out the match and see her opponent, and don't forget to vote! Simon & Schuster is generously giving away copies of TRANCE to five winners!

Let's help a superhero kick butt!

Three Links and a Good-Bye

It's another small Event link round-up kind of post.



I had the good fortune to be invited to participate in the Fantastic Fables: Paranormal Edition event, hosted by Dark Faerie Tales and Tynga's Reviews. My offering is a little Rapunzel-inspired bedtime story told by our favorite were-osprey, Phineas. Check it out and leave a comment for a chance to win one of four copies of ANOTHER KIND OF DEAD!



Event number two is Book Faery's Battle of the Sexies: Sidekick Edition. And once again Phineas is getting some time in the spotlight, as I try to argue why he's the sexiest sidekick of them all. As a giveaway prize I'm offering a signed copy of ANOTHER KIND OF DEAD, a TRANCE postcard, and a little stuffed falcon toy!

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For added fun, I did a guest post at Urban Fantasy Investigations, in which I talk about writing a series.

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The excitement of release week has also been tempered with a lot of sadness, as we all learned yesterday that author LA Banks passed away from adrenal cancer. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. Fellow League of Reluctant Adults member Michele Bardsley did a wonderful tribute post here. I never had the opportunity to meet Leslie, but those who did have nothing but wonderful things to say about her. She will be missed.

Round 'Em Up!

I have a bunch of links today, so it's more of a roundup kind of post.

1. "Throwing Grandma Down the Stairs!" Before you think I've gotten totally violent on you, this is a guest post over at Larissa's Bookish Life. And it's about writing. With a video clip!

2. Part three of my month as Featured Author on Drey's Library is up. I'm chatting about my Top Five Reads.



3. My post for Deadly Destinations takes you on a tour of Dreg City with Hunter Milo Gant. Milo got roped into this because...well, Evy wouldn't do it, and as the newest member of his Triad, he got volunteered. Plus Random House is giving away three copies of ANOTHER KIND OF DEAD to commenters!

4. Fellow Leaguers Jaye Wells and Nicole Peeler have some awesome Kindle Deals happening on their UF novels, so if you haven't checked out those ladies, run over to Amazon and stock up your Kindle!

(Edit: There is a slight glitch happening, so Nicole's book isn't showing up at $1.99 yet, but she says they are working to fix it!)

5. Speaking of deals, my fellow A GLIMPSE OF DARKNESS co-author Harry Connolly's CHILD OF FIRE is only 99 cents on Kindle! This is another series you really should be reading!

6. Less than two weeks until ANOTHER KIND OF DEAD hits shelves!!!! Remember, it's releasing 8/2, NOT 7/26. The audiobook version from Tantor releases the same day!

7. Amazon is having a 4-for-3 sale on paperback books, and all of mine are included. It looks like even pre-orders for my new releases. There are over 9,000 SF/F books in the sale, so check it out!



8. RIP Borders...

To Fong Who? Thanks For Nothing, Kevin Hearne....

Okay, so the blog post title only makes a funny pun if you've heard of a certain drag queen movie starring Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes. If not...well, go watch it!

Today is the day that fellow League of Reluctant Adults member Kevin Hearne pops his cherry! Not just by guest blogging here (although that must be pretty spiffy, too), but also by having his first novel released by Del Rey!



HOUNDED is the first Iron Druid Chronicles book, and it's fabulous. I'm not just saying that--I've read it. And blurbed it. And it's fabulous. Ever wanted to get in on the inner workings of the mind of an Irish Wolfhound? This is your book. (Oh, and the Druid dude is pretty cool, too.)

So without further blathering, here is Kevin's post. And with his post, a challenge for me. Because what goes around, comes around....

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The Challenges of Writing

Hi there, fans of Evy Stone! I’m not here to talk about the challenges of picking the right word for the right moment. I’m here to talk about the challenge of having the word picked for you and finding someplace to stick it in your book, or suffer the relentless taunting of your peers. Authors do this to each other, because the pressure of meeting deadlines and doing publicity and stuff just ISN’T ENOUGH.

A few months ago, Kelly challenged me to put Rocky Mountain Oysters into my next book. For those of you who don’t know, that’s the polite term for fried bull balls. It’s not the sort of thing that casually comes up when you’re writing about a Druid caught in the middle of a vampire territory war. But she double-dog dared me to do this, so of course I had to accept. I successfully inserted them into Chapter 14 of my current work in progress, TRICKED, which will be the fourth book in The Iron Druid Chronicles. (Book one, HOUNDED, is available now, and the next two books, HEXED and HAMMERED, will be released on June 7 and July 5, respectively.)

Now I get to challenge Kelly in turn. No, wait: I get to TRIPLE-DOG DARE her! Without further ado, here it is: In Dreg City #5, Kelly must use the word “fong” as a running joke. To fong is an endearing verb that means to kick the living poo outta something, and since this is an activity Evy and her cronies rather enjoy doing, I don’t think that’s going to be especially difficult. (Fong was used most famously in the movie A Knight’s Tale. You should watch it again!) The trick here is going to be turning it into a joke. Knowing it has to be a joke will freeze Kelly at the keyboard for WEEKS. I can already taste the victory, and it is sweet, my friends. Sweet.

Challenge delivered, I can now confess to you that Kelly has been completely sweet to me and does not deserve to be cruelly fonged by my evil machinations. She’s been a tremendous font of wisdom as I’ve tried to figure out the publishing biz as a newbie author, and she was even kind enough to write a blurb for the back cover of HOUNDED for me. I still think the first chapter of THREE DAYS TO DEAD is one of the best in all urban fantasy, and I’m as addicted to Dreg City as you are. Personally, I cannot wait for books three and four, much less the epic fonging to come in book five! Please give Kelly all the support you can in the comments, because she could always use the additional pressure of your high expectations.

Mwah-ha-ha-ha!

Guest Blogger: Paul Jessup

I have something a little different for you today, friends. Writer Paul Jessup is stopping by as part of his Virtual Blog Tour, and he's chatting a little bit about his thoughts on Urban Fantasy.

Welcome, Paul!

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Urban Fantasy as a Reaction to Classic Horror

I make no bones about it, I love me some classic horror. In the movies, on television, in my books, whatever, whenever I can find it. The pitch perfect time was those three decades where low budget meant bad acting and limited special effects, but it was made up for with sheer terror.

But let's be honest. The golden decades (60's, 70's and 80's) had a small problem. Especially in serial killer/slasher films, but in monster films as well. And that was, plainly put, sexism. It continues onto this day, and it's not just sexism, it's violence towards women glorified to pornographic levels. Especially any woman that's not the "last girl" (the good girl who doesn't have sex or do drugs and ends up surviving the terrifying ordeal somehow).

Look at most most posters for Horror Films. It shows women crying, screaming, or abused. What does that say, when this is your advertisement for a movie? What does it say about your genre?

IMHO, Urban Fantasy is a straight up rebellion against that. Their is no Last Girl. The Last Girl was a victim who fought back. Urban Fantasy protagonists are not victims and they are definitely not good girls who don't have sex or do bad stuff. It's a moral grey area, the entire existence of the heroine of an UF novel. The good guys do bad shit. And they kill. And they are the ones fighting monsters.

And it's not like Epic Fantasy where the good/evil lines are drawn clearly in the sand. No. A lot of UF protags end up risking becoming the very monsters they fight. They are the ones in power, and they are the ones taking risks. Sure, it uses all the horror tropes and horror monsters, but it turns the very groundwork of the horror genre on it's head.

For the longest time I wondered why there was so much vile hate in the Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror community towards Urban Fantasy. Esp. from the old guard. And now I realized this is the core of it- they want their female characters abused and victims. They don't want strong, sexy woman kicking the crap out of some terror that walks in the night.

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Paul Jessup is a guest blogger, going on a small virtual tour of the internet to promote his new book Werewolves. It's an illustrated book about the journey of one High School teen named Alice, and her voyage into the violent werewolf community. She tries to find a cure, help her brother, and survive violent pack conflicts. You can purchase a copy here. The art is done by Allyson Haller, and it's published by Chronicle Books. You can view the rest of the blog tour as it chugs along this week at his website, http://pauljessup.com.

Babies, Vampires, and Shapeshifters, Oh My!

Wow! The response so far to the Big Birthday Giveaway has been awesome! You guys rock so hard! If anyone hasn't checked it out yet, scroll down or go here.

Author Scoop is running a series of posts in which they ask authors about the saying "my book is my baby." Head over to see what I have to say on the subject.

I also participated in a joint interview for Flames Rising, in which I sound off on vampires, along with fellow Reluctant Adults Dakota Cassidy, Mark Henry and Nicole Peeler.

Last but not least, I am guest posting in the Paranormal SummerFest over at All Things Urban Fantasy. Abigail was kind enough to invite my THREE DAYS TO DEAD heroine, Evangeline Stone, back for another round of information sharing. Check out Shapeshifters 101 and enter to win a signed copy of THREE DAYS TO DEAD, plus swag!

Guest Blog and Appearance

Ack! I forgot to mention that I'm guest blogging over at Amberkatze's Book Blog about my 5 favorite Non-Urban Fantasy/Paranormal books for 2009. There's a giveaway involved, too!

Also, a reminder:

BOOK SIGNING EVENT
Barnes & Noble
340 Christiana Mall
Newark, DE 19702

1:00pm, Saturday January 9th!

Authorial Chit-Chat

As a final wrap-up to our 2K Event, Kelly Gay and I are over at SciFi Guy's blog chatting and answering questions. Doug, the awesome site owner, is also giving away copies of THREE DAYS TO DEAD and THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, so hop on over and talk to us. Giveaway ends December 8th!

Happy December!

Okay, seriously? Where has 2009 gone? I can't believe the year is almost over. Truly mind-boggling.

So a week's gone by since my book release, and I have to admit: I still wake up every morning and think "Dude, I have a book out in stores." Big thank yous, by the way, to everyone who's reported a book sighting (or multiple books). And yes, I admit to checking Amazon once a day just to peek. TDTD is holding between 81 and 95 on the Contemporary Fantasy top 100, which is exciting.

I'm guest blogging today at Literary Escapism. Folks who want to know about world-building and Dreg City, make sure you stop by. We're giving away a signed copy of THREE DAYS TO DEAD.

There's also a new review up at Writings of a Wicked Book Addict, with some nice things about the book.

I've also started going over my "Read in 2009" list over on GoodReads. So far, I'm at 88. I'd hoped to read 100 books/novellas this year, but I don't know if I'll make it. Think I can read twelve more books in thirty-one days?

We'll see....

Last Day on Suvudu

Popping in to remind everyone that the final part of my serialized story, "Pride Before Fall," is now up on Suvudu. Both stories have now been posted in their entirety. I hope you've enjoyed the peek into Evy's world.

In case you missed it before, "Pride Before Fall" starts here. And the first story, "The Hoarder," starts here. Both stories will be available on Scribd in late December.

Also, for folks who are still waiting for prizes from me, I'm still waiting on my author copies. I promise I'll get them in the mail as soon as that box of awesomeness arrives!

Speaking of which, the fabulous Jackie Kessler invited me to be a Dame for the Day over at the Deadline Dames blog. I'm talking about holidays and yes, a copy of 3D2D is up for grabs. Giveaway ends December 5th.

Myth, the Hoarder, and Stuff

So tonight's plans to go out to Seacrets in Ocean City and celebrate my book release have been thwarted by a cold. Blah. As much as I want to go out and debauch myself in public, I'd rather not spread my germs to several hundred strangers this close to Thanksgiving. Plus, as my roommate mentioned, I'd probably just make myself sicker.

We're staying in with pizza. Which will still be fun, because I love pizza and my friends are cool peeps no matter where we hang.

I also have a guest blog post at Myth, the Universe and Everything, in which I chat about one of my favorite fairy tales, trolls, and provide you with an exclusive excerpt from THREE DAYS TO DEAD. Check it out!

Also, part 2 of "The Hoarder" is up on Suvudu.com.

Only two days left to get in on the GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY action! All you have to do is email me! It's easy!

Vampires 101

Have a question about vampires?

Want to know their weaknesses and strengths?

Ever been curious what a bite really does to you?

Stop over to ALL THINGS URBAN FANTASY, where my heroine Evangeline Stone is talking about the vampires in her world. Ask her a question and be entered for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card!