My Vampire Slayer

Good Morning!  (Okay, well, it's still morning in paradise).

For my first post, I'd like to introduce you all to my vampire slayer, Orion Masters.  Orion is the heroine in my debut novel set to be released by Noble Romance Publishing on May 24, 2010.

This picture is one artist's rendition of Orion.  The artist is my 10 year old daughter.  And, yes, she's facinated with anime at the moment.  When my daughter asked me what my book was about, I gave her a one sentence G-rated version.  As background, my daughter's entire knowledge of vampires is pretty much the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ("Once More With Feeling") -- she closes her eyes during the parts related to the guy that spontaneously combusts.  So, to my daughter, Spike is Buffy's soul mate!  I told her Orion's basic features, and asked her if she would draw me a picture of her (because I love her artwork).  She agreed, and voila!

This is not an official rendition of Orion, obviously.  If you read my novel when it is released, I hope that you will agree she is much sexier!  And I hope my cover art will concur.

If you'd like to get to know Orion better, she'll be blogging about her life as a slayer on her blog "One  Slayer's Journey" at   http://orionmasters.blogspot.com/

My novel is called Have Stake, Will Travel.  Here is the blurb:

Orion Masters is no ordinary slayer, she's a dhampir--half vampire-- and uses her superhuman abilities to her advantage.  After all, a girl's gotta make a living.
But her life takes a dramatic u-turn on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The balmy nights of paradise hold a forbidden temptation. Hot, steamy sex with Julian Hunter.
Like Orion, Julian is a slayer. Unlike Orion, Julian is a pure blood. Their paths cross on the hunt and Orion finds herself unable to control the allure of Julian’s seductive powers. Yielding to her body’s instinctive, and passionate, reaction to Julian, she discovers the erotic lure of heritage, shared blood, and destiny.

I play with an iPad

I have held, touched and even played with an iPad. All without buying one. It’s the newest toy the CEO bought for the office, and I’ll even get a day to take it home and play with it. I’m looking forward to it, but I can tell you the end result is — as cool as it is, right now I’m not going to buy one.

Why?

I’m a writer. It’s what I do. Hand me a new tech toy and my first thought is “how do I write a novel on this.” We’re talking technology here. I can even make notes for my novel on my phone (and it isn’t even an iphone) using Google apps. The problem is, the iPad doesn’t seem much more useful than my phone for noveling, despite the somewhat larger screen.

The big problem isn’t the apps. Although it doesn’t come with Word Processing software, the “Pages” application on runs $10 and seems to be designed for writing and or noveling (Charles says he'll buy it for me so I can try Pages on my iPad discovery day). But still, compared to MS Office, that’s a killer price. Though you’ll need to get the novel out of it and into MS Office if you plan to submit to a publisher. But that isn’t the problem — yet.

No, the problem is the keyboard. Or what works as a keyboard which is the touch screen. The screen is sensitive to, well, touch. Any touch. Move a finger from C to E and you’re likely to hit D on the way. Let any finger rest on the keys for the briefest second and you’ve hit another letter. I keep hitting the “A” key because my left pinky dips down if I don’t focus on holding it off the screen.

So, typing is a painful effort of holding every finger up and moving to exactly the right spot before touching anything. And still doing a lot of backspacing. I did become better with practice, but for a day of typing I’d need to buy the separate keyboard. And a stand. And then I’d essentially have a netbook. I already have a netbook. It even multitasks and runs Flash applications. Or and I can read ebooks on it.

The iPad is cool. But it seems everyone in the office who picked it up had the same reaction — Cool. But what would I really need it for?

thank you

Wanted to acknowledge the time DL Jackson ( Dawn), Cate Masters and Mariedees have spent behind the scenes. A big thanks, they are appreciated. Anyone wants to to suggest something abnormal to add to this multi-user blog, it'd be great if you'd post anytime and then based on comments we'll see what we...er...they can do to make it so.

Inspiration and Introduction

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” ~Stephen King

Hello. My name is Brandi, and I can't read directions...

I had no clue how the posting on this blog went until about, oh, thirty minutes ago, lol. What can I say? It’s been one of those days. I got some upsetting news today, so I’ve been in a foul mood most of the day. I’m over it now. *wink, wink* Now, with my complaining out of the way, lol, onto the good stuff.

I’m a pre-pubbed author—actually that’s not exactly true. I have published a paranormal erotic romance under a joint pen name but that partnership fizzled. *sigh* Now I’m flying solo, but I’m still writing paranormal romances hot enough to set my computer on fire! I live in central Arkansas with my hubby, our two beautiful little girls, and our two very annoying dogs. When I’m not writing or keeping my husband, er, kids in line I’m…well, actually, that’s pretty much all I do, so scratch that last sentence.

I’m going to veer away from the paranormal for this post and talk about the 2^nd greatest software program a writer could ever have. It's called Inspiration. OMG, I LOOOOOVE IT! (Now if only I could afford a Mac so I can get Scrivener too; talk about a drool-worth program! But I digress…)

A friend of mine from my local RWA chapter, Candace Irvine, turned me onto Inspiration. A brief description of program: software that allows you to create "information bubbles" and then link the "bubbles" to other bubbles. (Sound confusing? I’ll show you an example so don’t worry.) These "information bubbles" can be characters, chapters, murder victims...whatever! It's soooo perfect for the visual writer.

Here's a whittled-down example using the main villain from my paranormal romance Surrendering to Darkness:

Awesome, right? :)

In my full Inspiration file for Surrendering to Darkness, I show how my villain here is linked to my hero/heroine. I also show how my villain's "accidental informant" relates to my hero/heroine, how the villain's dead wife relates to the hero, etc. It’s this huge web of character relations that's super visual.

Now, if you like the freedom of the bubbles for brainstorming but think you'd rather have it in outline form when you actually sit down to write...no problem. Inspiration lets you switch back and forth.

Here's what the above-pasted section looks like in outline:

Anton Dimarco

(vamp)

wife/dead

I. Rachel Dimarco (vamp)

accidental informant

II. Veronica Moons (vamp)

"captain of the guards"

III. Ryker (demon)

Commander

A. Army of Minions (various)

kills

B. delivery driver (human)

kills

C. Dean (vamp)

sex slave

IV. Garnet (human)

Like I said before, I love this program. I can't rave about it enough, but since I’m sure you don’t want me to rave on and on and on and on and on...I'll shut up. :)

Until next time...

(Oh and I promise I’ll talk paranormal stuff—maybe even share my experiences from the cemetery walk my local chapter took with a group of "real" ghost hunters!)

XOXOXO

~Brandi Evans

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On the Merits of Plant Porn


Love Grows Wild in the Dark was released in October 2009 from Shadowfire Press and contains a sci-fi romance my publisher placed in the ‘indefinable’ genre.
Explore facts and reason, add in the fiction and you can bring the most interesting points of view to life, which is why I love the sci-fi romance genre. The science of stomata (pores found in the leaf and stem epidermis used for gas exchanges) along with prongs of various inches, and romance did more than just ‘grow wild in the dark’.

I had a record number of comments on Rebel. Most stated that after they stopped laughing they realized they’d never look at plants the same way again, and only one…er…thought it’d be something an adolescent male might write.

One well-known publisher of erotic romance said it was just too controversial but they loved the writing and did I have anything that involved humans. Yes, but that didn’t get the science/fiction/romance between plantae out of the greenhouse-closets.
Then, yippee, a publisher cared about a lusty vine who showed an ornamental that there’s more to life than revenge, and Shadowfire Press wondered if I had anything more contemporary involving humans they could release with it. And so Rebel joined two love stories in my first publication, a single author anthology.
The Point (snicker), to this post is that a poinsettia plant and a creeper didn’t travel on a starship, evolve from a skillfully crafted alternate universe, but the love found everywhere, between every species whether they eat photons or leafy salads, is something worth writing about. Whatever gets a reader imagining could be the groundbreaker an author needs to bring their fictional romances from empty cognitive space and onto the pages of reality.
Just be prepared to take abuse.
‘That is so whacked.’ Friend who won’t be named.
‘I don’t know where she gets it from.’ Mom who won’t be named.
‘Thanks. Maybe next year just forget my birthday.’ Tom Konerth, friend I wrote the story for.


~Rebel~

Can an untamed lover distract from the desire to bring down the human race?

Blurb:
When the unforgivable happens, a mother's determination that her little ones blossom becomes an obsession. With a plan and the will, all she needs now is the means. A lowly hero agrees to help. His price? A moment of fun in the dark. When tendrils tighten and he's smitten, he's ready to sacrifice his all to prolong that moment. Many sentient creatures lose their heads when falling in love, yet no one ever expects the glorious aftermath to be quite so painful.
http://www.shadowfirepress.com/index.html

The Rules of Magic: Grounding and Centering

Hi. My name is a Marie and I am a witch. Yes, a real one. Though the term most people are familiar with is Wiccan. (All Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are Wiccan.) But as a witch, what surprises me sometimes is how unfamiliar some writers are with magic and how this unfamiliarity affects their story. So, I'm going to chat about magic. Sometimes real magic and sometimes fictional. Of course fictional magic won't follow the rules of Wicca, but being familiar with theories around magic can help keep it under control in a novel.

Today I'm starting with the very basics -- grounding and centering. Two lessons any witch learns before she or he starts working with magic. (Yes, male witches are called witches. The term "warlock" is more common in fiction or in old episodes of Bewitched.)

Grounding is a process of connecting with the earth and drawing energy from it. Though it can also be a process of returning excess energy to the earth either to release stress or to release built up energy from a ritual. The most common exercise for grounding is to visualize oneself extending tree-like roots into the earth and pulling energy up and into the body. This energy can then be used in ritual, to perform spells or just to get through a boring meeting.

Centering may be done as a prelude to grounding or as an exercise on its own. Centering is the process of pulling one's focus inward and finding one's energy center. This creates a greater balance that can be used before drawing in energy or even to shield oneself from negative energy.

Grounding after using magic. There is a second type of grounding that you may hear Wiccans refer to. This is grounding that is done after a ritual or spell casting. It's also known as "cakes and ale" because the process is simply to eat something to physically ground one's being and energy and replenish any energy used or lost during ritual. Keep in mind that "cakes and ale" in real life can be cookies and juice or any food and drink that fits the occasion.

Now, how do you apply this to fiction? Keep in mind the first law of thermodynamics - Energy is neither created or destroyed. Your magic user, shaper shifter, even ghost, must draw energy from somewhere. Using that energy depletes it, which should place some limits on how much energy can be expended in one go. So think about where you character draws energy from and how they use it. Even if it's as simple as your werewolf needing to eat in order to have the energy to shift.

Have questions you'd like to ask a witch? Let me know and I'll try to answer them.

Where have all the bad girls gone?

Hi, my name is D L Jackson. I write urban fantasy, science fiction romance and erotic romance. I have two recently released novels this year with Liquid Silver Books, Slipping the Past and Last Flight of the Ark.

I recently posted about the bad boys of fiction over at Paranormal Romantics, http://paranormalromantics.blogspot.com, and as I say bad boy, I’m sure a few came right to you. Anakin Skywalker, Hannibal Lector, Dracula and the list probably goes on and on. You’re thinking yeah, he was yummy but boy was he bad, or that guy was a sociopath and scary. There are a ton of them.

*****WARNING. RANT FOLLOWS*****

Now, name some bad girls. Main characters. Villains. Go ahead, name them. Give me ten off the top of your head.

Not easy, is it?

Now, think Disney. That’s right, Disney. Now how many can you name? How about the wicked stepmothers in Cinderella and Snow White, or maybe the sea witch in The Little Mermaid. How about a villain that wants a dog coat and who was it that cursed the beauty in Sleeping Beauty? Why are bad boys who bend the rules and break the laws, abundant in adult fiction, in movies and on television? But when you’re looking for strong women who march to the beat of a different drummer, who don’t think twice about adding another notch to their bedposts or live outside of society’s expectations of what proper women should be, you can’t find them unless they’re in children’s stories targeted toward little girls?

Why?

I want more bad girls in fiction. More Faiths, like in Buffy the Vampire Slayer or more of Sampson's Delilah. They break the rules, their morals are questionable and they just don't care. That’s right. I want to read about them and the men who think they can tame them. I want to see an honest to goodness bad girl that can draw on our sympathies and still do inapproriate things. When they do, they’re not labeled as whores, bimbos, or be-atches for doing the same things men do and I don’t want them in a Disney movie.

In my recently released erotic e-novel, Last Flight of the Ark, published with Liquid Silver Books, my villain is the last female of a dying species and is willing to do anything to save her people. She’s anti-social, tricky and she feeds the command crew of the Ark’s sister ship, the Genesis II, to her babies.

Oh my. Gruesome. Well, through whose eyes? Does the lion think the lamb is anything but a buffet? Is my enemy female wrong to want to ensure the survival of her kind? Does one species have any more right to live than another? Hence the dilemma Colonel Kaleb Titan finds himself in. When faced with a decision that will deeply impact the lives of over two thousand and possibly change the fate of mankind, Kaleb must choose between two evils. He must either use biological warfare on his own people and genetically change them or let the enemy survive and keep the world Earth wants to settle at the cost of his life and that of over two thousand.

My bad girl doesn’t have the spotlight here, but she does have her reasons to do what she does. Can you name some main female characters in romance novels that are bad girls or be-atches? Women who stretch boundries and do questionable things. Give me some heroines. Where have all the bad girls gone?

I’m going to give away an e-copy of my erotic romance, Last Flight of the Ark. All you have to do is comment on my post before Monday at midnight. I’ll draw one lucky winner from the hat on Tuesday and announce.

Good luck.
D L Jackson

Send me your links.

Attention, Para-posse.
Got links for the sidebar?
Send them to me and I'll get them posted.
dlareejackson1 @ gmail dot com  (delete spaces and replace dot with the real thing) Gotta watch out for the spam bots. :)
Thanks,
Dawn

Vampires in Manhattan

Hi,
I'm Susan Hanniford Crowley, paranormal romance author of the new series Vampires in Manhattan. My novels revolve around the Arnhem Society, a secret society of vampires in New York City.
CLICK ON THE BOOKS TO BUY.

It all begins with WHEN LOVE SURVIVES. Two supernatural rescue workers find love while saving lives. Regina O'Malley is half leprechaun and half elf. She doesn't know until circumstances awakens her amazing powers. Gregor Vasiliev is a financial advisor who's a shapeshifer. David Hilliard is a vampire who helps the lovers.

In THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS is about David Hilliard finding his lifemate. The fact that she's despondent and tries to kill herself might be a problem though. The fact that she is a rare and powerful supernatural called a Telkhine means a whole lot of trouble from people who want her for her powers. David just loves her. But is that enough?

A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS brings together Trevor Stenwood, an Arnhem Knight vowed to protect humans from death at vampire hands and supernaturals in danger. Georgia Blake leaves him tongue-tied, which is bad considering she's marked for death by demons. Georgia is a human with a unique gift that touches every human she comes in contact with. If the demons have their way, her gift would be extinguished from the Earth. Trevor can't let that happen. But he's got to get past staring at her and generally creeping her out. When he needs reinforcements, who does he call?

Come and enjoy a new world that is expanding. Unravel the secrets of the Arnhem Society. Visit me at http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com/ or http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/

Thanks.

Meet Arlene Webb and receive a chance to win a copy of Eostre's Hare

Okay, Para-enlistees. Our sister blog, the Brigade, is kicking our butts. Let's get some posts rolling and it's time to invite, invite, invite. If you know a paranormal romance writer, send them an invite.

Now, for a little shameless promo...

Meet Arlene Webb and receive a chance to win a copy of Eostre's Hare


Visit these blogs: Backward Momentum http://backwardmomentum.blogspot.com/ and http://para-fanatics.blogspot.com/ starting Wednesday, April 14th for a chance to win Arlene Webb's latest release, Eostre's Hare.
 
D L Jackson