I’m in the middle of working on a new proposal for something I haven’t attempted in a long time, a straight romantic suspense with none of the erotica that’s paying the bills these days.  The research alone took a couple of weeks, in part because I get distracted when I’m doing same online, in part because I wanted to read several nonfiction books on a couple of topics, in part because I have three major characters to bring to life.  I don’t know how long I’ve spent on what is currently a five page synopsis, a lot longer than most people would guess if they read those ’simple’ pages.  

Yesterday I’d intended/hoped I’d finish the rough draft of the third and final chapter for the proposal and had a pretty good idea how I was going to work it.  The timeframe was important to me because my family’s going to be out of town for the 4th weekend and there won’t be any alone time for writing.  I wanted to go into the celebration (and a couple of meetings) with a semi-clear head.  Knowing I’d be coming back to revisions instead of straight creating would put me in another mindset, and I was looking forward to it.

Then life happened.  It started with an unexpected but precious phone call from a dear friend while I was eating breakfast.  I don’t know how many more if any conversations I’ll have with her because cancer is winning and she’s now in hospice.  We talked for an hour, the words coming slow and slurred from her as a result of the powerful pain meds she’s on.  Her brilliant (180 IQ) mind is still there but tamped down.  After the call I had trouble switching gears and getting into the writing mode so decided to email some mutual friends about Pat.  A couple immediately emailed back and I responded, etc, etc.  Then both of my sons called, twice each and of course being a MOM I gave them my full attention.

Surprisingly soon it was time to take my 90 year old mother out for lunch, accompanied by my husband who moves at a much slower pace than I do.  By the time we were done,  nearly three hours had passed and it was nearly time to shuttle my youngest son’s vehicle from one place to another so he and his son could raft the nearby river. (Of course I’d said yes to his request earlier in the day.  I’m a MOM and GRANDMA)  Following the shuttle I hearded for the gym for an hour.  I’m in the process of rebuilding my sad body following double hip replacements this spring so strength training is necessary.

Whew.  Coming up on 5 p.m. and by then my upstairs office was over 80 degrees.  No work getting done under those conditions.

So there you are.  A day’s plans for writing out the window.  I’m good with the decisions I made that took me away from my initial goal, but its going to happen again just as those interruptions have happened in the past.  A part of me is chomping to get back to the romantic suspense.  A part feels disconnected from it and reconnecting is going to take time, darn it.

Despite those stumbling points, something good happened this week.  In early June I had a Loose-Id release Storm Howl.  I mention that because my editor and I have been working on revisions for the sequel, Wind Howl.  The second round revisions (which will only take a few minutes) are sitting in my inbox and I have a release date of late Aug.  Or rather that was the date as of earlier in the week.  Now I’m hearing that might be bumped up.  Ykes, no doubt about it.  As soon as the above mentioned proposal is out of my hair, its time to get going on #3 in the Howl series.

Happy 4th everyone!!!  I’m going to be spending mine at the family cabin in the woods next to a lake complete with fireworks the younger generation will watch from a couple of boats.  How about you?  What’s on tap for you for the 4th?

Vonna

www.VonnaHarper.com

So to make me feel better I’m going to post a little teaser excerpt from my upcoming book from Samhain, DEMON DREAMER.  It will be released July 14.

excerpt - copyright July 2009 Vivi Anna

Kiara Brodie bolted upright in bed, panting, her long blonde hair stuck to her cheeks and forehead from the sweat that slicked her entire body. The dream had been intense, so vivid, and so real. She could still smell the demon in her room. Heat and sweat and something spicy.

Shoving the tangled blanket aside, she swung her legs over her bed and breathed in deep. Her heart was still racing. She hadn’t dreamt like that in a long time. Not since her brother had died. She wondered if this was some sort of omen, like her dream had been for Liam. A prophecy of things to come.

Such was the life of a seer.

Kiara stood and grabbed the ratty blue robe draped over a chair and slid it on, tying it tight around her waist. She slipped her feet into slippers that were worn on the bottom and shuffled out of her small bedroom and into the kitchen of her quaint but stuffy trailer.

She set the teapot onto the stove and turned on the burner. Maybe a cup of herbal tea would chase away the last remnants of her dream still clinging to her like spider webbing. Rubbing at her face, she pushed open the curtains over the kitchen window and stared out at the day. It was early yet, not even five by the way the sky held a faint yellow and pink glow. Most of the caravan weren’t even awake yet. Most wouldn’t wake for hours.

Such was the life of a tinker.

A life Kiara hated just about every minute of. But she was born to it, and because of her gift and her curse she didn’t have any chance of changing it.

Once she had her tea poured, she took it and opened the door to her trailer to sit out on her favorite chair under the awning. She loved early mornings. There was no one around to bug her, to ask her for a palm or tarot card reading, or to watch her warily from the corner of their eye. Because she knew they did, even if they didn’t mean to.

She was part of the caravan, had been born to an Irish tinker and lived among them for her whole twenty-three years, but she was never fully one of them. Because of her curse she’d always been set apart. She knew some feared her and what she could see with her goat’s eye. Born with an elliptical pupil in her right eye like a goat, Kiara had been both ostracized and revered. She’d been marked, declared the elders of the caravan. Marked as special, marked as someone to fear. It was a strange place to be. And one that was starting to wear her down. She was tired of being the one. She just wanted to be Kiara Brodie, a young Irish girl with a big yearning in her heart.

A yearning for something else, for something more. For somebody more.

Due to her place in the tinker society, guys didn’t approach her. Although she was considered beautiful and desired, there was not a one who had the balls to take her on. Most of the men were afraid of her. And the others were just disgusted with her strangeness.

She hungered for a man who would find that otherness sexy and wanted to be with her night and day. Especially the nights. She harbored wild and wicked fantasies but had yet to find a man who was man enough to fulfill them.

Which brought her back to her dream. There was something about the demon that ignited the fires inside her. He was strangely beautiful and obviously powerful, and she gravitated toward that power. If a being could rip apart a house and imprison two other obviously powerful beings, she could only imagine what that strength and power would be like on top of her. Feeling him inside her. Would she feel his power surging through her?

She shivered at the thought. Cupping her tea in her hands, she took a sip and smiled. Maybe this was a sign that her ideal mate was just around the corner. That soon she would meet him and know the thrill of a hot, fierce, passionate man’s pleasure.

Hence, the late post!

I thought I’d treat everyone to a few facts about us Canuks:

First off, our population is just under 34 million. We have lots of room to move around considering Canada is just behind Russia in size, and ahead of the US. (and hey, we all know how important size is). Our official animal is none other than the great beaver. yeah. The beaver.

cute little critter, no?

Canadians like to partay. That is no secret, just look at Keifer Sutherlands behaviour. We like our beer, and our Rye Whiskey. We like to play baseball in the snow (and um, I’m not lying about that one) and being a puck bunny, is something to be proud of!

Hockey is god around most parts and really, think about it, most of the truly great players in the NHL are Canuks. (Sidney Crosby anyone?)

We’ve produced such greats as Pamela Lee Anderson, Jim Carrey, Loverboy, Wayne Gretzky, Celine Dion and of course so very proud of Mike Meyers, you know, Wayne’s World, (party on, excellent!)

We invented the games of Hockey and Basketball, and also have some wicked lacrosse to throw in there.

I am so truly proud to be a Canadian. Thankful that we live in a diverse, free country where I can raise my kids, live a life that is both wonderful and safe. I can vote, walk freely amongst the male populace, read what I want, write what I want.

I’m truly blessed! Happy Canada day to all my fellow Canadians and to my American brothers and sisters, an early shout out to your own, July 4th coming up!

I’m curious, what are you all thankful for? Let me know and since I’m in such a great mood, I’m going to give away a copy of Suzanne Rock’s newest release, Spyders Web to one lucky commentator! It’s an ebook available from Loose Id.

Here’s the blurb:

Unexpected Desire…

It’s been ten years since clean-cut, sexy-as-hell police officer Todd Keenan had a white-hot fling with Erin Brown, the provocative, wild rocker chick next door. Their power exchange in the bedroom got under his skin. But love wasn’t in the cards just yet…

Now, life has thrown the pair back together. But picking up where they left off is tough, in light of a painful event from Erin’s past. As Todd struggles to earn her trust, their relationship takes an unexpected and exciting turn when Todd’s best friend, Ben, ends up in their bed—and all three are quite satisfied in this relationship without a name. As the passion they share transforms Erin, will it be enough to help her face the evil she thought she had left behind?

Here’s what some folks are saying about LAID BARE…

“Every once in a great while, a book comes along that moves and surprises you in all the best ways. LAID BARE is one of those books for me. I was blown away by Dane’s brilliant rendering of this emotionally-charged, deeply erotic tale of second chances and redemption. I can’t say it enough: I loved this book!” Sylvia Day, nationally bestselling author of Eve of Darkness

“Laid Bare is the hottest thing since Prometheus gave us fire. It’s also a tender love story that wrung my heart with its sweetness. Don’t miss this book.” –Ann Aguirre, national bestselling author of Blue Diablo

“It’s impossible not to love this story. The sex is sizzling, the emotions are raw. Lauren Dane has done it again. Laid Bare, quite simply, ROCKS!” — Megan Hart, author of DEEPER

In August’s RT Magazine, Laid Bare gets 4 1/2 stars and a Top Pick!

In a word, this book is amazing. All three characters are magnetic and thoroughly realistic. They’re expertly woven into a roller-coaster story that will have you crying one moment, aroused the next and laughing with glee at each triumphant step along the way. With menage and some mild M/M scenes, this is Dane’s best story yet!

Here’s the book video:

Starting Friday July 3, I’ll be running a contest all month long at my blog with books and authors’ favorite accessories - music, jewelry, scarves, socks, all kinds of stuff!

Good luck!

First of all, I want to thank Juliana and the rest of the Bradford ladies for inviting me here to talk about my new release, Spyder’s Web. It’s an honor to be in a room with so much talent. I’m truly humbled.

When I first started writing for publication, I saw a lonely road ahead of me. Like the heroine in my story, Spyder, I had a goal, but thought the only way I could reach it would be if I did it alone. So for months I wrote, submitted, and received rejection letters in an isolated bubble.

Three manuscripts later, I was ready to give up.

Then I found a contest where people were posting the first lines of their manuscripts in the comment section of an agent’s blog. The winner would receive a free critique. At the time I had little more than a sentence or two, but I swallowed my nerves and posted the beginning of Spyder’s Web out on the internet for everyone to see. To this day I believe it was the best thing I ever did for my writing career, but not for the reason you may think.

The agent wasn’t impressed by my prose, but it did catch the attention of two other writers, Lauren Hawkeye and Juliana Stone. Together, we formed a critique group and soon added four other members. Together we are called the Sirens and Scribes. We laugh, cry, and support each other not only on the road to publication, but in life as well. When we started, only one of us was published. Now, a year later. four of us are published with the other three chasing very promising leads.

Not that getting Spyder’s Web published was easy once I found my support group. It went through multiple revisions. Once finished, I shelved it for a handful of months because I thought it was too dark and edgy. My heroine was a serial killer and my hero a disillusioned cop with a chip on his shoulder. The story sounded more like a thriller or mystery, not a romance. I was convinced I would never be able to find it a home.

It was only through the Siren’s encouragement that I tossed it out into the world. When it caught the eye of a Senior Editor at Loose ID, I felt it was more of a team victory rather than an individual accomplishment. If I didn’t have the Sirens and Scribes behind me, Spyder’s Web never would have seen the light of day. For that alone I am eternally grateful.

When my story opens, Spyder feels trapped and isolated. It’s only when she releases her fear and lets James into her life, that she finds her freedom. I feel this mirrors my path to publication. Only when I released my fear and came out of isolation, did I cease to be lonely and achieved my goal.

So I’m dedicating this post to all of the people who support us authors, whether they be writing friends, spouses, family, or BFFs. You are all special to us. We never would have come so far if it wasn’t for you.

Today, I want to hear about the people who help you achieve your goals. They don’t necessarily have to be writing goals, but any goal that is important to you. Give a shout out to your support system in this comment section and let everyone know how much they mean to you.

Spyders Web

Spyder has a dark secret. The curse she carries is an intense sexual desire that can never be satisfied. When she submits to her needs, she blacks out and her partners end up dead. When she abstains, she goes mad. Her only hope for salvation is to locate her protector, a soul mate, but she has yet to find him. Until she does, she’ll just have to find a way to get by…

James is a decorated detective who’s convinced he’s tracked down “The Black Widow” serial killer. As he waits in the shadows, his initial fascination turns into an obsession. Is James willing to risk it all to capture the city’s most wanted criminal?

Spyder’s curious prey is about to be lured into the very center of her deadly web…

If you want to learn more about Suzanne, click here: Suzanne Rock
If you want to see her blog, click here: Embrace The Shadows
Starting June 30th, you will be able to purchase Spyder’s Web here: Loose Id

First, I’ve got some exciting “me” news. The first Divinity Warriors book just released in print! It released in ebook in May 2009.

You can check it out here - EC site ebook or JJ site ebook or print.

Book Two is now in ebook.

Book three releases July 15th

and book four releases Aug 28th. So those of you who love to read series in order and don’t like to wait, no worries!!

~~**~~

I’m pretty excited because I’ve had a chance to pick up my camera again. I forgot how much I loved doing photo shoots. (not to mention it gets me off the computer at least for a couple hours, lol). I actually plan on showcasing my work in the near-ish future on my website.  Some of you who follow me a little more closely, or who know me, know that I’ve been a photographer longer than a published author. I love writing and I love photography. (But, loyal readers, do not panic. I am not quitting my writing career. )

So, what’s everyone been up to this summer?

This blog today has nothing to do with writing, I’ll admit. I didn’t get up in the morning thinking, hey I’m gonna talk about Lindsay Wagner’s hair today. The topic came to me when my hair actually worked the way I wanted it to (believe me, my hair cooperating is an amazing and rare experience so I have to commemorate it). So here it was the day I uploaded this blog:

Okay, remember the 70’s? All right, maybe you don’t. Depends on how old you are. If you’re my age, (46 at this posting), you remember the 70’s unless you were smoking pot or taking some other illegal substance that altered your experience so much it is all a blur.

Witness a flatter hair day just above. Oy!!

Seventies hair was dominated by three ladies. Farrah Fawcett, Lindsay Wagner, and Dorothy Hamil. I never wanted Dorothy’s hair. It wouldn’t have looked good on me anyway, and I think you have to have thick, coarser hair to carry it off. I always wanted Farrah Fawcett’s hair, but was realistic enough to realize my hair was never going to do that, especially not with the hair products available to me at the time. My all time favorite was Lindsay Wagner’s hair. As it turned out, the only time I even came remotely close to having her hairstyle was when I was fourteen and had long hair and slept in two braids with curlers in the ends. That wave stayed in all day. Any other attempt at curling, feathering or otherwise mucking with my hair resulted in…NOT that hair.

Well, the ‘00’s are here and 70’s hair is back baby. Even young men are wearing 70’s hair. Once in a while I have to pinch myself to make sure I haven’t time traveled back to junior high and high school. Luckily for me, I can get a tiny bit of that Lindsay Wagner effect in my hair through curlers, a good hair cut, and plenty of hair spray and other products. Okay, it doesn’t look ANYTHING like her hair. Wrong length and wrong color, too. But at least I’m having a great hair day and that means something, right? Yes!!!

These days my hair is fine…very fine and much thinner due to a scalp condition. Not that I ever had thick hair, mind you. This morning I took curlers out and happy day the hair did what I wanted it to do. Quick!!! Get the hairspray. Having shellacked my hair into submission, I’d be good for the rest of the day if a big wind didn’t arrive.  So what is your hair like and does it ever cooperate for you?

Tell me and you could win a free download of INSTINCT, a novella in my SIA series at Ellora’s Cave www.ellorascave.com.  I’ll announce the winner this evening.

This is the first book I’ve written in which the hero is a demon.  And he’s a killer. The guy hasn’t killed just once either. Sigh. No, because that would have been easy!  Instead, Niol is a guy with a dark and bloody past, a guy who isn’t completely evil, but he’s certainly not entirely good, either.

And, yes, as my friend Edie told me, the guy on the cover does look a bit like Dexter. I guess that I have to confess–I think Dexter (well, the character who plays him) is sexy.  What can I say?  Maybe I’m just drawn to bad guys. They’re exciting. They’re dangerous.  And they can always guarantee a time you’ll never forget.

So today, I’m curious…who is your favorite bad guy?  From a book, movie, TV show, um, real life–anything goes. Just tell me about him.

Oh, and if you’d like to read the blurb for my bad guy tale, here it is:

In a world of shadows, desire conquers all…

Tall, dark, and formidable, Niol Lapen is the last demon on earth most people would ask for a favor, yet the sexy little reporter who wanders into his club dares to do exactly that. Holly Storm already knows too much about his kind, and Niol has no wish to help her get in deeper over her head. But working alongside her may be the only way to stop a killer, even as it ignites a primal desire unlike anything he’s known.

Holly has seen firsthand what Niol is capable of, but that doesn’t frighten her nearly as much as her body’s instinctive reaction to him, or the wild, fierce passion that would tempt her to follow him through hell itself. Something evil and relentless is prowling the streets of Atlanta. And as Holly’s search leads her into danger that even Niol could never have predicted, she’ll uncover a secret that could rip her world apart.

***

]]> http://www.thebradfordbunch.com/general/the-demons-are-coming/feed/ http://www.thebradfordbunch.com/general/demonology-101/ http://www.thebradfordbunch.com/general/demonology-101/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:44:29 +0000 Anya Bast http://www.thebradfordbunch.com/?p=1493 …at least so far as the Elemental Witches series.

I wrote this up for Cynthia Eden’s 30 Days of Demons contest. It’s still going on! Go on and take a peek, if you haven’t already. This piece gives you an insider’s peek into the demon portion of the worldbuilding in my Elemental Witches series.

Demons seem to be a whole new trend in urban fantasy and paranormal romance these days. Sometimes they turn up as the good guys, the bad guys, or sometimes a shade in between. The demons of the Elemental Witches Series are shade in between. Well, except for the Atrika. They’re pretty much all bad.

There are four demon breeds in my worldbuilding:

The Ytrayi (E-TRAY-EE) – The leader caste. Loyal and operating on a strict Code of Conduct, they rule things in their world. The leader of the leaders is called the Cae. His name is Rue.

The Syari (S-YAR-EE) – The scholar caste. They are the archivists, holders of knowledge and do all magickal research.

The Mandari (MAN-DAR-EE) – The builder caste. Responsible for creating and maintaining the structures in the capital city of Ai and in all of Eudae. The buildings are made of lavender and rose marble, sometimes black or gray, and are built in columns, gentle slopes and arches. The palace, called Yrysvront, is majestic in its architecture.

The Atrika (A-TREE-KAH) – The warrior caste. Genetically engineered by an unknown hand, they are brutal and unforgiving. They are also like passionate children, following their whims no matter the destruction they might cause. Their favorite food is rotting meat and they have a nasty habit of cannibalizing their enemies on the spot in battle.

In my series the elemental witches are a hybrid of human and demon. Long ago, during the early days of human civilization, the daaeman, (who reside in an alternate reality called Eudae), opened a portal to Earth and came through it to interact with human beings.

In the beginning, it was a free-for-all on humans. Some of the demons hunted them for sport, others respected humanity and helped them improve their societies, and still others fell in love with them. For the ones who fell in love and wanted to marry and have children, there was a problem since the basic difference in the genetic makeup between humans and daaeman didn’t allow for mating. Human women couldn’t carry daaeman babies.

Out of this need, the daaeman constructed a magickal solution, using the four elements as a base. The children born of these unions were demon/human halflings and their magickical abilities were tied to one of the four elements used in the spell—earth, air, water or fire. They became the elemental witches.

It was decided that the daaeman were interfering too much in the evolution of humanity and so they withdrew from Earth, closing all the portals. When they did this, it shrouded the origins of the elemental witches in secrecy. The elemental witches learn about how they came about only midway through my series, when the witches begin interacting with the daaeman once again.

There’s a little interesting side-effect of the hybrid demon/human condition. The elemental witches with an overabundance of Ytrayi genes tend to be the good guys—the coven witches. Those with the Atrika genes tend to be the baddies—the Duskoff warlocks, who have turned their back on the tenet of harm ye none and betrayed the coven.

But there are the quirky ones, like Micah, who definitely has a bunch of Syari in him. And there’s Jack McAllister whose father was the head of the Duskoff, yet Jack never inherited his father’s baddie leanings.

So there are no blacks and whites in this world, just shades of gray, which is the way I like it best. Makes it far more interesting, and, I think, more realistic.

In Witch Fury the threads I’ve pulled between the Duskoff, the coven witches, and the daaeman throughout the series will finally weave together in an explosive mix. The Atrika and the warlocks have things planned for the coven witches and it just might end them.

~*~*~*~*~

The winner of my contest (entrants from all places were compiled) from a couple weeks ago is…. Sara M., who said “I’m currently reading Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge…..” Yay! You’ve won your choice of autographed title from my Elemental Witches series. Please drop me an email to anyabast(at)gmail.com within the next two weeks to collect.