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Posts tagged with: Debut authors
Kissing Steel with Bec McMasterPosted by Anna Campbell Sep 18 2012, 12:05 am in Anna Campbell, Australian Authors, Bandita Booty, Bec McMaster, Call Stories, Debut authors, Heart of Iron, Kiss of Steel, London Steampunk Series, Steampunk, Writing Contests
I love having debut authors visit us in the lair and today I’m delighted to introduce Bec McMaster, an Aussie contest queen whose first steampunk romance, KISS OF STEEL (Book 1 in the London Steampunk series from SourceBooks), is out this month. You can find out more about Bec and her books on her website: www.becmcmaster.com Bec, welcome to the lair! Congratulations on the release of your debut, KISS OF STEEL, the first in the London Steampunk series. Can you tell us about this story? Thank you so much, Anna! I’m very excited about the release. Here’s a little blurb: In the steam-fuelled world of Victorian London, Whitechapel is the last bastion of safety for those that fear the rule of the aristocratic Echelon. With their puppet Queen, army of metal drones and their blood taxes, the Echelon crush any and all who oppose them. The only man they don’t dare touch is Blade, master of the rookeries and one of their own… On the run from a dangerous duke, Honoria Todd is forced to accept the protection of the ruthless master of the rookeries. Infected with the craving virus that makes the Echelon what they are, Blade has dedicated himself to destroying the duke. Honoria could be his perfect revenge…or the salvation he never dared dream of. But when a monster starts to haunt the rookeries, Blade must let his darker side emerge to save the woman he loves – even if it means he may lose her forever.
Everything inspires me, to be honest. I collect images and stray thoughts every day and somehow my sub-conscious percolates them for a few months – or even years – then spits them out as fully formed worlds and characters. Basically, this world has been calling to me for a while. I had this idea of a vampiric aristocracy that played off the origins of the ton; the Echelon. Of course, as it is set in Victorian times, women were not offered the Blood Rites, for fear that the driving hungers of the craving virus would overwhelm them. Being such delicate flowers and all. Thus they were sentenced to life as thralls – or blood-servants – to the blue bloods of the Echelon. Every debutante desires to make a good thrall contract, or if she is lucky enough, to become a blue blood’s consort. Can you tell us about the London Steampunk series as a whole? It’s a dark, dangerous world with heroes and heroines who must fight to achieve their happy ending. KISS OF STEEL is Blade and Honoria’s story and sets up the entire world, exploring the gritty confines of the rookeries and what lurks beneath the streets of London. As a series writer, I have always felt that each book must explore a different aspect of that world in order to progress, so HEART OF IRON (which is book two) is set firmly in the glittering, deadly world of the Echelon; of silk, steel and blood-letting. I can’t say a lot about book three, though ultimately I am building toward a confrontation. Each book is a step in that direction – though some of the steps may surprise you. I’d love your take on defining Steampunk. Any thoughts?
I love the word ‘steampunk’. Break it down, and it essentially describes the entire genre. ‘Steam’ of course, refers to the driving technology of the story (mainly Victorian times though it can feature in alternate or futuristic worlds) though the ‘punk’ part is often left out of the equation. Basically, it refers to an anti-establishment thread woven into the story, a message or commentary on society. That’s why I love playing with the Victorian era so much; there was so much change occurring, and some of it was desperately needed. We love call stories in the lair. Can you give us yours? Of course. Though where to start… Once upon a time, a young woman was battling away at her computer when she was hit by an idea, a world so richly embellished that she couldn’t resist exploring it. This time may – or may not – have been around October 2010. She started to write it all down – or possibly the story wrote itself, it was that clear. And when she was nearly a third of the way through, she started entering it in contests because her critique partner had done the same and said it was easy. Having nothing else on hand, she entered it in RWA’s Emerald award. Christmas came, preventing her from much writing for almost a month and then the results flooded in. She had finalled. Could they please have the full manuscript? In a week. Cursing her critique partner (who was also in the same boat), she drank four hundred cups of tea, pounded out the last third of the book and sent it in. At the same time, she turned her eye toward foreign contests. The US, to be particular.
After a brief polish, she sent it in. It was a Tuesday. Figuring she wouldn’t hear back for weeks, possibly months, she settled back into normal life and forgot all about it. On Thursday night at 11p.m. the phone rang, jolting her out of sleep. Peering through bleary eyes she saw the area code. America. Her heart started pounding. She’d been waiting on results from another contest and sometimes they rang. Boyfriend lifted his head off the pillow curiously. “Hello?” “Hi, it’s Leah Hultenschmidt from Sourcebooks. I’d like to buy your book.” Complete brain meltdown. Some incoherency later (boyfriend notes she babbled like a hysterical chicken) she asked for some time to notify some of the agents she’d already queried and said she would get back to editor in a week. Ensue wild leaping around house. Entire gymnastic floor routines. Then hysteria. She needed an agent! The previous week she’d queried five agents. Dashing off an update email, she swiftly heard back from several of them. More lack of sleep, tough choices and late night phone calls until she signed with the awesome Jessica Faust of Bookends. The contracts came through. Author wandered around in a bemused daze for several weeks. She had finally found her very own happily ever after! Cool! What’s next for you? HEART OF IRON (aka book two) is the follow up to KISS OF STEEL and features Honoria’s younger sister Lena, and Will Carver, the rough lieutenant that serves as Blade’s right hand. I’ve already had a few requests for Will’s story, so I’m very excited to say that its just as action-packed as KISS OF STEEL and will throw the pair right into the heart of the conflict. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Do not enter a full manuscript contest when you haven’t finished writing the darned thing. No, seriously, the reason I wrote the extended version of my call story above, was to show that contests can be a way to a publishing career. To start with, they’re excellent for providing feedback on your darling. Granted, some of that feedback can hurt, but as an author we’re going to need a tough skin somewhere down the line and where better to start nurturing it? The honest truth is, someone, somewhere, is not going to like your book or your writing. And that’s okay. Secondly, they’re a way to get at editors without going through an agent. I made a list of all the editors who might like KISS OF STEEL and then I entered every contest where they were the final judge. Thirdly, love what you do. Enjoy the smaller moments and celebrate the large ones in style. Then, when times are tough you can look back on those moments and remember just what inspired you to get into this business. Great advice, Bec. Now, do you have a question for the Banditas and Bandita Buddies to get conversation going?
Get commenting, people. Bec has very kindly offered an international giveaway of KISS OF STEEL (paperback) to one visitor to the lair today. Swan Like!Posted by Anna Campbell Mar 6 2012, 12:02 am in Anna Campbell, Bandita Booty, Blaze, Debut authors, Fever, firefighters, Guests, Intimate Enemies, Joan Swan, paranormal romance, Phoenix Rising Series, Romantic suspense
It’s always fun to host debut authors in the lair and lately we’ve had a clutch of them! There must be some good writing mojo out there that we’ve got all these great new authors hitting the shelves. Today, I’m delighted to bring you Joan Swan, whose debut romantic suspense with paranormal elements FEVER is creating enormous buzz in Romancelandia. New York Times bestseller Larissa Ione said, “Swan’s gutsy, jaw-dropping style will have readers talking!” Joan is a triple RWA Golden Heart finalist – as you know, theBandits all met through the Golden Heart contest so we love to hear of GH gals who make good! You can find out more about Joan and her books on her website: http://joanswan.com/books/ You can also find Joan at Facebook on http://www.facebook.com/JoanSwanAuthor and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/joanswan
Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish… But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she’s in deep trouble…. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more. A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose… Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever. Joan, welcome to the lair! Congratulations on the release of your debut, FEVER, the first in the Phoenix Rising series. Can you tell us about this story?
FEVER is about a man with unusual powers whose been convicted of a murder he didn’t commit and imprisoned for life. He has lost the daughter he lived for, the career as a firefighter he loved and been denied an appeal. With no hope left, he plans an escape. But his plan goes wrong when the woman he kidnaps as leverage to get his daughter back turns out to be someone else. And this woman quickly clues into the abilities he tries to hide, creating a bond neither can afford while they’re on the run from both the cops and undercover operatives who want Teague silenced. This time, permanently. Hey, thanks for the compliment! What were the inspirations behind this book? Bad, bad, bad boys! And way too much time around them! I’ve been a sonographer for twenty years and one of the hospitals where I worked gained a huge prisoner clientele over a year’s time span. I went from scanning two or three prisoners a week to scanning five to eight prisoners every single morning. I spent half my day surrounded by guards and inmates and it didn’t take long to wonder, “What if a prisoner took someone hostage in an escape attempt?”
A mysterious explosion at a military warehouse injuries a team of seven hazmat firefighters, killing one. The contents of the building, extremely confidential and dangerous radioactive chemicals used by the Department of Defense in secretive scientific experiments, have inflicted the team with various paranormal abilities. Abilities the government wants to study covertly. Abilities the team wants to understand and expose. With military advancement and national power at risk on one side and personal health and freedom at stake on the other, each group is fighting for precious stakes. Your next book, BLAZE, is coming out next October. Can you tell us about this story? In BLAZE two of the firefighters on the team whose relationship suffered physical, mental and emotional trauma from the warehouse fire, come back together, united as stronger individuals for the good of the team and find their love for one another, one that never died, is as strong as ever. But they face an even darker conspiracy than expected, one that will push their bond to the limit. We love call stories in the lair. Can you give us yours? It’s been quite a while now – nearly two years ago. But I got the call on my drive to work. I work in San Francisco and park in an underground garage, so I remember having to pull over and stop so I could keep my cell connection with my agent to discuss everything. I remember thinking, “Crap, I’m going to be late.” Then in the next second thinking, “What the hell do I care? Oh, my God. They want to buy my book!” Cool! What’s next for you? Hopefully, INFERNO, book 3 in the Phoenix Rising series, with Kensington! My editor currently has the option proposal and I hope to hear about it soon.
Ooh, sounds great! Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Learn your craft. Read a lot. Trust your gut. Let your writing be authentically you. Be patient. Quality takes time to cultivate. There are no magic beans. (I swear! I’ve turned over every freaking rock out there!) Learn to take and apply criticism from trusted sources of those equally or more experienced and successful. Thanks, Joan. Do you have a question for the Bandits and Bandita Buddies? Tips for success cut across all professions and life goals. What advice would you give to someone on succeeding at a large, long-term goal?
Emmie Dark’s Grand PlanPosted by Anna Campbell Feb 21 2012, 12:19 am in Anna Campbell, Australian Authors, Bandita Booty, Cassie's Grand Plan, Debut authors, Emmie Dark, Guests, Harlequin Superromance, In His Eyes
by Anna Campbell You meet some terrifically nice people in this business and one of the nicest happens to be a debut author for Harlequin SuperRomance in March. I’m delighted to introduce to the lair Emmie Dark from Australia who is here to tell us about CASSIE’S GRAND PLAN. You can find out about Emmie and her books at her website: http://www.emmiedark.com/ Emmie, welcome to the lair! I’m so excited when an Aussie makes good! Congratulations on the release of your debut for Harlequin SuperRomance, CASSIE’S GRAND PLAN. Can you tell us about this story?
Sounds delicious. A bit Hepburn and Tracy. What were the inspirations behind this book? The inspiration for Hugh and Cassie’s story came from a number of different places, but primarily it was based my own experience and that of my family. I grew up in a retailing family—my parents owned furniture stores for most of my life (they’re retired now) and my sister worked in a furniture store for a number of years. I grew up with conversations around the dinner table about deliveries and orders and customer service. I’ve had more of a corporate career, so I was familiar with the concept of audits and consultants coming in to review your work. From a plot perspective, I just took those two things and asked myself—what if a consultant came to review a chain of furniture stores? In terms of their emotional journey, I really enjoy stories where the heroine is empowered and strong, and matched with a hero who is just as confident. Cassie thinks she’s got life all under control, but it’s not until Ronan starts probing that she realizes it might not be as solid as she thinks. We love call stories in the lair. Can you give us yours? The most amusing thing about my call story is how close I came to missing it! I have a personal work policy that I don’t answer my mobile phone before 8am, otherwise my working day has no boundaries. So when my phone rang at about 7.45am (I was awake, but still in bed with my laptop and a cup of tea—writing!) I considered whether or not I’d answer it. The number was blocked, so I figured I should probably take it. Then I heard my lovely editor Megan’s voice as she introduced herself and where she was from—and then said why she was calling! I jumped out of bed and raced to find a pen and paper to write down what she was saying because I knew I wouldn’t remember any of it. Mostly what I recall is being shocked to the point of speechlessness. Megan asked a few times if I had any questions, but I just couldn’t gather my thoughts enough to be coherent and ask any!
My second book is coming out with SuperRomance in August this year. It’s called IN HIS EYES and it’s a reunion story about two teenage lovers reunited after ten years, having been separated by a traumatic event. It’s set in a wine country, and my heroine, Zoe, is a winemaker, while the hero, Hugh, is the owner of a large wine conglomerate. I was able to use all the knowledge I’ve gained over long years of wine tasting to help write the book—I knew all that chardonnay drinking would come in useful one day! That sounds like fun research! Hic! Can you tell us about your particular corner of the world? I live in Melbourne, Australia, and I love my city. I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a city that really values things like art, writing and culture. I also live in a very pretty bayside suburb (not too far from where my heroine Cassie lives!) which means I can take a walk along the beach whenever I feel the urge. I hope that people reading CASSIE’S GRAND PLAN might enjoy the insight into Melbourne it gives them and maybe think of visiting!
I remember hearing a quote ages ago that was something along the lines of “the key to success is being ready when your luck arrives”. I think it’s very astute. There IS some element of luck to getting published—you have to have the right story in front of the right editor/agent, at the right time. The real trick though, is that when the planets align in your favour, you have to be ready to grab that opportunity with both hands and don’t let go! Great advice. You have a really great contest running at the moment on your website. Would you like to tell us about it? As a new author, I’m still excited about the idea of people actually reading my book. (Although I don’t know if that ever wears off, really!) If you’d like to go into the drawing for a $100 Amazon gift card, all I need you to do is to send me a photo of you, reading my book. Visit my website (www.emmiedark.com) to find out more.
I’m giving away a copy of CASSIE’S GRAND PLAN to one lucky commenter. Leave me a comment and tell me about your favourite piece of furniture—what makes it special to you? Kylie Griffin’s Wild Fantasies!Posted by Anna Campbell Jan 27 2012, 12:02 am in Alliance Forged, Anna Campbell, Australian Authors, Bandita Booty, Blade of Light Series, Debut authors, fantasy, Guest Authors, Kylie Griffin, paranormal, Vengeance Born
It’s my great pleasure today to introduce to you a dear friend and talented Golden Heart-winning author whose debut romance VENGEANCE BORN is out next month. Kylie Griffin and I have known each other for years, hooking up through a mutual friend on the breakfast shift at the very glam Langham Hotel in Melbourne back at the 2005 Romance Writers of Australia conference. Kylie was a contest queen and is always happy to help another writer so I think it’s karma (as well as talent) that led to her getting a three-book contract for her “‘Light Blade” series. Nalini Singh, New York Times bestseller and all round cool chick, described VENGEANCE BORN as “unique and filled with compelling mystery.” You can find out about Kylie and her multi award-winning romances from Berkley at her website: www.kyliegriffin.com By the way, Kylie’s also a talented photographer. Check out the beautiful shots of the area where she lives and some of the locals that illustrate this post. Kylie, welcome to the lair! I’ve been so looking forward to your visit, ever since you sold. Great to see an Aussie hitting the big time. Congratulations on the release of your debut, VENGEANCE BORN, the first in the “Light Blade” series. Can you tell us about this story? Anna, it’s so exciting to be here. Thanks for inviting me over!
There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born… Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na’Reish King, longs for more than her tormented life among her father’s people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution, she’s gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy. With the Na’Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na’Reish Horde have increased. As Chosen-leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons—and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival. When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father’s dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council—and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into civil war…
For readers who like fantasy world building, there’s plenty of those elements in the plot and sub-plots – creatures, paranormal powers, a deity, conflict between races, secrets unveiled and political machinations. If you want romance, Annika and Kalan struggle against personal prejudices, flaws and other external hurdles to find love. There’s intrigue and mystery – some twists and turns in the plot will satisfy this craving. Some secrets you may anticipate, others I hope you don’t see coming. Action – fighting, a chase scene, death, escaping from dungeons, rebellion…as I said, something for everyone! Never a dull moment! What were the inspirations behind this book?
I played a game of ‘what if…’ to learn more about her. It seems a strange thing to say that I had fun considering the possibilities of a crossbreed child born as the result of a rape. But the idea of a bastard child bred for revenge against an old enemy gave me a huge range of character traits and plot lines to play with. How would the environment influence her development? Could any one person or influence balance her horrendous upbringing? How could they or it affect her? Which traits would dominate? I decided that Annika would have strength and courage backed by a determination to free herself – there would be no waiting around for someone to save her (I love a strong heroine) – but, because of her upbringing, she’d also harbor a flawed sense of worth and need for acceptance. And so, VENGEANCE BORN came into being… When I first started playing with ideas for this series, I knew I wanted to make it (at a minimum) a trilogy. The scope of the external plot wasn’t going to fit in just one book. While the series isn’t epic fantasy in its purest form, it does have similar elements. The world is entirely fictional, there are different races (not just humans), the plots employ typical themes such as a quest, a guiding deity, struggles against an opposing force, the threat of world domination, revenge and redemption, but readers also get to focus on a romance between main characters. Without giving away any spoilers, in VENGEANCE BORN readers quickly learn the Na’Reish outnumber the humans, and that the human race is under threat of enslavement. Annika and the other Na’Chi prove to be the key to humanity’s survival, although no one realises it at the time, and it takes Kalan to engineer a change. This change and some of the broader themes continue throughout ALLIANCE FORGED and Book #3 in the series, although we see them unfolding through other characters and their personal stories and romances. Readers will also get to learn more about each of the races in these stories.
This trilogy will tie up some over-arching plot threads but there’s plenty of scope to incorporate other threads and extend the series beyond three books. Some secondary characters are already demanding that their stories be told, so I hope I get the chance to tell them. We love call stories in the lair. Can you give us yours? Ohh, so do I. Reading how others get the call always encouraged and inspired me to keep persevering. Where to begin? Let me roll back the clock…to Oct.16th 2010, a little after I’d returned from attending the Romance Writers of America conference, where I’d won a Golden Heart (paranormal section for unpublished writers). As a result of pitching and querying, I’d received several offers of representation and I was in the midst of organising telephone calls, matching schedules and time zones (no easy feat, especially when daylight savings has just kicked in!).
Long story short, I ended up with seven offers of representation, and it was on my last phone call that I found my new agent – Elaine Spencer from The Knight Agency. I really, really connected with her. Elaine began working her magic. Within 24hrs she’d sent out “Bloodborn” to three other publishing houses and contacted the two I already had it sitting at as a result of pitch sessions at conferences. We decided to accept Berkley’s offer – and I came away with a three-book deal. Now, for a bit of an interesting aside, this time concerning Leis Pederson – three years ago I entered an Romance Writers of New Zealand writing competition with the then (only three chapters) version of “Bloodborn”. It won and Leis was the final judge – she requested the full but I didn’t have it finished. It took another year and another ms in between before I finished “Bloodborn”. I entered it into the Emily in 2010 – won the paranormal section and Best of the Best. And as the prize for that Leis Pederson critiqued 30 pages. She read my work and requested the full. So it ended up with her in a round about way a couple of years after she’d first requested it. Things have seemed to have come full circle. Weird coincidence or fate? You decide.
ALLIANCE FORGED, the second book in this series, is out in early July, so I’m at the tail end of the publishing process with it as I type this. Here’s the blurb: There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a blind priestess lays claim to a half-breed warrior, body and soul… Hunted and marked for death by Na’Reish demons for their half-blood heritage, the Na’Chi are searching for a new home—something an alliance offered by the human leader could provide. With both races divided by prejudice, when Light Blade rebels brutally attack the Na’Chi, the alliance seems doomed to fail. Varian, leader of the Na’Chi, a hybrid race of gifted warriors, is cursed with the darker impulses of his demon heritage. Controlling the part of himself that craves the high of the battle is a struggle he’s afraid he’ll lose—until he meets Kymora Tayn, a priestess driven to serve her deity. While he’s unwilling to trust anyone outside his people, he finds himself drawn to Kymora’s strength and passionate nature, and discovers she has the power to calm the darkness inside him. When the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves and kickstart a war, the key to the survival of both races—Na’Chi and human— is an alliance. However, when Kymora is kidnapped, pitting human against human, Varian realizes he must embrace his darker half, not only to save the alliance…but also the woman he loves. And, all going well, Book #3 (untitled) is scheduled for an early 2013 release. Both books feature characters introduced in VENGEANCE BORN. On the new manuscript/writing front I’m thinking of finishing off a sci-fi/space opera romance that I started just before I received ‘the call’ from Berkley back in late 2010…unless, of course, I’m contracted for more in the Light Blade series! You live in a really beautiful part of the world – I love the beautiful photos of western New South Wales on your website. I’d love you to tell us about YOUR Australia. Do you think that dramatic landscape inspires your writing? The landscape certainly provides a peaceful setting for my writing and there have been times I’ve retreated to the great outdoors for a walk to clear the mind or think over a problem. Getting out and away and into nature does help in that respect. As for my Australia – I’m definitely a country girl through and through. While I love visiting the big cities or larger towns to see friends or family, I’m most comfortable and love open spaces. I also do a lot of driving to get to places out where I live (I travel an 86 miles round trip to do my grocery shopping & if I want to get to a larger place of 60,000 people, it’s a 186 mile round trip).
In the summer I love sitting outside in a camper chair and gazing up at the Milky Way. The village I live in has about half a dozen street lights and they’re spaced so far apart they really don’t interfere with stargazing, so you get an awesome, clear view of the night sky. It’s huge! At these times I’m often reminded of this stanza in the poem My Country by Dorothea McKellar. I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror - The wide brown land for me! She certainly captured the heart and vision of Australia and it’s her words I recall when I return home from a trip away. And when friends and family visit me they often get to see a myriad of local wildlife, some who make themselves right at home in my backyard or under the house – kangaroos, echidnas, lorikeets, koalas (and the odd King Brown snake) – a treat I sometimes take for granted. I love that poem too! Kylie, is there anything you’d like to ask our Banditas and Bandita Buddies?
Kylie has very generously offered one of our commenters today a copy of her debut VENGEANCE BORN. So get commenting, people! Dark Age Doings with Julia Phillips SmithPosted by Anna Campbell Jan 6 2012, 12:12 am in A Piece of My Mind, Anna Campbell, Bandita Booty, blogging, Canadian Authors, Dark Ages, Debut authors, heroes, historical romance, Julia Phillips Smith, Julia Smith, Nova Scotia, paranormal romance, Saint Sanguinus, vampires
What a treat I’ve got for you today. I’ve long admired Julia Phillips Smith’s wonderful A Piece of My Mind blog which covers all sorts of arcane and fascinating topics with the lightest and wittiest of touches. So when Julia asked me to read her debut paranormal-historical romance, SAINT SANGUINUS, I was delighted. This book kept me awake into the wee hours as I devoured the dramatic, passionate story of Peredur and Tanwen. After that, I just had to bring Julia into the lair to chase the cabana boys…uh, tell us about her books. There’s a very dramatic trailer for SAINT SANGUINUS which you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Dcv_qhXjM Julia’s website is here: Website: http://juliaphillipssmith.com/ If you click on the cover of SAINT SANGUINUS, it will take you straight to the Amazon link (the book’s currently only 99 cents – BARGAIN!). You can find the book on Smashwords at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/105486
First of all – thank you, Sven *winking as I scoop up my prosecco from the tray* – my smile is impossible to tone down today, because I’m so thrilled to be here at the Banditas Lair. My story is a Dark Ages vampire superhero origin story. Quite a combination, but there you go. I’m a big fan of superhero origin stories. Wolverine, Green Lantern, Thor, Harry Potter – I can never get enough of watching the genesis of a hero as he steps into the role that destiny assigned to him. The more epic the scope, the better. That’s why the superhero genre always delivers for me. But I also love all-too-human heroes and their stories. 300, GLADIATOR, Horatio Hornblower, the Sharpe series with Sean Bean – I love watching these natural leaders emerge from among their peers. SAINT SANGUINUS follows the tradition of these stories and introduces readers to a man destined to become something quite different than he could ever have expected from the opening scene of the novel. Here’s a taste: An elite brotherhood stands between humans and vampires, preventing one side from annihilating the other. Who are called to this service? Only those warriors who curse God with their dying breath. Welsh warrior Peredur falls to a spear before he can claim Tanwen for his bride. Raging on the battlefield, Peredur utters the curse that seals his fate and leads him to another life. Using the power of a saint whose bone makes up an amulet, Peredur takes on the trials to become a true member of the brethren. Yet his need for the chieftain’s daughter Tanwen still burns. Tanwen resists her father’s command to take a husband. The only one who understands her sorrow is Cavan, the wise woman’s son. When he promises that he can reunite her with her beloved, she agrees to his terms. But does Tanwen truly understand the depth of the price that must be paid? Wow! Lots happening there! What were the inspirations behind this book? My initial inspiration was the Count Saint-Germain series of books by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. As a running theme throughout her series, Ms. Yarbro addresses the more day-to-day (or should I say, night-to-night) problems of being a vampire with a long lifespan. How does one hold onto different properties stashed here and there? How would you keep leaving these holdings to a future descendant, and how would you eventually claim your homes and businesses as your own ‘descendant’ after enough generations had passed, so that the locals don’t recognize you anymore? I just love how her main vampire character has to deal with problems that don’t usually surface in vampire fiction. Although, if you think about it, Bram Stoker dealt with Count Dracula’s transportation-of-Transylvanian-soil problems in the beginning of his story. So this got me thinking about the kind of scenes that don’t often appear in the vampire genre. My main character Peredur’s transformation from man to vampire was the launch pad for me. I wanted to really experience how it felt to take those first vampire baby steps. I found the setting so intriguing. Can you tell us about your fascination with Dark Ages Britain? Did you come across anything unusual or unexpected when you were researching the period?
I then gravitated toward all things Arthurian. Arthur Pendragon is the ultimate seize-your-destiny prototype hero for me. The Arthurian romances also whet my appetite for courtly political intrigue. But I tended to collect non-fiction research books on Arthur, ever since high school, including ARTHUR’S BRITAIN by Leslie Alcock and THE QUEST FOR ARTHUR’S BRITAIN by Geoffrey Ashe. A few years ago I blogged about the unexpected discovery of Dark Age artefacts in Staffordshire, England: http://julia-mindovermatter.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-heart-all-aflutter-over-dark-ages.html Of course, I wouldn’t claim to know EVERYTHING there is to know about Dark Age life. Right, Anna? (ANNA: Hey, what’s a potato or two between friends?) The power vacuum created in Dark Age Britain by Rome’s withdrawal always fascinated me. In contemporary times, the same situation replayed itself in the Eastern Bloc countries as the Soviets pulled out. I find that sort of scenario irresistible as a writer, and it’s one of the issues I’ll be exploring as I continue the series. I love to see who steps to the front of the pack to take charge of all the squabbling. What’s next for you? I’ve been posting serialized fiction on my blog for a little over a year, now, following the dark fantasy tale of a boy once brought up to be a noble, but never claimed by his family when it came time to leave the nursery. Instead, he’s raised by a falconer to be his apprentice, until a fateful hunt while in his teens sets him on an unexpected and dangerous path. I’ll be wrapping up this storyline soon, and then shaping it into novel form which is due to be released in the spring. It’s packed to bursting with deadly power plays within the noble houses, threatening to pull down servants like my hero Scorpius along with them. That will be book one of a trilogy, so I’ll have book one of two separate series out, and then continue on with both series. You can read about Scorpius here: http://fictionexcerptarchives.blogspot.com/2010/04/weekend-writers-retreat.html
I grew up in Halifax alongside my cousin Julianne MacLean’s family. Our dads were both scuba divers, so we spent many dreamy days running over the granite bedrock along the Atlantic Ocean as the men went on their dive and the moms set up picnic base camp. As you can see in these two pictures, it’s a landscape that invites gothic tales to run rampant in my mind. That’s a shot of my dad back in the day, and the other one is of the four of us: back row, my sister Daisy Piper, my cousin Charlie. Front row, Julianne MacLean and me. (My sister’s website: http://daisypiper.com/ ) So besides the gorgeous ocean, my favourite thing about Nova Scotia is the woods. The province is still heavily forested, with large tracts of undeveloped land, and in my own neighborhood we have a greenbelt running through the subdivision. Walking in the woods really renews me.
I’ve long been a fan of your blog, A Piece of My Mind. You range so widely when it comes to topics. I’d love you to talk to us about keeping up the mojo for a long-running blog (when there’s only one of you!) and ask if you have any advice for would-be bloggers. Thanks, Anna! I’ve actually given a workshop on blogging at my RWA chapter, because not every author enjoys blogging. Yet my chapter knows how much joy my blog gives me. And that’s really the secret. Not helpful, I know, if writing blog posts feels like donating a kidney, minus the anaesthetic. When I started A Piece of My Mind, a lot of the blogs I followed were written by authors about the writing life. However, I was four years away from this debut release, and my own interests ran to the full range of the arts. I decided early on to let my blog follow my heart, and after taking part in a year-long Blog Improvement Challenge in 2009 run by Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness (http://www.sophisticateddorkiness.com/) I defined my blog as an arts blog.
This year, however, as I put the push on to either sell or self-publish SAINT SANGUINUS, I realized that I couldn’t hope to keep up my regular blog schedule. I pulled back on three of the weekly features – Poetry, Arts and Photography, shuffled the serialized fiction from Saturdays to Wednesdays, and had to cut way back on how much I visited with other bloggers. This is where I can see the shine coming off of blogging for writers who feel that it takes away from their fiction writing time. Let’s take the cooking analogy for blogging. I come from a family of cooks, and though I adore eating delicious food, I’m not a cook. Every moment spent in the kitchen is a precious moment of life I’ll never get back. Meanwhile, my mom lives to cook. She expresses herself through preparing food. It’s an art form for her, and each ingredient is a color or texture. That’s what my blog is for me – a way to express myself and to connect with people with similar interests. I’ve made so many friends through blogging, from all over the world. Like you, for instance, Anna! So for writers who are thinking of attaching blogs to their websites, my advice is this. If you suspect you will run out of things to blog about in a matter of months, perhaps your best bet is to hook up with a group blog where you will only be required to post once a month.
Yet another way to shake up your blog schedule is to take part in a blog carnival or festival, or a blog challenge. Carnivals can be huge affairs, with literally a thousand bloggers signed up. A carnival is centred on a time-limited event, such as the A to Z Challenge (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) which takes place throughout the month of April. Or the Movie Madness challenge (http://reviews.blueteacup.com/?p=2134) I’m joining this year. Which brings me to something I’ve bumped into on blog sidebars here and there: Blogging Without Obligation buttons, started by Tiffini at Down the Rabbit Hole (http://www.tartx.com/blog/?page_id=233). For me, blogging is fun. My enjoyment with it is contagious. Try to capture a sense of play when blogging. It’s like a giggle – before long, your fun will ripple out to readers, who will then want to know more about you – and discover you’re an author, with a book they’ve just got to read!
Julia, is there anything you’d like to ask the Bandits or the Bandita Buddies? I’ve had the good fortune to meet six blog friends In Real Life. I’d like to ask Romance Bandit readers if they’ve had the same pleasure – or if the Real Life meet-up brought surprises? Julia has very generously offered a commenter today a copy of SAINT SANGUINUS! So get commenting, people! |
 
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by Anna Campbell
Results came back – people actually liked this book. She finalled in several contests, including the Valley Forge Sheila Contest, where the final judge was Leah Hultenschmidt of Sourcebooks. Coming first, she was asked to send the full manuscript to the editor.
by Anna Campbell
Here’s the blurb for 
Can you tell us about the Phoenix Rising series as a whole?
What’s next for you?
I also was lucky to gain invaluable insight from friends of mine who run their own vineyard and winery. That book is now done and I’m working on what I hope might be my third SuperRomance—I’ll keep you posted…
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
by Anna Campbell
Can you tell us about the Light Blade series as a whole?
So if readers like this sort of epic-style story with a good romance then the Light Blade series is one to try. While each can be read as stand-alone romances I’d recommend reading them in sequence for the full impact.
by Anna Campbell
Sounds great. And another hero thrust into the role! You live in a really beautiful part of the world that one day I hope to visit. I’d love you to tell us about YOUR Nova Scotia. Do you think that dramatic landscape inspires your writing?
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