Spas are great … for murder

While writing my seventh paranormal mystery I encountered an age old problem shared by mystery authors everywhere; where to put the body.

Sadie Novak, the main character in my Ghost Dusters mystery series, does trauma cleaning so she’s had to tidy up murder victims in just about every location imaginable. For the latest book, I wanted something unique. 

While considering my options, a good friend gave me a gift certificate for a lip wax (exactly what kind of gift is that anyway??). Sensing this was a good time to take my hairy self away from my computer I made the appointment.

Even though I wanted to be at home plotting the next book, I arrived at the spa and smiled warily at the esthetician. My mind was stuck in homicide mode, however, and I was grateful the woman couldn’t read my thoughts. As the beautician applied scalding wax to my face, I had an epiphany. Drop Dead Beauty would have a murder in a spa!

Having my mustache ripped from my face fueled this great idea and I began to pepper the spa employees with questions about killer paraffin and murderous massages.

“Do you think your Relaxation Room would be a good area for a blood’n’ guts trauma cleaner to don and doff her hazmat clothing?” I asked the receptionist.

In response I was offered a coupon for ten percent off future services if I left quickly and quietly.

In this case, a little pain provided great gain because (A) the idea flowed beautifully into the story, and (B) I was able to go back for full body massages that I could use as a tax deduction. I love my job!

To get the full impact of my mustache removal, please buy DROP DEAD BEAUTY. I have other parts that need waxing and massaging.

.

So how about you? Has anyone caused you pain recently? If so, where would you hide a body?

The Allure of Bromance

I remember my first time. I was probably no more than ten years old, reading Little Men (a book I found vastly superior to Little Women, by the way) by Louisa May Alcott when I stumbled upon the characters of Nat and Dan.

Nat was a musician, tender-hearted and loyal to a fault. His friend Dan was the strong, silent, bad boy type, fearless and tough, good at pretty much everything--but with a soft spot for babies and a way with animals. He was the kind of guy who wouldn’t think twice about putting his safety at risk to save someone else. The kind of guy who’d sacrifice everything he held dear for his friend’s sake.

Back then, the word bromance hadn’t even been coined, but whatever the two of them had, I fell in love with it on the spot.   

That kind of not-necessarily-sexual, but unquestionably devoted male/male bonding has been on my mind a lot this week, between having just seen the new Star Trek movie (yes, twice, what can I say? I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff) and today’s release of Ashes of the Day. Because, at its heart the whole Children of Night series is one long complicated bromance.

My editor used to ask me who each new book in this series was about (in terms of romantic couples, that is).  She’s stopped doing that. I think she's gotten used to my sheepish looks and mumbled responses, “Um…well…you know…it’s kinda...well, it's sorta about Conrad and Damian. Again.”

Honestly, I don’t think she minds all that much. Because the truth is, even when one or the other of them is involved with someone else (something I've been told not to do) their connection, their bond with one another is what holds the family together. It’s also what drives the entire series.

To celebrate this release I’m having a giveaway. Cookies might seem a little bit strange for a book about vampires, but if you read the book, I promise you'll see how completely apropos they really are!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ashes of the Day

Children of Night, Book 4

Only blood can break your heart.

New Year’s Eve, 1999. The world is braced for Y2K, but that’s not the only ticking time bomb in Conrad’s life. Damian wouldn’t be the first vampire to find a way to die, but Conrad is determined he will not be one of them.

Present day. Damian struggles to trust that fate could possibly be kind enough to give him a love as perfect as Conrad’s. Conrad balances on the keen edge of his own fear that one more slip of his formidable control could drive his lover away—permanently. 

Julie learns the hard way it’s not just interspecies relationships that seldom work out. Even between vampires, love is not a smooth course.

Meanwhile, intrigue and conflict within the nest continue to grow, fueled in no small part by Georgia’s slipping hold on a deadly secret. Marc works to consolidate his position as leader of the ferals—and discovers that being a walking anomaly has certain advantages. Including some that are totally unexpected.

---

Product Warnings

Contains more love triangles, more power struggles, more tears and teeth gnashing, and even more graphic scenes of manlove between moody, domestically inclined vampires than in previous editions. Definitely not recommended for anyone suffering from ALSSD (Auld Lang Syne Sensitivity Disorder) or with aversions to ballrooms, evening clothes, sarcasm, or close-quarter stiletto combat. 

Buy link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/ashes-of-the-day-p-7402.html

Here Be News

Our new releases this week

Book two of The Triune Stones

Sara, now known as Ilythra, the Wanderer of legend, continues north on her quest to find the Siobani, who hold the secrets of the magic stone around her neck.

The stone's magic leads her to help a trader in search of his brother. The hunt takes her into a land in the grip of an alchemical conspiracy. Lord Bredych of Greton has already schemed to control Ilythra's stone once and weaves a web of scent, magic and manipulation to bring her to him. With Bredych's fragrances intoxicating her and the song of his stone in her ears, Ilythra begins to forget her quest.

The trader catches wind of Ilythra's danger and rushes to her aid. With Ilythra's mind muddled and the forces of an entire nation bent on controlling her stone, it will take an unthinkable act of sacrifice for her to continue her search for the Siobani.

Sequel to Journey of Awakening.

115,000 words

Buy

***

Children of Night, Book 4

Only blood can break your heart.

New Year’s Eve, 1999. The world is braced for Y2K, but that’s not the only ticking time bomb in Conrad’s life. Damian wouldn’t be the first vampire to find a way to die, but Conrad is determined he will not be one of them.

Present day. Damian struggles to trust that fate could possibly be kind enough to give him a love as perfect as Conrad’s. Conrad balances on the keen edge of his own fear that one more slip of his formidable control could drive his lover away—permanently.

Julie learns the hard way it’s not just interspecies relationships that seldom work out. Even between vampires, love is not a smooth course.

Meanwhile, intrigue and conflict within the nest continue to grow, fueled in no small part by Georgia’s slipping hold on a deadly secret. Marc works to consolidate his position as leader of the ferals—and discovers that being a walking anomaly has certain advantages. Including some that are totally unexpected.

Product Warnings

Contains more love triangles, more power struggles, more tears and teeth gnashing, and even more graphic scenes of manlove between moody, domestically inclined vampires than in previous editions. Definitely not recommended for anyone suffering from ALSSD (Auld Lang Syne Sensitivity Disorder) or with aversions to ballrooms, evening clothes, sarcasm, or close-quarter stiletto combat.

Buy

***

Now available in print...


A Taste of Honey
Oberon, book 4

Be careful what you wish for...

As far as Lucy Greco Cavanaugh is concerned her life is a dream come true.  She has it all, the perfect family, the perfect husband, the perfect marriage.  What more could she wish for—other than the chance to do it all again, to experience once more the agony and ecstasy of falling in love with the man of her dreams, to recapture the joy and uncertainty that comes with starting over.

 Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us...

For Shakespeare-quoting Dan Cavanaugh, however, that dream has just become a nightmare.  His storybook marriage is on the line thanks in part to Deirdre Shelton-Cooper, the runaway daughter of a former girlfriend. Deirdre’s intent on proving Dan is her father. When she accidentally hooks up with Dan and Lucy’s son, Seth, Dan is left to wonder: how did their fairy-tale romance turn into a classic Greek tragedy?

It’s going to take an entire band of angels to help Oberon’s residents straighten things out this time around and bring the Cavenaughs’ story to a sweet ending. Lucky for them, that’s exactly what’s coming to town.

Buy

Links of Interest

Special Guest Edition: The Hawkeye Initiative IRL! "I stood in the entryway, dizzy with joy. It was glorious. There Brosie stood, proud, nipples testing the air like young gophers in springtime, the post-apocalyptic breeze gently swaying his banana hammock. Brosie said, loud and proud: “Get ready, world! I am here to lubricate your joints and tighten your socket.”"

15 THINGS A WRITER SHOULD NEVER DO: "1. Don’t assume there is any single path or playbook writers need to follow. (Or, for that matter, a definitive superlative list of Dos and Don’ts …) Simply put: You have to do what works best for you. Listen to the voices in your head, and learn to train and trust them. More often than not, they’ll let you know if you’re on the right path." 

Want to Write Stronger Characters? "Try this. Sit down and free write, in your character’s own voice, his or her description of or reaction to the following:..."

How Dan Brown and other authors defeat writer's block: "The Da Vinci Code novelist hangs upside-down to get the creative juices flowing, while others rely on noise-cancelling headphones, sleeping bags and vitamins"

Congratulations to this year's Nebula Award winners!

Here Be Magic Group Announcements

Grab our button to help spread the word about urban fantasy week. Coming soon!

Daily Pitfalls of THIS Writer

While I could produce a list of all things publishing related such as plotting, editing, publishers, royalties, and the list could go on... This about MY everyday pitfalls.

 

I like to think of myself as efficient, managing time well to get done what I need done. And for the most part I do accomplish my tasks as needed, when needed and on the timetable I schedule. However, I HAVE stumbling blocks.

Room in my house.

The minor of my pitfalls that take me from writing include meal making, vacuuming, laundry, dish washing, letting dogs out, letting dogs in and remodeling. My house has been under construction for 30+ years. That’s the downfall of being in the construction business and having my husband die before it’s all done. I’ll be lucky to finish it all before I too die. Still, I like doing the work even though it  draws me away from writing.

 

Then there is yard work. If I want a pretty yard, it’s all up to me. And I have a big yard. I have to mow it, weed it, (maybe not weed it as much as I should) and plant it...that includes a veggie garden, of which brings another chore of canning what I can’t devour in a short amount of time.

 

A tiny portion of my 5 acre yard and barn.

Then there is working at home. Everyone I know treats me as if I don’t work at all. They don’t believe that plotting a story takes time, or writing takes concentration. They don’t think they’re interrupting by coming over to chat or dragging me to the store. Okay, so they don’t actually have to drag me. I do like to shop. But really... I have only so many hours in a day and I need to get my edits done.



2 of my 8 tvs

I’m also a big television watcher. I have one (or two) in about every room in my house. The programming I’ll sit through may be bad, mediocre, good, or excellent. Everyone has their own opinion on what makes something worth watching. So, I’m for forming my own decision on what's good and what's not. Unfortunately, it’s a big distraction. I can’t very well watch the television and my computer monitor at the same time. Though I try.

 

 

 

Cookies at my computer.

Finally, my greatest pitfall is food. I love to cook. I love to eat. Therefore, I struggle with weight gain. My life has always been endless yo-yo dieting. But the worst struggle comes from sitting all day in front of my computer. I have a tendency to eat junk food. I nibble M&M’s, potato chips, peanut butter and bananas, cookies while reading what I’ve written. It’s a mindless act that many think they have a remedy for, but anyone that struggles with their weight, knows, this is can’t be fixed by anyone other than me. So here I am, thinking every other minute of the day, should I get up and do some walking, only to find I’ve walked myself to the kitchen.

 

So what pitfalls do you encounter in your day?


Brenda

www.BrendaWilliamson.com
~ Seductive in Any Era ~


 

Looking Forward - Acts of Faith and Their Rewards

Writing is an act of faith. ~ E.B. White

When you start telling a story, even if you have a scene-by-scene outline, you still don’t know that you’re going to finish the story, or do justice to your vision for it. If you’re writing for publication, there is always that nagging doubt that the story – even if you have a contract – might not make it to readers.

But it doesn’t matter.

A writer can’t not write. Life is full and hectic enough before you start filling your head with fictional people and conflict, with desires and heartaches and loves. Once a writer begins to regularly empty his or her head of these things, it fills up even faster. Writing is a release, a wish and a promise all at once. It’s an act of faith.

So are most things in life.

Relationships. That first word out of your mouth after you’ve checked your shirt and your breath and crossed the room to talk to someone who’s caught your fancy.

Travel. You pack the car and turn the ignition and drive down the road, firmly expecting the road to continue and your destination to exist when you arrive. Gasoline will continue to fuel your car and gravity will keep you rolling around the Earth until your arrival.

Work. You endure. You study. You learn. You adapt. You learn diplomacy. Because you will keep being paid and, every now and again, when you raise your hand above your head, another rung will have appeared on the ladder.

All acts of faith.

I’m writing the third book in the Night Runner series. It’s the first book I’ve written – other than a few sweet endeavors which are and always will be mothballed – without a rolling outline. The characters, now a novella and novel deep, are substantial. They know what they want, and they want it bad. The obstacles are higher that before. The villains are closer than ever. But Sydney Kildare keeps rolling forward and Malcolm Kelly keeps pivoting. They’re a half-step ahead of the forces that threaten to break them. Not a comfortable position, but better than the alternative.

And I keep writing because their story, their romance, their faith in each other, is on the verge of blooming and demands to be told.

*takes a deep breath*

This post got a bit more serious than I wanted. What else am I looking forward to that I expect will be there when I reach for it?

Summer. That’s a big one. The average temperature this time of year in Alaska is 60F. It’s currently 30 and freaking SNOWING. Someday the sun will return to Alaska…someday.

J

Clearly I need some distractions. Do you need some, too? Here are some things I (along with several other members of Here Be Magic, I’ve noticed) am looking forward to:

Almost Human - coming to Fox this fall

EPIC - coming to theaters May 24th!

There are also tons of amazing fantasy book releases schedules for 2013 and early 2014. I'm salivating particularly hard over Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews, and the CARNIEPUNK anthology *wink*. What are you looking forward to?

***

 About the Author

Regan Summers lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her husband and alien-monkey hybrid of a child. She loves reading, traveling, small plate dining and terrible action movies.

Her Night Runner series from Carina Press is available wherever e-books are sold.

Website  -  Twitter  -  Facebook  -  Amazon  -  Barnes & Noble  -  Carina Press

Paranormal/fantasy heroes: A list of some characters who inspire my muse

A friend and fellow author did a similar post to this recently, and feeling inspired (I mean, who doesn’t want to write about hunks, er, I mean heroes?), I blatantly stole her idea, which I’m sure she stole from someone else, so all’s fair, right? Plus, I really couldn't come up with a better topic to blog about today. What are you gonna do?

Anywho. She did a list of her favorite heroes, from TV, film, and books, and gave an explanation of why they were hero-worthy to her. I’ll dive right in and offer up six of my own favorite paranormal and fantasy heroes. I really could have done a list of 100 of my favorite heroes, but I randomly picked these six. Can I please note that I also came thisclose to including some of the heroes created by Here Be Magic contributors, but since I haven't read everyone's books yet, I didn't think it was exactly fair to single anyone out. But it was tempting. Jax Garren, I'm looking at you. And you too, Veronica Scott. Points finger at Eleri Stone. And...I'll stop embarrassing myself now.

Damon Salvatore  

Feel free to leave your own favorites in the comments section. I adore being introduced to new characters!

Damon Salvatore. To be fair, I haven’t read The Vampire Diaries books, but I watch the TV show every week. Ian Somerhalder is just…wow. Love him. He took a character I thought was only eh in the first few episodes of this show and developed him into a complex bad boy who’s constantly torn between his own gratification and his love for his brother and friends. He’s relentlessly unpredictable as a result. And yes, I watch The Vampire Diaries and I’m not a teenage girl. Back off.

Bones, from the Night Huntress series. I love, love, love Jeaniene Frost’s series of books and fell in love with Bones just as the book’s heroine Cat did throughout this series. Gotta admire a man who joins a secret agency devoted to killing his kind simply to be near the woman he loves.

Dean Winchester

Dean Winchester. Supernatural is my favorite TV show for a reason, and Dean is that reason. He is THE alpha demon hunter on television. Jensen Ackles, who portrays Dean, rocks socks. And I wouldn't want to mess with him if I were a demon. Just sayin.'

Mouse Guard. Please tell me you didn’t just ask yourself, “What the heck is Mouse Guard?” OK, given my utter weirdness, it’s a fair question. Mouse Guard is a comic book written and illustrated by David Petersen. It’s set in a world of sentient mice who live in medieval times paralleling the same period in human history. The Mouse Guard are essentially guards/soldiers who help the other mice survive attacks and the such. I don’t even know how else to describe it, or one character to single out as the best hero, but if you’re open to comic books, this one is awesome. Plus, they're mice with swords!

Legolas Greenleaf from The Lord of the Rings. Confession time. I suffered through the books (please don't pelt me with rocks), but I enjoyed the movies, mostly. There was one character who stuck with me, and it was Legolas. The reason? I was drawn to his kindness and gentle nature, and he had some mad skills with that bow and arrow. Plus, he was kinda cute and all.

The Doctor. I’m a recent convert to this SF/F show from Britain thanks to Netflix, but I’m totally hooked on Doctor Who. What can I say? I’m a sucker for quirky, smart, and witty heroes who brandish nothing more than a sonic screwdriver when slaying aliens, monsters and the such. Plus, bowties are cool.

There’s my list. What’s yours?

Good Madness

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." ~Neil Gaiman

I've been thinking about good madness as I build the next project.  It's crazy and fun and kind of scary at the same time.  Words like grotesque, freak, and deviant keep showing up.  I even bought the Deviant Moon tarot cards because something just screamed at me when I saw them.

This is the kind of project that I could become obsessed with.

Is that a good thing?

As a reader, I think it is.  Some of my favorite books are ones that are almost startling and creepy the way they seem to suck me into their world.  I remember the first time I picked up Laurell K. Hamilton's Guilty Pleasures. 

Willie McCoy had been a jerk before he died.  His being dead didn't change that.

From the very first line, it was different.  I knew I was going to be in for one wild ride and I gobbled those books up as fast as I could (at least up to Incubus Dreams; thereafter's another story).  They were filled with magic and dreams and good madness, a sort of twisted up world that was so strange and violent and bloody...yet compulsively good too.

I read those books like I was in a frenzy.  Trapped in a sort of madness that was good.  Very good indeed.

What about you - can you recommend a "Good Madness" sort of series that became a crazy good obsession?  Something you just couldn't help reading, whether it was shocking or exciting, strange and twisted, or just wickedly lovely in some way?

Assuming I can drag myself away from my own madness, I'd love to add more obsessively good books to my towering TBR pile!