Being superwriter...Or what are you doing this summer?

I am lousy at coming up with blog topics other than music and movies. (Anyone seen Star Trek yet? I'm dying to, but have to wait until June 5. *cries*) But the subject of juggling my life and writing has been on my mind recently.  Especially since my kids just got out of school for the summer. I figure a lot of us have this problem.

Last year I had so much real life going on, that other than edits on contracted books, I accomplished next to zero. This year I'm determined to do better and so far so good. So in a move of complete insanity, I agreed to take my kids home this summer. For two months. And stay there with them. Why? Because clearly I am certifiable.

But there is method to my madness! My oldest (17yo) is doing a summer internship at my mom's law firm. My 16yo has lined up some volunteer work. And dad has hiking trips planned out for my boy. Lots and lots of hiking I don't have to go. (Or so he claims now lol.)

So I've put together an ambitious writing schedule for the summer. I've been averaging about 35k a month this year and under normal circumstances I'd never attempt that during summer vacation. This year I'm going for it. Hopefully everyone will be so busy things will go well. If not, there's always the pool to retreat to, right?!

Anyone have cool plans for the summer? Going somewhere exciting? Let me live vicariously. :)

The Danger of Tinkering with Mythology

One month until the release of Witch Bound, Book Two in the Twilight of the Gods series. Let the countdown begin!

So, the Twilight of the Gods series is based on Norse mythology with the premise being that Ragnarök, the Norse apocalypse, has already happened. It happened centuries ago actually, and some of the Æsir (Norse gods) escaped the destruction of their world (Asgard) by fleeing to earth (Midgard). Before Odin died, he cast a spell over his remaining people endowing them with many of his attributes—wisdom, magical skill, the ability to shapeshift. The Æsir refugees then settled on earth near faultlines in the fabric of space where they’re still able to maintain a connection to their broken home and its magic. Over the centuries, they’ve intermarried with humans and their blood has thinned. They’re not truly gods anymore but they’re not entirely human either. While their power and abilities have weakened with every generation, the demons (fire jötnar) who destroyed Asgard are still out there, waiting on the other side of the bridge, ready to break through the rift to hunt down the last of the Æsir and invade earth.

If you’re familiar with Norse myth you’ll see a lot that’s familiar but there are also some really big departures. Which brings me to my question…If an author bases a story on mythology, how far can they depart from the original before they start to piss people off?

My answer is not very far. When dealing with mythology, people bring very definite and often very different preconceived notions to the story.

For example, I got dinged a few times in reviews by people who didn’t like my incorporation of the Wild Hunt because they felt that legend belonged to the Celts. The Wild Hunt is a very popular legend in the British Isles, but it’s not exclusive to that area. There are local versions of the same story spread all across Europe and Scandinavia. In art, Odin is often depicted as leading the hunt. So while in modern literature the Wild Hunt is often associated with England and with fairy, that’s really only one incarnation. When I used the Wild Hunt legend in my story to describe the Æsir chasing down demons who’d slipped through the portal, I was being true to Norse legend... Except that it’s not truly Odin leading the hunt, it’s one of his descendants. And they’re not flying through the skies, just veiled by a glamour. And they’re not dead or hunting lost mortals, they’re chasing down jötnar.

I do wince a little when I read those reviews but at the same time I can sympathize. If I was particularly fond of that one version of the legend, it would be really easy to get annoyed when a beloved aspect was changed or ignored to serve the story.

Authors-how careful are you when using myth in your stories? Readers-at what point do you start to get annoyed at the liberties taken?

Twin Goddesses Don't Always Represent Good vs Evil

Whenever twin goddesses are around, it’s tempting to assume one is

Good and the other is Evil. But it’s not necessarily so! In Ancient Egypt, for example, Isis was the queen of the gods and represented motherhood, magic and fertility. Belief in Isis endured for centuries and worship of her even spread through the Roman Empire. The pharaohs of Egypt were often depicted as being her children. She was associated with the rebirth that Egyptians expected in their afterlife. Pretty much the good stuff came to Isis and from her.

 

Her twin sister Nephthys, although not depicted as evil, was associated with death, with battling demons, darkness and dangerous places like the edge of the desert. She and Isis were viewed by the Egyptians as different aspects of the same supernatural power.

One thing that is very useful to me in writing my paranormal novels of Ancient Egypt is the many varying interpretations and legends surrounding all their gods and goddesses. This enables me to pick and choose the aspects that work best with my worldbuilding and then stay consistent in my choices. In my new book WARRIOR OF THE NILE, Nephthys sets the events in motion and Isis takes a hand in how events turn out, not exactly as her sister had in mind. My human characters have to maneuver around the commands from the gods, yet still save Egypt. (If I’ve piqued your interest, you can find the story blurb on my web page and the book is out in September.)

I also write science fiction romance. When I was doing the world building for my award winning novel, WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM, I wanted to include an element of pure paranormal, along with the technical aspects of life in the far future.  Inspired by the timeless theme of the twin goddesses, I created the Red Lady of D’nvannae and her sister, the White Lady. They’re ancient beings, regarded as deities by many in the sprawling outer space world of the Sectors.  I’m not saying they’re meant to be Isis and Nephthys! Far from it. I just borrowed the idea of powerful celestial sisters.

The Red Lady has an army of highly dangerous followers who can be bodyguards or assassins. If both services are requested by opposing parties in the same case, she decides on a whim which to provide. If you can make the payment and contract with a member of the Brotherhood, the odds are high that you’ll achieve your goal, whether it’s your safety or someone else’s death. Her men and women are lethal. I modeled her very loosely after aspects of Kali, goddess of Time and Change and Darkness but the Red Lady  does not  equal Kali. My character IS known to be beautiful, greedy, sensual.

Marked with the flamboyant scarlet facial tattoo of his Order, Khevan, a senior member of the Brotherhood, plays a significant role in WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM . 

The White Lady is harder to quantify, if you live in the Sectors. Her servants go about doing good deeds, don’t accept payment and sometimes directly oppose the D’nvannae. Some of her followers take a voluntary vow of poverty and chastity.  I think most in my SF world view hers as a charitable organization. I will say she’s the only one who can control and contain the Red Lady, so what does that indicate about her power? Not that she chooses to act against her sister very often! The Lady in White also plays a small role in one scene of WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM.

Here’s an excerpt from WRECK, the first time Nick encounters Khevan, in the shuttle going up to the Nebula Dream:

Sipping his drink, he assessed the only other man on the shuttle who was as deadly as Nick himself could be when the occasion demanded -  a D'nvannae Brother, dressed all in close fitting, soft black leather, as they usually were when traveling outside their world. The swirling red tattoo all D'nvannae wore proudly inscribed on the right side of the face, as a sign of fealty to their Deity, was particularly well defined on this man. He must be senior in the hierarchy, given the number of details in the tattoo. Gotta earn those the hard way in the Lady's service. Halfway paying attention to a broadcast of an inter Sector sports semifinal, the Brother was unbraiding his long, jet black hair, signifying his contract had been successfully complet­ed and he was now at liberty to accept another.

Who on backwater Glideon might have needed such a high-priced, exotic bodyguard? Or been the target of such a re­lentless assassin? The D'nvannae could be hired for either pur­pose, conflicting offers resolved by the whim of the goddess.

Good. Evil. Complicated subjects, whether in ancient times or the far future!

WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM is available now on Amazon.

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 ~