If I could be a Warder, what city would I choose?

Hi, Here Be Magic readers! My turn to post again today. And I've talked some about Valor of the Healer, my book via Carina Press--but with this post, I'm going to put a spotlight on Faerie Blood, my other work.

For those of you unfamiliar with my Warder universe, I've got two primary groups of magic-users in play in that storyline. There are the Sidhe, represented (like ya do) by the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. And there are the Warders, human magic-users who function as guardians for specific cities--but at the cost of being magically, physically constrained to never be able to leave that city. Ever.

(Think the Genie in Disney's Aladdin. PHENOMENAL! COSMIC! POWER! Itty bitty living space.)

For example! Christopher, the male lead of Faerie Blood, is one of the two main Warder characters as he becomes the second Warder of Seattle--the first one being Millicent, a feisty old lady who's pretty much my Gandalf figure (and who's played in my brain by K Callan, the excellent actress who played Ma Kent in the 90's TV series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman).

One of the things Christopher has to deal with is whether he's ready to tie himself to a specific city, and as I progress through writing more of that series, I'll be exploring more of what it means for members of the Warder lineage to commit themselves to a city. They've developed customs around it, encouraging their younger people to travel a lot all over the world, to see as much as they can before they finally bind themselves to one city for the rest of their lives. Modern-day Warders, too, take a lot of advantage of the Internet to keep in touch--boy howdy, was it ever hard in times past for Warders in different cities to alert each other to potential traveling threats.

A story I have planned for the future, involving Christopher's young cousin Caitlin who's on the verge of becoming the next Warder of St. John's, Newfoundland, is that she's going to fall in love with a Warder boy from Quebec who is in fact doing that very thing that the Warders encourage their young people to do: traveling. They're going to face the challenge of what city they'll finally wind up in. It's going to be awesome.

Today, on Facebook, I was asked this very excellent question:

If you could be a Warder of any city in the world, which would it be?

This is a damn good question, and right now I'd be hard pressed to choose between several excellent cities I've either visited or lived in.

Seattle's got its appeal, because I've been here for half my life and I know the place.

Vancouver and Toronto are two of my favorite cities in Canada, and would have the advantage of having several known friends within visiting range.

Honolulu has the advantage of being in Hawai'i, which pretty much speaks for itself.

Glasgow would be nifty, because I've been there and there's enough of a fannish contingent there that they've held Worldcons. (Glasgow holds a hell of a Worldcon, I'm here to tell you.) Plus, if we're assuming I'm a Warder and therefore in the Warder universe, Glasgow would have the added bonus of having the most number of Warders in any Warded city in the world--since Scotland is where the Warder magic started. They've got a full council of Warders in Glasgow. It'd be nice to know I'm not defending the city by myself!

Montréal would be highly tempting, due to my recently exploded love of Quebecois traditional music, and that would at least let me see a lot of awesome concerts. And of all the cities in Quebec, that's the one where I could get away with my French being still kinda sucky. Working on that!

St. John's, also highly, highly tempting now that I've actually been there--and of course, it's the city Christopher is from, so being on his home ground would be lovely. Plus, it puts me in range of reliable Great Big Sea concerts. Highly important! The Warders are a highly musical people. St. John's is a highly musical city. There are reasons Christopher is from St. John's!

Lexington, Kentucky would also have to be under consideration, given that I spent my adolescence there and it would put me in reasonable range of my family members. Though I'd be hard pressed to decide between Lexington and Louisville, the two cities in Kentucky most likely to have a Warder presence.

What about you, Internets? If you could have a shot at the ability to magically protect a city, but with the catch that you'd have to stay in that city for the rest of your life, what city would it be? Talk to me in the comments!

Find out more about Faerie Blood on its official page, and come say hi to Angela on her official site or on her official Facebook page! Follow her on Twitter at @annathepiper.

Here Be News

Announcements

Veronica Scott shares the new video trailer for her "Gods of Egypt" paranormal series! The latest novel WARRIOR OF THE NILE will be released by Carina Press on Monday September 16th. Step into Ancient Egypt with her for a few moments:
Tom Hiddleston replaces Benedict Cumberbatch in Guillermo del Toro’s film ‘Crimson Peak’

Hiddleston with a lesson on delayed gratification

Batwoman Can't Marry, Says DC Pub, Because Heroes Can't Be Happy

'True Blood' Ending In 2014: Season 7 Will Be The Last

Look at the shiny!

So here's something you may not know, writers generally have very little say in their covers. As this is my first book, I nervously checked my email repeatedly when I knew my cover should be coming. Then I got that email and I clicked on the picture...and I fell in love. Seriously, I love my cover. And the main reason I love it is that you know exactly what kind of book you're getting when you see it. And I'll even let you in on a little behind the scenes secret...my heroine has red streaks in her hair in this book so I love all the red on the cover because I feel it ties in with that.

So what's the verdict? Does it make you want to pick up the book or would you give it a pass?

An estranged mate, a mangled body and a powerful demon who calls her by name…

As a Realm Walker for the Agency, Juliana Norris tracks deadly paranormal quarry using her unique ability to see magical signatures. She excels at her job, but her friends worry about her mysterious habit of dying in the line of duty without staying dead. That's only the first of her secrets.

Most people don't know Juliana became the mate of master vampire Thomas Kendrick before he abandoned her seven years ago. Most people don't know the horrors she endured at the hands of the vampire he left in command. Most people don't know her true parentage, or why a demon on a world-threatening rampage has taken a personal interest in her…

Even as Juliana pursues the demon, it goes after all she holds dear—including Thomas, who is back to claim her for his own. But if she can't reconcile her past and learn to trust herself again, she will lose him forever.

Kathleen Collins is working on a new book while anxiously awaiting the release of her first one. You can find her here kathleencollins.net or follow her on twitter at @kathy_collins

Oh, The Villains

    

     So, been thinking about villains lately.  Specifically about the attractiveness of certain villains, and how it makes the tales they appear in richer and more compelling. 

No, this is not an attempt to justify having blown much of a long weekend watching the David Tennant’s Doctor and John Simm’s Master play off one another in season three of Doctor Who and fangirling over Loki in Thor and the Avengers.  OK, not much.

(Besides, I could argue that Loki in Thor is more a tragic hero than a true villain, but that would be another blog.)

     Ahem, yes.  Villains.  There are as many ways of writing villains as there is writing, period, and I couldn’t begin to cover them all in a blog. (Though Jessica Page Morrell covers the subject nicely in the book Bullies, Bastards and Bitches.  I highly recommend it.)  So I’ll just stick with the compelling villains, why they fascinate, and my thoughts on how to build one of your very own (in fiction, that is.  Though if anyone out there has figured out how to make a Loki, make an extra one for me.  I promise to take care of him and heal his wounded soul and. . . Sorry.  I blame the cold meds.)

     OK, back on topic.  Loki is, as I mentioned, a wounded soul. (I’m dealing with the Marvel movie-verse Loki here, not the original Nordic myths.)  Forever in his brother’s shadow, his intellect and sensibility are discounted while Thor’s strength, bravado and charisma are praised. And then he finds out that he is not Thor’s brother at all, and his own origins are far darker and the people he thought were his parents have lied to him all his life. He has ample reason for turning against his brother, and villains with reasons are always more believable than villains who are evil for the sake of evil.  More, we have a reason to sympathize with him in the same way we sympathize with underdog heroes like Harry Potter.  Yes, attempted fratricide is taking things a bit far, but haven’t we ever wanted to get even with those who got the attention, the glory, the affection that we thought we deserved?

     The latest incarnation of The Master is also wounded, driven to madness by the sound of drums only he can hear. We viewers may hate him for what he does to the Doctor (not to mention the Earth), but we have to also feel sorry for him.  It takes the storyline from simple Good v. Evil to something more complex, poignant and therefore memorable.

     Having a complex villain makes it more believable when the hero sympathizes with/ wants to save or redeem the villain. This in turn makes for a more complex and sympathetic hero.  (Witness Thor at the end of the first movie, The Doctor with the Master in season three, even Frodo with Gollum, who is certainly villainous even if he isn’t The Villain.)

     So, a wounded, lost and vulnerable villain is a good start.  But if you want a villain so compelling he gets his own fan club, you need more.  Sex appeal helps.  I’m not talking about the Mimbo on the Cover of the Book, but a villain with that je ne sais quoi that comes more from grace and presence. Of course, this is easier in TV and film, where the right actor goes a long way.  In the classic Doctor Who, Anthony Ainley brought a sardonic sexiness to the role that the early-adolescent me only barely understood, but the more mature me can’t resist.  I could fill a whole blog with examples and not run out (Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan, anyone?)

    In fiction, we bring out that sex appeal the same way we develop any aspect of character— with how the character sees himself, with how others react to him.  In my forthcoming urban fantasy novel Ravensblood, William Blanchard may be a paranoid, conscienceless dark mage bent on world domination, but he never lacks for willing sexual partners, and even Raven, who has no desire to sleep with the man, acknowledges his aesthetic appeal.

     People read books and watch movies or television for a lot of reasons, but one of the most important motivations is wanting to spend time with the characters.  While it’s safe to say none of us would actually enjoy dealing with the Master in real life (or Avengers-Loki, though Thor-Loki I kind of think I’d like), when he comes on screen, we know something interesting is about to happen.  John Simm’s Master in his dance-videoesque sequence is just plain fun, with a little bit of sexiness thrown in when he pulls his wife in for a kiss.  My William has a dark sense of humor and occasional bursts of manic energy that were a blast to write, and which I’m confident readers will enjoy.  (He also follows the wounded villain pattern, even though I only let the tiniest tip of that backstory iceberg show in the novel.)

     So go on, love those villains.  You can’t help it.  The writers obviously meant you to, the manipulative so-and-sos.

(A/N As I get ready to post this, I realize that it is completely biased toward male villains.  Truth be told, I can’t think of a female villain that I have found as compelling as Loki or the Master (or Khan, or even Vader).  I don’t think it’s just because I’m a basically straight woman; there are plenty of female heroes and sidekicks that rock my world.  I think there is a dearth of richly drawn, compelling female villains.  Readers who can come up with examples to contradict my theory, please post comments.  I’m curious.)

Summoning the Muse

I love talking to other writers. I learn so much from them while at the same time, get to impart a little of me to them as well. One of my favorite topics, as is many readers, is inspiration. Where do writers get their inspiration? Do they ever get to a point where their well runs dry and they are faced with the dreaded Writer's Block monster? *crazed lunatic pounds on an organ*

It seems as if muses come in as many shapes and sizes as there are writers. Some play guitar, go for a run, visit a museum, jump up and down on one leg while barking like a dog (a big dog), but me...I like my muse best.

She rocks. Literally.

 I knew exactly what the opening scene was going to be to my first novel DRYNN the first time I ever heard Forty Six & 2 by Tool.

Since I live in two states--NY and CT--I do some serious driving, back and forth, twice a week. Some people look at me with pity at all the driving I have to do, but I loooove it; I actually get to escape from the chaos of life and do a little decompressing. It's like going on vacation every week. The best part is that I get to listen to all the music I've been missing and within that music...novels are waiting to be born.

I actually conjured an entire book by a single song, it hit me like a Howitzer round--boom in the brain! Got it, and thank God for voice memo on the iPhone--I have hours and hours, which in of itself is a treasure because I get to actually hear epiphanies happening real time and get to keep them forever. Downloadable and all. ;)

I've written two books and have a third one on the way, and each one of them has a soundtrack, pieces of music that have moved me. Donald Maass calls the core of a scene the "uranium isotope", and it is such an apt description. I hear a song, I see a scene and I just start fleshing that sucker out. What's going on? Who're the main players? How'd they get there? What's the uranium isotope of the scene--rage, anguish, elation, vengeance? We as a civilization are so blessed with the plethora of gifted musicians out there and here's the cool part. As long as there's music...I get to write. :D

And that rocks.

What's your muse?

And thanks for the glance.

-Steve Vera

P.S. Oh yeah, maybe I should say a lil' something about my book. DRYNN, Book I of the LAST OF THE SHARDYN trilogy is an epic urban fantasy. The premise? The heroes of two worlds join forces to fight the Lord of the Underworld. Dun dun dun dunnnnnnnn. THROUGH THE BLACK VEIL (Book II) comes out Nov. 25th, 2013 and is also gonna be available on Audible.com as well as carinapress.com, Amazon, Google Play, and any other place in cyberspace that has ebooks.  I can't wait for the world to read it! DRYNN was just the appetizer. Okay, once again, thanks for the glance.

Steve out.

Cover Reveal - Dancer of the Nile!

I'm excited to reveal the cover of  DANCER OF THE NILE, which is the October release in the "Gods of Egypt series. It was a lot of fun to work with the immensely talented Frauke of Croco Designs again (she did the cover for PRIESTESS OF THE NILE).

Each novel in this connected series is a standalone tale, but occurring in the reign of the same Pharaoh...

Here's the story:

Egypt, 1500 BCE

Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.

As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive.  Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart.  Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?

Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?

And can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?

DANCER OF THE NILE is in final edits and formatting so the release date isn't settled but expected to be late October. In the meantime, WARRIOR OF THE NILE comes out September 16th and is available for preorder at Amazon now.

If you'd like to read more about my "Tale of the Gods" series (hint - there's a January releaase coming!), please feel free to visit my blog. and I'm always around on twitter as @vscotttheauthor.

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Everything You Need to Know

Recently, someone asked me an interesting question in an interview. She asked if there were any characters in my new book, Fairies in My Fireplace, I wish I could have given more page time to.

The answer, of course, is there are always characters I wish I could spend more time on, but the story has to keep moving forward. I can’t cram everybody’s backstory into every book.

But it was far more complicated and on a much larger scale in this particular book.

Fairies has a cast of hundreds. How long will you be willing to read if I stop every few paragraphs and tell you somebody’s history? Considering there’s a harpy on the roof, a chupacabra hanging upside down from the living room curtains, a family of gnomes under the back porch, a herd of dust devils blowing down the hall, two water sprites in the bathroom sink, and a mange-infested hellhound stashed in the garage, all in the first chapter, I don’t think I’d have even the most devoted of readers left by the end of chapter two.

Do I know these creature’s stories? Of course I do. I’m the Writer God of Monster Haven. I know all. That is, until I’m writing the next book and some creature I wasn’t expecting pops up out of nowhere with a completely new twist I’m not prepared for.

If I lived a thousand lives, I don’t think I could tell you all the stories flying through my head. But I shouldn’t try. Not all of them are interesting. My job isn’t to tell you everything. My job is to tell you what you need to know for the story to keep moving. My job is to keep you entertained enough to keep reading. And yes, my job is also to hold a little something back for later.

I want you to come back, you see. I still have three more books left in Zoey’s story.

We’re only halfway there.

I have so much more to tell you.

Rachel's head is packed with an outrageous amount of useless Disney trivia. She is terrified of thunder, but not of lightning, and sometimes recites the Disneyland dedication speech during storms to keep herself calm. She finds it appalling that nobody from Disney has called yet with her castle move-in date.

Originally from Northern California, she has a tendency to move every few years, resulting in a total of seven different states and a six-year stint in England. Currently, she's planning her next grand adventure. Rachel has one heroic husband, two genius kids, a crazy-catlady starter kit, and an imaginary dog named Waffles.

She doesn't have time for a real dog.

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