On Literary Intent

She's a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

2011-12-19T22:15:00.004-06:00

((Cross posted at The League of Reluctant Adults))

Yes, I know I should probably be doing a Christmas post, given the proximity to that particular holiday, but I’m not gonna. No way, not gonna make me. ‘Cause honestly, Christmas is my least favorite holiday. I know, you probably think this is going to boil down to a “commercialism at Christmas” rant, but I swear it’s not. What it really amounts to is that I am a lousy gift-giver.

No, I don’t have any trouble picking out presents for people. (well, most of the time) See, I’m smart enough to get a list and much like Rachel in Friends, STICK TO THE LIST. Shopping isn’t my problem. Where I find my downfall is that I’m supposed to WAIT to give these people these totally awesome gifts that I know they want!

What kind of sick, sadistic holiday IS this? “Here, it’s wrapped up all shiny and ribbony, just waiting to be torn asunder and enjoyed! But not yet!” Seriously?

I’m much more of an instant gratification kinda girl. For example: Hubby and I agreed not to do presents for each other until after Christmas. Which means, of course, that there are no less than three presents hidden around the house at this very moment for the man. The only reason I HAVEN’T given them to him yet is because I’m absurdly proud of my hiding places. (He’s reading over my shoulder right now. I think the only reason he hasn’t dashed off in search is because he’s well aware of my aforementioned weak will. He knows he’ll get them soon anyway.)

I love watching people open presents that they know I want, and I see no reason that I should wait until some pre-determined day of the year to indulge myself in this particular pleasure. This is why I’m notorious among my friends for giving them “wrapped” gifts. (Wrapped = in the bag I bought it in) Hey, they have to open it, it counts!

My child has figured this out at even her tender young age. She knows very well if she asks “Mommy, can I open one early?” that she’ll wind up with ALL of them open sooner rather than later. I know, I know, it’s a sickness. I can’t help it!

Right now, at this very moment, there are presents stashed all over this house, just screaming to be given. The voices, they haunt me.

Gone Between

2011-11-23T10:41:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning to the news that Anne McCaffrey, one of sci-fi/fantasy’s great legends, had passed away. And while I always find it sad when we lose one of our greats, as the day has gone on, this one has settled heavily on me.

I don’t remember how old I was when I first read one of her books. I’m pretty sure it was Dragonsdawn, the prequel to the Pern series. I know that after that, I devoured anything I could get my hands on. I fell in love with Pern and all its inhabitants, from the beautiful gold dragons all the way down to the lowliest watch-wher. Oh, how I wanted my very own fire-lizard. A bronze one. He’d have been awesome.

It wasn’t just her dragons, though. The Rowan and her descendents found a special place in my heart as well. I think those books were the first time I actually remember feeling fear and joy and anguish right alongside the characters. I bled with them, because of the power of the words on the page.

And I think that’s what I learned from Anne McCaffrey. I learned about the kind of stories I wanted to tell, and the kind of writer I wanted to be. Some of the first lengthy things I ever wrote were essentially fanfic, either in the Pern world or in the Rowan’s world. Always for my own entertainment, of course. I don’t think I ever showed anyone those stories. They were just because I didn’t want those worlds to end when I was done reading, I wanted to live in them a little while longer.

I’m pretty sure she knew the kind of mark she left on the world. Her fans are legion, and very vocal. They have conventions, and role-playing games, and forums and all kinds of things. She didn’t, of course, know what influence she had on little old me, or on a lot of other writers I know who are all thinking over what her death means right now. Maybe we don’t even know for sure how her writing shaped who and what we are today. All we know is that it did.

A great lady has gone Between. She will be missed, and never forgotten.

And the Beat Goes On

2011-11-09T17:46:00.002-06:00

Last night, I turned in my revisions for A WOLF AT THE DOOR, and a lot of people have asked me “Okay, what happens now?” So, this is my attempt at explanation, which is sadly way less informative than I (or anyone else) would like it to be.

First and foremost, WOLF has to be officially accepted. This is an actual contractual term that basically means when your publisher says “Okay, yes, I like what you’ve done here, we’re definitely going to publish it.” The alternative to this would be them coming back and saying “Hey, could you do a few more revisions first.” I don’t expect that to happen. My editor, the amazing Anne Sowards, always knows just the right notes to give so that I get it right the first time.

As for time frame on official acceptance? I have no idea. Depends on how soon someone has time to read through it AGAIN (and trust me, so many people read through a book multiple times in its process, you have no idea), make sure it’s all they had hoped it would be. Whether or not someone has time depends on how many manuscripts are lined up in front of mine, in various stages of their own production. I expect/hope to hear something before the end of the year, at the very least.

In the meantime, other parts of production will continue. For the past two books, I’ve always had cover art somewhere in mid-ish November, so I’m hoping that pattern will continue. There’s always something fun about being able to go to my family’s place for Thanksgiving and saying “Hey, wanna see what I got?” Also, since my birthday is at the end of the month, it always seems like an early birthday present.

So once Wolf is officially accepted, it will go on into copy edits, and then through page proofs, and then drift magically toward the August 7th release date.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, people are still wanting to know “Will there be more JJD books?” And the answer to that is, I don’t know yet. We haven’t had That Talk yet. Do I want to hazard a guess as to what That Talk will entail? Oh hell no. The publishing world has changed drastically over the last few years, not the least of which was the closing of all the Borders stores. While it remains to be seen how that development is truly going to play out, I know how it’s affected me and my sales personally, and it isn’t a happy situation. I’m in the same boat a lot of authors are, for the same reasons, none of which have anything to do with our skills as authors.

Is it on my mind? Oh yeah. All the time. Part of it is just that I don’t want to fail at this. Being an author was/is/always will be my dream, and I don’t want it over before it really gets started. Part of it is that it would break my heart to leave Jesse’s story unfinished. And more than that, even, I don’t want it to remain unfinished for everyone who has followed along with me so far. People invested time and money in me, an author they knew very little about, and for that at least, they deserve to know what happens next.

Folks have asked me “What can I do to help?” And to them, I say this. Just go buy books, either physically, or on your e-readers. Not just my books, ANY books! ALL books! If you love an author, let it show! If you can’t afford books (and face it, we've all been there, especially lately), go check them out from libraries. Libraries buy books too! Request books you’re looking forward to from your favorite bookstore or library. Requests turn into orders, orders into numbers, and hopefully numbers turn into more books from all of the authors that you love.

Remember, only YOU can prevent forest-...er...wait, wrong message.

You guys know what to do. Go forth and conquer.

I love this holiday...

2011-10-26T22:26:00.001-05:00

This may be old news for some, looks like it's last year's, but I think it's freakin' awesome! (it should also be noted that I'm easily distracted by shiny objects, so...)

Zombies. Denied.

2011-10-20T09:42:00.000-05:00

((Cross-posted at The League of Relucant Adults))

Anyone who has more than a passing acquaintance with me knows my one great phobia: zombies. Can’t explain why, but they freak me out like nothing else in this entire world. Yes, I know they’re fictional. No, it doesn’t help. And for some reason, even knowing that they scare the bejeezus outta me, I still feel the need to poke at that open wound. Hence, watching the AMC series, The Walking Dead.

(It should be noted that I watch a lot of it with my eyes closed)

In discussing this show with others, it has been brought up that they never use the word “zombie”. (they call them “walkers”) And of course, in my mind, this is because a “zombie” was never part of this world’s mythology, and therefore they don’t HAVE that word. I find this simple concept interesting, however, because it tends to illustrate one of my key theories* about the concept of a zombie apocalypse. (*key theory also translates to “things I will rant about for hours if you don’t walk away first”)

My theory being this: A zombie apocalypse canNOT happen in a world where zombies are part of the known mythos. Bear with me here, I shall ‘splain.

I am willing to hazard a guess that at least 75% of the world** has heard the word “zombie” or whatever that translates to in their language of choice. (**all statistics pulled directly out of my butt) A good chunk of that 75% goes even further and has read/watched/heard enough about the monster called “zombie” to know how to kill one, and how to avoid infection by same.

Therefore, the surprise and bewilderment element that seems to be so key in the early days of a zombie apocalypse would not apply to our world as we know it.

Picture this, two guys sitting on their front porch, and they see a half-decayed corpse come lurching down the street.

Guy 1: “Hey, Ralph, you see that?”
Guy 2: “Holy shee-it, that’s a zombie!”
Guy 1: “Dude, get the camera, I’ma grab a ball bat. We’re gonna youtube this shit!”

No pause of “hey, that guy’s hurt, we should get him to a hospital!” No trying to save Uncle Jethro because we love him and he just had a little bite from the crazy neighbor guy across the street. No spread, no epidemic, all done.

Now, it has been mentioned to me that “Not everyone sits around with a shotgun saying ‘Bring on the zombies!’” To which I answer, “They don’t?” I don’t have a single friend who has not put at least minimal thought into a plan for a zombie apocalypse. I know, ‘cause I took a poll. Some are more thorough than others (ie: weapons stashes, bug out bags, survival training, etc.). Some are no more than “Hey, I’ma go find Kari & her hubby, ‘cause they have swords and they’re mean!” But still, it’s a plan.

And really, think about it. The original gaming generation has now reached adulthood. How many of us grew up on the original Romero zombie movies, blasting away at zombies in almost every video game ever made? (even Mario Brothers has walking skeleton dudes. Just saying) We’re comfortable with the idea of killing zombies. More importantly though, we’re all ADULTS now. (for some loose definition of the word) That means we have our own expendable income, and the legal ability to buy weapons. This isn’t just guns, this is swords, and crossbows and axes and all those things your parents would never let you have as a child.

We’re an entire generation of armed, zombie killing machines, people! Just let one of those undead mofos raise his head and we will bust it into tiny plague-ridden bits. No zombie apocalypse for me, thank you very much.

And there you have it, folks. Proof that I have put WAY too much thought into a totally fictional disaster scenario. What are your thoughts on the subject?

On Editing

2011-10-15T14:25:00.001-05:00

I babble a lot here. My apologies. Also, video quality is not what I was hoping. I seriously have to figure this thing out.

New Toy

2011-09-25T20:12:00.003-05:00

I should not be allowed out without supervision. Things like this happen when I am:

For size comparison, it's laying across the back of my black leather jacket. So, small for sword, but perfectly sized for me. (or kiddo, when she's old enough)

This beauty is thanks to the amazing crew at Badger Blades. In fact, between hubby and I, we own nine of their blades. (That's nine we can remember, sitting here off the top of our heads. If I actually went and looked in the back room, it might be more) Suffice to say, hubby has a spot of honor on their website.

Yarr Matey

2011-09-25T08:59:00.005-05:00

Spent the weekend at the local Renaissance Festival, and yes, we are some of those crazy people that go in costume. This year, I decided I was a pirate. And through some miracle, we got kiddo in a dress. The pics were taken with a cell phone, so they're a bit grainy, but I liked them.

And lookit this. I'm so doomed when she's a few years older. Can somebody please put a book on my child's head so she stops growing up?

The Blinking Cursor of Doom

2011-09-19T23:13:00.002-05:00

I sit here and I stare at it, and I swear, it's mocking me.

It's strange how I have faced extensive rewrites (book 2 was scrapped at 68,000 words and started fresh), major copy edits, NaNoWriMo on multiple occasions, and yet nothing is quite so daunting as a blank page, and that one little lonely black line. Sitting there. Blinking at me.

I think it's the unknown. The sheer overwhelming possibility of it all. Will it be a poem? A witty blog post? A dissertation on the feminist imagery on boxes of athlete's foot ointment? It could be anything!

What if it wants to be a novella, and I force it to be a dirty limerick? Or what do I do if my iambic pentameter novel-length epic poem turns into commercial jingle parodies? There are just so many ways this could go wrong.

It's not so bad, once you get the first line down. Even the first word. Then the page isn't blank anymore, and it's not staring at you all expectant like. You get the first few marks on the page, and it's tamed, ready to be molded into whatever shape you have.

But right now, what I have is a blank page, and a blinking cursor of doom. So I sit, and the cursor blinks at me, and buried under the sheer enormity of what might be, nothing is.

Wow, that sounded really deep.

I feel like I should find a video of college guys lighting farts on fire or something, just to counter it all.

Announcement

2011-09-14T16:54:00.003-05:00

Okay, now that I've teased you all for almost a week...

I am extremely pleased and excited to announce that I am now represented by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown Ltd. She's amazing, and enthusiastic, and I can't wait to see what's going to happen next!

Now, some of you might be saying, "Wait, didn't you already have an agent?" And yes I did. It was with great sadness that he and I decided to part ways. There was no drama, nobody did anything wrong, it was just one of those things that sometimes happens.

So now, we move forward! Boldly going or something.

Fan Art!

2011-09-10T09:17:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to share with y'all my very first fan art! These were drawn by one very talented fan who has followed me on Twitter for a long time (and turns out, is a really awesome guy!)

I totally admit, I asked him to draw the chibi Axel.

Changing Times

2011-09-07T19:18:00.002-05:00

A quick update today just to let folks know that there's some changes going on in my writing life. I'll talk about it more when I can, when things are finalized, but for the moment, if I seem a wee bit distracted, that's why.

Don't worry, it's not bad news about the JJD series. Wouldn't want to scare y'all like that. It's other stuff, the writing stuff you don't see that all goes on behind the scenes. Secret ninja publishing stuff. Or something.

I will let you guys know when things settle, and we will all be able to do the dance of joy together.

Also, things learned this week: It is physically impossible for me to type my new book title without screwing it up. I wonder what that means.

And the title is...

2011-09-01T19:26:00.007-05:00

...wait for it... You know you wanna wait for it...

You're all going to kill me, aren't you?

Okay, the title of book 3 (for now anyway) is... Drum roll... Are you rolling the drum? Yeah, thought so. DRUM ROLL!

A WOLF AT THE DOOR!

You will find no actual wolves in this book, however. It's a totally metaphorical wolf. That may or may not have a blond mohawk. Just sayin'.

Thanks to a really awesome Purgy for coming up with the title for me. It worked great!

Vade Retro Satana

2011-08-13T11:49:00.001-05:00

Coming August 23rd

Current events!

2011-08-06T16:33:00.002-05:00

Video Blog, Take 1

2011-07-24T20:08:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. You're all cringing in horror. Blame Chie. More precisely, blame Chie's hubby. He's the one who sent me the webcam.

I wonder if I'm brave enough to keep doing this.

Anyone wanna start a pool?

Post Party Carnage

2011-07-17T10:33:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was the party for the release of A SHOT IN THE DARK (mostly because my friends need very little excuse to have a party). And as part of the party, we had a snarky T-shirt contest!

The winning T-shirt was this one:

If you can't quite read it, it says "Haikus are easy, but sometimes don't make much sense. Hippopotamus." It came from Cafepress if you desire one of your very own.

And while we had intended to have an adult division and a child division, we wound up with a distinct and unexpected lack of children at this party, so it turned into a second-place prize instead. Through absolutely NO intervention of my own (Hey,I didn't even vote for them) my beloved kiddo and hubby won a team prize for their zombie-themed shirts:

The crown on the entire party, though, was the cookie cake, which seems to have been vandalized by one red-eyed, rather snarky demon:

My Thoughts on Reviews

2011-07-10T12:01:00.005-05:00

Reviews are the one thing that every author both dreads and craves. We want to know that people are enjoying our work, but we also fear that no one's going to like it, that we didn't do our job well.

A lot of authors I know don't read their reviews. For them, it's less stressful, and as many people often say, the reviews aren't really for the author anyway, they're for the other readers. If an author wants constructive criticism, they need to rely on their beta readers, not on reviewers.

However, I read every review I find, and this post is just kind of my way of explaining why.

First off, understand that I'm entirely too neurotic to NOT read a review. If I know it's out there, I have to know what was said. It would drive me insane not to. I read the good ones, I read the bad ones, I read the ones that are just downright puzzling. Because I want to know what people did and didn't like. I want to know if people are following on the journey I tried to take them on. If they're finding places that don't work for them, that means I didn't accomplish all that I wanted to.

Second, I read reviews because every person that writes one has taken the time to stop and read my books. Even as speedy as I read, that's a minimum of three hours of their day, and for most people it's a lot more time than that.

Then, on top of that time spent, they took the time to stop and think about what I wrote. And this goes beyond just "did I like it, or didn't I?" They have to think about why they liked it, or didn't. What elements appealed to them? What places dragged on? Which characters had them cheering, which ones fell flat?

If you've never tried to write a book review, the reading that you do to form one is totally different than reading just for pleasure. It's work! It's hard to pin down the minute details of a story, hard to see the trees for the forest. You have to think about a book like a puzzle, and decide what pieces were missing, which ones locked together tightly, and which ones were just a little warped.

I figure, if someone has gone to all that work, then the least I can do is read what they've written. I mean, they took the time to read 80,000 words of mine, to analyze it, to put into words their thoughts on it. I owe them the time it takes to read 500 words of theirs. Doesn't matter if it's a glowing review, or the worst one I've ever gotten. A reviewer's time and effort should be respected.

I don't comment on reviews, typically. Like I said, they're not written for me. They're written so that other readers have a chance to say "Hey, I might like that" or "nah, I'll pass." In this tight economy, I can appreciate having a system in place to help people decide where to pass on their money.

And really, arguing with someone over their opinion is a bit ridiculous. That's like arguing with someone who says they like salty better than sweet. There's no logical basis for an argument like that.

So I don't comment, but I do read, because I think I owe a reviewer that much respect. There we are. My feelings on reviews in a nutshell.

Release the Kraken!

2011-07-07T21:06:00.003-05:00

Or: How a Promo Post Gets Sappy

So, here we are, release week. I had grand plans to do a big post on the actual release day, but between the Real Job(tm) and...well...life, it just didn't happen.

A lot of people have asked me how this release day differed from the first one. Well, more people congratulated me, for one thing. People I've never met, Twitter-folk I only know because they read Devil and loved it. So there was that.

I like to think I was a lot less obsessive about my Amazon rankings this time. Mostly because I've truly proven over the last year that they don't mean a whole lot. Do I like to see those low digits? Sure. I always do a little happy dance in my chair when I can tell that someone bought another one. But it's still just pixels, ghosts in the machine.

A lot of other people had great releases on the same day. Carolyn Crane summed it up pretty nicely over at The League, so I'll just say go check her post out, and just use it like a shopping list. I myself bought HOUNDED and HEXED by Kevin Hearne today (they were out of HAMMERED, the big goobers, so I had to reserve one from the next batch). I also bought MY LIFE AS A WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE, then sat down and devoured it in three hours. (devoured...zombie... get it? Never mind.) Even I, the confessed zombie-phobe, loved it.

For those who just can't get enough of me... (oh come, on that's all of you. There's what, four of you now?)

Over at The Other Side of the Story, I talk about writing description. And at Dark Faerie Tales, Axel gives his view of Kansas City, plus you can win my books! Definitely keep checking back at Dark Faerie Tales and at All Things Urban Fantasy for their Deadly Destinations event all through the month of July. Your favorite UF characters give you tours of their worlds and there are giveaways galore.

I'll be popping up in a few more places around the Interwebz, but I'll link those as they come.

There have also been some great reviews for A SHOT IN THE DARK, but I won't link them all here. (though a part of me wants to go buy each and every one of those reviewers a steak dinner) ((Seriously. I know good steak.))

I just want to thank everyone who went out and bought the books, who read them, who recommended them... I always say that I would have kept writing, even if I'd never been published, but when it comes right down to it, having people read what I write is the true reward. This would be a very lonely endeavor without all of YOU.

Yes, you. You there. No, not you. You. Yes.

Ahem. Anyway.

Still getting trailing feedback in from my betas on Book 3 (which is in DIRE need of a title, so if anyone thinks of one...) but I think I'm pretty settled on what changes I need/want to make. Mostly, my betas are confirming the weaknesses I already saw, bless them, and I think the end project will be a zillion times better. It always is, when my betas get involved.

So, a bit more work, and then I'll have officially completed this contract. People keep asking me, "Will there be more than three JJD novels?" Short answer: Gosh, I hope so. Long answer: Haven't talked to anyone about that yet. Hope so. Really really hope so. Y'all will be the...well, probably fourth or fifth to know, but you know what I mean.

What is a Beta?

2011-06-19T18:53:00.004-05:00

((Cross-posted at The League))

Since I announced that I’d finished Book 3 a few weeks ago and turned it over to my betas, I’ve had several questions that I thought deserved bigger answers than Twitter or Facebook would allow. So here we go.

No, a beta reader is not an overly aggressive fish with a love of literature.

Nor is it a person who divines the future by reading the entrails of said overly aggressive fish. (though a part of me now wants to put such a person in a book of some kind)

And please realize that if you ask a dozen different writers what a beta reader is, you’re likely to get a dozen different answers. (And if you ask the Leaguers, not all of those answers will be safe for work.) So what follows is really just a small example of what my betas do for me.

First, I have what I call my Alpha-Betas. This is a grand total of two people who read every word almost as soon as I set it on the paper (computer). Their purpose is to help me during the writing process. They work me past sticky plot problems, murky character developments, and guide me when I take a completely wrong turn. One of them is a high school English teacher, and the other has a Masters of Information degree (I think here in the States, it would be a Master of Library Sciences, but his way sounds cooler) and has read more classical literature then I even knew existed. They bring a wealth of knowledge and writing skill to the table. They’re the ones who get to put up with me whining “It’s not working and I just don’t know whhhhhhhyyyyyy!”

Once I have the first draft completed, I then send the book off to my regular betas. They come from a zillion different backgrounds. They are a web designer, an IT consultant, a bouncer, a factory worker, a theology student, a doctor and half a dozen other authors in various genres. But they all have one thing in common. They are readers. Like me, they read anything they can get their hands on.

When I send them the book, I give them instructions. Usually saying things like “Chapter 16 sucks, but I don’t know why.” Or “I’m worried that the first three chapters are too slow.” And very often “Did you follow event XYZ okay? I’m not sure I was even making sense at that point.”

They read for flow, for pacing. They read for continuity. They read to find me the places where I just didn’t explain myself as well as I think I did. They read to locate the points where my characters just aren’t acting like themselves. They tell me what parts they want to know more about, and what parts just stuck out because they didn’t belong.

It’s not fun, beta reading. It’s actually hard work. The easy part would be to read the book like a book, getting lost in the story. It’s much more difficult to read and deliberately hold yourself out of it, searching for the chinks and flaws between the words. But they do it for me every time. In fact, this crop of beta readers has been with me through four books now. Some of them have even read pieces of more books than that. I ask them to read for me over and over again because I know that they take it seriously, and because I know what kind of feedback I will get from them. The things they tell me are important. Even if I don’t agree with it all, it always makes me think and that’s the key part. If one person finds something wrong, others will also find that same part, and I need to decide how to address that.

Often, I get people asking “Can I be your beta reader?” Most of these people ask because they’re super excited about my writing, and they just can’t wait to see what comes next! They want to help! And that’s awesome. It makes me feel good that there are people who are so in touch with my characters that they’d volunteer to work on a book instead of just enjoy it.

Most of the time, though, I turn them down. It’s not because I don’t like them, or because I don’t think they could do the job. But really, the crew I have is enough feedback for me at the moment. I get a variety of opinions and notes, ranging from plot progression to grammar and syntax, and they’ve never failed to point me in the right direction.

Occasionally, one of my betas drops out due to time constraints. (Contrary to my own belief, they have lives/jobs/writing deadlines of their own, and they can’t always drop everything to read through my drivel) In those cases, I will sometimes reach out and try to find a new reader. If that reader provides helpful feedback, then I’ll usually keep them on for the next one. But more often than not, I choose a new reader and then I never hear back from them. Sad, but true. Those are the ones who just want to read a book before it comes out, but they don’t want to do the work to help make it the best it could be.

So for those who would love to be a beta reader (not just for me, but for anyone), remember that it’s work, and that the writer is relying on you. Simply telling them “It’s great, I loved it!” – while wonderful for the ego – is actually not as helpful as one might think. We need to know the parts that aren’t great, and when a person is a super-fan, they have a hard time pointing those places out. (Which is why I don’t beta read for a certain author-friend of mine. Flat out told her, I’m too big a fan to be useful to you.)

Hope this clears up some of the questions people have about beta readers. (If it doesn’t, I obviously should have run it past my betas first.)

Booooook Fooooooort!!!!

2011-06-17T17:55:00.006-05:00

Got my author copies today, and you know what that means!

Book Fort!

Well, okay, this one is vaguely castle-like, but I think my architectural skills have improved since last year, don't you?

And now to catch up with folk.

I finished the first draft of the still-untitled Book 3 a couple of weekends ago, and now it is in the hands of my overworked but much-appreciated betas. And since I've been getting this question a lot, I'm planning a blog post soon on just what a beta is and does.

In the meantime, since I can't revise book 3 until they get back to me no matter how badly I want to, I have pulled Muse out of the pile and I'm going to start rewriting it based on the feedback The Agent gave me oh so many moons ago. I'm still excited about this one, and I think the rewrite is just going to make it that much more awesome.

We're 18 days away from A SHOT IN THE DARK's official release date, and around that time I'll be doing guest blogs at a variety of places. (Provided I sit my butt down tomorrow and write them!) I'll keep you posted on where and when to find me around the interwebz!

And last but never ever least, I want to introduce you to a new blog started by my very own Alpha-Beta, Chie. Visit her over at the Geek Pantry, and learn why it's a good thing she lives several states away from me (or I'd weigh about 800 pounds). She's a phenomenal cook, and has even managed to teach hopeless me a few things that won't poison my family. Go! Learn! Cook! Eat!

Eleven Years

2011-05-19T22:11:00.002-05:00

((Cross posted at The League of Reluctant Adults))

Fair warning, sappiness ahead. Batten down the hatches, pump out the bilges, roll up the trousers, all that stuff.

As predicted a month ago (I must be psychic!), today is my eleventh wedding anniversary. Or, as I like to say, it's been eleven years and I still haven't killed him yet. Not for lack of trying, grant you. I mean, I did hit the man with a car. Twice. (And he still agreed to marry me anyway. What's that about?) You'd think, after the first time, that he'd have moved.

In fact, if you peer farther into the past (my editor has given up teaching me the difference between farther and further, btw) we were best friends even longer than that. Six years before we were ever a couple, for a grand total of eighteen years. Wow, now I feel old.

It's at times like these that I like to stop and think about how very different my life would have been without him. And I mean more than just the "well, I wouldn't have had my daughter without him" or the "I'd be married to someone else" kinda stuff.

First and foremost, the Jesse James Dawson series would not exist without my hubby. My motivation came from him, from his desire to see the kind of hero he wanted to see. The story idea was his, hashed out between the two of us over a very fateful anniversary dinner quite a few years ago. (Full circle, see?)

But more than just the one series, he helps me with all aspects of my writing. He's the best brainstorming partner I've ever had, mostly because he knows how to ask the right questions to get me thinking. He's my motivator when I'm slacking, my cheerleader when I'm down. While I know that Jesse wouldn't exist without him, I can also say that I'm not sure I'd be writing at all without him.

Writing itself can be a very lonely occupation. A writer spends a lot of time wandering around inside their own skull, and while it's usually peopled with lots of interesting creatures and situations, it makes it hard to find objectivity. Too many of those voices in there say things like "you suck" and "this is impossible" and my personal favorite "why bother?"

I think every writer needs a support network, even if it's just one person. Someone to say "Hey, just keep trying" or "maybe try it a different way". Someone to shout louder than the voices that say "this is hard, just give up."

My support network is huge, I admit this. I have the League, I have the Purgies, I have my family and my friends. But first and foremost, before I had any of that, I had my hubby.

So on my anniversary, my hope for all writers, and for everyone really, is that you find that one person who will keep you aimed toward your chosen goal when you're ready to quit. Be it a friend, a mentor, a husband or wife, a pen-pal, I hope you all find the support we all need. Because in the end, it's worth it.

And the winner is...

2011-05-16T17:07:00.002-05:00

As promised, as of 5 p.m. today, I have chosen a winner (with the aid of a handy-dandy random number generator). And believe it or not, today, it pays to be fast!

Our winner of A SHOT IN THE DARK's ARC is: (drum roll)

Commenter #1 - Trey!

Trey, congratulations! Please email me your address at kari(dot)stewart21(at)gmail(dot)com. Also, let me know how you'd like it signed.

I'm hoping to be able to do a another give-away once my author copies come in, so anyone who didn't win, stay tuned!

The ARC, the ARC, the ARC is on fire!

2011-05-09T20:16:00.003-05:00

Okay, no the ARC is not on fire. That would be sad, considering that I only have one to give away. (I did, however, set my back yard on fire over the weekend, but that's a story for another time)

But, I am hoping that someone considers an ARC of A SHOT IN THE DARK a smokin' hot commodity.

So here we go, folk! Leave a comment here on the blog (Sorry, Facebook and Twitter do not count) to enter. That's it. So simple! Tell your friends, get them to enter, that way if they win, they might let you borrow it too!

The contest will go until 5 p.m. NEXT Monday evening (5/16) because I think more nice things should happen on Mondays. And what could be nicer than finding out you won an ARC of A SHOT IN THE DARK!!!

(I'll leave it to you to imagine me saying that in an appropriately epic monster truck rally announcer voice)

Remember, all you have to do is leave a comment HERE, on this post. Easy as...oh...selling your soul.

Life Has Been Good To Me

2011-05-06T20:57:00.004-05:00

3rd Rock From the Sun was one of those shows I always thought was under-appreciated in its time. And my all-time favorite episode was the one where they learned to dream. Here's my favorite number:

And honestly, can't we all just see Axel dressed in a zoot suit dancing around like this?

Jesse Dawson Goes to Jail

2011-05-04T18:13:00.001-05:00

A high school friend of mine wrote this blog post, and I thought I'd share it with you all. It made me smile.

Jesse James Dawson vs. The Andrew County Experience

Happy Release Day!

2011-05-03T17:28:00.003-05:00

Got a couple (well, ok, way more than a couple, but only a couple that I'm mentioning here today) new releases out today!

First off, huge congrats to fellow Leaguer, Kevin Hearne, for his debut HOUNDED!

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Now doesn't that just sound freakin' awesome? (And how do you not like a guy named Atticus?) Also note that the sequels to this, HEXED and HAMMERED will be releasing back-to-back over the next two months. In fact, HAMMERED will be a release-day sibling of A SHOT IN THE DARK!

My other awesome release to pimp today is by my friend Abner Senires! You might remember Abner, he's the one who kindly escorted "me" around Comic-Con last year.

This picture is him with my fabulous editor, Anne Sowards.

Now, Abner writes an online serial about Kat and Mouse, guns for hire. And he's collected the first "season" in novel form! (He sent me one! Be jealous!)

2042. Bay City, California Free State. Kat and Mouse are ronin--street mercenaries--who like cake runs. Simple jobs with quick and large payouts. That's what these were supposed to be. Cake runs. But when the Duo sign on, they suddenly find themselves targeted by a biker gang, a team of corporate commandos, a cybernetically-enhanced special ops agent, a stalker, a band of kidnappers, and a Japanese crime syndicate. And they all want the Duo out of the way. Permanently. Now these sassy sisters-in-arms must survive the onslaught and still get the jobs done. Because in the Biz, it's get paid or get dead. As usual, Kat and Mouse are going to do things their way. Heaven help Bay City...

Now if this doesn't give you all something to read for the next few days, I'm just not sure what to do with you.

Things that make me smile

2011-04-22T18:00:00.006-05:00

Just dropping by to show off yet another musical smile-inducer. I wish I had an ounce of this boy's talent.

I was a teenage Wolfrider

2011-04-16T10:32:00.004-05:00

Y’know how sometimes, something just keeps popping up into your conversations. And it’s from all different sources, so it’s not like it’s all you, or that anyone planned it. Just one thing keeps reminding you of its existence, over and over and over. Persistent little bugger.

Well, that’s how ElfQuest has been for me, this past week. Seems like, no matter where I turn, someone is mentioning it. And it’s not even people I knew were fans! We’re wider spread than I ever imagined.

So today, we’re talking about ElfQuest! Now, the majority of you are probably thinking “What?” So lemme explain. No, there is too much. Lemme sum up.

Once upon a time, this husband and wife team (Wendy and Richard Pini) dreamed up this nifty little comic. It was about elves and wolves and trolls. They put it out in black and white, then in color, then in graphic novel form. There were anthologies, telling stories of all the chiefs who came before Cutter. (My personal favorite story from the second of that series was one called "Summer Tag" by Allen L. Wold. That book is long gone, sadly, but I remember it so well.) There have been spin offs, and RPGs, and board games (which I have, never fear). There were pewter figurines to be painted. (Of which I have two sets. Unpainted) There has been talk of movies, of Saturday morning cartoons, and every time those fall by the wayside, we all felt a little sadder.

I was probably…oh…seven? Eight?...when I discovered EQ. I distinctly remember the day. I was out with my grandmother, in Woolworths (yes, my town still had one at that point) and on their little rotating comic rack, I spotted this cover with a pointy-eared blond fellow, on wolfback, apparently kidnapping this dark-skinned beauty and threatening another fellow with a sword. (This would be the "Raid at Sorrow's End" issue, for those who would recognize it) It looked so freakin' awesome!!! And because my grandmother spoiled me rotten, I got it.

I never missed an issue after that. All the way through the fight for the palace, every time a new one came out, I'd snatch it up and go hide in my room, re-reading them all over and over again. (And yes, I was still pretty young when the infamous "orgy" scene was printed. No, I didn't notice anything amiss)

Did I mention that I was a really lonely kid? I mean, we didn't even have any neighbors with kids (within bike-riding distance) until I was in fourth grade. I had 50 acres of forest, and an overactive imagination. ElfQuest was PERFECT for me. I was a WOLFRIDER!

I can't tell you how many hours I spent running around in the woods, usually dressed in some bizarre homemade costumes, always armed with my very real skinning knife and bow. I built my own Holt. (sort of) I knew my own soulname. (oh come on, you did it too) To this day, I can recite the chief's lineage from Timmain, all the way down to Ember.

The Wolfriders shaped a good deal of my childhood, and even now I'm sure my friends would tell you that's where I got my very "pack-oriented" mentality. I can tell you which of my friends would belong to which tribes. (Hubby is a Go-Back, through and through. Best friend, probably one of the Sunfolk. Kiddo's a Wolfrider, like me)

Now,I have...well, pretty much every ElfQuest thing you could imagine, though not nearly all the things that were put out at its height. I hope to get my daughter into it, someday. But for those who don't have access to the comics/graphic novels (long out of print, I'm afraid), the Pinis have graciously put EVERY SINGLE ISSUE up online. For free. Seriously.

And now that I've lost the last hour in reading old EQ issues instead of hunting up pictures for this post like I was supposed to be... Oi. It's addictive.

Because of my exposure to ElfQuest, I've fanatically followed Wendy Pini's work. I have both of her Beauty & The Beast graphic novels (y'know, from the old TV show, yet another of my obsessions). I ate up every installment of her Masque of the Red Death (Not kid safe, folks). I'm not the only major fan. Recently, someone released a fan trailer, a live-action imagining of what a movie might look like. (I was pleased to note that I could name every character there, though not all of them existed at the same time in canon)

I have several fondest wishes revolving around my EQ love. First and foremost would be an EQ movie. Cartoon, live action, whatever, just don't screw it up. Second would be an online MMORPG based on EQ. GODS I would love to see that. And third, and it's one of my worst-kept secrets... One day, I would love to have Wendy Pini do the graphic novel of Muse. And since Muse is still on my list to rewrite, later this year, that one's truly a wish only. But it would freakin' ROCK.

And since I know you're all wondering... Nightfall was my favorite. No magic, but fierce and loyal as hell.

But Strongbow was the hottest.

A Quandary

2011-03-30T18:42:00.002-05:00

Once again, I have been remiss in my bloggerly duties. However, since I have been in the midst of writing Book 3 (as yet untitled), I hope you'll forgive me.

And speaking of upcoming books... I have ARCs of A SHOT IN THE DARK! Well...more precisely, I have one that I'm willing to part with.

But how? By what esoteric method can I choose the recipient of this one and only single lonely ARC? And therein lies my quandary.

So let me know, folks! What kind of give-away do you want to see? Just a random commenter chosen? Something you have to work for? Let me know what kind of things you like to see in online contests.

Giving What We Can

2011-03-15T21:44:00.002-05:00

Unless you've been living under a rock, I'm sure everyone is aware of the devastation in Japan over the past week. I know that even with film footage and photographs, it's still hard to wrap my brain around the enormity of what's happened.

At times like this, we often think, "What can I do to help?"

Those of us at the League of Reluctant Adults have put our writerly brains together, and come up with a way to contribute not only to Japan, but to our fellow writers.

Currently on Ebay, there are two auctions up. Members of the League have been divided into two teams (Team Claw and Team Fang) and we are offering to be a crit group for a day to the winning bidders. The winning bidders will get to submit a synopsis and pages up to 6000 words on any fiction project, and we will each give you our personal thoughts on your work. You can find more details on the auctions themselves.

Team Claw consists of Sonya Bateman, Michele Bardsley, Carolyn Crane, Kevin Hearne, Jackie Kessler, Diana Rowland and Jeanne Stein.

Team Fang consists of Mario Acevedo, Dakota Cassidy, Stacia Kane, JF Lewis, Nicole Peeler, Anton Strout, and ME!

Proceeds from the auctions will go to the Red Cross to benefit Japan.

I'm not dead yet!

2011-03-14T19:55:00.002-05:00

But man, sometimes I wonder.

Between weather, real life tragedies for people I love dearly, and just flat out feeling like warmed over donkey poo, I haven't been posting like I should.

The line for the flogging forms to the right.

However, my silence hasn't been entirely unproductive! In the interim, I have managed to receive and complete my page proofs for A SHOT IN THE DARK. What that means is, IT'S DONE!! Boo-yah! Hopefully we'll see ARCs soon, and the release date is creeping up faster than you realize.

I am also diligently working on the as-yet-untitled Book 3. I'm about 30K words into it, and less than halfway through my first draft, so I'm hoping this means my final word count will be closer to what it the final polished count needs to be. Every time, my first drafts are cleaner. Maybe that means I'm figuring this writing thing out.

I have a few entries for Kari's Critiques sitting in my email box, waiting for my loving attention, and I'll try to have those up for class on Friday. Things just haven't been working out schedule-wise for my kids/their teacher. Hopefully, stuff will settle down soon.

AND, for anyone who might want me to come babble at THEIR blog (I take off my shoes at the door, and I'm house-trained, I promise), shoot me an email at kari(dot)stewart21(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm trying to get things scheduled ahead of time so I have enough time to write nice, thoughtful posts and/or interviews for anyone who wants them.

New Cover Art!

2011-02-22T17:08:00.002-06:00

Nope, not mine. This cover art belongs to a very sassy lady, who is very dear to me. I give you POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil!

Here is the synopsis, via Goodreads:

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her overprotective mom, by the hunky son of the police officer who got her father killed, and by the eerie voices which she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Turns out the voices are demons--the Biblical kind, not the Buffy kind--and Bridget possesses the rare ability to banish them.

San Francisco's senior exorcist and his newly assigned partner from the Vatican enlist Bridget's help with increasingly bizarre and dangerous cases of demonic possession. But when one of Bridget's oldest friends turns up dead in a ritualistic sacrifice that mirrors her father's murder, Bridget realizes she can't trust anyone. An interview with her father's murderer reveals a link between Bridget and the Emim: a race of part-demons intent on raising their forefathers to the earth in human form. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the Emim's plan before someone else close to her winds up dead, or worse--the human vessel for a Demon King.

Trust me when I say that on August 23rd, I will be first in line for this amazing book.

Happy Release Day!

2011-02-21T19:37:00.002-06:00

Ok, technically it's tomorrow, but a happy early release day to my fellow Leaguer, Anton Strout!

Dead Waters, the fourth book in his Simon Canderous series, hits shelves tomorrow. Go, buy, read, love!

Other recent/upcoming releases to look out for:

Play Dead, the fourth Dog Days novel by John Levitt. I desperately love this series, largely because of the unique way the main character approaches his magic. Wonderful reads, and this most recent installment is available now!

And coming up March 1st, we have Blackout, the sixth book in Rob Thurman's Cal Leandros series. (Yes, I have a series fetish. Sue me.)

March 1st also gives us River Marked, the latest in Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. Dying to read this one.

Kari's Critiques, part 2

2011-02-13T12:04:00.003-06:00

Well, our usual Friday critique feature got derailed by illness. Yes, I'm currently living in a house of plague. I've hung a sign on the door that says "unclean" and everything.

That said, here are this week's writing samples, better late than never.

~*!*~
Excerpt 4:

The ribald and paternalistic old man was quick to insult the young paper boy who accidentally threw the Sunday morning paper on the roof. “How could you throw the paper onto my roof?!” screamed the old man. “You are an idiot! A poltroon! A proselyte of the paper delivery industry!” The old man was one of those people who used a lexicon of rare and confusing words, this was his forte. Throwing papers, on the other hand, was not the boy’s forte. He always had trouble tossing papers onto porches, and very often they went down drains, into bushes, and onto roofs.

“I am sorry, sir,” said the boy. “I will get you another paper, sir, I promise.” “I do not want another paper!” replied the old man. “I want THAT paper!” he said, pointing towards his roof. “The one that you ignorantly threw on top of my house!” “I am sorry, sir! But I cannot get that paper for you,” said the boy in a lachrymose tone. “Oh, you will, my boy! You will,” said the old man, “Or I will apprise the paper company that you are stealing papers!” “No, sir! Please! Do not do that! I will get your paper, I promise!” said the boy. “And I trust that today’s delivery will be gratis, correct? A free paper?” “Whatever you want sir, I just cannot lose my job!” cried the boy. The boy became victim of the old man’s rapacity. “Come, I will get you my ladder,” instructed the old man.
For Bobby, the daily paper route was the only way for him to save up money, and every day on this route was an adventure.

First, I promise you that no one knows what “lachrymose” means. I had to look it up myself. Mournful is much better.

This is a good chance to point out voice. It appears to me that your story is told from the point of view of Bobby, the paper boy. I totally believe that this grumpy old man would use words like “poltroon” and “proselyte”, words that speak to his older generation. I have a harder time believing that Bobby would use words like “ribald and paternalistic”. However, I could also see this playing out that because of the old man and his big words (it’s mentioned) that Bobby has taken it upon himself to learn bigger words as a result. It could add an interesting level to the story, watching him look up things the old man has shouted at him.

In the second paragraph, you’ve got a lot of dialogue going on here, very quickly. I might suggest breaking it up more, using paragraph breaks when it switches speakers, just for the ease of the reader. Even without dialogue tags (“said the boy”, “cried the boy”) it can help you keep track of who is speaking.

I’d like more clues as to how old Bobby is. He seems very young to me (an older boy, a teen, would have responded more aggressively, I think) and so it makes me wonder, what does a child of that age need money for? I’m interested in what can be so important to him that he puts up with this abuse.

I’d also like to know what time period this is set in. The lack of contractions on Bobby’s part (cannot, do not) makes it feel older to me. If that’s your intent, you’ve got a lot of good places in here to add some descriptions of clothing, or neighborhood, that could clue us into that.

~*!*~
Excerpt 5:

Oh My Gosh! All I can hear is the beeping and it refuses to stop. It was a long night, I can remember that much. I had finally fallen asleep and I had to get back up. Welcome to another day in the life of a high school senior.

I hit snooze, “Just five more minutes,” I mumbled under my breath as I fell back into the pillow. Before I know it, the beeping goes off again. I consider skipping the day and staying n bed but my upcoming Physics test haunts me.

I roll out of bed, throw on some sweats and a random tee, brush my teeth and head out the door. As I get into my car, I realized my English midterm is due today, and I have been procrastinating. Guess I’ll try and complete it in band while I pretend to play.

Next thing you know, POP QUIZ! Since when do we have quizzes in Spanish? Here comes another big fat F! Hopefully my next class will be easy, study hall as a teacher’s aide. My wish was wrong. Grading little freshman tests for the next 45 minutes. I grab my red pen and jump right in to find way too many failing papers. I feel bad but hey, I’m not the one that didn’t study, at least not yet, my Physics test is tomorrow.

I leave school and head to my safe haven, my car. I tell myself, “Just a few more months, don’t fall into the senioritis path yet. I will be over soon enough…I hope” I drive out of the school parking lot and towards home to attempt to push myself to do homework and study. Here’s to another long night!

First thing I’ll say is watch your tenses. It seems to me that you’re trying to write this in present tense, which is totally doable. (Have you read the Hunger Games trilogy? All done in present tense) But you waver in a few places into past tense. For example, in the second paragraph, you say “I mumbled” instead of “I mumble”. Tenses are hard! I know professional authors who find themselves drifting into a tense they didn’t intend. It’s just one of those things, if you know you do it, you have to be watchful for it in your edits (or have a great beta reader who can help you catch the slips).

You go through an entire school day very quickly here, and at first I wasn’t sure what the point of it all was. Then, I get to the last paragraph, and I see the remark about senioritis, and suddenly, it all made sense to me. I think you could totally do an entire story about a senior in high school, battling to find some meaning to his/her final year. It could be a really good story, in fact.

If that’s your route, I suggest opening a bit slower. The reader needs to become engaged with your character, we need a reason to keep wanting to live his life with him. (I’m saying “him”, ’cause there’s really no clue as to the gender of the narrator, but the voice feels more male to me.) Starting the story with him whizzing through yet ANOTHER boring day isn’t a bad way to go at all. We get the idea what it’s all starting to blur together for him, that the homework and tests have ceased to have meaning. We understand that he sees himself falling into this “senioritis” and that he wants to fight against that drift. I would just expand on it a bit, add in some interaction with other students maybe. Lay some groundwork as to whether all seniors feel like this, or just some. Your narrator doesn’t live in a vacuum, so we need to see how he moves within the world around him.

~*!*~
Excerpt 6:

You did not deserve to be badgered by my immature act for attention. You did not deserve the guilt you felt for the scars on my wrist. The demon inside me delivered a philippic day in and day out. Again I am sorry for my insecurities. Although I will never know if you have forgiven me for my mistakes, I will never be able to forgive you for your revenge. I was vulnerable, lost and lonely and you took advantage of that. My self-respect was downright diaphanous. You fed me the right words to overshadow my common sense. You used brutal humor to bring me down but then used cunning words to apologize. In my mind the good began to outweigh the bad. I began to place you on a pedestal; you were my knight in shining armor. Yet you were my mangled knight; I had broken you so bad that in my mind I needed to fix you. I then began to immure myself from my friends; to me they would never understand my guilt. To me at one point you were all I had. When the monster forcibly stole my self-esteem you were the one I turned too. You were my light in the darken hallway, you began to build up my self-esteem again and you had given me a reason to not give up.

There’s a lot of emotion going into this. Very stream-of-consciousness in a way. I would normally say that this needs paragraph breaks to make it easier to follow, but in a way, it also doesn’t. It’s the rambling of an agitated mind, and so running it all together like this does make a certain kind of sense.

I’m intrigued by the use of the world philippic. It’s not a common word, and most people would probably have to look it up (note for readers: It means a bitter denunciation), so normally I would say strike it and use something else. However, with the voice you’ve created here, it doesn’t totally jerk me out of the narrative. This person sounds educated, coherent, logical, even amidst all the distress. The word works.

I’m not sure, reading through this, if the “you” person is supposed to be a good person or a bad person. And maybe that’s because the narrator doesn’t know herself. (again, there’s no clue as to gender, but the voice just feels female to me) It sounds like they were involved in a very complex, very damaged relationship.

I would like to see this as the opening to a more traditional story. This feels almost like a journal/diary entry to me, and I could see sections like this interspersed throughout a more conventional narrative, following this girl and whatever personal demons she’s battling. That way, we get the true story, and then we get to see how it played out inside her mind as well. Done correctly, it could be very powerful.

~*!*~
Excerpt 7:

Talos was very upset. He paced an abandoned courtyard with no where better to go despite the heavy rain. He conjured a sword and gripped the hilt tightly. Its blade immediately heated till it was red, reflecting his mood. The rain turned steam as it hit the metal. His brown hair and his clothes were drenched. His knee-length dark blue coat had scars to match his. Its bottom edges were burnt and seared, damage done the day his wife died. Talos thought about last four years as he stalked the same path again and again.

Four years ago Talos and Illia, his wife, took in two young Brands, Wil and Fari. They taught the two as they did with countless other. This much Talos expected of himself, the newly Branded deserved to understand their new powers. Talos and Illia had mentored young Brands for almost a century, but they never got involved past that. But then he and Illia became champions of Wil and Fari’s foolish cause. As near-immortals Talos and Illia had lived apart from the troubles of the world. When they finally got involved Talos was left alone, left with all the troubles of the world.

They had died one by one. First Fari died in fight with another Brand, who was then killed by Wil. Almost a year and a half later Wil himself died in battle during a long campaign to avenge his love. Then half a year after that Illia died saving Talos. Poor Illia, Talos thought.

Talos could not believe that she was gone. They were supposed to live forever, not worrying about the turmoil around them. If only he had not given to her when she wanted to help Wil and Fari. If only he had died instead of her. If only -

Then it hit him, hard enough that he stumbled and his sword slipped from his fingers, dissipating before it hit the ground. It was no longer raining and the sun shined more brightly than usual. Talos was not alone in the courtyard anymore. Illia stood in front of him. She wore her dark brown jacket with frilled cuffs protruding from the ends of the sleeves. Her curly blonde hair looked wild while perfectly under control. Best of all were her eyes, large beautiful pools that Talos could lose himself in. Illia grinned and shook her head, as she did when Talos was making a fool out of himself. Then she reached out and touched his face, the touch made him gasp. The cold damp air shook him from the vision, and he was back in the rainy courtyard.

Talos breathed heavily, clouds shooting from his mouth in spurts. He now understood that these were events of the past and that they weren’t changing. He could blame himself for Illia’s death, but where the blame lies doesn’t matter. Talos never lived up to the image of an aged immortal; the years had granted him neither wisdom nor temperance. But now he was resolute, and he knew that nothing would get better unless he fought for it. That idea was what made the others die for cause that he never devoted himself to. Now all of that was about to change.

Holy epic fantasy, Batman! A genre near and dear to my heart.

Gonna start with that first sentence, and talk about show vs. tell. You tell us that Talos is upset, but you could show us instead. Especially when there’s so many different KINDS of upset. Is he angry? Is he sad? Is he embarrassed? Let us see how he’s feeling at that moment, and we’ll figure out that he’s upset for ourselves.

Love the image of him conjuring a sword and heating it red hot in the rain. That simple action tells us SO much about this world right from the start. Also love the part where he drops the sword and it dissipates before it hits the ground. A good magic system so far, I’m interested to see what else is possible.

I have to say, I’m intrigued by this world you’ve started building. The Brands imply that this is something special, something important. I like the idea that these near-immortals got drawn into a very human war that they never intended to fight. You’ve got a TON of story potential here. It almost makes me feel like this is a Book 2 of a series. You’ve got enough backstory to make an entire novel out of what came before.

That said, be careful with dumping backstory on your reader like this. You’ve included a lot of facts and events which could be trickled into the story later instead of just heaped on all at once. If this were a Book 2, then the info-dump recap of past events would work, to remind the reader what had come before. But if you want this as a first book, doling it out in pieces might work better.

Your character’s resolution in the last paragraph seems to come on suddenly. I’d personally like to see him struggle with it a bit more, or at least get the sense that the struggle has been going on for some time before this moment. Love the idea that he has “neither wisdom nor temperance”. For another look at an immortal who never mastered the benevolent sage concept, try reading Brent Weeks’s Night Angel trilogy.

~*!*~

Again, the kids have delivered an amazing range of work! Everyone give them some applause for their courage. Like always, anyone is free to add opinions in the comments, but anything cruel or hurtful will be deleted, and I will curse you with the fleas of a thousand camels in your belly button.

Baby, it's COLD outside!

2011-02-08T17:24:00.005-06:00

Due to inclement weather, our critiques last week had to be postponed. Hard to hang out with the schoolkids when they're not in school, savvy? Hopefully, we'll get that up and running again this Friday.

As always, I fully intend to post more here. I even have a few topics in mind, but if there's anything anyone wants to see me babble about, be sure to leave a comment. Also, over at the League of Reluctant Adults, we're getting organized and productive, so expect to see more posts there, including from yours truly. (that's me, in case you didn't know)

In other me news, I received/completed/turned in my copy edits on A SHOT IN THE DARK. They seemed easier this time. I don't know if it's just because I knew what to expect, or because I consciously tried to write this book with the last book's experiences in mind. Either way, I'm very pleased with the result.

Next on that agenda will be the galleys, and then that book will officially be in the can! Now if I can just get back to writing book 3. Seems like every time I turn around, something is interfering. The Real Job(tm) is very busy at the moment, and at home, my beloved computer has started the slow wheeze toward that big motherboard in the sky. Hopefully, it'll hold out long enough that I can decide if I'm going to replace the whole computer, or just the harddrive.

So while I'm figuring out the answer to life, the universe, and everything, I leave you with a few musical things that tickled my fancy. You may have noticed that music is one of the key influences in my life, and I am fascinated by those who manage to produce it. Once upon a time, I used to sing, but as a result of my throat surgery about five years ago, I no longer have the range I once had. I don't sound like a croaking frog, by any means, but I do miss what is gone.

So here. Music stuff that made me giggle:

Kari's Critiques, part 1

2011-01-27T19:42:00.003-06:00

As promised, this week we start something new here on the blog. For those who weren't around for the "Kari's Queries" series, I have a beta-reader who is a high school English teacher. She has so very kindly loaned me her kids. Er... Sort of.

For the Queries series, the kids got to ask me any question they wanted, whether it was about writing, or life, or whatever. I like to think we all learned a lot and are now better people for it. (or something.)

So now, those kids are bravely going to submit to me a small snippet of their own writing, and I'm gonna give a small critique. I'll do a few every week, just like with the Queries.

Now, keep in mind that these critiques are just my own opinion. The one thing you learn as a writer is that EVERYthing is subjective. In fact, I think most writers hear that in their sleep. One of the greatest (and most frustrating) things about writing is that there are NO iron-clad rules. People will tell you that there are, but you can almost always turn around and find an opposing example. My best advice for any author receiving a critique is to listen to the parts that strike a chord with you, and politely ignore the rest.

Anyone else is welcome to add their own opinions in the comments, but I ask that folk remember these are high school kids, and they've taken that HUGE first step of letting someone else see something they've written. Any overly harsh comments will be deleted. I'm going for constructive here, folks, not cruel.

And with that said, here we go!

~*!*~

Excerpt 1:

Kaylin was running through the swords clashing around her. She could hear her brother screaming somewhere ahead of her but just could not see through the throng of people. “Jay! Where are you?” She was scared to death but all she could concentrate on was the fact that Jaykob ran off even though he was given specific instructions to stay by her side. It’s funny really, the things that go through the mind when disaster strikes. “That little twerp, when I get my hands on him…” Kaylin continued to grumble to herself, mapping out the many things she would love to do to her younger brother. She was still dodging the swordsmen sparring around her. They weren’t the disaster, not really anyway. The real disaster was what was waiting outside the walls of the fortress in which they were being sheltered. He just hoped she could reach her brother before the security in place was breached. She could never live with herself if she lost her little brother. Even worse was the fact that she would be betraying her mother.

“Kaylin, I expect you to take care of Jay. He looks up to you, you know that.” Kaylin looked to her feet, knowing her mom spoke the truth, but she couldn’t let her mom know that she didn’t know how to take care of him, to protect him. She held her mom’s trembling hand as tightly as she dared and gave a stiff nod, willing herself not to cry. Not here, in front of her mother. Death’s doorstep would be hard enough without watching the tears of your daughter too. Despite her fears and insecurities, Kaylin was determined to be the best big sister for Jaykob. Even at seventeen, she knew it was never as easy as you make it out to be.

Part of me is wondering why, if she can hear her brother screaming, no one else is paying attention to it. If the swordsmen are just sparring (ie: It’s not an actual battle going on) it seems to me that the adults would be paying more attention to a screaming child. If there is an actual battle (as indicated by the fear that security might be breached) then it makes more sense that no one is paying attention to one child.

Another thing I noticed is that this seems to be set in a medieval time (swords, a fortress, that sort of thing) but the main character’s voice seems rather modern. The one word in particular that catches my eye is “mom”. It seems a very modern word, compared to the rest of the piece. Maybe think of “mother” or even “Mama” instead. Voice is one of those elusive things that will make or break a piece, and it’s even harder to pin down just what is “right”. (Now, if you tell me this IS a modern piece, but in a world where we’ve had to regress technology-wise to swords and fortresses, then the use of “mom” would be expected, and would also make a really interesting twist to the premise) ((Yes, this is how my brain works. My apologies.))

With a small excerpt like this, it’s harder to comment on larger story-type issues. I know that I’m dying to know what the soldiers are fighting (Other men, like two rival armies? Something worse?). I want to know what’s outside the fortress walls that she fears so. So you’ve succeeded in making me want to know more! Which is all a story is, really, one person wanting to know more so they read on.

I also might caution using the spellings of the two names so similarly. For someone who reads as fast as I do, Jaykob and Kaylin have very similar sounds and shapes, and I have to slow down to consciously see which one you’re talking about. Removing the “y” from either name would solve the problem.

~*!*~

Excerpt 2:

He walked alone along the foggy gray street. His worn boots patted rhythmically on the ash that covered the road below. He had been walking for weeks, months, maybe even a year, he could not tell. The days could only be measured by the number of sun rises or sunsets. It had been too many to tally.

His hands were protected by a pair of thin, knitted mittens with the finger tips cut off pulled over top of a pair of holey leather gloves. His left hand carried a six shooter that carried only three shells. His right, he usually kept in his pocket, shuffling with the knife he carried. He switched these often.

The upper half of his body was shielded by a stained tank top; an old gray t-shirt; an olive green, almost brown hoodie; and a tattered black leather coat. His lower half by boxer shorts; a pair of one size too small sweat pants; and a pair of cargo pants whose pockets were often filled with crumpled pieces of paper and anything else to get a fire started or keep it going.

His head wore a small beanie which was covered by the hood of the zip-up hoodie. About two inches of frosty black hair protruded from the bottom of the hat. It was knotted and the tips were coated with small chunks of ice; water that had frozen on its last wash. Covering his face was a strip of ripped shirt he used as a scarf. Underneath the homemade scarf was about an inch of a black-gray beard. Dirty, scratched black sunglasses were the only thing that protected his eyes.

Slung over his shoulders was a ripping backpack that carried a rock he struck to start fires; what little, if any, soap he had left: two cans of beans: and a small piece of cooked chicken he had wrapped in a piece of paper.

He suddenly stopped. He squinted his eyes as he lifted the sunglasses off his face. Something moved ahead. Crouched, it stood up and faced him. He slowly pulled up his sleeve and turned his arm outward so the pistol could fully be made out.

My first thought is, why is he wearing sunglasses in the fog? Doesn’t mean it’s wrong, just means it’s something that should either have an explanation (and could be a cool bit of world-building) or should be changed. (Same goes for fog plus ice. They can occur together, rarely, but if it’s important to the world building, this would be a good place to explain it)

I’m unsure about the laundry list of clothes and belongings. It’s a really GOOD description, first off. I can totally picture the man in my mind. I’m just not sure that having the full description kind of dumped on the reader like that is a good way to go. I’d have to see more context to truly make the call on that one, but it’s something to think about. I’ve seen books use this style to good effect, and I’ve also seen it totally bring a piece to a screeching halt. If you wanted to do it differently, you could try to spread it out more, drop the details into the rest of the story more fluidly.

Even with the long list of descriptions, you’ve still managed to tell me a lot about the world already, which is why I think it might be a workable style. I know it’s cold, I know there is some reason for a person to walk about with their face covered/protected. I know there’s something not-quite-human going on, because the mysterious creature is referred to as “it”. I wonder, is he showing the gun to warn the thing off? Because that implies that whatever it is, is intelligent. It reminds me of the recent movie “The Book of Eli” for some reason.

Minor nitpick, watch your word usage. Second paragraph, second sentence, you use “carried” twice. It makes the sentence read awkwardly. Perhaps try it like “His left hand cradled a six-shooter that carried only three shells.” One word difference, but it smooths things out a bit.

~*!*~

Excerpt 3:

Somewhere in North Africa
March 18, 1942 6:33 a.m.

All I could hear was the sound of my heavy breath and the sound of my running strides echoing off the walls of this labyrinth. It was me and three others that had made it this far. I wasn't about to let the Germans catch up to us. I knew they'd be following closely behind. This felt very different from the previous jobs that I've pulled, though. This time, I was leaving empty handed.

A shattering volley of bullets wiped past my head. I flinched at the mere cry of the machine gun opening up from behind.

"Shit! Come on, boys!" I cried. It seemed to be the mot juste for the situation we were in. I could see daylight approaching fast at the other end of the tunnel. Almost immediately, the crisp smells of the ocean hit me like a wall. My thoughts raced. This was definitely no time for any sort of bravado. I attempted to constrict the feelings of doubt building up inside me. From the Intel we'd gathered, I knew enough to know that these tunnel systems were being built into the mountain as costal gun emplacements. This light at the end of the tunnel was nothing but an impasse. I made a decision with the hopes that acumen would follow with it. I ripped my rifle up over my head and threw it to the ground.

"Get rid of 'em, ladies! We're going for a swim!" I screamed. It may have been a non sequitur, but I had to take a chance. I heard the cackle of more guns hitting the ground before their sound was swallowed up by another volley of machine gun fire. I was sure this was going to be the most effusive moment of my career. The four of us reached the exit in a hail of gun fire. We took a leap off the edge of the opening and took a plunge into the sea below.

Hotel de Cazador
Cairo, Egypt
March 22, 1942 12:03 p.m.

Richard slapped down his cards. "You bastard! You bilked me!" he whined in his typical British accent. He reached his hand out to check Peter's cards.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "I what?" he chuckled, a smile coming across his face as he pulled in his earnings.

"You cheated me!" he said throwing Peter's cards into his lap.

"Yeah, well, maybe next time you'll learn what two-of-a-kind means, eh?" Peter spouted in an execrable manner.

"Go rot in hell, Peter." Richard cursed. I thought at any moment I would have to step in and adjudicate the situation. Richard finished off the last of his beer as Peter monolithically gathered all of the cards back into a deck.

“Marcus, you in this round?” asked Peter. I gave him a fulsome look.

“No, I’m good.” I continued to read my newspaper. Judging from his charisma, Peter probably possessed at least two aces in that deck. Poor, Richard. Peter had already impinged his wallet and yet he continued to let Peter shuffle and start another game.

Ooh, historical… Tricky to do well. Gotta get all your ducks in a row with research on a project like this one, ‘cause if you get anything wrong, people who know the era will call you on it. I’m not brave enough to do historical. (Yet.)

I know this was partly a vocab assignment for you, so I won’t remark on the plethora of three- and four-syllable words. In a real piece, I would advise against sprinkling so many fancy words around, but for our purposes here, it’ll work just fine. The trick with using thesaurus-type words is making sure that you’re using them all correctly. Words have connotations, and even though they may SEEM like they mean the same thing, they don’t. (And don’t rely on your word processing program’s dictionary/thesaurus/spell check. For example, the word “intel” is slang for intelligence. The word “Intel” is a computer company)

I like starting in the middle of an action scene. Thrusts the reader right into the story, and you can deliver an amazing amount of information in a short burst. For example, I know that we have a group of men, and our narrator is presumably the leader. I’ll guess military of some sort, since he’s bawling out commands. I know they’ve had a failed mission, and they’re running for their lives from German soldiers.

As for the time/place headings, I’m iffy on these, but I think it may just be my own personal taste. If the dates/times are important, leave them, because it’s harder to convey an exact date and time just randomly in the prose. I mean, how many times can you have somebody say “By the way, James, what date is today?” “Why, it’s the twelfth of October, Francis, thank you for asking.” It’s not natural, people don’t just stand around talking about the date.

The location, however, is something that you might be able to convey through the writing, sprinkling in hints about locations via some descriptions. Mention that someone is speaking a different language, or that the servants are dressed a certain way. Egypt in particular has a notable culture, and describing that will help expand the world for a reader who might not be familiar with the country/time period.

~*!*~

And there we are, our first three brave authors! Everybody give them a hand, just for showing us their stuff. That's the first big step any writer has to take, and one that most people never take.

Kari's Queries, part 15

2011-01-18T19:36:00.005-06:00

Here we are, with the very last of the queries. Yes, I know it's not Friday, but with all the snow days everybody's been having, I have no idea what day it is anyway.

I've had a lot of fun with these this semester, questions ranging from serious to silly and everything in between. I hope the kids have had as much fun with it.

Starting with their next semester, we'll be changing things up a bit and I'll be taking a look at some of their writing. I'm so excited about this! (I can't tell you how stoked it makes me to see kids writing.)

~*!*~

Are there any books that you wish you could have published?

Anything that made over a million bucks.

I kid. A little.

I'm gonna interpret this question to actually say "Are there any books that you wish you could have written?" And the answer is, TONS!

Sometimes, it's a book that so sucks me into its world that I just can't help but want to stay and play myself. Stacia Kane's Downside series is one such. (And Stacia's my friend, she knows I'm a raving fangirl when it comes to Chess and Terrible) I'd kill to be able to take what she's created and fiddle around with it. And I don't even mean the characters. Just the world itself is so rich and so full of potential. I can't wait to see what else she does with it in her future novels. (P.S. If anyone's interested in a free story download, at the bottom of that page I just linked there's a free Downside short story that's really good!)

Sometimes, it's a book where I say, oh wow, the idea was awesome, but I would have gone a totally different way with it. And that doesn't even mean that the other book was badly written. It just means that something in it sparked a glimmer in my admittedly warped brain, and it would have been amazing to have had that idea first. I remember thinking this about Neil Gaiman's American Gods. A wonderful book in and of itself, but after reading it I kept thinking of all the things I could do with the idea of gods walking the streets of the modern world. Some of those urges went into Muse, now that I think about it, though Muse is far from modern.

And, I will say it, I even wish I could have written something like Twilight. Now, whether you're a fan or not, regardless of what you think about the characters, or the plot, or the writing quality, the Twilight series has undeniably left its mark on the world. A zillion raving fans waited on pins and needles just to find out what happened next. They suffered with the characters, they fought, they came out victorious (or not, depending on who you were cheering for). I can only hope to someday create characters that touch so many people so deeply.

When you write a book, do you write it chapter by chapter or do you just start writing until you hit a block?

My current process is to write chapter by chapter, following an outline that I've prepared ahead of time. I find it very helpful, when I hit that block, to refer back to the outline and remind myself of all the things I need to hit in any given chapter.

Though, in all fairness, I have been known to write "Stuff happens here" on my outline, and just leave my brain to fill in the giant hole later.

I have tried writing out of order in the past, and I find that it makes things much more disjointed for me. With the outline-chapter method, I can make notes of things I need to fix in later passes, and just keep going.

Don't take this to mean that this is THE way to write. You could ask a hundred writers how they write, and get a hundred different methods. I know people who break out in hives at the mere thought of an outline, and others who would hyperventilate if you told them they had to write without one.

You have to find what works for you.

~*!*~

And we'll call that a wrap! Like I said, my fun with the high school kids will continue soon, in a slightly different form. And hopefully, I'll figure out when Friday is so I can get stuff posted on time.

For those keeping track, I turned in my revisions on A SHOT IN THE DARK about a week ago, and I'm pretty darned pleased with them. Which probably means I've screwed it up somehow. I'm intending to get back to writing Book 3 this week, and I'm always on the lookout for title ideas if anyone happens to think of one. (hint hint)

Kari's Queries, part 14

2011-01-06T22:50:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!

What do you mean that was like a week ago?

Okay, yes, I know I'm a bit behind with the celebrating of the new year and all. Sorry. But I've been hard at work on my revisions for A SHOT IN THE DARK. In fact, I'm hoping to deliver them to The Editor on Monday, so I've taken a bit of time off from the Real Job(tm) to accomplish this. (So far, so good. Very pleased with the work I've done to this point)

I keep thinking I need to do some kind of "goals for 2011" post, or something to wrap up 2010. And I might, still. But for right now, I give you one more installment of the queries, short but sweet.

If you never started writing, what would you see yourself doing?

Oh wow... It's really hard to imagine me not writing. Hm.

Well, we'll assume that me having a Real Job(tm)is a given, since I still have one of those anyway.

But creatively... At one time in my life, I was a decent artist. I suppose, if I hadn't been pulled toward writing, I might have developed that more. Of course, in my own opinion, I was never more than a mediocre artist. I mean, put something in front of me and I can put an exact copy on paper. But to me, that's not art. They have machines that do the same thing.

To me, artists are the ones who can see something in their mind's eye, and put that on paper. I don't have that ability, and I envy it. I can't tell you how often I'd love to be able to draw my own characters, to put the scenes in my head on paper for others to see.

I settle for doing it in words.

How have your daughter and husband influenced your writing?

Well, I think I've mentioned before that my hubby was responsible for the original idea that became the JJD series. He's my biggest supporter, and my best brainstorming buddy. Just a few days ago, we spent forty-five minutes hashing out some issues I'd been having with my Book 2 revisions. I'd been beating my head against a wall on them for a month, but just a few minutes with him and we figured it all out.

I don't know what I'd do without him.

And my kiddo...oh boy. When I'm really stuck, I'll ask her for ideas. Usually, her answer is something completely off the wall. (Add more dragons is a popular theme) But I always try to take her advice seriously and try to figure out how to make it work. I hope she always feels involved in my writing, especially because it's something that usually involves me staring at a computer for hours on end instead of doing something more awesome like playing in the park or dancing to her new video game.

I like to include things just for the both of them, little tidbits and Easter eggs that no one else would recognize. Someday, when kiddo's grown enough to read my stuff, I want her to be able to point that out and say "Oh, you put that in there for me!" No matter what I'm writing, I'm always thinking of them in some way.

Merry Pie-mas!

2010-12-23T18:31:00.006-06:00

Tonight, I may have made the world's most perfect pie crust. Join me in basking in its beauty, won't you?

Cover Art!!!

2010-12-17T17:31:00.001-06:00

THE ENEMY OF HIS ENEMY

Jesse James Dawson is a Champion, putting his life on the line for those foolish enough to bargain with demons and fighting to save their souls. But even a Champion needs some downtime, so Jesse takes his annual camping trip to Colorado for some male bonding over friendly games of paintball.

Unfortunately, the fun and war games are interrupted by a pack of creatures summoned up from the very depths of hell by an entity Jesse prayed he’d never see again. With the lives of his friends and a teenager’s soul on the line, Jesse’s only hope may lie with an even more dangerous enemy—his personal demon, Axel…

Kari's Queries, lucky 13

2010-12-16T22:48:00.003-06:00

We're coming up on the Winter Holiday break for my high school friends (they don't let you call it Christmas break anymore), so the queries will be going on hiatus soon, at least for a little bit.

When we come back next semester, we're gonna change things up a bit, and maybe see some of the kids' own writing. I'm really excited about it!

In the meantime, I have this week's questions. Everyone stay warm, I hear it's downright nasty where ya'll are.

~*!*~

Who is your biggest inspiration and what have they done to inspire you?

I don't think I have a good answer for this one. There are a lot of people in my life who have inspired me to do this whole writing thing. Some of them cheered me on, cheered me up. Some of them I just felt the petty need to say "Ha! I did it, so neener neener!" (see, not all inspiration comes from good sources) But to pick the "biggest" one...

I write because I love it when people say "Oh my god, I want to read more!" "Wow, you totally had me wigging out there!" "Dude, I cried, seriously." Yeah, the praise is great, I won't deny that, but even more, I love knowing that I was able to take that person out of this world and put them in another, even if just for a little while.

Even if I had never been published, I would still write for those people, the ones who want to be transported to a different time and place, to walk in a hero's shoes (or a villain's) for just a little while.

So the really sappy answer to this whole question is, the readers inspire me. All the readers. All the ones who have ever read my stuff, the ones who might someday, and the ones who never will. I keep writing for them, because making them happy makes me happy.

After getting the cover art for your books, does it change your image of the way you imagine them?

Well, I've only had this experience twice so far, so right now I'll say no. The model on the covers of the JJD novels is not quite how I envisioned Jesse, but in all fairness, in my head Jesse still looks a lot like my hubby. Does the cover model make a good Jesse? Oh yeah! There are no words for how much I love my covers. But I don't think the Cover Jesse will ever replace Mental Jesse as my "go to" image. The original picture is still too entrenched in my head.

That is something I'll be curious to watch for, as time goes on. (and, higher powers willing, I publish more books) How will the cover art influence me, not just for the JJD novels but for everything I ever write? How will it influence how my readers see my characters?

For me, it's something to look forward to. For you, it probably just makes me sound like a big geek.

Have you ever thought that one of your books was going to be really good but then someone else reads it and he or she thinks it is not?

Oh yeah. Always. It happens with everything you ever write. There's always going to be someone who doesn't like it.

But I get the feeling that's not exactly what you're asking. I think you want to know, has anyone ever not liked something enough that I abandoned the idea? The easy answer to that is no.

I don't think I've ever truly abandoned an idea. Oh sure, I've got that one novel, Avarice, that has gone to live with a nice family in the country, but it's not GONE gone. Someday, when I feel like I can finally do it justice, I'll pick it back up again. Someday. And I didn't banish it because of anything anyone else said. It was something I came to recognize myself about the work. It wasn't ready yet.

When one of my betas, especially one of my early readers (Miss Chie, my hubby, Theo), tells me there's something not working with a piece, I listen. I mean, that's why I HAVE them, to catch the things I can't see. But then again, I've never had one of them say "OMG, this thing suuuuuuuucks! You should burn it, and break your fingers, and never write again!" They can always find some value in even the worst of my efforts, something to salvage, something to polish up. Even discarded writing isn't worthless writing. You learn, you grow, you scavenge the awesome pieces and use them later.

Now, to tackle the question on a more personal level... My hubby doesn't like Muse, and it's probably the writing I'm most proud of at this point in my life. Did it sting a little? Yeah a bit. But in truth, Muse isn't the kind of thing that he would normally like anyway, whether I wrote it or Joe Bestseller wrote it. So I can't really fault him for not liking something he already didn't like, y'know? Doesn't mean the writing's bad, just means it's not his thing.

That's something any writer has to learn. Just because a person doesn't like what you've written doesn't mean that the writing itself is bad. It just means it's not for THAT particular audience.

Kari's Queries, part 12

2010-12-09T19:49:00.003-06:00

Are there any authors' awards, such as how actors have Oscars? If so, have you ever attended a ceremony or received an award?

Short answer: Yes, and no.

Long answer: Yes, there are author awards (well, most are actually book awards), though they're often exclusive to genre, rather than all-encompassing "OMG it's the best book EVAR!!!!!111".

For example, we have the Nebula Awards. These are awards presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. They have categories, just like the Oscars. Short story, novel, novelette, things like that. Big awards ceremony, from what I hear. I've never been.

(Remember, I'm just starting out in this big crazy publishing world. Maybe they'll notice me later. ;) )

Another big sci-fi/fantasy award is the Hugo, voted on by members of Worldcon.

There's the O. Henry award, for short stories. I'm sure you've all heard of the Newbery Medal (kids' books). There are awards for mysteries, and romance, and poetry and pretty much everything you can think of.

And of course, the big daddy, the Pulitzer in five different categories.

Here's a link to a Wikipedia page on Literary Awards from all over the world. (I know, I know. Don't tell your teachers I sent you to Wikipedia)

So yes, there are awards. No, I've never been. But maybe someday!

Hey Kari! I'm your biggest fan and I find great enjoyment in out weekly readings with you. Now, onto my question, What is a typical day in the shoes of an extravagant author such as yourself?

You're my biggest fan? Wow, it's so great to finally meet you! I always wondered who you were!

Extravagant... Har har. Prepare to have your illusions utterly shattered.

Honestly, my day goes pretty much like yours. I get up at 5:30 a.m., check the news to see if I need an umbrella, sunblock, or a parka. Roll my kiddo out of bed, get her dressed. Take her to daycare, then I go climb on the public bus to head to the Real Job(tm). At work, I do my work... (duh) On my lunch break, I generally eat at my desk so that I can get in some writing or revising. In the evening, I take the bus home again, pick the kiddo up, go do dishes, and dinner and laundry and all that other domestic stuff. Kiddo goes to bed at 9, I work out for about 20 minutes, then I sit down to do some more writing, or revising (*cough or playing WoW cough*) depending on what deadline I'm working on.

On Saturdays and Sundays, I can usually fit more writing time in, and during kiddo's karate class I can usually revise like the wind!

It ain't glamorous. But I can think of a lot of worse ways to spend my time. Maybe someday I'll be rich enough to quit the Real Job(tm) and spend my days staking out my own personal table in some trendy coffeehouse, but I don't expect it any time soon.

The Stephen Kings and J.K. Rowlings of the writing world are rare. Most writers I know still have their day jobs, or have a spouse who has a really good job to support their writing addiction.

Writing won't make you rich, but I can't think of anything that would make me happier.

On bad days when you get 'writer's block', what do you do to clear your mind and overcome it?

Sometimes, it's as simple as changing the music I'm listening to. If I've been hitting the same tunes for a while, switching them up can shake something loose. Related to that, sometimes stopping to write something else will help me get through a stuck spot. Often, I'll stop and whip out a short story for my WoW guildies, or a few pages in a project I haven't "officially started" yet. Something to get the words flowing.

Sometimes I stop to read someone else's writing. That almost always does it. Like I'm absorbing someone else's creative vibes.

Sometimes (and you're gonna laugh at this) I take a nap. Strangely, I do my best creative thinking in that fuzzy place between awake and asleep. I keep a notebook by my bed, and when I come up with something right before drifting off I can scribble it down so I don't forget it.

And then sometimes, there's nothing to do but let it go. There are days when I'm truly stuck, when all I can do is stare at the blinking cursor of doom and send Miss Chie these texts about how much I suck and how I'm a big fraud, etc. etc. When it gets like that, sitting there trying to force it is just going to make me more stressed. More stress = less writing. Vicious cycle.

Then, the best thing I can do is walk away for the day. Come back tomorrow.

Ok, I'm a dork.

2010-12-04T12:31:00.005-06:00

I fully admit that I'm a dork, but this just made me smile all day. How awesome!

Kari's Queries, part 11

2010-12-02T20:58:00.002-06:00

Here we are, back in action, folks! Hope everyone had a good turkey day. Now let's start answering questions to get some of those extra pounds off!

(Whaddya mean it doesn't work that way?)

~*!*~

Which book of yours, finished or in progress, is your favorite and why?

Oh wow, that's a tough one. See, books are kinda like your kids. You're supposed to love them all equally.

However, like I'm sure you all know, parents have favorites. Even if we're not supposed to say so.

I think, at least at this moment, my favorite one is Muse. I'm extremely proud of Muse, in the world I've built, in the characters I've created. Even knowing that Muse is due for a major overhaul, once I get Book 3 in the can, it's still something I'm looking forward to with a great deal of excitement. I can't wait for everyone to see it, as I see it in my head. It's going to be freakin' amazing.

I think Muse stands out for me because the world truly is entirely of my own making. I mean, the JJD novels, those are set in the real world, our world. Sure, there's supernatural stuff going on, demons and whatnot, but when I describe a Kansas City street, it pretty much looks like any other city street you could think of.

Muse, though... That world came completely out of my warped little mind. The situation, the circumstances... Everything was mine to twist however I wanted, and the more twisted I made it, the happier I found myself. I stretched myself the most, with Muse, and I think that exercise is going to do me a lot of good in future books.

Have you ever considered who your literary executor would be and how you would want your works handled as to tampering, changing, and such?

I have thought about it. See, when you get to be old like me (I just turned 34! Ugh!) you think about stuff like that. Grownup responsibilities and whatever.

I suppose part of it would depend on when it became an issue. I mean, right now... If I croaked tomorrow, the only thing we might be able to finish up would be the JJD stories. I doubt anything else would ever get published. As for someone to finish writing them for me... Dunno. Miss Chie knows my future plans for that series just about better than anyone, but I don't know if she'd be able/willing to try and continue it without me.

If we're talking fifty years down the road when I've published eleventy-thousand novels and have the Nobel Prize in literature... Hm. I suppose my back catalog would just go on earning my descendants money. Who knows what other works I might have stuffed under a mattress by that time, that my great-grandkids can whip out and publish as a "never before seen work". Maybe by then I'll have figured out who I would trust to do my writing for me.

Why, one of you looking for the job? (I kid. I'm a kidder.)

Do you ever write other things like short stories or poems?

I was all set to say no to this question, when I realized that it wasn't precisely truthful.

I wrote poetry, once upon a time. Like, when I was in grade school. I think any writer tries it, at least once. I sucked at it, I fully admit that. Granted, I was also like eight. I sucked at pretty much everything at that point. I don't even try any more. There's a certain artistry to poems that I just don't have. I prefer to beat people over the head with my hefty tomes.

As for short stories... I was about to say that I can't write short stories. Usually, my ideas just can't be contained in less than 80K words. And then I realized that I generally write two or three short stories a week, just for fun. See, I play World of Warcraft, and my guildies and I write stories about our characters for fun. It's nothing for me to sit down and bang out a two thousand word story for my guildies and call it a relaxing half hour.

So yes, I do write short stories, but nothing publishable, and it's only for the enjoyment of a few friends. I suppose, someday if someone wants me to write a short story for an anthology or something, I could give it a try. But I bet I'll do a lot of freaking out about it first.

~*!*~

And that's today's answers!

I'm a bit scarce around the ol' blog here, 'cause I'm hard at work on my edit notes for A SHOT IN THE DARK! I'm always afraid that I'll sit down with my manuscript and my red pen and nothing will come to me, but so far I've been able to mark up the first few chapters quite well. I'm excited about it again as I read through it, and I think ya'll are really gonna like this one.

So You Want to Write a Novel

2010-11-29T18:13:00.003-06:00

Watch. Laugh. Then weep, because I've HAD this conversation with people.

Such a Tease

2010-11-19T17:10:00.003-06:00

The bad news: I still can't show you my cover,'cause they're still doing artistic things to it. I don't see how they can make it any more awesome, but hey, if they can find another iota of space to pack some more awesome in there, I'm happy to let them.

The good news: I can show you the back cover copy! So here you are, folks, what A SHOT IN THE DARK is all about.

THE ENEMY OF HIS ENEMY

Jesse James Dawson is a Champion, putting his life on the line for those foolish enough to bargain with demons and fighting to save their souls. But even a Champion needs some downtime, so Jesse takes his annual camping trip to Colorado for some male bonding over friendly games of paintball.

Unfortunately, the fun and war games are interrupted by a pack of creatures summoned up from the very depths of hell by an entity Jesse prayed he’d never see again. With the lives of his friends and a teenager’s soul on the line, Jesse’s only hope may lie with an even more dangerous enemy—his personal demon, Axel…

It never fails to amaze me how they make my books sound so much cooler than I remember them being. I can't wait for you guys to read this one.

Kari's Queries, part 10

2010-11-18T20:48:00.003-06:00

This is our 10th Kari’s Queries! Woohoo! Snoopy Dance! Kermit Arms!

Ahem.

This also turns out to be one of my lengthier ones, proving that once you get me talking, I just won’t shut up. But really, I had important stuff to say!

News first! Today, I got my edit letter for A SHOT IN THE DARK, so my Nanowrimo days are at an end for this year. I have until January 1st to get these revisions done and back to The Editor. I’ve only done a cursory glance over the list so far, but it looks mostly cosmetic, which is good. The one big kicker (which I knew already) is that this book is coming up shorter than anyone would like. One of my big tasks over the next month and a half is to figure out if there is a subplot I can add, or expand on. The Editor has given me some ideas to think on, and I’m excited to let those stew in my cranium for a few days before settling in to work.

I am still waiting on permission to show ya’ll my cover art and back cover copy. I’m SO excited about this, guys, I can’t wait for you to see it!

And now, on to my questions.

~*!*~

How did you find and pick out your agent and publisher?

Hm. Trying to decide how much lecturing ya’ll can really put up with.

Ok, first off, I found my agent by writing a query letter. This is a letter of (typically) no more than three paragraphs, describing your book, and a little about yourself. The format will vary depending on whether or not you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, and there are a ton of resources around the web to help you learn how. My personal favorite is (as you all know) Absolute Write. Tons of info there on just about every subject imaginable, and if you’re not comfortable enough to participate, you can still lurk and learn a LOT.

Once I had my query letter, I used Agent Query and Query Tracker to make a list of agents who were accepting manuscripts in my genre. Using that list, I researched further online, making sure nobody was a scam, trying to get a better feel for who was really looking for the kind of thing I had written (agent blogs are a wonderful resource), who might be a good match for me personality-wise, etc. At the time, I was also really broke, so those who took email queries went to the top of the line, as opposed to those who only took snail-mail queries.

Over 6 months, I sent out 28 queries. One of the very last ones I sent out was to my agent, the wonderful and amazing Chris Lotts. He got back to me almost immediately, requesting the full manuscript, and a couple weeks later, he called to talk to me. We clicked on so many things, not only on his vision and enthusiasm for Devil, but for what I wanted to do with my career as an author.

(Note: An agent should never just want to represent only one book of yours. You should think of it like a long-term partnership, or dare I say it, marriage, which can span your entire writing career)

I did not choose my publisher. As part of what an agent does, Chris submitted my manuscript to editors at various houses that he knows are interested in urban fantasy like what I’d written. I don’t know who all he submitted to, because knowing would probably have made me more neurotic than I generally am. Really, I didn’t know what was happening until he called me to say “Hey, I have good news.”

HOWEVER… This is not to say that you cannot choose a publisher. While many publishers only look at submissions that come from agents, there are some who take submissions directly from authors without having an agent involved. In the sci-fi/fantasy world, Tor publishing is one of those. I know there are others, both in my genre and in others, but I’m not well-versed. A bit of internet research will do you wonders here. I know that most of the ones who do are generally slammed with submissions, and I’ve heard of people not hearing a word back for two years or more.

CAVEAT: Please please PLEASE do your research. There are a ton of “publishers” out there who are really just after your money. If they ask you to pay for “editing fees” or for your cover art design, or anything really, run the other way. A REAL publisher pays YOU, not the other way around. When in doubt, google the publisher you’ve chosen plus the word “scam” and see what pops up. Also check out Preditors & Editors, and on the Absolute Write forums, check out their Bewares, Recommendations and Background Checks section. This warning goes for agents too. Do your research, and don't pay ANYbody money.

What is the hardest part about writing a book?

The hardest part… Hmm… I think each book has its own unique brand of hell involved. (Can I say that to high school students?)

For any new book, there’s always the challenge of how to make the plot fresh and unique. There’s the intense interrogation of new characters to find out how they tick and why they do what they do. There’s the construction of a brand new world, sometimes, from the ground up. Everything from the geography, to the economy, to the theology.

(Tell you a secret, though, world-building is actually one of my favorite things to do. Shh. Don’t tell.)

For the JJD series, I’m finding that my challenge is in keeping Jesse’s sense of humor as his world gets darker and more dangerous. One of the things that has made the JJD series likeable is Jesse’s snarky wit, and sometimes I catch him sliding into a gloom and doom mindset, and then I have to step back and think, okay, how can I make this funnier?

I think humor is actually one of the hardest things you’ll ever try to write, because as anyone who’s ever told a joke knows, no two people will laugh at the same thing. What’s absolutely freakin’ hilarious to me may draw totally blank looks from others. (Ok, 90% of the time, DOES draw totally blank looks from others)

So yeah, I think writing humor is my hardest part.

What is your favorite or most influential movie to watch?

I guess that depends on what you’re wanting to be influenced to do.

As far as favorite movies… I have a few I fall back on when I just need something comfy on the TV. Crybaby is probably my very very most favoritest movie in the whole world. It’s the movie I want when I just need to let my brain relax, or when I’m banishing the zombies I just finished reading about. I have discovered, however, that I cannot watch it and write about Jesse at the same time. Jesse apparently does not like Crybaby. Big goober.

I also tend to stick Empire Records in for the same reasons, though Jesse doesn’t seem to avoid that one as much. If you notice, most movies that get my repeat business have a major soundtrack to them. Music seems to be the thing that draws me the most.

Influential… Hm. Well, I think that movies, like books, are something that you can always learn from, as a writer. There is a pattern to telling a story, be it on film or in print, and watching a wide variety of movies can help you learn to see that pattern. It can help you see what happens when you deviate from that pattern, why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

One movie I saw recently that really struck me from a story-telling perspective (don’t laugh) was The Expendables. Now, this movie probably isn’t going to win any major awards, but it was highly entertaining, and several things really excited me about it. This movie had the potential to be a giant walking cliché. I mean, we had just about every major action star from my childhood (yes, I know most of you weren’t born yet when these guys ruled the silver screen, but even you know who most of them are) and guns and explosions and…! Wow! Boom! Bang! Kapow!

BUT, the writers acknowledged those clichés, paid homage to them even, and yet managed to avoid falling into them. I thought it was a great example of how to take a plot that’s been done a million times (like most plots, really), and still make it unique and entertaining.

~*!*~

Ok, I’ve babbled enough for one post.

Next week, Kari’s Queries will be on hiatus while we all go stuff ourselves with turkey and/or the vegetarian dish of your choice.

Everybody be safe, and I’ll see if I can’t come up with more fun and frivolity for you in the meantime.

Kari's Queries, part 9

2010-11-11T20:33:00.002-06:00

How do you think of your ideas for your book?

Oh wow... My ideas come from LOTS of places. It can be totally random stuff.

I have an entire book I want to write, totally based off of one song. In fact, I've been inspired by music several times. Sometimes it's a lyric...sometimes just a single word... ("Hey, that would make a great name for a pirate ship!" Poof, book idea.) Sometimes it's just the mood the song invokes, trying to imagine a scene with that in the background.

I've found ideas in "what if?" kinds of questions. What if there were no more muses in the world? What if there was a supernatural fire-fighter, and what kind of world would require such? What if King Arthur was reborn as a modern teenage boy? stuff like that.

It almost always starts with one key image in my head, and then I have to spend the rest of the time trying to figure out what kind of world/person/situation would create that image.

If you can't tell, world building is one of my favorite things to do. I could go on forever.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Well... The first draft? Or entirely? I'll just answer both.

I can usually come up with a decent first draft in two months. After that, there's the whole beta-reading and revision process, and really how long that takes depends on how long I have. Devil, which was written with no deadline in mind, took about nine months total. Shot was a bit more hurried, just because I had a deadline to turn it in to my publisher. And realize that I also started completely over on that one, halfway through. In it's current form, it took about five months.

Of course, that said, it took me the better part of a year to write Muse, 'cause I did it in fits and starts, and as soon as I'm done writing Book 3, I'll be heading back to Muse for a major overhaul. There'll be at least two years worth of work in that book by the time I'm done.

Really, a book takes as long as it takes. I know people who can write an 80K word book in a week. I know people who write a book every two or three years. Nobody's doing it wrong.

When writing a book does your publisher dictate your corrections or do they just let you do whatever and if they do not like it have you revise it yourself?

First off, I have to say that I love love love my editor. She sees things in my book that I miss, and we're usually pretty in sync as far as fixes go.

But she never tells me that I HAVE to do something. She'll point out a trouble spot, let me know what she thinks is wrong, offers her suggestions on how to fix it. Then, I have the option to agree with her and make the changes, to agree with her but fix it in another way, or disagree with her. It's a constant dialogue, all with an eye to making the book the best it can be.

Now, yes, if I absolutely refused to do ANY revisions, there would probably be some serious problems. There are a few authors out there who have decided they are above editing, and sadly, it shows. I will always need my editors. The reason they get paid for what they do is that they're good at it.

How would you go about picking beta readers?

Initially, my betas happened by accident. Miss Chie happened because she had skills that I thought could help me, since she was an English teacher. Most of my betas happened because they too read urban fantasy, and their reading experience helps me ferret out plot holes and lame ideas. Some of my betas are writers themselves, and they can offer me good advice on pacing, and word choice, and structure.

I try to use the same betas for every book. The ones I have now have been through three books with me (two of the JJD series and then Muse) and I know I can count on them for insightful opinions. However, now and then real life interferes and one of them doesn't have time.

Then, I'd try to choose someone who had something new to bring to the table. If I was going to write YA, I'd probably find a few teens who could offer their thoughts. If I wanted to write a... I dunno... A spy thriller, maybe. I'd find someone who likes those kind of books to give it a glance. Stuff like that.

I find that it helps to have both readers and writers as betas. They read differently, but both of their outlooks are vital to making a book a coherent whole.

Kari's Queries, part 8

2010-11-04T22:32:00.003-05:00

Another installment, and the kiddos are getting a leeeetle punchy.

Why are you friends with Mrs. Chie?

Because no one else will have me.

And sometimes, she comes to my house and makes me really good food. Seriously, have you had her banana bread? Ooh, or her oatmeal scotchie cookies? Om nom nom....

Sorry, where were we?

In all seriousness, though... She is someone I can count on to not only be brutally honest with me when there's something in my writing that isn't working, but she also knows how my mind works well enough to suggest logical alternatives. It's invaluable. That's the writing-friend part.

But she also listens to me whine about my basement flooding, or answers my cooking questions at weird hours of the night, or gives me advice on how to get stains out of a shirt.

That's what friends do.

Have you ever read somebody else's book and gotten inspired?

Every time I read a book, I get inspired. In fact, a lot of times when I'm having a stuck day, I'll sit down and read something, just to shake my brain cells loose.

Inspiration can take a lot of forms. Sometimes, it's the basic "Oh wow, I can do better than this!" Sometimes, it's the absolute certain knowledge that nothing I can write will ever be as good as what I've just read, but I'm sure as hell gonna try. (Shh, don't tell them I cussed.)

If you want specific books that inspired me? Hmm... The comic book ElfQuest. Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. More recently, my good friend Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series. (might be a bit risque for you guys, but if you don't tell, I won't) The Dresden Files, of course.

Everything I read teaches me more about the kind of writer I want to be.

If you had never met Mrs. Chie, would your books be what they are now?

See, this is where I'm about to get all philosophical.

Imagine that you left the house one morning, and instead of turning right like usual, you turn left. And you pass a coffeehouse you've never seen before, so you go in. And inside, you meet the man/woman of your dreams, you get married, you have kids, you live happily ever after.

But if you'd have turned right, none of that would have ever happened. Maybe you turned right, saw a runaway bus and saved a kindergartner from it. You were a hero you went on Oprah, you became a world-famous author because of your heroic deed.

Both outcomes were pretty good, and the only difference was whether you turned left or right.

That's kinda how I look at the results any of my beta readers have had on my work. Without Mrs. Chie, I might have still been published. But maybe it would have been with a different book. Or maybe it would have been Devil, but the storyline would have taken on a whole different twist.

So, no, without her, none of my books would exist in their current form. They might still exist in SOME form. Or not. It's hard to say.

Everyone around me has an influence on what I write, from Mrs. Chie, to the crazy guys I ride the bus with, to some random homeless guy I pass on the street. And the results just depend on whether I turned left or right that day.

Wow. That was kinda deep.

That'll teach me to post this stuff late at night. You get the Deep Thoughts with K.A. Stewart version.

Have a great weekend, ya'll!

Heads Up Folk!

2010-11-03T21:44:00.001-05:00

Pleased to announce that Book 2 of the Jesse James Dawson series, A SHOT IN THE DARK, is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

The official release date is July 5, 2011.

I'm so excited!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T18:14:00.006-05:00

Just 'cause I've been talking about it... Here is my Halloween costume this year. A Mad Hatter, of my own design. (pieced together, not made)

And in writerly stuffs...

Over at The League, Kevin Hearne has the cover up for his upcoming debut! Go check it out and tell him how freakin' awesome it is!

NaNoWriMo started today, and I managed to get more than the daily goal, but less than my personal goal. I'll take it.

That's all I know, folk! I'll be typing my fingers to the bone until the end of November, whereupon I shall take the last day of the month off for my own birthday. So there. Nyah.

Kari's Queries, part 7

2010-10-29T05:56:00.004-05:00

A couple short questions today, courtesy of my high school friends.

~*!*~

What was your first impression of Mrs. Chie?

First off, you'll notice that I changed your teacher's name up there to her "codename." That's to make it all seem cooler. Second off, I wondered how long it'd take for you guys to start asking me about her.

Let's see... You realize that it's been many years since I first met Mrs. Chie, and that I've slept since then, right? I mean, I'm almost 34, the brain cells don't work like they used to.

If I recall correctly, Mrs. Chie was actually my hubby's friend first, so I kinda met her through him. I don't really remember exact first impressions, but I do remember the moment I found out she was a high school English teacher. I was working on Avarice at the time (the book that went away to a farm to live with a nice family that loves it) and I asked her, "Hey, do you think you could look at a little bit of this for me?"

Well, looking at a "little bit" of this turned into looking at every scrap of writing I did during the day, as I did it. Mrs. Chie is one of my "alpha-betas", meaning she gets to read every word that comes out of my head at just about the moment that I get it typed down. Before ANYone else. Her advice is always thoughtful and spot-on, and I'd be lost without her.

Do you ever get recognized in public?

Are you kidding? My own family pretends they don't know me in public. (Okay, that's not true.)

No, I don't get recognized in public. I imagine that very few authors do. I mean sure, there's the big ones. Most people would probably recognize Stephen King or J. K. Rowling if they passed them on the street. Stephanie Meyer, maybe. I'd recognize Jim Butcher, but that's 'cause I'm a rabid fan (and because he lives in my city, so running into him isn't unlikely).

But for the most part, I think authors have a rather peculiar kind of fame. I mean, their fans can be just as rabid as any movie or rock star's, but their appearances aren't as...public?

I don't ever envision being chased down the street by a pack of screaming fans. Book enthusiasts (at least in the adult literature world, I make no promises about the YA world) tend to be a little calmer than that.

~*!*~

AND... Do you know what's coming up on Monday, folks?

That's right, it's NaNoWriMo time!

After much waffling and a few Real Job(tm) scares, it has been determined that yes, I WILL be doing Nano. And I WILL be using Nano to get started on Book 3 of the Jesse James Dawson series (still untitled, of course). I was going to work on a new project, but as time got closer, it just wasn't speaking to me like Book 3 has been.

Thanks to my hubby (and to Mrs. Chie), I've been able to brainstorm and fill the hole in my outline, so really, I'm pretty good to go! In fact, I could start today if I wanted (but that would be against the Nano rules)

If anyone is participating in Nano and wants to buddy me, leave a comment with your username, and I will gladly add you. The more the merrier!

Happy Release Day!

2010-10-26T18:10:00.004-05:00

Happy release day to Jim Butcher (and happy birthday too!) for his short story collection Side Jobs.

Been waiting for this one. All you Dresden fans, you know what I'm talking about. But I can't get my hands on it until this weekend, so no spoilers! Shhh!

Also, happy release day to a write friend of mine, Tim Power, for his middle-grade novel, The Boy Who Howled!

Gonna be grabbing this one for kiddo, I think it's right up her alley.

Kari's Queries, part 6

2010-10-21T22:02:00.002-05:00

And here is the next installment of questions from my high school friends! They're really starting to get some insightful stuff going on here!

~*!*~
What is your favorite novel made into a movie?

Ooh, my favorite? Hmm…

Well (and this probably marks me as old) I’ve always been a fan of The Crow, which was based on a graphic novel rather than a book… I think as far as adapting the imagery faithfully, and the overall atmosphere of the world, the movie did a wonderful job.

The Lord of the Rings movies were also amazing adaptations. At the risk of being lynched by a mob of angry Tolkienites, I would say that those movies kept the epic essence of the books, and eliminated some of the more…meandering sub-plots. Normally, when they start hacking things out of books to make them into movies, I get a little wary, but in this case I think it worked to the good.

I will also cite The Dresden Files. It was a TV series, rather than a movie, and while it altered a lot of Jim Butcher’s details, I think it kept the heart and soul of the books. I was sad it only lasted one season.

The first few Harry Potter movies did well, I think, but they eventually started leaving so much out that I think it was a detriment to the later movies. It’ll be interesting to see how the final two play out, with some of the pertinent details never established.

It would honestly be easier for me to list the book-to-movie progressions that have disappointed, mostly because you remember the bad stuff easier than the stuff that went well. Especially with books that people dearly love. They hate to see their beloved characters tampered with. For a really good movie, they’ll be a bit more lenient, but if the screenplay/direction/acting just isn’t there…nope.

Do you ever find yourself struggling with making your plot lines original sounding? If so, what kinds of things do you do to make it more interesting?

I see what you did there, sneaking two questions into one. Ya’ll are just trying to see if I’m paying attention.

Well, first I need to respond to this question like this: There are no original plots left. True story. If you break down every book/TV show/movie into its base components, every story has been told.

I mean, just off the top of your head, how many different Romeo & Juliet movies can you think of? Y’know, the ones where the boy and girl come from different places in life, but try to find love despite their warring families?

Or how about the “stranger makes war on an unfamiliar people, then learns to love them and adapt to their ways”? Just thinking about it now, I can come up with four and that’s not even trying.

So yes, I struggle to make my plot lines original. But really, I just have to remind myself that, while the storyline may have been done already, it’s still a storyline that people enjoy. I mean, the Romeo & Juliet dynamic has proven popular for centuries now. Why mess with a good thing?

The thing I can control is my execution of the plotline. The easiest (though also often done) method is to take the standard trope (stop: Look the word up. Miss Chie will be happy if you do) and turn it inside out. Take one of the basic elements and make the opposite happen.

Maybe your Cinderella is the boy in the story. Maybe the dark and sinister man is actually the good guy. Maybe the zombie plague is really the cure for cancer. Who knows?

Whatever you decide to do, it’s HOW you do it that makes it uniquely your own. While Jesse’s core story, that of one underdog against the world, isn’t unique, Jesse himself is. I’ve never seen another protagonist done quite the same way, and that’s why he catches people’s attention.

If you sit around and try to think up a plot that’s never been done before, you’ll never put a single word on the paper. Don’t try.

~*!*~

I had a lot of fun with these this week! Thanks so much!

The Evil League of Evil!

2010-10-18T17:18:00.003-05:00

Well, ok, not quite...but close.

Remember I had news? Well, this is it!

I have been asked to join The League of Reluctant Adults! If you've read my blog for a long time (there's like...two of you, right?), you'll know that it's something I've always wanted to do, so when they asked, I said yes WITHOUT the alcoholic coercion!

There are actually three of us being inducted (kidnapped?) on the same day, so all this week on the League blog, they'll be doing introduction posts. Kevin Hearne's is up now! Go check him out... Er... I mean, go introduce yourselves, and learn about his upcoming books!

But really, I'm very excited about blogging with such an amazing group of authors, and I hope you'll all duck over there and get to know some folks you may not have read yet.

Kari's Queries, part 5

2010-10-14T05:51:00.002-05:00

You will notice that this week's queries are a day early. That's because the kids in question have a day off tomorrow. Enjoy it kids! Wish I could be off too.

(Yes, I know I'm already WAY off. Har har har)

~*!*~

Did you ever want to throw away a piece when you were almost done with it?

Actually did throw away a piece... Or at least trunked it. (Trunked: meaning to stuff in a trunk, never again to see the light of day) I was 78,000 words into Avarice when I finally hit the realization that it was fatally flawed.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a good story! And I think someday when I'm a better writer, I'll go back to it and make it everything I know it could be.

It was a hard decision, and sometimes I still go back and open up a few of my favorite passages just to read them again. In little snippets, it's really good! But as a whole it doesn't hang together like it should.

(Ask Miss Chie about that. She's read it)

With the assurance that Jessie James Dawson will save your soul, what would you sell your soul for?

Even knowing I'd get it back for sure, I think the only thing I'd sell my soul for would be my daughter. That's just kinda a mom thing to do. There's nothing in the world that I want that I can't get myself.

Wow, that was kinda a short answer, wasn't it?

What was your "Plan B" if you did not get published?

Plan? There ain't no plan...

Seriously, I didn't really have a plan B.

I suppose that, had I never been published, I'd still be trying. I honestly expected it to be a much longer process with a lot more rejection than I had.

I guess, if I hadn't succeeded, at some point in the future I would have had to step back and re-evaluate my life, and decide if I wanted to keep going. I think every writer hits that point.

Honestly, I may have eventually given up submitting to agents/publishers, but I never could have given up writing. I get all twitchy when I'm not putting new words on paper, and I'm not a very pleasant person to be around.

Though, I could totally see myself putting my work up on the internet for free, maybe, if I hadn't been published. Y'know, like a serial novel on my blog or something.

Maybe.

I guess I'm just glad I never had to make that decision.

~*!*~

And in my own news, when I got home last night, I had the back cover copy for A SHOT IN THE DARK waiting for my approval. It looks great! It never fails to amaze me how other people can make my books sound so much cooler than I remember them being.

When I have permission to share that with you, of course I will.

Kari's Queries, part 4

2010-10-07T22:50:00.002-05:00

Where did you go to college and why did you go there?

I went to school at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and I earned a BA in English with an emphasis in Literature.

Honestly, I chose Jewell because I visited and fell in love with the campus. It was beautiful, it was small enough that I didn’t feel like a little worm on a big hook, and they had a good English program.

I actually chose my degree track with an eye to being a writer someday. I chose the literature emphasis so that I could learn how to read and to break down what I was reading into its key components. If I could learn how all the pieces fit together, I knew I could build my own.

Who inspired you to write your books or become an author?

Oh now see, ya’ll are just getting tricky now. You tried to ask me this a couple weeks ago, and I kinda dodged the answer. Tricksy hobbitses.

Hm… I don’t know that I can lay my original urge to write at the feet of any one person. Especially when I was young, the greatest thing anyone did for me was simply NOT tell me to stop.

I suppose, though, as I got older, my husband was one to truly encourage me. If I said I wanted to be published, he took it as fact and never let me forget what I was striving for. No matter how dejected I got, or how neurotic, he was there to keep me moving.

And, I will admit, that the author Jim Butcher was also an inspiration, and for a totally ridiculous reason. Seriously, you guys are gonna laugh at me.

I picked up one of the Dresden Files books, way back when I was first starting to be a fan, and I read the author bio. And it said that he lived in Independence, Missouri. And I was suddenly like, “Holy crap, this guy lives like fifteen minutes from me!”

For some reason, it was like a light going on in my brain. I thought, if HE can do this, if he can get published and he lives right here in Missouri not spitting distance from my house, then I can do it too. The mystique was suddenly removed, and it all became very possible for me.

(side note: I have since become very good friends with Jim's sister, who is a lovely person, and despite living so close together, we don't get to hang out nearly enough)

What was it like knowing your work was going to be published?

Well, I almost wrecked my car. True story.

When I got the call from The Agent, telling me that we’d sold the JJD series, I was driving home from the dentist of all places, and my 6-year-old is watching me from the back seat, very worried, saying “Mommy, maybe you need to calm down…”

Even though it was what I had been working for all along, it was still fairly surreal. I think part of me thought it was a really elaborate practical joke until about the second advance check cleared the bank. (it would have gone down as the MOST expensive practical joke ever, btw)

And even now, a little part of me still can’t believe that people are reading my “little story”. People I don’t know, have never met, have never even heard of. They’re reading words that I wrote, learning to love characters I invented.

Surreal is the best word I have for it.

Monday Heads Up!

2010-10-04T17:15:00.004-05:00

You have a chance to win a copy of A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS here at Secrets and Obsessions! Winner is chosen on Wednesday, so get a move on, leave a comment!

Also, it's October and do you know what that means? It means that November and NaNoWriMo are just around the corner!! Do you have your NaNo idea yet?

I'm currently working on the research portion of mine. My participation of course depends on my edit schedule with Book 2, but barring that, I'm planning busting out my words like everyone else!

If anyone wants to be my friend on NaNo, leave your user name in the comments so I can add you to my list!

Kari's Queries, part 3

2010-09-30T20:31:00.003-05:00

The kids took pity on me this week. No counting questions!

Would you ever base a book on your life?

Not really. I’m not that interesting.

Ok, no, you need a better answer than that.

There are always bits and pieces of my life that make it into my books. The JJD novels especially, since Jesse’s little family of three highly resembles my own family. But I’m not nearly as cool as Jesse’s wife, and any magical ability I have seems to center around summoning every cold virus in a twenty mile radius. (can you tell I’m sick right now?)

And since the spider bites I keep getting fail to turn into super powers (Not fair!), it’s probably best that I base my books around other folk.

Which kinda leads into the second question!

When you think of characters for your novels, do you base their characteristics off of people in your life, or do you make them up completely?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: I pick and choose. Some characters are based on people I know. Some are entirely out of my head. Most are amalgamations of several people I know. For example, the character of Dr. Bridget Smith in the JJD book is kind of a blending of several doctors that I know.

I take this trait here, and that look there, and smush ‘em all together.

The really amusing thing is that people will see parts of themselves in characters where I never had any intention of there being a similarity. They’re like “That’s totally me, isn’t it!” And I’m afraid if I say yes, they’ll be made, and if I say no, they’ll be disappointed.

If you had to pick a career besides being an author, what would it be and why?

Ok, don’t laugh. I actually have a good answer for this one.

If I wasn’t an author, and I didn’t have to work at the Real Job ™ , I would totally be a doula.

I see by your blank looks that you have no idea what that means.

A doula is a birthing assistant. Not a midwife, per se, but someone who helps the mother through labor and delivery by being there to support her, take care of the little things so she can concentrate on the important stuff (like having the baby) that sort of thing.

I learned about doulas when I was pregnant with my own daughter, and it always seemed like something that I would not only love, but that I would be good at.

~*!*~

And with that, I shall crawl back into my bottle of NyQuil and bid you all good eve.

I have some good news coming up soon, but it's going to have to wait for another night. Nothing life shattering or anything, but I'm pretty stoked about it. Stay tuned!

Kari's Queries, part 2

2010-09-23T21:03:00.002-05:00

Here we are again with another installment of Kari's Queries, where I answer the burning questions of high school English students. (well, so far, not a lot of burning, but I have hope)

I don't know about ya'll, but I'm enjoying this.

How do you create the plot lines for your books?

Often, it starts with one scene. One image, one moment that just sticks in my head. It makes me want to know, what lead up to that moment? What is going on, how did they get there? What happens next?

Sometimes, I’ll start with the end. Especially with the JJD series, I have a list of things that must happen to Jesse over the course of the series. So, each book is simply a way to get him there.

Each plot has to have a start, it has to have conflict, it has to have different threads that ultimately come together. It feels like braiding really long cords so that the colors line up just so.

I get stuck, sometimes. I have them at point A, and I know they need to get to point B, but I have no idea how or why. Usually, I follow Jim Butcher’s school of thought there. (If you haven’t read any of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, go find it. Now. I’ll wait.) His rule of thumb is, if it makes his hero’s life more difficult, put it in there.

I think it’s amazing that the fictional characters of the world haven’t formed a union to protest their treatment.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

Oh wow… Good question.

Ok, understand that I was an only child, and we lived in the middle of 50 acres of forest. Needless to say, we were quite a ways away from any other kids. So…I read. A LOT. The first fantasy book I remember reading was The Hobbit. I was in first grade. (we’ll discuss my freakishness later) I think that was the book that showed me how awesome the worlds inside my head could be.

And, because I was alone a lot, I had a lot of time to explore those worlds. The people I made up, the adventures I had… I think I was probably in third grade before it occurred to me that I could write down those worlds, and other people could visit them too!

The first stories of any length that I remember writing were essentially fanfic of my favorite comic growing up. I didn’t use those characters, but I put my own characters in that world. I made my friends into elves and we rode giant wolves. (Bonus points if any of you recognize the comic)

The thing is… I’ve always been a writer. Even if I’d never been published, I would STILL be a writer, ‘cause I couldn’t stop if I had to. I’d go nuts. Being an author, being published… That’s just gravy.

How many books did you write before your first book was published?

Again with the counting! Ya’ll are just trying to fry my brain, aren’t you?

Ok, well… We’ll start with this thing I wrote before I ever had a computer. Typed the whole thing out on my mother’s Brother typewriter. Epic fantasy, separated twins, girl with silver hair…a wolf with wings… It was bad. REALLY bad. I was….um….twelve, maybe? (1) Then I wrote a couple novel-length type things that were essentially bastardized fanfic of a couple different fantasy series that I loved, so we’ll count both of those. (2) (3) And then I wrote two (still fanfic, never let anyone tell you it’s not good practice) novels based on some RPG characters some buddies and I played. (again, freakishness, discuss it later) (4) (5) This takes me pretty much up to my…second year of college? So…20-ish.

Then I started Avarice. Got 78,000 words into it before I realized it was fatally flawed, and since I had the idea for Devil already, I swapped. But we'll count it as a completed novel at that length. (6) That makes Devil number 7. Lucky number seven. However, while I was going through the querying process with Devil, I also wrote Muse. (8)

So, technically, I wrote 8 novels before my first was published. I’ve written three more since then.

When you put it that way, wow. I’m way more prolific than I thought.

Kari's Queries, pt. 1

2010-09-16T19:27:00.001-05:00

Welcome, folk, to the first installment of Kari's Queries!

Working with my beta-reader, Chie, I will be using my Fridays to answer questions posed to me by her high school English classes. I'm excited about this, and I'm hoping the kids are too.

(Taking into account that the internet is full of weirdos, I of course don't identify Chie by her real name, nor will I identify her school. It's just safer that way.)

((No, you are not one of the weirdos in question. You either. YOU are. Yes, you. In the fez.))

~*!*~

How had your high school English classes helped you develop as a writer?

See, you're just looking to me to prove that you need to pay attention in Miss Chie's class, aren't you? I'm wise to that game...

No, seriously... All that stuff they keep hammering into your head about grammar and spelling, and sentence structure? All of that is IMPORTANT. If you think you have a story to tell, you must first tell it in a manner that other people can read easily. Spelling and grammar. Folks tell you that "Oh, don't worry about that, an editor will take care of that if you get published." But if your work isn't stellar to begin with? No editor will look at it.

They also taught me to read. And you're thinking "Hey, I learned to read in like kindergarten, you must have come from a crappy school!" No, I didn't mean like that. I mean, they taught me how to read analytically. How to dissect a paragraph, a chapter, a story, to see the flow, to see how the words combined together to make a coherent whole. If you want to write, you must learn to read. You have to recognize those elements in other stories if you're going to use them in your own.

But aside from the basic mechanics, I have to say that my high school English teachers always encouraged me to write. I had one teacher who let me spend the entire year in the computer lab, working on a book. (now trunked, never to be seen, and only barely removed from fanfic) None of them ever told me "well, maybe you should think about preparing for a REAL job" or that I wasn't being realistic. I wish I knew where they were right now, so I could say "Hey, look what I did!"

If you could give one person one piece of advice to help them get a book published, what would it be?

Just one piece? Just one person? Oi.

Geez, there’s so much to say about the various stages of this mad mad mad mad mad mad process.

Um… Well for the writing aspect of it, I would say “Allow yourself to write utter poo.” You can always go back and fix crappy writing to be amazing writing later, but you can’t fix the stuff you never write at all. So it doesn’t matter if the first draft stinks to high heaven, ‘cause the last draft won’t. Nobody ever has to see that first, horrendous draft unless you want them to. There’s no law that says you have to let anyone read it before you’re happy with it.

For the publishing part… Don’t give up too quickly. Getting four or five rejections is nothing. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. I have friends, published authors, whose rejections numbered in the multiple hundreds before they finally got an agent, before they finally got that book deal. For some of them, it was the third or fourth (or seventh) book they’d tried to get published. They didn’t give up, and every book they wrote just made them better writers.

Ooh, can I give one more piece of advice? Please? Well it’s my blog, so I’m gonna anyway. So there. Neener.

Develop thick skin. Like…adamantite-plated T-Rex thick skin.

For every part of the process - from finding an agent to getting reviews on a published book - there are going to be people who flat out don’t like your writing. Some of them are professional about it, and some of them are bugnut crazy and equate your writing ability with your right to continue to exist on this planet. You just have to remember that your book is not YOU. Just because Person XYZ didn’t like your book doesn’t mean they’re saying horrible things about YOU as a person. (Unless they are, and then you file them under the bugnut crazy category as mentioned above)

Those truly professional criticisms, whether they come from an agent, an editor, a book reviewer or one of your own beta readers, can truly help make you a better writer. Look at what didn’t work for these people. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of taste, and you chalk it up to just that and move on. Other times, there really is a fundamental flaw, and you can correct it, making your next work that much greater.

How many times do you submit your story before it is finally perfected enough to be published?

Oh god, you’re gonna make me count, aren’t you? Don’t you know English majors don’t like math?* Lessee. I do a first draft. (1) Then I go through that draft and rework it with all the notes I made while I was doing the first draft. (2) Then I send it out to my beta readers. Once I get their notes back, I sit down and revise to take those into account. (3) Then, if I’m still not happy with something (the length, the flow, a hinky plot point), I may let it sit a week or two then go back and do yet another revision. (4)

So I think it’s usually the fourth or fifth draft that I send on to my agent and/or editor, depending on how close I am to my deadline.

It should be noted, though, that this is my process after finishing oh…nine novels? A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS, taking place way earlier in my learning curve, had WAY more drafts than this. I know, because I keep finding hard copies of various versions stashed in places around my house. Not sure if I should throw them away…hmm… Point being, it took me quite a while to whittle the process down to this concise version you see here. Mostly, it takes as long as it takes.

Also, remember that just because I turned it in doesn’t mean I’m done revising. Right now, I’m waiting on my edit letter for A SHOT IN THE DARK (Jesse Dawson Book 2), wherein The Editor will tell me what works, what doesn’t, and then I’ll be revising yet again. After that, there will be copy edits, then page proofs, and THEN it will be in the version you will eventually see on shelves.

*a blatantly false generalization

~*!*~

So, there we are, the first batch of questions! This was fun, and I hope we all came out of this better people. Or...something.

Stay tuned next week for more Q&A, and hopefully, I'll even manage to post some other things in the meantime, bad blogger that I am.

Think of the Children!!

2010-09-01T11:27:00.005-05:00

First of all, yes I know the pictures on this post are broken. No, I don't know why. Hazard of working from the library computer, I'll have to fix it when I get home tonight. Until that time, just go click the links and view(buy) the books in question!

ETA: Ha! Fixed them!

Now, second first of all, I want to announce that thanks to one of my great beta readers (Hi, Chie!), I will be undertaking a project this semester wherein I answer all questions writing-related from an entire class full of high school English students.

Chie’s secret super-hero identity is a high school English teacher. And this semester, she’s having her kids submit questions for me to answer. I’ll be doing a few every week, spanning the semester, and probably posting the answers every Friday. Check back here for these installments of Kari’s Queries!

And in that vein, I have a few recommendations for some of our very young readers who may just be getting started! Now, while I only write adult novels (at the moment. (no, not THAT kind of adult) ), I think there is nothing so awesome as a kid who likes to read. (I know, I used to be one!) If you’ve got a young reader in your house, there are a couple of new books out this week that they might be interested in:

We have Wildfire Run, by Dee Garretson. Billed as a cross between MacGyver and 24 for the middle-grade crowd. It sounds so awesome!

We also have Nightshade City, which I love just for the name of one of the characters: Billycan . And everything else about it is awesome too! Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, says: "Fans of Redwall and the Warriors series will love this heroic tale of good versus evil in a subterranean society of rats."

(In the interest of full disclosure, both authors are friends of mine, but that doesn’t mean I’m biased or anything! Their books really are that awesome!)

And speaking of awesome books, here’s a couple for the BIG kids too (read: we adults who refuse to grow up):

Today marks the release of Cameron Haley’s debut, Mob Rules! And if Amazon doesn’t deliver my copy tomorrow, I’m gonna have to cut somebody, I swear. Been looking forward to this one for a while. Also, check out Cameron’s blog for a contest!

And we also have Harry Connolly’s second book in his Twenty Palaces series, Game of Cages! (The first book was Child of Fire, also a highly recommended read, and also one I’m waiting on Amazon to deliver to me, the big goobers)

I love nothing more than a jam-packed release day, don’t you?

And in my own life (the Cliff’s Notes form), I have finished my self-imposed writing vacation as of today, and for the month of September I will be working on the outline for Book 3. Really looking forward to it, and I’ve already come up with some really great elements that I think folks are gonna love.

The Agent emailed last night to say he’s reading Book 2 and loving it, so that makes me a bit giddy-happy today too!

I’m still toying with the idea of doing NaNo this year, and like last year, I probably won’t decide yes or no until November 1st. It’s honestly going to depend on what my edits for Book 2 are shaping up like. I will say that I DO have an idea for a NaNo novel, including soundtrack and appropriate research materials. Regardless of whether I do it for NaNo, I’ll probably write this one anyway. The characters have taken up residence in my head already, and writing it is the only way to evict them.

I also want to give a shout of thanks to all those who have read A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS and put reviews up on Goodreads and Amazon. I know that I look at those reviews when I’m debating on picking up a new author, and anything that brings in a new reader is a good thing!

Devil has been out for roughly two months now (and it still feels so surreal to see my book on a shelf!) and if you haven’t read it yet…why not?? No, really, I get it, times are tough and not everybody has the cash to splurge on books. So, with that in mind, have you thought about your local library? Libraries are some of my favorite places, and librarians are some of my favorite people. (Though, between you and me, I’m always vaguely disappointed that no one ever really bursts into song like in The Music Man). So if you have a huge wish list of books, and just can’t afford to buy them ALL, check out your library. They’ll be happy to see you, too.

That's all she wrote!

2010-08-19T18:03:00.005-05:00

Ok, no, not really. Ya’ll should know better than that. But I am officially declaring that I turned in Book 2 last night. As of now it looks like the title will be A SHOT IN THE DARK. (Will let you know release date as soon as I know) It’s shorter than I like (though not nearly as short as I’d feared) and I’m hoping we can cure that minor malady in editing. The Editor is awesome, I trust that she can see things I haven’t.

And quite frankly, I had hit the point where I was doing more harm than good with all my fidgeting. Keep that in mind, folks. There comes a point when you really have worked on something TOO hard, and you just need to step away.

My rest-of-the-year schedule looks like this:

September: Outline Book 3, submit that to The Editor for review.
October: Outline Nano project, tentative title “The Pugilist and the Alchemist”
November: Nano
December: Start Book 3

The Nano stuff is, obviously, optional, and there will be edits for Book 2 in there somewhere, and those take priority. Once I get Book 3 done (please please please let it be ahead of deadline this time instead of two-and-a-half weeks late), I intend to go back and revisit Muse. I’m very anxious to implement a lot of the stuff The Agent and I talked about. (spoiler: There may be cannibals)

(Also, realized yesterday that my ultimate fangirl moment would be my favoritest ever comic book artist doing a graphic novel of Muse. Seriously, I’d faint dead away in the most girly way possible. No, I won’t tell you who it is, ‘cause then they might find out, and I’d feel like a total loser.)

There’s been a lot going on in my brain lately, and stuff I keep meaning to blog about, but I’m afraid if I try to cram it all into one post, it’s gonna turn into a TLDR.

I went to a great book signing and met up with some awesome internet friends (if we’ve met in real life, does that now make them real life friends?). Sadly, there were very few pictures taken, ‘cause there was so much gabbing going on! Can’t imagine how that happened.

More reviews for A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS are coming in, and for the most part, folks seem to like it! You have no idea how much this still boggles my mind. They like my little story? Really? Sweet!

And I shall leave you with this article, which oddly, did NOTHING to alleviate my zombie-phobia, since it is all contingent on there actually BEING zombies in the first place:

Why the zombie apocalypse won't work.

Things on future blog posts agenda:

Questions people frequently ask me about getting published, and my responses.
Cons I should attend, sound off on your favorites.
Cats on books!

My Mission

2010-08-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

So, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. Yes, that’s the burning smell you detect.

Take a gander over to the left, and check out my little mission statement. I wrote that three years ago. Three! Can you believe it?? I wrote it before I ever dreamed up the idea that would become A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS.

And as I sit here and look at it right now, I have to wonder if maybe it’s a bit outdated. Maybe I need a new mission?

My original mission was to “survive the writing, the querying, and hopefully the publishing.” So let’s break it down.

Surviving the writing: When I wrote that mission statement, I was writing what can only be called an epic pirate princess fantasy. (Don’t judge me.) Shortly after I started this blog, hubby and I came up with this brilliant UF idea, and gradually it took over my life, and the epic pirate princess fantasy got trunked. 78,000 words. Someday, I might go back to it, but as it stands now, it needs a major overhaul.

So then I wrote this great UF thing we’d dreamed up. And I had high hopes for it! (and well, we all know how that story turned out.) In the time since writing Devil, I’ve finished four other books (counting Devil’s sequel) and I’m currently doing the research portion of a new project, just something for fun, maybe for NaNoWriMo this year.

So while yes, I have survived the writing, it seems that the writing is ongoing process, and therefore the survival should be an ongoing goal. So maybe that part of the mission statement should stay.

Surviving the querying: I queried Devil for six months. An eyeblink in publishing time, really. I know people who queried for years with multiple manuscripts before they found an agent. I sent out twenty-eight queries, again a teeny tiny drop in a huge potential bucket, and got favorable responses from a third of those. I signed with The Agent.

Now, I don’t envision having to go through the actual query-for-agent process again for quite some time. I LIKE The Agent. He’s awesome, and he deals well with my neuroses. And as far as I know, he’s gonna be an agent for a long time, so we’re settled for a while.

However, querying for an agent isn’t the only “query” in this big wide world. When I have a new project ready, I run it past The Agent. When I think there’s someone who might give me a blurb for one of my covers, I can ask. I send emails to book bloggers to see if they have time to review me, or if I can do a guest post or interview for them. All of these are essentially queries, in the sense that I’m putting myself out there. I’m waiting to see if I’ll be shot down.

So maybe that part of the mission statement should stay, too. Hmm.

Surviving the publishing: Holy crap, I did it. I have a book in print. I used to sit, in quiet times, and imagine what it would feel like to hold one of my books in my hands, and now I know what that’s like. As of July 6th, 2010, I am a published author.

But you know what? There’s a TON of stuff that has to happen even after the book hits shelves. How are my sales doing? How are my reviews? More blog appearances, con appearances if I can afford it, promo materials, give aways.

Publishing isn’t a one time occurrence. It’s not like Christmas, it doesn’t have one day and then gone. It’s a continual process, even not counting the sequels that are coming up behind the first one, which would kick me clear back to the first part of the statement, the writing.

So I guess I’m still surviving the publishing, too. Double hmm.

I have to say that the last three years of my life have been the scariest, the strangest, the saddest, and the super…est. (Hey, I was going for some kind of pattern there, and it kinda let me down. So sue me.) I achieved my dearest dream. I lost my mother. I survived cancer. I celebrated ten years with the greatest man in the world, and I watched this tiny creature I gave birth to grow into an amazing little person with her own thoughts and opinions and dreams.

And as I look forward to the next three years, at least two of which will be devoted to writing/editing/publishing the next two books in the Jesse James Dawson series, I have to wonder what wonderful and terrifying things wait for me there.

So I guess my mission statement stays, and ultimately I can just hope that I survive.

Adventures at Comic-Con

2010-07-30T17:32:00.003-05:00

Ok, yes, I know I didn't actually get to go to Comic-Con.

Or....did I?

Check out the blog of one of my wonderful writing friends, who took it upon himself to escort "me" around the con all day on Saturday. It looks like I had a great time! (and the Elvis Trooper may have to be my new avatar)

Notes From the Lair

In other news, Book 2 is nearing completion. I had a slight hiccup when my word count came in at 71K words (which is 9K shorter than it needs to be. That's roughly 36 pages short). I hemmed,I hawed, I sent frantic emails to The Editor. And then my lovely betas Chie and Theo came through for me, and I got an inkling. A hint. An inspiration!

Translation: I know how to fix this monster. And even better, I have part of the new stuff already written, because it was something I cut out of the OLD version when I started over back in January. Bonus!

Hoping to get this finished within the next two weeks, 'cause it's getting to be that time, folks! The Editor emailed me today to say she needs back cover copy-type writings, and if I have any ideas about the cover, I should speak up now or forever hold my peace. Truthfully, I'm so happy with the cover for the first one, I can't imagine what there could be for me to say. Now, book 3? Yeah, that one I need to talk to someone,'cause some stuff changes there. What stuff? I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

It should also be noted that I still do NOT have a title. At least, not one I'm happy with. And it's this second title that's so important, 'cause it'll set the pattern (if there is one) for the rest of the titles in the series! Think think think...

Maybe I should get some honey. Works for Pooh. (Note: Mead is made of honey. I'm just sayin'.)

So! I'll shout out to the world at large. Any title ideas, folks? I think I'm avoiding a "devil" theme in the titles, 'cause they're being used by another great author. But any other thoughts?

Also spoke to The Agent last week (see, this is what happens when I don't blog for a while. I have SO much to update you on!) about Muse. We talked for an hour and a half! I'll just say that my work on Muse is not done by a long shot, but I think The Agent hit the nail on a head on quite a few points, and that when I DO get time to rework it, it's going to be even more amazing than it already is. I'm so hopeful on this one, guys.

Off to have a weekend! There will be....weekendish stuff! (I have no idea. It's been so long...)

Book Signing!

2010-07-17T21:27:00.013-05:00

As promised, here are photos from my very first book signing, with fellow author Kasey MacKenzie!

Warning: LOTS of pictures in this post!

First, our table:

Then we did some signing:

And more signing:

Very happy customers!

Queen of the photobomb:

Yes, she did it to Kasey, too.

I had great attendees, too! I had betas:

And Rogues:

And I had people taking pictures of people taking pictures. Very meta.

We had an amazing time, and the bookstore staff were just awesome to us. I hope every book signing I have goes like this one did. (That's assuming there will be more. There'll be more, right?)

And in case you are wondering, the button I'm wearing says "Souls Taste Like Peeps".

Oh! And one more pic, just 'cause I can.

I gots new hair.

Soon!

2010-07-14T18:45:00.001-05:00

I promise, there will be a recap of the book signing very soon, complete with pictures and color commentary, and possibly a guest appearance by Axel himself!

In the meantime, I offer this as entertainment.

Does she ever shut up?

2010-07-09T09:03:00.005-05:00

No, no I don't. So there.

Currently, I have about eleventy billion people in town, all of them eager to go to my very first book signing tomorrow! Anyone in the Kansas City area, you are so welcome to come to this signing. Please. Somebody show up.

But anyway, that's why this blog post is going to be short and sweet.

I'm popping up all over the internet this week. You can read an interview with me, and enter to win a copy of A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS over at The Oddshots! You can also find out my favorite girly drink.

I've also popped up over at Dark Faerie Tales, where I confess my villain love and you can enter to win yet another copy of the book!

Ooh, and I just got word of another interview up with me here! This is the one that is posted in the World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto! So for those who don't live in Toronto, here's what you were missing.

I have to say, it's amazing, getting feedback from people I don't know. So many people have emailed me, or messaged me on Twitter, to say how much they're enjoying it. That makes me so happy. I mean, that's all most writers want, really. Just to have someone else love their characters, live in their world for a little bit. It's awesome.

Thanks, everybody. You're awesome too.

Happy Release Day! Again!

2010-07-06T18:46:00.005-05:00

And not only for me! (though really, that's the part I'm stoked about)

Stacia Kane's Unholy Magic came out today too, and believe you me that I have my hot little hands on my copy already. (I'm on Team Terrible, if anybody wants to know)

We also have Shiloh Walker's The Missing. I haven't read it yet, but the blurb intrigues me greatly.

And then we have me. I mean sure, the book hit shelves a week ago, but this is still my RELEASE DAY! My very first one. It's a little bit amazing. I even got my first fan letter this morning!

I keep popping up all over the net. Are you sick of me yet? Today, I talk character creation over at The Other Side of the Story.

If you happen to live in Toronto, you might see this display at the World's Biggest Bookstore.

That's an interview with me you see posted there with the books, but if you're NOT in Toronto, you should be able to read it online soon. I'll keep you posted.

And if you are in the Kansas City area, remember that Kasey MacKenzie and I will be signing books this Saturday at the Shoppes at Boardwalk Borders at 4:00 p.m.

Fingers and toes accounted for?

2010-07-05T11:38:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone had a good 4th! Ours was pretty much rained out, fireworks-wise, but we still got to spend the day with family and that pretty much trumps anything else. Also means that we're saving all the fireworks for next weekend, and my book release party.

Yes, this is the midwest. We need very little excuse to blow stuff up.

And today I invade the internet!

First, Smexybooks has reviewed A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS. Then, they let me babble on about stuff! Oh, and there's a giveaway there, so check it out!

Ack, had to edit to post a great review from an equally great writer. (seriously, watch this one, she's going places) Dealing With Demons reviews my book!

Contest Winners!

2010-07-02T06:01:00.000-05:00

In the immortal words of The Doctor (or is that words of the immortal Doctor? Anyway...) Nobody dies today!

Er..wait... Not quite what I meant.

Ok, here's the really cool part of entering this contest, folks.

EVERYBODY wins!

You heard me. Everybody who entered this contest before my last comment on that post is going to get one of the Ace/Roc samplers!

Email me your addresses at kari (dot) stewart21 (at) gmail (dot) com. Include your handle here on the board, so I can keep track of who is who.

I will be holding onto these until after July 10th, so that Kasey can sign them too, and then I'll get them sent off! (yes, even to Australia)

Congrats, everyone!

Quick Note

2010-07-01T17:31:00.004-05:00

You can find an essay (by me, of course!) over at the Ace/Roc website! Down at the bottom, there's also a link to read an excerpt of A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS, but since ya'll already bought the book, you've probably read it already. (this is me, winking)

And if you happen to hit the main page of that very same website, you'll see an interview with Kasey MacKenzie, too!

Contest entrants, listen up! I will post the winners tomorrow, so if you haven't entered, why not? If you have, be ready for it.

Editing to add: A link to another review! They like me!

They're everywhere, they're everywhere!

2010-06-30T21:05:00.007-05:00

Run for the hills!

Ok, first off, tomorrow (Thursday, July 1st) is the LAST day to enter my contest! Remember, you can get a sampler of seven different upcoming Ace/Roc releases, several of them MONTHS before the books hit shelves. Enter! Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

Also! Please remember the signing that will take place on July 10th! Details are in this post, and Kasey and I would love to see folks there.

And now! More wild book sightings from all over the country!

From Columbia, Missouri!

From Amherst, NY!

From Manhattan, NY!

And from Pasadena, CA!

Thanks to everyone who has tracked down these pics for me, you guys are all amazing! I hope you're all enjoying the book, too!

Books in the Wild!

2010-06-29T21:23:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's not due out for another week, technically, but does it surprise anyone that my book has escaped custody early? I mean, really?

Kiddo, modeling the latest in UF fashion:

And a bigger display, with friends!

And speaking of friends, happy release day to Kasey MacKenzie and RED HOT FURY!

Contest Time!

2010-06-25T11:08:00.003-05:00

You know you guys love it.
First off, the obligatory reminder about the joint book signing coming up in July! Be there, folks!

Ok, what I am giving away this time is 5 (that’s FIVE) copies of the Ace/Roc summer sampler!

And you’re saying “I don’t want a sample, I want the whole book!” Ah ha, but see what we have here:

You get an excerpt of my book, A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS. You get an excerpt of Kasey MacKenzie’s book, RED HOT FURY. Both of these books are released within the next week or so.

BUT! You also get excerpts of five more books that aren’t due out until September and October! Lo, I give you summaries:

DUST – Joan Frances Turner

Nine years ago, Jessie had a family. Now, she has a gang.
Nine years ago, Jessie was a vegetarian. Now, she eats very fresh meat.
Nine years ago, Jessie was in a car crash and died. Nine years ago, Jessie was human.
Now, she’s not.
After she was buried, Jessie awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Jessie’s gang is the Fly-by-Nights. She loves the ancient, skeletal Florian and his memories of time gone by. She’s in love with Joe, a maggot-infested corpse. They fight, hunt, dance together as one—something humans can never understand. There are dark places humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into the zombie gangs.

But now, Jessie and the Fly-by-Nights have seen new creatures in the woods—things not human and not zombie. A strange new illness has flamed up out of nowhere, causing the undeads to become more alive and the living to exist on the brink of death. As bits and pieces of the truth fall around Jessie, like the flesh off her bones, she’ll have to choose between looking away or staring down the madness—and hanging onto everything she has come to know as life…

I’ve been eyeing this one for quite a while, and when I got these samplers, I turned to this one first! Had to find out if I could make it through the excerpt without putting the book in the freezer. And hey, I did! This is going on my “zombie-phobia therapy” list, for sure.

GHOST OF A CHANCE – Simon R. Green

A brand-new series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightside novels!

The Carnacki Institute exists to "Do Something" about Ghosts-and agents JC Chance, Melody Chambers, and Happy Jack Palmer will either lay them to rest, send them packing, or kick their nasty ectoplasmic arses with extreme prejudice.

A new series from an author I love anyway. How does this get any better?

QUEEN OF SHADOWS – Dianne Sylvan

Meet Miranda Grey-music and magic are in her blood.

Overwhelmed by her uncanny ability to manipulate people's emotions through her music, Miranda Grey comes to the attention of vampire lord David Solomon. Believing he can help bring her magic under control, David discovers that Miranda's powers may affect the vampire world too...

THE SILENT ARMY – James Knapp

The pulse-pounding sequel to State of Decay
Federal agent Nico Wachalowski must stop Samuel Fawkes from awakening his own private army of zombies even if it means killing the woman he loves-now resurrected as a "Revivor"-permanently.

I haven’t read the first one of this series, but I most certainly will now. (Consider it more therapy for my zombie phobia)

GRAVE WITCH – Kalayna Price

Not even death can save her now.

As a grave witch, Alex Craft can speak to the dead-she's even on good terms with Death himself. As a consultant for the police, she's seen a lot of dark magic, but nothing has prepared her for her latest case. When she's raising a "shade" involved in a high profile murder, it attacks her, and then someone makes an attempt on her life. Someone really doesn't want her to know what the dead have to say, and she'll have to work with mysterious homicide detective Falin Andrews to figure out why...

And there you have it folks, you can get little peeks at all of these mouth-watering choices.

I will, of course, sign my portion, and if you can wait until after July 10th to receive your prize, I will have Kasey sign her portion too! (It’s up to you to stalk the other five authors to get their John Hancocks)

So! To enter, leave a comment. No tricky questions this time, just let your shout-out be heard. On Friday, July 2nd, I will use a random number generator to pick five lucky winners.

ANNOUNCEMENT!

2010-06-24T17:41:00.005-05:00

Hey you! Yeah you there in the back! Stop texting and pay attention! This is important!

JULY 10TH! CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR!

Two, count 'em TWO debut authors will be signing books at a Kansas City bookstore. Who, you might ask?

None other than K.A. STEWART, author of A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS, and KASEY MacKENZIE, author of RED HOT FURY!

And now I go to jail for caps lock abuse.

But okay, here's the important details:

The signing will be at 4 P.M., Saturday July 10th, at Borders:

Borders
8628 North Boardwalk Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64154

I would love to put one of those map-type things up, but face it, I'm not that savvy.

Would love to see folks there, and face it, I have no shame, I'll sign just about anything you want. (I said just about. It's a family event.) ((pervs))

Also: Received a nice box of these today!

These are samplers. If you're lucky enough to be attending one of a variety of cons this year where Ace/Roc are in attendance, you can pick up one of these bad boys. They contain excerpts of seven different novels, including mine, and Kasey's!

I have an entire box here of them, so I may try and figure out SOMEthing to do with them... *whistles innocently* Stay tuned.

News and Stuffs!

2010-06-21T18:41:00.004-05:00

First off, I have another review here at Buddy Hollywood by the lovely (and if I may say so myself, very talented) Alice Loweecy!

Second off (why does no one ever SAY this? I mean, if we have a first off, there should be a second off, yes?), I will be posting a schedule of where to find me around the web, starting soon! There will be interviews, philosophical musings, and maybe some giveaways. Stay tuned!

Third, my friend Kasey MacKenzie's book, Red Hot Fury, releases NEXT TUESDAY! But, a few lucky folks have found it already lurking on bookstore shelves, so keep an eye out.

Fourth: If you have not read Rob Thurman's Chimera, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore.

This is an amazing new book, more Sci-Fi than UF (not to be confused with SyFy which is both sad and lame, the exact OPPOSITE of this book). Even if you've never read her books before (she's the author of the equally awesome Cal Leandros series) you should definitely check this one out.

I got a box!

2010-06-16T17:36:00.004-05:00

Today, when I got home, there was a box sitting on my front porch.

When I opened it up, I found this!

So of course, I had to get them all out and play with them.

Sadly, I don't have enough to actually build a fort as I had promised to do, but I did manage to build a quite respectable little bungalow. Or something.

Say it with me, folks! Squeeeeeeeee!

I have awesome friends

2010-06-15T18:31:00.006-05:00

Just had to share this. If you take a gander at my sidebar, you will see the blog of a lovely lady named Jen Hayley. What you don't know is that she's amazing at song spoofs. So here is my new favorite song. Enjoy.

For more fun, go check out Jen's blog!

28 Days, 4 Weeks, 2 Fortnights

2010-06-08T11:22:00.001-05:00

However you want to measure it, the countdown is on! We’re officially at the “under a month” mark until the release of A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS!

I’m excited, I’m nervous, I’m petrified. I want to be writing books for the rest of my life, and it all starts with this first one. In the immortal words of Fezzik: “Inigo? I hope we win.”

Sometimes, the enormity of it is a bit overwhelming. I think my hubby said it best when he looked at me one day and said “When you actually get what you’ve been dreaming of, what do you dream of next?”

So, what do I dream of now? Well, good sales, of course. That one’s a given. Good reviews. I’ve got a good start there so far. Bestseller status? Yeah, that’d be sweet, though highly unlikely for a debut. But eventually, sure! Gimme!

Rowling-like levels of wealth? Who wouldn’t want that? But in reality, I just want to be able to support my family on my writing. The Real Job™ is in an industry where things change on a daily basis, and I never kid myself into thinking that this job will be around forever. I’d rest easier if I knew I had a solid income to fall back on.

Like everybody else, I’m just a person. I have a kiddo I want to put through college someday. I have a house payment. I have two aging vehicles that will need replacing at some point in the future, and the normal day-to-day maintenance of being a homeowner.

I try to keep my dreams on a realistic level. Having enough, rather than having it all. Shooting for the stars, so to speak, always seemed a bit greedy.

But sometimes, just sometimes, when no one else is looking, I dream big.

So yeah. I hope we win, Inigo.

What It's All For

2010-06-03T17:50:00.002-05:00

Found this on my front porch tonight, courtesy of The Editor (who is freakin' amazing)

My first copy of my first book.

Just...wow.

Reviews & Contests!

2010-06-02T12:08:00.004-05:00

Been an interesting week!

My first reviews are starting to trickle in (well, ok, two) but one of them is a starred review in Publisher's Weekly! (starred reviews are big deals) Here's the link, scroll to the very bottom of the page.

They like me, they really like me!

And as for contests, skip on over to the Dear Author blog for the ACE/ROC Summer Giveaway! In addition to 3 (count it, THREE!) ARCs of A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS, they're also giving away a TON of other great upcoming books. There's gotta be something there for everyone to love.

In writing news, almost done getting beta notes back, gonna start writing all that up this weekend I think. Dr. Gita is helping me (read: taking charge of, and bless her) set up a launch party and there may or may not be a book signing to go with it! I'll keep you all posted.

Happy Release Day!

2010-05-24T21:19:00.003-05:00

I present to you Stacia Kane's new Downside Ghosts series, starting with the May 25th release of Unholy Ghosts!

I have been SO excited, waiting for this series to come out, and not just because Stacia is my agent-mate. And NOT just because the second book in the series, Unholy Magic, releases on the same day as another little book you might have heard of. (wink wink, nudge nudge)

Unholy Magic releases on July 6th, and City of Ghosts on July 27th.

Now, this isn't a light and fluffy fun read, folk. This is urban fantasy at its darkest and grittiest and I for one can't wait to dive into it.

Go! Buy! Read! Love!

If you can't be an athlete...

2010-05-11T10:57:00.001-05:00

Be an athletic supporter!

Yes, I still giggle at this joke. I’m secretly twelve.

But in all seriousness, I’ve seen a few conversations over on AW that have always stuck in my brain (trust me, there’s room up there) and I felt like pondering on them today. Those conversations inevitably start with someone saying “My parents/friends/significant other aren’t supportive of my writing ambitions, is it like this for anyone else?” Their stories often run the gamut from vague disinterest to outright and open mockery. And every time I hear that, my heart breaks just a little.

First off, this whole concept both baffles and saddens me. Why would people NOT be supportive of something that made a loved one happy? Yeah, most of us aren’t going to make that jump from writing in the corner to J.K. Rowling-level wealth, but often, that’s not why we write. So what’s the big deal, people? I mean, how petty and mean do you have to be not to just smile and tell someone “Good luck!” (and I mean in a genuine way, not in a snotty way)

For some folks, reading/writing just isn’t their thing. (I know! Mind-blowing, isn’t it? I mean, who doesn’t like to read??) For whatever reason, they don’t find enjoyment in it, and so maybe they just don’t understand their loved one’s passion. I speak from experience when I say that it’s very frustrating for all parties involved when there’s a disconnect there. The writer wants so badly to gush about a new idea they had, or talk out a plot snag they’ve hit, whereas their whoever-is-is just doesn’t understand why anyone would want to spend so many hours in front of a computer/with a notebook in hand.

For some, maybe they’re operating under the mistaken idea that they are “protecting” their loved one from rejection and disappointment. I guess I can understand that, to some extent. Sure, this writing gig is hard and roller coaster doesn’t even begin to describe the highs and lows. It’s rough, and it can be hard to watch a loved one go through that turmoil.

Still, how rejected and disappointed do you think they feel when they hear “Why don’t you get a real job instead of working on this little hobby?” or “I’ll read it if it ever gets published.”

Writing anything is like bleeding on paper. That’s part of you out there in the open. It’s me, wearing a bikini to the water park (trust me, no one needs to see that). You’re naked! And offering to show that to someone, ANYone, is one of the biggest leaps of faith a writer can make. It’s that one hurdle we all have to get past, if we ever want to move on to that big world called “publishing.” Some people never make that leap. Either they don’t want to, or they’re simply terrified to their very core to show that much of themselves to another soul.

And then on top of that, imagine having those people closest to you point and laugh at your pathetic little scribblings. It would be devastating. Crushing. Some of those people will never show their writing to another living creature again. Some will stop writing altogether, and it’ll be something they get teased about at family reunions. “Hey, remember when you used to think you could write?” Ha ha indeed.

I’m lucky. I have the most amazing family/friends/total strangers you can imagine. My hubby is the first one to say “If you want it, go get it.” He’s been my most enthusiastic cheerleader, dating clear back to high school when we weren’t even thinking of being a couple.

My real life friends are at once my greatest cheering squad, and my greatest critics, and I love them for it. At the same time they’re clamoring for more, they’re not afraid to say “Whoa, this sucks! What were you thinking?” (In a totally loving way, of course.) My online friends are just the same. They celebrate my victories, and bring me virtual alcoholic beverages when I need to wallow.

My family… They have always believed that whatever I said I wanted to do would be done. If I’d have said I wanted to ride a bike to the moon, they’d have sat patiently in front of the TV, waiting for the news bulletin with complete and utter faith that it was coming shortly. My mother-in-law is currently stalking bookstores, waiting for her moment to push my book into unsuspecting people’s hands. All of hubby’s family is the same way, bragging to anyone who makes eye contact long enough.

I have a support group that spans the entire U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii, a good chunk of Canada, Mexico, England, Sweden, and several tropical islands that I have only the vaguest idea the location of.

And the big secret is, if I had never found an agent, if I had never signed a book deal, they’d have all still been there for me. My success doesn’t matter a whit to any of them, so long as I’m happy with what I’m doing. That’s what a support group is supposed to be.

So, for all those writers out there who aren’t getting any encouragement from your family, your friends, I say to you “Keep at it! You can do it! It’s hard work, but if you want it, it’s there for the taking.” Because I’ll be your support group. I’ll loan you mine. There’s plenty to go around.

This author thing is hard!

2010-05-06T11:06:00.002-05:00

Here we are folks! Two (count ‘em, TWO. Uno, dos.) months away from the release of A Devil in the Details!

I’ve hit that point where I should be banned from the internet. “Oh god, she has a better Amazon ranking than I do!” “How come he’s getting so many reviews?” “They hate me…they really hate me…” “ Google alerts is just teh ebul, ‘cause it just proves that NO one is talking about me!” Insert some wailing and flailing here, too.

I’m a hazard to myself and others.

See, running around promoting myself goes against some intrinsic part of my nature. It was drilled into me from a very young age, you do NOT brag on yourself. You are modest. You do not seek out compliments, and if they are offered, you gracefully accept and direct attention away from yourself.

Do you know how hard it is for me to run up to people and say “Hey, I wrote this book, lemme pimp it to you!”? And yet, that’s kinda what I need to do. I need to be able to approach people I don’t know and say “Hey, can I do a bit of promoting on your blog/in your bookstore/at your local garage sale?” Ok, maybe not the last one, but you get the idea.

It just feels so…wrong to me, even though I know it’s not, and it’s a customary (necessary) part of being an author.

Luckily, I have some truly awesome writing friends. (Stacia Kane, Jill Myles, Kelly Meding, to name a very, very few. Seriously people, go read their books. I’ll wait.) They talk me down, they tie the pretty white coat tight, they put me in a nice padded room, and if I’m good, there’s pudding on Sundays!

Over the next few months, I’ll be guest blogging in various places, most of which are still being arranged. So expect to see me popping up in strange places, rather like the BK King (and is that dude scary or what???).

Some of it will be my rambling thoughts on writing, some of it will be interviews, and there MAY just be a very interesting interview with one Jesse James Dawson, samurai demon-slayer extraordinaire.

Right now, one that I have scheduled for sure will be on my release day (July 6th! Yes, I DO have that tattooed on my butt, why do you ask?), at the blog of an amazingly lovely writer, Janice Hardy . Don’t wait for my post to be up there, though, go over there and explore right now! There’s neat stuff there. It’s shiny.

I’ll try to keep you posted as to where I might be appearing, and reminders when the dates of said appearances are looming large.

And for the more mundane process of simply updating my status: Book 2 is with betas, and feedback is trickling in. Most of them are very enthusiastic, but are still finding places where I can tweak, and that makes me happy! Muse is with The Agent, hopefully I’ll hear something back on that within the month. And to keep my hands busy (‘cause idle hands are…idle), I’m working on finishing up the first draft of last year’s NaNo novel. I like it, I think it has great potential. I have about 2 1/3 chapters left to go on that one, and then I might wing it out to betas too, just for shiggles.

Wild ARC Sighting

2010-05-01T22:07:00.002-05:00

Just dropping in quickly to direct you toward The Book Lush, who happens to have an ARC of a rather familiar looking book!

Still rather amazing to me that people I don't know are reading my words. I think I'd be scared to death, if I stopped to think about it.

Guess I'm just waiting for the reviews to hit now. (ignore that shrieking you hear, it's just my sanity escaping)

Feeling Accomplished

2010-04-26T13:16:00.005-05:00

I got Muse sent off to The Agent today. I'm feeling both relieved, and puke-level anxious all at once.

My goal for the rest of this week is to whip Book 2 into shape, so I can get it out to my betas. Several of them are prowling outside my window at night, rattling at the bars to get to the book. (Or, that could just be this freakin' HUGE raccoon I've seen in the neighborhood)

And now, for a blast from the past... I think I've mentioned before that I once spent an entire summer as a mermaid. Here, I give you photographic proof (and many thanks to Ryan who preserved these pictures all these years). Yes, that is a wig, and yes, this was about a year before I had kiddo, so...keep that in mind.

Not everyone can say they got to be a mermaid. ;)

And the eerie thing is, a year later when kiddo was born, she had the exact same color hair as that wig.

DONE!

2010-04-18T10:28:00.001-05:00

As of Friday, I have finished Son of DD, Book 2, whatever you wanna call it. And you know what? It may not suck! The first draft came in just over 64K words, which is actually a bit over my usual 75% first draft goal. I count this as a win!

Starting tomorrow, I'm going to do one more pass through, fixing the things I've thought of since my first go. All of those are neatly noted on my lovely color-coded outline. (yes, I'm that anal) So hopefully, that'll be a week's work, if that.

And then, I shall spring this on my beta-slaves! Bwa ha ha ha ha! ('cause they're threatening torches and pitch forks if they don't get to read it soon)

And the winner is...

2010-04-15T11:07:00.001-05:00

Well, after I eliminated my beta-slaves’ answers (sorry guys!), and added one who couldn’t log into the blog, we had a total of 22 entries. I have to say that there was an amazing diversity in everyone’s soul-selling plans. We had everything from steamy nights with movie stars, to rather fabulous spinning wheels. It seems that most everybody wants more time and/or money, and either one is a good way to get the other.

I’m so glad you all came out to play for my very first ever blog contest! So many new people stopping by, excited about my book! Hopefully, I’ll be able to do more things like this as time goes on. Y’know, when I get cooler.

Now without further ado, our winner is: Kait Nolan, who wants to be independently wealthy so that she can write full-time. Trust me, I feel your pain.

Kait, please email me your mailing address at kari(dot)stewart21(at)gmail(dot)com, and I’ll get this out in the mail to you! Also, let me know if you’d like it personalized in any way.

It’s currently morning as I write this (will probably be noonish by the time it’s posted) and I have a rough guesstimate of 1500 words left to finish Book 2. Crossing my fingers that I can get this done today. (only two weeks after I’d intended to, but why get picky?)

Book Signing!

2010-04-12T22:43:00.004-05:00

No, not mine, silly ducks. But I digress...

First off, if you're looking for the contest, it's here. 2 more days to enter, and the odds are heavily in your favor so far!

Second, spent tonight at Jim Butcher's book signing, and had a ball! (even if I did stand through the signing line twice. Long story) It was of course held on neutral ground as governed by the Accords:

Made some new friends, had a good time with old ones. And yes, here is the obligatory picture, complete with kiddo photo bomb.

Ok, so it's not a wonderful pic of me, but kiddo and Jim look great! Notice that part way through the evening, they had to ice Jim's wrist down. See, THIS is what I'm trying to avoid with my fancy schmancy wrist braces! The wrist, a writer's Achilles heel... Or Achilles wrist, really. I mean, why would you call a wrist a heel in the first place.

Ok...it is possible that I'm up too late at this point. I should quit while I'm ahead.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

2010-04-07T11:01:00.000-05:00

That’s right, folks, it’s Wednesday!

“What’s so great about Wednesday,” you say. “It’s too far away from Friday to be cool, languishing in the middle of the week like that. And really, ‘hump day’? What kind of nickname is that?”

What’s so great? WHAT’S so great?! Why, today is the day we start my first ever blog contest!

You, yes YOU, could win the one and only ARC of A Devil in the Details that I’m going to give away. This stunning piece of literature will be signed by me and… well… That’s kinda my selling point right there. (please, PLEASE, somebody want this thing.)

The contest will work thusly:

You go to THIS blog (right here, where you are anyway). You go to THIS post (conveniently, also right where you are anyway). You leave a comment below answering the following question. What would YOU sell your soul for?

And that’s it. That enters you in the contest, and at the end of it all, I will use a random number generator to pick the lucky winner.

The contest will run until midnight Central time NEXT Wednesday (April 14th). Any entries received with a time stamp later than that will not be considered. One entry per person, please, since we only have one soul to sell. (At least, I think we do. Hubby technically owns one of his high school chum’s souls, sold for a buck twenty-five in lunch money (we still have the contract) but I assume that’s an unusual circumstance.)

The winner will receive one ARC, signed (and personalized if you like) by me! Guaranteed to cure baldness, erectile dysfunction, eyebrow mold, and remove soap scum from your bathtub.* The only request I’d like to make is that you please come back later and let me know if I sucked or not.

Comments left on Twitter or Facebook will not count, so make sure you come here, to this blog, this post!

Sadly, Beta-slaves, I must exclude you from the contest, since, y’know, you guys kinda read it already. You get the joy of reading it early, but the anguish of not getting the chubby mandolins. (Y’know, fat loots? Seriously, am I the ONLY gamer here?)

Let the contest begin!

*Disclaimer: Will not cure baldness, erectile dysfunction, eyebrow mold, or remove soap scum from your bathtub.

Get Back On The Horse

2010-04-05T18:07:00.003-05:00

For those who have not heard yet, my mother lost her year-long battle with cancer last week. We were fortunate to have her for ten months after her diagnosis, which is a good stretch longer than a lot of folk with the same cancer. All of you who have been with me for the past few weeks, both for comfort and to kick my ass when I needed it, thank you.

My mother was a strong woman. Like, scare the bejeezus out of professional wrestlers kinda strong, and she was only 5'2". I like to think that I get that from her, and I hope I can pass the same thing on to my daughter. And I know the one thing she (my mother) would want, is for me to get my ass back in gear and continue with the stuff that needs doing.

To that end, I have a really cool announcement. Last Friday, I found a package on my front porch, and inside that package were my ARCs! (cue squeeing) (ok, enough squeeing)

I am preparing to give away one, count 'em, ONE ARC this coming week. On Wednesday, I will put up a contest announcement with all the details. So stay tuned folk!

And in other news, I finished the climax scene for book 2 today, and it ROCKED. I always know a scene is good when I'm out of breath at the end, just like my character should be. I have one more chapter to finish, all denouement, and then this first draft will be done. I'll do another quick pass through it, to fix the things I've noticed in the meantime, and then I'll have it out to my beta slaves. (you know who you are, clear your calendars)

Hard to Keep Up

2010-03-14T21:46:00.008-05:00

What's that song lyric? Life is what happens while you're making other plans? Yeah. That. That's me.

Oh, be sure, I'm going on with life. Writing (broke 50K on book 2 last week, I have 4 and a half chapters left to go for the first draft). I am supposed to have page proofs arriving any second now, which is my last chance to change anything on book 1. Talking typos, punctuation, nothing major. We should also have ARCS sometime before the end of the month. Squee!

Been taking care of kiddo (who just swiped these awesome freaking mitts from Dr. Gita, contrary to my very loud protests):

Gita has promised to knit me a pair, if I pick out some yarn that I like.

Bought some to-die-for cute shoes:

Hubby says "You'll never wear those!" Au contraire! For these shoes, I will build an outfit. (It may or may not involve dressing up as a Hatter for Halloween this year. Steampunk Hatter, anyone?)

And yet, there seems to be so many things that aren't getting done. I have a list of blog posts I want to do, addressing some questions people have asked me, and some questions I've asked myself. The moment that Book 2 is off to betas (goal: before the end of March), I want to yank Muse off the shelf and get her polished up and off to The Agent. Finish last year's Nano novel, and revise, because I think it has REAL potential to go places. Outline Book 3.

And somehow, in the midst of all this, I find myself with less than four months to the release of A Devil in the Details. Holy crap, when did this happen! Was it really just a year ago (almost to the day, the mind boggles) that I got that call from The Agent "We have an offer".

Back then, a year and a half to book-on-shelf seemed forever. Now I'm wondering if I got kidnapped by aliens and lost several months.

Cover flats!

2010-02-21T09:21:00.005-06:00

This is what I came home to, yesterday! Cover flats for my book!

For those who don't know, a cover flat is basically the book cover, without the book inside. It's used for promotional purposes, and has a section attached for book buyers (at bookstores) to know how to market said book. It's supposed to help them know how many they might want to order for their particular store.

And yes, if you can make it out, there is a blurb from Simon R. Green on the front, and blurbs from Anton Strout and Rob Thurman on the back. I'm giddy!

I've only got three, so I'm not sure what to do them. I know some authors do signed cover flat giveaways, but I wasn't sure if there'd even be an interest in that for mine. May be something I need to ponder.

In the meantime, it's snowing, my car window is stuck in the down position, and we have no groceries. It is possible we're eating ramen noodles today. Happy winter!

Pneumonia is bad, m'kay?

2010-02-18T18:11:00.002-06:00

You would think this would be a fairly obvious to most people, but as someone who had never HAD pneumonia before, I didn't truly grasp the HORRIBLENESS that is pneumonia.

And it's horrible. And a little scary.

I wasn't even sick. I mean, I had no cold, no cough, I just woke up one morning last week and got hit by a freight train. And then I got pneumonia. (see what I did there? I kill me.) My chest hurt so bad, I was googling heart attack symptoms. What do you mean, I should have gone to the hospital? That might have made sense or something! Geez...

On the upside, the antibiotics are working, and I no longer feel like I might keel over any second.

The downside being that I am further behind on Book 2 than I wanted to be. Which seems to be my normal state of being with this book, so maybe if I adjust my internal schedule to match what's actually happening, I'd be a happier person.

But I did get some writing done today, and it was even funny. Not like the joke above funny, but really funny. I swear.

As soon as I get this chapter done, I get to start cannibalizing some previously written stuff, so my word count will skyrocket, albeit in a cheaty sort of way.

Wish me luck!

Copyedits, oh my!

2010-02-01T17:37:00.002-06:00

So, I spent three days (well, ok, two and a half) working on my first ever copy edits! For those who aren't familiar with the process, that's when a nice person with a red pen (or in this case, with "track changes" on) makes notes about things like punctuation, capitalization, and other slightly questionable details. Then I as the author go through and either agree with them (leave them alone), disagree with them (change them back), and otherwise add anything that might be missing.

This is my LAST chance to make big changes. (big changes being anything more than a typo fix) Or, rather, it WAS my last chance. 'Cause I turned those bad boys in this morning!

I also got the chance to do my dedication (that I've been planning almost since the beginning) and my acknowledgments. My greatest fear right now is that I've forgotten someone in the acknowledgments, and that's just gonna kill me.

Things I learned while doing copyedits:
The word "Realtor" is actually a trademarked term, and should be changed to "real estate agent" when possible.
I use a ton of commas where semi-colons would do.
The word "T-shirt" should be capitalized like that.
Proper grammar sounds SO freakin' wrong, in a lot of cases.
Per The Editor, in first-person PoVs, voice trumps proper grammar. (I was so relieved to hear that)
Contrary to the little doubting voice that creeps in now and then, this story isn't half bad!

Had a great chat with The Agent tonight too, he was just calling to check in since we hadn't talked in a while.

My goal is to have the first draft of Book 2 done by the end of March. Hopefully, this will give my beta-slaves plenty of time to check it out and get it back to me before I have to have it in to The Editor.

I'm excited!

Cover Art!

2010-01-22T19:23:00.003-06:00

No, not mine. This is the cover to my friend Kasey's fabulous debut, hitting shelves everywhere in June. Go, buy, love!

Back to the Drawing Board

2010-01-19T17:30:00.002-06:00

Or the writing board? What IS the writing equivalent of that?

So, all my doubts and reservations about book 2 were actually very valid, since The Editor brought up the exact same issues upon seeing a synopsis. So, I went back to the drawing board! (or whatever)

And over the course of a weekend, I hashed out a mostly-new plot for Book 2. Of course, this means I'll be scrapping most of what I had done (well, I can salvage some of it, pared down) but when I really step back and look, I'm much happier with the New Two (as I'm now calling it).

It flows better, it sits in the back of my head better... I knew, when I was struggling so much with version 1, that it was my subconsciousness's way of saying "THIS SUCKS, STUPID!" My subconscious has now been appeased, and is actually gloating rather smugly at me.

Granted, this puts me on a much shorter time frame to produce the New Two. I can do it, don't get me wrong, but it means I'll have less time for screwing around, and less time to work on "me" stuff (ie: things I'm not getting paid for). And that's ok too. Discipline is a good thing, when applied correctly.

(not to be confused with "Apply Directly to the Forehead!")

In other news, Gretchen McNeil (blog in the links to the left) is starting up a new blog series about writing (imagine that!). Definitely go over and check out what she's got to say.

Also, if there's anything anyone wants to see me babble about, feel free to make requests. I do not, however, sing the Bee Gees, clog dance, or juggle small mammals. Much to their relief.

Teaser Tuesday Catorce

2010-01-12T17:25:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted a teaser. Heck, it's been a while since I've posted anything that wasn't merely an update on my existence.

So what you have here is a snippet. There's no more, this is all there is. I don't know who these people are yet, I'm not even sure what their names are. I don't know why they're doing what they're doing, or where they're going.

This was inspired by a song called "Smoke" by a band named Lucero. Someday, I'm going to write an entire book based around this song. After I'm done writing this other stuff folks are paying me for.

~*!*~

Maybe it was the fact that Don-the-Dick had fired me just that afternoon, from a job I hated anyway. Without the menial under-the-table job of grease monkey at a mostly-shady engine shop, there was no way I’d be able to pay next week’s rent on the lousy motel room I called home.

Maybe it was the fact that the last woman I’d come within arm’s reach of had almost gotten my head blown off by the jealous husband she’d conveniently forgotten to mention. I was still finding buckshot in weird places.

I piled everything I owned into one army-green duffel bag and strapped it to the back of my bike, the only thing I had that was worth anything. It growled me over to The Bar – no name, but since it was the only one in this podunk piece of crap town, it didn’t really need one – and I went in to drink my goodbyes.

“Where the hell you gonna go, man?” Joey shook his head, already three sheets in, and it was only ten minutes into happy hour.

“Dunno. Just gonna ride til I get there, I guess. S’how I wound up here in the first place.” Here, being where my bike had decided to blow a gasket on me, and where I’d been more or less living for the last eight months. It was the longest I’d stayed anywhere in a very long time, a mistake I didn’t think I’d be repeating.

“Won’t be the same without you.”

That made me smirk. “Yeah it will. The bar will still be here, and Ralph will still be serving the same pig piss as his ‘special brew’, and on Fridays, Kelly will come in, get plastered, and flash her tits all over the place, just like always. You don’t need me for that.”

Joey’s head swayed morosely, more drunk than grieving my imminent departure. “Won’t be the same.”

I stayed longer than I meant to, as folks I knew straggled in after long shifts in jobs even shittier than mine had been. They were people I would nod hey to, folks I didn’t want to punch in the teeth. Guess that’s as close to “friends” as a guy like me got. I drank more beer than I meant to, and I knew if I didn’t get my ass on the road, I wouldn’t be fit for riding.

Took me fifteen minutes to get out the door, and it wasn’t even that big a place. I think the whole town of maybe a hundred people turned out to see my road dust.

I got settled on my bike, buckling my pitiful excuse for a helmet under my chin. It wasn’t going to do much more than be a bucket for my brains on the day they scraped me off the pavement, and that was ok by me.

Just as I was about to punch the starter and see this town in my rearview, the bike sagged as more weight was added to it, and a pair of arms slipped around my waist.

I turned to find a pretty pair of brown eyes smiling at me, her dark curly hair caught back in a haphazard tail. Her jeans were ripped in several places, on purpose, and the white tank top she wore barely covered the assets the good Lord gave her. Her leather jacket was at least three sizes too big, and so worn it was almost see-through in places. Wasn’t anyone I’d ever seen in town before, and trust me, if a piece of tail like that had walked down the street, we’d have all known it before nightfall.

She grinned at me, displaying her dimples while one hand fished in the saddlebag where I kept my spare helmet. Slapping it on, she buckled it under her chin, and said, “Go!”

Maybe it was the three beers I’d had, or…hell, I don’t know. Without another word, I kicked the bike to life and we were gone, tearing out toward the highway.