Collaboration:

Since I do a great deal of collaboration writing I thought I’d touch on how it came about for me.

Collaborating isn’t for everyone. Some personalities simply aren’t meant for compromising and collaborating involves a lot of compromising. Every aspect of co-authoring demands give and take from both parties.

Now, for me collaboration came easily. When I first started writing I was heavily involved in the official Dark Hunter fan-fiction role play group. It wasn’t long before I moved over to the official Dark Hunter After Dark scene. I made some great friends through the interaction. I loved role play. Loved writing fan fiction. I’ve still got characters I owe happy-ever-afters.

Although, fan fiction and/or role play isn’t for everyone…some take the game completely seriously while others seem to be under the assumption “real” people aren’t involved at all. I’m fortunate the playing time was a wonderful learning experience on so many levels.

In fan fiction role play you can weave your story thread with other writers/players. I got lucky and met two fabulous ladies. Mo (Mari of Marissa Alwin) and Tiffany (Lany of Melany Logen.) I clicked with both of these talented ladies and we in turn took our interactive writing away from the game and into several genres of romance.

It was actually a dear friend Lo who suggested we should make a go at real fiction. Even though I’d known Mo a while longer, I approached Tiffany first because we have more free time to write. It’s been so long now…I jotted down a few story ideas….Tiffany picked futuristic fantasy genre and the heat level. I’m still surprised she wanted to delve into erotic romance. Though, I’m just as glad she did.

After Lany and I broke in at Ellora’s Cave with Torc’s Salvation I approached Mo and Marissa Alwin was born!

Just as I was with role play, I’m addicted to my co-authorship writing! It’s great fun! It offers me the interaction I crave. As well as instant gratification. But, the authorships are serious businesses and must be treated with respect. Lany and I have an article on collaboration on our Melany website. http://melanylogen.com/oncollaborating.html

If you’re interested in trying your hand at a collaboration I suggest reading through it first. We offer some great tips and some must dos.

Until later~
Mel

Sequel Anyone?

My turn to blog and I have nothing prepared. The reason I have nothing prepared is that I arrived home late last night from Houston and the annual Romantic Times Booklovers Conference. It was my first time at this event and it was a blast! I met a lot of great authors and readers, and had a great time at the book signing on Saturday.

I’m happy (and a little overwhelmed) to report that my paranormal book, Lords of the Were sold out at the book signing! Wow! Thanks to all of you who bought it and all of you who have read it already. There’s no better feeling than to know your work is appreciated. I was asked quite a few times about a sequel and yes, there is something in the works.

Which brings me to a good topic for this blog (I knew if I rambled a bit, sooner or later an idea would come to me!)… I tend to differentiate in my mind between a “sequel” and a “follow-on” story. My naming of each of these is probably bad, but in my mind at least, a sequel follows DIRECTLY after the action in the first book. It picks up where the first book leaves off. Now, on the other hand a follow-on or related story (that might be a better word), is one that is related to the first book, but doesn’t necessarily follow directly after the action of the first book. Does that make sense?

As an example, Lords of the Were ends and two male characters (Dante and Duncan) have been introduced and played a large part in the action, but are left single. So a direct sequel – at least in my mind – would pick up with one (or both) of them and directly follow the events of that first book in chronology. By contrast, I actually have a book coming out later this year called Sweeter Than Wine, which is related to Lords of the Were, but not a direct sequel. Though it does reference some of the characters and events from Lords of the Were, it introduces new characters and situations. It’s set in the same world, but it focuses on two vampires and a werecougar who are separate from Lords of the Were, though they do come in contact with some characters from the first book. So in my mind at least, they’re separate-but-related, but not a direct sequel. With me so far?

So my question to you – readers of this blog – how do you view this kind of thing? Would you rather read a direct sequel first or a separate-but-related story? Does it really matter? Do you define those things the same way I’ve been struggling to define them? I’m really curious!

Bianca D’Arc
Come over to the D’Arc side… www.biancadarc.com

Pantheon

I blog here every couple of weeks and, as is typical, I leave it to the absolute last second. I don’t know if I feel better or worse for admitting that I’ve been thinking about this post for several days and my subject only came to me this morning.

Nothing like a deadline to focus the mind, I always say.

But I did find a topic and it’s probably something I’ll expand on in the weeks to come. The pantheon of the gods.

Every culture creates its own gods. The Greeks, the Romans, the Norse, the ancient Mesopotamians, Native Americans, as well as various Eastern cultures. We might even say that modern Western civilazation is not immune from creating deities of its own.

But the myths of theism provide a fertile ground for paranormal writers.

Some of the first stories we learned came from Greek and Roman traditions. Zeus or Jupiter and his squabbling family: Hera/Juno, Apollo/Helios, Aphrodite/Venus, Ares/Mars, Artemis/Diana, Athena/Minerva. They provide stories of love, jealousy, infidelity, and life everlasting. The Elysian Fields for the good, the embrace of Hades for the evil.

The legends of them and their interference in human lives (how many bastards did Zeus spawn, anyway? Surely Hera didn’t focus all her spite on poor Hercules) give us not only inspiration for plots, but also for emotional themes.

Bulfinch’s Mythology is an invaluable resource for researching Greek and Roman myths. The Theoi Project provides information about Greek stories, while the Encyclopedia Mythica gives insight into several different pantheons.

Next time, we head north to Valhalla.

13 reasons Fantasy (books) are better than sex

13. Your hair doesn’t get messed up reading a book
12. The hero usually has some magical power you can totally imagine him using for your greater pleasure
11. Having more than one book doesn’t make you a slut.
10. The only injury you’re going to get from a book is a papercut, while we all know sex is dangerous!
9. Books can’t give you STDs
8. While books may cost money, there’s nothing wrong with paying for the gratification they give. Can’t say the same for paying for sex.
7. You can display books.
6. You can read in public.
5. You can imagine yourself in the place of the heroine, and whoever you want as the hero.
4. It’s okay to love more than one book. At a time
3. Reading actually makes you smarter.
2. A good book can last for days.

1. Books have covers and sheets…and you don’t have to wash them.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen paranormal books I would like to read:

1. Blood Bound Patricia Briggs
2. Kissing Sin Keri Arthur
3. Succubus Blues Richelle Mead
4. Lover Revealed JR Ward
5. The Leopard Prince Elizabeth Hoyt (okay, actually historical, but since I viewed The Raven Prince as alternate history, I’ll list it here)
6. Darkfever Karen Marie Moning
7. Devilish Maureen Johnson (YA, but also paranormal, perhaps not a romance)
8. Twilight Stephanie Meyer (YA)
9. Demon Angel Meljean Brooks
10. Seeing Eye Mate Annmarie McKenna
11. Missing in Action Amanda Young
12. Stray Rachel Vincent
13. Ill Wind Rachel Caine

What paranormal books do you want to read?

Dancing With Wolves

The fact that you could be dancing with somone who changes into a wolf and not even know it is what lots of paranormals are all about, when you get right down to it. In fact, I have have my hero and heroine out on the dancefloor, albeit briefly in The Wolf’s Heart.

While Lainey figures out pretty quick that Marcus is hotter than a 2-dollar pistol, she doesn’t know he changes into a wolf for a long time. He’s adept at hiding his true nature behind his good ole’ boy Southern charm, and it doesn’t hurt that they’ve known one another since they were kids either.

I wrote Wolf’s Heart’s heroine with this thought in mind: What would you do if you found out the man who lay beside you at night, made you laugh, sigh, and yes, danced you off your feet, went furry every month? When she does find out are somewhat loud with threats of violence to certain parts of Marcus’ anatomy. LOL.

The best part of any story of course, is the journey from point A to point B, at least to me, getting there is half the fun. Marcus wants her, but thinks they’re too different. His wolf has a different point of view..in his mind or in The Wolf’s Heart, there’s never been anyone but her. He’ll allow his other half to make mistake after mistake, knowing this one fact: to err is human, to forgive canine.

Have a great Wednesday!

Jenna Leigh

Please allow me to introduce myself…

I’m a baaaad girl.

I signed up for the Fantasy & Enchantment Blog weeks ago. I nagged my fellow Samhellions into letting me in the door. I nagged them into posting Anne Cain’s gorgeous cover for my book. Then what did I do?

I vanished into the writing hole, that’s what.

Bad Jean Marie.

Well, no more. I’m back, and I plan to be a lot badder. Consider me the wild card in the F&E deck. I write comic fantasy strongly influenced by popular culture. My first novel, With Nine You Get Vanyr, written with the late Teri Smith, explored what would happen to a stultifying, Renaissance-style world where magic worked if you imported nine fanfic writers who thought they knew everything about it. My current WIP looks at the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and you know, the way I write it (from her point of view) it’s a comedy. Sex, death and rock-n-roll–what more could anybody ask?

I love dragons and great clothes and magicians and world-altering battles of good and evil, but I come at all of them from a slightly skewed angle. This blog showcases some of the best fantasy romance writers Samhain has to offer. They are our resident experts on everything from Celtic mythology and dragons to medieval witchcraft. They know their stuff, and most of the time I’ll leave the discussion of those topics in their capable hands.

I plan to bring you the other side of the fantasy coin. For example, everybody knows about the Hydra, the Minotaur and other A-list monsters of Greek mythology. But have you ever heard about the Melinoe? Did you know that Eros isn’t really a god at all, much less the son of Aphrodite (or Venus)? Depending on which source you read, he’s either the oldest of the Titans or the oldest sentient being in the universe. How cool is that for someone who believes in romance?

Then there’s the stuff that comes from other mythologies. The youkai–or demons–of Japanese legends are the personification of natural forces and natural-born shifters. They combine facets devils and shifters, and according to one popular theory, the reason we don’t hear about them anymore is they have figured out how to pass as human.

There are a million stories in the naked fantasy city. I hope to be your guide to the ones a little off the beaten track. They glitter just as brightly as the ones you know.

We’re All Different

Hi folks — I’m Jody Wallace, and this is my first post as part of the Beyond the Veil blog. I’ll talk about more paranormal-specific things in later entries, but today I’ve been thinking about writing advice. There’s such a huge market for how-to-write books out there, you’d think a ton of people wanted to be writers…or whispered to you, when they learned you were a writer, that you needed to write their life story because psst psst and psst.

Uh-huh.

Well, there are a lot of people who buy those advice books. A lesser number start a novel. Still fewer finish one. Even fewer submit it for publication, and I think we all know how many get published.

For those of us in that minority, we aren’t there because we all read the “right” book or employ some similar technique, besides write well and keep submitting. Everyone who pursues a writing career puts the words on the page differently, resulting in different words and different books. Some of us believe writer’s block is a myth, and some of us can’t write unless certain conditions are met, such as soft music, an IV drip of caffeine, or photos of our hero emblazoned across the computer screen. Some of us finish several books a year, and some authors, as legitimate as the rabbits, write at the speed of tortoise.

I’m an author who does her best work when there are no children tugging my legs, screeching at the cats, or babbling non-stop in the background. As a stay-at-home mom with two kids not yet in school, these “requirements” mean my writing time is limited. I have great envy in my heart for writer-types who can drop into the zone (the magical place where we can get something worthwhile onto the page) handily, taking advantage of fifteen minutes here or there, scribbling during ballet lessons or lunch breaks, pounding out hundreds of words while the baby naps.

If the baby naps.

My dream zone is silent, childless, catless, climate-controlled and clean, all things no one would use to describe my house. A place like that is a true fantasy. Right now, for example, my 5 year old has been talking so much her voice is husky, and the baby is headbutting my legs because I’m holding the laptop instead of her. I don’t get my dream zone, so I make do with chaos, enforced Teletubbies hour, and occasional bouts of low rumbling.

What’s important to realize, as you contemplate your own zone, is that what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. What works for Jennie, or Bianca, or Carolan, might not work for me (though I wish more methods did work for me!).

One author I know swears by first drafts in two weeks at twenty pages a day–”Get those words on a page no matter what!” she cries. Another writer I know composes fifty page synopses before she begins a novel. She can’t proceed until she’s packed for all contingencies and knows all the stops along the way. Still another, who may or may not be myself, is slow, erratic, and finds synopses inhibiting. But the result of one of these journeys? Is a fantasy romance novel called A SPELL FOR SUSANNAH, purchased by Samhain for publication in the year 2008 .

So I did something right, even if I felt unsure at the time when considering the seemingly more successful methods of my peers.

And that’s what I want to celebrate today–our differences. Through it all, as we blog and vent and discuss the ins and outs of authorship, it’s important to acknowledge there are as many routes to a destination as there are authors. No right path, no wrong path. Our brains and writing habits are as individual as the end results.

Thank goodness for that, because I was a reader long before I was a writer!

What’s your process? Ever been convinced you had pinned down your process and tried something new anyway? Did it work or did it lead you astray?

JW
http://www.jodywallace.com/

Magic is in the air

Spring has sprung here in Canada where I live, and it’s the time of year when magic seems its most possible. New life, new birth, and the awakening of things long dormant.

The Ancient Egyptians seemed to have a real handle on the idea of rebirth…something I don’t think people think about as much these days.

Every year, the Egyptians would watch the scarab beetle delve into the sand, only to re-emerge, months later, in the spring. This became the basis for their life’s work…being buried (in caves and pyramids instead of sand) only to re-emerge in the spirit world, later. Even the scarab’s food (the scarab’s other name being ‘dung beetle’) reinforced this idea of life-from-death.

Once you discover this theme…nature seems to just back it up…from the rising and setting of the sun, to the phases of the moon (which appears to birth, grow, and then die as the new moon, only to come back to life again.) Here in Canada, the trees appear dead all winter long, buried beneath snow instead of sand, emerging fresh and green in the months of April and May.

This, of course, is but one of the faces of magic, but a powerful one: the magic of renewal.

Is It Time to Bite?

A.K.A. It’s always hard the first time.

This is it. Forget the nerves and anxiety, you’ve finally met the girl of your dreams and she’s agreed to “try you out” with a nice meal, theater and dancing. So shave, shower, and get out your most stunning designer wardrobe—not forgetting her favorite men’s cologne. Now you’re ready for the most romantic and thrilling night of your life. But wait! Have you read your Horton’s guide to Polite Dating? Do you know the difference between a Winny and a Whammy? Worried that you might not be able to impress her?

Never fear, our intrepid, never to be daunted, Agent Double D.3 has performed many an arduous night of research—with much wine, dancing and, well, yes!—to provide this report. Here is a detailed guide for prospective paranormal suitors on the correct behavior for your very first date. So, buy the bouquet of flowers, pick up a box of Godiva, and have yourself a very successful, and hopefully satiated, evening.

Agent Double D.3 reports :

1. Vampires:
   The Gift— Flowers are a must, unless you know for certain the young lady in question is allergic to them, and some chocolates. For goodness sake don’t take red wine, it will remind you too much of that other red stuff and might cause you to lose control. Since your love bite is of the, let’s say more committed kind, you will need to control yourself with this hot babe.
   The Date— During the actual date itself, keep focused, look interested in her at all times—even if she never leaves the topic of lipstick shades. Just smile, gently put your hand over hers, and politely suggest that she’d look good enough to eat with a bright shade of blood red. If you find it hard to control yourself around attractive humans avoid the dance venues on the first few dates. Dancing tends to accentuate the pulse and makes your date’s neck far more attractive than normal. Many a vampire male has been branded uncouth for biting their partner on the dance floor.
   The Walk/Ride Home— Please refrain from turning into a giant bat and carrying your date home. Aside from the likelihood of scaring her to death, bat dropping stains are awfully hard to remove from clothing.
   After Date Desserts— It’s not considered gentlemanly to bite someone on your first date, unless they are willing. Of course, with that magnetic stare of yours, how could she not be willing? Not to mention, her bed can be terribly lonely for one.
2. Werewolf:
   The Gift— As much as it pains me to tell you this, a huge slab of raw steak is not, in human terms, considered romantic. If she swoons when you slap two pounds of the best, bloody sirloin in her hands as she opens the door, it will not be from delight. Give her something special, like a fur coat made from pelts of your prey—minus the bite marks, of course. Under no circumstances suggest that she might like to go to dinner, au natural, under the coat. If she suggests it herself, hey, that’s a different matter.
   The Date— Firstly – avoid making a first date on the full moon. Even the most liberal of women can take offense at their hunky companion turning into Chewbacca over tagliatelle. Dancing is a must, since your natural animal grace will overawe any potential lover. For dinner, avoid places that serve raw meats, like steak and hamburger, and stick with processed foods like Italian or Chinese. Seeing you, with blood dripping off your chin, will not increase your chances of romance.
   The Walk/Ride Home— We’ve all heard about the wonderful freedom of running the streets and forests in wolf form. Unfortunately your date is human. She can’t transform. Probably doesn’t want to transform, and is most likely to scream and run if you do transform. A taxi, or car, is the recommended form of transport here. Though removing the dead deer from the trunk and having the car detailed to remove the smell of wet wolf, before the date, is an advisory precaution.
   After Date Desserts— Don’t automatically think buying her a nice meal, giving her chocolates and having a fantastic time dancing gives you the right to grab your date and hump her in her front garden. Get her into the living room first where it’s warmer.
3. Ghosts:
   The Gift— Now might be the time to raid that famous treasure stash of yours to find that one antique bauble of Aunt Matilda’s, which matches perfectly with your new date’s eyes. Make sure she’s aware of its sentimental value to you and how special she is, which is why she must have it. At no point admit you think the thing is butt ugly and you’re so glad to be rid of it.
   The Date— Since your state of visibility is, let’s say somewhat challenged, the best venue for a date is that olde fashioned restaurant with separate booths, and preferably curtains that can be pulled across for more privacy. Have the lights turned really low—for romantic reasons, and keep your date distracted with interesting food and copious wine. The less she has to look at you, and the more she’s drunk, the less likely she is to wonder why the paisley pattern of the chair cover can be seen through your chest.
   The Walk/Ride Home— You may be able to drift through brick, stone and wood, but she can’t. Open the doors for her, please.
   After Date Desserts— With all that wine keeping her happily smiling, she won’t mind at all if you tell her a few ghostly stories, as you tuck both of you into her bed.
4. Invisible man:
   The Gift— Don’t be cheapskate. Presenting your date with a vase full of your specially grown invisible flowers, especially the ones you can’t feel, will always backfire in the end. With luck you’ll just get a kick or two to the shins, if you’re unlucky you’ll get a kick or two somewhere else and the door slammed in your face. After that we’ll be calling you Ethel. Spend that extra twenty dollars and get her some real flowers. You, your shins and your other bits, will be grateful.
   The Date— Walking around covered in bandages can make it a bit tricky when it comes to getting into some of the more exclusive places. The simple solution to this is to effect a snobbish British accent and accidentally drop some business cards in front of the maitre d. Make sure the cards have the seal of the British Crown on them and P. Willy underneath the seal. Apologize profusely, explaining that you’re not in disguise but simply holding the cards for a friend. You will suddenly discover the restaurant has excellent service for you and your date, though you may have to endure being called “your majesty” for the duration of the evening. Note that it is in extremely bad taste, when your date goes to the restroom, to unravel the bandages and slip inside just to get a peek. But if you do, make sure to take photos on your cell phone and post them on the web.
   The Walk/Ride Home— Take a romantic walk across the park on your way home. If you choose a cloudy night, on a new moon when there’s a power outage, you can even take off your bandages and walk naked. She’ll never know the difference.
   After Date Desserts— A simple peck on the cheek is quite sufficient. Though it may take a little persuading to get her to pull down the covers enough to expose her butt.
5. Merman:
   The Gift— Fish may go down very well at home, but here it should be reserved solely for the sushi chef. Seaweed too, since it really doesn’t stand well in a vase. Now an intricately carved statue of coral is acceptable, or a small strand of a hundred or so pearls. Well, who needs to go out for dinner with a gift like that?
   The Date— Yes, we know you love to talk to the dolphins, and whales are really cool when you can share the local sea gossip. Unfortunately most women, when they dress in slinky evening wear, don’t like to spend their date at the local Sea World. This might stifle your creativity some, yes, but stop thinking with the flippers man, think with your head. And no, we don’t mean that head. A nice restaurant, away from sources of water— i.e. the sea front—will serve nicely. Oh, and unless it’s sushi or oysters, don’t eat the fish raw.
   The Walk/Ride Home— Given the typically unpredictable state of the weather, always travel by car or taxicab. Any other form of transport runs the risk of being caught in rain. This would leave you floundering, and your angry date haggling prices with the local sushi chef.
   After Date Desserts— This is your time to demonstrate how much you like to eat things raw.
6. Incubus:
   The Gift— Please, please, please, leave that frozen sample from the sperm bank at home. Go for something simple like a velvet blindfold and silk scarves, just to give her a taste of what’s to come later. Besides her, that is.
   The Date— Naturist beach – no. Mixed sauna and hot tub – no. skinny dipping – no. Look dude if you want to get hot and naked with her at least find somewhere private. How about suggesting an indoor barbecue at your place, clothing optional?
   The Walk/Ride Home— You’re already at home… What are you waiting for?
   After Date Desserts— Slinky, smooth, sexy. This is just the area you are an expert in. Oh, okay, you can get those sperm samples out now…
7. Djinn:
   The Gift— With the gifts of a thousand maharaja’s at your whim you had to go buy her a box of chocolates! Good grief! Next time bring a ruby or two, and a diamond necklace, a tiara, a…
   The Date— A taste of the exotic will work wonders here. Take her someplace she’s never been—yes, we know she hasn’t been to Topeka, Kansas but you need make it exciting and someplace that people would actually want to visit. Bring her to locales where she can try food and wine that has never been seen on this World, just make sure to have the detox wagon ready for when she gets home. If you do all that, it will be a memorable experience for her she’ll never forget. Whatever you do, don’t take her to Paris, France or Florence, Italy. Those so called romantic pot holes are way too overused and utterly boring.
   The Walk/Ride Home— Now, this magic carpet type thing is kind of cool. It is a thrilling ride, indeed, to feel the wind blowing through the hair and see the tiny, biddy people way, way below. Do check first, though, that your date isn’t afraid of heights or gets travel sick. Cleaning those antique carpets can be costly.
   After Date Desserts— Who needs to go home when you have a convenient flying carpet and a few handy condoms? Watch out for those carpet burns.

Agent Double D.3 report ends.