A Quick Time Out

 Dropping in on a non-standard Tuesday to share a random xkcd comic. (There is a mountain lion, but it's reading Facebook...) https://xkcd.com/1947

3T Something Different

 Today is where I normally have a 3T Writing Tidbit, but I felt like something different... xkcd!

And this from the FarSide https://www.thefarside.com/2022/10/19/3

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.

2T Repeat Performence -- Black Diamond Jinn

I've done a number of blog tours over the years, posting on different sites. Now I'm bringing them to you!

Originally published July 27, 2012 for EReading on the Cheap

Interview for Black Diamond Jinn:

1. What gave you the idea to focus on the Mayan Doom? Do you believe in it?
I love all things both Indiana Jonesy and computery, so Ancient Mayans plus astronomical calendar plus Internet meme? I’m so there. The odd thing about December 21, 2012 is that the Mayans actually don’t predict an end-of-world for that day. True, their calendar completes a Long Count, but for the Mayans, an end of period was simply a time of bad luck. My personal view is that “no one knows the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven”—in other words, if someone tells you the world will end on such-and-such a day, you can rest assured it won’t.

2. Do all Jinn have black diamond eyes or was Rafe special? I assume that the name of the book comes from his eyes, but correct me if I am wrong.
A novella didn’t let me go too far into it, but Rafe gets his power from black holes, one of the strongest forces in the universe. That power shows in his eyes. Now, black holes crush everything with overpowering gravity, so they’re pretty nasty. But I particularly like when good things come out of bad, and heavy gravity also compresses carbon into diamonds. So with Rafe, I have that crushing power showing as diamond eyes, good coming out of bad. In my universe (again, not mentioned in the novella), all jinn who get their power from black holes have black diamond eyes. A jinni who gets power from a red giant star would have ruby eyes, jinn who draw from blue dwarf stars would have sapphire eyes, etc. And you’re right! The title does come from Rafe’s eyes, and the type of jinni he is.

3. Where did you get the idea for Venus magic?
My Biting Love series are all red-hot romances, and though this is more a fantasy romance I didn’t want to wander too far :) Sex magic is as old as humankind—did I mention my interest in archeology? :) —everything from fertility goddess rituals to the Kama Sutra as a guide for virtuous and gracious living. My particular take for this story equates magic with karma, or the feedback the universe gives to human acts. Positive acts generate positive magic, and what’s more positive than good sex?

4. If Rafe hadn't backed off from Amaia for #5, could they have actually saved the world without killing the wizards responsible?
Oh, good question. And spoilers ahead, LOL. There were three factors head-butting at that point—strong and determined bad guys; Amaia and Rafe’s Venus magic; and the world’s fear of the Doom. Venus magic could have worked if the world hadn’t given into the fear and the bad guys hadn’t been so determined. I do think if Rafe and Amaia had gotten #5 in, the bad guys might have taken extreme measures to bring about the Doom, and everything would have ended up where it did anyway.

5. Now that Rafe and Amaia are tied together for all eternity, is Rafe more human? Will he be able to come to her without being called?
Absolutely, Rafe is much more human because he’s tied to Amaia, and because he truly loves her. More spoilers! He’s still a jinni but he’s got a part of Amaia inside him that will anchor him and lead him to wherever she is on the physical plane. So he’ll definitely be able to come without being called.

6. Do you have any other stories in the works or want to share something about what you already have written?
Currently I’m working on Beauty Bites, Book 6 in the Biting Love series of red-hot vampire romances. It’s the story of human Synnove (looks like a Scandanavian model, wants to be a doctor, and is all about substance) and vampire Ric (tousled blond hair, knockout blue eyes, a smile that ranges from brilliant to deadly, and all about style). Oh, and August 14 Biting Oz, Biting Love Book 5, releases! I’m thrilled to be touring with Promotional Book Tours August 20-31!

3T Writing Tidbit

Goal. Conflict. Disaster/Resolution.

The clearest example of this structure (and easiest to show) is usually the outer or external goal. I need to get to the other side of the room and out the door. I need to ace this job interview to land this job.

But external goals are driven and made richer by internal goals, which aren't always as easy to show. For example...

I need to get to the other side of the room and out the door -- without falling on my face because I'm 1 month sober and my ex is watching and oh God my ego won't stand another scathing, crushing comment from him, always made worse because I'm afraid he's right.

I need to ace this job interview to land this job -- because otherwise there won't be food on the table and how can I tell my children we have to move again?

The internal goals are often things the character is afraid to confront. Notice in the first example there's the internal desire to show up the ex and shrug off his comments, but the fear that she deserves them is getting in the way. That struggle is emotional, which is why the inner goal enriches the outer goal and makes the character more understandable and relatable.

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.

2T Repeat Performance -- Finding the Right Home

I've done a number of blog tours over the years, posting on different sites. Now I'm bringing them to you!

Originally published June 1, 2012 for The Book Binge

Finding the Right Home

Why did I choose to publish digital first? Short answer—I didn’t.

Instead I found a home with a publisher that I love. It just happens to be digital first.

Finding a publisher wasn’t easy because my Biting Love series is erotic action-packed romantic comedy with alpha male vampires and strong quirky women. It’s a fusion of styles that didn’t quite fit the chocovanilla mainstream publishing world. 

Then one day a special call came from Samhain Publishing for exactly what I write—fun, hot paranormal romance. I took one look at their hilarious warnings and was hooked. I wanted to write for Samhain! It took a bit but eventually I sold Bite My Fire, Biting Nixie and the rest. I only found out later that digital publishing was the wave of the future.

But format doesn’t matter as much as writing the best story I can for my readers. In the long run, writing and publishing is about crafting stories that find their right homes in the readers’ minds and hearts.

3T Writing Tidbit

One of the things I struggled with for many years was perfecting the pitch.

Here's a simple outline: 

• Who is the protagonist and why do we care?
• Where are they starting from?
• What changes (and gets the story moving)?
• What's their goal now (outer goal)?
• What's getting in the way of the goal?

Wizard of Oz:

Who is the protagonist and why do we care? A young girl with a dog (pets engage our attention).

Where are they starting from? A rural background. A neighbor threatens her dog.

What changes (and gets the story moving)? A tornado hits, sending the girl to a strange, colorful place.

What's their goal now (outer goal)? Get home

What's getting in the way of the goal? Only one person can send her home and he's at the end of a journey.

Running away from a horrid neighbor who's threatening her dog, young Dorothy Gale is swept away by a tornado from her Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz. Now to return home, she must go on a quest to find the Wizard, the only person who can help, aided by three weird and wonderful fellow travelers she meets along the way.

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.  

2T Repeat Performance

I've done a number of blog tours over the years, posting on different sites. Now I'm bringing them to you!

Originally published March 20, 2012 for the Samhain Blogs

I recently discovered the "Stats" widget for my blog--delight! Now I could see what was popular with readers.

But the results shocked me.

Not the #1 position--my monthly giveaway is always fun, and of course all-time top honors went to Vivi Andrews's guest blog. But #2 for both 30 days and overall was a writing post from 2009 entitled A Pearl for Your Fantasy. A writing post. Not juicy news, not sexy pics. A writing post. So of course my big burning question was--

Why?

A Pearl for Your Fantasy. The words are powerful. Pearl, a gem, conjures glossy images of beauty and prestige. Fantasy is a word sparkling with potential, a golden-sanded beach, a bearskin rug in front of a roaring fire, a sleekly muscled torso on a favorite romance cover. (Here's my favorite :)
 
And let's face it--when I think pearl, I'm not only thinking pearl o' wisdom :) Combined, Pearl and Fantasy mean beauty and strength, attraction and love--the core of romance. 

What pearl fuels your fantasies?