Fangs, Fur, & Fey

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:40:28 GMT

I find myself in the odd position of having two urban fantasy novels being released (by different publishers) on the same date (in the US, anyway): July 26th.

I'll inflict more information on you as the release date approaches, but for now I'd like to share with you the video trailers I made (with a LOT of help) for the books.

Here's the one for HARD SPELL:

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/48WN33xlubM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And here's the trailer for SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL:

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B9I6Q7b4o7E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I hope you enjoy them.

FREE EBOOK May 2nd - May 9th: Love Inception? Check Out the Legacy Series!

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 13:51:27 GMT

Anna DeStefano again--so many of you emailed about my Inception post last month.

Secret Legacy's out on Monday!

To celebrate, my publisher's offering Dark Legacy, Book 1 in my psychic fantasy series based on the same lucid dream theory as the movie Inception, as a FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, May 2nd - May 9th, on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc.

From May 9th-22nd, Dark Legacy will be a .99 cent eBook.

Don't miss your chance to dive into this thrilling contemporary fantasy world from the very beginning!

Here's a sneak peak!

There are lots more fun Secret Legacy goodies out there all month long, including Dark Legacy as a FREE FRIDAY EBOOK at Barnes and Noble's Unbound blog April 17th!

Don't miss your chance to win $20 Amazon gift certificates, free copies of both books in the series, and more!

If you're new to the series, start with a Secret Legacy Excerpt and Reader/Bookclub Guide.

Then catch up with my weekly Dream Theory and Psychic Realm blog series, where I share more behind the metaphysical and parapsychology behind my contemorpary world building.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Anna
http://www.annawrites.com
http://www.annawrites.com/blog

Supernatural Capital Tours!

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:00:11 GMT

PROMOTIONAL ADVERT SPONSORED BY the SPELLCRACKERS.COM urban fantasy series for the release of The Cold Kiss of Death - book # 2 (US Edition) April 26!

Hey, I've just found out about this great new Tour company. It's called Supernatural Capital Tours and does these fantastic trips round all the fanged, fae and magical hot spots in London.

Supernatural Capital Tours is a recognised leader in London City sightseeing. Our hop-on, hop-off bus tours are operated on a fleet of new double-decker buses designed with top-deck-only seating to provide you with the best possible views of London’s magical attractions, supernatural neighbourhoods and places of paranormal interest.

Supernatural Capital Tours provides the best paranormal attractions, including vampire theatrical shows, magical markets, and Charmed river cruises. SCT is an expert in Magical Tourism.

Please preview some of the tours we provide below:

SCT All Around Town Tour ~ Adults and Children
Tour Includes: Hop on Hop off double-decker tickets valid for 48 hours from the time you purchase your Enchanted Boarding Ticket. Due to the inclusion of vampire premises on the tour, and in line with current Vampiric Licensing Legislation*, tours start one hour after Dawn and conclude two hours before Sunset.

The SCT All Around Town Tour includes the following magical sightseeing stops:

Trafalgar Square: Watch mischievous pixies as they attempt to animate the huge bronze lions (designed by Sir Edwin Landseer), that have guarded the base of Nelson’s Column since 1867. Warning: We advise all passengers to keep all mobile phones and childrens' toys away from the pixies. Animated items cannot be un-animated by SCT employees, and SCT are not responsible for any damage to tour passengers’ belongings.

Covent Garden: Shop at the world famous Witch Market, for customised spells, potions, crystals and magic. (Tour ticket entitles holder to 10% discount on all purchases at participating stalls.)

Leicester Square: Visit the Blue Heart vampire club, the home of London’s Historic Calendar Vampires with its eclectic vampire-themed gift shop, and the opulent Fangs for the Memory ballroom which revamps the glamour of the early 20th Century with its daily afternoon tea dances.

Green Park: Enjoy a picnic, or stroll amidst the peaceful verdant landscape, while keeping a sharp eye out for the park’s resident dryads as they step in, or out of their trees. Please note: This amazing sight cannot be guaranteed.

The Coffin Club: Sucker Town’s newest vampire establishment is the only place where visitors can view vampires in their ‘Dead as the Day is Long’ state. The vampires enjoy their daytime rest in diamond etched glass coffins especially imported from Russia. Please note: A minimum of six vampires on display daily. For private parties please contact the Coffin Club’s day manager: Gareth Wilson. (Tour ticket entitles holder to 15% discount on DVDs in the Casket Gift shop)

* Vampiric Licensing Legislation states children under 16 are not permitted to visit vampire premises between Sunset – 2 hours, and Dawn + 1 hour for their own protection.

***

SCT Sanguine Night Tour ~ Adults only
Escorted bus Tour (not Hop-on Hop-off). All tours will be escorted by a minimum of three Beater goblins, and one Monitor goblin in accordance with current Vampiric Licensing Legislation, to ensure the well-being and continued free will of all tour passengers.

Tir na n’Og (aka the Bloody Shamrock): One of the oldest Irish bars in London, and believed to be frequented by vampires for the last 250 years. Enjoy the craic, and listen to the bars ‘live’ band. Visits to the Upper Balcony for a private drink with the club’s vampires are limited and strictly by prior invitation only. (Tour ticket includes a complimentary pint of the ‘black stuff’ or a Jameson’s whiskey during your visit.)

Blue Heart: Enjoy a namesake Blue Heart cocktail (non-alcoholic) in the Blue Artery Bar. Party the night away in the Starlight Lounge nightclub, or waltz around the dancefloor to the famous Gordon Rackman Orchestra in the Fangs for the Memory ballroom. There is an option for Getting Fanged by the Calendar Vamp of your choice. (Pre-booking required. Price not included in tour ticket. Waiver form must be signed and witnessed.)

The Leech and Lettuce: Soak up the ambience and rub shoulders with the local vampires in this typical Sucker Town blood pub. Experience the thrill of Getting Fanged during your visit. Semi-secluded alcoves are provided for guests' use, and are licensed for wrists or necks only. There are also more private rooms underground.

Please note: the vampire bite experience at the Leech and Lettuce is included in the tour price. Should you decide to take up this option at any point during the tour, your guide will ask you to sign our standard ‘Get Fanged’ waiver, which will be witnessed by the tour’s Monitor goblin. SCT will not be held responsible for any passengers’ safety if they refuse to sign the waiver.

Originally posted here.

Hope you've enjoyed my shameless self-promo post! *g* If you did, why not tell me which Supernatural Capital Tour you would choose?

New Books, New Series

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:22:17 GMT

I’ve been notified that the news officially hit Publishers Marketplace last week so I can make my own announcement here. I’ve sold new books for a new series! While the Dark Days series has been officially put to bed, my evil brain has turned its attention to a new set of victims and heroes.

The Tattoo Artist

The title of the series is just a working title so I have something to save the files under on the computer and is subject to change. Also considering that the first book hasn’t hit my editor’s desk, things in the books are still subject to change. However, I can try to give you some highlights.

With the new series, I wanted to do a sharp change for the Dark Days world. Where everything is hidden and secret in the Dark Days series, everything in the Tattoo Artist world is out in the open. The world was broken open centuries ago and now elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and dozens of other creatures walk free and happy among the humans. They live in relative harmony with each other. However, there is one group that hovers like a dark shadow over the rest: the warlocks and the witches. These magic users are dangerous and cruel, monitoring the use of magic by anyone other than themselves. They are the gatekeepers, the judges, and ultimately, the executioners.

Now understandably, the humans would occasionally feel at a disadvantage in this world filled with other magical creatures. They would need to find their own edge here. So they turn to the tattoo artists. Tattoo artists are more than just artists of the flesh. They are also potion stirrers, putting them outside the realm of the warlocks. Need a little good luck? Want love? Want revenge? The right ingredients mixed in the ink along with the right symbol etched into the skin can get you your heart’s desire. Of course, this all comes with a price.

The series follows the tattoo artists at the Asylum as they encounter some interesting clients and battle their own demons.

So far, two books have been sold for this series and there is an interest for a pair of novellas to be released along with the books set in the same world. I am currently chipping away at the first book. No release date has been officially discussed, but I believe we are aiming to keep me on the same release schedule that I am currently on, so we are looking at the first book being released in Summer 2012.

I will be posting updates and tidbits on the series as it comes. Also, don’t forget to pre-order your copy of Burn the Night: The Final Dark Days Book. There are now fewer than 71 days until the release!

Announcing Genre for Japan

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:41:39 GMT

I doubt anyone isn't aware of the terrible situation in Japan. I wanted to do something to help, and was disappointed when I discovered Authors for Japan too late to help with a donation through them. But now Genre for Japan is up and running, and I've donated two items (a Tuckerization, and a critique), for when their auction goes live on the 28th March.

Below is the press release, which says it so much better than I can. Genre for Japan are still open for donations, so if you're able to donate something suitable that could help, or if you're able to bid in the auction when it goes live, then please bookmark it, and thank you in advance. Full details are below:

But before you read on about Genre for Japan, I also wanted to mention some other auctions which are for manuscript critiques from some fabulous authors on which you can bid for here, and here, and for signed books organised by Richelle Mead, which you can find here.

Genre for Japan

Press Release: Time to Donate Prizes!

We’ve all heard the news and seen the horrific pictures coming from Japan in the aftermath of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami – and no doubt we’ve all wondered how to help.

Following the example of Authors for Japan, where bids are now closed, we’d like to introduce Genre for Japan, a chance for the comics, science fiction, fantasy and horror communities to unite and show our generosity to those who need it right now.

We are planning to run auctions for genre-themed prizes and we need YOU to donate. We are looking for really fantastic prizes: examples might include signed first editions, coaching sessions with agents for that perfect submission letter or original artwork!

Some of the prizes already donated include a year's supply of books from Tor, signed artwork from Solaris Books and editing/critiques from professional authors and editors.

The prizes will be auctioned on our website, through JustGiving, in aid of the British Red Cross Tsunami Appeal.

If you have something really special to donate, please drop us a line at genreforjapan@gmail.com including information such as a starting bid amount, a sentence or two about the item, and whether you wish to send the prize to a central collecting point or would be willing to post it to the winning bidder. Photos would also help us to list the item, if relevant.

The deadline to receive offers of prizes is 25th March, with the auction set to begin on 28th March.

ETA: Bidding is now live! There are 137 Fabulous lots to choose from! Auction closes 3rd April!

Find out more information on our website: http://genreforjapan.wordpress.com/

Follow us on twitter: @genreforjapan

E-mail us: genreforjapan@gmail.com

Genre for Japan is organised by:

Amanda Rutter: reviewer and webmistress at Floor to Ceiling Books

Jenni Hill: editor for science fiction, fantasy and horror publishers Solaris Books

Louise Morgan: author and interviewer for the British Fantasy Society

Ro Smith: writer and reviewer; blogger at In Search of the Happiness Max

Alasdair Stuart is the editor of Hub magazine.

Sunday Snippet - Burn the Night

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 14:17:53 GMT

I took a peek at the countdown clock on my Blogger account today and noticed that we officially have less than 100 days until the release of Burn the Night: the Final Book of the Dark Days series on June 28. So, I've pulled together all the threads and tied up those loose ends with some neat and hopefully unexpected answers.

Does Aurora finally succeed in her quest for dominion over the planet and destruction of mankind?

What plans does Mira's father Nick have for her and can she escape?

Will Rowe finally corner Mira and be her demise?

Will the Daylight Coalition expose the nightwalkers' secret to the world?

Will Mira finally have the strength to get Jabari permanently out of her life?

Can the Great Awakening be stopped?

And will Mira and Danaus have their happily ever after?

All these questions and more will be answered in Burn the Night. But for now, as a celebration of having less than 100 days until the release, here is a brief snippet from the book that comes out on June 28.

“Damn it, Mira!” Danaus taunted in a low whisper, a smirk pulling at one corner of his mouth. “Are you going to need a tissue or can you pull it together?”

I threw the hunter a dark look, but otherwise kept my comments to myself. The ceremony was going to start soon, and Barrett had generously allowed us to attend since we were the only people that James saw as both friends and in a twisted way family. I wasn’t going to be the one that started trouble.

Yet, I could understand Danaus’s teasing all too well. As we stood there in the quiet forest, a ring of werewolves around us, I tried to focus on the bare-chested James next to Barrett and the rest of the Rainer family. Unfortunately, my mind drifted too often to my recently lost Lily and Tristan. Two people I had taken into my family, into my heart, that were stolen from me through violence and treachery just a few months ago. Watching James being inducted into the Savannah Pack, I tried to reassure myself that he would be safe and that no one would strike at him in an effort to get to me. He was now a part of Savannah, but there was a safe distance between me and him.

A hollow ache echoed through my chest. Months had passed and still I found myself conjuring up ways that things could have gone differently, resulting in one or both of them being alive today. It was a futile act that only extended my pain, making me more vulnerable to the world around me, but I had Danaus at my side.

The hunter had returned from Venice with me and moved into my town house in the historic district of Savannah. I had opened my house to him outside of the city, but he proclaimed that living together was a bit fast for him. But even that was said with a smile, as he tended to spend most of his evenings wrapped in my arms at my home. Danaus had left Themis behind, and a part of me was relieved to have him out of Ryan’s grasp. The warlock leader of the so-called research society was more trouble than either of us was prepared to deal with. I had no doubt that Ryan still had more schemes that included us, but for now he seemed content to let us live in peace in Savannah.

Determined to earn his keep, Danaus took a job as a bartender and occasional bouncer down at The Dark Room. The exclusive club that catered only to nightwalkers and lycanthropes suffered a bit of a shake-up at his presence, but things had settled back into their normal routine. I hadn’t the heart to tell him that as part owner of the Dark Room, I was the one paying his salary each week. Danaus needed to feel independent and yet still connected to the dark other world that pulsed just beyond the notice of the humans.

To my surprise, Danaus’s fingers brushed against my hand hanging down at my side before he finally entwined his fingers around mine. Stop thinking about them. Let them rest, he admonished in my brain.

Will he be safe?

He will be safe.

Some of the tension finally flowed out of my shoulders and I squeezed his hand as I resisted the urge to lay my head against his hard shoulder. Danaus had become my rock, my one shining lighthouse in the storm, my last hold on sanity in this world. More darkness and evil lay just over the horizon, but I knew that I would at least have Danaus at my side.

Keep thinking thoughts like that and I’m going to need a tissue, Danaus teased.

Asshole, I replied, mentally chuckling at him. I should have known that he would be a silent specter in my thoughts. I had been too dark lately as the world grew quiet. The naturi had left my territory and there was no word from the coven. Not even my father Nick had popped in recently to torment me. Now in my spare time, I paced the floor and stared out the window with my arms folded over my stomach, waiting. I didn’t know what it was, but something bad was coming.

Are you interested now? Here are some links if you would like to pre-order your copy so you don't forget about it coming out later this summer.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books a Million

Borders

IndieBound

Powells

Thanks for all your support and stay tuned for more goodies ahead of the release of Burn the Night.

Be Proud of Who and What You Are...

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:41:56 GMT

Cross-posting this to Fangs, Fur, & Fey because I believe it's relevant:

So following are some comments I made in response to some extremely insulting comments a couple of people made on a writing board I frequent regarding "popular" fiction, the readers of popular fiction, and the publishers who (according to them) believe that readers are "dumb" and "dumb down" covers and content for this unintelligent mass of readers (NOTE: I IN NO WAY share these opinions!)

***

I write fun, sexy, action-packed books. Something I enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing. Why SHOULDN'T they be packaged appropriately? I don't believe that sexuality is wrong, or that portraying sensual characters is wrong. I don't believe that marketing something in a smart, targeted way is wrong. I don't believe that is "dumbing down" to readers. If some more "serious" book with a plain, unremarkable cover is what it takes to be considered "talented" by some people, I will just continue on in my deluded, talentless hack sort of way. That, you know, pays my bills. By writing books I love and am proud of, so that doesn't make it "selling out" or any of those other epithets that people who don't like this type of book like to throw out.

Tired of people who can't just like their own types of books (or anything really) without feeling the need to denigrate others. Bite me, plskthx!

ETA: Re dumbing down things...this isn't something I generally throw in people's faces because it doesn't mean much in the real world really, but I technically have a "genius" IQ and graduated summa com laude with my bachelor degree and maintained a 4.0 during my entire time in grad school obtaining my Master's degree. Yet I LOVE sexy, fun book covers and the stories they contain. Many of my readers are as smart as or smarter than me (whether they went to college or not). So again, bite me!

***

Related to that, here is a poignant, important blog post from someone I am extremely proud to call a friend (even though I don't get to see her NEARLY enough despite our living in the same city), the fabulous Heather Brewer. Please, read it, take it to heart, believe it! Be proud of who and what you are. I sure as hell am.

Sunday Snippet

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 13:22:21 GMT

It's been a bit quiet over here for a while, so I thought I'd post a Sunday Snippet.

ETA:Well, the original Sunday Snippet is no more, as I've taken it down to play with it :-) Thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed!

But rather than leave you with nothing, here's an extract from The Cold Kiss of Death, book 2 in my Spellcrackers.com series.

Enjoy!

My ‘date’ was hot; nothing to do with Finn, my boss, but entirely thanks to the gas-fired heaters in the underground tunnel. The air they blasted out was enough to raise the temperature to a level that only a fire-dragon would appreciate. But I could cope with the heat; it was the ghost part of the job that had sweat slicking down my spine.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose as another ghost shuffled into view, his bloated, blackened feet scuffing along the dirt floor, sending little puffs of dust into the still air. A deep cut marred his left cheek; the bone it revealed was white and glistening. His eyes stared blankly out of sunken sockets and the end of his nose was eaten away by a huge black sore.

He headed straight towards us and I counted the seconds down – three, two, one – then winced, half in sympathy, half in teeth-gritted anxiety, as he hit the wall of the protective circle in which Finn and I sat. The ghost’s lipless mouth flattened against the magic while his skeletal hands scrabbled for purchase not more than four feet in front of me.

I suppressed a shudder, shifting nervously in my deckchair as he slid his way round the circle until he was back on route and shambling off on his way. Sighing with relief, I touched my laptop keypad and entered the time against the ghost’s name – Scarface – on the spreadsheet, then duplicated the info on my pad, just in case. The laptop might have an extra-strength Buffer spell in the crystal stuck to its case, but I wasn’t taking any chances. All it needed was a stray bit of magic and I’d end up with one cracked crystal, one dead hard drive and an irretrievable ghost survey.

I tapped my pencil on my pad and wondered for about the hundredth time what I’d done to deserve a night sitting under London Bridge counting ghosts, especially after my frustrating run-in with Cosette. And not just any ghosts, but the ghosts of fourteenth-century plague victims. My phobia’s bad enough when the dead look relatively normal, without adding in all the stomach-roiling stuff. Not to mention we were camped out deep in the bridge’s foundations in the area known as the tombs – right on top of the plague victims’ burial pits.

Could my night get any worse?

‘That’s the fifth time he’s done that,’ I said, drawing a little Edvard Munch face, mouth wide open in a scream. ‘I was sort of hoping he’d catch on that there was something in his way by now.’

***

Extract taken from start of chapter 2 - chapter 1 can be read here

Let's Talk Inception and Secret Legacy Dream Theory!

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:53:38 GMT

It's Anna DeStefano again. Let's talk psychic fantasy and paranormal thrillers in movies and fantasy novels!

I get a lot of emails asking to know more about how my Legacy Series is similar to the Oscar award winning movie Inception. My first thought when this happens is that Dark Legacy sold and was published long before the movie--so why isn't everyone asking how Inception is similar to my popular Legacy Series of novels?

Of course I love to hear everyone's thoughts--even those who dig the movie more. Then again, you haven't read Secret Legacy yet (out in May), so hold that thought ;o)

On my blog (where you can WIN AN AMAZON GIFT CERTIFICATE just for commenting ;o) I give you some highlights in today's post to get the conversation started.

http://annawrites.com/blog/2011/03/04/the-psychic-realm-dark-inception/

I'm talking about the cool things in both Inception and my Legacy series that you're not seeing out there an anything else right now.

Come join the fun!

http://www.annawrites.com
http://www.annawrites.com/blog

New Member Introduction: Anna DeStefano

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:36:13 GMT

My name's Anna DeStefano. I'm a new member. I've published for years with Harlequin. For the last two years with Dorchester, I've written paranormal suspense that's morphed into contemporary fantasy (metaphysics, parapsychology, dream theory and fun like that).

I'm writing less and less romance in my mainstream stories. My next release is being racked under straight sci-fi/fantasy and being promoted as a "like" for those who enjoyed the movie Inception. I'm spending my time between now and the release date (May) figuring out what that means, how I found myself here (after loving sci-fi/fantasy as a kid but never dreaming that's what I'd end up creating), and getting the feel for this exciting new creative direction.

A friend's raved about this being a great group to network and learn from/share with fantasy and paranormal writers. I'm not sure if this is the active list for the group anymore, but in case it is I wanted to post and introduce myself.

I look forward to getting to know everyone~~

Anna DeStefano
http://annawrites.com
http://annawrites.com/blog

New kid here

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:00:23 GMT

This is completely bizarre because I'm staring at a computer screen, not a person, but right now I'm feeling nervous because I'm about to introduce myself to a stranger.

Hi.

My name is Kevin Hearne, and I'm a high school English teacher. There isn't much I like more than a good read—the kind with characters that homestead in your brain and live there happily ever after. Once I'm through with a great book, I'm always grateful to the authors for creating a wonderful place to visit. I've visited Pern an awful lot; I've been to Dune quite a few times; and I've also enjoyed taking trips to Hogwarts with my daughter.

I got the writing bug myself waaaay back in college. Kind of wrote on and off for many years, but I finally surprised myself and completed a novel once it was clear we weren't all going to die from the Y2K bug. :) That book was (and is) an unsalvageable mess, but it taught me the all-important lesson that I could write a book and still keep a day job. So I wrote another one. It was better, but still not ready for prime time. While that was out on submission, I wrote a third novel. It was an urban fantasy about an ancient Druid—the last of the real Druids, in fact—hiding out in modern-day Arizona. That book got picked up by Del Rey, along with a couple of sequels (insert Ode to Joy here!), and all three will be published back to back this year, starting April 19 with Hounded. Here's the cover—what do you think?

If you're at all like me, then you're thinking this guy on the cover looks unspeakably cool and you'd like to know more about him. I have several ways for you to do just that for the low, low price of FREE. First, there's a free short story on my website that takes place ten months before the events of Hounded. Second, you can enter a contest to win a signed Advance Reader Edition of Hounded until January 15, simply by stopping by my blog and commenting. Third, on this particular page of my website you can see all three books and find out about each of them by clicking on the covers. The series follows the adventures of 2,100-year-old Atticus O'Sullivan, an ancient Druid who's mastered cold iron. As a result, he has plenty of enemies among the Fae, but he also has some unlikely allies—some fanged, and some furred.

Book two in The Iron Druid Chronicles is called Hexed, coming out May 24, and book three is Hammered, coming out June 28.

I'd love to hear from you anytime—I'm on Twitter (@kevinhearne), I have a Facebook page, and you can always reach me on my blog. (Fair warning, though: I often let my geek flag fly.) Easiest of all, comment below! And thanks for making this such a cool community—I'm honored to be a part of it!

Give the gift of yours truly for the holidays-now with bonus signed bookplates!

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:36:26 GMT

One again the holidays approach and soon they will be kicking us swiftly in our fruit cake and before you know it we will be hurrying on into the new year.

But for four magical weeks, my Grinchlike heart grows three sizes, they say, and I get giddy with holiday love. So now is the season for giving and getting, I'm all sentimentally commercial like that, and to that end I extend an offer to you up through the holidays.

If you plan on giving any of my books as a gift this next month, email me at anton.strout@gmail.com and I will send a holiday-themed bookplate to go along with your gift giving. Aside from a personal bit of written rambling from me, I am also quite prone to drawing some pretty mean snowmen, reindeer, candy canes, what have you.... as long as it's in the US of A. Sorry, both of my international fans!

Please spread the word to those you might think want to give the gift of ME and my Simon Canderous urban fantasy series for the holidays. Retweet and Facebook it at will.

Four weeks(ish) to go! Happy holidays, all!

Hello mister tall, dark, and terrifying

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:55:50 GMT

(Blog X-posted)
October is moving right along which means creepy costumes and sugar highs are just around the corner. Or is that just my plan? Surely not.

Halloween is nearly here, and it's a good time for the things that go bump in the night. Many creatures which once would have been relegated to horror stories and movies are now featured as heroes and romantic leads, but let's forget them for a moment and talk of the terrifying.

What flavor do you prefer your horror stories/movies? Do you like an oppressive atmosphere that keeps your shoulders hitched as you wait for the worst? Do you like the monster you never quite see so he's worsened by your imagination? Perhaps your horror preference is the gore and the gritty details. Or maybe the psychological horror tale that worms itself into the back your mind and then begins to twist. Or perhaps your horror tastes lean toward the destruction of all hope in the face of insurmountable and unstoppable odds? (Zombie Apocalypse anyone?)

From the ghost story to the slasher film, horror is a genre with many faces and many elements. Which work for you? Do you laugh off a scary tale, or do you sleep with the lights on after a good horror flick? It's the month for spooky stories and frightening monsters, so please share your favorite horror movies and books! (We could all use a good scare, right?)

The People who influence you

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:12:51 GMT

(This post x-posted from the Grave Witch Release Party going on now on my Blog)

As previously mentioned, I just returned from Dragon*Con, the largest Sci-Fi/Fantasy Con in the South East. The guest list for Dragon is always impressive. Big name TV/movie stars, best selling authors, and some of the best underground musicians are pretty much par for the course. Lines for events are sometimes blocks long and many rooms fill to capacity (and beyond, though then the fire marshals tend get rather irate). You'd pretty much have to be living under a rock (or, I guess, just not be a geek) to have never heard of at least a few of the guests. Whatever your particular flavor of geekdom, there is probably someone there that you're dying to hear speak and maybe get a signature and a photo. I'd almost guarantee that there is a guest in attendance whose work you respect greatly, and maybe there is someone whose work has influenced or inspired you.

This Dragon*Con, I had the opportunity to see one of those people who influenced and inspired me. And not only see her, but to talk to briefly and get a picture with said influential person. Who was this person? Well, you might have already recognized her from the photo, but for those of you who didn't, the person I'm referring to is Laurell K Hamilton, the author of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series and one of the forerunners of the Urban Fantasy genre as it exists today. (NOTE: I know there is a lot of fan controversy about this series, but this blog post is not about that, so please keep comments positive and on topic.)

I discovered LKH and the Anita series when I was fourteen (this was in the mid-nineties, so the series wasn't yet highly inappropriate for a fourteen year old to read--well, unless you object to violence and language, I guess) and before discovering LKH, I was strictly a high fantasy girl. Oh, I'd read gothic paranormal novels like Dracula and Frankenstein (which were pretty much UF for their day) and I'd read Ann Rice's Vampire Chronicles, but nothing inspired a hunger for more of the genre in me like LKH's books did.

Of course, there really wasn't much more of the genre out there at the time.

P N Elrod's Vampire Files and Tanya Huff's Blood Books were on shelves, but that was about the extent of the genre that would eventually be called Urban Fantasy (and is even now mutating to a new name). Buffy didn't start airing until a year or two after I started reading LKH (and I actually didn't see any of it until years later when my college roommate decided it was all but blasphemous that I hadn't seen Buffy and arranged several marathon viewings.) The show Forever Knight (which I was a huge fan of and is probably another influencing force behind me writing UF) had come and gone, but as far as I could find as a fourteen year old, that was the extent of the genre.

I was dabbling in writing by that point, but only high fantasy. In fact, prior to finding the Anita books (and I received the first three by mistake from the Sci-Fi Fantasy Bookclub--I wouldn't have picked them up on my own) I would have told you I wasn't interested in any book set in contemporary times. Give me castles and dragons--technology as advanced as a car or wrist watch was a deal breaker. Then I devoured the first few Anita Blake books and I was hooked. I wanted more, and it wasn't out there.

So I started writing my own.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I didn't stop writing high fantasy at that point. In fact, I still focused primarily on high fantasy until I finished college. (And like those high fantasy novels, I didn't finish any of my early UF stories.) I didn't begin focusing on UF until nearly a decade later when I wrote the novel which eventually became Once Bitten, and by that point, other UF giants such as Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, and Kim Harrison were already established.

But if I had to point to one single influential writer who hooked me on the genre, that writer would be Laurell K Hamilton.

I saw LKH at Dragon two years ago and attended almost every one of her panels (including one memorable panel where I thought she was about to throw down with one of the romance writers), but at that time I couldn't work up the nerve to talk to her. This year I saw her on several panels and even passed her in the halls a couple times, but I was too afraid I'd make a fool of myself to approach her. Then, on the very last day of Dragon, probably two hours before I left, I saw her in the hall and finally worked up the nerve to talk to her. (Or maybe it wasn't nerve. I'd literally just walked out from giving blood when I spotted her and was a little light headed so 'just go for it' sounded plausible.)

I asked if I could get a picture with her, and told her that her books had inspired me to write and that I have an UF book (Grave Witch) being released from Roc next month. Then I gave her a very nervous hug and ran away, even more light headed--either from blood loss or nerves. I hope I didn't scare her and come off as a crazy fan girl, but how do you act and what do you say to someone whose work influenced you (especially during those formidable teenage years)?

So, here is my question for you: Who has influenced and inspired you and how? (In any aspect of your life.) What would you say to them if you had a chance to meet them? Or, have you met that person? What did you do/say?

Book four gets a shiny slime colored cover!

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:35:52 GMT

As you know, I'm a giver and a sharer, so I thought I'd pass along the cover for book four in my Simon Canderous urban fantasy series, which we all have a long wait for as it's out on 2/22/11.

Please note that he has a retractable steel baton in his hand, and not a giant glowing silver pen as I first thought. Although I'm sure stabbing a werewolf through the eye with a silver pen would work in a pinch. Enjoy!

Haunted by My First Love

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:50:44 GMT

There’s something about your first love that seems to haunt you for life. It’s the first time that you let yourself completely go. You open your heart and soul in such a way that you are completely vulnerable and exposed for the first time in your life. There is a sweet, once-in-a-lifetime naivety to it that will never come again that you will look back on with a wistful smile of different times.

After that first love is broken and lost, you go through life with more experience. You love again, but almost never with that same selfless abandon. You never fly quite as high again and you never trust again with the same overwhelming blindness.

There are so many things about my past that have become blurry with time, but I remember my first love with a startling, frightening clarity. I remember the first meeting with absolute confidence. I can recall his smile, his smell, the color of his eyes, the touch of his hand, and the gentleness of that first kiss. I don’t look back with regret, but with a sad smile of a lost, perfect moment in time that will never happen again.

I’ve loved again, but the intensity has always been different. The lightning bolt is gone, replaced with a slow, gradual burn. The new loves are not less in value, only different.

For me, that first love extends to books as well as men.

Last night, I revisited the first book that I ever wrote. It is an epic fantasy novel that I hadn’t thought about in a long time. I started writing it when I was a freshman in high school. I have extensive notes, maps, and character lists to keep track of all the details. Amazingly, it’s as long as any of my Dark Days novels and if not more complex in its storytelling.

I sat in the dark in my office last night, lit only by my computer screen, staring at the start of that book. I told a friend about the plotline of not only the first book, but the second book, which is more than half written. As I spoke, I recalled how much I loved this book and these characters. It was the same selfless, blind abandon of a first love. There were no worries about rejection or failure. There was only the story and me.

Time passed and I wrote other stories. I moved on to urban fantasy after I was filled with fears that the epic fantasy wasn’t original enough. I got published with the Dark Days series, but I never forgot about my first love. I envy now those early days of reckless abandon behind a keyboard without deadlines and editors.

Most of the time, you can’t go back to that first love. It’s lost to life and time and experience. But I plan to go back to this epic fantasy one day. I will have a wealth of experience to bring to it and stronger storytelling skills that will only help her. However, despite my new view and knowledge of writing, I will say that the one thing that hasn’t changed is my love of this story. The electricity is still there. That first kiss. Those startling blue eyes and crooked, unsure smile.

First loves leaves us, but they almost always help define us.

The what and the why

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:46:12 GMT

Posting this a bit early because I will be in LA all day tomorrow.

I’ve had my head down, writing a series since the day before my birthday in 2006, when I sold the first three DEAD IS books on proposal. During that time, my agent also sold two stand-alone contemporary yas, one finished and one on proposal. After the first DEAD IS book was released, the publisher signed up for two more books in the series.

Fast forward to 2010 and I just turned in the last book in the series, DEAD IS NOT AN OPTION, which will be out in the spring of 2011. During that time, I wrote six books and will have had a total of seven novels released. I know that many writers have had periods of even greater productivity, but my husband and I also added twins to that equation. I’ve always had an exquisite sense of timing.

So the past few years have been busy, but now, suddenly, it is less so. It’s not like I have found an extra twenty-four hours in a day or anything, but I do not have a contracted manuscript, or a deadline, or any requirement to write. It’s just me and a blank page and I’m a little bit lost.

What do I do now? Ideas come fast and furiously, but as fast as they arrive, I tire of them. What would you do? I have written over fifty thousand words this summer, which would equal a nicely sized first draft. Unfortunately, those words belong to four separate novels and even more unfortunately, I’m still continuing to write two of those manuscripts at the same time.

Do I sound confused? I AM confused. I keep hoping that a little voice will kick in and say “THIS is the manuscript you should be writing.” Instead, my little voice inundates me with ideas, each one more tempting than the last.

Has this ever happened to you before? Can it work? I’ve worked on different stages of two manuscripts before. For example, a first draft of one and copy-edits on another, but never two first drafts at the same time. How do you decide what manuscript to work on when?

It's my birthday and I'm in Peru

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:54:45 GMT

Please excuse this message going up early. As of late on the 26th, I'll be in Peru and won't have internet access to do this post in the morning. So let's pretend it's my birthday. I think maybe it actually is in Australia, so there you go. I think this is the most exciting thing I've done for my birthday, this trip to Peru.

When I'm writing, I do my best to visit every location I write about. Sometimes it's not possible and so the internet helps a lot. But when I wrote about Catemaco in SHADY LADY, I totally went there on vacation. It was fabulous and really allowed me to enrich the setting. Oddly enough, SHADY LADY also has some scenes in Peru, so I will be taking good notes while I'm there. That way, when I get copyedits, I can add specific writer-observed details. I'm really excited about being to do that with all of the third Corine book. And we'll be taking a research trip to the UK in 2011, so I can write the fifth book, which is set in England. (Yes, you get to meet Booke at last.) The fourth book will involve some travel in Mexico, and I'll be exploring, as much as is reasonable, the deepest caves in North America. That novel could easily be entitled CORINE GOES TO HELL, but that doesn't fit the "tequila cocktail" title format, and so I'm calling it DEVIL'S PUNCH. (You may have seen the notice about the sale for the next two Corine books on PM. I was very stoked.) The fifth one, while I'm giving titles, is tentatively named BLOODY MARIA. And yes, there's a reason for that; it involves Ian Booke. I think y'all are going to be quite delighted and surprised when you find out what his deal is. In 2013. I know. I'm sorry.

So anyway, back to the subject of research trips. How do y'all like to handle it? Book research, net, or do you like to go and take your own notes? To make it interesting and open the discussion to non-writers, I'll also add this question: What place is at the top of your must-visit list? Machu Picchu was high up there for me and I will be there this weekend! Random commenter wins any book in my list; if the one you want's not out yet, I'll preorder it for you. I'll check back on this post next week and name a winner. Happy b-day to me! (and you).

Maggie's Thesis on People Who Live In Books (x-post)

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:55:02 GMT

I'm going to blame my parents for my career.

I mean, really, it's all their fault that I turned out to be a novelist, because they were the one that got me hooked on books. I've been thinking a lot about what makes a person a reader and what makes someone out a non-reader and after a lot of thought and discussion with Lover, I'm pretty sure that it's all my parents' doing. (cue photograph of Baby Maggie doing the Writing Thing:)

In an attempt to be more academic and responsible sounding about it, I'm going to break down the anatomy of this particular reader into three big parts. I think these are why I'm a reader:

1) Enabling. My mom was a big enabler for our reading, growing up. She not only bought us books and took us to the library weekly, but she let us have a lot of autonomy as to what it was that we picked out at those places. I only remember one book being taken out of my hands, ever, and the rest of the time, I was pretty much allowed to read what interested me. There was never anything negative associated with reading, and in fact, it was a great way to get out of chores, because if you were reading, you were doing something useful. Unless you were reading DOGSBODY for the sixth time in a row, in which case she could think of better things for you to do with yourself.

2) Modeling. This one is definitely my dad's fault. It wasn't that my mom didn't read -- she did, especially non-fiction -- but it wasn't like the rabid novel consumption of my father. By the time I hit my teens, my father had walls of bookshelves, all full of paperbacks stuffed in sideways and longways and upways and downways because they wouldn't fit on the proper way any more. Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz, Tom Clancy, Jack Higgins. Guys with Guns Doing Things and Women. And because I wanted more than anything to be like my dad, and because I wanted to be able to talk to him about things that he was interested in, I read his novels. I jumped from Madeline L'Engle to Jack Higgins. When Jurassic Park came out in '93, I was 12, and I'd already read Crichton's original novel three times by the time we went to see it. (doesn't this explain a lot about me?) Most important, though, was the fact that my father never told me to read a book or that reading was fantastic for your brain. I just saw him with a book in his hand. So I had a book in my hand.

3) Participation. My parents both did this, but it's my dad that I remember most vividly, because he read the longer novels to us. He loved to read out loud. I have two brothers and two sisters, and the older three would all sit on my brother's bed while my dad read us Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon and Tom Swift books. I'm pretty sure he read the old Nancy Drew books, not the sexalicious new Nancy Drew/ Hardy Bros. combination mysteries that I took on myself. And I'm pretty sure it was the new Tom Swift that he read, not the rather moldy smelling old paperbacks from the library. I remember he did different voices for all the characters, something that I found myself doing when I read to my two youngest siblings, years later, and still later, to my own kids. Reading could be a solitary thing, if you wanted it to be (and in a house with that many people, often that was a positive, not a negative), but it was also a way to be together.

So really, by the time I was a teen, I was sucked into reading without quite realizing why. (much like this rubber frog that I accidentally vacuumed up the other day)(it's fine)(really)(no, seriously, it's rubber, it takes a lot of punishment).

I still can't figure out why some of my siblings are big readers and some aren't (three are, two aren't), since we all had the same background. I don't think that those three things that made me a reader will make everyone a reader, but I'm developing this thesis (ohmigosh, I wish I had convinced my husband to name his new dog "Thesis" - how fantastic of a dog name is that?) that you definitely won't be a reader without them.

I sort of want to know more, though. What made you guys a reader? Are your siblings readers? If not, why do you think there's a difference?

--maggie stiefvater

Lesson Learned--A convention story

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:26:46 GMT

(Still buried under deadlines, so this is x-posted. By the way, before I get started, I currently have a contest on my personal blog and one of the things the winner will receive is a sampler from Ace/Roc which includes several FF&F authors. Check out the details HERE. )

While I've attended conferences and conventions for nearly a decade, this year marked the change from attendee to guest, from audience member to panelist. In the years and years I sat on the other side of the table, listening intently to the writers on the panel, I picked up on a lot of things I didn't realize I was learning at the time, and which the authors probably didn't know they were teaching. As I sat there, hoping to learn some secret of craft or business that would help me reach that golden goal of getting published, I was also subconsciously learning what I, as an audience member, responded to. That information became invaluable this year.

For instance, I know that when I'm in the audience, listening to a authors I'm not familiar with, I'm not going to remember their names. I'm just not. Panels usually start with an introduction, but until I hear them speak and some part of my brain determines what they say is interesting, their name just doesn't stick. Of course, by that point, the intros have already passed. Sure there are usually nameplates on the table, but the rooms are often large and I'm terrible about wearing my glasses, so I can't read them. And even if I do remember their name throughout the panel or even during the entire convention, I'm terrible with names and that information doesn't always stick in my head. But, if they have their books on display on the table throughout the panel, I'll associate that funny/insightful/charming/whatever personality with that book. When I see the cover later in the store, I'll remember. I can't tell you how many books I've picked up just because I liked the author. Even if I don't pick up the book while at the con, I tend to buy it afterward. So, when I walked in my first panel, I walked in with copies of my books to display on the table.

From being in the audience, I also know that I personally respond well to bookmarks. A nice looking bookmark is a great way to help me remember the author's name after the conference. So, I bring bookmarks to my panels and invite people to come up and take them after the panel is over.

Basic manners are a must all the time, in my opinion, but especially when you're on a panel. Another writing friend and I were talking about a convention we both attended earlier this year. During one of the panels (I was in the audience for this particular panel) one of the panelist said "you're wrong and I think you're and idiot" to another panelist (in a few more words, but that was the gist). The result included a lot of shocked faces both on the other panelists and in the audience, and a couple nervous giggles. That was months ago, but when we discussed it recently, I asked my friend if she'd ever read that particular author's work. Her answer: No. A friendly debate and differing views on a panel can be educational and entertaining, but ugliness leaves a bad taste in the mouth (even if you're right).

This one is probably obvious from either side of the table, but: no one likes a panel hog. I've been to panels where one panelist (typically the least interesting/knowledgeable) would not shut up. A question would be asked and they would jump in, rambling on and on--often not even about the right topic. (Occasionally it isn't even a panelist, but an audience member who either thinks s/he should be on the panel or that they are having a private conversation with the panelists.) This puts the moderator and the other panelists in an awkward position because there is often not a good way to quiet the loud mouth without coming off as rude (see the previous point). It's not fun for the panelists, and it's frustrating for the audience, so when I'm on a panel, despite how nervous I am, I try not to ramble (unlike when I'm blogging, clearly. LOL)

So these are all things which can be learned from the audience side of the table, and when I showed up to my first panel, I felt pretty prepared. Oh, I still ran into my share of cringe-worthy newbie mistakes--like the fact I didn't consider preparing a short verbal introduction before I sat behind the table for the first time and my brain totally went blank when they handed me the mic. I got the whole, "I'm Kalayna Price and write Urban Fantasy" part but then the moderator asked me to tell everyone a little about my books. " . . . they are uh, about vampires, and shapeshifters, and uh . . . magic . . . ?" Major fail. But I eventually ironed that out and I can now describe both of my series in under three breaths.

Once my first con passed and I survived, I thought I had this whole panelist thing figured out. I was able to talk about my books without making a complete fool of myself, I was talking to readers, making friends with other writers, and generally having fun. No problem. Then something new happened.

Someone asked for my business card.

Business card? I'm a writer. I didn't have business cards. I had bookmarks for released and upcoming books. I had thought that was all I needed. After all, I'd never once, in all my years attending cons, come home with an author's business card.

But while authors are at the cons to interact with readers and they speak on panels about books, publishing, and craft, they are also at cons to network. They network with other writers, with editors, with agents, with organizers of other events, and with a plethora of other people. Part of me knew that, but I never really thought it all the way through. So, at the last con I attended, I ended up scrawling my email address on the back of my bookmarks--not the most professional approach. Needless to say, several of the people who asked for my card never contacted me.

Live and learn. I now have business cards. They came in today, just in time for Dragon*con. They are simple, as you can see, just my name, email, and website along with my most recent book cover. I have no idea if anyone will ask for my card, but now I have one. I'm sharing this experience with you, because this con guest ~~must~~ should have wasn't obvious from the otherside of the table. You never know what you don't know until you're faced with a new situation.

Any tips or tricks you'd like to share (that you've picked up on either side of the table)? Is there anything you've seen a panelist do that was particularly helpful/successful? How about something you really wish a panelist would never, ever do?

Anyone going to Dragon*Con?

Monster of the Moment

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:04:07 GMT

(I'm buried under deadlines at the moment, so this post is cross posted.)

Several of my writer friends recently returned from the RWA National conference. I've never personally been to the conference, but from what people tell me the con is an amazing place not only to learn about craft, but to check the pulse of the writing business. Most major publishers and dozens of top notch agents attend every year. Trends in publishing inevitably come up at the conference and the RWA loops are always buzzing with what was said once the conference ends.

What's hot? What's selling? What's out and overdone?

This year Donald Maass (from Donald Maass Literary Agency) was quoted as saying that Vampires were dead (again). In contrast, the editors on the Pocket Books spotlight said that there is something timeless about vampires. The trend they think is out? Fallen Angels. (I didn't know fallen angels were in. I can only think of one or two books with fallen angels. Anyone want to recommend some as I apparently missed the trend?)

I haven't heard yet what is supposed to be the next 'hot' monster this year. (BTW, I'm using 'monster' as a catch all phrase here. It could mean traditional horror monster, or much more human or non-monstrous beings.) I know a couple years back the hot monster was demons, but I've heard mumbles since then that agents and editors have seen too many demons.

When I first started shopping Once Bitten back in 2005/2006, I was told vampires were done. No one wanted any book that touched on vampires. Then Stephanie Myers happened, and regardless of your opinion on her books, it is an undeniable fact that vamps were suddenly in high demand again. Now? Well, I refer you back to the earlier paragraph about Maass and Pocket.

Trends in publishing come and go. Monsters become 'hot' and then get overdone or simply fall out of favor. I don't think any monster will every completely fall away--we love our monsters too much. Our interest in monsters does tend to ebb and flow though.

So let me ask you, what is your monster of the moment? What is the monster you currently can't get enough of? Or what is a monster you haven't seen in a while that you'd love to read about? No monster bashing please! Just talk about monsters you want to see more of, not less.

(Images in this post from the following movies: Interview with a Vampire, Constantine, and Pan's Labyrinth)

Web bling

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:25:36 GMT

Hello!

It's been quite a while since I've posted. Back to back to back to back deadlines make for a very crazy Cheyenne.

Now that I've finished Zombies Sold Separately, I'm taking a look at changing my website design. Something brand spanking new that isn't so dark and that will reflect my personality. I'm tired of black. I want color!

I'm curious, what are your favorite sites for look, navigation, content, etc.?

Hope you all are having a terrific summer!

Chey

Please allow me to introduce myself...

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:22:14 GMT

Hi there, Fangs Fur & Fey people (and creatures of the night)!!

I can't believe it... Finally! I'm able to join the community as a member. *happy sigh*

Wait, let me back up a little. I think (hope?) a lot of people know me from the almost-four-years I've spent on LJ, although I blog a little more regularly at my website now. That doesn't mean I've forgotten LiveJournal entirely, and I have long held the dream that I'd be able to join FF&F as a full member. I was around when the community first started, and I always loved it. It's good to see Kasey and the gang revamping (heh) the old place and injecting some new blood (okay, I'll shut up with the bad jokes now) into things over here.

My name is Karen Mahoney, though lots of people call me Kaz - and I'm good with that. My debut novel, a YA urban fantasy called THE IRON WITCH is due to be published February 2011 in the US, UK and Australia. I am very excited about this! I wonder if the excitement will ever wear off? Probably not...

I also have a couple of (long) stories out there in anthologies, about a teen vampire called Moth. The first came out last summer in THE ETERNAL KISS and the follow up is out this month, 'The Spirit Jar' in KISS ME DEADLY. Yes, the title is the same as an old Lita Ford song, but I promise you this anthology contains 13 wonderful paranormal tales from authors such as Carrie Ryan, Rachel Vincent, Maggie Stiefvater, Sarah Rees Brennan and more! (Including me. Did I mention that already? *g*)

Anyway, the only other things you need to know about me are:

1) I am a total and utter geek.
2) I'm British, but most of the stuff I write is set in the US - because I'm just rebellious that way. ;)
3) I can't believe I'm a member of Fangs, Fur & Fey!!!

Friendly Administrative Reminder...

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:22:25 GMT

Hello to all our members and watchers! Hope you are enjoying your summers and reading tons of good paranormal romance and urban fantasy! We just wanted to shoot out a friendly administrative reminder that membership in Fangs Fur and Fey is limited to published (or soon-to-be-published) authors of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. All others are enthusiastically welcome and invited to click "watch" instead of "join." We welcome your participation in the comment threads to the posts started by members. One other note: eligibility to join FF&F has always been determined on the same basis as the SFWA qualification requirements, which can be found here. This is not a value judgment against any specific publisher, but eligibility requirements had to be set at the community's inception and must be consistently applied for fairness to all.

Any questions can be directed to Kasey. Thanks!

Reading for Life

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:52:56 GMT

As if Disney wasn't surreal enough... This week, 2000+ romance writers and authors will amass at the Swan & Dolphin Hotels in Orlando for the 2010 Romance Writers of America national conference. On Wednesday, the book fair -- free and open to the public -- will have dozens... nay, hundreds of authors signing their books in a fundraiser for literacy. To see a list of participating authors (really, I just couldn't count all the names; I mean, I can count that high, but I'm still busy packing) click here.

2010 "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing
Wednesday, July 28, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Walt Disney World® Dolphin Resort
Pacific Exhibit Hall, in Orlando, Florida.

In the last twenty years, RWA has collected more than half a million dollars for literacy efforts. If you live in the area -- or have friends or family or fellow readers who read romance in any of its many permutations (especially paranormal romance, urban fantasy, SF romance, etc.!) -- we'd love to see you on Wednesday.

And now for my somewhat self-serving question: As a reader, what can an author do in person to tweak your interest? Have you ever met an author who immediately made you think "Ooh, I should try that book?" Was it a bookmark, a funny quip, a great pitch, or beautiful penmanship on the signature that caught your attention? Or maybe the heartbreaking tears of a lonely signing author won you over.

If you're an author or aspiring author, do you think face-to-face interactions deepen or cheapen the writer/reader relationship? Is it better to keep writers locked at their computers?