Like fantasy? Intrigued in new authors? Want a great summer read? Then check it out!

And now, a break from the cryptic whinging and self-deprecation. It’s time to get my nerd on!

A lot of people should know by now that I love comics in a bad way. I have my own preferences, and I have my guilty-pleasure manga fetish, but I absolutely love, love, LOVE graphic novels and anything along those lines. So when I was invited to post on Ellie’s blog for nerd month, it didn’t take long for me to think about what I would talk about.

Now you get to know which horror comics rock, why Skip Beat is an amazing manga, and why I’ve loved Batman for most of my life (although I spared you my Nightwing fangirling).

Check out the post here, as well as all the other great posts Ellie has up for nerd month!

For those who are new to these parts, I write a lot of fantasy (urban, dark, fairy-tale based, and more), paranormal, horror, and just about anything else my twisted mind can think up. I do a lot of author interviews and guest posts, and I try to talk a lot about genre issues and things I run into as I work on manuscripts. I’m way into the creative life and exploring what that really means.

With that in mind, if you don’t know already, these are my usual haunts besides this blog:

Facebook Author Page

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

Be sure to hit the follow button on the sidebar to keep up with the blog, and don’t forget to check out all the other great people in this hop!

]]> http://selahjanel.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/followers-hop/feed/ 9 selahjanel http://selahjanel.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/writing-evil/ http://selahjanel.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/writing-evil/#comments Sun, 09 Jun 2013 09:00:51 +0000 admin http://selahjanel.wordpress.com/?p=1667 ]]> Evil. Why is it so fascinating when we’re warned about it from such a young age? Is writing evil a chance to play in that tempting playground without actually having to pay the consequences? Why are “bad” characters so much fun when we’re not supposed to like them?

For me,  I like to explore the nature of all sorts of characters. A person isn’t “good” just because they’re good, so  a “bad” person isn’t that way just because that’s how they’re born.  They have reasons and experiences that form their own personal code, and it’s doubtful they actually think they’re in the wrong or acting badly. I’m not writing away wrongdoings by any means, but to really write a multi-dimensional “bad” character, I’ve found that it helps to come at things from their point of view, just like I would any other sort of protagonist.

I’ve always been fascinated by what the villains’ lives are like in the books and movies I’m into. We see all about the protagonists or victims if we’re talking horror, but we don’t always get to see what makes these fascinating villains what they are. At some point they had to have been shaped by some sort of experiences or code. Something makes us what we are, no matter how we act. We all know by now that I love the movie Lost Boys (I know, I know, it’s the best example I could think of), and most know the basic gist: new family comes to town, family meets vampires, after different hijinks and interpersonal relationships, humans square off against vampires, humans win.

Here’s what fascinates me, though…until Michael got involved with the vampires, were they really doing anything wrong (besides the whole killing people because they’re vampires thing). They aren’t innocent by any means, but you could argue that they’re just like any other wild animal, albeit one that can masquerade in human skin. These guys have something of a family life set up, they’re settled, they’re doing their own thing, and along comes this human dude who’s after the only woman in the group, they bring him into the group, and then when he suddenly changes his mind the humans pretty much take it upon themselves to kill them all just to make sure Michael can turn back.

Writing evil characters really takes that flip of perspective, otherwise you get something closer to Snidely Whiplash.

It also interests me in that movie that they are settled, that there’s a little kid that they’ve turned for whatever reason…they’re not torturing him, so there’s obviously decency in there somewhere…it always frustrates me a little that none of the sequels showed things purely from the vampire’s perspective and made them the protagonists, simply because I feel like that was part of the success of the original movie. You don’t see a lot of the vamps’ home life in the original, but you do see enough to at least make you curious.

That’s where I tried to come from when I wrote my story for The Big Bad: an Anthology of Evil. My lead character, Rave, has been a vampire for sixty years, though he was in his early twenties when turned. He’s self-centered and doesn’t want anyone to tell him what to do, because he suffered through answering to someone stronger for a good part of his life. From the first line, he treats mortals the way he’d treat fast food and he really doesn’t care as long as he doesn’t get caught. A romantic vampire, this is not.

And yet…

He has a little sister that he protects even though she drives him crazy and manipulates him on a whim. They’re running away from the very thing that kept them subdued for a long time, so there’s some kind of fear there. Not only that, but Rave runs into something he didn’t expect, ever…an actual hope of romance. He finds that he can actually care for a person, even though that’s a very new concept to him. He doesn’t quite know how to handle that, and combined with trying to escape future entrapment, he has a lot of choices to make.

Yeah, that’s the kind of story that fascinates me…what happens when a real vampire, the kind that doesn’t give a care about humanity or anyone else but himself finds that he’s falling in love?

The answer is probably not what you’d expect…but you’ll just have to read the book to find out for sure.

Suffice it to say, I enjoyed writing it immensely. At first I over-thought it, but when I finally let go and enjoyed Rave’s outrageous behavior, when I enjoyed Asha’s manipulations of her big brother, and when I finally got to introduce Sin…I had a hell of a lot of fun.

I suppose there’s a little evil in every writer, if they’re willing to be true to their bad characters and let it out on paper.

Everybody loves bad guys, and these are some of the baddest of them all. Forget the rules. There aren’t any heroes. No one is going to save you from the wickedness in the darkness. Monster hunters can easily become the hunted. Twisted perverts can find themselves on the receiving end of their own deviant desires. No matter how big and bad someone or something may be, there is always something bigger and badder just waiting. Even the classics like a dragon, werewolf, or supernatural being can fall victim to something even more evil. Take a peek, if you dare, inside the malevolent world of super-villains, monsters, demons and just plain evil folk. Be careful, what you see there might be disturbingly familiar …

Kindle        Amazon Hardback      Amazon Softcover     Nook    B&N Hardback      B&N Softcover

Holly&Ivy is still available with Mocha Memoirs, I believe a lot of the magazines I’m in are still in print (except for Stories for Children’s Magazine, which is out of business as well, though that issue may still be on sale.) Big Bad just came out and I believe Thunder in the Battlefield is due out this summer. I’m still waiting for edits on Hookerpunk and waiting for a confirmation of release time for issue 5 of The Realm Beyond.  Wicked East Press is also having some issues but working through them, so I also don’t have a date yet for Bedtime Stories for Girls.

Still working on Olde School and I’m hoping that will still be out this fall (That’s my bad; being sick in March really set me back), and I’ve got a few other things I’m submitting, as well. So I’m definitely not out, and as far as I can see, there are awesome things just around the corner!

Thanks to everyone’s well-wishes on FB, and for all those who are standing by me. As always, you guys rock my socks.

I know we’ve talked a lot about Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy, but I wanted to take another chance to impart just how great of a resource this is. Not only that, but it’s a lot of fun for genre readers, too!

Softcover     Kindle 

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy is a collection of essays and interviews by and with many of the movers-and-shakers in the industry. Each contributor covers the specific element of craft he or she excels in. Expect to find varying perspectives and viewpoints, which is why you many find differing opinions on any particular subject.

 This is, after all, a collection of advice from professional storytellers. And no two writers have made it to the stage via the same journey-each has made his or her own path to success. And that’s one of the strengths of this book. The reader is afforded the luxury of discovering various approaches and then is allowed to choose what works best for him or her.

Featuring essays and interviews with:

Neil Gaiman

Orson Scott Card

Ursula K. Le Guin

Alan Dean Foster

James Gunn

Tim Powers

Harry Turtledove

Larry Niven

Joe Haldeman

Kevin J. Anderson

Elizabeth Bear

Jay Lake

Nancy Kress

George Zebrowski

Pamela Sargent

Mike Resnick

Ellen Datlow

James Patrick Kelly

Jo Fletcher

Stanley Schmidt

Gordon Van Gelder

Lou Anders

Peter Crowther

Ann VanderMeer

John Joseph Adams

Nick Mamatas

Lucy A. Snyder

Alethea Kontis

Nisi Shawl

Jude-Marie Green

Nayad A. Monroe

G. Cameron Fuller

Jackie Gamber

Amanda DeBord

Max Miller

Jason Sizemore

 Michael Knost is an author, editor, and columnist of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and supernatural thrillers. He has written many books in various genres, helmed several anthologies, as well as nonfiction projects such as his Bram Stoker Award-winning book Writers Workshop of Horror. He has also served as ghostwriter for several projects, including associations with the Discovery Channel and Lionsgate Media.

To find out more, visit
www.MichaelKnost.com

For more information on Seventh Star Press, check out:

Facebook     Twitter    Website   Blog

But since she did agree to be interviewed, I suppose I’ll include that in this post, too, so you can see for yourselves how great she is.

Selah, thank you so much for having me here for the interview, you know I really enjoy talking with you and I enjoy sharing a little bit of myself with the readers.

SJ: Every writer has some sort of process.  Give us a glimpse into yours.  Do you meticulously outline?  Do you write depending on what calls are out there?

JLM: Selah I have to say that when it comes to short stories, I will think the story through for a couple of days, maybe even a week before I write it, but I don’t outline it except in my head.  However, when it comes to my novels I have to do an outline because there are so many plots within plots and characters that it’s just too much to hold it all in my head without it exploding.

SJ: Bonus question – Do you put on a cape and do a chant before hunkering down to work?  Sacrifice anything?  Along with your process, what’s your quirkiest writing habit?

JLM:  Ok here is a little secret, when I’m writing I am usually wearing an old worn out, plaid,    extra-large shirt that has holes in it and missing buttons.  I actually have two of these   shirts and the silly thing about these shirts is that they belonged to my Pop (grandfather),   and for some reason I feel like it helps me to write when I am wearing either of these  shirts.

SJ: Are you a meticulous planner or do you believe in the muse?  Where do your ideas come from?  Do they filter in through your dreams?  Do they show up at inopportune times and whap you upside the head?  Do they result in a shady deal with a dark power?

JLM: Some of my ideas come from dreams like my first novel started out as a nightmare where I was being chased by a giant spider through the woods.  Some ideas just smack me in the head out of nowhere and it’s so weird because I will be just sitting there talking with someone and suddenly I go “Whoa.”  If I’m with another writer friend they’ll ask if I just got an idea but if I’m with someone else they’ll ask me if I need an aspirin; I guess I must get a pained look on my face or something, ha ha. 

Some of my ideas come from the eclectic items I keep in my office; like dragons, squirrels, books, plastic hands, daggers, marbles, TARDIS, puking unicorns,bottles of vampire blood, you know that kind of stuff. 

Sometimes I get an idea when I’m watching Discovery or the History channel, I just never know where or when the idea is going to come, but it’s sometimes like that show connections where one thing leads to another.

I have to give my husband credit for some of my story ideas like Chilled Meat in the anthology Dreams of Steam II.  My husband was watching the History channel about the Napoleonic War when he called me into the TV room to share with me some gruesome tidbit he had just learned and asked if it would help with one of my stories, I said, “as a matter of fact, I think I can use that.” 

SJ:  bonus question – If your muse had a physical manifestation, what would he or she look like and how would she or he act?  Is it a sexy superhero version of Callisto?  A sharp-tongued rogue?  A reptilian alien?  Do they have a catch phrase?

JLM: I think if my muse manifested it would probably be something like the Cheshire Cat, a  little devilish but always smiling.  Even when I try to write innocent stories for kids to read, there seems to be a little twist in there, not always evil or bad, but just a little  twisted. I can’t really say where that comes from

SJ: What’s the book/story that’s closest to your heart?  Is there a piece that you clearly feel is a piece of you?  Do you play favorites?

JLM: The Lost Daughter of Easa is very much a part of me.  The idea of Elsie waking up in the middle of an ancient forest with amnesia is very symbolic.  Her whole adventure of trying to find out who she is was my own journey of finding out who I am.  I think there is probably more in that book of myself than I had intended to put in but that’s how it is.

As for playing favorites, I am still too new an author to play favorites, I love all my stories, and I hate all my stories.  It’s a very strange love hate relationship.  I love them because they are mine; I hate them because I always think they can be better.  I guess that’s the writer’s curse; the constant edit.

SJ: If you could only write one genre ever again upon pain of being sacrificed to Cthulhu, what would it be and why?

JLM: Oh you are so evil. 

Gosh, that’s hard, don’t make me choose!

I would have to say fantasy.  In fantasy you have the freedom to merge good and evil along with love, magic, horror, and mystery.  You also get to create creatures and world build.  So I guess for me fantasy is the complete genre, though I would really miss my steampunk

SJ: What’s your biggest frustration as a writer?  What do you consider the downside, or is there one?  Is there any cliché that makes you want to wring people’s necks?

JLM: My biggest frustration is being told that it has all been done already and that there is no story that has not already been told.  I hate that.  I think THEY!  Whoever THEY are, are WRONG!  Someday I will write that story that has never been told, the plot that has never been done.  I will find it if it takes my last dying breath to tell it.

SJ: If you had to be stuck in one of your own books/stories for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?  If you had to stick a loved one in one of your own books, what would it be and why?  An enemy?

JLM: Ok I definitely do not want to be in any of my short stories because they are very scary and deadly, I could put a few enemies there, he, he, he.

The Lost Daughter of Easa is too close to me and there are giant spiders in Authora and I hate spiders especially fourteen-foot spiders.  There are too many scary demons and monsters in The Lost Daughter of Easa besides the spiders and it is way too easy to get killed there I think.

I would have to say the new book coming out, The Boxcar Baby.  I love steampunk and it’s in America, even if it is an alternate dystopian America I could live with it so I guess I will take The Boxcar Baby.  I would put my loved ones in that novel as well. 

SJ: Do you think it’s possible to develop a sure-fire recipe/formula for success as a writer?  Would you want to, or does that compromise the art or the fun of it?

JLM: I don’t think there is a sure-fire way or recipe for any career in life.  You just have to work hard, be strong, and be exceptionally talented at what you do.  I don’t want to be a cookie cutter author, I want to write what I feel passionate about, and if that makes me successful someday then great, I’ll quit my day job and donate more money to charity. 

I do want to be a success but not at the risk of compromising my own personal standards. 

SJ: Everyone has words of wisdom for young writers, so I’m not going to ask you about that.  With a few unknown writers becoming success stories, a lot of people seem to think it’s an easy career choice.  What would your words of wisdom be to these people?

JLM: I think I can better answer that question with a recount of the wise words from a green frog named Kermit who once sang:

It’s not that easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.

When I think it could be nicer
being red or yellow or gold
or something much more colorful like that.
It’s not that easy being green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over
’cause you’re not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
or stars in the sky.
But green’s the color of Spring.
And green can be cool and friendly-like.
And green can be big
like an ocean
or important like a mountain
or tall like a tree.
When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why?
Wonder, I am green and it’ll do fine
it’s beautiful!
And I think it’s what I want to be.

SJ: It seems like everyone likes to gang up on certain genres as being inferior, less meaningful, or cheap entertainment (especially if it’s speculative in nature).  Make a case for the genre you write.

JLM: Fantasy allows you to express the human inner desires to explore what there is and find it to be grander than they expect.  In a world where reality may suck, fantasy gives the reader the opportunity to escape and become the hero, fly instead of run, to wear frocks of gold instead suits, to ride on dragons instead of the subway. 

Fantasy can also be used as a teaching tool to children who see things in a much broader spectrum than we do and life’s lessons are more easily processed when spoken from a toad and frog than a boring old teacher with a monotone voice.

Besides, we all live in a fantasy world in our minds already, fantasy books just help us to organize those thoughts better.

SJ: What do you want people to instantly think of when they hear your name or your work mentioned? 

JLM: Literature, I want my writing to become literature and last the test of time.  I would like at least one of my novels or stories to be like the Wizard of Oz, by Frank Baum, a classic that everyone is familiar with and remembered as one the greatest stories ever written.  This would be my legacy.  I guess all writers want that though. 

SJ: Please tell us about your latest/favorite work or a little bit about what you’re working on right now.  It’s plug time, so go for it!

JLM: Yeah!  Ok my most recent book is Southern Haunts, Spirits That Walk Among Us.  I co-edited this anthology with Alexander S. Brown, and I have a short story in there as well called Bath 10.  The anthology is short fictional stories based off of real supposedly haunted places in the South.  The stories start off light but as they progress they get darker and scarier.  My story Bath 10 is based off of Hot Springs Arkansas and is close to the end of the book which means it’s one the scariest.  This anthology is published through Seventh Star Press and came out around the end of March and has been selling like hot cakes.  It has been such a success that the publisher is doing another one.

Around the same time this came out, my short story The Book came out of Dreams of Steam IV – Gizmos, from Dark Oak Press/Kerlak.  It’s a steampunk thriller that takes place in Memphis and is about an antique book that sends people to Steampunk Hell.

My next novel coming out is from the Steel Roots series, The Boxcar Baby, and it will be released through Seventh Star Press in 2013.  The Boxcar Baby is about a fifteen-year-old girl who was found as a baby in a boxcar.  The man who adopted her and raised her as his own is now missing and she has to find him.  Aided only by a motley gang of friends and a map she found hidden in her papa’s spyglass given to her by a mysterious hobo, and which has clues written on it, AB’Gale Steel train hops her way across the United States in a desperate attempt to find her papa and put her life and family back the way it was.  This great American adventure takes place in an alternate steampunk dystopian world.

Thank you so much for having me, I really enjoyed our little talk.

Massive thanks to J.L. Mulvihill for such a well-spoken and heartfelt interview. You can check out her website at  www.elsielind.com

* Bein’ Green lyrics by Joe Raposo

I’ll go into more depth about my story later, but suffice it to say, you won’t look at modern vampires or vampire romance the same after reading my story, Real Wild Childe. There are a lot of amazing names in this anthology, though, names that you should definitely get well-acquainted with. For now, though, here’s the basics so far:

Kindle   Amazon Hardcover  Amazon Paperback     B&N Hardcover      B&N Paperback 

Everybody loves bad guys, and these are some of the baddest of them all. Forget the rules. There aren’t any heroes. No one is going to save you from the wickedness in the darkness. Monster hunters can easily become the hunted. Twisted perverts can find themselves on the receiving end of their own deviant desires. No matter how big and bad someone or something may be, there is always something bigger and badder just waiting. Even the classics like a dragon, werewolf, or supernatural being can fall victim to something even more evil. Take a peek, if you dare, inside the malevolent world of super-villains, monsters, demons and just plain evil folk. Be careful, what you see there might be disturbingly familiar …

Pretty cool, eh? I’m hoping to get some of the authors on here (even if I have to drag them kicking and screaming) to talk about bad guys, and I’ll try to have a post up soon about my own thoughts on my story, too. For those lucky souls who are going to ConCarolinas this weekend, the book is officially launching at the con, so you get to be a part of it!

I’m so into this book, I wanted to be sure to share an excerpt with all of you!

***

Twelve-year-old Tristan Gareth Smyth gripped the armrests of his wheelchair and said, “This will do. I can make it the rest of the way on my own from here.”

His eyes trained up the landmark tree and he had that feeling again. The vapor of a memory, maybe a dream. He always had that feeling when he looked up at the broad branches of this particular oak. Then he remembered who he was talking to and his face hardened.

The maid, Sarah, with her strong Scottish burr, patted him on the shoulder. Gareth refused to look at her. He stared down at his knee pants instead. “Are ye sure ye will be alright? I do na mind walking with ye the rest of the way to Mr. Strong’s house.”

Gareth clenched his hands into fists. “I’ll be fine.”

“Too bad he didn’t like coming out to the manor. Remember how green Mr. Strong got when he choked on my spice cake that day and ran off.” She laughed but tried to cover it with a cough. “I thought that would be the end of ’im but he worked it out with yer grandfather to instruct ye in town. Funny, my spice didn’t bother the rest of ye.”

She bent down in front of Gareth, attempting to make eye contact. “There are lots of children in this section of town. Ye might try making friends with ’em.”

Gareth turned away and clenched his jaw. Children never wanted to make friends with him. The chair made them uncomfortable. And what did he care anyway? He attempted to give her as stern a look as his grandfather would. “I know the way from here, and I won’t be late. You can go on to market, now.”

The breeze picked up and blew wisps of red hair into the woman’s round face. She smiled. Was she making fun of him? “Oh, it’s such a pretty day. This fresh air will do ye good, for certain.”

Gareth scowled.

She patted her hands on her knees and stood straight again. “Well then, I’ll leave ye to it. I’ve got to run off to the baker’s. Be sure to get to Mr. Strong’s in a timely manner. Though I think yer old governess was doing a fine job. Not sure why ye need Mr. Strong. But I guess it’s none of my concern.”

She was a servant, in uniform, and he was a future lord. Following his instruction was her duty. She and her husband, Thompton had been employed by his grandfather only six months. They might find themselves out of work and heading back to Scotland, if she kept voicing that sort of opinion.

No, Gareth could never really get them fired. But he’d make her think he would. He shook his head in the same disapproving manner he’d seen his grandfather use.

The sunlight played in the golden highlights of the woman’s ruby hair. Although her green eyes twinkled, she continued to voice her cutting opinion. She placed one hand on his shoulder. “It’s not being stuck in this chair that keeps ye lonely. It’s yer surly attitude.”

Gareth couldn’t help but let his face scrunch a little. He crossed his arms and turned his face from her.

Her accent was thick and melodic, familiar in a way. His mother had been Scottish though he hardly remembered her. Still, Gareth kept his pout in place. The truth was, he didn’t know how to relate to others. Even people who could feel at ease talking to perfect strangers stammered or spoke quickly to him and walked away. The wheelchair did more than keep him from playing.

She straightened the collar of his waistcoat. “Look, there’s a little girl coming now. She looks to be about Tabitha’s age. Maybe a wee bit older.”

He did glance then, but just under his lashes, not to give the impression that he cared. Easier to act like he didn’t care than to show he truly did. He refused to give anyone more reason to feel sorry for him. No one pities an angry person.

He missed Tabitha…Tabitha Fitzgerald, Lord Gerald Smyth’s bastard daughter. But ward was her polite title. At five years old, she was the only person he allowed to get close. Maybe it was the way she climbed up in his lap, never
caring about the wheelchair. She didn’t see it when she looked at him, she only saw Gareth.

He never spoke to Tabitha about who her parents really were, but she knew. For some reason, servants believed children to be both deaf and dumb, and gossiped openly around them. That’s how Gareth knew the truth about his own mother. He was told she died, but he’d overheard the maids say she had run back home to Scotland and how they didn’t blame her. It’s also how he’d learned the truth of his own father’s death—shot by his mistress’s jealous husband.

“I’m heading off. I’ll be sure to get ye a sweet roll for later.”

Gareth only grunted in response.

When the maid turned away, Gareth allowed himself to watch the little girl play. Her hair was a darker blonde than Tabitha’s and had streaks of amber. She looked to be a bit taller, too, as she ran around in a green day dress and stockings. She pushed a hoop along until she reached the tree. Once there she looked both ways. Her eyes met Gareth’s and, for a moment, he was tempted to turn away to keep her from doing it first. Instead, she smiled broadly and beckoned him closer.

Gareth wheeled his chair to the tree trunk, his curiosity getting the better of him. The girl dropped the hoop on the ground and took hold of the lowest branch. She whispered in an accent he didn’t recognize, “Keep watch for me, and call out if you see anyone coming.”

His chin tucked in and his eyes grew wide. She took it as assent, and nodded, starting her climb. She was spirited like Tabitha. The thought of being able to climb a tree at all pricked at Gareth’s heart. He would never get to climb a tree.

Again he took on the expression of being bored. No one needed to know he was jealous of the girl. Gareth made a habit of never owning his true feelings. It was his protective covering. With his lids half closed, he tried not to watch the girl or keep an eye out for anyone else’s approach. Without his permission, his gaze returned to the girl’s powder white limbs as she climbed higher than most children did.

Soon she was too high up.

Gareth adjusted himself in his seat, his eyes darting around. Instead of keeping lookout, he hoped for some adult to show up and tell the girl to come down.

The girl called down in a harsh whisper. “Look! Watch this.”

She scooted out on a limb, making her way to a bird’s nest. The limb wobbled as she got closer to the end.

He was about to call out a warning to her when it was too late. The branch snapped. The little girl was falling with barely a squeal. All Gareth could think was that he needed to do something. It was then he noticed he was rushing towards her. He wasn’t sure how he was moving his wheelchair and catching her but he did. Her giant brown eyes grew as he held her. Then she looked about and her eyes became wider. He swallowed hard and stared at the ground several feet away.

In a rush, he placed the girl on the grass and flew back to his chair. His heart still pounded in his ears as he sat. He tried to mask his confusion as he masked all other uncomfortable emotions, but it wasn’t working. The girl stared at him, but said nothing as a dark haired woman rushed toward her.

“Sweeting, are you ok?” The woman swept the girl up into her arms. “I got here as fast as I could. I can’t believe you did that. I thought I told you not to climb that tree.”

She put the girl back down and looked her over, grabbing her head and looking for a sign of injury. “Aren’t you hurt at all? I saw you falling from the window upstairs.”

The girl shook her head too quickly, like she was still in shock.

“Come on back to the house,” the pinch-faced woman snapped, ushering the little girl away.

The girl yanked her hand free of the woman’s grasp and rushed back to Gareth. She placed an object in his hand and kissed his cheek.

“You were amazing,” she whispered and turned back to the woman who called out her name.

Gareth’s cheeks burned. What did the woman say the girl’s name was? He didn’t hear with the blood rushing to his ear drums. Jessie? Jenny?

The woman scolded the girl as she returned to her. “What did you do? Where are your manners? You don’t talk to cripples. Best to act like you don’t see them at all.”

The words struck Gareth like a bucket of cold water. But he let it slide off him as he thought about the fact that he had flown. He watched after the girl as her dark eyes stared back. His mind was muddled at what had happened. The muscles in his face hardened and he glared at the woman’s back as they retreated.

Shaking his head, he remembered he was supposed to be heading to Mr. Strong’s house. He pushed on the wheels of his chair down the road again. He’d forgotten he was holding something, and nearly dropped it. The small, pale blue-green stone had a few dark wrinkles, but almost looked like a robin’s egg. He put it to his nose. Flowers. It smelled just like the girl.

Gareth was so caught up in staring at how tiny the stone was in his palm, he’d forgotten all about Mr. Strong until the man called, “Master Tristan, what are you doing out here? You were to report to my house a quarter of an hour ago.”

“I prefer Gareth.” He narrowed his eyes at the pale, feeble man.

Mr. Strong ran a hand through his thin blond hair and smiled, his lips forming a thin line. “Yes, of course.”

Mr. Strong placed himself behind Gareth’s chair and pushed down the lane. “I have an excellent plan for your studies today. I see you’ve brought no supplies from your home, but no matter, I have plenty of paper and pens to practice your lettering…”

Gareth rolled his eyes, knowing Mr. Strong couldn’t see. The man’s cheerful babble continued as he pushed them towards the house past the inn. The stone rolled between Gareth’s fingers, and he remembered the feeling of the girl’s lips on his cheek.

Title: Armored Hearts

Author:  Pauline Creeden & Melissa Turner Lee

Published:  April 30, 2013

Word Count:  52,000

Genre:  Steampunk Fantasy

Content Warning:  G/PG Rating due to mild sexual tension and minor violence.

Synopsis:

When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother’s side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales.

Tristan Gareth Smyth lived his entire life stuck at home at Waverly Park and left behind while his Grandfather makes trips to London, all because of his blasted wheelchair.

Then an American heiress falls in his lap, literally, and he must find a way to keep her at a distance to protect not only his secret, but everyone around him from an assassin sent to kill him.

 Amazon | Barnes and Noble | GoodReads

Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Website

Melissa Turner Lee holds a BA in Communications with a concentration in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She has studied fiction writing since 2008, attending various writing conferences and workshops, along with guidance from professional writing coaches. She resides in Spartanburg, SC with her husband and 3 sons.

 Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog

Remember to enter the giveaway rafflecopter HERE!

I’ve got another great title for your summer reading lists today! If you like intrigue, anything with a steampunk flair, and magic, you’ll definitely get into Armored Hearts!

Title: Armored Hearts

Author:  Pauline Creeden & Melissa Turner Lee

Published:  April 30, 2013

Word Count:  52,000

Genre:  Steampunk Fantasy

Content Warning:  G/PG Rating due to mild sexual tension and minor violence.

Synopsis:

When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother’s side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales.

Tristan Gareth Smyth lived his entire life stuck at home at Waverly Park and left behind while his Grandfather makes trips to London, all because of his blasted wheelchair.

Then an American heiress falls in his lap, literally, and he must find a way to keep her at a distance to protect not only his secret, but everyone around him from an assassin sent to kill him.

 Amazon | Barnes and Noble | GoodReads

Today I’m thrilled to have BOTH authors of this book in a first for this blog – a double interview! So let’s get to it

SJ: Every writer has some sort of process. Give us a glimpse into yours. Do you meticulously outline? Do you write depending on what calls are out there?

P:Together, Melissa and I have brainstorm sessions – we chat and throw ideas at each other then discuss why it will or won’t work with our characters’ personalities. Other than that, we both write by the seat of our pants.

M: Yeah, pretty much a pantser. The plotting I do is all in my head and I’m not always aware of how it happens.

 SJ: Bonus question – Do you put on a cape and do a chant before hunkering down to work? Sacrifice anything? Along with your process, what’s your quirkiest writing habit?

Pauline: I always drink Snapple while I write – I love the stuff so much, I don’t allow myself the stuff unless I’m writing…call it a bribe

M: I often pace and listen to music before I write. Not always. Sometimes I take a long bath before and let the characters play for a bit so I have something in mind before I write.

SJ: Are you a meticulous planner or do you believe in the muse? Where do your ideas come from? Do they filter in through your dreams? Do they show up at inopportune times and whap you upside the head? Do they result in a shady deal with a dark power?

Both of us agree that our stories and characters just pop up in our head.

P: I get full on scenes and problems like: Jennie needs to stop by the grocery store on the way to church with her little brother, but wait, there are zombies outside…now what? And that’s the start of my story (Sanctuary, actually).

M: My characters show up in my head. I see them. I was on vacation when I met Gareth. I was at the pool with the kids and sitting in the hot tub watching them and I suddenly saw a man in a wheelchair, the old wooden kind. He was dressed like a gentleman and had a lap blanket. I got to know him and what was going on in his life and that was the beginning of Armored Hearts. The story was too big for me so I knew I needed Pauline’s help. I’m really glad she did. I could not have done this project without her.

SJ: What’s the book/story that’s closest to your heart? Is there a piece that you clearly feel is a piece of you? Do you play favorites?

P: I don’t really play favorites, I have a special place for them all.

M: The one dearest to my heart is the one I like least. It was my very first book, The Difference Between Night and Day. It came to me after a prayer asking to be able to write. I’d never been able to get a whole story down before and that one, I finally did. I knew nothing about writing craft, rules, pacing etc. and that all shows. But it was my first so it is still special.

SJ: 

• If you could only write one genre ever again upon pain of being sacrificed to Cthulhu, what would it be and why?

P: It would be Steampunk for me – I have 3 more stories that are sitting there, half written, waiting for me to finish them. And the others…they could live in that world, too.

M: Paranormal Romance. I’m a love junky, but I prefer it with a touch of weird. 

 SJ: 

• What’s your biggest frustration as a writer? What do you consider the downside, or is there one? Is there any cliché that makes you want to wring people’s necks?

P: Frustration number 1 – I never have enough time! I wish I could type twice as fast as I do and read even faster…but alas, I’ll have to stick within my limitations.

M: I struggle with consistency and time. I have a husband who works a lot and little boys who create large amounts of laundry and housework. I love them and they are worth the effort, so my writing goes on the shelf often. Also, if I am tired and stressed, I can’t write well. And most days I am tired and stressed out to the max with 3 boys who are little angels alone, but together enjoy whacking each other just for the fun of it. Try writing while sitting in the monkey cage at the zoo. That’s similar to my life.

 SJ: If you had to be stuck in one of your own books/stories for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? If you had to stick a loved one in one of your own books, what would it be and why? An enemy?

P: Well, my stories tend to be fairly dark and tragic – I’m the dark side of Armored Hearts – Missy is the Light – so honestly if I or a loved one were forced to live in one of the stories I had a hand in, it would be Armored Hearts!

M: I think my painter series. I’d love to play cards with the immortal painters and sciences. It would be fun to be a part of that.

 SJ: Do you think it’s possible to develop a sure-fire recipe/formula for success as a writer? Would you want to, or does that compromise the art or the fun of it?

P: The moment something becomes a job, it becomes less fun. There are moments, but it demands to be taken seriously. As a horse trainer, I don’t ride horses anymore for the “fun” of it, it is always work. Writing is similar. The formula for success? If I knew, I’d bottle it and sell it, too!

M: No, because every reader reads for different reasons and what you love one season might not fit in another.

 SJ: Everyone has words of wisdom for young writers, so I’m not going to ask you about that. With a few unknown writers becoming success stories, a lot of people seem to think it’s an easy career choice. What would your words of wisdom be to these people?

P: READ tons – never stop! And Write lots– practice makes proficient.

M: Read books you love and study why you love them. Read books others love and find out why they loved them. Then sit down and write.

 SJ: It seems like everyone likes to gang up on certain genres as being inferior, less meaningful, or cheap entertainment (especially if it’s speculative in nature). Make a case for the genre you write.

P: I won’t pick on your genre if you don’t pick on mine. Each one is like a family – my family is no better or worse than yours, and neither is my genre. Missy and I get along because we don’t pick on each other’s genre – mine is SciFi/Horror and hers is Paranormal/Romance – we both appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of our genres. And then we both gang up on Epic Fantasy together. Just kidding.

M: Yeah, I’m not into judging. You live your life looking up to some and down on others. That’s the recipe for a sore neck. I write what I love. I try to stretch and read out of my comfort zone. But I like what I like and you like what you like and that is just fine with me.

SJ:  

• What do you want people to instantly think of when they hear your name or your work mentioned?

P: Clever and original would be nice…

M: What an imagination.

SJ: 

• Please tell us about your latest/favorite work or a little bit about what you’re working on right now. It’s plug time, so go for it!

Together we have another project besides AH2 – a Romantic/Suspense/Mystery set in Alaska. We’ve only had brainstorm sessions so far, so it will be a while before it comes to readable fruition.

P: This year, that little novel I mentioned above, Sanctuary, will be released, and I’ve got a demon riddled space ship in the sky with Catalyst being published with Redeeming Tree Press.

M: yeah, AH2 and a romance called Forever Layla set in the 90s. It is Nicholas Sparks meets paranormal romance minus the deeply depressing ending. I’m pumped for everyone to read Pauline’s Sanctuary. I loved it and I don’t read horror/zombies. It was good enough to make me like something beyond my usual taste and I’m quite picky.

 ***

Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

 Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Website

Melissa Turner Lee holds a BA in Communications with a concentration in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She has studied fiction writing since 2008, attending various writing conferences and workshops, along with guidance from professional writing coaches. She resides in Spartanburg, SC with her husband and 3 sons.

 Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog

 There’s also a tour-wide giveaway that includes the following:

GRAND PRIZE: Signed print copy of Armored Hearts, a Steampunk Charm Bracelet, and Bookmark Swag Pack (US Only)

SECOND PLACE: $20 Winner’s Choice of Gift Card to Amazon or B&N (or even PayPal Cash) (INT)

You can get in on that giveaway HERE