This month’s Mocha Memoirs Interview!

It’s the fourteenth, so it’s time for me to blog at Mocha Memoirs Press! This month, I’m putting Wynelda Ann Deaver in the hot seat. She’s answering seven of my special questions, plus you get some insight on her book Dragon’s Champion, as well.

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

Guest Posting for Nerd Month!

A quick post to get myself out of my funk. It’s been an exhausting past couple of weeks for various reasons. Thanks to all the support you guys have shown in comments and on Facebook. Seriously, you are amazing and it helps to know there are people in my corner.

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!

Writing Evil

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

Changes

I haven’t forgotten that I’m due for some posts, but this has been a very taxing week all around. If you poke around or look at the sidebar, you’ll probably notice some changes. I got word this week that No Boundaries Press is closing, so those releases will be unavailable for a while. Right now I’m finding out what’s going on on their end, and also trying to look ahead as to what I can do with those pieces, since I feel they’re pretty good. Obviously this is not the easiest transition, but at the moment I just want to look ahead to what comes next. So, if you don’t see links/mention of those releases for a while, that’s why. I’m also trying to not use any images as of now from those covers/etc to comply with their wishes.

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.

Available Now: The Big Bad: An Anthology of Evil

It’s no secret that I love anthologies. There’s no better way to get a taste of many different authors at once, and I’ve discovered some great talents by picking up anthologies with titles that sound great from the library or bookstore shelf.  I’m very lucky to be part of some great anthologies coming out this year, and this particular book is one that I’m very proud of.

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!

JK Asmodeus is at it again!

I haven’t talked about In the Red for a while, so it’s always fun when I’m invited to delve into the story that I love so much. This time, my friend and amazing blogger Amy invited me to do a character post about summer plans. Of course, being the media whore that he is, JK Asmodeus reared his head and jumped at the opportunity.

So what constitutes a rock star’s summer plans? Does he actually plan to take some sort of high-end vacation or is he going to go skulking off to some of the more sundry spots in the globe?

Like I’d tell. See what JK Asmodeus is getting up to and how I deal with his unique brand of answering interview questions HERE

Pole-dancing fairies

For those that are missing my writing, I am trying to incorporate more of that back into this blog – working on my novel manuscript is taking a lot out of me at the moment, which is why there are so many guests doing there thing here, but I’m hoping to get back to form soon (or at least have more of shameless me posts scattered throughout). Anywho, in the meantime, I was back at the Mocha Memoirs Press blog this month, except this time the tables got turned. Siobhan Kinkade reminded me that she didn’t get a chance to give me a writing prompt last month, so she made up for it in spades this month. Unfortunately she forgot (or maybe counted on the fact) that I tend to run with whatever I’m given.

So if you follow the link, you’ll get a short about pole-dancing fairies. You’re welcome.

Talking about Vampires!

Since I’ve gone on (and on and on) here about my take on vampires, I wanted to share a guest post I did last week about just that. I talk about the works that I most enjoy, the vampire types I find most effective, and share an excerpt of my historical horror story Mooner at Ellie’s blog! It was awesome to have the chance to talk about my personal approach to writing the genre, the importance of combining the vampiric with the human, and how much a setting can really impact the story.  Curious? Be sure to Check it Out Here!

 

My upcoming publishing schedule

For those who are interested, keeping track, or panting with your tongues hanging out demanding MORE MORE MORE (because why wouldn’t you?)…here’s the current list of what’s next for me in the world of publishing.

 

Bedtime Stories for Girls – Wicked East Press – How Rain Came to Earth

Yes, I do have a kinder, gentler side. My contribution to this anthology is an original story written in the form of a Native American folktale, because no matter how I tried to structure it, it was the only way the story worked. Plus, it’s an art form I dearly love. Sort of a cross between middle school and YA, it deals with the Sky Kingdom right as the world began. Rain, daughter of Sun and Moon, struggles to find her place in the universe.  Edits for this are turned in, so I’m just waiting to hear when it’s released. You’ll know when I know!

The Big Bad – Edited by John Hartness and Emily Leverett – Real Wild Childe

This is the book that has my vampire story in it, and its theme is stories all about the bad guys (obviously). My story deals with a pair of vampire siblings that are on the run and hiding out in a small town. Asha is a free spirit and a clothes horse. Her big brother Rave is a punk who doesn’t want to be told how to live his life by anyone. What follows is an unexpected adventure where they try to gain their freedom, meet an unexpected ally, and Rave tries to come to grips with what love means. Think of it as me totally taking a chance to subvert not only the vampire romance genre, but modernizing the Lost Boys vampire rebel type and turning the status quo for that character upside-down, as well, because if you’re gonna go, you might as well go all the way. Edits are in and I think they’re shooting for a June or summer release, though I’ll keep updating as I hear more.

Thunder on the Battlefield (vol. 2) – Edited by James R. Tuck, Seventh Star Press – The Ruins of St. Louis

I take my turn at Sword and Sorcery in this anthology, and though that story took a lot out of me, I’m really proud to be in this one. Not only is this anthology two volumes, but there are a LOT of talented and up-and-coming authors included. My story follows the quest of Hunter Mann in a post-apocalyptic America. It’s an action-packed story full of natural dangers, magic, mutants, pirates, and one determined protagonist to fulfill a prophecy. I’m still working on edits for this, and I believe this has a target release date of June, as well.

HOOKERPUNK – edited by Sean Taylor – ATM

I got talked into this during Fandom Fest last year, and this was definitely one of the more challenging stories I’ve had to write. This is set in a world where money is outdated and currency has turned to older methods of, ahem, bartering. Government bank worker (of sorts) Lucki Starr struggles against small town attitudes when she’s been reassigned from the big city to her home town. She also learns that the government, people she trusted, and maybe everyone else in her life has their own agenda.  I’m still waiting to hear details on the release/schedule for this one, so I’ll pass it on as I get info.

The Realm Beyond – Issue 5 – Marina

I was shown some gorgeous cover art last fall and asked if I could come up with a story to go with it. Of course I accepted, and the result is an odd little story set in the late 1800s about a girl with amnesia, the son of a lumber baron on the brink of financial ruin, his family, and the looming influence of an ancient cult. This story combines several loves for me, but I can’t give too much away without ruining the whole thing! So far, I think Issue 5 is set to come out around July.

Kingdom City Chronicles: Olde School – Seventh Star Press

I’m still working on the first draft, but I’m getting close, so hopefully we’ll be able to keep the fall release schedule. This series combines my love of every genre ever and the folks at Seventh Star are trusting enough to let me play with them all and subvert them at my whim. There are going to be trolls who own businesses and have laptops, princesses are not automatically beloved in this world, shepherds have secrets, and the woods is hiding something besides bears and wolves. Kingdom City is a typical fantasy city who grew up in the heyday of what we know as fairy tales. However, we’ve never heard the real story, and Kingdom City is in middle of looking to the future and modernizing. Plus, magic is an old wive’s tale and never really existed. How do all these things blend together? What does all this mean for the city’s residents? You’ll just have to stay tuned to find out!

……and to answer your questions, yes, yes I am that varied in my writing. I can’t even pretend that I’m not. I’m half-convinced Seventh Star gave me the title of cross genre series writer because it sounds better than ALL THE GENRES!!! That being said, I wouldn’t trade my spastic, bizarre variety for the world.

Interviewed at Crimson Flower Reviews!

I’ve been cutting back on the promotional trail lately, but I did have an interview out the other day, so I’m not completely neglectful! I’m very flattered to be interviewed by Crimson Flower Reviews. They asked some great questions and really made me think. So if you’re curious about where I get my ideas, who is my support network, who I picture as Jeremiah/JK Asmodeus, what songs helped inspire In the Red, my advice to writers (such as it is), and other fun stuff, be sure to give it a read!

To see the interview, go HERE!