RITA ® Award-Winning Author of Fantasy Romance
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Our topic this week at the SFF Seven is: If you were going to be in an anthology with any three authors, living or dead, who would you pick and why? Come on over to find out both my dream – and my reality!
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One of my faithful desk companions – Isabel has little interest in the stories themselves, but she disapproves of my reaching for the mouse. Good incentive for me to keep typing with no backtracking!
Not as visible – and not as likely to claw me for reaching for the mouse – is everyone else virtually on my desk as I write. By this I mean my readers. And not just any readers – but those passionately invested in the stories, worlds and characters. You know who you are! These are the power readers, the ones who take time to give me personal feedback on how much they love what I write.
And they have opinions. Sometimes strong ones. Again, you know who you are. 🙂
That’s our topic this week: Responding to the fandom – where do you draw the line? (e.g., not killing a character after all) Come on over to get my take.
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Yesterday I did a signing with Sage Walker whose book, THE MAN IN THE TREE, just came out last week. This is a gorgeous science fiction novel that I highly recommend. For the purists, the science is impeccable. An asteroid is equipped with propulsion and manipulated to create a living space inside that will eventually be a self-sustaining biosphere with a population of 200,000. By the time this generation ship reaches its planetary destination in 200 years, those people will be ready to colonize the new world. But when the story begins, the ship, Kybele, is nine days from leaving orbit with a population of 30,000 people. These people are the best of the best, who’ve worked and struggled to be among those granted a position on the Kybele. None of them will live to see the new planet, but they’ll live and eat like billionaires during their time aboard ship – and give their progeny an opportunity like no other.
Except a man has been found murdered. Unless they find the murderer before leaving orbit – a meticulously timed departure – they’ll be taking someone twisted with them. Someone who may have sabotaged Kybele herself. And the guy in charge of tracking down the murderer may be in danger of falling in love with the chief suspect.
So yummy!
Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is worldbuilding as its own reward. What worldbuilding we do that isn’t necessarily about the story itself. Come on over for more.
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Today at the lake I kept my seltzer cold in my Bacchus Bag from St. Martin. Counting my blessings and thinking good thoughts for everyone in the path of the storms.
Our topic this week at the SFF Seven is The Introverted Fan: Three things a fan could say in person or via social media that would help break the ice. Come on over to find out mine.
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I found this great ceramic Dia de los Muertos doll a couple of weeks ago. It’s difficult to tell from the pic, but she’s made entirely of ravens. I would have bought her in a heartbeat if she weren’t so expensive. For those of you who’ve read THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE, there’s an aspect to this doll that reminds me of Moranu with her many faces. Even the cover of that book is reminiscent of the same images for me. Do you all see that?
There’s a key difference, however, between the two – and that links into this week’s theme at the SFF Seven , which is the genre we are mostly unlikely to write. Come on over to find out what I mean.
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Today’s the day!! THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE is free in the wild, something Zynda would greatly approve of. She’s my shapeshifter sorceress heroine, who loves freedom above all else. Until she discovers there’s more to life than that.
I really loved writing Zynda’s story – far more than I expected to. I’m not entirely sure I can explain why, either, except that there was a certain untrammeled freedom to her way of thinking. She’s brutally honest and her time spent as various animals has changed the way she thinks and sees the world. I also totally fell in love with Marskal. I love all of my heroes and heroines, but these two really got under my skin. A phrase Zynda would laugh at.
The early feedback I’m getting confirms that you all feel the same – so woo hoo!!! Reviews are just going up on Amazon, etc., so if you feel like popping one up, I’d greatly appreciate it. 🙂
The links are all live:
The most talented shapeshifter of her generation, Zynda has one love in her life: freedom. The open air above her, the water before her, the sun on her skin or wings or fur-their sensual glories more than make up for her loneliness. She serves the High Queen’s company well, but she can’t trust her allies with her secrets, or the secrets of her people. Best that she should keep her distance, alone.
Except wherever she escapes, Marskal, the Queen’s quiet lieutenant, seems to find her. Solid, stubborn, and disciplined, he’s no more fluid than rock. Yet he knows what she likes, what thrills and unnerves her, when she’s hiding something. His lithe warrior’s body promises pleasure she has gone too long without. But no matter how careful, how tender, how incendiary he is, only Zynda can know the sacrifice she must make for her people’s future-and the time is drawing near…
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This week’s topic at the SFF Seven is apropos for me, as THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE releases on Tuesday!
It’s the third book in The Uncharted Realms series. Or the sixth in The Twelve Kingdoms, depending on how you slice these things. For some people these lines are more definitive than they are for me. Our topic is: Working in a series as opposed to working on a standalone book. What are the differences and how much do you plan ahead? Come on over to find out my take.
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Yesterday my car rolled over to 100,000 miles! I was happy I remembered to keep an eye on the odometer and pull over to snap the pics. She’s 21 now and feeling frisky!
Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is “If you had to be on a reality TV show, which one would you pick and why?” Come on over to the SFF Seven to find out about the one I love to rubberneck.
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THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE is done except for the dotting of i’s and crossing of t’s – and the endless adding and deleting of commas. I don’t know about you all, but I never did get the comma rules into my brain. I just accept whatever my copy editor does on those. If only Track Changes had an “accept all comma changes” setting!
Anyway, THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE is the third in The Uncharted Realms and – as some who’ve already read the ARC (man, some of you are *fast*!) have noted – it’s not the last. Too much story yet to tell! I’m tentatively titling book #4 THE ARROWS OF THE HEART and have it planned for next May or thereabouts.
If you wanted an ARC and didn’t get one, use the comment form on the website and Assistant Carien will be in touch.
Our topic this week at the SFF Seven regards Reader Rewards: What Do You Do To Reward Your Fans (newsletter free-short stories, discounts, special appearances, etc.)? Come on over for more.
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I’m still digging out and organizing photos from the RWA National Conference. But here’s me with my agent, the lovely Sarah Younger. Along with her many savvy business skills, she sports an excellent selfie game.
While I was away at conference, Heroes & Heartbreakers ran a post of mine on the Language of Praise. This is a topic I’ve been mulling for some time, and discussing with people like the thoughtful and insightful Campbell award finalist Kelly Robson. I’d love for you all to check out the article and give me feedback. I’m working up a couple of follow-up segments with specific ideas, so I’m all ears!
(I found it really hard – read: impossible – to comment on the article myself because Captcha wouldn’t let me through. If the same happens to you, please comment here!)
I’ve finished revisions on THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE, and it’s off to the copy editor. I’m really happy with how the story turned out. I feel a little superstitious saying that, but some stories worm their way into your heart more than others. Marskal and Zynda’s tale did that for me and I’m stepping out of their world again with some regret.
But it’s a short step over to the novella I’m diving into today. THE SNOWS OF WINDROVEN is a follow-on to Ash and Ami’s thread, in the same timeline. I’m telling it from Ash’s point of view (POV), which is a first for this series. Except for a short piece I did from Rayfe’s POV for a conference challenge, I haven’t yet written from any of the hero’s POVs. This novella will be in AMID THE WINTER SNOW with Thea Harrison, Grace Draven, and Elizabeth Hunter, out December 12.
August is birthday month around here – both mine and several family members, so I’ll be doing a bit of traveling along with the writing. Enjoying beautiful monsoon season in Santa Fe, and around New Mexico and Colorado. Oh, and for those who were sad I wasn’t going to be at Bubonicon, I will be after all!
Anyway, I should be on a bit more of a regular blogging schedule again. What else have I forgotten to tell you?? Ask me questions!