Vixenwriter

I finished Wolf Unbound last night. I thought I’d finish the night before but one scene came to me that I hadn’t anticipated, which works out anyway!

66,027 / 66,027 (100.0%)

I’d been aiming for roughly 70K and with about 3K left, I think it may end up there after revision. I’m really thrilled with where this book took me. When I wrote Enforcer, it started as an idea for a novella for a dangerous jobs type anthology. It didn’t get chosen but my editor said she loved the idea and would love to see it expanded into a novel and though I couldn’t get back to it for another year or so, when I did, the idea shifted into what is probably in the top five of my favorite books I’ve written. I had no idea then that the werewolf mafia thing would be this overarching story arc in all four books but it all really came into focus when I wrote Tri-Mates. Wolf Unbound is Tegan’s story. You don’t see a lot of her in the previous books but her story really called to me. What happens when a wolf loses her mate when she’s very young? What would that do to you if your anchor bond had also found their mate so your life was saved but the hole in your heart kept you from living fully?

She’s not an easy character and neither is Ben Stoner, the stoic cop she ends up with. By the end of the book, the Packs are in dissaray and the horizon is dark with what may come. I can’t wait to start writing Standoff now - Cade’s book and the last in the series.

Now I’ll put it aside and finish up final revisions on Reading Between the Lines! Wheeee!

And possibly, I’ll have more time to tackle this:

My TBR Pile. Not pictured Susanna Carr’s, Pink Ice, Cheyenne McCray’s, Chosen Prey, A mystery antho called Most Likely to Die, Jennifer Dunne’s Fugitive Lovers, a Blaze antho called Boys of Summer and Secrets Volume 8. On my hard drive I’ve got - Charlene Teglia’s Wild Wild West ARC, Marissa Scott’s When Petals Fall, Michelle Pillow’s Date with Destiny and her book with Mandy Roth - Red Light Specialists and Megan Hart’s Gilt and Midnight (her upcoming Spice Brief for September)(there are others scattered but these are my two main piles)

I will say I’ve finished Sylvia Day’s Pleasures of the Night and I’ll talk about it in a minute for Friday Booktalk, and also Maria Lima’s Matters of the Blood (ditto talking about in a minute). As you can see, I’ve got a huge amount of reading to catch up on! I hope I can use a bit of free time this summer to do it.

So in 2002 my husband came home from work and he told me about this book he’d heard about on NPR, Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. When it came out, we grabbed it and when he finished it, he handed it to me and said, “Read the first chapter.” And I did. And the second and third and so on until I’d devoured the whole thing. And then I read the first chapter again twice more.

I’ve loved everything else he’s written both with Takeshi Kovacs (the protaganist from Altered Carbon), Market Forces (also one of the most amazing opening chapters I’ve ever read) and now, Thirteen. Thirteen arrived three days ago and is taunts me from my husband’s side of the bed all thick and hardback - promising a fabuolous read and a new world. I send him hints about it and he pretends to ignore me, hogging it to himself and reminding me I ordered it for him.

You know when you read a book and it changes *everything*? You read it and you’re blown away by everything about it? That’s how I felt when I read the opening of the book. It’s beautiful and terrifying and blunt and there’s not a word wasted. I’ve read it more than once and it hits me the same way William Gibson does because like Gibson, there’s an intense beauty in the stark backdrop revealed. It’s lush in its economy, if that makes sense.

I have these go to books, either for a scene or for the feel or just the entire package. These books that challenge me as a writer and a reader, books that bring me something each time I read. Altered Carbon and Market Forces most definitely from Morgan (and you can ask most everyone who knows me, I recommend Morgan all the time). William Gibson’s Neuromancer and Pattern Recognition. Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Neverwhere. The opening chapter of Anil’s Ghost. Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. Frank Herbert’s Dune. Asmimov’s The Naked Sun and Foundation. Margaret Atwood’s Cat’s Eye and The Handmaid’s Tale. Mary Doria Russel’s The Sparrow. Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Jeanette Wintersons Oranges Aren’t the Only Fruit - these are just a few.

Do you have any books that changed you in some important way?

I was reading something earlier today and it went into my “sigh, so not sexy” file. Filled with a zillion fucking scenes but not a one made me even the slightest bit tingly. It was all random body parts thrusting and rearing, twitching and *this is Lauren, scowling* lots of random buttsecks. And whatever, okay, buttsecks can be totally hot in the right circumstances, it’s taboo, it has cultural baggage - it’s forbidden and when the right author harnesses those things it’s whew, hot, guh! But it’s like any other scene in the wrong hands and I’m left sneering and rolling my eyes and sort of scared of rearing penises.

While I’m a very visual person, sexy to me is more often than not about the stroking of my brain. It’s why porn is okay for like five minutes but after that I find myself bored, amused or horrified. It’s why I like authors who realize it’s not in the quantity of sex scenes in an erotic romance but in how the scenes are utilized.

Don’t get me wrong - a scene with a super dominant dirty talking man is hotter than the sun if it’s done right and in context. Really, really hot (eyeballs roll to the back of my head hot). But a man who takes his time to lick the back of a knee or who leans in to breathe in the scent at her neck? HAWT!

Last night I was giving my husband a massage - yes a real massage, not a euphamism - and I just became entranced by the way his back felt under my hands. The flex and play of his muscles as I worked, the way his ass felt against me as I straddled him, the scent of his warm skin as I pressed my fingertips into it. The act of ministering to him, of caring for him and easing his stress became a huge aphrodesiac to me. Also, the fact that he was there, relenting to my control but still like a great big tiger who could pounce at any moment - shiver.

He told me about his day, just little bits and pieces and his voice echoed through his ribs. His hair, once deep black and now salted with gray, was soft against my fingers as I massaged his scalp.

What was the most sexy was the intimacy of the moment. He told me about his day, I told him about my new story idea, we laughed about the kids and normal stuff and it was good between us.

The outcome is something I’ll save for a book, heh, but there is sexy in every day things that aren’t overtly sexual in nature. There is sexy in connection

So last night after I’d finished writing, I started Linda Winstead Jones’ Raintree: Haunted. I’m really liking it so far but this is one of those books where I find myself totally identifying with the hero instead of the heroine. It doesn’t always happen that way for me, usually only about 20% of the time.

And it’s not that the heroine is dislikeable or stupid, if that were the case, I’d stop reading. But in some books, I identify strongly with one character or the other, usually the heroine in a romance written after 1995 or so. In Welcome to Temptation, I fell in love with Sophie! I loved Phin but Sophie was the character I identified with and rooted for. In Inferno, the first Raintree book, it was definitely Lorna.

I’m not sure why it happens or what it is because it’s not always uniform for me. Sometimes it might be because one of them is more likeable, other times because one of them is more like me or I can connect with something about them, a quirk or a wound in their past or what have you. I think for me when I read, if I can end up really falling in love with one of the main characters, it’s like I’ve made a friend and it’s a mark of a great author to render their readers able to feel like that with a character.

Do other folks do this? Fall in love with one character and if so, what do you think makes it happen for you?

Cynthia Eden wrote a wonderful blog entry at the Bradford Bunch last week about novellas. I love to read novellas, it’s often how I discover new author voices. But when I read a novella, I read a novella. By that I mean, I don’t expect to get the same experience I’d get in full length novel. I’m going to remember that in a novella, I won’t get the same level of detail and characterization I’d get in 100K words. A novella has to be a great balance of characters and enough world to give the reader a backdrop. Cynthia’s novellas in Secrets 15 and 18 are great examples of how to balance detail and character and wordcount. MaryJanice Davidson is also excellent with novella length, Angela Knight, Megan Hart, EC Sheedy, Erin McCarthy are also favorites of mine.

In a quickie - a short of about 10K words, I’m going to keep that in mind even more. I’m going to look for a story that gives me a sharp punch of sensation. A quickie isn’t going to be about worldbuilding, it’s going to be about the characters. EC’s “quickie” series are great ways to find new authors or even to get a tiny bit of an author you already enjoy. Cheyenne McCray’s quickies are wonderful, as are Charlene Teglia’s, NJ Walters’, TJ Michaels’ and Shelley Munro’s.

In a category length novel, you’re talking 60-70K - that’s enough room for worldbuilding and good characterization but it has to be tight or you’re left hungry at the end. There are some harlequin authors who should write the book on how to write great category because they do it all the time and they kick category’s limitiations in the ass. Alison Kent and Jo Leigh are two who immediately come to mind. I’ll add William Gibson because while he doesn’t write romance category, he does write 70K at times but gives the reader an immense world with three dimensional characters (Neuromancer is in my top 10 favorite novels of all time list)

And in a single title, the author has more words to work with, but she doesn’t need to throw in everything including the kitchen sink. Just because you’ve got 100K, we don’t need to know about every single detail. The single title author has to create a big, rich world with interesting characters without unloading *too much* detail and information. Megan Hart is fabulous, Lara Adrian, Liz Maverick, Guy Gavriel Kay - just to toss out a few

Different authors can master these different lengths and some authors can do them all really well. I don’t have much more of a point, I was just having a discussion with a friend of mine over the weekend about novellas and expectations of different types of stories.

Since I was in Ohio on Friday, I didn’t do my usual Friday Booktalk reviews! What better day then, to post this one than today, the release of Anya Bast’s marvelously sexy and inventive Witch Fire!

Disclaimer: I know Anya Bast and we’ve been friends for several years. In addition to being one of the kindest, sweetest people I know, she’s also an amazing writer. I’m even fortunate enough to be her crit partner so I got to watch Witch Fire grow and polish into what I believe is an excellent book.

In Witch Fire, Bast gives us the first in what I hope to be a many book series in which witches (say that three times fast) are governed by The Coven but there are rogue witches out there who remain a threat to all the Coven witches hold sacred.

She also gives us Jack McAllister - a fire witch and one of The Coven’s men sent to find Mira Hoskins, an air witch who has no real idea of her power because she’s grown up outside The Coven. She’s under threat now from the Duskoff - the rogue witches who want to take her so they can drain her power - the same way they did her parents.

Bast gives readers two very complex characters in Jack and Mira. They’re instantly drawn to one another but Jack has a secret he’s convinced will drive Mira away should she find out and Mira can’t understand why Jack wants to push her away when they have something so good between them. It’s paced quite skillfully and the tension is delicious as is the sexual and romantic tension between these two. The ending between them is a happy one of course, this is a romance, but Bast makes them both work for it. It’s a believable twist that makes Witch Fire stand out in yet another way.

I love Jack, he’s a really sexy man, smart, strong, courageous and yet, he’s got a blind spot about his past.

Mira is such a wonderful romance heroine! My favorite kind - real, flawed, she’s got her insecurities but she’s strong too. A survivor. Mira doesn’t go into the basement alone when there’s a serial killer about but she faces a heck of a lot of scary stuff but never gives up.

The worldbuilding is wonderfully inventive and original. Bast has created witches and magick with believable rules and boundaries. The action and mystery elements are well drawn and interesting and the secondary characters are really fabulous - especially Thomas (who gets his story in Bast’s next book, Witch Blood) and the delicious villian Stefan.

Anya’s Winter Pleasures was the first EC book I ever bought and I’ve loved her ever since. She has continued to grow and improve, giving her readers new worlds and characters to lose themselves in. In Witch Fire, her talent shines and I can heartily recommend it!

Let’s see…I’m getting ready to go to Lori Foster’s Reader Author Get Together next weekend. I’ve never been so I’m really excited about it. I get to finally meet Barb and Pam in addition to many other authors and readers I’ve known online forever so that’ll be wonderful. I also get to see the ever-so-wonderful Anya Bast, who I just love to death and I haven’t seen her since October so I can’t wait! I’ll be at the book signing on Saturday, June 2 from 4 - 6 at the hotel (Cincinnati Marriot North) so come by and say hello if you’re in the area! If you’re attending the get together, please find me and say hello!

I’m blogging my reads in the 10,000 books challenge at eharlequin. I did a count a few days ago but every day I remember other books I’ve read. I should keep better track, LOL. I think blogging them will help me do that. I did make a personal decision not to blog the books I hate. Yes, yes I know some people get shirty about that and I’m sure I’ll be accused of something or other because of it, but it’s a personal decision. Generally, I don’t want to spend time on books I hated over books I love. Now I will talk about books I enjoyed but may have had flaws. But I have my share of wallbangers too, god knows I have preferences just like anyone else. Still, I think I’d rather talk about books I want everyone to read instead of books I didn’t like. I bitch enough without that.

It’s a long weekend, yay! I hope it means a lot of writing but in truth it most likely means breaking up a lot of inter-sibling bickering, laundry and the cleaning of bathrooms.

Ascension will be out in less than two weeks! Whee! And then Making Chase on the 12th! It’s going to be a really good June.

I’m reading Gennita Low’s Virtually His, nearly done as a matter of fact and it’s so good! It’s also movie night for me and my dude.

Okay, off to clean the kitchen…

OH! Anya Bast’s Witch Fire is starting to show up in some bookstores! This is such a fabulous book and Anya is one of my favorite authors so you should go and grab it. If you like paranormal romance, magick, really hot chemistry, sexy heroes and smart heroines - this is the book for you. I’ll be reviewing it later in the week along with an interview with Anya as well.

Wow, time flies, eh? It’s Titilating Tuesday and I’ve got some excerpts of Sword and Crown up at my messageboard should anyone like to take a sneaky peek.

Speaking of Sword and Crown - I got my author copies yesterday so I’m going to have a contest to celebrate. If you’d like to win an early copy of S&C - respond to this entry by 5 pm pacific/8 eastern today April 17 and I’ll choose a winner. Easy as that.

RT madness continues around here. I leave a week from today, whee! I haven’t had much chance to read, I’ve written a lot, packed a lot and made a lot of lists though. Between all the stuff I’m bringing and all the stuff Megan is bringing I’m not sure if there’ll be room for us to sleep in the hotel room, LOL!! The big decision hasn’t been made yet though - what book to bring on the plane to read. I wish Charlaine Harris’ new Sookie was going to release this month instead of next, sigh. What’s good? I’ve read a lot of great stuff lately - give me some ideas please. Anyone read La Linda’s new Nocturne yet? I have Gennita Low’s Virtually His on pre-order but it looks like it might be shipping already - that would rock! I’ve been waiting to read this one for some time now.

Okay, I’m off to make some lists and deal with my kitchen, sigh. Have a great day!

A few weeks back I read No Rest For the Wicked. Admittedly, I loved the world but I came in without having read book one and the heroine wasn’t someone I ever connected with. I thought her resistance went on too long and then her turning to the hero felt too sudden and with her resistance lasting so long, I didn’t find myself convinced. Aside from the Bride aspects, I had to wonder at times just why he was attracted to her. In fated mate stories, which I quite like, I still want to know they’d be together at the end despite the magic of the bond. If not, it seems like their connection is suspect and you’d always be doubting it. Still, I liked the hero and like I said, I think Cole’s meta story about the Lore is a really interesting one.

I hadn’t planned on picking up A Hunger Like No Other but it came into my hands and I thought I’d give it a look and I was hooked instantly. In A Hunger Like No Other, Cole gives us an uber alpha male (literally) we can sink our teeth into (and we want to). He’s bossy and arrogant but there’s a reason for it. I LOVED the way Cole dragged out Emmaline’s reluctance to give in to her feelings. She has reasons and that was important. If Emma had just flopped her thighs open and given in on the third day, I’d have put the book down. It’s a hard line to walk and I think Cole did it perfectly. The chemistry was wonderful, the hero was oh-so-delightfully tortured and the heroine has major self esteem issues and she comes into her own through the hero but not because of him. Anyway, I loved the book and I’ll be back for the next installment.

Kitty Takes A Holiday I love this series so very much. I love that at the end of every book so far, I’m never where I imagined I’d be but I like where Vaughn takes me anyway. It’s creative and smart and with each book, Kitty grows as a person and as a wolf. I was very surprised with several directions the story took but Vaughn kept me fascinated at every turn and of course I’ll be rushing out to grab Kitty and the Silver Bullet. What I absolutely love is when the end of a book comes and I want to weep that I’ll have to wait months and months for the next one. These are not romances so Vaughn gets to take more risks and break some rules. I loved every page.

This week I read several delightful books! I keep hearing people say they’re having a hard time finding great paranormals to read and I have to disagree. I’ve read so many fabulous paranormals and urban fantasy novels in the last few months I’m energized by the new voices (and not so new voices) in the genre. Paranormals and Paranormal romance is not dead, there are some amazing books out there!

First - Kim Harrison’s For A Few Demons More - Oh, gasp! Did I hesitate for even five seconds before ordering this in hardback? Nope. I loved it. I thought it took Rachel to some new places and it ended on a totally shocking note. I was miffed at first but as I believe Harrison is a fabulous writer, I’m choosing to believe she’s going to take us somewhere new with Rachel now that Rachel has been dealt some big losses. As long as it wasn’t done to clear the way for something! I know, that’s not specific but I don’t want to give spoilers.

Then I gobbled up Keri Arthur’s Full Moon Rising - this is what a total deviant I am - I read someone talking about the sex in the book and how it bothered them that until werewolves found their soul mates they got busy with loads of other people and I said, “oooh, must check that out.” I know, I’m terrible! But as it happens, it was a fabulous book and when I finished it I ordered the rest from Amazon and I’m nearly done with Kissing Sin (which came yesterday). These are not romances so I don’t apply romance rules to them. The need to have sex during the lunar phase each month is not an issue for me, it didn’t squick me or shock me and the meta universe Arthur has created is really interesting.

Patricia Briggs - Moon Called and Blood Bound - Mercy me (okay such a bad pun, sorry)! I love love love these books! Mercedes Thompson or Mercy is a skin walker/coyote shifter who was raised by werewolves for a large part of her life. She now lives in the Tri-Cities in Washington state and she’s a mechanic. Into her life we see Fae, werewolves, vamps, etc. Briggs has really written a series to be devoured - I love Mercy - she’s not a superhero, she’s scared but she does the right thing. Samuel, Adam, Stefan, Zee - all the other characters are interesting and three dimensional and I was sucked in right away.

I just got Lush in the mail yesterday so hopefully I’ll get to read it this weekend. Next Friday I’m going to talk about Vivi Anna’s Blood Secrets which I loved and as I told her yesterday, I think it’s her best book yet!

What’s everyone reading now?