Musing of the Romantics

Guest Author Interview: C.L. Wilson

We’re thrilled to have with C.L. Wilson with us today.  C.L. is the New York Times best selling author of the wildly popular fantasy romance Tairen Soul series.  She has written a master work; a four book epic beginning with Lord of the Fading Lands, continuing with Lady of Light and Shadow and the newly released King of Sword and Sky; and completing the series with the 2009 release of Queen of Song and Souls

First a little background:
Rainier vel’En Daris (Rain Tairen Soul) is the Fey King who must save the dying tairen, magical winged cats of the Fading Lands.  Elyssetta Barrista is a wood carver’s daughter and his truemate.  Together – they fight to save the tairen and rid the Fading Lands and the mortal world of the dark evil that is trying to take over.

RNTV:  When you originally submitted the manuscript for Tairen Soul it was 1000 pages long.  Your publisher decided to split it into two books Lord of the Fading Lands and Lady of Light and Shadow.  It has now become a four book series. Was the original 1000 page manuscript intended to be a complete book with no follow up?  Or did you always intend the story would cover four books?

C.L.: When I first started writing the original Tairen Soul book, I thought it would be one complete book, but it kept growing and growing, and I realized I had too much story to fit in a single novel, so I chopped the manuscript in half and decided to make the story a trilogy.   I had intended the trilogy to be: Tairen Soul, the Woodcarver’s Daughter (Book 1); Tairen Soul: The Fey King’s Bride (Book 2); and Tairen Soul: Queen of the Fading Lands (Book 3).  But for publication, I had to split the Woodcarver’s Daughter manuscript in two, and that book became the published LORD and LADY.  The rest of my originally envisioned trilogy remained intact: the Fey King’s Bride became KING (released October 2008), and Queen of the Fading Lands was renamed QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS (coming out June 2009).  With the exception of the first book being cut into two, the quartet pretty much follows my original idea for the trilogy.

RNTV:  I read where you said the books started with a single image of Rain Tairen Soul – can you explain what that image was and how it started the story for you?

C.L.: I had a picture of him – this tall, brooding Fey king, sitting on a golden throne, pondering the looming extinction of his peoples.  I knew I wanted a soul-mates romance book and a high fantasy quest where the romance quest could not be completed without the fantasy quest and vice versa, but everything else in the story sprang from that one image.  Why was he there? What was killing his people? What did he want (personally) and why?  I just started writing, and the more the words flowed onto the page, the clearer I came to understand Rain, his past, and his current dilemma.  Everything else flowed from that.

RNTV:  You have the remarkable ability to write of eternal, pure, everlasting love and on the other hand an evil that is so horrible it will bring about total death and destruction.  The chief antagonist the High Mage is so malevolent; you can feel the evil dripping off the page when he appears.  How in the world did you come up with such a EVIL character? 

C.L. :I’m just sick and twisted, I guess.  LOL.  No, seriously, I wanted the High Mage to be the opposite of everything the Fey stand for.  He is their  antithesis.   And since they are such powerful forces for Light, he had to be a truly terrible force of Darkness.  He will stop at nothing to achieve his aims, but he isn’t crazy.  He is very intelligent, very ambitious, and he has a crystal clear vision of what he wants to achieve in life and exactly what steps he must take to achieve his goals.  He is quite methodical and deliberate, and utterly ruthless.  Basically, I thought of the most horrific, bloody-minded terrorist mastermind of our age and that is who the High Mage of Eld is to me.

RNTV:  You’ve built a world like no other, from the origins of the Fey to the names of the characters and language they speak.  How did you invent this new language? 

 C.L.:I love languages, I studied French extensively, German in college, and made a brief foray into Japanese.  (And, of course, English was my college major. *g*) I have always had fun making up words and names and playing with the way sounds fit together, so I put all that together (and used some of my foreign language and English studies to come up with grammatical syntax) to create the languages and names in my books.  I also tried to give each culture their own lingual attributes.  (Feraz words use the letter z often, for instance; whereas Feyan words do not, etc.)

RNTV:  You’ve got quite a following and on your Blog you ask readers to give their thoughts about the books and the characters.  Do their suggestions or desires influence your writing in any way?

C.L.: The blog series you are talking about was my two-week release countdown for KING which was a first for me – and terrific fun!  I really enjoyed reading all the answers to my daily questions.  I also read all the mail that comes to me, and I do take reader input to heart.  (Though I prefer nice input! LOL)   There are certain aspects of the story that have to go a certain way, but if I can meet reader hopes for a certain character and still be true to the storyline I’ve already got in play, then I will try to do both

RNTV:  You haven’t yet told us how the Tairen Soul came into existence.  Do we discover how they came about in the fourth book? 

C.L.: Actually, in LORD, I think there is a mention of the legend of Fellana the Bright, the tairen who fell in love with a Fey and sought the help of an Elden Mage so she could assume Fey form and be with her Fey beloved.  According to that legend, the first Tairen Soul, Tevan Fire Eyes, was the son of Fellana and her Fey mate Sevander. 

Although I’ve toyed with writing the truth that became the legend of Fellana the Bright, that’s a story for another day, but I will say the truth isn’t quite as far from the legend as Rain believes.   :)

RNTV:  Writing a series like this takes a lot of creativity, thought and time.  When you began, you were working at another career and raising your family, where did you find the time to write this epic?

C.L.: LOL 3am-7am each morning.  And weekends!  (And that is the Fey-truth.)

RNTV:  Is there a possibility that they’ll be a fifth book, for secondary characters that have a story to tell.

C.L.:After QUEEN, I have a book set in another world (THE WINTER KING) slated for release Oct 2009, but then I will be heading back to the Fading Lands for three more novels.  Those will be individual stories, each featuring a specific Fey warrior as the main protagonist.

Thanks so much for joining us today C.L.  We could ask you all sorts of questions, but we don’t want to hog ‘the stage’.  We’ll open it up now to the RNTV viewers…

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The Second Time Around... by LuAnn McLane

Let’s welcome today’s Guest Author – the one and only LuAnn McLane. LuAnn’s books are witty, tender, sassy and beautifully written.  She’s talking about finding love the second time – and reading her books and this blog made me smile and hope. 

Check out Buffie’s review of LuAnn's latest book Driven by Desire as well as A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action

                          The Second Time Around... by LuAnn McLane

Is love lovelier the second time around?  That’s what the lyrics to the Summy Kahn/Jimmy Van Heusen song claims:

                                                                                      Writer(s): cahn/van heusen
                                               Love is lovelier, the second time around
                                              Just as wonderful, with both feet on the ground
                                              Its that second time you hear your love song sung
                                              Makes you think perhaps that love, like youth, is wasted on the young
                                              Loves more comfortable the second time you fall
                                              Like a friendly home the second time you call
                                              Who can say, what brought us to this miracle we’ve found
                                              There are those who’d bet
                                              Love comes but once - and yet
                                              I’m oh so glad we met
                                             The second time around

The heartfelt tune was recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1960 and caught my attention when it was mentioned in a recent interview with actor Robert Wagner.  The song was performed at his remarriage to the love of his life, Natalie Wood.  When I looked up the lyrics the thought occurred to me that it could be Jayden and Alexia’s theme song in my October release, DRIVEN BY DESIRE…

But then the words resonated to me on a more personal level. Little did I know that while writing a story about lover’s reunited, that I would begin dating my old college sweetheart whom I had not seen in twenty seven years. Like Jayden and Alexia, life came between us, we went on to marry others, and have children and then go through painful divorces. By some miracle (just like the lyrics) we found each other.  At a girl’s night out (wine and whine) party we were discussing past loves and the one who got away.  When I mentioned my old flame’s name, he turned out to be the cousin of my friend’s sister-in-law.  My friend (right then and there!) called her sister-in-law and when we found out he was single my friends (like girlfriends will do) badgered me into contacting him.  We went out two days later and have been together for over a year, now.

So, I ask you, what were the odds? 

Like the song says, love, like youth, can be wasted on the young… but is also more friendly, more comfortable and without a doubt more appreciated and treasured the second time around.

Do you have a similar story?  Someone who crosses your mind from time to time?  I’d love to hear them!

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What is it About Luck by Carly Phillips

What is it about LUCK that gets our blood pumping? Even when we’re at our lowest, the possibility that Lady Luck will step in and pick us up provides a ray of hope. LUCK causes us to play the lottery, pick up a heads up penny, read fortune cookies, and many more crazy, superstitious things. I don’t have my own good luck charm, per se, but I do operate on the presumption of superstition in some ways. And sometimes, thankfully, luck pays off for me!

It was the concept of LUCK that drove the idea for my new LUCKY series, starting with LUCKY CHARM.
Fortune hasn’t been so kind, however, to the men in the Corwin family. And Derek Corwin is the latest to cross her path. Long ago, as revenge on a Corwin who stole her son’s fiancée, a witch proclaimed an eternal curse that every Corwin male who married for love would be destined to lose his woman and his fortune. Derek thought he could outsmart the long-standing Corwin curse by breaking up with Gabrielle, his first love – and marrying someone else. Now, divorced and broke, all he has left is his teenage daughter and a healthy respect for ancient sorcery. But then Gabrielle returns, determined to defeat the curse and rekindle their passion. But will her stubborn streak and her unwavering love be the lucky charm Derek so desperately needs?

After Derek comes Mike Corwin in LUCKY STREAK, June 2009 and Jason Corwin in LUCKY BREAK, October 2009.

I wanted to extend LUCK to my readers so I’ve created an on-going contest which encompasses all three books in this series for those who read them. I call it  the “Lucky You” Contest. Put your own lucky charm to work for you! In 1 page or less, tell me about the one special item that brings you luck and why it holds that “lucky” place in your heart! Six lucky winners will receive a special gift!  For more information on how to enter, visit www.carlyphillips.com.

So, what do you all think of LUCK? Does it exist? Are you at all superstitious?

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Encore Presentation, Mysteria Lane, this time with Mary Janice Davidson

Earlier this week Susan Grant, Gena Showalter, P.C. Cast and their characters visited with us and talked about Mysteria Lane. Unfortunately Mary Janice Davidson missed the party due to technical difficulties. Fortunately the Geek Squad came to her rescue and so today we're doing an encore presentation with ALL the ladies of Mysteria Lane.

The town of Mysteria…
“Hundreds of years ago, in the mountains of Colorado the small town of Mysteria was “accidentally” founded by a random act of demonic kindness. Over time it has become a veritable magnet for the supernatural – a place where magic has coexisted with the mundane world. “

Mysteria is a quirky, magical and idyllic hamlet where witches, fairies, vampires, werewolves and the like co-habit. I was invited  to Knight Caps, the local watering hole, for a drink and some friendly conversation. I must say it’s been a bit hard to concentrate on the discussion – there’s entirely too much eye candy and my focus isn’t what it could be.  I mean I had no idea they were inviting their heroes for a drink too?  Isn’t that Thad who just walked in with Falon, Quel Laredo, and Colin?  Is this the boy’s night out?  Be still my heart. Will Withering, her two sisters, Shay, Glory and Summer be joining us? I have to say I hope so otherwise my concentration will be shot to hell.

Marisa:  Thanks for inviting me to Knight Caps for a drink. I must say that love seems to be in the air these days here in Mysteria – would any of you have anything to do with that? 

PC: Well, I’m always up for a good shot of eye candy – and all the lovely benefits that go with it, especially in Mysteria.  Actually the thing I love most about Mysteria is that our fantasies are unlimited and possibilities, especially for a smart woman, are endless…

(Shay and Quel exchange  sly looks).  “I’m here to hunt,” she says with a husky laugh. 
Quel snorts and downs a shot of whiskey.  “Not if I catch you first.”

Two of the three Disdaine triplets:  Gross!
One of the three:  I’ve been a little busy demon killing to worry about getting laid.
Two:  Guh-ross!   
One:  Grow up.  Like I did!

Falon:  witches can be blamed for anything. Except for Glory.  Anyone blames her for something and they’ll soon find out there’s still ink in our revenge pen and we’re not afraid to use it.  They might suddenly find themselves whisked to the town square, all their clothes gone. 

Marisa: Alrighty then, I think I’ll avoid the fountain for a while. I really love the town of Mysteria, it seems like a great place to live. I'm thinking of moving here, do you have any advice to give me? 

PC:  I know Summer would recommend Mysteria highly to anyone.  After all, she went away to college, and ended up right back in her hometown.  I’m pretty sure she’d say Mysteria has more than magic on its side – it also has male magnetism! 

Shay: “Whatever you do, do not drive your Porsche into the fountain.  If you do, well, prepare for the consequences.”  She throws Quel another hot look.  “Diverting as they may be...”

Withering:  Stay away.  It’s ours.  Also, you can’t get your parking validated, so why bother?

Falon:  Glory would offer only one piece of advice.   Don’t make a play for her man and you’ll live long enough to enjoy your stay.  (slow grin)  Girl gets wicked jealous.

Marisa: I’ll try and remember that Falon.  So, what’s up with the town’s wishing well?  I hear it has some very potent powers – any thing you wish for comes true. I also heard that while you were here in Mysteria you were each granted one wish at the towns wishing well. What did you wish for?

PC:  Oh, crap! Summer stays wayyyyy away from the wishing well!  With her backwards magic?  Total and complete danger.  Hell, I wouldn’t get near it, either – trouble, total trouble.

Falon:  I avoid the well like it’s an old girlfriend who wants to hook back up.  (shudders)

Disdaine triplets (looking at each other uneasily):  It isn’t exactly what you wish for.  It can be a little “Monkey’s Paw”, sometimes.  You technically get your wish, but...
Withering, adding:  What a disaster!

Shay: “To be a human.”
Quel: “To finally be able to stop my damn running.  If you’re gonna find peace, you gotta let it find you.”
Susan Grant listens, surprised.  “Wow.  That’s some serious stuff, you guys.”

Marisa: Too true Susan, I think it might be time to order another round. By the way, rumor has it that you were all granted a special power in Mysteria. Can you talk about it?  What was it?

PC:  Okay, it’s so embarrassing you know about this!  GENA, DAMNIT, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP THIS A SECRET.  But since I’m outted I’ll just come clean.  Falon gave me her magic pen. You know, the one that can write any scene you want, and then make that scene come true for the author.  I’ve, uh (god, it’s sooooo hard to admit this), well, I’ve decided to rewrite several of my favorite Goddess Summoning Books by hand and, uh, write MYSELF in as the heroines.  Come one!  Wouldn’t you???

Shay rolls her eyes.  “My powers were taken away, fool human--”
“Shay!  We’re her guest,” Susan Grant interrupts in an embarrassed whisper.  “Be polite.”
Shay explains, refusing (though tempted) to argue with her creator.  “The powers I’d relied upon for ten thousand years were lost in that blasted fountain.  I had to come up with human wiles in order to survive, weak as they may be.”
“Weak?”  Quel reacts with a very male chuckle.  “I thought you enjoyed those human traits when we were in bed.  Mine anyway.”
Shay smiles.  Running her fingertip along his thigh, she practically purrs.

Whitering: The idiot who’s chronicling my life story (and my sisters’ stories) tends to make actual money for this.  Because, you know, that’s what Mysteria’s all about.  Money.
Other triplets, chiming in:  Moron!

Gena:  Well, see, Gena asked for a clone to do all her work for her.  So boom, here I am.  She’s currently taking a nap, the lazy bum.

Marisa:  Well, would you mind asking Gena, the original Gena, to clone me? Oh, wait, there are two of me already.  I heard they’re having a big Halloween celebration here in a few weeks.  What kind of festivities will you all be planning?

PC:  I think Colin is going to try to get Summer to loosen up and enjoy some meat.  And I can promise you she’s going to go along with it!

Quel: “Other than demon hunting, if it involves beer, burgers, and--”
“Me,” Shay interrupts.
“--football then I’m happy.”  Quel stops, realizing what she’s said.  “You, naked,” he clarifies.

Gena’s clone: If I know Falon – and I had better, as I was doing Gena’s work even before his creation – he’ll have something private (aka naked) planned.  Glory will happily go along with it.

One of the Disdaine Triplets: Withering’s too busy getting laid all the—ow!  You didn’t both have to hit me, you know.  Where’s your Halloween good cheer?

Marisa: Sounds like Halloween in Mysteria could get very interesting. I think I'll have to come back for all the fun. Thanks so much for inviting me to spend some time in Mysteria – I certainly enjoyed it.   

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Marisa Visits P.C. Cast, Susan Grant and Gena Showalter in Mysteria

Mysteria Lane an Anthology by Mary Janice Davidson, Susan Grant, Gena Showalter and P.C. Cast

The town of Mysteria…
“Hundreds of years ago, in the mountains of Colorado the small town of Mysteria was “accidentally” founded by a random act of demonic kindness. Over time it has become a veritable magnet for the supernatural – a place where magic has coexisted with the mundane world. “

Mary Janice Davidson, Susan Grant, Gena Showalter and P.C. Cast have spent some time in the last few months visiting Mysteria. Mysteria is a quirky, magical and idyllic hamlet where witches, fairies, vampires, werewolves and the like co-habit. They were nice enough to invite me to Knight Caps, the local watering hole, for a drink so we could discuss their visit and the people who live here.  I must say it’s been a bit hard to concentrate on the conversation – there’s entirely too much eye candy and my focus isn’t what it could be.  I mean I had no idea you were inviting your heroes for a drink too?  Isn’t that Thad who just walked in with Falon, Quel Laredo, and Colin?  Is this the boy’s night out?  Be still my heart. Will Withering, Shay, Glory and Summer be joining us? I have to say I hope so otherwise my concentration will be shot to hell.

Marisa:  Thanks for inviting me to Knight Caps for a drink. I must say that love seems to be in the air these days here in Mysteria – would any of you have anything to do with that? 

PC: Well, I’m always up for a good shot of eye candy – and all the lovely benefits that go with it, especially in Mysteria.  Actually the thing I love most about Mysteria is that our fantasies are unlimited and possibilities, especially for a smart woman, are endless…

(Shay and Quel exchange  sly looks).  “I’m here to hunt,” she says with a husky laugh. 
Quel snorts and downs a shot of whiskey.  “Not if I catch you first.”

Falon:  witches can be blamed for anything.  Except for Glory.  Anyone blames her for something and they’ll soon find out there’s still ink in our revenge pen and we’re not afraid to use it.  They might suddenly find themselves whisked to the town square, all their clothes gone. 

Marisa: Alrighty then, I think I’ll avoid the fountain for a while.  I really love the town of Mysteria, it seems like a great place to live. I'm thinking of moving here, do you have any advice to give me? 

PC:  I know Summer would recommend Mysteria highly to anyone.  After all, she went away to college, and ended up right back in her hometown.  I’m pretty sure she’d say Mysteria has more than magic on its side – it also has male magnetism! 

Shay: “Whatever you do, do not drive your Porsche into the fountain.  If you do, well, prepare for the consequences.”  She throws Quel another hot look.  “Diverting as they may be...”

Falon:  Glory would offer only one piece of advice.   Don’t make a play for her man and you’ll live long enough to enjoy your stay.  (slow grin)  Girl gets wicked jealous.

Marisa: I’ll try and remember that Falon.  So, what’s up with the town’s wishing well?  I hear it has some very potent powers – any thing you wish for comes true. I also heard that while you were here in Mysteria you were each granted one wish at the town’ wishing well.  What did you wish for?

PC:  Oh, crap!  Summer stays wayyyyy away from the wishing well!  With her backwards magic?  Total and complete danger.  Hell, I wouldn’t get near it, either – trouble, total trouble.

Falon:  I avoid the well like it’s an old girlfriend who wants to hook back up.  (shudders)

Shay: “To be a human.”
Quel: “To finally be able to stop my damn running.  If you’re gonna find peace, you gotta let it find you.”
Susan Grant listens, surprised.  “Wow.  That’s some serious stuff, you guys.”

Marisa: Too true Susan, I think it might be time to order another round. By the way, rumor has it that you were all granted a special power in Mysteria. Can you talk about it?  What was it?

PC:  Okay, it’s so embarrassing you know about this!  GENA, DAMNIT, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP THIS A SECRET.  But since I’m outted I’ll just come clean.  Falon gave me her magic pen.  You know, the one that can write any scene you want, and then make that scene come true for the author.  I’ve, uh (god, it’s sooooo hard to admit this), well, I’ve decided to rewrite several of my favorite Goddess Summoning Books by hand and, uh, write MYSELF in as the heroines.  Come one!  Wouldn’t you???

Shay rolls her eyes.  “My powers were taken away, fool human--”
“Shay!  We’re her guest,” Susan Grant interrupts in an embarrassed whisper.  “Be polite.”
Shay explains, refusing (though tempted) to argue with her creator.  “The powers I’d relied upon for ten thousand years were lost in that blasted fountain.  I had to come up with human wiles in order to survive, weak as they may be.”
“Weak?”  Quel reacts with a very male chuckle.  “I thought you enjoyed those human traits when we were in bed.  Mine anyway.”
Shay smiles.  Running her fingertip along his thigh, she practically purrs.

Gena:  Well, see, Gena asked for a clone to do all her work for her.  So boom, here I am.  She’s currently taking a nap, the lazy bum.

Marisa:  Well, would you mind asking Gena, the original Gena, to clone me? Oh, wait, I there are already two of me.  I heard they’re having a big Halloween celebration here in a few weeks.  What kind of festivities will you all be planning?

PC:  I think Colin is going to try to get Summer to loosen up and enjoy some meat.  And I can promise you she’s going to go along with it!

Quel: “Other than demon hunting, if it involves beer, burgers, and--”
“Me,” Shay interrupts.
“--football then I’m happy.”  Quel stops, realizing what she’s said.  “You, naked,” he clarifies.

Gena’s clone: If I know Falon – and I had better, as I was doing Gena’s work even before his creation – he’ll have something private (aka naked) planned.  Glory will happily go along with it.

Marisa: Sounds like Halloween in Mysteria could get very interesting. I think I'll have to come back for all the fun. Thanks so much for inviting me to spend some time in Mysteria – I certainly enjoyed it.  I know some of our viewers will have some questions – so I’m opening it up to them for now.  I know PC you have a stop to make at the wishing well and won’t be back until this afternoon so we’ll see you then but I'm sure Susan and Gena will hold down the fort until you arrive.
Oh,and did I tell you, one random poster will receive a copy of the new anthology Mysteria Lane.

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Jezebel’s Top 10 Lessons Learned In HELL’S BELLES By Jackie Kessler

Let’s welcome Jackie Kessler who is the author of the Hell on Earth series.  The first book in the series is Hell’s Belles: “Jezebel’s not your average exotic dancer. For one thing, she’s a 4,000-year-old succubus. For another, she’s on the run from Hell (which isn’t easy to do in high heels). Hiding on the mortal coil as a human doesn’t protect her from muggers, lactose intolerance…or having feelings for Paul Hamilton, a man haunted by his past. Demons are closing in, which is enough to make Jezebel shiver in her G-string. But it’s her love for Paul that’s going to have deadly consequences. (Humans, she laments, really should come with instruction manuals.)”

Jackie will be giving away a signed copy of Hell’s Belles to one random poster!  Thanks Jackie!

                                        Jezebel’s Top 10 Lessons Learned In HELL’S BELLES
                                                              By Jackie Kessler

Life is a series of lessons. That can be quite literal when you’re a demon who’s hiding on Earth as a human in order to avoid getting dragged, kicking and screaming, back to the Abyss. So here are the succubus Jezebel’s Top 10 lessons she learned while slumming on the mortal coil, pretending to be a mortal stripper and, whoopsie, falling in love with a human.

10. If Lucifer gathers all the demons of Hell together for an Announcement, chances are the news is going to suck.

9. Running away from the Underworld is a bitch to do when wearing heels.

8. Blending with the humans on Earth means kissing your demonic powers goodbye. On the positive side, you don’t have to remind yourself to breathe.

7. If you “borrow” a human’s identity and looks, be sure also to “borrow” her credit cards. And max them out before she reports them as stolen.

6. “Possession” doesn’t refer to holding drugs when you’re dealing with creatures from the Pit.

5. Dancing in four-inch heels? Even more of a bitch than running in them.

4. Mortals should come with instruction manuals, but they don’t.

3. If your boss dresses like a pimp, he might not just be making a fashion statement.

2. Dying? Overrated. Just say no. (Especially when you know what the Afterlife really has in store for you.)

And the Number 1 lesson Jezebel learned in HELL’S BELLES:

1. If a gorgeous mortal man starts making you feel confused and happy and irate and dizzy and miserable all at once, you’ve fallen in love. Congratulations!

Speaking of love, we know that true love can withstand the test of time — but can it withstand the length of a series? Do you prefer series that change who the hero and heroine are with each book, or do you prefer the same hero and heroine over the entire series and watching them (and their challenges) change?

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What to do next?! By Elizabeth Boyle

Let’s welcome back award winning and best selling author – Elizabeth Boyle! Elizabeth’s historicals are always page turners, and her new release Tempted by the Night is no exception. It’s the second book in The Marlowe Series and features Elizabeth’s ‘trademark wit and sparkling dialog”.

Find out more about Elizabeth on our Author to Author video segment on both our home and video page.  She’s got some very funny stories to tell. And if you haven’t yet read Tempted by the Night, check out Andrea’s review.

         

                                  What to do next?! By Elizabeth Boyle

I know as a reader when I finish a really great book, I look over at the TBR pile and sort of shrug---hmm, what next?  Sure, there’s a stack of good, some probably fantastic, books just waiting for me to crack the spine.  Yes, I’m one of those, I crack spines.  But sometimes, I just can’t put the last book down, literally.  It rattles around inside my head and heart for a day or so, and I smile as I remember favorite scenes or lines I wished I’d written.  The characters ride along as I drive carpool, or as I walk the youngest to school, and together we recall all their greatest moments, marvel how their story worked.

That also happens to you when you write.  I’m just in the final weeks of finishing up my back to back books which will come out next Spring (Confessions of a Little Black Gown, April 2009 and Memoir of a Scandalous Red Dress, May 2009), doing some small revisions, reading the copy edits, all the things I have to do before they go off into that black hole publisher’s call “production.”  What is production?  As far as I know it is when the manuscript pages go off on an extended holiday via the FedEx truck and return months later in the form of a paperback.  How that happens, I know not, but I wish I could do that with my diet.  FedEx myself off for a few months and return with a shiny new cover and very slimming foil embossing.  And some new shoes, because what the heck, I like new shoes.

But this what-to-write-next lethargy is creeping up on me.  Tally & Larken and Pippin & Dash from the back to backs are still front and center in my life, but I have to get focused on what to write next.  And as much as I want to tell them that I’ve set them free (sort of like that old Hallmark card saying, “If you love something set it free”), quite honestly I just spent the last 10 months with these people, and I’ve gotten to know them, like them.  Just shipping them off and shouting “Next!” to the hapless and storyless couple waiting in the wings seems sort of, well, abrupt.   But I know by the time October rolls around I’ll be ready to settle in and see what sort of trouble I can make for another pair of lovers.  I already have their pictures propped up on my desk, sort of taunting me to start spinning a story, but the Fed Ex truck hasn’t quite left the neighborhood yet, so I am afraid they’ll have to wait.  I still have to tidy up the office from the last party, shall we say, and make room for a new one.   You just never know what sort of baggage these characters are going to bring into your life, or sometimes how the heck to evict them. 

Do you ever finish a book and have a hard time starting a new one?  What makes a book that “sort” of story that you just can’t shake?

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The Perfect Hero by Julia London

  I just started writing the third book in my new Scandalous series (the first, Book of Scandal out now), and I need a hero.  It’s not as easy as it sounds.  Heroes are not that easy to build.  A writer must have all the right ingredients.  For example, the hero in the writer’s mind has to look right.  No one wants to fantasize about a Bubba. That may seem superficial, but this is romantic fantasy, which means we get the full monty, the man of our dreams. 

Personally, I have a thing for Ioan Gruffudd and I like to start with him as my base model.

A hero also has to be smart.  We’d not want our heroine explaining things to the hero, like how to saddle a horse, or what important words like destitute mean.  The hero is supposed to know all that stuff and take care of things for our heroine.  He’s suppose to be intuitively smart, to have some common sense and be able to apply that common sense to real life problems.  He could be a scientist if he wanted to, but he’s not, although he secretly digs the whole science scene.

I also like a hero with the brawn of a Highlander.  A writer has to be careful here, however.  Think about it:  There was Braveheart, who we all totally wanted to do on the forest floor.  And then there were his sidekicks—remember the giant bear of a guy and the little pipsqueak with all the courage?  They were Highlanders, too.  They did not lack for brawn.  But did you want to do them on the forest floor?  A writer has to tease out the best brawny parts of the Highlander for romantic fantasy and leave the rest to history. 

I also like a man who is not afraid to buck the establishment.  A bit of a rogue in a man is always appealing, I think.  He’s been there, he’s done that, and he has the souvenirs to prove it.  Not unlike Jack Sparrow.  Now, Jack Sparrow was a great character, and I loved him, but he had some characteristics that would not make him the perfect hero—like his teeth, for example.  And his thirst for gin.  But he had that roguish swagger down and an ability to charm anyone who stepped in his path. 

Another thing that makes a hero perfect is the willingness to ride to hell and back for the woman he loves.  Be still my heart!  Is there anything sexier than a hero who will put himself in harm’s way for me?  I mean, the heroine?  But we don’t want him to get too carried away, do we?  We want him around to share the boudoir and wine with us later, so we need a hero who will take the big risks when necessary, but not take all the risks, all the time.

Those are the ingredients for my perfect hero, and in the end, I come up with something like this.  Scrumptious, isn’t he? 

What do you like in a hero?  What do you dislike?  What makes a perfect hero for you?  Who is your base model?

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THE FUTURE (AND PAST) OF THE ARCANE SOCIETY by Jayne Ann Krentz

Let’s welcome back Jayne Ann Krentz! Jayne Ann Krentz currently writes romantic-suspense with a psychic edge in three different worlds under three different names: Jayne Castle (futuristics), Jayne Ann Krentz (contemporaries) and Amanda Quick (historicals). She's taken the romance series to an exciting new level by crossing sub-genres. It's a series yet each book stands alone. Check out the video on the home page (and more on the video page) where Jayne talks about the thread that is uniquely woven throughout each book - The Arcane Society.

Her current release is Dark Light - Reporter Sierra McIntyre’s stories on Crystal City's ghost-hunters – and their mysterious guild – have earned her tabloid a bit of respect. And they’ve allowed her to clothe her dust-bunny companion, Elvis, in rock star style.

It helps that Sierra has mega-rez intuition, especially when she interviews Ghost Hunter Guild boss John Fontana about the disappearances of retired, homeless hunters. She doesn’t want to trust the physically and psychically powerful man but the attraction between them is very high-rez.

To uncover the conspiracy within his own organization, Fontana proposes a marriage of convenience. Although it’s purely a business arrangement, there’s nothing pure about the attraction that sizzles between them.

You can also check out PJ’s review of Dark Light.

                                           THE FUTURE (AND PAST) OF THE ARCANE SOCIETY

I'm thrilled to be here at romancenovel.tv! Those of you who know me are aware that I write romantic-suspense with a strong psychic twist in three different worlds and under three different pen names: Jayne Ann Krentz (contemporary), Amanda Quick (historical) and Jayne Castle (futuristic).

A while back I decided to link all of my worlds -- past, present and future -- into a series: The Arcane Society Novels. I envisioned the Arcane Society as a secretive organization of psychics that starts in Victorian times and continues through to the modern era. The first book in the series is SECOND SIGHT (under my Amanda Quick name). The next couple of titles, WHITE LIES and SIZZLE AND BURN (under my Krentz name) are contemporaries. Then comes another historical, THE THIRD CIRCLE (Quick).

The books stand on their own and can be read in any sequence but they all involve heroes and heroines who are, in one way or another, connected to the Arcane Society.

Which brings me to DARK LIGHT.

After readers told me that they loved the whole Arcane Society thing I decided to take it into the future. Yes, there was a tiny, passing reference to the Society in my Jayne Castle title, SILVER MASTER, but in the new book, DARK LIGHT, you will meet for the first time a heroine who is a full member of the futuristic version of the Arcane Society. You'll also find out why the Society is still keeping a very low profile. I hope those of you who follow the series will get a kick out of Sierra McIntyre and her dust-bunny pal, Elvis.

But all of this has made me think about how so many of us are drawn to linked titles. Most of us are hooked on not just one series but several of them by various authors. And it isn't just the romance genre. I follow a number of series in the mystery and suspense genres as well as in romance.

So what is it with a series? What is the appeal? And which ones do you read?

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"Lagniappe" by Susan Wiggs

We’re very excited today because we have a very special author visiting. Award winning and besting author Susan Wiggs is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Her latest novel is called Just Breathe. Maria has been raving about this book for weeks! She says it’s one of the best books she’s read all year. Ms. Wiggs writes from the heart; her books are filled with real people and emotion, each book a page turner that will grab you and make you go hunting for her back list. Check out Susan’s website to find out about her books, her life and her writing – we think you’re going to love reading her books.

 

"Lagniappe" by Susan Wiggs

In Creole, "lagniappe" means a little something extra, like the perfectly-wrapped chocolate truffle on your pillow at a fancy hotel.

As I’m working on a book, it sometimes occurs to me to offer a lagniappe to readers. Sometimes this means a memorable saying or aphorism on the epigraph pages of the book. (Epigraph = book geek speak for those pages that separate sections of the novel.) If I’m writing about a restaurant, or going camping, or a Polish family bakery, it’s likely to be recipes and anecdotes. Sometimes it’s an aphorism or memorable saying.

For Just Breathe, the lagniappe was a no-brainer because of the main character’s job. Sarah Moon is a comic strip artist. Come on, who amongst us didn’t want to be a comic strip artist as a kid? Didn’t we all draw cartoons with speech bubbles coming out of their mouths? I always try to give the main character of my books a "fantasy" job–one I’d love to have in another life. This is one of the perks of writing fiction. You get to live in a character’s skin.

I bet this drives comic strip artists crazy–people think it’s easy. Because the very best comics look effortless, like mindless doodling. You just sketch a few lines, write a few panes of funny dialogue, et voila! Instant art!

What I discovered is that, like any art form, comic strip drawing and writing is hard. And I found this out the hard way–by trying my hand at it. I had no trouble conceiving of the setup and and dialogue for Sarah’s strip, which is titled "Just Breathe." A grown daughter, Shirl, experiences marital troubles and moves in with her bossy divorced mom, Lulu. Yet when it came to rendering these characters into drawings, I was hopeless.

I studied the careers of successful cartoonists, notably my favorite, Nicole Hollander, who created "Sylvia." I traded e-mails with the ever-helpful Greg Evans, creator of "Luann."

But I still couldn’t draw. At my wits’ end, literally, I told my editor we needed to find a real artist to draw Lulu and Shirl. Fortunately for me, my publisher’s creative art director, Sean Kapitain, is a fine artist in his own right. Burning the midnight oil, he made the fictional comic strip look exactly like the real thing, right down to the last detail.

So if you happen to pick up a copy of Just Breathe, please enjoy the little lagniappe - a series of comic strips created just for this novel.

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