Is author Laura Anne Gilman a romance novelist?

Our guest blogger Laura Anne Gilman explains how writing contemporary urban fantasy for Luna and paranormal romance for Silhouette Nocturne led her to understand that the two are not so very different after all…

By Laura Anne Gilman, author of Free Fall

This month, the fifth book of the Retrievers series, Free Fall, hit the stores.

When Luna first acquired the Retrievers series, I was very surprised, since I had envisioned the world of the Cosa Nostradamus, the magic-using community, as a contemporary fantasy, not a romantic one. Yes, the hero and the heroine had a relationship that would grow and develop, but did that make it romance? Did that make me a romance writer? After all, my previous novels were dark fantasy/horror, and despite my many jokes that dating = horror, there usually isn’t all that much crossover.

And then, when my proposals for Silhouette Nocturne were accepted (the first, THE NIGHT SERPENT, will be out under the name Anna Leonard this year) I had to address the question again. Was I a romance writer? Or were the collected masses going to discover that I was, in fact, a fantasy writer under semi-false pretenses, and toss me out on my ear?

The truth is probably somewhere between, as truth often is.

No, I am not a romance writer, in the classic sense of the term. I do, however, write about people who are in love, in all the stages of that love - beginning, ending, and all the bits in-between. Why? Not because I like a happy-ever-after ending (fans will know that my endings are bittersweet, as a rule). No, I write about love because I believe that’s the crucible where humans - and non-humans - show their true selves. The selves they want, the selves they are, and the selves they can become. And sometimes, those selves don’t get a traditional Happily-ever-after, no matter how much they might deserve one.

In Free Fall, Wren and Sergei have been through hell - self-doubts and doubts about each other, external violence and loss, and the immense burden of trying to do the right thing, no matter how badly it hurts. They’re not doing it because they’re heroes, or because they have a Destiny. They’re doing it to make a life they can share, in a world, however flawed, that can accept and support them and their friends. Love isn’t all you need, in the worlds I write. It’s not the answer, it’s not the cure. Love - romantic and fraternal, the love between partners and between friends, and even, yes, between species, since the Cosa Nostradamus is not just humans - is the reason, the purpose, and the weapon they carry, even if none of them would ever willingly admit it.

There’s no happily-ever-after guaranteed in the Cosa Nostradamus. But there is a reason to strive, to get up every morning - or night - and do it again. And that, to me, is the perfect ending.

~Laura Anne

 

Are Vampires Dead or Just Mainstream?

By Jenny B, digital content manager

From Smart Bitches and Dear Author, another salvo in the debate about whether the paranormal romance reading community is ready to move on from reading about vampires.  This time, a different take in that vampires are not “over”, just moved into the mainstream.

It’s an interesting point, but for me personally, I will never tire of reading about vampires.  I love a dark, brooding vampire hero, and the vampire heroines I’ve read tend to be of the kick-butt, take-charge variety, which I also like in heroines generally.  If they’ve gone mainstream, so much the better — that just means more books for me to sink my teeth into!  (Sorry, I never could resist a bad pun!)

What do you think? Are vampires dead? Have they become mainstream? Are you finished with them?

Blog for a cause: online auction for diabetes research

By Jenny B, Digital Content Manager

Want to win some great prizes from some of your favorite authors and the chance to have your name in a book? Visit Brenda Novak’s 4th Annual On-line Auction for Diabetes Research.

I copied this from Brenda’s website: “Welcome to my 4th Annual On-line Auction for Diabetes Research. Thank you for supporting my efforts to make a difference to my son and all those battling diabetes. In the first three events, we raised over $250,000. Our goal for this 4th auction is $300,000!

“Once again I’ll be offering a fabulous prize package to the person who places the highest number of bids over all (even if that person doesn’t win a single item). This year it will be a brand new Camcorder (retail value of at least $1,000), Your Name In My Next Book, an autographed copy of TRUST ME (on sale 5/27/08), and chocolate (lots of chocolate)!”

It’s a great cause and there are lots of good prizes including a weekend getaway at Susan Wigg’s guesthouse, mentoring and more! Visit: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/

 

Author Toni Andrews’ Urban Fantasy Setting

Toni Andrews, author of the Mercy Hollings series of urban fantasy books (available now from MIRA), shares her real-life inspiration for the setting of her two Mercy Hollings novels, Beg For Mercy and Angel of Mercy…

By Toni Andrews, author of Angel of Mercy

Real Balboa Tales and Fantasy Intertwine in the Mercy Hollings Series

This morning, while listening to public radio, I heard a discussion with three very famous novelists about revealing private stories to the public, and whether or not that’s a good or a bad thing. I listened, fascinated, because it’s a topic near and dear to my heart!

I write “Urban Fantasy,” which is generally defined as supernatural things happening to regular people living in an everyday environment. It goes without saying that the supernatural occurrences need to be extraordinary. But I have always loved novels that really convey a sense of place, like James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux series, set in Southern Louisiana. So I wanted the setting to be at least as special as the paranormal elements.

For my current series, I chose a place where I once lived: Balboa, California. This is the older, funkier section of Newport Beach, and has little in common with the glittering environs portrayed on shows like The O.C.

The second novel in my series, Angel of Mercy, was released May 1st, and I had a launch party at the Newport Landing, a very real restaurant that appears often in the series. I got to town a few days early and spent a lot of time walking around, investigating my old watering holes and haunts, and inviting everyone I ran into from the old days to come to the launch event.

At the party, a couple of things happened that were very relevant to the topic of private stories being revealed in public. First, almost everyone who had read the first book in the series (Beg For Mercy , Mira, September 2007) started to speculate on which character was based on them. In some cases, they weren’t that far off, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. I tried to be vague and mysterious. A few others were annoyed that, so far, they couldn’t find themselves in the series, and they demanded that I put them in!

The second thing that happened was that people started to recount old stories that are simply too good not to include in the books, and I found myself jotting down notes. In some cases, I’m going to have to tread a fine line to avoid liability. But I don’t think I can leave out the local bartender who was a nudist, and often hosted large barbecues at his place, during which he was known for standing way too close to the hot grill with nothing to protect his…well, you get the picture. Or the older lady who owned the diner where she was famous for loudly and profanely insulting her customers, a behavior that did not do a thing to shorten the line to get in on most mornings.

Most of the stories are fairly light anecdotes and, in some cases, the recognizable characters have passed away in the intervening years. But there are some more serious tales, too. I probably will use them because these real stories add so much authenticity. I think it’s often the authentic frame that makes the fantasy believable.

And, I love Balboa. I get fan mail from readers who say that, after reading the Mercy Hollings books, they plan to visit this unique and eclectic hamlet. I hope they’ll think of me while they ride the Balboa Island Ferry, munch on a frozen banana, and try to figure out which of the local “dives” most resembles Jimbo’s Bar!

-Toni

Toni’s Links:

Watch the Book Trailer for Angel of Mercy 

Toni Andrews’ website

Toni Andrews’ blog

Author Gena Showalter’s Great Beginnings

How do you write a great opening to your paranormal romance novel? NYT author Gena Showalter shares what has worked for her Lords of the Underworld series…

By Gena Showalter, author of The Darkest Fire, The Darkest Night, The Darkest Kiss, The Darkest Pleasure, and many more!

The opening paragraph of a book is, perhaps, a writer’s one and only chance to hook her reader into the story. Perhaps that’s why I went back and forth with the beginning pages of The Darkest Night, The Darkest Kiss and The Darkest Pleasure. I love these dark, seductive books, the world and characters I’ve created, the mythology I’ve played with, and wanted my readers to love them, too. But sometimes it’s hard to paint a scene, show a bit of characterization, and convey a sense of what’s to come with only a few words. Hopefully, after all my vacillating, I’ve done that! Here’s a peek at the first paragraph of chapter one in each of the books mentioned above:

The Darkest Night – May 1, 2008

Every night Death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he’d have to die again later. That was his greatest curse and his eternal punishment.

The Darkest Kiss – June 1, 2008

Anya, goddess of Anarchy, daughter of Lawlessness, and dealer of disorder, stood on the edge of a crowded dance floor. All of the dancers were human females, beautiful and nearly naked, chosen specifically by the Lords of the Underworld to provide the night’s entertainment. Both vertical and horizontal.

The Darkest Pleasure — July 1, 2008

Reyes stood on the roof of his Budapest fortress, five stories up, his feet balanced precariously on the highest ledge. Above him, moonlight seeped red and yellow from the sky, blood mixed with fickle gold, dark mixed with light, wounds freshly cut in the endless expanse of black velvet.

I hope you enjoy reading about these Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who opened Pandora’s box and found themselves cursed to carry a demon inside themselves, as I enjoyed writing about them!

For more information, you can visit http://www.lordsoftheunderworld.net

-Gena

Author Patrice Michelle on Free Will vs Destiny

Does prophecy equal destiny? Patrice Michelle talks about her SCIONS trilogy from Silhouette Nocturne and how it explores the notion of predestiny versus free will…

By Patrice Michelle, author of Scions: Insurrection

The definition of “Prophecy” is as follows: Prophecy is the prediction of future events or the speaking of divine words (divine Revelation) through chosen human messengers (prophets).

When I sat down to write my Scions trilogy, each story was intended to stand alone, but I wanted to make sure all three stories were also tied together, not just through the characters’ interacting in their own story and then returning to play roles in future books, but through unveiling bits and pieces of an underlying prophecy that comes to light as each story progresses. Not only does the prophecy act as a running subplot to the overall trilogy story arc, but what I liked about working with a prophecy goes back to the definition I gave above.

Once the characters in book one, Scions: Resurrection , discover the prophecy’s relevance to them, it’s now up to the characters in book two, Scions: Insurrection, to work their way through the meaning behind the prophecy as it relates to them.   In writing these two books and then the final one in the trilogy, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed exploring the concept of destiny versus will.

What do I mean by that? Well, a prophecy is a prediction of the future, but does that mean that the outcome is predestined? Does one have a choice? Or do the people, who are flawed and fallible, with their own motivations and desires, bend the prophecy to their will by their own perceptions and ultimate actions? Or is it a combination thereof?

That’s what the underlying core of my SCIONS trilogy is about–not only are these books action-oriented, sexy romances with a mystery to solve, but they’re about how following one’s strong beliefs and “desire” to make things happen collides with the normal course of nature. The result is a learning curve of collaboration and cooperation, where the characters are forced to make choices and decisions that will hopefully leave them in a better place at the conclusion of their own personal stories as well as the over-arching trilogy storyline once it’s finally revealed in the third book SCIONS: REVELATION.

I hope you’ll check out my books and follow my characters’ adventures, discovering the answers to life and love in their dark, dangerous and seductive SCIONS world right along with them.

All the best, Patrice Michelle

Author Michele Hauf’s Sexy Familiar Meets Hot Werewolf

What is a familiar, and why would she fear having sex with a werewolf? Michele Hauf, launch author for Nocturne Bites, explains…

By Michele Hauf, author of Racing the Moon

My latest short story, Racing the Moon, features a sexy alpha werewolf on a desperate race against the full moon to put himself safely away from anyone who could be harmed when the beast inside him emerges. Unfortunately — or rather, fortunately for romance fans — his car breaks down and he’s stranded alone with a sexy familiar who would love to help him keep the werewolf at bay with a little sexual healing, but she doesn’t want to release deadly demons in the process.

Sound interesting? Confusing? What the heck is a familiar, you ask? And why the demons?

My concept of familiars begins with the age-old myth of a cat being a witch’s familiar. Centuries ago, women suspected of being witches were often accused of being in league with the devil if they had a pet cat. They were hung for the offense, and the cat could even be burned alive or strangled.

Whew! I’m glad I didn’t live hundreds of years ago. I love my two cats (Sebastian and Toast). And even though there are days when I suspect they may be in league with the dark forces, I feel privileged to have them in my life.

So I took the cat as familiar idea and morphed it into a shape-shifting human (most often females) whose main purpose is for bridging demons from the dark realm into the mortal realm. How is that done, you wonder? Well, the familiar (in human shape) must be receptive to allowing the demon to come through her body and manifest — which means that familiar needs to be completely and utterly sexually sated. Are you beginning to see where major complications could come into play when the familiar finds a man she really loves and wants to have sex with him? 

It would be cruel of me to curse my familiars with this awful side effect all the time. So naturally a familiar has nine lives. The first life is all about learning to master the bridging. By about life number three or four, they’ve become experts at controlling their craft, and sex doesn’t have to result in the sudden appearance of a horned nasty thing. But the heroine of Racing the Moon is still experiencing her first life, and she hasn’t mastered the art of bridging demons.

Do you think a werewolf will be scared off by a few demons? Heck, can a wolf even get along with a cat? I hope you’ll check out the story to learn more!

So what kind of paranormal heroines would you like to see that haven’t been done yet? Have you read about familiars before? If you’re curious, I’ve an excerpt of the first chapter available at my website. Also look for updates and upcoming releases at my blog.

-Michele

 

Author Bertrice Small’s Wild and Sexy Faeries

Paranormal romance meets fantasy when author Bertrice Small shares her thoughts on creating the world of Hetar…

By Bertrice Small, author of The Sorceress of Belmair

Several years ago my agent said to me, “Do you think you could write something paranormal? I suspect it will be the next hot trend.” I told him I wasn’t into wolves or vampires. What did he think of a faerie tale?

I’ve made my reputation writing good historical romance novels with accurate history, a good story, and characters that readers seem to like. It wasn’t that I was getting bored, but I really was ready for a challenge. And so The World of Hetar came into being. Hetar, as many of my readers have figured out is an anagram for earth. But whose earth? And earth in a far distant past? Or an equally distant future? Even I can’t tell you the answer to that.

I have had, am having a great deal of fun creating this world, and the characters who people it. LARA, the first book in the series, began it all. It is the story of a young woman’s adventures as she pursues her destiny. Lara is the daughter of a mortal man, and a faerie woman. In Book II, A DISTANT TOMORROW, Lara continues on her mystical path, now widowed, and the mother of two children. She remarries the ruler of Terah, and finds herself involved in the politics of Hetar.

With Book III, THE TWILIGHT LORD, Lara suddenly finds herself unable to use her faerie powers, and at the mercy of a powerful lord who rules the dark side. Of course she triumphs. And now we come to Book IV, THE SORCERESS OF BELMAIR in which Lara’s eldest son, Dillon, now grown and a great sorcerer, is called to Belmair, a distant world from Hetar. Belmair’s great dragon, Nidhug, has chosen Dillon to be Belmair’s new ruler, and the dying king’s daughter, a sorceress named Cinnia, will be his wife.

The characters who people these books are such fun to write. Ilona, the queen of the Forest Faeries who is Lara’s mother. The great Shadow Lord, Prince Kaliq, a sexy, mysterious man who is Lara’s mentor. Lara’s talking horse, Dasras, her singing sword, Andraste and the staff she carries with an elderly spirit named Verica. There is a proper villian in Gaius Prospero, a great Hetarian merchant lord, and his ambitious wife, Vilia. Not to forget his duplicitious secretary, Jonah. Lara’s husbands, Vartan, the great chief of the Outlands, and Magnus Hauk, the Dominus of Terah. Lara’s father, John Swiftsword. But right now I would have to say my favorite is Nidhug, the great dragon of Belmair who has a taste for gourmet meals, and great sex with her lover, Lara’s half-brother, the faerie prince, Cirillo.

If you like wild and sexy faerie tales you are really going to enjoy the books in The World of Hetar. I am having one helluva time writing them. And as I begin Book V it would appear the ride isn’t over yet.

-Bertrice

Free Werewolf Story: Nocturne Bites launches!

By Jenny B, Digital Content Manager

The first Silhouette Nocturne Bite, Racing the Moon by Michele Hauf, is on-sale now and a number of fellow bloggers are featuring it in their posts today.   Midnight Moon Cafe has an interview with Michele Hauf, and Dear Author is offering readers a chance to win a free copy of this eBook! Vampire Wire has a great roundup of blogs that author Michele Hauf will be guesting at, and the eBook has been reviewed by the Smart Bitches as well!  Also eHarlequin’s eBookstore has the eBook on sale for just 89 cents — in case you don’t win a free one. 

 

Writing Opportunity Update: Tips From the Editor!

Interested in writing for Nocturne Bites? Thinking of submitting your story? Read this first! Associate Senior Editor Ann Leslie Tuttle shares her list of the most common writing problems and reasons that submissions don’t make the cut.

By Ann Leslie Tuttle, Associate Senior Editor, Silhouette Nocturne and Silhouette Nocturne Bites

Nocturne Bites provides us with a wonderful opportunity to showcase exciting new talent while building our existing Nocturne series authors. I’m constantly scouring our electronic slush pile for that great voice and story to present to our readers. And I want to thank all of you who have submitted to Nocturne Bites.

While it’s been exciting to see such an enthusiastic response to the line, it’s also been disappointing to have to pass on so many projects by obviously talented writers. Fortunately, Michele Hauf’s Racing the Moon (available May 1st) will soon provide an example of exactly what editorial we’re seeking–and I might add set a high standard in the process. But it’s our hope that this brief overview of some of the most common writing problems I’ve seen in the Bites we’ve passed on will better acquaint potential writers with our acquisition needs.

Tone. These are dark romances about characters realizing their love while they face and overcome larger-than-life situations. It’s high drama and, as the conflict escalates, so do the emotional tension and sensuality. Unfortunately, some of the recent submissions I’ve rejected have been too light in tone and more reminiscent of paranormal chick lit by bestselling writers like Mary Janice Davidson. Last Wolf Watching by Rhyannon Byrd or Scions: Insurrection by Patrice Michelle–both of which are available in Nocturne this month–are great examples of the type of editorial we’re seeking.

Plotting. Just as the word “bites” implies, these are short paranormal romances for the busy reader. But they still need to pack the full flavor of a Nocturne. Within the space of 10,000 to 15,000 words, writers face what seems to me a daunting challenge of setting up a special world, introducing readers to their protagonists, and outlining both the emotional and external conflicts. By the novella’s conclusion, the skilled writer has tied up all the loose ends and made sure there is sufficient basis for the protagonists to realize their love. And she’s certainly won my admiration in the process! Reunion romances can work well since the protagonists have a past. And for paranormals, the sense that the heroine is the hero’s destined mate and/or the strength of the attraction they feel can make the declaration of love at the end highly believable.

Characterization. The Nocturne Bites hero reminds me of a Medieval warrior. He’s pure Alpha and, although he can be demanding, arrogant and mysterious, he’s commanding, worthy of respect and impossible to resist. The Bites heroine is strong but she possesses a certain vulnerability. And, although she may have special powers that actually make her more powerful than the hero, it’s the hero who helps her recognize and accept her abilities. Both characters should be well developed and sympathetic to readers.

Sensuality. These romances can be highly sensual, but the story should not be all about their lovemaking and short on actual plotting and character development.

Pacing. Because these stories are action-packed and mission oriented, there is not much room for much extensive scene setting, introspection or interaction with secondary characters. The opening will ideally hurl the reader right into the heart of the story and take her on a whirlwind ride until she reaches the breathtaking conclusion in which the protagonists confess their love and the threat they are facing is overcome. It’s important that the writing not become episodic as the author tries to make too many leaps to move the story forward.

Point of View. Lastly, these novellas should provide both the hero and heroine’s POV. However, you might watch that it doesn’t become too formulaic with each chapter ping-ponging between the hero and heroine’s POV. And, just to make an obvious point, their POV should ring true to their character and his/her experiences.

Since the large volume of submissions we’ve received has not permitted me to personalize our rejection letters, I hope this overview will enable you to tailor your novella to meet our needs. I’m constantly looking through our submissions and hope that I will soon be working with some of you. In the meantime, I wish you all the best with your writing careers!

 -Ann Leslie Tuttle