Monday, August 30, 2010

Vlog #2 Or Don't Go! I Have Homework For You!

Before you view my vlog...

Be sure to stop by on Thursday for an interview of epic proportions. Thanks to author Kiersten White, whose book PARANORMALCY debut's this week. I am interviewing her MC, Evie, right here on Paranormal Point of View! Not only that, but OF COURSE there will be a contest wherein you can win a copy of the super fabulous amazing book.

Now, back to character and voice.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Three Questions for Luc

First, I'd like to thank Lisa Desrochers and Luc for being such amazing guests and for doing this fabulous contest! I know it must have been hard to choose from all those great entries and I'm kind of glad I wasn't the one who had to do it! So, without further ado, here are the questions and the answers that Luc gave...

There were some very…creative questions. I like the way some of you think. Although several of you did ask about love and what I thought about the possibility of becoming good. Thanks for the laugh.

Before I get started on the specific questions I’ll be addressing, I want to set the record straight. A lot of you wanted to know things along the lines of what I was before I was a demon or what I did to become a demon. I was always a demon, created in Hell by King Lucifer. It’s my true essence—all I’ve ever been.

So, perusing the list of questions…hmm…

The third place question comes from April: What is the nicest thing you have ever done?

Answer your questions.

Second, I’ll answer Sherry at Flipping Pages for All Ages: Let's say Frannie chooses Gabe, any other female characters from another book you would be interested in dating?

First of all, I never lose. Especially to that impotent cherub. But, if your asking if there’s anyone else who might catch my…attention…it’d have to be that Fire chick. She’s smart, kicks butt, and she closer to my side than she thinks. Plus, with a name like Fire, how could she not be hot.

And, the most…entertaining question, which, you’ll notice, doesn’t get into my personal stuff, is from Tynga: Have you ever faced Sam & Dean from Supernatural before? If not, what would be your tactic when you do?

I’ve never faced them, but that could be entertaining. I may possibly seek them out when I’m finished with my current assignment. Their weakness is each other. All I’d have to do is get into their heads, blur the lines between right and wrong a little. Wouldn’t take much to turn them on each other. Then I would just sit back and watch. When they were done killing each other, I’d tag the soul of the one that was left standing and be on my way.

I’m gone. See you in the Abyss.


Wow! That was awesome, Luc! Winners - if you haven't already done so, please leave your email in the comments section so Lisa can contact you and send you your winnings. Everyone else, don't despair! You can still order PERSONAL DEMONS and I will be having more fabulous contests coming up, so stay tuned!

Monday, August 23, 2010

VLOG - I'm Stepping Out There!

Don't forget Tomorrow is the last chance for entering my amazing contest courtesy of Lisa Desrochers! Check the link for details.

Now, to quote Monty Python, for something completely different.

In place of Monday Madness (for a short time at least) I've decided to grace you humble viewers with a series of vlogs. What about? VOICE. CHARACTER. It seems to be my strong point and I want to share with you why I believe that is and how you can use that information.

So, here's VLOG #1, in which I introduce my theory:


Thursday, August 19, 2010

Lisa Desrochers is My Guest

You've all heard about the super-amazing-fantastic-most awesome debut of Lisa Desrochers' book PERSONAL DEMONS, right? Don't just take my word for it. Take a look at these quotes:

—“Personal Demons is as scary—and sexy—a book as I’ve read in a long time.”—Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Hourglass

—“Good versus evil shouldn't be this much fun, but it is! A hot YA debut.”—Maria V. Snyder, New York Times bestselling author of Fire Study

Excited? Okay. Then be ready for one of the best posts I've ever put up. Why? Because not only do I have a fabulous contest to announce at the end, prizes courtesy of Lisa herself, but the post is written by Lisa Desrochers too!! So without further ado...

When Lisa asked me to put together a guest post for her blog, I wasn’t sure what to do. I was thinking maybe something about the writing process and how Personal Demons came to be.

But then Luc, my demon and one of my narrators from Personal Demons, told me that idea was boring. What he actually said is that I’m boring. He insisted on conducting an interview to liven up the post. I’ve agreed to do it, but I’m wondering if I’ve made a mistake, because, as I sit here staring at him across the table, it feels like he has an agenda.

Luc: Everyone is writing angel books these days. *stares hard at me*

Me: Um…yeah…?

Luc: So?

Me: *beginning to sweat* So…?

Luc: So why did you write a demon book.

Me: Um… *clears throat* Well…Personal Demons is sort of an angel book—in a way…

Luc: *leans forward as eye narrow* It’s called Personal DEMONS, not Personal Angels. It’s a demon book.

Me: *drops gaze* I suppose it is.

Luc: In the other books, it seems that the *air quotes* demons are often fallen angels. Why didn’t you make me a fallen angel?

Me: Because you aren’t. *glances up to gage reaction*

Luc: *smiles smugly* No. I’m most definitely not. *pushes foot against table and tips chair back* Why did you decide to make me different?

Me: *starting to relax a little* Well, actually you decided that. You’re the one telling the story—well, you and Frannie.

Luc: *smiles*

Me: I’m just the poorly paid help with the laptop. And, while we’re on the subject, could you two talk a little slower. I can’t keep up with your conversations.

Luc: *lowers chair legs to the ground* You should be happy we let you listen in at all. Don’t push your luck.

Me: *drops gaze again* You’re right. Sorry.

Luc: *slouches back in chair* So, my origin is actually pretty interesting. How did you come up with the concept of demons being borne of sin?

Me: Well…your name, Lucifer Cain, popped into my head one day and I went on-line to research the story of Cain and Abel. I found an article that talked about the origin of sin. The phrase “creatures of sin” kept coming up and, as I flipped that over in my mind it occurred to me that, in my fictional Hell, there could be actual creatures of sin. In your case, you were borne of Pride.

Luc: *glares at me*

Me: *sinks deeper into chair*

Luc: Why did you make me a Creature of Pride?

Me: *snorts* You’re joking, right?

Luc: *glares harder at me*

Me: *thinking this interview was a really bad idea* *nearly slides off the chair under the table*

Luc: Where did you get the idea for me to work in Acquisitions?

Me: *takes a deep breath* I knew you were coming after Frannie’s soul, so where else would you work?

Luc: *drums fingers on tabletop* I suppose that makes a certain amount of sense.

Me: *nods and blows out a relieved breath*

Luc: Did you know I’d fall for Frannie? *scrutinizes me with narrow eyes*

Me: *straightening in my chair and trying not to let him see me shake* I had a pretty good idea…

Luc: *leans forward, eyes flashing red* You knew that the cherub would too.

Me: *squirming in chair* I knew there was a chance that Gabe would be drawn to her.

Luc: *through gritted teeth* And I suppose your going to tell me there was nothing you could do about that.

Me: *shrugging without looking at him* Poorly paid help. Laptop. Remember…?

Luc: *blows out tense sigh* Then you also know it’s only a matter of time before I take him out.

Me: *shrugging again* That’s between you and him.

Luc: *nods, satisfied* So you won’t get in the way?

Me: *wiggling fingers in the air* Help… Laptop…

Luc: Good. *leans back again* So, there’s nothing you can to about Frannie?

Me: Um…how so?

Luc: *fixes me in a hard gaze*

Me: *shaking head* You know she doesn’t listen to me either.

Luc: She’s going to get herself killed. *eyes darken*

Me: Then it probably wouldn’t be in her best interest for you to take Gabe out…

Luc: *pushes glowing fist across table* Are you saying he can keep her safer than I can?

Me: *sweating again* I’m saying it may take both of you.

Luc: *sighs deeply* *tucks hand into pocket* I know you’re right, but Gabriel? *grimaces* Of all the slimy celestials they could have sent…

Me: *shrugs* So, any chance there might be a truce?

Luc: *glowing eyes snap to mine* This is my interview. I ask the questions.

Me: *holding up hands* Sorry. So what else do you want to know?

Luc: *eyes lock on mine* What’s going to happen in Original Sin?

Me: Lots of stuff.

Luc: *smirks* Could you be a little more specific?

Me: Well, there are more angels…

Luc: *rolls eyes*

Me: And demons!

Luc: Great. And I suppose they come for Frannie?

Me: King Lucifer still wants her, so…yeah.

Luc: *blows out a sigh* You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?

Me: *lifts hands and wiggle fingers again* Laptop…

Luc: Yeah, right. *stands abruptly* If you’re not going to be any more helpful than that, I’m gone.

Me: *relieved* Okay, so, we’re done?

Luc: *smiles, amused* I’ve got history homework.

Me: *cracks up despite myself* Yeah, right.

Luc: *turns for the door* See ya, Laptop.

Me: *wondering if I’ll ever live that down*

Wasn't that AMAZING? I can't wait to get to know Luc a little better. How about you? Well, I'll tell you what, if you leave a question for Luc, you MIGHT just get it answered. In fact, the best three questions (as judged by Lisa Desrochers) posted in the comments by old and new followers by Tuesday, 8PM EST will receive an answer and a prize.

What's up for grabs?

1st place: A SIGNED COPY OF PERSONAL DEMONS and swag!
2nd place: A PERSONAL DEMONS tank top and swag!
3rd place: Swag!

So don't be left out in the cold - exercise your creative writing muscles and ask Luc something. I mean how often do you get to ask a demon a question? Oh - and sorry folks, :( But, the contest is only open to those in the US and Canada. GOOD LUCK!

ALSO - don't forget to join me tonight, Thursday August 19 at 9PM EST for #scribechat on Twitter. I'm guest hosting and our topic will be world building. See you then!

Monday, August 16, 2010

MONDAY MADNESS and CONTEST WINNER

I have an announcement. Ahem. This coming Thursday, August 19th, I have a special guest blog just for you from the fabulous LISA DESROCHERS, author of the soon to be released PERSONAL DEMONS. And for those of you who didn't win this time, guess what?? I have another incredible contest to be announced then, courtesy of Lisa!

Soooo... who was lucky enough to snag a signed copy of BOTH Linger and Shiver? How about I make you wait while I tell you the winner for MOST CREATIVE ENTRANT is.


D L got an extra 25 entries for being the most creative. Well, if his story is true, he at least has a very interesting life. Which also makes him the perfect candidate for today's Monday Madness.

DL has been high on life. He reached his "cruising altitude" and then decided to pursue his career in writing. Now he considers "cruising altitude" to be his goal.

So, what do we know about D L? He's had some bad luck (read his entry for this contest), but he's always optimistic and looking ahead. He likes to fly. I'm going to take this literally, of course. He's a dad - which was probably my most important clue. He's a

SUPERHERO!

So, D L, up, up and away! Use those secret powers of yours and you'll be published in no time.

OH YEAH and you wanted to know who won..

MARGO BERENDSEN!!! You won! CONGRATULATIONS!


Thursday, August 12, 2010

Vampire ABCs

Okay - LAST CHANCE to enter my super-amazing-most fabulous contest. Time's up tomorrow. And you actually have a good shot at winning as things stand right now...

Ahem.

The paranormal audience is getting younger by the minute and so I thought, why not teach them everything they need to know early on? Say… Kindergarten? And though, I am typically a Young Adult author, I thought I would give a shot at the whole Picture Book audience. Little girls should know early on the dangers of dating vampires. So here goes –

A is for Abs, absolutely a must,

how else can a vampire earn a girl’s trust?

B is for blood, gooey and red,

all over your clothes and your shoes and the bed.

C is for coffin, a small place to sleep,

in the night if you’re near one, don’t make a peep.

D is for dead, have I mentioned that part?

You’ll never hear beating come from his heart.

E is for Exorcist, who in this case won’t work.

He isn’t possessed, just a bloodsucking jerk.

F is for fangs cause you know they are hot.

You love showing off those tiny red dots.

G is for gorgeous, remember the abs?

so beautiful you don’t care who he grabs.

H is for hollow, he’s empty inside,

You never should’ve asked him to confide.

I is for idiot, the girl that he dates,

He isn’t actually looking for an immortal mate.

J is for jugular, juicy and sweet,

he's looking at yours, can you feel the heat?

K is for kiss, which you wish he would give.

Unfortunately for you, you probably won’t live.

L is for love, which you think you are in,

when it’s probably lust, love’s closest of kin.

M is for muscle, no wait that’s wrong.

It’s werewolves’ who’s show, though both are quite strong.

N is for noble, you wish that he were.

He’s misunderstood of that you are sure.

O is for ogle, you can’t help yourself.

You wish you could put him up on your shelf.

P is for painful, but which part is it?

That he's just not that great or that you just got bit?

Q is for queen, that’s how he makes you feel,

too bad for you, it just isn’t real.

R is for ripped, oops once again-

that is werewolves, sorry my friend.

S is for sparkle out in the sun.

Okay so not all, maybe just one.

T is for terror he used to instill,

hard to find now no matter whom he might kill.

U is for undead, he’s a corpse, you recall?

Sorry for the buzz kill but come on y’all.

V is for vampire, obvious I know,

but I’ve still got four letters to go!

W is for werewolf as I’ve mentioned before,

guess that’s the sequel for those who want more.

X is for xylophone because that’s what it’s for,

not sure I could find much of anything more.

Y is for yummy, even I can’t deny,

You don’t have to jump him just cause he catches your eye.

Z is for zoo, the crowd he creates,

all the wild animals looking for dates.


SO, what do you think? Do I have a blooming career as a PB author? Or should I stick to YA? He he he.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Monday Madness Rachel Vail

Don't forget to enter my amazing CONTEST..

Yes, it's true that Rachel Vail is known for humorous, touching, realistic stories. Though her book GORGEOUS, the middle book in her Avery Sisters Trilogy, includes a deal with what may or may not be the devil (which sounds suspiciously paranormal to me).

Either way, after having the opportunity to meet Rachel at the SCBWI LA conference I realized that she is the perfect candidate for Monday Madness. Her true nature became so clear when I realized all of the varied roles she plays in life. See, my theory is that Rachel Vail is in fact a

SHAPE SHIFTER

Why? How can any one human be so many amazing things at once? The proof was in her character workshop on Sunday. See, Rachel is able to get so far into her characters' heads that she pretty much becomes them. From their walk to their deepest inner desires, she doesn't quit until the book she's writing accurately reflects this very real person she's created.

I think the trickiest part of what she does must be changing back into herself and leaving the other characters behind. Rachel - you forgot to tell us how to do that!! Seriously though, she is amazing and I can't wait to put some of her advice to use in my writing.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Top 5 Paranormal Things at SCBWI LA 2010

First of all, if you haven't entered my UNBELIEVABLE contest yet. Please do!!

Now, some of you might know that I attended the annual SCBWI LA conference this past weekend. So if I've been absent from the blogosphere (or at least a bit scarce) it is because I haven't been around. All that will change shorty. But the conference itself was AMAZING! I met so many of you that I've been wanting to meet for so long and of course, many many incredible authors and publishing professionals.

Someone asked me if I planned on blogging about the conference. Well, I want to. But I also want to hold true to my usual brand of paranormal. SO here are the top 5 paranormal things at at SCBWI LA 2010:

5. DELAWARE
Nobody panic, but it would appear that the state of Delaware has been swallowed by a giant wormhole. NO ONE FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE WAS IN ATTENDANCE. M.T. Anderson even sang a song in tribute to the lovely state. This leads me to wonder, what evil plot is hatching in the midst of the unsuspecting people of New England? Keep your eyes open people...

4. GHOST
Yes. I need to tell you that there was a ghost present during the conference. It was a kind and wonderful spirit. The spirit of the great Sid Fleischman. His brilliance, humor and kind heart have helped steer the soul of SCBWI for the past 39 years and although we have lost him, he remains in spirit.

3. TWILIGHT
Yep. You heard right. And NO, Stephenie Meyer was not in attendance. It was Jennifer Hunt, the Editor overseeing all acquisitions for MG and YA at Little Brown. I have to tell you she was a really nice person. I even won a book from her. And though it wasn't Twilight, you can be sure the name came up one or twelve times.

2. SKANKY BO-PEEPS
I won't name names, but I will tell you that during the costume party there were some pretty interesting costumes. Heart and Soul was the theme. Not certain how the whole Skank thing slipped in, but I will tell you it was a lot of paranormal fun.
AND FINALLY

The number 1 paranormal thing at SCBWI LA:

GUARDIAN ANGELS
Otherwise known as Literary Agents. One in particular stuck out. MINE. He he he. The great Rubin Pfeffer was a keynote speaker at the conference. His introduction by Lin Oliver blew me away. I'd known it all along, but hearing it there was pretty neat. I think she referred to him as "the grand pubah" at one point. All I can say after hearing his speech about the future of the publishing industry in the digital age, is that I am SO GLAD he's my agent. ;)
If you were there, what did you think? If not, what do you want to know? I just love our comment conversations!!!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Monday Madness Maggie Stiefvater AND the OMG contest topped with Awesomesauce


Yep, you read that right. First off let me tell you that I had the opportunity to meet the Maggie Stiefvater (who's book LINGER just debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List) and drool all over her. She didn't even have me arrested. In fact, she took this picture with me. So, forget all those werewolf and fairy books, I've met the real Maggie and I know what she really is.

MY NEW BFF!

Um, yes, it is possible she's unaware of this development. Ahem.

Let me get to the important part... See, I got both SHIVER and LINGER signed and then I got to thinking about how much love I have for all of YOU. Soooo, I will very generously offer BOTH of my own personal copies of these SIGNED BOOKS as a prize for the winner of my newest contest.

Here's how to enter:

1. Be a follower +1 for new followers +2 for old.

2. Leave a comment letting me know how to contact you if you win and if someone else sent you here (if you are named as sending a new follower you get +2 just for that)

3. Tweet about this contest +2


Here's where it gets complicated (because it's me, so it can never be simple mwhahaha):

You must do at least ONE of the following to participate and the most creative will be featured here on my blog in two weeks time when I announce the winner. OH and the most creative will receive an extra 25 entry points for your efforts.

1. In your comment, tell me why you must own these books. +2

OR

2. Blog or vlog about why you must win these books and link back to this contest. +10 (you must let me know in the comments with a link to you so I know where to find it).

ALSO please add up your entry points (other than the extra 25 for the most creative). I can't be held responsible for poor math skills. :)

Do it by Friday 13th of August because that is OBVIOUSLY the deadline. As I said I will announce the winner on Monday the 16th and feature the most creative entrant on Monday Madness. If you've already had that honor? I'll contact you and let you decide who should receive that highest of honors. SOUND GOOD? I hope so. GOOD LUCK!