The Inspiration for, and Writing of, Sacred Blood

I hosted several guest posts last week, but didn’t write one myself.  By request, I will share what inspired me to write this book, and a bit about the process.

For a handful of years I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in fiction.  Bodice-rippers, the guilty pleasure of many women, had started giving way to books about how romantic abusive relationships are.  Of course abuse isn’t romantic, but the abusers were being idealized as if it’s something to be desired.  Then I started looking back at other books I used to read, and started to feel sick.  Those books were no better.  The Bow Street Runners were nothing but thugs packaged as nice guys who any woman would be lucky to have, and the women were said to be strong, but in reality, needed to be saved by the men.  Even the erotic Sleeping Beauty trilogy by Anne Rice, held up as an example of erotica done right, is startlingly scary.  Rape abounds.  The 15-year-old Beauty is awaked not by a kiss, but by a grown man plunging into her.  Ms. Rice, you write splendid vampire tales, but what on earth is erotic about Beauty discovering, in the third book, that a woman had been genitally mutilated, and cunnilingus to give that abused woman an orgasm is all but the crowning glory of these books?  I’m not sure it that is worse, or Ana being so warped by Christian that she declares their unborn daughter must like sex already since the baby moved during her parents’ round of intercourse.

I decided to see how easy it was to find a different sort of book, the sort where any abuse is seen as bad, women have goals beyond marrying or slacking off on their way to becoming arm candy, and where any female leads have any meaningful growth and strength that didn’t revolve around how to land a man.  I found a handful of books about business women who were shown to be annoying while a man doing the same actions would have been considered persuasive.  All right, so add to that list women who aren’t shown as being bitchy for being strong.  Yeah.  Suddenly the list shrink.  Most Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb books were out of the running too.  I love her books, but they do tend to center around getting men.  I can’t think of a single one where that wasn’t a goal.  Under J.D. Robb, she exclusively writes romance.  I found just a few other authors who wrote the sort of books I desired, and noticed a trend.  The characters tended to be older than me by at least a handful of years, if not a decade or more.  Now there’s nothing wrong with middle-aged women.  Rene Russo was pretty hot in The Thomas Crown Affair, and that scene on the stairs still stands out to me as one of the hottest moments in cinema.

But what could I find featuring younger characters?  What is there for the young or new adult crowd?  What has any supernatural ele–  Forget about the supernatural.  We need some young or new adults books at all where landing a man isn’t a big goal, or even a goal at all.  Where is the Disney Mulan where the gentle flower lets her fiesty, brave side out and saves her world, or at least her country, without focusing on scoring a date?

Well, we often hear that if you can’t find what you want to read, either write it yourself, or shut up about it.  Since I don’t shut up (look at how much I’ve written to this point), I decided to write.  First I had three characters in Tristan’s family.  Only he, Emma, and Sunil existed, and he and Emma were twins.  Emma and Sunil were married.  There’s such a lack of interracial marriages in books where it’s not the source of conflict!  But this didn’t work when it came to the point of the recon mission.  So I added in Gabrielle, and realized that felt too much like pairing couples and could be taken as a love triangle between Gabby, Tristan, and Juliette.  Eventually I settle on a family of seven with two women and five men.  Emma and Sunil are still married, but beyond that, they are a mix of sexualities, relationship preferences, religions, you name it.  They also don’t all fall all over themselves thinking the new girl is the greatest thing to walk the world.

Diversity among my main good-guy cast was important.  Equally important was to show the big bads, Nathaniel and Daniel, as guys who would appear to the world as good buys while being irredeemable evil cretins behind closed doors.  Too often those on the outside think that abuse can’t be so bad, or that it’s made up.  Who wants to think the fun, charismatic, popular guys would really be jerks?

Also of importance was what readers would want.  In addition to asking my own friends, I made the trek to some bookstores, including Powell’s, and interviewed completely random people.  What are they tired of seeing in books?  What do they wish they saw more of?  What do they like about the current crop of books?  No more Twilight, no more abuse being good, but please more fairies and Anne Rice-type books on vampires!  The reviews of current big-selling books were largely disheartening…so bad that people were reading less.  The actual interviews were a bit more in depth than just these questions.  Readers really will open up if you’re interested in what they have to say.

Armed with interview info and some nifty note cards intended to be used for a story board that ended up never being used, I started to type.  My first chapter was so horrid I cringe.  Tristan, Emma, and Sunil alone didn’t work.  Scrap it.  A certain love scene?  That ventured too close to bodice ripper.  Out with it.  Ah, a character here with these characteristics will work swell!  Oh crud, here’s a battle scene and I have no idea how to write those.  Cue a bunch of research on battle-writing methods.

The first draft came together fairly quickly and stood at 81,000 words.  Cue the beginning of dozens of rounds of editing and finding beta readers to further develop Juliette’s character arc, make Tristan perfect for his imperfections, and make Nathaniel someone any reader would despite with every fiber of their being.  At times, the story seemed to be more Tristan’s than Juliette’s.  I needed to swing it the other way.

At no time did I forget the initial inspiration, for a book where a woman escapes abuse and is a strong woman, but without being a romance.  After 16 months of writing more than full-time working hours, on top of my regular schedule, Sacred Blood has come to completion.

Up next: Editing on Sacred Honor, the second book in the Sacred trilogy, and then Sacred Heart.  That’s right, I have written the first drafts for those.  Well, here’s to another year of editing until another release, while continuing to develop Juliette as a strong, independent person, and to show the next stage of her life!

 

Farewell to Eleanor Parker

With a sad heart, I must take a moment for Eleanor Parker.  The news is breaking that she passed on at the ripe age of 91.

She was best known as Baroness Elsa Schraeder in The Sounds of Music, though had been nominated for three Oscars times before that for playing strong women in a time when strong women were generally frowned upon.

Despite that, she has played opposite leading men such as Clark Gable, William Holden and Glenn Ford, in addition to Georg on Trapp actor Christopher Plummer.

Ms. Parker never established herself as a major name, instead choosing to be a character actress, one of those people we see and call “that guy/lady who played that one character in the movie about…”  You may not know Margaret Hamilton by name, but you’d recognize her with or without her green witch makeup, and Clint Howard, an actor more memorable for his “crazy eyes” (you’ll know him when you see him).  Even before you knew his name, you knew his face.  In her era, Eleanor Parker was largely another “that lady who played,” despite her Oscar nominations, a fact she openly acknowledged.  She spent years adjusting to the fame that The Sound of Music brought her, though it was a decade after her last Oscar nomination.

Said Plummer, “Eleanor Parker was and is one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever known, I hardly believe the sad news for I was sure she was enchanted and would live forever.”

I think you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees, Mr. Plummer.  Though this was one of her lesser challenging roles, her coolness and pragmatism certainly make it one of her most memorable.

Ms. Parker joins Richard Haydn (1905-1985), the ever-lovable “Uncle Max”Detweiler, and Peggy Wood (1892-1978), the unforgettable Mother Abbess who encouraged her to climb e’vry mountain until she found her dream.  Portia Nelson (1920-2001), Ana Lee (1913-2004), Evadne Baker (1897-1995), Sisters Berthe, Margaretta, and Bernice, respectively, as well as Norma Varden (1898-1989), the stern housekeeper, Frau Schmidt and Doris Lloyd (1896-1968), the “other baroness,” Baroness Ebberfeld.  Gilchrist Stuart (1919-1977) and Ben WRight (1915-1989), Franz and Herr Zeller, round out the list of actors from Sound of Music that we have lost.

Sacred Blood released!

I am please to announce Sacred Blood is now available!  Actually it became available yesterday.  I lagged on posted because I took a day off for my birthday.

Sacred Blood can be bought right now through Amazon in e-book format, and will soon be available through Barnes & Noble and the Apple iBookstore.  In addition, this book will be available as paperback, and hopefully eventually hardback.  This sucker clocks in at 412 pages!  This will not be print-on-demand.

If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, my handle is predictable.  AlysBCohen.  I’m original like that. 🙂  I am also on Goodreads.  I am also stalkable on Facebook.  I also do have a website.

If you decide to make a purchase, please do leave feedback.  Good or bad, I’d love to hear it.  I’m not going to be like Stephenie Meyer and have someone filter my e-mail and reviews so I only hear the good.  Since this is the first in a trilogy, I welcome honest reviews.

Synopsis:

Battered and frightened, Juliette St. Claire flees from near-death at the crushing hands of her boyfriend, to find her closest friend, Tristan Larocque, only to discover he has kept a vital secret about his identity.
​
Juliette lives her existence resigned to her boyfriend, Nathaniel Jensen’s violent whims. After a particularly violent evening, she has had enough, and a high window is her only chance at escaping with her life. Desperate to live through the night, she flees.

Finally free, Juliette finds her best friend, but just when she needs him the most, Tristan must leave. She learns that he needs to find and warn a lost coven of his kind that they are in danger from instinctively violent Nathaniel, who is determined to abolish them. Rather than hide from the danger her ex presents, Juliette, determined to keep Tristan safe, insists that she accompany him on his mission.

Over the course of a multi-country journey to save the mysterious coven, Juliette discovers she has more internal strength and courage than she’d ever realized. She leads the coven into battle and discovers she alone holds the power to destroy her terrible ex-boyfriend, or to mercifully spare his life.

Raffle winners!

Our winners have been chosen!  Our grand prize goes to Catherine K, and our runner-up is Sarah M.  I have e-mailed both ladies.  If your first name and last initial are the same and you have not received an e-mail from me, then you probably weren’t the same one.  Leave a comment with the e-mail address you used to enter and I’ll confirm whether or not you’re the one.  I won’t publicly post your e-mail address and will edit that out before replying so that you aren’t slammed with spammers.

Thank you to everyone who had entered, and please consider buying some of your favorite books.  I hope you’ll continue to visit my blog!  Lots of fun stuff planned for the new year.  If you’re interested in being featured on an Interview with a Reader segment, please let me know.  I’ve done those before, and they’re always fun!

Have a wonderful holiday season, and happy reading!

Guest Post by Kevin J. Cunningham

I’ve known Kevin got years outside the writing world for years!  He’s very insightful, and for this post he shows that.  Enjoy this piece by my friend, and fellow author, Kevin J. Cunningham.

 

Welcome to the age of Infosaturation.

Never before in the history of the world has it been so easy for people to access information.  Sure, the world’s not perfect, and not everyone can get the information they need.  But even that aside, more people have reached a point that none of our forefathers ever foresaw.

There is too much information for us to get.  Which leads to having a choice of information.

And this may not be the best thing in the world.

So here we are, a collection of a couple of dozen independent and small-published authors, trying to get our stories out there.  There has always been more author’s hands than reader’s eyes in the world seemingly, but that’s never been more pronounced than now.  For everything that technology has done to make things easier for readers to get to books, it’s also made writing a lot easier for us authors.

(Authors, I know technology may seem like something we fight, while figuring out spellcheck, and formatting and borders and tabs and pagination and header and….  but let’s face it, it beats writing everything in pen and ink, and then having to redo the entire damn book AGAIN for the next draft.  And that’s how War and Peace was done!)

But now, there’s so many things out there for people to consume, in all the various formats, that it’s hard to capture those eyes for long enough anymore.  It’s a competition, a fight, and a dirty one than that…dirtier than the fight between the offensive and defensive linemen in an NFL game.  When my publisher talked to me about being published, he said that he wasn’t looking for writers, he was looking for prostitutes.

Too often, I find that we (as people) are blaming the other people for what they choose to read.  We blame them for watching certain television shows, or television at all.  We blame them for watching or reading particular news sources over others.  We blame them for focusing only on mainstream news, or only fringe news.  We blame them for reading and believing without double-checking.  And we blame them for the crap.

I do it.  I’m guilty of it.  And I’m ashamed of myself when I catch myself doing it.

It’s true, I have judgments about what I think people should read or shouldn’t.  The truth is, it’s probably not a viewpoint you agree with…I’m pretty contrary.

But what’s more important to me is that I shouldn’t be worried about what others are reading.  What I should be focusing on is what I give others to read.  I can only control that.  I like to create.  I’m a photographer.  I’m a writer.  Once upon a time, I fancied myself a filmmaker.  At another time, I conned a whole bunch of people into thinking I was a poet.  But no matter what, I’m a story teller.  But it’s not enough to tell stories.

The stories I have to tell need to be good ones.  They need to be compelling.  They need to be butchered so that they don’t go off track.  They have to have good people, both the fake kind and the far-too-real kind.  They have to be flawed, and they have to be people that someone can relate to.  And most of all, there has to be a point.  Otherwise, it’s not a story, it’s just gossip.

The book I wrote, To Hell With Fate; or, Why The Best Valentine’s Gifts Come From Mini-Marts, is aimed at young adults, or young-ish adults.  My next novel will be a fun take on erotica, explicit and all.  After that, historical fiction.  There’s an urban fantasy down the line.  And considering the webcomic I write, at some point I’ll write about baseball, when I find the story.  And I hope that others will find the characters good and real, and flawed, and relatable.  And I hope they’ll see the point.

I can’t control what other people read.  I can’t control what other people write or say.  But if I want other people to consume better things, then the only thing I can do is create better things.

And maybe hope that others will, too.

Guest Post: Interview with Character Elena by Adrienne Wood

Adrienne also interviewed another character.  This is what she had to say.

Character Interview with Elena Watkins

Adrienne: Elena, welcome, tell us a bit about yourself.

Elena: (Slooks at the carpet, a bit nervous.) What can I say, I’m 16, have moved around more times in my life that I can count on my fingers and toes, and as much as dragons frighten me, I sort of dig them.

(both laugh nervously)

Adrienne: I know exactly what you mean. How did you land in the world with all its dragons and riders?

Elena: (eyes start to tear up, but she sniffs, and wipes a strand of blonde hair from her face) My dad used to tell me stories about them when I was little. For some reason I can’t remember all the details, but I do remember that it was a special world hidden from the human realm where dragons and magic are real, like you are in front of me. We used to run away every three months. I never knew from what until that night. (looks at the carpet) It wasn’t an easy life, and as much as I hated every single time we fled, I would gladly do it again if it meant having my dad back.

Adrienne: (throat tightens) You mean that your dad is no longer with us anymore?

Elena: (She shakes her head.) He died the night five dragons attacked us on Interstate 40.

Adrienne (feeling emotional): Is that how you ended up in Paegeia?

Elena: (nods). I didn’t know the ins and outs of how I got to the infirmary in Dragonia Academy, only that a guy, or should I say a dragon, named Matt rescued me and took me to Paegeia because of my dark mark.

Adrienne: So you have the mark of the riders too?

Elena: Yeah, it’s not so great knowing that soon you’ll have to fight a dragon that is twenty times your size, but how can I share my fear with my two best friends? One is part of a dent, something that is way out of this world. I mean her dragon, George, used to hate her, but after she claimed him, he started to hang on to every word that crossed her lips as if it was the last thing she would ever say. The dent thing is still a bit confusing, but they say it’s rare, and a bond like that can never be broken. My other friend, Sammy, is a Fire – Tail. A dragon that can incinerate your butt on the spot. I don’t think she would do it though.

Adrienne (smiling): So you don’t want to be a dragon rider?

Elena: Would you like to claim something that can breathe fire, or acid. Not to mention flying on one. I did it once, not so cool. I thought I was going to die.

Adrienne: You flew on a dragon?

Elena: Yes, it was a dumb thing to do, and I will never do it again. I will die if my friends find out that I’m afraid of heights.

Adrienne: (laughs) I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh.

Elena: (laughs) You understand now why I don’t want to be a Dragonian. (She sighs.) I’ve got no choice though. My mark is very dark. They’ve say they never seen one this dark, although plenty of the board members of Dragonia Academy think I don’t belong inside their school because of what my father was; a dragon. I’m the first offspring of a dragon that’s been born with the dragon rider’s mark.

Adrienne (face growing in terror): Your father was a dragon? (Looks at her charts, surprised.) Are you a dragon?

Elena: (giggles) No, although my father’s one, a human and dragon offspring doesn’t have a dragon form. I’m human. As far as my father being a dragon, I guess I should’ve seen that one, but I never did. He was really good hiding it. He was one of the Metallic Dragons, the good type, and they say that the Metallics can go years without their dragon form. So I guess that’s what Dad did.

Adrienne: Okay, let’s move over to the lighter side. Do you have a special someone?

Elena: (gives sentimental smile) Yes, but he’s royalty and I’m just a commoner. I’m sure they used to hang people like me in the old days.

Adrienne: Is his name Lucian?

Elena: Have you met him? (seeming to be a totally different person. Her face lights up and her smile would go all the way around her head, if it wasn’t for her ears.)

Adrienne: I had the pleasure. He is a true gentleman.

Elena: He is.

Adrienne: Well, Elena. I guess that was it. I would love to chat more with you and how you feel about everything but our time is up. So I guess I just have to find out more about you in Firebolt. Thank you so much for joining me today and I wish you all the luck with riding on dragons.

Elena: Me riding on dragons that will never happen again, but thanks for having me here. It was nice talking to someone normal.

(both laugh and Elena gets up, giving a wave as she exits and vanishes)

Guest Post: Weakness VS Wow Factor – Women Who Rock The Page by Nola Sarina

Weakness VS Wow Factor – Women Who Rock The Page

By Nola Sarina

“Bella Swan is so weak.”

VS

“Buffy sure kicked some hardcore ass.”

“Anastasia Steele is such a whiner.”

VS

… Okay, I won’t do an impression of Xena: Warrior Princess’s battle cry.

For the record, I quite enjoyed both Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey. But the female lead characters in those stories were prone to shaping their actions to fit the desires of the male leads, and thus occasionally came across the page as weak. They didn’t have much for actual lives of their own other than the aspects that revolved around the strong, alpha males.

Now, that can be one hell of a spark for both the imagination (Twilight) and the libido (Fifty).

But female characters need to be the star of the show sometimes, too. Strong bitches are hot. Strong bitches who still have that feminine, emotional side are even more empowering because they’re real. In my Vesper novellas, Gilded Destiny & Jaded Touch, I wanted to make female characters who were as intriguing as the males surrounding them, and yet still explored their sensitive sides the way most women do.

Calli, the lead character of Gilded Destiny is a tattoo artist who can’t remember exactly what happened to her a few years ago and must function in life despite issues with her short term and long term memory. She doesn’t let it slow her down, even when the memories begin to return to her in a way that both breaks her heart and fires up her passion for an immortal Vesper named Nycholas to an intensity she never imagined.

By balancing her ability to continue functioning in her life against her odds, I hope you can see how strong she is, yet how her emotions drive her actions. She has a strong life before Nycholas, and though his touch consumes her every moment from the time of their frightening meeting, she stays strong, devoted to him by her own choosing, especially in the face of terror.

In Jaded Touch, the Vesper named Three is the female lead, and she suffers from rage that explodes before has a chance to stop herself. She tries so hard to keep her cool when others torment her about the branding scars on her back, but most often fails. She also toes the line of friendship and romance with her forbidden, male best friend and embarks on an even more forbidden romance with a human guy whose dominant personality challenges and tantalizes hers.

By allowing her struggle with her emotions to occasionally overtake her actions while showing her attempt to reign it in at all costs I hope you connect with her personal pains and yet admire her courage to do what she feels most strongly drawn to do (which is, *ahem* that human guy Jack) even when it threatens everything she holds dear.

That said, less personality-driven characters sometimes make for a stronger pull toward the all-consuming male characters when that’s truly the highlight of the story. In both Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey, the male character’s shock value truly drove the story forward, and the impact of the male character in that type of structure is stunning. Who can forget the way we felt when an impossible man like Edward or Fifty swept us off our feet? It made for an unforgettable adventure both times.

But women can be just as captivating, unforgettable, and with pioneers in fiction like Buffy and Xena – or, one of my first strong female role models, Jo in Little Women – we have beautiful examples all around us for women who stand up to their male co-stars.
I hope you find Calli & Three to kick as much ass as some of the women who inspired the characters. And thank you to Alys for allowing me to post during this spectacular giveaway event – it’s truly one-of-a-kind!

 

Nola Sarina is a paranormal romance and dark fantasy author from Alberta, Canada. She loves weaving romances that leave you breathless and challenge typical relationships with the most mind-blowing twists.

Represented by Michelle Johnson of Inklings Literary Agency, Nola is the author of the dark, spicy hot paranormal romance Vesper series. Taking vampires to a whole new level, the Vespers in Gilded Destiny & Jaded Touch live dangerously sexy lives in a harsh world of the balance between mortals and immortals.

Nola is also the co-author of Wild Hyacinthe with friend and fellow blogger Emily Faith of Cackling Moms blog. This spicy paranormal from Crimson Romance draws inspiration from Emily’s flair for relationships that spark in and out of the bedroom and Nola’s dark-fantasy laced themes. Wild Hyacinthe portrays sexy, alpha male hero from a unique perspective: an incubus who cannot help but kill.

Drop by her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/authornolasarina and join her email list at http://www.nolasarina.com/contact/ to get up-to-date information about all new releases, appearances, and special offers!

 

Guest Post: How to Be a Strong Woman by Jean Oram

I love this post by author Jean Oram.  I will be sharing this link with every woman I can.  The message is touching and strong and needs to be read.

How to Be a Strong Woman

by Jean Oram

Ever met a woman and been like, damn, that girl is strong!

Writing about women–heroines–has made me think about what makes a woman strong. And the funny thing is that often women are much, much stronger than they think. They either haven’t realized their strength, don’t believe in their strength, or simply haven’t been through the wringer called life enough to discover just how strong they truly are.

Sometimes when we think go strong women with thing of obvious women who are well-recognized such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Mary Theresa, Hilary Clinton, or Rosie the Riveter. We don’t always think of the people beside us. The women who are balancing Life. (Yes, Life with a capital ‘l.’) They are raising children. Molding youngsters into people that will change and define our future world. They are feeding their families. Clothing them. They are out there working. Figuring out the lawn mower or how to dodge bad traffic in order to get the kids to school on time.

Strong women don’t give up. They persevere. They take care of others. They do those little things that often go unrecognized. Organizing. Knowing where the other socks is. Taking care of their parents. Fundraising. Providing rich experiences for children through volunteering. Adding more tasks to their lists this holiday season to ensure that the ones they love have a season to remember.

Being a stong woman isn’t about money. Or muscles. Power or prestige. It’s about what is within us. It’s about the impact we have on others whether it is small or bigger than small.

Sometimes being strong means learning who you are, what you want, what you need, and then figuring out how to go get it. And that’s what I love about a good book. It involves strong women becoming stronger over the course of the story.

Beth, in my book Champagne and Lemon Drops, grows stronger over the period of the book. She starts off not knowing who she is. She thinks she wants one thing but she doesn’t have the means to make it happen. As she continues through the book she learns more about herself, her strengths and what is truly important to her. And of course, gets the thing she wants!

Sometimes in growing stronger we misdirect our needs and wants on the wrong thing. This happened to Mandy, the heroine in Whiskey and Gumdrops (book 2 in the Blueberry Springs series). She thought she wanted one thing, and over the course of the book she had to get over her fears so she could get what she secretly had always wanted but had been too afraid to pursue.

Being strong means taking risks. It means listening to your gut. It means going your own way. Even  when nobody else understands it.

So, for all the women (and men) out there: Be strong. Live your life. Let yourself dare to try the scary. Let yourself say no to situations that are going to bring you nothing but stress. Treat yourself the way you want others to treat you and always stand up for yourself. If you don’t do these things, nobody else is going to do them for you.

Be strong.

And remember, if you want to read about strong women, we have a huge list of great books here–many are free as ebooks (such as Champagne and Lemon Drops) or super affordable so don’t wait to hear if you won, pick them up today!

Enjoy!

Jean Oram is the author of the Blueberry Springs series, a small town romance. The first book, Champagne and Lemon Drops is a free ebook romance! You can hang out with Jean on Facebook, Twitter, as well as learn tons more about her as well as play goofy games on her blog at www.JeanOram.com.

 

Guest Post: Interview with Character Lucian by Adrienne Wood

Character interviews are a lot of fun to read.  Adrienne Wood gave me two of them.  The second will post later today. 

On a slightly different note, Adrienne Wood is the one who came up with the title for Sacred Blood.  I was clueless, and she nailed it.  I’m thrilled with this title, and must make sure she gets full credit.

Meet Lucian Mckenzie.

Adrienne: Where were you born?

Lucian: In Tith – Alkadeen (capital of Tith).

Adrienne: How old are you?

Lucian: Turning 20 on August 6th.

Adrienne: Were you born with the mark of the Dragon Riders, aka The Dragonians.

Lucian: Sort of, my mark is on my right lower abdomen and looks more like a dirt spot. It’s not very dark and I’m afraid if I rub too hard it’s going to come off (chuckle). Just joking. I’m like one shade away from being one of the non-gifted kids who’s parents pay a lot of money to attend Dragonia Academy.

Adrienne: So, Lucian. I heard you are a prince?

Lucian: Urgh (eye roll) Yeah.

Adrienne: You don’t want to be a prince?

Lucian: Do you want to be royalty? It’s not as glamourous as people think. You have to attend really boring functions and meetings. At the last Royal Council meeting I actually fell asleep. My father hasn’t taken me to another one yet. You can’t enjoy a night out without cameras flashing in your eyes, and you always have to think three times before you speak. Not to mention the responsibility that weighs on my shoulders. I mean, I’m going to run a country one day. I don’t think I’ll be able to, but I’m going to try. (He’s starting to become restless in his chair) You’re sure my mom won’t see this?

Adrienne: I promise you she won’t. (And there’s the gorgeous smile)

Do you have any close friends?

Lucian: I’m the prince of Tith, what do you think? (We both start to laugh) Yes, a couple. The rest, I think just want a piece of the spot light.

Adrienne: So, you guys really ride on dragons?

Lucian: (roars with laughter) You should see the look on your face. Yes, but first you’ve got to tame one. We call it a claim. It’s better to wait until you gain your ability. It usually happens around your 17th birthday, depending on how dark your mark is. Only then will you know which breed of dragon you are compatible with, and it makes the claiming procedure easier.

Adrienne: How many breeds are there?

Lucian: (smiles again) Ten. They all have different abilities.

Adrienne: So, back to the claiming procedure. What is it you need to do?

Lucian: You basically fight with the dragon until it surrenders.

Adrienne: (shrieks) Don’t you get hurt?

Lucian: Sometimes, but there are dragons that can heal human injuries in a matter of hours.

Adrienne: So what’s your ability?

Lucian: I haven’t ascended yet (meaning gained his extra ability)

Adrienne: How do you ascend?

Lucian: It’s different for everyone. Some riders became really sick, and I mean, death bed sick. Then before they slip into the everlasting life, they change, and wake up with an extra ability. Others get it through the forces of nature. Some, but it’s really rare, only ascend when facing their dragon in a claim, but the Academy almost never allows it.

Adrienne: What’s your biggest fear?

Lucian: (sighs) Not being able to claim the Rubicon.

Adrienne: The Rubicon?

Lucian: He’s one of a kind. A really strong dragon that can do many things, from spitting acid to breathing fire. We all know him as Blake. We used to be really good friends, the best. But his dark side is already starting to take over and if I don’t claim him soon, he will become evil.

Adrienne: Your friends with a dragon?

Lucian: (chuckles) they do own a human form too, and yes. He used to be one of the most amazing and caring people I know. I guess that’s why I’m so hard on myself when it comes to claiming him.

Adrienne: On the lighter side, do you have someone special?

Lucian: Yes, there is, but it’s complicated. It’s a royalty thing. I’m trying hard to make my dad understand that we don’t live in the 16th Century anymore.

Adrienne: Do you have pets?

Plenty: 5 horses, a monkey name Jeeves, 4 parrots, a spider and an English bulldog name Cat.

Adrienne: Cat?

Lucian: Short for Catastrophy. My mom named him. (We both laugh.)

Adrienne: Do you have a secret?

Lucian: Yes, but it’s more of a family secret. I don’t know what I would do if my friends ever find out about it.

Adrienne: Well, then I hope with all my heart nobody finds out.

It was so nice meeting you Lucian, and I can’t recall ever meeting a prince for real. I wish you all the luck with claiming the Rubicon and can’t wait to read more about you in Firebolt.

Lucian: Thanks for having me.

He gets up, kisses my hand, and disappears into the unknown.

Interview with Michelle Hauck

Michelle Hauck was one of the first author I met when I started writing seriously.  I’m very pleased to have her here today.

 

What do you find the hardest part of writing?

For me the hardest part of writing—besides being motivated to do it—is action scenes. Dialogue and description always flow right out of me with little thought. But when you get down to the nitty-gritty of who did what and what went where in an action scene my brain gets all stymied. I kind of have to picture a paragraph at a time out in my head like a movie before I can write action scenes.

Do you have lots of different story ideas at once in your head or do you get one at a time? 

I’m a one at a time writer. I have to stick to one story and follow it though in a linear fashion. There’s no skipping ahead to get to a favorite scene. Nope, I’ve got to trudge along, concentrating on what happens next instead of what happens ten chapters from now. Might be a compulsive thing, but I like to finish things before I work on anything else.

How long have you been writing?

Unlike a lot of writers, I didn’t write my heart out as a teen or when I was in college. I actually majored in finance. The writing bug hit me kind of late in life, after I’d had my children and they reached their teen years. Suddenly, I had a lot of time on my hands because they didn’t want to be seen with me. My husband dared me to try and write a book because I read so much. Blam. Challenged accepted.

Out of all the stories you’ve written, which one would you say was your favorite?

This is an unfair question! I love them all for different reasons. I love my middle grade hamster story for letting me be silly. I love my adult epic fantasy, Kindar’s Cure,  for letting me do a lot of twists and turns and weave so many POVs. I guess I’d say my YA dystopian is my favorite. Probably because that main character is the closest to being like me.

Favorite character?

That’s just mean … I’m going to go with my middle grade hamster, Tom. He’s all in your face sarcasm about the first grade children he’s surrounded with at the elementary school where he’s trapped.  They drive him bonkers. But underneath, well underneath he has a very soft heart.

What inspired you to write Kindar’s Cure?

Kindar draw a lot of inspiration from Henry the VIII and his daughter Elizabeth the I. I set their world and made my royal relationships a lot like 1500’s England. But at the heart of the inspiration for Kindar’s Cure—which is the story of a sick princess looking for a cure—was a cold I had with a bad cough.  I was propped up in bed, coughing uncontrollably and thought, what if a main character was as unhealthy as this cold? So was created my princess with a wasting disease and deadly cough. A princess with a determination a mile wide to prove herself.

What book are you currently working on?

This is tough because I haven’t really worked on a pitch or log line for my newest WIP. It’s a YA fantasy from the POV of a boy in the military of his world. It’s my first story told with a male main character. His city-state is surrounded by an army from the North, all their allies are destroyed. Ramiro’s squad is sent to fetch a witch from the swamps, to see if their magic can dislodge the army of Northerners. But the witches are the traditional enemies. It’s called Grudging because that’s the friendship that develops between them. It’s set in a medieval Spanish society.

If you could cast any celebrities to play any of your characters, who would you choose?

Hmm. Alec Baldwin might make a good voice-over for Tom the hamster. I think he could do the sarcasm. I’m really not that big into celebrities. Just have a movie version of one of my books would knock my socks off. I’d think about actors after I recovered from that shock.

If we opened your writing playlist right now, what would we find?

You’d find a heck of a lot of Nickelback and their sound-alikes, Theory of a Dead Man, OAR, Lifehouse. I like music that has intensity when I write. No instrumentals for me, please. Feeling, angst, and a lot of it.