So today, I struggled mightily with a scene. It’s one of those scenes that need to be there (also known as the CHARACTERS EXPLAIN TO SOMEONE WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST BOOKS SO THAT THE READER CAN ALSO CATCH UP scene).

In books like mine, there comes a point early where I have to state what is going on, what the rules (and Rules) are, and so forth. This is most easily done with a character who does not know WTF is going on, and so the reader learns along with her and in a way that is organic to the scene/story (and hopefully the dreaded INFODUMP can be avoided — I have not always done so successfully.) The best example? Charlie and Drifter. Charlie doesn’t know crap about the Guardians, so while she’s digging a bullet out of Drifter’s back, he tells her. I like that scene a lot. (I’ll put it at the end of this post.)

I’m a talky writer. I like to have my characters talk, especially if they are the main characters and we can get the romance/flirty/tension stuff going in the conversation, too. Sometimes, the worldbuilding comes out smoothly in the course of their discussions, even if both characters know what is going on (although it works best if both only know parts, so they piece it together). Unfortunately, sometimes it means that I end up in a room with talking heads … even if one of those heads doesn’t know WTF is going on.

I hate writing those scenes (usually put them in brackets and write them last, hoping that by some miracle I’ll get the info out another way and won’t have to write it) but sometimes — especially if the person with the information isn’t one of my POV characters, I can’t get around it. My main characters have to be told, and we have to listen. If I’m lucky, the scene is short.

Today, it was not. Well, it wasn’t long … but I was resisting every single word. I HATED IT. I had a character who didn’t know WTF was going on, and she’s going to be necessary to the story, so she isn’t a throwaway character for the sake of the scene, and she needs to be brought up to speed, but it was effing boring — especially since it had just come after an emotional fight between my hero/heroine. Then my hero stood around in an effing boring scene, so HE seemed boring. And I realized: okay, this cannot be.

So I had him move. And yes, he’s relaying all of the needed info as he’s moving, but now he’s relating it to everything/everyone he’s seeing, giving me a chance to introduce the setting and a few more characters, and it all pulls together when he runs into Khavi at the end of the scene … which is where DEMON BOUND left off.

And because I erased so much and started over, I probably won’t make my word count for the day … but thank goodness those stupid words are gone. In about a year, I hope you’ll be thanking me, too, for sparing you an effing boring talking heads scene, and giving you an Alejandro-stalks-broodily-through-SI scene instead.

Here’s that excerpt from DEMON NIGHT, when Drifter explains to Charlie the origin of the Guardians:

 

I haven’t written a character like this before. It’s an interesting balance — because her anger can’t always come out violently and she can’t always be surly, or it would be hard to care about her romance or her story (I think angry heroes have it easier than angry heroines). So it’s shaping a lot of her humor, too.

Anyway, here’s a snippet from DEMON DAWN. Irena’s in Rome, and she’s just been propositioned by a drunk. 

Thank you, Amie Stuart. Go here for awesome recipe for Thai-ish chicken.

I am sick with some freak not-quite-a-head-cold-and-not-quite-the-flu-but-I-feel-like-shit-regardless thing, and writing. The latest novella rewrite is going well, and because I’m finally happy with the conflict and characters, it will be the final draft until the tweaks and such that I have to do for revisions and after feedback. This is from the opening:

Less than a minute after her employer’s nephew strode into view beyond one of JFK’s security checkpoints, Maggie Wren realized that her new boss was a madman.

There had been signs, of course — such as the numerous life-sized self-portraits decorating his San Francisco mansion and his insistence on calling Maggie “Winters” — but she hadn’t counted his nephew among them until Geoffrey Blake walked close enough for Maggie to see his [something that Meljean won't reveal for another eight months or so, when it's time to post the excerpt for this novella.]

Also, contests! Don’t forget that two ARCs for Demon Bound are up for grabs (scroll down two posts); Nalini Singh is having a HOSTAGE TO PLEASURE contest; Ann Aguirre is hosting a contest for her newest release, WANDERLUST.

I’ve got two ARCs of my November release to give away! These are ARCs that are printed before the final copies, complete with a few typos and a plain yellow cover. And, as usual, I ask that if you win the ARC, to please write a review somewhere within two weeks or so of the release date (Amazon, B&N, a blog, anywhere you feel comfortable posting.)

What is Demon Bound? It’s the fourth full length book in the Guardian series, and it features Jake, a sixty-year-old novice Guardian, and Alice, a creepy Guardian known as the Black Widow. She’s got a terrible secret; he’s got a Gift he can’t control. So, of course, they’re headed for plenty of trouble.

Among the Guardians, Alice Grey is known as the Black Widow–a woman trapped in a web spun by the demon Teqon. To save her soul, she agreed to deliver to Teqon the heart of the oldest and most powerful Guardian of all, or else be damned for eternity. After more than a hundred years, Teqon is calling in his debt.

Jake Hawkins is a novice Guardian whose gift of teleportation could be invaluable to Alice in determining her next move. But in aligning himself with her he never expected to fall in love. Now, their passionate flight to escape Alice’s damnable bargain is threatening both their souls. For they’re about to discover a hellish secret about the Guardians–something that will change their universe forever.

So, here’s what you have to do to win: leave a comment telling me what you think the creepiest superpower would be. On September 20th, I’ll pick two winners in a random drawing. It’s that easy!

Just how creepy is Alice? Well, I’ll spare everyone and not repost that picture of a black widow spider … so how about a long excerpt from Chapter Two (if you haven’t already read the first taste of Alice’s creepiness, most of Chapter One is on the main Demon Bound page.)

I’ve got two ARCs of my November release to give away! These are ARCs that are printed before the final copies, complete with a few typos and a plain yellow cover. And, as usual, I ask that if you win the ARC, to please write a review somewhere within two weeks or so of the release date (Amazon, B&N, a blog, anywhere you feel comfortable posting.)

What is Demon Bound? It’s the fourth full length book in the Guardian series, and it features Jake, a sixty-year-old novice Guardian, and Alice, a creepy Guardian known as the Black Widow. She’s got a terrible secret; he’s got a Gift he can’t control. So, of course, they’re headed for plenty of trouble.

Among the Guardians, Alice Grey is known as the Black Widow–a woman trapped in a web spun by the demon Teqon. To save her soul, she agreed to deliver to Teqon the heart of the oldest and most powerful Guardian of all, or else be damned for eternity. After more than a hundred years, Teqon is calling in his debt.

Jake Hawkins is a novice Guardian whose gift of teleportation could be invaluable to Alice in determining her next move. But in aligning himself with her he never expected to fall in love. Now, their passionate flight to escape Alice’s damnable bargain is threatening both their souls. For they’re about to discover a hellish secret about the Guardians–something that will change their universe forever.

So, here’s what you have to do to win: leave a comment telling me what you think the creepiest superpower would be. On September 20th, I’ll pick two winners in a random drawing. It’s that easy!

Just how creepy is Alice? Well, I’ll spare everyone and not repost that picture of a black widow spider … so how about a long excerpt from Chapter Two (if you haven’t already read the first taste of Alice’s creepiness, most of Chapter One is on the main Demon Bound page.)

You never forget your first blood…

Susan Sizemore returns to the universe of her Laws of the Blood novels with a sizzling story of the relationship between a vampire enforcer and a werewolf.

Erin McCarthy’s Sasha Checkikov flees the bright lights and dangerous slayers of Vegas for New Orleans, where she is saved by a vampire haunted by his past—and hungry for passion.

Set in the Vampire Babylon world, Chris Marie Green’s story puts the bond between twin female vampires to the test when one of them falls for her prey.

And my contribution is:

“Thicker Than Blood”

Annie Gallagher is the only survivor of a demon attack that exterminated every other vampire in her city. But she can’t leave before she finds Cricket, a young human girl whose vampire guardians have been killed.  Annie needs help, but the rules of her kind demand that she operate in secrecy.

But when help comes, it’s from the one man she never expected…

The first chapter is after the cut:

Just to clarify: I will be at RWA, but not at the literacy signing. I will be at the Berkley signing at 3pm on Friday — which is only, I believe, for conference attendees. I’ll update my main page with the conference room number of the signing as soon as I find it.

First Blood releases in a little over two weeks, on August 5. That night, I’ll be at Borders off Cedar Hills in Beaverton … but not because I’m signing my book. Nope, I’m going to see Teresa Medeiros and Suzanne Enoch, and bother them. Teresa Medeiros I’m just going to fawn over, because I’ve been a fangirl for a way long time (Fairest of Them All started me on the path, and A Breath of Magic sealed the deal). She’s one of those authors that I don’t love love everything they write, but everything is consistently a good read for me, and some are just keepers forever and ever (especially because she was writing paranormal/historicals back when they were hard, hard, hard to find.) And with Enoch, I really, really want to know when Bram’s book is going to be out.

First Blood features Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, and Chris Marie Green. After the cut is the second half of Chapter One of “Thicker Than Blood,” my novella. It follows the excerpt that’s up on the book info page. It is my favorite novella so far (although the current one (hellhounds!) might knock it out of first place … we’ll see.)

Just to clarify: I will be at RWA, but not at the literacy signing. I will be at the Berkley signing at 3pm on Friday — which is only, I believe, for conference attendees. I’ll update my main page with the conference room number of the signing as soon as I find it.

First Blood releases in a little over two weeks, on August 5. That night, I’ll be at Borders off Cedar Hills in Beaverton … but not because I’m signing my book. Nope, I’m going to see Teresa Medeiros and Suzanne Enoch, and bother them. Teresa Medeiros I’m just going to fawn over, because I’ve been a fangirl for a way long time (Fairest of Them All started me on the path, and A Breath of Magic sealed the deal). She’s one of those authors that I don’t love love everything they write, but everything is consistently a good read for me, and some are just keepers forever and ever (especially because she was writing paranormal/historicals back when they were hard, hard, hard to find.) And with Enoch, I really, really want to know when Bram’s book is going to be out.

First Blood features Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, and Chris Marie Green. After the cut is the second half of Chapter One of “Thicker Than Blood,” my novella. It follows the excerpt that’s up on the book info page. It is my favorite novella so far (although the current one (hellhounds!) might knock it out of first place … we’ll see.)

Because it relies too much on having read Demon Night. Another exchange will take its place.

But I’ll post it here.

***

“Miss Charlie, your city is safe for one more day.” Drifter settled into the stool next to Jake. “And it seems to me I know a novice who’d also benefit from a bit of that female fashion advice.”

“Hey. Shape-shifting into Charlie’s body was your idea,” Jake reminded him. “And no offense, Charlie–but you never looked hotter.”

“I reckon she has. Classier, too.”

“But I’m so trashy in a miniskirt that you fly off two minutes after I show up? Right. You were afraid you’d kiss me.”

“More like afraid I’d start pounding on you.” Drifter shook his head when Jake lifted his ass off the stool and gave it a shake. “Well, hell. That just didn’t come out right, did it?”

***

 

Tonight, I’m finishing up Through the Veil.

Including the DEMON BOUND excerpt (if you missed it in the comments of a few posts back )

Also, there are DEMON BOUND bookmarks now (back and front pictured at left) e-mail me (or use the contact link farther left) with your address, and I’ll send them out to you on my next trip to the P.O. International is fine. If you’ve been waiting for one, they’ll be heading out on Monday.