Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!

From wiki commons: folk tale depiction of Father Christmas
riding on a goat; perhaps from Swedish Tomte. I'm going to
give Father Christmas the benefit of the doubt and assume
that is a large doll under his arm there. 
Hey, I just wanted to wish everybody out there who celebrates Christmas a very merry one. And if you don't celebrate, I hope you're having a fun day of kicking back.

I'm in Wisconsin visiting my mom and sisters and nieces and nephew. We are a Christmas-morning-present opening family, so soon, there will be mayhem. Though, not so much if the Santa pictured here visited.

Mr. Crane and I drove all yesterday. I downloaded Stephen King's "The Green Mile" for us to listen to in the car. Wow, King is such an amazing writer. How did I forget that? He's a kind of scoundrely puppetmaster, in the way he creates these crazy flights of description and suspense, managing readers' minds. I can also report that it is not the most Christmassy of stories. Oh well! I'm not the most Christmassy of people.

However, sitting here with my coffee and Internet connectivity, which is, in itself, a Christmas miracle, I feel such a warm feeling for all my friends out there - readers, writers, twitter and FB pals, blog buds and everybody else. Just a warm and thankful feeling for everybody I've had the pleasure of crossing paths with this year. Have a great holiday weekend!

xxoo Carolyn

Monday, December 20, 2010

Annual Christmas letter from Little CJ & giveaway

Little CJ is not bitter toward Mr. Crane due to his
forbidding her to be displayed on the living room wall. 

Oh, wow! Little CJ, my childhood portrait painted by an elderly aunt, has written an annual Christmas letter.

And, she's giving away an international gift certificate prize to one commenter!

Come say hi and enter to win over at Wicked Little Pixie's place.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Holiday MAYHEM

The holidays are a very special time, and some of my pals have been very NAUGHTY WRITERS and are now celebrating it with some wild and wacky and, also, plain old romantic book releases:


Stocking Full of Coal  Click here to read about the story behind this totally kinky holiday romp by the notorious  "Amanda Feral". . . rumors abound as to her real identity being none other than Mark Henry. Nicole Peeler has an excellent write-up about the piece here! PLUS A CONTEST!!!    Nicole Peeler sez  "So yeah, it’s dark. But it’s also - considering it’s about a bruise fetishist and it’s written by a flesh-eating zombie - it's bizarrely romantic." OMG somebody pass the egg nog Purchase and find excerpt here.


Sweet Inspiration Leave it to Penny Watson to go for the bullseyes - Santa's sons. The first installment, Sweet Inspiration, is a fun and delectable read set in a bakery, where Nick and master baker Lucy have duelling cookie making philosophies.  Read Watson's post on "Sexing up Santa" on Babbling About Books here.  The Romance studio sez: "I'm hooked on this series and cannot wait to read the next installment. It has been a few days since I finished reading this magical tale and I'm still grinning from ear to ear." It's available on Amazon, or for less at Wild Rose Press.

The Christmas Fantasy Somebody has FIREFIGHTERS on the brain. And that person is bloggy pal KT Grant, who pens a smutty tale indeed. As Penelope's Romance Review puts it: "If only all of us could have a glasses-wearing, sexy firefighter hellbent on our sexual pleasure for a Christmas present. It would be a very, merry Christmas indeed." LOL. Well, I don't know how Mr. Crane would feel about it! Info and excerpt here. 


His for the Holidays This star studded M/M antho has been getting awesome reviews! I think it's a fabulous bet for a fun holiday read with some of M/M romance's biggest stars. My pal LB Gregg has a short in it, plus Josh Lanyon, Harper Fox and ZA Maxfield. Mandi at Smexy sez: "I can’t recommend His for the Holidays enough. Four really excellent M/M romance stories." Full review here.  Available here



If Walls Could Talk
Check out the really fun interview and CONTEST with Juliet Blackwell, author of If Walls Could Talk, the first in the new Haunted Home Renovation Series...picked by Suspense Magazine for its Best of 2010! It's over at the Biting Edge. 


Where am I? 
I am in holiday mayhem-land myself. But also, visiting some fave blogs this week. 
• On Sunday I was over at Escape Between the Pages talking about my personal holiday disconnect. Lori at Escape has collected a whole bunch of holiday perspectives from people. I'm enjoying keeping up with this series! Find it here
•On Tuesday I visited with Larissa on Larissa's Bookish Life this week! We did an interview and there is an International Giveway of a signed copy of Double Cross. It's here. 

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Snow day!



Look at our poor car! Buried. Luckily, it's on the side of the street
where it won't get towed. Until Tuesday. 



A million cars kept getting stuck. And still are. This
one was pushed to the side and left running and it CAUGHT ON FIRE! Flames were shooting
out its wheel wells. DH and I just stood at the window and watched. I didn't know at first that it had been left running, and I worried being buried in snow could have some combustion 
effect on cars. DH laughed at me. Well, you're not supposed to bury electrical cords under rugs, right? 


Kitty watching the birds at the feeder. Snowy day with many hungry birds to startle
by rearing up on ones hind legs, paws to window. 

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Notable Books & 2011 predictions for Smugglivus!

 
What shocking new innovation will Apple unveil in 2011? What confusing concept will President Obama go on TV to explain to the nation? What are a few of the books that yours truly freaked out on this past year?

It's all at The Book Smugglers today! Those sad, sick, book-obsessed yet lovely bloggers have really been doing it up this year for their fabulous SMUGGLIVUS hoe-down. And I'm honored to be one of today's guests.

Happy Smugglivus!!  Woo-hoo! Come visit.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Roundtable & release day

Character Roundtable: Why does UF have more women readers than men?
As part of her fabulous Spotlight on Urban Fantasy, Stella of Stella Ex Libris has invited the characters of the disillusionists series to discuss gender and Urban Fantasy.

See what Simon, Justine, Jordan, Shelby and Carter have to say about female and male protagonists, sex scenes, storylines and more! Plus, there's a international giveaway of Carrie Vaughn's latest! Visit the UF Roundtable here.

Major release action 

Wow, it's a big release day for the league and pals...er yesterday!
 First, Dakota has a new contemporary series... 

You Dropped a Blonde on Me by Dakota Cassidy
Dakota is definitely one of the funniest and cleverest writers I know. I'm really looking forward to this series! The blurb:

She was the perfect party-planning, haute-to-the max trophy wife. Now Maxine Cambridge is broke, unemployable and living with her mother and teenage son in a retirement village, with her self-esteem kicked to the curb.

Until her geeky former classmate Campbell Barker returns, all grown-up- and off-the-scale smokin' hot. Campbell refuses to believe Max isn't that smart, funny girl he's crushed on since high school. The more Max tries to show him he's wrong, the more she rediscovers her long-retired mojo. Now, she's ready to throw down some payback on her ex-life and fight for what she deserves...   Visit Dakota's site for vlogs and excerpts of fabulousness here



If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell (Haunted Home Renovation Mystery Series #1)
People are already squeeing about this new series. I love the haunted house mystery angle! Blurb: 

Since she took over her father's construction business, Mel Turner's made quite a name for herself remodeling historic houses in the San Francisco Bay Area. But now her reputation may be on the line.
At her newest renovation project, a run-down Pacific Heights mansion, Mel is visited by the ghost of a colleague who recently met a bad end with power tools. Mel hopes that by tracking down the killer, she can rid herself of the ghostly presence of the murdered man.

Mel's only clue is an odd box she discovers inside a wall at the job site. If she can make sense of its mysterious contents, she might be able to nail a killer—before she herself becomes the next construction casualty...   More at Juliet Blackwell's site

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy Series #6)
OMG, Richelle! The blurb:

The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.





Okay, now is the part of the post where I realize all the releases I forgot to mention. Stay tuned.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

What is it about UF?

 Julie over at the Yummy Men and Kick-ass Chicks blog has a fun and lively consideration of the urban fantasy genre going on this whole week.

Today, she has gathered a truckload of UF authors to answer one question: Why do you write UF?

I'm there, and like the dork I am, I have the longest and most lugubrious answer. As compared to Illona Andrews, who has a super succinct one! There's also Kelly Meding, Vicki Pettersson, Stacia Kane and a bunch of other authors.

This mondo post is only part of the "What is it about Urban Fantasy?!" Week.

Other happenings for "What is it about Urban Fantasy?!" Week: 

Friday, November 26, 2010

Miller. Rabbit holes. Writing. Recklessness.

I am working on a guest post for Lori over at Escape Between the Pages tonight. It's about taking walks on holidays, and I remembered that a writer I greatly admire had some quote on walking and thinking, how walking gets the mind rolling. I was pretty sure it was Henry Miller. I googled and promptly went down a Henry Miller rabbit hole. 

Wow, it's been a while since I thought about Henry Miller, who was major favorite of mine in my early twenties. Not for the famous Tropics so much as his personal writings. Sexus, Nexus and Plexus, Black Spring, Collossus of Maroussi. 

Then I went to my bookshelf and pulled down a copy of The Wisdom of the Heart, a book of his essays, and flipped through, wondering how I might feel about Miller now that I'm in my 40's. Gah, sorry Lori! I'll get that post done yet tonight!

Anyway, on my google odyssey, I stumbled on a great Henry Miller blog, which featured Miller's list of writing commandments, which Miller made for himself in 1933; You have to scroll down to get the full list, which is three posts from the end. But of particular interest to me these days are: 
#3. Don't be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
#8. Don't be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.
This is because I am working on two short stories for anthologies. I've been getting into this way of thinking, like, OMG, these stories have to be amazing because they might be the only thing somebody sees of my work. People will read these stories and decide whether they like Carolyn Crane based on them. Shit! Gotta make this count! 

And of course that is a terrible place for a writer to be. So, I'm looking at this list, and I especially need to emblazon #3 across my wall!! 

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Who scarfed all the Christmas cookies?

Mom was up visiting and she brought a plate of Christmas cookies with her. Hey! Who scarfed all of them? Is that the  right use of scarfed? I never know.

Oh, moon & Scottie dog...
how I look forward to EATING YOU! 
Mom has a whole assembly line of cookies and treats going throughout the holidays with the grandkids, and this was the first batch. There was a turkey one, too, in observance of the fact that it IS early. Pictured, the only two left. I will spare the Scottie dog for last. When I was a kid, my fave cookie to decorate was the Scottie dog. If I'd had my way, all cookies would have been in the shape of dogs.

Radio radio
I was over at Write on Radio this past week, a fantastic local community writer interview show that gets local and national names. The week before was Lois McMaster Bujold. Kim Harrison has been on, too! Anyway, it's not a podcast, so you can only listen to it online for two weeks after the actual show. It was a really fun interview. Go here to listen.  Subscribe to the newsletter at writeonradio@yahoo.com


Jennifer Rardin Tribute Month
Don't forget it's Jennifer Rardin Tribute month co-hosted by Not-Really-Southern-Vamp Chick and Strange Candy Reviews. This is an absolutely wonderful event full of fun, thoughtful reflection by writers who knew Jennifer, plus reviews and giveaways. 

Pop Culture Fandom fun
Yesterday I was at CC2K, the nexus of pop culture fandom doing an interview.  This was such an excellent, substantial interview with Book Editor Beth Woodward about how characters take shape, power shifts, Double Cross, Gumby, and who will be the bridesmaids in the big wedding! Visit here. 



Giveaways
Paperback Dolls is having a massive follower giveaway where you can win a Nook or books, and they are also giving to charity. It ends December 12th. Huge! Play here. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 
I hope everybody has a good, cozy, wonderful Thanksgiving. Mr. Crane's birthday falls right on the 25th, so we've decided to stick around. Fires in the fireplace. Friends. Reading. A few video scripts to write for the dayjob. Work on the novel. What are my other US pals doing?

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Delving into character names!

I'm over at Dirty Sexy Books chatting with Rebecca, where we go all nerdy and analyze and discuss a whole bunch of character names. Come join us! Oh, and you could win a book, too, if you're in the US and Canada. Come say hi!

Reviews
I wanted to mention a few recent reviews that I was super honored to see:
  • Both books discussed over at the pop-culture fandom blog, Cin City - topics include relating to UF characters, and the contrast in Packard and Justine's world views.  
  • Ellz Reads takes a look at Double Cross - topics: fave characters, questioning values.
  • Bookaholic Zone: "Would it be wrong to beg for hints" on #3?
  • Brenda Loves Books Discusses Double Cross, touching on love triangles, UF burnout,  believability and more.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Ten things you didn't know about Carolyn Crane

Why am I wracked with guilt? What is this "stereopticon pact" I entered into--and am I keeping up my end? Do I drain the tri-cock? Repeatedly?

The answers to these and many other things you likely have NOT been wondering about me are over at The fabulous Amber Scott Project, one of my fave blogs.

Amber is approaching publishing and promo in a lot of cool, creative ways, including her "project pay it forward." I love what she's doing over there. This woman thinks out of the box!

Anyway, today I'm there with  a hugely narcissistic post: "Ten things you didn't know about Carolyn Crane." Come say hi!

PS: I just noticed that you can win Mind Games or Halfway to the Grave at the another fabu blog, the Bookaholic Zone...until Midnight tonight! 

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Another nomination! And, a podcast!

When you are a writer, sometimes you have Good Book Days, at least that's what I call them in my mind. Good Book Days can happen from a kind tweet or comment about your book, or the feeling that somebody is really engaging with it, or just feeling like, wow, a book is on my shelf that I wrote. Two books!

So far, this week is shaping up to be a very Good Book Week! There was the AAD nomination, and I have now learned Double Cross was nominated for Best Urban Fantasy 2010 by RT Magazine! I'm so happy and excited!!

I have not seen a list to see who else is nominated, but I do understand that several of my pals from around Reluctant Adult and Twitterland are also up for awards: Dakota Cassidy, Michelle Rowen, Michele Bardsley, Megan Hart, Mark Henry, Jeanne Stein, and Molly Harper! Wildest Congrats!


The Functional Nerds Podcast 
Also super cool and flattering: last week I sat down to record a podcast with Internet Gurus Patrick Hester and John Anealio about books, writing, urban fantasy as a genre, social media, querying and more. These guys run such a fun show, and  tend to have really interesting guests - musicians, writers, people with ideas on social media, technology, sci fi and more. And then there's me. LOL.  Download it here! 


I tend to be a bit deer-in-headlightsy when it comes to extemporaneous speaking, but John and Patrick were just so fun and cool. Their series tends to be really excellent. The week before was Jaym Gates & Erika Holt on their Rigor Amortis Collection. And just before that, a great episode with Neil Clarke.  


And then, this one with Fred Kiesche and Mike Ferrante was really really interesting just from a social media point of view. I feel like I learned so much from it. I might actually listen to it twice. 

Image: John Flynn and Virginia Moore; public domain image from Wiki Media

Monday, November 1, 2010

I was nominated! And I'm in the mood for a Druid and more!

Hey everybody! I hope you had a great Halloween. So, a couple items...

The HOUNDED Cover arrives! 
Fellow Leaguer Kevin Hearne has a cover to his new series, which releases in April, May and June. It's about a DRUID. Personally, I like the idea of a Druid, and this series sounds really cool: 

Hearne on the Iron Druid Chronicles:

Atticus O'Sullivan has been running for 2,000 years, and he's a bit tired of it. After he stole a magical sword from the Tuatha Dé Danann (those who became the Sidhe or the Fae) in a first century battle, some of them were furious and gave chase, and some were secretly amused that a Druid had the cheek to defy them. As the centuries passed and Atticus remained a fugitive—an annoyingly long-lived one, at that—those who were furious only grew more so, while others began to aid him in secret.

Now he's living in Tempe, Arizona, the very last of the Druids, far from where the Fae can easily enter this plane and find him. It's a place where many paranormals have decided to hide from the troubles of the old world—from an Icelandic vampire holding a grudge against Thor to a coven of Polish witches who ran from the German Blitzkrieg.

When Atticus hears from the Morrigan that his nemesis, Aenghus Óg, has found him once again, he decides to stay and fight rather than run. In so doing, he becomes the center of a power struggle amongst the Tuatha Dé Danann, where the sword he stole is the key to a plot to overthrow Brighid, First among the Fae. To thwart this determined deity, Atticus will need all the power he can muster to deliver himself from evil.

Read the cover reveal story at Reluctant Adults here! 

Authors After Dark Best Fantasy Book nomination! 
I was just so psyched to see Double Cross was nominated for Best Fantasy Novel on the Authors After Dark site! That is so cool, so huge!!! 
Fantasy Novel:
Shalador's Lady by: Anne Bishop
Born of Ice by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Last Dragon Standing G.A. Aiken
Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
Catch of a Lifetime - Judi Fennell
The Barbarian Prince by Michelle M Pillow
Enemy Lover, Karin Harlow
Double Cross by Carolyn Crane
Wicked Enchantment Anya Bast
Am I in some amazing company or what? Check out the rest of the categories here.


Dudleytown released! 
Also, my pal LB Gregg has a short being released from Aspen Mountain Press

What does Ms. Author have to say for herself??  "It's short. It's sweet. It's nasty. It'll be cheap AND it's a fricken' thrill ride." This is why I adore you, LB!! 

Double Cross out in the wild!
I continue to be SO so grateful to everybody who takes the time to read and review and discuss Double Cross. It means so much to me when people engage with it in their own thoughtful and creative ways. (and if you have a review I seem to be ignoring, let me know. I am far too haphazard in catching and citing them.)


In other news, I am so down on blogger. Why is it so hard to get the layout and fonts and spacing to look right? Look at this! Stupidly big spaces, tiny words. I've spent like an hour fooling around with this thing in two different browsers. ACK.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Great moments from last night's reading: Judith Ivory

Great moments from last night's reading
Book: Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory
Page: 248
Spoiler level: nil

Here's a little moment that totally stuck in my mind from last night's reading. It's slightly random, in the way that true things about a person can be random.

Stuart Aysgarth, this very dark, embattled Viscount, is working on this "caper," let's call it, with Emma, that involves them going to London.

Aysgarth has this sleek black carriage pulled by eight giant black horses, but one of the horses is going a little wild and reckless and almost makes the carriage tip over. So Stuart has to stop the carriage and send the horse and its mate back to the stable and go with six for a while.
When Stuart climbed back into the carriage, he shoved through the doorway like a man who was more than merely frustrated by a wayward horse. He was angry. He sat back heavily into his seat, then glanced at Emma. "Happy?" he asked, as he she'd had something to do with it. "No more wild, whirling rides once we get to Harrogate."
Mystified, she told him, "It's a good decision."
But he didn't like it. Reducing the team to six, removing perhaps the fastest, strongest animal and its harness mate, seemed to mean more to him than giving up "Wild whirling rides." He saw it as giving up something else, something she didn't grasp, though nothing he would speak of. 
I found myself thinking of this little passage a lot today. Nobody in their right mind would ride with a horse messing up the team and endangering everybody, but Stuart hated to have to take the horse off, even temporarily. By this time in the book, a good 2/3 through, Stuart seemed, to me, this known hero, a character I felt I understood and trusted. And suddenly, this note of irrationality.

I loved two things about this moment. One was a a big thing about human nature, you know, people don't behave in their own self interests in a lot of ways--you just have to look at the way our world is right now to see that. And people don't add up so tidily as they frequently do in books, either. It made him feel so real as a character, just this odd resistance to a smart decision, truly a moment.

The smaller thing was what this particular stroke of irrationality said about the character, like, reader beware, there's a little shadowy place here. You don't know him. There are eight horses here, and one of them has a wild streak and isn't with the program.

This book so working for me right now!

ETA/Monday morning update: Okay, after I wrote this I went to bed and finished the book and Ivory did bring this back, and twisted it in the most interesting way for this story. When I read it the night before last, I thought it was a strange little note to add dimension to this character, when in fact, it's a surprising metaphorical key. It was so subtle, I didn't think it would be that important. I like the idea of what I wrongly thought it was, and I also like what Ivory did with it.

Images: Black horse public domain file from wikimedia by V8Jess. Statue public domain file from wikimedia by manvyi

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

A body in the BED!! & the big HUNGER release.

Did you hear about the hapless honeymooners who arrive in their posh Vegas hotel, ready for romance, only to encounter a horrible smell?

Did their complaints to the front desk get them a new room? What was the smell, anyway?

Justine, Shelby and Simon tell you ALL ABOUT IT over at All Things Urban Fantasy.

HUNGER releases! 

This YA by one of the first UF authors I fell in love with is getting incredible reviews! This looks like such an an amazing book.

"HUNGER is not just a good book. It is a great book. It is funny and sad, brilliant and tragic, and most of all, it speaks truth. I adore it."
—Rachel Caine, author of The Morganville Vampires
"Jackie Morse Kessler hits it out of the park with HUNGER. Although this is a book with anorexia at its heart, there are no hidden lectures or story-slowing asides. Instead, Kessler deftly weaves the heroine Lisa's struggle with food into a beautifully realized mythology, complete with a wisecracking and sexy Death and a new spin on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. An absolute must-read!"
—Julie Kenner, author of Good Ghouls Do

"Powerful, fast-paced, hilarious, heart-wrenching, vivid, sad and most of all real, HUNGER is a breathtaking portrayal of a difficult topic that also deftly ties in with the interesting and scary apocalypse. Though short, this story will grab the reader and never let go."
—RT Magazine, 4.5 stars

More at Jackie Morse Kessler's site.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Have you gone overboard? I'm guessing YES

Pssst: the action tonight is at
the Borders True Romance Blog
What's the latest on the Craaaazy Carolyn Blog tour?

 I'm at Borders True Romance with a krazy little quiz, because how else will you be able to tell if you have finally gone overboard with your crazy-sexy-cool-fun and exciting reading habits?

Well, have you gone overboard? Find out here! 

Thursday, October 14, 2010

What can you tell by the content of characters' purses? Plenty!

What do all these mysterious items mean?
The answer is at Supernatural Snark today. 
Hey everybody! I hope you're having a fun Thursday!

So, I'm over at Supernatural Snark posting about the stuff in characters' purses and pockets. Little secrets are revealed. And we're having fun comparing our own purse and pockets contents. We've even turned up a tiara in a certain reader's bag.

Come on over and say hi! 

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Classic TV fun & a Dirty Harry-esque review over at Paperback Dolls!

What day is it you ask? Why, it's Carolyn Crane day at the fun and fabulous Paperback Dolls!! There are a couple fun things going on.

First, let me do a little squee dance on the review they just put up:
"I am going to go out on a limb here and say that this may be my favorite new book this year."    
~Paperback Doll Day
Gasp!  Read the rest of Day's review of Double Cross here!

Secondly, we're talking Classic TV and naughty after school snacks! 

I was thinking the other day about what a huge influence Hogan's Heroes and other afterschool classics had on my fiction, so this is a post all about that...and after school yummy snacks, with a prize going to one commenter! A really cool prize. Come tell us what TV shows had tons of influence on you as a kid...and share your fave kid snack "recipe." Drop by and say hi! 

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Random and oddball worldbuilding ingredients

...with a giveaway!! Come and comment to enter!!

I love Writtenwyrdd for worldbuilding stuff. For example, this post on police procedural background and resources. Speculative fiction writer D. Lynn Frazier does such a great job mixing handy resources in with stuff about her own life and writing life. There is so much on this blog!

Anyway, I was thrilled she enjoyed Mind Games, and that she invited me over to guest post. So, I'm there today, and I thought I'd post on world building...sort of. I'm talking about things I consciously and unconsciously pulled from my life to make the science and setting for the Disillusionists Trilogy.

Come say hi! Comment to enter!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Vignettes from my total slob life, & Double Cross book club chat p2

This is the last week of my big blog tour, and I'm over at Tynga's today for her series "When I'm not writing."

I decided, for better or worse, to "keep it real" and talk about my struggles with being a slob. There are several little anecdotes that I find personally amusing, but are possible pathetic. And honestly, my husband and I, both horrible slobs, are trying to change! But so far failing. Except the foyer. And there are pictures (that are not as bad as they could be). Come say hi at Tynga's Reviews!

Double Cross book club chat
So, part 2 of Double Cross is under discussion at Melissa's World...in words and pages. Part #2 is up to 166, and there are questions they've thought of, too. It's just getting underway, and anybody is welcome! They have some great discussions over there on all sorts of books, mostly UF.



Sunday, October 10, 2010

Who will have a story in Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance? & other items

Who? Me! I'm super excited to have been invited to contribute a story to the Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance! A lot authors I greatly admire are in it: Caridad Pineiro, Sharon Shinn, Annette Blair, Julia London - and I learned on twitter that Jeannie Holmes is doing one, too! 

Ghost romance, people! One of my favorite Kresley Cole books is the one with the dancer ghost. I think ghosts are challenging, yet full of possibilities. It comes out on September 29, 2011 in the UK, and October in the US. 

I haven't been reading many shorts lately, so I want to start reading some. Does anybody have any recommendations? Of entire anthologies, or favorite stories IN those anthologies?

Wassup with book #3 ???
I'm hoping to be able to announce the release date of book three, the final installment in the trilogy, at some point soon here - it will likely be on the shelves in the 2nd half of 2011...more specific info to come!

I can tell you this: The action in book #3 takes place a couple months after the close of
Double Cross, Gumby plays a key part, and there WILL be a wedding!

Interview at Open Book Society
Why the bearded symbol? Who is my favorite villain? Am I working on other projects? I'm over at Open Book Society this weekend talking about all this stuff and more!!

Friday, October 8, 2010

International, emo & reading update

First off, I'm over Reading on the Dark Side with an interview and contest (international entrants welcome!) I'm talking with Christine on how characters are sparked, writer's block, fave villains and more! This is such a fun UF/Dark Fantasy/PNR and YA blog out of Germany. I love Christine's eclectic reading choices. She digs up some fun interesting books over there.

I am not always able to do contests that have international winners, so I do want to call attention to Christine's, which ends on the 13th. There is one other, going along with my post at  Book Lovers Inc that ends tomorrow!

Me so emo
Happy Friday everybody! Phew, I am sort of on an emotional wind-down from my release. Yesterday I felt sort of blue - I think that happens after a time of emotional intensity, like a release, and all this stress and emotional angst gets built up.

So I was sitting in my office with this giant to-do list yesterday, all glum, feeling like I was running in place, really really fast, but getting NOWHERE. Have you ever felt like that? Anyway, my husband talked me into going to the beach. I had some stuff I could work on at the beach, pen and paper stuff, and that made me feel better. That, plus a meal of take-out burritos. Seriously, I could eat Baja burritos every day of the week.

Today I have a few freelance day job projects, and I am also working on a post for Tynga's fun "When I'm not writing" series where a writer talks about something about her life having nothing to do with books. I was thinking about talking about running, how I like to run around the city lake every day and all the stuff I see, but I might actually talk about my struggles with being a total slob and how I am trying to change. That feels more honest, but of course, it makes me look like a worse person than the running thing! LOL. Especially if I take pictures, which I'm sure I will.

Current books in rotation: Vicki Pettersson & Judith Ivory. What is everybody else reading this weekend? Doing anything fun?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Character fashion week! + assorted strange and wild items

More at Fiction Vixen... 
It's fashion week for the main characters of the Disillusionist Trilogy! I'm over at Fiction Vixen's today with full Polyvore ensembles for my characters.

See Justine's velveteen boots that I secretly just want for myself, which go with her velvety pearl-handled purse. Check out Otto's fine jacket...and Packard's underwear! Woo! And you can win a book, too. Come see, play and win.  

Fun with a mechanical pig, Victorian masturbation implements & dirigibles...
I love this post of Meljean's on Steampunk technologies and TwiMom is holding a giveaway of the book here.

Reviewers gone wild! Double Cross reviews getting curiouser & curiouser:
  1. A fun, crazy guide to what you should expect while reading Double Cross at Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks 
  2. A hilarious non-review at Jessica's The Spinecracker's blog
  3. Woo! congratulations montage from my critique partner, Tumperkin!
  4. And lest one forget: the Gumby review! 

Monday, October 4, 2010

A few Monday Links

Check out Katiebab's "It Gets Better" pledge drive...and comment! She tells her own bullying story, and is donating a buck a comment to this important cause. Go Katie!

Online Book Club.
Double Cross book discussion: It's on! Robyn and Melissa are holding a really fun and smart book discussion of the first section of Double Cross, up to page 88. Anybody is invited.

But they've only read to page 88...so, no spoilers! And no taunting! LOL. Every Monday they are doing a section.  Go jump in!

Recent Double Cross reviews: 
I'm so grateful for how many people have taken the time to read and review Double Cross, and for the fun discussions and insights people are bringing to the table. Recent that I've become aware of:

All things Urban Fantasy 
Casting Pearls Before a McPig
Smokin' Hot Books
Open Book Society
Paranormal Romance Junkies
Smexy Books

(See posts below for other reviews. If you have a review for me to link to, let me know!)
Image of Seagull by Remi Jouan from Wiki Commons

Friday, October 1, 2010

Friday items!

 Happy friday everybody! 


Blog tour: today's ponderous post:
Today, I am actually doing a sort of more serious post over at Buckeye Girl's site on unexpected things I have learned from reviews and reviewers in my short authorly career.

It's a side of the author/reviewer/reader equation that doesn't get discussed much, though, I may be only speaking for myself. Also, you can win a copy of Double Cross!!! Come and visit!!

Random items spotted out and about:

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Four big, fun, exciting things!

The secret language of the cover! Comment. Win! 
I am over at Bitten by Books with a post about urban fantasy cover trends, and also, some anecdotes about the creation of my own covers, and some little secret anecdotes about what certain things on the covers mean to me. Of course, I'm also giving out PRIZES! TWO signed books and TWO $25 Amazon gift cards! Come say hi and enter to win!

Jessica, my beta reader, speaks out!
True story: I started to get jitters when I read my proofing bound mss/alley of  Double Cross. Between my own constant tweaks, often in response to the fabu ideas of my brilliant critique partner, Tumperkin and my equally brilliant agent Cameron, there were sweeping arc changes, and I was like, nobody has read this as a book lately! Something felt off. I wrote this pleading email to my pal Jessica of Read React Review, whose sensibilities on people and nose for fiction I've always admired, begging for a read. She read it, and pointed out super key things that saved some key scenes. Though, er, some of her ideas, were, how shall we say...too brilliant, too ahead of her time. 

I'm at the RT Book Reviews Blog! 
Woo! I'm in the author spotlight over at RT Book Reviews! I'm talking about getting the idea for the Disillusionists, and also about hammering out where I stand on the disillusionist issue, and where characters stand.

Thing FOUR...WHAT!?!?!?!
Okay, this is a perfect representation of what release week can be like. Especially when you have a day job. (I'm working on that script, I swear!) LOL. So many exciting and cool and important things happen all at once! Seriously, there was something else equally hugely important to me that I was going to post here. ARGH! I'm sorry person who probably did something really kind and supportive and I probably look like I don't care....

Stay tuned.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Alert: speshul new line of reader/author/blogger greeting cards!

I'm over at Smexy Books unveiling my new line of greeting cards! I know everybody will be impressed by the sheer artistic quality of these cards, as well as the heartfelt sentiments. Come say hi! You can also win a book! Yeah!

Release day
Release day was emotional and exhilarating! I am still sort of overwrought and also, grateful to everybody who wished me well and bought/checked out my book and posted stuff and more! I feel so lucky. And it's a beautiful fall day, and a purring kitty is sitting in my lap.  

Bitten by books tomorrow
I'm at Bitten by Books tomorrow with a guest post entitled "the secret language of book covers" and a super prize packages of Amazon gift certificates and books! If you RSVP here, you get extra entries!!   

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

It's release day!! + Vlog and video FREAKOUT at Book Smugglers

OMG, so much is happening. Thank you everybody for all the kind wishes, and the wonderful reviews. I am so overwhelmed and excited! And happy. n' stuff.

Video Vlog madness
Hey! First off, I'm over at The Book Smugglers, where they review book #2, Double Cross, and also, there is a vlog where I talk about the book, somewhat pathetically...and then a video answer to their question of whether I ever have to SMUGGLE books past my significant other. The answer: YES. With techniques. Come say hi!

Blog tour...
Okay, I'm doing a blog tour, and I will put up a schedule as soon as I get caught up on the actual posts.
Tomorrow I'll be at Smexy's unveiling my new (fake) line of greeting cards especially for authors and bloggers.
...and Thursday I'll be at Bitten by Books with yet another Vlog, and a post about the secret language of COVERS.
And Friday, I'm at Buckeye girl's place with a guest post! And there's more after that.

Reviews! 
Also, I don't know if I'm being too self-pimpy, but a flurry of reviews just came out...and I'm pimpily quoting from them. Because, a release day is a book's birthday, right?

"This is a story of redemption, love, friendship, justice and so much more. This is such an amazing story-I just want everyone to fall in love with the characters and story as much as I did."  ~Buckeye Girl
"The Disillusionists Trilogy is inventive and original without ever going over the top and losing sight of its very flawed, human characters especially Justine, the force behind the series. Double Cross settles this series as one of my current favourites." ~The Book Smugglers
"I loved Mind Games but Double Crossed gave me a good hard shove into crazy, maniacal fan girl territory...Double Cross is a must read." ~Fiction Vixen 
"Double Cross amazed me. It was a kiss with a fist, a soft caress with brass knuckles, and a love poem covered in arsenic. Well done, evil author Crane. Well done." ~Bitten by Books
"Wonderful writing, fascinating and gripping plot and the right amount of romance. You won't be able to put this one down." ~Book Lovers Inc.
I'm so thankful for everybody who has been taking the time to read and review Double Cross, and Mind Games...more to come tomorrow....

Happy day to all my release sisters!
I am in the most amazing company today: releases by Marta Acosta, Courtney Milan, Joelle Charbonneau, Marilyn Brant, Tiffany Clare, Nicola Cornick, Bonnie Dee, Madeline Hunter, Jennifer Haymore, Illona Andrews, Miranda Neville, Jennifer Estep, Rachel Vincent...

...and release brother and fellow leaguer JF Lewis, with his book, Revamped, featuring a heroine with a flesh-eating 1964 muscle car.

AND...It's WIN a Carolyn Crane book day over at my partner in crime's place. LISABEEEEEEEE! xo