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: