Silk & Shadows

Currently working on: Unearthing the revised Book 3 from the rotting corpse of Book 3 — phoenix, arise!
Mood: Frankenstein-esque

It’s Valentine’s week.  If you haven’t signed up for the Silk And Shadows newsletter (look to the left side of the page) today’s the day.  Our next newsletter goes out soon and there are Valentine’s giveaways to be won.

And speaking of Valentine’s…  Will I be drummed out of the romance lovers’ league if I say aloud that I think Valentine’s Day is a crock?  In college, some women in my dorm donned black armbands on Valentine’s Day, and I wore one in solidarity.  One of my roommates (who, yes, had a boyfriend with whom she had a lovely relationship judging from the late-night noises coming from the bunk across the very tiny room) accused me of being bitter and jealous nerd.  I said, Duh.

But it seems to me that many of the traditions of Valentine’s don’t feel like any romance I’d want to have.  Roses wither in a disturbingly short period of time.  The milk chocolate bon-bons pushed on us are a poor, cheap substitute for the real deal.  At least there’re sparkly diamonds… Except now we’re told diamonds are just the blood-soaked refuse of terrible Third World conflict.

What’s a girl to do? 

Besides read a romance novel, I mean.

 What I learned from romance novels that Valentine’s Day got wrong:

1. Love is not a one-day affair.
Indeed not.  Love is at least a week-long affair with a Sicilian billionaire.  Or maybe an eternity with a vampire prince.  But definitely not a mere 24 hours in February.

2. Love means having to say… lots.
Words are the measure of the man.  Backed up with action, of course.  Lots and lots of hot action.  But I want more words than fit on 5×7 cardstock even if it has a glittered butterfly and embossed heart.  Somewhere between 200-400 pages of words should just about do it.

3. Love is sacrifice.
This one Valentine’s Day got right.  According to the story, Valentine was a saint who martyred himself for lovers.  Romance novels are all about the sacrifice the lovers make to be together.  They give up their loneliness, their distrust, their prejudices, even though sometimes giving up their lives would’ve felt easier.  And at the end, they don’t always get flowers and chocolate and sparkly jewelry, the love is a given.

Do you have a Valentine’s tradition that you adore?  Feel free to create one.  We write our own stories here.

Or whichever holiday you celebrate!  Hannukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, Winter Solstice, the first pretty snow, ANY pretty snow!

Here at Silk And Shadows, we celebrate with books!  So share one of your favorite holiday memories in comments anytime this week and you’ll be entered to win a book from each of us, suitable for a night of relaxation after your busy holiday season.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Currently working on: Kicking Book 1 out of the nest. Fly, little Book 1, fly!
Mood: Hopeful

That headline, by the way, is a total lie!  Writing is insanely hard work that involves sitting around and staring into space.

But!  Sometimes I have to step away from the insanely hard work of staring into space and go play with writing toys instead.  Because writing is insanely hard work, clever people (clever enough to not be writers) have sold me come up with many ways to make it feel as if writing is fun.

One new toy I’m playing with for Book 3 is a writing program called Liquid Story Binder. 

For years, I’ve wanted some story creation/writing software.  A friend suggested Liquid Story Binder (and it was half off) I decided to just do it.  And with screenshots like this — words! pictures! windows! more words! – what writer wouldn’t be suckered sucked in?

I’ve just started playing with it, but I already see the potential for enormous procrastination.  And power.  Isn’t that cool?  Now even my writing toys have a heroic flaw.

Another writing toy (and by toy, I mean toy-ture, as in thumbscrews and fingernail-pulling torture, except that a writer must keep her hands in tip-typing shape) is Dr. Wicked’s Write Or Die. 

Putting the prod in productivity, the site informs you.  In its strictest mode, this writing prompt will erase your words if you stop typing.  Just the thought is enough to terrify me into keeping my hands on the keyboard.

My newest toy, though, is for post-writing fun:

Using a terrible mishmash of softwares cobbled together from dubious online sources, I made a personality quiz for the Marked Souls to help you discover the nature of your inner demon.  This is the first quiz I’ve ever made, and I learned a lot about html, ftp, php and other random computer shorthand.  Which is the best kind of toy, don’t you think, one you learn from?

Leave a comment with the name of your demon any time this week and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a signed copy of SEDUCED BY SHADOWS.  Post the link to the quiz elsewhere (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.) and you’ll be double entered to win.

Lest we Silk And Shadows authors sit around and chat with each other (which’d be fine, except they get tired of hearing me giggle maniacally about my new book) we hope you’ll find a few minutes to come say hi and maybe win one of our giveaways, including — naturally! — our books.

The chat is Tuesday, Sept. 29, starting at 9 pm EST/8 pm CST/6 pm PST at:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/ctr_chat.htm
You’ll need to get signed in, so stop by a bit early if you aren’t a Coffeetime regular.  Hope to see you there!

– Jessa

Currently working on: Revising FORGED OF SHADOWS (yes, still)
Mood: Determined

I love words.  I do.  My critique partners can attest to the truth of my loving words when they force me to cut my 79-word sentences down to reasonable size.  (Which I think was unfair, since there were plenty of commas in that sentence, so it wasn’t like anybody was going to pass out from lack of oxygen if they tried to read it in one breath.)

Still, I have to acknowledge, before the Word there was the Picture.  I dabble in photography and am a graphic designer in my day job so I admire the power of imagery.  For example:

Yeah, hot, which is inspiration enough sometimes.  But I also love the stark black and white, the balance of light and shadows, and most of all, I love the fact that this is a picture of Johnny Depp and yet for once he’s not smirking or glowering at the camera, forcing us to engage.  I think this is such a strong picture because it leaves so much to the imagination, leaves a quiet space for the viewer to feel the strong sun, the cool water, the rippling abs….

Ahem.

I like to keep images around to inspire me.  Here’s a picture of my writing altar and you can see a lot of my talismans feature images.  I have a slick of my book cover tucked in there, and on the wall behind is the collage for Book 2.

My favorite (tucked away in the back right) is a card — “Feuerreifen” by Gerhard Gluck — my mom sent me when I finally sold my first book:

Without words, the snail’s hope (and fear) is abundantly clear.  I find it very inspiring, to the point I’m thinking of painting myself blue with white stars for my first book signing.

I keep another picture (front left) that my XY cut out of a newspaper for me.  I tend to write dark and angsty, life and death, good and evil, and this picture reminds me not to take what I write too seriously.

The little terrier mutt with the cape is taking himself very seriously, and the chihuahua in the casket is trying very hard to stay in character (although he does look a bit nervous) but overall the image says to me, “Hey, it’s life and death, good and evil; have fun with it.”

On a trip to China years ago, I bought a chop — a stamp carved out of soft stone — and had it inscribed with the symbols “Tell a good tale.” 

Here are pictures of the stamp (wrapped in a bracelet with adventurine beads to promote luck, vitality and self-discipline — shuh, right) and a papyrus sheet stamped with the symbol.

Trying to explain to the carver what I wanted was an adventure in itself, and since my inability to speak Chinese is surpassed only by my inability to read it, I don’t know for sure it actually reads ”Tell a good tale.”  But as with all inspiration, as long as it inspires me, the reality doesn’t much matter.

Ideograms like Chinese characters, cuneiform and hieroglyphs appeal to me because to my eye they are a lovely melding of image and word.  And the fact that the symbol is in a language I can’t comprehend and will never master is perversely amusing since I often feel that way about the tales I tell.

I have one more inspirational image, but I won’t be keeping this one.  I commissioned an artist friend of mine whose work I admire to create an original piece based on the world of the Marked Souls.  I’m going to give it away at the end of October as a thank you to someone who helped make SEDUCED BY SHADOWS a reality, someone whose image I don’t have even though it’s been the inspiration for most of my writing life – a reader.

 You can learn more about the “Into the Shadows” Possession Prize Pack on my website.   

Do words and images inspire you in equal measure, or does your brain light up more for one than the other?  Since you are no doubt a reader yourself, I rather suspect your brain is wonderfully cross-wired.  Which authors do you find best inspire imagery in your mind?

As winner of last week’s drawing for a signed copy of Jessica Andersen’s DAWN KEEEPERS, the ever random Random.org has chosen…  Terri W at hotmail! 

Thanks, everyone, for commenting.  Keep reading for another chance to win either NIGHT KEEPERS or DAWN KEEPERS from Doc Jess herself!

First off, a big shout-out to Sharon, Jessa and the rest of the Silk and Shadowers … thanks so much for inviting me to hang out with you guys today!

I don’t know what the weather’s like where you are, but up here in New England, we’re sweltering through our first official heat wave of the summer. We’re staying as cool as we can get, laying low midday and getting our physical stuff done early in the morning and late at night. Yesterday it was even almost (but not quite) too hot for me to face firing up the BBQ for dinner!

When Sharon pinged me to say that this week was “Summer Pleasures” week at Silk and Shadows, the first thing that came to my mind was the summer tradition of cooking (or, as often occurs in my case when I get caught up in something else and lose track, burning) food over an open fire. We’re old school- we’ve got an open kettle grill that requires charcoal, lots of lighter fluid, a lit match, and the occasional whoop of surprise (and singed eyebrows) when we get the timing wrong. And pretty much whatever we might cook inside during the rest of the year, we find a way to cook it outdoors now!

Interestingly, my new release, SKYKEEPERS, has a strong foodie thread running through it. The heroine and reluctant mage, Sasha, is a chef who (whether she likes it or not) gravitates toward the Mayan flavors that remind her of her father. She’s highly sensual, and experiences the world through its textures and flavors. The hero, Michael, is also very sensual, albeit in a hotter, earthier way. The two of them together … can you say HAWT???

Well, how about I show you what I’m talking about?

Here’s the blurb, so we’re all on the same page:

Ancient prophecy holds that 12/21/2012 will bring a global cataclysm. Mankind’s only hope lies with the Nightkeepers, modern magic-wielding warriors who must find their destined mates and fulfill the legends to defeat the rise of terrible Mayan demons. Now, check out this short excerpt:

In Skykeepers, Michael Stone is a man with a dark secret that has skewed his magical abilities dangerously toward the underworld. Seeking redemption, he sets out on a perilous mission to save the daughter of Ambrose Ledbetter, a renowned Mayanist who died before he could reveal the location of a hidden library. The Nightkeepers must find the library before their enemies gain access to its valuable cache of spells and prophecies.

Sasha Ledbetter grew up hearing heroic tales of an ancient group of powerful magi who were destined to save the world from destruction. She never expected that her bedtime stories would come to life in the form of Nightkeeper Michael Stone, or that she’d hold the key to the warrior’s survival. As Sasha and Michael join forces to prevent the imminent battle, sparks of attraction ignite between them, and they’re forced to confront the unexpected passion that brings them together … and also tears them apart.

Michael thought he’d steeled himself for the familiar kick of attraction, the lust that hadn’t faded with their becoming lovers. But need hit him hard the moment he saw her stretched on her tiptoes to return a bowl to a high shelf, her midriff-cropped tee riding up, yoga pants riding down, the two exposing a strip of her taut, strong abdomen, with the soft lines of muscle on either side of her navel, where a trio of freckles drew his eye.***

She turned slowly, and when she met his eyes, he saw a reflection of the burning heat that churned in his gut. “Well?” she said softly.

“Come back to bed,” he said against her mouth. “We’ve got a few more hours to burn.”

(Smiles.) Can you tell I love these two together?? For other excerpts, more info on the books, and some really cool animation, please check out www.JessicaAndersen.com. To check out the video trailer for Skykeepers, go to: www.youtube.com/user/DocJess1!

Anyway, back to barbecuing … What do you say we have a virtual cookout here today? All commenters will be eligible to win a copy of either Nightkeepers or Dawnkeepers (the first two books in the series). To enter, tell us what you’re going to bring and/or barbecue today! Extra (imaginary and intangible) points for managing to relate it back to the Maya, Nightkeepers, or end of the world!

To get us started, I’ll start pouring the drinks. Who else wants a Virgin Sacrifice??

At the Romance Writers of America conference in Washignton DC last month, I got to meet Jessica Andersen — aka Doc Jess, insert fangirl moment here! – in person and got a copy of DAWN KEEPERS signed for one lucky commenter this week.  DAWN KEEPERS is Book 2 in The Final Prophecy series.  Book 3 SKY KEEPERS is out this month.

Leave a comment on any post this week — or heck, on every post — for a chance to win.  Good luck!  We want to make sure you have plenty of books to read between now and the end of the world in 2012.

Last week’s giveaway was a copy of Shiloh Walker’s THROUGH THE VEIL, and for our winner, Random.org plucked Kirsten’s comment about getting in trouble for daydreaming during Biology.  Excellent choice, Random.org — and Kirsten — since the only thing better than dreaming through Biology is dreaming through Calculus.  Since dreaming through P.E. was bloody near impossible except when I played far, far left field in softball.  I think the team on the other field thought I was playing for them.

Congrats, Kirsten!  And thanks to everyone who commented!

This week’s topic at Silk And Shadows is daydreaming. 

So, in keeping with the theme, one commenter on any of this week’s posts (feel free to comment lots for extra chances to win!) will receive a copy of Shiloh Walker’s 2008 Berkley Sensation print release, THROUGH THE VEIL.

Lee Ross always knew she was not entirely human. But when the man who has plagued her dreams her entire life appears in the flesh, can she give up everything she knows to follow him to another realm?

Shiloh’s next e-book is an expanded reissue of THE REDEEMING out in July from Samhain.

Bred for destruction but longing for redemption, this second chance is all they have.

Faced with the choice of torment or redemption, Jonah accepts the bargain laid out by his guardian angel as he lies dying in the street alone. Change…or die. Not a hard choice, it seems. But then he meets Lily and has to wonder just what he’s agreed to by accepting this new life.

Even the angels call Lily unique—and she is. Born of a demon, but longing to be more, her one wish is granted—temporarily. But now her time is running out and she has an impossible task set before her. It doesn’t help that she can’t stop thinking of Jonah…or the very real demons that will come hunting her once they realize where she is.

With demons and angels tracking their every move, Jonah and Lily have a life to save before they can save themselves.

Leave a comment on any post this week for a chance to win.