Lori Devoti, paranormal romance and urban fantasy author

DARK CRUSADE (4) by Lori Devoti: Trapped in Gunngar, a place between worlds, witch Heather Moore must rely on wolf shapeshifter Kerr Vik for protection from an evil elf named Marina, who wants all witches dead. There are sparks between them, but Kerr works for Marina, and Heather’s not quite sure whether or not he’s really on her side. Devoti sets up an exciting alternate world filled with treacherous beings and makes readers believe both it and the sexual attraction between Kerr and Heather.

—Alexandra Kay
:)

Stop by, you can win something!

Three reasons my life is like a paranormal romance

Saturday was the Kat Von D signing at Barnes and Noble. I got there about a half an hour before the emails I’d received from both B&N and Booktour.com said it was going to start. And it was already a full house. Apparently, they started handing out wristbands–that’s right, wristbands!–at 9 a.m. And the signing actually started at 1:45. I’m guessing someone (wisely) advised them that starting at 3 just wasn’t going to cut it.

So, I grabbed my two books, paid, got my wristband and went with the other sheep to our assigned section of the store. Games, in case you wondered. We were divided into groups of 100. My group was third (wristband #316) and we stood there for over an hour. People were pleasant and overall fairly patient. Madison is good that way. You may get a bad egg, but we wait well. :)

Finally, when our time came it could have gotten dicey. They just herded all of us as one group to the line which meant because they lead us out from the front part of the section and people who got there first had moved to the back, that #399 was most likely first and #301 was most likely last. There were a few scramblers, but again overall we followed our directions like good little drones and no altercations ensued.

Then we were IN LINE. Uh, yeah, it went the entire length of the store, weaving once in that process, then up the stairs and weaving back and forth in the back of the store. There were “viewing areas” though, just like a Yellowstone where you pull over hoping to spot a bear. Photo opp places. :)

Lovely yellow crime tape was used to keep us from rushing poor Kat. Seemed to work, because again, after standing for an hour staring at that “Gnu” game we were pretty much book buying zombies. The living (for the most part) tattooed dead.

Once near the tape, the excitement started. There were those viewing areas–no pictures with Kat, no posing of Kat, but click away while she is in action. (With over 400 people in line can you imagine what it would have been like if people were allowed pictures with her?) If you wanted the book personalized you had to write it on a post it note. (again, very wise move) And Kat had an autograph book where you could write a note to her. (I thought that was really great too.)

I bought two copies–both first editions with the nicer padded cover. One is for me, but the other I will be giving away closer to Amazon Ink’s release. Kat inspired the book a bit. The whole woman in a man’s world thing with tattoos was just perfect for my Amazons. Especially since in my Amazon world they believe the opposite–that women are the ones meant to do the tattooing, that men don’t have the spiritual balance to do one with real power. Her book has great images of various tattoos and some good information–especially if you are writing a book about a tattoo artist. :)

Look for that contest in a few months. I’m going to gather up some other fun book appropriate things and put together an Amazon world package.

And one last note, in case anyone wondered, Kat was lovely. Both in body and spirit. In fact if anything she was more beautiful in person than on the small screen. And the woman had been sitting there for how long, signing how many books? My hat is off to her for that alone.

I don’t usually do these things, but this looked fun. I picked it up from

The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.: Another Oversharing Meme from the Wilds of LiveJournal.

Rules: Only answer YES or NO; no explanations or special pleading. If your answer is “it depends on what your definition of is is,” pick one.
Then if so inclined, tag others. If you are reading this consider yourself tagged–or just answer a few in the comments. :)

Kissed anyone one of your LJ/Facebook friends? NO
Been arrested? NO
Kissed someone you didn’t like? YES
Slept in until 5 PM? NO
Fallen asleep at work/school? NO
Held a snake? YES
Ran a red light? YES
Been suspended from school? NO
Totaled your car/motorbike in an accident? NO
Been fired from a job? YES
Sang karaoke? YES
Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? YES
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? YES
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? YES
Kissed in the rain? NO
Sang in the shower? YES
Sat on a rooftop? YES
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? NO
Broken a bone? NO
Shaved your head? NO
Blacked out from drinking? NO
Played a prank on someone? YES
Felt like killing someone? YES
Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? NO
Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? YES
Been in a band? NO
Shot a gun? YES
Donated Blood? NO
Eaten alligator meat? NO
Eaten cheesecake? YES
Still love someone you shouldn’t? NO
Think about the future? YES
Believe in love? YES
Sleep on a certain side of the bed? YES
Talk in your sleep? NO
Laughed until you peed your pants? YES
Passed gas on an elevator with others? NO
Spend too much time on LJ/Facebook? YES
Play a musical instrument? YES
Lived outside of the country? YES
Been skinny dipping? YES
Gone sky diving? NO
Dated someone longer than you should have? YES

Things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Gone on a blind date
( ) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
( ) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t.
( ) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets (howler monkeys etc…)
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(X) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
(X) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
( ) Been to Disneyland
(X) Been to Disney World
( ) Truly believe in the power of prayer (spells, chants, hope. . what ever you want to call it )
( ) Been in a rain forest
(X) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(X) Been water-skiing
(X) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
(X) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game

I have got a ton of compliments on Amazon Ink’s cover and thought some of you might like more information on the artist. Well, here’s an interview!

Temple Library Reviews: Artist Corner: Timothy Lantz.

Something different this time. From the author’s web site:

The Patriot Witch (novel) (New York, NY: Del Rey), April 2009

The year is 1775. On the surface, Proctor Brown appears to be an ordinary young man working the family farm in New England. He is a minuteman, a member of the local militia, determined to defend the rights of the colonies. Yet Proctor is so much more. Magic is in his blood, a dark secret passed down from generation to generation. But Proctor’s mother has taught him to hide his talents, lest he be labeled a witch and find himself dangling at the end of a rope.

A chance encounter with an arrogant British officer bearing magic of his own catapults Proctor out of his comfortable existence and into the adventure of a lifetime, as resistance sparks rebellion and rebellion becomes revolution. Now, even as he fights alongside his fellow patriots from Lexington to Bunker Hill, Proctor finds himself enmeshed in a war of a different sort—a secret war of magic against magic, witch against witch, with the stakes not only the independence of a young nation but the future of humanity itself.

It’s an April 2009 release but you can download a PDF free right now (from the author, C. C. Finlay).

Harlequin is giving away a free copy of Lori Foster’s Stranded in Audible format…Get it here!

Looks like with Valentine’s Day coming up the bookstores are throwing out some fun deals.

In Borders’ newsletter they have another 20% off coupon and a buy one beverage get one free coupon. They also have a video up with Christopher Moore, author of You Suck and new release, Fool.

Barnes and Noble is pimping their new “Recommends” selection and I have to say it looks tempting. Dog On It by Spencer Quinn is the first book in a new mystery series featuring a canine narrator (okay, I’m not sure about that part, but am keeping an open mind) and his human partner. And they provide a 40% off coupon for it. They also have a deal on Godiva, buy $25 worth and get a free pack for yourself ($15 value) and a coupon for 20% off their kids’ Valentine’s Day books. And last but not least, Kat Valdez is on tour and visiting a Barnes & Noble in Madison. I’m gonna be there.

That concludes today’s bookstore report.

I’m a big fan of the Crockpot. I rediscovered it last year. It is the perfect cooking companion for a writer on deadline. I’ve found you can sear a chicken breast, throw it in the Crockpot, top it off with a few other things and Volia! dinner delish. :)

Here is a recipe I discovered recently…

CrockPot Curry

Yogurt Sauce
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (doesn’t have to be Greek, but I like it)
Dry cilantro (I like a lot, probably 2 tablespoons, use your judgement)
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
Dash salt
Dash black pepper

Mix all of the sauce ingredients together and put in the fridge for later.

Curry
2 tsp oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp grnd tumeric
1/4 tsp grnd cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups peeled and cubed eggplant
2 med tomatoes, chopped
1 med red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 can chick peas/garbonzo beans, drained
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups fresh baby spinach, without stems
(Couscous or rice to serve over)

Heat oil in a fry pan over med heat. Cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and stir until soft. Stir in curry, tumeric, cinnamon and cayenne. Cook about a minute longer.
Spray your Crockpot (inside :) ) with Pam. Add onion/garlic mixture and everything else except spinach, sauce and rice/couscous. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours.
Stir spinach in 5 to 10 minutes before time to serve–you just want it to wilt a little. Cover it back up until ready to eat. Then serve over couscous/rice and top with the yogurt sauce.
It is yummy. I also like it as a side with Amy’s Burritos (which I adore) and salsa.

Writing is a funny thing. If you say you are a writer, you are supposed to LOVE writing. It is supposed to have been your lifelong dream, and the ruling passion of your life–or at least that is what many people seem to believe. And I’m sure it is for many people, but like anything you do on deadline, and for public consumption (and criticism) it can become very very draining.

I’ve had this talk with a couple of different groups of friends lately. One group was all published, one wasn’t. For the second I was describing my experience writing my last finished manuscript. It was a rough book for me. I told them the story of this frog…When I was little I was over visiting some friends and we found a dead frog in the street. The frog had been run over by a car. Just sitting there in the road it looked normal. However, we discovered if we stepped on a certain place on its back, its guts came out of its mouth. Then when you removed your foot, they disappeared back into the poor thing and he looked peaceful and normal again.

That, I told them, pretty much described me writing my last book. I stressed and puked up my guts only to realize it wasn’t going to work; then I’d do it all over again. And the entire time, with the exception I’m sure of when my literary guts were hanging out there, I liked pretty normal to the world around me.

My friends found my honesty surprising–because I was supposed to LOVE the process. Well, yeah, but when you’re the frog, it’s darn hard sometimes.

Later, I was chatting with another friend who’d had a bit of a tough year. She had a ton of books out, got great reviews on all of them, but the sales were not as great. She felt chewed up…or maybe like the frog, but with that foot constantly on her back. She needed reassurance that the rest of us didn’t LOVE writing every single moment and in every single stage. The answer is we don’t, and darn it, that’s okay.

Writing isn’t easy. You take your brain and you squeeze it like a sponge… and sometimes the sponge is dry.

People say mean things about the work that you went through such pain to create. They don’t all love you.

Sometimes people love you, but apparently not enough for the gods of publishing and you don’t sell more books.

Bad things that have nothing to do with you, your books or how many people read them happen. (lines close, your editor gets hit by a subway, your laptop explodes)

And if you obsess on any of these things you will lose your mind and you will not be able to keep writing. So, my advice?

Don’t. Keep your head down, eyes ahead. Know where you want to go and focus on that. Don’t let the Internet chatter of the next coming disaster suck you off your path; don’t read bad reviews, or if you must shrug them off. Don’t let any of that background noise get to you–and also don’t believe it when people say “this” will make you. Don’t focus on “making it.” Focus on doing what you do. Be a Missouri mule, blinders in place, staring ahead at where you have to go, and placing one foot in front of the other.

Then, when you can, stop and enjoy where you got to.

Here’s another writer’s advice on staying sane while writing…