Please stop over and visit me at Sia McKye’s Thoughts Over Coffee blog! I’m talking about the relationships between characters in In the Darkest Night. Not only the hero and heroine, but with others as well.
Archive for March, 2010
Character Relationships
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
In the Darkest Night is Available Now!
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010“A riveting thrill ride.” Publishers Weekly (Starred review!)
In the Darkest Night releases today! Woot!
Kel Andrews has spent the last year living with nightmares and flashbacks. Unwilling to share what happened, he’s withdrawn from his family and the Gineal council has removed him from his position as a troubleshooter. But when a woman shows up asking for protection from a demon, Kel reluctantly agrees to help–and finds himself facing an unexpected adversary, one he doesn’t know how to fight.
I love all my books, but Kel’s story is one of the extra special books that come along once in a while. I hope you’ll buy it, read it, and enjoy it. I also hope you’ll love it as much as I do and tell your friends–online and offline–that they should pick up their own copy of this book.
To find out more, visit the DARKEST NIGHT page of my website.
Tor
ISBN: 9780765361707
Twitter Contest!
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010I’m running a Spread the Word on Twitter Contest to help get out the word about In the Darkest Night coming out today! You can find the full rules and information on what you need to do on my website, but the gist of it is:
- Follow me on Twitter @Patti_OShea (Twitter is a FREE social networking site).
- There will be 4 posts throughout the day that start “PLZ RT” All you need to do to enter is retweet one or all of those posts. If you retweet 3 posts, you have 3 entries in the contest. If you retweet 1 post, you have 1 entry.
- The first post goes up around 8am US Central Daylight Time. The last post around 5pm US CDT. You have until 10pm US CDT to retweet. At that time, the contest will close.
- The contest is today, March 30th, only.
Prizes are autographed books. Two (2) people will receive an autographed book and one (1) grand prize winner will receive the first 3 Light Warrior books (In the Midnight Hour, In Twilight’s Shadow, and Edge of Dawn).
Please help me spread the word about the release of In the Darkest Night—your support will be much appreciated!
Appearances
Monday, March 29th, 2010I’ll be making a couple of guest blogging appearances this week for the release of In the Darkest Night. Please visit me here:
March 30th
March 31st
And please comment and say hi, so I don’t feel lonely. 
From the Journal of the Gineal Council Leader
Sunday, March 28th, 2010September 29, 2009
Today, the council removed Kellan Andrews from troubleshooter duties. The frantic expression that crossed his face concerns me, but I’m more fearful of what would happen if he remained active. We’d hoped that since he’d refused help, he’d work his way through this on his own, however, that didn’t happen. Worse, he’s taken dangerous risks with his life on many of his assignments. We can no longer enable his death wish.
As council leader, I’ve access to information that most do not and I’ve read and re-read the decision of the ceannards that placed Kel as a troubleshooter. It wasn’t an easy choice for them. With his high scores on empathy and healing talent, he could have been a formidable healer.
The difficulty was that not only is he magically strong, he also scored high in the talents required to be a troubleshooter, and the Gineal have plenty of healers. I’ve perused the transcripts of the debate, understood the arguments for each side in the discussion, but at the end of the day, it came down to numbers. We needed troubleshooters. We still need troubleshooters. I can’t help but wonder, though, how different Kel’s life might have been had the earlier council decided he should be a healer.
It might not have mattered at all.
What happened had nothing to do with his job, with any assignment, and might easily have occurred anyway. The only thing that would have been different was Kellan wouldn’t have been able to dare fate. But still, would it have affected him as strongly if he was a healer?
Now, all I can do is wait. And hope he can come around. If the council has read the portents right, we’ll need him at full strength. We’ll need all our troubleshooters at full strength. I pray we’re wrong.
* * *
In the Darkest Night releases March 30th! To find out more, visit the Darkest Night Page.
Assignments, Open – From the Files of the Gineal Council
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
Name: Farran Monroe
Age: 25
Identifying Information: Tàireil; Weak magical powers (per troubleshooters who encountered her).
Appearance: Height – estimated at 5′ 6″; hair color – chestnut; eyes – blue; possible facial scar (If power is as weak as suspected).
Last Known Location: Seattle, WA
Last Seen by the Gineal: June 2009
Notes: Monroe actively worked to steal the dracontias from the Gineal dragon mage. Supposition is that she was coerced by her family, all of whom were deemed to be strong magically. Further evidence suggests that Monroe took action on more than one occasion to protect our dragon mage, Shona Blackwood.
Incident One – Our Seattle-based troubleshooter suggested that Monroe hired a human to steal the stone because she could control him and prevent him from hurting Shona. He speculated that it prevented Monroe’s stronger family from becoming directly involved. Opinion of the council: Possible, but reasoning is convoluted.
Incident Two – Farran Monroe revealed herself to our Seattle troubleshooter to warn him that her family was set to attack. Her action allowed the troubleshooter to prepare himself and shield our dragon mage before the assault occurred. Opinion of the council: Accurate based on two witnesses.
Incident Three – During the battle between our dragon mage, three of our troubleshooters, and the Tàireil conspirators, Farran Monroe put herself between her family and Shona Blackwood, taking the shots meant for our mage. This action left her injured and she would have died if one of our troubleshooters hadn’t healed her. Opinion of the council: Accurate based on four witnesses.
After interviewing all involved in the dragon stone incident and having retrocognitive monitors replay events during this time, the council has determined that Monroe is unlikely to be dangerous. Before final determination can be made, it will be necessary to talk to the Tàireil woman in person. To that end, monitors have been told to watch for her energy signature and trackers have been assigned at various intervals to search Seattle for her. She has yet to be located.
The search will continue.
* * *
In the Darkest Night releases March 30th! To find out more, visit the Darkest Night Page.
From the Files of the Gineal Council – Personnel
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Name: Kellan Andrews
Age: 29
Occupation: Troubleshooter
Status: Suspended – 29 September 2009
Notes from the Healing Temple:
05 February 2009
The patient’s injuries are severe. Signs indicate he was tortured repeatedly and at length for weeks. Damage to nearly all internal organs, including heart, lungs, kidneys, spleen, and liver. Possible brain trauma. A team of healers has been assigned to work in shifts, ensuring that energy reaches him twenty-four hours a day. Prognosis: Uncertain. Injuries are severe enough that survival is at 25%. Family is present and has been notified of recovery chances.
09 February 2009
Patient remains unconscious. Injuries are healed, but healers remain on duty to assist his body in restoring itself. Prognosis continues to be uncertain. Chances of recovery have improved to 50%.
13 February 2009
No change.
18 February 2009
Patient is awake and aware. No signs of permanent brain damage, but since regaining consciousness, he’s suffered nightmares and has had flashbacks. Prognosis for physical recovery: 100%. Prognosis for emotional recovery: Uncertain. Recommendation for treatment: Immediate and extensive long-term counseling.
Additional Note to Council: While psychological healing has not been a discipline the temple has offered in the past, this element has been reconsidered and there is a healer who has completed a human education in counseling. She’s had success with a variety of members of the Gineal and it’s my estimation that the patient would benefit greatly by speaking with her. As of this moment, he has refused. He’s also threatened to leave the healing temple. If he chooses not to cooperate, there is nothing else we can do for him.
Reply to the Healing Temple from Gineal Council – 19 February 2009
We understand your concerns. It is our opinion that unless Kellan Andrews willingly agrees to counseling, there is no benefit to ordering him there. We will present the option to him again, but if he continues to resist, we will let it be. Send an update when he’s cleared to resume troubleshooter duties.
* * *
In the Darkest Night releases March 30th! To find out more, visit the Darkest Night Page.
Maybe Nothing For Posterity
Sunday, March 21st, 2010There was an article in the NY Times about how archivists are trying to figure out how to preserve the electronic files of writers such as John Updike and Salman Rushdie. This raised some discussion on one of my writers loops and one of the topics that came up was how writers can’t stop fiddling with stories. You see, no story is ever done, it’s simply published–to paraphrase some famous writer whose name I can’t recall.
I can tell you what it’s like for me. This idea comes in–it’s new, it’s shiny and perfect. It sits in my head, glowing like a beacon as pieces fall into place. If it starts with the characters, then it’s the plot that starts coming in or smaller details about the hero and heroine. If the idea is triggered by a plot idea, then it’s the characters who start coming in or finer details about the story. Eventually, scenes start to arrive. I’m not a visual writer–I rarely see scenes–but I hear words. I hear the characters talking to each other, I hear their internal monologues and it is awesome!
But then the day comes where it’s time to actually put words down on the computer. At first, I might not notice it, or if I do it’s in some distant way, like I can revise this to match my vision. But the truth of the matter is that no matter how much we revise, how much we tweak and rewrite and tinker, the written story never reaches the shiny perfection that was in my head when the idea arrived.
It’s not only me. Every writer who I’ve heard talk about this says the same thing–reality does not match their vision.
Maybe it’s because there is no way to meet the shiny perfection that’s in our heads before we start writing. Maybe there’s no way that mere words can convey everything we see and hear in our heads.
It presents an interesting issue for archivists, to bring it around to the topic. I fiddle with files after I send the book off to my publisher. I can’t help myself. Sometimes I fiddle with stories after they’re turned in, revised, and edited. Not much and not often, but still it happens. So the files on my computer aren’t necessarily exactly like any other version anyone else has seen. Not that anyone will ever be interested in my process, but what about other authors? I can’t be the only one that fiddles and this must have implications for historical record.
Of course, electronic data doesn’t last as long as acid-free paper, so the entire thing might be moot. All the data might just disappear some day.
Writers and Formatting
Thursday, March 18th, 2010Wow. Lately I’ve seen editors talking about people submitting queries in bizarre, hard-to-read fonts. All I can think is WTF? These writers must not want to be published very much.
I started writing when I was 14. By the time I was 15, I knew I wanted to do more than scribble in my notebook–I wanted to do this professionally. So I asked my mom to drive me to the library and I checked out a bunch of books on how to write and submit.
Yes, when I was 15 years old I knew better than to submit or query in Curlz MT or Comic Sans. This is why I have trouble with writers who are too lazy to do their homework. You want to be a writer? Do you want it badly enough to at least Google to find out proper format? If that’s too much, then I don’t think these writers want to be published. Not really. If I can get myself to the library before I was old enough to drive, they can get online or to their own libraries to check out a book. There’s no excuse.
I hate to sound unsympathetic, but, well, I am. It’s much easier to get information on how to submit now than when I was in junior high. Every publisher has a website with guidelines–all a writer has to do is take 5 minutes to check it out and follow them. It’s not rocket science. It shows professionalism and that the writer cared enough to actually find out what to do.
If a writer doesn’t love their own story to present it correctly, why should any editor or agent love it enough to buy it or rep it?
Rainbow Notes
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010I make notes. All the time. Anywhere. This is why I travel with a steno pad in my tote bag. I used to make notes on random pieces of paper, but it became too hard to find anything and I felt disorganized. The steno pad lets me keep all my notes in one place.
It’s not perfect. One day I might be making notes on idea three and the next day on idea two and the day after that on idea four, and this means that my information is all mixed up. If you paged through the pad I have with me today, you’d jump between six different ideas–several times. Today, in a fit of genius, I used Post-it flags to mark where the notes are for each story. A different color for each series/book. I’d been using a couple of flags to mark the Work In Progress (WIP) notes, but I couldn’t find anything else without a lot of flipping. Now I can.
If this makes me sound organized, it’s an illusion. I’m trying to keep all my notes in one place, but it just doesn’t work for a variety of reasons. The first is that I want my notes to be electronic, but because of portability and ease of use issues, I do make notes on paper. All the time. Besides, there’s something about writing by hand that seems to jumpstart my brain the way typing on computer doesn’t. Which is weird because when I’m actually writing story, I have to type.
So now I have handwritten notes and electronic notes. If I could put everything in one program–which I was attempting to do before I bought a new laptop–I’d still call it good. But Office 2007 came with OneNote and I wanted to try it because I heard so many good things. I love OneNote. I also love Liquid Story Binder. LSB does stuff that OneNote doesn’t and vice versa. Then there’s the pictures folder and the email folder for each book.
Anyway, the bottom line is I’m just as disorganized as ever and notes are in far too many places despite my efforts at consolidation. That’s why a little thing like using colored Post-it flags to make the notes for each story easy to find excites me. Anything that makes things easier for me excites me.
PS: Joyce, you won the contest on Riley’s Reviews. Please visit her blog for deets.
