How to Tell You Married the Right Guy, Writers Edition

Me: I had the weirdest dream last night. We were with this old guy who was certain there was a vampire in the basement. He picked up an ax and a Coleman lantern and headed for a partially painted over door. I was afraid he'd hurt himself, so I went with him through two or three doorways leading deeper into the cellar. But after the third room, I was sure this was a bad idea, so I headed back to the main room to wait for the folks from New Orleans who knew how to deal with this stuff.

The "experts" were just arriving as he emerged from the cellar, looking a little burned. Most importantly his face looked different, like he was somebody else masquerading as the old guy and couldn't quite get it right. Trailing him was a small man who looked a little like a dead version of an Indian politician from the 1950s, wearing a burned white Nehru jacket, who was walking like a bat--knuckles trailing on the ground, elbows up, everything.

They sat at one of the tables in the basement room, and I realized they weren't human at all. They were more like translucent, wraithlike, humanoid lampreys with trailing feelers like catfish. Peculiar but pretty in a deadly sort of way.

You were fascinated. All I wanted to do was find the person in the New Orleans group, most of whom were dressed up like Victorian era reenactors, who was supposed to know what to do. When I looked back, you were coming out of the cellar door where the others had been, and you didn't look like yourself, either.

We looked at each other. You knew I knew you were one of them now. And you planned to prevent me from stopping you and your "friends". I stood there, my stomach in knot, knowing it wasn't you, and wondering how in hell I was going to dispose of the body.

Greg: [Laughing.] Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem.

RavenCon, Retreat and the Library of Congress, Oh My!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the more fun I’m having away from the keyboard, the less likely I am to blog. Guess who’s been having way too much fun this month. We’ll draw a veil over the household’s Easter/Oster celebrations. Suffice it to say much chocolate was consumed—necessary fuel for what was to follow.

Next came RavenCon, which this year featured two of my favorite people, Rachel Caine and her husband R. Cat, as Writer and Artist Guests of Honor, respectively. And that’s not even counting the great people who run the convention. If you’re interested in a visual tour of the fun, my April 9 and 10 photos can be found here. Sunday, April 11, I was too busy to shoot. Honest!

The very next day, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Sarah Avery, Christine Norris and I upheld the honor of Broad Universe at the Library of Congress. We didn’t get any photos of the Rapid Fire Reading itself, but if you want to see the unusual suspects, click here.

On April 16, it was off to Turn the Page Bookstore Café in Boonsboro, Maryland, for the annual mega-signing with Nora Roberts and the featured guests of the Washington Romance Writers annual conference, “In the Company of Writers”, then the conference itself. The Retreat, as it’s called, is always a highlight of my year. I just wish the love came through in the photos. The subjects are so much lovelier than their photos.

I’ll write a longer report for my monthly Beyond the Veil blog on May 8. But until then, I leave you with this. Enjoy!


(Left to right) authors Charlaine Harris, Diane Whiteside and Ginjer Buchanan, Ace/Roc editor-in-chief at the WRW Retreat, April 17.

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The Library of Congress, signing with Nora, and DragonCon--oh my!

RavenCon isn’t the only thing on my calendar this month. Monday, April 12, barely hours after I return from Richmond, I’ll be reading at the Library of Congress in downtown Washington, D.C. The Library of Congress! You can’t see it, but I’m grinning so hard my cheeks are aching.

The reading resulted from a collaboration between the library’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Forum and Broad Universe, an international organization dedicated to exploring and promoting the work of women writers in science fiction, fantasy and horror. It will take the form of a four-person Rapid Fire Reading featuring Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Sarah Avery, fellow BtV blogger Christine Norris and me. You’ve already seen the poster I prepped when the reading was announced. Now you can read the bios, too, in the hand-out I’ll be using as our program.

But that’s not the only reason I may expire of excitement. I’ve been added to the roster of major authors (like Charlaine Harris!) signing with Nora Roberts at Turn the Page Bookstore Café in Boonsboro, Maryland, on Friday, April 16. My name and web site link seem to wander around the page, but the confirmation of my presence is right there at the bottom of the page: the buy link for Fantasy Art Templates.

I signed With Nine You Get Vanyr at the Turn the Page spring mega-signing in 2007. Nora and the top names sell hundreds of books, and even small fry like me sell in the dozens. This time, there are some new rules. For example, the writers can only sign books purchased at the event. Trust me, that’s a relief. Yes, you sign that much.

Finally, it’s official. I’m on the guest list at DragonCon. Atlanta, here I come. I can’t wait.

RavenCon Anon

RavenCon 2010 makes Richmond, Virginia, the place to be this weekend, April 9-11. The con features Rachel Caine, author of the best selling Weather Warden and Morganville Vampire series, her multi-talented artist husband R. Cat and gaming guru Steve Long as guests of honor, as well as lots of other talented writers, artists, gamers and costumers you really want to meet.

With a guest list like that, you know I couldn’t stay away. Not only that, I even strong-armed—ahem, persuaded the con committee to let me play on some panels. My schedule follows. I hope you’ll join me there!

Friday

7 p.m.: Two Way Street
Writers and artists often feed each other muses. Artists talk about the writers who inspired them and vice versa.
Panelists: R. Cat (Artist Guest of Honor), James Enge, Heidi Hooper, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), J. Andrew World

10 p.m.: Where Have All the Female Vampires Gone?
Help us find out.
Panelists: Jim Blanton, Rob Floyd, Kalayna Price (Moderator), Jean Marie Ward

Saturday

11 p.m.: Ghost Hunting—New Trend or Passing Fad
There's a lot of stuff on TV and in literature—but is anyone still pursuing this at home? What makes or breaks the hunt for a ghost and how long will it continue?
Panelists: Pam Kinney, Cheralyn Lambeth, Laura Underwood (Moderator), Jean Marie Ward

Sunday

10:30 a.m.: Jean Marie’s Koffee Klatsch
Come rescue me from talking to myself for a half hour after wrestling ghosts ‘til the wee hours of the morning. I will have chocolate…

Noon: That’s Bull
We all agree it's fiction but there are times when even authors take too much liberty. Panelists discuss what they have read and perhaps their own forays across the line of believability. How far will a reader be willing to go to suspend disbelief? Does a writer lose credibility or are they just pushing the envelope?
Panelists: Laura Cory-Haywood, Sarah Harvey (Moderator), Larry Hodges, Jean Marie Ward

1 p.m.: Leyaks Don’t Get No Respect
World mythology is full of weird and wondrous beings who've yet to make their mark on the fiction bestseller lists. Writers and artists talk about their favorite obscure creatures and why they deserve their time to shine…or darkly glow, as the case may be.
Panelists: Iver Cooper, Kalayna Price, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Leona Wisoker

2 p.m.: Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading
Four first-rate authors read exciting, bite-sized excerpts of their work that will leave you hungry for more. (Check out the flyer if you want to know more about the writers.)
Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Debra Killeen, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Diane Whiteside

Library of Congress... Squeee!

The Library of Congress Science Fiction and Fantasy Forum has invited four Broad Universe members--Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Susan Avery, Christine Norris and me--for a Rapid Fire Reading at the Library's Madison Building at 12:10 p.m., April 13. You can see the details (and our neat flyer) here.

This is not Broad Universe's first RFR at the Library of Congress this year. We were preceded by Catherine Asaro, Kelly A. Harmon, Ellen Kushner and Sue Lange earlier this month. Which means we've got a tough act to follow.

I'm bringing Bai.

Hope to see you there!

The Duz is famous! Plus pics from Fantasy Art Templates

It's all about the links.
A couple weeks ago, Carole Nelson Douglas asked me to weigh in on the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette's great Cat vs. Dog Mystery debate. I...ahem, Duz couldn't resist. Just got word they posted my--er, Duzie's reply--with book links! Score!
Speaking of good stuff, today I also posted a Thursday 13 at Beyond the Veil. It concerns 13 great characters and creatures mentioned in Fantasy Art Templates. But the real reason you want to click the link are the pictures--the cover and three of the book's luscious interior pages.
Enjoy!

For those who only know me from my posts on teh Intarwebs...

You can now hear my voice, almost as if you were stuck next to me at a con.  ;-)  I'm the second of four featured writers on the Women's History Month edition of the Broad Universe Broad Pod podcast.  My readings are two of the very short stories at JeanMarieWard.com: "Clear as Glass" and "Green Eyes". The other readers are Phoebe Wray, Karen A. Romanko and Elissa Malcohn.
Broad Universe is an international organization of women and men dedicated to exploring and promoting the work of women writers in science fiction, fantasy and horror.  They're the organization which sponsors the Rapid Fire Readings I'm so addicted to, including the one scheduled for the Library of Congress April 12.  But more about that tomorrow.  This post is all about the Pod, the Broad Pod.
Cheers,

Blog Tour Interview: Bianca D'Arc

Once Bitten, Twice Dead--sexy bad boys, strong women and zombies, oh my!

Award-winning paranormal romance author Bianca D’Arc and I share several firsts. She was the first author bought by Jessica Bimberg, my first editor at Samhain. Hers was the first novel I copyedited at Samhain, and now we share her first blog tour—her first tour, my first time as a destination.

Today marks the release of her first mass market paperback from Kensington Brava, Once Bitten, Twice Dead, a sizzling hot romance with zombies. No, really. You don’t have to take my word for it. At the end of this post you’ll find proof in the form of the jacket copy and excerpt, plus information about a sweet contest Bianca’s running to promote the book. Better yet, I have the words of the lady herself, because I couldn’t let the occasion pass without asking her a few questions.

What's the one thing you'd like readers to know about Once Bitten, Twice Dead?

That it's not horror. It's really an action packed romance. Okay, there are zombies in it, but they're the bad guys. The hero is a military bad boy and the heroine is a strong, modern woman who's right there with him, working with him as a team to keep the world safe for the rest of us.

Why zombies?

To be brutally honest, because that's what my editor asked for. She knew me for my paranormal work and wanted something with zombies in it. I was surprised by the request, but happy to give it a whirl. I figured I could go the traditional voodoo zombie route or give it a twist with the science experiment run amok angle. Because of my science background, I chose the latter. It's been a fun world to play in!

How'd you get started writing?

I've pretty much always written for my own amusement. I used to think of it as a cheap form of therapy. I was first published in 2006 with a fledgling publishing company called Samhain Publishing. I was lucky enough to be one of the first authors signed to the new company and the rest, as they say, is history.

What would you say was the biggest turning point in your writing career so far?

Getting my first NY contract last June was a big step in my career. While I continue to write several series for Samhain, I'm trying something new, on a bigger stage, as it were. With any luck, it will lead to more books for bigger publishers and I hope to at some point have my books come out in mass market paperbacks rather than trade paperbacks, so I always have something to work toward.

Your e-pubbed and small press fiction has won many awards. Do you think that helped your transition from small press to mass market?

I'm really not sure. It certainly has helped with credibility, but I think more than anything, submitting books and being willing to write fast and under an editor's direction has been most helpful.

What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about publishing before you started writing?

That writing the book is the easy part! All the marketing and promotion that goes along with making your book a success is exhausting. I didn't realize how much work there was behind the scenes when I decided to write full time.

What are you reading now?

I don't have a lot of time to read lately because I've been on deadline and trying to recover from the loss of my beloved Mom just before Christmas. But when I do read, I tend to look for either old favorites like Suzanne Brockman, Christine Feehan, Diana Palmer, Rachel Lee, etc, or I browse the ebook sites for anything that looks good. I like to find new writers and support small press as much as possible.

Any hints about your next project?

I'm writing zombies now until I meet all my contractual obligations for those books. There will be five stories in all - two novellas and three novels. After that, I have plans to work on a new Were story for Samhain. I also need to write a new dragon book and the last in my Resonance Mates series. I have a lot to choose from, so I'm not sure exactly what I'll be working on after the zombies are done. It's good to have choices. ;-)

Anything you'd like to add?

I just want to thank JeanMarie for having me here today and also to thank the readers for their support. The past few months have been the hardest of my life since losing my Mom. Without my readers and the friends I've made through my writing, I don't know how I would have survived. I love you all.

*

Once Bitten, Twice Dead

March 2010 - Kensington Brava

ISBN: 978-0-7582-4729-2

When police officer Sarah Petit investigates a disturbance in an abandoned building, she expects to find a few underage drinkers. Instead, she's attacked by creatures straight out of a horror movie. Waking a week later in a hospital, Sarah is visited by Special Forces soldier Captain Xavier Beauvoir. The zombies who attacked Sarah are the result of military research gone terrifyingly wrong, and Sarah's immunity to the virus makes her the perfect person to help Xavier eradicate them. But his smooth Cajun accent, whiskey-colored eyes, and dizzying kiss are risky to her in a very different way.

Sarah attracts danger like a magnet—and the smart, fearless cop attracts Xavier too, instilling a bone-deep need that's undermining his steady façade. Enlisting her aid is a necessary gamble, but vicious undead creatures are not the only enemy they face. And the only way to keep each other safe is to trust in an instant connection that could be their greatest strength--or the perfect way to destroy them both...

Read an Excerpt

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Once-Bitten-Twice-Dead-Bianca/dp/075824729X

Amazon Kindle version: http://www.amazon.com/Once-Bitten-Twice-Dead-ebook/dp/B0031W1E8Q

As a special thank you to readers, Bianca is giving away a prize pack of SWAG and romance books. (For details on the prize, check out her blog contest page.) All you have to do to enter is send an email with OBTD Blog Contest in the subject line to BIANCADARC at gmail dot com, with your mailing address, before March 31st, 2010. The drawing will be held April 1st and the winner will be announced on her blog at http://biancadarc.com/blog/.

Vanyr's Cover Featured at Undercover Selections

Just saying you can see the details here. Also just saying Anne Cain is fabulous. Cheers and smiles,

SnowMyGosh 2010

You knew I had to post pictures of this weekend's SnowMyGosh. I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't seen it. Depending on where you were in the Washington DC area, the snow stick measured between 18 and 32 inches of accumulation. The Squirrel Towers side of the hill collected around 24 inches.

I'm still stupefied. I've lived in this area most of my life, and I've never seen a winter to match. Not one, but two--TWO--record snowfalls, and the season's still promising more. We could get between another two and eight inches by mid-week.

What makes this all the more surreal: in late 2008 I visited a friend in Montana. I was enchanted by her town and awed by the vastness of the landscape, but we both agreed I couldn't handle the winter. So I flew home to Virginia.
How the heck did Montana sneak on the plane?