Why Do I Write?

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am writing, author, Being an Author, paranormal books, PNR, vampire books, vampires, why write, writing, writing a book, writing a novel, writing fiction

Happy (belated) New Year everyone! Sorry I’ve been off the radar lately. I was overwhelmed with end-of-the-semester work last month, plus I had flu-like symptoms. Then came the holidays and all the craziness that comes with it.

But here I am, and I have a little update for you regarding my WIP, the sequel to “The Dark Proposal”, “Between Light and Dark”: I have about two or three more chapters left in my draft! Isn’t that exciting?! There’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears with this book, so I am thrilled to have gotten so far with it. 

However, there have been times when I wondered why I was writing this story and putting so much effort into it. That led to me asking myself, ‘why do I write?’

Seriously, why do I tear myself apart over something like this?

Now, the first simple answer is, because I can’t not write.

Honestly, that is what drives me to some degree. I am constantly filled with story ideas and have been since I was a little girl. The slightest moment in life, song, TV show, movie, scene in a book, etc., can set off excitement in my brain as I think about a story idea I’ve had in my head since God knows when. Or it could give birth to a whole new story idea. And if I don’t write them down, I might actually burst. It actually feels that way.

OK, so that’s half the reason. That’s like the creative, spiritual-ish reason. But what is the more logical reason?

The logical reason would because I have something to say. When I wrote “The Dark Proposal”, I had something to say about abusive relationships and evil vampires. When I first set out to write “The Cats” (which I’ve set aside), I intended to address bullying. There are some things that need to be said and some things that need to be explored. That is the logical, more down-to-earth reason why I write.

And I plan to do a lot of writing this year. Once I finish “Between Light and Dark”, I am going to take a break from “The End of Eternity” trilogy, and go back to “The Cats”. I also intend to jump on the screenplay bandwagon, and work on a love story idea that has been nagging me for a while. And then I have other ideas for novels and screenplays.

So many ideas, so little time it seems.

But it is still January, and I have plenty of time to get these three writing projects off the ground. I fully plan to make writing stories my career someday. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do that, though it would quadruple the amount of blood, sweat and tears that I am currently experiencing. Writing a story is hard work, and there’s no easy formula to it. Sometimes I feel like I’m crazy for wanting to do all this.

But I also know that I can’t imagine doing anything else.

In other words, I didn’t choose to write – writing chose me. Frankly speaking, but it certainly feels like that.

So, getting back to my first reason – I can’t not write – no matter how often I want to give up, I know there’s no else in the world I’d rather do.

So be it.

“The Dark Proposal” – on tour at Bewitching Book Tours

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authors, blog tour, Book tours, books, paranormal, paranormal books, PNR, urban fantasy, vampire books, vampire fiction, vampire novels, vampires

Hey everyone!

This week, “The Dark Proposal” is out on tour at Bewitching Book Tours! This is an opportunity to get the word out about my book, as well as stir up excitement for “Between Light and Dark”.

Special thanks to Roxanne Rhoads for arranging this tour 🙂

Here’s a look at the schedule. Please stop by to show your support!

January 15 JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder (Interview)

https://jbbookworms.blogspot.com/

January 15 Fang-tastic Books (Interview)

http://fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com

January 16 I Smell Sheep (Guest Blog)

http://www.ismellsheep.com/

January 16 Paranormalists

https://paranormalists.blogspot.com/

January 17 Roxanne’s Realm (Guest Blog)

http://www.roxannerhoads.com/

January 17 Share My Destiny

http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com

 

January 18 Urban Fantasy Investigations (Guest Blog)

https://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com

January 18 Lisa’s Loves Books of Course

http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

January 18 Supernatural Central (Interview)

http://supernaturalcentral.blogspot.com

January 19 SImply Kelina

http://simplykelina.blogspot.com/

January 19 Lisa’s World of Books

http://www.lisasworldofbooks.net/

January 22 Lisa-Queen of Random

http://www.Lisas2900.blogspot.com

January 22 Rabid Readers Book Blog

https://www.facebook.com/RabidReadersBookBlog

The Joy of Writing About Vampires

Tags

Anne Rice, authors, books, interview with the vampire, novels, paranormal, paranormal books, vampire books, vampire novels, vampires, writing, writing a novel

As I work on my sequel, I find myself overcome with excitement at times. Sometimes it is due to the thrill of a good scene, or feeling as though I’m on the right track. But other times, it is because I am creating a world filled with many possibilities.

I have often wondered what is the appeal about vampires, and the list can have a variety of appeals. Sometimes it’s the sexuality, the idea of being alive for centuries, being a night creature with supernatural abilities, and so on. But as I write the sequel to The Dark Proposal, I realize there’s a long list of why writing about vampires is so much fun. Aside from what I just mentioned, I think it also is because when an author writes about vampires, they are also writing about a whole different world.

Click here for original image on DevianArt.con

Vampires are not human, and don’t live like humans. Therefore, their world is entirely different from ours and their sense of self is equally different. That being said, an author would have to be very creative when coming up with a world unlike ours. It is one thing to write about vampires from the outside looking in, but when it is time to write about the vampire world from the inside, a lot of creativity and fun can come in.

Think about it. Vampires are their own specie, or even their own tribe. They have cultural norms different from human norms, and possibly even have a hierarchy or political system unlike most humans. Since vampires often live separately from humans, their world will not, and even cannot, be like ours. Imagine, as an author, what fun it can be to create a totally different world!

And ideas and angles to tackle! A vampire author could write about the political system of vampires, or the gender issues vampires face, if any. A writer could tell a story about the religious beliefs of vampires, if any. Or they could write about how vampires make money and become rich (or live simply) while not being too involved in the human world. A writer could write the complexities of being a new vampire, or a very old vampire. Or create a world where centuries-old ties and bonds create harmony or friction among the vampires. Imagine digging back hundreds of years to figure out what went wrong between a couple, or what has kept them going for so many long years.

The possibilities are endless – and its great!

There are so many different topics and angles to write about when it comes to vampires. More so than romance and love, though that can take on different angles in terms of gender, sexuality and longevity. The thing is, writing about vampires is so much fun because it allows an author to create a world on his or her terms, and it depends on what subject they want to tackle. And in the case of vampires, it could be any subject.

The one risk that comes up is getting too involved in this different world. There have been times when I had to take a step back and re-evaluate a couple of characters, scenes, notes and outlines. This is because I got in too deep with what I was exploring. For example, I was exploring the relationship between Daniel and his makers, Hilde and Michel. It started off being very exciting because I got a chance to go through history, the personalities of each character, the politics of the vampire world, and how it has dealt with human hunters over the years. Unfortunately, I got so wrapped up in this, I lost track of what I was doing, and had to stop and erase what I had done. It was disappointing. Writing about centuries-old creatures that have their own social norms is fun, but it can get too much fun, and then you’ll have to start over again.

Maybe, if necessary, novellas and short stories about certain characters may come in handy down the line. Kind of like how Anne Rice keeps writing about her vampires, years after she wrote Interview With The Vampire. She created a whole new world with colorful characters, and she built a career around them. From a business standpoint, that’s not a bad idea!

Anyway, writing about vampires is tons of fun, and for good reason. Imagine creating a world of blood-sucking night creatures that can do things humans cannot and can live forever. Imagine what its like to be one, and there’s others like you. Now imagine what that existence would be like, especially if that existence has been around for centuries or even millennia. Sounds amazing, right?

Now go ahead and write that down! Just maintain your focus and you’ll be on your way!

 

If “The Dark Proposal” Had a Theme Song…

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anguish, books, dark themes, eBooks, Evanescence, evil vampires, indie, indie authors, Indie books, korn, music, NA, New Adult, paranormal books, self-published books, songs, soundtrack, theme song, thoughtless, thriller books, vampires

Yesterday marked the three year anniversary of when I published “The Dark Proposal” on Amazon Kindle. Since then, it has sold or been downloaded for free just under 800 times on either Amazon or Smashwords. Even I still can’t believe it.

As I work on its sequel, I am being inspired by some songs that I feel capture the essence of the follow-up, which are motivating my writing. While I won’t reveal which songs these are just yet 😉  I will reveal one song I feel really captures “The Dark Proposal”.

So basically, if my first book were to ever have a single theme song, I feel it would be Evanescence’s cover of the Korn song, “Thoughtless”. Not only do the lyrics and metal sound do TDP justice, but I feel Amy Lee’s anguished voice echoes Claire McCormick’s pain and terror.

Behold:

 

The Dark Proposal – Re-Edited and Re-Released

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books, editing, Kindle, NA, New Adult, paranormal books, Smashwords, vampires

Today my book, The Dark Proposal, was re-released on Smashwords and Kindle. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was one of those self-published authors guilty of having a book in need of another edit. I did have someone edit my book, but I guess when I re-wrote a few scenes, I sent my novel into the Badly Edited Books category.

OK, it wasn’t that bad, but it was embarrassing knowing that my book had such problems. I saw it on reviews, and even friends and family were telling me about the grammar issues and typos. I wanted to avoid being lumped together with other self-published authors whose work brings out everyone’s inner Grammar Nazi. But, that was not the case.

I was looking to find an editor with reasonable rates to re-edit my book, when a fellow writer kindly did it himself. I won’t say his name, lest he gets bombarded with authors asking him to edit their work, which he doesn’t seem to want right now. But I am very grateful that he did this.

Also, I added a couple of short paragraphs in Chapter 13 that were in the first draft. Initially, it was a few long paragraphs where Claire reflects on her previous boyfriends, none of whom can be considered good guys. She notices a pattern in what attracts her to certain guys, which led her to go out with Daniel in the first place. It was a good passage, that takes place while she is out shopping in SoHo the day after she moved in with Daniel. But I eventually took it out when I felt those paragraphs slowed down the story. After I published The Dark Proposal, I decided I should’ve kept it in because it does explain Claire and the kind of guys she dates. So, I shortened those paragraphs to a couple with only a few lines each. Other than that, everything is the same. Oh, I also changed a few words to make Daniel’s interaction with Michel a bit more bromantic than before. I realized I has been too squeamish because guy-on-guy action, even briefly, isn’t as mainstream as female bisexuality. But so what? 🙂

So, behold my improved novel on Kindle and Smashwords. I’ll keep it on sale for 99 cents until June 21st, so you could add this to your summer reading. I hope this works out better this time. And if there still is grammar issues, I think I am going to cry hysterically for various reasons, LOL!

Character Interview: Samantha DiCarlo and Monica Alejandrez

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book characters, fictional characters, interviews, New adult books, paranormal books, urban fantasy, vampire books, vampires

When my book was released in September, I went on a blog tour via Dark Mind Blog Tours (now Dark World Books) One of the stops I went on, KY Bunnies, requested that I do a character interview. At first I wasn’t sure how to do it because of the dark overtones in my book. But then I decided to interview two secondary characters – Claire McCormick’s roommates and close friends, Samantha DiCarlo and Monica Alejandrez. Good choice because it avoided to potential gloominess if I had interviewed another character.

I ended up having a lot of fun with this interview, especially since those two have distinct personalities that are fun to watch/read.

So, without further ado, here is that interview:

Q: Great to meet you Samantha DiCarlo and Monica Alejandrez! Okay, tell us about yourselves, and how you became friends with Claire McCormick?

Samantha: Claire, Monica and I met during our first year at Richmond College, which is on Staten Island in New York City. The three of us hit it off right away, though I’m not so sure how.

Monica: (slight giggle) I think it’s because our personalities simply clicked. Even though we’re different in a lot of ways, we also benefit and learn from each other.

Samantha: Yeah, Monica is the quiet one, Claire is in-between, and some people say I can be loud. Anyway, we became friends in college and right before we graduated, we three realized we didn’t want to go back living with our parents and regress into children. We wanted to be adults so we got ourselves an apartment not far from the college and moved in together.  It was really awesome that our landlords took us in because we were college graduates without full time jobs, but I guess they needed whatever help they could get to pay their mortgage.

Q: Signs of the times, I suppose?

Samantha: You’re not kidding. Neither one of us could get a full time job after we graduated. Monica substituted a lot, but she was going for her master’s in education at Richmond. But Claire and I could not get real jobs for the life of us. I studied finance, but I got stuck bartending four days a week. Claire majored in English Writing, but kept working part-time in the English department that had lousy pay.

Monica: She also did some freelancing, but it wasn’t easy for her.

Samantha: We argued so many times. There was so much stress going on.

Q: When the fall semester began, Claire met Daniel Bertrand, who was an adjunct professor at Richmond. It began with him helping her getting more freelance work but then it turned into something more.

Samantha: Yeah, we thought it would be cool for her to go out with him. He was hot looking, rich and successful. Why not?

Monica: He was a really cool guy when they first dated. He was friendly and a real gentleman. He also made her smile a lot back then.

Samantha: (rolls eyes) Back then.

Q: When did you notice something was wrong with their relationship?

Monica: Thanksgiving Day. Claire was all dazed and withdrawn. She said she got into a nasty fight with Daniel the night before. She also even asked me a weird question about vampires.

Samantha: It was all downhill from there. First they broke up, and then she accused Daniel of assaulting her before their break-up. He didn’t seem to be the type who would hurt someone, but you never know.

Monica: Then she got back with him which didn’t make any sense to us.

Samantha: We tried to talk sense into her, but she wouldn’t hear it. She even said she made up the part about Daniel hitting her, which was bizarre.

Q: It wasn’t long after Claire got back with Daniel that she moved in with him.

Samantha: Boy, did that come without warning! I mean, we knew they were talking about moving in together before they broke up. But after they got back together, almost right away did she begin packing up! I got the impression Daniel made a “my way or no way” type of deal, and for some reason, Claire went along.

Q: Was this normal of her?

Samantha & Monica: No!

Monica: She actually was never that strong. She was never a doormat, but she did have weaknesses that she needed to work on. I also think there was something about Daniel that we couldn’t put our finger on.

Samantha: Well, we kind of did. The night he came to get Claire’s things was like seeing the real Daniel, or part of it. He came across as cold and calculating, nothing like the nice guy we knew before. He and I almost got into an argument, but I outsmarted him.

Monica: I was really worried about her when she left that night. It was like she was afraid to say no to Daniel, and was heading for something we couldn’t get her out of.

Q: Have you spoken to her since?

Samantha: We’ve spoken once or twice on the phone. She sent us a few emails, sent us photos of her in Paris, where Daniel took her for some romantic vacation. But we have yet to meet up.

Monica: It’s really sad that our friendship came to a sudden end like that.

Samantha: Sad? I’m pissed. But I don’t know what to do. It’s Claire’s life, her decision. We told her we would be there for her. I hope she never forgets that.

Q: Thank you ladies for giving this interview.  I hope everything works out for Claire.

Samantha: Don’t worry. I don’t think this is the end of everything for her. Really, I just don’t.