Not the blog, so no worries there. But I can announce that I will be moving in a week. Instead of living in Wyoming, I will be in Oregon. That means, my internet will be a bit spotty until I get settled in, so there won't be too many blog posts for a little while. Not that I've been posting a lot lately, but once I get settled in the new apartment and everything, I hope to find more time for blogging and writing.
On to a new adventure!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
About S.M. Blooding and Her Novel
Demons Are Jackasses
A
Demon Talker Novel
SM
Blooding
Available:
May 1, 2012
Format:
E-book and Paperback
Blurb:
St. Francisville used to be a quiet place. Until
three bodies turn up dead with spells carved into their skin. Someone in Louisiana is ritualistically killing
people to capture the attention of Detective Paige Ansley. Having earned her
title through her knowledge of the occult, she’s the only witch detective that
can get to the bottom of these serial murders.
Only,
there’s one problem. Paige can’t seem to remember anything that happened during
the past five years.
With the help of Dexx, a snarky yet incredibly sexy demon hunter, she begins to remember pieces of her past. After discovering she has the gift of communicating with both demons and angels, the murder investigation takes a much more personal turn. The killer is after a demon’s soul, and who better to get that for him than the demon talker? But after Paige is kidnapped, drugged, and cast upon, she finds herself on the short side of possessed. Even after the demon is exorcised, her gift of demon talking is compromised. Any demon who steps within a hundred foot radius is drawn into her, pushing her soul out.
With the help of Dexx, a snarky yet incredibly sexy demon hunter, she begins to remember pieces of her past. After discovering she has the gift of communicating with both demons and angels, the murder investigation takes a much more personal turn. The killer is after a demon’s soul, and who better to get that for him than the demon talker? But after Paige is kidnapped, drugged, and cast upon, she finds herself on the short side of possessed. Even after the demon is exorcised, her gift of demon talking is compromised. Any demon who steps within a hundred foot radius is drawn into her, pushing her soul out.
Paige is determined to get to the bottom of this demonic case so she can return home. But the killer is still on the loose, and he’s short a demonic soul. In order for her to save herself, banish the murderer, and save Dexx, she must decide if she’s willing to give up the one thing that can hold everything together. And bring the quiet back to St. Francisville.
About the Author:
SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie and Mr. Bird, who’s a real bird. She likes to hike the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and is learning to play the piano and guitar. Currently, she’s trying to MURDER them both.
Excerpt:
A gutteral roar filled the room as Dexx slammed
the door shut.
He walked over to Paige.
Her lips curled. “You do not vant to get in my
way, little man.”
Dexx raised his fist and slammed it into her face.
Her eyes shot open with surprise before her head
slumped forward, her chest rising and falling in sleep.
Dexx sat down on the edge of the bed after he
maneuvered her onto it, grabbing his flask of holy water out of his bag. He
opened her hand and poured some into her palm.
Nothing happened.
He recapped his flask and grabbed a ball point
pen. So the demon hadn’t gotten in. That was a plus, but with her gift, he
wasn’t taking any chances. He pulled out his phone and hit the number two on
his speed dial, taking Paige’s hand and setting in his lap.
“Hey,
Dexx.” Leslie said, her voice full of laughter. “No, Amanda. Please, I’m on the
phone.” Dexx could hear the girl in the background, but couldn’t make out what
she was saying. “Later,” Leslie said firmly. “Okay. Sorry about that. What’s
up?”
“It’s a demon,” he said softly as he outlined a
protection rune into Paige’s skin.
“What happened?” Leslie asked, giving him her full
attention. “Is she okay?”
“For now,” he said, staring at Paige. “But I don’t
know for how much longer.”
“Okay. Where is she? What happened? Did she summon?”
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
He started to fill in the outlines of the rune.
“Les, who else knows about her gift?”
“No one outside of the family.”
“I know.”
“You’re family. Dexx, what’s—”
“There was a trap spell.”
Silence. “It could have been for anyone.”
“This guy kills three people in the span of three
weeks and then once she gets here, he does nothing?” He took in a deep breath.
“And Leah’s involved somehow.”
“What? How?”
“She only said that he used Leah.”
“Is she starting to remember?”
“Damn it.” Dexx’s lips formed a firm line. “Les,
why didn’t you take the memory blockers down years ago? Do you realize how open
for attack she is right now?”
“Do not blame this on me. I did. Before she
moved.” She took in a deep breath. “She wouldn’t deal with it, like before. I
was afraid she’d do what she did last time. She was actually worse than before.
All that anger and grief.”
“How would you feel to wake up and find out that
your daughter was taken from you for no good reason, and that her own family
had blocked her memories and her gift?”
“She was calling demons to kill people, Dexx,”
Leslie said.
“To kill one person.”
“Yeah. My mother.”
The
GIVEAWAY!!!
Buy
Links:
TLT Publishing
Amazon – Paperback
B&N -
Paperback
Autographed Copy + Demon
Doll
E-book coming soon!
Find out
more about her at:
Monday, April 30, 2012
Z is for Zippers
Zippers as in the closure system used in some clothes, yep. My last topic for the amazing A to Z blog challenge is the zipper.
Okay, it's not just about zippers, but about how much does the reader need to know about things the character does or wears.
The bathroom is another example. We don't often read about the characters going to the bathroom because it's not something the reader needs to know, it is just assumed. Zippers can be like that. The reader probably doesn't need to know every time the character zips up something. But there are times when they do.
Clothing can give a viewpoint into the world the characters live in. Sure every ruffle, button or zipper doesn't need to be described, but pick the right moment and you can not only show about the world but the character themselves.
One example is in Wheel of Time in the second book (The Great Hunt). One of the characters, Rand, is given new clothes and while he was raised as a farm boy, all of a sudden he finds himself stuck with clothes for someone of higher ranking. When someone is out of their element, it can show something about them with how they deal with the clothes they are put into or the clothes that others wear too.
While with epic fantasy we don't often think of zippers, but there are other places where they are used. Pulling zippers can also be an elusive moment for sensual scenes. There are quite a few things that come in to play when using clothing elements.
Do you mention clothing details in writing?
Does your character have to deal with a zipper?
(image link)
Okay, it's not just about zippers, but about how much does the reader need to know about things the character does or wears.
The bathroom is another example. We don't often read about the characters going to the bathroom because it's not something the reader needs to know, it is just assumed. Zippers can be like that. The reader probably doesn't need to know every time the character zips up something. But there are times when they do.
Clothing can give a viewpoint into the world the characters live in. Sure every ruffle, button or zipper doesn't need to be described, but pick the right moment and you can not only show about the world but the character themselves.
One example is in Wheel of Time in the second book (The Great Hunt). One of the characters, Rand, is given new clothes and while he was raised as a farm boy, all of a sudden he finds himself stuck with clothes for someone of higher ranking. When someone is out of their element, it can show something about them with how they deal with the clothes they are put into or the clothes that others wear too.
While with epic fantasy we don't often think of zippers, but there are other places where they are used. Pulling zippers can also be an elusive moment for sensual scenes. There are quite a few things that come in to play when using clothing elements.
Do you mention clothing details in writing?
Does your character have to deal with a zipper?
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Y is for Young Adult
Yep, going a rather easy route for today. Had planned to do this post earlier but had to go to work, anyways, let's talk about young adult stories.
I didn't read much young adult stuff as a teen. I read some in junior high (like books by the amazing Tamora Pierce) but in high school I moved to John Grisham, epic fantasy books and such. It wasn't until after college that I started reading YA more. And mostly it's because of the exposure I had to different books through twitter, blogs and online friends. YA has quite the online community and so I see those books far more often, though some adult ones get through.
While young adult books are popular right now (which is great) I do wonder when some writers who have never published something in the age range before suddenly puts out a YA novel. Sure, some might have had that idea for a long time and finally got the chance to do it. But some might be trying to catch on the YA trend, which I don't understand. If the novel idea is meant for YA then great, but I guess it seems weird to me to just write YA because they think that is what will sell. Guess I'm not on the selling end so don't quite get that viewpoint.
I didn't intend to write YA, as I discuss over on my Y post on my other blog, but I am not doing it because I think it will sell or because the genre is popular. The stories that caught my attention enough with their glitter and such just happen to be YA. (Okay, they don't really glitter or anything.) So, I just happen to be writing stories that are YA.
What do you think?
Is it okay to write because something is selling well?
Why write YA?
I didn't read much young adult stuff as a teen. I read some in junior high (like books by the amazing Tamora Pierce) but in high school I moved to John Grisham, epic fantasy books and such. It wasn't until after college that I started reading YA more. And mostly it's because of the exposure I had to different books through twitter, blogs and online friends. YA has quite the online community and so I see those books far more often, though some adult ones get through.
While young adult books are popular right now (which is great) I do wonder when some writers who have never published something in the age range before suddenly puts out a YA novel. Sure, some might have had that idea for a long time and finally got the chance to do it. But some might be trying to catch on the YA trend, which I don't understand. If the novel idea is meant for YA then great, but I guess it seems weird to me to just write YA because they think that is what will sell. Guess I'm not on the selling end so don't quite get that viewpoint.
I didn't intend to write YA, as I discuss over on my Y post on my other blog, but I am not doing it because I think it will sell or because the genre is popular. The stories that caught my attention enough with their glitter and such just happen to be YA. (Okay, they don't really glitter or anything.) So, I just happen to be writing stories that are YA.
What do you think?
Is it okay to write because something is selling well?
Why write YA?
Friday, April 27, 2012
X is for Xylomancy
Okay this post is a tad late. Work has been crazy and now I'm sick too. But on to the actual topic since you all don't want to hear about me complaining, lol. So...
Xylomancy
What is it?
Xylomancy (sometimes called xylomantia) is the art and practice of divining the past, the present and the future by interpreting omens from twigs, pieces of wood, or fallen tree branches. Sometimes it is even through wood burning.
There is even mention of xylomancy according to a wiki page as a class in Hogwarts (in the movie on a class timetable).
But I had never heard of xylomancy. So I picked it for my x topic because well... it begins with X, that and it's good to find different forms of divination to use. While tarot cards and such are fun (I miss reading them), it's nice to learn about something new. I could even possibly use xylomancy in the one fantasy novel that has a wood fae. It is interesting.
Web sites:
Do you use divination in your stories?
Ever hear of xylomancy?
Thursday, April 26, 2012
W is for What If
While some have too many ideas, there are others who struggle to find something to write. Sometimes, a solution to that is a What If question. I even have a writing contest on writing.com where the prompts are worded in What If questions. Though I try not to ask myself too many of them because I don't need any more story ideas currently, lol.
What if...?
“What if” questions are useful for writing because they can be a catalyst to our creativity. The question can force the writer or be used to make the characters face new scenarios, new possibilities and new assumptions. It is a basic approach in that all you have to do is start the question with "what if" and go from there.
Examples:
What if..... there is free will?
everything is pre-determined?
there is no meaning to life?
you were the only person alive?
the people revolt against the government?
privacy is no longer a right?
guns are outlawed?
aliens are peaceful?
the sun explodes?
an asteroid hits the Earth?
animals can speak our language?
animals revolt against the humans?
pizza is deemed unholy?
trees start walking?
rain falls up?
technology takes over?
we stop using technology?
work is a prison?
kids revolt against their parents?
Web sites:
http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/plot-outline.html
http://stratecutionstories.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/the-power-of-what-if/
http://www.ehow.com/how_2193528_brainstorm-short-story-novel-ideas.html
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=whatif
http://www.fiction-writers-mentor.com/random-plot-generator.html
What if...?
Do you use What If questions?
What if...?
“What if” questions are useful for writing because they can be a catalyst to our creativity. The question can force the writer or be used to make the characters face new scenarios, new possibilities and new assumptions. It is a basic approach in that all you have to do is start the question with "what if" and go from there.
Examples:
What if..... there is free will?
everything is pre-determined?
there is no meaning to life?
you were the only person alive?
the people revolt against the government?
privacy is no longer a right?
guns are outlawed?
aliens are peaceful?
the sun explodes?
an asteroid hits the Earth?
animals can speak our language?
animals revolt against the humans?
pizza is deemed unholy?
trees start walking?
rain falls up?
technology takes over?
we stop using technology?
work is a prison?
kids revolt against their parents?
Web sites:
http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/plot-outline.html
http://stratecutionstories.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/the-power-of-what-if/
http://www.ehow.com/how_2193528_brainstorm-short-story-novel-ideas.html
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=whatif
http://www.fiction-writers-mentor.com/random-plot-generator.html
What if...?
Do you use What If questions?
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
V is for Values
Not my own or yours, but characters. One aspect of building a character is to consider the types of values that they would hold close to them and what others they wouldn't honor. Value systems can say a lot about not only the character but also the world of the story.
List of Values:
Here are some values, the rest can be found at list web site
Abundance
Acceptance
Accessibility
Accomplishment
Accountability
Accuracy
Achievement
Acknowledgement
Activeness
Adaptability...
But what are values really?
Definition: Important and enduring beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture about what is good or desirable and what is not. Values exert major influence on the behavior of an individual and serve as broad guidelines in all situations.
Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/values.html#ixzz1t1cHLkDp
Other Links:
http://www.selfcounseling.com/help/personalsuccess/personalvalues.html
http://www.values.com/
http://www.gurusoftware.com/gurunet/personal/topics/values.htm
What does your character value?
Do you use values as a focus in any of your stories?
(image link)
List of Values:
Here are some values, the rest can be found at list web site
Abundance
Acceptance
Accessibility
Accomplishment
Accountability
Accuracy
Achievement
Acknowledgement
Activeness
Adaptability...
But what are values really?
Definition: Important and enduring beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture about what is good or desirable and what is not. Values exert major influence on the behavior of an individual and serve as broad guidelines in all situations.
Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/values.html#ixzz1t1cHLkDp
Other Links:
http://www.selfcounseling.com/help/personalsuccess/personalvalues.html
http://www.values.com/
http://www.gurusoftware.com/gurunet/personal/topics/values.htm
What does your character value?
Do you use values as a focus in any of your stories?
About Me
- Dawn Embers
- I am a writer still trying to find the right path. A multi-tasker, distracted writer with many different novels and still have hopes of someday becoming published. I have a blog on writing in general, a blog on my own writing and fitness, and a book review blog.
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