If you’re interested in finding out about my writing advice, my inspiration and what resides on my nightstand please do click over. While you’re there have a look through Claire’s blog. She calls herself a “darkly romantic curmudgeon,” which, while true, does not quite prepare you for how damn funny she is.

There is also a giveaway of ‘Blue Galaxy,’ my e-novella from Carina Press. If you’re into  bad girl heroines and the drunken space captains who love them, it just might be your cup of tea.

Glitter and Gore is chatting about her horror reading list, why she writes horror and the terrible things she had put her characters through. Check out her post here.

Flying With Broken Wings is planning a series of posts on female horror writers. She’s started with Mira Grant. First post is here. I’ll add links to the other posts

as they become available.

Damien Walters Grintalis has created a list of female horror writers she recommends. See her list here.

The Girl in the Soapdish brings us four fierce female horror writers and their four fierce female leads. Phew. Writing that was hard. Check out these fearsome women here.

Luke Walker chats about his favorite female characters in horror film here.

From middle grade to graphic novels, Brittany Maresh has favorite female horror writers in a variety of categories. Something for everyone! Check out the list here.

Write Club is paying homage to women in horror and planning another couple of posts. I’ll update with these links as soon as I have them. The first post is here.

From my horror archives I give you an interview with horror writer, Fiona Dodwell, and a guest post from horror writer, Sara Jayne Townsend, on the strange workings of the horror writer’s mind.

As I come across interesting posts on the topic of Women in Horror I will add the links here. Stay tuned. I still have a few posts of my own to add throughout the month of February.

Horror writer, Luke Walker, is a regular visitor to this blog. He’s previously been interviewed by yours truly and has also given us his opinion on the best zombie movies. This time around he’s telling us about his favorite females in horror movies.  

* * * * *

When Diane asked me if I’d like to come up with a post about women in horror films for her ‘Women In Horror’ month, a couple of films immediately came to mind. Then a couple more came. Within a few minutes, I had a growing list of films that needed trimming down. The funny thing is, you say “horror film” to a lot of people and they don’t tend to think of women in an assertive role. Women are the victims. At most, we can expect them to have the role of the final victim (or Final Girl, if you prefer). Think of older films such as Halloween, Friday 13th, Nightmare On Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw and so on. All featured a Final Girl facing off against the male killer. The issue of whether or not this was support for women or simply a way of putting them through hell and then putting them back in their supposed place isn’t an issue I’m discussing here. I’ve just got a list of some great horror films with some great female characters.

Dog Soldiers: Megan – If you haven’t seen this low budget British film from 2002, you’ve missed a treat. It’s the story of a small group of squaddies on a training exercise in the Scottish Highlands who run into…werewolves. Basically, think Night of the Living Dead but with hairier zombies. Anyway, Megan is the sole female character unless you count references to the Sarge’s wife. Without her, it would be a much different film. In any case, I knew I was going to like this film when I saw this trailer for it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FINKj6HnQ7E

Martyrs: Anna – This isn’t going to be top of everyone’s list of films to watch simply because it’s an extremely hard watch. You know the scene in the original Texas Chainsaw when Sally is at the dinner table? You know how she screams for what seems like three hours? Pretty horrible, isn’t it? Well, Martyrs goes into similar territory during several scenes. Even without the high levels of gore, this is an uncomfortable film but one I recommend. The basic story concerns two childhood friends, Lucie and Anna. As a child, Lucie went through a hellish experience involving abduction and abuse. A few years later, Lucie tracks down the people she believes were responsible and all hell breaks loose.
As I said, this won’t be for everyone, but my way of thinking has always been that as horrible as films can be, the news is always scarier because that’s real.

Carrie: Carrie (obviously) – an oldie but a classic. Everyone knows the story of this one and everyone knows the big jump scene. OK, it’s as dated as hell (dig Travolta’s hair) and the opening scene is shot like it’s about to turn into a very different film, but this still had to go on my list. The Shining is often voted as one of the best King adaptations.  For me, though, The Shining doesn’t have half of the heart Carrie does. It’s not a perfect film by any means and it’s not as close to the book as it could be, but it does have heart. Anyone who can watch this and not feel sorry for Carrie is a bit of a bastard, frankly.

Dawn/Day of the Dead: Fran & Sarah – While it might appear heretical to mention the second two films in Romero’s ever growing Dead series without mentioning the seminal (snigger) Night, I have a good reason for that. Barbra in Night is a victim from pretty much beginning to end. Understandably, of course, but that doesn’t alter the fact she’s catatonic for about an hour and twenty minutes. Fran and Sarah, on the other hand, will not be victims of either the zombies or the men they’re forced to exist with. Look at Fran in the early scenes of Dawn and compare her to Fran in the second half. She can hold her own in the newsroom, but put her outside in a zombie apocalypse and she needs to be rescued by Peter. Then while the boys are going shopping for stuff they don’t need, she’s learning to fly the helicopter, shoot and generally take care of herself. Then Sarah in Day – this is a woman who will take no crap from anyone even in the face of Captain Rhodes and his insanity. You could argue the world of the dead has made her as emotionally dead as the zombies. Or you could argue she knows what it will take to survive.

The Descent: Sarah – Another film from Neil Marshall (after Dog Soldiers) and one of the best horror films of the last ten years. Sarah and her friends are on an adventure holiday after a horrific event ruined Sarah’s life. They’re going underground to explore a system of caverns under the Appalachian Trail. Of course, it all goes wrong when they discover they’re not alone.
If you’re outside the UK and haven’t seen this, get the British version. There’s a small difference between it and the US release which, in my opinion, changes the film into something much smaller than it is. The point of this film and Sarah’s character comes at a very precise point. Removing that point for the US release…well, let’s just say I know which version I’d rather watch.

So these are my film recommendations. Enjoy.

* * * * *

Thanks for a great list, Luke. By the way, dear readers, Luke’s no slouch when it comes to interesting female characters in horror. Check out his novel, The Red Girl, from Musa Publishing and his blog, Die Laughing.  

First up is my conversation with Heather Massey, the bold navigator of The Galaxy Express. We’re a geeky pair, for sure. Here’s a link to our conversation on ‘Sex Scenes and the Male Gaze,’ in which we tear in to Robert Appleton’s ‘Sparks in Cosmic Dust‘ with unseemly gusto. Appleton’s a good sport, by the way, and a hell of a writer. Check him out.

Next I shared the very sad story of how I did a terrible thing and ruined a wonderful writer for myself. Please read about the tragedy here so that you might avoid the same mistake. While you’re at it have a click around on the Contact: Infinite Futures blog. There are some very entertaining authors posting on a regular basis.

I’m just getting ready to start in on edits for Mako’s Bounty, a short science fiction/romance novella soon to be released by Decadent Publishing as part of its 1Night Stand series. I’ve previously shared excerpts from it  here and here. Click the links to meet the two main characters. It was so much fun to write this one.

I should also soon be receiving edits on Blue Nebula, the second in the trilogy that started with Blue Galaxy, published by Carina Press. Here’s an excerpt from Blue Galaxy and here’s an excerpt from Blue Nebula, which continues the story in Blue Galaxy, this time from Sola’s point of view. I’m still writing the third and final installment. It’s tentatively titled Blue Planet and continues the story from Destin’s POV. Here’s an excerpt.

If you are a reader and fan of science fiction romance, please do check out the Science Fiction Romance Brigade Fan Page on Facebook for all the news on new releases, blog tours, giveaways, reviews and interviews with your favorite SFR authors. If you’re writing SFR and would like to connect with other writers of the sub-genre, please use the contact form to let me know. The SFR Brigade needs you!

February is also Women in Horror Month. I have an interesting array of posts planned to celebrate. If you’re a horror fan please do check in on this blog throughout this month. I know you’ll enjoy what I’ll be offering. Incidentally, if there are any horror writers out there who would like to contribute a guest post on the topic or would like me to check out their related post, please use the contact form to connect with me.

Thanks for reading. And now – time to tackle that to-do list from hell!

It is available for purchase from Amazon. Undecided? You can read the first chapters here. Still undecided? One reviewer called Sons of Gods “a literary soap opera with a soul that spans the full horizon.” Check out the full review here.

So, with no further ado…

Dooley: You’ve rewritten the Mahabharata. Why?

Sharan: When I first read an English condensation of Mahabharata in 1974 I was completely swept away—such a magnificent story! And yet the writing was clumsy. So I went in search of a better English version. I never found it; every version I read, I felt, was either just a bland summary, or it contained too many diversions from the main story, or it glossed over some of the most important elements. So a few years later I began to write my own. I continued to do so over the decades; it’s been almost 40 years now! Not constantly, of course. Sometimes I forgot all about it as I got on with my life—but always it came back to me, and I just kept working on it till I was satisfied that I had captured what I felt was the essence of the great epic. I’ve called it Sons of Gods.

Dooley: Is it a rewriting or a reinterpretation?

Sharan: It’s both. Since I don’t know Sanskrit I have had to rely on English translations or condensations for the basics of the story, and I’ve read just about every English version, long and short, that’s out there. I took the story elements—the basic well-known “bones” of the story—and put my own “meat” on them, words that I hoped would do the story justice. I chose the scenes that would make a continuous story, dramatized events, gave the characters new dialogue, and even altered a few plot elements: tying up a few loose ends with developments of my own. The changes are all minor—a scene here, a bit of dialogue there—and yet in a way I did reinterpret the whole story, gave it a new emphasis, a different slant.  I’ve also retold it for a primarily Western readership, while retaining—I hope!—the Indian style and spirit of the original.

Dooley: Do you have a favorite character from the Mahabharata? Which one and why?

Sharan: The anti-hero Karna has always been my favourite. I’ve always been a supporter of the underdog, and that’s what Karna is, right from the beginning when he is born illegitimate and abandoned. He is followed by rejection and curses all his life—and curses, in those days—were serious matters, because they came true! And yet Karna is the lynchpin of the whole story. Invariably, the Mahabharata is summarized as a conflict between two sides of a great dynasty, ending in a cataclysmic war—without mention of Karna. Yet Karna is the one character who by just saying the word could at any time change everything around, to his own advantage, yet doesn’t. He’s an incredibly moral character, in spite of being on the side of the villains. We can all learn something about true greatness from him.

Dooley: What are the last three books you read?

Sharan: The Remains of the Day, by  Kazuo Ishiguro — at last!

Palace of Illusions – by Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni. This is a version of the Mahabharata written from the point of view of the main female character, Draupadi, and it’s just wonderful. Best of all, it gives Karna his rightful place of prominence. I wish I had read it earlier! I feel it thoroughly complements Sons of Gods; one is the whole, the other a detail.

I’m now re-reading an old favourite, The Rich are Different, by Susan Howatch, a writer of wonderfully long, wise, captivating novels.

Dooley: You’ve travelled extensively. How has this affected your writing?

Sharan: Not just travelling, but living in a variety of very different cultures has played an enormous part in my own maturing as an individual. It forces me to place my own identity—or what I thought was my own identity—on hold while I adapt to a very different way of being. I think this gives me the ability to truly slip into someone else’s skin—whether that someone else is a real person or a fictional character—and see a situation from a variety of perspectives. And, of course, travelling gives me firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to live here and there. It gives me smells and sights and atmospheres, the feel of a place, and so it increases the palette of settings I can use in fiction. I love to read books set in faraway places, places I’ve never been to. Travelling gives me the tools to also write books set in faraway places—faraway, of course, always in relation to the usual British or American settings.

Dooley: Who are three women you admire and why?

Sharan: Janet Jagan – the American-born Guyanese activist and later President (see left). Aung Sang Suu Kyi – the Burmese leader. Shree Ma Ananda Mayi – an Indian spiritual teacher I’ve had the privilege of meeting

Dooley: What’s up next for Aruna Sharan?

Sharan: The very week I let Sons of Gods out into the world I started a new novel. I hadn’t planned to do so; I wanted to rest for a while, but it simply grabbed me and before I knew it three chapters and the vague outline of a story were out there, and I’m quite looking forward to where this will go—it’s always a thrill when a new story starts to grow in me, because I never know myself just how it will develop.

The Blurb for Sons of Gods:

Karna, sired by the Sungod Surya, is born to the unmarried princess Kunti. She abandons him to the river; he is found and raised by a low-caste but devoted couple.

Spurned by all, Karna finds a friend and ally in the avaricious prince Duryodhana. But Duryodhana’s worst enemies just happen to be the five brothers, the Pandavas, the noblest warriors in the world. And their mother is Kunti, that princess who still grieves for the child she gave away as a young girl. 

Karna and Arjuna — the middle and mightiest Pandava — each vow to kill each other without knowing they are brothers. As tensions mount, so does their hatred for each other; until, in the cataclysmic war that will wipe out the entire warrior caste, they meet in the inevitable facedown.

This is war in which no-one can be the winner.

Dooley: What else have you written?

Sharan: My novels Of Marriageable Age, Peacocks Dancing and The Speech of Angels were published by HarperCollins between 1999 and 2004.

Thank you for your interest!

Dooley: Thank you, Aruna, for agreeing to be my guest. Best of luck with all your writing endeavors!

Aruna blogs at Sons of Gods or you can follow her on Twitter . She also writes as Sharon Maas. 

I am delighted to welcome Regan Summers,  fellow Carina Press author, to my blog. Her debut novella, Don’t Bite The Messenger, released last week to excellent reviews and I’m really looking forward to reading it. If the book has only half the sass and humor of the author I won’t be disappointed.

Enjoy the interview, read the blurb and feel free to enter the giveaway.

Thanks so much for agreeing to the interview, Regan!

Dooley: What’s your writing process? Do you outline or make it up as you go?

Summers: I do a brief outline to ensure my ideas have legs, and adjust it as I go. Outlining, for me, cuts down on large-scale rewrites, which I equate to performing spinal surgery on a creature you’ve never before encountered. It might not even have a spine, but you won’t know that until you’ve broken it open, then there are fluids squirting everywhere and the nurses are throwing up and…anyway, I prefer to outline.

Dooley: How long have you been writing? What made you start?

Summers: Since I was young, five or six. I’ve always been an avid reader, and my first stories were attempts to take characters I loved on further adventures. I just couldn’t let them go. Coincidentally, we didn’t have a TV while I was growing up.

I’ve been writing with the intent to publish for about four years.

Dooley: Good news. We have unlimited funds. Where should we go on vacation?

Summers: YESSSSS. Best news I’ve heard all…oh. This is a hypothetical, isn’t it?

Give me about six months to formulate an answer. Half of this time will be spent setting it to the tune of “88 Lines About 44 Women” by The Nails.

Dooley: What books are currently on your nightstand?

Summers: Richard Kadrey’s Aloha from Hell and Elizabeth Hand’s Generation Loss. Also, Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon. I read it years ago and my three year-old is fascinated by the cover. He’s a cyberpunk baby.

Dooley: What are three things you love about living in Alaska?

Summers: The mountains, the laid-back attitude (yes I would like to wear jeans to the symphony, thank you) and eating salmon an hour after it’s pulled from the water.

Dooley: Who or what inspires you as a writer?

Summers: I’m inspired by the power of the stories. The ability of words placed in a singular order to distract and amuse or transport until the reader loses all track of time and place. I don’t claim to have mastered the art fully yet, but I hope that I entertain and that a few lines linger in the minds of my readers.

Dooley: If you were to travel backwards in time, which historical era would you choose to live in and why?

Summers: Probably the eighties, because I have a pretty good coke nail going. Just kidding (my coke nail is terrible right now). I don’t love the idea of living in the past on account of the social inequality, disease, and lack of readily-available Asian fusion cuisine.

Dooley: What was one of your favorite books from your childhood?

Summers: Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown. It remains one of my favorites.

Dooley: My kids want to ask you a question: where do you get your ideas?

Summers: Hello, Dooley-kids!

Most of my stories came from scenes that developed in my mind while I was spaced out, either at the day job or while trying to fall asleep. The initial scenes could be as short as a couple of seconds: a man standing in a cold, stone room, seeing a branded arm reach around a curtain; a woman struggling to get her cell phone to work while magic and fire leak out through her pores.

Then follows a non-linear series of “what if” questions. What if he thought that arm belonged to a servant and, instead, it belonged to a queen? What if the fire overcomes her before she can make this critical call? If those moments stay in my head long enough, beating out the shiny new ones, I feel obligated to find a story into which I can fit them.

Dooley: What’s up next for Regan Summers?

Summers: I’m finishing writing the sequel to Don’t Bite the Messenger, which has been so much freaking fun! And I don’t say that about all my stories. *shakes fist at the misshapen novel bubbling in the corner*

After that makes its way toward my editor, I’m going to put together a few proposals to review with my agent. Sometimes it’s best to throw your shiny ideas at someone else’s feet and ask which looks brightest.

Thank you so much for the interview, Diane!

Dooley: Absolutely my pleasure, Regan. Best of luck with your writing career.

Now you’ve met Regan it’s time to meet her book. Here’s the blurb:

Anchorage, Alaska

The vampire population may have created an economic boom in Alaska, but their altered energy field fries most technology. They rely on hard-living—and short-lived—couriers to get business done…couriers like Sydney Kildare.

Sydney has survived to the ripe old age of twenty-six by being careful. She’s careful when navigating her tempestuous clients, outrunning hijackers and avoiding anyone who might distract her from her plan of retiring young to a tropical, vampire-free island.

Her attitude—and immunity to vampires’ allure—have made her the target of a faction of vampires trying to reclaim their territory. Her only ally is Malcolm Kelly, a secretive charmer with the uncanny habit of showing up whenever she’s in trouble. Caught in the middle of a vampire turf war, Sydney has to count on Malcolm to help her survive, or the only place she’ll retire is her grave…

Doesn’t it sound great? Regan is giving away an e-copy of her novella. To enter the giveaway just answer this question: which fabulous place would you take me and Regan on vacation? 

You can keep tabs on Regan in the following places:

I am thrilled to be able to host debut novelist, Luke Walker, on my blog. I’ve been reading and enjoying his short stories for a few years now and was delighted to hear that his novel, The Red Girl, had been acquired by Musa Publishing. Luke was kind enough to submit himself to my curious nature and answer some questions. Read on. He’s quite a character.

Dooley: Do you believe in the supernatural? Why or why not?

Walker: Yes. It’s a big world. There’s plenty we can’t explain and there are definitely more mysteries we haven’t discovered yet. Saying that, I think a belief in the supernatural can be taken too far. When people start living their lives by their horoscopes or being genuinely worried if they walk under a ladder, then it’s getting a bit silly for my taste. We should accept we don’t know it all and if we can work some of it out, then great. If we don’t, then that’s fine with me. Our stories come from some of those mysteries, and horror stories – my stories – come from the fear inside those mysteries. I don’t want us to lose that fear, but the thing is, we’re naturally curious. We want answers so we make up stuff to explain the things we can’t explain. That’s no fun for a horror writer.

Dooley: What do you think is the greatest love story ever told?

Walker: Simple. My wife and me.

Dooley: What was the last movie you saw? The last book you read?

Walker: It’s rare I go the cinema. The last film I saw there was Puss In Boots. You heard me right. Before that, God knows what it was. The last dvds I watched were the original Hammer Dracula from 1958. Not seen it in years and my wife gave it to me at Christmas. A classic. I also saw A Lonely Place To Die recently which is about a few friends mountaineering in the Scottish Highlands. They find a young girl who’s been kidnapped and the question isn’t just how do they get her to safety when they’re in the middle of nowhere, it’s what happens when the kidnappers come looking for the kid. A great film.

My last couple of reads were Stephen King’s latest 11.22.63 which was one of the best books he’s written in a while, and Jennifer Hillier’s Creep. Crime thrillers aren’t usually my thing, but I ate Creep right up probably because when it comes to bad guys, there’s nothing scarier than a human bad guy.

Dooley: You write both novels and short stories. Do you have a preference?

Walker: I don’t have a preference, really. I have a different head on when I write a novel than I do with a short story. A short, to me, is all about getting in quick, having a peek what’s in there, and getting out quick before anything notices me. A book means time to poke around in all the dusty corners and open doors especially if I don’t know what’s behind the doors.

My first attempts at fiction were short stories. I still have a few of them although they’re not worth anyone’s time if I’m honest. I’m still fond of them if only because they remind me where I came from and how much I’ve developed over the last twenty years. My focus is more on novels than shorts these days. I’ll write the first draft of a book over six weeks to three months. Then I let it rest for about a month. During that month, I’ll work on a short story or two, recharge my batteries and let the book simmer.

Dooley: Which writers are your biggest influences?

Walker: Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Tim Lebbon, Charlie Brooker (OK, not a fiction writer, but his views and humour have been known to seep into my writing), and while I don’t think they’re an influence exactly, I’ve got a lot of time for Pat Barker, John Connolly, Susan Hill, Sarah Pinborough, Joe Hill and Simon Clark.

Dooley: What’s your worst writing habit?

Walker: I had a habit a couple of years ago of asking myself what the book was going to be about before I’d written a word. It culminated in a really stilted, forced book which I’ve since salvaged. My focus was all on the book’s theme rather than just telling the story and seeing if any theme came out of it. Luckily, it did in the second draft. Now I ask myself how I’m going to tell a story rather than stroking my beard and wondering what is it I want to say.

In my first drafts now, I occasionally go overboard with stage direction – describing every little movement a character makes. Who’s going to care if they’re so many feet away from another character? Thankfully, my wife tells me whenever I do this and I’m able to cut it in the second draft.

Dooley: Is there anything you don’t like about being a writer?

Walker: Not really. Rejection letters and emails are a pain in the arse, but they’re part of the job. I’d be shocked if any established writer had got where they are without receiving several no thanks, not for us. Forgetting about rejections for a moment, I get to tell stories. I get to put my characters in life and death situations and see how they survive (or don’t). I get to create something others can enjoy. What’s not to like?

Dooley: How do you intend to survive the zombie apocalypse?

Walker: Well, living in England means a distinct lack of firearms although saying that, guns probably wouldn’t help too much. If someone handed me a loaded gun, the only reason I’d have any idea what to do with it comes from watching films. If I turn it sideways, does it fire faster? Probably not, but it looks cool. Anyway, failing the whole gun issue, I’d get out of the city as fast as possible. Not being able to drive wouldn’t necessarily be a problem in this case. The roads would be blocked so going on foot might be a better idea. I live a couple of miles from a river and loads of fields so I’d head that way and follow the river to the sea. England’s history would come in handy, as well. I’m talking castles. Find one, raid the gift shop and hide out in the tallest tower.

Yes, I have given this some thought. Why do you ask?

Dooley: What do you love about England?

Walker: There are a few things. Sense of humour for one. I know it can appear snide and cynical to people who aren’t used to it, but I think there’s actually a lot of warmth in it. We only take the piss out of people if we’re at least interested in them and more so if we like them. God forbid the person we’re indifferent to. That’s when English coldness comes in. And it’s important to note I don’t think there is an exact humour to British people. I once heard Eddie Izzard ask an interviewer if British humour is Benny Hill or Monty Python. It’s both and somewhere inbetween. So that must mean British humour is a dirty old man chasing a woman in her underwear before a giant foot squashes him.

History is another thing. Yes, we had a massive Empire which came from killing people who couldn’t speak English just before we nicked their country (sorry about all that, everyone), but we’ve also got a few thousand years’ worth of battles and conspiracies and murders and invasions and more battles and fat kings and people with REALLY stupid haircuts. All of that in a tiny island which could fit happily in half of an American State has got to be worth something.

Dooley: What’s up next for Luke Walker?

Walker: I’m close to finishing the edits on my latest book and planning the followup. It’s another horror tale. Without giving away too much, it’s about three men lost in the woods all of whom are there for different reasons. And while they are the only living creatures there, that doesn’t mean they’re alone. They’re trapped between two warring groups of ghosts and the only way out is to the end of the woods. And the terrible thing that lives there.

The title at the moment is Belham (the followup has two possible titles at the moment) and it touches on the mid-fourteenth century, the English Civil War and snow. Lots and lots of snow.

Belham will be ready for submission by some point in February. Other than that, I’ve got a couple of short stories in mind so it’s all as busy as ever. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dooley: Thanks for the interview and congratulations on your debut novel, Luke. Wishing you many sales! Here’s the blurb for The Red Girl:

It’s been ten years since Geri Paulson’s suicide tore her away from her five closest friends and destroyed their friendship. Now her friends’ questions about her death will be answered. They’ve returned to their hometown in a desperate attempt to find out the truth of why she killed herself. But something more than grief haunts them. Geri has returned. And she’s not alone. 

Trapped in a nightmare version of their town, Geri’s friends must run, hide, and kill to uncover the truth behind the terrible secret she kept from them. If they succeed, then they might have a chance against the evil that destroyed Geri. They might be able to bury it before it buries them.

But if they fail, Geri’s hell will be their new home.  

And Luke was also kind enough to provide an excerpt for your reading pleasure. This is how the story begins:

Inside Stu Brennan’s head, a voice screamed his name.

Stu’s hand jerked, his cup flew and smashed against the sink. The scream filled his head again.

His name. A shriek inside his head.

He slammed his hands against his ears and held his breath. For a few silent seconds, there was nothing but his own thoughts, desperate to reassure him with simple noises of comfort. Then his name came a third time, a horrific bellow just behind his eyes.

Stu collapsed.

He knew who was calling his name.

No. No. I’m at work. This isn’t happening.

Right. He was at work; this was a Friday morning; the other shops and the rest of Dalry were all right outside and everything was where it should be so there was no way this was happening.

His legs refused to work properly and he had to move somewhere between a crawl and a shuffle for the short distance towards the toilet. Pulling himself up and using the edge of the sink as leverage, Stu staggered a couple of steps to the toilet door. He pushed it shut and dropped to the lavatory. Holding himself, Stu rocked. The swaying movement helped a little to calm him.

Music from below on the shop floor pounded in steady beats. Stu held onto the sound with as much focus as he could. Through his panic and confusion, he tried to picture Rich downstairs, Rich probably tapping on the counter to the rhythm of the music as he worked on the tills and readied the shop for opening.

It’s okay. Everything’s okay.

Of course everything was okay. Everything was hunky dory.

Rational thought spoke to him while he rocked. Sandra was in the cash office and the only reason she wouldn’t have heard the breaking cup was due to her door being shut. There was nothing to stop her from coming out to make a drink. How could he explain the mess?

Sorry, boss. I just heard my name shouted inside my head by someone who can’t be speaking to me and I needed a sit down.

Stu swallowed the bitter taste of vomit. He closed his eyes again. Images swam in front of him and his eyes flew open. The images remained.

He saw a house and his first thought was that the house was his. The thought was wrong.

He stood in front of his parents’ house. Their car sat on the long drive and that was normal. What wasn’t normal were the broken windows, the black stain of fire damage on the bricks and the spray paint covering the smashed in door.

Stu forced himself to back away and tripped on the uneven pavement. He landed heavily and his hands slapped down on dark stains. Wet stains.

Cold blood covered his fingers and palms. And still the horror arguing against this wanted to come from his silent mouth. He couldn’t do a thing but see it all here: his childhood home, a defaced wreck, while the moon shone and his breath rose in front of him and the rapid thud of running feet came from somewhere close.

Running towards him. Dozens of people, their shoes and boots thundering on the ground. Stu lunged upright, panic swallowing him.

The runners were coming from both ends of the road. The only way to go was forward, into the house.

Into the black of the house.

He spun, ran to the road and the ground left him. Stu dropped into blackness. Dozens of voices hammered at him from all sides, his name bellowed over and over again in the dark. Stu’s screams answered the voices and a barrage of nonsensical images hit him in flashes of silent light, all passing much too quickly for him to get a fix on them, all dropping with him as he fell into an immense void.

And with the images, with the blackness and with his own screams, a name flew at him from somewhere far below.

Geri.

One speeding thought answered the name—

Oh god, she’s here. She’s come back—

Sounds like my kind of book! The Red Girl is available from Musa Publishing. You can buy it here. You can also keep tabs on Luke Walker on his blog or on Twitter. 

Dooley: You’re an incredibly productive writer. What’s your process?

Witt: The incredibly oversimplified answer is “sit down and write.”  Basically, each book starts with a cast of characters and a basic premise. Then, an outline. The complexity of the outline depends on the story. If it’s a straightforward contemporary romance in one POV, then it’s a very vague, loose outline. I know the inciting incident, the turning points, the climax, and resolution, but everything else…eh, I’ll figure it out when I get there.  If it’s something more complicated, like a thriller, then it pretty much gets outline within an inch of its life. Ironically, the more complicated the outline, the more frequently and dramatically it’ll change while I’m writing the first draft. My romantic suspense novels get re-outlined almost on a daily basis because I have little epiphanies along the way (“Wait, that character wouldn’t do that”, “Crap, where did he get the gun in this scene?”, etc) that require me to make changes. But one way or another, the book starts with an outline.

Once the outline is together, I start writing. I always start with chapter 1, but I write out of sequence. I’ll flit around the story to different chapters, writing little bits and pieces until the whole thing comes together. The book I’m working on now has 23 chapters, all but one of them are started, and only eight (not sequential) are finished. It’s madness, but it’s how I roll.

As far as productivity goes, the key for me is word counts. I’ve learned to use my OCD to my advantage. Nothing bugs me like an unreached, tangible goal, and numerical milestones are very big motivators for me.  As an example, the other night, I was kind of ready to call it a day, but then realized my book was less than 500 words away from the 34,000 mark. Okay, I’ve already written 5,000 today (daily quota), but another 500 words will get me to that point, so why not?  500 words later, I noticed my yearly goal was only 250 words away from crossing some big number or another. 40,000, I think it was. FINE. I can do another 250.  And oh look, now I’m almost to 6,000 for the day, so I can squeak out another 250 words. WHAT? Now I’m almost to 35,000 for the book?  In the end, I threw in the towel at 7,000. Like I said, using my OCD to my advantage.  Most days aren’t quite that insane, but I do push myself to make my daily quota, and it really is an effective carrot on a stick.

So there’s my insane process. Sorry you asked? hehe

Dooley: What was your favorite and least favorite thing about living in Japan?

Witt: Oh, man, you want me to pick ONE?  Japan was incredible. The food was amazing (Kobe steak! Japanese curry! Sugar cane ice cream!). The snorkeling around Okinawa was second to none. There were 14^th century castle ruins all over the island. The people were awesome. I would go back there in a heartbeat.

Least favorite?  Besides eventually having to leave, I would say being that far away from my family and friends.

Dooley: What is one of your favorite childhood books?

Witt: The Redwall series by the late Brian Jacques, which I started reading in 5^th grade. I think I’ve read Redwall and Mattimeo about a dozen times a piece, plus the others in the series at least once or twice, and still read them occasionally as an adult.

Dooley: How would you defend yourself against a vampire intent on sucking all the blood out of your body?

Witt: Tell him he has a blood clot stuck in his teeth, wait til he looks in a mirror, then run like hell while he tries to figure out how to see if he has something in his teeth when he has no reflection.

Dooley: What three songs would you like to have played at your funeral?

Witt: The Imperial Death March from Star Wars (they played it when I walked down the aisle at my wedding, so it would be a fitting send-off when I croak). Maybe Prop Me Up Against the Jukebox (When I Die) by Alan Jackson, just because. And they’d better play something by 30 Seconds to Mars, because that band is too awesome NOT to be the last thing I hear before they drop me in a hole.

Dooley: What was the last book that made you cry?

Witt: My current work-in-progress, For The Living. I don’t usually write stuff on this end of the tearjerker spectrum, but this one is pretty emotionally intense for me. I spend the first two chapters metaphorically ripping my main character’s guts out, and the rest of the book letting him figure out which way is up. At least my allergies are acting up a little lately, so if my husband hears me sniffling in my office, I can just blame them instead of admitting my book made me cry.  Again.

As far as other people’s books? It’s been a long, long time. I’ve been reading a lot of Nabokov, Atwood, and Hemingway for the last year or so, plus some science fiction, and they don’t hit me in the emotional “ouch” places that my own books (and books in my genre) do. So for the life of me, I can’t remember the last time I read something that made me cry.

Dooley: Is there anything you dislike about your own writing?

Witt: Ask me while I’m working on a first draft, I’ll shrug and tell you I’m pretty happy with my writing. Always looking to improve, of course, and I have plenty of flaws just like any other writer, but I’m confident enough to put it out there for people to read.

Ask me while I’m reading a galley copy, and I’ll be the most insecure writer on the planet, convinced every word I’ve ever put to paper is WRONG.

Why? No idea.

 Dooley: Do you have any irrational fears?

 Witt: Ladders and blue Chevy Astro vans. I wish I was making that up.

 Dooley: What’s up next for L.A Witt?

Witt: More smutty goodness, of course!  Now that I’m settled into Nebraska and back on some semblance of a schedule, I’m making up for the not-very-productive period from October-December when I was in the process of moving. At the moment, I’m working on The Healing & The Dying, which is the second in the Tooth & Claw series, plus that tearjerker contemporary, For The Living.  After that, I’ve got another sequel and some historical stuff in the queue along with a contemporary military romance.  This, of course, assumes a particular rabid plot bunny doesn’t attack me in the near future, which it probably will.

I’ll also be focusing a bit more on my hetero work this year (published under the name Lauren Gallagher). Last year I focused almost entirely on M/M, but I really want to balance the two a little more.  So on the Gallagher side of things, expect to see some SFF this year, plus another BDSM romance.

Also, now that I’m stateside for the first time in my career, I’ll be going to some conventions and conferences.  I’ll definitely be at Authors After Dark in New Orleans this summer, and I’m hoping to go to a few others throughout the year.

In other words, what’s next for L. A. Witt?  Being insanely busy, just the way I like it.

Dooley: Best of luck to you!

I’m pleased to share that Ms. Witt is giving away one copy each of her new releases to a random commenter.  Here are the choices:

Disengaged:

Why are the good ones always taken?

The last thing Amber wants to think about is engagement rings or anything related to engagement rings, but they’re kind of hard to avoid when she makes her living in a jewelry store. Between her job and her last relationship, she’s getting more than a little bit jaded about love and commitment.  In fact, she’s ready to change everything in her life, and right now, a man is the last thing she wants.

When gorgeous bartender Jeremy wanders into her store, she’s willing to reconsider what she wants right now, but he’s off the menu: he’s here for an engagement ring. 

But as Jeremy comes back again and again to look at the ring, Amber suspects it’s not just the price that keeps him from taking it home. She’d never dream of sabotaging someone’s relationship, but is Jeremy about to make a huge mistake?  

The Given and the Taken: 

Their bond could be the death of them all.

After pleading his case to his wolf clan’s Elders, Levi is granted the right to bond with Ian, his male human lover, on one condition: they must spend one year apart. Then Ian must use only their spiritual connection to find Levi, or the deal is off.

Tracking down his lover is easy for Ian, but Levi isn’t prepared for the changed man who finds him.

The agony of separation was too much for Ian. In a moment of weakness, he reached out—to a vampire. Now he’s a vampire himself, and Levi’s devastation—and rejection—is like a stake to his heart. But it’s nothing compared to the fury of the clan that wants Ian brought to justice for desecrating their most sacred ritual.

Afraid for Ian’s safety, Levi puts the pain aside and races to get to Ian first, but he faces unexpected competition: Darius, Ian’s maker. When they come together, all hell breaks loose, Ian is on the run…and the only way Levi and Darius can save the man they love is to work together.

 If they don’t kill each other first.

To enter the giveaway please leave a comment stating which book you would prefer and answering the question: what is the last book you bought as a gift for someone else. 

The giveaway will close at 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday 20th January.

You can try to keep up with L.A Witt/ Lauren Gallagher at her website, on her blog or on Twitter. Good luck!

S.J. has been writing a lovely series of posts in which she remembers some of the wonderful books she read as a child and I was happy to be able to join the conversation. Please do pop over and check out her blog and my guest post.

Happy reading!

My snippet this week is from my current work in progress, tentatively entitled Blue Planet. It’s the third and final in a trilogy of novellas that started with Blue Galaxy (available from Carina Press) and continued with Blue Nebula (coming soon from Carina Press). This story is from the point of view of Destin Grady. He has just been called to the bedside of a mysterious dying woman who is covered in scars.

“This looks like someone carved their initials into her skin. And over here . . .” He indicated her thigh. “This looks like tally marks. As if someone was using her to keep track of something. The rest are scars from various injures. Puncture wounds, gashes, that sort of thing.” The doctor paused to take the woman’s pulse. She had stilled, her breathing rough and shallow. “Also, when we took scans we discovered that many of her bones had been broken at some point.”