Today is my three year blog anniversary. Yay! It has evolved and will continue to do so. I plan to have more contests this year, interviews, etc. And hopefully I’ll have some interesting news concerning my own writing as well.

So sit back and enjoy the things to come. 😀

Hi guys. Since I have not heard from T from the UK–the original winner of BLOOD CROSS, I had go back to Random.org and choose another winner. And now, Soullumination is the new winner!! And Soul, same rules apply to you. You must contact me via e-mail by Tuesday, January 26, 2010 by midnight in order to officially receive your prize. (My e-mail address is in my profile)

I need your name and mailing address so that Faith can send out your book and a couple other goodies. If I do not hear from you by the aforementioned date, another winner will be chosen–again. 😀 Congratulations.

I wish that all you guys could win but there can be only one–like the Highlander. LOL. 😀 Yeah, okay. I used random.org to choose the winner. And the winner is T from the UK, who was commenter #4. So, T you can click on my profile and email me your address and Faith will send out your book plus a couple wonderful prizes to go along with it. 😀 BUT if I don’t hear from T before midnight on Saturday, January 23, 2010, then random.org will be consulted for another winner.

And as for everyone else, thanks for participating. There will be more posts where I blather on about nothing, but I also have more interviews and giveaways planned so stay tuned.

As many of you may remember I gave away a copy of Faith Hunter’s SKINWALKER in December after winning Nano ’09. So, Mrs. Hunter was kind enough to offer a signed copy of the 2nd Jane Yellowrock novel, BLOOD CROSS, which came out only days ago. 😀

Faith Hunter’s other wonderful Urban Fantasy series, The Rogue Mage series, was her first series in the genre. But Mrs. Hunter has also written thrillers under another name, Gwen Hunter, for over twenty years.

Mrs. Hunter was kind enough to answer a few questions for a little interview of mine. Contest information will follow below the interview. 😀

BLOOD CROSS’s description as seen on Faith’s site: The vampire council has hired skinwalker Jane Yellowrock to hunt and kill one of their own who has broken sacred ancient rules-but Jane quickly realizes that in a community that is thousands of years old, loyalties run deep…


Demon Hunter–1.) How did the concept for Jane Yellowrock develop?

Faith Hunter–I was having tea with Kim Harrison at Starbucks, a time when we let our minds rest from the creative and promotional process of being writers. Yes, we talk business, a lot of business, but we also use tea-time to detox and let our creative juices start to flow freely again. This particular day we were talking about our future book ideas – nothing specific, more along the lines of, I have this character, or this magic system, or this conflict line in mind… Kim was thinking about epic fantasy—to give her brain a chance to rest from urban fantasy. Her worlds are wonderful, the magic systems so unusual, and I was entranced! I was thinking about thrillers, specifically Lee Childe’s character, Reacher.

I said, “For the last few weeks, I’ve kept hearing two things: this street name in the Smoky Mountains—War Woman Road, and this line in the back of my head. ‘Katie’s Ladies, the oldest continuously operating whore house in New Orleans.’ And this line ‘Have Stakes will Travel.’ ”

Kim said, “Go with it.” And I did. For about five minutes, as ideas started coming, I talked and Kim got excited with me, her eyes glowing, sharing the joy of that first blooming. In that first five minutes, came the image of Jane, a Cherokee warrior woman, a vamp-killer (no last name at the time, but an orphan called Jane Doe,) and the conflict point of a vamp-killer hired by the vamps. Ideas are like that for me. I’ll get a line or an image or a name in my mind and it sits there, until something nudges it forward.

DH–2.) Was it difficult to write such an excellent, tough female character without her being whiny and mean for no reason?

FH–The answer is in the question itself. “For no reason.” If a writer does her job and presents a character’s motivations properly, then readers will accept and understand, even if they do not always agree with the acts that follow.

Jane had to be a tough cookie to do the job I wanted her to do. Vamp killers can’t be wusses, you know? So she had to have sharp edges and inner strength, which I usually achieve by giving a character depths she hasn’t plumbed yet, or a history she either doesn’t know or refuses to look at. In Jane’s case, she has no memories from before the time she walks out of the forest at age 12-ish. Her search for that lost time, and for her heritage, make her strong.

Yet, I needed Jane to have a softer side, weaknesses that could be used by her enemies to hurt her. I needed to have something that might make her cry—in Jane’s case it’s always Angie Baby and Molly—the two people she loves most on the face of the earth. In Blood Cross, Jane cries several times, something she doesn’t do in book one, Skinwalker at all, or in book three, Mercy Blade, at all. Why does she cry in Blood Cross? Her best friends in the world are in danger. For me, it’s the juxtaposition of weaknesses and strengths that make a character or a person interesting.

DH–3.) When will the 3rd Jane Yellowrock novel be out?

FH–Mercy Blade… I have no idea!!!! I hope by the end of 2010.

DH–4.) Is there another Urban Fantasy series in the works?

FH–Not right now. I am working on a paranormal psychological thriller with a co-writer, and an RPG (role playing game) with 2 co-writers, based on the Rogue Mage series, and I have an urge to write a stand alone about Molly Everheart’s twin sisters, young witches who get into big trouble when they think they are working a love potion, and instead a demon appears and falls in love them. Both. But now that I see it written out, it still lacks some spark that I will need for it consume me and make it on to paper.

DH–5.) What made you shift from thrillers to Urban Fantasy?

FH–Wow. Lots of reasons. In no particular order: I want to remain viable in a market that is constantly changing. Thriller market is shrinking and the mystery market is flat-lining. I read fantasy and urban fantasy. I finally found a voice that the market wanted with the Rogue Mage series, and then another with the characters in the JY series. Real life is dull sometimes. I can’t knit. I don’t want to play Parcheesi. So I needed to keep my writing life exciting to make up for a routine, unchanging real life. (Of course, that was before I fell in love with white water kayaking, and spiced up my RL.) I discovered I was probably 40% American Indian (Cherokee and Choctaw) and maybe 20% African American, and I wanted to explore some of my ethnicities in my fiction. There are likely more reasons, but these come to mind.

DH–6.) Do you like Urban Fantasy better than thrillers? If so, why?

FH–I like writing and reading both for different reasons. Writing: Thrillers give me less to work with, (no magic) which means my job is harder. You would think that I then would enjoy it less, but that isn’t the case. The challenge is fun! The limits imposed on my writing by reality as it is can make a book fast paced and action packed. And the characters can be just as vivid as in urban fantasy. Yet, the creative freedom found in UF is hard to beat. The limits on anything are created by me, not physics, history, culture, etc. It’s my world and I love that! The best fun for me is merging the two, giving me the best of both worlds, which writing the Jane Yellowrock series does.

As to reading, the choice between urban fantasy and thrillers is based on which writer has what book out now. If there is a new Stuart Woods, Lee Childe, Harlan Coben, John Connelly (to name a very few) I pick that up. If there is a new Rachael Caine, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher (to name a very few) I pick that up. Then I read when the need hits me.

DH–7.) Will there be more books in the Rogue Mage series?

FH–I certainly hope so! That world is ripe for change, filled with internal and external conflict and the characters are sooo very different from other urban fantasy characters.

DH–8.) What advice do you have for unpublished writers?

FH–Write. Write, write, write. And study the market. How? Read a LOT! Not older fantasy, but the new stuff, things just released by New York City-based commercial publishing houses, written by newly discovered, first time published writers. That will tell you the trends that editors were looking for most recently. Read analytically, tear up a book with pen and highlighters and sticky notes to see what a writer has done that worked. Rewrite sections that didn’t work for you. And, again – write. BIC – Butt in chair. Also, for writerly advice with a decidedly fantasy twist, read http://www.magicalwords.net every day. Four writers and lots of guests post and chat back and forth about the business of writing and the creative part of writing.I’d like to thank Mrs. Hunter for participating in my interview. Also, since I’m posting this so late, I will allow everyone to enter the contest starting tonight, Tuesday, January 12, 2010. And the contest will end on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. All entries must be in before that time. All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post. Everyone only gets one entry this time. Winners will be announced on Thursday, January 21, 2010.
To read more about Faith Hunter and her work, you can find her on these websites:


http://www.faithhunter.net/wp/
http://www.gwenhunter.com/
http://magicalwords.net/

UPDATE: Anonymous posters!! I don’t know who you are if you don’t leave a name, and you can’t win if you don’t have a name, right? Riiiight! So please leave one. The two Anons who already posted are free to add their names. Any ANONYMOUS poster after this notice will not have a chance to win if their name is not included in their comment. Thanks! 😀

Happy New Year! I am not into resolutions–not anymore. I’m more into goals, which another friend of mine blogged about. 😀

My goals for this year are to make my current WIP shine, find an amazing agent, get a HUGE book deal, and even sell more short stories. I already sold one flash piece last year. You can read about that here.

So what are your goals or resolutions for 2010? They don’t have to be writing related. They can include anything. 😀

Well, spill it, why don’t ya?

We had 22 entries, and a winner was drawn at random. Congratulations to Kailia Sage! You’ve won your very own copy of SKINWALKER, plus two goodie prizes. Click on my profile and e-mail me at the address located there. You need to include your name and mailing address. You have until Saturday night (midnight) or the prizes will go to another person.

And for the rest of you guys, there will be another chance to win a signed copy of a different book in January. Details will be given at a later date. 😉

Okay guys, I promised you a contest. And here it is: All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me why you like urban fantasy, or if you haven’t read any urban fantasy yet but would like to. If you post about my contest on your blog, live journal, Twitter, etc. and link to it in my comments section, you get TWO entries in the contest instead of one. If you don’t link it, it doesn’t count. All entries must be in by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9, 2009.

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind—a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. Back from hiatus, she’s hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katies’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps.
Amidst a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” and a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission—or else the next skin she’ll need to save just may be her own…

P.S. The contest is open to everyone, regular commenters and lurkers alike, foreign and domestic. 😀

*Remember the contest ends 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, December 9, 2009. Winners will be announced on Thursday, December 10, 2009

I’m at 22,061 words as of tonight folks. 😀

My blogger pal Rick asked for an update and this is it.

I have a local meeting on Tuesday evening. And another one in another part of the state on Saturday, so I’m looking forward to it. I’ve already been to two Nano meetings.

Nano is really cool. I like it more than I thought I would. Every writer should try it at least once, IMHO. 😉

UPDATE: 11/23/09-(33,001 words as of today, folks)

Hi everyone. Even though I am participating in Nano (1950 words so far), I still decided to conduct an interview with my pal Kelly Meding, before her book relsease. Kelly’s book titled, THREE DAYS TO DEAD, will be released November 24, 2009 from Bantam/Dell. You can pre-order it now. 😀

Along with her book coming out, Kelly has some wonderful giveaways on her website and other places, and if you click on her name, you will be redirected to her awesome blog.

If you still need convincing, you can read the first chapter here. Click on the “read an excerpt” line underneath her book cover. It’s awesome and you’ll want a copy of the book. 😀

Also, I’ve conducted an interview with Kelly that you can read below: Kelly Meding

Demon Hunter: 1.) What first piqued your interest in writing?
Kelly Meding: I’ve always been a voracious reader. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved books and stories. But as a child, I never thought about where those books came from. Authors were names on a cover, they weren’t really people yet. Then my English teacher (5th grade, I think) asked us to each write a fan letter to our favorite author. At the time, my favorite book was A Rat’s Tale by Tor Seidler, so I wrote him a letting telling him so. Imagine my shock when he wrote back. I still have that letter somewhere, and it was the first time I consciously thought about the people who wrote the books I loved.

I didn’t start writing my own stories down until around seventh grade. I decided, in the way that twelve year-olds do, that it didn’t matter that I wasn’t an author. It didn’t matter that I was just a kid. I was going to write down my stories, too. So I did, and I haven’t stopped.

DH: 2.) What is your favorite genre to read in? Write in?
KM: Can I just say Speculative Fiction for both answers?

As a reader, I go all over the map. I’m a huge Stephen King fan, but I don’t always consider his books horror—some are fantasy, some are just paranormal. I also love and adore reading both urban fantasy and paranormal romance. If it’s speculative or paranormal, chances are it’s something I’d want to read.

For writing, right now I’m firmly planted in the same realm. My upcoming debut, THREE DAYS TO DEAD, is urban fantasy. I have another series in the works that superhero fiction, so still fantasy. Most of the ideas rattling around in my head are Spec Fic of some sort. It’s where my heart has always been.

DH: 3.) Who are some of your writing influences?
KM: I mentioned Stephen King. I love his ability to transcend genre and write just about anything. His long, epic books (The Stand, IT), are some of my favorites, but I also adore his short story collections. He writes people well, and has just a brilliant imagination.

I also worship at the feet of Joss Whedon. He isn’t a novelist, but he is an amazing writer. “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” is truly what drew me into urban fantasy with the notion of the strong, capable heroine. It took me a while to find her in books, but I do believe that Buffy spoke to a lot of other women my age, who went through high school and college at the same time as she did. Joss is such a terrific scriptwriter; I’d love to see him tackle a novel.

DH: 4.) What are you looking forward to careerwise?

KM: At the moment, I’m most looking forward to surviving November. Career-wise…I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but all I want is to keep writing and keep getting paid for it. I’d love a chance to continue Evy’s story past the two currently-contracted books. I’d love a chance to explore some new characters and new worlds. It’s a tough market right now, and while I’d love to think I have it made now that I’ve sold, that’s just not true. I have to stay positive and keep writing the best novels I can; that’s all any of us can really do.

DH: 5.) Are you planning any tours for your first book?
KM: Nope. I have a handful of guest blogs scheduled and some online promo stuff lined up for November, but no real-world tours. Tours are very rare, and usually reserved for the people who will attract crowds. I’m content just being little old, unknown me for now.

DH: 6.) How did you come up with the idea for THREE DAYS TO DEAD?
KM: The idea came about two ways. The first was simply a desire to write something very paranormal. Before I wrote Three Days to Dead, I’d written other speculative novels (one about psychic powers, another about superheroes), but nothing that was straight paranormal—vampires and werewolves and ghouls and goblins, etc… I hadn’t gone there yet, and I wanted to. Only I wanted to put my own spin on the critters, so my vampires are very different than most others out there (definitely not sexy or sex objects), as are some of my other monsters of choice.
The second part of the idea was a scene that never ended up in any written form. I had recently read Jackie Kessler’s Hell’s Belles and had concepts of heaven and hell on my mind. I had a flash of a scene in which a woman is stuck in Purgatory, but is then summoned by someone (an archangel, maybe). This someone makes her an offer of sorts—go back to Earth and help do something, and you get a free pass to Heaven.
I started brainstorming this, trying to answer a few questions: Why her? What could she do that would prompt her getting this deal? What’s happening back on Earth? As I worked on these questions, it occurred to me it wasn’t what she could do, but rather something she knew. She wasn’t being sent back, someone brought her back with magic. As the heroine and her circumstances began falling into place, that initial Purgatory scene became useless. The story begins when Evy, my heroine, wakes up in her brand-new body, with no clue as to what’s going on or where she is. Once I had that initial scene, and a vague idea of the world, I started writing.

DH: 7.) How many books do you have planned for the series?
KM: I don’t have any specific number planned at this point. I’ve brainstormed as far as four books, but there could easily be more. The complexities of the histories and the political machinations happening behind the scenes with the various species could keep me in Evy’s world for a while.

There you have it, folks. I hope you enjoyed my interview with Kelly and that you will buy her book, THREE DAYS TO DEAD. I’d like to thank Kelly for the interview and everyone else for reading it. 😀