Coming soon to celebrate the launch of my next book…
To my knowledge, this will be the first ever Facebook Scavenger Hunt. Lots of surprises, prizes and games in the company of the most fantastic authors. If you like urban fantasy, paranormal romance and/or sci-fi romance, this is too good an opportunity to miss. The date? August 1.
Keep your eyes open for more information.
This month I’ll be celebrating the release of my second book, a sexy urban fantasy. Guarded continues my tradition of placing the alpha female front and center: flawed, most definitely, but with plenty of smarts and sass.
According to the fantasy writer Juliet E McKenna, booksellers and the media are still too focused on “grimdark books about blokes in cloaks.”
Well. Move over, boys. Because Guarded is fantasy with heart and not only appeals to women, but gives them the dues they’ve been denied for so long. It dispels the ‘grimdark’ shadows to reveal rich layers in characters that aim to defy stereotypes.
So, what is an alpha female? Quite simply she’s a smart woman who, while not afraid to ask for help, is able to kneecap and defeat evil without a male safety net. For my leading ladies, a man’s protective instinct is an obstacle rather than a sure-fire love trap. Men must prove themselves worthy of the heroines’ affections.
Just like real women. We don’t mind snuggling up, but we do it because we want it, not because we need it.
How do you feel about alpha females?
To buy or preorder Guarded or to find out more, click here.
I’ve been neglecting my blog recently, but I’m back. For today at least. My new book, Guarded, will be coming out on July 31, 2015, and it’s all systems a-go for its release. My blog tour is going to be awesome, and our Facebook author event on August 1 is keeping my stress levels high. If we pull it off, the readers are going to be so happy, because lots of wonderful authors have signed up.
I’ve also set up a Goodreads giveaway, in case you want to get your hands on an early hardcover copy of Guarded.
What’s next? Well, I’m working on more author/reader projects, so keep your eyes out for them. But first, a cup of tea.
At last, the countdown starts. The release of GUARDED, book 1 in THE SILVERTON CHRONICLES series is scheduled for July 31, 2015, and I have even found a Guardian Angel (geddit?) to help me to the finishing line: thank you, Michelle Slagan. 🙂
Now, the time has come to reveal my cover.
Do you love it? Hate it? If you have an opinion, I’d love to hear from you.
For GUARDED, I wanted sexy, mysterious, with the full focus on a strong woman. After a quick image mock-up, some of you gave me a hand refining the concept, and my wonderful designer, Ana Grigoriu, then turned it into the stunning result you see before you.
To find a book summary, view trailers or read early readers’ comments, please click here.
As luck would have it, I was rummaging through a chest of leather-bound books and oddly contoured metal plates yesterday, and came across a document, all yellowed and musty. Its contents seem to have some bearing on the world in which GUARDED is set, so I figured I should share it with you. I know what you’re thinking, how can I be sure it’s not a modern forgery? Well, you can tell it’s genuinely old by the stilted language. I’m certainly convinced. But why not judge for yourself?
“Hernando!” The old demon’s voice echoed across the valley and into the next, where it startled two young sparrows in their nest. “Get that circle closed, you fool. Now!”
One of the younger demons jumped up and scurried toward a group of men who strained against a guard, a craggy boulder carved with lines, grooves and symbols. Its wild patterns shimmered and flickered under the thunderous sky. Precision was vital, since these guards would henceforth keep the two worlds asunder, with only the demons, now appointed Guardians, to watch over them.
A few among the laborers used their staffs for leverage against the final rock; the others relied on their innate strength and pushed with their shoulders and legs. None of them used magic, for the energy was precious today and to be used by Gerrak alone.
The heavy guard edged closer to its destination, a spot on the ground that the demons had smeared with ash in the days before and now was muddied, partly washed away by the rain.
Gerrak, leader of the Guardians, towered over them from his vantage point on a hill overlooking the circle of powerful guards. The boulders stood spaced at equal intervals from one another and surrounded the area that would give birth to the new realm.
Gerrak’s gray hair fluttered in the wind, untouched by the heavy drops of rain rushing to join the puddles by his feet. He held his staff thrust forward from his chest, parallel to the ground, to temper the Earth’s forces, that they might not overcome the Guardians’ combined might.
But Mother Earth was not to be placated by such easy gestures, and repelled his will. Gerrak was loathe to use his full measure of magic against her, for he could feel her pain, but the choice had been taken from him.Three full moons ago, the two councils had announced their verdict, and he, Gerrak, was duty-bound to abide by their decision. That young race that called itself mankind had grown so numerous that, like a plague of locusts against the sky, it had begun to block the shining brightness of magic itself. But in their new home, those born with powers would once again be allowed to wield their art without fear of persecution.
Gerrak peered up into the billowing clouds. Time was drawing short. “Hurry!” he shouted at the group of men who were pushing the last guard into place.
The circle was complete. A terrible darkness flooded Gerrak’s flesh, dizzying his mind, and he grit his teeth while the Mother’s fury filled him to his core.
What he was about to do was a betrayal of all that he had once believed. For he now was to turn the Mother’s powers against her, use her energy to carve out a piece of her own flesh. This lump of clay and sky, and the air in between, was to be separated off, to emerge as a place without access to the sun or the moon, and worse, without the guiding influence of the stars.
The ring of guards sparked, and Gerrak called out the incantation. The Earth shuddered and roared. Sweat rolled as beads down his face, but he kept his focus on the mission. With a tremor in his voice, he instructed the world to come apart.
Lightning bolts lit up the landscape in terrifying beauty, striking the ground with a shattering boom. The demons who’d moved the boulder shrieked and scrambled away. Eyes wide, they threw their arms over their heads to fend off the unholy forces raging around them.
Though exhaustion rattled Gerrak’s body, he forced his staff into the air, and let out a scream. With a final deafening roar, the Earth yielded to his command. Like a bubble in a swelling storm, their future home split apart and floated up above the guards and into the atmosphere, still tethered to the mourning Mother, yet too far to find comfort in her embrace. One more swipe of Gerrak’s staff, and a reddish darkness shrouded this new realm, so as to conceal its existence from anyone but the Guardians.
Gerrak, ruined by his own actions, groaned and rolled his eyes. His feat accomplished, the mighty demon’s body crumpled into a heap of bones and pulp, from where his life-force seeped into the soil. It would forever add his strength to that of the guards.
And thus came about Alethia.
I’m incredibly pleased with this review from Red City Review. That said, since I originally posted this article, I have found out that this is a paid-for review. Kind of. But before you cry foul, let me tell you the story behind this.
A few months ago, a stranger read my book and loved it. Loved it so much, she has done everything she can to help spread the word.
I, too, have tried to earn people’s reviews. I asked people I trusted if they wanted to read my book in return for an honest review. Many said yes. And since delays during publishing meant my book was to have virtually no promotion, I was overwhelmed by and grateful for their response.
Well, only a fraction of those people came through.
Anyway, my loyal reader, in a heartwarming act of friendship, hired a company that, like the famous Kirkus Reviews, offered an “honest literary review.” Now, I have checked the company, Red City Review, out and believe they are absolutely legitimate. Their reviews look honest and show an insight that proves their reviewers read the books they review. And they’re comfortable giving five, four and three star reviews (although I could see none lower than three stars).
Yet I don’t want anyone to assume I purchase positive reviews from places like Fiverr (although I love Fiverr. So much talent. Artists, voiceover artists,…).
That said, I like this review even more now that I know the story behind it, because not only did the review’s author seem to like my book, it is also proof of a very special person’s faith in me. And that means the world to me. Thank you!
Thank you also to everyone who has taken the time to post their own reviews. You rock!
So, here it is:
Lea is just a normal girl trying to find her place in the world. Her job as a translator leaves much to be desired, but it’s a start. She’s just found a cute guy who seems to be interested in her. Things are looking up, until she crosses paths with a woman who will turn her life upside down. Nieve has always lived her life for her king and her country. And as the threat they have been worried about comes even closer, she knows the end must justify the means. But when it all goes wrong can she pull herself together for one last stand?
The synopsis of Divide and Conquer alone grabs your attention, and once you start reading you are not disappointed. Nieve and Lea’s fight to save their worlds (and ultimately their minds and memories) will keep you on your toes trying to put pieces together and waiting to see what happens next. Author Carmen Fox takes urban fantasy (and the fantasy genre in general) to a whole new level. The characters of Divide And Conquer are all fully developed, relatable, and-more importantly-believable. Fox lets you get to know them on a much deeper level and peek into their hearts and souls. The two main characters have been put into an impossible situation and they both react very differently- Nieve is a fighter and ready for anything, while Lea is still hoping for a way out. Throughout it all, her characters feel like people instead of just characters. The world Fox has created is rich with detail-making it easy to see everything in your head as you read, but not too much detail that it slows down the story. She writes from both Lea’s and Nieve’s points of view; adding a depth to the story and immersing you deeper into the world. Going back and forth between characters could easily get confusing or interrupt the flow of the book, but Fox does it with skill. Long story short, this is a must-read book whether you like urban fantasy or not, and if you aren’t sure about fantasy in general, it’s likely that Fox will change your mind.
I’ve now had time to play Stone Age on the iPad a few times and it’s just as excellent as I’d hoped. Playing board games on the iPad is no substitute for the real thing, but it’s great for trying out new strategies and exercising your brain. The graphics are not as sophisticated as high-concept computer or console games, but they’re colorful and do not get in the way of gameplay.
Every round consists of two actions. During the first action, you place your people. You can send them off to procure food, make tools, mine the land, trade with ships or at the market, or to make babies. Behind closed doors, don’t worry. 🙂
For the second action, you collect your people together with their goodies (which may or may not require the roll of a few dice). Make sure you gather the best resources and always have enough food, because running out will cost you.
Scores are added up at the end of the game, where you combine the points you picked up along the way with those that are associated with your resources.
What I like most about Stone Age is that throwing dice, which in most games adds an undesired element of luck, becomes part of your overall strategy. The luckier you feel, the fewer men you have to assign to a particular task, but woe unto you if the dice let you down.
On the con side, excessive play totally drains the fun. That applies to the app, not to the physical tabletop game where human interaction infuses the experience with plenty of giggles. That’s because unlike computer games, the app contains no levels to progress to, and you end up going through the motions. But as a tabletop game turned iPad app, Stone Age is pretty great.
All in all I highly recommend it.
4 1/2 stars
Lea Daniels is the name of one of my book’s two main characters. She’s kind, a little too snarky for her own good, and loves sci-fi and fantasy TV. She’s certainly what I’ve coined an ‘alpha female,’ but she hasn’t found her way in the world yet.
Her sense of humor, a little off-center as it is, is her own. I thought I’d introduce her to you by way of a quote or two.
Seattle celebrates the release of Divide And Conquer the only way it knows how. Big style! No expense was spared to honor my urban fantasy set in their streets.
Okay, it is likely that the beta reader who sent me this picture (Thanks, Amanda!!!) may have played around with the famous sign welcoming us to Pike Place Market, but I still feel honored.
In fact, I’ve been bowled over by my readers’ support, especially those who’ve already left reviews on Amazon, Goodreads etc. Quite plainly, you’re wonderful people and I appreciate you all.
What wonderful things have readers done for you, or have you done for an author?
Best,
Carmen
Being Stephen King or Nora Roberts must be nice. Birds wake you with happy chirps, your butler serves you breakfast in bed, small, well-behaved children scatter rose petals wherever you put your feet… Okay, maybe not.
The odds are against us, yet many dream that one day we’ll be able to support ourselves with our writing. Some get there, most don’t.
Twist and turn it every which way, being an author is hard.
Not only do we have to learn how to write well, we must also put our butts in chairs to write the book, then edit it, ask others to criticize it, then edit again, and again, and again. We also prepare query letters and synopses to submit our work to agents and editors for almost guaranteed rejection, or we navigate the publishing landscape ourselves, with all its red tape. All the while we must establish connections with potential readers and supportive fellow authors.
Then the hard work starts. In no particular order, we build a website, write our author’s bio, think up intriguing book blurbs, make our own video trailers or hire someone to make them for us. We ask blog sites and individuals for reviews and endorsements, put up author pages on sites like Amazon and Goodreads, maintain a blog, keep our Twitter followers amused, update Facebook friends on our progress, find exciting pictures or quotes to share on Pinterest, and design banners for our website and social media accounts. With luck, we find beta readers and send out copies.
To remain friendly with other authors, and to kick back, we read their books and provide reviews. We advise fledgling writers. We have pens, bookmarks and sticky notes printed, and flyers for which we designed the layout. We pick our favorite excerpts and answer interview questions for blogs that are willing to feature us. We proofread our work and write press releases. We create events for readers and other authors on Facebook, and join yahoo loops and make new Google+ friends. And when we have a minute, we compile interesting extras to post on our websites, such as deleted scenes, origin stories or recipes.
We design and pay for ads. We keep up-to-date on all our memberships, maintain a newsletter, and we run giveaways for our existing and new readers. We enter and judge competitions, absorb constructive criticism and survive malicious reviews left by people who clearly have no friends. We bow before the writing greats and beg for endorsements that might never come. We send out bulletins, arrange and attend book signings and travel to conventions. In the meantime, we’re writing our next book, because we live for the day that someone tells us our book touched them or helped them escape from reality.
We do this while working a full-time job and/or looking after our children. To put the above into context, remember how long your last official email took to write? Five minutes? Ten? Now consider writing a blog that’s three times as long or ten emails a day just to chase an editor or arrange an interview.
With luck, we’ll sell between 30 to 100 books in the first month before interest wanes. So our only choice is to keep up our marketing efforts. Yup, the sleepy author doesn’t eat. But neither does the busy one.
In competition with authors who give their books away, we make do with between $0.10 and $1 per ebook sold. Of course at the higher end of this scale, you’re most likely to be a self-publishing author, which means you can add cover design, finding and paying for a good editor, purchasing a batch of ISBN numbers, and formatting for print, epub and mobi publication to the list. Oddly, we then have to justify to readers why we’re not handing out copies for free, or why we charge the normal retail rate for signed books, plus shipping.
And then, one day, you come home and find a pirated copy of your work offered for free on a website.
It breaks your heart.
Caution: Spoilers
Cliffhangers are infuriating and exciting. Authors love leaving us – and their characters – in limbo, dangling off the metaphorical cliff.
In movies, the most famous one might arguably be ‘The Italian Job.’ The what-happens-next ending suited the film, and was in hindsight more satisfying than letting the scoundrels get away with the loot or having them caught.
In ‘Inception‘, we never learned the truth about which reality Cobb ended up in. Again, this was in keeping with rest of the film.
It’s important to note that these cliff hangers are the intended endings, and the question of ‘what happens next?’ is an integral part of the story. They are not meant to build up to anything beyond the movie’s original scope.
The problem arises when cliffhangers are setting up sequels. No movie shows this more than ‘Matrix:Reloaded,’ since the last of the Matrix films never really lived up to it. Don’t get me wrong. I liked it. I just would have liked it a lot more if my expectations hadn’t been ramped up to the max by ‘Reloaded.’
If you watched ‘24,’ where almost every episode leaves you with your heart in your mouth, you have to wait a week at most for the next instalment. Or you get the boxset. With the Matrix, the wait stretched for over six months. But nowadays, too many TV programs use cliffhangers to bridge the wait to the next season. And assuming we get to see a next season at all, we’re stuck for six to twelve months not knowing. Will it be worth it?
After all, the payoff has to be equal to the suspense created by the cutoff. But cliffhangers have other problems.
We perceive the annoyance created at the end of one episode as delicious for only a brief moment. By the time the sequel comes around, we might at best remember the anticipation, but hardly any of the plot used to set it up. And this is why cliffhangers are bad for readers and for authors, too.
As a reader, my heartbeat hammers in my ears.
The car goes into tail spin, and the heroine holds onto the car’s oh-crap handle. “Marty?” she shouts. But the driver’s head lolls to the side, his eyes wide and empty. She reaches for the steering wheel. Too late. The car veers off the road into a field. Her stomach bounces. The engine sputters and a double-dip in the bumpy ground rattles her like a rag doll. She bites her tongue, tastes her blood. Oh no. A tree. A f***ing tree. The tree isn’t getting out of the way. Move, dammit, move!
The end.
Our adrenaline is keeping us going, and the cut-off puts us into a spin. The whole day, our brain won’t let us rest, mulling over the different outcomes. Heck, I can’t wait for the next book. I want to read it now!
Nine months later.
Ah, the next book’s out. Great. I’ll definitely buy it, although I probably won’t get around to reading it until Christmas.
Come Christmas, I sit down with a lovely cup of tea and the book. I remember that the last one ended on a cliffhanger. A car accident. I psych myself up. My heartbeat’s in the healthy range, but my expectations are sky-high.
She wakes up, a regular beep echoing the beating of her heart. She rolls her head to the side. Her mother sits in a chair by her bedside, with more white hairs than she remembers.
“Oh darling.” Her mother takes her hand. “I’ve been so worried.”
Cue the reader, who reads on, with her expectations dashed. What happened to the high-octane car chase? To her raised expectations? Why exactly did her pulse jitter so much nine months ago? For a tepid hospital room scene?
Basically, shouldn’t books have a beginning, a middle, and an end, with most plotlines neatly tied up with a bow? But if the author used a cliffhanger, the next book, in my experience, may not recreate the outpour of adrenaline, or it doesn’t even try.
Perhaps I’m too old-fashioned, and reader satisfaction is overrated. I’m an experimental writer. With every book, I push my boundaries to try something I haven’t tried before. But cliffhangers aren’t for me. I just don’t see the advantage.
As a reader, I don’t mind them too much. Some are even done with incredible finesse, and the sequels keep all their predessors’ promises. Those few books I treasure.
As for the rest, I’ve become numb to them. You end your reading experience not with a satisfied sigh but with a pained scream, only to embark on a new adventure nine months later which leaves you equally frustrated. And with more and more authors making use of the cliffhanger, the novelty is wearing off.
The cliffhanger should not be the go-to tool for authors. How refreshing it would be to read a story with an ending.
How do you feel about cliffhangers? Love them? Perhaps you know some books that have pulled them off perfectly? Let me know.