Liz Strange

Independent Lit Awards - Short Lists

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:35:00 +0000

Hello-

Imagine my surprise to find out today that my novel Missing Daughter, Shattered Family made the short list in the mystery category for the Independent Lit Awards. I am so proud of this, regardless of the final outcome.

Huge congratulations and thanks to my wonderful editor Amanda Faris and to my publisher MLR Press.

Missing Daughter, Shattered Family at Amazon

Thanks,

Liz

YA author extraordinaire Judith Graves has stopped by....

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:55:00 +0000

Theory and Practice Makes Your Writing ROCK!

When I was a kid, I took piano lessons for five years and at the same time taught myself to play guitar. Eventually I picked up the violin, and then the bass guitar. Though my only formal instruction was in piano, I was able to branch into other forms of musical expression because each new instrument had two common denominators:

The theory was the same.

Success came down to practice.

Each used the same notes, time measurements, song structure and the more I played – the greater my skill. Because of their shared foundation I was able to build upon what I’d learned in piano and transfer my knowledge to other instruments.

I feel the same way about the various formats I write in: lyrics, flash fiction, short fiction, novellas, novels, and scripts.

The theory is the same.

Success comes down to practice.

While I don’t have any formal training in fiction, other than the single creative writing class I took in college, I’ve read and wrote, wrote and read, deleted and revised – learning the craft of writing by trail and error. Though I now have a handle on the basic tools I need to produce a decent story, I still have much to learn.

I like to share my discoveries with other aspiring writers and have posted a handy list of my personal “must have” tools / resources for writing fiction on my website…here. http://judithgraves.com/events/author-visits-2/writer-resources-to-die-for/

After recently diving headfirst into the world of screenwriting, I’ve established another list of resources I studied / absorbed / highlighted and stickie-noted to death which you’ll see below.

What I didn’t expect (but should have anticipated) is that the better I’ve become at writing scripts, the better I’ve become at writing and plotting – just about anything.

Screenwriting resources and the skills they impart translate well into the world of fiction. Nothing will teach you more about plot, character development and the need for conflict than the following resources. Even if you never intend to write a script, I encourage you to read a few of these…your fiction – and your readers – will thank you for it.

Then all you have to do is numerous hours of butt-in-chair practice. I know you can do it…

SCREENWRITING RESOURCES TO DIE FOR

Craft:

Save the Cat: The last book on screenwriting that you’ll ever need - Blake Snyder. Ironically Save the Cat was the first book on screenwriting I’d heard other fiction writers talk about and thus the first one I purchased…but I do return to it again and again.

Save the Cat: Goes to the movies. The screenwriter’s guide to every story ever told – Blake Snyder. Main plot points of films identified so you can make them happen in your own tales.

The Coffee Break Screenwriter – Pilar Alessandra. Fantastic resource for plot structure and dividing the task of writing a complete script into bite sized, manageable sections.

Your Screenplay Sucks: 100 ways to make it great – William M. Akers. I find this to be the best revision tool around. I use it for fiction manuscripts as well. It helps you identify problem areas and kick the snot out of them.

Four Screenplays. Studies in the American Screenplay: An analysis of four groundbreaking contemporary classics – Syd Field. Wonderful breakdown of Thelma & Louise, Terminator 2, The Silence of the Lambs and Dances with Wovles. In terms of understanding what makes a story work - this beast is priceless.

Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 most powerful film conventions every filmmaker must know – Jennifer Van Sijll. You’ll never watch a movie the same way again…and it will help you place your fictional cast on your stage with more finesse and creativity than ever before.

Scripts (a la The Shooting Script series) – as with writing fiction, the best way to learn what works is to READ. Here are some of the scripts I’ve purchased, but I also follow the Scott Myers blog http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/ for script evaluations and industry insight.

A Knight’s Tale – Brian Helgeland

Dan in Real Life – Pierce Gardner and Peter Hedges

Stranger than Fiction – Zack Helm

Juno – Diablo Cody

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once more with feeling (the musical script book) – Joss Whedon

SIDE NOTE: I also study other script formats, such as graphic novels. Here are some resources if you’re interested…

Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative: Principles and practices from the legendary cartoonist – Will Eisner. Great insight in the development of comics and how to combine words with images.

Panel Discussions with industry storytellers – Durwin S. Talon. Everything you’ve wanted to ask about graphic novels…with real answers.

Panel One: Comic book scripts by top writers – Nat Gertler. Featuring scripts by Neil Gaiman, Jeff Smith, Kurt Busiek and more!

Learn more about this author:

Judith Graves

...YA fiction to die for...

http://www.judithgraves.com

UNDER MY SKIN, (Print edition in stores now - ebook via Kindle and Nook)

"A normal life? Now that's the real fairytale."

SPIRITED, (Available via Kindle and Nook now) - proceeds to literacy-based charity

"There's no rest for the wicked. Bestselling authors telling scary tales."

SECOND SKIN, December 2011

"What happens when you're both the beauty and the beast?"

SKIN OF MY TEETH, 2013

"It's all fun and games 'til somebody dies."

Writing Update

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:35:00 +0000

Hello-

Just a brief update since I haven't posted in a while. I went to Shriekfest in Los Angeles and had an amazing time! I saw lots of great films, talked to some interesting, talented people, and came back inspired and renewed. Following up on some leads from this. I will share when more info is available.

My latest novel, Missing Daughter, Shattered Family (David Lloyd Investigations), is out and has recieved some great reviews and positive feedback from readers. If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, here's the LINK.

Also the third book in the Dark Kiss Trilogy is out.

I am hard at work on several projects at the moment, busy but happy to be writing! As always thank-you to all my readers and supportive reviewers.

Best!

Liz

Shriekfest 2011- I made the Finals

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:30:00 +0000

Well it's been a while since I've done an update, and with recent events I thought it was the perfect time. I am very proud to annouce that I made the finals in the Shriekfest 2011 screenplay competition for my work Nightwalker.

You can find out more about the competition here: Shriekfest

I will be talking about this amazing turn of events and about my writing career in general tomorrow morning on the CBC's Ontario Morning show. Hope you can turn in!!

Best!

Liz

Adrianne Brennan talks Writer's Block

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:35:00 +0000

Writer's block! Burnout! We all go through it and each of us have our ways of dealing with it. Here a list of mine, and why and how they work:

1) Keep more than one writing project going. If my Muse burns out on one, I can go to another. It keeps my projects from stagnating, my Muse from crapping out on me, and helps me to still get stuff done. I have at present three WIPs going on at the same time.

2) Write for yourself, don't write for deadlines. If all you want to do is write a crack!fic about your favorite fandom or a silly little piece that you'd never want to publish in a million years but you just have an ITCH to doit...just sit down and DO IT. As long as you're writing something, you're staying fresh--and you may get inspiration from doing it that will help with your current works.

3) Walk away from the keyboard!! It's okay to take a break. Infact, it's good for us and our writing. We may come back to find things wedidn't see before in our writing that needs work and therefore have a fresherperspective on the material.

4) When you're completely stuck, just do the things you love. I play World ofWarcraft online, watch episodes of Torchwood, read Doctor Who fanfic, exercise, take long walks--whatever allows me to relax and give my chance for my Muse toget new material. Sometimes even watching movies in similar genres that I'm writing in allows me to be able to get inspiration I desperately needed.

5) If you can, take a vacation--especially if it's related to what you're writing about. I have on limited times and budgets gone on a holiday that lasted all of one and a half days with a single night overstay. The purpose was to gauge the area--namely, the West Village in NYC--for the backdrop of mynovel, Blood of the Dark Moon. It not only turned out to be very educational for my book, but gave me a LOT of inspiration to fill in gaps in my story.

6) RELAX. Muses don't like to work under pressure. They like to be given candy and the freedom to run around. They do our best work for us when we're not wound up and barking orders at them, and the best way for us to do that is to make sure that we're in a good state of mind to be writing.

In conclusion, just remember...a happy Muse is a productive Muse. ^_^ The key is learning how to care and feed for yours so that it stays happy.

Adrianne Brennan

~ "Where love and magic meet" ~

http://www.adriannebrennan.com

Experience the magic of the Dark Moon series: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#darkmoon

Dare to take The Oath in this erotic fantasy series: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/books.html#the_oath

The future of psychic sex - Dawn of the Seraphs (m/m): http://www.adriannebrennan.com/dawnoftheseraphs.html

SHRIEKFEST 2011 - FINALIST

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:20:00 +0000

Hello Everyone-

So it's happened and I can't quite believe it!! I made the finals for Shriekfest 2011 with my screenplay Nightwalker. As such I have been invited to the weekend Festival in Los Angeles. Well, as a single mom of four and an emerging writer this is quite a financial stretch for me.

I wonder if there are some kind souls out there who would be able to help me make this happen. I am asking for SMALL donations of no more than $1-5 CAD payable thorugh Paypal. My email is lizstrange@bell.net

www.paypal.com

My promise is that if I sell/option this piece I will return all donations in full!!

My sincerest thanks to all that help make this some true!

Liz

Just thought I'd keep a running "Thank-you" for donations:

Danielle & Tony Baptista

Bertena Varney

Laurie Reifel

Michele Hauf is here to visit...

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:20:00 +0000

The wonderfully talented Michele Hauf is here to discuss a very interesting topic...one best left to her own words.

Werewolf Sex

That subject line will either make you cringe or smile. There's a certain squick factor involved when those two words get together, depending on how the scenario is handled. I just landed on Chapter Twenty-Three in my current work in progress, FOREVER WILD (Trystan Hawkes' story). I've typed in brackets [werewolf sex]. That page will remain blank for a while, days maybe, while I contemplate the scene, what it should involve, and how far I should push it.

One of the greatest challenges I have as a writer of paranormal romance fiction is the sex scenes between various 'creatures'. Vampires, I have mastered. Their sex can be pretty straight-forward, with an added bite. But werewolves? That's a touchy subject. While I usually rate my sex scenes on the medium scale, never too erotic, but not too tame, either, I always sit back andshake my head when a werewolf is involved. Why did I do this to myself? I wonder.

Because it is all my fault. I created my world. And in my world, the werewolf bonds during sex only when he's in werewolf form. That's the half man, half wolf form. For a pretty close approximation of my idea of what a werewolf looks like see the Underworld series (though I imagine them with more wolfie heads). And for a female werewolf to procreate she has to be in werewolf form. Makes it kind of a sticky situation if the werewolf is having sex with a mortal or other creature. I can only go so far on the page. I only want to go so far. You can step over boundaries easily. And I never want to upset the reader, or offend. On the other hand, to raise strong emotions in the reader is a writer's goal. So what to do?

I don't ever want to tread the lines of beastiality. But it's difficult when both hero and heroine are werewolves. So I think I've found a happy medium by alluding to what is about to occur and then slamming that bedroom door firmly shut. I want to get readers started on imagining what could happen, and then I'll leave it to them to continue on with the fantasy, or stop it when they get uncomfortable. But still, it's never easy for me to write that scene. And I don't think it ever will be easy, which is probably a good thing.

Now, I'd love to hear from you. How far is too far? Do werewolf sex scenes freak you out? Do you feel they are necessary to show the romance between the characters?

Visit Michele's website at: www.michelehauf.com

For more information about the characters in her Beautiful Creatures world: www.clubscarlet.michelehauf.com

Bertena Varney, Vampire Professor

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Bertena Varney, Vampire Professor, is here to visit!

Hi Liz. Thanks for having me today. I am glad that you invited me to come to talk to you about my new book, Lure of the Vampire.

First, Lure of the Vampire is a pop culture reference bookon vampires. The book provides lists, websites and essays dealing with thehistory, mythology, literature, movies, television, games, education and more.There is also a section that provides resources for vampire books and shows that are appropriate for children. And the book ends with very telling and intimate interviews with real life vampires and their vampire council.

The lists are for fun and for reference. For example, everyone complains that until only recently vampires can walk in the sun butactually the first vampire to walk in the sun was Dracula. There are also websites that tell where you can go to take college classes on vampire literature, history and more. This book began as part of my master’s paper and while researching I found that there are lots of colleges out there that offerspecial classes on vampire literature and more. I have provided lists of the professors and academics and their websites for the readers to access.

I am hoping that Lure of the vampire will be used by vampirefans for both fun and reference.

Here is an excerpt from the essay, Lure of the Dead Boyfriend:

In the beginning was a bald monster with a long face, pointed ears and chin, elongatedfingers and sharp talon claws that lost its humanity and control over its monstrous side. It was lured to a young maiden’s window. All of a sudden, with a sudden rush that could not be foreseen and with a strange howling cry that was enough to awaken the terror in any beast, the figure seized the long tresses of hair. He held her to the bed…she screams…shrieks...and he seizes herneck in his fang like teeth… a gush of blood and a hideous sucking noisefollow.

This picture of rape and torture is the bedroom scene of the 1847 penny dreadful, Varney the Vampire: Feast of Blood. The author Thomas Prest painted pictures of the vampire being a sexual monster wanting to devour women, women who wereportrayed as being very passive and weak. In these stories the vampire bite wasa metaphor for rape and the monster wanted his victim aware of every agonizing violation. This is the vampire that was created when men ruled the horror world: a creature cursed to walk the earth for eternity searching not for lovebut for food.

Now today, the story reads more like this, “He met my eyeswith his penetrating gaze. Suddenly it was hard to breathe. ..My heart poundedin my chest… my knees threatened to buckle. I had never seen such a gorgeous man…something about him felt dark and dangerous and desirable. I lifted my chinto give him better access to my neck. He smiled, showing a hint of fangs.” This excerpt is from Lynda Hilburn’s The Vampire Shrink.

As you see there are lots of hot discussions included inthis book.

Thanks for having me today and if anyone would like to know more about Lure or me please feel free to contact me at the following links:

Buy my book here

Sign up for my newsletter here

***

Lure of the Vampire:

A Pop Culture Reference Book of Lists, Websites and VeryPersonal Essays

By Bertena Varney,M.A.

Paperback: 176pages

Also available as an ebook

Publisher: Searchfor the Lure

Published: June 22, 2011

ISBN-10: 0615501567

ISBN-13: 978-0615501567

Lure of the Vampire is a pop culture reference book that begins with history and mythology and ends with modern living vampires. The author has provided "fun" lists like the Powersof Dracula, Real Live Vampire Murders, Television Shows and African Americans who have Played Vampires. There are also websites in each section that show the most popular vampire books and even children's shows and books. But, there is a personal twist when it comes to Lure of the Vampire. The author has provided personal essays from national and international vampire authors as well as her own. They range from a personal look at vampires in mythology to the romanticlust filled vampire. There are also interviews with various groups andindividuals involved in the vampire community. Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Refence Book of Lists, Websites, and "Very Telling" Personal Essays is a perfect quick to grab reference book for the vampire fan or author. It is concise enough to assist you in finding links to what you are looking for without our being too cumbersome and confusing.

Lure of the Vampire contains essays from authors: DeniseVerrico - David MacDowell Blue - Charles E. Butler - C.J. Ellisson –BittenTwice – Elizabeth Loraine

Interviews with: Vampiric Council of New England, Vlad the Gothic Vampire Magician , Audrey Koogler, Vampire Priestess , and Hugo Pecos,creator of The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency

Lure of the Vampire is great for any writer who would like to find fun facts to give their vampires in their story. For example, what powers have vampires in mythology possessed or the first literary vampires? There’s a section forthat.

What if you are a vampire fan who is looking for new YA oradult authors- there is a section withtitles, authors and their websites.

What about vampire games? There’s a section for that too.

Sections include: Mythology, History, Literature, Movies,Television, Recreation, Children’s Vampires, On the Web, Education, and RealLife Vampires. There are lists, websites, essays, and interviews included inthroughout the book.

Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Reference Book of Lists,Websites, and "Very Telling" Personal Essays is a perfect quick to grab reference book for the vampire fan or author. It's concise enough to assist you in finding links to what you are looking for without our being too cumbersome and confusing.

You can buy Lure of the Vampire at Amazon.com in print here- http://amzn.to/nwifDw.

Ebooks will be coming to Kindle, Nook and Smashwords soon.

About the Author

Bertena Varney was born in Pikeville,KY. She moved to Winchester, KY where she attended George Rogers Clark High School. When she graduated in 1989 she began her studies at Morehead State University. Her studies included the following:

- B.A. in Social Science and Education

- M.A. in Social Science and Education

- M.A. in Sociology and Criminology

- Rank 2 Secondary Education

Certification

She used all of her extra essays, projects and independent study classes to study vampires in pop culture. Thus the creation of Lure of the Vampire.

She has worked in education as both a middle and high school teacher and college professor. She has also been a deparment director in a business college, and...more Bertena Varney is from Winchester, KY and currently resides in Bowling Green, KY. She attended Morehead State University where she received the following degrees:

- B.A. in Social Science and Education - M.A. in Social Science and Education

- M.A. in Sociology and Criminology - Rank 2 Secondary Education Certification

While in college she used all of her extra essays, projects and independentstudy classes to study vampires in pop culture….thus the creation of Lure of the Vampire.

She has been employed as a middle and high school as well ascollege instructor. Here past employers include Morehead State University Shehas been employed Morehead State University, Eastern Kentucky University andNational College and will be lecturing at Bowling Green Community College inthe fall.

Currently she is planning her lecture tour schedule. In thepast she has presented papers at conference such as Sirens in Vail, Coloradoand The Harry Potter Witching Hour in Salem, Mass. Currently she is scheduledfor ScareFest, Dance on the Dark Side and A Day of Mystical Blood Lust.

She is also planning to begin a vampirology course basedupon her studies of vampires in pop culture.

FindBertena on the web:

Facebook- http://on.fb.me/g8C0Zr

Her writing website is www.bertenavarney.com

Her vampire research website http://searchforthelure.webs.com

Twitter @tenavarney

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4837666.Bertena_Varney

To sign up for her newsletter go here. http://eepurl.com/exZYQ

Book Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPMyiYjS6Y0

Ellen C. Maze is here to visit!

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 17:36:00 +0000

THE USER BECOMES A PUSHER

A fun chat with Vampire Fanatic-turned-Bestselling-Author, Ellen C. Maze

I grew up reading vampire novels and gothic horror, so it’s not a big surprise that given my innate artistic nature that I’d want to make my own vampire stories: the user has become the pusher! I think Dracula by Bram Stoker was my first delve into the vampire genre, and from then on, I could not get enough of the stuff. From my youth, I would pore over the bookstore shelves and spend every last cent of my weekly allowance on anything that had to do with vampires. Here are some titles that stick with me even today: They Thirst by Robert McCammon (my all-time fav), The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice (2nd Fav), A Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas (3rd fav), and The Saint Germain Chronicles by Chelsea Yarbro. But don’t let that short list fool you; I read dozens of others. These are the ones that influenced me the most and have certainly sparked my creative vampire brain.

One thing that stands out the most to me when reading vampire fiction is how diverse the mythology is. This thrills me the most about writing in this genre. Every vampire tale has a different and unique origin, or in the least, he has different weaknesses and strengths.

In my series, The Corescu Chronicles (www.thejudgingnovel.com), the vampire, Mark Corescu, was once a priest in 17th Century Hungary. He is a good man who makesa poor choice when confronted by a demon one dark night. The demon overcomes him and transforms him into a vampire for its own purposes. The kicker is that Mark was unconscious when it happened and his maker is killed before he figures out what his has become. So for 400 years, Mark uses his vampiric skills and bloodthirst to seek out evil people and take their lives. He can go out in the daytime and he is not afraid of crosses and garlic and all that.

In my series, The Rabbit Trilogy (www.rabbitnovel.com), the vampires are “born that way.” They are an actual race of beings living alongside the humans, under the radar. They have incredible physical strength, and varying mystical and supernaturalpowers, yet all of them drink blood for pleasure. In this series, the vampires cannot survive the daylight.

If you think reading a vampire novel gets you into the story, try writing one. Anyone who has ever written a novel, knows that she has become the vampire during the creating process. She stalked the innocent, killed people, and may have suffered remorse, depending on the depth of that vampire’s particular emotive tendencies. The redeeming note, though, is that she has also become the protagonist and learned how to defeat evil and avenge the righteous. Secretly, many authors (of which I am one) long to be the bad guy and the good guy, the vampire andthe victim—and we love that we control the outcome. It is a very self-gratifying existence!

You had previously assured me that you were having no withdrawal symptoms, yet you felt compelled to pen Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider, in order to quench your insatiable thirst! {laughs}.All ribbing aside, what was the main inspiration for the book?

Like many authors, I’m sure, I was unable to NOT write. In 2004, I began work on my first novel, The Judging,and the thing wrote itself. For twelve months, the scenes flowed from my fingers and the characters spoke to me and kept me in line. I’d never written a novel,so I had no idea if this was normal or not. I’d turn to my husband after a scene was done and say, “Wow, I had no idea this scene would end this way!” He would roll his eyes, and tell me that most writers have to plan and blueprinttheir novels to get them to write themselves. Well, I was too green to think too hard about it. With no blueprint and a simple premise, the entire novel wrote itself, and I sat back amazed and awed at the creative process.

I am a fine artist by trade, so creativity was no stranger. But bringing fictional characters to life? That happened to me, it wasn’t something I set out to actively do! So, once The Judging was finished, I moved on to writing a sequel, and a year later, when that one was done, I wrote Books Three and Four in the series. Now we’re up to 2008, and I had dabbled with querying agents and editors, with zero bites. That’s when Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider (RCBR) was conceived, as I was ready to write a new novel.

Basic idea: What if my book, The Judging, was published, and then, what if there were real vampires in the world who read it, and what if they began to question their devilish ways? That is where the inspiration for RCBR originated. Beth Rider is a younger and prettier version of myself, and Michael Stone, the vampire character compelled to protect her, is my fictional knight in shining armor. The concept wasoriginal enough to absolutely floor the first readers, and since the book has been out, people all over the globe have reported how much they enjoyed it! Ahhhh, see, very gratifying to simply share a little story that popped into my crazy head, one winter’s day.

You say the book challenges the reader to ''think outside the box,'' which is a good thing considering all of the competition there is out there within the vampire genre. Was it your goal to put a whole new ''spin'' on a tired genre?

This book will not compare to the YA teenage angst books, I’mafraid. And it doesn’t fit in with vampire gore-fests, or vampire erotica. My novel plays out through many POVs, some of which are vampires, but one of which is a woman with a biblical world view. Yet, this book does not fit in with the Christian or religious-fiction crowd. It is odd, it is different, and every readerreports that it stretches their emotions, their theology, and their veryunderstanding of Light and Dark, good and evil. It is entertaining and engrossing, but when they’re finished reading it, they can’t help but ponder it for weeks afterward. This, to me, is a good sign.

My initial goal was (and remains) to write an original tale that didn’t look like any other vampire book out there. I don’t fault the scads of vampire paperbacks stacked up in the BooksAMillion—when I was a teen, I’d buy every single one of them and enjoy them all. Those books have their place. I am just happy that my book is enjoyed by teens, but also by adults, and that it has essentially broken the mold.

Your books have a distinct southern feel to them. Are you a big fan of the gothic style?

I was born and raised in Small Town, Alabama. The language, the atmosphere, the people, and the culture oozes throughout my novels. I must admit that I’ve always recognized the gothic style as being the most conducive to the paranormal, and it draws me just like anyone else.

One curious thing another author mentioned to me once is that I don’t look like a horror writer. So what do I look like? A soccer mom? {laughs}There’s a reason for that. Wearing black and living a Halloween existence doesn’t suit my personality nor my persona. My writing is dark and disturbing(some readers cannot finish RCBR because of the creepiness factor), but I am light, fluffy, and happy. I like to laugh uproariously, I like to sing all daylong, and I love the daylight. Could it be that writing my vampire tales is a form of deliverance? Hmmm…

Was it difficult to pen a Christian novel about vampirism without offending certain parties? Or...was the book not targeted for the Christian market to begin with?

When I first wrote The Judging, I was terrified to show it to anyone because I am a follower of Jesus, and I had just written about vampires, of all things! What would my Christian friends say?

I come from a Messianic Jewish family, which means we follow Jesus and also keep the Feasts and keep kosher. That said, the judgmental attitude of my Christian friends frightened me into silence for many years. My experience with Christians is that they can be pretty harsh in expressing themselves (sorry,but it’s true). I try VERY hard to be open, tolerant, loving, and never judgesomeone else, but out in the world, I came upon some pretty hard-nosed religious critics.

It wasn’t until 2009 that I felt brave enough to publish, to put my vampires out into the Light for all to see. Thankfully, I didn’t get any hate mail from Christians (or Jews, for that matter) even though my premise depends upon a certain Messianic Jewish understanding of the Bible that many Christians are not familiar or comfortable with. The only ones who complainedwere those who hadn’t read the work. They pre-judged,and I can’t give their opinions any credence, then, can I? My own Rabbi blessed and endorsed my book, as well as bought several copies for family members.That’s a show of confidence that is hard to beat!

I have submitted my novels to Christian editors and more than once, they indicated to me that it was ‘too creepy’ for them to ‘get behind’. All I can gather from that response is that I must not have written my book for them. There is an audience that is not afraid of creepiness—those guys, come ondown!

In general essence, do you feel that the current vampire trend is actually a long stream of''angst'' films and books? So many of them seemed aimed at teens and young adults.

Yes, in general. But this industry follows the money. YA Vampire books are where the money is right now. Please don’t get me wrong, as I mentioned earlier, there is a place for all kinds of vampire novels. When I visit the big chain stores, the center aisle is invariably stacked with literally dozens of teenage angst vampire titles. I can’t really say much,because when I was kid, like a said earlier, I would have saved up my allowance and tried out each one. But there’s room for wide variety of vampire lore.

My Rabbit novels are not YA, although the teens love them. Vampire novels can have deeper meaning.Vampire stories can be less about sex (what’s it like to make it with a vampire?) and more about motivation (why do I do what I do, and can I stop?).

I would like everyone to continue writing what they like—some of us will write angst, and some, erotica, and some, gore-fest, and some, thought-provoking mythos. It’s obvious that the demand is high for all things‘vampire’. So, if the author is drawn to the theme, go ahead and dip your toe in the water. Nowadays, non-vampire authors have begun checking into the theme.Some people think they’re simply riding the money train, but I don’t make those distinctions. There is room for all of our books. Let’s get to writing! The readers are hungry!

If you like reading outside of the box, read Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider. I also recommend 33 A.D. by David McAfee. For those feeling particularly brave, read The Jerusalem Undead Trilogy by Eric Wilson. All of these vampire novels touch on biblical principles, have original mythos, are filled with horrifying vampiric violence, and challenge the reader as well as entertain. What could be better than that?

Angst doesn’t seem to be a problem with your life, you seem to have a great sense of humor and a good outlook in general. Has having a good sense of humor ever been reflected in your work?

In RCBR, the bad guys get all the best lines. Check it out, and see for yourself. Isn’t there something freeing about being the bad guy? No repercussions, no remorse, just do and say whatever you like. My Rabbit bad guys love to chuckle, and they’ll make you laugh too.In my novel The Judging and its sequel Damascus Road, there are even more chuckle-worthy moments. The Judging books are more character- than plot-driven, so you get to know them even more so than in Rabbit. They’ll make you giggle andsometimes laugh out loud with their shenanigans.

Humor is an important part of life, and I find it incorporates itself into my writing, all by itself. One of the nicest compliments I ever hadwas from my publicist. She said that my characters are “real,” everything they say, do, and how they react, is exactly how she feels someone would in the realworld. To her, my characters’ humor makes her feel at home while reading, and gives her all the more reason to be frightened when they act up. Now, isn’t that funny?

I understand an atheist once refused to keep reading your book after the first ten pages because you mentioned God. How did that make you feel? What was your initial reaction?

Yes. The book was not labeled as ‘Christian Fiction’ because it doesn’t fit the narrow confines of the CBA parameters for fiction. Still, of all my characters, the protagonist has a biblical worldview so she perceivesher world through Bible lenses (just like I do). This will show in the work.One hard-line* atheist actually called me on the phone to discuss the matter with me. She said to me, “How can God and vampires go in the same book?” Before I could answer, she ended the call with an excuse to call back later and I didn’t hear from her again. But she wrote on her blog, “I began the novel with excitement but by page ten, the protag began to call on the King of the universe and I knew this wasn’t my kind of book.” Then she gave my book away to some of her readers. That works for me! At least one of her readers requested it and gave it a try.

*I say ‘hard-line atheist’ because the majority of my atheist readers absolutely love my book. These are the people who do not believe in the God of the Bible, but hold no animosity against those who do. Tolerant, open-minded unbelievers have left me the best reviews on Amazon. I didn’t write this book for any one theological group. I wrote this novel for people who love vampire novels. People who want to see something new done with their favorite mythological sexy-bad-guy. Folks from all walks of life have written me to tell me how they love the book and are hungry for more. That is why I publish—to share with folks who want to be entertained. As of this writing, I have more than fifty 5-star reviews on Amazon and one 1-star from an angry atheist. Let’s not fight people, just have fun!

There are a lot of {so-called}''critics'' who have taken a disliking to the new ''edgy Christian fiction genre,'' which I have even written a book about recently. Where do you believe that Christians should draw the line on language, sex, violence, etc?

This is a tough question that the individual author must address.The (biblical) Christian faith is a personal relationship with the Creator—that means (and this isn’t a cop-out) that each author is responsible for what they write, how graphic they are, and how profane based on their personal revelation of God. See, there I go with the Messianic Jewish perspective. I take everyword of the Bible as fact, and it is very clear that we are not to judge one another. Each of us, those who serve the God of Israel, is supposed to lift up and edify his brother, leaving judgment to the Almighty.

So where do Christian, Messianic, or religious authors draw theline? They must stay within their comfort zones. Each and every believer is ona journey toward God. Some of us have been at it for years, but some of us are new. I am relatively new at following Messiah. I’m all messed up and working toward holiness. I’m not there yet. And please don’t forget that we don’t all have the same audiences. We write what we are compelled to write, and if you are a child of God, He puts the audience before you that He wants in place.Write what you feel, write what you know, and for believers—that is all youhave to do. God will do the rest.

Authors who hold a biblical perspective and write horror aren’t trying to convert people or make a broad religious statement. We only want to entertain folks with the stories that fill our heads. We are storytellers. Let us tell our stories in peace. Either you like them or you don’t. Period.

Before I let you go, tell me a little about your new book Rabbit Legacy.

Rabbit Legacy (Oct. 2010) is the continuation of the tale begun in Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider. When the first story ended, a huge victory had been won, but there were questions left unanswered. In Legacy, most of thecharacters come back and two new ones emerge to make this book even more delightful and moving than the first. I suspect this one will blow the readers away. My beta-readers and editors can’t stop going on about how wonderful it is, so they have me excited.

Please watch for my new character, Canaan.Oh, he is a delightful scoundrel, the anti-hero of Rabbit Legacy. I suspect movies will be made about this fellow.Speaking of movies, I wouldn’t be surprised if a studio wanted to make Rabbit into a movie. I was approached by a movie company when the first book came out, and am still shopping around for a screen play. Hey, guys, why not?

Any last words for your fans?

Hi, fans! It is my pleasure to share with you a book filled with 20 short stories that involve your favorite characters from the Rabbit Trilogy. In early 2011, I hope to release this book, entitled The Loose Rabbits, where each chapter is a peek into the life of the characters. It also allows me to give more backstory on the characters as well as better define the lives of the Rakum (the vampiric race in the novel). For folks who’dlike a free peek online, go to www.rabbitnovel.com and click ‘Loose Rabbits’. I keep ten of these on the web site for your enjoyment.

Also please check out my other novels, to be published soon, The Judging, Damascus Road, and The Tale of Jane Frost. You can read synopses and sample chapters of these books on the web site under ‘Also by Ellen’.

Thank you for reading and please contact me anytime atellenmaze@gmail.com.

Rick R. Reed

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:12:00 +0000

I am so excited and honoured to have the amazing and incredibly talented Rick R. Reed as my guest!!

In their October 2006 issue, Unzipped magazine said: "You could call him the Stephen King of gay horror." And Dark Scribe magazine proclaimed: "Reed is an established brand - perhaps the most reliable contemporary author for thrillers that cross over between the gay fiction market and speculative fiction." In spite of this—or perhaps because of it—he has been lately turning more and more to writing romance and illuminating the emotional lives of gay men. To date, Reed has more than sixteen books in print, and his short fiction has appeared in more than 20 anthologies. His novel, ORIENTATION, won the EPPIE Award for best LGBT novel of 2008. He lives in Seattle, WA with his partner and a very spoiled Boston Terrier. Visit him on the web at www.rickrreed.com or at his blog at http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/

Here's a little taste of my 2011 EPIC eBook Award Winner, THE BLUEMOON CAFE (best Horror Erotic Romance). The book won the 2011 EPIC e-Book Award March 12 in the best horror erotic romance category. Unfortunately, I was not on hand at the awards in Richmond, VA to accept the award, but I'm still really jazzed that the book was recognized.

The EPIC eBook Awards (formerly EPPIES) have been given annually since the first EPIC conference in 2000 to recognize outstanding achievement in e-publishing.

Buy link: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/BlueMoonCafe.html

SYNOPSIS

Someone--or something--is killing Seattle's gay men.

A creature moves through the darkest night, lit only by the full moon, taking them, one by one, from the rain city's gay gathering areas.

Someone--or something--is falling in love with Thad Matthews.

Against a backdrop of horror and fear, young Thad finds his firsttrue love in the most unlikely of places--a new Italian restaurant called TheBlue Moon Cafe. Sam is everything Thad has ever dreamed of in a man:compassionate, giving, handsome, and with brown eyes Thad feels he could sinkinto. And Sam can cook! But as the pair's love begins to grow, so do thequestions and uncertainties, the main one being, why do Sam's unexplained disappearances always coincide with the full moon? Prepare yourself for a unique blend of dark suspense and erotic romance with The Blue Moon Cafe, written by the author Unzipped magazine called, 'the Stephen King of gay horror.' You're guaranteed an unforgettable reading experience, one thatskillfully blends the hottest romance with the most chilling terror...

(Gay / Dark Fantasy / Shapeshifter / Werewolf / Suspense /Thriller)

EXCERPT

In his imagination, Thad pictured the two of them coming in his front door and Sam throwing him roughly up against the door, covering his face and neck with kisses while his hands roamed, tweaking a nipple there, fondling his balls here. In the pregnant darkness, the man would work Thad into a frenzy of carnal desire so great he didn’t know if they would make it to the bedroom or if they would consummate their passion right on the living room floor. He saw their muscles, slicked with sweat, working in unison like a machine tobring each other to dizzying heights of pleasure.

He hadn’t pictured Edith greeting them at the door and the poor little Chihuahua manically jumping up and down on him, whining to be taken outside—immediately. So, with reluctance, Thad flipped on the overhead light so he could find her leash. He looked back at Sam, who waited outside in the shadows. “You can just go on in and have a seat on the couch. She won’t take me more than a minute.”

“It’s okay. I can wait out here.” Sam groped in his pocket and brought out a pack of cigarettes. He extracted one, lit it, and exhaled a plume of blue gray smoke into the night air. Thad was both repelled and attracted bythe site of Sam lighting up.

Ugh. A smoker. Something I will have to work on changing. He then couldn’t deny the “bad boy” thrill the site of the man smoking gave him. Or maybe not.

Thad ducked back in and stooped to affix harness and leash to Edith, who was all but hopping up and down with impatience. She whimpered and stared desperately up at him.

“I know, I know,” Thad soothed. “Small bladder.”

The two stepped outside and Edith froze when she saw Sam. Her eyes widened and the hackles along her neck and back went up. She immediately began a furious yapping, baring her teeth, and lunging toward Sam, her tiny frame testing the endurance of the leather leash. Thad was surprised the old girl had so much fury and strength within her seven pound frame. He sent a weak smile Sam’s way to apologize for her behavior. “I don’t know what’s up with her.She’s usually not like this.”

“Maybe it’s the dark. I’ll walk over here.” Sam hurried back down the walkway until he stood near the street, the orange tip of his cigarette glowing in the dark.

Thad squatted down to comfort the little dog, shaking with fury and what seemed like terror. He had acquired Edith as a puppy and had made sure she was well socialized from about eight weeks old on, taking her everywhere with him and exposing her, over the years to all sorts of people, other dogs,and even cats. He had never seen her behave like this. Great! I finally find a man I think I could be nuts about and my dog doesn’t like him. Something I’ll have to work on. Thad walked Edith in the opposite direction from Sam and she calmed down enough to re-establish her original goal and to take care of it.

“I’ll put her in the bathroom,” Thad called to Sam as he headed back to the apartment. “Give me just a sec. I’ll leave the door open and then you can come in.”

Thad hurried to make a bed of towels for Edith in one corner, then rushed into the kitchen to put some peanut butter in her little Kong toy. He presented it to her. “Here, now I’ve been nice to you. Now you be nice to me.No more trouble from you.” He took one last glance back at the dog, busy with getting peanut butter out of her toy, before closing the bathroom door.

Sam leaned against his front door, smiling. He didn’t look tired in the least, even though it was near two in the morning and he had worked all evening. The color in his cheeks was high, his lips full and slightly parted,and the way he stared at Thad was all invitation. Thad simply wanted to get lost in that big, furry body.

But he was still a little flustered. “Sorry about that. She isn’t usually so unfriendly. I don’t know what got into her.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not much of a dog person—maybe she knew that. And maybe you don’t know what’s gotten into her, but I have an inkling you have a very good idea what’s going to be getting into you.” Sam winked and then laughed.

“You dog!” Thad crossed the room, flicked off the lights, and pressed his body against Sam. The kisses, against the door, just as he had imagined, commenced. Thad was, for once, grateful he didn’t have a job to go to come Monday morning, because he knew his face would be red and chafed from the pressure of Sam’s beard. This way, he imagined he would smile with fond memories every time he looked in a mirror.

They kissed for what seemed like the next hour, until both of them panted and half their faces were wet with the other saliva. Without ever leaving the front door, shirts had been undone and pulled open, flies opened,and shoes kicked into corners.

Breathlessly, Thad forced himself away from Sam and said the three little words every man longs to hear: “To the bed.” He grabbed Sam and tugged him toward the bed that occupied one corner of his studio. They fell upon it, laughing and tearing at each other’s clothes...

[WITHHELD IN THE INTEREST OF THOSE WITH DELICATE SENSIBILITIES]

...Sam and Thad lay on their backs, breathless. Thad spoke first, but only after several minutes had passed, long enough for him to process what had just happened and to allow his respiration to return to a somewhat normal pace. “That was amazing. I’m no Mary Poppins, but I can honestly say I don’t know when it’s been that good for me.” Thad let out a long, quivering breath.“You’re right; you are an animal.”

Sam laughed and the sound was comforting, here in the pale, silvery light from a waning moon outside. Thad snuggled into the crook between Sam’s chest and arm, resting his head on the fur that blanketed Sam’s chest.This, he thought, surprising himself, is just about as good as the sex.

“I just go with my instincts.” Sam stroked Thad’s hair gently. “If that makes me an animal, then I am guilty as charged.” He moved slightly away from Thad. “Don’t kill me, but do you mind if I have a cigarette? I can go outside if you want.”

Thad shook his head, grinning. “A smoke after sex. That’s so cliché. But go ahead. Normally, I wouldn’t allow it, but I’ll make an exceptionfor you…Sam.” Thad liked how the name felt on his tongue.

“Grazie.” Sam turned to sit up and grope in his pants pocket,bringing out a pack of Marlboro Reds and a lighter. He leaned back against the headboard and lit up. The room filled with the acrid stench of burning tobacco and paper and instead of being repelled, as he normally would be, Thad moved close to Sam again, taking up his newly claimed spot on the man’s chest. He stared up at him, watching him smoke. Lazily, he traced circles in the hairy mat covering Sam’s chest. His fingers stopped when he caught sight of a design on Sam’s left pectoral, something he had hadn’t noticed in the dim light or perhaps because it was all but hidden by the forest of hair. Thad got up on one elbow.

“You have a tattoo?”

In the dark, Sam nodded. “I’ve had it for years, way before tattoos were all the rage like they are these days.”

“Especially here in Seattle.” Thad often wondered if there was some requirement that all citizens of Seattle must have at least one tattoo.“What’s it of?” Thad strained to make out the design’s contours in the dim light and couldn’t.

Sam leaned forward to switch on the little bedside lamp. Thad squinted at the sudden light source, then directed his gaze down at the muscled chest before him. “What is it?” Thad traced the design with his fingers,lowering his head to peer more closely at it. He nipped at Sam’s nipple and Sam laughed.

“It’s Lupa, the she-wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus, the twins who founded Rome in mythology. Cool, no?” Sam flexed his chest so the wolf seemed to move. Two cherubic twin boys below the figure suckled at her teats.

“It’s kind of weird. But it suits you.” Thad reached over Sam to turn off the light again. “What brought you to America?”

Did Thad detect a slight stiffening when he asked the question? He had only meant to further their little post-coital conversation. “I don’t meanto put you on the spot,” he hurried to say, wondering if he had imagined the slight body language. “If it’s none of my business, just say so.”

Sam relaxed against the bunched up—and damp—pillows. “No. It’s okay. We came from a small village in Sicily. Lots of mountains, rocks, olivetrees…not much else. You would probably think it’s pretty, but me, I was bored.We just decided one day to go, to come to America, to see if we could make a goof it here. We tried New York City first, but it was too crazy there. Too many people, too expensive. We wanted someplace where everything was not concrete,where there was some nature. Seattle was, how would you say? A natural choice.”

Now it was Thad’s turn to stiffen just a bit. What was with all the ‘we’ this and ‘we’ that? His feelings, briefly at an all-time high, sunk.Was Sam married? Did he have a lover? Was Thad just that night’s side dish?Sam’s olive cake with Marion berries? Would Sam soon be getting up to hurry home to someone who was sleeping with one eye open, waiting for the sound ofhis key in the door? Thad did not want to come off as suspicious, but he couldn’t resist his next question and thought he might as well get everythingout in the open right from the start.

“You said ‘we’. Who’s ‘we’?” Thad tried to bite his lip to keep himself from saying it, but he couldn’t resist the impulse. “Wait. Don’t tell me. There’s a boyfriend—or a wife—right?” Thad held his breath, waiting for the bad news to be delivered. It wouldn’t surprise him, but it would certainly deflate him. And it would be just about right for how his life had been going lately.

Sam chuckled and took a last drag off his cigarette. He got up andwent to the window to flick it outside. His ass, high and firm, glowed in the moonlight and Thad wondered if he would have to rethink his policy of not dating committed men. Hell, with that ass, I may have to rethink my policy of being a total bottom.

He’s not talking because he’s trying to think of the right way totell me. Thad clutched a pillow to his chest, almost as if he was bracing himself for a blow, which he was.

Sam weighed down the bed as he slid back in beside him. “You silly boy. There’s no one else. I said ‘we’ because I have a son. He came with me.” Sam took Thad’s face in his hands and snatched him up in his dark-eyed gaze.“There’s no one else.” He let go and Thad immediately missed the contact. “I travel light. I usually like, um, no complications? But when I saw you, I couldn’t resist.”

It wasn’t until they were drifting off to sleep that the paranoid side of Thad caught up with him again, causing him to wonder if the fucking was a way to stave off further conversation. Who was this son? Did Sam really just come to America for a change? How many people actually do that…or can even afford to? Stop it, now. He’s here with you now…

And the men drifted off to sleep together...