Beautiful Strangers: On Writing Diversity (Pt. 3)

Part 3: So What The Heck Do I Actually Write?

"Allow the diversity to exist. There is nothing wrong with it."

-Jessica Lange

Hey there! I'm glad you're back for the final installment of my little series (read: ramble-fest) on writing diversity.

By happy coincidence, NaNoWriMo has partnered up with the grassroots organization We Need Diverse Books for the entire month of October. A huge shout-out to the NaNoWriMo blog, where you'll be able to find even more awesome posts on literary diversity! Seriously, guys, this is worth checking out.

Now, one last time, let's recap:

In my first post, I talked about the lack of diversity in mass-market fiction, and put a call-to-action out to the people who have the capacity to change things: us! Writers of the world, diversify!

In my second post, I went back-to-basics, and looked at what the terms "stereotype" and "caricature" actually mean. Hopefully, now we know what to avoid.

So where does that leave us? Rather, what does that leave us? We want to populate our worlds with diverse characters, but how do we do that? What should we be aiming for in our writing? 

The answer may come from a surprising place.

ECRP (Early Childhood Research & Practice), is a peer-reviewed, multilingual journal on early childhood development. Back in 2001, it published a fantastic article titled "Examining Multicultural Picture Books for the Early Childhood Classroom: Possibilities and Pitfalls."

The entire article is worth reading, but of particular value to writers is the section "Using Theories of Race to Examine Children's Literature." It talks about the importance of "reading against the grain," also known as "resistant reading." This concept promotes reading with an eye towards recognizing stereotypes or biases on the part of the author. ECRP called it "interrogating" the literature.

The article offers several questions to guide readers in these "interrogations." Tweaked slightly, some of them are also excellent questions for writers to ask themselves about their own work.

Here are some of the most relevant questions (in my opinion). Any italicized commentary is my own:

- Question #1:
Are characters "outside the mainstream culture" depicted as individuals or as caricatures?

This may be the most important question out of all of them, and it's deceptive in its simplicity. We start falling into stereotypes when we recycle old tropes or generalize about a given group. This is also known as lazy writing. 

Our characters should be believable as people, first and foremost. Everything else is just window dressing.

- Question #2:
Does their representation include significant specific cultural information? Or does it follow stereotypes?

One of the reasons stereotypes are so common is because they're so easy. Again, don't get lazy. Put in the time, do your research, and both your characters and your writing will be all that much richer.

- Question #3:
Who has the power in this story? What is the nature of their power, and how do they use it?

To these questions, I'll add one of my own: are the people with the power the people you would expect to have the power? If so, that's not necessarily bad. Like I said in my first post of this series, not every character needs to be a Beautiful Stranger (again, quoting Nisi Shawl). 

However, if there is room to do so, consider playing around a bit. If nothing else, you might end up with some characters/ situations you didn't expect... and that can be fun.

- Question #4:
What are the consequences of certain behaviors? What behaviors or traits are rewarded, and how? What behaviors are punished, and how?

In other words, are certain cultures/ lifestyles portrayed as "acceptable", whereas others aren't?

- Question #5:
How is language used to create images of people of a particular group?

Language is tricky. Used well, it can add flavor to a particular character or scene. Used carelessly, it can come across as patronizing and ridiculous. My advice is, a little dab'll do ya. Most readers tend to get lost in hyper-slang anyway.

- Question #6:
Who has written this story? Are they inside or outside the groups they are presenting? What are they in a position to know? What do they claim to know?

Writers, this means us! What are we in a position to know? I would argue we can position ourselves to know more, but it takes some effort. And by effort, I mean research. 

Firsthand knowledge is always best, so however you can obtain that, do it! Read from firsthand sources (books, magazines). Go to a cultural festival. Check out the taqueria down the street where everyone speaks Spanish, and order something you wouldn't normally get (I suggest horchata). 

Make yourself a cultural ambassador. Your writing will be better for it. 

- Question #7:
Whose voices are heard? Whose are missing?

Are there places where you could add these missing voices in? At first, this will probably feel stilted. The more you do it, however, the more natural it will feel. And once you start seeing the added layers in your writing, I think you'll be hooked. I know I am.

- Question #8:
What do(es) this narrative... say about race? Class? Culture? Gender? Age? Resistance to the status quo?

In my opinion, there is no "right" or "wrong" answer to this question. Whatever your narrative is saying, just make sure it was your intention to say it. 

Not to suggest our books don't or shouldn't take on a life of their own -to the contrary, I find it incredibly exciting when that happens! I'm merely counseling vigilance and awareness.

I'll leave you with a final quote from Nisi Shawl, whom I also referenced in my initial post on this subject. In her fantabulous article "Transracial Writing For The Sincere," she says:

"Remember that difference is in the eye of the beholder. Black people don’t spend their whole lives thinking of themselves as black. We’re Ghanaians and editors and diabetics, and lots of other -ians and -ors and -ics. Use these self-categorizations to add points of audience identification to your characters."

I can't think of much to add to that.

I hope you've enjoyed this series! Thanks again for reading. If you're interested in more of my writing, I hope you'll stick around and check out the rest of the blog.

Otherwise, happy wordmaking!

Beautiful Strangers: On Writing Diversity (Pt. 2)

What Are Stereotypes, Really? 
(AKA, Know Thy Enemy)

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” 

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

If you're here, it means my previous post didn't scare you off. Hooray! Before we dive in again, let's re-cap.

We've agreed the lack of diversity in mainstream fiction is problematic.

We've acknowledged we, as writers, have the power and the obligation to change this.

We've decided we want more diverse characters (main, minor, and everything in between) in our own writing.

So what now?

I've done a lot of thinking about this. If you're like me, you've spent so long walking on eggshells, it's hard to know where to start. How do you distinguish between the things you should handle delicately and the things that are, in fact, acceptable to print?

Here are just a few of the issues I've come up against in my quest to diversify my characters:

* When writing about racial minorities, do you describe skin color? If so, when, how, and how much?
* If your character is a lesbian, can she have a butch haircut and wear button-down shirts? 
* If your character is gay, how masculine/femme can or should he be?
* Can your villain be a minority (racial, sexual, or religious)?

I realize these may sound silly, but they are all things I've genuinely questioned and struggled with. The last thing I want is to propagate what Ray Bradbury so eloquently called "the terrible tyranny of the majority." I want diversity in my books, but it's not enough for me to simply shoehorn in a lineup of tired caricatures and call it a day.

I want to get it right. How do we get it right?

First and foremost, I think it helps to have an idea how to avoid getting it wrong. How do you know if what you're writing qualifies as a stereotype? Sometimes it's glaringly obvious, but not all stereotypes necessarily sound like stereotypes. At least, not right away. What to do?

Let's start small.

The following is copied directly out of the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

STE·REO·TYPE 
transitive verb \ˈster-ē-ə-ˌtīp, ˈstir-\
: to believe unfairly that all people or things with a particular characteristic are the same
1
:  to make a stereotype from
2
a :  to repeat without variation :  make hackneyed
b :  to develop a mental stereotype about

This might also be helpful:

CAR·I·CA·TURE 
noun \ˈker-i-kə-ˌchu̇r, -ˌchər, -ˌtyu̇r, -ˌtu̇r, -ˈka-ri-\
: a drawing that makes someone look funny or foolish because some part of the person's appearance is exaggerated
: someone or something that is very exaggerated in a funny or foolish way
1
:  exaggeration by means of often ludicrous distortion of parts or characteristics
2
:  a representation especially in literature or art that has the qualities of caricature
3
:  a distortion so gross as to seem like caricature

Lest you think I'm deliberately patronizing you, let me explain.

In my last post, I said overly-P.C. language has muddied the issue and confused people. I believe that's a bigger problem than most of us realize or acknowledge. We're so terrified of producing "stereotypes" and "caricatures" that we've lost sight of what those words actually mean.

It's time for some clarity. What is a stereotype, really?

According to the above definition, "to stereotype" something means "to repeat without variation." In other words, if you're writing about a character who is, say, Muslim, and all your descriptions are recycled from media talk shows and the news, chances are your character is going to read like a stereotype. We've all heard this information. You are not providing anything new.

According to another part of the definition, the belief that "all people or things with a certain characteristic are the same" is also stereotyping. We've all seen those pics of the angry Muslim toting a submachine gun and stomping on an American flag*. I hope you don't need me to tell you such pictures are blatant stereotypes, and don't represent the majority of those out there who practice Islam.

*If this resembles a character you have or were planning to write, please visit a local mosque, talk to a few actual Muslims, and call me in the morning.

Now, for caricatures.

I have a love/hate relationship with caricatures. On the one hand, I have a drag queen in my noir romance series who is the most glitter-fied human being you will ever meet. Almost his entire character is caricature, from his bouffant beehive up-do to his pink silk pumps.

Note how I said "almost".

I think you really start running into problems when the caricature becomes the entire basis of your character. True, much of Cookie Mambo is caricature, but there's a lot more to him than just false eyelashes and fuchsia lipstick, and I'm having a lot of fun exploring that.

I'd also argue that there are appropriate and inappropriate usages of caricature. Look at some of the words in the definition: "funny", "foolish", "ludicrous". That suggests humor.

Not all characters are meant to be comic relief. Cookie Mambo is, and as a drag queen, caricature is literally his job. If that's not true for your character, I would avoid caricatures when describing them.

Phew! Still with me? This is a lot to digest, so I'm going to leave it at that for now. But never fear, I won't leave you hanging! There's still a lot more we haven't covered.

Stay tuned for...

Part 3: So What The Heck Do I Actually Write?

Beautiful Strangers: On Writing Diversity (Pt. 1)

Originally, the plan was to make this one post. As I sit down to write, however, it occurs to me a single post would barely scratch the surface of this vast, under-discussed topic.

Hence the "Part 1" in the title.  Here, we'll get the ball rolling and identify what I see as a major problem in literature today: the marked lack of diversity. The next post (or two) will offer some suggestions and pointers on what we, as writers, can do about it. 

Thanks for reading! I'm looking forward to the discussion...

"He who is different from me does not impoverish me - he enriches me... For no man seeks to hear his own echo, or to find his reflection in the glass."

-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Diversity, race, orientation, prejudice: all these are sensitive subjects for writers and non-writers alike. With that in mind, I feel I should start off with a few disclaimers:

Disclaimer #1:

I am not, nor do I claim to be, an expert on the subject of diversity in literature (or in general, for that matter). Way smarter people than I can and have tackled the philosophical, literary, and political aspects of diversity. 

Rather, the purpose of this series is to examine what diversity means for me as a writer, to encourage other writers to venture outside their comfort zones, and to offer some solid suggestions on how and where to start.

Disclaimer #2:

I will not attempt to comment on diversity in countries other than my own. I love you, citizens of the world, but let's face it, I neither know nor understand your particular cultural climate, at least not well enough to offer an opinion on it. 

For that reason, any anecdotes I use or observations I make will be drawn purely from my own experiences in the continental United States. Hopefully you will still find them useful, no matter where you live.

Disclaimer #3:

Some of what I say here may come across as politically incorrect. It's not my intention to offend anyone, and I sincerely hope I don't. 

That said, I believe overly-P.C. language has muddied the topic and left everyone confused. This subject is too important to sabotage with feel-good platitudes. I'm going for the jugular here. If that's a problem for you, I humbly suggest you utilize the nearest exit.

Still with me? Awesome! Now let's get real.

Confessions first: writing diversity has always scared the shit out of me. The reason for this (ready to get non-P.C.?) is that I'm white.

*crickets chirping*

As a conscientious modern white woman, I have trouble saying stuff like that. Hell, I even have trouble referring to myself as "white". It connotes painful images of race riots and people running around in bed sheets, things no one wants to be associated with.

Before you get the wrong idea, I'm not going to start whining about "reverse-racism", or anything like that (for an excellent article that sums up my views on that particular subject, click here). That's not my point, and it's not the point of this post.

My point is, I don't think I'm the only writer who has struggled with this, and rather than risk offending people, many of us have simply opted out of writing diversity altogether.

A quick scan of Amazon Kindle's categories for Fiction tells a depressing story. Of the major genres (Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Science Fiction/Fantasy, and Romance), only Romance has sub-categories for non-white, non-hetero titles. On one hand, this isn't particularly surprising; the Romance genre has more sub-categories and sub-sub-categories than an IRS tax form.

Where it gets depressing is when you start looking at the numbers. I'll stick to Romance, both because it's the genre I write in, and because it's the only genre with any actual data. Here are a few numbers to consider (current as of Oct. 17, 2014). Please note, in the interest of simplicity, they have been rounded off: 

# of titles in the Romance Genre: 212,000

# of titles in the African-American sub-genre: 5,000

# of titles in the Multicultural/Interracial sub-genre: 4,300

The LGBTQ categories don't do much better, though the popularity of M/M romance has skyrocketed over the last few years: 

# of titles in M/M and Gay sub-genres*: 12,000

# of titles in the Lesbian sub-genre: 3,000

* On Amazon, M/M Romance and Gay Romance are categorized under the blanket heading "Gay Romance", despite the fact that there are significant differences between the two. For more information, check out Yaoi Research's article, On Defining M/M Romance.

If these numbers have gotten you thinking, I'm glad. They got me thinking, too. But even these don't tell the whole story. 

What about books not intended as African-American/ Multicultural/ Interracial fiction? Not all heroes/heroines will be --or need to be-- Beautiful Strangers (term coined -as far as I know- by SF author Nisi Shawl).

To me, the biggest problem isn't necessarily the dearth of culturally diverse sub-genre books. Rather, it is the insidious absence of any non-white, non-hetero main, minor, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary characters at all, period.

Which brings me back to my initial confession. 

We're all afraid. We're afraid of rubbing someone the wrong way. We're afraid of "getting it wrong". We're afraid that for all our research, care, and best intentions, we're still going to end up with this guy:

I get it. Believe me.

The problem isn't being afraid. The problem is being controlled by our fear. In our desperation not to offend, we've inadvertently created a literary landscape that is glaringly one-dimensional. It's time to own that. And it's time to change it.

If that scares you, awesome. It means you're seriously considering leaving your comfort zone. That's the first step, and you should give yourself a pat on the back for taking it.

I'm going to end this segment with a bit of good news: 

WE'RE WRITERS, PEOPLE! 

If anyone has the ability, the brains, and the compassion to take this issue on, it's us. We see more, hear more, feel more, and intuit more than your average shmuck-on-the-street. It's what makes us so good at what we do. 

It's why we do what we do in the first place.

So who's with me?

###

Part 2: What Are Stereotypes, Really? 

(AKA, Know Thy Enemy)

Plotting? It's Easy! Sort Of...

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/312507661613893784/

“Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” -Gene Fowler

You have an idea.

Maybe it's a good idea. Maybe it's even a great idea. Your characters have started talking. You're ready to start writing.

Hold that pen, Slick.

How many times have you been down this path before? How many books have you started? Perhaps more importantly, how many have you finished? If the answer to that question is less than one, allow me to make a humble suggestion.

Plot first.

I've been down this road myself. I had already been writing for years before I finished my first book. That I never finished any of these earlier projects wasn't a huge deal to me. It was still just a hobby, after all.

When my son was born and I decided to get serious with my writing, I realized I needed to do things differently. In short, I needed to learn how to plot.

I proceeded to read a shit-ton of books on plotting and story-boarding/mapping/voodoo/whatever.  The lightbulb came on for me when I realized I wasn't going to find all the answers all in one place. I still believe that early research was important, but more for recon purposes.

Since then, I've cobbled together my own approach from several of the books I read, including The Romance Writer's Handbook (Rebecca Vinyard) and Writing A Romance Novel For Dummies (Leslie Wainger). I found both useful in different ways, and cherry-picked different things from each.

Are you at a loss where to start? Looking for a simple, flexible way to plot your book? If so, stick close.

 My (Unpatented, Super-Anal, Probably Thoroughly Unprofessional) Plotting Process:

*Note: I write romance novels. This is reflected in how I plot. If you write in other genres, you may still find this helpful, but you'll probably need to tinker a little more*

1) Create the characters. I have some basic character sketch templates I fill out before I start plotting. It helps me get to know who I'm dealing with.

2) Plot the relationship trajectory. I've read this referred to as the "Major Plot Points". They include any interaction between the hero and heroine that furthers their relationship (first meeting, first kiss, first sex scene, etc.).

3) Flesh out the rest of the plot. Think of it as "connect the dots", the "dots" being your Major Plot Points. What needs to happen to get from one dot to the next? This usually is where you insert your sub-plot, or the part of your book that doesn't have to do with the love story.

Then after all that's done...

- Go back and insert where the scenes/chapters start or end.

- Go through, chapter by chapter, and outline everything (EVERYTHING) that is going to happen in that chapter, right down to when someone sneezes. Make note of any excerpts that pop into your head, any great pieces of dialogue, any description that needs to be woven in, that sort of thing. Keep all of this where you can refer to it easily (I have a notebook), and devote maybe one or two pages to each chapter.

- At the top of each page, define what your objective is for that chapter- increase sexual tension, flesh out characters, major turning points, etc. It helps you focus when you're actually writing. It's so easy to get carried away in the creative flow, it helps to have a visual reminder of what you're actually trying to accomplish.

- Finally, give yourself permission to completely change everything if you need to. I've noticed, especially after the first sex scene, the hero and heroine often go in a totally different direction than I had anticipated. It's a very organic thing, so make sure to leave room for the story and the characters to breathe.

Does it work? I've published three-going-on-four books since I started a little over a year ago, so I'll let you be the judge.

Starting out is always tough, but sometimes it helps to know it was (and is!) tough for other people too. I had a tough time starting. I think it was because I hadn't figured out who I was as a writer, and didn't realize I'm the type who needs to plot my stories out first.

If you're still reading, I assume you're ready to get serious. I hope this post provides some clarity. Kudos to you for knuckling down, asking questions, and figuring stuff out! A lot of people don't take that step.

Those are the people who end up writing journals, but not books.

Adventures In Head-Hopping: What To Do, What Not To Do, And Should You Attempt It At All

Fellow writers, it's time we had The Talk.

You know the one I mean. It's the talk every writer has had at some point or another, either with an editor, critique partner, beta reader, or friend. It's the "time-to-take-yourself-seriously-as-a-writer" talk.

It's the Head-Hopping Talk.

Before we get too far, allow me to define this increasingly obscure literary phenomena for any who don't know what it is. Simply put, head-hopping is when the writer uses more than one character's point of view within one scene.

Now, then.

There are a lot of excellent articles out there about why you should never, ever head-hop in your writing. I agree with many of them. Head-hopping-gone-wrong is an epidemic in the literary community, especially with the explosive growth of indie publishing. Done badly, it's the mark of an amateur. Done well, it's still not for everyone.

But is head-hopping the evil stepmother we've all been told it is? I don't believe so. And while I realize this is not a popular stance to take, I'm going to attempt to defend it anyway.

I'll use my own journey as an example. That's right. I've used head-hopping in my own writing. I hardly consider myself an expert on the subject, but I have learned a few things about what doesn't work and what does. Because yes, it can work.

Many people are already familiar with head-hopping's pitfalls. Here are a few of the most common complaints:

- It's confusing.
This is often true. Some (usually novice) writers will use two, three, four different viewpoints within a single scene, sometimes within a single paragraph. I'll be the first to acknowledge this is maddening to read. It can also get real confusing, real fast.

- It's awkward.
Keeping track of multiple POVs within a scene is no easy thing, especially if the writer doesn't make it clear whose POV you're in at any given point. I can't think of anything more jarring than humming through a scene from the heroine's point of view, then moving to the next paragraph and finding the hero thinking about his cock. Or something.

- It prevents readers from bonding with the characters.
This is one of those truisms that gets trucked out so often, it's almost become a cliche. That doesn't however, make it in-valid. If you're continually bouncing between characters' POVs, it can be hard to get to know either or any of them well enough to care what happens to them.

- It's amateurish.
I saved this one for last because it's one I have mixed feelings about. Yes, head-hopping can sound amateurish. But so can every other form of writing if it's written by, well, an amateur. I find it difficult to accept a writer can improve at every literary device except head-hopping. Sorry. I just don't buy it.

This is usually where posts about head-hopping stop. Head-hopping is terrible, it has no literary value, it's impossible to do well. By now you probably realize I disagree with all those assessments. I promised I would defend my thesis. So here goes.

Most writers never learn to head-hop properly.

Did head-hopping fall out of vogue because writers don't know how to do it right, or do writers not know how to do it because it fell out of vogue? An interesting chicken-and-egg sort of question, but the point remains: many writers who head-hop are doing it wrong.

This post is about letting it all hang out. To that end, let me present an example from my first book, All That Glitters. I head-hopped with both intent and abandon in this book. The intent was not the problem (if you're going to head-hop, it should be a conscious, deliberate decision).

The problem was the abandon. See for yourself (POV shifts in red):

Case Study #1: All That Glitters (my first book)

She leaned in and pressed her lips to the letters.  He tasted like salt.  She looked up.  He was at rapt attention.  She raised herself to her tip-toes.

Ethan crushed his lips down over hers.  He needed this.  Needed her.  He hadn’t realized how badly until he’d watched the Bering Sea swallow her whole.  All the adrenaline that had built up in his system surged out.  He took everything she offered, and pushed her to offer more.

Ava ran greedy hands across his chest, over his powerful shoulders, up the back of his neck, and buried them in his hair.  Desperation clouded her senses.  

Yeah, I know. Risky move, calling out the faults in my own work. In my defense, the entire book didn't read that way. But a lot of it did. And it was because I hadn't learned some of the most basic rules of head-hopping.

So after an example like that, is it possible for "promiscuous viewpoint" to find redemption?

I believe the answer is yes.

I mentioned the Basic Rules Of Head-Hopping. Here they are, listed in what I consider to be order of importance:

Rule #1: Don't use more than two (2) points of view within a scene.
In romance novels, these are usually the POVs of your hero and your heroine. That doesn't mean you can't write from the POVs of your other characters, but you should NOT try to cram them all into one scene.

Rule #2: Make it obvious whose head you're in when you change points of view.
There should always be a cue when you leave one character's thoughts and enter another's. I'm relieved to say I always had a sense of this, which you can see in the example from my first book.

Rule #3: Don't change point-of-view more than once within a scene.
This could actually be an addendum to Rule #1. Too many POV changes within a scene is both confusing, awkward, and amateurish. Start with one character, change POVs once, and finish out the scene with the second. It flows much smoother and leaves less room for the reader to get lost.

Rule #4: Don't change point-of-view in an awkward place.
There are good places to change POVs, and there are bad places to change POVs. Where those places are is largely subjective, and depends on your story. But you're a writer. Odds are that means you have an ear for language. Use that ability to divine where a POV shift will enhance your story. Failing that, there's always voodoo.

Fortunately, I learned these rules before I put out a second book with the same mistakes as the first. Which brings me to:

Case Study #2: What The Body Needs (my second book)

Something close to panic started to build in her chest.  It barely dimmed when she unlocked her truck.  His eyebrows raised.  She stopped.  "What?"

"That's a lot of truck."

Jak stared at him.  "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged.  "Means that's a lot of truck."

Jak climbed in.  "Nothing is going to happen to me at the city planner's office."  She looked down at him.  "Why don't you just take the rest of the day off?"  Give me some space to figure all this out.

Marcus gritted his teeth.  Damn it, she wasn't making this easy.  Not that he entirely blamed her.  His system still hadn't recovered from the shock of seeing her again.  "Can't do that."

He walked around the front of her truck to the passenger's side, mildly surprised she didn't try to run him over.  He tried the door.  Locked.  He rapped on the window, saw her smug look through the glass.  She started the engine.

This was the only POV shift that took place in that scene. It occurred at a pivotal moment between the two characters, and allowed me to explore their reactions after their unorthodox meeting. To break that interaction into two scenes would have felt clunky and contrived, and to only represent one side of it wouldn't have felt right, either.

That is what head-hopping can do for you. It doesn't have to be confusing. It doesn't have to be awkward, or amateurish. And rather than distance you from your characters, it has the potential to bring you closer to them while they develop at the same pace.

I realize this post isn't going to change everyone's opinion about head-hopping, and that's just fine. But if I've done anything, I hope I've inspired you to give this oft-misused  literary device another look. Maybe it deserves the bad rap it's gotten.

Then again, maybe it doesn't.

Snow White Goes To The Dark Side...

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...Well, sort of.

Ever wonder about fairy tale villains? I've always thought they were much more interesting than the heroes. They have so much to lose. They are so deliciously... evil.

Why?

With that, I'm thrilled to announce a little side project I'll be working on. Authors Alexandra Webb and Mia Bishop have graciously invited me to be a guest on their blog, Twisted Tales. I'll be joining a group of talented, deliciously deviant fellow authors, all of whom have one mission.

Take a fairy tale. Twist it into something... else.

Wondering what someone could possibly do to fairy tales that would turn them into erotica? So am I! Stories to be (re)written include Alice In Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Hansel And Gretel, Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, and mine, Snow White.

More specifically, The Wicked Queen.

Which brings me back to fairy tale villains.

Being pure evil works well on paper, but not so much in real life. Real life villains have pasts, goals, breaking points. Maybe the Wicked Queen wasn't wicked. Maybe she was human. Wounded. Abused.

Want to know more? Find my page on Twisted Tales here.

Posting begins December 1st, and will continue for four months. My first post is December 6th. Hope to see you there!

Decisions, Decisions: When To Go With Your Gut, And When To Stick To The Plan

"I love it when a plan comes together!" -Hannibal

I like plans.

Meal plans, chore plans, wardrobe plans, travel plans. When it comes to my writing, I'm a plotter. I rarely start anything without having a plan first. Plans are delightful. Plans work for me.

Except when they don't.

It all started when I was almost finished with my most recent book. The plan was, it would be the first book in a trilogy. I'd even started planning the next two books, but hadn't gotten very far (read: I knew the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary characters, the titles, and the plots).

But then I had this idea.

You know the Greek myth where the goddess Athena springs, fully formed, from the head of Zeus? It was like that, only instead of a Greek goddess (I'm pretty sure Sherrilyn Kenyon has the rights to those), this was a story.

Okay, seven stories.

It was a tough call. I was already invested in the trilogy, and what I had in mind for the new series was a massive project. My brain rebelled against shucking an entire notebook's worth of work to start over on something else. I had to stick to the plan.

That's when it struck me. Wait a minute. I'm an indie. Whose plan do I have to stick to, exactly?

Planning is great. It's the only reason I'm able to crank out books at the pace I do. But sometimes, your plans hamstring you.

Sometimes, you have to go with your gut instead.

Curious about my new project? For a sneak preview of the first book, check out its Pinterest board.

Good News, Everyone!

It's a Launch Day Extravaganza!

Sunday, September 1st, marks the launch of my newest book, What The Body Needs. 

I know! I'm excited too! And I've been thinking to myself, "Self, what could you do to make this even more exciting than it already is?"

Not bloody much, let me tell you.

But then it struck me. I'll make it free on Launch Day!

I hope you'll join me over on Amazon.com this Sunday for my Launch Day Extravaganza. It's going to be great! And if anyone wants to bring drinks, well, I won't say no...

What The Body Needs: Epic Cover Reveal!

What The Body Needs has a cover! And not just any cover: a really, really, awesome one!

Thanks as always to my Epic Rockstar Designer Jesus, also known as Zen Mateyka. Because of him, my work looks way classier than it probably is.

So without further ado...

Before you ask, yes. The book really is that hot. Can't wait for September 1st? 

Me neither.

Thursday's Children Blog Hop: Onward And Upward (And An Excerpt)

So, Thursday's Children is winding down.

A shame. I've had so much fun and met so many awesome writers! Thank you Rhiann Wynn-Nolet and Kristina Perez for creating this little community for us. You guys are awesome, and I'm excited for the devious brainchild you've come up with now!

But, enough crying. In honor of the last Thursday's Children Hop, I decided to publish the first bona-fide excerpt of my new book, What The Body Needs. Enjoy!

At first, she only saw dark.  Dark hair, dark jacket, dark pants, dark shoes.  Dark eyes glittered from a hard face.  Eyes fixed squarely on her.

Jak stared down into her glass.  Too late.  He'd already caught her.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him smile.  It was visceral.  Devastating.  The kind of smile that could get a woman to make all kinds of bad decisions.  Jak pounded back the last of her drink.

"Not often you see a woman taking straight whiskey."

Jak tried to ignore him.  He slid a barstool closer.  "Bourbon or scotch?"

She gritted her teeth.  "Bourbon."

The man's smile took on a darker note.  "That's my girl."  He lifted a finger to catch Sam's attention.  "A bottle."

Sam slid over a bottle of Jak's bourbon.  He caught her eye, opened his mouth to speak, when something else distracted him.  Brow furrowed, he strode away briskly.  Jak sighed.  She was on her own.  She turned to the stranger.  "I buy my own drinks."

"Sure you do, honey."  He tossed back his shot, refilled his glass, tossed the second shot back too.

Jak's eyebrows went up.  "Most people only drink like that when they're trying to forget something."

The man picked up her glass and filled it to the brim.  Without a word, he slid it back to her.  Jak stared at it for a moment, then tossed it back.

The man smiled again and poured them each another.  Jak's eyes narrowed.  "If you're planning on getting me drunk, it's going to take more than a few shots."

He tipped his glass to her.  "I've got the whiskey if you've got the time."

"And if I don't?"

His eyes were piercing.  "You do."

Jak's heart pounded.  Damn it, what was wrong with her?  It wasn't as though she'd never been hit on before.  That was what he was doing, wasn't it?  She couldn't quite tell.  Maybe his voice, those eyes, that smile, were giving her the wrong idea.

She glanced at him again, more openly this time.  He wasn't just dark.  He was wild.  Hair a little too mussed.  Shirt a little too rumpled.  That leather jacket had seen a few too many hard rides.  His jaw looked capable of taking a punch, and his nose had clearly taken several. 

But his lips were fascinating.  A thin scar drew the top one into a perpetual sneer.  They were neatly carved, oddly sensual.  Out of place in his harsh face.  Jak fought the delicious shiver that went down her spine.  Lips like that had experience making women scream.

No, she definitely had the right idea.

She'd never needed a drink so badly in her life.  Jak stretched for the whiskey bottle.  His hand closed over her wrist.  She froze, splayed across the bar in front of him.  It was disconcerting.  Intimate.  She forced herself to meet his eyes.  In the dim light, she couldn't make out their color. 

The corners of his lips lifted.  "Buyer pours."

She cleared her throat.  "Oh."  She wracked her brain for something else to say.  "Thanks."  His hand still imprisoned hers.  She looked down at it pointedly.

He ignored her.  His thumb traced a slow circle around the inside of her wrist as he poured them each a shot with his other hand.  His skin was rough, warm.  Jak swallowed hard.  A smile twitched at the edges of his mouth.  Damn.  He must have felt her pulse jump.

She took a deep breath and withdrew her hand.  He let it slide out from under his and raised his glass.  "Your health."

Jak tried to ignore the tingle where he'd touched her.  "What about your health?"

Even his chuckle was dark.  "Trust me, yours is worth more than mine."

Jak snorted.  "I doubt it."  She drank anyway.

The man drank, eyes never leaving her face.  "Interesting."  He refilled her glass.  "Want to talk about it?"  A mocking note edged his voice.

"What?  No."  Not with you.  Jak swirled the whiskey around in her glass.  She looked up to find him watching her again.  "Yes?"

The man shrugged.  "Just wondering what goes on in a head like yours."

Jak stiffened.  "What are you talking about?"

He looked at her a moment longer, then returned to his drink.  "Calm down, honey."  He glanced back at her.  "Your honor is safe with me."  His lips twisted, as if in appreciation of a private joke.

Jak stared at him.  Had he moved closer, or had she?  She glanced back at where she'd been sitting.  Christ.  She had.  From her new seat, she could smell the heady mix of leather and smoke that seemed to emanate from the man's every pore. 

She resisted the urge to lean over and breathe it in.  Instead she studied her whiskey, suddenly unsure whether to drink it.  When was the last time she'd been drawn to someone like this?  Was it her?  The alcohol?  Or something else altogether?

She cleared her throat.  "You been in town long?"

The man's eyes sharpened.  "Who said I'm from out of town?"

Jak forced herself not to cringe, sipped her drink instead.  "Never seen you here before.  And there's a motel next door.  Doesn't take a genius."

He inclined his head.  "Score one for the lady."  He focused back on his glass.  Jak waited.  He didn't look up again.

Her eyes narrowed.  "You're a criminal."  If that wasn't just perfect.

The man sipped his drink.  "What makes you say that?"

Jak pushed her glass away.  "You're not from here.  You hardly seem the type to be visiting family."  She shrugged.  "So you're here on business.  If it was good business, you'd be in a better hotel.  Those bags under your eyes-you don't sleep enough.  Probably work at night."  She sat back.  "And you drink too much.  Guilty conscience?"

The man stared at her, expressionless.  Jak's blood iced over.  "I'm right, aren't I?"

He took another drink.  A shadow of pain flickered across his features, so fast she nearly missed it.  "And why would I admit it if you were?"

Now she was curious.  "Like I said, people who drink like you do are trying to forget something."  She peered into his face.  "What are you trying to forget?"

The man didn't answer.  He drained the last of his drink and tossed two twenties on the bar.  "Rest of the bottle's yours."  With that, he slid off the stool and disappeared into the crowd. Between the bodies, Jak saw the side door swing open.  The outside lights glinted off his leather jacket as he slipped out.

She sighed and reached for her glass.  Sam tore himself away from the blond man he was talking to and made his way back to her, a concerned look on his face.  "Was that guy bothering you?"

Jak snorted.  Now he asked her.  She shook her head and tried to ignore the strange heat pooled deep in her belly.  "Nah.  Who was he, anyway?"

Sam shrugged.  "Never seen him before.  Came in and started drinking almost," he checked the clock on the wall behind him, "Christ, almost four hours ago now.  Said his name was Marcus, I think?"

"Marcus."  The syllables rolled off her tongue.  Marcus.  It sounded elegant.  Patrician.  It didn't fit the dark man at all.  "He say what he was doing here?"

"No, don't think so."  Sam started wiping a water ring off the scarred wood.  He glanced back at the blond, focused on Jak again.  "The amount he had to drink, I'm amazed he remembered his own name."

Jak sighed.  She looked back at the door Marcus had disappeared through.  His presence seemed to linger around it, animalistic and magnetizing.  She sighed again.  She was going to regret this.

She hopped off her stool and waved to Sam, then quickened her pace and disappeared into the crowd before he could say anything.  Satisfied there were enough people around the door to block her, she stole out the same way Marcus had gone.

The night air bit her cheeks and cut through her canvas jacket.  Jak rubbed her arms and blinked, eyes adjusting slowly to the dim light.  The pungent aroma of cigarette smoke pricked her nostrils.  She turned in the direction it was coming from.

A heavy, muscular arm swept her back and pinned her to the wall of the building.  Jak's mouth flew open, but no sound came out.  She did the only thing she could think of and drove her knee towards what she hoped was a sensitive target.

Marcus caught it.  His dark eyes flashed.  "That," he said, "was not very ladylike."  His voice was so low it might have been a growl.  Smoke wafted off his breath.  Usually she hated the smell, but now it only intensified that mysterious feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Jak shifted.  "I-"

His eyes bored into hers.  "You shouldn't be here."

I know.  She swallowed and tried again.  "You left so fast."  She felt like she was strangling.  "I was concerned."

He made a disbelieving sound deep in his throat.  "I bet you were."  His eyes skated over her face, lower.  He shifted closer. 

Jak fought back a shiver.  She couldn't move, couldn't breathe.  She wasn't sure she remembered how.  Deep in her gut, something primal throbbed in time to her pounding heartbeat.  The sounds of traffic from the street faded to the blood rushing in her ears.  She forced herself to meet his gaze.

He shook his head, eyes never leaving hers.  "Nice girls like you shouldn't follow men like me into dark alleys."

The world was spinning.  Whether from the whiskey or something else, she wasn't sure anymore.  A warning siren blared in the back of her head.  Bad decision.  BAD decision.  Jak ignored it and squared her jaw.  "I'm not that nice."

Marcus's face was so close she could see the lines weathered into his forehead.  His lips peeled back from his teeth in a predatory smile.  "Good."

Then his mouth closed over hers.

***

Farewell, Thursday's Children! May you slip gently into that good night. 

Now, onward and upward!

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10. The Visitor	11. Jessika Fleck: The Type Writer

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Thursday's Children Blog Hop: See? I Really Have Been Working...

"I do not need a bodyguard." -What The Body Needs, Laura Oliva

It's almost embarrassing how long it's been since my last blog post.

Almost, but not quite. Because finally, after much ado, it's almost time for the launch of my next novel! September 1st, guys. It just keeps getting closer.

Things are still pretty crazy, but I thought I'd share what is going to be the backcover copy for my book, titled What The Body Needs. Just to prove that, yes, I have actually been working...

Jak O'Mara is a survivor.

She's survived in her father's construction company.  She's survived in the boxing ring.  And she survived the brutal attack that left her permanently scarred.

For the last five years, she's tried to convince everyone -including herself- she's no victim.  But with the apparent return of her unknown assailant, the life she's rebuilt crumbles overnight.

Ex-cop Marcus Cutter has his own scars, they just don't show.  Following the violent death of his younger sister, he fled his old life in disgrace.  After almost six years, "rock-bottom" feels a lot like home.

As Jak's new bodyguard, Marcus is forced to return to the city -and the memories- he's tried to forget.  All he wants is to do his job, but Jak isn't what he expects.  When he's with her, he finally feels something besides pain.

When the danger escalates, Jak decides it's time to take matters into her own hands and find who's after her, no matter the cost.  Marcus knows he has to protect the woman who's made his life mean something again.  But how do you protect someone who's convinced they have nothing left to lose?

September 1st can't get here fast enough!

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Thursday's Children Blog Hop: Rhythmical

http://tinyurl.com/mdddfyj

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." -Victor Hugo

Humans are creatures of rhythm.

Our entire lives are governed by it. Eating, sleeping, working, sex. Everything we do occurs to a beat. Writers understand this better than most, slaves as we are to the constant ebb and flow of creativity.

Maybe that's why so many writers are music aficionados. I know I am.

Each time I start a new book, I start a new playlist. I love combing through the world of music for songs that capture the tone, the characters, a snippet of the story I'm working on.

Here, for your enjoyment, are a few favorites from my current Work-In-Progress:

Beginning/Introduction: "Gimme Shelter", The Rolling Stones

First Kiss: "Shed Your Skin", The Pretty Blue Guns

Heroine's Theme: "Not A Pretty Girl", Ani DiFranco

Hero's Theme: "Sinister Purpose", Creedence Clearwater Revival

Suspense Scene: "Run Through The Jungle", Creedence Clearwater Revival

First Love Scene: "Crawl", Kings Of Leon

First Sex Scene: "Radioactive", Imagine Dragons

These are just a few of the songs I've been listening to recently. Now that my book is nearly finished, I'm getting a little nostalgic. As a rule, I don't listen to my WIP playlist once the work is no longer, well, in progress.

This is going to be a hard playlist to leave behind.

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