Reviews 4 by Jacqueline Lichtenberg - "Taxi! Follow That Byline!"

Reviews 4
by Jacqueline Lichtenberg
"Taxi! Follow That Byline!"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

First thing, I'd like to point you to a blog -- this happens to be an entry by Heather Massey, and it's about the Sime~Gen Game I've mentioned here a number of times, the one taking Sime~Gen (an SF series of mine with Jean Lorrah) into its space age.

http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/blogs/2013/11/romancing-the-video-game

I'm expecting to have more news about that game for you this year.

So now to today's lessons in writing. 


Previous entries in this "reviews" series of blogs are here:

http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2013/10/reviews-1-by-jacqueline-lichtenberg.html

http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2013/11/reviews-2-by-jacqueline-lichtenberg.html

http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2013/12/reviews-3-by-jacqueline-lichtenberg.html

I was in a school library a few days ago and asked the school librarian if they still teach kids to follow particular bylines when they find something they like.

I had decided I rather liked that library.  It had a higher book-density than our public library currently has, and had the books shelved by genre, with very good books featured prominently.

OK, being a writer, I know that the way certain writers and titles get that treatment in school libraries is to be reviewed in School Library Journal etc -- and that only one or two titles of a publisher's monthly output are sent to those special reviewers.

So a school library (or a public one; same deal) does not present a legitimate cross section of what's available, or even what's good or what's advisable.  That's what parents are for.  But the school library is the hook to get kids reading for fun -- which leads to reading for profit and reading easily enough to be able to take in and understand complex subjects necessary to earn a living.

However, I discovered (as is usual in my career) that the school librarian was a science fiction/fantasy FAN -- and did a lot of work with the local used book store, too.  She knew her stuff, and the field.  (Yes, I handed her a Sime~Gen promo flyer.)

We had a great conversation, and I learned that at least this one librarian is dedicated to teaching kids to FOLLOW THAT BYLINE! 

Today, since we haven't yet recovered from all the Holiday Cheer, and maybe you have some gift cards left from stocking stuffers, I'm going to point you to some books well worth their cover price, that I think you will benefit from reading.

These books are recent entries in series, or by writers who've done series.  Some are recognizably Romance, others have driving dynamics using our principles without hitting the reader over the head with ideas and attitudes the reader wouldn't find amusing.  Sample and you'll find many more books to read in that series.

First lets look at Simon R. Green's Ghost Finders Novels -- this is one series in a Universe which Green has been writing other series in. 

Spirits From Beyond



Spirits From Beyond has the velocity and format of a YA.  It's a very simple "adventure" by a ghost-hunting group that is involved in peeling away very complicated layers of the facade of reality to solve the puzzle of what it all means -- and who is masterminding this mess.  The ongoing story is told in these small, ultrasimplified increments.  The other series are not at all YA.  Taken together, the novels display a universe background as rich and complex as Heinlein's multiverse.

The story relies heavily on visuals, and thus gives the impression of being a set of novels trying to become a YA TV Series (somewhat like Buffy). 

Green is not particularly great at characterization or dialogue, but is very strong on simplified structure.  For that reason, all these books under his byline are well worth careful dissection by the Romance writing student.

Susan Sizemore (one of my all-time favorite writers since I first encountered her fan fiction about the TV Vampire Series FOREVER KNIGHT) has a Vampire Hunter novel set in Chicago -- replete with the politics and warfare tactics of Demons, Vampires, and mortals. 



Read anything you can find by Susan Sizemore.

And I say the same about Ann Aguirre.

Ann is starting a new series, but here is one in her Corine Solomon series -- read all these series starting with the 1st novel in them.  Aguirre's writing skills are top notch, and her story material is right on target for the Romance reader who wants stories about feisty women (just like themselves) instead of wimps. 

But Aguirre also explores the feisty female spirit faced with living as a woman who is somewhat "different" -- having telepathic or magical Talent, or some other attribute that just makes life's problems require a different set of solutions.



Aguirre has a number of series, so just dip in and sample whatever strikes you as interesting.  I'm a particular fan of her space-adventure series about Sirantha Jax.

Now we come to an interesting writer.  She's an actress you probably remember from Buffy The Vampire Slayer (has had other roles, but that's the one readers of this blog will likely know).

This is Amber Benson, and she used her acting talents and experience to start selling Fantasy Novels.  I ran into her on twitter, and gobbled up the novels in her Calliope Reaper-Jones series -- starting with Daughter of Death.

That's a title which is a real eye-stopper.  It doesn't LOOK like the title of a Romance, but this is a Romance driven story.  The main character, Calliope is the daughter of the holder of the office called Death (and is in charge of the dead and the causing of dying).

It's a story of family, inheritance, inherited talents, responsibility -- and how all those things tend to conflict with one's love-life. 

In this growing series, Amber Benson weaves a long, complicated story against a deep, complex background, and pulls off all the nuances with grace and aplomb. 

Like Buffy, the premise and the universe is "dark" but the characters are of the "light" side of Nature.



And here's the most interesting part! 

In 2013, I was invited to contribute an essay to a non-fiction book about fan fiction.

Here's the book - released Nov 26, 2013:


I did my essay, and several rewrites as the book took shape, and when the contributors list finally appeared in the promotional materials, I discovered that both Amber Benson and Rachel Caine were also contributors.

At that time, Rachel Caine (whom I also knew via twitter) was involved in a Kickstarter for a webisode series based on her Morganville Vampire series (which I also recommend to you)



The Kickstarter made its goal, and the webisode production is in development.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!!!! 

Amber Benson is starring in the webisodes!!!! 

Now do you see why you have to "Follow That Byline!"

To understand your field - the Romance Novel and the Romance Genre - you must understand the people and their relationships to each other. 

Jacqueline Lichtenberg
http://jacquelinelichtenberg.com

Guest Blogger Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine ( http://www.rachelcaine.com ) is a New York Times bestselling author of action/adventure fantasy with a good dose of Relationship, Love and Romance in the plot. She joins us this week responding to questions asked by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Rowena Cherry on the occasion of the publication of the 6th novel in her Morganville Vampires series, Carpe Corpus.

We told Rachel the following:

The aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com blog is by a group of PNR and SFR writers who often talk to the "audience" as we would if we were on a panel at a convention, bouncing a topic around and around from our various viewpoints. It's not a blog about promoting our books, but about nurturing new writers who want to enter the field, and giving our general readers a glimpse of everything that goes on behind the scenes. Thus, from time to time, we post excerpts, chapters, out-takes, and character analyses of current novels, but mostly we talk about the past, present and future of the entire field, including TV and film.

So please answer these questions (or make up questions of your own) as if you were sitting on a stage with all of us around you talking to an audience that came to find out all about what we write and why we write it. Feel free to skip any of these questions, or amalgamate them into a little essay of your own. Readers of this blog love Vampires, Werewolves, Star Trek, and Buffy all equally.

Then we asked these 10 questions. Here are Rachel's responses. I think you're going to want to check out her novels, so I've added some links to Amazon where you can read what other fans have said about her books.


ROWENA: 1. Which was the first Vampire story that you remember seeing or reading? Why do you think it made a powerful impression on you?

I believe it was probably Dracula, which I might have stumbled on in the Bookmobile (I lived far out in the country, and the only reliable access I had to books for my early teen years was the mobile library, which was very limited). I was intrigued, but not overwhelmed. The second book, which probably made a HUGE impression on me, was an illicit copy of of Stephen King's 'SALEMS LOT, which was a pretty shocking take on vampires at the age of ... 13? I believe? But I *loved* it. Then I began to look for vampire books, and my first encounter with a vampire who wasn't a terrifying monster was Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's wonderful St. Germain books. (I am also extremely flattered to be interviewed by you, because I eagerly followed your Sime/Gen books, Jacqueline! Hello! /Fangirl.)



ROWENA: 2. When you are writing a Vampire hero or heroine, what are the top five points you consider vital to characterization.

I'll give it a try! 1) Mystery. Especially in a vampire, I like to have some bit of mystery about their background, their true motivations. 2) Motivation (speaking of). I like to know, very clearly, what it is the vampire really wants -- whether it's redemption, dinner, romance, or just to get through the next day/night. All greatly affect how the character will respond to situations. 3) Friends/allies/enemies. I need to know how my vampire fits in with the other characters ... who he's crossed before, who he secretly loves or loathes, etc. 4) Redeeming qualities. These are, for me, quite important in a vampire character. You're working, after all, with the initial premise that this is a creature who survives on the blood of others, so what about him or her is admirable? How does the reader connect with/root for the vampire? There has to be some common ground. 5) Reliable mythology. Whether it's unique to your own universe or drawn directly from the folklore, it should be consistent or your vampire won't be believable.

Whew. That was harder than I thought!


ROWENA: 3. What is the Vampire lifestyle?

In Morganville, it's complicated. There are social levels, certainly -- the elites, who pretty much control the town and live in luxury (think Mafia dons). The working-class vampires, who are more like Mafia soldiers. And then there are outcasts and rebels, even among the vampires, who may or may not play by the rules, but probably are just as unhappy with the status quo as the various human factions in town.

Added to that, there's the undeniable fact that Morganville itself is a closed society ... the vampires may run the town like the Mafia, collecting blood and services from the human residents, but it's also a kind of protective enclave. An animal preserve, for a dying race. To me, that's what makes my vampires interesting; they're dangerous and unpredictable, but they're also the last of their kind.


ROWENA: 4. What are the rules for your Vampire world-building, and how did you formulate them?

I decided I wouldn't do this project unless I could make it interesting for myself, and different from the type of vampire stories that were already making new headway with teen readers, so I focused on the town itself -- how it worked, who ran it, and how it affected my human inhabitants (including poor Claire, who gets dropped into it). I needed to understand the fundamental secrets of the town before I could decide how it was constructed. It seemed logical to me to find Morganville in a bit of a decline -- fewer and fewer people living there, buildings decaying, unrest among the vampires. I believe I really did, in a literal sense, build the town from the ground up, because some of what happens in the books happens underground, where some of the true secret lay.


ROWENA: 5. What advice would you give to a writer who has not yet completed her first draft of the vampire story in her head?

There's no substitute for sitting down and writing. You can write in your head forever, but it's putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, that creates something real. But there's also a learning curve in this, as in anything that's really worth doing ... you're going to find yourself struggling sometimes to get your ideas on the page, or to make them different, or better. Keep going. It's a process, and if we're very lucky, the process never stops.



JACQUELINE: 6. What do you think your readers are looking for in a relationship between a paranormal such as a Vampire and an ordinary human?

My situation is a little bit unique, because although I do have vampires and humans interacting constantly, the only real vampire/human romantic relationship I have is between Eve and Michael, who became a vampire quite recently. I know that, based on the conversations and feedback from my readers, they really want Eve and Michael to work out ... and that's going to be interesting to me, because Michael's just really starting to discover who he is, and what it is he can do. So I think there's going to be a lot of bumps for that relationship along the way.

In terms of ordinary friendships, I think my readers are enjoying the growing ties between Claire and her somewhat-crazy vampire mentor Myrnin; she's becoming a bit of a caretaker for him, and he's in turn teaching her a lot about Morganville and the unique brand of science he's developed to run it.


JACQUELINE: 7. How do your novels manage to provide the Happily Ever After endings that both Romance and Action readers crave? (we have discussed the Happily Ever After requirement at length on this blog).

I think that as long as the main core relationship of the book -- Claire and Shane -- stays strong and deepens, readers will support all the other twists and turns. And I am determined to have happy endings for all of the Glass House residents, which helps. (Can't guarantee anything beyond that, though ...)


JACQUELINE: 8. How much real romance do you put into your novels? Or do you ever put just a love story into the plot? Or is the relationship always a sub-plot to the action?

I'd have to say that I categorize my stories as action/adventure first, romance second, so it's very much a sub-plot. BUT ... it's also central to why Claire is in Morganville, and why the readers care what happens, so it's extremely important as well. In my Weather Warden novels,



I believe the romantic relationship between Joanne and David is actually the "A" plot, and everything else comes second, no matter how world-destroying. In Morganville, I think it's slightly more of an even balance.



(Carpe Corpus is Rachel's 6th book in the Morganville series)

JACQUELINE: 9. How would you characterize your novels -- are they dark like the TV show SUPERNATURAL? Or mixed like FOREVER KNIGHT or BUFFY? Is there any message of optimism for humankind in your work?

I would say mixed, more like BUFFY than FK (although I love all of those, and SUPERNATURAL too). Dark things definitely happen, but one of the keys to my enjoyment of writing the books is how resilient the characters are, and how funny they can be, even in the darkest of times. (Huge Geek TV fan, here. HUGE. I own one of those "Joss Whedon is my master now" T-shirts.)


JACQUELINE: 10. Give new writers a tip on how to follow in your footsteps.

First of all, don't follow my footsteps, they lead down all kinds of blind alleys, into swamps, sand traps, snake pits ... I've made just about every mistake that can be made. And I'm a bit glad, actually. I've really enjoyed my career, even in the worst times ... but then again, I never quit my day job (for long, anyway). I'd say this: practice, practice, practice. Learn patience and humility, and learn the BUSINESS, which is a strange and wonderful thing.

Many writers think their job ends with turning in a manuscript; I believe that there's a lot before, during, and after that we really should be involved in, including marketing. Learn a variety of skills -- I trained in graphic design, video editing, and public relations, which is all extremely helpful in promotion work for the books.

But most of all: write what you love, not what others tell you is hot. Sooner or later, if you're doing your best work, you will catch a wave. How well you ride it is always the question, but be ready for the opportunity when it comes. Be professional -- treat people well, and respect what they do at every level.

And pay it forward. Mentor others when you can. I was the incredibly lucky recipient of mentoring from a huge variety of great authors, including P.N. Elrod, Patricia Anthony, Nina Romberg/Jane Archer, Joe Lansdale, and so many others. Some of them just offered me handy advice at a time when I needed it. Some shared agents. Some critiqued my work. Some introduced me to editors who later bought my work. There are many, many ways that you can help people, and the simplest thing can sometimes be the most helpful.


Thank you so much for letting me participate today! I truly appreciate it, and once again: I AM A HUGE FANGIRL, LADIES.

Thank you
Rachel Caine
http://www.rachelcaine.com

Coming Attractions

Jacqueline Lichtenberg and I are lining up a few very special guests for days that the regulars aren't able to fill.

Look forward to:
David Lee Summers (on Space Pirates)
Cathy Clamp
Rachel Caine on June 12th (on Vampires)


Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry

BACK FROM ARCHON 31

My flight from St. Louis to Ft Myers, FL landed at noon. It's 141 pm. I haven't unpacked but I'm blogging. Go figure.

Q -Why didn't I blog from the con? A - My brand new Sony Vaio died.

Q - Is this going to be a great recounting of what went on at Archon? A - No. Read my first line. I just got off the plane. I'm exhausted. But they say a picture is worth a thousand words...

Autographing session with Barbara Hambly. (!!!!) We had lunch Thursday and I can't wait for her Anne Steelyard series to come out. More on that later...

Saturday's panel with Elizabeth Moon (who is funny and delightful and just all around wonderful), me (behind toy dog--will explain that later, also), Carol Berg, Richard White, Joy Ward, Janni Lee Simner

Stacey Klemstein (cutie redhead on far end) on panel with Rachel Caine, Rae Morgan/Monette Micheals and others.

Vic Milan (who is a hoot) and my agent, Kristin Nelson on a beginning writers panel.

And now for the fun stuff:

I also had dinner with Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah, and was on a panel with them as well. WHAT A THRILL! Briefly, Jean has a wonderful, warm smile and sparkling eyes. Jacqueline is one of the most elegant gals I've met--BUT when she smiles, she's an imp! They're both beyond brilliant them and meeting them was top notch.

Hugs all, I need a nap... ~Linnea

http://www.linneasinclair.com/