Title: The Iron Hunt
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Series: Hunter Kiss, Book 1 (BUT Prequel novella “Hunter Kiss” in Wild Thing anthology)
Publication Info: Ace, July 2008
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Marjorie M. Liu is a brilliant word smith. A master in the art of language. Delightful to read. Deep and pregnant with meaning. Touching the heart of the human condition. Anyone with an inkling to write should read her work and take notes. I marked so many passages that were beautiful or striking, and still there were more. Every page is filled with brushstrokes of magic, words and phrases that sparkle and bleed. Here are just a few examples:

The demon tilted his head, just so, and his body twisted, flowing like the skim of a shark through water. he danced when he moved; on the city street, wrapped in shadows: a kiss on the eyes, a devil’s ballet, and only his feet moved, only his cloak had arms; and his hair, rising and flowing as though lost in a storm. I heard thunder, and when his toes sliced spirals in the concrete, I listened to the wind bury winter; and when I tasted his grace, his grace had no name; only, night became something else in his presence, as though darkness had a soul, here, swaying to heartbeats roaring, (p70-1).

I dreamed of a valley cast in moonlight, spread beneath me like round cheeks, and there were wing tips against my feet, like the cloak of a dragon, and a taste in my throat that was cinnamon and spice, and something worse, awful and metallic-creamy like butter made from blood, (114).

Her gaze was black as a shark, black as a doll, black as oil rich from rock, slick and hot, and the ageless intelligence of her gaze coated me in a miasma filled with such forebodings I could hardly think straight, (p169).

Purple velvet clouds streaked the sky east, humming with a wink of gold. Dawn soon, punched by the sun, (p269).

The set-up and plot are terribly complex, but here’s my best shot:

Thousands of years ago there was a huge war between demons and humans and the demons were imprisoned behind the Veil. The Wardens were charged with hunting down the ones that manage to escape the prison, but only one Warden is left on earth: Maxine Kiss. Maxine is The Hunter. Passed from mother to daughter for centuries, the role of Hunter is to slay demons who prey on humans through demonic possession. The Hunter role comes with five demon tattoos that cover the Hunter’s body, providing body armor stronger than metal by day and peeling off her skin to fight at night. These “good” demons are referred to as “the boys”, only one of which can communicate with words.

Now the Veil is weakening and is about to fall. Something bad gets out and begins to hunt Maxine, who is living in Seattle at a homeless shelter run by her boyfriend Grant. A private investigator is murdered and in his pocket is a newspaper with Maxine Kiss written on it. The police question Maxine, and she decides to find her own answers. She runs into zombies sent by the demon queen Blood Mama and she learns that the Veil imprisons worse things than just the zombie-demons. Then she finds a picture of her grandmother, who she never met, with an archeologist who she thinks just might be her grandfather. Surprise, he is the speaker at a gala event that night at the Seattle Art Museum. She finds him, and it turns out he knows Things, but isn’t allowed to tell her. This is the theme of the book. Everyone but Maxine knows things, but isn’t allowed to share them. Then this other demon shows up, with knives for feet (see first quote above) and she doesn’t trust him and he talks in riddles and her “boys” can’t tell her what’s up. And then this other dude pushes her under a bus, but then it turns out he is supposed to protect her. And he can’t tell her anything either. She’s confused. I’m confused. Anyways…

And then there is this kid who Maxine is trying to protect, but the zombies beat him up. And then Maxine blacks out and goes to the Labyrinth, this between worlds place perhaps inspired by Borges, and she gets lost in something called the wasteland and gets this sword that turns into a ring. And there is something inside her that wakes up and helps her battle the Big Evil something that escaped from the Veil at the beginning of the book. But we never find out what the thing inside her is. It reminded me of Rhage’s Beast.

Was that confusing enough?

THE IRON HUNT is Ms. Liu’s first work of Urban Fantasy. She wrote a prequel which sets up the world of the book. Unfortunately I did not know this. Dear reader, please read the Prequel first (or this brief review). I enjoyed The Iron Hunt, but I admit I was confused through most of it. My usual reaction to Urban Fantasy novels is to think there is too much back story. This book left the opposite impression: not enough. I would have liked more explanations. Fewer sentence fragments. The heroine dreams of unicorns and dragons and wolves and blood. Are these memories of the distant past? Avatars intermingling with her predecessors? More questions than answers.

Setting

One of the coolest things (to me) about this book is that it is set in SEATTLE. Ms. Liu passed the test: referring to Pike Place Market instead of Pike’s Market. It’s the biggest way to differentiate a tourist from someone who knows. You can say “Pike Place” or “The Market” or “Pike Place Market” but never, ever, “Pike’s Market.” Ms. Liu has some great passages about my fair city:

Seattle in winter was an awful place to be. Always wet, hardly a glimpse of the sun except on rare days when it burned briefly free and rained down rays of precious ghostly light; or at night, when clouds slivered and stars glittered, adn the moon, when it rose, glowed, (p26).

Isn’t that beautiful? I didn’t like this one so much:

Yuppie, a little too preoccupied with what other people thought, and only superficially friendly, (p29).

We’re very friendly, thank you very much.

Good weather brought folks out in droves, all of them stripped down to shorts and T-shirts and those odd, clunky sandals that seemed to be a fad in this part of North America. The temperature was only fifty degrees, but it might have been Arizona in the summer for all the skin I saw. Poor sun-starved bastards, (p152).

Sad, but true.

One of the other interesting things about the book is Ms. Liu’s portrayal of homelessness and street kids. I just read a fascinating blog post on the subject of what Urban Fantasy authors get wrong when romanticizing growing up on the streets written by an author who actually grew up on the streets, to which UF author Lilith Saintcrow pointed me. Lilith, author of the Dante Valentine series, writes:

I can’t count how many books I’ve read, YA and others, that make homelessness “romantic”. Or that gloss over the danger of it. Or the fact that when you are on the fringe, everything has a price and nothing is free. I get a little buggy when I read something that to my mind glorifies street life. The streets are hard. Nobody ends up there because they’re well-adjusted or special. If you’re going to write about street life, please don’t think it’s glamorous or fun or “edgy”.

I believe, and this is my own sheltered opinion, that Ms. Liu does a good job of realistically portraying homelessness and street life. If you read UF or are writing UF and thinking of giving your character a hard-knock childhood, I strongly recommend the article.

Recommendation

I recommend The Iron Hunt, but I liked her paranormal romance better thus far. Ms. Liu’s writing style has changed for this book, at least compared to the beginning of her Dirke & Steele series. Her style was much smoother in Shadow Touch, and I loved it. She still had the elegant descriptions, but many more complete sentences that helped communicate the ideas better. I will continue to read through all of Ms. Liu’s backlist and intend to read her future releases. The sequels to The Iron Hunt will most likely answer many of the questions I have about it. Even if they don’t, I learn so much about the craft of writing from her novels that it makes up for my confusion about parts of her world building. Perhaps that is what they teach in law school: to be facund but not necessarily perspicuous. Jk.

I heart Nalini Singh. Her Psy/Changeling series has detailed world building and scrumptious characters. I particularly like the idea of “skin privileges.” If I could be in one book/series/world which would I pick? I’d be a leopard in Nalini’s Changeling world. I want to be Tamsyn and live in a tree house in the jungle and have cuddly baby leopards and a hot hubby and bake cookies for my pack. YUM! As I’m writing this, looking up links, I discovered that Tamsyn and Nate actually have their own story in the anthology An Enchanted Season. How did I miss this???

Nalini created a quiz: Which Psy/Changeling Hero is for you?

Your Psy/Changeling Hero: Lucas

Tough, dangerous and highly intelligent, the alpha of the DarkRiver leopard pack is a man who will demand everything from his mate. But he will give the same in return. And he will never let go.

Find out more about Lucas and the series at www.nalinisingh.com

Oh yeah, baby! Lucus is definitely my hero of choice.

Which hero is for you? Which book is your favorite?

Psy/Changeling series by Nalini Singh

Book 1: Slave to Sensation
Book 2: Visions of Heat
Book 3: Caressed by Ice
Book 4: Mine to Possess
Book 5: Hostage to Pleasure (September 2008)

If you have yet to discover the deliciousness that is the Psy/Changelings, hie thee to a bookstore!!!

Where will you be April 25, 2009? Getting burnt to a crisp in Orlando at the Romantic Times Convention? Or embracing your inner vampire in the sun-free Pacific Northwest at KatieCon?

CROUCHING VAMPIRE, HIDDEN FANG
Author Katie MacAlister sent out more updates on her plans for KatieCon 2009, and it sounds like a lot of fun:

I’m envisioning an all day event with a buffet lunch, and probably either an afternoon tea, or some sort of afternoon dessert. There would definitely be a Q&A session, and also some games like romance Jeopardy (with prizes!), a raffle benefitting local charities, and even possibly a version of GothFaire with some fun folks brought in to read palms and tarot cards, take pictures of auras, do henna (temporary) tattoos, chair massages, etc.

If that isn’t enough to sway you from the RT Vampire Ball to rainy Sea-town (or Bellevue as the case may be), Katie may have copies of her May 09 book, Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang, to give to attendees two weeks before anyone else gets them! Whoot!

TWILIGHT
From Vampires AND the Pacific Northwest to Vampires IN the Pacific Northwest: the trailer for Twilight is out and it looks…creepy. Note to self: must read Twilight before movie debut December 2. As you may know, I’m particularly attached to books set in my rainy state. Stephanie Meyer on why her vampires live in Forks:

For my setting, I knew I needed someplace ridiculously rainy. I turned to Google, as I do for all my research needs, and looked for the place with the most rainfall in the U.S. This turned out to be the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. I pulled up maps of the area and studied them, looking for something small, out of the way, surrounded by forest… And there, right where I wanted it to be, was a tiny town called “Forks.” It couldn’t have been more perfect if I had named it myself. I did a Google image search on the area, and if the name hadn’t sold me, the gorgeous photographs would have done the trick. (Images like these of the Hoh Rainforest (a short drive from Forks).

She’s correct, the Olympic Peninsula is BEAUTIFUL. Mr. Wonderful and I just came back from camping there and we didn’t get rained on! Quite the accomplishment for the world’s only temperate rain forest.

Where will I be in April? I dunno yet. I’ve always wanted to go to a masquerade ball, but the stories from this year’s RT Convention were less than appealing. What about you – which would you attend? Have you been to an RT Convention? Have you read Twilight? Are you going to see the movie?

Edited to add:

I’m so sad that Breaking Dawn is coming out during the RWA conference, because I’ll miss this awesome-sounding book release party at Powell’s City of Books. It makes me wish I lived in Portland:

COMING AUGUST 1: BELLA’S BALL
Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you’ve probably heard of a little someone named Stephenie Meyer. Between her popular vampirific YA series, the Twilight Saga, the film version of the first book, Twilight, (filmed in Oregon and releasing on December 12), and her new novel for adults, The Host, Meyer is quickly reaching a J. K. Rowling-level of fan devotion. That’s why, on Friday, August 1, we are thrilled to host Bella’s Ball, a midnight release party celebrating the long-awaited fourth book in the saga, Breaking Dawn. Come to Powell’s City of Books for fun and games. Enter our costume contest. Listen to a spooky DJ. You can even donate blood (easier than the vampire’s way) at a Red Cross blood mobile from 3:30-6:30 p.m. and be rewarded with priority line-placement when the book goes on sale. I know! Hold your squeals of joy, all of you in the Edward or Jacob camps. We’ll see you there!

Today is the last day of the auction put on by Eloisa James and Julia Quinn. Many Regency authors have donated more items over the month, including an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) by Colleen Gleeson and a 50-page critique by Joanna Bourne! The money is being raised for a young family in need, so you get awesome autographed books and get to contribute to a good cause. There are a few non-regency offerings too, including an ARC of Jennifer Ashley’s Immortals: The Redeeming. I have her first book sitting in my bookshelf just waiting for me to delve into.

Bidding ends TONIGHT, Friday, June 27th at Midnight, EST (that’s 9 pm to those of us on the Best Coast).

Check out the auction here.

I must point out that the autographed ARC of Mr. Cavendish I Presume by Julia Quinn is currently only going for $80. Some rabid fan paid over $300 for it on Brenda Novak’s auction, so you’re getting a steal.

***

And in other news:

I WON A BOOK AT THE BOOK BINGE!!!

Title: Pleasure Unbound
Author: Larissa Ione
Series: Demonica, Book 1
Publisher: Forever, June 2008
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Yay! It looks good. The Book Binge gave it 4.5 out of 5 and you can read Casee’s review here. Even more exciting? Author Nalini Singh says “What a ride! Dark, sexy and very intriguing, this book gripped me from start to finish. I can’t wait to read the next in the series!” Nalini is a goddess, so you know it’s gotta be good.

I just bought my plane tickets!!! I’ll be in San Francisco MONDAY, July 28 at 6 pm, and I fly out SUNDAY, August 3 at 7 pm. This will be my very first romance conference. Last summer I attended the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference, which I’m attending again this July even though it has half the workshops offered last year. I learned a lot, and I’m really looking forward to RWAcon so that I can bask in the glow of my idols.

The 2008 Romance Writers of America National Conference will be held July 30 through August 3 at the San Francisco Marriott.

Here are 13 workshops that I’m thinking of attending. Until Hermoine lends me her time toy, I won’t be able to attend all of them. Why I picked each is in red.

1. Dialogue: Writing Between the Lines (CRAFT) — Elizabeth Hoyt
   Writing fantastic dialogue can lift your book from good to sold. This workshop will cover the mechanics of dialogue, how to tell if your dialogue is working, and how to show what your characters are thinking when they’re not speaking. Dialogue is the hardest part of writing for me, and I’ve been told to read The Raven Lord more times than I can count. I’m making a new TBR pile – one with an end of July deadline!
2. How to Layer and Texture Your Novel for High Impact (CRAFT) — Cherry Adair
   New York Times best-selling author Cherry Adair explains why there has to be a balance of dialog, narration, research, and description in your novel, which can be achieved by adding layers and texture. (2 hours) Cherry is a Seattle author. I’m still learning the craft of writing.
3. Writing the Best Seller: Six Magic Words (CAREER) — Susan Elizabeth Phillips
   Learn from New York Times best-selling and RITA Hall of Fame author Susan Elizabeth Phillips the six magic words that lead to bestsellerdom. I heart SEP and my critique partner told me not to miss her workshops cuz they are fabulous.
4. Writing the Unputdownable Novel (CRAFT) — Joan Johnston
   New York Times best-selling author Joan Johnston shares eight ways to “hook” your reader so she can’t put your book down. Another TBR author, that several DIK girls have rec’d.
5. Make ‘em Scream: How to Write Amazing Romantic Suspense Editors Will Buy (CRAFT) — Hilary Sares
   Editors are always looking for a hot mix of tough stuff and true love. This Kensington editor presents an insider’s guide to breaking in and staying the course in romantic suspense—covering pace, atmosphere, plotting, technical elements, and romance. I’m not writing romantic suspense, but fast pacing and keeping your readers hooked are good to know for any genre.
6. The 21st Century Heroine: How Far She’s Come and Where She’s Heading (PUBLISHING) — Michelle Monkou, Kate Duffy, Caridad Ferrer, Tracy Montoya, Monique Patterson, Candice Poarch, and Francis Ray
   A panel of editors and authors facilitate a discussion that will highlight the past, focus on the present, and analyze the future of the romance heroine. This sounds like an excellent blog post topic. How can I refuse? And The Kate Duffy herself is speaking. I’m intimidated already.
7. World Building: Creating Your Own Universe (CRAFT) — Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush
   New York Times best-selling author Lisa Jackson and author Nancy Bush discuss how to build a believable, fictional world. I heart world building. The more I learn the more I want to jump head over heels into my next paranormal project.
8. Writing for the Historical Market (PUBLISHING) — Elizabeth Boyle, May Chen, and Laura Lee Guhrke
   The historical market is a vital and wonderful opportunity for new romance writers, but the ins and outs of selling and continuing to sell can be baffling without an insider’s perspective. Join best-selling, award-winning authors Elizabeth Boyle and Laura Lee Guhrke and HarperCollins editor May Chen at this workshop to discover the opportunities that abound by taking a step back in history—without making costly missteps. Elizabeth is a Seattle author. I’m writing a regency, so this sounded important to know.
9. Bad Boys and Naughty Girls (CRAFT) — Allison Brennan, Jordan Dane, Cindy Gerard, C.J. Lyons, and Lucia Macro
   Best-selling authors, debut authors, and an executive editor discuss the seductive nature of villains and anti-heroes. Discover how authors create the darker characters we love to hate and who’ve become our guilty pleasures. Another great blog post topic. Anti-heroes are on the rise. Drake Vireo anybody? And more TBR authors than I could shake a stick at.
10. Secrets of the Best-selling Sisterhood (PUBLISHING) — Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jayne Ann Krentz
    Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jayne Ann Krentz reprise their very popular workshop on what it’s like to be New York Times best-selling authors. SEP and JAK, need I say more?
11. Writing the Hot Historical (CRAFT) — Janet Mullany, Helen Breitweiser, and Pam Rosenthal
    An agent and two authors guide you to creating a convincing historical world (while turning up the heat), with a glance at the market today. Like I said, I’m writing a historical. Would be nice if it were hot. or Hawt.
12. Writing—and Selling—Crossover Fiction (CRAFT) — Eileen Wilks, Ann Aguirre, Catherine Asaro, and Cindy Hwang
    The panel, including a newly published author in urban fantasy, an established paranormal romance author, a best-selling science-fiction author, and an editor who buys and publishes crossover fiction, will present a variety of viewpoints on this timely topic. More TBR authors! This time on the dark paranormal side. Fun, fun, fun! And another great blog topic too.
13. Take Five! The Agent Cartel Reveals Its Top Five Pearls of Wisdom for Career Success (PUBLISHING) — Kristin Nelson, Pam Ahearn, Roberta Brown, Natasha Kern, Lucienne Diver, Elaine English, Carolyn Grayson, Pam Hopkins, Jennifer Jackson, Patti Steele-Perkins, Deidre Knight and Michelle Grajkowski.
    A dozen agents offer five pearls of wisdom for success in publishing. (2 hours) Sounds like something I need to know. Agents intimidate me even more than published authors.

Are you going to the 2008 RWA National Conference? Have you picked out the workshops you are going to yet? What looks good to you? On which workshops would you like me to go and report back? I take fantastic notes, if I do say so myself.

I’ve been tagged by Tracy at Aaah Romance! to play a book game:

Open the book nearest to you and open to page 123. Then post the 5th sentence.

So, there happen to be seven books sitting at my elbows as I type here at the dinning room table, not counting the two bags full of books at my feet. Which to pick? I’ll throw out three of them as not related to romance or fantasy, leaving: Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey, Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur, Not Quite a Lady by Loretta Chase, and The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. Lucky for you, Full Moon Rising is an inch closer than the others and I finished it today. Boy, is it hawt.

Page 123, 5th sentence:

I rode him hard, desperate to claim every inch of his rigid heat, to feel him fill me.

Author: Keri Arthur
Title: Full Moon Rising (Riley Jensen series, Book 1)
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Riley is a half-werewolf, half-vampire. Werewolves experience Moon Heat, aka unbearable lust, the week leading up to the full moon. Until a werewolf meets his or her soul mate, this lust is slacked with a variety of mates. Werewolves are very open with their sexuality.

I tag:

Carolyn Jean from The Thrillionth Page

Nicola and O’Donovan at Alpha Heroes

Jackie at Literary Escapism

Brie at Cupid’s Chokehold

Should I choose a pen name?

“Ciara,” you are thinking to yourself, “we are all tired of hearing about your name. We know how to pronounce it already, give it a rest!” But yesterday I saw a post on Redlines and Deadlines, the Ellora’s Cave Editors blog, that made me nervous:

Make absolutely sure that readers will be able to remember, pronounce, and spell your name! Repeat after me: remember, pronounce, spell. That sounds simple, but a lot of writers screw it up by picking elaborate or oddly spelled or supposedly “meaningful” pen names, in an effort to be unique. Well, that name is not meaningful to readers if they can’t find your website or look you up on Amazon because they don’t remember your name or aren’t spelling it right. And they won’t discuss you or recommend you to others if they are afraid of embarassing themselves by mispronouncing your name.

Most authors chose pen names for privacy issues. Privacy? What’s that? Ciara Stewart is my real name. Mr. Wonderful, being a professional blogger, Adobe evangelist, and all around tech geek, has already committed every small detail of his life (and therefore most of mine) to the internet. Between twitter, flickr, facebook, myspace, brightkite, spot, and goodness knows what else, we iz famiz on the internetz. Mr. Wonderful says, “Well, they know our apartment, but they don’t know our apartment number!” Uh huh. That’s reassuring. But I digress.

My concern is “remember, pronounce, and spell” my name. Even Keira Knightly changed her name for us silly Americans (it is really Kiera). I can’t depend on Jeri Smith-Ready educating the entire romance and fantasy reading populace on the correct pronunciation of Ciara. lol. (Though I appreciate her efforts!)

I don’t believe in having multiple pen names. If I like an author I want it to be EASY to locate other books written by that author. Perhaps if an author writes in multiple genres, like erotica and YA, but not across subgenres. I don’t understand why Jayne Ann Krantz has so MANY different names. Sure branding is important, but so is making sure your fans can find you!

So the question I pose to you is this: Should I Anglicize Ciara? I could be Keira or Kira. Maybe Kira MacKiernan. Riiight.

We could try the porn star naming game: Your first pet and the first street you lived on. I’d be Shadow Burke.

What would you choose for your pen name (or porn name)? Have you heard any that were outright ridiculous?

Your results:
You are Superman

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Thanks to Seattle Urban Fantasy author Kat Richardson for the link! Kat was Supergirl. I’m apparently male, otherwise it fits. Though is superman really sensitive? My kryptonite is people saying mean things about romance novels. It REALLY hurts my feelings. Lord only knows why I care what other people think about romance novels, but I do.

Fantasy author Jacqueline Carey stopped by University Bookstore in Seattle today to promote her new book Kushiel’s Mercy, the third and final book in the Imrial Trilogy. Fans were sad to hear that this is the last book, but Ms. Carey said “I’m a believer in graceful exits, and I want to let them pass carefully into legend.” At the book signing one of the attendees showed off her full-back tattoo of Phadre’s rose. Now that’s devotion. Someday I hope to have fans as rabid as Ms. Carey’s. I know I won’t have made it until my fans tattoo my book art on their bodies. Where is Patricia Briggs’ gallery of fans tattooed like Mercy Thompson?

I admit I was intimidated by the rabid fans, having only read Kushiel’s Dart (book 1). I talked about books with the girl next to me before Ms. Carey arrived, and made the mistake of asking if she read romance novels. Why is a simple “no” never enough? Oh no, one needs the eye roll and moue of distaste, as if I had asked “do you eat dog poop?” I thought to myself, “You’re obsessed with a BDSM fantasy novel, for goodness sakes. Where do you get off criticizing an entire genre?” But I didn’t say it. Sigh. My skin is too thin.

The Kushiel’s Legacy series is divided into two trilogies, the first that follows Phedre no Delauny and the second that follows her adopted son Imrial. Click here for a complete book list.

The Reading

Anticipating the rabid fans, many of whom had already read Kushiel’s Mercy, Ms. Carey surprised us with a sneak peek of her Work-In-Progress, tentatively entitled Naamah’s Gift. The book is set in the world of Kushiel’s Legacy, but on the island of Alba, which corresponds to Scotland. The heroine, Moirin, is a member of a dark-skinned native race close in approximation to the Picts. She grows up with only her mother, and her mother teaches her to mask her presence in the shadows with magic and to hunt. She never knew her father, a pale-skinned stranger with bright green eyes whom her mother slept with at the direction of her goddess (Naamah, I presume).

Question and Answer Session

Q: How long does it take you to think up these books?

A: The gestation period varies, but for Kushiel’s Dart it was a few years. I finish all my research before I begin the writing process. I am an edit-as-you-go writer, and can only move on once the previous scenes have been perfected.

Q: One man thanked her for leading him to a very interesting lover and entertaining previous lovers and asked if Ms. Carey was aware of any communities built around her world.

A: No, though the BDSM life style is close enough and is exceedingly well built up.

Q: Do you get writer’s block?

A: I have the architecture of the plot set very clearly before I begin writing, so don’t get writers block in a plot “what happens next” way. But I do get stumped by very simple things, such as clothing. “I cannot write the fete if I cannot see the gown!” Sometimes people look closely at the dresses on the covers and ask “where would the stays be?” My answer is that I cannot guarentee that what I describe obeys the laws of physics. A lot of writing has to do with building solid foundations on which to build one’s plots.

Q: How much of the lyrical measure of your prose is intentional, and how much of it is a product of the rhythm in your head?

A: I write rhythmically because I like to. I’m conscious of it. The way I execute it is deliberate, but not premeditated.

Q: Which book is your favorite?

A: Someone always pulls out the Sophie’s Chose question. I don’t have a favorite. All of them have different challenges inherent to them. None will I get the shock of new as I did with Kushiel’s Dart. Kushiel’s Chosen has a mystery plot in the first half. Kushiel’s Scion is a classic coming of age story. I love the climax of Kushiel’s Justice so much. It tears me up every time I read it. Kushiel’s Mercy is probably one of the most fun boos to write. Super fun! It’s my crack book.

Q: Tell us about your language research. Do you have a favorite?

A: No favorite. I love words: The way they look, the way they sound, the way I think they sound. I like playing with them.

Q: How do you name your characters?

A: Sometimes I think “I want it to start with an R” and sometimes I have a meaning in my head. It’s usually a combination.

Q: Do you have any books set in other worlds?

A: Yes, The Sundering duology: Godslayer and Banewrecker. They are The Silmarillion to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. I need to do different things between massive projects. (Ms. Carey wrote them between the first trilogy of Kushiel’s Legacy and the second.) And I’m working on a “super secret” project to come out in May 2009 under the psudonym Madalon Easton. Santa Olivia is a post-punk novel set in a desert border town with boxing and two girls in love.

Q: Do characters create the world or does the world create the characters?

A: Neither. The creative process is a mystery with a capital M, and the characters are a part of that. World building is more deliberate.

Q: How much of the series plot architecture do you know in advance?

A: I wrote Kushiel’s Dart as a stand-alone book, leaving the door open for future books. I got an agent based on the manuscript and the first thing he asked was “Are you gonna write a sequel?” I know the overarching plot of the character romance, but the individual plot I work on book by book.

Q: Do you outline or is it all in your head?

A: My outline is in my head. I can pin point the moment it all came together in my head for Kushiel’s Dart: I was crossing a bridge at sunset. I got home and started jotting notes, then said “Screw this I gotta start writing the book!”

Q: Would you ever write short stories such as when Delany first met Melisande?

A: At this point I have no plans to do so, but I will never say never.

Q: Has anyone approached you about tole playing game rights? (asked by the man with the Kushiel-inspired lover)

A: Why does that question sound more loaded coming from you? (laughs) Nothing serious.

Q: Was fantasy always the genre you wanted to write?

A: The fantasy genre has been a long time love of mine, but I didn’t start out writing in it. One of my early manuscripts was a total coming of age story about seven college graduates in a cabin in the woods. It will never see the light of day, but it taught me to write smooth dialog.

Q: Who do you read?

A: Guy Gavriel Kay, but I’m too busy researching to do much pleasure reading. On the way here I read Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley.

Q: What has been your writer’s journey?

A: I started writing when I was really bored in high school english class. I kept a journal in the back of my notebook, and I wrote all through high school and college. When I graduated from college I took a year off to do a work exchange program and I worked in a bookstore in London, where I realized that the only thing I really like to do is writ. When I got back I took a job that wanted a three year commitment, and I said, “well I can only give you one year, cuz see I have this book I’m writing…” I worked there for ten years. The first thing I wrote was derivitive. I knew it, but I had to do it.

Luck is only part of getting published. Persistence is the most important.

Q: Is it difficult to switch between male and female perspectives?

A: Phedre (narrator of 1st Kushiel Trilogy) and Imrial (narrator of 2nd Kushiel Trilogy) are so different that switching between between female and male was only a small part of the difficulties involved in switching perspectives. I read a lot from the male perspective to prepare for Imreal, because I didn’t want to write a woman in drag.

Q: Where did the idea for Kushiel’s Dart come from?

A: From so many things. A trip to the south of France. A freaky dream I had. I was doing Angelology research and I mis-remembered an entry. When I started writing there was not much fantasy with sexuality in it. Sexuality is a big part of the human experience, and I thought it was missing in the genre.

Q: What’s your sign?

A: Libra.

Using the random playing card generator from random.org, I selected two commenters from this week’s two win-a-book posts. Unless otherwise noted, all books are from my personal bookshelf and have been gently loved. Thank you everyone for playing!

From the post: Haiku Reviews

Lucky commenter Christine is the winner of two books from my prize bookshelf for her lovely haiku.

VISIONS OF HEAT:
Strong, Silent, Changeling jaguar
Fragile Psy with heart
Great book… Ciara must read next!

(And I did!)

From the post: Welcome Jenna Petersen!

Lucky commenter Carolyn Jean is the winner of the first book in the Lady Spies series, From London with Love.

From London with Love by Jenna Petersen

Three of London’s most admired and desired ladies—these women share more in common than grace, beauty and charm. Each with their own special talent, together they are three of England’s greatest spies.

From the Desk of Lady M

Meredith Sinclair is one of my best agents. She is stunning, witty and resourceful. She sparkles at every gala and can conquer any man with a whisper and a smile.

Her target: Tristan Archer, Marquis of Carmichael. Known as a proud and powerful member of society, he also once saved Meredith’s life. She should trade on her seductive wiles and their prior relationship, if necessary.

Her mission: To uncover a treacherous plot and bring a potential traitor to justice.

Potential weaknesses: The dashing marquis’s bold, intimate caress. His devilish good looks. And his devastating kiss that could bring even the best spy to her knees . . .