Greetings from lovely Sedona! I’m enjoying a write-cation with my fabulous beta readers this weekend, cranking out words and enjoying the lovely scenery. Oh, and celebrating the release of UPRISING! For those of you who’ve been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for the sequel to UNSTRUNG, it’s now available on most media outlets, including Amazon, Kobo, iTunes, Smashwords, and (hopefully soon) Barnes & Noble.
I’ll post more soon, but my blog is giving me fits. In the meantime–happy reading!!
Why, hello there!
As promised (teased), it’s time for a sneak peek of UPRISING. I’m posting chapter one here, but if you sign up for my newsletter before midnight central time (US) today, you’ll receive chapters one and two in an email from me tomorrow! The sign-up is over on that left sidebar, you know, in case you wanna.
So…about that sneak peek. WARNING: If you haven’t read/finished UNSTRUNG, there are significant spoilers, so turn back now. Anybody? Okay, let’s do this!
* * *
Lexa
Jail isn’t as bad as I expect. I have a single room with a screened-in bathroom, a cot, and a chair. This is where the police dumped me after my mug shots. Those will surely make the news feeds. What the humans have to say about me is anyone’s guess. A deranged, murderous girl? A master thief? A rogue artificial human? Or will they use the word Bolt, instead? Probably, just to rub in the fact that I’m not a “real” human. Oh, I’m flesh and blood, but I wasn’t born, I was made.
And that bugs some people.
Whatever they say, I know what the artificial humans living in Triarch City call me: Hero.
Exhausted and filthy when I first arrived here, I gladly accepted the baggy pants and shirt prisoners wear in exchange for my battered jumpsuit. It had taken a real beating during my infiltration of Precipice headquarters. After being led to my cell, I promptly crashed. The worry was over—I’d been caught, so why not sleep it off?
The sound of a tray sliding under my door wakes me on my first day of incarceration. I eat the stale pastry and drink the sour orange juice without thinking about how bad it tastes. Someone comes back for the tray, and nothing happens for a while. Eventually I get tired from being up most of last night and fall asleep. My lunch tray wakes me from my nap. Wilted salad, a cold beef patty and congealed stuff that I think was pudding at one time isn’t what I’d call a decent meal, but I eat it anyway.
The pudding is banana. I hate banana.
Not long after, the shakes start. I’m coming down from Exeprin, my performance enhancer for the raid on Precipice, and I keep seeing shadows come to life on the walls. I don’t have any more Exeprin—not in jail, or anywhere else—so it looks like I’m in for a few really long days of withdrawal as it works itself out of my system. I clench my fists and try to breathe. How long before I get out of here? How long before Quinn, or Doc, or Jole come for me?
Is Turpin okay? My adopted father/crime boss was so beat up when I left. What if during our mission, Sector Q was raided and he was captured? What if he’s dead? What if they all are?
What if, what if, what if?
No…no, I can’t let the doubts take me. Not yet. Prison isn’t going to break me. The cell is small, but there’s plenty of room for me to train, because when the guys come to break me out, I need to be sharp. The best way to shake off doubt and sweat out the Exeprin is to stay active. I make a plan to do close-quarter cardio exercises in the mornings and bodyweight strength training in the afternoon.
That first evening, after the withdrawal shakes subside, I’m braced in the top corner of my room, using my arms and legs to stay up there, when a dark-haired guard peeks in through the meal tray slot. He’s slender, wiry. Not what I’d expect for a prison guard.
Then again, I’m not what you’d expect for a master thief, either.
“What the hell are you doing up there?” he asks, sounding partly pissed, partly impressed.
“The better question is long I can stay,” I say back, raising an eyebrow at him. “I’ve been up here at least ten minutes already.”
He shakes his head. “We’ll see how long you last. This place will wear you down, just like all the others.”
“Doubtful,” I say, and he slides the meal tray door back into place, leaving me to my thoughts.
I stay defiant for three days, saying nothing to anyone who passes by my cell, even when they jeer at me for doing handstand pushups or hanging out up by the ceiling. On day four, though, I start to get antsy. A spot on my forearm itches like crazy, and I can’t keep from scratching, not until the skin is raw and red. My thoughts feel the same way: itchy and unceasing. Has Quinn gotten away, or is he in a cell on another floor? Is Jole okay? What about all the artificials we freed? The plan was to herd everyone out of town and into the outlands before Precipice Corporation captured them and put them back to work…but were we successful? Or is every one of them enslaved again?
Not knowing grates on my nerves and I take up pacing into addition to my exercises. I pace until I’m exhausted or meal time, then rest and pace again.
How long am I going to be here, in solitary?
The answer comes slowly. My time alone continues on for another full week. Have I been totally abandoned? Will I ever see sunlight again? Or, even now, are Quinn, Jole, Turpin and Doc concocting a scheme to break me out?
Has the world ended?
I wouldn’t know—my cell has no windows and they haven’t let me out for even one second. The next time a guard passes, I yell, “Hey! Aren’t I supposed to get time in the yard?”
He just laughs and walks away.
I stop exercising and spend the next two days lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
* * *
Well, there you have it! The book will be out on November 21st (or sooner, if the final edits go quickly). I can’t wait to see it go live!
I promised last week to show off this beauty, and here it is…the cover to the UNSTRUNG sequel–UPRISING:
Isn’t it gorgeous? I continue to adore everything Streetlight Graphics can do. And here’s the back cover blurb:
Master thief Lexa Pate always prided herself on never being caught. That changed the night she freed the artificial humans of Triarch City, a people she’s still learning to identify with. Now, imprisoned by the government, she’s separated from her family—and the love of her life—while facing murder charges. What she doesn’t know is something far worse awaits her: the Quad intends to make her pay for her crimes.
After helplessly watching Lexa be captured, Quinn has to place his trust in a group of people he barely knows to save the girl he loves. The rebels outside Triarch City have the equipment—and the information—he needs to rescue Lexa. But, knowing the Quad has sophisticated brainwashing techniques, his biggest worry is who she’ll be even if they do manage to bring her home.
Pawns in a game they barely understand, Lexa and Quinn will have to use all the gifts they possess to fight the powers seeking to control them and find a way back to each other.
Before it’s too late.
If you tune in November 3, you’ll see a sneak peek of chapter one (and newsletter subscribers will see both chapters one and two!). If you haven’t subscribed to the newsletter, and want the extended teaser, you can sign up using the form on the left sidebar until November 1st to be included.
We’re getting closer to release (tentatively, November 21, maybe sooner). This one has been a beast, and I’m ready to see it out in the world. I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks, and thanks so much for checking out the cover!
Greetings friends!
I trust everyone is having a great fall so far. Mine has been: marching band, a high school team that’s 5-1, a college team that’s 4-0, and a baseball team headed to the MLB playoffs. Oh, and Once Upon a Time started back up. Add in the crisp mornings, our Halloween decorations, and the fact that I finished a draft for the Zoey book (YES, YES I DID!) on Sunday, it’s been a very happy week.
Before we get to the point of this post, though (and I’ll give you three guesses as to what we’re talking about–you won’t need that many), how about a quick update? So, yes, the Finding Perfect sequel is drafted. It has a lot of iterations to go, and no firm release date, so news will be forthcoming. I also have a few more projects in the hopper for Entangled, because I’m really digging these contemporary YAs right now. However, I’m also on my last pass on UPRISING before it heads to the editor for review, and it’s right on track for a release sometime after 11/15 (aiming for 11/20, but we’ll see if the editor agrees). Next week, I’ll be sharing the gorgeous cover, so come back here next Tuesday to check out the reveal. I’ll also share a chapter one sneak peek here on November 3 (and subscribers to my newsletter will receive chapters 1 and 2!)…so lots happening with the UNSTRUNG sequel!
All righty…so I’m about to show my Gen-X roots by saying–The Force Awakens can’t get here soon enough. (And, yes, I told you three guesses would be enough to figure out our topic. If it wasn’t, here:)
Courtesy Official The Force Awakens website
The prequels weren’t bad (don’t get me started on Jar Jar, though), but this…this looks like it could be the real thing. J.J. Abrams has already successfully made Star Trek cool again (yes, I know hard-core trekkies don’t agree, but my kids like it, and they wouldn’t sit through ST:TNG with us, sadly). I can’t wait to see what Abrams does with Star Wars. Here’s the tricky thing–and it applies to reboots in books (the Gone with the Wind sequel, anyone? I thought not) as well as to movies. It’s all about intention. You can be the biggest superfan in all of fandom and still not be able to create a successful, well-liked reboot. The reason? Most of us superfans want to put our spin on things. We want to fulfill our own fanfic desires. While that is 100% okay on a fanfic site/community, it’s not okay for mass-produced reboots. The purity of the thing, making the right story decisions, recapturing the magic–that’s very difficult, and it often means leaving your own wants/desires for the story at the door when you step through. Did everyone want Scarlett and Rhett back together? Yeah, most of us did. But the beauty of Mitchell’s ending is it let her readers decide how. Then when the sequel came out, a lot of us were left scratching our heads. Scarlett, in Ireland? Huh? Does not compute.
But that’s why I’m so eager for this film. In every interview, Abrams talks about the responsibility of doing this, about preserving the original vision. Not even Lucas got it right the second time around (see: Jar Jar Binks), although I’m not sure why. It could’ve been his love affair with CGI…which is something Abrams is eschewing in this move. THEY ARE USING MODELS, PEOPLE! FOR REALS!
Assuming he pulls this off, it will go down as the greatest reboot in film history. In a two-decade period that’s going to see three different Spidermans, this is a big, big deal. Do I think Hollywood should keep copying itself? No…it’s time for more creative, new, daring work in the film industry (just let me keep my superhero movies, ‘kay?). Now, for those arguing SW:TFA isn’t a reboot, I’d say this: yes, it’s the same universe, just in the future. Yes, some of the same actors are coming back. BUT, it feels like a reboot because Lucas stepped away and let another director take it on, and now Disney owns the property. This is a whole ‘nother Star Wars. And I can’t wait!
How about you? What reboots/new sequels are you excited about in the next year?
Greetings friends!
Sorry for the hiatus, but between the site being down, the start of Marching Band season (yes, north Texas marching bands practice and compete about 1.5 times what the football teams do), and the launch, it’s been mucho hectic.
I also want to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone who supported the Finding Perfect launch. It’s been great, and I’m very thankful for you all.
For those of you waiting for something new, I have two projects currently underway. I’m working on a Zoey sequel for Finding Perfect, and I’m completing edits on Uprising. That one goes to the editor toward the end of October, and I’m still shooting for a mid-late November launch. There will be a cover/chapter one reveal in mid-October, too. For those of you who want more than a snippet of chapter one, sign up for my newsletter, and you’ll receive the full version.
All righty! On to a topic I’m dying to discuss:
Do y’all love dark, twisty relationships as much as I do? I’m not talking about abusive relationships, or anything toxic or hateful, or degrading. I’m talking about pairings so wrong, they’re right. What’s so interesting to me about these, is that we all know these people are damaged. That in some ways they might even be unlovable. But we still find something enticing–and maybe taboo–about watching them fall for one another. Usually, no matter what happens, there’s a powerful connection there. I’m a sucker for these. I might write sweet romance (and I really love those, too! I cry when I watch Cinderella), but those who’ve read my SciFi/UF books know I have a dark streak hiding inside.
So who are my So Wrong, They’re Right power couples?
For starters–Lizzie and Tom Keen from The Blacklist. Let me caveat this by saying I’m only in the first 5 episodes of season 2. I have no idea where this is going, so if you’ve seen it all and think I’m tripping, please don’t spoil it and I’ll print a retraction later.
But <SPOILER ALERT!> He lied to her. FOR YEARS. He manipulated his way into her life, but at the end of the day–he actually loves her. Like for real. Even though it’s dangerous for him, and for her. He can’t stop caring, or trying to contact her, to the point he takes on a whole new persona and goes to Germany to attempt to escape his feelings. The whole “sneeze tip” before he left was just so strangely, awfully sweet. Here this villain in Lizzie’s life is giving her tips about going under cover. Even after she kept him locked in the hold of a ship–in the dead of winter. Even though he killed someone to protect her (albeit, yeah, not a good idea and pretty dang awful of him) and left her to deal with the consequences. When Tom was just a fourth grade teacher who seemed a lot like Lizzie’s doormat, they were so boring. But now? NOW? I totally want them together. That’s so, so, so very wrong of me. But there you go.
Next up: Once Upon a Time. I love a good bad boy. Not one who has to be “saved” by a good girl, but one who’s good and bad and dangerous all on his own. Here we have The Savior (Emma) falling for a pirate–literally falling in love with Captain Hook (or Killian Jones to the faithful). He really isn’t good for her at the start of things, but when he’s there for her every time she needs him, she starts to realize that her guyliner-and-leather wearing anti-hero is actually her best chance at a happy ending. Then again, this is a show where Peter Pan is a bad guy, and you actually feel sympathy toward Maleficent.
But after Prince Charming’s unfailing goodness, a little bad is just what the doctor ordered, in my opinion. Emma struggles with her gift–she’s not sure she wants to be this person (and her as the Dark Swan? This relationship is going to be straight out tested), and having someone who struggles between dark and light is a great match for her.
(P.S. Belle and Rumple are always interesting, too. I just don’t think he’s ready to change enough to work it out.)
Finally–and this qualifies, to me, as the most “So wrong, it’s right” on my list:
Fisk and Vanessa from Daredevil. Fisk is a villain so complex, you can be terrified of him, sorry for him, and gleefully delighted in him–all in the same episode. Vanessa, an art dealer who sells him a painting, knows what she’s getting into, but through her, what we find is Fisk is a man who can love. Sometimes so deeply it hurts. When she’s injured, he won’t leave her bedside. Minutes before he’s captured by police, he gives her instructions on how to flee the country–and an engagement ring. They are awkward, passionate, and so into one another that you can’t help but believe that, no matter what he is, or the fact she’s okay with it, that they are a perfect, true (twisted) love match.
There are a lot more examples out there–who are some of your favorites? It can be from any media: TV, Books, Movies. Criteria are: they might be bad, they might be bad for each other, but they aren’t intentionally abusive in any way. (Key word, intentional. In Mr. and Mrs. Smith, they beat each other senseless, under orders to each kill the other, only to figure out they can’t do it because they still love each other. Not looking for a Christian Grey situation–he was intentionally, many-times non-consenually, abusive. That’s a no-go.)
Tell me about them in the comments. (Yes, Sicarius, Amaranthe fans–they most definitely qualify. :D)