The winner of STORM KISSED by Jessica Andersen is Sheree! Congrats! Sorry for the delayed annoucement. :-) Sheree, please email Contests(AT)knightagency.net with your physical addy.
Leave a comment to win a copy of STORM KISSED by Jessica Andersen. The winner will be announced on Monday.
The 411: When sexy Nightkeeper Dez goes rogue, the bounty hunter enlisted to catch him is Reese, his former lover. The sexual energy between them is hotter than ever-but the life-and-death stakes attached to the chase may pull them apart for good.
UPDATE: The winner of signed copy of DEMONKEEPERS by Jessica Andersen is KID LIT WRITER. Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net
Burn, baby, burn!
One of the buzz phrases for writers of urban fantasies and paranormals is (say it with me!) world building. The stories center on the characters, but they gain added cool points from the details of world—not just the physical setting, but the cultures, myths, rituals, and symbols of the world’s inhabitants.
In ‘our’ world, as we step into spring in the northern hemisphere (yay!), there’s no shortage of rituals and symbols to draw inspiration from this time of year.
Here in New England, we plant the first seedlings of the year in our gardens, do the St. Patrick’s Day thing, slog through mud, and balance eggs on end at the moment of the vernal equinox (if you haven’t tried that one yet, I recommend it for ten minutes of silliness!).
The ‘spring break’ rituals of the doomsday 2012-fighting warriors in my stories are based on those of the ancient Maya, who leaned more in the direction of blood sacrifice and serpent gods.
(See how the serpentine shadow on the staircase leads to the snake’s head carving at the base? This shadow undulates throughout the day, making the giant serpent come alive—but only during the equinox.)
But they’re not alone in having somewhat destructive rituals to usher in spring. From Annapolis Maryland comes one of my favorite spring celebrations: the burning of the socks.
In this ritual, the local boat owners and dockworkers toss their socks into a bonfire to symbolize the end of winter and the beginning of boating season, and then don’t wear socks again until after the season is over.
Some say this ceremony comes from older maritime traditions, when crew members would have worn the same pair of socks all winter, and captains would enforce a burn-and-replace policy to cut down on the funk. Others claim it came straight from an incident with a sick-of-winter Annapolis dockworker, an empty paint can, a pair of socks and some kerosene in the 80s.
No matter where it comes from, I can totally get behind this. Because, you see, I have this wool hat. Now, it’s not a bad wool hat—it’s soft and non-itchy, and it’s a very nice color blue that goes with my eyes. But I wore it pretty much All. Winter. And I’m ready for it to be spring now.
So, to celebrate new beginnings, warmer weather, greener grass, and the impending release of DEMONKEEPERS on April 6, I’m cyber-burning my blue wool hat … and I’m asking you: What are you going to add to the Knight Agency’s first annual Burning Of The ____?
All comments are entered to win a signed copy of DEMONKEEPERS today on Take Home Tuesday! The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon.
For more information on DEMONKEEPERS and the other Nightkeeper novels, please check out www.JessicaAndersen.com.
To get a signed copy of DEMONKEEPERS delivered to you the first week of its release, please visit http://store.radcliffbookstore.com and click on ‘virtual signing.’ As a bonus, you can also order a signed copy of JR Ward's LOVER MINE, which will be out later in April!
UPDATE: The winner of SKYKEEPERS by Jessica Andersen is maered! Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests @ knightagency.net (remove spaces from email addy). Thanks for hanging out with us Jessica! Fab post! And thanks to everyone who participated. BTW, we have another great guest blog and giveaway planned for next week with a wonderful new mystery writer -- so stay tuned!
One randomly selected commenter will win a signed copy of NIGHTKEEPERS or DAWNKEEPERS, which are the first two books in this sexy series of paranormal thrillers. And, of course, SKYKEEPERS is in a bookstore near you!
Here’s the blurb:
Ancient prophecy holds that 12/21/2012 will bring a global cataclysm. Mankind’s only hope lies with the Nightkeepers, modern magic-wielding warriors who must find their destined mates and fulfill the legends to defeat the rise of terrible Mayan demons in the last few years leading up to 2012.
In SKYKEEPERS, Michael Stone is a man with a dark secret that has skewed his magical abilities dangerously toward the underworld. Seeking redemption, he sets out on a perilous mission to save the daughter of Ambrose Ledbetter, a renowned Mayanist who died before he could reveal the location of a hidden library. The Nightkeepers must find the library before their enemies gain access to its valuable cache of spells and prophecies.
Sasha Ledbetter grew up hearing heroic tales of an ancient group of powerful magi who were destined to save the world from destruction. She never expected that her bedtime stories would come to life in the form of Nightkeeper Michael Stone, or that she’d hold the key to the warrior’s survival. As Sasha and Michael join forces to prevent the imminent battle, sparks of attraction ignite between them, and they’re forced to confront the unexpected passion that brings them together … and also tears them apart.
This series (and particularly this book) often looks at what makes people afraid. In the largest sense, the overall arc is about the fear of death and endings: The Nightkeepers are fighting to keep the world from ending, and to keep themselves (and future generations) alive. But more, it’s about the fear of failure: The Nightkeepers’ parents sacrificed themselves in an effort to short-circuit the 12/21/2012 countdown, but it continued and their children grew up orphans, in many cases not realizing their true natures. Now reunited, the modern magi are struggling to find their footing amidst new magic, ancient prophecies, and things that go bump in the night.
Within each story, the hero and heroine must deal with more personal fears. In SKYKEEPERS, Michael fears the loss of control—of his temper, his soul, the situation around him … and his heart. Likewise, Sasha fears change, growth, and learning the truth about her father and herself.
I think we can all relate to these fears, some of which might reflect back on our own lives. The concept of a relatable fear is in part what makes us (as readers) connect with a story, even if it’s about something that might not be part of our daily lives, such as Mayan magi, or vampires, or aliens … The world of the story might interest us, but without a relatable character, it’s just a world. It’s the characters that help us connect.
Beyond the ‘big picture’ stuff, smaller fears can become important details that help bring characters to life. In the fourth book in this series (DEMONKEEPERS, April ’10), the hero is recovering from a demonic possession that kept him trapped inside his own skull for nearly a year. As such, he emerges badly claustrophobic, to the point that he avoids his own couch because its soft, enfolding cushions and high arms make him feel trapped.
Most often, these small details about a character emerge as I’m writing the story. Sometimes I don’t even know why someone has a certain phobia at first, only to see it later and think, “Duh. Of course!” But by the same token, (as a writer) don’t be afraid to think about your characters’ phobias and use them as quirks, or clues into that person’s backstory. As part of this, I’ve always thought that it’s interesting to look at the wide variety of phobias out there, and think about where they might stem from, and what interesting behaviors those fears might create.
Me? I’m afraid of spiders … specifically, of big brown spiders crawling into my ears (this stems from a baaad incident with a pair of earmuffs). I’m also not a big fan of heights or bridges.
So tell me … what small, strange thing scares you (or one of your characters) and if you’re willing to share … why???
Remember, all commenters are entered to win! The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon. For more info on Skykeepers and the rest of the Keepers books, check out www.JessicaAndersen.com.
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The winner of STORM KISSED by Jessica Andersen is Sheree! Congrats! Sorry for the delayed annoucement. :-) Sheree, please email Contests(AT)knightagency.net with your physical addy.
by Jessica Andersen. The winner will be announced on Monday.
