Guest - Parker Blue

[Debra wants you to know she did not write this introduction but thinks it’s funny.]

Parker Blue likes to pretend she’s a hip young chick—and even had a friend draw her that way—but in actually, she’s just a wee bit older than that. And as for being hip, well, maybe not, but she definitely has hips. She’s the author of the young adult urban fantasy Demon Underground series, and here’s what she has to say about herself:

Menopause sucks. They tell you about the hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings, but they never tell you about the truly horrible part of menopause: noun loss. Ever since I started through "the change," I've been losing my nouns. I'll be talking away, using verbs, articles, adjectives and adverbs with ease, then I'll come upon a noun and be totally stumped. Especially proper nouns. Names?

Ha! Forget it. And what's that small black thing in my front yard the postman stuffs with bills and magazines? Not a clue. I know exactly what it is, but can't for the life of me figure out what it's called.

When I told my doctor about the problem, she laughed. She said a lot of women go through menopause and realize they're having a problem with their memory, but only a writer would identify the part of speech we lose. She promises me it's not dementia, not a sign of incipient Alzheimer's. No, it's simply menopause. My friends laughed, too, until it began happening to them, too. Who knew hormones could mess up your brain so much?

Wait. Hormones screwing with my brain? Oh, yeah. I've been there before...I forgot about puberty. Well, I didn't actually forget. I remember it very clearly (no nouns involved, you see). So that’s why I, a menopausal writer, can still write for young adults.

Besides, Deb Dixon made me do it. I originally wrote the first book of my Demon Underground series, Bite Me, as a paranormal romance, but she convinced me it would work better as an urban fantasy that would span the gap between teen novels and those written for adults. So, I rewrote it and she was right—it did work better.

Now, in the second book, Try Me, part-demon teen vampire fighter Valentine Shapiro and her faithful terrier hellhound, Fang, are once again patrolling the dark streets of San Antonio, Texas. Val's hunky human partner, Detective Dan Sullivan, is giving her the cold shoulder since she beheaded his vampire fiancée. Vamp leader Alejandro is struggling to keep the peace between vamps, demons and humans. The mucho powerful Encyclopedia Magicka has been stolen, someone in the Demon Underground is poisoning vamps, and Val's inner lust demon, Lola, is getting very restless since Val's now partnered with sexy Shade, the shadow demon with the blond good looks of an angel.

Well, whaddaya know, I managed to get through that without the loss of a single noun. Well, so far as you know. Luckily, my noun loss problem isn't visible to readers. If I have a problem remembering one, I can always come back later to fill it in and no one is the wiser. But make me feel better, will ya? Tell me it happens to you, too. If it doesn't, I'm not sure I want to know.

While I'm waiting for your comments, I'll take a break and see if I have anything to drink in the...uh, oh crap, you know—that big silver thing in the kitchen that keeps food cold....

http://www.parkerblue.net/

Guest - Parker Blue

Hey, this is Debra Dixon. I'm here briefly to introduce you to our exciting new young adult fantasy author, Parker Blue. Her book BITE ME from Bell Bridge Books has gotten great reviews so far.

Help me welcome, Parker Blue !

The Idea Fairy

 

Writers are often asked where they get their ideas, as if there's some obscure idea fairy who bestows the perfect idea upon you with her sparkly wand if you know the magic words. Yeah, right. For most writers, finding ideas is not the problem. Avoiding them is. I've tried to duck as they come whizzing in, but they're sneaky little devils. They like to attack when I can't avoid them. They especially like to blindside me when I'm in the bathtub or shower (there's some strange relationship between story ideas and water I've never understood). Or, lately, they've been waiting until I'm driving 75 miles an hour on the freeway (in my hour and a half commute to work) to hit.

Yes, the diabolical things wait until I have no possible way to write them down, then they strike. You see, if I could just record them immediately, I could get them out of my brain and go back to working on whatever current work in progress I should be writing. But because I can't jot them down, I feel compelled to examine their sharp little edges, poke their intriguing extremities and play the "what if" game to form them into some sort of shape. Then, over the next few months, other bits and pieces pop in. I'll bump them up against other ideas I've had and if enough puzzle pieces fit together, I begin to see a story emerge. I call this my "gelling" period, when the ideas start to gel together. Once I can see a form emerge, then I can start working on a story.

Because of this process, I rarely remember the initial impetus for my books, the very first idea. However, in the case of Bite Me, out this month from Bell Bridge Books, I do remember. This is one of the rare times I went looking for a specific idea instead of letting it find me on its own. I wanted to write for the women's action/adventure line, Silhouette Bombshell (now sadly defunct), so I sat down to come up with four ideas to pitch to the editor. I love paranormal, so I knew I wanted to write an action novel with a female heroine and paranormal elements. My first thought of a vampire slayer. But, since Buffy has obviously been done (and very well!), I wanted to put a spin on it. So, what about a vampire hunter who is part demon as well? Even better, what if she's part lust demon and she has to fight vampires to keep the lust under control? Bingo! I had my idea.

Unfortunately, Bombshell folded and when I rewrote the book as a paranormal romance, the publisher who had expressed interest decided they didn't like it after all. But Deb Dixon at Bell Bridge Books pointed out that it would really work better as a young adult urban fantasy--and she was right. So, I rewrote it once again, dropping the heroine's age a few years, and giving her faithful hellhound a voice (who knew hellhounds were so snarky?). I love the result and I hope readers will, too. Here's what it's about:

Bite Me by Parker Blue, Bell Bridge Books, October 2008.

Eighteen-year-old Valentine Shapiro got a raw deal in the parent lottery. Her father was part incubus demon, and her mother's never forgiven her for that. Thrown out of the house by her mother, Val does the only thing that seems to make any sense—she takes aim at the town vampires, figuring a stake a day keeps the demon at bay. Soon enough, she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground with the help of her faithful hellhound, Fang, and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not.

Parker is blogging on NovelTalk as well--check it out and comment there for a chance to win an autographed copy of her book! Plus Bell Bridge Books will be giving one away today, so start racking up those comments!

Pam McCutcheon / Parker Blue
http://www.parkerblue.net
http://www.pammc.com

Guest - Marilee Brothers LATE BLOOMERS STAY FRESH LONGER

NEWS FLASH!  --  Bell Bridge Books is giving away a free copy of MOONSTONE to one lucky commenter.  And Marilee is giving away a free copy of her medieval romance CASTLE LADYSLIPPER !

Hi, I’m Marilee Brothers…I think. I’m feeling a bit schizoid after writing three books in three different genres with two different names. My first, Castle Ladyslipper is a medieval romance written under the pseudonym Lee Grantier, my long departed grandmother’s name. My second—but actually my third—is a humorous mystery with romantic elements. The Rock and Roll Queen of Bedlam will be published in October, 2009. My third, Moonstone, a YA fantasy, is available RIGHT NOW from the the lovely ladies of Bell Bridge Books and my second book published under my real name. Confused yet?

Happily, I believe I’ve found my niche in the YA genre and I owe it all to the miserable creature I was at age fourteen. Taller than every boy in my class (they caught up in high school), I was painfully shy and convinced I was unlovely and unlovable. Allie Emerson, the teenage girl in Moonstone has the character traits I longed for at that age. Despite her difficult home situation, she’s strong minded, rarely at a loss for words, stands up to bullies and, best of all, has telekinetic power and a magic moonstone pendant!

I could have used a little magic back then. The memory is still vivid. A group of us playing a kissing game, probably spin the bottle. I found myself in a closet with a freckle-faced, earnest young man a head shorter than me. I dropped into a half-crouch. He stood on his tiptoes. Our knees banged together. Somehow, against all odds, we exchanged an chaste peck on the lips, our faces hot with embarrassment.

As adults, we speak of “teenage angst” as if we’ve forgotten how painful those years can be. But, deep down, we don’t forget. It becomes part of our personal journeys. Writing about Allie helped me look back at myself—that gangly, vulnerable girl of fourteen—put my arms around her and murmur, “It’s okay to be a late bloomer. I wish I could tell you…the best is yet to come.”

Allie’s journey is just beginning. As a result of writing her story, I now look into my rear-view mirror and smile. Did I just hear the sound of a young girl giggling? Swear to God, Alfrieda Carlotta Emerson! You helped me grow up!

What about you? Do you consider your teen years “the best time of your life?” Any embarrassing moments you’d like to share?