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Category Archives: Fantasy
A Little Perception with Heather Cashman
Finding new-to-me authors and sharing their fabulous stories with folks is one of my favorite things to do. Becoming friends with them is a perk I will never grow tired of.
Today, I have the lovely and gracious Heather Cashman here. I was supposed to have Heather visit last week, but I totally dropped the ball and she agreed to do a super quick gathering of material for me.
Her novel Perception: Book One of the Tiger Eye Trilogy is a lush YA fantasy:
Your perception will sharpen once you see through a tiger’s eyes.
More than five hundred years after the apocalypse, the survivors of off-grid genetic experimentation have refined their mixed DNA to the point that humans and their animal counterparts share physical and mental links. Varying species have divided into districts, living in a tenuous peace under the President of Calem.
Ardana and her tiger ingenium Rijan leave their life of exile and abuse in the Outskirts, setting out with their twin brothers to redeem themselves and become citizens of the Center. But shedding their past isn’t as easy as they had hoped. When the system that shunned them becomes embroiled in political conflict and treachery, their unique abilities and experiences from the Outskirts make them invaluable to every faction. The runaways become pawns to friends as well as enemies, and with every step it becomes more difficult to tell which is which.
I asked Heather a few questions about her writing and life in general.
How long have you been writing and what prompted you to begin?
HC: I’ve been writing seriously for about five years now, but have loved to write ever since I was in elementary school. During the mundane tasks of the day (laundry, dishes), my mind would wander to far off locations. I would entertain myself with imagination. When my children went to school, I found a few hours to begin writing the stories down. It took me a long time to study how to write, and I am still working on making my writing better every day.
What is it about your preferred genre(s) that interests you most?
HC: I like Fantasy. It’s like creating something all your own, completely unique, where anything goes and you set the rules.
Perception is set in an amazing world full of complex characters. What do you like best about creating such a fantastic setting? What is the hardest part?
HC: I think what I enjoyed the most was discovering the world. It was like taking a really amazing vacation. The most difficult part was taking something I saw so clearly and writing it in such a way that someone else could visualize it, though I’m not sure anyone will ever see it quite the way I do. The original manuscript was over 150,000 words, a lot of which was setting that I cut out to tighten it.
Are the other books out or coming soon? What else are you working on?
HC: YES! I am hoping to have book two, Deception, out by December 1st, but I want to make sure it is top quality before I release it. So Dec. 1st is not a set date, just a goal. The final book, Insurrection, should be out mid-2012. I am also writing a prequel, Resurrection, that will be out late 2012.
My other project is a YA Urban Fantasy, which I hope to have finished by the end of this year.
Juggling work, family and a writing career can take its toll. How do you keep the balance? What do you do for yourself (other than write)?
HC: Deep breath. I accept the wrinkles appearing from lack of sleep, try to keep my head up, and remember that I am doing this because I love to write, not because I care how many books I’ve sold. I actually wrote an article for a fellow author that you can find here called “Staying On the Roof.” It talks about finding balance through tradition (of all things).
What I do for myself–my kids call them “Blow-out Nights.” I buy about fifteen kinds of junk food, set them in bowls on the coffee table, and we watch back-to-back episodes of the shows we’ve missed. I go to bed sometime the next morning feeling sick. Somehow it cures me.
Sounds like you’re a busy woman who knows how to keep things in perspective! Thanks for coming by, Heather!
Find Perception
at Heather’s
or on Amazon
or Barnes&Noble Nook
Find Heather
at her website, on her blog, or on Twitter
Heather Cashman graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry but has always loved to write, winning her first contest in the second grade. Married since 1992, she has three unique children and has moved from Arizona to New York to Kansas. She loves to kayak and canoe down the windiest rivers she can find. She welcomes opportunities to visit schools, libraries, and book groups in person or via Skype. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Heather currently lives near Wichita, Kansas with her husband and three children.
A Little Perception with Heather Cashman
Finding new-to-me authors and sharing their fabulous stories with folks is one of my favorite things to do. Becoming friends with them is a perk I will never grow tired of.
Today, I have the lovely and gracious Heather Cashman here. I was supposed to have Heather visit last week, but I totally dropped the ball and she agreed to do a super quick gathering of material for me.
Her novel Perception: Book One of the Tiger Eye Trilogy is a lush YA fantasy:
Your perception will sharpen once you see through a tiger’s eyes.
More than five hundred years after the apocalypse, the survivors of off-grid genetic experimentation have refined their mixed DNA to the point that humans and their animal counterparts share physical and mental links. Varying species have divided into districts, living in a tenuous peace under the President of Calem.
Ardana and her tiger ingenium Rijan leave their life of exile and abuse in the Outskirts, setting out with their twin brothers to redeem themselves and become citizens of the Center. But shedding their past isn’t as easy as they had hoped. When the system that shunned them becomes embroiled in political conflict and treachery, their unique abilities and experiences from the Outskirts make them invaluable to every faction. The runaways become pawns to friends as well as enemies, and with every step it becomes more difficult to tell which is which.
I asked Heather a few questions about her writing and life in general.
How long have you been writing and what prompted you to begin?
HC: I’ve been writing seriously for about five years now, but have loved to write ever since I was in elementary school. During the mundane tasks of the day (laundry, dishes), my mind would wander to far off locations. I would entertain myself with imagination. When my children went to school, I found a few hours to begin writing the stories down. It took me a long time to study how to write, and I am still working on making my writing better every day.
What is it about your preferred genre(s) that interests you most?
HC: I like Fantasy. It’s like creating something all your own, completely unique, where anything goes and you set the rules.
Perception is set in an amazing world full of complex characters. What do you like best about creating such a fantastic setting? What is the hardest part?
HC: I think what I enjoyed the most was discovering the world. It was like taking a really amazing vacation. The most difficult part was taking something I saw so clearly and writing it in such a way that someone else could visualize it, though I’m not sure anyone will ever see it quite the way I do. The original manuscript was over 150,000 words, a lot of which was setting that I cut out to tighten it.
Are the other books out or coming soon? What else are you working on?
HC: YES! I am hoping to have book two, Deception, out by December 1st, but I want to make sure it is top quality before I release it. So Dec. 1st is not a set date, just a goal. The final book, Insurrection, should be out mid-2012. I am also writing a prequel, Resurrection, that will be out late 2012.
My other project is a YA Urban Fantasy, which I hope to have finished by the end of this year.
Juggling work, family and a writing career can take its toll. How do you keep the balance? What do you do for yourself (other than write)?
HC: Deep breath. I accept the wrinkles appearing from lack of sleep, try to keep my head up, and remember that I am doing this because I love to write, not because I care how many books I’ve sold. I actually wrote an article for a fellow author that you can find here called “Staying On the Roof.” It talks about finding balance through tradition (of all things).
What I do for myself–my kids call them “Blow-out Nights.” I buy about fifteen kinds of junk food, set them in bowls on the coffee table, and we watch back-to-back episodes of the shows we’ve missed. I go to bed sometime the next morning feeling sick. Somehow it cures me.
Sounds like you’re a busy woman who knows how to keep things in perspective! Thanks for coming by, Heather!
Find Perception
at Heather’s
or on Amazon
or Barnes&Noble Nook
Find Heather
at her website, on her blog, or on Twitter
Heather Cashman graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry but has always loved to write, winning her first contest in the second grade. Married since 1992, she has three unique children and has moved from Arizona to New York to Kansas. She loves to kayak and canoe down the windiest rivers she can find. She welcomes opportunities to visit schools, libraries, and book groups in person or via Skype. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Heather currently lives near Wichita, Kansas with her husband and three children.
Maria Zannini’s “Apocalypse Rising”
Woo Hoo! Another book to pimp! I mean, recommend. Granted, I haven’t read Apocalypse Rising yet, but I did read the first book, Touch of Fire, so I’m familiar with the characters and their situation. And knowing what I do about how Maria Zannini writes and builds her worlds, I’m sure I won’t be disappointed in her latest offering.
Congrats on the release, Maria!
(Sorry I don’t have a cover image! Go to Maria’s site. Like all Carina Press covers, it’s amazing! And her cover for Touch of Fire is pretty dang hot too!)
Bella Street’s “Kiss Me, I’m Irish”
One of the great things about the internet is hooking up (no, not *that* kind of hooking up) with people who share interests. Writing is no different in that respect, and the beauty of digital publishing is when you find a new author you can immediately download and read their books.
Bella Street and I are members of the same writers’ loop. We “met” when I asked about blog tours and we hit it off. Bella is the author of paranormal romances (and a So I Married an Axe Murderer fan, so you know she’s cool 😉 with a new release out called Kiss Me, I’m Irish.
Here’s the blurb:
In 1830, Emily Musgrave is heading to a convent for misbehavior. In modern-day Tennessee, Liam Jackson is playing his Dobro in seedy bars. It’s doing nothing for his career and even less for the dark places in his soul.
Pixie mischief can not only change time-lines, it can change hearts. Because sometimes a girl just needs a little magic in her life.
Here’s an excerpt:
He stared at her without answering. Emily returned his gaze, realizing this was the first time she’d seen him in full light. His hair was coal black and mussed from sleep. His skin, tan and ruddy, as if he were a field laborer. And his eyes were the intense blue of a milkwort blossom, with a telltale darker ring around the outer edge of the irises. Of course! With a name like Liam she should’ve realized it sooner. He wasn’t a gypsy at all.
He was an Irishman.
That meant this was some form of purgatory. Jem, Donnelly, and Our Lady of the Portal had had their revenge after all.
Crinkles formed at the edges of Liam’s eyes. “So you’re still holding to the story that you’re from another time?”
“I believe I’ve already made it clear I don’t tell falsehoods, Mr…” She bit her lip. “As we have not yet properly been introduced, I’m afraid I am ignorant of your formal title.”
“My last name is Jackson, but you can call me Liam.”
“Well, Mr. Jackson,” she said, lifting her chin, “I am Miss Emily Musgrave recently of Trethwick Hall, Truro, Cornwall, 1813.”
And here are the purchase links:
Amazon link
Smashwords link
Emily is out of her element, but with the help of musicians Liam and his sister Tinker, she gets a quick education about 21st century living. It’s a sweet time travel tale set in the South that has fun characters and interesting twists. I enjoyed it quite a bit and look forward to reading more of her work.
Check out Bella’s Kiss Me, I’m Irish and bring a little magic into your life.
Bella Street’s “Kiss Me, I’m Irish”
One of the great things about the internet is hooking up (no, not *that* kind of hooking up) with people who share interests. Writing is no different in that respect, and the beauty of digital publishing is when you find a new author you can immediately download and read their books.
Bella Street and I are members of the same writers’ loop. We “met” when I asked about blog tours and we hit it off. Bella is the author of paranormal romances (and a So I Married an Axe Murderer fan, so you know she’s cool 😉 with a new release out called Kiss Me, I’m Irish.
Here’s the blurb:
In 1830, Emily Musgrave is heading to a convent for misbehavior. In modern-day Tennessee, Liam Jackson is playing his Dobro in seedy bars. It’s doing nothing for his career and even less for the dark places in his soul.
Pixie mischief can not only change time-lines, it can change hearts. Because sometimes a girl just needs a little magic in her life.
Here’s an excerpt:
He stared at her without answering. Emily returned his gaze, realizing this was the first time she’d seen him in full light. His hair was coal black and mussed from sleep. His skin, tan and ruddy, as if he were a field laborer. And his eyes were the intense blue of a milkwort blossom, with a telltale darker ring around the outer edge of the irises. Of course! With a name like Liam she should’ve realized it sooner. He wasn’t a gypsy at all.
He was an Irishman.
That meant this was some form of purgatory. Jem, Donnelly, and Our Lady of the Portal had had their revenge after all.
Crinkles formed at the edges of Liam’s eyes. “So you’re still holding to the story that you’re from another time?”
“I believe I’ve already made it clear I don’t tell falsehoods, Mr…” She bit her lip. “As we have not yet properly been introduced, I’m afraid I am ignorant of your formal title.”
“My last name is Jackson, but you can call me Liam.”
“Well, Mr. Jackson,” she said, lifting her chin, “I am Miss Emily Musgrave recently of Trethwick Hall, Truro, Cornwall, 1813.”
And here are the purchase links:
Amazon link
Smashwords link
Emily is out of her element, but with the help of musicians Liam and his sister Tinker, she gets a quick education about 21st century living. It’s a sweet time travel tale set in the South that has fun characters and interesting twists. I enjoyed it quite a bit and look forward to reading more of her work.
Check out Bella’s Kiss Me, I’m Irish and bring a little magic into your life.
Title Me This
A lot of writers have difficulty coming up with titles for their work. You want something that conveys the tone and perhaps the genre, but it should be dynamic, gripping. Different. Because despite the fact that titles aren’t copyrighted, do you *really* want to call your book “Gone with the Wind” or “The Bible?” Probably not.
I’m a hit or miss sort of titler. My first foray into fantasy (boy, that sounds kinkier than it is) yielded “The Guardian.” Rather generic, in the scheme of things, and at the time I didn’t realize that everyone and his/her brother/sister had a book with this title. An Amazon search recently came up with 11,000+ hits. Yeah, that book will be retitled. (After it’s revised. It was a first foray and it shows. I still like it well enough, but I’m betting my skills have improved in the years since it was written. Gosh, I *hope* they’ve improved!)
My next writing/titling project was a trilogy that is still waiting for fantasy romance to take a bigger upswing, and yes, for me to revise the daylights out of it. But the titles rock! The first is “What Price the Crown” (zero hits on Amazon–Yay!), the second, “Once a Princess,” (18 hits, mostly for the same book) and the third, “Queen without a Country” (9 hits, all about Queen Mary). Not that the titles alone will get it sold, but they are good titles, if I do say so myself.
My paranormal women’s fiction, “Haunted,” is another okay title on a particularly favorite story. That one will need less revising (I hope) to let it see the world some day.
My SFR “Bad Girl” was called that for lack of a better idea as I wrote it. The title fit, since the MC is a thief, and I really didn’t think much of it as I queried. No one at Carina Press asked about changing the title when they offered for it. But recently, I was once again at Amazon and put it in the search box. 702 hits, including this gem from 1946 . So I contacted my editor and asked about changing the title. She said no one at Carina had suggested a change, but if I wanted to offer some alternates she’d see what the team thought (side note: *love* the idea of having a team : ).
So we brainstormed. And brainstormed some more. Several words kept coming back to me–rules, felon, thief, breaking rules–words that would give a sense of the story, combinations that would hopefully catch a readers attention. Between the two of us, we had six or seven. Kym told me to pick the 3-5 I liked and she’d let me know. As I ran through them again, I was telling my kids about the situation. My youngest piped up, “How about ‘Rulebreaker’?”
Huh. How *about* “Rulebreaker?”
I put it in the mix, told Kym my 10 year old suggested it as a “What the heck” idea, let my agent know what was in the works, and waited. Well, the team liked it. My agent was good with it. So now, “Bad Girl” is “Rulebreaker,” and I’m thrilled. And I know who to consult when titling my books.
Title Me This
A lot of writers have difficulty coming up with titles for their work. You want something that conveys the tone and perhaps the genre, but it should be dynamic, gripping. Different. Because despite the fact that titles aren’t copyrighted, do you *really* want to call your book “Gone with the Wind” or “The Bible?” Probably not.
I’m a hit or miss sort of titler. My first foray into fantasy (boy, that sounds kinkier than it is) yielded “The Guardian.” Rather generic, in the scheme of things, and at the time I didn’t realize that everyone and his/her brother/sister had a book with this title. An Amazon search recently came up with 11,000+ hits. Yeah, that book will be retitled. (After it’s revised. It was a first foray and it shows. I still like it well enough, but I’m betting my skills have improved in the years since it was written. Gosh, I *hope* they’ve improved!)
My next writing/titling project was a trilogy that is still waiting for fantasy romance to take a bigger upswing, and yes, for me to revise the daylights out of it. But the titles rock! The first is “What Price the Crown” (zero hits on Amazon–Yay!), the second, “Once a Princess,” (18 hits, mostly for the same book) and the third, “Queen without a Country” (9 hits, all about Queen Mary). Not that the titles alone will get it sold, but they are good titles, if I do say so myself.
My paranormal women’s fiction, “Haunted,” is another okay title on a particularly favorite story. That one will need less revising (I hope) to let it see the world some day.
My SFR “Bad Girl” was called that for lack of a better idea as I wrote it. The title fit, since the MC is a thief, and I really didn’t think much of it as I queried. No one at Carina Press asked about changing the title when they offered for it. But recently, I was once again at Amazon and put it in the search box. 702 hits, including this gem from 1946 . So I contacted my editor and asked about changing the title. She said no one at Carina had suggested a change, but if I wanted to offer some alternates she’d see what the team thought (side note: *love* the idea of having a team : ).
So we brainstormed. And brainstormed some more. Several words kept coming back to me–rules, felon, thief, breaking rules–words that would give a sense of the story, combinations that would hopefully catch a readers attention. Between the two of us, we had six or seven. Kym told me to pick the 3-5 I liked and she’d let me know. As I ran through them again, I was telling my kids about the situation. My youngest piped up, “How about ‘Rulebreaker’?”
Huh. How *about* “Rulebreaker?”
I put it in the mix, told Kym my 10 year old suggested it as a “What the heck” idea, let my agent know what was in the works, and waited. Well, the team liked it. My agent was good with it. So now, “Bad Girl” is “Rulebreaker,” and I’m thrilled. And I know who to consult when titling my books.
The Accidental Convert
My husband travels a lot. He also reads quite a bit while traveling, due to many hours on airplanes (it takes a good long time to get Outside from here) and being cooped up in hotel rooms when not meeting with colleagues. Quite often, he’ll buy books in airport bookstores. Recently, he returned home with a number of new purchases.
Me (perusing cover with scantily clad female in red leather): Um, Hon? Whatcha reading?
Hubby (dismissively): Some fantasy. It has vampires and werewolves.
Me: Uh huh. It’s an Urban Fantasy, not the stuff you normally read.
Hubby (defensively): It was in the Science Fiction section.
Me: It says on the spine “Urban Fantasy.”
Hubby: That print is too small; I didn’t see it. Anyway, it was in the Science Fiction section.
Me: Yeah, you said that. (I look at the books in his TBR pile) So if your purchase was a “mistake” why did you buy all five books in the series on your next trip?
Hubby (returning to reading book with scantily clad female smooching equally scantily clad male on cover): They’re good. You should try them.
Me (smiling): Uh huh.
I have had a number of Science Fiction Romance and Fantasy Romance and other sort of romance novels on our shelves for months, if not years, and I have yet to convince him that reading them would be worth his while. There are some things he, like many of us, have to “discover” for themselves. So thank you, limited airport bookstore shelves! With any luck, more people will accidentally discover SFR and Fantasy Romance then go on to get their friends and loved ones to give them a try.