To start off this week, I asked one of my favourite authors to come on over to speak about her upcoming novel.
Let's give a warm welcome to the very talented Varian Krylov!
Hi everybody! And Bey, thanks for having me back!
It's kind of funny, I'm a writer, but when I step away from my tall tales and try to write a blog post, I never know what to say. But today, after chasing my tail for a bit, I decided it would be fun to talk about one of the inspirations for my upcoming novel, Fugue, Concord.
I'm from California, but for the last two years and change I've been living in my favorite city in the world—Barcelona. It's a fabulous place for lots of reasons: it's part of Spain's sunny Costa Brava, but in addition to being a beach city on the Mediterranean, it's also got mountains, and its urban center is studded with amazing architectural gems, with Roman walls, neogothic cathedrals, and beautiful modernist buildings by the whimsical genius Antoni Gaudi and others. Barcelona is also a culturally vibrant cosmopolitan hub, with fabulous art museums, galleries, and a thriving music scene.
So, when I decided to write something a bit lighter and more playful than Bad Things and Trasmundo, I thought, hey, why not take my readers on a little vicarious holiday to Barcelona?
Unlike most of my novels, much of Fugue, Concord is rooted in my own experiences venturing into the realm of independent filmmaking for a few years before I moved to Europe, and also my life living as an expat in Spain. I had a lot of fun taking these characters to my favorite beaches (where bathing suits are always optional), on evening strolls through the winding, narrow streets of the labyrinthine Gothic neighborhood, and out to savor the local night life amid a few of my favorite jazz clubs.
Another of my favorite things about Barcelona is the Spanish men (I know, huge surprise, haha). And I'd love to introduce you to Ángel, the god of jazz.
If you want a sneak peak at Fugue, Concord before the novel comes out next month, you can read a long, juicy, NSFW excerpt at my website: http://variansfiction.wix.com/variankrylov
I'll also be posting updates and announcing giveaways on my Facebook page. If we're not already friends, don't be shy! I love talking to readers and fellow writers!
Besos!
This book... oh this book. I want to visit Barcelona more than ever now :)
For a chance to win an ebook copy of Varian's book, Fugue, Concord (when it comes out), comment below and tell me where in the world you'd love to travel to. I'll pick one random winner on Monday, July 4th at 7pm EDT.
Over at Diverse Reader there's a big giveaway happening featuring such authors as Nicholas Bella, R Phoenix As Raissa, Joseph Lance Tonlet, Louis Stevens, Jenna Johanis, Varian Krylov, Brina Brady, Jack L Pyke, Wulf Francú Godgluck... and myself! Seriously a fun spotlight post of Dark Erotica: each author had the choice of providing an excerpt, telling you about one of their books using one of their characters, or telling you why they chose to go dark.
PLUS there's a giveaway. The prizes are:
Don’t Series (4 books: Don’t, Antidote, Breakdown, & Backlash) by Jack L Pyke
Signed paperback copy of Better the Devil You Know by me
ebook copy of Of Gods and Monsters books 1 and 2 (Menoetius and Hades) by Wulf Francu Godgluck
ebook copy of Owned by R. Phoenix
2 winners will win blacklist books by Brina Brady
One CID Audiobook or ebook by Nicholas Bella
ebook copy of Drago Star and Slash Op by J. Johanis
ebook copy of Bad Things by Varian Krylov
Signed paperback copy of Quillon’s Covert from Joseph Lance Tonlet
Howdy folks! It's a beee-utiful day up here in Montréal with the sun shining, and though it's a little on the cold side (-8ºC/17.6ºF), the end of winter is nigh. I can feel it in my bones, and bones never lie ;)
Today marks two years as an author. Time flies when you're having a blast!
Two years ago I hit "publish" for the first time... and send Caged out into the wild.
To celebrate, I've put Caged up for a Kindle Countdown Sale. What does that mean? Well, right now, you can get Caged for 99¢/£0.99 at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk, but the price will continue to increase every two days until it goes back to the usual. Just follow this link and get your copy today! :)
Heads up! UnCommon Bodies is on sale until 2/7 for 99¢ at Amazon. Get your copy today :)
List of Stories Included:
Don’t Touch Me by Bey Deckard: Fighting is what Beau does best, because the very thing he dreads is exactly what lends him the extraordinary strength to defeat even the worst odds. And he does it all with the help of his angel, the woman he longs desperately to hold… but can’t.
We is We By Michael Harris Cohen: We is we follows a day in Mary and Millie’s life, traveling sideshow freaks who’ve lost touch with the outside world.
Undead Cyborg Girl by Kim Wells: When she wakes up undead after receiving a cyborg assassin upgrade surgical procedure, Undead Girl’s life is forever changed. Is it for the better? She has all the skills, but she needs a job, she needs some friends, and she needs to remember who she is. Part 1 of the Cyborg Story trilogy.
Skin By Brent Meske: After constant bullying in high school, Patricia vows to change her name and her entire being. When she gains the ability to mold and sculpt flesh, that vow very quickly becomes a terrifying reality.
Scars: First Session by Jordanne Fuller: After a life of abuse, Abigail made the decision to cover her scars with tattoos. What she didn’t expect was to confront her emotional scars in the process.
Mermaids By Robert Pope: Recently graduated from college, with no work prospects, Aqua-boy—so called because of the webbing between his toes—watches and listens to a group of musicians at a bar/restaurant when he notices the woman playing a diminutive red accordion has six fingers.
In Her Image By Vasil Tuchkov: An English PHD student arrives at the scenic but haunting countryside of Matera, Italy, looking for answers. His translator introduces him to a crippled local painter who claims to have depicted the impossible. As the three men converse near the ancient settlement’s caverns, a mystery unravels.
Three Poems By Deanne Charlton: It Runs in the Family, Brenga’s Body, Eternity in a One-night Stand
Reserved by SM Johnson writes: It’s been five years since the accident that killed Pete Spencer’s younger lover and left him grieving, bitter, and broken. He’s tired of his lonely world, but the kind of young men he’s attracted to dismiss him the moment their eyes land on his cane. Pete’s learned to hide behind the safety of his reserve, but he’s never met anyone like Rory.
UnTamed by Laxmi Hariharan: Wolf girl Leana Iyeroy, the first half breed in her family, only ever wanted to be 100% human. An unexpected encounter with the Hugging Saint of Bombay, forces Leana to face the wolf inside her.
Ruby and Deidre by Robb Grindstaff Writer-Editor: A shorter than average man admires a taller than average woman from afar.
All The Devils by @Keira Michelle Telford: It’s 1889, and women are being killed in the East End of London. They’ve become the targets of a deranged sexual killer, but why? Because they’re prostitutes? Sapphists? Or something else entirely?
Ruby By Bob Williams: It’s nineteen thirty-six and the town of Ransom, Oklahoma is barely functioning after the “Dust Bowl” storm of the year before. Michael Wootten sits upon the porch of his dilapidated house and watches a caravan of trucks pull into town. Melvin Mitchell Presents: Ruby and her Amazing FreakShow Friends. Maybe this is just the thing to pump a little spirit into the near-dead town. But everything comes at a price, and Ms. Ruby always takes her cut.
Phantom Pain By Philip Harris: Phantom Pain follows amputee, Mariana Jacobs, as she visits a man who claims to have information she needs. But that information comes at a cost.
Daedalus’ Daughter By PK Tyler: After her father’s death, Isha begins sprouting feathers.
The Zealot By Chris Godsoe: Six months ago, Tobin Maldovan was in charge of a manhunt for an enigmatic hacker named ATLAS. He lost his man near the Canadian border after a high speed chase, but not before ATLAS pulled strings to transfer the woman he Tobin loves across the country, hampering any chance at reconciliation. With ATLAS having escaped his jurisdiction, Tobin had nothing left but to follow his wife to California, seeking reassignment at the West Coast cyberterrorism field office. His reputation preceeds him, and he has drawn the case pursuing a man the media has taken to calling “The Zealot.” As usual, Tobin pours himself into his work, but the work becomes personal in ways that he never would have imagined.
Made for This By Sessha Batto: On the heels of unimaginable loss comes reinvention. Sometimes the gain is worth going through hell.
Unbreakable Heart By Rebecca Poole: A cyborg must escape her creators in order to survive.
Saltwater Assassin By Samantha Warren: Syren has spent her life as a sideshow freak, caged in a tank of saltwater and gawked at by hundreds of normal humans. She has a secret, though. At night, when the lights are finally off and the fair goers leave, she turns into a human–a mermaid assassin.
The Well-Rounded Head By Sally Basmajian: A woman is smitten with her husband’s big, entirely round head. One day she notices that his temples appear to be slightly indented, so that his head is no longer a perfect sphere. This revolts her, and she moves into their guest room in order to avoid him. When he breaks in, she kills him, in a most bizarre way.
Howdy! I'm back in the land of snow and cold and ready to get back to writing. I did "cheat" a bit while I was on the beach and did the equivalent of scribbling down scenes on napkins (Notes) and scraps of paper (iA Writer) which I started to sort through yesterday. Kestrel's Talon has hit 60k which is about the halfway mark in the story. I think. I'm a little obsessed with this story... Instead of reading the 10 or so books I had in my pile to read while in Barbados, I spent a lot of time reading over what I'd written of Kestrel and editing. However... the one book I did read was a huge one—Xperiment by Dan Skinner—so there's that.
But mostly, and I really swear, I just relaxed, suntanned, swam, drank, people-watched, chilled out... I have a post in me about Barbados in general, but that will probably be next week. In the meantime, I've put all my vacation pics at the bottom of this post if you want to take a look.
Did you know that I'm running a few giveaways at Goodreads right now? Here they are: