ŷ������

Part 1 of an 8 part blog series for writers.



DIFFERENT WAYS TO WRITE

Every writer is different, and their process is different. I know people who write scenes, then write transitions between those scenes to create their book. I have no idea how people write scenes and then put them together. They are very gifted to be able to do that. I cannot.

Some people know the ending and start by writing the end. Then they go back to the beginning and write their way toward that end.

Some people plot out and will even write forty pages of plot points, particularly those who have mystery or suspense. They almost have to do that to make sure their clues and red herrings are in place.

Honestly, if I did that, I’d think, “I’ve already read that book, I know that story�� and I’d not be interested in writing it.

I start with a blank page and am very linear. I write from page one all the way to the end of the book and it has to go in that order or I feel very chaotic and can’t continue.
Everything to me, as I write, is an adventure.

WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE OR HOW TO START

When a person doesn’t know how to start a book I tell them to just sit down and start writing. If you don’t, it’s never going to happen for you.
If they say that they just can’t do that I tell them they can do some exercises.

WRITING EXERCISES

I tell them to close their eyes and imagine themselves in the sun. Start to ask questions. Where are you? Are you under a tree, or by a lake? Describe that.

Then, how are you feeling? And you go through every one of your senses until you have a scene.

Remember that you’re painting a picture for someone who is reading that book. They have to see it, they have to feel it, and they have to know why you’re there.
You have to answer every question for them in that scene, in words. And if you practice doing that, then eventually those things that are in your head become scenes for you and you can write them down.

There’s a story inside of you and you know what it is. Put your fingers on the keyboard and bring that story to life on the page. One word, one sentence, one paragraph, one page. One step at a time.

BOOKS ON WRITING

Here is a list of books for aspiring writers. I’ve not read them all, but have heard them recommended.



Write Away: One Novelist’s Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life by Elizabeth George





On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King



The Hero’s Adventure by Joseph Campbell and The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler (these go together and you can get it on audio)

Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques by The Great Courses (on Audio)



Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing and Outstanding Story by KM Weiland

Thinking about all of the different series that I write, and all the different heroes, which would you say is the best of all the heroes? Would it be one of the Carpathians? A GhostWalker? Maybe someone from the Drake Sisters or the new Torpedo Ink series?



Over on Facebook we're doing a weekly vote where we ask you to look at a batch of heroes from different books and tell us which of those you'd choose as the top hero of that batch.

The character that gets the most votes (you vote by leaving an emoji with that character's name in a comment on Facebook) goes to the next round. Until, finally, we have only one! That's right! There can be only one! lol

You can still get in on the voting if you'd like to play. It's just for fun and I hope you'll stop by. You can find it here on my Facebook.

Covert Game was released on Tuesday and it's exciting to see so many people loving the book. If you're on Twitter I hope you'll use #CovertGame so I can find your comments or tag me @AuthorCFeehan.








I'm super excited that Entertainment Weekly celebrated the release of my 75th book by interviewing me! Maureen, the wonderful lady who did the interview, called me up to ask questions and I really enjoyed speaking with her.




Romantic Times put together a GhostWalker quiz to celebrate the release of Cover Game and it's really fun! If you like quizzes and want to see how much you can remember about the books you should check it out!



I was so happy to be asked to be a guest blogger right here on ŷ������! I talk about romance novels as the perfect escape and I hope you'll stop by and comment!

ŷ������ Guest Blog


If you missed the Book Trailer for Covert Game I thought it turned out great and I have posted it here on my ŷ������ profile, but you can see it here too-




We have some contests going on over on my Facebook page and on my CF Community. It ends tonight (March 22nd) but there's still time if you like contests!









I hope everyone enjoys Covert Game!

Zara Hightower is the heroine of Covert Game and I wanted to talk a little bit about her in light of the Covert Game book release on March 20th.

Zara was raised like many of the genetically altered and enhanced women. A team of five became a team of three early in her training and those three were incredibly bonded.

Zara’s friends were Bellisia and Shylah. Both women were very much warriors, but though Zara had that same training and was capable of killing, she wasn’t the warrior the others were and Whitney punished her for that.
Zara is a very different heroine. She’s brilliant. She’s a leader in artificial intelligence and lectures all over the world.



Her intelligence is what kept her alive, and important to Whitney. So, when she’s captured she’s not entirely ready for what awaits and her only hope comes when Gino Mazza’s team decides that saving her is worth the potential cost of lives.

But, there’s so much more to Zara than meets the eye initially and through the book we discover what that is. I love this heroine. I love that she’s so different and I hope readers will enjoy her story.

It’s time to head back to the bayou! We’re back with Team Four and this time they’re being sent on a suicide mission to save a woman they’re not sure they can trust. I thought you might like a little insight to the story.

Gino “Phantom�� Mazza has an interesting background as well as unusual abilities and heightened senses. He takes one look at pictures of Zara Hightower, spending hours reading articles and he just can’t stop thinking about her. So, when they finally meet, his protective instincts kick in and nobody better get in the way of his saving her.



It’s not that he’s some white knight, he’s not. His character has never been that. He has a dark history and isn’t the nicest man. But, something about her calls to him and the predator in him meets the need to protect her in a way that is seriously sexy.
I love bad boy protector stories. I just do. Having a GhostWalker bad boy protector was so immensely fun to write.

It's Romance Week on GoodReads! I love reading about new romance books, new authors and great characters. I'm a voracious reader and though I read many genres, I prefer books with romance in them.



One of my favorite books is The Borne Identity. Not a traditional romance book, but the romance in it was amazing. I love how they needed each other.

More recently, I read a book by Lisa Kleypas called Marrying Winterborne and I freely admit that I have now re-read that book several times. Sometimes I'll just pick it up and re-read certain scenes. She has another book in the Ravenels series coming out this month called Hello Stranger and I just can't wait to read it!





I'm often asked what romance authors I read and I hate answering that because I always forget someone. But, I thought I'd mention a few that I have on my mind today. I love Lisa Kleypas of course. Nalini Sighn, MaryJanice Davidson, Nora Roberts, Jane Austen, Jayne Ann Krentz, Sylvia Day, Lucy Monroe, JR Ward, Maggie Shayne, Brenda Novak, Karen Rose, CL Wilson, and so many more. I'm sure I'm going to kick myself later when I realize I missed someone!

I'd love to know who YOU feel is your top romance authors that you love to read.

Since today is Valentine's Day I thought I'd ask you which character from any of my books you'd choose as your Valentine?
Here are some ideas for book boyfriend/Valentine!








Reaper



Gino



Giovanni



Mikhail

Judgment Road hero Reaper has a dark and horrible past. He was taken by criminals who murdered his parents and both he and his brother Savage were put into a “school�� that taught them to be assassins, and where they were brutally abused in every way imaginable.





Reaper was very young when he was brought to the Russian school. His brother was even younger. He was stripped of everything and given only pain and suffering. Cruelty was compounded by the pain of watching other children die. Though the book doesn’t go into any graphic detail regarding the children it does address a specific time in which Reaper is abused. This event causes PTSD and a trigger is created in him that he feels he can never overcome.

Along comes Anya. She’s running from something and he knows it. But, she’s beautiful, alluring and kind. She helps the homeless, befriends those alone in the world and doesn’t judge others. Reaper can’t keep away from her. He sees her night after night as she works behind the counter of a Torpedo Ink bar. Naturally, with her beauty and kind nature Reaper realizes he is attracted to her and does the most natural thing for Reaper to do- he asks Viktor to fire her. In Reaper’s mind he is doing her a favor, perhaps even saving her…from him.
There are two specific scenes in the book in which Reaper’s past meets Anya’s compassion and we realize beyond a doubt two things- First, they love each other. Second, she is every bit as strong as he is, but with Reaper his strength is his physical strength and with her it’s her compassion and understanding.



I won’t be able to be specific about the scenes because that would be a spoiler. But, I have no doubt that these scenes will be controversial. Reaper does two very different things that require Anya to understand he has PTSD, understand he hasn’t been brought up with normal society, understand he would never hurt her and have compassion for a man scarred in so many ways she can’t possibly see them all until situations come up to reveal them one layer at a time.

One of the things I found very disconcerting as I researched abuse is the way male victims of sexual abuse were treated compared to females. Let me say that NO sexual abuse is worse or easier than another. It is ALL horrible and should be treated as such and victims should all, equally, be shown compassion, empathy, understanding and support. During my research though I found that male victims of sexual abuse were often encouraged not to speak of it. There was little sympathy and a lot of “get over it�� by society. This is very upsetting to me. I knew I wanted to address this issue and highlight the struggles of abused men.

I realize it may seem that Anya forgives Reaper too easily. Given the circumstances of what happens in the scene and the fact that Reaper is clearly in a PTSD episode, no woman loving a man would then blame him for his reaction any more than they should blame a woman who had been raped for her reactions. I feel that Anya is smart and compassionate and it shows in the way she reacts to or about him. A woman doesn’t have to kick ass to be strong. As a matter of fact, neither does a man. There are other characteristics that make someone strong. Courage isn’t about winning in a fight. It’s about being terrified, but still moving forward toward what scares you because it’s the right thing to do.

Anya is a very strong heroine. Given who Reaper is, she’d have to be. He couldn’t have a woman who wasn’t strong. I have faith in my heroine and stand by her choice to fight against her fears and to stand up for a man who is trying to overcome his horrific past, but is struggling. Sometimes the greatest courage is compassion.

I wanted to talk about the differences between the series set in or around Sea Haven.



The Drake Sisters and the Sisters of the Heart are about family, sisters, a sisterhood. The women these stories are about are magical, compassionate, empathetic, loving, funny women. Even with the challenges many of them faced these women had each other and the boundless love and support of one another.
Sea Haven is a town full of magic and the people in the town became like family. The Drakes grew up there and were part of that town. The Sisters of the Heart integrated with the town easily, becoming part of the camaraderie with the townsfolk.
Sea Haven is perfect for those women with their magic and laughter and floating tea cups. But, when I created Torpedo Ink I specifically didn’t put them directly in Sea Haven. They live very close in a small town called Caspar. We could say they are neighbors of Sea Haven who visit frequently.



Caspar is different from Sea Haven and more closely fit the needs of the motorcycle club. The town is real, where Sea Haven is fictional (though based primarily off of Mendocino, California). I’ve been to Caspar many times and there are some wonderful things about the town that made me choose it for the MC.
First of all, the town could pass as a ghost town in some parts. It’s very small and not a lot of people live in the heart of the town. Many live on the outskirts, out in the more rural areas. But, in Caspar itself there’s not even a gas station, a grocery store or a traffic light. Many of the buildings are abandoned, but some are lovely and you can see the love put into them. There’s a store that actually exists in Caspar called Caspar Curiosities that has odd items, strange things, unique art and eclectic antiques.


Caspar has a beautiful view of the ocean, but somehow, in a way, it feels empty. To me, there was a feeling of longing, of wanting to be full of life and vibrancy like its neighboring towns. It felt like the town was waiting for something. It was a perfect match for the 18 survivors who’d formed an unusual family and created a motorcycle club.
These people need the town of Caspar, as much as the town needed them. Of course Caspar in my books is fictionalized with much of it being different from the actual town. I love the town, both the real one and my fictionalization of it. To me, Torpedo Ink’s members longed for a place to call home, to settle down in and be able to be themselves. But, they would never really fit into normal society. Not with the type of abuse and life experiences they had starting as small children. They needed a place off the main drag so to speak, but that would still give them the sense of belonging in the world that they needed. The club and the town were a puzzle with missing parts, that when put together formed a full picture of a home full of hope and family and belonging.



The Torpedo Ink books can’t be like the Drake Sisters series or the Sisters of the Heart because those women were sisters full of compassion and empathy and the Torpedo Ink members are abused assassins without a firm grasp on societal rules and ways. They know darkness because they were darkness. Their lives are completely different from the Drakes or SotH in so many ways that their stories couldn’t be like the Sea Haven stories.
The similarities come in that they have a sense of family. They want to protect people in their club, their town, those they care for or are responsible for. They are in the same general area as Sea Haven and there are relationships (Drakes and Blythe/ Blythe and Viktor) that do cross over, so we will see some of the old characters make appearances from time to time. The club members do have heightened abilities or gifts and you see a little bit of that in Judgment Road.
The Torpedo Ink series is an outlaw motorcycle club romance series which is very different than a magical sisterhood. But, Torpedo Ink offers stories of redemption, acceptance, learning to integrate into normal society, loyalty, brotherhood and struggle. The greatest similarity among the different series is the promise and delivery of a Happy Ever After.

Today is the release day for Judgment Road! There are several blogs, interviews and information out there and I thought I would put as much as I can into on place- Here!

THE BOOK



Judgment Road landing page on my website- ChristineFeehan.com


Entire First Chapter -



Judgment Road Book Trailer




I'm sure there will be more soon, but I wanted to share this today.

AUDIO BOOK




At Recorded Books





At Audible





INTERVIEWS




Signature Reads-




Harlequin Junkie-

If you read Bound Together you’ll recognize many of these names. They’re members, or prospects, of Torpedo Ink. Most of the actual MC members have their legal names and then their club names or nicknames. For those who hold a position in the club I’ve included that as well.







Viktor Prakenskii aka Czar �� President
Lyov Russak aka Steele- Vice President







Saava Pajari aka Reaper- Sergeant at Arms
Savin Pajari aka Savage- Sergeant at Arms






Isaak Koval aka Ice- Secretary
Dmitry Koval aka Storm
Alana Koval aka Torch
Luca Litvin aka Code- Treasurer
Maksimos Korask aka Ink
Kasimir Popov aka Preacher
Lana Popov aka Widow
Nikolaos Bolotan aka Mechanic
Pytor Bolotan aka Transporter
Andrii Federoff aka Maestro
Gedeon Lazaroff aka Player
Kir Vasiliev aka Master
Lazar Alexeev aka Keys
Aleksei Solokov aka Absinthe

Newly Patched Members
Gavriil Prakenskii
Casimir Prakenskii

Prospects

Fatei
Glitch
Hyde

Siblings within the group
Viktor, Gavriil and Casimir
Reaper and Savage
Ice, Storm and Alena (Torch)
Preacher and Lana (Widow)