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The Walking Dead Will Break Your Heart But in a Good Way

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In some ways, writers are an easy audience. Or at least I am. I adore story, drama, and emotion. That’s why I write books. Because I love to create exactly the story, drama, and emotion I want and I do it the “right way,” at least for me. Yeah, it takes effort for me to consider an audience because I know what I want and who cares about anyone else.
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So I still have a lot to learn. I used to think story was king. I’m a big fan of Robert McKee, and he says that if you have a good story, other parts of your project can be iffy because people can overlook a lot for a good story.

But now I don’t think story is king. I think it’s the crown prince, though. Who is the king? Emotion. I think people lock onto art because of the emotional impact, or at least I do.

So in The Walking Dead, I think the series gets the emotions right. Yeah, it’s been hammered by critics and bloggers and Chris Devlin (who is awesome by the way) as being completely illogical and ill-planned. Most people call the characters zombie bait.

For example, in the first season, the survivors are camping out during the zombie apocalypse. Their only defense is a bunch of cans on a string. The camp was dubbed Camp Dinner Bell by some people because would you really be out in the open in tents if there was a zombie apocalypse on? Probably not. On the outskirts of Atlanta, there are tons of buildings you could hide in. Like with walls and doors and everything.

Part of me understands the criticism, but mostly, I just don’t care. Why? Because of the emotional impact of the series. It takes the end of the world seriously. It takes zombies seriously. And it might get the logistics wrong, but it gets the emotions just right.

How does it do that? I think the characters are good, the dialogue is good, and the acting is superior. So I am drawn in. So, does that mean characters are more important than story?

Hmm. I’ll have to ponder that because in essence, the emotions come from the characters.

But who am I kidding? It all has to work. I have a friend who says writing novels is like building a table with 23 legs and every one of them has to be measured perfectly. But if I was going to skimp, where would I skimp? What has to be solid? The characters. Emotion trumps story. Or am I showing my age?

When I was fourteen, I would have watched The Walking Dead for the gore and story. Will these people survive the zombie apocalypse? Now I watch it for the characters because I know they will all die. It’s not if they get to the end, because hey, in the zombie genre, everybody dies. It’s not if, it’s the how they do it. What can I learn about being human from their journey?

Oh, I am getting so old. Luckily, men stop maturing at around 14, so I can still enjoy the gore.

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Part Two: I Get Demon Sexy and Writerly Defective with Paranormal Romance Author Christine Ashworth

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ChristineAshworth1Christine Ashworth graciously agreed to hop on over to my blog, and the awesomeness couldn’t be contained in just one day. So here’s part two of the juicy goodness. Leave a comment and win one of Christine Ashworth’s ebooks!  No, really, leave a comment, get an ebook, that’s my motto!  See below for more details! Back to our talk:

AARON: Back at the start of your writing career, back before Twilight and True Blood, you were thinking about writing a paranormal romance, but an editor from a big house said that the whole paranormal romance thing was never going to catch on. When should we listen to industry professionals, and when should we back away, screaming in horror?

CHRISTINE: Ah, yes. That was in 2002 or maybe 2003. I regret listening to that person then, and actually it was a prevalent notion at the conferences I went to, not just from one person. But I was so green. I think you should always listen to industry professionals so you know what their mindset is – and then write what you damn well feel passionate about. You’ll be spending months, if not years on your books and in the worlds you create. If you don’t love them, you’ll get sick of them and won’t do your best work. If you don’t do your best work, your readers won’t love the books, either. For pity’s sakes, don’t write to the market. Write what you love. Period.

AARON: You said some books you can write in 9 weeks, some in 9 months. What do you think the difference is? Does it have anything to do with the amount of coffee you drink?

CHRISTINE: My first book took me nine months. I was working a Day Job at the time, but I had other writers there who encouraged me. I toddled off to my first RWA conference in 2002 (unemployed at the time) and pitched that novel, to which the Harlequin Assistant Editor said, um, no. But if you have anything else, I’d love to read it. So I went home, and my second novel was written in 9 weeks. I got a revision letter for that one, but they eventually passed.

Since then, those two time frames seem to hold true. What makes a difference about how fast I write depends on three questions. Do I have a handle on the big conflict? Do I have a handle on the tone of the book? Do I love these characters and the situation I’ve put them in? If I can’t answer yes to all of those questions, the book takes much longer to write because I’m flailing about and second-guessing myself. That first draft can be such a bitch. Rewriting goes much, MUCH faster!

So the short answer is, yes, how long it takes me to write a book is entirely dependent on the amount of coffee I drink.

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AARON: Christine, I want to be very public about my love for you. Yes, a deep love. You wrote for years, hammering out books, but not really revising. Yeah, guilty. I love me a first draft. But now that’s changed for you. Why do you now prefer the re-write to the mad dash of the first draft?

CHRISTINE: Aaron, I will go public with my oh-so-deep love for you as well. Your book The Never Prayer is such an amazing novel. I fell hard during our phone call, all those years ago. Plus you’re just so darned pretty, and talented, and funny, and fun to hang with.

As far as revising goes, I learned to love it when Liz Pelletier (now owner of Entangled Publishing) edited my first Crescent Moon Press novel, Demon Soul. Her first pass was agonizing, hysterical, snarky, and so spot on. I learned then that I could go in, change up a scene or a plot point or a character arc to make it shine. Her nudges got my brain working to solve the story issue in a new and different way. The whole book is so much better now than it was when they first bought it. I learned so much from Liz and I’m still doing my first drafts with her comments ringing in my ear.

AARON: In Your Caine Brothers series, you wanted sexy demons. Well, who doesn’t want their demons sexy? Tell us about your unique solution to the sexy demon problem.

CHRISTINE: Most people think demons are evil. Well, they’re not. I read this article on demons from that source of all knowledge Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon). Ancient Greece called them daimons, and the word was used to denote a spirit or a divine power. I knew I could work with that. Unfortunately, organized religion along the way has bastardized the word to mean something inherently evil or “fallen”.

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But there’s no changing popular conception, so I mixed in some Fae blood with my demon blood, and put them both into very human vessels. Hence, the Tribred conceit was born. The Caine family is one of a handful of Tribred families in the world; they have the gifts and the curses of demon blood, Fae blood, and their human blood. Learning to keep the three sets of genetic and organic impulses working together can be a challenge for my characters, but for me it meant that no one could tell me I was doing it wrong. So there’s that!

AARON: You said you have the common writer’s defect of procrastination. If you could switch out your procrastination for another writer’s defect, which would you choose and why? You can have mine. I work on too many books at the same time. I keep trying to do three, when I can only realistically do two. But back to the question…

CHRISTINE: I already have that defect! I’m working on three books and two plays right now, so yeah – doing too much but having a blast. Regarding another writer’s defect – I think I’m pretty safe on sticking with my own defect. The other ones I can think of (and am drawn to) involve copious amounts of alcohol and/or drugs and sex, and I’m just too old to go down that road at this point. Nothing sadder than an old alcoholic, and I really don’t want to be that person, lol!

AARON: If you could go to Taco Bell with one of your characters from the Caine brothers series, who would you choose, what would they order, and why? Why to both questions. Yeah, I know, but I love Taco Bell. It’s another one of my writerly defects.

CHRISTINE: I love me some Taco Bell! Um, I would choose Gregor Caine (from DEMON HUNT) because it would be so funny to see him sitting there in a three-piece suit. Plus he would hem and haw and finally order a single fish taco and a Dr. Pepper. He’s not really a Taco Bell fan; he’s more of a Baja Fresh fan, but he’d order out of politeness. One of the best things about writing his character was helping him loosen up!

Thanks SO much, Aaron, for Skyping with me, and for and having me here on the blog. I had a fantastic time! I’m hoping we can Skype again. Sending huge hugs to you across the airwaves. Give my best to your family! (Did I mention my hubby and I just celebrated our 33rd anniversary? Get OUT! I swear, I married while I was still in the womb. Honest. Because I can’t be this old!)

So today or yesterday, if you leave a comment, I will randomly pull a name and send you a free ebook from Christine!  So if you commented yesterday or if you comment today, you double your chances of winning!  No, I won’t pinch you ’cause you ain’t dreamin’.

And a HUUUUUUGGGGGEEEE thank you to Christine Ashworth for rockin’ the party, rockin’ the party right!

DemonHunt-200x300-1Stalk Christine here:
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I Get Demon Sexy and Writerly Defective with Paranormal Romance Author Christine Ashworth: Part One

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ChristineAshworth1Leave a comment and win one of Christine Ashworth’s ebooks!  No, really, leave a comment, get an ebook, that’s my motto!  See below for more details!

So here is my first, but not my last, Christine Ashworth story. When I got my very first contract to be published from Crescent Moon Press, way back in June of 2011, wow, I was such a babe back then. And I was also very good-looking. Anyway, I wanted to talk to another author at CMP to make sure I wasn’t signing away my soul. I emailed three authors. Christine got back to me. She was great. A true author. But she had secrets. Oh yes, little did I know the depth of her enigmatic, mysterious, secrets until she agreed to an interview. And then, the closet full of skeletons opened. I was shocked!

 

 

But first! A little about her series and a little about her latest release!

 

demonsoul 200x300DEMON SOUL: Book 1 in the Caine Brothers Series
Gabriel Caine stands on the edge of the abyss. A vampire has stolen his soul and if he doesn’t get it back soon, his next step will be into Hell. Only the naïvely mysterious Rose can help him retrieve it. Without her, he really will become the devil himself. Rose Walters has been sent back from the dead to complete one task-save Gabriel Caine. She’s drawn to Gabriel on the most basic level, but restoring his soul may cost Rose her life. Rose has touched the whole of Gabriel, making him yearn for a love he believes he can never have. Her willingness to put her human life on the line for him forces him to bring all three parts of himself-demon, human, and Fae bloodlines, and the strengths of each-into harmony and into the fight that decides their fate.

 

DemonHunt-200x300-1DEMON HUNT: Book 2 in the Caine Brothers Series

Tribred Gregor Caine decided long ago to deny his blood legacy, so he isn’t thrilled when paired with a full-blooded Fae to hunt the demons threatening to decimate Los Angeles. As they fight side by side, he finds she calls to both his Fae and his demon blood; a call he can’t resist. Warrior Fae Serra Willows crossed into the Human Plane to help destroy the demons released from the Chaos Plane. Finding and shutting down the portal between worlds is more challenging than she expected…and Gregor and his world more seductive than she had ever imagined. As the killings escalate, Gregor and Serra realize one of the most deadly demons from the Chaos Plane has marked Serra as his own. To save her, Gregor has to face his greatest fear—losing his humanity to the darkness in his blood. But in a race against time, that darkness could become his greatest strength. And he will kill to claim Serra’s love.

 

And a biography. Can’t start things off without a biography.

Christine Ashworth is a native of Southern California. The daughter of a writer and a psych major, she fell asleep to the sound of her father’s Royal manual typewriter for years. In a very real way, being a writer is in her blood—her father sold his first novel before he turned forty; her brother sold his first book before he turned twenty-five.

At the tender age of seventeen, Christine fell in love with a man she met while dancing in a ballet company. She married the brilliant actor/dancer/painter/music man, and they now have two tall sons who are as brilliant as their parents, which keeps the dinner conversation lively.

Christine’s two dogs rule the outside, defending her vegetable garden from the squirrels, while a polydactyl rescue cat holds court inside the house. Everything else is in a state of flux, leaving her home life a cross between a comedy improv class and a think-tank for the defense of humans against zombies and demons.

So Christine and I talked, and though my skype webcam didn’t work, hers did. So I could stay in my stained t-shirt and sweats. Kidding.

mack bolan coverAARON: Christine, first off, you come from a family of writers! No really, when you said your dad, Chet Cunningham, wrote some of the MACK BOLAN series (yes, all caps), I had a fangirl moment. I get those, but I assure you, I’m all man. What are the benefits of coming from a family of writers? What are the drawbacks?

CHRISTINE: Oh man, I totally love that you are a Mack Bolan fan! As far as the Skype caper, I put on mascara for you, lol! (Yes, be impressed. I don’t wear much mascara anymore.)

But to your question. As far as drawbacks go, having both my dad and my brother, Scott Cunningham, as writers was intimidating. I won’t lie. My dad’s work ethic was just huge. My brother and I shared an apartment together for about 8 months—he was 22, I was 18—before I got a job at Arizona Ballet Company and I moved away. I was rarely there, but when I was his typewriter was going like crazy.

One benefit? I grew up knowing it was possible to earn a living and raise a family as a writer. The other benefit? Essay tests came really easy to me – I almost always got A’s. I like to think it’s because the teacher never bothered to read my extensive answers, scribbled on the tiny space left open for answers.

AARON: My daughter once said to me, “Dad, it’s hard being the daughter of a writer.” What advice can you give to all daughters of writers out there?

CHRISTINE: This is too funny! I love being the daughter of a writer. When I was growing up, my dad was always at home – both my parents were always at home, which was a luxury in the late 1960’s early 1970’s. Plus, I got to play with office supplies. I am a total office supply junkie…I have way too many types of post-it notes and pens/pencils. And the books! We had books coming out of our ears, and no book was off-limits even if I had to stand on my dad’s desk when the parents were away to get “those” books off the top shelf, way up by the ceiling. Of course, I also had to look up words that I didn’t know the meaning of, and that I didn’t pronounce correctly. Two things I have enjoyed doing to torture my own kids.

But…if I had to give out advice to other daughters of writers, I’d say – Enjoy. Enjoy to the fullest. Know that your parent is living his/her dream of sharing their imagination with the world. Know that you too can be a writer, if that’s the path you choose, but whatever you do, follow your dreams. Know also that your parent won’t hate you for not being a writer. And you will rarely (if ever) be a character in one of your parent’s books.

AARON: When we talked, you said your dream was always to get a book contract with Harlequin. Can you give us a little history about where that dream came from? Do you like clowns? I like clowns, but no one else seems to, but then, one bad clown can mess you up for life.

CHRISTINE: You totally crack me up! I can take or leave clowns, personally. I’ve never had a bad one mess me up, so there you go. Regarding Harlequin – that’s a bit of a story. Way back when I was a young ballet dancer (around 12, I think), I would read the books my mom was reading. At the time she was reading Rosemary Rogers books. I think the first one I read was Sweet Savage Love. They totally hooked me into reading romance.

romance author rosemary rogers

Rosemary Rogers

So, on my two-dollar allowance, I’d walk down to the corner drugstore (called Drug Mart – it was devoured by a chain a couple of decades ago), pick out a 79-cent Harlequin paperback (because the Rosemary Rogers books were much more expensive and not as prolific) and two boxes of Junior Mints, and spend my post-ballet class/rehearsal Saturday reading and munching on Junior Mints. I usually finished the book in a couple of hours. Fast-forward a couple years, and my dad would go to used bookstores, buy me the white cover Harlequin Presents novels by the yardstick, and bunches of those books would be my Christmas and birthday presents, every year for the next 2 or so years. Since my dad was a writer, it was natural that when I started thinking “I’d like to write” that I’d go toward the romance genre in general and the Harlequin brand in particular.

I didn’t start writing until 2001, but Harlequin was the publishing house I targeted for six years. After my umpteenth rejection, I veered away from the shorter books and went to the longer books. (Now I know it was because I didn’t rewrite anywhere NEAR enough.) Even though the whole publishing industry has changed, I still want to be a Harlequin writer. I’m working on a couple of projects now that I’m hoping Harlequin will like (knock wood). So you might say, Harlequin is in my blood.

Tune in tomorrow for Part Two of my Demony, Sexy, Writerly Interview with Christine Ashworth.

But today or tomorrow, if you leave a comment, I will randomly pull a name and send you a free ebook from Christine!  So if you comment today and tomorrow, you double your chances of winning!  No, I won’t pinch you ’cause you ain’t dreamin’.

Stalk Christine here:
Website/Blog: Http://christine-ashworth.com   
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