jana_denardo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jana_denardo) wrote2015-08-02 02:14 pm
jana_denardo) wrote2015-08-02 02:14 pm
Entry tags:
Sunday Small Talk & 100 Things
So I'm staring down at the pipe at a very busy August. On the 14th Snowbound is out. On the 19th Boldly Go my freebie Vegas wedding story will be out. On the 21st out comes Soldiers of the Sun, my second novel. It's going to be fun. Hectic. Insane.
But can I just say I'm thrilled that people are buying all three Soldiers stories. I have sales of the novella and pre-sales for the above mentioned ones. I couldn't be happier.
And the domain for my webpage has been purchased and my friend is busy working on it now.
I'll be hosting the cover reveal for Soldiers of the Sun on tuesday so be watching for that.
I did in fact finish Camp Nano and would have put some graphics up if freaking photobucket didn't try to download a virus into my computer via its shitty ads. Instead of a graphic how about a taste of the opening pages of Blood Red Roulette. That's more fun anyhow.
This was no place for a ghost hunt. Arrigo had thought that even before he started out for his destination, Delilah's Diner, a greasy spoon hanging onto the 1950s with the tenacity of a bear trap. He remembered the location from the other week when he had been in the area on his actual job. As an enforcer for the Chiaroscuro, he had taken down a renegade vampire just a block away, in a biker bar called The Alibi. As a vampire himself, Arrigo belonged to an organization helping to keep ill-mannered and dangerously violent supernaturals under control. About the only thing worth noting in The Alibi had been a cute blond bartender. As for the vampire he had been sent there to end, the idiot was so young, so full of himself, it hadn’t been much of a fight.
Arrigo knew when Delilah's Diner crossed his desk at his day job at Taabu and Giancarlo's Psychic Advisement and Paranormal Investigations, it couldn't possibly be part of the new business he was considering: a ghost walk. Las Vegas had a few, but if Tripadvisor was to be believed, they were light on history. He hoped to come up with a tour backed up by Vegas history, with some good ghostly stories and a reasonable walk. It was a perfect job for vampires and there were several young vampires in town who weren't old enough to be out in the sun, like he could be, who could be tour leaders. Arrigo thought there was probably a joke in there somewhere, a vampire hunting ghosts.
Deliah's was too far off either the Strip or Freemont Street to make it good for the walk, not to mention it was a sketchy side of town. Still, he could add it into a book he'd been commissioned to write about haunted Vegas. Also it afforded Arrigo the chance to swing by The Alibi. He wanted to know more about the family who seemed to run the place, or at least the hot blond. The gray-haired, bearded man who screamed redneck with the bayou accent to back up the image held no interest for Arrigo other than to inspire distaste because of the hostility he lorded over the two young men who worked the bar with him: one was the blond that had caught his eye and the other was brawnier with darker hair. Arrigo decided they were obviously his sons from the way they interacted. Their accents were Louisianan, Cajun, actually. Arrigo figured they had come west looking for new homes after Hurricane Katerina like so many others. He knew a whole clan of vampires who gave up the New Orleans cliché and moved to Tempe, Arizona. Arrigo recognized the accent because he had lived in the Pontalba Apartments in the French Quarter once upon a lifetime ago.
Since he was on that side of town documenting haunted diners, Arrigo decided to stop at The Alibi, even though he hardly fit in. Maybe he'd see the hot blond. Those stunning blue eyes, short golden curls, and a muscular build got his motor running. Arrigo never discriminated between sexes when intimacy was concerned. Not that Arrigo had approached the blond and probably wouldn't tonight either, at least not in The Alibi. This sort of bar probably thrived on gay bashing, and he was not in the mood to get into a fight with people he’d gladly drain down to the last drop.
And I wanted to add another of those 100 things about writing here too
Just a decade ago you wouldn't find too many gay characters in mainstream fantasy. I'm old enough to remember the fall out when Mercedes Lackey made a main character gay (yes I realize this is more like 20 years ago). You would have thought the world was ending. 'No one will ever take her seriously again.' Heard that one many times. They were wrong but still in the 90s I remember so many agents/editors/publishers saying not only no gay characters but threatening to black ball you if they caught wind you published something like that elsewhere.
Now you're starting to see gay characters, mostly as secondary characters, sometimes as one of the group of protagonists and they're just there being who they are. No fan fare, no OMG you're gay! They just are who they are and this is amazing to see. Chuck Wendig has a whole series with a gay protagonist, Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Boys may have a gay character (I say yes but you could read the statements as the character not giving a damn someone called him gay as in insult), Rick Riordan's second Olympiad series has a gay character and yes there is another popular YA writer who has a hot series and a movie with one too but since there are things I don't like about her, I didn't really want to include her.
I'm sure there are more examples. And I wish it was as simple as oh hey, this character's gay and everyone goes on with their lives. Oh how I wish. Of course it's not that simple. Every homophobe seems to come crawling out of the woodwork with something shitty to say in their non-reviews that exist to blast the author for daring to include a gay character. Chuck Wendig had a beautifully sarcastic response to that last week. I haven't seen how the others have responded to it.
There will always be haters. Who cares about them? I'm just glad to see the inclusion of these characters, especially in YA. Young people coming into their sexuality need to have some positive ...well if not role models since that's an odd thing for a fictional character to be, then at least to see people like themselves in roles other than those designed to ridicule.
But can I just say I'm thrilled that people are buying all three Soldiers stories. I have sales of the novella and pre-sales for the above mentioned ones. I couldn't be happier.
And the domain for my webpage has been purchased and my friend is busy working on it now.
I'll be hosting the cover reveal for Soldiers of the Sun on tuesday so be watching for that.
I did in fact finish Camp Nano and would have put some graphics up if freaking photobucket didn't try to download a virus into my computer via its shitty ads. Instead of a graphic how about a taste of the opening pages of Blood Red Roulette. That's more fun anyhow.
This was no place for a ghost hunt. Arrigo had thought that even before he started out for his destination, Delilah's Diner, a greasy spoon hanging onto the 1950s with the tenacity of a bear trap. He remembered the location from the other week when he had been in the area on his actual job. As an enforcer for the Chiaroscuro, he had taken down a renegade vampire just a block away, in a biker bar called The Alibi. As a vampire himself, Arrigo belonged to an organization helping to keep ill-mannered and dangerously violent supernaturals under control. About the only thing worth noting in The Alibi had been a cute blond bartender. As for the vampire he had been sent there to end, the idiot was so young, so full of himself, it hadn’t been much of a fight.
Arrigo knew when Delilah's Diner crossed his desk at his day job at Taabu and Giancarlo's Psychic Advisement and Paranormal Investigations, it couldn't possibly be part of the new business he was considering: a ghost walk. Las Vegas had a few, but if Tripadvisor was to be believed, they were light on history. He hoped to come up with a tour backed up by Vegas history, with some good ghostly stories and a reasonable walk. It was a perfect job for vampires and there were several young vampires in town who weren't old enough to be out in the sun, like he could be, who could be tour leaders. Arrigo thought there was probably a joke in there somewhere, a vampire hunting ghosts.
Deliah's was too far off either the Strip or Freemont Street to make it good for the walk, not to mention it was a sketchy side of town. Still, he could add it into a book he'd been commissioned to write about haunted Vegas. Also it afforded Arrigo the chance to swing by The Alibi. He wanted to know more about the family who seemed to run the place, or at least the hot blond. The gray-haired, bearded man who screamed redneck with the bayou accent to back up the image held no interest for Arrigo other than to inspire distaste because of the hostility he lorded over the two young men who worked the bar with him: one was the blond that had caught his eye and the other was brawnier with darker hair. Arrigo decided they were obviously his sons from the way they interacted. Their accents were Louisianan, Cajun, actually. Arrigo figured they had come west looking for new homes after Hurricane Katerina like so many others. He knew a whole clan of vampires who gave up the New Orleans cliché and moved to Tempe, Arizona. Arrigo recognized the accent because he had lived in the Pontalba Apartments in the French Quarter once upon a lifetime ago.
Since he was on that side of town documenting haunted diners, Arrigo decided to stop at The Alibi, even though he hardly fit in. Maybe he'd see the hot blond. Those stunning blue eyes, short golden curls, and a muscular build got his motor running. Arrigo never discriminated between sexes when intimacy was concerned. Not that Arrigo had approached the blond and probably wouldn't tonight either, at least not in The Alibi. This sort of bar probably thrived on gay bashing, and he was not in the mood to get into a fight with people he’d gladly drain down to the last drop.
And I wanted to add another of those 100 things about writing here too
Just a decade ago you wouldn't find too many gay characters in mainstream fantasy. I'm old enough to remember the fall out when Mercedes Lackey made a main character gay (yes I realize this is more like 20 years ago). You would have thought the world was ending. 'No one will ever take her seriously again.' Heard that one many times. They were wrong but still in the 90s I remember so many agents/editors/publishers saying not only no gay characters but threatening to black ball you if they caught wind you published something like that elsewhere.
Now you're starting to see gay characters, mostly as secondary characters, sometimes as one of the group of protagonists and they're just there being who they are. No fan fare, no OMG you're gay! They just are who they are and this is amazing to see. Chuck Wendig has a whole series with a gay protagonist, Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Boys may have a gay character (I say yes but you could read the statements as the character not giving a damn someone called him gay as in insult), Rick Riordan's second Olympiad series has a gay character and yes there is another popular YA writer who has a hot series and a movie with one too but since there are things I don't like about her, I didn't really want to include her.
I'm sure there are more examples. And I wish it was as simple as oh hey, this character's gay and everyone goes on with their lives. Oh how I wish. Of course it's not that simple. Every homophobe seems to come crawling out of the woodwork with something shitty to say in their non-reviews that exist to blast the author for daring to include a gay character. Chuck Wendig had a beautifully sarcastic response to that last week. I haven't seen how the others have responded to it.
There will always be haters. Who cares about them? I'm just glad to see the inclusion of these characters, especially in YA. Young people coming into their sexuality need to have some positive ...well if not role models since that's an odd thing for a fictional character to be, then at least to see people like themselves in roles other than those designed to ridicule.
no subject
no subject
no subject
So I'm all for there being all sorts of characters in novels and stories. Definitely. Everyone should be able to find someone to relate to in the written word.
no subject
But I agree people should
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
I can't wait for "Blood Red Roulette" to come out!I've enjoyed the sneak peek!(Your word processor keeps auto-correcting Katrina as Katerina. XD Silly thing!)
I get what you mean about gay characters. I love the show "Supernatural" & they had a character on there called "Charlie" who's a lesbian. It wasn't played for laughs, nor did they make any fuss about it. It was no biggie & she was good friends with the lead characters. She was also delightfully nerdy & attractive, & I'm going to miss her.
What's really sad is those peeps who "review" and show off their ignorance. I'd love to read Chuck's response to the Moe-Ron who was mouthing off. :D Do you have a link?
no subject
I'll have to send you the next few chapters that are ready. Shakes fist at that darned auto correct.
That's cool actually. Lesbian characters seem to be even more of a rare creature on Tv shows than gay men.
I do. If you're not familiar with Terrible Minds, the language is raw but his posts are usually spot on and funny, even when he's pissed. http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/07/22/dear-guy-who-is-mad-because-i-wrote-a-gay-character-in-a-book/
no subject
Thanks! :D *snorts* XD Maybe whoever wrote that program had a sweetie named Katerina. ;p
Yeah, I especially liked that being a lesbian was no big thing & anyone who tuned in after that episode were she told the leads about her sexuality, it was no biggie & never mentioned again. & if it was, it was so low-key, I don't even recall it. Plus I LOVED how they did it in the first place. Charlie was hacking into a computer & she was nervous & the one male lead told her to think about some sexy guy to get her mind off getting in trouble & she told him, she'd rather think about Scarlet Johansen. & he was like "oh? okay" and on with the plot. :D
Language doesn't bother me unless the person is spewing hate. I think you've posted links to him before, so I'm familiar with his style. :D Thanks for the link! *runs off to go read it*
no subject
Well that is very neat. I've not watched much of that show so I didn't know.
Yeah Chuck doesn't do hate. well he hates on bigotry and stupidity but that's okay by me. And occasionally on writers who are made up more of excuses than they are actual writing
no subject
Supernatural is a good show. I can't wait for the new season to start. I'm also looking forward to the new season of the Doctor. :D
*giggles* And when he does do hate, it's so funny, it's hard to be mad at him, cuz he makes it seem ridiculous to hate in the first place. :D
no subject
True and usually he's hating on things most of us should dislike
no subject
Yup! :D
no subject
no subject
I hope it does too as I really like the show & 12. ;p
no subject
no subject
Maybe no one wanted to cast her in a movie. ;p I had heard that's why she wanted to leave. Maybe Moffet will tighten up his writing a bit & overhaul the character to make her less annoying.
no subject
yeah that could have been re: the movies
no subject
*nods*
no subject
That is exactly my problem with how they wrote Clara and Danny last year.
Agreed, I loved Martha too but she was a lot of wasted potential.
I am hoping it was just off-writing and this year will be great (though I could live without ever seeing the Daleks or the cybermen again)
no subject
*nods*
Yeah... I wish they'd bring her back. It always felt like her time as a companion was too short.
*nods* I could live without Missy. I find her annoying. The Master before her was a lot better.
Hopefully it'll be an awesoem season! :D
no subject
Hmm a lot of people had that reaction to MIssy. I actually liked her. Everyone else liked that it paves the way for a female doctor
no subject
Yeah? *nods* I also like the idea of a female doctor, but while the "tease" worked for the Master (he reminded me of a naughty lil boy), with her, it comes off as annoying. So who knows? Maybe she'll grow on me this season & maybe she won't. *shrugs*
no subject
I'm not sure I like the idea of a female Doctor to be honest but much of that stems from the sudden converting of heroes into women and/or non-Caucasians instead of making NEW characters to fill that void. Smacks of laziness. Yeah we know we need to be more diverse but we're too lazy to come up with anything new so...here let's do this
no subject
Hmm... I guess I'm so used to seeing a largely male Caucasian cast in most shows, aside from Star Trek, that I don't notice the lack of diverseness.
Please, I feel like Hollywood goes through phases where they remark everything in sight, or if they're feeling really "creative" they simply make another sequel. ;p That's LAZINESS too.
no subject
yes, thank you, i agree. Please PLEASE quit rebooting everything
no subject
You're welcoem. Now how to get Hollywood to listen to us? XD
no subject
good luck with that one
no subject
Thanks! ;p
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject