This is the first of a series of videos showing how a typical writer (i.e., me) works through the day. And my day starts early. [divider] [media url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJzBExwNf_M”] [divider]
The Girl on the Cover
This post is about cover art, and specifically the way characters are portrayed in it. I want to say up front, I’m not being critical of my own covers. A cover is designed to make potential readers check out the book; once they do, it becomes the writer’s responsibility to keep them interested. It goes without saying that often the … Read More
Of eddies, witches and titles
It’s no secret that the Eddie LaCrosse novels owe as much to mystery as they do fantasy, especially the hardboiled pulps and films noir of the 30s and 40s. So when I wrote Wake of the Bloody Angel, I knew its title would have to be a play on a title from the mystery genre, much as Burn Me Deadly … Read More
Trailer #2 for Wake of the Bloody Angel
To commemorate tomorrow’s release of Wake of the Bloody Angel, the fourth Eddie LaCrosse novel, here’s the second book trailer: longer, with different music (by Laura Powers) and a different slant on the story. Hope you enjoy! [media url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h_B41Tqvow”]
A new free song download
After the amazing response to the free download of Jennifer Goree’s song “The Hum and the Shiver” (still available here), I’m delighted to offer another freebie. “Pirate,” the song featured in the book trailer for Wake of the Bloody Angel, is now available on the novel’s book page. Scroll down a bit, and you’ll see the words FREE DOWNLOAD. Thanks … Read More
Show your love for Eddie (and a good cause, too)!
So, as promised, here’s my big announcement. I’m joining Joe R. Lansdale, Jonathan Lethem, Nick Hornby, Richard K. Morgan Chuck Klosterman, Dennis Lehane and three of my personal heroes–Bruce Springsteen, Charles de Lint, and Andrew Vachss–at Novel Tees. It’s a literary t-shirt shop where all profits go to Protect, a lobby for legislation to protect children from physical, sexual, … Read More
Sword up vs. sword down
To general readers (i.e., those who don’t read one genre exclusively), “fantasy” means warriors, sorcerers, castles and dragons. The omnipresence of Joseph Campbell, in the wake of George Lucas, has added the core story idea of the naive young hero, sword raised as a beacon of everything that’s just and right, preparing to go into battle. You can see the … Read More
The real pirate of the Bloody Angel
When I began thinking about the next Eddie LaCrosse novel, sometime during the final stages of Dark Jenny, I knew I needed a simple hook for it. The previous books had them: The Sword-Edged Blonde came from the song, “Rhiannon,” Burn Me Deadly came from a mash-up of Kiss Me Deadly and the idea of dragons as nuclear weapons, and … Read More
The Curse of the Overwritten
I’ve been teaching a class for teen writers at the local library, and like any teaching job, the teacher gets as much out of it as the students. These kids are all there because they want to be, and they’ve proven through our first revision pass (my notes on their stories) that they can take editorial comments without freaking out. … Read More
The sources and settings for Wake of the Bloody Angel
Okay, so the fourth adventure of sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse, Wake of the Bloody Angel, hits shelves and reading devices this summer. What’s it about, you ask? Pirates. Oh, sure, there’s other things: the weight of the past, the nature of truth, the limits of friendship, sea monsters. But the selling point for me, the reason I wanted to write … Read More