It is great and all getting to peek behind the current as it were, but that’s not why you’re really here. You want to know about the books; to be tempted and teased with spoilers you don’t know are spoilers. Sad news: We’re not quite there yet. Good news: The adventure is half of the fun.
Speaking of adventure: I get asked all of the time “Why fantasy?” The easy answer has always been “Because I get enough reality as it is.” But I have a confession to make. Lean close, so I can whisper it in your ear. Do you know the secret to really good fantasy? When it feels real. We all want to relate and I’m no exception. Why do we like angsty characters? Because we ourselves have angst. When their hearts are broken or they lose some impossible battle, we want to feel the hurt–deeply.
For me, the ultimate plus is when a book makes me laugh. Now I don’t mean a half smile or a light chuckle to yourself. I want to be caught off guard with the wit of a character or the humor of a ridiculous situation. Why? Because that’s me. I want my characters awkward because I’m awkward. I’m not talking so clumsy they fall on their face as soon as as they walk out the door, but more that they put their foot in their mouth as often as not.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, some of my titles have a distinct romantic undercurrent. Needless to say, the awkwardness abounds. It is rare to find someone who is 100% confident in themselves in a heated or what could become a heated situation (the latter containing the most discomfort). Naturally, you’ll see some “fake it ’til they make it” while others struggle through with no ambition of success, the whole “What the hell? Why not?” approach. In the meantime, let the comedy ensue. Sure they may sprout fur, grow a tail, and howl at the moon every month, but outside of that, they have to struggle through just like the rest of us.
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