Guest Post with Daniela Sacerdoti: Writing From the Heart

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming author Daniela Sacerdoti to Once Upon a Series. She is the author of Watch Over Me and her second novel, Dreams, will be out in May.

Writing From the Heart

As a new writer, I’ve been faced with a choice: write from inspiration, following my heart, or trying to nail a successful book by giving the market what it’s looking for? It didn’t take me long to find the answer.

In the beginning, there were vampires: everybody wanted to write the new Twilight. Now it’s the Hunger Games, and everybody wants to write dystopian. In between, there were zombies and angels.

Problem is, when a trend is at its apex, it means it’s on its way out. The trick is to identify the next big thing, and write accordingly.

Is it?

I don’t think so. Not for a minute. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight wasn’t a cynical exercise: she wrote from the heart, weaving her dreams and her religious beliefs into a story that was innovative, and in its use of traditional folklore figures, entirely original. Millions of readers all around the world believed in the story, because Stephenie believed in it first.

Any reader, young or old, will know by instinct if the writer believes in her story or not – if she’s truthful with it. There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by the stories written and published all around us – Twilight and the Hunger Games have bred a whole flood of books whose authors are genuinely moved by the scenarios depicted in those books. Far from being pale imitators or cynical market-followers, these writers have their imagination brought to life by the stories they inspire themselves to.

But those who sit at their desk planning a bestseller – the next Hunger Games, the next Shiver, the next this or the other, will fail. A cynical exercise in market taming, orchestrated by a skilled writer and an even more skilled editor, and aided by clever marketing, will only reach so far.

Because readers will know.

Readers like you and me, whatever our background, whatever our knowledge of literature or our education, will instinctively feel if a story comes from the heart and soul of the writer. Human beings are experts in stories – we’ve been telling them since time began, translating our reality, our fears and our desires into symbolic tales and quests. Fairy tales, epic poems, and more recently, novels, channel the souls of whole communities, and capture the spirit of the times. These stories aren’t only the product of their individual writers, but the product of our collective subconscious; writers seem to be able to channel them.

The ability to channel what the times are trying to tell us is an innate talent that comes rarely, and cannot be imitated; and the courage to dig deep into our souls, to really and truly bare our innermost fears and secrets to the readers, is even rarer. It can’t be reproduced artificially, it can’t be the product of a cynical exercise.

Writers must bare their souls, even when it’s painful. We must listen to the times we live in, listen to the voice of the community and the voice of the world, and dig deep, deep into our personal history. If that process guesses the trend and comes out with a best seller, good for us – if it doesn’t, at least we’ll have produced something we can be proud of.

Thank you Daniela for visitng us today with such a great guest post. I definitely agree that readers will know if writers are just striving to write the next best thing rather than something that they really care about.

If you would like to stalk Daniela, you can find her at her website and on Twitter.


About the Author

Daniela Sacerdoti is a mother and a writer. Born in Naples, but brought up in a small village in the Italian Alps, she lives near Glasgow with her husband and sons. She steals time to write when everyone has gone to bed, or before they wake up. She’s a Primary teacher, but she chose to be at home with her children. She loves being with her boys, reading anything she can get her hands on and chatting with her girlfriends. But she also adores being on her own, free to daydream and make up stories.

Guest post with Jennifer from Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Jennifer from the blog, Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, and she will be telling us all about her favourite characters from a paranormal romance series.

The Most Intriguing Characters of Paranormal Romance History: Acheron and Simi

Let me start off by saying that if you are a Paranormal Romance fan and don’t know who Acheron and Simi are then I have no choice. *Rolls up newspaper and smacks you on the nose* Bad paranormal romance fan, bad. Now, go pick up the Dark-Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon and don’t come out of your room until you want to scratch Tory’s eyes out for stealing your new book boyfriend. With that out of the way, let the Acheron and Simi praising begin.

Let’s start from the beginning. Sherrilyn Kenyon (who I secretly dislike because she can make Acheron do whatever she wants) writes the amazing Dark-Hunter series as well as the interconnected Dream-Hunter and Were-Hunter series. But since research paper sized guest posts are no fun, let’s stick with the Dark-Hunter series. Dark-Hunters are immortals that have sold their souls to Artemis, the Goddess of the hunt and childbirth, for a chance to get revenge on the people who killed/betrayed them. From then on, these Dark-Hunters are in the service of Artemis, spending the rest of their lives killing those who prey on human souls, the Daimons (a twist on the vampire). Each book focuses on one Dark-Hunter who finds love. But let’s get to the good part, right? Acheron, Ash for short, is the first Dark-Hunter. *Caution: the rest of this post will contain some spoilers but I will keep them to a minimum.* But Ash isn’t just a Dark-Hunter, he is much, much more. He is a God, one with a sordid and horrible past that will break your heart. I guess when you’re named after the river of woe, then a sad future will follow.

Kenyon made us wait for fourteen freaking books until she finally came out with Acheron, book fifteen. And through all fourteen books, the mystery that was Acheron built up into a painful crescendo. As a reader, you feared him, you loved him, you just wanted to lick every part of his body. Wait, did I just say that out loud? Oops. The sneak peeks of his true identity drove me crazy with anticipation. His skin turning blue, having his tattoos come to life, bringing his friends back from the dead. Intrigued yet? So when Acheron finally came out, you can imagine the squeals of excitement and funky dances of joy that came out of me that day. Let me give you an idea of how popular this book was. Did you ever notice that no matter how popular a series is, that its number of reviews always dwindle book after book? The most reviews are always for book one of the series and then goes down from there. Well, Acheron got double (600, 4.5 star average) the reviews on Amazon than book one of the Dark-Hunter series. I’ve never seen that before. I thought it was pretty incredible.

Before I go any further, I thought it would be prudent of me to supply everyone with the summary (from Goodreads) of Acheron:

The most anticipated story in the blockbuster Dark-Hunter series. The never-before-revealed story of the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron. He was made human in order to escape death, but in death he was reborn a god. . .
Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron became the sole defender of mankind.
Only it was never that simple. For centuries, he has fought for our survival and hidden a past he’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.
Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.
War has never been more deadly... or more fun.

In the first half of Acheron we are taken back in time to witness and endure the horrendous life Acheron was forced to suffer, then the second half is where Acheron finally meets the love of his life. Throughout the series Ash has never been interested in any woman. Of course, on the flip side, that could be farthest from the truth. Pretty much every woman in the series, and in the history of existence, is attracted to Ash. His perfection is boundless, though he tries to tamper down his beauty by dyeing his hair funky colors and sporting some piercings. Which probably had the opposite effect Ash wanted since he only accomplished looking like perfection but in a badass sort of way. Ash is a legend among all Dark-Hunters. No one can’t predict which Ash they will get when they call upon his help. He’s been known to be gentle and caring, aggressive and menacing, and occasionally just straight up horrifying. He has magnetism and raw masculine power beyond any character I have ever read. I can only imagine what it’s like to be in his presence, to ache to touch him but fear you will lose your hand if you dare. Ash has only ever wanted kindness but most often found cruelty. He wants someone to love him not for his body, beauty, and natural draw but for just simply being him. He finally finds that person in Tory. And I’ve hated that wench ever since she took my hopes and dreams away from me when she claimed Ash as hers. One day, Tory, one day. You, me, a dark alley, and our fists. Be ready. (Sorry, I get a little possessive (psychotic) when it comes to Ash.)

But before there was Tory to take care of my man, there was Simi. Simi is a Charonte demon who protects Ash. She was a gift to Ash long, long ago when he needed a friend. As Ash walked the world alone, even amongst a crowd, it was Simi who was there for him. She is his protector, friend, and in way, his daughter. But most of all, Simi is freaking hilarious. Though she’s thousands of years old, she is very young in demon years. She talks and acts like a five year old and dresses like a lusty gothic school girl. Her akri (what she calls Ash, it means something like master in demon language) spoils her rotten. But when Simi does something bad, like eats people, she gets her plastic (credit cards) taken away and her QVC is shut off. Simi does not like this because she loves to shop (especially for sparklies) as much as she loves to eat anything with barbeque sauce, like the heifer goddess and moo moo cows. Except for tires, they give her heartburn. She doesn’t eat quality people though, like Tory, but meanies get what’s coming to them, especially when they threaten her akri. She also refers to herself in the third person which I wish I could pull off. Tried it for a day or two. Got some funny looks, but overall good times.

So, yeah, Acheron and Simi are the most intriguing characters in paranormal romance history. Acheron was a mystery for much of the series, so when his story came out, it was pretty much world changing. For me, watching Acheron interact with Simi was the best parts of every book. So far, I’ve read Acheron eight times, and I doubt I will ever get bored of reading any book, page, paragraph, sentence, or word that has to do with either of these characters. There will never be anyone like them again, and I treasure that I got to be a part of their journey.

Be on the lookout for my upcoming reviews of this entire series on my blog Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance: http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/

Thanks Jennifer for such an amazing guest post! I must admit to being one of those bad paranormal romance fans who hasn't read any of this series yet *ducks and hides from the rolled up newspaper*. But these books are now firmly on my TBR list.

So, who else has a lot of love for Acheron? Let us know and I'll try and stop Jennifer from beating down your door in a jealous rage *grin*

Paranormal Romance Month Guest Post: Michele Hauf

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Michele Hauf to Once Upon a Series for a guest post. She is the author of the Of Angels and Demons series that I have been reviewing as part of Paranormal Romance Month, as well as many other novels.

Today she is here to tell us about her latest writing adventure, so here she is:

Zombie Love?

Did you all have a great Valentine's Day? Spend it with someone you care about? It's a time of year that romance authors are expected to shine, and you wouldn't believe how many calls I get from local reporters who want my point of view on romance for articles they are writing. Love is great. Love makes the world go round.

But what about zombie love?

Heh. Did that one take you aback? Zombies can't love. Can they? Well, I recently had opportunity to find out if that is possible when I was invited to write a super short story for an anthology Harlequin is giving away this month. They invited six different authors, gave them each the same opening paragraphs, and let us go our own way. Why zombies? Why not! I figured it would be fun to try with the shorter format. And you know? I had a lot of fun creating a really twisted adventure/romp/horror/love story. Hee. And yes, I do believe zombies can find love too.

The anthology is SIX DEGREES OF ROMANCE, and you can download it for free at Amazon, B&N.com, or Harlequin. Or if you just want to read my story, you can right at my website.

So, in the realm of paranormal romances, what pairings between hero and heroine have you found to be a little wacky, maybe extreme?

Oh, good question, and I look forward to seeing which couples get picked!

If you would like to find out more about Michele, you can find her online at:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Guest Post and Giveaway with Author Dani Harper! (GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED)

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming author Dani Harper who will be telling us all about her paranormal romce series. At the end of her guest post she will also be giving you the details of a fantastic giveaway that she is hosting here at Once Upon a Series. So don't be shy, give Dani a warm welcome and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Changelings 101 - not your mother's werewolves

Hi, I’m Dani Harper and in my new paranormal series from Kensington-Brava, I’ve created a world in which wolfen shapeshifters live as humans among us, hiding in plain sight. Extremely long-lived and very strong, they call themselves Changelings and they regard their innate ability to become a wolf at will as a gift.

Each story revolves around a member of the Macleod family. Driven from Scotland two centuries ago when wolves were being exterminated there, these Changelings found sanctuary in the wilds of northern Canada. An entire community has since sprung up around them and the Macleods and their pack are part of the human community. But there’s just enough unspoiled forest left for them to joyfully run as wolves whenever they please. They seem to have the best of both worlds – but there are still dangers lurking for their kind. And love, when it arrives, brings dangers and complications of its own.

There are 2 immutable laws in the Changeling world:

1. Never harm a human

2. Never turn a human against their will

The wolf within, however, has its own set of primal rules. If a Changeling’s life is in danger, the wolf will emerge to defend it. The wolf will also rise, unbidden, to defend a mate at all costs. And Changelings mate for life.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A CHANGELING

Changelings in their lupine form are attractive. Graceful and swift, they stand on all fours like natural wolves. Aha, you say, then how do you tell a Changeling from a real wolf? Easy. Changelings are much bigger. And while their fur color seldom corresponds to the color of their human hair, their eyes never change.

Stealthy as a ghost, a Changeling is intent on guarding his secret identity. Humans are unlikely to ever encounter him in his wolfen persona. Unless of course you’ve been foolish enough to endanger him, his pack or (worst of all) his mate. Yes, Changelings have rules they choose to live by, but that doesn’t mean they’re tame!

As for recognizing a Changeling when he’s on two legs? Not going to happen. They may run on four feet in their free time but they choose to live as humans. They have jobs, pay bills, drive cars … they could be your neighbor, your boss, your banker. The only thing that’s certain is that you will never, ever know. But don’t worry. Thanks to the rules, a Changeling will never harm humans unless he turns rogue. And that’s only happened once. So far….

THE CHANGELING BOOKS

There are 3 books in the series at present (and by the way, each has been written to stand alone). Changeling Moon focuses on Connor Macleod. Changeling Dream is about James Macleod, the oldest of the siblings. And my newest release, Changeling Dawn is about the youngest Macleod, Kenzie. Here’s the blurb:

Kenzie Macleod has spent her whole life hiding the fact that she's a werewolf. She's not about to open up to any man, even one as powerfully attractive as wildlife expert Josh Talarkoteen. But legend says that a Changeling cannot escape the call of her true mate, even in the wilderness of backcountry Alaska. An isolated archaeological site, a terrified Changeling cub, a shadowy research facility - as Kenzie and Josh face the ultimate betrayal, his obsidian eyes promise untold pleasure and hint at dark secrets of his own...

For more information, reviews and excerpts of each of my novels, check out my website!

WHERE TO FIND DANI HARPER

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter / Blog

DANI'S GIVEAWAY FOR READERS (GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED)
I love to talk books and I love to give away prizes! So name one or more of your favorite paranormal or urban fantasy series authors. (I love Patricia Briggs, Karen Chance, Jeaniene Frost and Keith Hearne myself!) A name will be drawn at random from the commenters on Feb. 21st . The winner will receive a signed copy of my new release, Changeling Dawn, and a “Dani Harper” tote bag to put it in. PS – the giveaway is International!