Bijou Babbles (7.24.13)

Hey, everyone! I know I suck. I planned to have the blog done last weekend. Unfortunately, I get blinders on when I’m finishing a project. One book down for a pen name, a few more to go for another pen name, then it's Bijou time! 

So I figured I would do the question/answer thingamajig again. Here we go!

 

What is the order of the upcoming books?

 

Damaged and the Cobra (Lark/Aaron)

Damaged and the Outlaw (Raven/Vaughn)

Damaged and the Dragon (Bailey/Nick)

Damaged and the Saint (Harlow/Saint)

 

Why will Cobra and Dragon be novellas?

 

Right now, I don’t think I can write a full length novel for either couple. This could change during the writing process. I never plan word counts. I take the same philosophy as Johnny Cash while recording You Are My Sunshine. When he finished early, a musician told him the song was shorter than usual. Cash said when a song was done, it was done. He never forced it.

 

I am the same way with my books. I don’t add filler to make a book longer or hack out stuff to make it shorter. I just write until the story feels complete to me. My book lengths fall anywhere between 60,000 and 100,000 words. It just depends on the story and characters.

 

So if Dragon and Cobra end up falling into novel length, they’ll be novels. I’ll let the characters tell their stories and see where the word counts fall.

 

Bailey sucked a lot less in Knight. Was that your plan all along?

 

Yes and no. As I wrote before, I never expected everyone to hate her so much. I figured I would have to ditch Bailey and it's why I changed the third novel to Vaughn and Raven. So many readers warmed to Bailey that she gets her book again. Let's just hope she behaves, so I'm not forced to punish her again.

  

Who the hell is Raven and why should we care?

 

Raven is Lark's older sister. She a tough little bitch who ditched town to get away from her stepdad and loopy mom. In Cobra, she'll return to town. Unlike the Smith sisters and even Lark, Raven isn't really fragile, though she is damaged and lost. She'll be a different type of heroine for me in many ways, so I hope she fits into Ellsberg.

 

Who are the couple in Damaged and the Saint?

 

I wasn’t planning on writing a fourth full length book, but I didn’t like ending the series with a novella. I wanted everything tied up nicely for all of the characters. In Vaughn’s book, we’ll meet Harlow. I really mean it when I write “we” because I don’t know her until she comes alive on the page.

Anyway, I have a little of her back story and an idea of her personality. As for the H, I’m imagining a badass from outside Ellsberg who arrives to do a job for the Johanssons. In the end of the book, he’ll take Harlow with him. Her departure from Ellsberg will parallel us leaving too.

 

When will the next book be released?

By the end of August, my Bijou books will receive much needed love. I plan to write Cobra, Outlaw, and Dragon in one push. Ideally, Cobra will be ready by late September. Outlaw will follow around Halloween and Dragon by Christmas.

 

What are your pen names and will I like any of your other books?

 

I write urban fantasy, young adult paranormal, and zombie horror as Angela Horn. I write Christian romantic fantasy as Dakota Shepherd. I plan other pen names for other genres.

 

I can't say if enjoyment of the Damaged series will translate into liking my other books. The Vivi Rios series has a romance at its core, but it’s more like Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series with one couple in the story arc. I will say the Damaged books are the darkest I’ve ever written.

 

For more info on future books and series, check out my personal blog.

 

What’s with your Denny’s obsession? Do you own one?

 

Nope, but I do call one my second home. I write, read, brainstorm, and play at one. When I started taking my writing hobby seriously, I dropped by the local Denny’s and wrote notes. Eventually, I became a regular and now it’s my Cheers. Don’t worry though. Lark is the last heroine in the Damaged series to work at the restaurant. Can’t promise there won’t be more shout outs to my home away from home in the future though.

 

Is it difficult to write so many different genres like romance, Christian fantasy, and zombie books?

 

Not really. In the end, they're all people. Whether it’s fallen angels fighting for redemption, silly warrior sisters fighting for enough money to take a vacation, a teen girl and her dad fighting the living dead, or a damaged guy and girl fighting for happiness, the stories all boil down to characters reacting to one another.

 

I have said romance is more difficult for me because  there’s nowhere to hide. If the main character sucks and her love interest sucks, I can’t hide these facts behind monsters. In fact, I’ve read urban fantasies where I hated the chick and loathed her love interest. I kept reading the series because the world was interesting even if the characters weren’t. In romance, the characters are stripped bare and have nowhere to hide.

 

How old is Judd?

 

I didn’t really consider Judd’s age when I started writing. I only knew he was older. It’s probably why I didn’t actually mention his age. Oops. Judd is ten years older than Tawny, making him 27.

 

That's it for now. If you have any questions for me, let them rip. I love hearing from readers. You chickadees are why I’m scrambling to get the next books out. Normally, I’m quite lazy, but I love how happy my books make so many readers. How can I not want to give you more as soon as possible?

 

Until next time, stay cool and happy reading!