Karen Mahoney
Top 5: Current TV Shows
Dame Kaz
I’ve been super busy with deadlines lately (they don’t call us Deadline Dames for nothing, around here!), so was on the verge of posting an excerpt… But then I thought: No! Wait just a second. I can come up with a blog post of some kind for our loyal readers. Um… I can give them a list. A Top 5 list of… what? My first thought was of course books, but how about something a bit different?
I settled on TV shows – which worked out well as I’m only watching five at the moment, anyway. 
Kaz’s CURRENT* Top 5 TV Shows:
1. The Vampire Diaries
This is still my top TV show. Is it entirely without fault? Of course not. But it moves so fast, with more twists and turns in one episode than in many entire seasons of lesser shows, that I can’t help going back for more. It’s kind of addictive. *ahem*
2. The Walking Dead
The second season just returned (finally!), after that agonising mid-season break. I haven’t watched yesterday’s episode yet, but can’t wait to do so later this week. I never thought I’d get so caught up in a zombie show, but well… there you have it. It helps that Andrew Lincoln (a Brit!) is an amazing actor.
3. Castle
Hell-o, Nathan Fillion.
Oh, I’m sorry. Where was I? Castle is just plain loveable. I mean the show as a whole, although that does of course apply to the eponymous hero. And getting my mind off Mr. Fillion for just a moment, I do love Stana Katic. She’s an incredible actress – can’t wait to see where her career goes next, although I’m hoping there’ll be plenty more of this fun show beyond the current fourth season.
4. Fringe
Another one where we’re into Season 4. I’m a little behind at the moment (no spoilers, please!), but hope to catch up soon. Still loving the wacky plots. Still loving the wonderful performances. I think Fringe fills the little hole left in my soul by The X-Files… (Also, is there going to be a fifth season? I’m not sure if that’s been confirmed yet. I hope so!)
5. Dexter
The sixth season started well, lost its way in the middle, but then finished with a bang. There’s no way I could miss Season 7 after that cliffhanger of an ending. Bring it on!
I’m sure there are other shows that would make this list if I was able to watch them (I’d like to try Once Upon a Time and Grimm, but am waiting until DVDs are available).
What about you? What are you watching at the moment – any spoiler-free recs for me?
*It’s gotta be something still ongoing.
THE WOOD QUEEN Release Day!
Today’s New Release Tuesday is very exciting! Our very own Karen Mahoney takes center stage with the multi-country release of THE WOOD QUEEN, the second book in her Iron Witch series.
Here is the beautiful Australian cover: (in stores now!)
And here is the stunning UK cover: (also in stores right now!)
And this, my friends, is the fabulous US cover: (available tomorrow! In just a few hours, really!!)
Karen has lots of goodies to give away to celebrate this awesome release. For your chance to win, here’s where you’ll want to go:
And just in case you need one more little teaser, here’s an excerpt from the back of the book:
THE WOOD QUEEN
To keep her best friend, Navin, from being killed at the hands of vicious wood elves, Donna Underwood stole the elixir of life. Now she’s facing an alchemist tribunal while her mother lies dying, succumbing to the elven curse that shattered her mind. In desperation, Donna seeks an audience with Aliette, the fierce and manipulative Wood Queen, who offers a deal: if Donna can use her strange and burgeoning powers to help the wood elves, Aliette will free her mother from the curse.
Along with Navin and Xan, the half-fey guy she’s falling for, Donna struggles to unlock the secrets of her iron tattoos in time to save her mother’s life. But some secrets are better left untold…
Happy release day, Dame Kaz!!
THE DAMES DISPATCH January 2012
Welcome to our first
Dame News Day!
A Short Collection of Dame Tidbits and Happenings
If you like this post and would like to see us do a monthly or quarterly update, please let us know in the comments. Oh, and if you have ideas for things you’d like us to include in the news, we’d love to hear that too!
RECENTLY FINISHED
Keri Arthur: I’ve just finished the copy edits on DARKNESS DEVOURS, the 3rd Dark Angels book.
Jenna Black: I’ve just finished writing the first draft of REPLICA, my next YA novel.
Rinda Elliott: I’ve just finished writing the proposal for new project.
Jackie Kessler: I’ve recently finished writing the Sekrit Project, which I can’t say any more about. But I hope I can soon!
Karen Mahoney: I’ve just finished the first draft of THE STONE DEMON (3rd and final book of THE IRON WITCH trilogy).
Devon Monk: I just finished revisions on TIN SWIFT, book two in my steampunk series, and the really, really, oh-so-rough draft of MAGIC FOR A PRICE.
Lilith Saintcrow: I just recently finished writing a zombie-killing cowboy trunk novel.
Rachel Vincent: I’ve just finished page proofs on BEFORE I WAKE, the sixth Soul Screamers novel.
ON THE DESK NOW
Toni Andrews: I’m currently writing a long-awaited book to follow up on the Mercy Hollings series.
Keri Arthur: I’m currently reworking an old project called WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE. It’s a little different from my usual stuff–more humorous, and features elves, trolls, ogres, dwarves and sirens.
Rinda Elliott: I’m currently writing CATALYST, the 3rd novella in The Kithran Regenesis series for Samhain.
Jackie Kessler: I’m currently writing BREATH, which is due March 31. (Gulp.)
Karen Mahoney: I have 3 weeks left to revise FALLING TO ASH (first book in my YA vampire thriller about Moth).
Devon Monk: I’m currently polishing the draft of the ninth Allie Beckstrom book: MAGIC FOR A PRICE.
Lilith Saintcrow: I’m currently writing the second Bannon & Clare book, THE RED PLAGUE AFFAIR.
Rachel Vincent: I’m currently writing OATH BOUND, the third and final book in the Unbound trilogy.
UP NEXT
Keri Arthur: DARKNESS DEVOURS, the 3rd Dark Angels book, comes out in July.
Jenna Black: My book DEADLY DESCENDANT is out in less than 3 months (April 24)
Rinda Elliott: My novella, REPLICANT, is out in March-hopefully. (See snippet of REPLICANT below)
Jackie Kessler: My book LOSS is out in 7 weeks, and I’m not at all terrified. I’m also lying. 
(See snippet of LOSS below) I’m doing a LOSS blog tour in March. Will be giving away LOSS cover posters!
Karen Mahoney: THE WOOD QUEEN (Iron Witch book 2) is released… this month! It sort of snuck up on me. 2nd Feb in the UK and 8th Februay in the US. Look out for giveaways around the interwebs – keep an eye on my personal blog for links to those. I’ll be doing a biggie at The Book Smugglers very soon.
Devon Monk: MAGIC WITHOUT MERCY, book 8 in the Allie Beckstrom series, comes out April 3rd.
Lilith Saintcrow: THE BANDIT KING, the sequel to THE HEDGEWITCH QUEEN comes out June 1st.
Rachel Vincent: SHADOW BOUND is four months from release, and I’ll be posting a sizable excerpt this month!
READING
Keri Arthur: I’m currently listening to the audio book of Matthew Reilly’s SCARECROW AND THE ARMY OF THIEVES (and loving every mad minute of it)
Jenna Black: I’m reading # 3 of my 8 RITA books (i.e., books I am judging for RWA’s RITA contest); I’d tell you the title, but then I’d have to kill you.
Rinda Elliott: I am reading PRINCE OF AIR AND DARKNESS by Jenna Black.
Jackie Kessler: I’m reading an ARC of Heather Brewer’s SOULBOUND, the first book in the Legacy of Tril. Fabulous!
Karen Mahoney: I have just started reading VANISHED by Kat Richardson. It’s the 4th in her Greywalker series (I’m two or three books behind) and I’m loving it already – in this one Harper Blaine goes to London!
Devon Monk: I’m reading an annotated collection of fairytales by Hans Christian Anderson, some Grimm tales, and also THE WHITE ROAD by Lynn Flewelling.
Lilith Saintcrow: I’m reading a lot about Victorian London and Jack the Ripper, as well as about bubonic plague and epidemics.
Rachel Vincent: I just finished reading: CATCHING FIRE and MOCKING JAY by Suzanne Collins.
WATCHING
Keri Arthur: I just ordered the second season of JUSTIFIED from Amazon US and SHERLOCK season 2 from Amazon UK and I’m anxiously waiting the arrival of both!
Jenna Black: I’m watching JUSTIFIED and DEADWOOD, because I’m on a Timonthy Olyphant kick.
Rinda Elliott: I’m watching LOST GIRL, SHAMELESS, and HOUSE OF LIES.
Jackie Kessler: I recently watched the UK version of BEING HUMAN. John Mitchell makes Angelus look like a pansy.
Karen Mahoney: I’m currently watching THE VAMPIRE DIARIES; it’s the third series and I am still really enjoying it. There was no episode last week, though. Boo! I’m also looking forward to the return of THE WALKING DEAD.
Devon Monk: I’ve caught up on all the HAVEN episodes (love!) and am watching DOWNTON ABBEY, BEING HUMAN (UK), and ARCHER.
Lilith Saintcrow: I haven’t had a chance to watch a movie in a very long time, but when I get one, I plan on watching COWBOYS & ALIENS.
LIFE AND OTHER DELIGHTS
Toni Andrews: I am teaching an online class in deep Point of View.
Jenna Black: I’m learning a new Argentine Tango routine for my dance studio’s spring showcase and just finished knitting a pair of wildly colorful striped socks for my husband.
Rinda Elliott: Unfortunately, a lot of my attention lately has been aimed toward recovering from a health issue. But I expect I’ll be at full speed ahead soon!
Jackie Kessler: I’m competing in two tae kwon do tournaments, because I’m training to be a superhero. (Superheroes, apparently, need ice packs. A lot.)
Karen Mahoney: To seal my total geekiness, I just signed up to attend the London Super Comic Con at the end of February – Stan Lee is the guest of honour! Excelsior!
Devon Monk: I’m three weeks into the Couch to 5K running program (or the sweating and swearing program, as I call it), and am finishing off a few knitted gifts I had hoped to have done *months* ago.
Lilith Saintcrow: I’m still running and climbing, and doing a bunch of housecleaning and purging. Spring is right around the corner, plus we’ve had some changes in our household recently, so it’s a good time to get things spruced up.
SNIPPETS
REPLICANT
by Dani Worth*
I wondered if they’d clued in to who I was now. It’s not like I’d kept my life as a Tracker hidden and specializing in hunting down Replicants had given me a reputation I’d earned righteously. Replicants were an alien species that could change form as long as they had the race’s DNA and the form was humanoid.
Taking a couple of steps away, I focused on the foot-tall black and yellow painted squares of the side paths. They held sensors that beeped when hover dollies got too close. I breathed in the fake air and remembered that this wasn’t a homecoming for me, this was a takedown.
“Damn, Jarana, it’s good to see you. And it’s nice of you to raise the temperature of this supply station with that outfit of yours.” Egan winked.
A frown pulled Lux’s dark eyebrows together. “She looks like the Sadistic Mistress of the Clan Ladybug.”
*aka: Rinda Elliott
LOSS
by Jackie Morse Kessler
…At the edge of the park, he sees a white horse. Not a merry-go-round horse, either, but a real live horse, about a million feet tall and so white that it’s like staring at the sun…
Billy blinked and the memory vanished, but the horse remained. Not his horse, no—that horse, the nightmare horse, the one that came with the Ice-Cream Man, was a blinding white, and the one dappled in moonlight outside his house was, if anything, leached of color. It made Billy think of the plant hanging in the kitchen: amid the lush emerald leaves were scattered bits of pale green, the color leaning toward off-white. The horse was the color of those dying leaves.
“Come on,” Death said, approaching the monstrous horse.
Billy’s feet refused to work. He opened his mouth to shout, but his voice died somewhere along the way. He watched Death pull himself atop the horse in an easy motion, watched him adjust the saddle bag that absolutely hadn’t been there a moment ago—for that matter, the saddle hadn’t been there a moment ago—but all Billy could do was stare, horrified, at the pale horse.
“Plenty of room,” Death said cheerfully.
Billy’s voice had betrayed him, but he could still turn his head. He did so, slowly, emphatically if silently saying, No, nuh uh, absolutely not.
The horse grinned at him. He knew that was crazy, because horses don’t grin, but he would have sworn on his life that the thing was actually grinning at him.
“Is there a problem?” asked Death.
Oh yeah. There was a gigantic horse with glowing red eyes and looking like it had maybe drowned standing right there in front of his house. There was a problem, all right.
“It’s my steed,” Death said fondly, giving the creature a pat on its thick neck. “It won’t harm you.”
Billy shook his head once more, and managed to take a step back. The door was flush against his back.
Now Death was gazing at him like he had the word LOSER written on his forehead. In a soft, cold voice, Death said, “What frightens thee, William Ballard?”
Billy thought once more of the Ice-Cream Man’s giant horse, screamingly white and yet somehow dirty, just like the Ice-Cream Man himself, and he heard the Ice-Cream Man tell him that he’s got something to show Billy…
No!
Shuddering, he looked away. No, he wasn’t thinking about the man in white. He wasn’t. That was a nightmare and nothing more.
“Even nightmares have elements of truth,” Death murmured.
Billy shivered again, and this time his voice didn’t fail him as he faced the Pale Rider. “I’m not riding a horse.”
It was a pivotal moment: Billy Ballard, the most bullied kid in school, had chosen to stand his ground. It wasn’t because he thought he could win. He’d reached his breaking point. Death could kill him, and that didn’t matter. There was no way that Billy was getting on that horse. Period.
Silence echoed as Death stared at him, considered him. Judged him. At last, the Pale Rider grinned. “No worries,” he said. “We’ll go the pop culture route instead.”
The horse snorted.
“Don’t be grumpy,” Death chided.
The pale steed snorted again, and then it wasn’t a horse at all but a yellow car, its engine already running. It looked like the love child of a Volkswagen Beetle and a Delorean. Death, in the driver’s seat, leaned his blond head out the window and said, “Well?”
Billy, stunned, said, “Your horse is a Transformer.”
“Technically, a transmogrifier. But hey, whatever floats your boat. Get in.”
Billy got in, pausing only to take in the name on the vanity plate. As he fastened his seat belt—which was purely habitual, because really, was he going to die when Death was driving?—he asked, “Um. What’s ‘Mortis Prime’?”
Death smiled, sighed, and said, “Dude, you’ve got to read the classics.” And with that, he hit the gas.
Writing Blocks, Fear & Resistance
Dame Kaz
Let’s talk about Writer’s Block.
It’s not a comfortable subject for writers – published or otherwise – because to not be able to write, for whatever reason, is so full of negative emotions as to feel agonising. Which sounds totally dramatic, but sometimes the worst case of ‘block’ really is that painful to those who suffer. Guilt, shame, self-hatred… all the biggies are there, and I’m sure a whole lot more. *shudders*
(On a very important side note here, no matter what your beliefs/theories are surrounding ‘Writer’s Block,’ there will always be someone who disagrees. Which is fine! Life is all about people having different views and different experiences. It would be pretty boring if it was any other way. However, it is the World’s Most Annoying and Hurtful Thing(tm) to make yourself vulnerable and to tell someone that you feel ‘blocked’ on your latest project, only to have that person breezily tell you, “There’s no such thing as writer’s block! I never get blocked. I don’t have time for it!” This is insensitive, and sometimes even damaging.)
I can only talk about my own experience and my own belief’s around the phenomenon known as ‘Writer’s Block’. If you, personally, believe in the power of something external to you that stops you from being able to write each and every time you face the blank page (or a stalled project), I am not saying any of the following to disrespect or devalue your own experience or definition of the much-used term. But for me, we aren’t talking about something mystical or outside of ourselves. My feelings around this complex subject – and my recent struggles with a form of ‘it’ – have led me to fully embrace the notion that writer’s block should always be written with a small ‘w’ and a small ‘b’. When we give those two little words Capital Letters of Doom, it seems more scary than it really should be. And certainly more significant.
So, in Kaz’s ever humble opinion (no laughing at the back, there!), what is writer’s block?
Basically, it’s something that comes from within you that stops you from writing. The part about it coming from inside you personally is crucial. If we turn it into something alien and external, then it’s far too easy to think: “Oh well, that means it’s out of my hands. There is nothing I can possibly do and will therefore have to simply watch reruns of The Vampire Diaries until my writing returns to me!” Which is not true – the part about not being able to do anything about it, I mean. Also, writing doesn’t ‘go’ anywhere. Not the way I see it, anyway. It’s still there, right inside you – you just have to dig around a bit in order to find it again.
What you can do, even if you can’t write, is try to figure out why you think you can’t write. Because, believe me, even when you truly believe you can’t do the work, you actually can. You can pick up a pen and write words. Any old words will do. They might not be very good words (they probably won’t be, to begin with), but there isn’t a mysterious power freezing you in place and physically stopping you from writing something down (a sentence! Just one little sentence…). Or typing a line. Writing the words: “Chapter One.” If you really were blocked, this should be impossible… right? Especially if you’re capital-B-Blocked.
If only writing was always this pink...
But, still. You feel as though you can’t write. I’ve been there. (Oh, how I’ve been there… very recently.) So first try to figure out why you can’t write:
Are you bored with your project?
Uninspired?
Worried that you’re repeating what’s already been done a million times before?
Did you go wrong somewhere, in an earlier chapter, and now you’ve ground to a halt?
Do you have to feed the kids and help with homework before you can write, and then when you finally get half an hour to yourself… you feel half-dead and hopeless?
Are you just too tired?
Too distracted?
Too lazy?
Too hungry?
All of these things – and many, many more – could be, and probably are, at the root of your stuckness. Steven Pressfield, in his famous book The War of Art spends most of its pages talking about Resistance (note the capital-R). And, you know, he’s not wrong. Most of our blocks and stuck places around our creative work do stem from us simply resisting the work. But it’s in the knowing WHY that I think is important. Because, once we know that, we might be able to fix it – maybe even fix it easily.
Sometimes, we get stuck because we introduced a character too early in our novel; started the story in the wrong place entirely; or maybe because we’re writing in the wrong POV. We might not know our world well enough and need to do more brainstorming and research, or any number of other practical, concrete reasons. These are mostly things we can address and fix, sometimes with the help of others.
But quite often it’s a more emotional and psychological problem holding us back, and that all boils down to one thing:
FEAR
But, guess what? Writing is scary. Making yourself vulnerable on the page, letting others read your words and judge your dreams… putting yourself out there is just damn hard. And then the Fear Monkey sits on your shoulder and whispers in your ear, and that’s pretty much the end of that. At least for one day (and if you only lose a single day’s work to the Fear Monkey, believe me, you can consider yourself lucky).
Beware the Fear Monkey!
As cute as it is, you really don’t need that little monkey around. Most of the time, when I’m writing, I actally feel like that baby monkey, wanting my mum to give me a hug and tell me that everything is going to be okay. (What? Don’t mock my pain… ) But, even though she’s on the end of the phone and is very good with TLC-on-demand (that should be a new TV channel!), when we finally face our writing – our creative work – we’re on our own. Writing is a party of one. Um… unless we’re collaborating. Heh. We have to figure out the fear at the heart of our particular ‘stuck place,’ and then get to work on kicking its ass! And the best way to do that is to put your own ass in the chair and continue to write through the block, no matter how painful and no matter how much crap you end up throwing away later on.
That’s what I did, and I ended up throwing out a lot. A lot of hard work and hard-earned words. But I finally figured out what was at the root of my individual fear – on this occasion – and managed to put the Fear Monkey back in its box. For now.
I hope you can too…
P.S. One of the best books on the subject that I’ve ever read is, sadly, currently out of print: On Writer’s Block: A New Approach to Creativity by Victoria Nelson. I do recommend it if you can find a copy. Nelson spends a lot of time talking about how taking a break from writing is often a natural and normal thing, although of course professional deadlines do change our ability to put her wisdom into practice!
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Images © Dreamstime.com
2012: Goals & Dreams
Dame Kaz
Hello lovely Dames readers, and a very Happy New Year to you from all of us!
Are you sick of talking about the whole New Year thing, yet? Tired of resolutions and goals? Well… I’m truly sorry about that, but as it is a brand new year, these things have to be discussed. By me, at least. *g* After all, 2012 is upon us and that means it is (for many people) a time to take stock of where we are and where we want to be. Where we’re going. What we have or haven’t achieved. The steps we still have to complete in order to reach those all-important goals.
And dreams, too, are important. Goals and dreams are very different things. They can be connected to each other, but at heart they are separate entities. A goal is something that is within our control, to a greater or lesser extent. A dream, on the other hand, is something much bigger (at least, that’s the way I see it), and isn’t necessarily completely within our own power. For example: “I want to finish writing a novel in 2012.” That’s definitely a specific, time-bound goal. Finish book. Within a year. But: “I want to sign with a top agent,” is a dream that may not work out in your favour. We can write the best manuscript possible, add to that a fabulous query letter, and then query lots of great agents… but we’re not guaranteed the end result of signing a contract with an agent. That part is out of our control. Still, I believe you can set the best possible conditions for your dream to manifest – put all the pieces in place, and who knows where you could end up?
I am a great believer in dreams. (What a surprise, for those that know me. ) For me, they’re what keeps us human beings going. You gotta have dreams! We can set goals that move us closer to our dreams, and then we finally get to a place where we just have to let go and hope that the Universe will take a step toward us and help make that Dream come true. And sometimes? Sometimes we discover, in the process, that the dream we were focused on was the wrong dream. The journey proves to be the important thing, and we end up finding something else entirely – something equally as wonderful, or maybe even better!
But none of this would be possible without setting those smaller goals and dreaming the bigger dreams in the first place. Right?
D=edication
R=esponsibility
E=ducation
A=ttitude
M=otivation
And always remember:
So, tell us some of your goals and dreams for 2012 in comments. We’re listening! Maybe some of the other Dames will join in if I nudge them…
Here’s one each of mine to get us started:
Dream: sell an adult urban fantasy to a NY publisher.
Goal: finish my romantic urban fantasy manuscript and send to Dame Agent.
Now it’s your turn: go!
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Images © Marek Uliasz | Dreamstime.com
