Dragons and Cougars and Bears, Oh My...

When you stop to think about it, what we call romance fiction today is quite a far cry from what it used to be. Shapeshifters and fantasy creatures have gone mainstream in a big way - something that was taboo when I first started reading romance back in high school. Back then it was all sea captains, pirates, gang bangs and rape fantasies.

So in some ways, we've evolved. Rape and incest (yes, I remember those books too! Published by big "NY" publishers!) are no longer considered allowable by most publishers. Thank goodness. And character types that were discouraged - I clearly recall submission guidelines saying "no vampires" for example or "no rock stars or celebrities" - are now commonplace.

I think a lot of this came about because the tiny cabal of publishers congregated in New York (where I was born and raised, and still live, by the way), have lost their monopoly on what books get published. The advent of small press publishing, and now, self-publishing, means that the readers decide what they want to read, rather than a small group of twenty-something editors fresh out of college and the elder statesmen in their editorial meetings.

Now, readers vote with their wallets. If they like a particular type of hero or storyline, they search it out and buy the book. As hundreds of thousands of people do this, it becomes clear what the reading population considers worth their time and money. It's very democratic, actually, and kind of beautiful.

I, myself, have been dipping my toes into the self-publishing waters this past year with what I consider good results. I see it as cutting out the middle-man. And as a bit of a control freak, it puts me in charge of a lot more. I get to choose the cover. I get to oversee the editing process. I choose who I hire to edit and proofread. I choose the cover artist and work with them to finalize the design. These are luxuries you never get from a traditional publisher.


It must be working because my indie book, Slade, is competing in All Romance eBook's Ultimate Shifter Challenge. If you haven't voted yet, please consider voting for him! He's in the 9th pairing this week, so scroll down and click! :)

I haven't given up on traditional and small press publishing completely though. An all-new novella in my Dragon Knights series is coming out later this month, on August 20th. It's called Master at Arms and it is a companion piece to the second book in the series, Border Lair, which will be re-released in print in October.

In fact, all the Dragon Knights books are being re-released in print, starting with Maiden Flight this September, one book per month until next March's release of Keeper of the Flame in print. And I'm very proud to say that Maiden Flight was just honored with a TOP PICK! from RT Book Reviews Magazine in their latest issue.

Sci fi is another area that was never really considered part of romance until recently. I've always loved it and looked for it when I was younger and thirsting for romances set in some fantastical future - or better yet - in space. My EPPIE Award Winning, futuristic erotic romance series, Resonance Mates, will draw to a close with the fifth and final book, Harry's Sacrifice.

I turned in the completed manuscript a few weeks ago and just signed the contract last week. (Because that's the way I like to do business, when possible - I hate signing first, then having due dates and deadlines. Who needs all that stress?) I'm hoping the book might make it onto their publication schedule for next March, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the publisher comes up with.

And as far as indie books go, my next project is called simply, Red. It's the second book in the sub-set of stories devoted to the five Redstone brothers. The Redstone Clan books are part of the larger Tales of the Were series that started way back when with a book called Lords of the Were.

The follow-up to that, called Inferno, was also published by small press, but then the series took a departure. I did a short story that was set in that world as a promotion for ARe a couple of years ago and after that, I decided to take the rest of the series indie.

In December of last year, I published Rocky. It was a story I had written years before and was finally able to pull together the way I always wanted it. It met with what I consider huge success. I had intended it as a test, but the readers responded well enough that I decided to write more. Rocky led to Slade and Slade led to Grif, the first of the Redstone Clan.

Grif was also a book I had written years before, but I'd never finished it or submitted it anywhere. The Redstone brothers and their relatives have shown up in cameo and supporting roles in many of my paranormals, but I never had a chance to tell their stories... until now. Over the next six months or so, the rest of the Redstone brothers will get their books, starting with Red, followed by Magnus, then Bobcat and then finally, Matt.

I hope you'll enjoy the ride as much as I do! And I'm sorry for getting so long winded. Usually, I never know what to say when I sit down to blog, but today, for some reason, I'm finding it hard to stop! (I've already cut this blog down three times!) ;-)

To find out what I'm up to, visit my website at www.biancadarc.com or catch me on facebook! :)

Until next time,
Bianca

Mixing Things Up...

Dragons are perhaps my favorite characters to write. Why? They're playful, smart, strong and sort of mysterious. At least my dragons are. Then there are the dragon shapeshifters. My dragon princes are half human/half dragon. They've got all the cunning and power of the dragon and Alpha maleness to the Nth degree. Hubba hubba. ;-)

As it happens, I had a new dragon book come out earlier this month. It's called DRAGON STORM and it's not only a fantastical visit to my dragon world, but it's also a dimension-travel tale that brings twin dragon princes to our modern world where they meet their destined mate (yes, it's a very naughty menage!) and bring her back to their medieval-ish world. Yes, I'm really mixing it up in this book! It's out now in ebook and will be in print sometime next year.

But I've got something even more daring coming at the end of next month. Zombies. Yep, I said zombies! Not a word you'd normally associate with romance, but like I said, I really like to mix things up. ;-) I'll post more about it next time, but keep an eye out for a duology called HALF PAST DEAD from Kensington Brava. It's my first-ever release from a big "NY" publisher and it contains the novella that will launch a series of military paranormal romances I'm calling Guardians of the Dark.

The first novel in the series will release in March, titled ONCE BITTEN, TWICE DEAD. The heroes in the series are all special ops military dudes and their task is to fight the zombies alongside some cool women who come into their lives. The heroine of the first novella is a Navy doctor. The heroine of the first novel is a county cop. There will be at least three more of these stories - one more novella that will release later in 2010 and two more novels.

Zombies may not sound sexy, but believe me, the men who fight them are super hot. *fanning self* When I was asked to write about zombies, my first thought was "Huh?" But then I thought about it a bit and I realized it was the next logical step for the paranormal genre. It pushes the boundaries, which is something I'm used to doing and it was definitely a challenge. Hopefully you'll like the mix of menacing zombies and heroic protagonists who are tasked with saving us all. I wouldn't call these books "horror" but they definitely have some suspenseful moments here and there, in between a whole lotta romance.

I can't wait to hear what you all think of not only the zombies, but my latest dragon adventure. Have I gone too far mixing things up yet? LOL.

New Releases & New Sales

Since you're reading this, I'm already on my way to RT. For those of you who are attending the convention, look for me in Club RT, at the ebook fair and the booksigning, where I'll have goodies to give out. I'm also moderating the Demons Unplugged panel on Thursday morning and will have special goodies to give away at that.

For those of you who aren't going to RT, you can be part of the event in a way... I plan to collect some goodies at the conference and make up little prize packages that I'll give away on my blog after I get home. So remember to take a look the last week in April for your chance to win.

Other than convention plans, I've have a few news items to report. First, FireDrake is now in pint! Here's a taste:

Drake faces his estranged family and the dragon he left behind. He finds more than even he bargains for when a young prince is kidnapped and it's up to Drake, his childhood friend and rival, Mace, a warrior woman named Krysta, and two young dragons to track him down. Saving the prince will restore Drake's family honor, but it could also bond him with the dragoness, her mate, and the lovely Jinn warrior woman who loves them all. Dare he take the chance?

Second, Phantom Desires was just released in ebook formats. It's the third in my vampire novella series and all three of the stories, One & Only, Rare Vintage and Phantom Desires, will go into a single print volume sometime early next year. Here's the tagline for Phantom Desires:

This time, the creature under the basement is real. And dead sexy.

Cool, huh? ;-) Yet, it sums up the book really, really well! LOL!

Now for new sales - I just signed the contract for Grady's Awakening, book 4 in my Resonance Mates series. It'll be out in ebook later this summer and in print next year. I also got a verbal okay on a new series of military/psychic/menage (m/f/m) stories I'm calling the Gemini Project. More news on that as it becomes available.

For now, I'm looking forward to getting the cover art for my next release, Inferno. The sequel to Lords of the Were will release in ebook on June 30th (next year in print). Here's the blurb for it:

A forbidden union forged in love-and tempered in hellfire.

One last task and Megan will be free of the debt of honor owed by her family. Spying on Dante, a powerful vampire with questionable friends, sounds simple enough. But her mission is complicated by the fact she's got something every vampire wants-tangy, powerful, werewolf blood.

It's easy to capture his attention. The hard part will be getting out with her heart -- and soul -- intact. Not to mention her life, thanks to a crazed bomber.

Dante isn't the kind to forgive or forget easily, especially the grudge he holds against werewolves. Still, he is instantly drawn to the injured lone wolf in his care. When he and his friend Duncan treat her wounds, they discover something that marks her as much more than she seems.

The mark is a neon sign warning to be careful, but Dante can't help himself. He wants her and nothing will stand in his way. Not her species. Not his. Not the strange woman who keeps trying to kill him.

Not even the magical poison in Megan's blood...

Until next time,
Bianca
Come over to The D'Arc Side... http://www.biancadarc.com/

Growing up with Fantasy

I grew up with Fantasy. Even before I read my first romance (thank you Louisville Public Library for not stifling the curiousity of a 12 year old when she first found the clench cover) I had fallen in love with Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony and Tolkein.

Anne McCaffrey had the most wonderful dragon stories, and opened a world to me I never knew existed. When I first laid eyes on "The White Dragon", I was a goner. I quickly searched out Dragonsong and Dragonsinger, and went looking for more tales of fantasy.

 

I'm not sure how I got from McCaffrey to Anthony, but when I read Piers Anthony's tales of Xanth they took my breath away. I spent many long hours happily lost in a very non-Mundane world.

Less than a year later I finally moved on to Tolkein. I thought myself more than a little in love with Frodo, and dreamed great dreams of going on his adventures. Before we had Orlando Bloom in pointy ears and tights, Frodo was my hero.

It was pretty soon after that I found those clench covers on the library racks. For a while, my love for fantasy was forgotten, and I moved on to more romantic reading. Through middle school and most of high school, I was very happy with my romance novels and "required" literature reading.

Then one day at Books-A-Million during my junior year of high school, I came across this :

I still remember standing there in the bookstore reading the first two chapters.  Buying it, then racing home and staying up until late into the night reading about Tanis and Sturm, Caramon and Raistlin.  It was love from first sight, and the Dragonlance Chronicles became some of my favorite reads as I left high school and went to college.

I’ve read a lot of good fantasy, and more than a little great fantasy, in the years since.  But these 4 series have been some of my most passionate book loves for many years now.  Even today I can reread them and be amazed by the stories these authors could weave, the worlds they could bring to vibrant, captivating life

Every book we love should leave a bit of itself behind after you close the cover.  So it isn’t surprising that I’ve written my first fantasy.  And if you’ve read my previous Samhain release, you won’t be shocked to find that my fantasy world is a bit more sensual – ok, much much more sensual – than the worlds of the authors I read as a preteen and teen. 

Do you still reread the books that you loved when all books were new to you?  And how did they shape the books you love today?

Look for Flawed, by Ember Case, coming June 30th from Samhain Publishing

Bianca's New Print Releases

Today I'm going to shamelessly plug three books of mine that are now available in print! First off, Sons of Amber came out today and is the compilation of my first two Sons of Amber stories - Ezekiel and Michael - in print. (Buy Link)

Here's a little bit about this book:

When an alien virus decimates humanity, Dr. Amber Waithe creates a small group of men who are immune. These genetically engineered supermen are the Sons of Amber. Their mission: to repopulate the human worlds. Of course, nobody expects them to fall in love.

Ezekiel - Crash landing on a strange desert world, Ezekiel is rescued by an angel who nurses him back to health. The small community of humans could be the only uninfected colony in the galaxy and he must protect them at all costs. Likewise, he must protect Angela - his angel - the one woman he wants like no other in the universe.

Michael - Commandant and soldier, when Michael hears women are being abducted, he goes undercover with his executive officer to nab the pirates. But playing the role of submissive female is something Leah, his competent XO, isn't sure she can do. Michael proves to her she not only can, but will enjoy the Dominant games he plays so well because he just can't live without her.

Hara's Legacy will be releasing in print tomorrow! It's the first book in my Resonance Mates series. (The second book in the series, Davin's Quest is already available in ebook formats and will be in print around New Year's.)

Here's the tagline for Hara's Legacy:

The first in a series of stories set in a future Earth, where the survivors of humanity must teach the Earth's new inhabitants what it means to be human... and to love.

For some odd reason, this book is already available through Amazon, though Samhain hasn't officially released it yet. (Buy Link) Same goes for my third print release this month, the I Dream of Dragons anthology, volume one. (Buy Link) I won't give you a lot on that book, due to the limits of space, but I will say it contains my Dragon Knights novella, Wings of Change, along with two other awsome stories by Summer Devon and Marie Harte.

I'm just thrilled that all these books are finally getting their day in print. I'm a little overwhelmed to have them all come out at once, but that seems to be the way things go for me - things releasing all at once with long wait times in between. Weird, huh?

A RAW Weekend

Checking in from the road, I just wanted to talk a little about the weekend I just spent signing books and meeting readers and authors at Lora Leigh's Reader Appreciation Weekend (RAW). It was absolutely fantastic and I was flattered to be included in such a great roster of writers.

I roomed with Sylvia Day, who was on deadline and had to try to write during the event, as did Shelley Bradley (aka Shayla Black). Now that's dedication! I had breakfast yesterday morning with Lorie O'Clare and Lora Leigh - two of my favorite authors! It was so cool to meet them and chat. I also got to talk with Christine Feehan, my pal Jacquelyn Frank, Lucy Monroe, Veronica Chadwick, Mary Wine, and a bunch of others.

The readers were absolutely terrific! I met so many people and had such a great time chatting with everyone. I love these kinds of events where I get to talk with all kinds of people and learn new things. I had a really great time!

In other news, Wings of Change is doing very well. (Thanks to everyone who's read it already!) And things are on track for my next paranormal release, Sweeter Than Wine. Lots of folks were asking me about it this weekend and I'm happy to say the manuscript has been turned into my editor and we'll be working through edits in the next few weeks.

Sweeter Than Wine will bring together my vampires and werecreatures in a very tangeble way. ;) They were always inhabiting the same contemporary paranormal world, but up 'til this book, I don't think it was completely clear. Though this book is not a direct sequel to Lords of the Were, some of those characters do make a cameo appearance in Sweeter Than Wine and the over-arching story about the Altor Custodis (a secret society of watchers) and the evil Venifucus is advanced. This story paves the way for the more direct sequel to Lords of the Were, which I've tentatively titled Inferno because it's Dante's story. ;)

I'll be recovering from RAW for the next few days as I extend my trip a bit. When I get back home, be sure to check my official blog for a contest where I'll be giving away a RAW T-shirt and some of the goodies I picked up over the weekend!

Dragon Tamer Release...

The dragons are coming! The dragons are coming!





When Samhain sent the call for the "I Dream of Dragons Anthology" I knew I wanted to do something different. The idea of marrying a world filled with dragons with a high-tech society intrigued me. My most awesome critique partner, Jen, said that it read like Pern meets CSI. I loved that descripton. Especially since I'm a fan of both.

Here's a blurb to entice you.

On the tropical island of Cambry, a ghastly, flesh-eating blight is killing the dragons and threatening prime hatching grounds. It's up to hatching ground director, Darion Archer and IFM agent, Serrah Gayle to stop the disease before it's too late.

Go here to read an excerpt.

Hope you enjoy.

-Kat

Dragons - myth, or alien?

I spend what I admit is too much time skimming along the the surface of the web, letting a random word or image draw me into a nugget of knowledge. Sometimes it is for legitimate research - people, places, or ideas I'm gathering background on for writing. Sometimes it's just for entertainment. (Yes, I'm addicted to Perez Hilton's website, and share his lurid fascination with Brittney, Lindsey, and Paris.)

But I love when I find an article or bit of writing that makes me sit up and think. Like this one : "Chinese Dragons - Ancient Flying Machines"

In a very small nutshell, this site tells of how the early chinese wrote of gods, coming "down from heaven in the bellies of dragons." Of immortals who could fly through the air, called "flying immortals".

"Everything began with the dragon", a manuscript says. The dragons belonged to the race of gods.

The European view of dragon myth has long been that stories of giant beasts were just that - stories, created out of a need to explain the great bones and fossils of dinosaurs that were occasionally unearthed.

But what if there is something more to it than that? Something both mystical, and otherworldly. Could the 'dragons' have been visitors from another world? Not gods, but beings who appeared godlike in their greatness. Aliens who came in great flying objects, which must have been both fearsome and amazing to behold.

What do you think? Do dragons belong in the realm of myth, or could they be proof of alien visitation?