A Sudden Signing!

I know it's sudden but...

I'll be signing at The Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA on October 16th at 2pm. So if you're in the area, please come by and support a local indie.

















Their address is 1321 E. Cary St. Richmond, VA 23219

Find out more here.

Quick notes:
-The store is going have autographed copies available to order, if you're not able to make it yourself.

-If you're going to bring a large stack of books for the signing, it would be awesome if you could buy at least one book from the store, even if it's not my book. Supporting an indie, and all.

-There will be STUFF given away, because we all know stuff is awesome. There might even be a Grimalkin rock or two.

-And Susan (Wastepaper Prose) is awesome, as she is the one who set it all up. So be sure to tell her. ;-)


Sounds fun, yes? I know I'm excited. So please drop in; I'd be thrilled to see you.
Here are The Details again:

When: October 16th, 2pm
Where: The Fountain bookstore
1321 E. Cary St.
Richmond, VA 23219
How: That's up to you. Personally, I prefer dogsled.
Why: Because it will be FUN. And there will be STUFF.

Hope to see you there! :)

Teaser Tuesday

Another Tuesday has rolled around, so that means a teaser.

LOL, I'm going to have to stop asking what to post about on Twitter; it's always the same overwhelming answer: "More Assssssssssh!" Not that it's a bad thing. But Puck is threatening me with hedgehog-ism if I don't give him a turn soon.

















So, here's our broody HBWS once more. (If you're wondering, HBWS=Hot Boy With Sword. I didn't make that up.) Some names have been removed to prevent spoilers.

***


“One more thing,” Ash said in his dangerous, soft voice as we turned away, and ??? shot him a wary look. “If you do not return with her,” Ash continued, staring him down, “if she comes to any harm while she is with you, I will turn this entire camp into a bloodbath. That is my promise, lieutenant.”


***



So, who do YOU think the mysterious ??? is? And next week, I'm going to have to do a teaser with Grim or Puck, as they're threatening me with very bad things for not getting a turn, lol! Until next week.

Julie

R.I.P Jennifer Rardin

Earlier this week, I learned that Jennifer Rardin, author of the Jaz Parks urban fantasy series, had passed away. She was only 45. Jennifer and I have never met, but the news sort of struck home for me--we share the same wonderful agent, and I had just been on the phone with said agent right before I heard the news. My heart goes out to Jennifer's family, friends, fans, and all the people that knew her.

I had seen Jennifer's books while stalking the aisles of my local bookstore, and often told myself I should read them. When I was a very newbie author (I still am, I guess), I was amazed and even a little envious of Jennifer's success, and hoped that someday I might publish a lot of books like she had. Now, I can only think of how we should live each day as if it were our last, and be thankful for the things we have already accomplished.

Tomorrow I am going straight to my bookstore and picking up Once Bitten, Twice Shy. While I have never met Jennifer Rardin, and never will, I can think of no better way to remember a fellow author then for her words to live on within us, forever.

R.I.P Jennifer Rardin. I know you will be missed.

Sims3: New houses, Old friends

Disclaimer: Sims3 posts are in no way related to actual events in The Iron Fey series.


What have the Sims been doing this week?

Well, Puck bought himself a house, a nice little cabin out in the wilderness.
















He's been keeping himself busy, practicing old skills...
















...learning new ones...















...or not.
















This is one of his favorite pastimes now.

















Fly, fly!
















The Chase household had an unexpected visitor this week.


















Fortunately, the burglar alarm went off before anything was stolen.



















And the police arrived in a timely manner.



















Unfortunately, she was a wuss, and the burglar got away.

















Also this week, Ash got the rest of his family out of the house and started cooking.
















The lights are dimmed, and he appears to be preparing something special.




















But for what?
















Ahh, Meghan has arrived. For a nice quiet dinner, or does Ash have something else up his sleeve?

















To be continued...

Have a nice Fall

It's the first day of Fall!!!

Wheeeeeeeeee!

Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. I love it, so much more then Summer and quite a bit more then Spring. In fact, here's a neat little list about all the things I love about autumn.

1. Colder weather. I hate heat and I hate being outside in the sun, feeling like I'm about to melt into a gooey puddle on the sidewalk. Summer and I don't get along. My perfect day is crisp and cool, where you can see your breath on the air and smell the autumn leaves.

2. Hoodies. I love them. I have a thing for hoodies; I don't know why. Jackets, too. It's a sickness, really.

3. Autumn Leaves.

4. Firepits. Oooh, fire! *Poke poke, prod prod.* What else can I throw in there that will burn? (I may be a teeny bit of a firebug; my friends don't let me have lighters.)
















5. Halloween.

6. Festivals.

7. Pumpkin Spice malts at Culvers.

8. Hoodies (I might've mentioned this earlier)

9. Scarecrows, hay bales, pumpkins, other fall decorations.






















10. Getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas.



That's why I love autumn, so what's your favorite (and least favorite) time of year?

Teaser Tuesday

Yawn, I'm up too early. This is what I get for watching The Stand until late last night. I'm watching post-apoc movies for inspiration for my new series, so if you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Watched The Road with Viggo Mortensen too; that was one depressing movie, and I Am Legend is on deck as well.

Anyway, I guess I'll post today's Teaser Tuesday while I'm up. Let's do one with both Ash and Puck this week.





“Looks like nobody’s home,” Puck said, turning in a slow circle. “Hellooooooooo? Anybody here?”

“Be quiet, Goodfellow,” Ash growled, peering into the shadows with narrowed eyes. “We’re not alone.”

“Yeah? How do you figure that, prince? I don’t see anyone.”

“The cait sith has disappeared.”

“ … Crap.”






Hmm, who could they be talking about? Lol, as if there was any doubt. Until next week...

The Reflection in the Mirror: Villains

Villains.

Every story needs one. Whether its an evil, tyrannical government body or a vicious, cunning man-eating shark, the antagonist plays a vital role in nearly every tale. What would the hero do if there were no villain? What would the reader do if there were no bad guy, no evil for the hero to conquer and triumph over?

Be bored out of our gourd, that's what.

Villains mean conflict, something every story needs. Even if the antagonist is the hero's own sense of doubt and insecurity, he (or she) still needs something to struggle against and overcome. In praise of villains, here is a list of a few of my favorite antagonists, in no particular order. The villains that we hate to love and love to hate.

Note: Because so many of my favorite villains are from movies and T.V. (Dr. Evil, ) I'll just be sticking to some of my favorite literary bad guys.

Gerald Tarrent (When True Night Falls): You've probably never heard of this fantasy series, but let me tell you, it had one incredibly hot, charming, bad-ass sorcerer villain. Tarrent was unapologically evil; he knew he was tainted and twisted, and he offered no excuses for it. Yet he was so charismatic and suave and logical about it all, you couldn't help but love him, even though you knew he'd probably betray you the second he needed to. He was MUCH more interesting then the book's stalwart, upright, hopelessly boring hero.





















Cezar (Wildwood Dancing): Cezar is one of those antagonists I don't hate to love, I just hate. HATE. With the fury of a thousand suns. Small-minded, egotistical, patronizing, bullying, self-righteous, slimy, masochistic man. If you want to see what truly ruffles my feathers in a guy, read this book.

Professor Umbridge (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix): Another villain that made me bristle with loathing every time she stepped onto the page. I hated her sickeningly sweet attitude, and the way she smiled when she knew you couldn't do anything about her injustice. Couldn't stand her. Wonderful villain. Hem hem.

Spitz (Call of the Wild): Who would've thought a dog could be such a fantastic villain, and not just because it only wants to tear your throat out? Spitz is Buck's antagonist in Call of the Wild, but he's not just a mindless monster. He's cunning as well as vicious, bullying Buck, stealing his food, harassing him because he knows he can get away with it. And when they finally face each other in their epic fight to the death, you can barely stand the tension, because this had been coming for a long, long time.



















Dracula (Dracula): The vampire that spawned every vampire story ever told. You just can't beat the original.

Voldemort (Harry Potter series): Without a doubt, this is one evil, terrifying bad guy you do not want to triumph at the end of the day. Lord Voldemort was so feared throughout the wizarding world his very name had become taboo, yet he was intelligent, powerful, and charismatic enough his former followers returned to his side even though he'd been "dead" for 15 years. That type of villain leaves an impression, and was monstrous enough to cast his shadow through all seven books, until the final, inevitable showdown with Harry at the end.

Serverus Snape (Harry Potter series): You gotta admit, Rowling sure knows how to create memorable characters. While Umbridge I loathed with a fiery passion, and Voldemort gave me the shivers, I could never decide if I hated Snape and wanted him to fall out a window, or if I wished he would give me "private" lessons in Potion's class. Hey, don't judge; I know you all felt the same.






















Darth Vader (Star Wars): I don't even need to say anything. (I've read the books, too!)

Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII): Okay, so this is a video game. But Sephiroth remains one of my favorite, if not the favorite, villain of all time. If you've played FF7 or seen Advent Children, you know what I mean. If not, well here's a picture.

















Those are some of mine. Who are your favorite villains?

Giveaway: Bookmarks and signed Iron King/Daughter

~

Oooh, shiny new bookmarks from Harlequin Teen. Harlequin Teen bookmarks, in fact.

Methinks this calls for a giveaway.

Because...why not? I have bookmarks. (Pets bookmarks)




Sooooo, this is what I'll do. I'll pick 5 commenters from below via random selection and send them a bundle o' bookmarks. That way ya'll can share and spread the love around.

AND, to make it interesting, I'll throw in a signed Iron King and Iron Daughter to one randomly chosen commenter.

























But first, you have to answer a question.


THE QUESTION: Who said this? (From The Iron King)



"What a plain, dirty little specimen. What does Oberon expect me to do with this?"



Will run this giveaway till the end of September. Cause that seems a good time.

Annnnnnd, go! :)

Teaser Tuesday

Another Tuesday has rolled around, that means its time for another teaser. Last time in the comments, the great majority wanted more Ash, but lots of people were also clamoring for Puck, so I think it's Puck's turn to get a teaser this week.

So, without ado:

The Iron Queen Teaser numeral duos--


“Ah.” Puck’s emerald eyes sparkled with glee. “And so they come crawling back for Puck’s help after all. Tsk tsk.” He shook his head and took another bite of the apple. “How easy it is to forget grudges when someone has something you need.”




Yes, it's short. That's why it's called a teaser. ;-)

Until next week. :)

Sims3: Some Things Don't Change

Disclaimer: Sims3 posts are in no way related to actual events in The Iron Fey series.

...

Now that they're grown, its time for Meghan and co. to make some changes. Meghan got a job this week, going to work at the Science Center.

































Rowan, following in his mother's footsteps, went to work for the local crime syndicate.

















Ironically, Ash went the opposite direction and got a job in law enforcement.




















Some things don't change, though. Ash and Rowan still don't get along.































And Rowan continues to make his brother's life difficult. Here are Ash and Meghan, trying to steal some alone time...




















When they're interrupted.
















Rowan tries coming onto Meghan, right in front of Ash!



















Meghan isn't buying it, however.
































And Ash is not amused.

















At all.
































Finally, Rowan runs off, leaving them in peace.

















But he's not done being evil and breaking hearts.
















To be continued...

Remembering 9-11

...

Let's all take a moment to remember today.

Nine years ago...

















Don't ever forget, America.

Iron King at the Emmys

So, I just got permission to post this...

The Iron King was at the Emmy's this year!

Or, more specifically, in the gift bags that went out to various VIPs.

How cool is that?!?

(Emmy gift bag. Click to enlarge.)















*Visions of Jane Lynch reading Iron King*

*__*

Teaser Tuesday: The Iron Queen

Okay, so it's Monday. This is a bit early, but I don't think anyone minds.

The first Iron Queen Teaser Tuesday.

And, by popular request...

...it's about Ash.


ETA:

WARNING! SPOILERS! DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT FINISHED WITH IRON DAUGHTER!


All good? Okay, onto the (SPOILERY!) teaser.














His forehead bumped softly against mine, his brilliant silver gaze searing into me. “I plan to keep you, from everyone, for as long as I’m alive. That includes Puck, the false king, and anyone else who would take you away.” One corner of his mouth quirked, as I struggled to catch my breath under his powerful scrutiny. “I guess I should’ve warned you that I have a slight possessive streak.”




That's the first. Requests for the next one? Let me know!

Julie

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting

~

Can I just say how much I'm enjoying Kung Fu?

When I first started Wing Tzun, I kinda felt like this:






"There is now a level zero."


BUT, now four months in, I can say with certainty that I don't completely suck. So that's progress. And, maybe in a few years, I can actually get to this:
















But that's probably stretching it.

My 8-legged guest

There is a huge wolf spider living outside my back door, between the cracks in the wall. He looks like this.















I tried to gently relocate him to another spot in the yard, but he saw me coming with my broom and fled into a crack.

I know I'm very much in the minority, but I like spiders. I'm not going to invite them into my house or let them crawl on me, but I usually don't try to kill them either. (Exceptions being Brown Recluses and Black Widows. Sorry, but anything that can put me in the hospital needs to be squashed.) Perhaps this came of living in Hawaii for ten years, as the bugs there never die and grow to gigantic proportions. The Hawaiian cane spider makes these little wolf spiders look like wimps. Take your hand, put it flat on the wall, and try to imagine a spider that big crawling along the ceiling. Yeah, I thought so.

But, anyway, let's hear it. Tell me I'm crazy and insane; I won't mind. ;-) What are your thoughts on spiders and creepy crawlies? Me, I think they make awesome creepy atmosphere devices. Need your readers to get goosebumps or the skin crawlies? Just throw in a spider or two. Works every time.

And for the VERY brave of heart, below is a YouTube video of a Hawaiian Cane Spider. BEWARE, this thing is huge and scary, and if spiders freak you out, this will probably give you nightmares--you have been warned.