I even think about how they would react to the events of my daily life, even though the books or manuscripts are published or complete.

I always think of Tia and Rork from STARJACKED when I read or see something about the underground railroad on TV. Tia, a life long space pirate grew up with slavery, but eventually comes to see that it’s wrong and fights to save children from the system. I would like to think I would be as brave, but it’s easy with the hindsight of history to know something is wrong — it seems obvious — but when everything around you has been a certain way your whole life, its much harder to see the injustice, let alone take a stand.

Rork, the hero, is a law man. An undercover agent for the Union of Planets. I always think of him when I see an undercover plot on TV. All too often when officers are deep undercover, it’s difficult for them not to identify with their targets, but Rork never ceases to have a clear vision of right and wrong.

Anything about witches reminds me of Thalia, my heroine from BLOOD AND KISSES. She’s a witch who never lets a little problem, like not being very powerful, hold her back. Though, I ache with her through her insecurities, she always steps up and handles what needs to be done.

I hold a special place in my heart for Thalia’s hero, Gideon. Mistakes he made as a human haunt him. He can’t shake the idea that he’s a monster, but he still allows a young witch to convince him to help her in her quest to stop a killer. Though, he’d like to, he can’t stop caring. I love that about him.

I’m in the process of writing and revising several other manuscripts and those characters wake me up at night, or tug on my heart when something reminds me of them. I want others to love them and hurt for them as I do.

What about you? Do things remind you of characters from books, movies, or TV? What characters hold a special place in your heart?

Best,

Karin

It’s basically a sci-fi/fantasy show and therefore as the title states: speculative fiction.

The episode reminded me of one the best things about speculative fiction.

Ok, I’ll admit there are many things I like about speculative fiction; the rich and compelling worlds, the fascinatingly flawed and damaged characters(who usually end up doing the right thing), opportunity for really high stakes(it’s not unusual for the stakes in spec fic to be on world or even universe ending level–Dr. Who anyone?)

But one of the most enjoyable parts of a story for me is when the characters first meet each other. I get giddy watching the pieces of a team come together, anticipating how these disparate characters will interact and handle where the story takes them.

However, at this point in the story, I usually don’t know the characters very well. I don’t know that Mika is estranged from her father or that Artie was betrayed by his old partner.

Here’s were the true beauty of speculative fiction comes in. In sci-fi and fantasy, it’s possible to create a situation where these characters we know and love have the opportunity to come together as a team for the first time — again.

The warehouse 13 episode I just watched was centered on an artifact from the writer of the short story on which the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” is based.
Pete touches this brush and it’s like he’s never been born.

He doesn’t realize what has happened at first. All he knows is that an old enemy is now in charge of the warehouse and everyone else is gone.

He escapes and tracks the rest of the team down. They don’t even know who he is, but he manages to convince them to help him.

It’s so delicious to watch them fall into (old for us) patterns and know the reasons for how and why the characters react the way they do.

If you haven’t watched Warehouse 13, I hope you’ll give it a chance.

What about you? Do you love it when this happens or (gasp) hate it*g*?

Do you have a favorite show or book that has had episode or installment when something like this happened?

I’d love to hear about it!

Karin

Banner dreaming

I’ve been having some crazy dreams lately. The whole, “I just realized I had a test today for a class I haven’t gone to all year.” Or I had one the other day that was about laundry of all things. No matter how much laundry I did there was more and more. (This might have been real life, I’m not sure*g*)

I love dreams and have had the ability to  manipulate them (for the most part) since I was a kid.

As a child, I had this idea that there were arms under my bed. Black arms, as if they were in long black opera gloves, and these gloved hands would yank me under the bed (to where I have no clue)if they could.

I used to literally get a running start and jump into bed, so I would get no where near the perceived danger zone.

I dreamed about the hands, as well, long horrible nightmares that woke me up crying. Until one day, I must have been nine or ten, I took control of my dreams and changed the hands to long rubber Mickey Mouse hands attached to a Christmas tree stand.

After that I didn’t have any more dreams about the hands and my fear went away.

Now, if only i could make the laundry disappear…

How about you? Tell me about your dreams. Can you control them? Is there something you hate to dream about? What is your favorite dream?

Sweet dreams:-)

Karin

Fellow Soul Mate Publishing author Donna Shields has an interview with me up today at her site. Stop by and get some insight into my slightly off-center mind!

I'll wear this, but I'not pitching for you and you can't make me!

Please join us for the launch party at:

Meanwhile, as is posted else where on my site. I will giving away a free e copy to a commenter between 12 am 10/12/11 and 12 am 10/12/11, so please, feel free to weigh in!

Since I have the blurb elsewhere in the site, here’s a little interview with the hero of BLOOD AND KISSES, Gideon Damek.

Hi Gideon, thanks for coming. I hope you don’t mind if we dive right in and I ask you to tell a little bit about yourself.

Where should I start?

How about the beginning?

I was born in Mesopotamia before it was Mesopotamia. My father was a King, but my status as his heir was hotly contested.

Why was that?

I was sickly and they didn’t think I’d live. My father sent me to travel with his armies as soon as I was old enough, ostensibly to toughen me up, but probably to get me out of the way.

What was that like?

I had to stay on my toes at all times. There were many ambitious men who would have liked to see me out of the way, permanently.

Sounds like a hard childhood.

I survived. But that was a very long time ago, after that I hired out as a mercenary.

But you weren’t born a vampire…?

No, but I prefer not to go into that right now.

Ok, fair enough. How about something more recent. How did you come to live in Rochester, NY?

I moved to America in the nineteenth century. I decided to travel West. Rochester was flourishing and despite the long summer days, it was overcast enough to make getting around tolerable.

So you don’t have to sleep during the day?

Young vampires do, but I can get along well enough if I stay out of the sun.

Were you the only vampire in Rochester?

No, eventually a whole community developed.

That must have been nice.

You’d think, but I’m not exactly a joiner. As the oldest, it was my job to enforce the code. It’s easier to destroy someone you don’t hang out with socially.

Makes sense. What about the witches?

What about them?

Did you hang out with them?

Hardly. Their blood is poisonous to us and they consider us parasites. So not a lot of mingling go on.

What about Thalia? Did you ever notice her?

I’m sorry. Your questions are getting pretty personal.  I’m done here.

Wait, Gideon! You can’t just walk out… I guess, he can.

I hope you enjoyed this interview, brief as it was. To learn more, please feel free to explore my website or visit, www.soulmatepublishing.com.

I am pleased to announce my novel BLOOD AND KISSES will be released by Soul Mate Publishing

It isn’t easy being the Witches’ Champion, especially
when it’s a hereditary position and you’re hardly
the most powerful witch of your line.  Thalia Kent has
managed to cope so far with wit and nerve and every
ounce of magical ability she possesses, but now her
cousin, who wasn’t a witch, is dead — murdered by a
rogue vampire — and if she’s going to hunt him down
and survive, she’s going to need all the help she can get.
She needs Gideon Damek, immortal vampire, but
vampires shun witches for good reason, witch blood
is poisonous.

Gideon Damek has fought his predatory nature for thousands of years and the last thing he wants is to
team up with anyone, least of all a beautiful young
witch.  Still, something about Thalia compels him
to agree.

Soon, Thalia must deal with a reluctant partner, a
rebellious witch community, interfering police, a healthy
dose of self-doubt, a raging passion for the forbidden
Mr. Damek and an enemy who’s following an ancient
prophecy that requires both their deaths, all without
losing her neck, or her heart.

My beautiful cover!

Dr. Who is a fabulous character. He’s hundreds of years old, is the last of his race, the Time Lords, and has fought with all his Galifeen might to rescue Earth and the universe. He has suffered losses and lived life after life, being fortunate enough to be able to regenerate when he is killed. Each actor who played the Doctor brings something new to the role.

He’s the kind of character I love to watch. He’s struggled, but he has overcome.

 The Doctor has an arch nemesis called the Master. Also an interesting character, but in a one of the David Tenant story arcs the Master (for me) jumped the shark.

It was a really cool story line. Apparently, the whole reason the Master had fought the Doctor their whole lives was because the Master hears a drumbeat every second of every day, and this constant sound has driven him mad. He is convinced the beat is a military drum and he must take over whatever corner of the galaxy he happens to be in. The writers show us that some of the Time Lords who were trapped in a time bubble have gone bad and will do anything to get out.  It is they who have planted the drumbeat in the Master’s mind, having sent the pulse down through time to the first moment he heard it in childhood.

Here’s where the character of the Master gets derailed for me. In the course of taking over Earth. He turns every person on Earth into — himself. He then uses his army of Masters to wrest control of Earth.

I can suspend disbelief with the best of them. What I don’t believe is that the Master would ever take orders, even from himself. An army of Masters would be a disaster. Every single one of them would be plotting to take command. I can’t see a Master clone delivering the mail or doing anything the writers show him doing.

What about you? Have you seen the episode? What do you think?

Or is there another show or movie you’ve watched, or book you’ve read, where the established character the writer has developed does something totally out of character?

I’d love to know!

Karin

It isn’t easy being the Witches’ Champion, especially
when it’s a hereditary position and you’re hardly
the most powerful witch of your line.  Thalia Kent has
managed to cope so far with wit and nerve and every
ounce of magical ability she possesses, but now her
cousin, who wasn’t a witch, is dead — murdered by a
rogue vampire — and if she’s going to hunt him down
and survive, she’s going to need all the help she can get.
She needs Gideon Damek, immortal vampire, but
vampires shun witches for good reason, witch blood
is poisonous.

Gideon Damek has fought his predatory nature for thousands of years and the last thing he wants is to
team up with anyone, least of all a beautiful young
witch.  Still, something about Thalia compels him
to agree.

Soon, Thalia must deal with a reluctant partner, a
rebellious witch community, interfering police, a healthy
dose of self-doubt, a raging passion for the forbidden
Mr. Damek and an enemy who’s following an ancient
prophecy that requires both their deaths, all without
losing her neck, or her heart.

My beautiful cover!