Melissa Marr

SHADOWS ARCs (winners list)

2009-12-24T07:17:52Z

The following folks won on either the Rath, my blog give away, or the randomizer.

NOT IN ANY REAL ORDER:
wrupignant
barnsdale
ryuumisstres
minaflower
silvercookies
Aliceseesthefuture
TeamPotter
lexicass
darkpriestess
cambriacovell
LostinBelieving
Emma
PickledPizza
ZQanime
adorabledoremouse
VikkiThe
GirlNext (Jacqueline)
CrazyLilDancer
RiloEmily
Azraelmorpyh
malajelena
Addictedtoheroines
bookwormingthe21stcentury
meghan_rachelle
KimberKun
Nathalie
mairijeaan

(Of MY stash--6 ARCs were already mailed out to Rathers.)

ALTS:
amy_anne_s
_bac_
insatiablereadersblogspot

Pls email donna @ melissa-marr.com and INCLUDE:

name,
postal address,
username from the contest (& whether you entered via Rath, Casting/Trailer, or vote randomizer--or several),
whether you are an "alt"
AND to whom you want the ARC personalized.

As a few of you were voted to win on my blog contest AND Rath, I added more winners. Please note that, in fairness, it’s ONE ARC per person, so winning in both spots will not equate to a spare copy : ) This will apply to the Goodreads contest (or ANY OTHER route w/in my control/influence/ability) too.

Mail will go out AFTER NEW YEAR'S DAY bc my assistant (Donna--ie she to whom you are emailing info) is on holiday, & I am (in theory) going to be off visiting my parents & 3 yr old niece.

If the winners do not claim their ARCs by Jan6th, they will default to the ALT winners. ALT Winners should reply to Donna now, however, so she has the data on hand. You need to indicate if you are alt or not when you write.

STILL WANT ONE/DIDN'T GET IT HERE:
I'm still giving 10 away in the Goodreads program thru the 12th of Jan.

ARCs & Snow

2009-12-22T16:35:38Z

ARC winners will be announced in the next day or so. Thereason is prob obvious to For those who read the Twitter feed or FB (which gets my twitter feed), but for those who aren't there: we had around 18-19 inches of snow on Saturday. The resulting being-snowed-in, waaay too many hours of shoveling snow, & canceled school tweaked my schedule quite a bit.

I haven't forgotten the contests. Snow & kids & Winter Break starting a few days early took priority though.

Will get results up as soon as I can do so.

random epiphany moment & holiday note

2009-12-18T22:33:51Z

Writing the 5th & final WL feels like writing the end of each novel. I have this its-here-finally-oh-gods-write-faster-NO-stop-don't-wanna-be-done-ARGH-must-write-this-been-seeding-clues-so-long . . . except yanno, more so bc it's finishing a 5 book series.

The series was never conceptualized as a series-about-a-girl-and-a-boy bc that didn't appeal in the way a series abt these Faery Courts & the faeries in those courts does. Each book (except FE) can stand alone, but together they are also one story.

The final book is the conclusion to the threads that are set up in the first 4 books. . . which means that I am feeling manic in the writing. I don't want to sleep (which means I'm fueled by sugar, caffeine, & whatever natural manic chemistry Ms Muse's dancing stirs up).

I cried yesterday while writing. I'm not sure if that's a result of this blur I'm in or that I'm feeling that bad for Character I Won't Name. Either way, I sat here feeling silly for weeping for my character, but . . . It is what it is, right? Spouse assures me that I'm no less stable this week than I usually am when I'm writing. He brings me my caffeine & reminds me that I should take naps.

The book isn't due till July, but since I started it months ago--before I got lost in Graveminder--I expect to be done early. The real question is whether or not I'll be willing to let go of it early. Whether I seem less stable or not, I'm feeling peculiarly emotional over this book. I didn't think I'd be sad to see it end, but I am. I'm flickering back and forth btw stalling & racing. . . .

. . . but today, I'm still on racing, so back to it.

HOLIDAYS:

As blurred as I am lately, I'm not sure I'll remember to post a holiday msg, so I wanted to at the very least wish you all a Happy Hanukkah. Happy early Yule. Happy early Solstice. Happy early Christmas. . . and to those who are non-faith, hope you're snuggled in somewhere lovely with someone fabulous for Winter's arrival.

Vote--and you are entered to win an ARC

2009-12-15T18:45:59Z

Here's the 4th contest to win an ARC of Radiant Shadows. . . All you have to do is VOTE for one of the videos.

I think I have all of the casting videos so far up as my favourites at my YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/user/MelissaMarrAuthor (look to the right and you'll see abt 40 videos under "favorites." ALL videos there are eligible to be voted for.)

If I missed your entry OR if you make one before the 18th, let me know, & I'll add it.

As I've said before, you can enter up to SIX times.

Go to the YouTube page. Go to favourites. Pick a video.

THEN come back here (my Livejournal blog), click "reply," & in the comments to this entry tell me which casting video and/or trailer you vote for (use the username attached to the videos). This is ENTRY #1.

You can also click reply & post a link to up to 5 different spots where you have shared one (or 5 different ones) of the WL casting or RS teaser/trailer videos for up to 5 extra votes (entries 2-6). LABEL EACH OF THESE as "Entry #-- for Your Name"

Rather than one day of voting, I am opening it today to go thru midnight EST on Dec 18th (as per requests).

SIX entries will be chosen via a randomizer (US & Canada) on or after the 18th of Dec.

Winners will be posted here in the blog, so remember to check back after the 18th.

If you are NOT an LJ user, sign your entries w a name/URL.

NOTES: Please don't spam people's personal blogs for your extra entries. Thanks!

REMINDERS:

Contest #1: Goodreads. I'm still giving 10 away in the Goodreads program. Thru the 12th of Jan (10 ARCs)

Contest #2: Fansite--You can still enter the book teaser/trailr/casting contest over there (ARCs to the videos voted top 12)

Contest #3: WL Casting AND teaser/trailers--ARCs to the top 10 videos (votes go in the replies to the blog post you are reading rt now. SEE ABOVE.)

Contest #4: Replying to this blog post & voting. 6 ARCs

12/17/09 ETA: To clarify, everyone gets ONE vote. THEN, to get extras, you post a link up to 5 times. Those voting more than once w/o links are NOT COUNTED as entries OR as votes.

Live action SHADOWS trailer (& why I think our arts are in good hands)

2009-12-11T03:15:45Z

Before being a writer, I taught university--and guest taught high school as a "loaner" to underfunded high schools. I won't lie to you: I have met students who unnerved me, students who caused me to want to lecture them, and some who just plain frustrated me & broke my heart. They weren't the majority, however. Most of the students I've known leave me excited to see what they will do with the world. As a writer, I mostly encounter those in the latter group: the ones who impress the hell out of me. These are the people who will be responsible for our arts, our laws, and our future--and I'm glad.

I talk to as many of my readers as I can over at the Rath (wickedlovely.com). I meet them on tour. I've requested tour cities for events just to meet a few of them. I have an art site account specifically for the purpose of seeing the visual art they create. I've eaten truffles created for my characters, & I've listened to songs written for them. I've guest taught creative writing courses & done workshops where I've read stories from young writers. I think that's one of the coolest parts of this job . . . right there with the writing part. It doesn't ever sate the teaching longing, but it does great things for my outlook on the future.

One of those readers created a painting of Irial & Leslie that hangs in my office. Tonight, I saw a Radiant Shadows trailer she created as an entry in the win-one-of-the-12-ARCs contest. It's the first live action trailer; it was scripted, filmed/directed, & edited by a 17 year old high school student with friends willing to act in the trailer and no budget to make it happen.

If the universe allows it, I'll be here watching to see what these young artists & writers do. I have no doubt that I'll continue to be wowed.

And, Lorena? If you read this, thank you, & pls share my thanks with your actors. I was feeling blue tonight, but right now, I'm feeling quite the opposite.

random news-y posts

2009-12-09T20:35:48Z

This is one of those random news-y posts.

ADDRESS (for letters or books):

A number of folks have asked how to reach me. I'm happy to receive letters that arrive either in print or digital format. I READ everything, & I reply as much as I can (which does NOT mean I reply to everyone. I can't). I read much much faster than I do most everything in life though :)

POSTAL: Melissa Marr, 44 Mine Road, Suite 2 #208, Stafford VA 22554

EMAIL: donnaATmelissa-marr.com

This goes for people asking me to read books too. If it's published via a traditional house (ie NOT via pay-to-play spots like PublishAmerica ot Harlequin Horizons), you are perfectly welcome to send me ARCs, bound galleys, or finished books. I do NOT open attachments OR read unsold, self-published, or erotica books. I don't blurb middle-grade books (although I do read them & recommend them).

I get more & more requests for blurbs (those endorsement quotes). Honestly, I read every day, but that doesn't ever mean that I will finish a book just bc I start it. Telling me you met me, like me, like my book, wish I would die a fiery death . . . none of that impacts whether I read a book. I rec books by authors I don't know (& sometimes those I met & didn't like). I also rec books by ppl I'm pretty sure DISLIKED my book. I'm not a bribe or flattering incline chick. The book and the author are two different entities.

As a footnote, my not blurbing a book doesn't mean I disliked it. I read lots of books I like, but don't LOVE. I try to keep a limit on howe many books I rec . . . but I read 3-5 books most weeks. It's hard to limit myself. So I rec them in the blog, on the fansite, & I blurb some. NONE Of it is personal.

Harper Holiday Sale

There is one ;) My INK (WL series Bk 2) & UNBOUND (adult, UF antho) are in it.

Goodreads

Just a reminder that RADIANT SHADOWS is still up for giveaway

. . . and, well, even though it goes against my own interests (I want the ARC & entered in the giveaway), I feel compelled to remind you that John Green's upcoming book is on there too.

I've read & loved his books (to the point of following my spouse around reading quotes from ALASKA when I first read it, in my pre-author days). No, I don't watch his vlog, but I've sat on panel with him & find him brilliant . . . aside from his erroneous idea that Faulkner is not the Best Writer EVER (Seriously? Faulkner is SO obviously the best.) Go enter. If you haven't read, Green's first 3 books, add them to your list for the bookstore or library. Don't any of you tell him I said this, but I think he's brilliant & possibiliy the most literary author in YA.

Japanese Cover of WL

I requested info on the artist for my fav WL cover, & here's what I know now:

"The illustrator, Miyako Hasumi has been illustrating for many titles including domestic & translated titles, and also for magazines. Among her illustrations for translated titles, there are: HERE LIES ARTHUR by Philip Keeve, OLD MAGIC by Marianne Curley, Terry Goodkin's SF titles."

I feel utterly spoiled by this cover. I have had great luck w my covers in general, but this one is my absolutely favourite.

Goodreads Part 2

The Goodreads folks emailed to tell me that

"Fragile Eternity has been nominated for a 2009 Goodreads Choice Award in the Young Adult Series category. Blog, tweet, spread the word. Encourage all your fans on Goodreads to vote! http://www.goodreads.com/award/goodreader/2009"

So, umm, you don't have to vote for my book, but do feel encouraged to vote for something :)

Urban Fantasy Cover Contest

FE is also in a cover contest. The website folks there emailed me that:

"Fragile Eternity was nominated for Best Partial Body Cover & Best YA Cover & Best Floating Head Cover Voting [is open] December 1st - December 30th . . . . Click HERE to vote and enter to win in the 1st Annual Urban Fantasy Cover Art Awards"

I think that's everything . . . at least that's all I can remember ;)

Radiant Shadows Ch 2

2009-12-08T17:59:50Z

As promised over HERE, I'm posting one more Chapter of RADIANT SHADOWS.

WHY?

Call it an early Solstice present (bc gods know I tend to prefer giving presents early) or proof of my impatience OR use it as a way to enter to win an early copy of the book :) Details on the contest(s) follow the excerpt.

In March, Harper will do the Browse Inside thing, where you can read prob 4 more chapters. In April (prob the 20th in the US, Canada, UK, AUS/NZ, & anywhere Eng lang books are exported) you can read the whole thing. In Oct/Nov, it'll release in Italy. For now, here's the second chapter.

NOTE: Pls note, my lovelies, that this is pre-copyedit (ie what it looks like in the ARC, before a proofreader points out places I may've missed a word!)

Chapter 2

Devlin stepped into the High Queen’s private gardens. The ground under his sandals hummed when his foot touched it. Sometimes, he considered telling Sorcha that he noticed the barely perceptible alarms she’d set. With rare exception, he’d devoted eternity to Sorcha, but she was a creature of logic and order. She knew—and Bananach did—that he made the choice to serve Faerie every day, every hour, every moment. The essences from which he was made were both order and discord. The only thing that kept him from choosing to align himself with Sorcha’s antithesis was his own willpower.

And affection.

For all of her adherence to logic, the Unchanging Queen cared for him. Of that, he was certain.

“My queen?” He walked towards her, waiting a heartbeat between steps to see if she’d let vines tangle his path or if she’d re-make a passageway for him.

She glanced his way, and the undergrowth vanished in a narrow corridor. Briers reached from plants that were typically without thorns, tracing dozens of thin scratches on his arms and feet. It wasn’t necessarily a conscious strike at him: the world around them bent to her will, but Sorcha had long since stopped noticing. It was like noticing that her heart beat. It simply did, and if her will injured others, so be it.

It’s not personal.

“I can’t see him,” Sorcha whispered. “He’s out there in the world. What if he’s hurt? What if he’s in danger?”

“You’d know,” Devlin assured as he had every day since Seth left. “You’d know if he was hurt.”

“How? How would I know? I’m blind.” The Queen of Order looked far from reasonable. Her skirt had tears in the hem. Her hair, usually as vibrant as liquid fire, was pale and snarled at the ends. Since Seth, the newly-made faery, had gone back to the mortal world, Sorcha was increasingly not herself.

“I need to know that Seth is safe.” She folded her arms over her chest. Her voice steadied. “I see her, the Summer Queen, and he is not with her. That’s why he went back. Her. She should treat him better.”

Misty figures formed in front of Sorcha. Somewhere in the mortal world, faeries were unaware that she was watching them. In the haze of the garden, Devlin stood near his queen and watched the faeries who were the focus of Sorcha’s attention. Unless the faeries’ or mortals’ threads twined too closely with her own thread, Sorcha could see into their lives.

The Summer Queen, Aislinn, stood in front of a fountain, talking to one of the water-fey, Aobheall. In the background, the land flourished even though fall had come. In the patch of earth the Summer regents had claimed, Winter wouldn’t ever reign again. Shrubs bloomed out of season, and faeries danced over green earth. Aislinn laughed and sat down on the edge of the fountain. One hand idly traced patterns on the surface of the water, and in its wake, water lilies blossomed.

Aobheall lazed in the fountain like a half-bared Grecian statue come to life. The water streamed around her in a small waterfall. “I think that dress is the one you wore just a few moons ago. We could shop, or”—Aobheall leaned forward—“get a dress made for you.”

“I don’t know.” The Summer Queen glanced behind her where several members of her Summer Court were weaving flowers into garlands. “Does it really matter what I wear?”

Aobheall frowned. “It should matter, Aislinn.”

“I know . . . and . . . choose happiness, right?” A too-bright smile lit the Summer Queen’s face. The Summer Queen had reigned for barely more than a mortal year, but during that time she’s had to deal with inter-court conflicts, being stabbed, losing a friend to the Dark Court, and trying to make sense of centuries of rivalry, allegiances, and old angers. An illogical urge to send her good advisors flared to life in Devlin, but he quashed it: the Summer Queen was not his priority.

Sorcha jabbed a finger towards the misty tableau, sending ripples through the image. “How can she be happy if he’s not?”

“She chooses to pursue happiness for the good of her court,” he pointed out. “It’s not the same as true happiness. You can’t fault her for trying to keep her court strong.”

Sorcha obviously disagreed: thorns continued to grow, weaving together like threads on a loom until they formed a daunting barrier between Sorcha and Devlin.

“Tell me, brother.” She sounded fragile, not at all like the confident queen she’d been since the moment Devlin had first drawn breath.

“Summer is happy by nature,” he reminded, but even as he said it, he watched the Summer Queen. Her eyes were shadowed as if she wasn’t sleeping, and her mannerisms were out of synch with the frolicking around her. Aislinn was doing what Sorcha should be doing: making the best of whatever sorrows plagued her. Of course, the difference was that the High Queen shouldn’t be lost in sorrows at all. Emotional flux was not a High Court trait: it was out of order.

“I want him home,” Sorcha whispered. “Their world is unsafe. Bananach grows stronger. The courts are in discord. If there is true war there, the mortal world will suffer. Do you remember the times she has been strong, brother? The mortals die so easily. He will not stay out of her path. . . He is too recently mortal. He needs to be here where he is safe.”

“Soon.” Devlin didn’t try to reach through the thorns that now twisted around his queen like a cloak. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that he was there, but such displays of untoward emotion had always offended her. He’d made a life of hiding the emotions that proved that he was not truly High Court, not truly hers, not worthy to advise the Queen of Reason. The rest of the court might not realize that he was filled with illogical emotions, but she knew. She’d always known—and found it abhorrent.

Sorcha watched the translucent figures silently. In the hazy images, the Summer Queen startled and looked up. She smiled, looking hopeful. Whatever or whomever she saw was invisible to them, and in a blink, Aislinn vanished as well.

“He’s there,” Sorcha murmured, “with her.”

“Perhaps.” Devlin suspected that it was Seth, but there were others whose presence was invisible to Sorcha—some of whom Devlin had hidden from her.

“Do you think he is well?” Sorcha caught and held Devlin’s gaze. “What if he needs to talk or . . . art supplies . . . or . . .to come home? Maybe he wants to come home. Maybe he is unhappy. How am I to know?”

“I will visit him again.” Devlin would rather bring Seth back to Faerie, but Sorcha had given Seth a choice, and he had chosen to return to the mortal world where his beloved Summer Queen lived. Devlin had objected. Killing Seth or keeping him in Faerie would be better for Sorcha—and therefore for all of them.

“Perhaps you should stay there.” The High Queen’s voice didn’t sound noticeably different as she said this, but Devlin felt increasingly uneasy. In all of eternity, Sorcha had never sent him away for more than a quick trip.

“Stay there?” Devlin traveled back and forth to the mortal world too often, and as a day in Faerie was almost a full week in the mortal world, and the disconnect of such travel was beginning to wear on him. His own emotions, more easily contained when he stayed in Faerie with his queen, were becoming increasingly present. His sleep was restless, leaving him tired—and prone to emotions.

“You would have me stay in the mortal world?” He spoke the words slowly.

“Yes. In case he needs you. I’m . . . I need you more there than here.” She stared at him, as if daring him to question her.

He wanted to: there was more to this than Seth’s protection, but Devlin didn’t know what his queen was hiding. “He’s with Irial and Niall, my queen. Cloistered safely in the Dark Court, but for when he’s with the Summer Queen. Surely—”

“Do you refuse my orders? Have you finally decided to disobey me?”

He knelt. “Have I ever refused your orders?”

“You have acted without direct orders, but refused? I don’t know, Devlin.” She sighed softly, a whisper of air that made the garden seem to hold its breath. “You could, though. I know that.”

“I am not refusing your order,” he said. It was not a real answer. Truth would lead them into a discussion he had avoided for fourteen mortal years: it would mean admitting that he had disobeyed her direct order to kill one half-mortal child.

An offense for which I could be executed, abandoned, cast out of Faerie. . . and rightly so. A feeling that he recognized as guilt twisted inside him. I am High Court. I am Sorcha’s to command. I will not fail my queen ever again, he repeated his daily reminders silently to himself. Aloud, he added, “I am not refusing, but I am your advisor, my queen, and I do not recommend leaving you alone when you seem . . .”

“Seem what?”

Devlin’s position was one of obeisance, but he caught and held her gaze with a boldness none other in Faerie would dare. “When you seem to be developing emotions.”

She ignored the reality he’d spoken and said only: “Tell him I wish he would come home. You will stay there . . . for as long as he needs you.”

“I am yours to command, my queen.”

“Are you?” Sorcha leaned into the veil of thorns that had grown around her, and just as the jagged edges would pierce her, they vanished. Then, thorns sprouted from the earth at his knees, around her feet. The vines climbed her body, and crept over her arm to her fingers. She raised her hand and pressed it to his cheek, so that the sharp edges pierced them both. “Are you truly mine, brother?”

“I am.” He did not move away.

“You will see her.” Sorcha’s blood dripped on to his skin, mingling with his own.

His body absorbed the blood she offered. As with the twins who’d created him, Devlin needed the nourishment of blood. Unlike them, he needed both the blood of order and of discord.

“I will see Bananach,” Devlin admitted, “but she does not command me. Only you. I serve the Unchanging Queen, the High Court, Faerie.”

The vine crawled from her flesh onto his, where the nourishment she’d filled it with was his to take.

“For now.” Sorcha brushed her hand across his cheek. “But nothing lasts forever. Things change. We change.”

Devlin couldn’t speak. This was the closet to open affection his mother-sister had ever shown him. He wasn’t sure whether to be happy or alarmed. Reason wasn’t to act thusly, but in some hidden part of his mind, he’d wondered if she felt tempestuous emotions, if she’d merely hidden them away better, if she’d chosen to let logic reign over her.

“Everything changes in time, brother,” Sorcha whispered. “Go to Seth, and . . . be wary of War. I would rather you are not injured.”

He opened his mouth to question her, but she turned away, leaving him silent in her gardens.

TO ENTER THE CONTEST to WIN ADVANCED READER COPY:

1. Read (Prologue, Ch 1, Ch 2, & the flap copy).

2. Make RS teaser/trailer video--deadline for entering is Dec 18th (voting day).

3. Upload to YouTube with THIS text: "This video is part of a contest for http://www.rathandruins.com , to win an ARC of Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr. To see the other videos in the contest, check out the Rath and Ruins YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/RathandRuins#p/f If youve already seen the others and think mine is the best, vote for me! Comment vote to have your vote tallied but remember you can only vote for one video."

4. Email your URL to Rath Admin
contests@rathandruins.com

5. OPTIONAL: Lobby for votes

6. BONUS: IF you want to post them AFTER Dec 18, I will also send 6 winners signed finished copies of the book on May 1 when I get my author's copies

7. If you DO upload one, please tell me too so I can post it at my YouTube page too http://www.youtube.com/user/MelissaMarrAuthor

More SHADOWS book trailers.

2009-12-06T20:34:40Z

I'm more than a little impressed by all the videos so far. It's like getting to tell everyone details about the book . . . but without breaking the PTB's rules on how much I can share in public yet. La La La. Yep, that was totally accidental ;)

Ahem.

Here are 3 more of the Radiant Shadows trailers--

Mina's video:

Adorabledoremouse (AKA Kimber Lee Ann)'s video:

And Aliceseesthefuture's video:

You Decide

2009-12-06T16:47:05Z

I can share ONE more chapter of RADIANT SHADOWS. So . . . do you want Chapter 2 or a later one (prob 6 or 7)?

You decide.

Reply to this post w your vote btw now & when I wake up at midday on Tuesday.

SHADOWS for you-- Wanna read Chapter 1?

2009-12-04T20:34:37Z

I wanted to invite any & all who read this--no restrictions--to join the Rathers in the ability to create RADIANT SHADOWS teaser/trailers. To do that, I need to share an excerpt.

So . . . I begged the Powers that Be for permission, & I was granted consent to "use my best judgment" *shudders at WHAT that could mean*

As I wasn't sure if my judgment was sound, I tentatively suggested 2 chapters. No one snarled. I'm guessing that was a "yes."

Call it an early Solstice present (bc gods know I tend to prefer giving presents early) or proof of my impatience. Either way, here is the Prologue & Chap 1. Chapter 2 will go up in the next few days.

NOTE: Pls note, my lovelies, that this is pre-copyedit (ie what it looks like in the ARC, before a proofreader points out places I may've missed a word!)

TO ENTER THE CONTEST:

1. Read.

2. Make RS video--deadline for entering is Dec 18th (voting day).

3. Upload to YouTube with THIS text: "This video is part of a contest for http://www.rathandruins.com , to win an ARC of Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr. To see the other videos in the contest, check out the Rath and Ruins YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/RathandRuins#p/f If youve already seen the others and think mine is the best, vote for me! Comment vote to have your vote tallied but remember you can only vote for one video."

4. Email your URL to Rath Admin
contests@rathandruins.com

5. OPTIONAL: Lobby for votes

6. BONUS: IF you want to post them AFTER Dec 12, I will send 6 winners signed finished copies of the book on May 1 when I get my authors copies

7. If you DO upload one, please tell me too so I can post it at my YouTube page too http://www.youtube.com/user/MelissaMarrAuthor

Prologue

Late-1800s

Devlin stood immobile as the spectral girl approached. The plume of her hat and the dark ringlets that framed her face were motionless, despite the breeze that swept over the field. The air did not touch her; consequently, he was unsure if he could.

“I seem to be dreaming or, mayhaps, lost,” she murmured.

“Indeed.”

“I was resting over”—she gestured behind her, frowned, and gave him a shaky smile—“in the cave that seems to have vanished. Am I still resting?”

The girl presented Devlin with a dilemma. All those uninvited to Faerie were to be brought before the High Queen—or dispatched if he deemed them threats. His function was to assure Order, to do what best served the good of Faerie.

“In a cave?” he prompted.

“My guardian and I had a quarrel.” She shivered and folded her arms over her chest. The dress she wore was not this season’s fashionable attire, but it wasn’t horribly outdated.

When he didn’t reply, she added, “You look like a gentleman. I don’t suppose your manor is near here? Your mother or sisters? Not that my aunt expects me to make much of a match, but she would be . . . displeased if I were to be found unchaperoned in the company of a gentleman.”

“I am not a gentleman.”

She blanched.

“And meeting my mother-sisters is not something I’d wish on the innocent,” he added. “You should turn back. Call this a bad dream. Go away from here.”

The girl looked around at the field; her gaze took in the landscape of Faerie—the spidersilk hammocks that hung in the trees, the pink and gold tinted sky that the queen had fashioned for the day—and then settled on him.

Devlin did not move as she observed him. She did not falter at the sight of his opalescent hair or inhuman eyes; she did not flinch at his angular features or otherwordly stillness. He wasn’t sure what reaction he expected: he’d never been viewed as he truly was by a mortal. Over in their world, he wore a glamour to appear like them. Here, he was known for what he was, the Queen’s Bloodied Hands. Her assessment was a singular event.

Her cheeks became pink as she boldly stared at him. “You certainly look like a kind man.”

“I am not.” He stepped forward. “I exist to keep order for the Queen of Faerie. I am neither a kind nor a man.”

The girl fainted.

Devlin leaped forward to catch her and knelt on the ground, arms empty—as her ethereal form settled inside of his skin. He couldn’t hold the insubstantial, but she apparently could take residence in his body as if it were her own.

Her voice was in his head. “Sir?”

He couldn’t move: his body wasn’t his to control. He was still inside of himself, but he was not animating his body. The girl’s spectral form had filled his skin as if it were her own body.

“Can you move?” he asked.

“Of course!” She sat up and, in doing so, left his body.

He swallowed against the burst of peculiar emotions coursing through him. He felt free and excited and a number of the things that were unlike the restraint of the High Court—and he liked it.

She lifted a hand as if to touch him, but it passed through him. “I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“No.” He felt unexpectedly protective of her, this foundling mortal. “What is your name?”

“Katherine Rae O’Flaherty,” she whispered. “If I am awake now, that means you are an ethereal creature.”

“An ethere—”

“I have three wishes!” She clapped her hands and widened her eyes. “Oh, what do I wish for? True love? Eternal life? Certainly, nothing frivolous like gowns! Oh, perhaps I just want to save them!”

“Wishes?”

“You cannot force me to make my wishes now.” She squared her shoulders and looked at him. “I’ve read texts. I know there is dispute over the goodness of your kind, but I do not believe for a moment that you could be other than kind. Why, just look at you!”

Devlin frowned. He did not idle away his time with foolishness; he did only that which his queen required. Except for those stolen moments of pleasure in the mortal world. His queen knew of his indulgences, looked the other way even. What harm an indulgence here? She was a specter, a mortal girl, no threat to the Queen of Faerie. Sheltering her violates no order. He tried to smile at the girl. “Katherine Rae O’Flaherty, if you’re going to stay in our world, the term you will want is ‘sidhe,’ ‘faery,’ or ‘fey.’”

“I will use those . . . since I am staying.” She scrambled to her feet. “I have read Reverend Kirk, in fact. My uncle’s library has quite a few books of your people. I have read Mister Lang’s fairy tales as well. The sweet—”

“Fairies are not the same as the fey, nor are books the same as reality.” Devlin stared at her. “My world is not always kind to mortals.”

The look in her eyes was no longer guileless. “Nor is the mortal world.”

“Indeed.” He looked at her with a pleasant burst of curiosity.

She stepped closer. “If I wanted to return to my body, will I still be alive? If I return there, how long will have passed?”

“Time passes differently, and I’ve no idea how long you’ve wandered, but if you stay, you might die as well. The High Queen does not allow uninvited guests in Faerie.” Devlin tried his gentlest smile, one he’d not had much use for in his life. “If she learns of your presence—”

“Do I get my three wishes?” Katherine Rae interrupted.

“You may.” It wasn’t traditional to grant wishes, but he found himself wanting to please her.

She tilted her chin. “Then, my first wish is that you keep me safe from harm. . . what is your name?”

Devlin bowed. “I am Devlin, brother and advisor to the High Queen, assassin, and keeper of order.”

“Oh.” She swayed as if she might faint again.

“And now, protector of Katherine Rae O’Flaherty,” he quickly added.

He’d never had anyone in his life who was truly his, never had a friend or confidante, never had a lover or partner. He wasn’t entirely sure he could have any of those. His first duty was to his queen, his court, to Faerie itself. He had been created to serve, and it was an honor to do so.

It was also very lonely.

He glanced at Katherine Rae. She had no body, no power, no allegiances.

What harm can taking in a spectral girl do?

Late 1900s

When Devlin entered the banquet hall, the room was empty—save for the queen herself. In the center of the hall, out of place among the stone pillars and woven tapestries, a waterfall splashed down. The spray from the waterfall formed misty shapes in the air, and then the water washed away and vanished into one of the far walls. The High Queen stared at the falling water, at the threads of possibility she saw there. The filament fine images of what could be weren’t certainties, but Sorcha kept order by monitoring potential futures. She’d re-align them if the disorder was within the boundaries of Faerie, but if the aberration was in the mortal world, she’d dispatch him to correct it.
He approached the dais upon which her throne sat. For all of eternity, he had served as her Bloodied Hands. He was made for violence, but he served the court of order.

Without taking her gaze from the water, she stood and extended a hand, knowing he would be where she reached.

It is my honor to serve the will of Faerie. It was why he was made. None other has been in her trust for all of eternity.

That didn’t mean she actually trusted him, though.

Devlin released her hand, and she crossed the room.

He followed.

“Look at them.” Sorcha gestured towards the air, bringing a woman’s image into focus. The mortal was pretty: a heart-shaped face, brown hair, and olive eyes. In the room with her were two small children, one of whom tackled the other. They giggled as they rolled around on the floor together.

“The youngest whelp is a problem.” The High Queen paused, her features softening into what looked like longing. Then her expression stilled as the image dissolved into mist, and the temperature plummeted. “It needs remedied.”

“Shall I retrieve it?” Devlin washed his hands in the now-frigid water that ran through his mother-sister-queen’s hall. He’d collected squalling infants and silent artists; he’d brought musicians and madmen to his queen at her command. Retrieving mortals or halflings was common—but not as pleasurable as some tasks.

“No.” She glanced at him for a long moment.“This one should not enter Faerie. Ever.”

Sorcha stepped forward so the edge of her skirts touched the water. Her ever-bare feet were exposed in the icy water, and for a brief second, he saw her as she was: a candle with a dim flame surrounded by the darkness of chaos. Her flame toned hair shifted in a breeze that only existed because she willed it. Around her, the room shifted from a chilly hall to a fecund jungle to a desert and back again to the hall, reflecting her briefest thought—as all things in Faerie did. She was their source, his creator. She was order and life. Without Sorcha’s will, only she and her antithesis, her twin Bananach, would exist.

“What would you have of me?” he asked.

Sorcha didn’t look at him. “Sometimes death is required to keep order.”

“The child?”

“Yes.” Her voice was emotionless even as she ordered the death of a child. She was reason personified, sure of her place, certain of her righteousness. “It is born of the Dark Court, daughter of the Wild Hunt, of Gabriel himself. It will cause unacceptable complications if it lives.”

She stepped further into the water. The waterfall paused mid-flow, so her words were the only sound in the suddenly silent room: “Correct this, brother.”

He bowed, but she didn’t turn her gaze from the suspended flow of water, didn’t turn her attention to him as he left. She knew, though, where he was. The water crashed down louder than before as he exited the hall.

She knows even when she does not look. Devlin wondered sometimes just how much of his life Sorcha did see. He lived for her, at her will, and by her side. But I am not truly hers. She never forgot that truth. Out of earth and magic, will and need, the twins—Sorcha and Bananach —had made him, the first male faery. They’d needed both male and female to exist within their world, a balance in that, as in all things, was required.

Not son, but brother, she had told him. Like me, you are parentless.

Order and Discord made him as if carved of stone, a sculpture crafted by two who would never work together again. They gave him too many angular features and too many softened spots: his lips were too-full and his eyes too-cold. He was their best traits compromised. Where Bananach had hair of the purest black and Sorcha had multi-toned hair of living flame, his was opalescent white: all colors shifting in and out of existence. They gave him purest-black eyes and strength not unlike Bananach’s, but none of her madness. They gave him tall stature and Sorcha’s love of art, but none of her physical restraint. Together, they’d made him a thing of extreme cruelty and extreme beauty.

And then they’d fought over his loyalty.

Chapter 1
Present day

Ani pulled open a side door to the stable. It was as much a garage as a true stable, and as she walked through the cavernous building she drew in the mingled scents of diesel and straw, exhaust and sweat. Most of the creatures kept the illusion of vehicles when they were outside the building, but here, in their safe haven, the beasts roamed in whatever form they chose. One of the steeds crouched on a ledge under the sun roof. It was something between an eagle and a lion; both feathers and fur covered a massive body. Several other steeds were lined up in a row of various motorcycles, cars, and trucks; one anomalous steed was a camel.

A Hound looked up from polishing a matte black Harley with plenty of chrome. The cloth in his hand was one of the many swaths of fabric imported from Faerie specifically for their steeds. “You looking for Chela?”

“No.” She stayed in the walkway, not invading his space or the steed’s yet. Her father’s semi-regular mate was a source of comfort, but Chela wanted to be more maternal than Ani sought. Similarly, her father’s attempts at fatherhood veered toward something akin to mortal pretenses. She didn’t want a facsimile of a mortal family. She had a family, with Rabbit and Tish, her half-mortal siblings. During the past year when she had been brought to live in the Dark Court, she had hoped for something else: she wanted to be a true part of the Wild Hunt, a full member of her father’s Pack. That hadn’t happened.

The Hound paused his steady motions only long enough to glance at her. “Gabriel’s not here either.”

“I know. I’m not looking for anyone in particular.” Ani came to the stall. “I just like it here.”

The Hound looked up and down the open aisle. This early no other Hound was in sight, but there were more than a score of steeds close enough to see them. “Do you need something?”

“Sure.” Ani leaned against the wall. It would be an insult not to flirt, even though they both knew action wasn’t possible. “A little fun. A little trouble. A ride . . .”

“Get the boss to agree”—the Hound’s eyes flashed a vibrant green—“and I’ll gladly take you.”

She knew her own eyes were shimmering with the same energy that she saw in his. They were both born of the Wild Hunt. They were the creatures that rode the earth, drawing out terror, exacting vengeance, unrestrained by order. They were the teeth and claws of Faerie, living now in the mortal world, bound to the Dark Court by their Gabriel.

A Gabriel who would chew up anyone who touched his daughter.

“You know he won’t give permission,” she admitted.

Her father was in charge. His rules meant that only one who could stand against him in a fight was allowed to date her.

Or anything else.

“Hey?”

She looked at the Hound.

“If you weren’t his daughter, I’d risk it, but crossing Gabe isn’t something I’m going to do.”

Ani sighed, not in disappointment, but at the futility of ever getting a different answer. “I know.”

“Convince him that you’re not going to get broken by a little fun, and I’ll be in front of the line. Promise.” The Hound leaned forward to drop a quick kiss on her lips.

It was no more than a second of affection, but he was ripped away and hurled across the aisle towards the opposite stall. The thud of his body hitting the wooden slats covered most of the curses he was yelling.

“Don’t touch my pup.” Gabriel stood in the middle of the aisle. He was grinning, but his posture was one of menace. Of course, he was the Hound that controlled the Wild Hunt, so menace was as natural as breathing for him.

The Hound on the floor felt the back of his head as he leaned on one partition of the wooden stall. “Damn, Gabriel. I didn’t touch her.”

“Your lips were on hers. That’s touching,” Gabriel growled.

Ani stepped in front of her father and poked him in the chest. “Don’t act like it’s wrong for them to respond to me.”

He glared at her but didn’t lift a hand. “I am the Gabriel. I run this pack, and if any of them”—he looked past her to the Hound on the floor—“want to challenge me over you, all they need to do is say the word.”

The Hound on the floor spoke up, “I turned her down.”

“Not because she lacks anything,” Gabriel growled.

“No, no.” The Hound held up his hands. “She’s perfect, Gabe . . . but you said she was off limits.”

Gabriel held a hand out to the Hound on the floor without looking at him.

The Hound looked at her. “Sorry . . . I, umm, touched you.”

Ani rolled her eyes. “You’re a peach.”

“Sorry, Gabriel. It won’t happen again.” The Hound straddled his bike and left with a roar that was more growl than a real Harley’s engine could mimic.

For a heartbeat, it was perfectly quiet in the stable. The steeds stayed silent and motionless.

“My perfect pup.” Gabriel stepped up and ruffled her hair. “He doesn’t deserve you. None of them do.”

She shoved him away. “So, you’d rather I’m skin starved?”

Gabriel snorted. “You’re not starved.”

“I would be if I followed all of your rules,” she muttered.

“And I wouldn’t have so many rules if I thought you’d follow them all.” He threw a punch, which she dodged. It was nice, but not the full force of his strength or weight. He always held back. It was insulting. If she were truly a part of the Hunt, he’d fight with her the way he fought with all the rest. He’d train her. He’d accept me.

“You suck at fatherhood, Gabe.” She turned away and started down the aisle.

He couldn’t taste her feelings, not like the most of the Dark Court. Hounds weren’t nourished of the same things, so her emotions were hidden to the Hunt but not to the rest of the Dark Court faeries. The peculiarity of the Hunt’s inability to taste emotions while everyone already them could made them very blunt in their own expressions. It worked out well: Dark Court faeries were nourished by swallowing dark emotions; Hounds required physical touch for sustenance. So the Hunt caused the fear and terror that fed the court, and the court provide the touch the Hounds required. Ani was abnormal in that she needed both.

Which sucks.

“Ani?”

She didn’t stop walking. There was no way she was going to let him see the tears building in her eyes. Just another proof of my weakness. She gestured over her shoulder. “I get it, Daddy. I’m not welcome.”

“Ani.”

Tears leaked onto her cheeks as she stopped in the doorway, but she didn’t turn back.

“Promise to follow the rules while we’re out, and you could probably borrow Che’s steed again tonight.” His voice held the hope he wouldn’t say aloud. “If she agrees.”

Ani turned then and smiled at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He didn’t move, didn’t comment on the tears on her cheeks, but his voice softened and he added, “And I’m not an awful father.”

“Maybe.”

“I just don’t want to think about you wanting . . . things. . . or getting hurt.” Gabriel folded the cloth that the Hound had dropped, looking at it rather than at her. “Irial says you’re okay though. I ask. I do try.”

“I know.” She shook her hair back and struggled to be reasonable. That was the worst part sometimes; she did know that Gabriel tried. She knew he trusted Irial’s judgment, trusted Chela, trusted his pack. He’d never raised a daughter—these past few months that he’d had her around were the sum total of his father-daughter parenting experience. But, she’d never had pack hungers before either. It was a new experience all around.

Later, after she’d secured Chela’s consent, gone over the regular stay-close-to-Gabriel rules, and promised to stick with the pack, Ani was back in the stable with her father.

“If Che’s steed has anything to say, it’ll tell me, and I’ll tell you.” Gabriel’s reminder that she couldn’t hear Chela’s steed—that I’ll never hear one—was delivered with an ominous rumble in his voice. He was already feeling the heightened connection to the Hounds who were filling the aisles.

Somewhere in the distance, a howl rose like the scream of wind. Ani knew that only the Hunt heard it, but both mortal and faery felt it in the shivers that raced over suddenly chilled skin. To some, it was as if sirens came towards them, as if ambulances and police sped to them carrying words of sudden deaths or horrific accidents.

The Wild Hunt rides.

As Ani looked over the assembling Hounds, the green of their eyes and the clouds of their breath were clear. Wolves filled the room where the steeds were not. They would run between the hooves of the steeds, a roil of fur and teeth. Steed and wolf all waited for their Gabriel’s word to begin, to run, to chase those foolish enough to attract their attention. Terror built and filled the air with a pre-storm charge. Those not belonging to the Hunt would have to struggle to breathe. Mortals on the nearby streets would cringe, scurry into their dens, or turn onto other alleys. If they stayed, they'd not see the true face of the Hunt, explaining it away—earthquake? trains? storms? streetfights?—with the willful ignorance mortals clung to so fiercely. They didn’t often stay; they ran. It was the order of things: prey runs, and predators pursue.

Her father, her Gabriel, strode through the room assessing them.

Ani felt the stroke of icy fingers on her skin as they prepared to ride. She bit down on her lip to keep from urging her father to sound the call. Her knuckles whitened as she clenched the edge of wooden wall beside her. She looked at their horrible beauty and shivered.

If they were mine . . . I’d belong.

Then Gabriel was beside her.

“You are my pup, Ani.” Gabriel cupped her cheek in his massive hand. “To be worthy of you, any Hound would have to be willing to face me. He’d need to be strong enough to lead them.”

“I want to lead them,” she whispered. “I want to be their Gabrielle.”

“You’re too mortal to hold control of them.” Gabriel’s eyes were monstrous. His skin was the touch of terror, of death, of nightmares that were Un-Named. “And too much mine to not be with the Hunt. I’m sorry.”

She held his gaze. Something feral inside of her understood that this was why she couldn’t live with Rabbit: her brother wasn’t as fierce as her father was. Tish wasn’t. Ani desperately wanted to be. Like the rest of the Hounds mounting their steeds, Ani knew that Gabriel could kill her if she disobeyed. It was a restraint she needed: it kept her closer to following rules.

“I can’t take the Hunt from you”—she flashed her teeth at her father—“yet. Maybe I’ll surprise you.”

“Makes me proud that you want to,” he said.

For a moment, the pride in her father’s eyes was the sum of her world. She belonged. For tonight, she was included in the pack. He made it so.

If only I always was.

But there were no unclaimed steeds, and her mortal blood meant she’d never be strong enough to become Gabriel’s successor, never be truly Pack.

A taste of belonging . . .

It wasn’t enough, not truly, but it was something.

Then a howl unlike anything else in this world or the next came to his lips, and the rest of the pack echoed it. She echoed it.

Gabriel tossed her atop Chela’s steed and growled, “We ride.”

Winning SHADOWS--with info on contest #4 the voting/viral version

2009-12-02T22:03:29Z

If you recall, there are FOUR contests in which you can get copies of Radiant shadows.

1. Enter on Goodreads (thru Jan 12, US & Canada)

2. A WL casting video (I'm posting these over on my YouTube page). (NOW thru Jan 12, US & Canada)

3. A Radiant Shadows trailer/tease (I'm posting these over on my YouTube page). (NOW thru Jan 12, global)

Members* of the RATH forum at wickedlovely.com can read the first 6 chapters NOW.

4. Voting and going viral. On January 12th, you can enter up to SIX times. To enter, ON THAT DATE you will

click "reply" (entry #1)

click reply & post a link to where you shared one of the WL casting or RS teaser/trailer videos (entries 2-6) btween NOW and that date.

Winners will be chosen via a randomizer (US & Canada).

What this means--

You can enter on Goodreads now, and you can submit videos now, and you can post links now, and on the 12th of JANUARY you can vote for a top pick and tell where you've linked a WL or RS video.

Check back on the blog on Friday for a special update on entering. (HINT: I just got permission to expand the RS teaser contest by sharing excerpt of RADIANT SHADOWS on here.)

----------------
* Members must have 20 posts to read the excerpts.

Radiant Shadows trailers

2009-12-01T19:31:19Z

I have a YouTube account for collecting* WL Casting videos & Radiant Shadows trailers. (http://www.youtube.com/user/MelissaMarrAuthor)

There are 4 SHADOWS trailers so far that I can share. They, of course, do reveal plot clues bc the video makers have read** the Prologue and first 6 chapters of the novel. (Those chapters are posted on the Rath-- wickedlovely.com). As a reminder, the Rath contest is open to people from ANYWHERE in the world, not just the US & Canada.

Tegan's video:

and

The Pickled Pizza's video:

and
Team Potter's video:

and

Cambria Covell's video:

___
* I got the acct a while ago for this purpose, but had nothing there, so hadn't announced it.

** To read the chapters, you must have 50 posts there. There is no time limit for reading.

Radiant Shadows COVER

2009-11-20T22:03:45Z

I just got permission to share. I have a cover.....................

I love it.

ETA: It's also on Goodreads now.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6368610-radiant-shadows-wicked-lovely-4

AND

on my Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/melissa-marr/4120168013/

More drafting process (on INK)

2009-11-20T17:21:48Z

Here are a few more journal pages. The first set of
pages are over here.

NOTE #1: If you "click" the images twice, they should get big enough to read. The first "click" will open in a new page, & the second click will enlarge them to full screen.

NOTE #2: I do apologize for my handwriting. You can see that the faster the thoughts go, the less readable it is. . . which has the unfortunate consequence of making the transcription from notebook to type a challenge sometimes.

This one is another WICKED LOVELY page.

These are from INK EXCHANGE. I inserted my typed notes on the pages themselves.

Sharing early text from Wicked Lovely (writing process post)

2009-11-20T05:00:57Z

I have a stack of notebooks. Almost every story I have started ends up in these (as well as revision notes, scrawl from phone calls w editor & w agent & w crit partners). When I travel, I always have a notebook, & on flights & in airports & when I am waiting for appointments or getting my hair dyed, I write in longhand.

Mostly, the only one who ever sees inside my notebooks is, well, me. They are my unpolished, as first draft as it gets text. They are the "just rolled outta bed, haven't combed my hair or washed my face or oh gods where is my tea??" version of text :)

That said, people often ask about the writing process. It is one of the top 3 writing questions asked in email & at events. I did a big blog on writing the manga (& a lenghy thing on it over at the Book Smugglers--and on the USB drives I gave out at events last year). I guess this is part of the answer to "How do I write a book?" For those who are interested, under the cut is the early stuff from Wicked Lovely that not even my editor or agent or crit partner have ever seen. For those who aren't interested, well, it's under an lj-cut to spare you :)

NOTE #1: If you "click" the images twice, they should get big enough to read. The first "click" will open in a new page, & the second click will enlarge them to full screen.

NOTE #2: I do apologize for my handwriting. You can see that the faster the thoughts go, the less readable it is. . . which has the unfortunate consequence of making the transcription from notebook to type a challenge sometimes.

And, a few notes to myself . . .

Now, off to see if I can find what I was actually looking for in these journals ;)

WL Trailers for Radiant Shadows contest

2009-11-18T06:10:00Z

For those who are interested in the trailer entries so far, I have a few to share:

Lorena is documenting her Making The Trailer process:

Jacqueline has shared her Wicked Lovely film choices here:

So has Jelena:

And so has Sarah O

I love this. Seeing what you all think/see when you visualize my characters is great fun. Keep letting my know when you have entries up. I'll be linking them on a YouTube page (& sharing that info on Twitter, Facebook, & MySpace). Remember that there are NO right answers, just varying opinions . . . kinda like most things in life :)

Radiant Shadows contests 1-3 (updates)

2009-11-13T19:04:51Z

Contest 1. The enter-to-win on Goodreads went live. (10 ARCs)

Contest 2. Readers have started to submit entries for the first option (the WL World casting video). Remember to reply to this thread with the URLs for your WL Casting videos. (10 ARCs)

Contest 3. And the folks over at the Rath already have read the first 5 chapters so they can enter in their contest. That contest is for ALL Rathers (no restrictions). It can also include WL Movie Casting videos, WL book talks (you & your webcam), or any other WL video you devise. (12 ARCs)

Contest 4. Will happen in December, but the other 3 contests are already in progress.

That's 32 ARCs right there that I'm sending out to readers.*

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q:. But I live ----, & you are excluding me!
A: I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be mean. I have restrictions I have to follow. It's NOT personal.

Q: I would post abt it here, there, & other places.
A: In Dec there will be a 4th contest. Posting the links to the best casting video or fan made book trailer will get you up to 6 entries in that contest. Offering me reviews won't. (Sorry.) I say this every year, and I'll repeat it again: that's not what these ARCs are for. They're mostly either a) I'm impatient & want to share w readers who want to read and b) thank you gifts for helping keep me sane-ish during this career. In the past 2 years, I've sent my share of the ARCs to Rathers (those at the wl.com fansite) are Solstice gifts. This year I begged for extra to send more. They agreed. These are mine. I'm doing what I want with them.

Q: Videos??
A: Yep. I did photos, visual art, rec a song, rec a band, & now I'm doing videos. Why? *pauses* I can't create art. I love seeing it though. I also feel like a fool when ppl ask me abt "dream casts" for the Wicked Lovely movie. The only ideas I have are the ones my Rather Lovelies over at WL.com have given me. And, yeah, my producers have asked for my insights. . . but let's me honest, folks, if I didn't even know who Vince Vaughn was before his production house wanted to buy WL, the odds of me having any actors in mind are pretty freakin slim. (No, Vince isn't going to be in it. Yes, I trust that my producers will have brilliant ideas for casting, but I still am intrigued by what YOU see.)

Q: I can't make videos.
A: Me either ;) That's why there are a Goodreads & random number gen contest too.

Q: Still shots ok for videos?
A: Yep. Animation is too (for the trailer one). I'm all sorts of flexible. I just want to see what you see.

Q: What abt a WL/INK./FE trailer? Can that count too?
A: Sure. Post it in the reply to the WL casting thread.

Q: Why do the WL.com folks get to see the excerpt? Why can't I join there & see it?
A: Bc admin has imposed a 50 post minimum to see it to prevent that very thing. It's a gift to ALL active Rathers that I got special pemrission to give them. Seriously, folks, when I was on tour these people went for walks w me, joined me at an aquarium, tea shops, bars (only the adult readers!!!), restaraunts, uppity hotel lobbies, bookstores, a Target, museums . . . They send me cool letters. They send me notes of "saw you were in __. Great tea shop on __" (or store/funky spot/cool building). They've knitted me scarves.

I try to let them know how much I love their support of my books & their kindness to me, and it occurred to me that this was something I could give to them. Harper will post the same excerpt in the Spring. My Rathers just get it first. I mean seriously, several of them have adopted me as their "Auntie M" How could I NOT want to give them special access??!

----
* Yes, reviews are allowed to enter, but you just don't get any special consideration. I'm not excluding you, but having a blog, newspaper, or any other review outlet doesn't get you a copy. That's what publishers do--give to reviewers.

Wanna read Radiant Shadows early?

2009-11-12T02:16:17Z

Ok, all, here's the surprise I've been waiting for permission on--

Last year I asked Harper Marketing for permission to ask you all to make book trailers in order to give away books.

This past summer I asked for permission to get ARCs to give away.

I just found out that I'm getting both. There are FOUR ways to get an ARC of RADIANT SHADOWS.

NOTE: For legal reasons, ARCS are restricted to the US & Canada.

The possible routes to get an ARC ARE--

1. Goodreads. I'll be giving some away in the Goodreads program. Not sure how that works yet, but it'll get figured out & I'll post here (& Twitter & FB) when that goes live (in late Nov/early Dec). At least 10 ARCS this way.

2. Fansite--I'll be posting the first 6 (or maybe 7) chapters in a locked post over there this week. It's only going to be viewable to those of you who are active in the Rath. Why? Bc the Rathers keep me sane(ish) when I'm drafting, revising, and out on tour. So every active Rather will get to see the first few chapters of SHADOWS within the next week. From that, I'm inviting them all to make book trailers. Admin will upload them to YouTube. ANY & EVERYone will vote on the best of the book trailers. The top 12 get ARCs.

3. Casting videos

a. As you all know, Universal acquired the rights to the Wicked Lovely series.
b. I don't watch many movies
c. many of you do

Soooo . . . post a WL World casting suggestions video on YouTube. REPLY to this post (the one you're reading right now) with the URL for the YouTube Video & your name. I'll collect them all, & post a poll for you to vote on Btw DEC 6th & DEC 12th. 10 of these (voted on by readers) will get an ARC.

Edit to Add: Go over to www.youtube.com and search for "Wicked Lovely" for examples :)

4. UPDATED DATES: On Dec 18th, I will post an entry here on the livejournal blog where you can reply. I will use a randomizer to pick 6 people from that post. You will be able to get additional entries STARTING ON THAT DATE & until DEC 18 if you have recommended your pick of either the best casting video OR the best trailer on your Twitter, blog, MySpace, Facebook, or community. Each link will give you 1 entry (up to 6). So, link btw now & then (once there are videos!) On the 6th, tell me where you posted it. 6 ARCs this way.

ARCs by the Numbers:
10 Goodreads
12 Rath site
10 casting videos
6 random number generator.
= 38 ARCs from me to you (+ 1 to my mother & 1 for my shelf)

NOTES:
This is specifically intended for fan created casting suggestions & book trailers. It does not confer any rights beyond book trailers (not for profit) or casting suggestions.

Voting Day is Dec 12th for BOTH video contests.

ARCs will be mailed out to winners (ideally so they arrive as Solstice gifts).

For legal reasons, ARCS are restricted to the US & Canada.

If you are a reviewer, please don't email asking for one. Each year, I get those emails. I like you, but these are MY copies that I've begged for from my publishers. They are for my readers. You are welcome to enter, but I do not give special consideration to anyone other than my mother. (Yes, Mum, you will get a copy before anyone else. Prob at the end of November when I see you.)

I will repeat this info as needed over the next month.

Questions on this or anything else? Post them as a reply in the question post

OTHER--Contact
In other corners, I have an address for communication again: donna@melissa-marr.com My last assistant moved on, but Donna is now minding me & my life (& possibly my diet too--she was a raw foodist, yoga instructor, and office manager among other things before becoming my keeper). She's here 5 days a week now, so any business matters, etc will go to her.

As for mail, the 44 Mine Road, Suite 2 #208, Stafford VA 22554 continues to be how to reach me. And yes, I do send book plates if you send a self-addressed stamped envelope for their return.

Pls note that "my teacher said to write you & I get a better grade if you reply is never a good thing." Odds are I won't get it by the time your assignment is due, & I'm barely able to keep up w MY homework.

Q&A--teaching, fic/nonfic reading, faery research

2009-11-10T01:57:01Z

Q: "What do you most enjoy about teaching literature?

Everything :) I love teaching. It's a kick in a way that nothing else ever is. A good book signing or panel has a few such moments, but teaching gave me that rush regularly. That doesn't mean every day was a traipsing thru fields of flowers thing: there were bad classes. There were students I failed to reach. There were plagiarism cases that caused me ridiculous amounts of angsting. There was one athlete I wanted to thwack on the head, & there was one addict I wanted to adopt & fix. Teaching is not always fun. Parts of it are frustrating.

Faculty meetings & dealing with faculty politics are my suggestions for adding to the circles of hell. (Really? Some of these folks have lived in their ivory towers too long. They aren't there to teach, but as a place to hang their hats while the apply for research grants or to subsidize their writing income. It's a systemic problem that I don't know how we should fix, but I DO know that it needs fixing.)

Still . . . put me in a classroom & tell me to talk lit . . . *sighs* there's nothing like it.

Q: "Do you read literature or nonfiction exclusively when you write or do you read both?"

I'm always writing so I don't limit my reading bc of it . . . except that I don't read books w potentially similar sounding premises to what I'm writing.

In faery* books, Holly Black is tops (IMNSHO), but she hasn't had a new faery book while I've been writing since Ironside (ergo I haven't had to suffer delays in reading her.). I adore her YA faery books, & I have pondered begging her to turn one of her short stories into a book (from her POISON EATERS collection). It's not faery, but it's freaking gorgeous. Back to faery though . . . I've had a few LOVE it moments in faery fiction since I started writing. In particular Janni Lee Simner's Bones of Faerie & RJ Anderson's Faery Rebels (AKA Knife). They were read when I wasn't writing, but they're also pretty far outside what I write in terms of plot. They are VERY fab & lore-based.

Obviously, I veer towards folklore based fiction (species is immaterial), but I read across the board. Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box was one of the best books I've read in years. I crush on Eloisa James' Duchess series (historical romance=yay!).

As to fic and non-fic, I'm mostly a fiction reader. I dip into very specific nonfiction (folklore, criticism, or research for a text I'm pondering). I read a lot of romance. I tend to default to historical romance, but I enjoy contemporary, time travel, & paranormal too. I'm not a fan of SciFi Romance, not bc there's anything wrong with it. Aliens simply don't appeal to me. I like mainstream fiction (T Chevalier is an auto-buy for me). I get on poetry kicks, but I don't do novels in verse or much contemporary poetry. In poetry, I default to mostly dead folk. And, of course, I get on classics kicks. Nothing tops Faulkner. I'm not a huge Jane Austen fan, but I enjoy her. I think Flaubert's Madame Bovary, most of Hardy's novels, & some Bronte . . . really I'm an 1800s-mid-1900s novel fan. My two eras in grad school were the British Victorians & Faulkner, so a lot of my reading tastes derive from the same tastes that lead to my picking them.

I still read some criticism on Faulkner, the Victorians, the PRB, & narrative structure. I subscribe to some academic journals specifically to do so. That tends to sate a lot of my nonfic needs. Well, that & kidlit theory/paranormal theory . . . and lately, mortuary science.

I have a problem with books. Fortunately, it's a healthy thing to be addicted to.

Q: "When doing research on Faerie lore and stuff, how would you recommend going about it? Is the Internet a decent source of information, or are books and stuff more reliant? Are there any books/sites that you'd recommend?"

First, *sends adoring thoughts for asking a research question*

Sacred-texts.com has a lot of old texts scanned in. If you're going Celtic faery, go here. Start reading. The Secret Commonwealth (Kirk) is essential. If you're going Welsh, read the Mabinogion. Evans-Wentz Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries is a great text. Thomas Crofton Croker, T Keightly

If you're looking for hard copy (newer but still awesome), Eddie Lenihan is a master (http://www.eddielenihan.com/). Meeting the Other Crowd is one of my favourite books.

Honestly, there's a lot of great stuff there. I like hard copy (and yes, I am anti-ebook/ebook readers as a personal choice). Free text is a goodthing when budget is a concern though. Read the old texts.

Do NOT read other novels with faeries until after you do your research. (Yes, I realize that I am suggesting that you don't read my books, too.) It's the sourcetexts that matter most. Read those. Then you can read contemp fiction--but be aware that you may get grumbly when you do so bc few things we write in fiction are as captivating as the research is.

----
* That part has been easy so far bc I'm a picky picky bitch when it comes to faery books. My family roots are in Ireland, Scotland, & a tendril in Germany. So these are my heritage. I'm particular.

More Q&A (signing, Leslie, what I'm reading)

2009-11-04T02:03:23Z

Q: "random beyond random is it weird signing books all day and then switching your signature for day to day stuff? idk why its bugging me lately, but it has been bugging me since July, when seeing you sign for lunch, no clue why, but it has. so asking it here."

A: *grin* I don't usually sign any other name. For most of my life, my only name was "Melissa Marr" or "Miz Marr" or just plain "Melissa" or sometimes "Lissa" or "Miss" or "Missy" . . . or, umm, pet names that parents assign or nicknames* I won't be sharing in public ;) These days, I do have a second surname, too. I don't actually need it for much though. My bank accepts both (& really? Marr is FOUR letters so why use the longer one or both??). My spouse handles the bills these days (I used to, but we shift off every few years & it's his turn). So aside from when I sign reportcards, I don't really need to sign anything but "Melissa Marr."

Now ask me if I can remember my phone number or address when I have to fill out paperwork . . . *shudder* No joke. I have my phone number & address in my contacts on my own phone so I can look it up.

Q: "I have just finished reading Fragile Eternity and I must say I loved it. I have loved reading all your books and I'm just wanting to know when your next one will be released. Congratulations on a fantastic book."

Thank you :) Radiant Shadows will be out April 20, 2010 in the US, Canada, UK, Australia & anywhere those places export to.

Q: "I absolutely love Leslie. She's such a real, and likable, character. I've been reading the teasers but haven't read her name or anything. Is she a major character in Radiant Shadows? I hope so. I adore her. Maybe I just missed a post or something."

Leslie isn't in SHADOWS. She is, however, one of the central characters in the short story ("Stopping Time") that I gave Harper to put in the paperback edition of FRAGILE & to give away as a free ebook.

------INK EXCHANGE SPOILER AHEAD ------------

*
*
The choice she made at the end of INK means that she won't be a main point-of-view character in the remaining 2 novels. I know some readers & reviewers thought that her choice at the ending was a to be "cliffhanger" to set up a sequel. Nope. It really was just the right choice for who she is & where she was at that time. Sometimes we need to learn who we are before we can try to build something w other people. She was too broken to be able to be with either of the two faeries who love her.

. . . & even if she was able to just shrug off the things that she experience, there are problems. Having a future with a Gancanagh means willingly accepting being an addict. Iri is a Gancanagh at the end of INK. Choosing to be w Niall means living in the Dark Court. That life isn't going to give her the sort of future she wants. So . . . hmm. Will there be a chance that that could change? Maybe, but I guess it's a matter of where she will end up, but getting there isn't something that works in the now.

Sometimes love isn't enough to change where we are, who we are, & where we need to go. For Leslie, walking away from the world of faeries, courts, & intrigue (along w the human baggage she acquired in Huntsdale) was the only way to pursue the future she wants.

She is, quite honestly, one of my favourite characters in the series, but her story is one that will continue outside their world not in these novels. I did write the aforementioned short story in part bc while I know what her future holds, that wasn't something that fit in the novels, so I wrote a short story as a glimpse into her life.

Q: "What are you reading?"

Tonight? My email backlog & Graveminder so I can make it better.

Recently, I've enjoyed:
Rosemary Clement-Moore's The Splendor Falls (ghost/Gothic/mystery/paranormal),
Kiersten White's Paranormalcy (out in 2010, YA paranormal/adventure),
Madeline Hunter's The Saint, The Sinner, & The Romantic (all adult historical romance),
Molly Harper's Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (adult, snarky librarian-turned-vampire),
W Todd Harra and Kenneth McKenzie's Mortuary Confidential (think of that "Chicken Soup" series but about Undertakers),
Carleton's The Moonflower Vine (adult, mainstream fiction),
Katie Alender's Bad Girls Don't Die (YA, ghost, creepy) .
Teresa Medeiros Breath of Magic (adult romance, time travel)
Kentucky Folklore & Superstition (collection; re-reading excerpts)
Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood (theory/criticism; reading excerpts)
Coyote Stories (collection; re-read)

I've read others that I'm forgetting I'm sure (& a few I started but was bored by), but that's where my head was the past couple weeks. As always, I only list them if I've enjoyed them.

_________
* Never "Mel" thank goodness. I'm just not a Mel, but I had a couple not-PG names among some friends that would sound far more inappropriate (or sleazy) than funny if you weren't a part of the crowd I was with then.

Updates & more Q&A (Wicked Lovely world questions)

2009-11-02T20:56:22Z

Sorry so silent over here. I did read the plethora of questions over in the current question box entry (to ask a question just reply to that entry). There's no real box at this point :)

News-ish stuff . . . not a whole lot on the work front. I finished the edits for the "Stopping Time" story (a free Leslie/Iri/Niall story that I wrote on a whim & am now giving away in March). I looked at thumbnails for the 3rd manga volume, and I continue writing/revising Graveminder in preparation of submitting it to my editor in the next month.

Next weekend I'll be at FaerieCon in Baltimore.

An interview I did went live. There are also bonus questions with it (on my tattoos & on getting published, IIRC). I haven't listened to it but I know it was early (like still having the first cup of tea early), so no promises that I make ANY sense. OTOH, the lovely Holly Black was also in the interview & SHE always makes sense. Listen to her if you're looking for articulate (my interviews are a bit stream of consciousness--more so even than the blogs--with lots of "yanno" & "umm" & "like" when I get going).

Speaking of getting wound up, I taught high school one day last week. *happy sigh* There is nothing in the world quite like getting to teach. (Of course, afterwards I'm a moping mess bc it's OVER. I came home & told Spouse I wanted to quit writing & return to teaching. . . which obviously I can't, but that was all I could process as I left. Guess what I'll be volunteering to do again?)

Anyhow . . . A creative writing teacher let me come in & teach his classes--which was great fun. It wasn't an author visit (which to be honest still weird me out). We didn't talk abt my books, but abt writing & being a writer & em dashes & commas &, umm, zombies . . . I miss the classroom. I do love writing, but there's a feeling that comes from teaching that I don't get anywhere else. I volunteered to go back, & I'm now looking into finding schools where I can go, teach for a day, & then go back to real life. I may have a plan for it, but I'm still sorting

And the Q&A . . .

Q: "What will be Ani's iconic image for the Radiant Shadows cover?"

This one takes some context for those who haven't been to a booksigning w me : )

For each book cover, my Art Goddess Alison & my editor Anne allow me to give them 3 things: 1) model choice, 2) vine, & 3) iconic image. For each book, here's what we had:

WL: model Taylor (as Ash), ivy vine, & frozen flower (from the scene where Beira crushes the flower Keenan is teasing out of the frozen earth)
INK: model Laura(as Leslie) & tattoo/wings (the vine was not my idea on this one)
FE: model Cameron (as Sorcha), Night Blooming Jasmine vine, & butterfly (both from a scene in Faerie)
SHADOWS: model Olga (as Ani), vine of thorns (from a scene in Faerie), & iconic image of wolves

So far, the INK cover is my absolute top pick. The image under the cover of FE is my 2nd pick. And, IMHO, all 4 of the models & the vines are perfect :) Mark Tucker is fabulous* (although, admittedly, I like his rural decay photos & random photos he shares in his blog more than my covers--which i love).

Q: "Hi I saw on wickedlovely.com that there are going to be two deaths in Radiant Shadows :( I was just wondering if this was a surprise to you, if you saw it coming or if you just had to cry about it after writing?"

I did actually cry over one of the deaths. I'm fond of most of my characters, and this one is one I'm very fond of. . . so yeah, I did get blue. I tried to come up with a way that this death could be avoided, but it's the right thing for the book & the series and that matters more than my emotions. I didn't know it was going to happen back at WL, but by FE I knew these deaths were coming. I had a "hit list" of probable deaths, and one character hopped back & forth on it. My daughter read the first draft of the book, & she was decidely DISpleased by this death. I was sent to my office to "fix it."

. . . but the desire to write the story as it needs to be written outweighs the rest. Death happens. When we are looking at major conflicts, it's a pretty lie that we can do so without loss, but it IS a lie.

That's something I believe very seriously. My spouse is a retired Marine. People we know died in Iraq. One of our dear friends lost a number of his men. Fiction is fiction, but as a Marine wife I can't write a text with War wherein there are no harsh losses. It irritates the hell out of me when ppl write major conflict and only "red shirts" die. The characters we love** AND those the characters love will be impacted by war.

Q: "I'm new to the world of Faeries and found your books.Wicked Lovely was Keenan/Don Ash/Seth's story... Ink Exchange was Leslie's story...& Fragile Eternity is the continuation of Ash and Seth's story? So my question is, should I read these books according to how they came out? And is Seth and Ash's story over? Or will there be more? Your newest book that will be coming out- Radiant Shadows? Is that another character that is being introduced into the world? I've only read Wicked Lovely and want to continue the rest."

I didn't set out to tell the story of one chick or one couple. I DO get the appeal in that, but . . . this is a series abt a group of faery courts (which was what I wanted the series name to be "The Faery Courts series" but we never really picked a series name, so they are usually called "The Wicked Lovely series"***).

So, yeah, we'll see Ash & Seth again. Seth is in SHADOWS (he's been in every book), so are Niall, Irial, Sorcha, Rabbit, et al. When we are intertwined, our stories are too. These are characters whose courts are connected; their lives are connected. So, the books have a variety of threads of stories.

In SHADOWS, there's only 1 character you've not met yet (Rae). Ani was in INK. Devlin was in FE. On one level, Radiant Shadows is their story. In larger context al 5 books are one story.

Can you skip? Sure. You can read WL by itself, INK by itself, SHADOWS by itself. Those 3 are designed to be able to stand freely. FE is intended to be a "middle book," so it requires more context on either side. The plot set forth in the start of FE is resolved by the end, but there are new questions set up.

Will the 5th book work w/o the first 4 books? *grin* I dunno. I'm still writing it. It pulls the whole series together (I hope), so I'd think it made sense to read the others first, but *shrug* I can't answer that for anyone but myself.

From the book jacket for SHADOWS^

Hunger for nourishment.

Hunger for touch.

Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.

Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in Melissa Marr’s next volume of Melissa Marr’s New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series.

-----
* Why, yes, I do have an art-crush on him. Check out his landscape photos if you want to know why.

** No, of course, I won't give you hints as to who dies.

*** Except on piracy sites where they are the "Tattoo faeries" series which irritates me. Seriously? If you are going to go all epiracy, at least keep the publisher's series name or better yet use the series name I like. It feels like nasty appropriation to re-name my books. Names matter^^.

^ which is up for pre-order on Amazon, I hear, but not yet on IndieBound or B&N or Borders

^^. . . which is why, FWIW, I loathe having people shorten my name without my accord (esp to "Mel" *shudder*)

The Question Box Is Open

2009-10-24T18:35:19Z

As promised, here's the next question box.

QUESTIONS:
Most topics are fair game. You can, of course, ask me anything--but know that there are some questions I won't answer :) That said, asking is harmless, so to those of you who start w "I hope it's ok to ask. . ." It is. Honest. Life is short. Don't worry over that sort of thing.

ONLY 2 RULES (I can think of, at least):
No asking me to read anything.

No asking me if I like a book/what I thought of it.

ASIDES:
This is much much more efficient than emailing, PMing, or sending notes thru Facebook/MySpace/Twitter/LJ, so I will continue to try to do this periodically.

All comments will be anon, so you won't be able to see them. I am the ONLY ONE who can see the reply thread here.

Questions are now open. Have at it.

excerpts from Radiant Shadows

2009-10-23T02:25:17Z

On Twitter while I was doing the galleys today, I posted random sentences from Radiant Shadows. As I doubt that everyone here follows Twitter, but thought a few of you might want a couple teasers, I'm x-posting them here.

"She reached up and locked the door. It wouldn't matter: neither of them would be even slowed by the lock--or the door for that matter"(229)

"Before the objection was a completed thought, Devlin stood in front of them. 'Step away, Sister'" (RS 164).

"And, despite her dislike of Seth, she wasn't sure she could kill him" (RS 139).

"She stood in front of Ani like she'd stepped into existence, darkness given form in between an inhalation and a scream" (RS 114).

"She wasn't sure of the right words when it came to Irial and Niall; no one in the court was. She settled on, 'Is the king here?'" (RS 88).

". . . instead of being wrought of shadows like those in her court, this faery had a tangled feel to him. Shadows and radiance" (RS 69)

"Unlike faeries, Rae could lie at will." (RS 40).

Also, it looks like the book will release in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ & anywhere the US or UK exports to all at the same time (April 2010). So to those of you in various spots emailing & asking, there's your answer :)

Oh, & the winners of the UNBOUND & HALF MINUTE HORRORS copies were posted tonight over at the Rath.