Sara Brookes's Blog, page 17

Today, the Lab is welcoming uber gamer chick Cate Peace and she’s sharing six of her all time favorite villain battles. What is it about those bad, bad boys?

~*~

I was a reader before I was a writer, but I was a gamer before anything else.

You see, I didn’t discover my love of writing until I was eight years old. However, I discovered my love of gaming the day my father brought home a Nintendo Entertainment System and The Super Mario Bros. I was five. My life was changed forever.

I love anything that tells me a good story, be it a book, a movie, or even a song, but being as visual as I am, I’ve always depended on RPGs (role-playing video games) to provide me with a brain-changing experience. I love being completely immersed in worlds like Thedas (Dragon Age), Midgar (Final Fantasy 7), Endiness (Legend of Dragoon), Hyrule (Legend of Zelda), or a host of other places. There are amazing characters who own my heart—Sephiroth, Altair, Auron, Rose, Terra, Squall and Rinoa among so many, many more—and epic adventures I’ll never forget. These adventures, plus my science fiction/fantasy upbringing, are what led me to what I write.

But my favorite parts of video games (besides magic and awesome abilities)? The villain. The person you spend 80+ hours searching the vast forests and dark caves for upgrades, grinding levels to not get annihilated, buying the best armor and weapons, and hoping and praying to the gaming gods that this time, this time you won’t get your ass handed to you on a silver platter. Today, I wanted to share six of my all-time favorite video gaming power battles with you, and believe me, this list was almost impossible to write.

Bowser (Super Mario Bros)

The one who started it all by kidnapping the princess and forcing Mario/Luigi to go through castle after castle to find her. Fire-breathing, high-jumping, spiked Bowser killed my poor Mario more times than I care to admit, and honestly, there was no more satisfying feeling than hitting that little axe and watching the bridge disappear from beneath his clawed feet.

Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)

My first real experience with falling in love with the bad guy. Sephiroth is everything I adore—tortured, brooding, determined (and that long silver hair is just…oh yes)—and he’s also FREAKING IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT. In both his FF7 and Kingdom Hearts forms, Sephiroth is always the toughest fight you’ll ever have. And with his absolute bad-assery, that enormous sword of his isn’t compensation; it’s a preview.

Melbu Frahma (Legend of Dragoon)

The much over-looked Legend of Dragoon has some of the most epic boss battles I’ve ever played, but the final battle with Melbu is one of the most satisfying kills on my gaming belt because it’s one of the longest battles I’ve played. I think once, before I understood the nuances of annihilating him, it took me eight hours of playing to beat his ass. I’d never been so committed to anything, but that guy was going down by any means necessary.

Avion (Shadow of the Colossus)

By far one of the most brilliant (and strange) games I’ve ever played, and one that’s literally all boss fights. As Wander, you travel the land searching for sixteen Colossi, which you must kill to revive your true love. Weird as crap ending aside, this game challenges your mental toughness and determination. My favorite of all sixteen battles, though, is Colossus number five, Avion, the gigantic bird. He dips, he dives, he barrel rolls, and Wander has to hang on through all of it. Avion is a challenge in an unrelenting game, but whenever I think of favorite battles, I think of this one.

Shaft (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)

Besides having one of the all-time best video game soundtracks and the uber-sexy Alucard as your protagonist, SOTN also has one of the most evil final bosses ever—if you play the game right. In most all Castlevania games (except for 64, but we won’t talk about that one, even though I still love it), Dracula is your final, evil a-hole boss, but in this one? Two words: Upside-down castle. And in that castle? SHAFT. Not the 70s detective movie, but an evil priest person who’s been manipulating the darkness in Castlevania for the entire game. Getting to him is enough of a feat. Beating him? Even. Better. Especially if you sing the Shaft theme song while you do it. 

Seymour Guado (Final Fantasy X)

FFX doesn’t get much love either sometimes. But this fight is one of the best because it necessitates several things—patience, leveling, Rikku’s limit break, and intense concentration. I think I had more trouble with him than with the final battle, and more than once, I threw the controller in frustration. When I finally beat him, I cheered. Not gonna lie. Also, I was totally a sucker for that soft voice and the blue hair… And the swirly tattoo things.

These are just a few of my favorites. Would loooove to read yours!

The following titles will no longer be available after 90 days (mid-September):

Flash of Dark

Blood Fever

Forged in Fire

Midnight’s Ghost

Midnight’s Shadow

As of this moment in time, they’re going in the vault and will not be published in any form. In short: I’m closing the door on the Rebirth series and the Star Runner Saga forever. ***Of note: I have no control over when the titles will be removed from the publisher site or any of the distribution sites (i.e. Amazon, All Romance eBooks, B&N, etc) so if you want to snag a copy, I’d advise acting quickly.

I never make decisions in regards to my books lightly. And this decision was probably one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make. Mostly because these were my first books. In fact, Flash of Dark was my first book. And Midnight’s Ghost won the 2011 RWA Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal PRISM for Best Futuristic Romance. These books opened the door and are the reason I am where I am today.

They also opened the door to a great friendship with my editor, Tracey West. She was the Acquisitions Editor at the time and gave me a chance with Flash of Dark. I was lucky enough to work with her time and time again. We still work together now, but in a different capacity. And for that I am grateful.

My sincerest thanks to those who embraced the characters between the pages of those books and loved them right along with me.

Publishing is sometimes a very scary, very lonely place. You have to make decisions based on your head and not your heart. In fact, a lot of steps that are taken in publishing have to remove your heart from the equation all together. At least, that’s the way I go about my business transactions (and yes, writing for publication is a business) from submissions to conventions to emails to … well, anything.

Sure I can let my guard down around my friends where we’re talking turkey (and I do) but for the most part, any “business decision” I make in regards to how I deal with people who are publishing my books, my heart isn’t a part of it. Maybe it’s a cooping mechanism. Maybe its simply a way to protect myself. I don’t make any decision regarding anything to do with the publication of my books lightly.

Each decision I make has usually been carefully  worked out (usually, obsessively so–much to my husband’s chagrin because he takes the brunt of me talking and talking and talking about it. Which he does beautifully BTW). Mostly because I need to make sure the decision is right for me. It’s a step in the direction that I want to go. Not everyone does (or will) agree with decisions I’ve made (or will make), however, they aren’t behind my keyboard making those decisions. It’s easy to talk about what you would have done in the situation, but here’s the thing…it’s not your decision.

I don’t know where I’ll be in five years in terms of my writing career. Hell, I don’t know where I’ll be by the end of this year. At this point, I don’t have a “plan” that is so far reaching. Maybe I need one…

I do make a yearly goals plan. Problem is, I usually set my yearly goals so pathetically low, I have no problem beating them at all. Maybe that too is a protective mechanism. Set goals I know I can make. Can’t possibly be setting myself up for failure that way, right? Which is…wrong. By handling my goals this way, I am setting myself up for failure.

Where am I going with this? I’ve been mulling over one of those business decisions I was talking about and realized I was leaving my heart in the equation even though I said I don’t. It was a decision I was attached to in my heart, even though my head was telling me to get on with it. Its a decision which affects my yearly goals. Timely, as I’m quickly approaching the time in which I set my 2014 goals (in August).

I took the plunge this morning. Hopefully, it will be an easy and painless process for everyone involved (including readers). But this is, once again, a reminder of just how big, bad and scary this world of publishing is.

Today, we’re welcoming Misa Buckley, who just recently had a dream come true. She’s sharing about it today and how she got to meet her inspiration face-to-face this past weekend.

~*~

Thank you for hosting me Sara. : )

My book bio says that I “grew up watching Doctor Who and Star Trek” and this much is true, but I don’t think that really conveys just how much of a sci fi geek I am. I love sci fi as it defies conventions and is full of endless possibilities. The only limit is your own imagination. But talking of conventions, this weekend has seen me travel to Birmingham for the good kind – a Stargate fan convention (did you see what I did there?)

It’s a little hard to describe a sci fi con to those that hadn’t done one. If you haven’t, go and watch Galaxy Quest and then come back to me. Done? Great. Now you know how crazy they are.

Though I love sci fi and Stargate, there was a bigger reason I travelled three hours on a coach to the National Exhibition Centre. That reason goes by the name Cliff Simon.

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will have seen this name before. I’ve spoken about him on my own blog and at least one other. I admit quite readily that I’m a complete fangirl where that man is concerned, and with good reason – he’s incredibly talented and generous, as well as being hot as hell and having the sexiest accent ever (he’s South African).

He’s also the reason I got published when I did. See, I was reading an interview where he was talking about acting and the importance of having an audience. Television shows, especially sci fi ones, owe everything to the fans. We’re the ones who buy the DVDs, go to the conventions and get loud when they get cancelled. Cliff, being very aware of this, said that “Without an audience, we’re not actors.” That struck me as a real truth not just for the acting profession, but anything that relies on being seen: theatre, art shows, fashion… and writing.

I was a writer. I wrote loads and loads. But without an audience, without readers, that’s all I was. And it wasn’t enough. I wanted to be an author. I wanted my books out there. More than anything else, I wanted people to read them, to share in the stories I was telling.

After reading that simple, six-word sentence, I became determined to get published. It took me just three months to get an accepted. Last year, I thanked Cliff over Twitter. This weekend I was able to do that in person, in the same week that Champagne Books put out a print collection of my novellas. Talk about a special moment.

Chevron 8.0 has left me more determined to push on. I’ve a novel-in-progress that I am going to finish and then start submitting to agents. I’m aiming higher than ever, because I’ve the most incredibly generous guy encouraging me (he retweeted my book link yesterday, because he’s just that lovely).

He’s my inspiration. What’s yours and what does it encourage you to do?

After a few glitches, Rock Your Soul, Geek Kink Book 2, is starting to pop up at 3rd party retailers!

Amazon

All Romance eBooks

Today is the kickoff of the Taking Over Me Virtual Book Tour. For the next two weeks, I’ll be at various sites with some great interviews and fun guest posts. Up for grabs to a lucky commenter is a $50.00 Starbucks gift card and a Perfect Shot coffee mug! The more stops you visit and comment on, the more chances you have to win.

June 3:  Krystal Shannan – Where Love and Destiny Collide

June 4:  Bunny’s Review

June 4:  Romance on a Budget

June 5:  Seductive Musings

June 6:  Redheaded Bookworm

June 7:  Wicked Readings by Tawania

June 10:  We Love Kink

June 11:  Erotica For All

June 11:  BadBarbsPlace

June 12:  The SkylarVerse

June 13:  Nightstand Novels

June 14:  Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess

Since I have a Virtual Book Tour starting tomorrow with Goddess Fish Promotions, I’m participating in their Party Pavilion today only which is held exclusively for authors on tour this month. I’m sharing some super hot snippets of Taking Over Me, Rock Your Soul, Her Master’s Collar and Ragged Edge.

One lucky commenter from my four posts (they’ll go live throughout the day) will be drawn to win a signed paperback copy of Ragged Edge. Come on over and party!!

 http://goddessfishparty.blogspot.com/

I’m surprised at how often I get asked about my writing process. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think much about it. I simply write. How I wrote Book X doesn’t mean that is how Book Y will be written. Or Book Z. My process is extremely organic, which is usually due to the fact I had to learn how to write ANYWHERE. But that doesn’t necessarily answer those who are genuinely curious to maybe compare their process. However, IMHO, your process is yours, how it compares to someone else’s doesn’t matter for squat as long as it works for you and you get the book written.

I’m going to try to capture the process using Rock Your Soul as an example and dates I can remember (I still have all the old files). I’ll try to keep from being rambly…

July 2011 (don’t say I didn’t warn you) – Have a flash in my mind of a man walking into a room and breaking down. Know this is Patrick’s friend & fellow Sanctuary renter, Ryan, but little else. So, I poke. Based on what I discover, tentatively title book, White Noise.

September 2011 (really, I’m not kidding) – Have names now, Ryan & Beth. Who have now just frantically coupled against a post on Ryan’s porch. In chapter one. This is wrong, but I leave it for now. Beth is a boat broker from California, Ryan builds boats. This is also wrong, decide I will revise later because I don’t know why these things are wrong. Word count is sitting around 13K.

September 2011 (see, told you) – Do a bit of rearranging and housecleaning. Sex scene still chapter one, Beth still boat broker – KNOW these two things are wrong, but can’t figure out why. But, have better idea of Ryan’s issues. Word count is 14K.

November 2011 (Slow as molasses, I tell you) – Inspiration strikes as to why Beth seeks out Ryan. This is the storyline I’ve been looking for. Sex scene in chapter one is gone (it will end up revised and further in the book). Ryan is boat builder. Beth is a DJ. Both tortured pasts, she by a brutal Dom. Needs Ryan’s help. Word count is 32K. By this point, overarching plot is in place as well a bit of a mystery/suspense plot line I didn’t expect, but really like.

February 2012 (Wonder why books take so long to write?) – Book is re-titled Reverb. Have layered in details about the pasts for both Ryan & Beth, deepened the emotion throughout to reflect more “romance”, wrote a “trigger” scene that will need…more, added bits on secondary characters storylines, including Patrick & Allison. Word count is 60K.

March 4, 2012 (Think I’m hearing the Jeopardy! theme now) –  Book is again retitled–Command. New title falls more in line with other books of the series. Send book to my CP who sends back notes. I agree with them all. Debate trashing entire book. Hate writing. Wonder why I do this again and again and again. I suck. Hard. I’m giving up writing forever.

March 30, 2012 (People wonder why authors drink…) – Decide I will kick this book’s mother effin’ ass. Turn on “Track Changes” and start tearing apart the book chapter by chapter. Also add in more layers of depth, emotion and generally things to make the story richer. Also deepen the mystery/suspense plot line because I really, really like it. Word count is 64K.

November 2012 (*insert power ballad here*) – After accepting the first book of the series, editor wants a proposal for next three books – which includes Command. Entire series is named and given titles. Book is now titled Rock Your Soul and is due February 2013. Oh shit.

December 2012 – Write like the wind, Bullseye!

January 13, 2013 (There should be pills for this kind of thing) – Hate the book. Hate life. I suck even more than before. I’m never writing another book again!! *insert pity party for one*

January 14, 2013 (seriously, pills? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?) – Send book of to CP and decide I won’t think about the book anymore. Done. Finished. Over.

January 15, 2013 (Bueller?) – Book needs even more depth, more emotion. It’s not punchy enough. Needs more “geek” as well – Beth now has the largest, and coolest, collection of 80′s tee shirts on the planet (admittedly, that’s just one of many “geek” things added). And this mystery/suspense storyline? Creepy! Love. Word count is 69K.

January 23, 2013 (More power ballads) – CP comes back with two thumbs up. Sah-weet! Fix few issues, read through again to check where needs … more.

February 3, 2013 (I can breathe now, right?) Send off to editor – word count is 71K. Never doing this ever again. Seriously, I’m giving up writing forever, this is just too damn stressful and too much work.

February 4, 2013 (I am insane…) Open up file for Epic Novel of Epicness and….GO!

So that’s it, roughly, in a crazy little nutshell and really high level. It’s probably not much help, but entertaining nonetheless. Final word count for the book ended up coming in at 75,531 words. My editor wanted a bit more solidity to the HEA at the end. I didn’t see it at first, but once I did what she asked, I agreed wholeheartedly.

I love my editor. Hard.

I should note, while writing Rock Your Soul, I re-wrote Taking Over Me, went through edits for it, revised Her Master’s Collar several times, went through edits for it, started Break Me In & Glad You Came (the third & fourth books of the Geek Kink series, respectively) and plodded along on the Epic Novel of Epicness (which I just recently completed and subbed to my editor). So that is why there is sometimes long lags between time I worked on this book. And that is also normal for me. I’m never working on one book at a time, I always have a few going in various stages of the process. It actually helps me step away from the story, forget about it and when I come back I have a fresh, new perspective which allows me to see flaws, errors and such.

Wheeee! It’s release day for the second book in the Geek Kink series! Rock Your Soul is now available! While there is a touching love story and plenty of smokin’ hot love scenes (there’s even a m/m/f scene!) there is also a touch of mystery/suspense as a piece of Beth’s past is unable to let her go. Will it shatter the life she’s made for herself in Gatlin Falls?

I’m also at Novel Reflections today talking about the Top Five things on my Geeky Bucket list – be sure to stop by to check out some crazy things! The next few weeks will be a little crazy because the Taking Over Me Virtual Book Tour starts on Monday, June 3rd and runs for two weeks. Plus, the Rock Your Soul Release Blitz starts the same day and runs all through June. Stay tuned for some great contests.

http://www.ellorascave.com/rock-your-soul.html

Beth has been scarred both inside and out by a sadistic Dom and has worked hard to put the pieces of her life back together. However, the successful disc jockey knows one piece doesn’t quite align. She yearns to submit and searches for the one Dom she’s convinced will help bring her to lusty new heights.

When Ryan agrees to assist Beth, he’s surprised by her determination to persevere. Intrigued, he pushes her limits by using his gifted carpenter’s hands to bring her wild, erotic pleasure. Ryan, though, has scars of his own, and a tragic past filled with death keeps him at a distance.

Beth discovers what she needs in Ryan, and her journey mends Ryan’s heart. But when the life Beth abandoned rises from the shadows, Ryan realizes there’s something far worse than his tortuous past—a future without Beth.

Warning: Get your world rocked by two very tortured souls who come together in a blinding explosion of sensual passion that knows no bounds. Except when there are ropes, custom-carved floggers, glass dildos and motorcycle sex involved.

O h, and did I mention the m/f/m menage scene? One can never have too many skilled men ready to lend a…hand.

Tomorrow is the day! The second book of the Geek Kink series, Rock Your Soul, releases from Ellora’s Cave. http://www.ellorascave.com/rock-your-soul.html. I’ve introduce Ryan and Beth, and even their tortured souls this week, so how about some serious heat between them? (Adult language and content warning applies)

~*~

“You make quite a picture tied in my ropes. So gorgeous and utterly at my mercy. You came alive when I bound you. There’s no denying you were meant to be under the hands of a skilled Dom.”

Her pussy clenched around his fingers. Such a hot, responsive woman.

His cock screamed to be shoved inside her wet heat, buried so deep he lost coherent thought. Too soon. This wouldn’t be a flash in the pan tie up session. He was in for the long haul.

His free hand wrapped around the back of her neck, tugging her mouth closer to his as he continued to thrust his fingers into her cunt. He purposefully kept their mouths close, just touching as a quiet chant began spilling from her lips. He swallowed those words, using them as fuel to drive them both higher.

Her body went rigid, her hands balling into tight fists. He contemplated the repercussions of severing contact with her completely to stand back and simply watch her orgasm. But he wanted to be there, holding her as she experienced the very first release he allowed. He wanted to experience the power of the moment with her as he drove her over the precipice.

“Show me why I should keep you as my submissive, California. Prove yourself worthy.”

She inhaled sharply moments before her body tightened around his fingers. He drove up into her with such force, she shifted forward onto her toes, her head falling forward onto his shoulder. Her keening wail percussed against his body, the sound of it awakening his instincts. He ignored the arousal unfurling inside him, knowing this moment was about her getting off.

His name whispered past those still swollen lips, a quiet pledge that caressed his skin and offered a sliver of promise of what was to come. She screamed as the orgasm fractured her. He didn’t stop moving, his fingers still thrusting frantically inside her as he clutched her tightly against him.

Her release sent tremors through her entire body, the shockwaves pouring into him and signaling there was something different about this woman. He would examine it later as right now all he wanted to do was revel in her glory.

He held her for a few minutes, her breathing fast and furious as her heart continued to race. After a few minutes, her body sagged against the ropes. He worked to untie them as quickly and as safely as possible.

When he finished, he pulled her into his lap as he sat in his overstuffed chair. She curled around him, her breathing regulating as she came down off her high.

Dear God, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of training this one.