Fellow Wild Rose Press author Dan Rice is my guest today. Dan is celebrating the release of his YA urban fantasy, THE BLOOD OF FAERIES, book 2 in the Allison Lee Chronicles. He gives us a glimpse into what it takes to write a series of books. Dan is offering a $10 Gift Certificate as a prize during his blog tour, so make sure to enter. Thanks for being here, Dan!
The Surprising Aspects of Writing a Series
Writing
a series is a fun and surprising experience. You might think the writing gets
easier the further along you are in the series. You have more experience
writing and have lived with the characters longer. In the case of speculative
fiction, you have a firmer grasp of your fantastical world.
This
is only partially true in my experience. I can knock out the rough draft
faster, and it's of higher quality. I just don't put words onto the page; I
often put down the right words. Most of this stems from having more experience
writing the characters. While writing Dragons Walk Among Us, I was
careful to ensure I was in Allison’s voice. Subsequently, while I wrote The
Blood of Faeries and worked on the third book, I was not bothered by this
concern. It's effortless to slip into her voice. That's not to say everything
comes out perfect, but as mentioned before, the rough drafts are considerably
better nowadays.
I've learned that the editing
process never becomes less time-consuming. Yes, it's easier to catch errors in
your writing with experience. But you spot so many more flaws sometimes it
feels like you're trying to plug a leaking dam with your fingers. Keeping track
of the minutia is one issue that rears its head while writing a series. With
each novel in the series, tracking the details becomes a little bit harder.
Likewise, identifying and fixing continuity errors becomes a time-consuming
endeavor. I have comments sprinkled throughout the draft of book three,
reminding me to check on details from earlier books. This is a crucial activity
because, otherwise, some eagle-eyed readers are bound to notice continuity
problems.
I have discovered that with
experience, writing doesn't become any easier. You spend more time working on
different aspects of the process than before. In my case, this is definitely
editing, which I used to hate. Now, it is the most rewarding aspect of the
process because it's while editing that the story truly comes alive.
The Blood of Faeries
The Allison Lee Chronicles Book 2
by Dan Rice
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Allison
Lee wilts under the bright light of celebrity after being exposed as
a shape-shifting monster. She'd rather be behind the camera than in
front of it. Being under the tooth and claw of her monstrous mother
is even less enjoyable. All she desires is for everything to go back
to the way things were before she discovered her true nature. But,
after she accidentally kills a mysterious man sent to kidnap her, she
realizes piecing her old life back together is one gnarly jigsaw
puzzle.
When
Allison's sometimes boyfriend Haji goes missing, Allison and her
squad suspect his unhealthy interest in magic led to his
disappearance. Their quest to find Haji brings them face-to-face with
beings thought long ago extinct whose agenda remains an enigma.
“I’ll shoot you in the leg.” He adjusts his aim.
“What if you hit my femoral artery? I’ll bleed out.” What did the gunman do to Dad? How in the world did he overcome Mother?
He frowns. “It doesn’t matter where I shoot you as long as it’s not immediately fatal. I know you heal fast. Now, stand up. Hands behind your head.”
I comply. “How do you plan to escape with me as a prisoner? Since you know I can heal quickly from a gunshot wound, you probably know I’m faster and stronger than you. Do you really think you can walk out of here, avoiding the security detail, with me in tow? Take your eyes off me for a second, I’ll disarm you and break your arm in the process.”
Sweat rolls down his brow. “Stifle it. Turn around. Keep your hands behind your head.”
“You’re making a mistake.” I can’t believe he overcame Mother. Taking me by surprise is one thing, but overcoming Mother, a battle-harden, magic-wielding, full-fledged skaag, is next level.
“We have your parents downstairs. You don’t start doing what you’re told without giving me lip, they’ll get hurt.”
Dad shouts from downstairs, followed by a loud thud, but no gunshot. I drop my hands and dart toward the intruder. Before he can pull the trigger, I’m on him, wrenching the gun up and to the side. Burning pain lacerates my right shoulder, and the crack of the gun is deafening. I’m more surprised than hurt because the sleeper’s prowess courses through my veins.
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Dragons Walk Among Us
The Allison Lee Chronicles Book 1
Shutterbug Allison Lee is trying to survive high school while suffering the popular girl's abuse. Her life is often abysmal, but at least her green hair is savage. Her talent for photography is recognized by the school paper and the judges of a photo contest. While visiting her friend Joe, a homeless vet, Allison's life irrevocably changes after an attack leaves her blind. All her dreams as a photojournalist are dashed as she realizes she'll never see again. Despair sets in until she is offered an experimental procedure to restore her vision. But there are side effects, or are they hallucinations? She now sees dragons accompanying some of the people she meets. Can she trust her eyes, or has the procedure affected her more than she can see?
**Only .99 cents!!**
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Dan Rice pens the young adult urban fantasy series The Allison Lee Chronicles in the wee hours of the morning. The series kicks off with his award-winning debut, Dragons Walk Among Us, which Kirkus Reviews calls, “An inspirational and socially relevant fantasy.”
While not pulling down the 9 to 5 or chauffeuring his soccer fanatic sons to practices and games, Dan enjoys photography and hiking through the wilderness.
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Thanks for being my guest, Dan!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post. I'm working on my second in series and have also found that it's a smoother process than penning the first was. And what a great excerpt! All the best to both guest and host! :)
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