Please join me in welcoming paranormal romance author Helen Scott Taylor!

As a child, when Helen didn’t pay attention her teachers accused her of being away with the fairies. Things haven’t changed much! Only now, the fairies are tall and sexy and they live in her stories rather than just in her head. Helen resides in South Western England near Plymouth with her husband, two teenagers, two Shih Tzus, and a cat who rules the household with a velvet paw. With the rocky cliffs of the Atlantic to the south and the windswept expanse of Dartmoor to the west, she loves to walk in the countryside while she plots her stories. She believes deep within everyone there’s a little magic.

Helen would love to hear from readers. You can find her at www.HelenScottTaylor.com.  

Symbols in Fiction

Symbol Definition: Something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material object representing something, often something immaterial; emblem, token, or sign. (Dictionary.com)

I’m fascinated by the charms and keepsakes people have. In our society, Jewelry such as wedding or engagement rings and lockets have special significance when given by a loved one. When we attach emotion to an item, it comes to symbolize those feeling and the relationship.

Concrete symbols that represent important events or relationships between characters often have huge meaning in fiction. Even items that have no intrinsic value can become significant when they indicate the characters’ feelings. Although I’ve long since forgotten the plot of the first of J.D. Robb’s In Death series, Naked In Death, I still remember that Roarke found a button from Eve’s jacket and kept in his pocket through much of the story. This demonstrated beautifully his interest in her without the author having to stress the point.

Symbols are often used in paranormal and fantasy stories, including romance. They can signify emotions, relationships, conflict, or other important elements of the story. Concrete symbols such as rings or swords are used to make an intangible concept tangible so the reader is given a focus to follow that element of the story.

I’ve used tokens and symbols in my Magic Knot fairies series. The Magic Knot itself is symbolic of the person who owns it. Each character of fairy blood has a Magic Knot consisting of three linked stone rings that hold the essence of their body, mind, and spirit. Lovers exchange Magic Knots placing the care of their essence in the hands of their loved one, demonstrating the ultimate in trust and connection. Divorce is not possible in my fairy world. Once lovers exchange Magic Knots, they are bonded with one another for life. That’s a long time when some of them are immortal.

In The Phoenix Charm, the heroine is a sensual water nymph whose power has been bound with Celtic symbols painted on her skin. When she finally removes the Celtic symbols near the end of the story and releases her true nature, it is symbolic of her acceptance of who she is.

Can you think of any symbols used in fiction that you found enhanced your experience of the story?

Thank you so much for being here today, Helen! I love both of these books, and one of the first things that drew me to them was your use of Celtic symbols. I’m a huge fan of anything Irish.

Remember, the winner of this week’s Magic Series contest will receive a signed copy of The Phoenix Charm along with all the other tote bag goodies!

Magic Series Contest Question of the Day!

Today’s Magic Series question comes to us from A Stroke of Magic:

Alice’s grandmother, Grandma Verda, has an interesting method for ranking men. She uses fruit. From Verda’s perspective, rank these fruit from highest to lowest: Orange, Lemon, Pear, Apple, Pomegranate. 

E-mail the correct answer to tracy@tracymadison.com with the subject line Magic Contest no later than Saturday, May 8, to be entered to win the awesome filled tote bag shown HERE! 

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win one of the five random giveaways for this week. Winners will be announced on Monday!

Are you creating a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package? You can write the spell as a poem, as a short story, as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered!

Don’t Forget

Clairvoyant Mediaum Dakota Lawrence is my guest tomorrow!

The Novel Girls are celebrating Mother’s Day all month long! This week, we’re talking about our favorite fictional moms, so head on over and say hi!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!  

Please join me in welcoming the award-winning YA author of Wondrous Strange and Darklight, Lesley Livingston!

Lesley Livingston is a writer and actor living in Toronto, Canada. Captivated at a young age by stories of magic, mythology and folk lore, past civilizations, and legendary heroes, she developed into a full-fledged Celtic Mythology Geek, steeped in stories of the Otherworld, Faeries and King Arthur. Lesley went on to earn a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Toronto specializing in Shakespeare and Arthurian literature. 

Lesley is an unrepentant egghead – a character-trait that somehow doesn’t interfere with a love of shoes and shiny things. WONDROUS STRANGE, her debut novel, was published by HarperCollins in 2009. The second book in the series, DARKLIGHT, hit shelves earlier this year, and she has just finished writing the third book in this trilogy. 

You can visit her online at www.lesleylivingston.com

Magic Time…

One of the things I love about Tracy’s books is that her magic—her characters’ magic, that is—is always somehow tied to what they do and how they live; Elizabeth’s baking, Alice’s painting, Chloe’s shop. It’s almost as if their magic is… how to put this… vocational. 

In a funny way, I think the main character from my WONDROUS STRANGE books could totally relate to that. You see, Kelley Winslow is a real, honest-to-goodness Faerie princess. And that particular job description employs, obviously, magic(k). 

But Kelley has another occupation—not just a job, but almost a calling—and one that also involves magic of a very of-this-world kind. Kelley is an actress. Not coincidentally, so am I, so I know whereof I speak. When people talk about “the magic of theatre” I’m not sure how many realize that there is, I think, a literal truth to that. Many’s the time I have stood backstage in the moments before the curtain goes up, experiencing the sort of electrically charged, alchemical change in atmosphere that occurs during a performance. And I have to say—it’s really… well, to put it succinctly… it’s really freakin’ cool! 

But what’s it like, you ask, this stage-bound sorcery? Imagine if you will… darkness, murmuring, the air thick with anticipation and talcum powder, sawdust and sweat, hairspray stickiness and pre-show jitters… 

The light from the house spills through a split in the curtains and sends stray stage-glitter whirling through the dusky air like pixie-dust… and a bunch of actors in make-up and sequins and fake fur stand around in the glow of a dim blue light-bulb behind sets made of plywood and muslin… waiting to transform. 

Your heart crawls up in your throat for that instant in time—an instant suspended in eternity—before you step out onto the stage in the blackout, knowing that there is an audience out there just waiting to be enthralled, enspelled… and you, as actor, are the magician. Backstage is a place of possibilities waiting to happen. 

Kelley calls it Magic Time. I think she has a point. 

When Shakespeare said “We are such stuff as dreams are made on” I like to think he was talking, in some respect, about the actors on the stage. The storytellers. Because, as anyone who has read Tracy’s books knows, good storytelling—on the stage or on the page—has its own special kind of magic! Congratulations, Tracy, on the release of A BREATH OF MAGIC! 

The cast and crew of my books send you and yours bouquets and best wishes for many, many encores! 

Cheers,

Lesley

Aw, Lesley, thank you so much for the congrats on my release! I so appreciate that you took the time to be here with me today to help celebrate! I love the world you’ve created in WONDROUS STRANGE and DARKLIGHT, and can’t wait to read the next book!

Remember, the winner of this week’s Magic Series contest will receive a signed copy of Darklight along with all the other tote bag goodies!

Magic Series Contest Question of the Day!

Today’s Magic Series question comes to us from A Stroke of Magic:

Alice uses her magic to draw a picture of her soul mate. While the drawing does not show the man’s face, there is an identifying mark that can be seen. What is this mark and where (specifically) is it at? 

E-mail the correct answer to tracy@tracymadison.com with the subject line Magic Contest no later than Saturday, May 8, to be entered to win the awesome filled tote bag shown HERE! 

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win one of the five random giveaways for this week. Winners will be announced on Monday!

Are you creating a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package? You can write the spell as a poem, as a short story, as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered!

Don’t Forget

Paranormal romance author Helen Scott Taylor is my guest tomorrow!

And you can still catch my post at Killer Fiction!

The Novel Girls are celebrating Mother’s Day all month long! This week, we’re talking about our favorite fictional moms, so head on over and say hi!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!  

Please join me in welcoming paranormal and romantic suspense author Jessica Andersen!

Born and raised in eastern Mass, Jessica Andersen has always lived in New England. In the 90s, she did a double stint at Tufts University for an undergraduate biology degree and a PhD in genetics. During grad school and for a year after, she worked at the New England Eye Center, helping search for the genetic changes responsible for certain types of glaucoma. When the committee head complimented her doctoral thesis by saying it “read like a mystery novel,” she admitted she was writing a romantic suspense novel in her free time. A year later, she began working on getting her writing career off the ground.

Released in October ‘03, Jessica’s first Harlequin Intrigue, Dr. Bodyguard, was an RT Top Pick and kicked off a long string of largely science-based themed romantic intrigues that have hit the category bestseller lists and been nominated for Reviewers’ Choice and RITA awards. While writing the intrigues, Jessica continued to hone her craft, hoping to make the jump from category to single title success. With her Final Prophecy series, she’s done just that.

Sexing Up The 2012 Doomsday!

Hey! (waves frantically) Author Jessica Andersen here, thanking Tracy for having me on today, and thanking you for joining me! 

First, let me tell you a little bit about the series: 

Mayan lore and modern science warn that 12/21/2012 could bring a global cataclysm … a threat that is far more real than we imagine. Dark forces stand poised to overrun the earth and crush humanity beneath a vicious rule of terror and blood sacrifice. Our only hope rests with a group of saviors living in secret among us: modern magic-wielding warriors called the Nightkeepers. 

Now, in the last few years before the 2012 doomsday, these magi must find and win their destined mates in order to protect the barrier of psi energy that forms humanity’s last line of defense against an ancient and powerful enemy.

I love these books—I write the stories I love to read—big and fat, with lots of action. But I’m often asked: Why the 2012 doomsday?  

Well, I guess my best answer is that I’m a huge fan of books and movies that have lots of action and romance in them, but are spiced up with interesting factoids that I didn’t already know (National Treasure, DaVinci Code, etc.).  

So when I came across a reference to the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012, I immediately saw the potential for a high-action, high-intensity series based on a mythology that hasn’t been done to death in the paranormal romance and urban fantasy markets.

Part of my fascination comes from having spent time down in the Yucatan as a kid. My parents would pull me out of school for a few weeks every spring (much to my teachers’ relief, I suspect) and we would go investigate the ruins, which were in the process of being restored at the time.  

They’re far more regulated and tourist-ified now, but back then, ruin ratting was a total Indiana Jones, creep-through-the-collapsing-tunnel experience. I try to bring that excitement and wonder to the books. 

The Nightkeepers are fighting the rise of ancient demons who were banished from the earth many millennia ago. But at the same time, they were raised among us, so they’re also dealing with the disconnect between modern life and some of the things the old prophecies require them to do in order to defend mankind in the years leading up to the 2012 doomsday.  

For me, it’s really interesting to blend archaeology and 2012 cosmology into sexy urban fantasies. I’m writing the kind of books I love to read, but can’t always find on the shelves!

That’s especially the case for my newest release, Demonkeepers, which is about an Indiana Jones wannabe who never quite measures up until a twist of magic brings him powers beyond belief … and reunites him with Jade, the one-night stand he never forgot. 

I’ll be here all day, and would love to hear from you! 

For more information on Demonkeepers and the other Nightkeeper novels, please check out www.JessicaAndersen.com.

Thank you, Jessica, for taking the time to be here today! I’m a huge fan of this series and am so thrilled to have you here!

Remember, the winner of this week’s Magic Series contest will receive a signed copy of Demonkeepers along with all the other tote bag goodies!

Magic Series Contest Question of the Day!

Today’s Magic Series question comes to us from A Stroke of Magic:

Alice works at Enchanted Expressions, an advertising agency. What is her role (job title) there?

E-mail the correct answer to tracy@tracymadison.com with the subject line Magic Contest no later than Saturday, May 8, to be entered to win the awesome filled tote bag shown HERE! 

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win one of the five random giveaways for this week. Winners will be announced on Monday!

Are you creating a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package? You can write the spell as a poem, as a short story, as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered!

Don’t Forget

My guest tomorrow is Lesley Livingston, award-winning author of Wondrous Strange and Darklight!

I’m at Killer Fiction today! Stop on over to see my thoughts on my “writing process.” I’m also giving away a signed copy of A Breath of Magic! 

The Novel Girls are celebrating Mother’s Day all month long! This week, we’re talking about our favorite fictional moms, so head on over and say hi!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!  

All the kids are back in school. Spring break is over. The house is quiet and my cold is nearly gone (thank goodness!). I actually think I’ll be able to focus today. Yay!

While the beginning of last week wasn’t that bad, I really struggled toward the end of the week. I ended up doing a minimum of work on Thurs and Fri and curled up in a ball and read, slept, read, and slept some more. Saturday, I worked at full speed, and got enough done that I took half of a day off on Sunday, as well, and read some more. What did I read?

• Too Good To Be True by Kristan Higgins. This is the first book I’ve read by Kristan and I loved it! I loved her writing style, her sense of humor, and the story. I laughed out loud numerous times. Oh, and her hero? Callahan O’Shea is his name and he is luscious. Seriously. Anyway, I adored this book so much, I immediately ordered Kristan’s backlist and am anxiously anticipating their arrival. And yesterday, I took the older kids to Borders, and I almost picked up one of the titles I ordered. I know, I know. So dumb, right? But I SOOOO wanted to read another book by her last night. I resisted, though. After all, they’ll be here in a few days.
• What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Okay, I’m almost embarrassed to admit I’d never read a Susan Elizabeth Phillips book before. Now, I can’t believe I hadn’t, because I so adored this book. This is what I bought at Borders rather than purchasing a book I’d already bought <G> and I am so glad I did. I read the entire book in one day, and I will definitely be ordering from Susan’s backlist. I just have to figure out where to start. I also visited Susan’s web site last night and was entertained for quite a while. It’s a great site, so I’d definitely check it out (and be sure to watch her video letter on the home page. It’s awesome).

So that was my weekend: less work than normal (but still productive) and a lot of reading. I needed it. I feel refreshed and motivated today.

How was YOUR weekend?

Don’t Forget!

The Novel Girls are having a little fun this week by imagining what we’d bring with us if we knew we were going to be stranded on a desert island. Check it out!

A BREATH OF MAGIC releases in FIFTEEN days! Isn’t that awesome? I’m really excited to share this book with my readers.

And sometime next week, I’ll be announcing all of the details about my contest which begins on APRIL 26, 2010 (two weeks from today). You won’t want to miss it…trust me. <G>

The last few days I’ve been really busy putting together the beginning touches on the contests I’ll be running for the release of A BREATH OF MAGIC. I’m not ready to give anything away quite yet (give me about two weeks and I’ll spill all), but I am really excited about the plan I have. And I’m getting more excited as details fall into place. Look for an announcement sometime toward the middle of April. I think you’ll all love what’s coming to this blog in May.

In other news, I’ve spent three days out of the last four (ugh) car shopping. Why-oh-why is this such a long process? I mean, once you pick the car you want out, you’d think everything else would be a fairly quick process. I mean, come on, it’s some paperwork, yeah, but the waiting time at these car dealers is ridiculous! And this wasn’t even for a new car. It’s a *newer* car (three years old), but I spent WAY more time hanging out in the dealership waiting than I did searching, test-driving, and choosing. It’s over with now, but I think of those wasted hours I stood around doing NOTHING and I want to scream.

Okay, I guess the good news is I now have a car I really like. So…yay!

Also, I want to mention a book I bought last week and have already read. I LOVE this book, so want to spread the news on it, because it definitely deserves some attention. The book is called IF YOU FOLLOW ME. The author’s name is Malena Watrous, and I believe that this is her debut novel. Here is the cover copy:

Hoping to outpace her grief in the wake of her father’s suicide, Marina has come to the small, rural Japanese town of Shika to teach English for a year. But in Japan, as she soon discovers, you can never really throw away your past…or anything else, for that matter.

If You Follow Me is at once a fish-out-of-water tale, a dark comedy of manners, and a strange kind of love story. Alive with vibrant and unforgettable characters–from an ambitious town matchmaker to a high school student-cum-rap artist wannabe with an addiction to self-tanning lotion–it guides readers over cultural bridges even as it celebrates the awkward, unlikely triumph of the human spirit.

What hooked me on this book enough to buy it, though, wasn’t the back cover copy. That hooked me enough to turn to page one to read the opening, and that is what led me to purchase the book. See, the opening begins with a letter that is, at once, compelling and humorous. In fact, I read the letter and that was enough to get me to buy the book. I highly recommend this book. It captivated me for hours.

What about you? Have you read any books lately that blew you away? If so, let me know–I’m always (always) on the hunt for new authors and new stories.

Don’t Forget!

This week at The Novel Girls we’re talking about a mish-mash of interesting stuff. Don’t believe me? Head on over and see for yourself!

A BREATH OF MAGIC releases in less than four weeks!

This will be a quick one, as my Monday is already filled up with tons to do.

Every now and then, I’m taken by surprise when a new review pops up. This past week, a review for my first book, A TASTE OF MAGIC, showed up over at Bitten By Books. Not only did the reviewer (Mary) give A TASTE OF MAGIC 5 Tombstones (Bitten By Books highest review score), but she had some wonderful things to say about the story. I’m so pleased she enjoyed the book so much! 

As awesome as good reviews are (and trust me, they are awesome), I love getting reader e-mails even more. When a reader e-mail pops up in my box, it’s like a special present I can’t wait to open. I’m always stunned to realize anew that other folks are reading my words (I know, you’d think I’d be used to it by now), and that they thought strongly enough about the story to contact me. It really is a wonderful feeling, and I’m so grateful that I have readers who are thoughtful, nice, and enthusiastic about this series.

My response to my own reader e-mails has actually helped me step out of my shell a little and contact authors after I’ve read a book I’ve especially enjoyed…and no, this was not something I did before publishing. Mostly because I didn’t think about it. I didn’t realize how important this contact was. So, take my word for it, if you’ve read a book you’ve really loved, send the author a quick e-mail telling him or her so. You’ll totally make that author’s day.

Don’t Forget!

This week at The Novel Girls we’re taking a trip into the past. Our topic is “10 Years Ago, I…” Should be some interesting posts this week!

Well, lots of things actually, but here’s a quick rundown…In:

• 25 Days, LOST returns to TV! Yes! I so cannot wait for this last season. It’s also a little bittersweet, though, because I know at the end of the season I’ll be sad to say good-bye to one of my all-time favorite TV series.
• 70 Days, A very good friend I haven’t seen in years is coming to visit. I’m already planning a weekend of catching up.
• 97 Days, I’ll turn in book 4 of the magic series to my publisher. Notice this book is still being referred to as “Book 4.” This is because I have yet to find a title that works. It needs to fall in the “A XXX of Magic” theme, but the missing word needs to be somewhat sensual AND work for the story itself. I’m not having an easy time of naming this poor book at all, and it’s driving me crazy! But by April 15th, the book will be done, turned in, and heck–it better have a title by then. Yay!
• 109 Days, A BREATH OF MAGIC is released! I am so proud of this book: from the inside out, even. The story is the strongest of the three so far (in my opinion), and the cover is amazing. I can’t wait to hold my third published book in my hands!

Okay, I’m tired of counting…so other things I’m looking forward to in 2010 that will occur somewhere after 109 days from now are:

• My eldest son graduating from high school, and then starting college. I’m so proud of him, and he’s doing so well. Sure, these moments will also be bittersweet, but the pride and happiness for him will far outweigh any sadness of my boy leaving home. I think. I hope.
• RWAs National Conference this summer. This year, the conference is in Nashville, and I’ll have the chance to meet at least one of the Novel Girls, plus be able to hang out with all of my writing buddies.
• My local chapter of RWAs annual brainstorming weekend. I haven’t been able to go for the past two years, but I’m definitely planning on going this year. I’ve missed these fun and inspirational weekends more than i can say.
• Other miscellaneous kid things, such as birthdays, seeing my daughter successfully complete her first year of college, seeing my younger set continue to grow and change and learn. Lots of good stuff with the kids!
• More JD Robb books because I love the In Death series so very much.
• Continuing to write and trying my hand out in a few areas I haven’t yet.
• And, on a more general, but very important note: continued good health and happiness for my family and friends.

What about you? What are you looking forward to in 2010? I’d love to hear?