Timeless blog tour - 3 Approaches to Developing Characters

Welcome Crystal Collier here today to share her new book and some writing tips!

In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming.

In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission.

Can Alexia escape her own clock?

BUY: Amazon | B&N

3 Approaches to Developing Characters
(For Different Types of Learners)

Thank you Christine for having me here today!

As a home schooling mother, I've learned THE HARD WAY that everyone has a different learning system. What works for one person probably won't work for another, so I'd like to suggest some approaches to creating/deepening characters that work for different types of thinkers.

First of all, when writing characters we need to be in their heads. Pure psychology here. That means we need to have a solid grasp of (in no particular order):

• what they look like
• how that has affected their place in society/self image
• what their greatest fear is
• what their greatest desire is
• where they live/work/go to school
• who they rub shoulders with every day
• hates/loves/interests & hobbies
• their greatest strengths
• their greatest flaws

That seems like quite a bit of information, and it is, but if we want solid characters, we need to do the leg work (ahem, research). So here are some tools/approaches for developing characters based on different learning approaches:

1. Get Visual. Do you get totally inspired by pictures? Do they spring stories in your head? Do you think in images? I'm quite visual, and Pinterest & google search are my best friends. You can look for someone based on their characteristics in Pinterest, and seeing them may help formulate their style, demeanor, and values. Search further to find a room or house that looks like where you imagine them living, discover people who look like their family, track down that piece of jewelry or keepsakes that defines them. Creating Pinterest boards is one way to brainstorm. Or, if you gather up junk magazines (or the "throw aways" from a doctors office), you can make a collage.

2. Hear that? Auditory learners retain information from hearing it. (That means those teacher lectures totally bring information home for you.) If this is your strength, try people watching. Eaves drop. (Yes, I'm giving you permission.) Listen to YouTube videos of people who resemble your characters or share interests. Try turning down the volume and speaking for them. Compile a playlist that your character would geek out over. Listen to pod casts from people who share interests with your characters. Talk out your thoughts with another person and have them be your sounding board. If your character is based off someone in your life, record them doing things, discreetly. Get their unique responses to questions. Dictate your ideas into a recorder, or tell yourself about the character.

3. You just Got to Move! Kinesthetic learners are the hardest to get through a public education system. (Believe me, I know.) But movement is a method of learning. Try brainstorming while working out/jogging/etc. Act out a scene and fill your character's footsteps. (I'm not kidding. Find a room with a locked door if you're paranoid. I've done this and it is AMAZING.) Play your character's favorite sport. Paint, draw, photograph, or model with clay potential aspects of your character (such as a home, favorite place to go, a scene in your story). Build or craft something your character might use. TYPE. Get those fingers moving. If needs be, use a yoga ball to sit on rather than a chair. Try handwriting things with a marker if it's more comfortable.

And just for fun, want to know where my two main characters in the Maiden of Time series came from? I met Alexia through my dreams (2002), and Kiren from blind writing back in 1994. (They're getting so old!) I loved them both at first scene, but it took years of writing them to truly know them. I suppose that's why there's so much elation at FINALLY finishing their saga in TIMELESS. *tosses cheese confetti* It's going to be hard to set them aside to develop other writerly loves.

What methods have you used for developing characters that REALLY works?

Crystal Collier is an eclectic author who pens clean fantasy/sci-fi, historical, and romance stories with the occasional touch of humor, horror, or inspiration. She practices her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

You can find her on her and her books online HERE.

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)

Parallel Universes - guest post by Cherie Reich

Parallel Universes and Alternative History Are Alive and Well

by Cherie Reich

The anthology Parallels: Felix Was Here resides in the speculative fiction genre’s subcategory alternate history. TV, movies, and books have handled the subject of alternate history as well as parallel universes. My story “Folds in Life and Death” posits the question: If the Curse of Tippecanoe is true and President Reagan had died in 1981, what does that mean for the President elected in 2000?

Today I have listed a few of my favorite TV shows and books that are alternate history or have parallel universes.

1. The Flash (TV show) – It’s official. Barry Allen a.k.a. The Flash is my new favorite superhero. This CW TV show includes some great parallel universes, such as Earth 2 and the Earth with Supergirl on it.

2. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (TV show) – Can these heroes become legends by changing history to stop Vandal Savage from destroying the future? This show, also on CW, pulls characters from The Flash and Arrow. Leonard Snart a.k.a. Captain Cold is one of my favs on this show, but all the characters are fantastic.

3. Timeline by Michael Crichton (the book) – Yes, there is a movie too, but I haven’t seen it yet. I loved the book. Then again, I am a huge Crichton fan. This book made me love quantum physics and the theory of multiverses.

4. Oath of Empire series by Thomas Harlan (books) – Although I haven’t read all the series yet, I thoroughly enjoyed Harlan’s take on alternate history where the Roman Empire did not fall.

What’s your favorite example of parallel universes or alternate history?

Enter the realm of parallel universes! 

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever? 

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan. 

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!

Purchase the anthology at Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Nook, and Smashwords.

Add to your Goodreads list.

Follow the blog.

Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction writer and library assistant living in Virginia. You can find more information about her on her website.

Review for Travelers

Blurb:

Sienna Crenshaw knows the rules: 1) no time traveling beyond your natural lifetime, 2) no screwing with death, and 3) no changing the past. Ever. Sienna doesn’t love being stuck in the present, but she’s not the type to to break the rules. That is, she wasn’t the type until her best friend broke every one of those rules to keep Henry, her twin brother and Sienna’s ex-boyfriend, alive.

Suddenly, Sienna is caught in an unfamiliar reality. The upside? Henry is still alive. The downside? Sienna’s old life, including the people in it, has been erased. Now, Sienna and Henry must untangle the giant knot in time, or her parents and all the rest of the Travelers, will be lost forever. One problem: the only way to be successful is for Henry to die...

 

My review:

Sienna Crenshaw isn't happy about the rules. What fun is it to be a time traveler if you can't go beyond your natural lifetime or change your own death? She especially hates the rules because she couldn't change the fact her boyfriend, Henry died. Yet Sienna's best friend, Joan who is also Henry's twin sister dares to break all the rules and creates what she believes to be a better reality with Henry still alive. And this might be good with Sienna except the fact all her family is gone. Will Sienna be able to right the timeline even if that means going against her best friend and losing the love of her life again?

What a wonderful fast-paced and action packed YA read. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was happily surprised by the twists and turns and the complexity of time traveling in this story. Every action echoes over time. It certainly did make me think what I'd do if I were in Sienna's position with my heart pulled in several directions.

Sienna transformed from a typical complaining teen into a brave heroine who must make immensely tough choices. I sympathized with her, and hurt with her when I guessed what she might have to do. I also really liked she wasn't perfect. I can see how she fell for Henry. And oh how I fretted over wondering who he was really helping!

4.5 stars for Travelers. Highly recommended YA time travel romance.

 

Buy the book HERE!

 

Find out more about Meradeth Houston on her site.

Review for Immortal Desires

Blurb:
Dumped at the altar, Deanna Cameron seeks a fresh start in life. She gets more than she bargained for after accepting a new job, when an Immortal Guardian sends her five hundred years into the past. She can't return home and a magnificent highland warrior accuses her of being a spy.

Ian Mackay knows the beautiful woman who appears in his castle must be a spy. After all, she's a Cameron, a clan he despises. The powerful magic surrounding her obstructs his Druid senses, plus he finds he can't stay away from the temptress. But loving Deanna could come with a price too high to pay. Will she be the downfall of his clan—or its salvation?

My review: 
Feeling stuck in a rut, Deanna Cameron jumps at the opportunity for a new job in a different state. Not just any job, but a dream job traveling and reviewing vacation spots. When she is sent five hundred years into the past, all she wants to do is find a way home. Until she meets the gorgeous Highlander Lord, Ian Mackay. Ian believes her to be a spy, but he can't stop his growing feelings for her. Will Deanna destroy his clan or shatter his heart?

An incredible and steamy debut from Cerise Laudine. There's nothing sexier than a Highlander Lord with the courage of a warrior and a big heart. Deanna and Ian found it difficult to resist one another, but even with the sizzling physical connection, their relationship grew from soul more fertile than their desire alone. I sympathized with Deanna right from the beginning as she's left at the altar and must pick up her life on her own. She's smart and brave, and the perfect complement to Ian.

What I loved the most was the world building. We have an awesome modern day corporation and the Highlands of five hundred years ago. I felt like I was there. Plus there are the Immortals. While we learn more about them as the story unfolds, I'm eager to find out even more about them. I can't wait for the next book from Cerise Laudine.

A highly recommended time travel romance.
(I was lucky enough to win an ARC in a giveaway last month!)

Releases December 5th!

Pre-order here: Amazon

Find out more about Cerise here!

The Rifters - A Summer Trip to Settler, Oregon

To celebrate the release of Mary Pax's newest series, The Rifters, she's having a grand giveaway. Post a short tale about your summer trip to Settler, Oregon any time between now and October 31st, 2014, email her the link, and be entered to win one of two $25 Amazon or B&N giftcards, a signed book, or the digital versions of the first two books in the series. Click HERE for all the details.

This picture from Mary's gallery inspired my story:

There was nowhere better in the world to dig for fossils than Settler, and thankfully most paleontologists didn't know it. I've seen a few amateur diggers over the years, but they certainly couldn't understand what priceless finds they might be making.

I did. I made my career off them.

Every year in early autumn, I'd come to Gold Lake and pitch my tent. Not once have I left empty-handed.

This year I had to attend an important convention during my usual dig time, so now I was hammering away under the mid-summer sun. Eagerly yet carefully. I found a set of raptor - at least I was pretty sure they were raptor - footprints that would win me enough fame to oust the director of my department. I chuckled at the thought of getting rid of the old coot.

Five prints already uncovered and the next ones in the path were open to the air. I swiped my brows and took a long drink of water before I moved to the sixth one.

Funny. The rock was a different color here.

No, wait. That's mud.

The tracks are fresh.

The Gold Rush trickles to a fool’s quest and a string of stagecoach heists. In 1888, Earl Blacke decides to make a new start and become a better man. He escapes into the mountains, heading north. In the wilds of Oregon, a rift inside an ancient volcano opens and sends him into the future, into the present day. It also shaves forty years off his age, forty years to live over again and atone for what he’s done.

Starting over is hard to do. In current day New York, Daelin Long’s dream job at a publishing house goes the way of the dinosaurs her sister chases. With no money and nowhere else to go, Daelin accepts the librarian position in her sister’s dinky town in the middle of Oregon. Nestled inside ancient volcanic peaks, the town of Settler holds onto many secrets. Residents roam the streets with weirdly fashioned devices, and odd lights pulse in the night skies. People whisper of a phantom outlaw and start dying, murdered and missing their heads. On top of it all, Daelin’s sister is missing, and Daelin doesn’t know who to trust.

Earl knows more than he’s saying. He shares a notorious history with the phantom, one he’ll see remains buried. Keeping Daelin’s sister’s secrets is his only chance at redemption, and the only way to keep this world safe.

Ebook: Amazon / Amazon UK / AmazonDE / AmazonAU / AmazonCA / B&N / Smashwords / Googleplay / iTunes /

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