The Lunatic is in my head...

Y'all know I love music. There are some songs that are so good that they always give me the shivers. One of them is Pink Floyd's Brain Damage. Actually, a lot of Pink Floyd's music will do that to me. (I wrote Wish You Were Here into Personal Demons.) I haven't listened to Brain Damage in a really long time, but I woke up with it in my head this morning. Specifically, the line "There's someone in my head, but it's not me." The song was accompanied by a whole cast of characters who I'm just getting to know.

That's what the writing process is to me: people in my head. They start out as strangers, but little by little we get to know each other. They tell me things and have conversations with each other, and I take dictation. Some of them, I really like. Others, not so much. But whether I like them or not, I'm just the poorly paid help with the laptop, so they all get an equal crack at getting their story on the page. (I don't play favorites.)

So, I'm still hanging out with my old friends, Frannie, Luc and Gabe, plugging away at Hellbent. But I'm making some new friends too. It's fun to watch these new characters emerge, and I'm dying to hear the stories they have to tell as we get comfortable with each other.

I'll leave you with a question and a song. Question: New stories come to me as characters with something to say. How do new stories come to you?

And the song: Pink Floyd's Brain Damage. As always, if you love it, please visit your chosen mode of music purchase and buy it.

Personal Demons Character Week: Supporting Cast

Shelby

Shelby has a major support roll. She’s a black 1968 Shelby Cobra GT 500. She bails Luc and Frannie out of trouble more than once. And, even though she’s Luc’s, Frannie can’t get enough of her. Frannie and her grandfather have been fixing up vintage Mustangs in his garage since Frannie was seven, and she probably knows more about the Shelby than Luc does.

Both boys have their toys, and Gabe’s is a white 2010 Dodge Charger—the perfect car for Frannie’s wingman—with a backseat and everything…

Taylor

Frannie’s best friend is a handful. She has dangerous taste in boys and, from the minute Luc sets foot in Haden High, she’s got him in her sights. Which is exactly why Frannie has always kept Taylor close. She could always count on Taylor to scoop the guy—a good thing, because the last thing Frannie wants to do is put her heart out there. But when Taylor goes after Luc, Frannie finds herself wishing she wouldn’t, and hoping that Luc doesn’t want her.

But what if he does?

Is Frannie ready to challenge her best friend for a guy who scares the hell out of her?


Riley
Riley is Frannie’s and Taylor’s accidental friend. Understated and a little shy, she believes adamantly in true love, and she’s convinced that Luc is Frannie’s “The One.” So, when Taylor makes her move on Luc, and Frannie turns to Gabe, Riley makes it her mission to “fix” things. At the same time, she’s hiding a secret of her own. She’s found her “The One.”

And it’s someone who will make her friend very, very unhappy.


Stay tuned for the full Personal Demons playlist on Monday! =)

Personal Demons Character Week: Who wants to be Frannie????

What can I say about Frannie? Personal Demons is really her story. The double entendre title refers to Frannie’s own personal demons, as well as the demon who’s trying to get personal. (That would be Luc, in case you didn’t catch that from Tuesday’s post.)

She’s experienced some pretty hard knocks in her young life—the death of her twin brother among the hardest. Because of this, she lives within carefully constructed walls to keep anyone from getting too close. She keeps everyone at a distance—her four sisters, her parents—and she’s chosen her best friend, Taylor, very carefully. Someone who won’t push for answers she’s not willing to give.


Her loss has also shaped her entire belief system. She doesn’t believe in God. She doesn’t believe in love.

So, how is it that when she gets close to Gabe, it feels like that’s what he’s made of—love? How can he make her feel something that doesn’t exist? He’s every girl’s dream…God knows he’s been in plenty of hers. And, he’s also clearly the safer choice, because Luc seems more like he could be every girl’s nightmare. Aside from his killer body and that wickedly beautiful face, there’s his dark energy. It scares the hell out of her but also speaks to her like some shadowy siren song that holds her and won’t let her go. A girl could lose control with him—which Frannie doesn’t do. Ever.

Frannie struggles with her belief in a higher power throughout the book, and the song that inspired her character is You Found Me by The Fray. Once again, if you love it, please buy it.

Personal Demons Character Week: No one told Gabe that angels aren't supposed to be HOT!

We interrupt this broadcast for a special announcement. Personal Demons has been spotted in the wild. Here it is at a Borders in southern California.

(thank you, Tricia, for the heads up book spotting) If you see Personal Demons in the wild your only defense it to buy it immediately. Otherwise, I can't be responsible for your crushing regret. ;p

And...one more public service announcement. If you want a chance to win one of two fabulous prize packs, each including a signed copy of Personal Demons, a iPod shuffle with the Personal Demons playlist pre-loaded, Personal Demons swag, and Heaven and Hell related treats, go to the fantabulous Elana Johnson's (Possession, Simon&Schuster, summer 2011) blog to start the Personal Demons Amazing Race! Follow the blog schedule and comment on the authors' posts everday for a chance to win PD swag packs! It all ends right here on Tuesday, Sept 14th! (release day, in case that slipped your notice)

We now return to our regularly scheduled broadcast...

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday and got up close and personal with Luc. Today, we get into Gabe's head.

Gabe has one goal: to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It's his only purpose, and he's willing to do whatever it takes. Because Frannie possesses a unique skill set that has King Lucifer tingling with anticipation, and, if Lucifer gets his hands on her, it would mean the end of Heaven—and therefore Earth—as we know it.

So, what’s an angel to do when he shows up and finds Frannie falling for Luc?

Fight dirty.

But if he goes too far—far enough to lose his wings—he can’t protect Frannie, and he’s useless to her. So, the question is, how far is too far? Because, somewhere along the way he feels things change. What was just a job turns personal. He finds himself being drawn in—wanting her in ways he shouldn’t. And, when it becomes clear that she wants him too, he has to decide if he’s willing to risk his wings—and maybe Frannie’s soul—for what he wants.

Gabe has never before found himself in the position of questioning his purpose. But, with Frannie, the lines between duty and desire blur, and he struggles with basic questions of love and loyalty. He vows to always be there for her, no matter what, but what if keeping that promise means risking everything?

The song that most embodies Gabe is Breathe by Ryan Star. As always, if you love it, please visit your chosen mode of music purchase and buy it. Enjoy!

Personal Demons Character Week: The hotness that is LUC!

We're one week and counting from Personal Demons release! ONE WEEK!!! *faints* So, as promised, I'm kicking off Personal Demons Character Week with my beautiful boys, starting with Luc.

Luc is a demon’s demon. He works in Acquisitions for Hell and has spent five millennia using every tool at his disposal to tempt teenagers down the fiery path. Frannie is just one more soul. Nothing special. But, from nearly the moment they meet, she makes him feel things. Things demons aren’t supposed to be able to feel. Things he can’t even begin to understand or articulate. But things that make him question everything that he is, nonetheless.


Problem is, King Lucifer has made it crystal clear that failure is not an option—unless, of course, he might enjoy dismemberment and an eternity burning in the Fiery Pit. He’s a demon, after all. You never know…

But he’s also a Creature of Pride, and when the angel Gabriel shows up, Luc knows Frannie’s soul is worth fighting for. He’s never failed yet, and he’s not about to start now. This time, however, the cost of the fight may be more than he's prepared for.

Luc, obviously, is very conflicted. His purpose is clear, and he’s never questioned it—until now. The song that shaped him as a character, and really inspired the whole book, is Savin' Me by Nickelback. If you love it, please visit your chosen mode of music purchase and buy it.

Personal Demons Character Week

So, just...WOW! I can't believe how many of you have stopped by to check out the Personal Demons trailers! In two weeks Gabe has gotten over 900 views and Luc, in less than three days, is pushing the 550 mark. Hope you all like them and they've piqued your interest. On Monday, Frannie will make her appearance! I'll be debuting her trailer right here on the blog so be sure to check back!!

After Frannie's debut, the rest of the week will be devoted to Character Week! If you’ve visited this blog in the last six months, you’ve probably read the jacket copy for Personal Demons. It goes like this:

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest friends—and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions—for Hell—and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he’s as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn’t get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay…for all of them.

But, next week we’re going to get up close and personal with the characters, starting with my beautifully conflicted boys, Luc and Gabe. Then we'll check in with my seriously kick-ass, but very confused Frannie. We’ll also meet the supporting cast, Frannie’s best friends, Taylor and Riley. We’ll get into the character's heads a little to see what motivates them—and what haunts them.

Here's the line up:
Monday: Debut of FRANNIE'S TRAILER!!!
Tuesday: Luc
Wednesday: Gabe
Thursday: Frannie
Friday: Supporting cast
Monday: Full Personal Demons Playlist

Because I really want every reader to make my characters their own, I hadn't planned to include pictures. But then I was threatened with death by a certain few blog lurkers, who shall remain nameless, if I didn't. So...I have include pictures of what my characters look like (to me), their songs and their trailers.

And, because I love to interact with all my totally cool friends in the blogosphere, I'll also answer (spoiler free) questions about the characters in the comments section.

So, stay tuned. =)

I met one of my characters--at the airport

Has this ever happened to you?

I’m sitting at the airport in Dallas on Sunday waiting for my flight to board. I’m reading through Original Sin (for the millionth time—I obsess, I can’t help it) and I hear a male voice behind me say, “Ladies,” in a sweet Texas drawl. I turn around and almost fall out of my chair. No, it isn’t Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw. It’s Dusty.

I know that means absolutely nothing to all of you, but he’s a character out of one of my novels. This guy had longish curly blond hair and blue eyes under a brown cowboy hat. He was beautiful in a rough, cowboy sort of way. He was wearing dark Wranglers with a big silver belt buckle. He might have been twentyish, a few years older than my Dusty, and I gleaned from the conversation between him and the girls sitting behind me that his name was, in fact, Travis, not Dusty, but everything, from the way he looked to the way he talked, and even the things he said, couldn’t have been more Dusty.

I felt all giddy and really wanted to say something, or take his picture or something, but that would look, well…a little crazy, or at best, stalkerish, so I didn’t. But I still really wish I had—maybe a quick cell phone pic on the sly…

So, I closed Original Sin, and opened Dusty Lane, which I’m revising for my truly fabulous agent. Now I’ll obsess over Dusty for a while. =)

So, is it just me, or do you see your characters sometimes?

Writing is like giving birth.

So, you’re writing a book. Great! And your book has characters, probably. Cause…well, I’m not sure it’d be much of a book if it didn't. I’ll have to try that sometime—a book with no characters.

But I digress.

So you have characters. That’s good. Do your characters come to you fully formed? Do you know their names before you start, or do you write a while and try to get to know the person that shows up on your pages before you name them? Do you know their physical traits, their hobbies, their bad habits, insecurities, hopes and fears all up front? What about their personalities? Is it something you work out before you start writing? Maybe in an outline? Or is it something that evolves as you write?

That’s a lot of question marks, but I’m curious how the process works for y’all. I write so freeform that I usually have nothing when I start but a name. But it’s fun to see my characters be born and grow into a whole person on the page. And often, they turn out nothing like I might have expected. Sometimes they let me down. Sometimes they piss me off. Sometimes they make me cry. Often they make me laugh. And every once in a while they shock the hell out of me.

Sounds like my kids.

Characters on the loose! Get out of the way!

One of my characters really pissed me off today.

It’s my own damn fault, really. I know I could keep my characters in line (literally) if I wrote with an outline. And I’ll tell you one thing for sure. If I outlined this story, it certainly wouldn’t be going where it’s going, and my character definitely wouldn’t have done that.

But, I’ve learned that I just have to let it happen. Because, truly, where I thought the story was going was much more predictable and pretty darn boring.

So, what I’ve learned in all of this: I don’t necessarily have to like what my characters are doing to my book, but I’m darn well going to let them do it.

But I’m still pissed.