*technical note: Yes, I know my blog is acting wonky — thank you for noticing I am hoping to get help to fix it later today*

The latest WIP is giving me fits. (And I won’t tell you which one…) The first draft was suspiciously easy to write, caused little drama in my daily life.  It just unrolled, ten pages at a time, and now that I am revising it I can see what is wrong.  The writing is safe, controlled, and dead.  It skates along the surface of the story, a very difficult, heart-rending story.  The emotion in it remains untouched.

And there’s the problem, right there.  This boook scares the daylights out of me.  The themes in it have sent me to therapy in the past – and that is not hyperbole but simple everyday fact.  I have nightmares about the things the main characters have nightmares about, in this book.  This book cuts close to the bone.

I don’t know how you cope with mindbending fear, but my coping mechanism since my earliest days has been to shut down, get very, very calm, pretend the terrifying thing isn’t there at all.  Skate along the illusion of serenity on the surface, whistle past the graveyard, and keep the primal terror locked up, hidden way down deep.

This is not a good coping mechanism for life or for writing.  I have learned, alas, that I have to dive right into the fear, GO THERE, face it directly. I know other people write from other emotions (and that sounds like a great idea at the moment!).  But I also know that writing must be honest, must stay close to its emotions, or it is too safe and remote from the reader.

Whatever terrifies me, whatever I’ve been desperately avoiding — that’s exactly what I have to write about.  That’s the charge right there, that’s where the good stuff is hiding, all hidden and tied up.  I have to let the monster loose.

I can’t tell you directly about what I’m writing about — that would take the charge out of the writing.  Read my books (she said, with a mysterious smile on her face).  But what scares you the most?  If you are a writer, maybe that’s what you should be writing about, too.

Good morning!  I have in my hot little hands a brand-new copy of Bianca D’Arc’s ONCE BITTEN, TWICE DEAD, a new adventure romance that recently released from Kensington.  Let me tell you a bit about her and the book: 

A life-long martial arts enthusiast, Bianca D’Arc enjoys a number of hobbies and interests that keep her busy and entertained such as playing the guitar, shopping, painting, shopping, skiing, shopping, road trips, and did we say… um… shopping? A bargain hunter through and through, Bianca loves the thrill of the hunt for that excellent price on quality items, though she’s hardly a fashionista. She likes nothing better than curling up by the fire with a good book, or better yet, by the computer, writing a good book. 

She is the author of some thirty books of erotic, fantasy, science fiction, and adventure romance.  Find out more at Bianca’s website: http://biancadarc.com/ 

And here’s some info on ONCE BITTEN, TWICE DEAD, the first full-length book in her new series at Kensington: 

 

When police officer Sarah Petit investigates a disturbance in an abandoned building, she expects to find a few underage drinkers. Instead, she’s attacked by creature straight out of a horror movie. Waking a week later in a hospital, Sarah is visited by Special Forces soldier Captain Xavier Beauvoir. The zombies who attacked Sarah are the result of military research gone terrifyingly wrong, and Sarah’s immunity to the virus makes her the perfect person to help Xavier eradicate them. But his smooth Cajun accent, whiskey-colored eyes, and dizzying kiss are risky to her in a very different way. 

Sarah attracts danger like a magnet — and the smart, fearless cop attracts Xavier too, instilling a bone-deep need that’s undermining his steady facade. Enlisting her aid is a necessary gamble, but vicious undead creatures are not the only enemy they face. And the only way to keep each other safe is to trust in an instant connection that could be their greatest strength — or the perfect way to destroy them both… 

If you like adventure, hot romance, and zombies running through Stony Brook NY (and if you are going to I-Con you are going to love this book!) you need to check out Bianca’s new series.  And all you need to do is leave a comment here for a chance to win your very own copy! 

You can simply say hi in the comments to enter, or answer the following question: Zombies vs. vampires.  Who would win, and why?  Discuss  

If you’d like, you can also join my yahoogroup to enter.  It is a contest/announcement only loop, so it will not clog up your mailbox, I promise.  Here’s the link to subscribe:  Michele_Lang_Book_Talk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 

I will announce the lucky winner on Monday, March 15th.  Have a wonderful Wednesday!