To Be Continued???

First, I’d like to say “Thank you!” to all the readers who have contacted me to say how much they love Alex and Varik. (Please note: I have a strict “no spoilers” policy so if you’ve asked about specific details in future books and haven’t received a reply from me this policy would be why.) Y’all are made of pure unadulterated awesomesauce.

Sadly, I have to report that the Alexandra Sabian series is currently without a publisher.  Naturally, as an author, I’m disappointed and a little frightened to be “homeless,” but I’m not the first to face this problem nor will I be the last.

So what does this mean for Alexandra Sabian Book 3? Selling an established series isn’t the easiest task. I won’t bore you with details but many factors play into a new publisher’s decision to buy or pass. After some serious wailing, gnashing of teeth, head banging, and soul searching, I’ve decided to continue writing Book 3 in the hope that the series will continue. However, the fate of the series remain uncertain, and for that reason I’m also pursuing other projects. (No, I can’t tell you what those projects are at this point. Sorry.)

I’m sure some of you will wonder what you can do. Honestly, the best thing anyone can do for any authors who find themselves “homeless” is to buy their books. Tell your friends to buy the books or buy the books for them as gifts.
I don’t know when I’ll have news to share about the Alex series or new projects but rest assured I’ll gladly pass it along to my readers when the time comes.

Once again, my sincere thanks to everyone who has supported Alex, Varik, Stephen, Tasha, and all the colorful residents of Jefferson, Mississippi. It’s my sincerest wish to see their story continue and can only hope the opportunity will come.

Much love and blood…
Jeannie Holmes

And in this corner…

I’ve been hearing a lot of grumbling on various social media sites (okay, mostly Twitter) about the Great Debate: Urban Fantasy vs. Paranormal Romance. For the most part, I’ve stayed out of the fray for a few of reasons–

1. I don’t like to comment on “politics.”
2. It makes my head hurt.
3. I think it’s a silly argument.

Today, an article written by Kim Harrison showed up on SF Signal. The title of the article directly addresses the heart of UF vs PNR debate — “Excuse me, your romance is in my urban fantasy” — and the differences between the two but also bemoans the apparent dilution of the urban fantasy genre by a rise in the romantic content. While I don’t agree with everything Ms. Harrison says, I do find some truth in her arguments.

Ms. Harrison begins by recounting a conversation with a reader in which he was lamenting the “shine fading from the urban fantasy genre” because the kick-ass protagonists we all know and love seemed to be morphing into damsels in distress and needed a big strong man (vampire, werewolf, etc.) to rescue them. She continues by saying:

The industry had a hand in causing it to a certain extent as many houses grabbed anything they could find with a vampire and sexy protagonist, thinking that was all urban fantasy was. Manuscripts that would otherwise be passed over were picked up and promoted. Books that would be stellar romances on their own were lessened by well-meaning editors trying to make them something they were not by asking their author to “stick a vampire in it! They’re hot right now!”

I disagree. This example isn’t a case of established protagonists changing. It’s not that urban fantasy is being “diluted” by a rise in the romantic content — It’s a case of books being marketed inappropriately. It’s a lack of understanding of not just one but two genres and in the end both suffer for it. (Whether they are sub-par or outstanding is not for me to decide and I will not debate the validity of one book over another.)

Ms. Harrison continues:

However, the very aspects that give it strength-the mixing of many genres-may now be threatening to eat away at it. It’s up to the authors and publishing houses to understand that having a vampire in the storyline does not make it urban fantasy.

I agree with Ms. Harrison’s observation that simply having a vampire in a story doesn’t make it urban fantasy. It can easily be paranormal romance. Or horror. The difference is in the author’s intent and the story they are trying to convey to the reader. Most “true” (and I use that word very loosely) UF novels are built on either a mystery or thriller backbone with science fiction, fantasy, romance, and horror mixed in to varying degrees. However, others may rely more on sci-fi or fantasy as the main support. Still others may lean toward romance or horror. This diversity is the very strength that makes UF so popular and yet so hard to define. It is the blurring of lines that make UF what it is.

Ms. Harrison states, “I know where that line is. The greats before me drew it very clearly in the sand.” With all due respect to Ms. Harrison (and I’m a huge Kim Harrison fan), I don’t think anyone can say there is a clearly defined line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She uses Bram Stoker’s DRACULA as an example: “For the time it was written in, Dracula could be classified as an urban fantasy.” I agree. It could be UF…and it could easily be read as paranormal romance or even horror. Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, for the time is was written in, could be classified as science fiction or horror. Charles Dickens’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL, for the time it was written in, could be classified as urban fantasy or horror. Jules Verne’s A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, for the time it was written in, could be classified as science fiction or fantasy.

Arguments can be made for and against any book belonging to any given genre–and that’s the real problem. People–readers, writers, editors, publishers, etc.–become too caught up in the label game and everyone gets their panties in a wad when something is “mislabeled.” Instead of focusing on The Story and whether or not we enjoyed reading it, we focus on what is apparently lacking or what was added. Suddenly we’re back to the “You got peanut butter in my chocolate/You got chocolate in my peanut butter” argument. If the combination is delicious and satisfies whatever craving you had, does it really matter?

Seriously?

Stories should be weighed and validated based on their own merits and not the label someone slaps on it so bookstores know where to file it and so readers can find it. Mistakes happen and UF can be misidentified as PNR or vice versa. Here’s the kicker: It happens with other genres as well. SILENCE OF THE LAMBS can be viewed as both thriller and horror. THE DA VINCI CODE can be classified as either mystery or thriller. It isn’t unique to UF and PNR. Some stories blur the lines to the point no one knows exactly what label to give it so they make an educated guess of where it will have the best chance of reaching an audience. But it’s still a guess, and sometimes the guess is wrong.

Instead of wailing and gnashing our teeth when that happens, how about we all–readers and writers alike–make a pact to say, “It wasn’t what I expected, but it was a good story and I enjoyed it” and not allow ourselves to be caught up in The Great Debate and the Label Game. Let’s focus on good stories, good writing, and having a good time. Reading and writing books should be fun. Arguing over shelf real estate sucks away that fun and only widens the riff between authors and readers when we should be happy to celebrate the very thing that supposedly unites us:

The love of a good book.

Charity Auction for Humane Society of West Alabama

After the recent storms which hit the southeast, animal shelters have been hard hit with the task of caring for and identifying lost and misplaced pets. The authors of the Criminal Minds group blog, an award-winning weekly blog featuring 14 mystery and thriller writers, have joined forces to help those who cannot speak or help themselves. All CM authors have donated SIGNEDcopies of their most recent books for this charity auction.

A Great Loss: David Thompson, Murder by the Book

 “It is with deep sadness that we must share the news that David Thompson passed away suddenly on September 13th, 2010. David worked at Murder By The Book for 21 years, and he made an indelible impression on the store and everyone who met him. There will be a memorial service, and we will share the details as soon as they are available. In the meantime, David’s wife, McKenna Jordan, asks that no tributes be sent to the bookstore for now. We appreciate the loving support that customers have always given the store, and in the difficult days to come we will need it more than ever.”

 I met David for the first — and sadly, only — time in July when I signed at MBTB. I remember him as being energetic, enthusiastic, helpful, and incredibly kind. Murder by the Book and the entire mystery/crime fiction community has suffered a great loss with David’s passing.

My heartfelt condolences and hugs to his wife, McKenna, and all the MBTB staff. David will be greatly missed.

A Tribute to My Buddy

My husband, Mark, and I had to make the painful decision on Monday to put our beloved Hell Hound, Hercules, to sleep. It was a decision we agonized over. Our heads know it was the right decision, but our hearts aren’t convinced yet. Therefore, I’m creating a tribute to my buddy in the hope that the heart will finally agree with the head.

Hercules was a Chow/Shepard mix breed and one of the sweetest dogs I’d ever known. Born in 1997, Herc was a part of my life for thirteen years — longer than Mark — and saw me through some of the roughest parts. He was also there for some of the best. Facing the future without him is going to be a challenge. He was more than a dog — he was my buddy.

Hercules was the kind of dog that everyone loved and who loved (almost) everyone he met. I won’t bore you with all the details of mine and Herc’s friendship, and frankly, I don’t want to share those memories. Some things are too personal and still to raw to share.

As for why we made the decision we did, Hercules lost most of the movement in his back legs Sunday night. We’d known he had arthritis in his hips for several years but the nearly complete immobility he displayed Sunday night scared us. We rushed him to the vet’s office Monday morning for tests. X-rays showed advanced deterioration of the joints in his hips as well as a mass on his liver. Blood tests revealed elevated liver enzymes and a few other abnormalities that I can’t even recall now. The vet advised us of the options for treatment, including specialists with poking, prodding, biopsies, and exploratory surgery for the possible liver tumor. Even if we had attempted to treat what could’ve been cancer, it wasn’t going to help the pain he’d feel with each step, if we were even able to get him walking again.

The other option was to let him go. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to consider, but neither Mark nor I could subject Herc to more tests for a “maybe” on the tumor and a “definite yes” on the pain caused by his deteriorated joints. While Mark and I were debating what to do, we could hear Herc whining from the kennel area. That clinched it for us. It was as though he was telling us what we needed to do. Though it was difficult, we agreed to let him go and said goodbye.

Hercules will be cremated and his ashes returned to us. I’ll take him home to Mississippi, back the home that he knew for most of his thirteen years, back to where he was happiest…back to where he can run and play without pain.

But, I fear, Mark and I will carry the pain of his loss for much longer.

Author M.I.A.

It’s baaa-aack!

Okay, “it” is really me and I’m only sorta back. I’m gradually returning to normal life. If you’ve been wondering where

I’ve been for the past month or so, let me fill you in.

December was a busy month. It seemed like every week brought a new event, both good and bad, and they all culminated into an emotional rollercoaster that’s only now slowing down. Without going into details, here’s the record of the ride:

December 15 – I arrive at my mother’s home in Mississippi for niece’s wedding.

December 18 – Wedding rehearsal.

December 19 – Niece’s wedding. Mom unable to attend due to illness.

December 20 – In the early morning hours, Mom passes away in her sleep.

December 22 – Nephew’s birthday.

December 23 – Mom’s funeral.

December 24 – Other nephew and niece-in-law welcome their first child. (Yes, I’m a great-aunt now. Gods, I feel old.)

December 26 – Family gathers for Christmas.

December 27 – Mark returns to Mobile and I remain in Mississippi at my mother’s home to work on Book 2 and help with estate issues.

December 28-Present – I’m still in Mississippi, planning first trip back to Mobile at end of January, and still working on Book 2.

So, it’s not that I wanted to disappear for weeks but circumstances have required my dropping out of sight for a while. However, I’m now happy to report that I’m returning to normal life -– if you can call my life up until this point “normal” –- and I hope you’ll see more of me in the coming weeks.

For those who follow the Criminal Minds group blog, I’ll be returning to my usual Monday posting February 1. I’m also planning to make my first posting to The Magic District blog next week (Wednesday, January 27). I don’t have constant internet access so doing anything, including responding to emails, is tricky. (If you’re expecting an email response from me, I’m not ignoring you, just interweb challenged at the moment.)

The good news here is I can report that progress is being made on Book 2. Given recent events, I can tell you that spelunking in the cave of my unconsciousness is not easy right now. It’s hard to write about rogue vampires, creepy killers, body dumps, and psychotic episodes when you’re living in the same house where your mother died only a month prior. Some days it’s not so bad, but the scenes that require a body… Yeah, I admit I procrastinate on those days andput off writing those scenes as long as possible. So while progress is being made, it’s slow and I’m nowhere close to where I’d hope to be in the story by this point. But, progress is being made. Words are making it to the page. They may not be the best (yet) but at least the pages are stacking up and the story is unfolding.

Speaking of pages, Mr. FedEx paid me a visit yesterday and brought with him the page proofs for BLOOD LAW. Squeeeeee! For those who don’t know, page proofs are the uncorrected pages of a manuscript that has been formatted for publication. The text appears exactly how it will be printed in the final version. It’s also the last chance for the author to make minor corrections. Over the next few days, I’ll be reading these, making corrections (if needed) and will then return them to Ms. Editor who will send them along to the next stage: galleys! Galleys are similar to ARCs in that they are sent to various people for possible cover quotes, advance reviews, etc. Yes, I’ll be recieving copies. Yes, I will be teasing you unmercifully with them. Why? Because I’m evil. Muwahahaha!

And…on that note, I’m going to shut this down and get back to work.

Thanks to everyone who’s expressed condolences for Mom’s passing and offered encouragement. You know who you are and how much you’re appreciated. *hugs*