April 29, 2013 by Angela Wallace

Excerpt of Dreamstealer: Lexa vs. The Dress

I have another excerpt of Dreamstealer for you today, this time one with a little humor. Lexa is on her way to Teltania to see if their princess is in fact a new dreamwalker. Unfortunately, her cover for this mission is to go as a visiting diplomat of Artasia. And one must dress to fit the part…

~~~

Neil gestured to the gray-toned, crackle-textured trunk. “Mathias left this for you, but he insisted you not open it until the day before our arrival. So, here it is.”

Lexa could tell she was not going to like this. She strode forward, flipped the latch, and swung the lid up. The trunk was full of clothes, it seemed, and dresses at that. She stared at the fitted, maroon velvet gown with a cross-laced bodice on top.

“Hell no.” She slammed the lid down again.

Neil cleared his throat. “I believe his words were something about you being a lady and needing to dress to fit the part.”

No wonder Mathias hadn’t wanted her opening it until the last minute…or while he was still around. She would have strangled him. Yes, she understood the importance of playing the role of diplomat, but did he have to choose such…opulent clothes? If he had given her more time, she would have done her own shopping—which had probably been his plan all along.

Lexa threw the lid open again; the hinges rattled as they quaked under her wrath. She grabbed the maroon dress and lifted it up. It was even worse in full form: puffed sleeves at the shoulder, which tapered down into a tightly fitted cuff at the wrist. Her arms would look like mutton legs in it. She tossed it on the bed. The next dress on the pile was an aquamarine with wide, billowy sleeves and lace around the neck meant to imitate sea spray. Underneath that lay a dark green gown with a loose skirt that Lexa thought she could tolerate, but for the most part, she discarded the various dresses on the bed, her lip curling in even more disgust with each one.

“I’m going to throttle him.”

Neil arched a brow at the mess. “So you two hadn’t discussed this?”

Lexa glowered at him. “Don’t pretend that comes as a surprise. He did tell you to keep this until the last minute.”

Neil rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure I see the problem.”

Lexa gestured to her plain shirt and pants, then at the dresses. “Seriously?”

He quirked a smile. “They would look stunning on you.”

“They’re ridiculous.”

“Perhaps you should try one on first.” He dug under the pile, pulled out the maroon one, and held it out to Lexa. Her fingers twitched, unwilling to even touch the extravagant fabric. But with Neil watching her closely, she swallowed her discomfort and snatched it from his hand.

“You’re forgetting a piece.” He reached into the trunk and pulled out a corset.

Lexa gave it a blank stare.

“It’s all the fashion in Teltania right now.”

“You wear it.”

~~~

I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek. I was also on Mistress of the Dark Path’s blog this weekend for an interview. Curious if I have a naughty side? …

Dreamstealer is available on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and iTunes.

When her kingdom’s former enemy suspects their princess is a budding dreamwalker, Lexa is drafted out of retirement and sent to Teltania to train the twelve-year-old girl. But hidden agendas complicate her mission, and Lexa doesn’t know whom to trust. Meanwhile, her own dreamwalking powers are waning when she needs them most. Can Lexa decipher the mysteries at every turn, or will the dreamscape claim yet another dreamwalker?

~~~

I hope you enjoyed your visit and come back for more! You can subscribe using RSS, Twitter, or Facebook. And if you want to ensure you don’t miss any new releases, you can sign up for the newsletter!

November 5, 2012 by Angela Wallace

Fiction In My Backyard

When I write an urban fantasy book, I have to pick a setting from our world. Several factors go into that decision: climate, geography, a place I find interesting. I have yet to write a book set in my own city (though I’m considering it for the fire book), but even though the locations I’ve written about so far have been exciting new places to me, they’re in some people’s own backyards.

I recently met a woman on Twitter from Grays Harbor, WA, the setting for Elemental Magic. She was intrigued with the book mainly for its setting, and has even been blogging about it on a local community blog. (I find the Twilight/Forks comparison quite flattering.) As for some of the details I got wrong about the city, I blame Google Maps.

Even though I have yet to write a story set in my own backyard, I do get excited when I find a book taking place in it. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many for the South Bay in California. San Francisco seems to be the go-to city. Close, but not close enough for me to feel a connection. I did read one book that took place in Fremont, which I was super excited about since I did grad school there, but the characters never left the office building the entire book. :-/

What is it about stories set in our neighborhoods that get us excited? Is it the chance to see if the author gets the details right? Is it the feeling that hey, someone’s paying attention to our little corner of the world? Or is it the sense that whatever supernatural story is playing out on the pages, we’re a part of it, simply by association?

Have you read books set in your town or city? How did you feel about them? I love hearing from you!

If you missed it yesterday, be sure to stop by Rebecca Enzor’s blog for the Earth Tones My Little Pony!

~~~

October 29, 2012 by Angela Wallace

“One of These Lonely Orkney Isles”

Life has been very busy lately. In addition to the day job taking a lot of focus right now, Earth Tones’s book tour is under way. Did you guys check out the interviews I had with Tameri Etherton and Alina Sayre? This week I’m over with Raelyn Barclay on Tuesday for another author chat, and Rebecca Enzor this coming Friday and Sunday for an excerpt and an Earth Tones My Little Pony! Don’t miss the fun!

Not wanting to neglect my blog completely, but running up this post at the last minute, I’m going to dazzle you with something brand new! Okay, maybe not dazzle. It’s poetry. Now, I don’t consider myself anywhere near a poet, but I’ve written some. I suspect every writer has tried a hand at it at least a few times.

“One of These Lonely Orkney Isles”

The wind blew up and around
the stones like a cyclone,
disturbing a century of dust.
She traced her fingers over
the runes carved in granite,
while he stood on the altar in the center of
the ring, telling her stories of the druids
and heroic kings. With a reed in hand, he lunged
at the wind, turned, and vaulted the stone,
dancing out an ancient battle.
She wove hawthorn into
her hair and laughed when he claimed to have bested the wind.
He climbed the highest pillar and shouted
to the ocean how he would sail its currents and search
its depths for treasure; she gazed at the hills
where the sheep grazed and the collies stood guard.
Sea spray salted their cheeks, both the color
of rose nipped by chill. They linked hands, and before turning
back towards the village, he leaned over
and kissed her, then dashed across the meadow,
laughing to the wind.

How about you guys? Writer or reader, have you tried your hand at poetry or song writing?

~~~

Did you miss the Halloween treat? Two great books are still free on Amazon, but Tuesday the 30th is the last day to grab them!

September 3, 2012 by Angela Wallace

Writing the Pain I Know

Based on my social media persona, you all probably know me as a writer whose imagination is way more interesting than her everyday life, a person who loves cats and books, and can be funny (on occasion).

What you probably don’t know is behind this computer screen, every single day is a battle with my health. I’m a Type 1 diabetic, but my cells have stopped processing insulin properly. This leads to high blood sugars and stress on the organs. So three months ago I reduced my diet to protein and produce. I was already celiac and couldn’t have wheat gluten, but now all grains, including rice and corn are off the list. I have allergies 24/7, 365 days a year, and the only reason I drink coffee is to keep the migraines at bay—which works most days.

Recently I found out I’ve got heavy metal toxins preventing any form of true healing from happening. That means detox, but if you’ve ever quit giving your body something it’s used to, you’ve probably experienced that things get worse before they get better. Your body doesn’t function very well holding all those toxins tightly in its cells, but when you detox, the floodgates open and all those nasty things are allowed to wreak havoc on your entire system. The plan my doctor lined up will take months, and I must confess that seeing the other side of this path is like looking down a road covered in blinding thick fog—with rattlesnakes in the bushes; I can’t see how far away the end is—or if there is one.

Last October (wow, almost a year ago!) I posted about outliving my expiration date. I’ve made a lot of lifestyle changes since then. I’ve been gluten free for over a year now, something I never thought I could do (or would). I’ve eliminated 99% of sugar, including artificial sweeteners, from my diet—no more cookies, candy, or ice cream. I say 99% because lots of grocery items have some form of sugar, like some canned beans!

The process of making these changes has been brutal, and the most discouraging thing of all is they haven’t made me feel better. With my doctor’s current plan, he hopes I’ll start feeling better in a month. And then we’ll keep going with the regimen for as long as it takes. Can you imagine thinking of recovery time in months or over a year? It’s daunting.

People have asked if I would ever write a character with diabetes or similar health issues, and the answer in the past has always been ‘no.’ When I write, I’d rather spend time with someone who isn’t held back by such weaknesses and inconveniences. One of the reasons I write is to pretend, just for a little, that I can go and do and be someone else.

However, with my current struggles and the frustration, that’s changed. I started a new book and this time my character has just as many health problems as me. Of course, I’m throwing in supernatural stuff as well. This character will face weakness and learn to find different kinds of strength. Because even though the days are hard and sometimes I feel so discouraged as to cry (or say “screw it all, I want the cookie!”), I keep going. I keep living and doing what I love. Writing this book started out as a therapeutic venture, but I hope the final product will be something worth sharing with you all.

~~~

In the meantime, watch for the release of Earth Tones, Elemental Magic 3 coming October 20th! Check out the book trailer and stay tuned for the cover reveal next Wednesday!

I’m putting together a blog tour for the release with dates in November, and if anyone would like to participate, let me know! You can check out the tour schedule’s page on the right.

~~~

August 27, 2012 by Angela Wallace

New Species of Coral Discovered?

In a follow-up on the case of the missing Allegro, new evidence suggests the ship was transporting a rare, or previously undiscovered, type of coral. A large chunk of the sparkly white deposit was discovered on the body of the dead crewman found at sea. While official statements from Mr. Irons’s public relations office declare coral a valuable commodity worth stealing, suspicious events surrounding its discovery only bring up more questions.

Though authorities are trying to keep it quiet, a lab technician transporting a piece of this coral to the Undina Research Center for further tests inexplicably pulled off the road, abandoned his car, and plunged into the ocean. Since this is not California where surfer dudes with low IQs would do just this kind of thing for kicks, the police are understandably perplexed. The man likely would have drowned were it not for a Good Samaritan who happened upon the abandoned vehicle.

The lab tech is currently under a 72-hour suicide watch. Our esteemed reporter managed to sneak into the hospital to speak with Mr. Darnell, whose wild ramblings revolved around a beautiful song he felt compelled to find the source of. Some might jump to the conclusion of sirens or mermaids, mythological creatures said to lure men to death with their singing. (Children, take note: Disney got it wrong.)

We have another theory: drugs. It was obvious the man was high out of his mind. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. The next day, the medical examiner was found floating in the harbor. He hadn’t bothered to take off his tie or suit jacket before his swim, and sources say the original piece of coral had been in his office.

So, is this undiscovered species of coral valuable for its scientific discovery? We can be sure there will be quite a contest to see who it will be named after, though how the scientists at the URC will come to that determination is uncertain—they could resort to Rock, Paper, Scissors for all we know. Or perhaps Mr. Irons, who is hardly the biologist type, is interested in more recreational—and profitable—applications for the coral as the new LSD.

This report comes to you from the Examiner, where everything deserves a closer look.

Curious about the adventure? You can read how it all turns out in Elemental Magic.

~~~

July 30, 2012 by Angela Wallace

Treachery on the High Seas

A body was discovered at sea by the Coast Guard yesterday. Though the identity has not been released, inside sources say the forty-year-old man was a crew member of the cargo ship, Allegro, which went missing three days ago.

Official statements say they can’t be sure what caused the ship to disappear and stop transmitting GPS coordinates, though anything from a malfunction to bad weather has been hypothesized. Before getting caught and thrown out of the morgue, our esteemed reporter managed to glimpse the body of the crewman recovered from sea—perhaps officials would like us to believe a stray bullet simply hitchhiked through a windstorm. Stranger things have happened.

Pirates seems a plausible theory. We approached the owner of the ship, Christophe Irons, to ask what would be valuable enough to steal. The Fortune 500 businessman has holdings in oil, textiles, and is quite the avid collector of rare and priceless artifacts. He also owns several states and a couple islands. Unfortunately, Mr. Irons declined to comment. It begs the question: what is he hiding? We can only speculate that perhaps he sunk his own ship for the insurance claim. That, or there’s more to this pasty, Eastern European than meets the eye.

In any case, salvagers have been arriving in droves, all drooling over the imagined treasures to be found on the missing Allegro. Many of the men, after a few beers, were happy to share their theories: gold bricks, Chinese terracotta army soldiers, rare jewels or pearls. Some of the more unusual theories included Pandora’s box or the Holy Grail. One man hoped to find a captive magical creature. (No more beer for him.)

Though Mr. Irons’s PR representative made it clear that Mr. Irons wants his rightful property returned to him, his lawyers won’t have much luck against salvager’s law: finder’s keepers. One wonders just what is on that ship that he wants back so badly.

This report comes to you from the Examiner, where everything deserves a closer look.

Curious about the adventure? You can read how it all turns out in Elemental Magic.

~~~

July 16, 2012 by Angela Wallace

Meet Buffy

This girl’s got spunk. She can tussle with the best of ‘em and still manage to look stylish doing so. She’s got an outfit for every occasion—vampire slayings, demon vanquishing, averting the apocalypse. Though, these activities have been known to get messy. Being a vampire slayer is not easy on the wardrobe. There was this one chiffon blouse, a gorgeous cream with frills at the neck…anyway, Buffy tangled with a big, badass vamp from a biker gang. We’re talking the complete black leather get-up, hulking shoulders stretching the seams, and sunglasses (yes, at night <eyeroll>). Not to worry, Buffy did a few back flips, a few kicks, gave him a lesson in fashion, and finally staked him through the heart. Except he sort of burst like a popped balloon, raining down bits of vampire dust on her clothes and hair. Tragically, the chiffon didn’t make it. That’s the sacrifice a heroine must make, however. So vamps beware, this girl’s got a horn and hairspray, and she’s not afraid to use them.

Now you tell me, what are some other fashion faux pas Buffy’s had to slay? I look forward to reading your comments!

*This pony was made with General Zoi’s Pony Creator.

Want to read about another kickass heroine? Don’t miss the excitement in Dreamwalker, now available on Amazon and B&N! Two dreamwalkers: one a devout soldier, the other a rogue assassin. Last one standing wins.

~~~

June 25, 2012 by Angela Wallace

Special Sneak Peek: Dreamwalker

The release is looming closer! And to give you a taste, here’s an excerpt I hope you enjoy.

~~~

Lexa’s eyes snapped open at the barest touch of a cold steel’s sharp edge against her neck. She reached behind and grabbed a collar, swinging its bearer over her shoulder. The man in black rolled to his feet with ease, an intrigued grin on his face. Lexa stared at him in surprise and uncertainty—she had never met another person in the dreamscape before.

“You’re quick,” he remarked with strange satisfaction.

Lexa narrowed her eyes and circled him like a wary lioness. “Who are you?” He sidestepped to match her movements. His all black get-up, from his simple shirt down to his somewhat faded boots, gave him the look of a poor pirate, though not as filthy. Long, light-colored hair tied at the nape of his neck framed rugged features and a sharp jaw line. A slight accent colored his voice, but was too diluted to tell its origin.

“And rather attractive.” He took a moment to look her up and down, his brows lifting in appreciation. “I’ve heard there was another walking the dreamscape. You’re much more appealing than I expected.”

Lexa cocked her head to the side. “Wait till I draw blood.”

“Ooh, feisty, too,” he said while waggling the knife in his hand. “At the moment, I’m the one who’s armed.”

She smirked. “At the moment.”

Lexa raised her arms into a defensive stance and dealt him a swift sidekick to the face. Her boot connected with his jaw and knocked him back. His arms shot out to break his fall and the knife fell into a clump of grass. Still leaning over, he kicked at Lexa’s leg, sending her to her knees. He jumped to his feet again and bounced on his toes as though he found this an entertaining workout. Lexa glowered at him. Rolling onto her hip, she swung her legs around to knock his out from under him. He landed on his back with a grunt, and she arched her leg down to jam her heel on his throat.

He caught her foot, softening the blow, and still he didn’t lose his haughty grin. Around a cough, he smiled and said, “You must tell me your name.”

She snorted in disgust and tried to pull her leg back, but he held fast and yanked her toward him. They both rolled, grappling with each other and laying in well-aimed strikes. Lexa’s elbow brushed the knife lying in the grass and she grabbed it, slashing at his chest. He rolled into a crouch out of reach. Both combatants were breathing heavily from the exertion, but neither lost their air of confidence.

The man got to his feet and backed away. “It was nice meeting you, my lady. I’m sure I’ll have your name soon.”

“Not if you always give up this easily.” Lexa took two steps forward.

He laughed and pressed a hand to his chest. “We’ve only just met. Let’s not rush things.” He bowed with a flourish and tipped an imaginary hat. “And for your pleasure, I am called Dirk.”

Lexa hurled the knife at him, but he vanished into the waking world. It struck the wall before melting into mist.

~~~

Watch for Dreamwalker, out June 30th. Two dreamwalkers: one a devout soldier, the other a rogue assassin. Last one standing wins.

~~~

April 11, 2012 by Angela Wallace

Super Sneak Peek: Elemental Magic 3

Last week I posted an excerpt from Dry Spell, Elemental Magic 2. This week, I’m finishing up the Lucky 7 Meme with a super sneak peek of my current work in progress, the third book in my Elemental Magic series.

For a refresher, the basic rules of this meme:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them as they’re written.

4. Tag 7 authors
5. Let them know

I was tagged by Virginia Ripple, Cassia, and Lena Corazon. Go check out their excerpts!

Elemental Magic 3

Excerpt

He nodded, rocking back and forward like a kid chanting there’s no monster in the closet. I stayed still, not wanting to give the wolf side any more reason to feel threatened. Matt could do this. I had to believe he could get it under control.

It felt like almost an hour had passed when Matt finally let out a long exhale and leaned back against the cushion. I hadn’t realized how taut my muscles were until the tension bled out of them, leaving me feeling even more exhausted than before.

“I’m sorry,” Matt said in a low voice.

Watch for it this fall. And, for another excerpt, be sure to check out Marcy Kennedy’s blog this Friday when she’ll be interviewing me.

Want to play this game? I think, instead of tagging specific people, that anyone who wants to should be able to post an excerpt. Enjoy!

February 15, 2012 by Angela Wallace

Escaping into the Extraordinary ~ Guest Post by Tameri Etherton

It is my pleasure to welcome Tameri Etherton on my blog today. We met last summer in Kristen Lamb’s blogging workshop and became fast friends. We may live hours apart, but I have no doubt that if I were in trouble, she’d jump in her car and break the speed limit to get here. She is fun, quirky, and one of the sweetest people I have the honor of knowing. Please give her a warm round of applause!

I am so excited to be guest blogging here today and would like to give Angela a huge thank you for having me! She’s guest blogging on my site on Friday, so be sure you hop over there to see what she has to say about writing fantasy. It will capture your heart as it did mine.

~~~

Every writer has a reason why they write ~ some because the voices in their head tell them to, others because they want to be rich and famous. For me, it’s neither the fame nor the psychosis that compels me to put words to paper; it’s a need to tell a story that takes the reader out of the mundane and propels them into the extraordinary.

I can recall the first fantasy book I read where I thought, ‘I want to live in this world, I want to know these people’. It was David Eddings’ Pawn of Prophecy. After reading every book in the series (more than once), it dawned on me that I could write a book like that. A book where the characters become friends and the story is so engrossing readers forget about reality for a little while.

That was twenty something years ago and somewhere along my path I pushed aside my wish to write a book. A husband and children kept me far too busy and it wasn’t until a few years ago that I remembered I once had a dream. By then, the fantasy genre had changed quite a bit. David Eddings’ sweet tale of an orphan boy seemed rather prosaic compared to the epic novels of Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin. Their 800 page doorstopper books were filled with betrayal, murder, and sex. Gasp! We’re talking more than a chaste kiss on the lips, too. Then along comes Brent Weeks and his assassin series and the fantasy genre blew up.

It’s an exciting time to be a writer. Many of the stigmas and formulaic tropes have been cast off. It’s not unusual to find a badass heroine rescuing the dude in distress. Princesses are freeing themselves from the tower and slaying the dragon on their own. Better yet, they are befriending the dragon and living happily ever after with their prince charming on a nice plot of land somewhere.

I recently reread Pawn of Prophecy and was immediately drawn into Garion’s world as if I’d never left. And really, isn’t that why we all read books? To escape? I know that’s why I write them. Everybody needs time away from reality every so often.

~~~

For some extra fun, check out the interview Tameri and I did on her blog Monday. It was a blast!