Heroines of Fantasy: Miss December

It is time for our last Heroine feature! Wow, a whole year gone by. Don’t worry, I plan on continuing the monthly series in 2014 with a different fantasy focus. But for our finale, I’m bringing you my all-time favorite heroine (yes, with a little shameless self promotion). Since the series is coming to an end, I’m giving Lexa a grand farewell. I will miss writing about her.

Lexa from the Dreamwalker Saga

Lexa has lived the life of a soldier, being one of the elite warriors for Artasia. In addition, she has the rare ability to dreamwalk, to enter sleep and transcend from her mind into an otherworldly realm known as the dreamscape. There she fights monsters born of people’s darkest dreams.

Lexa started out being fully devoted to duty and loyalty to her country, believing that was all that mattered in life. Throughout the series, she meets people that challenge her convictions and teach her that there is more to live for, though some find it challenging to get past her gruff exterior. No one can accuse her of being delicate; in fact, her tongue can be almost as sharp as her sword. And when words fail, a good punch to the head always works.

Tough and independent, there is nothing Lexa won’t do to protect those she cares about. Even if it means pushing herself to the breaking point.

Dreamsnatcher

Lexa has spent the past five years training the princess of Teltania in dreamwalking, a mission that’s coming to a close. But raiders hounding Teltania’s coast are leaving victims in comas, and Lexa discovers they’ve been snatched out of their dreams into the dreamscape. What soon becomes a potential plague sends her on a desperate search for answers before she loses everything she cares about.

Dreamsnatcher is now on Amazon and B&N. And watch for the epic conclusion to the series, Dreamweaver, coming this month!

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Get caught up on the series with Dreamwalker, Dreamstealer, and Dream Assassin.

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Dirk and Lexa Custom Ponies

Wasn’t PonyFest13 a blast? I love seeing all the different custom designs people come up with for their books. Even though my Dreamwalker pony didn’t win, I had fun drawing it. And once that bug bites, I typically can’t stop, so here are two more ponies based on the Dreamwalker saga: Dirk and Lexa!

 

I hope you’re caught up on the Dreamwalker saga because I am thrilled to announce that the epic conclusion to the series will be coming out very soon. And for those subscribed to my newsletter, you’ll be getting something special when the book is available.

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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…

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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.”

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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?

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LOL Cat Contest Results

Thank you to everyone who played our little LOL Cat game here this week. I had a blast reading your caption suggestions and it was hard picking the final winner. But here it is! Thank you, Suzie, for the Princess Bride classic!

To read all the other great suggestions, check out Monday’s post here.

Congratulations are also in order to Alina for being the winner of the book drawing!

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DREAMSTEALER is now available on Amazon, B&N, and Kobo!

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?

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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!

Sneak Peek of Dreamstealer

With the release of Dreamstealer looming, here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite. This scene was inspired by these little things I saw at work one day. They’re some kind of plant found in the desert, but I’m turning them into something deliciously creepy. Hope you enjoy.

Image copyright Angela Wallace

Late that night, Lexa lay on top of her bed listening to the rain patter against the window and the wind whistle as it whipped in and out of the towers. She hadn’t meant to drift off, but in the next moment the sounds of the storm had been replaced with the silence of the dreamscape. She wandered absentmindedly until she returned to the dark forest where she had seen Dirk’s specter.

It was still a forest, but the bark on the trees was now black, like a coating of charcoal. The shadows in the canopy and along the forest floor looked bottomless, as though Lexa could fall right into them and be swallowed up. The gnarled trunks creaked and groaned, and the entire wood seemed to be moving, swaying. Something skittered through the treetops. Lexa raised her arm to summon a sword, but a shimmer of light in that dark place caught her attention. A wispy phantom floated toward her.

She froze, hope flickering deep down like a dying ember. “Dirk?”

The skittering in the trees increased in number, tap, tap, tapping so fast the sound started to buzz. The specter stopped ten feet from her. Dirk’s face rippled into view. Lexa gasped. Her hand twitched as though to reach out to him, but she held it back. Was it really him? His mouth moved, but no sound came out.

“What?” she shouted in frustration. The clicking movements were now all around her, though she still couldn’t see anything in the shadows. The trees felt as though they were bending down, oppressive and menacing.

Lexa’s head started to pound. She put her hands up to cover her ears as they throbbed with an intense ringing. “Stop it!” This was her dreamscape; it couldn’t hurt her.

The ghost of Dirk surged forward, enveloping her like a sheet of heavy, muggy fog. In a flash, the mysterious beings in the treetops descended—hundreds of three-legged, talon-shaped insects. They looked like fossilized bird claws, two thin legs curling on top, one on the bottom, with barbs at the tips. The middle body was no wider than a thumb with a split down the center for a mouth, except it looked sewn shut with fibrous roots.

The insects crawled down the trunks and dropped from the leaves onto Lexa’s shoulders. She swatted at them, but in an instant they swarmed over her head and down her body. The wiry thin legs snapped at her, pinching her clothes and hair, weighing her down as they multiplied on top of her. She twisted and turned, trying to get them off, and slipped onto one knee. She gasped, and breathed in the filmy substance that still covered her. Cold, wet slime slid down her throat. Gagging, she fell to her elbows. One of the creatures latched onto her neck and dug its barbs into her flesh. They bore down on her, pressing her face into the mud as she choked on the filmy ectoplasm.

With a shuddering start, she bolted upright in bed.

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Watch for Dreamstealer coming this month! And be sure to read the first book, Dreamwalker, available at Amazon, B&N, and Kobo.

Add the book on Goodreads.

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Cover Reveal: Dreamstealer

I am so excited to share with you all the cover for my next release, Dreamstealer, the sequel to Dreamwalker. It looks AMAZING. But first, here’s some fun info about the upcoming book.

1. Where did the idea for Dreamstealer come from?

Well, it’s the sequel to the novella, Dreamwalker, which was supposed to be a single book, but readers kept threatening begging me to write another one. So I did.

2. What genre does your book fall under?

Fantasy. Kick-ass fantasy, I might add.

3. Who’s the main character?

Lexa is an ex-special forces soldier who knows how to kill a man half a dozen ways with her bare hands. She also has the rare ability to transcend from her mind into the dreamscape, an otherworldly realm somewhere between dreams and the heavens, and then to also enter other people’s dreams. Lexa is a tough, no-nonsense kind of woman who tackles challenges with either sharpened sarcasm or well-aimed right hooks.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Jennifer Garner as Lexa (definitely with the sai from the movie Elektra, but not the leather outfit):

Hugh Jackman for Sir Neil Duram (think from Kate & Leopold):

Child actresses are really hard to find, so let’s say we’d cast an unknown, brand new girl for Princess Taryn and she’d become a star.

Hector Elizondo for, well, Hector, the Steward.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Lexa is once again called out of retirement, this time to help her country’s former enemy when they suspect their twelve-year-old princess is a budding dreamwalker.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It will be self-published, represented by me.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The first draft…two months. But it was bare bones. The second draft and fleshing out took another month, and the real magic happened in the next two. From the first draft to final, the word count more than doubled. So those of you who were sad when Dreamwalker was so short…buckle your seat belts.

8. Does this book have a soundtrack?

Not a very long one, but “Skyrim” by Peter Hollens & Lindsey Stirling is perfect for every fight scene, and “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele is the backdrop for a very specific, very romantic, scene. (Yes, that’s right, Lexa is getting a shot at romance.)

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?

My readers. They loved Lexa so much, they wanted more of her. And really, who could blame them? She’s now my favorite character (don’t tell the Elemental Magic women).

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Everything readers loved about the first book—action-packed scenes with plenty of combat, intrigue, snarky Lexa humor, and a quirky guy attempting to sweep her off her feet—you’ll find in this one. And just when I thought I’d already thrown Lexa through the ringer in the first book, well, let’s just say Dreamstealer is one hell of a ride.

And now, drum roll please….

Cover Design by Amber Shah at BookBeautiful.com

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