Winner of 2nd Bewitched & Betrayed ARC

The winner of the 2nd (and my last) Bewitched & Betrayed ARC is Jagna18!

Once again, I selected a winner at random -- because all of the entries were great -- but it so happens that Jagna did a really cool job explaining why Tam is her favorite character.

Congratulations! Email me with your full name and mailing address and I'll get your ARC (along with signed book goodies) in the mail to you ASAP.

For everyone's reading enjoyment, here's Jagna18's entry:

My favorite character in your series is Tam. Besides for being really, really pretty, he is the biggest paradox, and the most realistic and relatable. Most authors write a flat bad-boy character. He's bad, yet he has this wimpy sensitive side that just shows up out of nowhere. Tam, however, is believable. He is not a black and white character, he is full of conflict and shades of grey.

He is a womanizer (not sure whether he or his son is worse) who is after a target, yet he respects Raine enough to let her set the rules. (Most of the time at least.) Despite a blooming love triangle, he does not PUSH Raine. He does what he feels is best for her, even if it means letting his competition get a handhold. (Umiatsu bond, anyone?) He also helps Mychael even though life would be easier for him if Mychael was gone. He values Raine's friendship and cares enough about her to want to protect her, yet he gives her the space to rush into a situation because she feels she has to. He will just be there for backup. He doesn't try to lock her up in a citadel. (coughmychaelcough)

Tam is responsible to a fault. He found out he had a son, and he immediately started caring and protecting him, by getting him a job, and making sure he goes to school. He made a "mistake" so he will clean up after it.Tam, despite not knowing his son, or having any inkling how to raise a teenager, loved him. If the Goblins would not have badgered him to deny Talon, he would probably have done it anyways. Most men that are Tam's side would not care about a child born out of a one night stand.

The part that I love most about Tam, however is his strength. He was a dark mage,one of the strongest ones there is. Dark magic is addictive, and to a Goblin who loves power even more so. Tam realized how wrong what he was doing was and he stopped and got help. Changing a bad habit is hard, changing a behavior trait is even harder, especially if it means that others might try to kill you for your sudden weakness. Tam is fighting temptation and refusing to give in because that is the right thing. That takes a lot of inner strength, and that is why Tam is my favorite character.

Last day to enter B&B ARC giveaway!

Today is the last day to enter to win my last Bewitched & Betrayed ARC.

Just answer this question: Who is your favorite character in Raine's world and why?

Email your answer to me at lisa @ lisashearin.com (Delete the spaces before sending the email. The spaces are only inserted here to confuse the Viagra spambots). The deadline for entries is today at 5:00 p.m. EST. I'll choose the winner tonight and announce the winner next tomorrow morning.

Time to pick your fav!

Come over to Romance Bandits for snippets & contest

Today I'm a guest over on Romance Bandits.

There will be two steamy snippets from Bewitched & Betrayed -- one featuring Raine & Mychael, the other with Raine & Tam.

And naturally, I wouldn't visit the Banditas without prizes. After you've read the snippets, answer the question: who should Raine choose and why (or heck, which guy would you choose and why)? Post the answer in a comment on the post and you'll be entered to win. Two commenters will be selected at random to each receive a Raine Benares Prize Pack: a copy of Bewitched & Betrayed with additional book goodies (postcards and bookmarks from all four of my books, plus a fridge magnet from Bewitched & Betrayed) -- all signed and personalized.

So come over to Romance Bandits, read the snippets, make your choice, and enter for a chance to win!

Raymond E. Feist talks about his creative process

As those of you who have been following me awhile know, I'm a big Raymond E. Feist fan. I came across this the other day and really enjoyed watching & listening to him talk about his fans, developing his characters, and his writing process.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

About four weeks from next Tuesday, you can find out what happens next with Raine & Company -- Bewitched & Betrayed will be out! I simply CANNOT WAIT for you all to read it.

Sorry for the sporadic blogs about writing. I know that's why a lot of you come here. But all I have time to do right now is work the day job, work on Con & Conjure, and if a few hours are left, I get some sleep. ; )

Guest blog on Romance Bandits

Next Monday, March 29, I'll be a guest over on Romance Bandits. There will be two steamy snippets from Bewitched & Betrayed -- one featuring Raine & Mychael, the other with Raine & Tam.

And naturally, I wouldn't visit the Banditas without prizes. After you've read the snippets, answer the question: who should Raine choose and why (or heck, which guy would you choose and why)? Post the answer in a comment on the post and you'll be entered to win. Two commenters will be selected at random to each receive a Raine Benares Prize Pack: a copy of Bewitched & Betrayed with additional book goodies (postcards and bookmarks from all four of my books, plus a fridge magnet from Bewitched & Betrayed) -- all signed and personalized.

So come over to Romance Bandits next Monday, read the snippets, make your choice, and enter for a chance to win!

First review of Bewitched & Betrayed!

Here's the first review of Bewitched & Betrayed from Jill Smith at Romantic Times BookReviews! She gave it 4 1/2 stars and chose it as a Top Pick! for May.

Wow, thank you, Jill!

Here it is:

No one does fast and furious adventure with snort-out-loud humor better than Shearin. It takes serious skill to walk the line that keeps the danger intense, yet allows Raine's irreverent humor to shine through, and this perfect blend is what makes the series so massively addictive.
Book summary: Not only is elf seeker Raine Benares unwillingly bonded with the soul-sucking rock the Saghred, she's also part of a three-way umi'atsu bond with Paladin Mychael Eiliesor and goblin Tamnais Nathrach. If word gets out about the umi'atsu, it could get them killed. One who knows and is threatening them is goblin dark mage Sarad Nukpana, who escaped and is attempting to reconstitute his body. Can Raine, Mychael and Tam find a way to stop Sarad?


And from over at Jim Hines's blog, his third and final report on his Novel Survey Results: Can you boost your odds of getting published?

New contest for Bewitched & Betrayed ARC

Okay, let's have a contest to give away the last Bewitched & Betrayed ARC that I have. I think I've asked this question before, but it was fun then, and I'm sure it'll be fun now.

Who is your favorite character in Raine's world and why?

Email your answer to me at lisa @ lisashearin.com (Delete the spaces before sending the email. The spaces are only inserted here to confuse the Viagra spambots). The deadline for entries is next Tuesday, March 30. I'll choose the winner on Tuesday night and announce the winner next Wednesday, March 31.

Time to pick your fav!

Monday snippet from Bewitched & Betrayed

Only about five weeks to wait until you can get a copy of Bewitched & Betrayed for your very own. In the meantime, here's some more of getting to know the director of the goblin secret service, Imala Kalis.

Pop in tomorrow for the next contest to win the last ARC of Bewitched & Betrayed that I have to gie away.

Here's the snippet. . .

"So what's your problem with her?" I jerked my thumb at Imala Kalis and aimed my question directly at Tam.

"Imala is not her grandmother," Tam said stiffly.

"Well, I wouldn't expect that she is. From what I overheard, she wants Sathrik out; and from what I assume, she wants Chigaru in. While I'm not the prince's biggest fan, getting rid of Sathrik sounds like one hell of a good idea. So what's with the animosity?"

"It's complicated," Tam said.

"You're a goblin, Tam," I said flatly. "Everything's complicated. You were the queen's magical enforcer, and Imala is the director of the secret service. You were both serving in the court at the same time."

"We were."

"Considering your jobs, you'd think you'd have common ground."

Imala blew out her breath through her nose. "You would think that, wouldn't you?"

"So all you two did was piss each other off on a daily basis?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Imala conceded. "Weekly would be more accurate."

"How pissed?"

Tam scowled. "She stabbed me."

Imala snorted. "A mere flesh wound. He had driven me quite beyond rational thought."

"Yeah, he's done the same to me. In other words, he deserved it."

"I thought so."

"She tried to kill me," Tam protested.

Imala turned on Tam in exasperation. "If I had truly tried, you would not be here."

Tam glared at her. "And if I had truly desired retaliation, you would no longer exist."

I clapped my hands together. "So, as far as goblin behavior is concerned, you two sound downright cozy."

Winner of Bewitched & Betrayed ARC

Sorry I'm posting so late, but I got 12 hours (yes, 12 HOURS) of mucho needed, incredibly blissful sleep. Derek and I went out to grab some breakfast, then hit the grocery store, and here I am. After this post, I'll take care of some book business, finish Chapter 18 of Con & Conjure, then plant some flowers in the flowerbed off the front porch. We're fixing up the house now for putting it on the market, and nothing says "I'm a happy house, buy me now!" like colorful flowers in the yard. (At least I hope so.)

On to the contest results. I loved each and every entry and really enjoyed reading them. It was SO hard to choose, but I managed.

So, the winning entry for "what character in Raine's world would you like to see get their own series" and the winner of a Bewitched & Betrayed ARC is . . . Robyn Foster! Congratulations! Send me your full mailing address and I'll get your ARC to you ASAP!


Here is her entry:

I would love to see Phaelan get his own spin-off series. I think he would make such an incredibly fun, morally-ambiguous, swashbuckling protagonist. Although he has such unorthodox methods of getting the job done (cannons, anyone?) and some of his endeavors may be ethically unsound, you still can't help but feel like he's one of the good guys. I think it would be really interesting for readers to explore exactly what makes them classify a character, such as Phaelan, as good, in spite of his (numerous) transgressions. And I really see a lot of potential for growth in his character both personally and as a creative problem-solver. He definitely has the charisma and the depth to fuel his own series, and if we're being completely honest, he's got the swoon factor going, too. At any rate, you can never go wrong with pirates, right? Excuse me, I meant seafaring businessmen.

I think Tam is another prime candidate for his own series. He has an air of mystery about him that I believe leaves readers wanting more, wondering about his back-story which seems like it could be filled with all sorts of surprises. And with Tam as the main character, it gives the readers an opportunity to learn all we've ever wanted to know about goblins. There's so much rich culture and history there that I think would make a perfect backdrop for a series about one such as Tam, who has one foot in that world and one foot in the world he's tried to make for himself. I think his struggle for reform is compelling, and it would certainly make for a fascinating microcosm to see him wrestle with his inner demons while also tackling whatever obstacles (possibly ACTUAL demons) may come at him. Since Tam used to work as the chief shaman for the queen, his storylines have the potential for taking place in the political sphere, entangling him in court intrigue within a world he's not sure he can or wants to be a part of. He has tremendous power and skill as a mage, and I think it would make for an interesting series to see him test his boundaries, to maybe overcome the fear he associates with using his power, even to fall off the wagon and have to find his way back. Because with his personality, wit and undeniable charm, there's no question that we'll be rooting for him the whole time. I had a wonderful time writing about these guys, you do an amazing job bringing them to life!

Thank you, Robyn! And I'll give everyone a hint -- one of the guys Robyn's rooting for to get his own series is my front runner for the new series to pitch this winter when I finish writing All Spell Breaks Loose. I can't give any details because one, I don't want to jinx it; and two, I haven't pitched and therefore haven't sold it yet. So for all of you who voted for either Tam or Phaelan, one of your guys will hit the jackpot -- that is if my publisher wants a series about them.

Next week sometime, I'll do a post with some of the other entries. I shouldn't be the only one to get to enjoy reading these.

On Monday, there will be the usual B&B snippet -- and it's only about five weeks until you all can get your hands on your own copy of B&B. I simply cannot wait for you all to read it.

And on Tuesday, I'll announce the contest for the second (and last) ARC that I have of Bewitched & Betrayed.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

BTW -- Andy is doing great! Thank you all so much for your emails, Tweets, posts, comments, and eCards. Andy liked looking at the eCards. ; )
Lisa

Andy the Greyhound and his new boo-boo

Derek & I had to take Andy to the emergency vet late yesterday afternoon. He was doing his usual running like a maniac around the yard, and apparently on one of his laps around the side of the house (and out of my sight), he clipped the deck or a tree or the house, and tore a piece of skin back from over his ribs. Greyhounds have notoriously thin skin. Andy (the big doofus) didn't even notice it. Let me tell you, it was pretty danged gruesome. He had surgery to repair the damage, and we picked him up around 10:00 last night.

And due to him not being completely awake from the anethesia yet, that "picking up" was literal. When the vets brought him out to us, he was sporting the latest in canine headgear -- "The Funnel." Bless his heart, he was staggering and his tongue was hanging out the side of his head. Our sweet boy was completely stoned.

I'm staying home with him today to keep him from doing anything too terribly stupid. He's my big, sweet, doofus boy. : ) When our first greyhound had to wear a funnel, he destroyed two floor lamps and traumatized the cat. Andy likes to sleep with us and put his head under my pillow. It wasn't an issue last night considering that Derek carried him from the car to the bedroom where the dogs' big beds are, put him in his bed, and Andy didn't move -- eyes glazed over and tongue still hanging out the side of his head.

As I think I've mentioned, we're having some work done on our house prior to putting it on the market. With the contractors working on the house during the day, we've been putting the dogs in kennel cages. Needless to say, Andy and his new headgear won't fit. Plus, I need to be here to keep him calm so he doesn't tear his stitches. Between Andy and the contractors, it'll be crazy here today.

Andy was up about every hour during the night (and so was I). I got a good breakfast in him so he could take all his pills. Now that the pain meds have kicked in (and he's convinced that I'm not going anywhere), he's finally settled down to sleep. Wish I could do the same. ; ) He's going to be fine. I'm going to get the Mount Everest of laundry done and try to work on Con & Conjure -- hopefully the contractors won't be too noisy.

As promised, I'll select a winner of the Bewitched & Betrayed ARC contest tonight (you still have today to get your entries in), and I'll announce it here tomorrow.

Have a great weekend!
Lisa

Andy & I made our greyhound group newsletter

From Track to Couch Triangle Greyhound Society News March 2010

In This Issue New Hounds in Town Couch Potatoes Rainbow Bridge Letters from Home Photo Contest Results North Carolina Adoption Groups: GreyhoundFriends Project Racing Home Circle of Friends All Adoption Groups Upcoming Events: Calendar Triangle Greyhound Society P. O. Box 20788 Raleigh, NC 27619 919-212-5678 E-mail Web site Thank you for your generous donations! - Betty Ann Garrison - Esther Rock - Pete Klambatsen Our dedicated foster homes do a wonderful job in transitioning our fosters from the track to pet life. A special thank you to - The Osbornes - The Lynerds Would you like to write a story for the Triangle Greyhound Society (TGS) newsletter about your adopted hound? Do you have cute pictures to submit? Do you have new arrivals or Rainbow Bridge updates? We welcome any suggestions and ideas. Please email me at HollySpringsHounds@nc.rr.com Thanks! Christina New Hounds in Town! Cammie (Zam Grinnbareit) Cammie is a pretty fawn girl, 2 years old. She is shy towards strangers and new surroundings. She gets along well with the other dogs in her foster home and is cat trainable. She likes to collect stuffie toys and follow you around the house. Cammie is looking for a quiet home, preferably with another dog. She asks that her new owner understands that it will take her a couple weeks to get used to her new home, but then she will come up to you with a wagging tail and do happy dances for you. For pedigree see www.greyhound-data.com Bella (Bella Fly) Bella is a beautiful, petite fawn girl, 5 years old. She was a teenage mom before starting her short racing career in Florida. Two of her puppies and a sister reside in the Triangle area. Bella recently lost her home and is now looking for a new owner who takes her on long walks and give her a pill twice a day for her thyroid (thyroid meds are inexpensive). Bella is always happy to see you, does happy dances, gives kisses, and is always ready for a good meal. For pedigree see www.greyhound-data.com Couch Potatoes - Congratulations! Spooky (Craigie Patrick) - The Garrisons in Cary! Tina Fey (Monique) - Rose and Steven in Raleigh! Nexie (Next Strike) - The Snyders in Cary! Non-TGS hounds: Finn (Kenro Vardon) - Kris Murgas in Raleigh! Bo (War Zone) - The Griffins in Fuquay-Varina! At the Rainbow Bridge Sadly, a few hounds have crossed the Rainbow Bridge... Skittles - The Woods' Sunny - The Garrisons Gracie - The Klambatsens Lucky - The Kellers Top Gun - The Griffins Dream - The Griffins Stan - The Segretis Cricket - The Rouleaus Cody - The Lampes Pal - Kris Murgas Leader - The Baileys Letters from Home Prince is doing WONDERFULLY..... I can't believe we haven't had him all his life. It seems like he has always been here. He is such a love and just loves the rest of his pack. He is eating well, still enjoys his walks and loves his stuffies and his couches ...... he very rarely lays on the dog beds.......LOL! He is just our gentle old man (yes, he is 12 now) that everyone just LOVES. It is truly such a privilege to have him in our lives. Elizabeth I thought you'd want to hear how great Andy is doing. Words can't describe what a sweet and loving boy he is. And we're proud to say that we've completely spoiled him. ; ) Lisa "Bundled-Up" Photo contest - We Got a Winner! Our winning picture is featuring bundled-up Shadow and Daisy! Shadow and Daisy, can you find them? Shadow and Daisy graciously donated their $50 prize to Greyhound Adoptions of Florida to help with Sea Whisper's cancer treatments. Thank you! Our greyt runner-ups, in random order. Aren't they cute? Bart Abby Jewel and Buddy Element Smitty and Cindy Triangle Greyhound Society P. O. Box 20788 Raleigh, NC 27619 www.trianglegreyhound.org

Dreams of impending editorial doom

I alluded to in yesterday's blog, I've now reached that point in the book I'm writing (Con & Conjure), where I have this subconscious feeling/gnawing that the book isn't where it's supposed to be. In plainer language, I fear that it sucks.

But it doesn't. I know it doesn't.

I know WHAT happens in the rest of the book, I just don't know HOW it happens. And I won't know how it happens until I write it. Simple.

The impending suckatude is my subconscious talking. My rational daytime mind knows that if I stick to my schedule, I'll have the book finished on May 1, which will leave me an entire month to go back through the book, to tweak, delete, add, mess, and fuss with the manuscript. But when I get to this point (75% finished) in EVERY BOOK, my muse starts trying to make me link everything together, find the holes/cracks/bottomless gorges. It's not time to go gorge huntin' yet. That's for AFTER May 1st. She doesn't listen; instead she send me dreams to try to get her point across.

Last night was a double-feature of weather-gone-amok destruction. I think she uses the weather analogy to imply that I can't control the weather, therefore I can't control the impending book doom and destruction.

In the first one, I was on a third-floor balcony of a Miami beachfront retirement community (I'm only 46, so don't ask me why I was in a retirement community, ask my nutty muse), the ocean had risen to the first floor. The water was very pretty and blue -- but it was still rising. On the heels of that lovely tableau, was an impending nightime tornado. It was coming in this red-tinged cloud, and we were running like hell for the basement, though we were pretty sure the house above said basement was going to collapse on us when the tornado hit, trapping us under the rubble.

Nice.

Both dreams ended before the doom & destruction actually happened. Jeez, are those impending book doom dreams, or what?

Nice try, Muse. Is that all you've got? (evil grin)

I'm over on The Magic District

Today I'm posting over on the group blog that I'm a member of -- The Magic District. Today's post is about the perils of the 3:15 AM muse wake-up call.

And some really cool news about Felicia Day -- she's staring in a SyFy TV movie in a modern retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story, in which she's a werewolf hunter. The movie will be called "Red" and it's shooting in Canada right now. It'll be out next year. I CAN'T WAIT!

Monday snippet

Before we get to today's snippet, I want to thank all of you who have been sending in your entries for what character in Raine's world would you like to see get their own series. I have loved each and every entry. I know I normally email a personal response to all contest entries (and emails), but Con & Conjure is kicking my butt. Between that and my day job, my day goes something like work, eat, write, sleep, repeat. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate all of your entries and have really been enjoying them. Thank you!

On to the snippet. . .

Phaelan froze, stood ramrod straight, and sniffed the air twice. "Gold. Goblin imperial." His hands were virtually twitching with unfulfilled avarice.

"In the bag, Phaelan."

My cousin's eyes locked on that leather satchel like it was his own little slice of heaven. "A couple hundred, at least."

"Six, to be exact," Uncle Ryn said.

One of Phaelan's hands reached out to touch. I smacked that hand.

"Ow."

"Not yours."

Phaelan grin was seven times wicked. "Could it be?"

I told him where it'd come from.

My cousin nodded in approval. "You got to keep the gold and the mark. You do the family proud, cousin. But you didn't answer my question. Can we keep it?"

I just looked at him. "Do you want to take out the evil son of a bitch or line your pockets?"

My cousin had to think about that one. "Can't I do both?"

"No."

Phaelan plopped down in his chair in disgust. Unrequited greed wasn't a good look on my cousin. "Evil son of a bitch first."

"That's better."

Plot synopsis for The Trouble With Demons

As promised, here is the complete plot synopsis for The Trouble With Demons. Scroll down to yesterday's post for all the details as to why I'm posting it -- basically, it's a teaching tool for those of you "pre-published authors" who will need to know what one looks like and how to write one. And as always, if you have any writing-related questions afterwards, please ask. That's what I'm here for.

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't read The Trouble With Demons yet, and want to find out what happens in your own good time -- stop reading now and avert your eyes. Here goes. . .

My name is Raine Benares. I'm a seeker--and then some. Two weeks ago, I found the Saghred--an ancient stone of cataclysmic power, a stealer of souls, eater of spellsingers, the bane of my existence. The soul-sucking rock attached itself to me like a psychic leech. My magical skill level used to be marginal. Now I don't think I have any limits. So I came to the only place with people who could possibly help me.

The Isle of Mid is home to the most prestigious college for sorcery, as well as the Conclave, the governing body for all magic users in the seven kingdoms. My new powers put me at the top of every power-hungry mage's most wanted list. I want to get rid of the Saghred. They want to kidnap and use me, or keep me locked up for the rest of my life. It didn't help my case any that last week I'd stepped hard on some faculty toes, assaulted the number two mage on the island (he started it), single-handedly stormed the elven embassy, then topped it off with a walk on black magic's wild side with a sexy goblin dark mage.

This week a gang of demons mugged an elven mage in broad daylight. The demons want something and they think the mage has it. I'm a sucker for people in trouble and try to help.
Turns out my help isn't enough. The demons kill the mage and their leader tells me, "We only do your will, my lady," in front of a crowd of gawking onlookers (now convenient witnesses) before he and his minions vanish. So guess who's left standing there with one dead body and all of the blame?

Those demons didn't get to Mid by boat like the rest of us. They came through a hellgate, a tear between their dimension and ours. A dark mage has sliced himself a hellgate somewhere on the island, and entirely too many accusing fingers are now pointing directly at yours truly. So before you can say exorcist, I've gone from being a magical must-have to public enemy number one.

I didn't open that hellgate--but I know who did. Rudra Muralin is the most powerful and dangerous shaman to ever to wield the Saghred. He's also a thousand-year-old, psychotic goblin teenage spellsinger who wants his rock back. He doesn't have it, and he blames me. Like a bad rash, he won't go away, and now he's recruited some like-minded mage friends on Mid. Allies who are stupid enough to think he'll share his power with them, or arrogant enough to think they can take the Saghred's power for themselves.

Unless I get the Saghred for them, Rudra Muralin and his mages will open the hellgate wider, releasing larger and deadlier demons--demons who will eat most any human, elf, goblin, or dwarf they can get their claws into. Demons come in all shapes, sizes and destructive preferences; some possess bodies, others slurp souls, all leave death and desolation in their wake. A fully open and stable hellgate could release legions of demons, overrun Mid's defenses, and put the most magically gifted young people in the seven kingdoms at the mercy of the worst the lower hells can spit out.

Muralin says if I get the Saghred for him, it will all go away--including him.

Right.

And I'll bet he has a bridge in Laerin he wants to sell me.

Rudra Muralin is just one of my problems. The Conclave's mages and faculty have gone into witch hunt mode and my name's at the top of their list, but two other names are keeping mine company. Tamnais Nathrach is a goblin dark mage, a semi-rehabilitated practitioner of black magic, and former chief shaman and magical enforcer for the late goblin queen. I'm a member of the most notorious criminal family in the seven kingdoms. A dark mage and a Benares make a convenient pair of scapegoats. Last week, we used some heavy-duty magic to stop Rudra Muralin from sacrificing six spellsingers to the Saghred. We'd done what needed to be done, and we hadn't been quiet when we did it.

Tam and I have known each other for years. Now thanks to the Saghred, we're psychically inseparable, which makes us about as intimate as two people can get and still keep their clothes on. Tam and I have become umi'atsu, which translates from the goblin language to "life twins," a bond conceived between two mages, binding them first through their magic, then hearing, sight, and finally their minds and souls. After that point, an umi'atsu bond can only be broken by death.

The level of magical power Tam and I generated to save those spellsingers forged that bond. Unfortunately umi'atsu bonds are notorious for attracting demons, which just tosses more fuel on the Raine-opened-the-hellgate fire. I'm notorious enough for attracting trouble, and not just to myself.

Piaras Rivalin came to Mid to study spellsinging. Thanks to the Saghred and me, he and his voice have attracted the wrong kind of attention from the worst kind of people--people who recognize Piaras for the dangerous weapon he is, and each one of them is determined to possess that weapon for themselves. White magic, black magic, and every kind in between--rumors are flying around campus that when Piaras comes into his full spellsinging voice, he'll be able to do them all. I knew he could do them now, and so do too many other people.

The Saghred responds to Piaras. Now it's seeking him out in his dreams and waking thoughts, terrorizing him and attempting to influence his actions. I know who's behind it--Sarad Nukpana, a sadistic psychopath and goblin grand shaman whose soul is imprisoned inside the Saghred. Nukpana wants out, and Piaras is somehow a part of his plan. And when Piaras uses his voice against some demons and saves dozens of his classmates, all he gets are accusations that he's a budding dark mage who's been corrupted by me and the Saghred and should be locked up.

Taltek Balmorlan, an inquisitor for elven intelligence, wants Piaras taken away for the agency's use. Leading the mob of our accusers is Carnades Silvanus. He's on the Conclave's Seat of Twelve. Last week, Archmagus Justinius Valerian had nearly been assassinated. This week, Carnades went from second-in-command to sitting in the big chair until Justinius recovers, and he's determined to turn his temporary promotion into his permanent job. He wants absolute control of the Conclave--and the Saghred. Carnades sees himself as the champion of the elven people, so it's no surprise that his main supporters are in the elven military. Some elves and goblins get along. Most don't. And the ones who carry the biggest prejudice chip on their shoulders are also the most powerful and influential.

Whoever has control of Mid gets control of the Saghred--and will have their enemies at their mercy. When word gets out that Rudra Muralin could be hiding among goblin students, racial tensions on campus go from already strained to a powder keg waiting to explode. Not if Mychael Eiliesor has anything to say about it. Mychael is commander and paladin of the Conclave Guardians, and he's declared martial law on the island. The protection of the Conclave mages, the students, faculty and citizens of Mid are his responsibility. Those protective instincts--and more personal feelings--extend to me.

Mychael had his hands full with managing me as the keeper of the Saghred; now he has to contend with demons running amok, mages scrambling for power, Carnades determined to replace him as paladin, and a soul-sucking rock that eats through every containment spell the best of his Guardians can wrap it in. And to top it off, Mychael has a price on his head. There's an assassin on the island, and whoever hired him is getting their money's worth.

Rache Kai is the best. Good thing is, I know how he operates. Bad thing is, I used to date him. I broke up with him, and let's just say it could have gone better.

Mychael should be watching his own back, but instead he's watching mine. Mychael has vowed to break my bond to the Saghred--and to Tam. My safety is one reason--his growing feelings for me is another. Tam's a dark mage; I'm the keeper of the Saghred. We're the last two people who need to get tangled up in an umi'atsu bond. Tam doesn't want our bond broken. Any attempt to break an umi'atsu bond risks destroying the powers of both partners--turning a pair of powerful mages into two mere mortals. Tam has enemies from his time in the goblin court. If he's magically defenseless, he'll be dead within a week. And with my popularity at an all-time low, I'll be dead within the hour.

So rather than breaking the bond, Mychael says he'll attempt to slow its progression. He doesn't tell me the details of what he's going to do. I should have asked. Mychael establishes a bond of his own, essentially leaving behind a part of his magic and his essence to stand guard over my soul. The link that now connects me to Mychael is every bit as powerful as the one I have with Tam. Not only is it dangerous for Mychael to do, it's forbidden for a paladin since the link works both ways--my link with the Saghred exposes Mychael to the Saghred. It also connects Mychael to Tam. A link that close gives a whole new meaning to the word threesome.

If people like Carnades found out, they'd strip Mychael of his office, arrest him and probably execute him. Mychael has just laid his career and his life on the line to protect me. I'm in way over my head, and I'm about to drag the people I care about down with me. I need expert advice, and I need it now.

When most girls need advice, they go to their dad. The Seat of Twelve has forbidden me to go anywhere near the Saghred, and Mychael is duty-bound to enforce their edict. I don't have a problem with that since I don't have to be anywhere near the rock to talk to my dad. With virtually no containments spells to hold it, the boundary between me and the souls inside the Saghred is virtually non-existent. My father, Eamaliel Anguis, is an elven Guardian whose soul is trapped inside the stone. He'd been the Saghred's protector until about a year ago when the rock decided to turn its protector into its next meal.

Sarad Nukpana is imprisoned inside the Saghred because of me. He doesn't want me dead, just tormented for eternity. But he's willing to put all that aside for a chance to destroy Rudra Muralin--and to get out of the Saghred. My father knows about severing bonds between magic users. He also knows what the demons wanted from that elven mage in the alley. What looks like a small, silver dagger is actually a key to open the Saghred. Rudra Muralin opened the hellgate and released the demons as a distraction to get the Saghred. What he got was competition.

Muralin and his allies want to use the Saghred. The demons and their queen want to open it. Sarad Nukpana, my father and thousands of Saghred sacrifices aren't the only ones inside the stone. The demon queen used to have a demon king; that is until the Saghred made His Demonic Majesty its very first meal. My father isn't the only one who knows about the dagger. Sarad Nukpana wants me to find it before the demons do, and use it to set him free. If I don't, he'll use the Saghred to tighten his grip on Piaras's mind until Piaras no longer has a will of his own, or any mind left.

It's time for me to find that dagger and turn Sarad Nukpana's plan sour--and Rudra Muralin's.

I'm a seeker, one of the best there is. I'm going into the tunnels under the island, find that hellgate, slam it in some demonic faces, and I don't care what it takes to do it. As to finding that dagger, finding shiny valuables is what a Benares does best. And double-crossing a goblin shaman who threatens someone I love is what I do best.

I track the dagger to a surprising place--Carnades Silvanus's townhouse. The house is trashed, the dagger's gone, and so is Carnades. From the looks of things he didn't go quietly. The remains of several demons tell me who did the trashing, stealing and kidnapping. Carnades's study is filled with display cases full of small, ornamental daggers. Only one is missing. I'm betting Carnades didn't even know what he had. He thinks the Saghred is a "filthy goblin rock," so I can't imagine him intentionally having a demonic key to unlock the thing lying around. Though I've been wrong before.

The demons are taking that dagger to their queen. If that's where the dagger's going, that's where I'm going. But to find the hellgate, I need help. Specialized help. I need the most elusive quarry I've ever had to locate in my entire seeking career: a virgin on an island full of college students. Fortunately, I find one quickly. Unfortunately, Piaras is less than enthused about his role in our expedition.

Me, Piaras and a professor from the demonology department find the hellgate--and the last two people I expect to see chained with magic-draining manacles and laid out on slab of rock like demon snacks: Carnades Silvanus and Rudra Muralin.

The demons have been busy. The floor of the cavern is littered with eggs--and only half of them have hatched. Remains of bodies and shredded mage robes among the eggshells tells me that their first meal was Rudra Muralin's now-deceased allies. The unhatched eggs are glowing, cracks are appearing, and things are squirming inside. Not good. The professor has one demon trap; I have her spare. Not enough. With Muralin chained and his allies eaten, the demon queen standing on the gate's threshold is the only thing keeping it open for the arrival of her legions.

The recently hatched young demons have gone, and taken the dagger with them. The queen says they're doing what they do best--crawling through sewers and air ducts. Last week, Piaras's voice carried through an air duct into the Saghred's containment room and put the stone to sleep. Right now those tiny demons are infesting the citadel's sewers and air ducts on their way to the Saghred. If the demon with the dagger reaches the Saghred, the souls of the demon king, Sarad Nukpana and who knows what else will be free to take over the first bodies they find--and those first bodies will be Guardians.

The queen intends for Carnades to be the demon king's new body and Rudra Muralin his first meal. I don't know if the demon king's first-day-out-of-jail plans include coming home to his wife, dinner, and a new body, but I have to convince her otherwise. The quickest way to close that hellgate is to get her to step over the threshold or break her concentration. If I can do either one, that gate will close and the trap I have should do the rest--if I can get it close enough to catch her before she kills me.

I know, that's a lot of "ifs"; but I have to play the hand I'm dealt, crappy though it is. So I remind the demon queen that her king has been penned up in the Saghred for a couple thousand years, peppering my speech with words like "nubile co-eds," "virgins," and "seven kingdoms at his mercy."

From the reaction I get, it's apparent that fidelity has never been high on the demon king's list of personal attributes, and it's even more obvious that I might have overdone it. The demon queen not only steps through the gate, she comes after me, slinging molten brimstone and promising me eternal torments. I'm diving for cover--and tossing a trap at her feet. The professor's contraption actually works; the queen is inside, but the hellgate doesn't close. It's unstable but still passable. On the other side of the gate, newly arrived demons are struggling to get through, and all around us, tiny claws are slashing their way out of eggs. We need to leave now, but I can't leave that hellgate open.

Rudra Muralin opened it; he can close it. I give him a choice: he closes that hellgate or I leave him for demon food. Problem is, I have to unlock his magic-sapping manacles so he can do it. Question is, will he close the gate or kill me? My bet is that he'll try both, but he'll save his own skin first by closing that gate. The instant Rudra Muralin closes the gate, he turns his power on me and Piaras. I just smile at him. The goblin's triumph turns to pained confusion as he crumples to the floor. Muralin's magical muscle is no match for a petite professor packing a big rock.

Have you ever heard the saying: "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy"? I have, and I wish I hadn't. If Carnades Silvanus isn't my worst enemy, he's at least in the top ten. I'd like nothing more than to leave him right where he is, but I can't. I may not be a particularly nice person, but I'm not a murderer. At least I only kill people who try to kill me first. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, we need Carnades's help. Piaras's purity led us to the hellgate, and we could get out the way we came in, but that'd put us on the other side of the city from the citadel, and we'd get there too late to save anyone from everything.

Carnades knows the way through the tunnels to the citadel. I don't. So to keep the disembodied souls of the demon king, Sarad Nukpana and the worst that can ooze out of the Saghred from possessing the bodies of Guardians, thereby turning the most elite magical fighting force into the most elite and evil magical fighting force, I have to save Carnades.

Irony sucks.

I unlock his manacles, and know I'm going to regret it. Carnades immediately blames me and the Saghred for everything. I remind him that it's his dagger that's on its way to unlock the rock. Carnades suddenly gets real cooperative. Though it's probably the swarm of newly hatched (and hungry) demons snapping at our heels that does the trick. The citadel is quiet. Way too quiet. Either nothing has happened yet, or everything already has. I have to hand it to Carnades. He's an uptight, self-righteous, narrow-minded jerk, but he knows how to get men moving. The Guardians are duty-sworn to obey him, so I let Carnades do his thing--until he tells me I can't go into the citadel.

Suddenly there's demonic chittering and screeching from inside followed by shouts and sounds of fighting. I shield myself and take off running, figuring that Carnades can't stop what he can't catch. And the Guardians' efforts to prevent me from getting down to those containment rooms are half-hearted at best. They like me more than they do Carnades. And besides, they've got demons to fight. Obeying Carnades's orders to arrest me is way down on their list.

In the containment rooms all hell is literally breaking loose--and Mychael is in the middle of it. When we get into the Saghred's room, a little blue demon is squatting on top of the stone, Carnades's dagger clenched between his needle teeth, surrounded by four dead or dying Guardians. In the next instant, the little bastard plunges the dagger into the Saghred up to the hilt. I backhand the demon, knock him off of the Saghred, and grab the dagger to pull it out.

Bad idea. I feel the souls flowing up the blade, breaking free of the Saghred--and worse, I can't pull the dagger out of the stone. Elongated shapes of dark shadow and silvery mist take to the air around us, circling, searching. Oh hell. A hand closes over mine. It's Piaras. One tug and the blade slides out, and the gash in the stone seals itself. Mychael pulls both of us close, extending his shields to add to our own. The shadows escape through the air duct. A sliver of silvery mist remains, settling into a young, dead elven Guardian. Within moments the elf takes a shuddering breath and opens his eyes. He looks directly at me with a weak smile. "Daughter," he whispers.

The voice belongs to the now-living elf. The soul looking out through his eyes is my father. The hellgate is closed. The demons that are trapped on the island are being hunted down. But an unknown number of souls have escaped the Saghred--souls that must find bodies to possess in order to survive. My father took a newly dead Guardian as his new body. The young elf's soul had already moved on. My father knows who escaped before Piaras pulled the dagger out of the stone.

Sarad Nukpana and others like him who will possess one body after another, keeping themselves corporeal until they can infest people with enough magical power and influence to be useful to them--making the souls of their victims prisoners inside their own bodies.

I didn't think it could get any worse than demons. I was wrong. The students are afraid. Smart kids, they have every reason to be. Some of them have already contacted their parents. The students who have the most to fear are the goblins. The Saghred is a goblin artifact; Rudra Muralin, whether dead or alive, opened the hellgate; Sarad Nukpana is out there somewhere. So right now on the Isle of Mid, if you're a goblin, you're guilty. The parents of those goblin students are aristocrats, old blood, with old hatreds for elves and humans alike. Prejudice, centuries of racial hatred, fighting for power and control over your enemy. The Saghred has become a reason for the powerful and bloodthirsty, goblin and elves alike, to take those first steps toward something worse.

War.

Plot synopsis for Armed & Magical

Today is my synopsis for Armed & Magical. As someone asked yesterday, is there a set length that I synopsis should be. MLTF was 7 pages, A&M was 6, and TTWD weighed in at a whopping 12 pages. I made mine long enough to say what I needed to say. However. . .if an agent or editor asks for a certain length -- give it to them. But if they just ask for a synopsis without giving a length, do the length that is right for your story. That being said, 12 pages is probably pushing it, but since it was my fourth book for Penguin, it was no problem. And if an editor's liking what she's reading, she won't mind a couple of extra pages.

And as you will see when you read it, quite a bit changed between writing the synopsis and finishing the book. A lot.

Here's the synopsis for Armed & Magical told from Raine's POV, present tense. Short and sweet at 6 pages. Tomorrow I'll post TTWD. I might be posting a little later tomorrow; I'm gonna try to get me some sleep. The past two weeks have kicked my butt, I'm running on fumes right now. ; )


What if you suddenly have a largely unknown, potentially unlimited power? What if that power just might eat your soul for breakfast, lunch and dinner? What if every magical mobster and sicko sorcerer in the seven kingdoms wants that power? And what if you can't get rid of it?

That's my problem. It started last week.

Yeah, panic was my first response, too. But you can't run far enough or fast enough, or find a hole deep enough when your new powers put you at the top of every power-hungry mage's most wanted list.

My name is Raine Benares. I'm a seeker -- a finder of things lost and people missing. Well, I was a Seeker. Last week when my sometime partner stole an amulet from a local necromancer, I ended up with the amulet and the trouble that was hot on its heels. What looked like a plain silver disk turned out to be a lodestone to an ancient soul-stealing stone -- and the next soul on the menu was mine. I wasn't in the mood to be lunch, but when I had tried to take the amulet off, the amulet tried to take me out.

All in all, it had been one of my more eventful weeks.

I managed to keep myself off a slab in the city morgue. Barely. The amulet and I parted ways. Sort of. I wish I could say the same for the soul-sucking rock it had been attached to. As of three days ago, the Thief of Souls (the Saghred, if you were a goblin) and I became psychic roommates -- along with all of the souls the stone had ingested over the centuries.

Then there's the legendary power that came along with it. I have yet to do anything on a truly world-altering scale, but I've been told by those who should know that I can pretty much do anything I put my mind to. That I don't want to put my mind to it doesn't seem to matter.

Getting my life back involves going from the frying pan into the fire. The Isle of Mid is home to the most prestigious college for sorcery, as well as the Conclave, the governing body for all magic users in the seven kingdoms. It's also an island full of power-grubbing, backstabbing mages, and I have a bond with a legendary stone of power no one has been able to wield and live -- until me, until now. I'm the most popular girl in town. But some think I have too much power. They can't control me. I'm a risk and have to be stopped. Some want a permanent solution, which becomes obvious as soon as the first assassin takes a shot at me. The squeamish ones want something less drastic. And it doesn't help my case any that I'm a member of one of the most notorious criminal families in the seven kingdoms. You can't pick your enemies, or your family.

The goblin secret society of the Brotherhood of the Khrynsani favor a more legally binding solution. Try being charged with grand larceny, attempted murder, kidnapping and false imprisonment. Which I guess are goblin terms for returning the Saghred to its rightful guardians, preventing the murder of innocents, and putting the sadistic (and unfortunately influential) Khrynsani grand shaman where he can't do any of the above crimes to anyone anymore. As if fighting power-hungry mages and assassins isn't enough, now I'm battling extradition. I can't be bonded to just any old stone of unlimited powers. Mine has lawyers.

But at least I'm not in this alone. The Conclave Guardians are my self-appointed protectors. Mychael Eiliesor, the Paladin of the Conclave Guardians, is one of the finest and most powerful spellsingers the Conclave of Sorcerers has ever produced. With the power of their voices alone, spellsingers can influence thought with a quietly hummed phrase, or control actions with simple speech or carefully crafted tune. The number of people doesn't matter. One spellsinger can turn the tide of battle. Gifted spellsingers are highly prized and sought after -- not to mention rare and dangerous. Mychael Eiliesor is all of the above. I'm glad he's on my side.

And his Guardians aren't slouches in the protect-and-defend department either. To keep the peace in a city of sorcerers takes an even more talented sorcerer -- and a warrior. The Guardians are both, and then some.

And I brought a couple of friends with me. My godfather Garadin Wyne and my elven landlady Tarsilia Rivalin are both retired Conclave mages. Piaras Rivalin is Tarsilia's teenage grandson and a spellsinging prodigy. He's just enrolled in the Conclave college, and is the little brother I've always wanted. Rache Nathrach is a goblin and the most notorious assassin in the kingdoms -- and seemingly the only assassin who isnt after the price on my head. Phaelan Benares is my cousin and the scion to the most notorious clan of pirates in the seven kingdoms. And then there's my father, Eamaliel Anguis, a 900-year-old elven Guardian and whose soul is a current resident inside the Saghred. My father is the reason why the Saghred chose me to attach itself to. My father also manipulated me into taking the Saghred in the first place. I can't really blame him; it looks like I'm his only chance at freedom. I don't like his methods, but I can't blame his motives, so I can't blame him. Besides, he's my father.

So if my enemies want to keep me close, I'll just keep my friends closer.

And my enemies want me close. There's Sarad Nukpana, high priest of the Khrynsani, chief councelor to the goblin king Sathrik Mal'Salin, and a first-rate psychopath. It doesn't matter that he's presently imprisoned inside the Saghred. A shaman as powerful as Sarad Nukpana isn't about to let a little thing like being a disembodied soul get in the way of vengeance. Chief among the Conclave mages engineering my demise is Carnades Silvanus. Hair the color of winter frost, eyes the blue of arctic ice, a pure-blooded high elf. And Carnades has those eyes firmly on Archmage's position and absolute control of the Conclave -- and the Saghred. Krispus Cradok is the self-proclaimed crime lord of the Isle of Mid. You can't be boss of anything in Mid without a certain level of magical talent, and Krispus has plenty of that, plus a king-sized grudge against the Guardians. Rahimat Mal'Salin is a young goblin spellsinger and member of the royal house. The kid's ambitious and is working his way up. Mal'Salins work their way up the family ladder by helping someone further up lose their place. Permanently. It's a lot of trouble to go to, but Rahimat doesn't strike me as the type to mind the extra effort.

And I'm not the only one on the island with problems. Student spellsingers on Mid have troubles of their own. Upcoming exams are the least of their worries. Mid's best spellsingers are vanishing, but not without a trace. Kidnappings often leave witnesses; and in this case, the witnesses don't want to be found, let alone talk.

I'm a Seeker. A good one, and my reputation has preceded me. So it doesn't take long for the same mages who are trying to kill me, kidnap me, or suck up to me to change their collective tune. They want me to find out who's behind the abductions and find the missing students. And they want it done yesterday, before some rich and powerful parents come down on their collective necks. Lives are at risk, and they're worried about losing tenure. With Piaras and his friends in danger, I hit the streets, with one big difference -- the Saghred goes silent. No whispered voices, no enhanced abilities. Just me and mine. The way I normally like it. But normal doesn't have me suspecting that the stone of power and its newfound disciples are behind a lot more than making my life miserable.

Sometimes I hate it when I'm right. Not only does Carnades Silvanus want the big office, he's behind the spellsinger abductions, and he isn't looking to start a choir. The Saghred is hungry, and I've been used. Isle of Mid and the Conclave's college is precisely where the Saghred wanted to go. The college offers up a nearly endless supply of what I discover is the Saghred's favorite food -- young, powerful (and vulnerable) magic. Hundreds of raucous students. Full of promise. Full of life. Full of magic. And the more souls the Saghred ingests, the stronger it becomes, strength that Carnades and his henchmen want at their command. I've just brought the Saghred back to the biggest buffet in the seven kingdoms, a buffet it hasn't visited in nearly a thousand years. If I'd bothered to listen, I probably could have heard the dinner bell ring the moment we docked. All I had been able to think about was getting the Saghred away from me. My father had the good sense to get the stone as far away from the students on Mid as possible. In one week, I've successfully screwed up hundreds of years of his work. Not the best way to make a good first impression on a father you've just met.

I have my work cut out for me. Prevent a coup of the Conclave, dodge an annoying number of assassins, keep the student spellsingers of Mid from being sacrificed to the Saghred, free myself from my link to the stone, and then find a way to destroy what ten generations of Guardians haven't been able to -- all before the goblin lawyers manage to push through enough paperwork to cart both me and the stone away.

The stone is getting hungrier. Spellsingers are getting scarcer. The mages are getting greedier.
The goblins are threatening to lay siege, declare war, or sue.

My father gave his soul to keep the Saghred from consuming life. The power that was once his is now at my fingertips. That's my birthright. It's also my responsibility. I won't give up either without a fight.

Time to get my hands dirty. Wish me luck.