Why I Love Khloe Alwell, and You Should Too

During my launch of THRIVE, I started the process of revamping - or rather rewriting - my Khloe Alwell series.

I fell in love all over again.

I had forgotten how rich and complex the books are. I forgot the nitty gritty of all the characters. I forgot how damn sexy the boys are. Like...really. I forgot how much I totally love Laran.

In talking with a friend about my love of Laran, she grinned.
"Have you ever heard Anne Rice talk about Lestat?" she asked, twisting her lips.
"No," I said, raising my brows.
"You talk about Laran the way she talks about Lestat. Like, you really love him." Her eyes sparkled and I grinned sheepishly.
"Laran is my dream man. If they ever did a TV or movie adaptation of these books, I might have problems. My marriage might be in trouble. I mean, I think I might fall in love with Laran. I might forget the poor guy was just an actor."

And it's true. But the other guys are nothing to sniff at. I mean, I love them all for different reasons. All my characters are family to me. But Laran is... something else.

And because I love him, love all of them, I had to publish a second edition. I didn't do the best job I could have when I first published these books, so I went back. Hopefully I'm doing my characters justice. I want readers to fall in love with Khloe. To hate her attackers, get angry with her, to bite their lips as she yearns, and to cringe as she tries to reject with grace. I want them to ache when Laran enters a scene. To grumble with Constantine. To saunter with Freyr. I want them to glow with Dani.

I want readers to get bloody and bothered and caught up.

This is why I am so pleased that second editions of THE BROTHERS and LOVERS AND RIVALS are now for sale on Smashwords (and soon after on all major online retailers).

If you haven't explored Khloe yet, I invite you dive in, see humanity as you've never seen it. Explore climate change in a way that you never imagined. See myth, faith, love, sex, and high school in a wild story of self-discovery and empowerment that shows what girls are made of - the stuff of legend.

The Platinum Child Returns

Truth is stranger than science fiction. It is more amazing than fantasy. Life is full of mystery, and I don't mean the "who dun it" variety.

It is truly remarkable what a few small changes can do for a person.

For example, let's say a person decides he or she will go to college. They decide this will be, no matter what. Because they have decided it will happen no matter what, it is impossible for anything less. We, innocent bystanders, watch as they overcome all obstacles easily because they are so committed to the idea that it is already done.

The result? Not only does this person attend college, but they acquire all the other lessons and confidence each obstacle afforded them. How cool is that? But that isn't so outside the realm of the ordinary. We hear about people doing things like this all the time. It is rather normal...right?

With my recent reframing of life, I began to notice where I need a little more development in order to reach my own goals. I noticed how previous habits were not really serving me. It's no wonder that I am working on growing and strengthen areas that need it. It makes perfect sense that I would change my habits.

Of course this takes some practice. The more practice,the easier it gets. All of a sudden one day I will wake up and I will be a completely different person - the person I willed myself to be.

That's pretty exciting.

But the remarkable thing is how I know this is in process. I know it because I have already noticed so many things, not only how I think about the world and my place in it, but reality seems to be working more the way I want it to.

It feels like I got my quantum mechanics powers back, bit by bit. It feels hesitant thus far, like little flickers of control in the smallest moments of kismet. However, the affirmation I get from even these small things is marvelous.

Now you're sitting there wondering how I went off to crazy land. I'm perfectly sane, I assure you.

In my family I was called "The Platinum Child." My father was "The Golden Boy." He was lucky, and I was...well...on another level. Then my luck disappeared. Reality felt like it crashed down and I lost whatever control I had over my fate. It was...a dark time. That dark time has ended.

I know this is true because my "luck" has returned. It started unobtrusively - getting a check for my birthday. Getting flowers. Getting headphones as a gift when I desperately needed them. Then it moved on to other things, like finding the exactly perfect baskets for my son's Christmas present at a price that was laughably low. And then duckies (he loves duckies). And then I found a felt pumpkin (he loves pumpkins too) - the last one from previous holiday decor display. I paid a stupidly low amount for his Christmas presents and got more than I expected I would be able to find.

In a strange twist, my horoscope in the paper is literally talking about the exact same things I am reading on my own time. It is insane. I'm not talking about reading into stuff - I mean the words are the same...all telling me how to change my thought patterns.

The more I look around, the more things I see like this.It has been going like this for the past several weeks. I am so incredibly grateful for this growing trend and I can't wait to see what shows up next. I'm pretty sure it's going to be awesome.

The moral? Thoughts are more important than you realize. Choose them carefully.

Who Caused Haiyan?

This post is written from Khloe's perspective about a current event that is a little too close to the premise of her saga. It's ironic I thought of this type of terror years before Sandy and Haiyan...

I was watching the news. I read it on my smartphone while waiting for Dani. I knew they had plans to destroy humans but I never thought it would get this bad. I saw Sandy and while my father caught those immediately responsible, it doesn't prevent things like Haiyan from occurring. We have to catch the ones pulling the strings if we want to avoid record wind speeds and death tolls.

Laran has ideas. Like him, I think those responsible are the same ones who killed his parents - the same ones who attacked me, and recruited Macha. And it's only going to get worse. If, as I suspect, there are Seelie and Sidhe colluding against reunification, there's only one solution.

You have to stop. You have to stop thinking everything can be thrown away. You have to stop using things that will only destroy land, water, and air. Stop now! Forget plastic. Forget industrial agriculture. Forget gasoline and constant electronic use. Forget GMOs. Forget fracking and mountaintop removal mining. Forget oil. Forget pesticides. Forget using anything that takes longer than five minutes of travel. Forget cities and computers. Forget clear-cutting and dams.

This time, this obscene industrialization and super technological age, is over. This is your last chance. If you continue, you risk your race's complete annihilation. I'm going to do what I can, but there are no guarantees. You have to do your part. If you don't take responsibility for your actions, for the destruction you've wrought, there's nothing I can do.

In the end,  it's your choice. You decide.

Character Bios: Lovers and Rivals, Laran

*SPOILER ALERT* Read Lovers and Rivals!

Yes, Ceres, Lugh, Myrddin, and all manner of characters are important, but Laran is key. Besides, I can't hold myself back any more. I just have to write about him.

Laran was named for the Etruscan god of war. I wanted a lesser known god name, but something that wasn't too far out there. Accessibility in Laran's case was important. This was especially true because he is Khloe's love interest. However it wasn't the only reason. I wanted Laran to be very Sidhe, but also a bridge to humanity and the Seelie. He is both of the forest and of the Sidhe.

The fact that he is the lord of his province and the lead trainer of the Sidhe military at 23 years old speaks to his prowess and power. We know from his conversations with Khloe, he wasn't meant to take over Kolmarden at such a young age. However as his parents are both dead, he ends up becoming lord anyway. Despite his youth, people follow him. He has a natural ability which allows all kinds of people to accept him immediately (Seelie, Sidhe, or human).

Even though he is well loved and tends to do the "right thing," Laran is kind of a bad boy. He is the only Seelie or Sidhe discussed to have a tattoo. He wears human band tees in the Sidhe court, and jeans around the veil. At a young age, he said he went to the human world to go to concerts of his favorite bands.

He's prickly, but he's also a gentleman. Unlike Freyr or Constantine, he doesn't feel the need to possess Khloe. He lets her be her own person, and relishes in it. Still, his over confidence irritates Khloe on occasion. It's what makes their dynamic so much fun.

P.S. I'm very excited to dig into Laran's abilities in book 4. In the mean time, you'll have to satisfy yourselves with the upcoming back story in Lilith and Ammon!

Character Bios: Lovers and Rivals, Toran

I have a special place in my heart for thunder gods. It's probably why I just watched Thor again, despite myself.

Of course, the name Thor is a little overplayed. So I decided to go with something different. Taranis was a little too much for me, especially considering as I had already decided on Laran for the love interest in Lovers and Rivals (Laran and Taran? Please!). However, a mixture of Thor and Taranis might work - thus, Toran. It also reminds one of torrents, which was along the lines of thunder gods.

That said, I didn't emphasize Toran's abilities in Lovers and Rivals. In fact, I haven't given him specific abilities beyond those commonly ascribed to Sidhe and typical god kings. There was no reason to until this point. However, fear not good readers! Book 4 is going to show more of Toran's abilities, as well as those of other characters like Laran (I get shivers just thinking about it).

Even though we don't delve into the prince's abilities, we do see what kind of person he is. Toran is a good brother and a good son. He is loyal to his family, his friends, and his people. Because of this, he is sensitive to his obligations as the heir apparent of the Sidhe. However, his relationship with Dani could throw a wrench in things, especially when combined with his sister's newfound destiny. Ultimately, we won't see how these things play out until we get to book 4 (still trying to figure out the working title...).

I'm excited.

P.S. If you want some additional reading fun check out Book 3 - Lilith and Ammon - later this year. Ask yourself, who is the previous incarnation of Toran?

Character Bios: Lovers and Rivals, Camulus

I decided I should finally start giving some character bios for Lovers and Rivals. In that vein, I started with an unusual choice (and one I didn't expect to even write) - Camulus Remicapra.

Every guy needs a best friend. For Toran, Khloe's brother, Cam is that man. Camulus is named for a Roman god of war, but a more obscure one than the well known Mars. I wanted a name that was a little more unusual but could be shortened to something accessible in the human world.

Even though Cam is human friendly, Camulus himself is a bit goodie-goodie and rarely ventures into the human world. Despite that, he would gladly do whatever Toran asked of him, even if it meant disobeying his father.

While Cam primarily plays Toran and Laran's foil, occasionally he acts as a foil for Khloe. In the castle garden, for example, when Khloe and Cam have a conversation, their interaction helps to show just how unusual Khloe really is.

Just as Leo or Julian are models of what it means to be Seelie, Cam is a model Sidhe. He contrasts starkly with characters like Macha, who he hates. Most importantly, however, he contrasts with Laran, who has a perverse love of human culture.

Idea Gurus - How I Came Up With "The Brothers"

*SPOILER ALERT* - It's not big, but it's there.

How does anyone get an idea?

I have no idea.

Really. And when it comes to my own, I can't remember.

According to a variety of personality and preference tests, I am a problem solver - a solution giver - the idea guru if you will. I come up with ideas the way a factory makes widgets. Granted, sometimes there is a problem with the machinery. Sometimes something doesn't get stamped correctly and it has to be melted down and remade. Other times it's the epitome of widgets. And I live for their creation. I do.

I'll be honest. The idea for the Grechs did in fact come from a set of three brothers who DO exist. But the Grechs are nothing like them, except they're beautiful and talented each in their own way. And Greek. Those boys are Greek. That idea was the beginning of the story. Originally I thought it was going to be their story, but it became something else entirely.

Khloe is, in many ways, me. But she's also very much not. They say that every character in a given book is a reflection of an author, and that is definitely true. I can't deny that. Khloe's outfit in the first chapter is based off an outfit I did wear in high school. And I did love those red pants. That's probably why I wrote them in. They were fantastic.

And anyone who went to Albany High School will recognize things about the high school Khloe attends. It is loosely based on that school - because when I was there, it was awesome. All of these things are true. But there are many other things that I came up with from other parts in my life. For example, the jazz band Khloe sings with is based on an experience I had in college. The costume shop is a combination of consignment and vintage clothing stores I've frequented over the years. The list goes on...

In the second book, Lovers and Rivals, I used my knowledge of British castles and continental palaces to create many of the spaces. Kolmarden is the tree house I always wanted. I've always loved the forest. For me the woods are a place of wonder and magic. It only makes sense that the perfect man for Khloe would live in the woods.

And speaking of Laran... Laran is the best parts of a punk drummer I once knew, and the gentleman every woman wishes was hers. He's a little dark for the average girl, and snarky like every perfect man should be. And no, I have never met a live human who could act the part. I imagine there are a few animators from Japan who could capture him perfectly however...

The characters and places in book 3, Lilith and Ammon, you have yet to meet. Frankly, I want to save describing them specifically for the completion of that project. However, I will say most of the people and places in this particular book are drawn from mythology. The way I treat a number of creation stories/myths could be described as irreverent. The story is a development of ideas that were glossed over in books 1 and 2. This is the forgotten history of Lilith and Ammon, and therefore Khloe and Laran (if this is confusing, read books 1 and 2).

I have a plan for book 4, and no, I have no idea what the title of that book will be. When I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Needless to say, from my characters to the premise of the story, to the development of the series generally, it's clear that ideas come from a lot of different places. They develop and change over the course of a writing project, no matter the writer. That's part of what it means to be a problem solver/solution giver. It's the pleasure and the pain of being an idea guru.

The Brothers - Jacket Summary

Because I've been hinting at this for some time, I figured I should actually do it and give you a taste of the book. So here is a little book jacket style summary of The Brothers which will be available as an ebook the beginning of June. More details to follow!


"First know, every legend is true."

Khloe Alwell was always an outsider.  Moving from town to town with her frequently absent mother and academic step-father, she never fit in.  Everything changed the September before her sixteenth birthday, when Khloe found herself in a small New England town starting yet another new school.  There she befriends three strange brothers who introduce her to a world where human myth and legend are watered-down histories of an older more powerful race hidden in plain sight. Drawn to Khloe, the brothers and their childhood friends will help her uncover her parents' complicated past, come to terms with ugly truths that plague all people, as well as discover Khloe's true identity and her importance in the world under the veil.

St. Patrick's Day - From An Irish-American Perspective

I'm in the middle of research.  This is taking me very close to Irish Culture and also far away.  But in the spirit of Irish Americans and Irish pride, I'll offer a few tid bits that I've discovered recently.

St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated to some extent for approximately 1000 years in order to honor St. Patrick's life. There are theories postulating that several bishops' lives were rolled into one legend about a single person, St. Patrick, however there was at least one historical person named Patrick.  This is because while there are many legends and stories about the saint, there are few primary sources to support claims about his life.

When you think about St. Patrick's day, usually the first thing we think of is the shamrock.  This actually references a parable the saint used to explain the Trinity when Patrick spoke with the Irish people.  It seems strange to think that a Christian reference would lose so much of its meaning, and yet become such a cultural icon. 

While the holiday is generally associated with the saint himself in Ireland, the Irish diaspora uses St. Patrick's day as more of a celebration of Irish culture and the nation of Ireland.  Often people will say that anyone can be Irish on St. Patrick's day, though someone who is ethnically Irish might be upset with such sentiment. One of the most important symbols of Ireland is not in fact a shamrock, but the harp.  If you've ever been fortunate enough to listen to Gaelic, you know it is a musical language full of beautiful vowels and rolling consonants.  If you've read anything about Celtic culture, you also know that poetry and song has always been a part of life.  The harp has been a staple instrument for Celtic music for a long time, being one of the oldest instruments in the world.  It's on the label of everyone's favorite Irish beer. Harps are much more universal than shamrocks.

I've always been a harp kind of girl, never having been Catholic, but always having been part Irish. For me, someone in the diaspora, St. Patrick's day is more about celebrating Irish culture and the rich and beautiful history of the Emerald Isle. So I'll listen to some fiddle, harp, and maybe some hand drums.  I'll drink a nice dark stout, and I'll dream of the Fir Bolg and Tuatha de Danaan. Also I'll wish my sister-in-law a happy birthday.  Seems like a reasonable plan for an Irish-American.

Water Legends - The Selkie

One of the things I really enjoy about writing is research.  My short stories in particular are taking me in directions that had previously lived on the fringes of my consciousness.  In the spirit of discovery I am immersing myself in a variety of things, including folk stories, historical accounts, and film. 

My current exploration involves the myths of selkies.  Selkies (which can be spelled and pronounced in a number of different ways) are shapeshifters who generally take on the shape of a seal.  The stories are almost always tragedies - the boy might get the girl, but only until she turns back into a seal and leaves forever.  The message tends to be that a sea woman will always leave, and her children will almost always inadvertently help her do so.

Obviously the stories are to meant to deal with what happens when a woman leaves a man (as this is how the majority of the stories go) as well as the wonders of the sea.  Living in a place where the seasons are rough and the sea is rougher, it would be nice to know that a selkie might happen upon you and help you get to safety during a storm. 

There is something about the water, that calls to us.  Water is life.  The majority of our bodies are water.  The majority of our world is water.  Beyond that, it is clear, and yet hides so much in its depths.  There, suspended in that great moving mass is a world within a world, so much of it still undiscovered.  So much under the surface is shrouded in mystery that it follows we would still tell ourselves stories of sea monsters, mermen, and kelpies.