For those of you who don’t know much about Saint Valentine, it is said he was a holy priest in Rome during the reign of Claudius the Goth (Claudius II). He was caught marrying couples and aiding any Christians being persecuted under the Emperor. As a result he was condemned to death and executed on February 14 around the year 270. For this reason, February 14^th is meant to celebrate his martyrdom and he is the Patron Saint of love (among other things).

This year, the celebratory day falls on a Tuesday and as usual, restaurants will probably hike up their prices, roll out standard menus and (not purposely) provide poor service. In addition to this, you’ve probably seen stores start to stalk up on heart shaped boxes of chocolates, stuffed teddy bears and candied roses and hearts. Talk about pressure if you are in any kind of relationship.

So what am I going on about? Truth is, I’m in love with love, which is why I write romance, but I don’t buy into the one-day “hoo-haa” of it all. I think the whole month (at least) should be dedicated to love and if anything, we should be celebrating the moments that really matter throughout the entire year and not just trying to create a romantic moment on one specific day. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate your love on St. Valentine’s Day, it means that it should be one of many days you celebrate.

And if you are single? Celebrate romance in general. Go out and buy a good book. Take a bubble bath or just plain relax any way you like. My husband and I will usually do pizza and wine. It keeps it simple, cozy and romantic. With a celebration of romance, maybe, just maybe, you’ll be inspired to write your next great manuscript.

So I wanted to talk about characters and get some feedback from readers. It’s something I’m passionate about. Characters are what make the book. The plot is secondary, the humor is secondary, and yes ladies, even the sex is secondary. Because what’s the point if you’re not connected to, or at least entertained by the characters? Whether it’s one you want to root for, one you love, or one you love to hate.

But I strongly believe characters should be flawed. I like my characters to be as close to real as possible – minus all the fantasy elements (since I write paranormal) and the fact that they are all abnormally gorgeous (‘cause you want some amount of escapism, right?). But in other ways, they should feel very real. That means multi-dimensional.

Let’s talk about contradictions. I think everyone is a contradiction in some ways. For instance, I consider myself feminine though I hate make-up and prefer guy movies. My husband is considered shy but among close friends and family he can be very chatty. I’m spontaneous but I use a calendar. Can you think of a few? Again, the reason for this is because humans are multi-dimensional.

We also change. Sometimes through the course of a decade, sometimes a year, sometimes only a matter of days or weeks. Because of the nature of my books (and being a fantasy writer) my characters often change quickly because of the circumstances they are forced into. Isn’t that true in real life? Has anyone had a life or death situation that changed them forever? I went rock climbing once and almost died and it shook my world. I wised up fast about safety and adventure. I also learned exactly what I was made of.

Now let’s talk about conflict. How important is conflict in a book? Well, I’ll let you answer in the comments, but to me it is vital. Wouldn’t it be a dull book if the characters made perfect decisions in every situation? Or never made mistakes, never made a hurtful comment to someone they loved? Not only is that unrealistic, but it’s pretty boring too.

I write a lot of conflict for my characters. Maybe I torture them just a smidge. There’s one scene in my second book, Destiny United, where Marcelo calls the heroine, Erin, out on a character flaw of hers. She gets pissed, she gets sad, and she does something a little spiteful in the heat of the moment. Being hurt by someone we love (or at least respect) is a powerful thing. It makes us do and say stupid things because we are in such pain.

I believe characters should make mistakes – sometimes big ones. Why shouldn’t they have to deal with pride, forgiveness, guilt, etc? We all do.

And I like intensity. I just do. I’m dramatic, passionate, and emotional. It’s what I write and I’ll never apologize for it. If there are negative things about my characters, I certainly hope there are an equal number (or more) of redeeming qualities. Sage, from my first book, is rough around the edges. She’s sarcastic and has a bad temper. But she’s smart. She’s a survivor. And she’s loyal once she trusts someone. Erin, from my second book, starts off needy and dependent because of an anxiety disorder. She goes through a massive transformation after being confronted with life or death situations. She may start off as a weak character, but she’s also playful and witty and has a kind heart. Natalia, from my newest release, is cold-hearted and even cruel. But she’s also fearless, devoted, and self-possessed. And once she opens up, there’s a world of compassion inside her.

Bottom line: characters have weaknesses just like we do. They are multi-dimensional, like we all are.

So…those are a few things that are important to me in reading fiction and writing my books. What about you? What do you like to experience in fictional characters?

The week ahead for:

Aries
The house gnomes are going out of their way to make your place very cozy.  Add a few things yourself.

Taurus
Goblins are careful with their money.  So should you be this week.

Gemini
Dragons are not all roar and fire.  They cherish friends.  Hangout with those closest to you.

Cancer
Never follow the fireflies in the woods.  They are often called ghostlights and can lead you down a false path.

Leo
A wrymling is a dragon who has not reached his or her potential.  You’re still learning and growing in your field.

Virgo
Hell hounds have passed you by.  Your luck is holding.

Libra
A mermaid is singing your name, bringing good fortune your way.

Scorpio
Elves see in the dark.  Things will become clear, and you’ll know your next step.

Sagittarius
Satyrs are dancing and invite you to the celebration.  Dance with exhuberance.  You’ve earned it.

Capricorn
A vampire will shed light on an issue.  You will be enlightened by an unexpected friend.

Aquarius
Werewolves have picked up the scent to good fortune.  Follow them.

Pieces
Shapeshifters shift for many reasons. Sometimes they change for the sheer fun of it.  It’s time to bring more fun into your life.

–Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley
http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Galway has a lot of different birds. Every day in the square outside my townhouse the gulls and the rooks fight it out for prime territory in the park. Eyre Square has a lot of people passing through it day and night, many of whom leave behind their food and wrappers, which the birds scavenge through in hopes of finding something good. Wherever I walk in the city I see the little wagtails — cute wee birds! And of course I have feral pigeons who often sit on my sill and coo.

As I head out to Nimmo’s pier and the walk along the bay, in addition to the swans there are a variety of gulls. Until my friend Wendy visited I didn’t realise how many different kinds of gulls there were from the common and herring gulls to the Mediterranean and black-backed gulls. By the water’s edge, too, I usually find the jackdaws and hooded crows. I’m still getting over mistaking all the rooks for crows — more common in the States, they’re actually rare here. Rooks are everyone though. They have shaggier legs than carrion crows and their beaks are a bit different, too. The hooded crows are black and grey. I see them all the time on the beach, flying up and dropping mussels to break them open. I love corvids: they’re so clever. My favourites of course are the magpies: one of the main characters in my forthcoming novel (under my given name) is a 300 year old magpie.

I’m envious because my sweetie has an owl near his house. It may be the escaped eagle owl that’s sent local birdwatchers in Dundee into a tizzy. I hope it’s still there when I get back to Scotland in a couple weeks. It would be so cool to see it!

Here’s my dramatic rook picture. I’m using it as the lock screen image for my new iPad and continuing the tradition by naming it Rook. My MacBook is Jackdaw and my Android is Mobile Magpie. See more of my photos from my wanders in the Ireland album (although you might also want to check out the Dublin and Dundee albums).

NOP:  Please tell us a little bit about yourself and about your book.

Casey Wyatt:  By day, I have an ordinary job and lead a pretty ordinary life. By night, I’m a paranormal romance and urban fantasy writer.

Mystic Ink is a paranormal romance that takes place in Mystic, CT. The main character is Nix, a talented tattoo artist who keeps finding dead mortals in the alley next to her tattoo shop.  Her love interest, Calder Quinne, is a supernatural police officer sent to investigate. The premise behind this story is what if the Gods and Goddesses of old still lived among us? This is the first book in the series.

NOP:  Please share an excerpt or your book with us.

Nix, thoughts still swirling in her mind, headed toward the side door. After she unlocked the deadbolt, her eyes automatically went to the dumpster. Nothing. Thank the Gods. Her sigh of relief was quickly sucked back in. A dark shape further down the alley caught her eye. Maybe it was a heap of clothes or a bag of garbage. Whatever it was, it was lying near the entrance of the Underworld Gate. The Gate was invisible to all eyes, except Guardians—like her, Hades, and Charon. Whoever or whatever was back there couldn’t have known how close they were to the Underworld.

“Hell. Now what?” Please, be trash that some rude asshole left in my alley.

Rather than kick it with her foot, she decided to be more prudent and find something long to use as a poker. While grabbing a shop broom inside, she registered how quiet the place was. Of course, Basil wasn’t there. He was still with Jason.

Back in the alley, Nix slowly approached, straining for a better look. The pile was inside the building’s shadow. The closer she got, the more the lump resembled a body. She cursed. “Oh, come on! Why does this keep happening?”

Broom at the ready, she gave it jab. The mass was solid and there was no crinkle of plastic. So much for the garbage bag theory. Man, she did not want to have to call the police. At the rate she was going, they would probably arrest her just on principle.

Stupid mound.

She lifted the broom, ready to strike. An arm sprouted from the pile and shot up, stopping the handle from falling.

Nix barked, “What the hell?”

The broom clattered to the ground.

A dark figure rose up. The set of the shoulders, the short black hair . . . it was awfully familiar. “Cal?”

“Nix,” he said, his voice strained and tired. His arm extended, propping his body against the brick wall.

“If this is your idea of a joke, it’s not funny.” When he didn’t respond, Nix came up behind him and placed her hand on his back. “Are you—”

The words choked off. There was something wrong. Really wrong. His energy, the essence of his life, was out of whack. Like he was missing . . .

She put her hand up to her mouth, swallowing dread as he turned to face her. “Cal, where’s your soul?”

NOP:  What inspired you to write Mystic Ink?

Casey Wyatt:  I don’t know that I was inspired as much as driven to write the book. Ideas come to me and torment me until I get them down on paper. The first scene I envisioned in the story is a variation of the excerpt above – a woman arguing with a man in an alley. And it snowballed from there. Except, it turned out that the characters were supernatural. Nix is a Neried or Sea Nymph. Cal is a demigod, son of Ares. Water and Fire – two elements, that when combined, make steam!

NOP:  Who is your favorite character in Mystic Ink?  Does he/she have any similarity to anyone in your personal life?

Casey Wyatt:  I hate choosing favorites. They all have something about them that I love. I love that Nix is an artist (and she is trying to live her dream – something I think we can all relate to). And Cal is driven to win back lost love. Who wouldn’t like to have a do-over? If I had to choose one character, I’d say Zephyr. He’s the God of the West Wind: carefree, fun loving, and mysterious. And his devil-may-care attitude resembles my two sons and their sense of humor (don’t tell them I said that!).

NOP:  If Mystic Ink were to be made into a movie, who would you cast as your two main characters?

Casey Wyatt:  That is a tough question. When I create my characters, they are never based on real people. They would have to hot, young, and good looking!

NOP:  I know you are also releasing another novel soon.  Please tell us a little bit about it and its expected release date.

Casey Wyatt:  My next novel, The Undead Space Initiative, is coming soon from Pink Petal Books. I don’t have a release date yet, but as soon as I do, I will share it. I call this my vampire-stripper-on-Mars book. Here’s the blurb:

Cherry Cordial, vampire stripper extraordinaire, spectacularly messes up her life with a single act of kindness. How could she have known when she rescued gorgeous rogue, Ian McDevitt, that she would be implicated in the vampire queen’s murder?  Soon, she faces the wrath of the entire vampire community. To escape retribution, she joins a settlement program to colonize Mars. Her choices are grim: possibly die on the red planet or stay on Earth and face certain annihilation.

Visit Casey on the web: www.caseywyatt.com  or at http://secretsof7scribes.wordpress.com/. You can also find Casey on Facebook and Twitter (@CaseyWyatt1). Mystic Ink can be found at www.soulmatepublishing.com and at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Here’s the links …

Thanks for sharing with us today, Casey.  I know our readers will be excited to find out you are offering a free e-book to one lucky winner.  In order to qualify to win dear readers, you MUST put the words “I want to be inked” in your comment.  This contest will end at midnight tonight.  Please enter, and good luck.

Self-appreciation means slowly down.  Taking time to admire the beauty of a lace table cloth and a china table setting.  It means a massage or a bath with bubbles or rose-scented bath salts.  Pausing to look at the flowers in a window box.

Enjoying the romance of life is to linger over a fine meal,  a great wine, the sweet morsel of dessert.  Taking an afternoon with old friends to chat over tea.  Walking a beach at sunset and stopping to collect a shell or two.

Breathing.  When did we forget to breathe in life?  When did everything become so fast, we can’t catch our breath?   Close your eyes and just breathe.

There’s an old saying that you can’t love someone else until you love yourself.   Do this one thing right now:  Write down a list of ten things that are great about you?  Post that where you will see it tomorrow, and when you do read it, close your eyes.  Visualize that truly beautiful place that makes you happy just to think of it.   The romance has started.

–Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley
http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

My friends reach for me, but their arms are not long enough.  I hear them calling to me and I smile a pleasant smile, but the darkness whispers, its cool breath caressing my ear, “come”, and I go.  My friends toss ropes of encouragement to me, but they too fall short.

I’m lulled further into an even deeper slumber, ignoring every speck of light that manages to creep into the darkness.  Is there a way to climb out of this deep abyss?  I stretch out my arm and toy with the idea of taking hold of the rope of encouragement dangling before me.  Yet, I yawn and turn over to snuggle deeper into the comfort of the darkness.  Yes, climbing out of this pit is going to take some effort.  I yawn again.  Perhaps tomorrow I will give it a try, I think as I drift off into what feels like a drug induced state of Morpheus.

This, my dear readers, I am told is what a state of depression feels like.  J.K. Rowling describes this in characters in her Harry Potter Series, characters she calls Dementors.  She describes these faceless creatures as monsters that feed off human happiness and cause depression and despair.  She pens, “ … they leave you an empty shell.”  They first appear in The Prisoner of Azkaban and reappear in future Potter adventures.  As I recall, Professor Lupin gives Harry chocolate, which the wise professor claims helps you feel better.

Have you ever experienced something which you turned into a character in a novel, as JK Rowling turned her experience with depression into the dreaded Dementors?  Have you ever used an object or place as a character in your book?

I’ve been busy before. In fact, I swear many a blog last fall/winter was dedicated to being busy and getting back on the writing bandwagon. This time it’s a bit different as this little person occupying my time just can’t wait until I finish writing one more chapter or editing one more section. And, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want him too.

It’s called a shift in priorities. With this New Year, I feel more passionate than ever about my writing and yet I’m also very passionate about doing my best to be a good mom. Quite frankly I’m not sure what will come of this balancing act but it’s something I’m completely looking forward to.

And with that, I’d like to open up the doors to advice on how you writers out there balance your writing with the ever increasing complications (wonderful as they are) of life. I’d also like to wish you the very best if you too are experiencing a bit of a roller-coaster ride with your writing (for whatever reason). Happy writing this week and I’ll check back with you all next week!

We all have issues, can we agree on that? People are in a constant state of flux. We are a work in progress from the day we’re born until the day we die.

But love doesn’t expect change. It might strive for it, support it, challenge it, but it doesn’t demand it. When you choose to love someone (and I firmly believe love is a choice), you choose to take them as they are with no promises or guarantees of fixing them, healing them, or changing them, in the future.

Love just is. 

If you can’t let it be, well, that’s not unconditional love. And there’s no such thing as conditional love.

We all go through periods of doubt, don’t we? We wonder if we’re good enough. If we’re truly loved and understood by those around us. If we’re even lovable. If there will come a day when the people we love most will stop putting up with our “issues” or flaws or weaknesses. And what would we do when that time came? Would we be strong enough to handle it or would we curl up and die? It’s a frightening thought.

I had one of those moments of doubt recently and asked my husband (who I’ve known for 10 years), “You know me, right? All of me. You know I have issues?”

He looked at me and said, in his casual, easy-breezy way, “Of course I do. I accommodate them because I love you.”

I smiled and all doubt was washed away. Because there is such a thing as true, unconditional love. And I have it.

So…what does love mean to you?”

Courtesy of www.chinesedragon.org.uk

Happy Chinese New Year!  It is the Year of the Dragon.  The traditional view of the dragon in China is that it is a creature representing power, strength and good luck.  When people have accomplished much, they are compared to the dragon.  Dragons are said to have control over the weather, but they are mostly benevolent.  When storms and floods happen, it’s because a mortal has upset a dragon.  Though most Chineses dragons do not have wings, they still fly.  How?  They just do.  Now for a truly roaring paranormal-scope.

While I’m not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets, I am intimately linked with the paranormal in the world.   In many ways, so are you.

The week ahead for:

Aries
The Dragon King of the North Sea saw fit to blow snow.  Relax.  Keep warm and enjoy the down time.

Taurus
A Chinese dragon is the gatekeeper to your heart.  You are lucky to be protected.  New friends are coming your way.

Gemini
Dragon Fucanglong  guards treasure and has entrusted in you.  A reward may be yours.

Cancer
Tianlong is the Celestial dragon.  He brings you peace and the strength to start anew.

Leo
Shenlong roars your accomplishments.  Having a dragon for a friend is an asset.

Virgo
Feilong takes you for a ride above the clouds to change your perspective on life.   Enjoy the ride.  The wind is sweet.

Libra
The Dragon King of the East takes you with him and reveals the fun to be found.

Scorpio
The Dragon King of the West stands strong beside you even in trouble.  You will not be alone.

Sagittarius
Panlong loves the lakes with their gentle breezes and serene views.  It’s a time to enjoy solitude and beauty.

Capricorn
The Azure Dragon will provide you with a compassionate friend.

Aquarius
Dancing with the dragons will bring you good luck.

Pieces
The Dragon King of the South fans you with warm, tropical breezes.  A vacation, even a short one, can be restorative.

For more information on Chinese Dragons, visit:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dragon   or  http://www.chinesedragon.org.uk

–Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley
http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com