This week we have a guest I'm really excited about: Skyla Dawn Cameron. She's been on my radar for a while thanks to Melissa at My World...in words and pages. (She runs a great blog and you should totally check it out.) She's organized a lovely tour for Ms. Cameron and her newly re-released Demons of Oblivion series and I'm thrilled to welcome her to the blog.
Before you go any further, though, there's one little announcement. If you've never tried this author and are intersted, you can do it for free! BLOODLINES is free this week: October 28-November 1. And when you fall in love, you can get the remaining e-books in the series are half price this week only.
Okay, that's the end of the plug so keep reading to see what Skyla Dawn Cameron does when she's not writing her next story.
For years, when I haven’t been writing, I’ve been working full time (in publishing), editing overtime, and my “hobby” time was spent writing as it was all I had left. Of course, that had to change, as working 24/7 turns even a workaholic into someone who starts having nightmares about spreadsheets.
Seriously. Spreadsheets.
Recently, I’ve come back to knitting (which I did briefly as a teen) and I see, clearly, why so many writers are knitters. First, it involves some math and logic, but also creativity, and it gets the whole brain working. I have trouble just watching TV—it’s too passive and I need to be doing something else—and knitting is a perfect thing to do while marathoning old X-Files episodes and relaxing the mind. Knitting is also basically a fertility treatment for plot bunnies; they multiply exponentially while I knit (and my plot bunnies? They’re vorpel and they bite).
(The Beginner Yarn Stash in August. It’s bigger now.)
It is also oddly relaxing to have sharp pointy objects in my hands at all times which might mean I’m a homicidal psychopath.
Next up is running, which, if you’d told me ten years ago that I’d one day say was a hobby, I have laughed and laughed at you. Possibly while stabbing you with knitting needles. Although aging and realizing you need to take care of your physical health is a factor, the truth is I enjoy running. The more I look back at my process as a writer, the more I can connect a lot of my books to simply taking a walk. I’ve always had a dog and I don’t drive, so I end up walking everywhere. And I like it. I like having my earphones in, tunes cranked up, letting my brain empty as I go from Point A to Point B. Since I most often write in first person, it’s a way of “getting into character” for me.
And running is the same, except I shut my brain off a little more as I focus on what I’m doing. The act of physically moving, of letting ideas roll around in my head, is one of the best things I’ve been able to do for my writing. I most often use the app Zombies, Run, but even just turning on music for half an hour and running helps. (If you’re a writer and you’re considering jogging, even if you’re like me and you’ve never been particularly physically active in your life, I highly recommend this post by Lilith Saintcrow.)
Finally, when I’m not writing, I’m often gaming.
I don’t do MMORPGs or anything, despite friends trying to get me into WoW. Honestly, I just don’t play well with others. But raiding tombs with Lara Croft, running in terror through the streets of Silent Hill, stealing everything not nailed down in Skyrim, or solving mysteries with Nancy Drew—these are the things that truly relax me. It’s probably the closest I get to a meditative state, leaving from the edges of virtual cliffs or lining up an arrow shot juuuust right. My brain clicks off (noticing a theme here? I need help to keep from overthinking constantly) and I’m focused on getting my poor character through something without being killed and knocked back to my last save point.
And leaping into a throng of zombies with a katana? Best. Stress. Reliever. Ever. Thanks for having me!
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Thanks so much for visiting us, Skyla, and thanks to Melissa for including us in this tour!
For more Skyla, check out her website or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.
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Here's the scoop on BLOODLINES:
If you're in her way, it sucks to be you.
After three hundred years of unlife, narcissistic vampire Zara Lain has seemingly done it all, and she's now making a living as a successful thief-turned-assassin. Her newest assignment seems simple enough: kill the aging leader of the O'Connor coven and his only heir, and she'll have another ten million in the bank.
But in the dangerous world of the supernatural, few things are ever “simple.”
When a massive assault decimates the continent's population of powerful witches and warlocks, and its orchestrator has vampires being hunted down and captured, Zara realizes the tables have turned and now she'll be playing the hero. Forced to join with a smart-mouthed fellow vampire, a demonologist who's also a fan of hers, a recently widowed—and frequently brooding—warlock, and her best friend's mom, Zara's grudgingly willing to do what she can to save the day.
If only people would stop ruining all her outfits...
Includes bonus short story “Thrall”, narrated by warlock Nate O’Connor.
Warning: contains heavy doses of snark, a sexually confident heroine who likes killing people and has no secret heart of gold, lots of explosions, and very naughty language.
Also, some terrible stuff happens to expensive formal wear. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.
Purchase: Amazon
And here's the rest of the series:
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Main Series:
1 – Bloodlines
2 – Hunter
3 – Lineage
4 – Exhumed
5 – Oblivion (Coming Soon)
Side Stories & Novellas:
A Vampire Walked Into a Bar (Tales from Alchemy Red)
Whiskey Sour Home: A Zara Lain Story (Free at My World...in words & pages)
Damaged: A Zara Lain Novella
9 Crimes: A Nate O’Connor Novella
Trick or Death (Tales from Alchemy Red)
Kami of Christmas Past: A Peri Takata Novella (Coming Soon)
Howl: A Juliette Aubrey Novella (Coming Soon)
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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favourite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!
Authors, would you like to visit us? Please email me at jenn (at) tyngasreviews (dot) com and we’ll set it up!
Thank you so much for having me!
ReplyDeleteOh wow Skyla! Look at all that yarn. And the kitties don't play with the strings hanging? :D
ReplyDeleteThank you Jenn for joining the tour, and all the kind worlds and linkage. :) **hugs**
Oh, Mel, the Doombuggy tries. Daily. But she can't *quite* reach yet...
ReplyDeleteAlso, forgot to say: Jenn--Toronto! *fistbump* I was born and raised east of there in Bowmanville (live in cottage country now). I've never been to Newfoundland but I hear it's lovely!
Thanks very much for visiting, Skyla, and super fist bump for a fellow Ontarian! I actually grew up in Markham, and have been to Bowmanville a time our two for sports, back when I was a kid. (That autocorrected to "Judd", which is hilarious to me right now.) Newfoundland is pretty great -- well worth a visit. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks, Mel, for the hookup!