Guest Blog: Lucie J. Charles, author of LIFETHREAD
Today is a first on my blog! A guest blog post! Yippeee!!!
I welcome Lucie J. Charles, indie author of the YA paranormal, LIFETHREAD. Lucie J. is a member of my local RWA group, the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and like me, she’s braving the new world of self-publishing. Today, she’s going to talk a little bit about why she wrote this book and what she has in store for us next.
I like teens. Spending time with them, listening to their discussions, and watching the twists and turns of how they explore life is fun. And anything paranormal and mystical fascinates me. Oh, and romance. Love is what makes us human. And I’m a writer. So, a Young Adult, paranormal romance? What could be better?
Choosing a mythological background for my characters slipped into place when I was loitering in the Young Adult section of the local bookstore. Although the Fates have long been a part of human existence, as I read back cover blurbs and flipped through pages, I found nothing that involved their mythology. In that moment, the background for LIFETHREAD was born.
The Fates provided the perfect setting for my young adult heroines to question and challenge established beliefs. The power and depth of ancient legend created a strong and multi-layered tapestry in which to weave the threads of my story, and the Fates’ responsibilities—creating life, determining destiny, and ending life—represent human transitions perfectly. The weight of their responsibilities also provided my characters with excellent opportunities to break the rules. Teenagers vs. the ancient and established tradition of the Fates. It worked for me. My heroines, McKenna, Shea, and Merritt, continually surprise me with their ingenuity and humor as the pages of their stories unfold.
I’m a complete pantser, so when I started writing I only knew my character’s names, which Fate they were apprenticed to, and that McKenna demanded I write her story first. Understandable since she’s responsible to Atropos and severs the lifethreads of demons. I wasn’t about to argue with her blade. McKenna’s story flowed from my imagination to the keyboard almost effortlessly. We had such fun getting her into, and out of, trouble that I barely realized it was work…until I started on the second draft. That’s when the complexity of her personality started to shine, and make me sweat. One of my more stubborn characters, McKenna.
Not to be outdone, Shea and Merritt have demanded their own stories. Currently, Shea and I are writing Lifethread: CREATION, and are discovering that of the three priestesses, she’s not really “the good one” after all. Merritt has been tapping her foot in the background of my mind, impatiently waiting for Shea to get out of way so that I can begin the more important task of writing about her in Lifethread: DESTINY.
Guess I better get back to it!
Lucie j.
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Thanks so much for joining us today, Lucie J.! I love hearing about how other authors got their ideas. It always amazes me where some ideas come from and how they grow into these stories with a life of their own. Here is a short explanation of what LIFETHREAD is all about:
Stuck in her senior year of high school until she earns her humanity, McKenna Fin is responsible for cutting the lifethread of demons, and protecting teens from being possessed. To celebrate her fiftieth year of apprenticeship to the Fate Atropos, McKenna is given a new responsibility, and possibly a quick way to earn her humanity—severing the lifethread of deserving humans. Her first assignment: Nathan Quinn.
When Nathan becomes a primary demon target and gets sucked into Tartania, McKenna’s duty as a Fated priestess demands she follow. McKenna can rescue him, no problem, but then she’d have to cut his lifethread. And he’s the one and only guy she’s been attracted to since forever.
The demons consider Nathan one of their own and fight to keep him. The time limit on Nathan’s life is about to run out, and McKenna has to make the decision: sever his lifethread, or battle demons, defy the Fates, and keep him for her own.
Doesn’t that just sound awesome! I just picked up my copy of the book for my Kindle and plan to dig into it by this weekend. I hope to have a review posted next week!
Buy LIFETHREAD now at: Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Also, check out Lucie J. Charles’ website for more information about her and her books.
Thank you so much for having me as a guest today, Sarra.
I love your Peachville High series, and look forward to reading many more in the series.
I'd love to know why others write, or read, what they do.
Lucie j.
Hey Lucie,
Best of luck with sales & keep writing. Your stories are wonderful, and I always look forward to them.
Why do I write? Because to me it's like breathing. That's just what I do.
What a fascinating story line. I love fantasy, as well as many other genres, and have to congratulate you on publishing with Amazon. I read romance, mysteries, suspense, paranormal, timetravel, you name it, and it appers I also write in all those genres. Why? I'm a bookaholic and, to coin a word, a writeraholic or, as one writer was termed, a writing junkie. I'm going to buy your book today.
Joan Maze "Jazzy"
Hi Lucie,
I'm excited to see your book available on Kindle. Your writing is creative and entertaining. In this book, the world is as strong as the characters. I look forward to the next story.
I write because, like you, I have characters waiting in the background for their 15 minutes of fame and I love to tell their stories.
Hi, Rashda.
So good to see you here. It's been awhile, and since I understand about the "writing like breathing" thing, I'm waiting, impatiently, to see your next creation. Hint, hint.
Lucie j.
Hi, Joan.
I know you haven't been writing as much as you'd like to lately and hope your shoulder is better soon. I love your "Molly" books (available through Red Rose Publishing) and am looking forward to more in the near future.
Would love to hear how you like LIFETHREAD.
Lucie j.
Hi, Judy.
I'm STILL waiting for the rest of your story on the very smart computer lady who sneaks behind the secret door.
Thank you for your kind words about my writing…since you've seen several drafts, I take that as a great compliment.
Lucie j.
Great blog! Can't wait to see what happens to these three compelling characters.
Hi, Julia, and thanks for commenting.
I'm a complete pantser, so honestly, I can hardly wait to see what happens to my characters either.
Shea's story is next, and I already know that she's not even close to the "good one" everyone thinks she is.
We'll see if I can get her out of the, count them, three messes she's gotten herself into.
Lucie j.
Just wanted to drop by really quickly to say how much I loved LIFETHREAD. The fates, the girls, the tension — all of it made me want to finish it in one sitting. Congratulations to you, Lucie, on your new release!
Tammy
Thanks for posting Lucie, and for sticking around today to talk to commenters! Thanks everyone for all your comments and support of indie authors.
Great blog, Lucie!! This book sounds amazing, and I'm off to buy my copy now. Good luck – I know it's going to do great!
Hi L.J.;
I'm going to purchase your book for my daughter. The fascinating characters you've created sound like something she'd really like.
This was a really good blog, and I wish you much success!
Lucie, wow! I love this. Pitting teens against ancient powers and all the emotion, defiance and (above all!) romance. Fantastic.
And I love my Nook, too, because I just downloaded LIFETHREAD. 🙂 Can't wait to read!
OMG, the timing is amazing! I was jsut going through the list of HCRW authors the other day to see who was new and I had NO idea who you were until I had hit up your website. Even worse, I had no idea this was your pen name and we chatted on the couch at Claudia's Christmas party. 😉 Man, have I been out of the loop.
Anyway, CONGRATS on your book release. I am so getting a copy to support my fellow indie.