Our Adoption Anniversary

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It’s been a year since we officially adopted our boys (i.e. stood before a judge who signed the documents) and almost two and a half years since they joined our family.

I’ve never blogged about our adoption story. I’ve blogged about older child adoption, mused on things as a parent, and given my opinion on a number of adoption-related events, and issues, but I’ve never related our story.

So here it is.

It’s long.

Get comfortable.

…

My partner and I are a same-sex couple. We’ve been together for thirteen years. Six years ago we attended a course run out of a GLBT community centre in Toronto called “Daddies and Poppas”. Basically it was a course meant to educate couples on the various parenting options.

We knew we wanted to be parents, but the question was how. Surrogacy? Local adoption? International adoption? Co-parenting?

In the end we chose local adoption. We felt it was the best fit for us.

So in February of 2005 we put in our application with the local Children’s Aid Society to become adoptive parents.

After that, we waited.

And waited.

Two years passed before we finally received the call that we would be able to attend the adoption orientation course. (The wait for the course is now more like a year since they made some changes to the system, but I truly believe this wait is necessary. It gave us a lot of time to think about what we wanted out of parenting and quite honestly it helps prevent impulsive adoption. There’s nothing worse than a failed adoption because a parent wasn’t capable/ready of taking on the challenges that adoption can incur.)

The adoption orientation course was engaging and interesting. We learned a lot about the various circumstances under which children come into care and become crown wards. We also learned about the various types of adoptions (open, closed, etc). The course was ten weeks long, and after that we were set up with an amazing adoption worker who would then interview us, both separately and together, as part of the home study. We also had to provide reference letters, undergo a medical check, a comprehensive police background check, and provide information proving that we were financially capable of providing for children. (NOTE: Although adoption through Children’s Aid is free, we needed to be financially secure.)

During the interview process, we were required to talk about our past, including personal issues, our relationships with our family members and spouse, as well as what expectations we had as parents. That honesty is fundamental in a lot of ways. The aim of Children’s Aid is to find the right home for a child. They have no obligation to prospective parents – so there was no guarantee that they would find us a child. The focus was, and should always be, what is best for the child. I’ve heard parents complain about how they never got a child through Children’s Aid. IMHO, I don’t think they waited long enough, or their parameters were too narrow. Desiring a healthy baby of similar ethnic background from a birth mother with a perfect health record and no history of substance abuse is a recipe for a very long wait, or an impossibility.

Back to the home study.

In talking about our relationships, past and present, the adoption worker was able to get a feel for who we were and what we were capable of. We decided that we wanted to adopt two children (siblings) that were between the ages of 2 and 5. We felt that was the right fit for us. Our worker took all of the information back and wrote up a report, recommending us as prospective parents.

This was June of 2007.

Then the wait started all over.

At this point, we were waiting for children that would become available for adoption in our area, as well as ones that the workers felt would be a good fit. They had multiple parents to choose from for various children and they needed to decide who would make the best home for the children.

We continued to wait.

Getting closer to October, we were told that an Adoption Resource Exchange Conference was happening in Toronto. This event is only open to parents that have a completed home study (or are in the process of completing it). They hold them twice a year. At the conference, children awaiting adoption from all over the province are profiled (through displays, pamphlets, videos, and pictures) for adoptive parents and workers to review. These children are profiled at the conference because they couldn’t be placed in adoptive homes in their own regions. Usually this is because they are children with specialized needs or because they are sibling groups.

We didn’t know what to expect at this event. We arrived and took up a seat in the auditorium and watched as videos of children and descriptions of their needs were played on the large screen before us. Between choking sobs and tears, we made notes on the pamphlets we had been given so we could follow up with various workers. We didn’t last long in there. It was heart wrenching.

We then wandered through the various displays across multiple rooms, stopping here and there, saying hello to the workers and picking up information sheets on the various children.

And as we stepped into one of the rooms, I saw a display across the way of three boys. They had the look of little Huckleberry Fin’s. I will never forget that moment as I muttered out loud, “Oh my god.”

Believe me, or don’t, I knew they were our children. I knew it in my gut, and I made a beeline for the display.

We immediately hit it off with the workers, asking a million questions. We watched a little video they had brought with them that showed these beautiful boys in stunning photos. The song Little Wonders by Rob Thomas played in the background. Our hearts melted. They told us that the oldest was living in a separate foster home than his brothers, didn’t attend the same school, and rarely saw them. He wanted to be with his brothers. They were 6, 7, and 9 years old. And if they didn’t find an adoptive home for them at the conference, they were going to split them up, adopting the two youngest together and try to find a home for the oldest separately.

We told them we wanted all three. Together.

We took down all of the relevant information, filled out forms, gave them one of our own profile sheets, and made our way back to the auditorium to watch the information video on this little trio. From that moment those boys had captured our hearts.

We wandered through the aisles and took information down about other children, but none had had the impact on us like those three little boys.

And so, the wait began again.

From that weekend, we learned that there were eight couples interested in the boys.

Our hearts were heavy. We were a same-sex couple, and despite the fact that Children’s Aid had long been approving of same-sex couples as adoptive parents, we couldn’t help but wonder if we might be overlooked.

A couple of weeks later, we learned that the choice had been narrowed down to four couples.

We were among them.

To the four couples, an information package was sent, giving full disclosure of the boys’ backgrounds, their birth parents, the reason they had come into care, and some of the challenges that the boys faced.

We were daunted by none of it. We read that information over and over. It furthered our resolve that we were the right parents for these boys.

Then a little snag occurred. The two youngest attended a school where one of the school staff wanted to adopt them. They hadn’t completed a home study yet, but Children’s Aid deemed that they should be treated as a kin-type of relationship.

We were devastated.

What could we possibly offer that someone who already knows them couldn’t?

So we waited. Dejectedly.

After about another two weeks, we were told that this person’s plan wasn’t viable. They weren’t aware that there was a third child and Children’s Aid thought it was in the boys’ best interest to find a home for them where they could be together.

So now it came down to us and one other couple. We were told that we would be interviewed, as well as the other couple, and the decision would be made after that. We were up against a heterosexual couple with a teenage son. We also found out that this particular Children’s Aid Society had never adopted to a same-sex couple before. Yet again, we wondered if we would be chosen.

The interview was incredible. We talked with the same workers that we had met at the Exchange. We talked, and laughed, and shared plans and ideas. We even cut into the time of the other couple because we lost track of time.

After that, it was a few more days before we received the call. We had been chosen!! Those three little boys that we had waited to hear about for seven weeks were going to be our children! We were beside ourselves with joy!

This was now early December 2007.

We were invited to meet with the foster parents and we would be given the chance to see the boys in a meeting room from behind a two-way mirror.

We drove four hours to the region where our boys were living. And as we pulled into the parking lot, we saw two little boys get out of a car, one of which stopped as we drove by. I watched him mouth the words, “Woah!” as we went by. And the two of us were practically screaming, “Oh my god! Oh my god!” as we parked. That little boy was our middle son.

We waited for them to enter the building, giving them the time to get in and then we followed. We were immediately escorted to a room so we could watch from behind the mirror. Our oldest got to meet with his younger brothers and we watched from behind the mirror as they exchanged Christmas gifts and home-made cards with each other. (We still have those cards.)

One of the workers sent the boys over to the mirror to clean their faces after they ate lunch, knowing we would want a closer look at our future sons.

They came over and made faces in the mirror to our delight.

After letting the boys leave we moved to another room where we met with various workers as well as the foster families. Our boys had still been living in separate foster homes (our two youngest were together in one, our oldest in another). We were told more about the boys and what to expect from them. We discussed schedules of visits, sleep overs, and the final move to our house. We brought with us little photo albums that we had created for each of them with pictures of their new home, school, dogs, family and friends. And in that album was also a DVD that very good friends of ours put together for them.

We then left knowing that in early January we would be meeting them.

Christmas came and went. We spent New Years alone that year, wanting to just rest and relax before the upcoming maelstrom of visits and activities. A new and exciting journey was waiting for us!

We went shopping for gifts to bring with us. We got a flat tire the night before we were supposed to meet them and had to scramble to get it replaced. As a result, we were an hour late arriving and found the boys all sitting in a circle on the floor, playing Old Maid. We came in and said hello, bringing the bags of presents with us.

The boys said nothing. They looked up from their game, and my partner and I took places in the little circle with them. We needed no introduction. My oldest said not a word. He simply took half his cards and handed them to my partner. And as if we had always been a family, we played Old Maid and the bonding began.

In most cases, the workers or foster families are needed to break the ice and act as mediators in the initial meeting. That wasn’t the case for us. We hit it off immediately. My youngest told us, in his matter-of-fact tone, that they were going to come and live with us, and that I had a big head. I laughed aloud, not having the heart to tell him that he had a pretty big noggin himself.

From there we spent the coming days getting to know our boys and took them tobogganing, swimming, bowling, and to their hockey games. We lived out of McDonald’s – their favorite restaurant.

A few weeks later, they moved in with their new family. Us.

It wasn’t necessarily simple from there. Minor complications arose. Our oldest son had been living with an extremely religious foster family that had poisoned his mind. They led him to believe he would go to hell because he had two dads. It was something that no nine year old should ever have to deal with, not after everything else he had been through.

It took time to undo the brainwashing. Between a very supportive play therapist and children’s books like “And Tango Makes Three” he was better able to understand what it meant to have two dads.

We spent the next year doing what all families do. We took them to amusement parks, camping, the cottage, family get togethers, and cultural events. We talked with them, read to them, played with them. We went crazy at Christmas with gingerbread houses, decorations, fun in the snow, and lots of presents!

Then we were told that, just prior to seeing the judge for the adoption finalization, our boys had to see a lawyer. Because of their ages, they had to formally agree to the adoption. They had to sign. And they had 3 weeks in which to change their minds. There were two sets of fears going on here. Our fear that they might not sign, or that they might change their minds. And for the boys, they feared that we might not want them.

Three weeks later we stood before an Ontario Supreme Court Justice who told us that we were all officially a family. It is one of the greatest moments in our lives. And for our boys, especially our oldest, the tension they had been living with suddenly melted away. They knew they would never be separated from each other again, they knew that this family would be forever, and that we would always be their dads.

Family and friends filled the court room to share that wonderful day with us. And now, a year later, we’re as strong a family as any. Our boys proudly correct people who assume they have a mother. “I don’t have a mom. I have two dads,” they say. They stand up for others when they see injustice, and they like that they’re a little bit different. “I wouldn’t want to be like everyone else,” my oldest says, “I like being different.”

I now barely remember what it was like before we had children. And I don’t want to. They have filled our lives with so much love, laughter, and joy that I can’t imagine it any other way.

And so now it’s our anniversary, and at this time of the year, every year, we’re going to celebrate.

Wouldn’t you?

Random Musings: Barnes & Noble Reinstated My Profile!

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Well, I’m not exactly sure what made them change their minds about my profile, but Barnes & Noble reinstated it. Yay! If you’re unaware of what happened, see my previous post. After posting about it, I had amazing support from so many people, and some fabulous letter writers over at Goodreads came to my aid. You’re my knights in shining armor! Thank you all for you amazing support! I can’t tell you how much it means to me!!

Random Musings: Interview With Author – Natasha Rhodes

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I’ve been running a series of interviews with authors that are releasing new books, particularly dark fiction. I hope you’ll take the time to check out their work. Today, please welcome author, Natasha Rhodes.

————

To start, can you tell me a little about yourself.

I’m a British author currently living in California. I’ve written a disturbing number of horror-film novelisations, including the smash-hit movie blockbuster ‘Blade: Trinity,’ ‘Final Destination: The Movie’ 1 and 2, plus several original movie-based tie-in novels such as ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street: Perchance To Dream’ and ‘Final Destination: Dead Reckoning.’

My latest series is the Kayla Steele Vampire Hunter series, the first two books of which ‘Dante’s Girl’ and ‘The Last Angel’ have been published internationally to occasional critical acclaim. The latest book is called ‘Circus Of Sins’ and it came out on May 25th 2010. I currently live in Los Angeles and work at a rock club on Sunset Strip, filming Metal bands and trying to write in between dodging flying bottles, topless stagedivers and excitable club managers. I like coconut Mojitos with an extra cherry if you’re buying.

How long have you been writing and how did you get to this point in your career?

I started writing when I was 12 years old. My mother had an old-fashioned manual typewriter, and I used to type out all my favorite movies word-for-word to make them into a book, which I hoped I could sell for millions of dollars. One summer I typed up my favorite movie ‘Short Circuit 2’ and re-wrote it as a novel. I bound my 100 hand-typed pages together with kiddy-glue and string, drew a cover in colored pencil, and mailed it to the movie company. I got my first rejection letter at age 13. I had a lot to learn about the movie and publishing industry.

When I was 24 I got my ‘big break’ when I heard through an author friend that a new SF publisher called Solaris were looking to take on new writers. As an audition piece, I was told to watch my favorite movie and type up the first chapter as though it was a novel. Oddly enough, I had experience at doing that! I picked my favorite film ‘Blade 2’, sent in my chapter, and never expected to hear from them again.

A month later, I got an email – they wanted to hire me. My first project? Turning the as-yet-unfilmed movie ‘Blade 3’ into a novel, even though it hadn’t been made yet, a process which they called a novelization. I’d been a huge Blade fan since I first read the comic series in my teens, so writing the book was a dream come true for me. I worked from the shooting script (which the director David. S. Goyer kept changing as the film was shot), and my book hit the shelves at the exact same time that the movie came out in cinemas, 6 months later. It was quite an experience to see my name on the front cover next to Wesley Snipes and Jessica Biel!

Your new novel is called Circus of Sins. What’s it about?

‘Circus of Sins’ is Book 3 of an ongoing book series starring supernatural crime-fighter Kayla Steele, whose world is turned upside down when she finds out that her recently-murdered true-love Karrel Dante was none other than a werewolf hunter…. and that she’s next on his killer’s hit list. She’s a super-hero with no super-powers, which I thought was a great twist until I discovered that it’d already been done by Neil Gaimon. If you’re a writer in SF/ Fantasy, by the way, just forget it – everything’s already been done by Neil Gaimon. He steals all my great ideas several years before I even think of them, the meanie.

What inspired or drove you to write this book series?

This series was inspired almost entirely by my move to LA, as a way of capturing on paper the outlandish people and situations I come across almost every day living in the City of Angels. If most major cities can be described as cultural melting pots, LA could be described as a mental melting pot. Everyone who lives here is startlingly, alarmingly, bug-shaggingly crazy… in their own sweet, unique way, of course. The city has a very unique culture – you see things here that you could never see anywhere else in the world. I’ve been here almost 5 years now and the after-dark goings-on in Hollywood never cease to amaze me. I love it here.

I have a keen interest in dark and paranormal fantasy. Tell me how you would classify this book series and what’s dark about it?

I’d say this book series is a Dark Fantasy series, with some sprinklings of romance, black comedy and action-thriller thrown in. The hero gets killed on Page 1 of the first book of the series (‘Dante’s Girl’), and the rest of the series is about his girlfriend Kayla struggling to make herself into the heroine… only she’s not very good at it. After finding out that her dead boyfriend was actually a trained hit man for an underground werewolf-hunting organization called the Hunters, she must piece her life back together, whilst fighting off the advances of her true-love’s best friend, a werewolf named Mutt, and trying to resist a growing attraction to a rogue vampire named Niki, who may or may not be trying to kill her. And all this whilst trying to deal with the fact that she’s been bitten by a werewolf, and is now turning into one herself… the story continues.

The vampire movie ‘Twilight’ is very popular right now. Are there any similarities between Stephanie Mayer’s books and your series? I put off reading the Twilight books until almost a year ago, just because everyone was reading them and telling me to read them and so of course I ignored them for as long as possible. When I finally caved (I was on a 13-hour flight from London to LA, in my defense, and I needed something to read) I was pleasantly surprised at how readable and addictive they were. I pretty much stayed up the whole night reading the first one in one sitting, then straight away went out and bought the rest of the series.

My novel series is similar to ‘Twilight’ in the fact that the heroine is torn between a werewolf and a vampire lover, but there I think all similarities end. Aside from the romance my books have a strong action-horror element, thanks to my background in writing the ‘Blade,’ ‘Nightmare On Elm Street’ and ‘Final Destination’ books. I think my heroine Kayla is much more proactive than Bella, and doesn’t sit around moping and waiting to be rescued every time something goes wrong. After seeing the Twilight movies I’ve made a definite attempt to make my werewolves and vampires more vicious and unpredictable, as I think the vampires in Twilight are all wimps. My vampires don’t sparkle, you’ll be pleased to know.

Often there are characters in a book that we just love, but what character of yours would you completely despise if you were to meet them in real life? Why? Probably Niki. He’s a loose cannon, a vampire who our heroine just can’t bring herself to kill, although he deserves it many times over. I based him on Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue (one of my favorite LA bands) and he’s the classic Bad Boy. Women go crazy over men like Nikki Sixx, but as anyone who’s ever dated a real Bad Boy can testify, once the novelty of the unpredictability wears off, you just want to slap them every other minute. In the book he’s a seductive figure, but I’d probably want to knee him in the nuts if I met him in real life.

Sometimes we have to be ruthless in writing/editing. We cut scenes, eliminate characters or even kill them off. Tell me what was the hardest of these in this book.

(SPOLIER ALERT) I’m a huge fan of the bad guys. I always far prefer writing about bad guys than good guys. In ‘Circus Of Sins’, one of my favorite bad guys finally meets his maker, a serial-killing, chain-smoking, poetry quoting werewolf named Harlem. He’s what the Terminator would’ve been like if Frank Miller (of ‘Sin City’ fame) had written the screenplay. He’s always been my favorite character to write and he’s had some really great lines, most of which were cut before publication by my previous editor (usually accompanied by big red notes in the margin along the lines of “NO, NO, NO!!” and “This will get BIG complaints!!” etc). I miss him already.

This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something that you’re particularly fond of.

This quote’s not mine, but it’s one of my favorites:

‘Well-behaved women rarely make history.’

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich said that. I liked it so much I put it in the front of my book, in the hopes that my readers will like it too.

What can we expect from you next?

This is the third book in the Kayla Steele Werewolf Hunter series. I’m currently halfway through writing Book 4, which (with any luck) should be published in Fall 2011. I’ve also just finished a short horror story for the upcoming Solaris/ Rebellion anthology, ‘End Of The Line,’ a compilation of short horror stories set on subway systems around the world. My story is called ‘Crazy Train’ and is set on a fictional LA metro line, and features a newly-dead rock musician who gets the chance to play one final show… with some very unusual guests. The official release date for the anthology is November 15th 2010 in the US and UK.

Where can we find you on the internet?

My official website is www.natasharhodes.com, or you can write to me on my Myspace page. You can buy my books through my website and on Amazon, here’s the link to my latest book.

Any final comments or thoughts?

Just a huge thank you to David Burton for doing this interview, and thanks to all my friends and fans who bought my last few books and who’ve waited so patiently for the follow-up. If you recognize yourself as a character in ‘Circus Of Sins,’ I just have three things to say:

a) It wasn’t me,
b) I didn’t do it, and
c) You can’t prove anything.

I’m also currently accepting monetary bribes to turn your ex into a character and kill them in an unspeakable way in Book 4. Just putting that out there. I hope you like my book!

————

Natasha, thanks for coming by and answering these questions! I certainly hope you can come back for Book 4! I look forward to picking these up!!

Interview With Author – Natasha Rhodes

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I’ve been running a series of interviews with authors that are releasing new books, particularly dark fiction. I hope you’ll take the time to check out their work. Today, please welcome author, Natasha Rhodes.

————

To start, can you tell me a little about yourself.

I’m a British author currently living in California. I’ve written a disturbing number of horror-film novelisations, including the smash-hit movie blockbuster ‘Blade: Trinity,’ ‘Final Destination: The Movie’ 1 and 2, plus several original movie-based tie-in novels such as ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street: Perchance To Dream’ and ‘Final Destination: Dead Reckoning.’

My latest series is the Kayla Steele Vampire Hunter series, the first two books of which ‘Dante’s Girl’ and ‘The Last Angel’ have been published internationally to occasional critical acclaim. The latest book is called ‘Circus Of Sins’ and it came out on May 25th 2010. I currently live in Los Angeles and work at a rock club on Sunset Strip, filming Metal bands and trying to write in between dodging flying bottles, topless stagedivers and excitable club managers. I like coconut Mojitos with an extra cherry if you’re buying.

How long have you been writing and how did you get to this point in your career?

I started writing when I was 12 years old. My mother had an old-fashioned manual typewriter, and I used to type out all my favorite movies word-for-word to make them into a book, which I hoped I could sell for millions of dollars. One summer I typed up my favorite movie ‘Short Circuit 2’ and re-wrote it as a novel. I bound my 100 hand-typed pages together with kiddy-glue and string, drew a cover in colored pencil, and mailed it to the movie company. I got my first rejection letter at age 13. I had a lot to learn about the movie and publishing industry.

When I was 24 I got my ‘big break’ when I heard through an author friend that a new SF publisher called Solaris were looking to take on new writers. As an audition piece, I was told to watch my favorite movie and type up the first chapter as though it was a novel. Oddly enough, I had experience at doing that! I picked my favorite film ‘Blade 2’, sent in my chapter, and never expected to hear from them again.

A month later, I got an email – they wanted to hire me. My first project? Turning the as-yet-unfilmed movie ‘Blade 3’ into a novel, even though it hadn’t been made yet, a process which they called a novelization. I’d been a huge Blade fan since I first read the comic series in my teens, so writing the book was a dream come true for me. I worked from the shooting script (which the director David. S. Goyer kept changing as the film was shot), and my book hit the shelves at the exact same time that the movie came out in cinemas, 6 months later. It was quite an experience to see my name on the front cover next to Wesley Snipes and Jessica Biel!

Your new novel is called Circus of Sins. What’s it about?

‘Circus of Sins’ is Book 3 of an ongoing book series starring supernatural crime-fighter Kayla Steele, whose world is turned upside down when she finds out that her recently-murdered true-love Karrel Dante was none other than a werewolf hunter…. and that she’s next on his killer’s hit list. She’s a super-hero with no super-powers, which I thought was a great twist until I discovered that it’d already been done by Neil Gaimon. If you’re a writer in SF/ Fantasy, by the way, just forget it – everything’s already been done by Neil Gaimon. He steals all my great ideas several years before I even think of them, the meanie.

What inspired or drove you to write this book series?

This series was inspired almost entirely by my move to LA, as a way of capturing on paper the outlandish people and situations I come across almost every day living in the City of Angels. If most major cities can be described as cultural melting pots, LA could be described as a mental melting pot. Everyone who lives here is startlingly, alarmingly, bug-shaggingly crazy… in their own sweet, unique way, of course. The city has a very unique culture – you see things here that you could never see anywhere else in the world. I’ve been here almost 5 years now and the after-dark goings-on in Hollywood never cease to amaze me. I love it here.

I have a keen interest in dark and paranormal fantasy. Tell me how you would classify this book series and what’s dark about it?

I’d say this book series is a Dark Fantasy series, with some sprinklings of romance, black comedy and action-thriller thrown in. The hero gets killed on Page 1 of the first book of the series (‘Dante’s Girl’), and the rest of the series is about his girlfriend Kayla struggling to make herself into the heroine… only she’s not very good at it. After finding out that her dead boyfriend was actually a trained hit man for an underground werewolf-hunting organization called the Hunters, she must piece her life back together, whilst fighting off the advances of her true-love’s best friend, a werewolf named Mutt, and trying to resist a growing attraction to a rogue vampire named Niki, who may or may not be trying to kill her. And all this whilst trying to deal with the fact that she’s been bitten by a werewolf, and is now turning into one herself… the story continues.

The vampire movie ‘Twilight’ is very popular right now. Are there any similarities between Stephanie Meyer’s books and your series?

I put off reading the Twilight books until almost a year ago, just because everyone was reading them and telling me to read them and so of course I ignored them for as long as possible. When I finally caved (I was on a 13-hour flight from London to LA, in my defense, and I needed something to read) I was pleasantly surprised at how readable and addictive they were. I pretty much stayed up the whole night reading the first one in one sitting, then straight away went out and bought the rest of the series.

My novel series is similar to ‘Twilight’ in the fact that the heroine is torn between a werewolf and a vampire lover, but there I think all similarities end. Aside from the romance my books have a strong action-horror element, thanks to my background in writing the ‘Blade,’ ‘Nightmare On Elm Street’ and ‘Final Destination’ books. I think my heroine Kayla is much more proactive than Bella, and doesn’t sit around moping and waiting to be rescued every time something goes wrong. After seeing the Twilight movies I’ve made a definite attempt to make my werewolves and vampires more vicious and unpredictable, as I think the vampires in Twilight are all wimps. My vampires don’t sparkle, you’ll be pleased to know.

Often there are characters in a book that we just love, but what character of yours would you completely despise if you were to meet them in real life? Why?

Probably Niki. He’s a loose cannon, a vampire who our heroine just can’t bring herself to kill, although he deserves it many times over. I based him on Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue (one of my favorite LA bands) and he’s the classic Bad Boy. Women go crazy over men like Nikki Sixx, but as anyone who’s ever dated a real Bad Boy can testify, once the novelty of the unpredictability wears off, you just want to slap them every other minute. In the book he’s a seductive figure, but I’d probably want to knee him in the nuts if I met him in real life.

Sometimes we have to be ruthless in writing/editing. We cut scenes, eliminate characters or even kill them off. Tell me what was the hardest of these in this book.

(SPOLIER ALERT) I’m a huge fan of the bad guys. I always far prefer writing about bad guys than good guys. In ‘Circus Of Sins’, one of my favorite bad guys finally meets his maker, a serial-killing, chain-smoking, poetry quoting werewolf named Harlem. He’s what the Terminator would’ve been like if Frank Miller (of ‘Sin City’ fame) had written the screenplay. He’s always been my favorite character to write and he’s had some really great lines, most of which were cut before publication by my previous editor (usually accompanied by big red notes in the margin along the lines of “NO, NO, NO!!” and “This will get BIG complaints!!” etc). I miss him already.

This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something that you’re particularly fond of.

This quote’s not mine, but it’s one of my favorites:

‘Well-behaved women rarely make history.’

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich said that. I liked it so much I put it in the front of my book, in the hopes that my readers will like it too.

What can we expect from you next?

This is the third book in the Kayla Steele Werewolf Hunter series. I’m currently halfway through writing Book 4, which (with any luck) should be published in Fall 2011. I’ve also just finished a short horror story for the upcoming Solaris/ Rebellion anthology, ‘End Of The Line,’ a compilation of short horror stories set on subway systems around the world. My story is called ‘Crazy Train’ and is set on a fictional LA metro line, and features a newly-dead rock musician who gets the chance to play one final show… with some very unusual guests. The official release date for the anthology is November 15th 2010 in the US and UK.

Where can we find you on the internet?

My official website is www.natasharhodes.com, or you can write to me on my Myspace page. You can buy my books through my website and on Amazon, here’s the link to my latest book.

Any final comments or thoughts?

Just a huge thank you to David Burton for doing this interview, and thanks to all my friends and fans who bought my last few books and who’ve waited so patiently for the follow-up. If you recognize yourself as a character in ‘Circus Of Sins,’ I just have three things to say:

a) It wasn’t me,
b) I didn’t do it, and
c) You can’t prove anything.

I’m also currently accepting monetary bribes to turn your ex into a character and kill them in an unspeakable way in Book 4. Just putting that out there. I hope you like my book!

————

Natasha, thanks for coming by and answering these questions! I certainly hope you can come back for Book 4! I look forward to picking these up!!

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Random Musings: Interview With Author Joshua Caleb

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I’ve been running a series of interviews with authors that are releasing new books, particularly dark fiction. I hope you’ll take the time to check out their work. Today, please welcome author, Joshua Caleb.

————

To start, can you tell me a little about yourself?

There’s not a whole lot to tell. :) I live at home with my parents and sisters. I spend most of my time surfing the internet, writing, playing video games, or listening to music. I read occasionally, when I can find a good book.

How long have you been writing and how did you get to this point in your career?

I’ve been writing in some shape or form almost my entire life. When I was younger, this mostly consisted of playing “action figures” with my two sisters.

You have a new book just out, Warped and Wired. Tell me what inspired you to write this?

A lot of things. I derived the plot and characters from many sources: movies, video games, books, science & technology. Portia’s “portal” ability was actually inspired by the game “Portal”, I always thought being able to “tear space” and warp instantaneously between two places was really cool. Mlina’s neural computer matrix was a little more original in that I thought up most of it myself.(though nothing’s really original nowadays) As far as what drove me to write in general: the need to tell a good story. There are so many books out there, but very few are actually worth reading. Opinions may differ on this, obviously, but I’ve had a hard time finding books nowadays that can even come close to matching the likes of Conan Doyle, Verne, Tolkien, and Lewis(and even some of their works bore me:)

I have a keen interest in dark fiction. Tell me how you would classify this book and what’s dark about it?

I’ve always had a hard time with genres, they can be so subjective and redundant. I would definitely classify “Warped & Wired” as a modern, sci-fi, fantasy novel, though. As far as what makes it dark? The series chronicles the changing times in the world and its affect on humans. Few know the real history of the earth and the beings that originally inhabited it and the evil one that created them. Now, those beings are seeking to reclaim their place as the dominate and ruling race of the world. The modified versions of traditional witches and vampires also lend a little “darkness” to the story.

Sometimes we have to be ruthless in writing/editing. We cut scenes, eliminate characters or even kill them off. Tell me what was the hardest of these in this book.

Getting the characters and plot to all mesh together. I generally pick two characters to star in a novel and it’s a real trick to write them in unique ways and get them to cooperate the way I want:) I’ve had to eliminate scenes, characters, even rewrite the entire first half of the book to get everything to work together. Even then, the characters will sometimes take a turn that I wasn’t expecting and I have to try and figure out a way to make it work. I think the characters can be the hardest part of writing, they are after all, people in a sense and people can be very unpredictable.

This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something you’re particularly fond of.

“Knowledge is a Bed of Roses; for Each Beautiful Flower, there a dozen Thorns to Match”

Most stories have a moral or lesson in them, what would you say yours is?

The biggest one? “Accept who you are, faults and all, to discover your true power and potential.”

What can we expect from you next?

The sequel to “Warped & Wired” of course. :) While it won’t star Portia and Mlina, they will play major supporting roles to the new main characters. I plan to write a whole series of books called the “Wryter Chronicles” each starring different characters from within the world(don’t worry, there will be plenty of cameo appearances). The series should be quite exciting, covering everything from mythology, urban legend, cutting-edge science & technology, conspiracy theories, supernatural beings, to extraterrestrial life!

Where can we find you on the internet?

All of the above. I’m really trying to get the hang of this whole social networking thing. So, I am on Twitter, I have a blog, I have a website, and I have three book trailers.

Any final comments or thoughts?

Support good stories. Authors have a tendency to let their writing slip after they’ve made their name. So keep us in line, let us know that you demand quality fiction. :) This goes for movies and TV shows as well as books. Vote with your dollars and reviews!

————

Joshua, thanks for coming by and answering these questions. And best of luck with the sequel to Warped & Wired!

Purchasing information:

Amazon
Smashwords
Kobo

Interview With Author Joshua Caleb

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I’ve been running a series of interviews with authors that are releasing new books, particularly dark fiction. I hope you’ll take the time to check out their work. Today, please welcome author, Joshua Caleb.

————

To start, can you tell me a little about yourself?

There’s not a whole lot to tell. I live at home with my parents and sisters. I spend most of my time surfing the internet, writing, playing video games, or listening to music. I read occasionally, when I can find a good book.

How long have you been writing and how did you get to this point in your career?

I’ve been writing in some shape or form almost my entire life. When I was younger, this mostly consisted of playing “action figures” with my two sisters.

You have a new book just out, Warped and Wired. Tell me what inspired you to write this?

A lot of things. I derived the plot and characters from many sources: movies, video games, books, science & technology. Portia’s “portal” ability was actually inspired by the game “Portal”, I always thought being able to “tear space” and warp instantaneously between two places was really cool. Mlina’s neural computer matrix was a little more original in that I thought up most of it myself.(though nothing’s really original nowadays) As far as what drove me to write in general: the need to tell a good story. There are so many books out there, but very few are actually worth reading. Opinions may differ on this, obviously, but I’ve had a hard time finding books nowadays that can even come close to matching the likes of Conan Doyle, Verne, Tolkien, and Lewis(and even some of their works bore me:)

I have a keen interest in dark fiction. Tell me how you would classify this book and what’s dark about it?

I’ve always had a hard time with genres, they can be so subjective and redundant. I would definitely classify “Warped & Wired” as a modern, sci-fi, fantasy novel, though. As far as what makes it dark? The series chronicles the changing times in the world and its affect on humans. Few know the real history of the earth and the beings that originally inhabited it and the evil one that created them. Now, those beings are seeking to reclaim their place as the dominate and ruling race of the world. The modified versions of traditional witches and vampires also lend a little “darkness” to the story.

Sometimes we have to be ruthless in writing/editing. We cut scenes, eliminate characters or even kill them off. Tell me what was the hardest of these in this book.

Getting the characters and plot to all mesh together. I generally pick two characters to star in a novel and it’s a real trick to write them in unique ways and get them to cooperate the way I want:) I’ve had to eliminate scenes, characters, even rewrite the entire first half of the book to get everything to work together. Even then, the characters will sometimes take a turn that I wasn’t expecting and I have to try and figure out a way to make it work. I think the characters can be the hardest part of writing, they are after all, people in a sense and people can be very unpredictable.

This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something you’re particularly fond of.

“Knowledge is a Bed of Roses; for Each Beautiful Flower, there a dozen Thorns to Match”

Most stories have a moral or lesson in them, what would you say yours is?

The biggest one? “Accept who you are, faults and all, to discover your true power and potential.”

What can we expect from you next?

The sequel to “Warped & Wired” of course. While it won’t star Portia and Mlina, they will play major supporting roles to the new main characters. I plan to write a whole series of books called the “Wryter Chronicles” each starring different characters from within the world(don’t worry, there will be plenty of cameo appearances). The series should be quite exciting, covering everything from mythology, urban legend, cutting-edge science & technology, conspiracy theories, supernatural beings, to extraterrestrial life!

Where can we find you on the internet?

All of the above. I’m really trying to get the hang of this whole social networking thing. So, I am on Twitter, I have a blog, I have a website, and I have three book trailers.

Any final comments or thoughts?

Support good stories. Authors have a tendency to let their writing slip after they’ve made their name. So keep us in line, let us know that you demand quality fiction. This goes for movies and TV shows as well as books. Vote with your dollars and reviews!

————

Joshua, thanks for coming by and answering these questions. And best of luck with the sequel to Warped & Wired!

Purchasing information: