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Sunday, June 13, 2010

Author Guest Blog & Contest with Jocelynn Drake!

I have a second author guest for you this week. Jocelynn Drake, I am sure, is an author you all know or have at least heard of. Her Dark Days Novels have made her a New York Times Bestseller and fans will be pleased to hear that not one but TWO new books in the series will be released this Summer.

Book four in the series, Pray For Dawn, is due out on June 29th and book five, Wait for Dusk comes out only a month later on July 27th. Aren't we lucky!!!

Oh and this is Jocelynn's third visit to Amberkatze's Book Blog! Jocelynn was here in October and back in 2008 when her debut book Nightwalker came out.

So enjoy Jocelynn's Guest Blog and make sure you enter the contest for your chance to win one of three copies of .......! You will have to read the blog first to find out ;)

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A Different Point of View by Jocelynn Drake

When writing a series or a single novel, a writer has a set of goals in mind that he or she wants to accomplish. Sometimes these are just a set of major and minor plot points that the person wants to reach while writing the novel. Other times, it could be that the writer wants to evoke a certain emotion from the reader such as anger, sadness, joy, and/or surprise.

Since I first started writing the Dark Days series with Nightwalker, one of my personal goals has been to tell one of the stories from point of view of Danaus. I have always considered the series as having two main characters: Mira and Danaus.

Mira’s voice has rattled around in my brain for years. She’s a strong character with a very strong voice. She is generally self-confident to the point of being cocky. She’s intelligent, witty, and just generally fu to play with as a writer. I’ve enjoyed telling the stories from her point of view because in many ways, the focus has been on her world – the nightwalkers.

However, Danaus is brought into the story as a very enigmatic character. For a long time, you don’t know his past or even what he is until the second book, Dayhunter. Furthermore, you only get hints of his feelings toward Mira besides him just wanting to kill her purely for the fact that she’s a vampire. The driving question when it comes to Danaus is: What’s really going on in that man’s head after everything that he has seen and done?

I hope to answer a lot of those questions in the fourth novel, Pray for Dawn, as this is the first book in the series that has been told exclusively from his point of view. This was more than a little tricky for me, because it mean trying to climb inside the head of a reticent and stubborn man that didn’t like to give away secrets about himself. It was also more than a little tricky trying to guess how a man thinks, when as a woman, I’m not naturally privy to those intimate thoughts. How would a man that’s nearly two millennia old think? What memories would come to mind that would haunt him during certain situations? Is there something that’s holding him back from finally coming around to understanding Mira’s point of view?

These are some of the questions that I strived to answer when I was writing from Danaus’s point of view. Furthermore, Pray for Dawn also gave me the opportunity to delve into the question of who was the actual owner of Danaus’s soul. This book becomes a fight for his freedom and raises the question of what you are willing to give up and/or risk for that freedom?

Meanwhile, one of my favorite moments in the book is the slow process of Danaus realizing how much Mira means to him. The nightwalker has a few interesting moments of her own as she makes a bad decision out of a growing fear that put both Danaus and Mira at odds with each other. It’s only under that growing strain that Danaus begins to realize that Mira has taken over a larger part of his life than he had previously known.

In the end, Pray for Dawn proved to be a great challenge to write, but of the six books that I have now completed for the series, it still stands as my personal favorite.



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Contest Time

Jocelynn is very generously giving away three copies of Pray for Dawn which comes out on June 29th. So three lucky people will get a nice new copy of the fourth book as soon as it comes out.

How to Enter

Who are your favourite main characters? Male and Female? Eg. Sookie Stackhouse & Harry Dresden!

No Characters = No Entry

Earn more entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your info in one post.

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.

Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com links/Banners below and around the site!

The Book Depository


The contest will stay open until Sunday 20th of June 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

59 comments:

tetewa said...

Riley Jensen and Ranger from the Stephanie Plum series! tWarner419@aol.com

Barbara E. said...

It's very hard to choose, because I really like so many characters, but I'd have to go with Sookie Stackhouse - she's gone through so much and just keeps getting back in there and living her life, and helping others even if that means danger for herself. For a male character, I'd choose Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series - he's one mean vampire with a soft streak a mile wide for his Cat.

k_sunshine1977 said...

harry dresden, sherlock holmes, rachel morgan, sebastian st. cyr, serge storms, and cassie palmer are just a tip of the iceburg for me...

k_sunshine1977 at yahoo dot com

heidi330 said...

I like Rachel from Kim Harrison,DEad Witch Walking and Riley from Keri Author, Moon Sworn
Eric SinClair from Undead and Unwed
I do have many others also.

heidijohnjeff AT verizon DOT net

Blodeuedd said...

Hard question, I find new characters to love every day. But fav male must be Rand al`thor from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.
As for female...hm, Bridget Jones :)

blodeuedd1 at gmail dot com

Only read the first book so far, but I do have book 2 and 3 coming up

wanda f said...

Queen Betsy ,Riley Jensen, sebastian st. cyr,sookie stackhouse,Acheron (my top favorite male)

SiNn said...

hummm ok well lets see

my all time fav characters r ina book idea not even published yet lol

but published my fav characters are

Gray Rilliard and Faith Devilln in linda howards book after the night

Sabina Kane in the redheaded series


Harry Dresden for sure as well

there are so many

Patricia Altner said...

My favorite female character is Georgina Kincaid from Richelle Mead's Succubus series.

Favorite male character - Dante Prejean from Adrian Phoenix's Maker's Song series.

Of course I have many more favorites but there isn't enough room to list them all.

thanks for the contest.

Anonymous said...

well from true blood, i like eric and layfette best, tara

Raonaid Luckwell said...

Dev Peltier from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter saga (his book comes out on my birthday yay!). He totally made me laugh with Aimee and Fang's book. I love his sense of humor.

Tarma, Vanyel from Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series. Tarma because she had been through so much, and then she continued on, fighting and teaching her swordwork. Vanyel I just fell in love with instantly

The Cajun Chris from Stephanie Tyler's book. He just makes me go "Puuurrrr"

Daemon from Anne Bishop's Blood series. There are some other favorite characters from there but Daemon's the top character I like a lot.

Nucking Futs Nix from Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark. She is just a delight and her words and actions make me laugh continuously.

Charchelar said...

I love Mercedes Thompson from Patricia Briggs's novels and for a guy I would have to say I like Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.
Charchelar@aol.com

Unknown said...

I really do love Mira and Danaus. The characters stick with me long after putting down the books.

Also, Jo and Hunter from Signs of the Zodiac series. These two pairs of characters have sooo much chemistry!! :)

My favorite non-coupled pair of characters are Kylar and Viridiana from the Night Angel Trilogy. Amazing books and characters! :)

Unknown said...

I really do love Mira and Danaus. The characters stick with me long after putting down the books.

Also, Jo and Hunter from Signs of the Zodiac series. These two pairs of characters have sooo much chemistry!! :)

My favorite non-coupled pair of characters are Kylar and Viridiana from the Night Angel Trilogy. Amazing books and characters! :)

Maritza De La Luz said...

Nick Gautier and Acheron from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter

Also Riley Jensen from Stephanie Plum

And of course Mira and Danaus.

zelda-92@hotmail.com

Claire (Cem) said...

Tough question! lol I've got a lot of favourites. If I'm being tough, female is probably Richelle Mead's Rose Hathaway (Vampire Academy) or Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels. Male...probably Clayton Danvers from Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld, or Dimitri Belikov from Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy. But I do love Mira and Danaus too. Can't wait for Danaus' book!!

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/cem_214/status/16129493441

Christine said...

Not an easy question...
Favourite Female Characters: Kate Daniels, Mercy Thompson, Georgina Kincaid and Allie Beckstorm
Favourite Male Characters: Curran, Jericho Barrons, Danaus and Roman from the Georgina Kincaid Series

Thanks for the Interview and contest!

Kimberly B. said...

Oh, such a difficult question! I'll go with a couple: Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson. Runners up: Elena Michaels, and Howl from Howl's Moving Castle.
Thanks for the terrific giveaway!

debbie said...

There are so many, but I really like stephanie plum and ranger. They just seem so funny, and real, I always laugh when I think about them.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Bethany C. said...

Wow, sooo many. Of course I love Mira and Danaus! I love Dorian from Richelle Mead's Dark Swan series (Eugenie too), Saintcrow's Dante and Japhrimel, Frost's Cat and Bones, and Lisa Shearin's Raine Benares. Just want to mention I'm coincidentally reading Dawnbreaker right now!

shared this on twitter-http://twitter.com/bcardoo79/status/16143021482

and fb-http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amberkatzes-Book-Blog/127379867292777?v=wall#!/profile.php?id=1625972197&v=wall&story_fbid=125146580856068&ref=mf

JenM said...

There are so many great lead characters out there right now, but if I have to choose, it would be Mercy Thompson, because she just never hesitates and always manages to save the day even though she doesn't have super strength or anything, and Bones from the Night Huntress series because you gotta love that English accent.

cait045 said...

Cat and Bones, Mercy Thompson, Anita Blake, Percy Jackson, and Cassandra Palmer

usignolc(at)yahooDOTcom

D Q said...

There are so many characters I like but right now my favorites are Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Northman.
djeanq(at)gmail(dot)com

Christine said...

Ooh, it's so hard to choose.

Fav male: Eric (sookie books), Trent, Barrons, Danaus, Curran, Zadist

Fav Female: Kate Daniels, Rachel Morgan, and Jo (signs of zodiac), all the women in Immortals after Dark books.

Rosie said...

I'm definitely on a Cat and Bones kick these days!!

Unknown said...

This is hard but I love Anna and charles from Alpha and Omega series
elizabethcerna2011@gmail.com

Unknown said...

-twitter
http://twitter.com/elizabethcerna/status/16168532177
elizabethcerna2011@gmail.com

Sue Brandes said...

I like Edward & Bella from Twilight. And Sookie Stackhouse & Eric Northman. There is some chemistry there. Great post. I have not read your books. They sound very good.
Sue B
stevebrandes(at)gmail(dot)com

Natasha said...

Favorite Female character?? For sure Mira from This series!! She's everything I love in a character and written beautiful!!
As for the male character.. I'd say Barrons from Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. He's Dreamy. hehe

Twitter post:
http://twitter.com/AGreatBook/status/16176771718


natashajennex(at)gmail(dot)com

throuthehaze said...

Acheron from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series

Nix from Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series

throuthehaze at gmail dot com

Jessica @ a GREAT read said...

Ooh tough one...this will take some thinking that you can't see while I type.

Male: Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series

Female: Faythe Sanders from Rachel Vincent's Shifters Series.

And really I can go on and on about who my faves are and why. But to be politically correct, I just answered with 1 male and 1 female.

Posted on my blog: http://jessica-agreatread.blogspot.com

jellybelly82158 said...

Hard to pick.
There is Riley Jensen and Acheron
Elena and Clay from Kelly Armstrong's Otherworld, Faythe and Marc from Rachel Vincent's Shifters,
Mercy and Adam from Patricia Briggs' Mercedes Thompson series
Anna and Charles from Patricia Briggs' Alpha & Omega
Is that enough?

jellybelly82158 at gmail dot com

heatwave16 said...

I have so many ones that I love. As a pair, I have to go with Anita & Jean-Calude from LKH's series.

I love Rachel & Ivy from Kim Harrison's Hollows series.

Lizzie & Dmitri from Angie Fox's Demon Slayer series.

I could go on and on...

tweeted - http://twitter.com/Heatwave316/status/16189119334

donnas said...

There really are so many great ones. A few that I really like are: Eve Dallas and Roarke, Cat and Bones, Eric Northman, Rachel Morgan, Elena and Clay are just the ones I can think of now.

tweet - http://twitter.com/DonnaS1/status/16195160491
post - http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/2010/06/contest-links-for-614.html
sidebar - http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/

bacchus76 at myself dot com

Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser) said...

My favorite characters (at this moment) are Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games. And of course I love Mira and Danaus...that's why I keep coming back for more! Thanks for the contest.

Kt Clapsadl said...

For female character I am stuck between Georgina Kincaid from Richelle Mead's Succubus Series and Riley Jensen from Keri Arthur's Guardian Series.

For the male character hands down it has to be Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress Series. Dimitri from Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series would be a close second, but Bones definitely takes the cake.


http://twitter.com/liddlshortydemo

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=39903196

Ina said...

Jaz Parks & Jericho Barrons :)
Jocelynn, thanks for a great interview - I can't wait to read your series on!
greetings, Ina

Andrea I said...

Dante Baptiste from Adrian Phoenix's Maker's Song Series.
Stephanie Plum.

Tweeted http://twitter.com/lillieblue613/status/16253699315

ainfinger@comcast.net

Anonymous said...

Gah, I have so many...

Hamlet, Han Solo, Bruce Wayne are a few of the males.

Princess Leia, Selina Kyle, and Tally from the Uglies series are a few of the females.

wookieecookie7 at sbcglobal dot net

Anonymous said...

Some of my favorite female characters are: Faythe Sanders, Joanne Walker, Mercedes Thompson, Rachel Morgan, and Ivy Tamwood.

Male Characters: Sam Starrett, Roarke, Nick Gautier, Bones, and Eric Northman.

Skk25@aol.com

Ladytink_534 said...

Female: Sookie Stackhouse & Anita Blake
Male: Rhage (Black Dagger Brotherhood)

Ladytink_534(at)yahoo(dot)com

stephanie said...

female: Rachel Morgan - Kim Harrison

male: Barrons - Karen Marie Moning - Fever Series

Lori said...

Few of my favourite female characters are Kate Daniels, Mercy Thompson, Meredith Gentry, Anita Blake, Riley Jensen
Few of my favourite female characters are Curran(Kate Daniels series), Quinn(Riley Jensen Series) Adam (mercy thompson series)
There are more, but I only named a few.

posting a link in my side bar.

Anonymous said...

Rachel Morgan and Eric Northman

Cathy M said...

So many memorable characters, but since I just got thru reading Black Magic Sanction, I will go with Rachel Morgan, and Devlin from A Vampire's Claim by Joey W Hill.


caity_mack at yahoo dot com

Llehn said...

I love Anita Blake!

Anonymous said...

These are just some of my favorites...

Female: Kate Daniels, Mercy Thompson, Mira, Lily Yu, Toby Daye, Rachel Morgan, Jill Kismet, Eve Dallas

Male: Curran, Adam Hauptman, Harry Dresden, Rule Turner, Tybalt, Saul Dustcircle

Thanks for the contest.

clynsg said...

That is not really a fair question--it is like having to choose between your children!

Anyway, because I must (and not because they are my only 'favorites') will go with Sookie Stackhouse and Lucian Argenau.

cgclynsg0 at gmail dot com

LSUReader said...

Spenser (Robert B. Parker novels)
Scarlett O'Hara (GWTW)

So many great ones out there; it's difficult to choose.

Sherry Ficklin said...

I'm gonna go a little young here and say Jace (from City of Bones) and Jaz Parks.

Anonymous said...

My favorite female character is Rachel Morgan and male Kisten Felps from the Hollows series by Kim Harrison. Never cried so hard in my whole life. Not even when Dumbledore died or Edward left, lol!

Twitter:http://twitter.com/ferretvamp14/status/16521412164

BreiaB said...

Fave - Queen Betsy & Eric Sinclair, Mercy Thompson and Adam, Dante and Japhrimel


bbricke AT yahoo DOT com

cfisher1504 said...

There are soooo many...heres a few.....Anita Blake..Mercy Thompson...Jill Kismet..I'd say Dresden...but how about Conner Grey...Nikolai from Saint City!!!
cfisher1504 at gmail dot com

Calliope said...

Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen, Nalini Singh's Elena and Raphael, Yasmine Galenorn's Camille, Smoky, Trillian, and Morio, Karen Chance's Cassie Palmer, Ilona Andrews' Kate and Curran, Wen Spencer's Tinker.

And that only but a few...

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

Jeaniene Frost's Bones & Cat are my favorite male & female characters.



alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

My favorite female characters are:

Rachel Morgan - Hollow Series
Cat Crawford - NightHuntress Series
Damili Richards - L.A Banks
Toby Daye - Seanan McGuire
Elena for Angel's Blood
Eugene Markham - Dark Swan Series

Favorite Male Characters:
Bones - Night Huntress Series
Mercea - Cassie Palmer Series
John Pritkin - ""
Lord Rahl - Sword of Truth Series
Revh - Black Dagge Brotherhood
Tybalt - Seanan McGuire

I have SOO many favorites it's crazy.

KittNLuv said...

Hmm.. fav characters:

Kate Daniels/Curran Leonard-Kate Daniels

MacKayla Lane/Jericho Barrons-Fever

Rachel Morgan/Trenton-Rachel Morgon

Cat Crawford/Crispin "Bones" Russell-Night Huntress

Cassie Palmer/John Pritkin-Cassie Palmer

Unknown said...

Favourite characters:

Elena Michaels and Jeremy Danvers from the Women of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

Kate Daniels and Curran from the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

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tweeted here: http://twitter.com/Stella_ExLibris/status/16620570324

stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com

Unknown said...

My favorite main characters are Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. I love Pride and Prejudice.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

Meredith said...

Right now Sookie and Eric are my faves!

meredithfl at gmail dot com