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Blood Dark is Approaching

I know it feels like a lifetime of waiting but I finally have some Blood Dark news coming very soon! Thank you so much for all the queries that continue to come in about its release. Stay close if you don’t want to miss anything! I should have news about its preorder before too long.

For those who still don’t know, especially anyone new here, our debut Blackthorn couple, Kane and Caitlin, are back in this latest installment. (And for Team Jask, Team Caleb and Team Eden – yes, they also make an appearance.)

As we’re talking Kane and Caitlin…

Although we’re almost in book five of the series, some readers are still entering Blackthorn for the first time. Last week, I found out that not one, not two, but FOUR of The Sirens of Fiction reviewed Blood Shadows – AND they enjoyed it! Thank you hugely to Maria, Ingrid, Anna and Scarlett for your time and your wonderful reviews.

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“I absolutely love the characters in Blood Shadows…Every time Kane made an appearance I could hear my own heart pounding…Blood Shadows got me more hooked than any other vampire love story currently.” ~ Maria

“What blew me away first was that this was Pryor’s debut book. The detail she gives to the characters is intoxicating and that of a seasoned author…you will not regret reading this book.” ~ Ingrid

“A vampire’s way of putting a whole new twist to “Bite Me”!…I loved this paranormal romance novel from the beginning until the end…I would recommend this book and series to any that ever ask.” ~ Anna

“…the makings of an incredible paranormal series with vampires, lycans, angels, and more. Plot twists that you will never see coming leave you on the edge of your seat begging for more…” ~ Scarlett

Again, thank you hugely, ladies. I do hope you survive Blood Roses!

And for all the other new Blackthorn readers out there…

I’m aware that new readers are joining Blackthorn every day so I thought that between now and Blood Dark‘s release, I’d share a few posts from Blackthorn’s archives.

Last night on Facebook, I posted something for Team Caleb with a flashback to months before even Blood Torn was released.

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Back in May 2013, the awesome GraveTells blog asked if they could have an exclusive interview with both Caleb and Jake Dehain in one of the most unique spins on a character interview I’ve ever been involved in. DaVinciKittie (the owner of GraveTells) and her fellow reviewer, Molly, didn’t want just any interview – they wanted to go into Blackthorn and, more to the point, into Caleb’s library to speak to the Dehain brothers face-to-face! Blackthorn readers put forward the questions, DaVinciKittie put together a story with Molly (featuring them as themselves), and I gave Caleb and Jake “a little help” with their answers.

If you missed it the first time around, you can find it HERE (don’t let the original Blood Roses cover throw you).

Another of my favourite interviews from the Blackthorn archives goes back to June last year when I was quizzed by author and reviewer Charles Phipps.

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“The Blackthorn series…is the tale of urban segregation in a world where vampires and other supernaturals are regulated to living in crime-ridden slums while the elite of humanity dwell in their own districts. Each novel, a new couple of star-crossed lovers form along class lines as outsider heroines deal with the dangerous supernatural men who make the Blackthorn district their home. Despite the United Federation of Charles not being known for its Paranormal Romance reviews, I find this series one of the most evocative titles of the genre. Its excellent world-building and well-conceived mythology appeals to both my urban fantasy as well as Gothic Punk sensibilities. The seamy Noir mood is a cherry on top of an already rich dessert.” ~ Charles Phipps 

It’s one of the most in-depth interviews I’ve ever done so if you’d like to learn more about Blackthorn, such as what inspired me to write it, this is the perfect one to check out HERE.

And whilst we’re still talking interviews…

If you’ve joined the ‘Into the World of Blackthorn‘ Facebook group (not the official Lindsay J. Pryor/Blackthorn fan page), I’m heading over tonight between 9.30-10.30 pm UK time for a live chat about Blackthorn in general or even my upcoming release, Blood Dark. If you want to be a part of the group, now’s your chance! Leticia (its founder) and Louise are the lovely ladies who run it and anyone who wants to chat all things Blackthorn is more than welcome. If you can’t make it for the live chat, you can still post questions which I’ll answer at another time.

I’ll be back with another post in the next few days – or even sooner if I have preorder news to share!

My First Time Meeting a U.S. Fan

As you’ve probably guessed from my lack of presence here lately, edits are currently consuming most of my time. When it’s not edits, it’s my insistence on working on book six in between waits. I really hope I’ll have some Blood Dark news to share with you in the not-to-distant future. I can’t thank you enough for all the queries coming in about it and for your patience waiting to know when that release day will be.

I did, however, take Monday afternoon off, and for a very good reason: I met one of my U.S. readers! It was actually the first time I’ve ever met a reader from across the pond. Leticia has been a big Blackthorn fan for a while now and has even recently set up a brand new fan page on Facebook (this is aside to the official Blackthorn fan page where I post) where readers can go and chat about my books in a closed group. She once told me that she’d fly all the way from Portland in Oregon to the UK just to attend a Blackthorn book signing and meet me so, when she got in touch to say she was in the UK, we arranged to meet up.

Monday morning, Leticia travelled from where she was staying in London, across to the South West to meet me at The Magdalen Chapter Hotel in Exeter for lunch.

After lunch, I showed her the lounge area where I was sat back in 2012 when I received an email from Bookouture showing me the original Blood Shadows book cover (see below) – so Leticia had some Blackthorn history thrown in too!

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Above: Me and Leticia in The Magdalen Chapter’s lounge.

 

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Above: The original Blood Shadows book cover, the Blackthorn banner (both designed by Henry Steadman) and one of the first ‘Bites’ as emailed to me by Bookouture back in 2012 whilst I was sat in the room above.

I was so nervous about meeting Leticia, and promised myself I wouldn’t ramble like I’m prone to – especially considering my Welsh accent kicks in when I’m at top speed, which can be tricky to understand. Fortunately, she was lovely and we quickly fell into chats about her other favourite PNR author Stephanie Hudson (about whom I quizzed her mercilessly and is now on my TBR list), her life in the States (I’ve never been), and our cultural differences. The hot topic soon became about the language differences between the U.S. and the U.K. and there were giggles aplenty when we discussed how even some of our basic vocab (I think everyone knows about the spelling issues) is so different. It’s no wonder my U.S. readers get confused sometimes! It’s not quite the same when I’m talking about Kane fixing his bike in his vest (which is apparently called a tank top in certain U.S. states) and Leticia is envisaging him in what we in U.K. call a waistcoat. Kane in a suit?? Hmm, I’m not sure how that would work… (If anyone is drifting off at this point to try and imagine it, ahem, I’m not quite finished yet…) As an aside, I even learned what ranch sauce/dressing is!

Leticia, of course, got to quiz me about Blackthorn and its creation and my personal takes and thoughts about my characters. One of my favourite moments though was when Leticia looked me in the eye and told me that under absolutely no circumstances, whatever is ahead for Blackthorn, am I allowed to kill off Jask. And, heck, did she mean it! Apparently a little more suffering is kind of okay, but there has to be a HEA for him in the end. So, for all Jask’s fans out there, know that Leticia was right there fighting his corner.

Thanks, again, for spending your afternoon with me, Leticia. I’m so glad you enjoyed your first visit to the U.K. and had such a wonderful 30th.

xxx

Blackthorn Giveaway Winner Announced!

 

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Thank you to every single person who entered this giveaway, both here and via email. There were so many incredible entries that I’m relieved it was Kim, Bookouture’s Publicity Manager, who volunteered to judge the contest and not me!

So, without further ado…

(…but make sure you read on, because this giveaway has a Blackthorn twist all of its own…)

…the WINNER of four signed Blackthorn books is:

ANGE JOYCE

Ange’s entry came via email. In it, she said:

“Blackthorn has to be one of my favourite series hands down! I tend to be a binge reader; I will read and read and read till I get bored then I won’t read for months even if there is a new release. But blackthorn has its claws and teeth in me so deep that I cannot wait for the next book! There are just so many layers to each character and then each character has an integral role in the main plot; which in turn is so twisted it blurs the line of good and evil.

When I finish a book I find myself getting excited about future scenes; as Lindsay knows all too well and loves to tease me about it on social media. I try to predict what’s going to happen and Lindsay manages to surprise me everytime.

The books are amazing and the six figure sales speak for themselves! Any and all supernatural book lovers will not be able to put any of these books down but truth be told Lindsay is the reason I love Blackthorn so much. For starters without her that world would not exist; there would be no vampire legends, no werewolf heart-throbs, no soul sucking demons, no evil councils judging and deciding everyone’s fate and no prophecies which means NO CALEB and that just hurts to even think about…  

Another reason I love Lindsay is for her enthusiasm; her love for her creation, her baby, becomes extremely infectious when you speak to her or read her blogs but the way she interacts with her readers just blew me away.

Not many authors speak to their readers as if they are friends. She teases us about up coming scenes, chats with us about other books or TV shows, she will have a laugh with us and seems genuinely humbled by all the praise she gets.

Lindsay doesn’t just plug her own books like most authors, she will share little pieces of her life with us and in turn cares about our lives. I have had many conversations with Lindsay and I can honestly say that no one deserves this success more than she does! I am so happy for her and will be here to harass her for new books every step of the way on this awesome journey that is Blackthorn.”

HUGE congratulations, Ange! Your books are on their way!

The response from Kim, our lovely judge, was:

“Wow, picking a winner for this competition was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do.  There were some amazing responses and huge thanks to everyone who entered.  I chose this particular winner because she brought a tear to my eye with her emotional and heart-warming response.  She’s clearly a die-hard Blackthorn and a huge Lindsay J. Pryor fan who is always keen to get involved and sneak info on social media. Congratulations Ange.”

Thanks so much for your help, Kim! (It brought a tear to my eye too.)

And here’s the twist…

In fact, it was so tough to judge, that Kim decided to give an impromptu three runner-up prizes too! I’ll be in touch with the owners of the entries below to let you know what Kim has planned for you!

The entirety of each entry was taken into account, but here’s a sample of why they came so close:

CAROLYN (email entry):

“…Blackthorn has everything you are looking for in a book. It keeps you in suspense, not knowing what could happen next…The Blackthorn concept got my attention because of the…love and hate relationship between characters, the mystery, the challenges, the pressure, the obstacles that the 4 couples have to face and the fact that none of them are safe…The beauty of this series is that things get more complicated with every book and that is why I LOVE Blackthorn so much…”

SARAH/forever hopeful (blog entry):

“I love that all the books are intertwined with each other and don’t completely and utterly rely on conventional romance plots. I like that there are big conflicts…that connect all the different characters; I also enjoy the fact that these conflicts continue to build off of each other as the series progresses. Even though we may not see certain characters, we’re still left wondering…what decisions they’ll make or what reactions they will have in future books.”

SUZANNE (blog entry):

“The world-building is fantastic. Every scene serves to draw a picture of a stratified society…laced with oppression, segregation, and prejudice. The glaring differences between…Summerton, Midtown, Lowtown, and Blackthorn are heart-wrenching and make you feel the injustice of the situation…how prejudices and judgments can be perpetuated by those wanting to maintain power…instead of looking for ways to make a better world and society for all beings to enjoy. So, these books are not just a typical PNR…the message behind the stories is profound and I love it.”

Huge congrats to you too, Carolyn, Sarah and Suzanne! I’ll be emailing you very soon!

There are more giveaways to come!

Again, thanks hugely to everyone who entered – and for the amount of effort that went into so many entries. If you’ve been left disappointed this time around, don’t forget more giveaways are coming soon, including an early eBook of Blood Dark! I’ll think of something fun for us to do for that one… 😉

xxx

Win the First Four Blackthorn Books – Signed!

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Earlier this month, I mentioned that Bookouture asked if my readers might like to be in with a chance of winning the first four Blackthorn books in a giveaway. My answer was easy, and you proved me right with a fantastic response to the prospect both here and on Facebook. Thank you!

Well, today’s the day!

Thanks to the uber-lovely Kim Nash, Bookouture’s Publicity Manager, we have a one-off-never-before-done giveaway of all four of the first Blackthorn books (in paperback) signed by me.

But, for the first time ever in a Blackthorn giveaway, the winner isn’t going to be picked out of a hat. This time, Kim is going to judge the entries and select the winner!

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HOW TO ENTER

All you have to do to enter is give your response to:

WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO BLACKTHORN?

It’s a wide-open question that allows die-hard fans to enter as well as those wanting to try the series for the first time. You can comment on what first drew you to the series, or what compels you to keep reading it. Maybe it’s your favourite series and you’d like to share why, or you simply want to say what (or who!) you love about it. How you answer is up to you!

THE RULES

  • You will need to post your answer either in the comment section below OR, if you’d prefer, you can email me. Please include ‘competition’ in the subject line.
  • You can only enter once.

CLOSING DATE

The competition is open now and you have until midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 2nd June to post your entry. I hope that gives you plenty of time to mull it over. The winner will be announced on Friday 5th June.

Whereas I usually like to jump on and comment on entries, as this is as judged competition this time, I’ll be good and stay quiet. The very best of luck to everyone who chooses to enter, and have fun coming up with your answer!

Have a brilliant week! xxx

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Blackthorn’s Most Heartless Anti-Hero?

Sometimes, conversations with my readers spark a blog post. This blog post was inspired by a collection of conversations about Caleb Dehain, the “hero” of Blood Roses.

*WARNING: Contains HUGE spoilers for Blood Roses*

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Blackthorn’s most controversial book to date is Blood Roses. Its hero, Caleb Dehain, is the most polarizing of all. Why? Because when it comes to traits that romantic heroes (even anti-heroes) are supposed to have, Caleb could be deemed as falling short. This is exacerbated by the question as to whether he’d redeemed himself in any way by the end of Blood Roses. Some readers say yes, some say no. Some readers think he has every potential of redeeming himself by the end of the series, others think he’s already on the slippery slope from anti-hero to outright villain.

I think that’s why Caleb has been one of my favourite characters to write – not only because of his unpredictability, but because from writing his opening scene in Blood Roses to his final scene in… okay, no spoilers ;-)… I think he has the toughest character journey. And it’s hard to call what the outcome will be. A big part of that is because, like all of my heroes, Caleb is damaged. But when it comes to an injection of darkness, Caleb has a syringe-full – and it’s easy to think it’s gone straight to his heart.

I’ve written some detailed posts about Caleb before so I’m going to be wary of repeating myself, but it seems that one of the key things that has haunted Caleb’s character since Blood Roses is that question of redemption I mentioned above.

No one can deny that Caleb was hardline with Leila through most of the book. I know his treatment of her had some of you in tears, and plenty more screaming in frustration (and that’s not ignoring the heart flutters either). And I know many who endured the intense and relentless battle between these two characters wanted, pleaded even, that, by the end, Caleb would be on bended knee – either in a confession of true love for Leila, or because he’d received the pointy end of her shoe.

But there was neither.

A few readers have asked me why I chose to end the book that way.

Keeping it authentic 

Firstly, ultimately it’s down to retaining the authenticity of a character. Yes, Blood Roses is a romance because it is, first and foremost, about the developing love (and hate) relationship between Caleb Dehain and Leila McKay. But to have had Caleb professing his undying love for Leila by the end of the story meant that, in less than three days, Caleb would have had to have:

  • Overcome the psychological scarring caused by the serryn who had held him captive as a youngster, torturing and degrading him for days – and all for fun.
  • Pushed aside all the memories of the witnessing the same treatment of countless vampires, some children, at that same serryn’s hands.
  • Been guilty of dismissing how his older brother, who he worshipped, had been cruelly murdered by a serryn.
  • Accepted that the species renowned for seductive smiles and pretty faces fronting inhumane hearts were actually not all that bad.
  • Believed, after countless encounters with serryns, there was an exception to the rule, thus accepting that his entire belief system about them could be wrong.
  • Believed that a serryn fighting for her survival and the survival of her sister, wouldn’t put on a mask of innocence just to fool him – and stab him in the back when it was turned.
  • Had complete faith that Leila truly had no intention of fulfilling her destiny and prevent the vampire uprising – this bearing in mind she had turned up laden with her own prejudices against his kind.
  • Had the arrogance to believe that someone he had treated so badly was capable of falling for him – especially as she’d subsequently forsake her own destiny.
  • Overcome the sense of betrayal that still lingered from Feinith’s betrothal to Jarin (whose actions had led to Seth being found by a serryn in the first place).
  • Over-ridden his most basic instincts as the prophesied leader to kill serryns.
  • Allowed himself to be emotionally vulnerable in front of the one woman most likely to throw it all back in his face because of the very nature of what she is.
  • And, once he’d found out it was his role to be that leader and save his race from the iron fist oppression of the human, been willing to throw away any hope his own kind had for the sake of his own selfish love.

If Caleb was capable of all the above after just three days, not only do I think that would have reduced the authenticity of his character, I think it would have diminished just how fragile his heart really is – a heart that, by those very clues, is still very much beating.

Anticipation of the future 

Secondly, with the overarching plot of the Blackthorn series in mind, it was the most appropriate way to end Blood Roses bearing in mind the essential role Caleb is prophesied to play in the future of Blackthorn. After all, by the end of Blood Deep, the writing is literally on the wall: A war is coming. A stand-off is going to occur between the head of the Global Council, Sirius Throme, and the prophesied vampire leader, Caleb Dehain, with devastating consequences. Everyone else is going to be caught in the middle – the “good” guys intent on preventing the clash from happening.

That prospect is so much more interesting, I think, when not only do you know the extent of the potential of a character as dark as Caleb but, because of that darkness, you really can’t tell how it’s going to pan out. Basically, is Caleb mad, bad and dangerous enough to take on Sirius? Could the impact really be that devastating? Or could Leila potentially turn him around in time?

If the latter question was as easy to answer as the first two, where’s the tension in that?

At the end of Blood Roses, a heartless Caleb would have killed Leila and claimed his Tryan status. He didn’t. It would take a whole other blog post to summarise why – but it’s all there in the story itself. Even when Caleb realised that Leila had lost all hope in redeeming him, that she had finally decided to kill him, he couldn’t see it through. Instead, he chose to take Leila’s serrynity from her so that using her was no longer an option. More than that, Caleb took a massive leap of faith by trusting Leila when she claimed she could find an alternative to what seemed to be an inevitably catastrophic future for them all. She asked him to give her seven days. He accepted – but, of course, with reservations.

I don’t think this makes him heartless, I think it makes him astute. I think it’s an act indicative of what makes him a survivor in Blackthorn. And the fact he’s not shown all his cards yet, that he’s still holding back, shows the extent of just how guarded his heart is – a heart guarded because he’s more than aware of the scars that still linger there. At the same time, I also think, for Caleb, the ending to Blood Roses is the first glimmer of hope…

…if Leila is true to her word. The sight isn’t going to be pretty if not!

*This post is with special thanks to Suzanne, who has waited so patiently in the wings for its arrival. xxx

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Next time: I have news of that book giveaway coming soon!

Four Signed Blackthorns Coming Your Way!

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Whilst I’m immersed in Blood Dark edits, Bookouture’s fabulous Publicity Manager, Kim Nash, is already plotting the build up to its release.

Today, she asked if I thought my readers might like to be in with a chance to win all four paperbacks of Blackthorn so far – signed by me. That’s Blood Shadows, Blood Roses, Blood Torn AND Blood Deep.

I think it’s an awesome prize for a Blackthorn fan, especially as it’s the first time we’ve ever offered signed copies as a ‘collection’ so, obviously, I couldn’t say yes quick enough!

I just wanted to give you the heads-up to watch out for it in the forthcoming weeks. I have other giveaways and more blog posts to come soon too. Edits first though! I’m nearly there…

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Blackthorn’s True Heroines

I’m a little behind on my blog schedule at the moment, mainly because my edits came back a couple of weeks ago and, well, getting Blood Dark to you as soon as possible seems to be the priority as far as my lovely readers are concerned!

I had to jump on here quickly though to say that I had a notification through tonight telling me that it’s my three-year blog anniversary today. Yay! That means three years ago today, I wrote my first ever post – back at a time when I wasn’t published and didn’t even have a prospect of a publisher in sight. Things have certainly progressed since then!

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Above: This blog’s original banner (yep, that is me) before Bookouture’s re-vamp (pardon the pun)

With four Blackthorn books now released and number five imminent, well over 3,000 4/5 star reviews, six-figure sales, audiobooks and, most importantly, daily additions to my incredible Team Blackthorn (that’s you), this is way beyond what I’d imagined three years ago today.

My amazing long-suffering husband aside, three important people were by my side when I launched this blog. They’ve consistently supported me and encouraged me in the background, not least picking me up when my confidence has dropped as well as being there to share the laughs, the adventure and the excitement.

The incredible thing is that I didn’t know these ladies personally. They were fellow entrants in New Voices, the competition through which, in a twist worthy of Blackthorn, Bookouture discovered me. Like me, all three were unpublished authors at the time – and each of them had a passion for Blackthorn that blew me away.

Three and a half years on, they remain my inspiration. Amity Grays has signed her first publishing contract, Tracey Rogers has had five books released, and CC Mackenzie (who forced me set up a blog, oh and has her own vampire series out *wink*) has now become a USA Today Bestseller and an icon for self-published authors. Last year, for my 40th birthday, I had the pleasure of meeting the latter two (it might have been a bit far for Amity to pop over from Idaho!). There were certainly tears a plenty because, without these ladies, I’m not convinced Blackthorn would have been with you.

Thank you, Amity, Christine and Tracey for being Blackthorn’s true heroines.

And perfectly-timed to mark the occasion, I received an email today telling me that BestChickLit.com, who previously described Blood Shadows as “fantastic”, have now read and reviewed Blood Roses, and referred to it as:

“An absolute triumph that has kept me hooked on the series.”

Thanks so much, Charlotte! <3 You can read the full review here.

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Oh, and look  whose latest release was reviewed on the same blog just before me! A glowing review for Ms Rogers, of course!

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Once my edits are in, I promise that normal service will resume! Take care. xxx

Six-Figure Blackthorn!

I’m thrilled to announce that this morning, whilst organising information for this year’s London Book Fair, my publisher emailed to let me know that Blackthorn sales have ventured well into six figures!

For those who have no idea why I’m so pleased, various online sources state that an average book sells around 10,000 copies with a major publisher. Being optimistic, the average first novel sells around 1,000. So with it being as tough it is out there for fairly new authors, let alone with a small independent publisher, six figures are quite an achievement – especially for a niche genre like dark paranormal romance.

With this in mind, I have to give a massive shout-out for my awesome publisher, Bookouture, whose ongoing work behind the scenes ensures that Blackthorn stays where readers can find it. Thankfully, they’re already being recognised for their achievements by being nominated as Digital Business of the Year alongside big names such as Kobo, Bloomsbury and Pan Macmillan in this year’s Bookseller Industry Awards – and it is so well deserved.

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I know, I’m biased. I was the first author signed by Bookouture after Oliver Rhodes, its Founder and Managing Director, discovered me through an online romance writing competition. I was only a month into subbing elsewhere when he approached me to see if I would consider submitting Blood Shadows and Blood Roses (both finalist entries in the competition) to Bookouture. Knowing who Oliver Rhodes was, and his fantastic track record in publishing, it was a heart-stopping moment. I was also quite taken aback. I’d not long started researching online for prospective publishers for Blackthorn when the message echoing everywhere was that I was trying to catch the market right at the tail end of the PNR craze, where the big names were ruling, and publishers and agents were rolling their eyes and slamming the door on any further mention of the word ‘vampire’.

It also seemed that unique concepts, like Blackthorn, were a heightened risk for publishers, especially from a debut authors, so only added a challenge. On top of that, its dark and gritty, occasionally close to the mark, content was going to rule out some romance readerships, whilst the very prospect of romance and vampires would alienate a readership that may otherwise enjoy the complex and twisty thriller-style undertones of the series. In addition, Blackthorn’s British-isms could also cause problems if trying to appeal the biggest PNR market – the U.S.

But within a week, Bookouture were back in touch showing interest in both books, as well as a third (then to become Blood Torn). They put a detailed proposal in front of me including a marketing plan (very rare for debut novelists these days). Far from being intimidated by the alleged decline in interest in PNR, they had big plans for Blackthorn. More importantly to me, they had complete faith in it. All that remained was whether I had enough faith in them to sign over my beloved Blackthorn. It wasn’t a difficult decision. The rest, as the cliché says, is history. Since then, Bookouture have gone on to sign many incredible names, including both debut and established novelists, achieving superb reviews and competitive chart positions. I’m so privileged to have been there from the beginning.

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So as well as a massive thanks to Bookouture for selecting Blackthorn and helping prove that readers still want PNR, here’s a massive thanks to you too for being so relentless in your support for my series, for being so vocal, and for ensuring that every Blackthorn book since has been signed. Those figures are just as much down to you spreading the word. Bookouture made my dreams come true, my loyal readers sustain it. Hugs to you all. xxx

Creating Blackthorn’s Couples: Eden and Jessie

*WARNING!! This post contains HUGE spoilers for Blood Deep!*

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This is the last of my takes on my Blackthorn couples, everyone. If you missed my previous posts on creating Kane and Caitlin, Caleb and Leila, or Jask and Phia, just follow the links.

In Blood Deep, I introduced Eden and Jessie, the fourth and final couple who play a significant role in the future of Blackthorn. Their story also explored more of the human plight in both Blackthorn and Lowtown, revealing that the third species weren’t the only victims of the corrupt system maintained by the Global Council.

Having first visited it briefly in Blood Torn (when Jask and Phia went to visit the rather unpleasant Travis, who you’ll know went on to get his comeuppance at Eden’s hands), it was time to venture deeper into con territory with Blood Deep.

Welcome to the south side

On the south side of Blackthorn, depravity rules in a culture of bullying, of impulses overruling humanity, and a deep vein of selfishness running through every action. It’s a place where human beings stop seeing each other as that, but more as objects or a means to an end. The south side is a reflection of the worst side of human nature – and sadly not one based purely in fantasy.

Blood Deep was particularly challenging to write having not long finished Blood Torn. The negative gang mentality of the cons was a sharp contrast to the pack mentality I’d explored with the lycans. Whereas Jask ruled his tight-knit community with a focus on protection, nurturing and defense for the greater good, Pummel’s rule was all about safety in numbers to gain power over the weak, and to dominate and control for self-serving means.

Deep in the heart of con territory seemed the most unlikely place to find an angel, a decent human being, and couldn’t have been a more unsuitable place for a pack of stolen lycan young.

The human and the envoi

I’ve not exactly shied away from risks whilst writing Blackthorn. As I’ve said previously, I did have the advantage of not thinking it would ever be read, let alone published. It’s easier to develop a story the way you want and to go with your gut instinct when you have no basis for comparison and no prospect of upset reviewers to contend with. So when I first mapped out Blackthorn, I didn’t hesitate over switching the trodden path and having a human as a hero. Nor did I have any concerns about having a third species heroine. After all, both were simply integral to the story.

However, after I was able to reveal the hero of book four was human, some openly admitted they were a little apprehensive – not least how anyone was going to stand up alongside the third species powerhouses that were Kane, Caleb and Jask.

How Eden and Jessie developed

I often get asked for tips from new writers about how I set about creating the world of Blackthorn as well as all its characters – and it’s always tricky to explain. Blackthorn was an accumulative creation of setting, characters and plotting all forming at different stages and building on each other over many years of dipping in and out.

For those who don’t already know, my heroes and heroines grew out of short stories I wrote back when I was first devising the world of Blackthorn.

Creating Eden

Eden first appeared when I was trying to work out the law-enforcement system that was in place to manage the four districts in the series. He was a character I devised around the same time as Kane.

I already knew Caitlin was a part of the TSCD as a VCU agent, but I also came to realise law enforcement couldn’t exist through that alone. Needing frontline soldiers to keep order on the borders, I created Curfew Enforcement Officers (Kane himself refers to them and their roles in Blood Shadows).

Eden was one of three officers I had in a short story – CEO’d up in full protective leathers and visor helmet, chasing a rogue vampire down the back alleys of Blackthorn. Eden stood out from the others instantly. A law unto himself, but effective at his job, Eden wasn’t anxious of breaking and bending the rules – and I wanted to know why. Like all my other heroes who made it to the final cut, he fascinated me enough to ask sufficient questions to subsequently turn him into a fully developed character.

Before long, Eden had the backstory of being a child who had survived the treacherous streets of Lowtown, with little prospect or opportunity despite all of his potential. It gave his character empathy toward the plight of humans in Lowtown, complemented by his protective role towards his family forced to reside there. He even went on to make it as a CEO – a job usually reserved for residents of Midtown. Eden became a survivor because he could effectively play the role of the chameleon, altering himself to match his environment. Past experiences had left him self-sufficient, quick-thinking and, when needed, brutal. Like my other heroes, he had developed a hardness in order to survive in a hard world.

But Eden never lost sight of his softer side – especially not around those he cared about, creating something of a dichotomous character, even more than any of my other heroes.

By the time Eden was fully developed, Kane was already hero to the east, Caleb to the west and Jask to the north. With the south already overrun by cons, Eden became my masked hero of Lowtown, out there protecting it every night, toeing the line to keep his family safe. And because of my lifelong fascination with superheroes, I’d already started sparking ideas for the potential of angel tears.

Creating Jessie (Jesca)

Born out of my plans for Eden, as well as Sirius’s plans for supremacy, Jessie introduced another new slant on established mythology for Blackthorn. The same as with my vampire and lycan mythology (you can read about those by scrolling down here), I wanted to get back to the roots of angel origins and not just accept popular cultural portrayals. Whilst researching, I came across the concept of envois – ‘messengers’ – and Jessie’s role in the overarching plot soon began to grow.

As well as having a lot of fun with a heroine whose physical abilities finally matched the hero’s (Leila and Phia’s ability to poison vampires aside), the potential for Jessie was immense. Strong, smart, self-controlled, brave, she was having way too much going for her to be trapped in the situation she was in with the cons. So I soon realised that for both Blood Deep and the overarching story to work, Jessie needed one huge weakness – something that trapped her somehow. I also needed something to prevent Sirius walking in and snatching her out of Pummel’s grasp.

Binding Jessie

I therefore gave Jessie a (as yet unrevealed) shady past, and subsequently bound her by a necklace – an equivalent ball and chain that imprisons her. If in her possession, she is free to move within a given distance of it. If wearing it, she can go wherever she wants. If the necklace is in someone else’s possession, they own her and her abilities, and she is helpless to retaliate against them. If the necklace is destroyed, she dies with it.

From her back story, we know Jessie had the good fortune of initially being found by a human who had no intention of “owning” her or her powers, instead giving her back her necklace. In turn, she stayed with them out of choice. We then know that the necklace was stolen by cons during a raid on her home. Pummel’s possession of the necklace meant her ownership was transferred to him. By the end of Blood Deep, Eden managed to retrieve it, giving it back to her and once again temporarily “freeing” her.

Humanity in an inhumane world

Although dark in premise, each of my stories have a glimmer of light. When I knew the lycan young were going to end up on the south side of Blackthorn, that it was going to take a human to blend with the cons to get them out, and that, to fit in with Sirius’s plans, they’d have to have something to do with the TSCD, I knew Eden finally had his place. Besides, if anyone deserved to see the decent side of humanity, it was Jessie – and Eden seemed fit for both jobs.

Out of all my heroines, Jessie was by far the loneliest. She was alone in terms of species in Pummel’s row, had nothing in common with anyone around her, was purposefully isolated by Pummel and, above all else, knows she has committed some kind of crime that led her to be exiled by her parliament. Despite all of this, Jessie, although non-human, became a symbol of humanity in an inhumane world.

Gladly her compassion, dignity and refusal to be broken by Pummel became traits Eden both recognised and admired. In turn, Jessie saw hints of sensitivity and tenderness in Eden in a world void of it – not least when he discovered her scars. As well as this, his ability to practice self-control in the face of Jessie’s opposition and temptation equally reflected a decent side to human nature that glowed amidst a depraved backdrop.

Like Eden, Jessie too had learned about self-sufficiency, survival and, fortunately, how to read people effectively. But once the friction of self-preservation subsided, both were looking out for each other at every opportunity, resulting in as much a friendship forming as a physical relationship. Both were able to show that despite being drenched in the rancidness around them, they could still make choices to benefit others – not least when they found themselves fighting a common cause to save the lycan young. And now that these two have learned to trust each other, it seems little could get in their way.

Their future

Despite their commitment to each other, the challenge isn’t yet over for Eden and Jessie. In particular, loose ends are very much untied as far as Sirius is concerned – and he’s not going to give up easily, not with Jessie still able to identify the vampire leader he needs to destroy.

Despite plenty of glimpses in the latter part of Blood Deep, Jessie has yet to tap into all her innate abilities – many of which I’m looking forward to sharing later in the series. The necklace still exists though and there’s still a risk that someone else could get possession of it again – and her with it.

Eden has undergone a transformation since consuming Jessie’s tears. He may have enhanced responses, strength and senses just like the super-human army Sirius is building to invade Blackthorn, but the consequences are still unknown.

Above all else, nothing is yet known about Jessie’s background, and exactly why she was punished in the first place. I will be revealing more as the story progresses – and it could be something to throw up a whole raft of challenges at a pivotal time.

Don’t worry if you’ve lost track of all the threads though, I’ll be doing a recap on the story so far nearer Blood Dark’s release for anyone who needs a refresher  – I know it’s getting complex in there!

Have a great week! 🙂

Blood Dark is Written

Some of you might be very pleased to know that, as of last night, the completed first draft of Blood Dark is on my editor’s desk. Yay!!!

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

I’ve recently had a few conversations with readers eagerly awaiting their next installment of Blackthorn as well as querying why it takes so long between books. First of all, it’s flattering that it feels like such a long wait! Second of all, in truth, the turnaround with Blackthorn books is actually quite quick – especially considering their average 120K word count, and the complexity of the overarching story that runs through the series. Here’s a little of what happens:

START TO FINISH

It usually takes me around eight weeks to write the first draft of a Blackthorn book (bearing in mind all of the series is already plotted out). During that time, amidst copious amounts of note making, it’s head down and writing chapter after chapter. A first draft is all about getting the story down in its raw form – no rewriting or worrying about all the finer details, because that comes later. The first draft is so my editor can judge if the story that I originally intended has made it onto the page in a way that is structurally sound. They’ll look at everything from story arc to character development and journey, to pacing, and, in the case of Blackthorn, how it fits into the overarching plot too.

Aside from when the finished book goes out to reviewers for the first time, waiting for this initial feedback is definitely the most daunting part of the entire process.

SO CAN YOU NOW ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE DATE?

Despite being nagged to within an inch of my life to be more specific (you’re all so lovely), I can still only indicate ‘Summer’ for release. We do have a provisional month, but it doesn’t get shared until my editor decides how much structural work the book needs and, in liaison with my publisher, I agree to the timescales I believe I can work to based on the initial feedback. I’ll give you more information as soon as I can, I promise!

AFTER THAT…

After the structural edits are completed, I receive the line edits – the nitty-gritty of all those finer details. Once the line edits are completed and approved by me, a brand new set of eyes then come in with the copy edits to focus on the spelling, the grammar, the consistencies etc. Again, I make any necessary changes and then have to approve these too. After that, it heads off to the typesetter. Once I have approved the final version, the book is then distributed as an ARC (Author Review Copy) via my publisher to reviewers. That’s not taking into account all the other work my publisher does leading up to that point. This all happens before it gets anywhere near my readers.

WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN EDITS?

Between edits is a vital time to catch up on all the things I don’t have time to do while actually writing. It is the perfect time for me to get blog posts written; to respond a little quicker to all my readers who get in touch; and, of course, make a start on the next Blackthorn book (I get withdrawal after about three days). It’s also the chance to clear up the copious amounts of post-it notes, notepads, scrap bits of paper (sometimes thoughts come when you least expect them), pencils, pens, mugs, and anything else in the writer trail I’ve left around the house whilst in “the zone” – only for it all to start again a couple of weeks later…

SO THANKS FOR BEING THERE

Writing has to be the best job ever. I love every minute of mine, and completing a first draft is one of the best feelings. But it’s not an easy job. Like any job, some days are really tough. It’s not the kind of thing we’re supposed to confess to but I think it’s good, particularly for aspiring authors (I know a few follow this blog), to know that none of us are immune to that wall of self-doubt that can hit at any time. If mine could have knocked me out cold these past couple of months, I think it would have – and, some days, it nearly did.

This is when I count myself very lucky to have you because, during the past couple of months while I’ve been working on Blood Dark, not more than two days have gone by without a reader emailing me, or messaging me, or tweeting me to share what they’ve enjoyed, tell me they’ve just discovered Blackthorn, or have now finished all four, or have asked when the next one is out… There is nothing quite like those intermittent boosts to fend off all those negative jabs that can really affect the writing process. So thank you, Team Blackthorn, as always, for every snippet of encouragement and support you continue to send my way. Blood Dark is now that one giant leap closer.

I’ll be back on the weekend with that blog post about Blood Deep’s Jessie and Eden that I’ve been promising you for ages. Until then, have a great week! <3