Sunday, December 15, 2013

(Day 8) Dear love of my life...

Go play you video games, you deserve the break. Go kill some stuff, aliens, zombies, whatever, with you friends...Christmas is about your friends. I understand that, and I made a special one...

Her name is Jacy Oliver, and her friendship and inspiration to me can not be measured with gold. She is a romance writer who stole my heart while making me envious, that green kind of envy you had pervading your persona that flashes in neon lights.

Fifteen months ago, I met this weirdo who now goes by the pen name Bryant James, aka Brian. Weird, but a wonderful guy and we began to talk about all the beliefs we had in writing, and how we wanted to create books that were different. Books that rocked the reader. Books that reflected our belief; shorter is better, it intensified the reading experience. (Sort of like a movie being written as a book.)

I'm the first to admit I'm weird gal, and I'd rather read paranormal romance over anything. (I even read fan fiction, couldn't help myself.) Twilight, yep, I loved it and hated it. Beautiful Creatures, the same. But this guy, Bryant James, wrote a freaking novel where he took the A-team and made them into into supernatural creatures; vampires, werwolves, pseudo Frankenstein monsters and sent them on a mission to help save the world. Pure guy stuff, like a video game come to life, but I was hooked by the perverse violence of it. Hey, when an explicit sex scene starts with the werewolf leader of this team biting into the vampire's shoulder like a T-bone steak, that can hook you. Besides horrifying you. We became fast friends, and agreed to create worlds that crossed a little, interconnecting them. He was a huge help for my Poison Heart series. Who knew that a broad sword can't be stabbed through someone's neck? But hacking it down to to the juncture of where the neck meets the shoulder works. He did. And surprisingly, he also did book covers, so a collaboration was born. We became partners in crime and remain so to this day.

But as I delved off into my true love, paranormal romance, he couldn't help me. I needed someone who understood things like the electric buzz myth of romance, sudden attraction so sharp a woman is mesmerized. The crazy thing out woman hormones cause us to do despite out logical resistance. None of which Brian could help with.

Fate, which has never been my best friend, delivered Jacy to me. Apparently we share an editor (A heinous but loveable bitch who wields a cattle prod to get the best out of us.) And that editor recommended Brian to Jacy as a cover artist. And apparently, Brian saw something in her and introduced us, which I am so grateful for. Our collaboration produced my best book. Mermaid and the flier would not be what is without her help. But most importantly she became the dear friend I needed, but didn't realize I needed. I love her to death and hope the two us continue to be friends. If she quit me, I don't what I would do.

But understand this. Jacy Oliver wrote on heck of a book. The kind that truly shares a piece of her soul in it. I have always said: I don't want to talk about myself, but I could spend every waking hour of my time talking about hers....Check it out....

Make darn sure you check out my fellow conspirators. You never know who you might catch doing what...









3 comments:

  1. Very touching post, Emma! Thanks so much for sharing.

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  2. Oh Emma, thank you. You are so sweet. I hope this Holiday season is stacking up to better than your last one.

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  3. Writing has introduced me to some wonderful people. I'm glad you've been just as fortunate in your friendships in this tight knit community :)

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