Off The Moon: Home – A Special Fit

A big Hello to Lindsay and all the Romantics. Is it me or does that sound like a music group?

I’m glad my blog tour, hosted by CRR Promotions, stopped here at the Pink Blog. Since I try to adapt my subjects to each blog as possible, I searched my mind for a “special” theme related to my new book, Off The Moon, and came up with Home. Not just any home, but the right home, the home where our characters find a special fit.

How many of you have moved homes more than once? More than that? According to TimePage.org, my generation is that of the nomad. We’re risk-takers. We came from “an unprotected background” and have a tendency to be alienated. Trying to fit somewhere when you have the natural tendency to be a nomad can be difficult. Look at the way so many of us are constantly on the move. Few of our parents, other than those with travel jobs, strayed far from their home base and families. If they needed more space, they built on. Moving was rare once a household was established. And yet, it’s hard to find many of us who have lived in fewer than three homes during our lives so far. I’ve lived in ten different dwellings, but fortunately am now settled until I’m too old to maintain the place. Of course, things change and you never know.

I’m one who believes a home chooses us as much as the other way around. It’s much more than a place. It’s a feeling. Of all of those places I’ve been, only two have been truly comfortable. Most were okay for temporary purposes. Two were near soul-killing. It was the place. I didn’t fit. Something inside when I was young told me the state where I grew up was not where I belonged. The east called out. As I settled in a place I chose, a place that felt comfortable, I made an incredible discovery: things that bothered me in those other places hardly have an effect here. My whole inner nature feels more at peace.

So how do we relate that to our characters?

Ryan, my POV character, was an Army brat and talks now and then about having to move. He especially mentions one place he felt at home. It still calls out to him even though he’s grown up and has chosen New York City as his residence. He likes NY, not only because his job is centered there, but also because it reminds him of nomads (which he is, also). Residents go about their own business, not connecting to each other and not noticing that he doesn’t connect. He fits and he doesn’t, and it’s a comfortable place to be. He visits his brother’s family in Vermont now and then and enjoys the visit but remains detached from the place. It may be his family’s home, but it’s not his. He is never fully at ease there (for reasons beyond place but we’ll stick with place for this post) and relaxes upon return to his NYC loft.

And then he finds Kaitlyn, an unwilling transport to the city. She’s homeless and even more disconnected than Ryan. The difference is that she doesn’t deal with it as well as he does. She needs connection. She needs Home. Ryan senses it in her. It draws him in and pushes him away. As other people become involved in the decision of where she should be, against her will, Ryan has to choose to give in or to fight.

“You can’t tell someone where their home is. Trust me, I know. I lived in lots of houses. Lots of towns. It’s only home if it feels like it to you, not because someone says it’s supposed to be. This one was her choice.”

By the end of my stories, my characters not only find their special mate, but they also find their special place: their true home. I suppose I do so because it has been such a deep issue personally.

How about your special place? I would love to hear Home stories!

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PREORDER Off The Moon now!

http://www.elucidatepublishing.net/books.html

free US shipping through Nov. 27, discounted outside US

Off The Moon website:

http://www.lkhunsaker.com/OffTheMoon/main.html

Also, be sure to check my blog for novel-related features. I have an interview with NYC drummer Gino Scalmato up, as well as an interview with singer/songwriter Vicki Blankenship. More to come! http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com

Off The Moon

LK Hunsaker

"Riveting" Ryan Reynauld is immersed in a world of music, parties, and temporary companionship. Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern is objecting to the way his music is produced. That is, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of family and friends, and through media attacks and fan protests, Ryan determines to care for her himself, making a promise that threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery begins by allowing your world to implode.

Elucidate Publishing
November 2009
Print ISBN 978-0-9825299-0-4
Ebook ISBN 978-0-9825299-1-1

Thanks for letting me chat here today, Lindsay!

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Next up: Pushing Boundaries with Trauma and Genre
hosted by Maryann Miller, Nov. 21
http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/

The full tour itinerary is available at http://www.classicromancerevival.com

Don't forget to leave your comments!  One person from each blog will be drawn to receive a signed, mailed copy of the short story LK has written as a bit of a prequel to Off The Moon, called Toward The Sky, plus there will be a signed print book drawing for anyone who comments on at least 8 blogs! Winners will be posted at http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=1520
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Moons and Wolves: Metaphorical Symbolism in Reality Fiction – LK Hunsaker

Why do wolves howl at the moon?

Well, they don’t, of course. Not in reality. They howl while the moon is out and literature – yes, we writers – perpetuates the howling wolf at a full moon scenario so often they are forever intertwined. Why not? Myth and legend are powerful things. In a strange way, they help us rationalize our world when nothing else makes sense. And it can be a lot of fun.

I don’t write paranormal, but I couldn’t help jumping in on the paranormal event here since I do draw on symbolism that comes from supernatural events to create metaphor in my next-to-come, Off The Moon.

The biggest superstition I pulled was that of the full moon relating to insanity. The book title is a hint at the heroine, Kaitlyn, who could be an actual case study for a psychologist (and may become that). It’s said that there are more “crazy” happenings and more suicides under a full moon. Statistics don’t verify that, but it’s so ingrained in our cultural myths by now that statistics hardly matter.

I hear you scientist type people out there groaning about now. But few will deny the power of the mind. Do strange things happen because of the full moon? Yes, I’m quite sure they do. Why? Because so many of us tell ourselves they do and thoughts are highly self-perpetuating. In other words, because we expect strange things to happen, we help cause them to happen or we relate it to the full moon when otherwise we wouldn’t.

I also used the wolf symbol as a metaphor. Wolves are strong animals, and familial. We all know the phrase, “wolves mate for life.” Wolves are also seen as lonely because of their mournful howl. In my novel, Ryan has a thing for wolves although he thinks of himself as rather an antithesis of a wolf. He’s independent but only to the point he has everyone else doing everything for him, pop star fashion, and he thinks his temporary companionships are all he wants in between his musical freedom. The wolf touches his soul, though, and he can’t deny its spirit within himself. Some authors have a hero turn into a werewolf to show his powerful animal nature. I have my anti-hero draw on his wolf spirit to turn into a hero.

Off The Moon is reality fiction highly steeped in symbols and metaphors often used in the paranormal world. The mating of the “crazy” heroine with the “wolf” anti-hero brings about sparks diffused by the calming symbolism of water.  

Happy Halloween!

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About the Story:

"Riveting" Ryan Reynauld is immersed in a world of music, parties, and temporary companionship. Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern is objecting to the way his music is produced. That is, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of family and friends, and through media attacks and fan protests, Ryan determines to care for her himself, making a promise that threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery begins by allowing your world to implode.

Watch for my Book Tour next month, hosted by CRR Promotions!

LK Hunsaker
www.LKHunsaker.com
http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com

~Literary Romance with an Artsy Twist~

Bad Boy or Anti-Hero?

There’s just something we ladies can’t resist about bad boys. Think of Han Solo and his irresistible smirk when he tells Princess Lea, “I’m just in it for the money, Lady.” [quoted as well as I remember] You want to be angry with him for being so self-serving, but it’s hard to be when he’s so charming and when you know he’ll end up doing what’s right, despite himself.

Han is the perfect symbol of an anti-hero, a term I hadn’t heard until recently on a writing list. What’s the difference between a bad boy and an anti-hero? Easy enough: an anti-hero is the star of the show. Minor characters can be bad boys, but when the main male character is more cowardly than strong, more greedy than giving, and selfish or self-centered instead of … well, instead of being heroic and gentlemanly, he’s an anti-hero. Heroes can also be bad boys in some ways but still follow most of the heroic characteristics of strength, compassion, kindness, self-sacrifice, and being in control of themselves and their surroundings.

I have an anti-hero. In all fairness, I have more than one. Alan in “Finishing Touches” has some anti-hero qualities since he hits on Jenna while he’s married. Evan in “Rehearsal” stands back and refuses to tell Susie how he feels instead of fighting for her. Even Duncan from “Rehearsal”, who my female readers tend to spar over, has self-esteem issues, which is said to be an anti-hero quality. I’m not so sure about that one, as most heroes I read have at least a touch of that and it makes them more human and lovable.

My next main male character, coming in November, is a true anti-hero, though. Here’s the blurb (in progress, changes may occur):

"Riveting" Ryan Reynauld has immersed himself in a world of
music, parties, and acquaintances who ask nothing of him.
Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern
is objecting to the way his music is produced, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of everyone
he trusts, and through media attacks and fan threats, Ryan
determines to care for her himself, making a promise that
threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes
with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery comes
from first allowing your world to implode.

Ryan likes to joke with those around him about his self-importance and arrogance. He knows he is and shows no remorse for being so. He calls his attitude “what got him this far” in the face of loss and bullying during his childhood. He’s also not your typical hunk; he scorns himself for being rather short and not well-built. He depends on his security team and especially his security chief/friend to pull him out of the scrapes he likes to get himself into. And he has a well-known reputation with female fans.

Still, he has redeeming qualities. He’s good at his job. He’s hard-working, writes beautiful lyrics, and he’s loyal to his musicians. His niece and nephew adore him. And when Kaitlyn comes to the end of what she can handle, he steps in to be her hero, at his own cost.

Comparisons have been made between anti-heroes and villains as possibly the same thing except villains are subordinate characters. In romances, with the necessary HEA, an anti-hero must also be redeemable, while villains often aren’t.

What do you think? Do you have any favorite anti-heroes from literature or film? Is there much difference between a hero with bad boy qualities and anti-heroes? I have to say I’m intrigued as to what readers will think of Ryan, my first full-out anti-hero, also the only POV character of the novel.

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As I haven’t officially started promo on this book yet, this is a first showing of the cover. Yes, you’re seeing it here first!

Off The Moon
LK Hunsaker

coming November 2009
from Elucidate Publishing

Literary Romance
Trade Paperback & Ebook

www.LKHunsaker.com
lkhunsaker.blogspot.com

Dating

What do you think about dating in your books?

I don't mean dating as in going out for dinner. Heck, we write romance. There should be some dinner dates or something going on in there! I'm talking about book dating -- specifically, the way some editors say not to add anything to your novel that will "date" your book, such as listening to your 8-track tapes or mentioning currently popular bands. [This doesn't apply to historical fiction, of course.]

I've been pondering this since it came up on a writing list. A writer was wondering whether to use a brand name or not because of trademark violations and dating the story. (It's not a trademark violation if you capitalize the brand name to show it's a brand name.)

But why is dating a story so horrible? Maybe I'm a bit of a rebel, but I purposely date all of my novels. I have specific time periods in mind and make sure to make references to that time. My series even has dates as chapter headings. Why is this a bad thing?

I love reading novels and being pulled back into the time frame of the story. Think of the romances of the Seventies (for those of us old enough to remember the Seventies). Didn't they have that luscious timeframe feel to them? I vividly remember being in a story where I had to take a term and put it into context because it was not applicable to the time period in which I was reading it. But that's part of the fun of reading. It puts you elsewhere. It opens your small world and makes it larger.

It may depend on the story, but with mine being largely music-based and dealing with social and cultural issues, the time periods in which they are set are important to the story. I use specific band/musician references in all of them, and generally brand names, capitalized. Am I making them short-lived that way? I don't think so.

David Copperfield is wonderfully dated. So is John Irving's The Cider House Rules. Still, they're timeless. I believe part of the timeless appeal is the wonderful real sense of the times.

My Rehearsal series is set in the 70s, moving into the 80s as the books progress. The single-mother issue wouldn't be as big an issue now as it was then. Neither would the heroine being half Native American (termed as "Indian" in the series since it was still called Indian back then). The issues raised are dated, and so, the books have to be, also. Maybe in a hundred years, if someone is reading it that far into the future (I can only hope), she won't know who Eric Clapton and The Beatles and Donny Osmond are without looking back into history. But maybe it will convince her to look back into history. Maybe it will spark an interest to help rediscover some of those bands and the era in which they ruled.

What do you think? If you run across a band or song name or product or expression you don't know, does it annoy you or does it persuade you to research a bit and check it out?

Shouldn't we, as authors, be helping to build a biography of our times to leave to the future? Fiction has always helped me see real life and times of the past better than history books. I want to do the same for future generations. And yes, I remember the Seventies well enough to catch the true flavor of the time. I think it was well worth capturing, and it's been a lot of fun revisiting that incredible rock/pop music.

Rehearsal: A Different Drummer
LK Hunsaker
mainstream romance

http://www.lkhunsaker.com