Tag: Urban Fantasy

A Past Beyond the Page

Last week, we talked about fleshing out characters by thinking of how they’d react in everyday situations that might not come up in the story. Another important factor in building characters that resonate with readers is working through their back story.

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Where did the character go to school? Did they have lots of friends? Or were they more of a bookworm than a social butterfly? Do they have siblings? A close-knit family? Did they have pets?

There are so many details that writers can think about in creating a character’s past. Continue reading “A Past Beyond the Page” →

Cassandra Chandler3 Comments

Writing Sympathetic Characters

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Part of my plan for 2019 is to write a series of blog posts that pull back the curtain on some of my thoughts and methods for writing. So many readers I talk to are curious about what goes on behind the scenes in the creation of their favorite books. I’ve also been approached by writers looking for different ideas for their craft. I hope sharing my process is illuminating for readers and writers alike!

This month, I’m going to focus on the foundation of most narratives—the characters. Continue reading “Writing Sympathetic Characters” →

Cassandra Chandler3 Comments

Double Cover Reveal!

The cover for the next Blades of Janus book is finally done, and I’ve also made a new cover for Pack to go along with it! I love how these turned out ❤ I also tweaked the logo a bit for the series.

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Before I show you the covers, I want to warn you that there are spoilers ahead! Remember that character I mentioned a bit ago? The one that’s a plot twist from the first book? Well, as the hero of the second book, he’s kind of on the cover 😉 And it’s hard to talk about the book without mentioning him. Continue reading “Double Cover Reveal!” →

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So I Wrote a Thinky Book

I am so excited to finally start talking to you all about my latest book! It’s with my editors now, and I should have a cover reveal really soon ❤ In fact, if all goes to plan, I’ll be releasing it this month! For now, I want to share some thoughts about it.

Most of my series are meant to be pure escapist entertainment. I set out to make them as easy to read as possible so that my readers can just relax and enjoy them.

And then I wrote the second Blades of Janus book.

Let me be clear right off the bat. I adore this series, this world, and especially this book. From the feedback I’m getting, it’s my best writing, best plotting, and best world-building yet.

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I am a fan.

I think this book will really pull people into the world of the Blades. In that way, it is escapist and entertaining. But it’s not as easy to read as most of my other works. There’s a lot to remember, and I can easily imagine people re-reading the series to pick up threads that I’m weaving into the story. Lots of threads.

The plot is layered with conflict and the characters are really complex. Continue reading “So I Wrote a Thinky Book” →

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Waiting to Decapitate (a character)

A writer’s life is a strange thing. I don’t usually realize it until other people point it out to me.

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I’m having tons of fun writing the second Blades of Janus book, immersing myself in the world and lives of these characters I love so dearly. Over the weekend, I was talking to a friend, and gleefully said, “I finally got to write the decapitation scene!!!” They had no idea what I was talking about, but are used to this kind of thing from me by now 🙂

The ensuing conversation was hilarious. My favorite part was when they reminded me that I’d decapitated a character in Pack, the first Blades of Janus book, and I replied, “Oh yeah. But he put his head right back on, so that totally doesn’t count.”

Continue reading “Waiting to Decapitate (a character)” →

Cassandra Chandler2 Comments