Julie Miller: Celebration Time

Thanks to Lee Hyat for inviting me to be a guest on her blog today!

November 19^th marks the release of my 50^th book, YULETIDE PROTECTOR.  The holidays seem like an appropriate time for the story to come out because I’m already in a celebrating mood.  As a treat, I’m sharing some pictures that inspired the setting of the story, including the beautiful lights on the Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri—as well as my own Christmas tree, with its mix of handmade and collectible ornaments.

As you can see, I love the lights of Christmastime.  In YULETIDE PROTECTOR, Detective Spencer Montgomery needs some light in his life to erase the darkness in his soul.  The witness he’s assigned to protect is Bailey Austin, a woman whose sunny beauty, unflinching bravery and determination to celebrate the holidays crack open his hardened heart.  Here’s a teaser from the back cover:

As the lone surviving victim who can put her attacker away in prison, heiress Bailey Austin becomes the key to the D.A.'s case against a notorious criminal. As lead detective, Spencer Montgomery must prep her for trial. But he becomes her personal protector when she starts receiving terrifying "gifts" meant to scare her away from testifying.

Spencer is a cop on the fast track to making captain one day, if he can keep his emotions in check. But as the stalker's threats escalate, he can't deny that Bailey has thawed his icy heart. Her courage touches him in ways no other woman has, and reminds him that she's more important to him than any investigation.

While in hiding, Bailey decorates a fern in Spencer’s apartment with those cut-out paper snowflakes many of us made as kids.  There’s a relentless action scene that takes place on the Plaza in Kansas City, amidst the holiday shoppers and extravagant Christmas lights and décor.  Then there’s a sweet scene with some family heirloom ornaments.  So I’ve managed to incorporate some of my favorite holiday decorations amidst the driving suspense and terrifying action of this intense love story.

Here’s what RT Book Reviews had to say about my 50^th book:

4 1/2 stars, Top Pick! - "Miller's conclusion to the intriguing Rose Red Rapist storyline is picture perfect as she neatly wraps up multiple plotlines and brings justice to all the rapist's victims in this viscerally compelling tale."  Thanks, RT!

Until the book is released tomorrow, you can read an excerpt from YULETIDE PROTECTOR at www.juliemiller.org.

So what are your favorite holiday decorations?  Handmade treasures?  A certain collectible?  Lights?  Yard sculptures?  Big tree or small?  Real pine or artificial?  Are you more Clark Griswold and Tim the Tool Man Taylor when it comes to decorating for the holidays?  Or do you favor a simpler, more traditional decor?

Celebrate book #50 and the holidays with me.  Share your favorite holiday decorations from whatever holiday you celebrate.  I’ll give away a copy of YULETIDE PROTECTOR to one lucky poster. 

Thank you to all my readers!

Julie Miller

***LilSis is the winner for this contest! Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing info!***

Christina Hollis: Monkey See, Monkey Do, Choux...

Last week I had a real eureka moment, courtesy of the internet.

By Andrew Knowles

I learned to cook by watching my grandmother. In her day, women didn't work outside the home after marriage, so she went from creating dishes for aristocrats to catering for her own family on a fraction of the budget. When I was little, if I wanted to try making a recipe from one of her old books, it had to be something economical. One thing I always wanted to try but never did was choux pastry. Not only does it contain butter and eggs, it then gets filled with Chantilly cream or crème pâtissière and topped with  chocolate ganache. That was several extravagant steps too far for Gran!

Years later, once I’d left home, I tried making choux pastry.  It was an inedible disaster. I never got as far as experimenting with any classy fillings or toppings. Then the Great British Bake-Off started on TV and I decided to try again. I used the basic choux recipe from this Bake-Off challenge (I wasn’t mad enough to think I could construct religieuse, I just wanted to get the pastry part right!). The result was at least edible, but as DD said, they looked like “fried pinwheels”.  I adjusted the oven temperature, in case my oven wasn’t hot enough. Batch two was better, but still heavy and close textured so I gave up. Then OH reminded me that my home-made bread improved enormously after I watched Daniel Stevens baking on TV. Before that, I'd been following recipes to the letter but the texture of perfect dough was something I needed to see before I could get it exactly right. 

That sent me straight to YouTube, where I found this 101 on choux pastry...

and yes, there's a world of difference between following written instructions and actually watching someone work. I didn't use the quantities in the film, it was the consistency of the paste while cooking and when ready for piping that I needed to see. My next batch of choux pastry turned out perfectly, and was filled with crème pâtissière and topped with shiny chocolate ganache (though I still didn’t bother turning them into religieuse).  If only I’d been able to see Gran working with the right consistency of choux dough years ago, I could have saved myself a lot of time and effort.  

What’s the most useful thing you’ve learned online? There’s a signed book from my backlist for a comment drawn at random on Monday, 18th November.

Know your ritual by Michelle Styles

Lately I've been re-reading old writing craft books and I happened on  Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit.  it is more about maintaining and creating creativity than about writing. In the past it has proven very useful.
Tharp mentioned the necessity of thinking about your skill set as a clock face which constantly needs polishing. So it has proved with my writing.  Sometimes I have been stuck and have found if I go back and revise simple things like characters, plots or even work habits, things fall into plce
But the other day the thing which struck  me was her bit about rituals. In order to do certain retetitve tasks, people will often have rituals before they do them.
For example, the act of changing into my workout clothes in the morning when I get up means that I will work out. If I get dressed in my day clothes, I'll skip the work out.
With writing, I will ignore the internet and write if I turn the radio on to a Classical station. If I am revising, I can use a playlist because I can then have theme music but for the first draft, it has to be the radio. No radio, then I am afraid I check the internet too often.
Tharp argues that it is the knowing of the ritual and performing that ritual that can get you over a hurdle.
 So the next time, you are feeling stuck or like you don't wnat to do something, think about your ritual. See if you have suddenly stopped doing something that will put you in the mood. Once I thought about needing the radio, everything fell into place.

Advanced Notice:

Starting 28 November The Harlequin Historical Authors will once again be doing their annual Advent calendar. The top prize will be a top-rated kindle plus there will be daily prizes.. My day is 12 December and my daily prize will include a copy of my latest plus tea, biscuits and a mug.

Maisey Yates: Inner Workings of a Multi-Author Series

Hello again, it’s me. I’m back to give you all a little rundown on the inner workings of those great multi-author series Harlequin puts out.

Writing a continuity, like Sicily’s Corretti Dynasty is always an interesting experience. At the very beginning, we’re given a Bible with an overarching plotline, and which plot points will need to be hit upon in each book.

Beyond that, there are brief outlines provided to each author giving them the basic premise of the book. Then there are tables with the height, hair color, eye color, body type, etc, of every character that will appear over the course of the series, for the convenience of every author involved.

I think because we’re given this information people often think that it’s easier to do than starting from scratch. Well…yes and no. Yes, in terms of the fact that you don’t have to name your characters (which is time consuming!) but no. Actually, mainly no.  J

The outline of the book, which gives the basic set up for the plot, a bit of character background and names, is often what I start with when I go to write a book that came entirely from the gritty recesses of my tortured mind. But that’s only the beginning, and I mean that!

Those are the foundational components to a book, and they’re necessary, but they’re not the sum total of the book. Like the framework of a house, these things are essential to the house standing, but they aren’t what make the house beautiful, or unique, or interesting.

I’ve learned there’s always something deeper. Something that goes beyond those basic ingredients.

In the case of Matteo and Alessia in A Hunger For the Forbidden there was a whole lot more. And that’s where the serious challenge comes in for these types of projects.

It’s easy to get distracted by the set up. (not just in continuities!) To think that you have every piece of building material you need once you have those things in order,  but there’s always more.

There are layers to a story, layers to character. And to really bring those layers out you have to go deeper than that initial framework and really bring out the good stuff.

In the case of Matteo, I knew his background. I knew he felt guilty about an event in his past, but as I was writing, so much of it didn’t ring true, and I knew that I’d missed a step. The question I hadn’t asked was: WHY did he feel so guilty? Because his actions, which had ultimately saved Alessia from a terrible fate, were justified. So I knew there was more.

I knew I had to dig deeper than the events that I’d imagined would be important, and go back further in his life, not simply to the one defining event, but to events before it, so that I understood why this one had impacted him the way that it did.

And so it went.

Continuities, like all writing, require an author to dig deep and really explore all angles of the character. And if the outlines were switched around among the authors, I don’t think any of us would write the same book, because we would arrive at our conclusions in a completely different way.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the places I took Matteo in A Hunger For the Forbidden, it’s out in December and includes a bonus book in the back, never before published in the states, The Highest Price to Pay.

Until then…happy reading!

There's Something in a Name!

Every author knows there's something in a name.  We agonize over what to name a character.  Looking for the right name to convey something we want to say about the character…something that fits them.  I was thinking about names for a new book and I wondered what a name like Holly said about me.  And hopefully it speaks of the holiday glee!  But here's the thing, my mother named my Holly not because my birthday was near the holidays (it's not…it's in August), but because she didn't think anyone could find a nickname for Holly.  And that is why I've gone by Hall most of my life! So maybe it speaks a bit about me bucking expectation and trying to chart my own path…I think I like that as well.

And as I thought about my name, I realized that despite the fact I was born in August, my name connection to the holidays shows in my work.  Turns out I've written a lot of holiday books. I have two new Christmas books out this year, and a number of backlist Christmas (and one Thanksgiving) books available as eBooks.  I think a lot of my heroines buck expectations and chart their own paths as well.  From Quincy, a maid who discovers that she's not only good at solving mysteries, but she also has a talent for writing, to Maeve, who came from humble beginnings and despite that has lived her life believing one person can make a difference.

Yes, there's something in a name.  And here are a few of my holiday books that are either new releases, or older books that are still available for eReaders.

New Releases in December:

Quincy's Back for Christmas in a in 

Spruced Up: A Maid in LA Holiday Novella.

Quincy Mac has faced a murder and an art thief. She's dealt with three teenaged boys on her own. She's even braved a brand new romance. But nothing she'd done in the past has prepared Quincy for this...she's heading home for Christmas! She's planning a quiet week with her family, but finds herself with another mystery to solve! 

Join Quincy as she celebrates with her family and solves a mystery in a way that's in keeping with the Christmas season!

Review:
"I fell in love with Quincy Mac when I learned she was once almost the spokeswoman for Dazzling Smile toothpaste.  I have a fondness for great stories, for toothpaste...and for teeth."  ~Hermey, Dentist to the North Pole

Available for Kindle

A Valley Ridge Christmas

...the name says it all.  It's stand alone, but if you've read the previous Valley Ridge Wedding trilogy, you'll meet up with old friends in this Christmas story.  Take one Pollyanna-ish librarian who lives by the mantra, I can't save the world, but I can try, and one Scrooge-ish man who is not thrilled by the idea of a white Christmas, add in a homeless family and you a new holiday story!

Reviews:

"A generous heroine who shares everything but herself and a smart but wary hero who needs to make peace with his past find friendship, love, and belonging in this sweet confection that channels It's a Wonderful Life and has links to Jacobs's earlier Valley Ridge books."
~Library Journal, 10-15-14

"...quick witted dialogue and spark." ~RT Bookreviews

Available in December at your local bookstore, for Kindle and Nook.  It's also available as part of a special 3 eBook bundle on Kindle and Nook.

   Other Holiday books:

Take meddling Nana Vancy who wants to play matchmaker along with her two best friends, known as The Silver Bells (Isabel and Annabelle) and set a romance two the tune ofThe 12 Days of Christmas and you have a fun Christmas romance!  Kindle and B&N.

Last year's holiday short story (also featuring Nana Vancy) is finally available for Nook!  Nana Vancy thinks she's out of the matchmaking business...at least for people.  She's better with pets.  But her Hungarian magic still has some kick.  Kindle and Nook



For Thanksgiving, Once Upon a Thanksgiving.  This was the first in my American Romance American Dad series.  Kindle and Nook.  The second American Dad book was Once Upon a Christmas.  Kindle and Nook.

Three moms miss the first PTA meeting of the year and get stuck on the worst committee…where they find friendship and maybe love!

Unexpected Gifts.  A woman who teaches teen parents finds her own personal journey echoing her girls' when she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and jilted by the baby's dad.  Then just as unexpectedly a special man enters her life. Kindle and Nook

Laura Watson suffered the most unimaginable pain.  She meets a man who's also gone through a horrible loss of his own.  Can these two damage people find the strength to love again?  Kindle and Nook.

A Seasonal Gift for You!

by Anna Campbell 

It's the time of year when for many of us, thoughts turn to gift giving! 

Way back at the beginning of 2013, wonderful historical romance writer Shana Galen contacted me about being part of a Christmas anthology with her, Kate Noble and Vanessa Kelly. I hadn't met Kate, but I knew and loved Vanessa and Shana (Shana was one of the very first Avon authors I met at my first RWA) both in person and as writers. 

Of course I said yes. This was a chance to hang out with some great authors. Even better, all of us were committed to putting the book up for FREE as a thank you to our readers. 

Much toing and froing ensued, although the girls were all such a pleasure to work with, it was all USEFUL toing and froing. We all wrote longish short stories so readers get great value for their zero expenditure (each story is more than 10,000 words). 

And voila, I introduce to you A GROSVENOR SQUARE CHRISTMAS: FOUR HOLIDAY SHORT STORIES, available free from your e-tailer! 

Here's the blurb:

Four breathtakingly romantic tales of a Regency Christmas from four bestselling romance authors.

Down through the years, enchantment touches a tall gray house in Grosvenor Square. The legend of Lady Winterson's Christmas ball promises true love and happiness to one lucky couple. Who will feel the magic this winter?

1803 - The Seduction of a Duchess by Shana Galen

Rowena Harcourt, the Duchess of Valere, never forgot the handsome footman who helped her escape the French Revolution. For fourteen years, Gabriel Lamarque has loved Rowena-now at Lady Winterson's Christmas ball, has fate finally delivered a chance to win her hand?

1818 - One Kiss for Christmas by Vanessa Kelly

Nigel Dash is London's most reliable gentleman, a reputation he never minded until he fell in love with beautiful Amelia Easton. Unfortunately, Amelia sees Nigel as a dependable friend, not a dashing suitor. At Lady Winterson's famous Christmas ball, Nigel vows to change Amelia's mind-by sweeping her off her feet.

1825 - His Christmas Cinderella by Anna Campbell 

At the season's most glittering ball, a girl who has never dared to dream of forever after discovers a Christmas miracle.

1830 - The Last First Kiss by Kate Noble

Susannah Westforth has always loved Sebastian Beckett - but he's only ever seen her as a friend.  When Sebastian takes his Grand Tour, Susannah transforms herself into a woman he'll notice. Now Sebastian is back, just in time for Lady Winterson's Christmas ball - but the last thing he expects to see is his little Susie, all grown up...

You're invited to join the whirling dance at Lady Winterson's sparkling Christmas ball, where miracles happen and true love shines forever. How can you resist?

I thought the idea of this glamorous Christmas ball was so romantic, that I went hyper romantic in my retelling of Cinderella. There's an ugly stepmother and one stepsister and a very charming fairy godmother. Or perhaps two if we count Lady Winterson as a person who facilitates the romance between humble but beautiful Campion Parnell and the magnificent Earl of Ravenglass.

You can read an excerpt from "His Christmas Cinderella" on my website here: http://annacampbell.info/xmascinderella.html

You can read an excerpt from Shana's "The Seduction of a Duchess" here: http://www.shanagalen.com/seduction-of-a-duchess1.php

You can read an excerpt from Vanessa's "One Kiss for Christmas" here: http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com/books/one-kiss-for-christmas/one-kiss-for-christmas-excerpt/

You can read an excerpt from Kate's "The Last First Kiss" here: http://katenoble.com/books/grosvenor.php

At this time of year, I love a short story or a novella. We're all so busy so it's an easy way for me to get my dollop of delicious romance without going totally off the rails! I hope you'll all download A GROSVENOR SQUARE CHRISTMAS and that our stories will give you a smile.

You can pick the book up at most etailers including Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Grosvenor-Square-Christmas-Shana-Galen-ebook/dp/B00FSLF4NO/ref=pd_sim_b_1 and Barnes and Noble: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-grosvenor-square-christmas-vanessa-kelly/1117251695?ean=2940045347853
 

So do you like Christmas stories? Do you have a favorite? Are you planning on reading any Holiday-themed stories this Christmas?

The New Girl :: Anne McAllister

Sorry I’m a bit late with my post today. I just got back late yesterday from picking up our “new girl.” Thus I didn’t have time last night to write this. 

So . . . meet Sashi.

You may remember two months ago that our dear beloved Micah died quite suddenly. Though he was old, neither we – nor he – expected his departure right then.  But it happened.  And as a result we were crushed – and down to one lonely dog in our house.

There was no thought of going out and finding another one right away. 

Knitting up a hole as big as Micah left in our hearts takes time.  And it still is taking time.

But seeing Mitch looking lonely made us try to knit a bit faster so he could have a friend on site. He has Nancy the cat slayer’s (long story, no she doesn’t kill cats!) dog Mac as a buddy who comes over almost daily. But Mac is a cockapoo with attitude and Mitch finds him entertaining, but . . .

So we went looking for another golden or a flat-coated retriever (it’s taken me five years to be able to even think about that after Gunnar).  And we checked rescue organizations hither and yon, and we checked our local humane society, and we checked untold numbers of places on the internet, and we kept “just missing'” dogs.

No fear, my friend Frankie said. The right dog will appear when the time is right.

And she did. 

She’s five and a half. She is small (about half the size of my big boys). I was astonished she was actually a golden!  She’s laid back – but she can handle Mitch if she needs to. And she rode home yesterday seven hours in the car without batting an eye.  She likes her new home, if her settling in and commandeering the best spot on the couch is anything to go by. 

She likes both Mitch and Mac. And they like her.  It’s taking her some time to get used to the man in the house as she came from a home without one.  But she likes him,, too.  And he thinks she’s very sweet.  He rubs her ears every time he goes past her. I expect she will be following him around as soon as she has figured out that he will do that on a regular basis.  In fact, as I type this, she’s in his office making sure she gets another ear rub.

So, please forgive the late post. And imagine me today, fussing over her – and Mitch – and feeling almost whole again. We do still miss Micah very much. But I had the feeling as I was driving her home yesterday that he was pleased.  He would know that she couldn’t begin to fill his paws, but she does “improve the quality of life around here” – as all goldens do, of course.

Oh, and I got my revision letter even as I was going out the door on Friday to meet her. So now I can get to work shaping Lukas up! Hooray.

New cover excitement - Kandy Shepherd

Great excitement this month when I saw the cover of my first book for Harlequin Romance, The Summer They Never Forgot , to be published on February 4, 2014.

That first view of a cover can be a tense moment for an author. How did the cover designer interpret my characters? Did they get my setting right? How does the title look on the page?

I’m pleased to report the Harlequin designers got everything right! The water setting, the dock where some pivotal scenes are played out, the carefree summer atmosphere. Most important, the heroine and hero, Sandy and Ben, fit my mental image of them. “He’s hot!” was my daughter’s reaction to Ben—you can’t get much better than that.

Oh, and I’m a big sucker for pink on covers and I love the pink on the Harlequin Romance covers.

The Summer They Never Forgot is a reunion story set in my made-up town of Dolphin Bay on the beautiful south coast of New South Wales in Australia. It’s a place where I’ve spent many happy vacations and is dear to my heart. 

I love the unspoiled beaches on the New South Wales south coast where The Summer They Never Forgot is set

The book is a deeply romantic, emotional story of second-chance love—I so enjoyed writing Sandy and Ben’s story. I hope you do, too, when you get a chance to read it.

Here’s the cover blurb:

It started with a summer kiss… 

Sandy Adams is on her way to an interview, but when she sees a signpost for Dolphin Bay she decides to take a detour down memory lane…. 

Ben Morgan has had his share of heartache. But when a ghost from his youth catches his eye memories of their last summer together come flooding back. 

Everything has changed in the past twelve years, and still they're right back where they started, facing a second chance they deserve…together.

Now I'm looking forward to the excitement of actually having the book in my hands!

Do you enjoy a reunion romance? Is there someone in your past you’d love the chance to reconnect with? Has social media brought an old flame back into your life?

Please leave a comment—I’d love to hear about it!

Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.

Watch out for her The Summer They Never Forgot, her first release from Harlequin Romance in on February 04, 2014 in both the US and the UK.

Her new contemporary women's fiction e-book, Reinventing Rose, is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and other e-book retailers. 

Kandy’s romances include the Amazon bestseller The Castaway Bride, Something About Joe, and the award-winners Love is a Four-Legged Word and Home Is Where the Bark Is.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

Research - the fun part of writing!

Having finally delivered my latest KISS romance to my editor (For His Eyes Only, March 2014), I’ve embarked on the last book in my “ice cream” trilogy. This will be Geli’s story, the youngest of the Amery sisters, the one who went to art college, designed the website, but apart from helping out at gigs when needed, doesn't get hands-on involved with the business..

I thought that I’d probably wrung the most out of the Maybridge ice cream event scene and have decided on a new location for Geli. In the serendipitous way that these things happen, I picked up a copy of Italia at the supermarket – mostly for the recipes – and read a fascinating article about the Isola area of Milan. Artists, designers, fashion but with a gritty working class background. So often, when you’re planning a new book, things seem to come up and hit you in the face.

Art, clothes, food… And we all know that Italian ice cream is out of this world. J Perfect.

I’m deep into research mode now. I’m watching vids on YouTube, reading travel guides, blogs, finding fabulous pictures on Pinterest – check out my page for Geli’s story here - and yes, planning a long weekend in Milan. I want to walk the ground, get the feel, the smell of the place and of course, I’ll be taking wander along the fabulous Belle Epoque shopping mall - the stunning Galleria Victorio Emanuele II – nicknamed Milan’s “drawing room”, with its designer boutiques, cafes and bookshops.

Writing is hard work. It makes my brain ache. But research is just so much fun!

The ice cream trilogy –

Tempted By Trouble (Elle’s story)

Anything But Vanilla (Sorrel’s story)

Laura Lee Guhrke: Matchmaking Tips

I got married in June, which given my abysmal lack of dating success during much of my lifetime, had become about as likely as winning the Powerball or being abducted by aliens. Despite being a romance writer, I’d given up on love, but fortunately for me, my friends were not ready to do the same. Through those friends I met my husband, a meeting that not only changed my life, but also made that life more amazing than I could have imagined. My matchmaking friends also helped inspire my latest historical romance, Whenthe Marquess Met His Match, where Victorian matchmaker Belinda Featherstone helps American heiresses find their very own British Prince Charmings.

Unfortunately for most American singles, they don’t have a professional matchmaker like Belinda to help them out. But they do have friends, and those friends may include you. So, if you know some singles out there, think about trying your hand at a bit of matchmaking. You never know, you might find yourself at their wedding a few years later!

I know it can be intimidating to try pairing up your friends, but there are a few guidelines to make it easier:

1.       Pair up people you actually like. I know that seems obvious, but it must not be, because this advice is in every article on matchmaking out there.

2.       Consider their compatibility and mutual interests, but don’t be ruled by those things. Ultimately, chemistry always wins out.

3.       Try to introduce them at a party, rather than setting them up a blind date. Less stressful.

4.       Be honest in your descriptions and show photos if you can. This keeps expectations real.

5.       Don’t take it personally if things don’t work out.

So, there you have it. Everything you need to know to start pairing up your friends. Have you ever attempted to be a matchmaker? If so, how did it go? If not, why not?  Share your matchmaking tips for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card!

***The winner is Barbara E.!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com. Thanks!***

Eileen Wilks: A Fearless Life Is Not All It's Cracked Up To Be

I geek out over books on brain science. Also over books that draw on brain science. A quick check of the books I've unpacked and shelved (hey, I've only been in the new house for a year; there's still a lot of books boxed up in the garage) reveals titles like The Gift of Fear, Buddha's Brain, The Paradox of Choice, and The Owner's Manual for the Brain.

Oh, the things our amygdalas get up to! Not to mention the sly antics of the cerebral cortex, or that pain-killing pro, the periadqeductal gray . . . but I promised not to mention them, didn't I? Point being that naturally I was drawn to a title like The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson (highly recommended) when I wanted to learn more about Robert Friar, the chief villain in my lupi series. Robert Friar is the chief agent for an Old One who wants to destroy the lupi on her way to world domination.

My takeaway from The Psychopath Test: psychopaths are not like us.

With most mental disorders, we can—if we squint a bit—see our own flaws and foibles writ large. Maybe in screaming Sharpie ALL CAPS, but who doesn't have a wee trace of the narcissist? We're born knowing the world revolves around us. The world disabuses most of us of this delusion, but a whisper of it lingers. Most of us reserve our panic attacks for appropriate situations (such as speaking before a large audience, which people fear more than they do death), but we can understand how terrible such spells must be for those who have them more often. And who doesn't have some kind of phobia, even if it doesn't rise to the clinical level? I can't be the only one who refused to see Arachnophobia. . .

But psychopaths, however well they may blend in, however reasonable and even charming they may seem, have some serious deficits in the way their brains work. You probably know that they lack empathy. What you may not know is that humans are hard-wired to feel empathy. The ability to share in others' feelings is built into our brains. This starts with what are called mirror neurons—which, by the way, are the reason you can get so scared while reading a Stephen King book—that are designed to fire in sympathy with observed actions and emotions. We respond to smiles, to an angry expression, and to tears. Show most of us a grisly picture—say, crime-scene photos involving blown-apart faces—and we recoil in horror.

Psychopaths don't. Instead they are fascinated. They are often especially intrigued by the expression of fear or terror . . . because they don't feel it themselves.

That's what Bob Hare concluded, anyway, as the result of experiments he conducted with prison inmates. He gave two groups of inmates a painful electrical shock while wired up to EEGs and other instruments to measure their sweat and blood pressure. Those with normal brains reacted predictably as the countdown approached zero, when they knew they'd be shocked. They grew fearful.

The psychopaths didn't. They had no measurable physical or neurological experience of fear. After going through the countdown once, culminating in a painful shock, they failed to react the next time.

Fear comes from the amygdala, which is part of the limbic system. The limbic system is a set of brain structures that support a number of human functions, including emotions, behavior, and motivation. Many experts believe that psychopaths don't have a fully functioning limbic system. They don't feel anything deeply. They don't have a conscience. And they don't ever, ever experience remorse.

Every work of fiction explores what it means to be human. I do that, too, in my lupi series, but I also look at what it takes to be a monster. In one book, Lily wonders what it means if the Great Bitch, the Old One who wants to destroy the lupi so she can remake the world according to her own notions, keeps using human agents who look, act, and react a lot like psychopaths. Did they start out that way, or did close connection to her change them?  

Which would make her the Typhoid Mary of psycopathy.  Not a happy thought.  Good thing she's been permanently locked out of our realm  . . . hasn't she?