Guest Blogger: Esri Rose
The three winners are: Tessa Brixton, Terra 57 and Pam P. Please contact me with your snail mail addresses and I'll pass the info along to Esri. Thanks so much to everyone for stopping by (whether you left a comment or not!!).
Paranormality and Place
In the world of paranormal romance, the setting must fit the creature. Consider Boulder, Colorado. If New York is gray and silver with concrete and fashion, and Chicago is black and red with grit and jazz, then Boulder is all colors of the freakin’ rainbow, with an emphasis on green. I set Bound to Love Her in this quirky university-and-tech town because I live here, and I chose elves as my paranormal characters because vampires would throw up their hands at our lack of human predators and seedy alleys in which to bite them.
Boulder is an example of the conflict and love that exists between elves and humans, humans and nature. To the west, the town founders against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where nature is red in tooth and claw. Storms kill the unwary, and mountain lions maul the occasional hiker. We push at the wilderness, and it pushes back. Lawn ornaments are likely to be live deer, bears must be rousted from under people’s porches, and hummingbirds fly right up in your face, jeweled feathers flashing as they scold you for intruding. We love living so close to nature, until the coyotes eat our dogs and the fleas start spreading plague.
In the Bound to Love Her universe, elves live in the wilderness and draw energy from their piece of land. But I need them to come into town, too. Boulder Creek runs through the city, so my elves can subsist on energy from flowing water if they have to. And how do they get around? The creek runs through a city-long park, so I decided my elves would not only merge with the earth, but travel through it. Where’s the conflict? By taming wild areas, humans are unknowingly driving elves to extinction, but elves can use people for their energy needs. And Boulderites are probably more susceptible than most to elven glamour. We live in a Peter Pan world, where young women wear fairy wings for an evening on the town, and there’s a guy with a pirate hat and a Jolly Roger flag flying from his scooter. Our minds are primed for magic.
Bound to Love Her is my first paranormal romance, and part of the Zebra debut-author program ($3.99 cover price). In the book, Erin Chandler is hiking in Boulder’s woods when she comes across an injured man, who turns out to be an injured elf. Galan’s bond to his land has been severed by Fellseth, a dark elf who preys on his own kind. Erin and Galan mysteriously bond, so Galan needs Erin to keep helping him if he wants to stay alive. But when Fellseth learns of Erin’s ability to provide energy for an elf, he decides to finish Galan off and take Erin for his own.
It’s been fun to bring magic into my hometown. In this city at the edge of two worlds, the question is not, “Why would elves live in Boulder?” The question is, “Where else would they live?"
Esri Rose lives in Boulder with her husband, Angel Joe, and her cat, Musette La Plume, only one of whom has pointy ears. Bound to Love Her is on bookshelves now (Zebra debut-author price, $3.99), and you can read the beginning here. The second book in her elven universe, Bound to Want Him, will be a May 2009 release. You can visit Esri Rose and find out more at ElvesAmongUs.com.
In the world of paranormal romance, the setting must fit the creature. Consider Boulder, Colorado. If New York is gray and silver with concrete and fashion, and Chicago is black and red with grit and jazz, then Boulder is all colors of the freakin’ rainbow, with an emphasis on green. I set Bound to Love Her in this quirky university-and-tech town because I live here, and I chose elves as my paranormal characters because vampires would throw up their hands at our lack of human predators and seedy alleys in which to bite them.
Boulder is an example of the conflict and love that exists between elves and humans, humans and nature. To the west, the town founders against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where nature is red in tooth and claw. Storms kill the unwary, and mountain lions maul the occasional hiker. We push at the wilderness, and it pushes back. Lawn ornaments are likely to be live deer, bears must be rousted from under people’s porches, and hummingbirds fly right up in your face, jeweled feathers flashing as they scold you for intruding. We love living so close to nature, until the coyotes eat our dogs and the fleas start spreading plague.
In the Bound to Love Her universe, elves live in the wilderness and draw energy from their piece of land. But I need them to come into town, too. Boulder Creek runs through the city, so my elves can subsist on energy from flowing water if they have to. And how do they get around? The creek runs through a city-long park, so I decided my elves would not only merge with the earth, but travel through it. Where’s the conflict? By taming wild areas, humans are unknowingly driving elves to extinction, but elves can use people for their energy needs. And Boulderites are probably more susceptible than most to elven glamour. We live in a Peter Pan world, where young women wear fairy wings for an evening on the town, and there’s a guy with a pirate hat and a Jolly Roger flag flying from his scooter. Our minds are primed for magic.
Bound to Love Her is my first paranormal romance, and part of the Zebra debut-author program ($3.99 cover price). In the book, Erin Chandler is hiking in Boulder’s woods when she comes across an injured man, who turns out to be an injured elf. Galan’s bond to his land has been severed by Fellseth, a dark elf who preys on his own kind. Erin and Galan mysteriously bond, so Galan needs Erin to keep helping him if he wants to stay alive. But when Fellseth learns of Erin’s ability to provide energy for an elf, he decides to finish Galan off and take Erin for his own.
It’s been fun to bring magic into my hometown. In this city at the edge of two worlds, the question is not, “Why would elves live in Boulder?” The question is, “Where else would they live?"
Esri Rose lives in Boulder with her husband, Angel Joe, and her cat, Musette La Plume, only one of whom has pointy ears. Bound to Love Her is on bookshelves now (Zebra debut-author price, $3.99), and you can read the beginning here. The second book in her elven universe, Bound to Want Him, will be a May 2009 release. You can visit Esri Rose and find out more at ElvesAmongUs.com.
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Esri is giving away three copies of her book, Bound to Love Her, to 3 commenters who answer the question: What would you do if you were walking in the mountains -- at night, under a full moon -- and you met up with a gorgeous elf? (**Note: after I made up this question for Esri's giveaway, it occurred to me that I'm so used to living in Boulder, I forgot most communities don't have "full moon hikes," etc. I love walking in the foothills in the moonlight. Plus, this is fiction, right?)
It's great to have another Boulder author here on Paranormality! I love Boulder's quirky nature. In fact, no matter how weird I get, Boulder still accepts me. What could be better than that? Esri will be joining Carrie Vaughn and I at a booksigning at The Boulder Bookstore, Oct. 22, to celebrate the release of my second book, Dark Harvest. Wish everyone could come!
posted by Lynda Hilburn at 10:05 PM
19 Comments:
I enjoyed the post and am looking forward to reading this book.
Now if I met an gorgeous elf under the full moon while walking in the mountains alone, I have to tell you that the first thing I'd do would probably be to stifle my scream because hey, thats a little spooky, meeting someone by chance at night in the middle of no where. But after I got over my fright, I would probably want to know more about him and in all probability flirt like heck. Hope he took the hint and gave me that kiss I was wishing for.
Esri,
Well, the question you pose is an easy one to answer! You see, I'm under five feet tall (elf height)and, apart from being a freelance writer and editor, I'm a shaman. I live in the world to which you refer!
There I am, walking alone in the mountains at night. The moon is full and it illuminates my way. I bask in its life-affirming glow. It is so easy to enter an altered state of consciousness under this moon!
As the edges of things begin to soften, I come upon a gorgeous elfen woman. I recognize her as my soul-sister elfen counterpart and we embrace. I have never met her before--at least not in ordinary reality--but we recognize one another instantly. We have been friends for many lives.
Taking my hand, she says, "Come."
I trail along behind her.
We come to a place where high boulders meet the edge of the path and we pass through an elf-sized opening between two of them. And I am both stunned and delighted by the world I step into.
That opening was an opening between the worlds and I have stepped into a lush and magical place where elves abound and deer are unafraid of them. A fire burns in the center of clearing. A score or more of elves turn as we come near. It is as if they have been waiting for us.
And I spend the night, joyously, celebrating this reunion with family and conferring on how best to help my world.
My first reaction to this question was - Are you kidding? I wouldn't be walking alone at night in the mountains of anywhere else! But if I were and I ran across an injured elf, what would I do? Hhmm...the possibilities. My natural instinct would be to try to get him some help or to lend the help myself. I don't like the idea of anyone hurting, so I'd want to ease that, somehow. Only after the danger had passed would I question my sanity - an elf? Seriously? Then I'd question the elf-man. At first...
Being Irish I would be instinctively distrustful, after all, we're taught early to beware the wild wood, don't trust fauns, elves lie and to run like FXXX from fairies, so I would probably do my best to flee, however having just seen Hellboy 2 I might just bop him over the head and run off with his costume.
That, I hasten to add, is one sexy elf.
You guys are great! :D I'm naturally cautious myself, which is why I cut Erin a break. She's walking her neighbor's Newfoundland, Thor, when she meets Galan.
In book 2, we explore the possibility of tasers against bad elves. Sadly, they are not much use.
Hi, Esri!! Just wanted to say hi! So tasers don't do much against bad elves huh? Hmm... disappointing, to say the least...
As for walking in the mountains alone, I'm probably one of the last people to ever head out into the mountains alone, so if such a thing happened, it would likely because of some horrible emergency, so I'd be armed to the teeth and be carrying a huge Maglite and a cell-phone or walkie-talkie, and I'd be moving as fast as I could. And assuming I didn't accidentally hurt the poor elf more in my terror and confusion, I'd call for help and take off as soon as help arrived. Such a chicken I am!
(Don't enter me ;))
Thanks Esri for a wonderful post.
I naturally am a creature of the night myself and do love to go walking in the forest whenever I can. I would be leary of our said gorgeous elf but would most certainly give him the some consideration where he's just too handsome. If he were injured then throw caution to the wind and I would run to help him. If he said I could have one night of my wildest fantasy after helping him then, oh baby all bets are off. :D
Moonlite night, forest, gorgeous elf with magical abilities and being able to do whatever I wish. Hmmm..........the possibilities are staggering. YUMM!!
Hi, Fedora!
I could just see you walloping poor Galan with a maglight. (snort) Well, they're easier to drag home when they're not fightin'.
There you have it ;)
Gee, where were the sexy elves hiding when I visited Boulder a few years ago? LOL. If he's that gorgeous, I just might forget about being cautious, flirt a bit, stroke his ears, and see what happens. Great post, Esri.
I've been wanting to get my hands on this book and here just might be my opportunity. :)
Great blog, Esri!
hmmm...a sexy elf, eh? I suppose if I met a sexy elf I would want to see if his ears were pointed first, then I would ask him if he'd ever seen Star Trek, then I might be tempted to jump him. lol
Good luck with sales!!!
Why are pointed ears so sexy? I saw a photo of someone who had had their ears surgically pointed, but it looked pretty clumsy -- like maybe they had used a dull knife. Yuck.
Hi, Esri :)
I'm glad I stopped by... I'll be sure to check out your book :) I'm really interested in reading it because I used to live in Aurora, and would visit Boulder :)
As for the question on what I would do if I met a gorgeous elf? Hmm... I'd probably be awestruck and left speachless :)
Keep the great comments coming, everyone! I'll select three winners of Esri's book tomorrow (Friday)!
Lynda
Being rather sceptical I would probably pinch myself to check that I was awake and not actually dreaming. lol. Then I would try pulling his ears just to be sure they were real!
Pulling the ears is a good idea. Those latex ones pop right off. Then you laugh, point, and run away real fast.
Well, we might be done. I'm going to bed. Big thanks to Lynda Hilburn for having me, and all the commenters for making it fun!
Esri! Thanks so much for being here. I'll let you know who the three winners are! It was great of you to give away copies of your wonderful book. I look forward to seeing you in October at Boulder Bookstore and in Manitou Springs at Author Fest.
Hugs, Lynda
Thanks Esri and Lynda,and congrats to everyone! Looking forward to reading this one.
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