Guest Post: Author Erica Hayes + Giveaway
October 11, 2010 
31 Comments
I’m pleased to have Erica Hayes, author of the Shadowfae Chronicles here at Fiction Vixen today.
Things I love about urban fantasy
Some say the publishing world is a mystery, and that there’s no predicting what will sell to New York or what won’t, what readers will love and what they cast aside.
In a way, it’s true: a matter of luck. But I can examine my little collection of manuscripts, way back from the first novel I ever wrote (blech!) through to the contracted books I’m working on now, and I can tell you exactly why the Shadowfae series sold and the other ones didn’t.
It’s because Shadowfae has my soul on every page. I was so excited when writing it, I barely stopped to sleep or eat. I adored those characters and their world so much, I didn’t want it to end. In short, Shadowfae was the book I wanted to read. I wrote what I loved, and it came out sparkling.
Yeah, yeah, ‘write what you love’, blah blah. We’ve all heard that a dozen times. But what exactly does it mean? I love lots of books. As a writer, how do I know what’s going to light my fire?
In urban fantasy, I adore grit. I don’t want fluffy paranormals where no one makes any sacrifices for their power. I want characters who suffer for their goals, who have real problems and painful difficulties getting ahead in a dark and ferocious world that’s out to get them.
That’s why series like Keri Arthur’s Riley Jenson Guardian and Stacia Kane’s Downside books are so cool – the characters aren’t perfect, annoyingly sassy, all-powerful or fearless. I want to write heroines who aren’t the oldest or most powerful or the toughest {insert paranormal creature of choice here} on the block.
My heroines tend to be the little people, the ones who aren’t boss of the pack or top of the food chain. I love watching the underdog prove herself. Looking over my books, I see I also have a thing for the Unattainable Guy J all my little-person heroines fall for that one gorgeous, perfect guy they think will never notice them. They underestimate themselves, so they try. Really. Hard. I love that.
I also love squalor! I’m kinda over the sanitized monster. In my books, a vampire’s bite is very messy and hurts like hell. Being hypnotized makes you sick, and more often than not, fairy magic will snake around and bite its user on the butt. Shifting shape (if you’re one of the few freaks who can do it) is unpleasant, and you’ll probably pull a muscle. And as for hierarchical rules, forget it. I’m not real interested in vampire politics or who’s who in some werewolf pack’s pecking order. I prefer unpredictability. A world where you never know who’s going to walk up and kick your ass – or creep up on you and stab you in the back.
And I love moral ambiguity. This is what urban fantasy is for. If I wanted heroes with hearts of gold who never do anything shady, I’d write pure romance. So Jade in Shadowfae is an assassin – as a succubus, her job is to damn your soul to hell in a very intimate fashion. Ice and Indigo, the fairy couple in Shadowglass, are con artists and thieves, and in Poison Kissed, Mina and Joey are kick-ass gangsters in the middle of a war. Mina used to be a prostitute. Joey could be a murderer. You don’t get ahead in their world by keeping the moral high ground. But they’re still lovable, because they have dreams and hopes and fears of their own.
But above all, I love stories of redemption. I love angry, wounded heroes and heroines who find hope together. I love realistic endings, where troubles don’t vanish into thin air, and the characters must learn to deal before they get their happy ending.
So that’s what I love about urban fantasy. The action, the unpredictability, the latitude to deal realistically with the gritty dark – and still have a cracking hot romance.
Over to you: what do you love about urban fantasy? If you could write the book you wanted to read, what would it be like? What clichés would you slash and burn?
***GIVEAWAY***
Erica would like to give away a copy of POISON KISSED to one lucky commenter. To enter just leave a comment answering Erica’s questions above. This giveaway is international, open to all!! Open until October 22, winner announced soon after.
POISON KISSED ~ Book 3 of the Shadowfae Chronicles
Beyond the veil of magic, a fairy otherworld pulses with glamour and dark beauty. It’s a place where passions run deep and dark — and death is just one kiss away…
Mina is a banshee whose greatest power lies in her siren song. She’s beholden to her boss Joey, a snake-shifter who once saved her life and now employs her as a gang enforcer. She refuses to upset the fragile balance between them by admitting that she longs for him, that his embrace is the only thing she craves more than revenge for her mother’s death…
When Mina learns that Joey may have been involved in her mother’s murder, fury threatens to spill out of her, note by vicious note. She and Joey have always trusted each other to stay alive, but now she’s not sure what to believe. The evidence stacked against him — or the one man who haunts her dreams and burns in her blood…
You can read the full chapter one of POISON KISSED at my website and watch the book trailer here.
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I like the endless possibilities in urban fantasy–I mean, it's a fantasy world, so anything could happen, right? If I could write a book, it would have lots of mystery and adventures. I think the "girl gets the guy and lives happily ever after" cliche would get dropped from mine. Not that I don't like happy endings, but you always know that in the end, there's a hookup happening.
meredithfl at gmail dot com
Tough questions! I guess I love urban fantasy because the authors that I've found and love write such creative, fascinating worlds with awesome plot twists and complex characters. A book created for me would be much the same as I already read- a (more or less) happy ending (or cliffhanger with promises to the answers in the next book!) that takes a difficult journey to get there. As far as cliches go, why do so many of the men have to have long, flowing locks? Is it just too hard to describe a normal 'man' haircut? And 'I let out the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.' It's not a bad line; it's just been done to death.
b(dot)cardone(at)hotmail(dot)com
I love the flexability urban fantasy has and reading each authors' take of such. There is so much imagintation and adventure to be had. No holds bar.
I would write a paranormal or UF book with a kick-ass heroine and hot hot hero. Lots of action and humor.
I am not sure which clichés I would do away with. The sun would not bother my vampires and werewolves would not smell like dogs, LOL.
robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com
I love how it lets each author create a whole new world if they want. Usually there are things that are similar enough to ours as well to make it seem more understandable. It allows so much creative freedom that you just get some awesome stories.
bacchus76 at myself dot com
What do I love in Urban Fantasy…? Everything and anything is possible! In a world where real life bites your ass in more ways than one,it's wonderful to be able to immerse yourself in someone else's mind and rediscover the world in all its unpredictability. Werewolves,vampires,fairies,ghosts…creatures are lurking behind every corner and magic permeates the air. Everyday problems exist on a different level,and as well as paying the bills you might just have to battle a dark wizard to see the light of day…what more could you ask? My perfect book would be one where the good girls are not Barbie perfect…why is it that lately they're all sooo unaware of how perfectly flawless they are?! What happened to everyday girls with dreams,abilities and the will to succeed? Here's to them!
It realxes me; I can leave our world behind and find myself in all sorts of "wonderlands"; places where unimaginable creatures are everyday citizens and the like. Love to see how creative a human mind could be. Well about clichés only that I hate too romantic and sappy books; I like it when the story is actually going somewhere. I would love to read about pirates or a twisted, women version of Ropbin Hood or some treasure hunting with the supernatural…..
I love urban fantasy because of its endless possibilities. I love being immersed in a world where on the surface it's like every day life, but somewhere dark, underneath the hustle and bustle, the 9-5, the never ending bills and responsibilities lies a world where all that doesn't matter. I can forget about my responsibilities and immerse myself in that world, at least for a little while.
SWattersWrites at gmail dot com
I love UF because of the dark possibilities. It makes things more real because of the juxtaposition of the unreal. It's like inserting comedy so the sad parts are sadder.
What would I destroy. The sunlight theory. I'd like the creatures of the night to see the light. 
books (dot) things (at) yahoo (dot) com
I like urban fantasy because anything can happen, and it often does. I like that there are no boundaries, just the limits of the authors imagination. If I could write one, I would find some obscure folk tales/myths and use them as characters. I don't like the happily ever after cliche. I would get rid of it.
what do you love about urban fantasy? The thing I like about urban fantasies is that anything can happen. You can create your own world with different types of characters, different story lines, different planets, etc. Basically you can create anything you want. You are able to explore your imagination and imagine all kinds of creatures. If you could write the book you wanted to read, what would it be like? I am a sucker for happy endings. I would like to write about a guardian angel falling in love with his charge even though it is forbidden. They would fall in love while he is protecting her from some creature who wants to claim her as his own at any costs. What clichés would you slash and burn? I would get rid of monsters being afraid of sunlight or not being able to be in the sunlight. This would open some interesting story lines. Please enter me in contest.
I love urban fantasy beacuse it is fantasy. I get to escape into an author's world and read about all the various characters. I like that there are so many different authors with their own worlds and ideas of how their heroine or hero should act.
I would slash and burn twinkly vampires.
I love my UF heroines to kick ass and that's all I require.
I love the unpredictability of urban fantasy—–because it is fantasy, anything can happen!
kissinoak at frontier dot com
I enjoy Urban Fantasy, because the heroine is usually strong and kick-ass and there is a lot of action and excitement. If the world-building is good, my imagination is allowed to run free.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
My favorite thing about Urban Fantasy is having the supernatural aspects (Vampires, Werewolves, and Magic) taking place in real cities around the world. My idea book if I were too write one would have a lot of humor and action with a bit of romance. The best examples of what I like are the Kate Daniels Series and Chicagoland Vampires Series.
I'm partial to the way Urban Fantasy weaves the tales of old with setting in the new. It's like a portal where ancient and modern mingle as one.
The book I want to read is in a world where the ancient gods are found to be real people, a lost race.
And I'd do away with the 2 stereo-types of leading ladies; the helpless victim and the heartless vixen. She'd be a little of both, and neither at the same time.
I'm still new to Urban Fantasy and I gotta say that I love it! I also love the grittiness and darkness of it and how desolate some places can seem. I also like how the world just isn't how it used to be and how a reader can sometimes think that it can truly turn out to be that way.
If I could write a UF book I would want everyday normal people to have the ability to have some type of superpower. Such as super strength,invisibility, and the ability to warp to different places. I think it would be fun to be able to do those things.
I'm not too familiar with cliches in UF.
I love urban fantasy. I love the different characters, mortal and immortal. It makes you think if there are any really out there. I love the romance to the characters and there relationships with others. I love vampires and werewolves and love the darkness to the stories. There is something sexy about bad.
If I were to write an urban fantasy it would be about a woman vampire and she is helping others, but has supernatural friends, male and female alike. She is free with what she does and has no fear.
Thanks to everyone for visiting my guest post! <3 That's a lot of votes for getting rid of the sunlight rule. T'would make vamps scarier if they could come out whenever they liked…
And LOL @ the 'normal man haircut'!! So true. And the clothes. Tight jeans, leather vests, no shirt, works out to the max. This guy is interested in women? I think not
The cliches I'm tired of is the hot uber sexy male with a history with the lead woman. How about an urban fantasy where the guy is hot, but not so hot it's unbelievable. Maybe his brain is what's sexy…
What I love about UF is that there is more room for experimentation and for characters that are not "perfect". When Unholy Ghosts first came out this summer, so many people were like, "no, no, no, you can't have a drug addicted heroine". Thankfully, the books are apparently so good that they have overcome that prejudice and maybe made room for other books that break the mold.
If I could slash one cliche, it would be the heroine (virgin or inexperienced) who has never experienced true rapture until she finds her fated mate. I hate that one.
Thanks so much for hosting this interview and giveaway!
Wow, where do I start!!
I am so very fond of Urban Fantasy. It is my fave genre at the moment.
What I love most about it is the fact that you can have a variety of creatures and situations.
Everything can be more complex, more adult in nature and for that more real.
I mean in real life, you get to hear cuss words and see nudity and violence, so a book presenting the life of a hero/heroine can't but include that as well.
I think there's not nearly enough Ghost/Spirit books. Everyone focuses on Vamps and Wolves and some other creatures are ignored where we could love them too!!
Oh Gosh the cliche I would totally "lose" would be the typical: "The minute our eyes met,we knew we were meant for each other" or anything to that effect.
I mean COME ON , it doesn't always happen like that!!! lol
You need to work to earn your love!
It shouldn't come that easy!
yvantis[at]hotmail[dot]com
I haven't read UF before, so I'm not familiar with it.
This would be my first, so I hope I win!
I like the different worlds in UF – no two alike.
I'm all for leather (better protection during fights), but no shirts? What's up with that? If I were a character in an UF, I'd invest in some light-weight Kevlar, especially if I'm packing dozens of knives.
cories119[at]yahoo.com
What I love about urban fantasy are the possibilities. One can take an everyday situation and add a touch of the paranormal and things get that much more exiting! I love the kick-ass heroines and the alpha males however I do get annoyed with heroines that try to hard to "outman" the male characters and alpha males that are a$$holes.
spettolij AT gmail DOT com
I love that anything goes and I'm always surprised and hanging on the edge of my seat. It's fast paced and the characters blow my mind because they are such complicated characters. Then you throw a little bit of romance in and I'm hooked. What irritates me is to know who the heroine is going to hook up with right away. I'd love for her to do a 180 and go in the opposite direction, or have me guessing. I don't always like it when everything is thrown out in the open and have occasionally like it when the bad guys aren't just written as crazy and are given a little more page time so we can see what makes them tick and see the layers that make them who they are
What I love most about it is the fact that you can have a variety of creatures and situations.
Since I'm not that familiar with cliches in UF i gotta say that if i would write a book is one where is a Vampire girl ,A vampire boy that is appearing as a human (like a curse/spell and can't tell anyone )and of course there is a misunderstanding…and a little fighting….And a happy ending
raluk.93 at gmail (dot) com
I would have to have a kick-ass herione. That is one thing I couldn't live without. I love all the variety of creatures and mythology – anything is possible…and I like my worlds to have the magic upfront for all to see.
heatwave96(at)hotmail.com
I love that Urban Fantasy often has a gritty, down to earth texture to the story. Things aren't afraid to be dark and real… it's not all flowers and love stories… and speaking of what I'd slash from Urban Fantasy? LOVE TRIANGLES… so sick of those.
REAL faeries who are tricksy and evil!
I'd love to see more faerie stories
I love that UF mixes real life with magic! In UF novels all the supernatural creatures and aparnormal activities get a realistic or credible element since they take place in a world which ersembles ours. I cellphone using werewolf? Sure!
What I can't tire of in UF novels is a kick-ass, independent and sassy, sarcastic heroine! Those aéways draw me in and of course I need my alpha heroes!
Thank you for the great post and giveaway Erica! Congrats on the release of Poison Kissed!
stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com
Hope i'm not late!
what did you feel when you finish the book? when you write the last line? when you write END?
Thank you so much for the giveaway!
a big huge from Argentina!