The @GoddessFish Presents Mind of the Beast

Collaborating with Brian and Juliet Freyermuth

Collaborating with another writer, especially one you’re married to, is not for the faint of heart. But if you can get past the challenge of not being attached to what you write, it can be a fun experience and the two of you wind up creating a great novel. We complement each other in every area of our life. 

Writing is no exception.

Brian has 20 years of experience writing for games. When he is writing and editing dialog, he thinks about how it would read during a voice over session.

The key to good dialog writing is hearing the voice of the character in your head. You need to hear the mannerisms, the ticks, the sense of humor, etc, before you can write what the character has to say. When Brian worked on the video game Epic Mickey 2: the Power of Two, he would listen to the old cartoons over and over again until he could hear Mickey, Donald, or Goofy talking in his head. It was the same on Mind of the Beast.

Juliet loves writing about people. When she creates a character or expands on one of Brian’s characters, she wants to know them as well as her best friends. She asks herself questions like: What are their weaknesses? Strengths? What are their quirks? What do they do for fun? If they’re evil, what is something that could make you relate to them?

The Sundancer series is based on the premise, what would happen to supernatural beings if their reality was based on popular belief. Felix is a vampire who was turned back in the ‘60s. Because of all the books and movies about vampires, he is far from the Bram Stoker version. He’s a minor character but the catalyst for why Nick looks into the death of one of Felix’s friends.

Felix holds onto his flower child days by drinking blood that is laced with drugs. Since, in the world of Mind of the Beast, vampires need to stay connected to humans in order to keep their humanity, we gave him a hobby of role-playing. He met the victim playing Fading Suns. Felix is also laid back until you interfere with his ability to stay connected to humanity, then he turns into a stress monkey. He is not at all violent and will do anything to help a friend. Not all vampires are like this, as you’ll find out later in the series.

When collaborating with another author, figure out your strengths. That will help you define each of your roles. We also recommend that one person work on the novel at a time. The person writing the rough draft should let the person who is doing the rewrite know which scenes they feel the most attached to. By collaborating on Mind of the Beast, we were able to create a novel neither one of us could have written alone, forgoing the isolation usually associated with writing and having a great time in the process.

Mind of the Beast (a Sundancer Novel, Book 2)

by Brian & Juliet Freyermuth

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

When a vampire asks Nick St. James to investigate his friend’s murder, the answer should have been easy, right? NO. Okay, not so easy. How do you say no to a friend like Felix?

Besides, with Thelma by his side, what could go wrong? She’s got that, umm … cute pink backpack of Voodoo magic. Of course it hurts that she manages to look good even when she accidentally conjures and gets possessed by a drunk loa. No, it won’t be at all distracting to have her along.

Since no good deed goes unpunished, a crazy man with starry eyes jumps out of the shadows at the victim’s apartment and pummels them. Their attacker doesn’t just beat them up but also infects them with some bad mojo that’s killing Thelma and making Nick angry … angrier.

If the trail to the suspect—the Green Man—is any indication, they’ll be killed before the poison finishes the job. The old gods are more dangerous than helpful. The Watchers—even the one who seems to have a brain—are always a hazard. And what’s with the all the minions? Who has minions anymore? Not to mention the rapid progression of the infection that quickly upgrades Nick’s condition to ‘blind-rage-filled.’

Why couldn’t Felix have just asked Nick to help him move?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPTS 

She shot him again, but he continued toward her. Two bloodstains formed on his ratty shirt. He swung at her, but she quickly shifted to the left.

It was my turn. I punched him from the side and sent him flying into the desk across the room. Sounds of the monitor shattering and wood splintering filled the air as I rushed toward him.

Another sound of gunfire rang out but didn’t stop him from getting to his feet. He barreled toward me like a freight train. The gunshots slowed him considerably, but it didn’t stop him. Pain radiated through my chest as his fist made contact, sending me into the wall between the two rooms. A crack traveled up the wall to the ceiling, and plaster rained down around us.

More shots sounded as I got back to my feet. Two more holes opened in the man’s shirt. He was almost to Thelma when I grabbed him from behind. I used all my enhanced strength to lift him and toss him toward the kitchen. His body flew through the open door, smashing the wood of the frame in the process.

On the counter was the third gnome, his hands covering his speak-no-evil lips. I grabbed it and swung for the man’s head. It contacted with a sick thunk, and blood splashed across the gnome’s face. The bastard wouldn’t go down! I snarled and swung again, but this time he grabbed my wrist in midair and twisted it before tossing me to the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

After 18 years of marriage, Brian and Juliet Freyermuth decided to try something crazy; write a book together.

Brian’s writing is not limited to print. For twenty years he wrote and designed games such as Fallout, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Epic Mickey 2 and Lichdom: Battlemage.

Juliet’s love for writing began with a fourth grade assignment. She has been writing ever since. Her writing took a new direction when she enrolled in journalism and met amazing people. Whether it is an article about anthropology or a hero’s journey in a magical world, she hopes to inspire readers to new possibilities.

When Brian and Juliet aren’t writing, they enjoy reading, watching shows like Persons of Interest and going on road trips with their son, Kyle.

Website: www.magicalunderworld.com

Twitter:

               

Brian: @brianfreyermuth

               

Juliet: @julietfrey

Facebook:

               

Brian:  https://www.facebook.com/bfreyermuthofficial

               

Juliet: https://www.facebook.com/authorjulietfreyermuth

Buy Link:

               

Demon Dance (Sundancer, Book 1): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CA9IAOW

               

Mind of the Beast (Sundancer, Book 2): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQ38D2Q

 Josh will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/09/vbt-mind-of-beast-by-brian-juliet.html

Thanks guys for stopping by,

Anita