Anna DeStefano presents DARK LEGACY
Running is an exhilarating, liberating thing. I try not to miss my run more than a day or two at a time. It's that important to my well being. Maybe I need to flee once a day, to keep me grounded when I get back home. Maybe it's the endorphin rush that gives me a boost, once I’m showered and return to my desk. Or maybe running is a way to stay in touch with the world, while I hide away the rest of the time working on my next book. Even when I write on my back deck—which I can finally do now that the heat, and the flood waters, are simmering down, down south—it's easy to feel out of step with reality. Running is very grounding... Okay, enough with the puns ;o)
Being a guest at Running with Quills is the last official stop on my Dark Legacy blog tour. I can't think of a more exciting way to round out a fabulous, if exhausting, month of non-stop online celebrating. I admire the authors here so much, and the variety of genres they excel at writing in. You ladies are heroes to so many writers and readers. Never forget that. And I've always loved the name of the group—it evokes the danger and rewards that can come with taking a risk. What you've all achieved in your careers is so inspiring... Okay, enough with the gushing ;o)
But, I've gushed and punned with a point. Running and risk are recurring themes in Dark Legacy. I suspect they're recurring challenges for most writers. They certainly have been for me. You work hard and push and climb and struggle to see things clearly and get to where you think you need to be, only to find yourself in a place where you still need to climb and struggle and push just a little further. And then a little further. It's the same for any business professional, but I think the climb can be particularly steep for creative spirits. Keeping your eye on the prize while you're painting other worlds and creatures with your mind is a challenge. Running with scissors and quills can be dangerous, after all. That's why only the brave (the crazy???) attempt it.
And speaking of crazy. Heh. There's a good bit of that in the paranormal romantic suspense series I've begun with Dark Legacy. My psychic twins are being haunted by killer nightmares, designed by scientists using dream theory to create direct-strike weapons out of day dreams. The entire book is a thrilling race to get away and to discover. To look inward, so the outer world will stop attacking. To paint a new reality out of a broken one, so my heroine can run free instead of forever fleeing from the big, bad ugly pursuing her. Of course I've drawn a love story, too, to romance you through this battle of wills and minds. It's love that brings us back home every time. Otherwise the journey wouldn't be as sweet, right? Here's a link to tons of Dark Legacy excerpts (http://annawrites.com/blog/2009/08/30/dark-legacy-excerpts-dive-in/), including a free prequel Dorchester's sponsoring for me. Enjoy the spookiness, and let me know what you think!
To sum up, running is necessary, if there's somewhere you want to go, something you need to leave behind, OR if you're craving a challenge before you make your way back home. The journey is what I thrive on most, in the books I write and read. It's fascinating, what people are capable of, when they leave the fear behind and run without limits. Maybe that's what my daily jog does for me. For half an hour or so, my focus becomes the pleasure of letting go and running free. Sure, my current work-in-progress comes with me, but it's different out there. Chasing my next idea becomes an adventure, once I unchain myself from the familiar surroundings of my everyday world.
Reading is another daily escape. When I put my work away at night and need to relax, it's other worlds and characters and stories I want to lose myself in. Whether I'm looking for excitement or romance or steamy love scenes, I can't tell you how many wonderful nights the authors at Running with Quills have given me. Thank you, ladies, for the endless journeys. And thanks for inviting me to run along with you today.
I'm giving away a signed copy of Dark Legacy to one lucky commenter. Tell us where you're running. What you're risking. What you're dreaming. Oh, and dish about those great reads that help you escape. I need something fabulous to lose myself in this weekend! And for more chances to win, including a Couture Necklace and a Coach Purse, don't miss my blog contests!!!
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Dark Legacy“Die!” scream her nightmares. The voice is her sister’s, the compulsion stronger than any ordinary dream.
Maddie Temple can’t go through this again. Her twin has been in a coma for the last ten years. Their psychic link was severed. At least, that’s what she thought.
But there’s a lot Maddie doesn’t know—about the 200-year-old curse on her family, about the shadowy group that wants to exploit the Temple twins’ powers for themselves, about the sexy psychiatrist offering to help her. The only way to find the answers and avoid being pulled into the abyss of madness is to trust her heart and confront her... Dark Legacy.
"A sure winner!" —Lori Handeland, New York Times Bestselling, RITA Award Winning Author of Doomsday Can Wait
"A sure winner!" —Lori Handeland, New York Times Bestselling, RITA Award Winning Author of Doomsday Can Wait
"Chilling...Mesmerizing...Fascinating." —Library Journal
"This is the book for you..." —Fresh Fiction
posted at 4:18 AM
