the journal of r. cooper

Sorry I've been so lacking in updates! I was working feverishly to finish two different projects. (And I did, so yay me! The Winter Prince, a fairy tale, and a story for Halloween that I was going to put on Amazon, but it turned out a little different than I was expecting. So we'll see about that one. But it's so gonna have a familiar pun in the title. Because puns! Overly Familiar sounds good, right? Something.)

But this post isn't about them. This post is about some stories about Beings. Specifically a handful of short stories about Beings throughout the last century, from shortly after they first came out of hiding, to about now. You may have heard me mention these shorts before. I've been working on different ones for *years* now. And now here they are. Eeeee!



The Firebird and Other Stories

Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they’ve lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.

A firebird in 1930s Paris is drawn to a writer with a haunted past. Upon returning from fighting in the Pacific, a jaguar shifter finds a third-gender human on his doorstep. Early rock ‘n’ roll DJ Hyacinth the fairy shocks his listeners with his admiration for his quiet assistant. During the AIDS crisis, a gruff, leather-wearing troll dreams of a settled life with a mixed-species elf across the bar. An imp, who remembers only too well how cruel the world can be, tells himself he’s content to stay behind the scenes—if only his chaotic, impish magic would stop getting in the way. And a shy human tending his poisonous and carnivorous plants is convinced no one will ever want him, certainly not the handsome werewolf grieving for a lost mate. Human or being, all must overcome fear to reach for love.


Guys, I can't even tell you how cool it is, and how honored I am, that Dreamspinner agreed to publish a book made up entirely of short stories about my magical failboats in love. This is something I would never have dreamed of. In a way, it's my own little book of fairy tales and I am a super giddy dork about it. (No, really. I was distracting myself with writing projects, and now they are done, and I am basically flitting around giggling about this to myself. Like a weirdo.)

To celebrate the release day, Friday, September 18th, (a day, sadly, I will be working at the day job) I have queued up a whole bunch of interesting pictures and songs and posts of subjects relating to the short stories. I've queued up so many, in fact, they will probably last into Saturday as well. If you're interested, check out my Tumblr.  That's me, sweetfirebird. (ahaha my name will finally make sense to people.)

In addition to that nerdy party, on Saturday night (the 19th) I will be on Tumblr to answer any questions people might have, or if they just wanna hang out, or talk about non Beings things. I might even be tipsy on champagne, so obviously that is when people should ask anything they want to know. ;) Chatting on Tumblr is odd because of the format, but you can easily visit my askbox and say hello. It's the link that says Ask Me Anything. (But FYI I live in California, so I am on Pacific Coast time.)

In addition to *that*, you can always ask me stuff on Goodreads at the Ask the Author link. Just keep in mind that Goodreads does not notify me of questions in a timely way, so sometimes my responses will be slow unless I have Goodreads open in a tab--which I likely will that Saturday and Sunday.

This is so exciting!

And ooooh before I forget, Some Kind of Magic is now available on audiobook! SO MANY BEINGS! WE'RE SURROUNDED! Nerdy Beings party! History dorkiness! and Kazimir! My diva!

:)

Yeah okay. I will try to calm down now.

Back to that official news I promised.

Dreamspinner accepted "A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate" --shocking me more than anyone. Now, of course, I have even more doubt about it. Should I have made it longer? (It's only about a hundred pages.) Should I have given it an epilogue?

Sigh.

This is good news though. It also means that I had to submit the story that follows it, the story that wouldn't go away, "Little Wolf." (Which is over 300 pages somehow). I made myself submit it this evening. Now I have even more doubt, and eight weeks in which to feel it.

But that's okay. Feelings are good.

Speaking of which. I want all of you awesome people to know I'm okay. A little slow, at the moment. Some anxiety issues and some crying but okay. Good even. Better than I was. As I was just telling a kind anon, my mood swings usually aren't so sudden or dramatic and there was a lot of personal drama that made it worse. (It's still happening, in fact, but I finally remembered the ways I've learned to deal with things, and I feel better about starting to face all of it. Someday. For today it was enough to submit "Little Wolf" and make myself work out a little.) Anyway, I wanted to say again that you all have been amazing. To show my love, I thought I'd post this.

So on Tumblr last week, I tried to kick start my brain into active/writing mode again (it didn't really work. Everything was painstaking and slow and focusing sucked) but I did manage to answer three of the writing prompts people gave me.

Here is one. I will edit the other two and post them at a later date. (They were Will/Charlie prompts.)

The prompt was amnesia, and I chose Ray and Cal from "Some Kind of Magic" because lately, the Beings stories I've done have involved werewolves dealing with their instincts, and how they might trust their instincts, but they don't really understand them. Also there is a very, very vague "Little Wolf" reference in there, but it isn't a spoiler or anything.

~~

( Read more... )

For anyone with a Goodreads account (I think. I'm not sure. Maybe anyone can go?) I am doing a Meet The Author chat thing this Saturday.

Here's the link Meet R. Cooper which is kind of a weird thing since anyone here has technically "met" me already. But you know. That's what it's called.

It will be at the GR Dreamspinner group, for three hours. 1:30-4:30 July 12. Pacific Time. (For those in other countries, this means go by San Francisco time on the world clock on your phone. Not that I am in San Francisco, but I can see the Pacific Ocean from here... okay. I can see the bay from here, not that actual ocean ocean. Not gonna lie. I wish I could see it though.)

You can ask me questions about Wicklow and Rhoades (or, say, Amelia, Louis, or Pilar) or any other character you want. I will be posting excerpts from current things and hopefully soon to be published things, maybe talking about my love of random alternate universe versions of my own stories, and oh hey, there will be a coupon offer. I might do a giveaway, although I have no idea how to do that, so.

(Such a clueless dork, you have no idea. My third grade teacher actually told my mother I would never get far in life without a secretary to handle basic things for me. This has proven to be true. But how does one get a secretary before one is a success, I ask you?)

If no one feels like asking me questions, I might just ramble on about steampunk or fairies for three hours. Or werewolves. Or imps. Or dragons. Or lonely ex-cops who are afraid to reach out for the love being offered them.

To recap, got questions about upcoming or current stories of mine? Then come over to Goodreads on Saturday and take pity on me. There's a coupon! Excerpts! Nervous babbling! It'll be fun. (Hopefully).

You know when you have all the ideas and you just want to write everything and you can't because that just isn't possible but also because of Other Things and Real Life?

SIGH.

Hi! No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I've been focused on finally (FUCKING FINALLY) finishing a draft of Little Wolf. (Or whatever I decide to call it.) Talk about a story that got away from me. Oy! The thing is almost 400 pages so yes, I need to edit that a lot. Unfortunately I can't edit it right now because I'm busy editing Wicklow's Odyssey for your consideration and that is a lot of work too. So much work. At least Wicklow and Rhoades are lovely. (And the others, who really need porn of their own. I mean... romances of their own... and then porn. Then after I think about all that fun stuff I get to worrying that Wicklow and Rhoades and their story might be too weird for people. I think it's lovely but I'm such a nerd. And dork. Dorky nerd. My Tumblr is testament to this.)

The point being, never fear I have been working. And of course, the CUTEST fairy story popped into my head during all of this because I can't write it right now and that is always the way. (BUT HIS NAME IS TULIP AND I LOVE HIM. TULIP THE SOMEWHAT SHY FAIRY.HE NEEDS ALL THE PETS AND CUDDLES IN THE WORLD. FLOWER CROWNS MIGHT BE INVOLVED. I NEED TO STOP THE CAPSLOCK NOW, I KNOW. ahem.)

My brain might be a little fried from nonstop writing/editing. This is very possible. I apologize. Also, hey, everyone. I think Wicklow comes out in June or July. I want to be writing and I can't right now. That's all. Update over. :)

I keep writing all these things and I don't know what to do with them. Weird short story things and alternate universe of existing story things. Just random ideas that don't seem to have a place, no matter how adorable I might think they are.

Short stories in the Beings universe seems to be a place my mind keeps going, though I have no idea if that sort of thing is publishable. Maybe a series of them with a unifying theme. Or no theme, just a series of short stories. (Would that be a thing people would read?) It might include existing characters or it might be all new. I wrote a thing about an imp in love the other day.

An imp! I know! It just happened.

Anyway, I'm still alive, just sort of frazzled. :)

Have an excerpt...


"Someone once told me that you were the enforcer of Mr. Summers' political will, Mr. Rennet. You should consider the source of your information," Campbell the reporter snapped back, sweating but brave. Rennet stared at him, then directed a look over at John. John was calm, even smiling faintly, which could have meant anything, but he wasn't intervening to shut Rennet up, so after a long minute, Rennet arched his eyebrows.

"Just Rennet," he corrected the reporter, in case this was on the record. "Rennet the imp. What kind of idiot would hire an imp for matters of a delicate nature? I'm an embodiment of chaos, asshole. I don't do good or evil. Didn't you learn this in school?"

"Asshole seems harsh, Rennet," John commented, taking his empty cup and setting it next to the coffee machine. Rennet would need at least two cups to feel any effects from the caffeine. John removed his coat and rolled up his sleeves before preparing a second cup, just for Rennet.

"See?" Rennet continued with his mouth dry, trying not to stare at John's forearms. "Sorry about the asshole thing, but you honestly think I take orders from this guy?"

Margery coughed around her sip of coffee.







I don't even know where my brain is anymore, but Rennet will pretty much do anything John wants, little delusional failboat that he is. He is fooling no one.

Hey there, you people so patiently putting up with me while I go through things and don't write at all. Well, I did write a few short things, but the reaction to them among the people I showed them to was sort of underwhelming, so I assume they, uh, need work, to put it mildly. Sometimes things just don't happen (I blame my brain chemistry) and sometimes they do. In the meantime, I've been editing ye olde (embarrassing as hell) Ideas of Sin.

Editing in the sense of cleaning it up and resisting the urge to rewrite it, because it's kind of insane, but it's also clearly me at a certain point in my life and I can't change that now. Also a part of me thinks I should write crack like that more often. Glorious cheese!

ANYWAY. I'm going to put it up on Smashwords and take it down elsewhere. I will probably also make Under the Bridge free and slap a pricetag on My Man Godric. (Aren't I nice to warn you?) That's probably what I should have done in the first place, but I was playing around with Smashwords at the time and just figuring things out. I doubt the pricetag will be high.

In other news, on Wednesday, March 6, I will be doing a blog entry for the brand spankin' new Steampunk section at Coffee Time Romance. I will probably talk about corsets and dirigibles and Jules Verne, and maybe even about Karol and Hart. There will *probably* be a book giveaway, but I have to figure out how to do that. Especially since Let There Be Light is only available in ebook format. Please come check it out, if not for me than for the other authors. This putting yourself out there shit is *terrifying*.

And before I go... I got fanfiction. FANFIC, YOU GUYS. I am too nervous author to ever read it, but IT EXISTS and that is delightful. You can find it on Goodreads under the group minemineminemine.

Honestly I have so much denial that I am the writer who is constantly surprised when my characters are me. I mean, obviously they are parts of me, but it’s never the parts I think they are. Like being such an unmedicated pain in the ass all the time with anxiety and depression and losing most everyone around me because of it, driving them away maybe (or slightly on purpose), with the general feeling that it’s for the best because I am such a pain in the ass, which all creates this twisted feedback loop of feeling unworthy and becoming more convinced that they wouldn’t want to hang out with me anyway because of this unworthiness. All exacerbated by the fact that I really can’t blame people for pulling away, to be fair. After all, everyone has their own drama and you have to take care of you first, right?

Except then there is a strength in me because I have been through all this, I have lived with it, and I am still here, I made it through. Others see that strength and want it to protect them. And I love them and I want to belong so most of the time I don’t mind lending my strength to others, because it feels good and it makes me feel great and strong and worthy. … Until the times when I need my strength for me again but I find it all used up.

Then there’s the rage. The anger that comes with depression, believe it or not, and from the deep dark places inside that don’t care about being fair. Things weren’t fair for me, why do I have to be fair for others? The part that just wants someone to make it better, or at least to have a thing of its very own that understands, and accepts, and loves. … And then not let go because that part is a jealous, possessive bastard.

The higher, nobler characters, they are me too of course. Scarred survivors in love with genius and scared, confused youngsters struggling to adapt to a changing world. Flirty, sparkly dorks and honest, devoted innocents. But those characters are never as much of me as the messed up, lonely hearts, and they never seem to speak to people as much either. People admire them, lust after them, love them, but it’s the jerks and the crazies that makes them read me. I never understood that either, at least not as much as I am starting to now. I am blind to obvious things, what can I say?

(Note: While that post kind of went, er, darker and more insightful than I’d intended, I really did mean it in a 'I feel you guys' kind of way. And then it didn’t do that at all. Writer fail! Though I suppose it works out well that I never realize I’m writing me until it’s all over. Stops the self-consciousness. Something.)

I have a short story out in Dreamspinner's anthology that comes out, oh yeah, oops, *today*. I fail to advertise things. Idk. There's roommates with feeeeelings and kittens with stumpy tails and risotto. Just so you know. I can discuss the other stories in the anthology when I get my copy. :)

I finally got up the courage to reopen the files I was formatting to put up on Smashwords. ("My Man Godric" as a free story and another new short "Under the Bridge" as a cheap experiment in the whole self-publishing thing) only to discover that Word was a dickbag and erased all the formatting. Or hid it, I am not sure. But seeing my hard work gone made me disinclined to continue for the day. I did however, finally email Smashwords about cover artists. Because I want stuff to look as professional as possible even if these are going to be free/cheap downloads. I haven't done anything with this information yet however, because I am poor and I must choose to spend my money wisely, and also this shit is hard, yo.

I see now why only the truly determined would self-publish because I like having people make these kinds of calls for me. Dammit I just need the title on a cover. It doesn't have to be fancy!

Once that is finally, ever?, settled, I can worry about formatting again. And if that goes well, we will see how this goes. (All those people who nicely asked me for ways to download my free stories... well I am trying here. I need an assistant. Why don't I have one? Oh right.)

And hey, in better news, I STARTED WRITING SOMETHING NEW TODAY!!! Woo hoo!!! I hope it continues to inspire me.