Wednesday 1 October 2014

Welcome back Raven McAllan!

Today I welcome back one of my favourite ladies, the lovely Raven McAllan. 

Raven's been a very busy bee lately and she has lots of new stories to share with us all, but today, she's here to tell us all about where she sets her stories. The floor is yours, R!

Yes it's me again. My blog visits are similar to my releases (strange that, eh? snigger), in that they follow the big red bus syndrome. None for ages then lots together.

But, hey, hopefully I don't go on about the same things all the time, so as in the words of the song, 'let me entertain you'. I'll add—I hope, and you won't roll your eyes and say 'oh her again'.


Generally, I'm very much a pantster, and go where my characters tell me. I'm often deliberately vague in describing their features, and go no further than tall, fair hair, grey eyes, slim, or whatever. I tend not to have one specific 'real life' person in mind when I write. I started to do this, when I wrote a book a couple of years ago, and suggested a specific type of hero the cover. I described him in great detail and a friend told me I'd totally spoiled the story, because he shouldn't look like that. That she liked to envisage him her way. I though about it and realized, with the characters, I was the same. After all if a hero is described as a so and so look alike, and the reader detests that person, they're not likely to read the book. I accept not everyone will agree with me, so no rotten tomato throwing! If you want to throw anything my way, Moet and Chandon and chocolate is much appreciated.

The one thing I do make sure I get right, unless there's a good reason not to is the setting. I have been known to utter very naughty, I need to wash my mouth out, words when I read a book that has the geography upside down. When I know darn well city 'A' is north of mountain 'B', and the book begs to digger, well sadly, that book goes onto my did not finish pile. It doesn't matter if it was, until then, the best thing since tasty gluten free bread, it's spoiled. 

I don't mean the odd house I've moved to a new location, or the house that actually doesn't exist, that's okay. After all, do my neighbours really need people knocking on their door, because someone has read about it in a book?

But topography? That's different.

It's the same with historical facts. History books, the net, maps, all are easily accessed these days, and hey, they usually know what they are talking about. There's no excuse for getting basics wrong. Someone will always notice. I well remembering as a very new newbie arguing the toss over a word I knew fine well wasn't used in Regency times. I lost, and boy was I lambasted by several readers.


Accuracy matters.

And on that note, Raven must leave us to go tend to her new releases, but she'll be back tomorrow to share some info. on the latest release of her choice! You can find out more about Raven's new stories on the links below. 

Nina's Dom
And
Double Jackson both from Evernight Publishing

Miss Simpkins' School: Molly
And 
Miss Simpkins' School for Seduction, Vol 1 (print) from Breathless Press.

And (last two ands, I promise)

Secrets Uncovered , Diomhair bk 2
And Diomhair vol 1 (print) both from Totally Bound Publishing.

You can find out more about these, and all my books at www.ravenmcallan.com

Happy Reading,

Love R x




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