Guest Post- When the Night Comes- THE HUNTED by Shannan Albright

Life, Passion and Writing.

For those who know me already, it’s no surprise to them that I work best when I’m busy. The fact I get panicky with too much free time on my hands, it is something which can work against me.

Case in point, my latest release due out by October 31st. It is a perfect example of a Shannan moment. In August I went to a conference in NOLA and met up with one of my friends, Seraphina Donavan, who offered me a spot in her upcoming paranormal anthology When the Night Comes.

Well, hell, it’s not every day when you get an offer from a successful author like that. It would be a stupid to walk away from a higher profile project which could further my career right? I could squeeze in the time, after all it was only a short story. Easy as pie.

Wrong.

Now, taking into account a full time day job and organizing the second year of Hot Mojave Knights- a reader/author event which was only a month away…yeah, what was I thinking? My mind screaming no while my mouth said yes! I knew it would be a hell of a battle to get it done before I even put my first word on paper.

So, I got to work, outlining the basic premise of the story and started writing…and struggling…and deleting.

Frustrated and feeling the sharp edge of panic I went over my premise and found it solid. Why wasn’t it freaking flowing? Then I finally asked that same question in my head, picturing my characters sitting with me in a board room. Boy, did I get an earful and there went my whole story out the window. Now I had three weeks total to get at least fifteen thousand words on paper and I had only two.

Chapter One. 

Yippie!

With a new premise before me, I started writing.Using every spare moment I had. Hubby started grumbling and the dogs never left my side, whimpering for a walk or the smallest scrap of affection only to be denied. I wrote with a single minded ferocity only those under the gun could have. Finally, I finished. Woot! I felt as if I ran a marathon and crossed the finish line still on my feet – Okay, crawling over the finish line- but still I made it.

So here it is. The Hunted from the paranormal anthology When the Night Comes. And you’re the first to read the teaser for it. I hope you enjoy.

“This is barbaric.”

He blinked in surprise as the druidess stepped in front of him. Her scent swirled in the air as her hair brushed up against the stubble of his chin in a soft erotic glide. He breathed in her heady aroma of vanilla and green grass deep into his lungs, his willful body hardening in response to her nearness regardless of what his mind thought.

“I will not just stand here and let you abuse this man.”

“Can you truly be that naive? That is not a man, it’s a demon. A beast with no soul. It lives only for the chance to destroy us, should we be foolish enough to give them the chance.”

“Enough!” The Polariate’s voice whipped through the arena bringing a heavy science in its wake. “Stand aside Leigh. Now.”

Disbelief held him immobile. Never in his life could he remember anyone ever coming to his aid before. Yet this woman, Leigh was willing to save him from an assassin’s blade. It confused him, made him wary and wondering what she held in store for him. For this surely this must be just another form of torture.

I have a special book blast on October 29th on

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There will be prizes and fun. Meet the other authors and chat with us. We love answering questions, really we do.

Finding Balance in World Building by Shannan Albright

Or better: How to Rule Your World

I’ve spent more time in my head than out of it, much to my family’s frustration, I’m afraid. Called a dreamer as a young child, I don’t think anyone was surprised when I became a writer. I claim a distinction within my eclectic relations, as being the only writer, as the majority of them are artists of some renown.

If I chose to be a brain surgeon, they wouldn’t have been more surprised, and though they cannot understand why I went down this path, I have found encouragement. I do know if my Mother still lived, she would have been thrilled, and perhaps, understood me a bit better. As it stands, my sister Lisa is a wonderful support for me, along with a few of my closest friends, I couldn’t ask for more.

My ideas come as moving pictures, much like being in a theater, only it’s all being done in my mind. The images flash in living color, complete with emotions. I quickly note the high points and get the gist of the plot. Once I know the conflict and a few character quirks, I start building my words.

Whether it’s contemporary or set in another time the world building still must hold rules to the world that can be broken and those, which can’t. In my paranormal world, all beings have a weakness to compensate for the special abilities they hold. As with this world, there are limits to what a human can endure, same holds true with my characters.

Though my vampires don’t go up like a torch in the light of day, they do grow noticeable weaker. A dangerous condition to be found if you have enemies, which have no problem with sunlight. Newly turned vampires have no endurance in daylight, needing to build a tolerance to sunlight over time. Usually falling unto a death-like  sleep until the late afternoon when the sun is weaker.

My Dark Breed world is filled with paranormal characters, which, though they have incredible powers, also must live by the rules I set down in the world I built. It’s a give and take relationship between my characters and me. I give them great powers then balance it with conditions. Hey, even superman had Kryptonite and his attraction to Lois Lane to battle.

In The Knights of Excalibur, the same rules apply. In a world of magic, there is always a price to pay. For Gwen, my witch, she has great power, but suffers insecurities, which hamper her magic. Juliet is a rare Druid who can commune with the earth and animals, but she can also make mindless zombies of humans when she subjugates their will.

It’s this yin and yang in my worlds deepens the characters and gives me the foundation for conflict to build from. The line from Spiderman comes to mind and holds true for all my worlds, ‘with power comes great responsibilities.' 

Growing up Shannan Albright was the dreamer in her family, something not always thought of as a positive thing. As a child she would draw and build stories around her pictures, so writing was a natural extension for her.
 
Recently a family member told her that from now on she would encourage those dreamers she knew. Stating with hard work and focus dreams can come true.
 
Shannan Albright is proof that dreaming can be a positive thing. When not writing she spends her time between oil painting and reading. She loves writing paranormal, urban fantasy, historical and fantasy romances because of the world building and rich characters she finds. She loves dark, edgy heroes and heroines overcoming impossible odds internal and external. She is a "hopeful" Romantic who believes a healthy relationship built on respect and a strong partnership is the key to a happy ever after.