Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is free all weekend

[sholio]

Hey all, I mentioned I'd post something when the Lauren Esker wolf/sheep book went free. It'll be free all weekend, so if you're curious, you can pick up a copy and check it out. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Sheeps-Clothing-Paranormal-Shifter-ebook/dp/B012IZRCQ4/

... I should mention, again, that it isn't a whole lot like my fanfic; this one is pretty much what it says on the tin, so no need to read it if it doesn't sound like your kind of thing.

On the other hand, the next book I'm working on for that alias is a LOT like some of the fanfic I write -- it's about two people handcuffed together and stranded on an island, with a whole lot of wilderness survival shenanigans while their friends try to find them. I'll post about that when it's done, of course. In the meantime there is a Facebook page for Lauren that I'm going to TRY to keep updated: https://www.facebook.com/laureneskerwriter.

Comments

[ratcreature]

Heh, I think I'm going to give it a try for the sheep shifter. Also your bear shifter one was an enjoyable, quick read.

[sholio]

Well, it IS free. :D And thanks!

[umadoshi]

Oh! I've had your other post about this open in a tab for way too long, clearly. ^^; I would like to acquire the book, but do you happen to have it in epub? (With other folks in similar situations I usually Paypal them $1 or whatever the Kindle price, and would be happy to do that!)

[veleda_k]

I don't know if this is the kind of solution you're looking for, but you can download software to convert kindle files to epub. (And to convert ebooks in general.) This post has all the information.

[umadoshi]

Ah! I'd seen that before, but it's good to be reminded of it. Thanks!

[sholio]

I can convert it easily for you, and would be happy to do so! Just PM me the email addy to send it to. (And you don't have to worry about paying me; it's fine. It's free this weekend anyway, so it is perfectly fine with me if you get it for free!)

[umadoshi]

Email sent! ^_^ (And by "email" I mean "PM". La!)

[winter_elf]

*downloads* wolf + sheep - sounds like a fun time :)

[sholio]

Heh, I hope you like. :)

[magistrate]

I nabbed this intending to study formula, and then was pleasantly surprised in the second half when it's just blood and terror and running through the night (and the thematically dissonant lovely sunny day) everywhere!

I may be projecting, but it seems to me that you can kinda see the exact point in the story when you stop just doing the requisite setup and start really having fun with things. (I'd be curious to hear if that perception is accurate.)

I'd also be curious to hear how you approach writing these – if you do keep a list of criteria you have to be mindful of, or a list of beats you need to hit, or something similar?

[ETA:] Also, Gray for the win. I vote for a series of stories on him travelling the US and/or world and collecting data on psychological and physiological responses unique to shifters, especially in communities which traditionally avoid contact with human medical professionals. Maybe even cataloguing rare manifestations of the mate bond which are generally regarded as myth, and rarely if ever discussed between different shifter communities.

[sholio]

I may be projecting, but it seems to me that you can kinda see the exact point in the story when you stop just doing the requisite setup and start really having fun with things. (I'd be curious to hear if that perception is accurate.)

haha, you are exactly right, and the point where you think this happened is probably where it did actually happen. I started out writing this with the idea that it would be a book for the shared pen name, as you can probably tell from the slightly over-the-top names (I thought about changing them afterwards, but decided to stay with the ridiculous OTT-ness) but then it kinda veered off into BLOOD AND DEATH AND TERROR, and a certain amount of plot.

I think this one still could have technically gone under the shared pseud -- it's still genre-formula enough for it -- but the one I'm working on right now definitely wouldn't.

I'd also be curious to hear how you approach writing these – if you do keep a list of criteria you have to be mindful of, or a list of beats you need to hit, or something similar?

Both, actually. For the house name, there's a pretty detailed plot framework one of the email-list members worked out that most of the bestsellers in the genre follow, that is basically designed around formulaic plot beats (here's where the first sex scene goes, here's where the couple has a conflict, here's where the reconciliation happens, etc). In addition to that, there are a number of tropes that are pretty consistent between various books in the genre, so when people pick up one of the pen name's books, they know what they're getting: alpha-male-type heroes, love at first sight, etc.

For my own stuff I'm being a lot more flexible (because, as it turned out, I can only write so much of this before my brain starts screaming about subverting the tropes). There's still a certain fill-in-the-blank element to it -- after all, I'm at least trying to be commercial with these, even the Lauren Esker ones. But it's not quite as much of a formula checklist as with the other ones.

Anyway, I'd be happy to email you the info on formula that we've collected, if you want it!

I love your idea for Gray, by the way. This might need to be the next book, either a book-length story about him or Gray as a bridge character for a number of shorter stories featuring different couples/poly relationships/etc. For one thing, aside from individual variation in how it manifests, shifter culture can't be the same everywhere; surely it's influenced by the culture wherever they live, in how they relate to their various biological urges.

(Look at me going horrendously off-trope already. XD)

[magistrate]

[haha, you are exactly right, and the point where you think this happened is probably where it did actually happen.]

Damon gets home, and suddenly finds the soul of the story in a box in his father's office?

[Anyway, I'd be happy to email you the info on formula that we've collected, if you want it!]

I would be really interested in seeing that! (And in helping you brainstorm ways to totally mess with/subvert it, if you wanted.)

At a certain point, while reading, I did find myself going "Okay! So, I'm at 80% through (or so the kindle tells me), I'm guessing there's going to be one more sex scene to close the book..."

[This might need to be the next book, either a book-length story about him or Gray as a bridge character for a number of shorter stories featuring different couples/poly relationships/etc.]

Yesssss. Do the thing.

Bonus points if he ends up falling in with a poly group of genial but somewhat sociopathic dolphin shifters.

[sholio]

Ha. YEP. You are exactly right. Actually, I got to that point in the story and got stuck, because I'd been going along just cheerfully writing my next doofy shared-pen-name book, and then I suddenly realized that I needed some plot to fill the space between sex scenes. So I asked my sister if she had any ideas for something that could go in the [plot goes here] hole, preferably something that would force Damon to have to seek help from the Capshaw family for some reason.

She said, "What if someone kills Damon's father and everyone thinks he did it?"

And I went, ooooh.

And 40K of writing happened. >_>

Bonus points if he ends up falling in with a poly group of genial but somewhat sociopathic dolphin shifters.

ahahaha! DO WANT. :D

The idea of using Gray as a bridge for a series of side stories having to do with various alternate shifter mating arrangements/different ways of relating to the mate bond/various ways it can go wrong ... It's so not on-trope for the genre that it's funny, but I ABSOLUTELY want to write at least some of that, and explore the mechanics of the world a little more. :D I can always put them up as freebies if no one seems inclined to buy them.

I'll go mail you the stuff right now!