An observation on being mean to my characters

I can tell when I've really pushed the envelope of my own boundaries as far as what I'm willing to do to a character. I will actually have a hard time facing up to it, for some weeks. I might find myself shying away from writing details. And what I do write is generally the character going through grief reactions: shame, anger, self-pity, etc.

Eventually I will realize I have worked it out, and then I have to go back in and add strength to the character. Nobody wants to read a bunch of crying, lashing out, pity and horror without at least a good dollop of fortitude. But sometimes I need time to find that fortitude myself.

It's a good illustration, to me, of how stories help us to learn how to cope with being human.

A few Dark Metropolis updates!

Dark Metropolis now has an official release date:

June 17th, 2014! Whee!! 

It is now on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Metropolis-Jaclyn-Dolamore/dp/142316332X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1381272634&sr=8-5&keywords=jaclyn+dolamore

And in the publisher's catalog: http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com/ProductDetailPage.aspx?sequence=44&group=catalog&mailingID=0&mailingGroupID=0&catalogID=120359&org=&sku=142316332X (Which has a more involved synopsis and a wee excerpt.)

And I am told that ARCs will be printed soon. Although this is my fourth book, seeing these little signs of a book creeping out into the world are just as exciting as ever.