Lisa Renee Jones and her Special Guest Sterling are here today!!

Hi everyone and happy almost Halloween!

I love this season and all the holidays that come with it. I think the holidays tell a story about our life – they are building blocks to memories and passing years. Melissa asked me to talk today and building characters and memories, history – those things are what character building is all about.  How do you have a character respond to a situation or another character if you don’t know who they are? Where they have been? What had molded them to what they are today? Our families, and our good and bad experiences, make us who we are. How we as individuals respond to those situations define us. Some people become rebels and do bad things when they are dealt a bad hand. Others use that bad hand they were dealt as ammunition and fuel to do bigger and better things.

In THE STORM THAT IS STERLING, Sterling lost both of his parents at a young age. His mother died during childbirth and his father died in combat. His alcoholic grandmother raised him. Everything that happens to him for the rest of his life will be funneled through the self blame and pain of childhood. So building his character means knowing that pain – knowing he believes he is to blame for his grandmother’s drinking, his mother’s death.  So when he is made into a super soldier and somehow doesn’t get quite as enhanced as everyone else – I thought of Mel Gibson in lethal weapon.  Every day he goes into battle being more daring, challenging the enemy and himself, and secretly wishing for death. Trying to either be good enough or die. So – what could be the worst thing in the world to happen to this hero? To finally find the woman he loves, and have be on the verge of dying.  But what would be the best blessing this hero could ever have? To finally find someone who really sees him, even if he doesn’t see himself, and loves him with all of her heart. That was the process I went through in thinking through this hero and his story.

Sterling uses humor and flippant remarks to mask those wounds so I thought I'd share a few STERLINGISMS today. 

"We Renegades write our own rules. The good, bendable kind that let me kick your ass all over the curb and then do it again just for fun.” 

**** 
After being punched -- "Feels Good" 

**** 
“You don’t know the meaning of ‘wait,’ 
do you?” Caleb asked. 

Sterling grinned. “You wouldn’t love me if I did.” 

**** 
“I’ll be taking that vial of ICE you got there in your pocket. Then you can mosey on along and take the rest of your lifetime on vacation. You know, do whatever retired drug dealers do. Play the casino tables. Watch SpongeBob for all I care. Just get the hell off my streets.” 
**** 

“You’re the suit-wearing, talk-down-to-you, and then bust-your-wallet-in-the-balls, kind of asshole. I’m the dirty-boxing, back-alley kind of asshole.” 

*** 
Sterling’s lips twisted with a wry taunt. “The next two bullets won’t hit the ground. Think of all those little bones in your feet blasted away by the steel force of a bullet.” He shook his head. “Ouch. That hurts just thinking about it. Even on an ICE high, that’s gonna bite like a bitch. After that, we’ll move upwards.” He pointed the gun at Mohawk’s knee. Then his thigh. Then shoved the gun toward his crotch. “About midway up is where all the fun starts. If I blow it off, will ICE grow it back? Wanna find out?” 

If you are a writer or a reader and want to talk about character development, building character charts, and arcs, I’m open for questions.  If you ask a question or simply shout out and say hello today, then I’ll enter you to win a goodie bag of books and one of my download indie e-books of choice.  Hot Vampire Kiss, Hot Vampire Touch, Protector, Healer, or Secrets Exposed.

Go to my facebook fan page that is just getting started and Like Me for an extra entry!

 
Sourcebooks Casablanca (November 2011)
ISBN-10: 1402251599
ISBN-13: 978-1402251597
The Storm That Is Sterling.
Jones, Lisa Renee (Author)

THE BOOKLIST REVIEW.... 
Nov 2011. 384 p. Sourcebooks/Casablanca, hardcover, $6.99. (9781402251597).
The exciting Zodius futuristic suspense series features soldiers enhanced by a GTECH secret military experiment. Sterling Jeter, who is assigned to guard Rebecca Burns, the scientist working on an antidote for the highly addictive and fatal drug ICE. But Rebecca is also the high-school dream Sterling was never able to realize. She has cancer and tangling with bad guys who want her science skills for their ends has left her an ICE addict, too. She wants to take advantage of her time left with Sterling, while Sterling wants to protect her. As danger mounts, they try to sort out who is trustworthy. The GTECH and science details can best be followed with the help of the index, but they do not overwhelm the appealing characters or action. Jones’ suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann. Alpha, military, and paranormal romance readers will want Jones’ entire series.

The cover copy:
He may be invincible to everyone else…

Sterling Jeter has remarkable powers and has shown himself
to be just about indestructible. But beautiful, brilliant Rebecca
Burns knows that even a Super Soldier needs comfort, and so
much more…

But she can see that deep down,he’s just a man…

Sterling and Rebecca’s teenage romance was interrupted,
but years later the heat between them flares back to life.
Even though it endangers everything they’re fighting for, it’s
impossible to resist picking up right where they left off…