I often write to music, and there's usually a piece or two that speaks to me with a character's voice. I thought I'd share Charmian's. This is Loreena McKennitt's Beneath a Phrygian Sky.

A reader asks, "Will you do more Stargate books? Will there be more books in the Legacy series?"

Short answer: I don't know.

Long answer: MGM and Fandemonium are negotiating on the licensing agreement. I don't know if there will be more Stargate books or not. It depends on a lot of things. IF there are more Stargate books, MAYBE there will be another Legacy book. It depends on a lot of things too, including what other books I have under contract, what Melissa and Amy want to do, and what MGM will permit. I can only work on so many books at the same time, and I have to pursue other contracts assuming that I won't be working on Stargate.

I write about four books a year, if they're small, or two if they're big. But I can really only do one at a time. Currently I have Wind Raker as my next project, the fourth book in the Order of the Air. I have a big book project which is up in the air and may or may not come through -- if it does, it's going to be six months of solid work starting at whatever point it's under contract. I have another smaller project that's about three months if it comes through, but I have no idea if it will or exactly what the time frame would be. So it's not just about if Fandemonium and MGM come to suitable terms -- it's when. If the deadline can be made to fit with my other deadlines it's possible. If it can't, then I won't be able to do it.

(None of this affects the next two Numinous World books with Elza, The Emperor's Agent for 2013 and The Marshal's Lover for 2014. Both of those books are finished, complete, and ready.)

All that said, if there were another Legacy book it would involve Elizabeth and what's happened to her in the wake of her sacrifice for Rodney.

Part the third and last!

Yesterday's piece was harder for people to guess even though it was actually much closer to the original. Black Flag, a pirate adventure, was based tightly on the pilot of Farscape. (I feel that I have to quote Vala Mal Doran in the SG-1 Episode 200 when she observes that nobody's ever seen Farscape...) John Stafford, astrologer, is John Crichton, astronomer. Captain Velasquez is Captain Crais. MacClees is D'Argo. Pelagia is Moya. And of course Amadis de la Vega is Aeryn Sun.

It's the latter that threw people off because Aeryn is genderswapped. And that in itself is an interesting choice. It's not that there can't be female pirates in this era. This is the 1720s. There are plenty of real female pirates. It's not even that you can't have a woman dressing as a man to be in military service. The real Mary Read has done just that before becoming a pirate in this era. But one of the keys to Aeryn's character is that up to this point in her life she's always played by the rules. She's obeyed orders. She's done what she was supposed to do even when it was sketchy. Even when it was wrong. A woman in the Spanish navy is already breaking rules, already deceiving, already on the wrong side with enormous secrets and hidden truths. A woman in the Spanish navy wouldn't be Aeryn. And so it's the character's internal workings that cause the genderswap.

Which brings us to the next bit -- sometimes what you really want is the character. You just love this character. You want to write about them. The setting is secondary. The story is secondary. This character (or characters) are the thing you want to keep. And in a way, that's easy. All you have to do is find a milieu where they fit.

But that can't be just anywhere. Just as Aeryn would be a completely different person if she had already built her life on a deception, you can't just plop any character down in any setting. It has to have the same elements of backstory that make them the person they are, or they won't make any sense. If your character is Alexander the Great, you can't make him a barista! Because he wouldn't be. He'd be a barista for approximately ten minutes before he convinced Don Draper to hire him and in two years he'd be deputy mayor. A character whose essential qualities include leadership and risk taking is always going to make choices that include those two things. What works is when you put them in a setting where there can be formative experiences that are similar enough that the character remains the one you love and want to write.

Today's example is from one of my published books, and here's the backstory. When I was working on Moebius Squared, Vala moved in. I love Vala, and Moebius Squared was the first chance I'd had to write her professionally. (I managed to get her in for a couple of short scenes in The Inheritors subsequently.) But Moebius Squared was a big team adventure, with no less than nine members of SG-1 running around, and there simply wasn't much time or space to focus on Vala. But Vala wouldn't leave. Vala moved into my brain. She wanted more, and Vala can be very persistent. And so when the plot of Steel Blues called for a jewel thief pretending to be a countess who has stowed away on the plane during the air race, guess who popped up, bright eyed and ready for her casting call? "I can do 1930's crosstalk, darling! I'm perfect for it!" Hence Stasi in Steel Blues. (And Silver Bullet. And Wind Raker. Vala's staying.)

Here are two short scenes from early in Steel Blues. Stasi's been caught stowing away on the team's plane with a stolen necklace, and in the process nearly crashed the plane. This is immediately after they land, and then that evening in Flagstaff, Arizona. See what you can spot!

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So what do you think, my friends?

Ok! So everyone who said that yesterday's piece was inspired by Star Wars, you're right!

But how? There's not one single thing in this story that was created by George Lucas, not one single character name, not one place, not one piece of technology, not one term or phrase. There's no droid, no Force, no Old Republic, no Jedi Knights, no landspeeder. There is not one single copyrighted word. This could absolutely be published as an original novel (and in fact might be the beginning of one someday), and there is not one single thing that is a problem in terms of copyright. And yet a bunch of you immediately said it was Star Wars.

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Let's see what another example looks like -- this time science fiction space opera changed to Pirates of the Caribbean style historical fantasy with m/m romance. This is actually a rewrite of a scene, rather than new scenes. Tell me what you think of this and where you think it came from!

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So, me hearties, what's this? :)

A reader asks, "I was at a con and people kept talking about 'filing the serial numbers off' fanfic and publishing it for real, but I don't understand how you do that. How does that work? Wouldn't it be obvious? Wouldn't you get into trouble?"

This is such a good and interesting question that I'm going to take several days and several posts to answer this, and I'd love for all of you to chime in!

First of all, yes, you would get in trouble if what you wrote were so close to the source material that it violated copyright. If I wrote a book about two guys named Kurt and Spork who were in Starnavy it would be pretty obvious! However, there are plenty of ways one could "file the serial numbers off" anything and have it not be obvious and not be a problem.

So let's look at how to do this in detail!

First, stop and think for a moment about the thing you love, the story you're so fannish about that you really, truly, want to write this with all your heart. Your fascination. Your love. What is it about it that's essential? Now, this is going to be different for different people. Take Stargate Atlantis: what is it about SGA that speaks to you personally, the thing that if it were missing the story wouldn't be Stargate anymore? Is it the story of exploration? The team themselves as people? The Wraith? A particular relationship that you love? Team adventure? The modern military setting? What's the thing that you want to talk about, that you want to say something about? A ship? A plot? Maybe it's the Wraith and their barely explored culture. Maybe it's the theme of unlikely friendships among the team. Maybe it's Elizabeth Weir and her choices and responsibility.

Pull that out. Pull out the thing you love most and look at it. Keep that. And then change the other things, the things that for you are peripheral. If you want to write about the Wraith, ditch the Atlantis expedition. If you want to write about Elizabeth, change the setting. If you want to write about the team, move them to a different place and time. (For example, [Unknown LJ tag] and everybetty had an absolutely brilliant novel length story with the team set during World War II in the South Pacific. If I had not known this was a Stargate Atlantis story because of the characters' names, I would have bought it as a war novel.)

Maybe the thing that's essential to you is a conflict -- Wraith vs Human, old vs new, one idea vs another. Maybe it's a secret -- what happens when you find out that you're not really human? Maybe it's a concept -- something terrible happened in the past and it must come to light and be righted. Find the thing or two and then change everything else.

So an example! This is something I did for fun a while ago, just playing with filing the serial numbers off. It could easily be the beginning of an original novel.

You tell me what this was inspired by in comments. The inspiration is not at all obscure. You tell me how obvious this is, or isn't! Tomorrow I'll take it apart and discuss the choices I made -- what I kept and what I changed.

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Melissa Scott and I have gotten into a pattern on our collaborations. I tend to charge ahead writing some key scenes and then those scenes serve as flags, as map points driven into the ground for where the story is going. Sometimes those flags are turning points of the book we're working on right now. Sometimes they're key emotional scenes. Sometimes they're testing an idea to see if it works as a direction for the story. And sometimes they're not even in this book -- they're in a future one down the road, a distant stake showing where we're eventually going.

Sometimes they're backstory or a different point of view, and they won't be used as they are but they serve as a touchstone for us, invisible backstory that informs how we write a character or a relationship. Those are the ones that would be interesting for you to read, but generally they're full of spoilers.

This one isn't. This is a story I wrote about Mitch in 1914, fifteen years before the beginning of Lost Things. And since it's not full of spoilers, I thought I would share it with you. I'd love to hear what you think!

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A we move closer to release on The Emperor's Agent, the next Numinous World book with Elza, I have the cover! This was done by the talented Cécile Jacques, and she did an amazing job!



And here's the back cover:

Courtesan, actress, medium -- spy.

1805: Europe stands poised on the brink of war.

Elza is content with her life in the demi-monde, an actress and courtesan in the glittering society of France's First Empire, but when her former lover is arrested for treason, Elza is blackmailed into informing on her friends and associates. She has one alternative -- to become the secret agent of the most feared man in Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte!

France's invasion of England is imminent, but a spy in the camp of the Grand Army threatens the secret plans. Taking the Emperor's commission to catch the spy means playing the deadly game of spy versus counterspy. However, this is no ordinary espionage, but backed by the power of the witches of England determined to hold England's sea wards against invasion. Only an agent who is herself a medium can hope to unravel their magic in time -- with the life of the man Elza loves hanging in the balance.

From the theaters of Paris to the sea cliffs that guard the Channel, from ballrooms and bedrooms to battlefields corporeal and astral, Elza must rely on her wits, her courage, her beauty, and her growing talents as a medium for she must triumph -- or die!



Based upon the real life of Maria Versfelt (alias Ida St. Elme)—courtesan, actress and writer—Graham’s latest entwines history, romance and a delicious dollop of fantasy. Sexy and dashing. -- Kirkus Review on The General's Mistress

(This) story will confirm Graham’s place in the highest ranks of historical fantasists. -- Publisher's Weekly on Stealing Fire

Graham's ability to bring history to life is truly remarkable -- Romantic Times Book Reviews on The General's Mistress

Graham’s spare style focuses on action, but fraught meaning and smoldering emotional resonance overlay her deceptively simple words. -- Publisher's Weekly on Black Ships

The French rarely feel that foreigners can write convincingly about their history, but the first readers of Jo Graham’s new novel, The General’s Mistress, say her portrait of Ida Saint-Elme, a Dutch-born courtesan loved by Marshal Ney, gets it right. -- The Telegraph

The General’s Mistress is a gorgeous book, a tumultuous moment in history seen through the eyes of a woman who is living both in and beyond her own time. Like Elza, the book manages to straddle the modern-day and the past to be both authentic and accessible to the readers. The result is a beautiful, sensual journey of a woman with many names trying to find her true identity. -- Geek Speak Magazine


Why you should read this book:

If you've enjoyed the Numinous World, this is where many of the long plots pay off. What if Elza/Gull/Lydias/Charmian/Georg remembered her past and believed it? What if she claimed that power?

If you've enjoyed my Stargate books, clearly you like women who kick ass! Elza's about as much a drooping Regency heroine as Sam Carter is a breathless girl in a Lifetime movie, or Teyla a weeping victim. She's a courtesan. This is the story of how she becomes a spy, saves the life of the man she loves, and proves her worth as a brother in arms in a man's world.

Win a copy of Steel Blues here on Goodreads!

Want to hear what other readers are saying? Here's a reader review from Goodreads:

The sequel to Lost Things, Steel Blues is possibly even better. I was on the edge of my seat, heart racing, through most of the book. The characterisation is superb - no cardboard cut outs, no ever-youthful heroes without a flaw. Each member of this middle-aged, war-damaged team is fully rounded and utterly charming. A superb read.

If you like the way Melissa Scott and I have written the Legacy books, try this series!


Don't want to wait to see if you win? It's only $4.99 in ebook on Amazon.

And since I'm on the subject of Stealing Fire with the audiobook being settled this week, I thought I'd share one of my favorite scenes from Stealing Fire with you. This is also the scene that we'll come back to in Elza's dream in The Emperor's Agent which I posted a little while ago. The Emperor's Agent will be out this summer.

But this is the scene from Stealing Fire, and one of my favorites in the whole series.

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Read the two scenes back to back. I'd love to hear what you think!

I'm happy to announce that at long last there will be an audiobook of Stealing Fire! Crossroad Press, which did the audiobook of Hand of Isis, will do the one for Stealing Fire. No, it won't be the same narrator. It will have a male narrator, as it's more appropriate for Lydias. I am guessing that it will be out at the end of the summer or early fall!