Yes at the time I thought it was pretty good idea. One book, two heroes, two heroines. But now as I write it I have to wonder if I was insane when I decided to do it. The title of the book is Phoenix and it's the third book in my Star series. The story centers around Zander, who is Shaun's son (Stargazer)and Boone who is Ruben's adopted son (Shooting Star) Best friends, both after the same end, but something terrible has to happen doesn't it? (Add evil laughter here)
The problem is how do I make them different. Don't hero's have the same genetic make-up? Won't the reader get bored reading the same hero type Point Of View from chapter to chapter? And what about the heroines? One is Elle, Zander's twin. The other is Mara who so far has only been seen in Zander's dreams and only briefly. As I said I must be insane. Wish me luck.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Politics and messing with people's names
If you want to know what I've been up to --or even if you don't-- I'll tell you.
I'm in the middle of an editing exercise that I'm finding fascinating. Recently... (actually May 31st -- I'm the sort of person who simply has to check facts) my Dorchester editor, Alicia Condon, emailed that she liked my suggestion that maybe the heroine of Insufficient Mating Material ought to have a nickname.
The heroine has a royally long, formal, hyphenated name. I began to feel that constantly repeating the full name was a bit tedious, but I didn't have time before my deadline to put sufficient thought into shortening it. I'm doing so now.
Have you ever given much thought to nicknames? Just because a hunk comes into the heroine's life, and he decides to call her "Ro" (for example) doesn't mean that she thinks of herself as "Ro" all of a sudden, when she has spent thirty years as Rowena, or Ro-Ro, or Janey, or I.
The rest of her friends and family won't suddenly start thinking of her as "Ro" or addressing her as "Ro".
Will the hunk introduce Rowena to his friends as "Ro" or "Rowena"? How will Rowena feel about mere acquaintances using the "private" name?
Is this an alien idea?
Different nationalities have different sensibilities about how they are addressed, and by whom. My Japanese friends are scrupulous about calling me Rowena-san. When I lived in Germany, it was considered important to address a lady as "Frau" plus her last name whether or not she was married... unless of course, the lady had a title such as "Graefin". In England, I would never have dreamed of calling my teachers anything other than Miss ... or Mrs. ... or Mr. ... . I admit that I am secretly taken aback that six-year-old schoolchildren call me "Rowena".
When in Rome... OK. But I'm writing about an alien world which is far from a modern, American democracy (or even republic).
Factor in that the nicknamee is a member of a royal family, and life becomes really interesting.
Up the ante. Suppose the nickname isn't a variant of her given name... "Sugarpuss"? Suppose there's a slightly rude innuendo?
So, maybe only the hero uses the nickname. Does he ease into using it? At first, does he substitute "Ro" in conversation, where before he might have addressed the heroine as "Princess Rowena-Jane"? At what point does he wonder whether "Ro" can cook, and what "Ro" is like in bed. You might suppose that he wondered such things from a distance before he even learned the heroine's name!
Anyway, for what it's worth, this is what I'm wrestling with this week.
Best wishes,
Rowena
I'm in the middle of an editing exercise that I'm finding fascinating. Recently... (actually May 31st -- I'm the sort of person who simply has to check facts) my Dorchester editor, Alicia Condon, emailed that she liked my suggestion that maybe the heroine of Insufficient Mating Material ought to have a nickname.
The heroine has a royally long, formal, hyphenated name. I began to feel that constantly repeating the full name was a bit tedious, but I didn't have time before my deadline to put sufficient thought into shortening it. I'm doing so now.
Have you ever given much thought to nicknames? Just because a hunk comes into the heroine's life, and he decides to call her "Ro" (for example) doesn't mean that she thinks of herself as "Ro" all of a sudden, when she has spent thirty years as Rowena, or Ro-Ro, or Janey, or I.
The rest of her friends and family won't suddenly start thinking of her as "Ro" or addressing her as "Ro".
Will the hunk introduce Rowena to his friends as "Ro" or "Rowena"? How will Rowena feel about mere acquaintances using the "private" name?
Is this an alien idea?
Different nationalities have different sensibilities about how they are addressed, and by whom. My Japanese friends are scrupulous about calling me Rowena-san. When I lived in Germany, it was considered important to address a lady as "Frau" plus her last name whether or not she was married... unless of course, the lady had a title such as "Graefin". In England, I would never have dreamed of calling my teachers anything other than Miss ... or Mrs. ... or Mr. ... . I admit that I am secretly taken aback that six-year-old schoolchildren call me "Rowena".
When in Rome... OK. But I'm writing about an alien world which is far from a modern, American democracy (or even republic).
Factor in that the nicknamee is a member of a royal family, and life becomes really interesting.
Up the ante. Suppose the nickname isn't a variant of her given name... "Sugarpuss"? Suppose there's a slightly rude innuendo?
So, maybe only the hero uses the nickname. Does he ease into using it? At first, does he substitute "Ro" in conversation, where before he might have addressed the heroine as "Princess Rowena-Jane"? At what point does he wonder whether "Ro" can cook, and what "Ro" is like in bed. You might suppose that he wondered such things from a distance before he even learned the heroine's name!
Anyway, for what it's worth, this is what I'm wrestling with this week.
Best wishes,
Rowena
Saturday, June 10, 2006
When Intergalactic Aliens Hijack Your Novel...
Ah yes, another voice checking in from the Far Reaches, which is--as most of you know--in United Coalition space just a smidge past Garchan-3... I'm a far more experienced starfreighter pilot than I am a blogger, so bear with me as I learn the ropes here.
Writing the average novel with the average cast of characters is tough enough. Writing an SF novel with unique and strange characters and settings is tougher still. Writing SFR--science fiction romance--in which one must satisfy the desires of two sets of readers (SF and romance) is lunacy.
I love it. Writing, that is. Although lunacy does have its attractions...
As those of you who've read past posts here notice, there's simply something special about writing in this genre. To me, it has more texture, more depth, more flavor, more potential for wow-factor plot lines than any other genre. Writing SFR is like painting with a brush that only knows vivid colors and can paint in vividly colored patterns as well (Photoshop can do that, but I digress...).
One of the elements that makes this so unique is the novel's character(s). More often than not, he or she isn't your next-door neighbor (unless you live on Cirrus One Station). A character's upbringing, his social or cultural setting, her religious background, her political milieu is often different to vastly different from what we experience on this planet.
That's why readers read it. That's why I write it.
Because being hijacked by intergalactic aliens for an hour or three whilst tucked all comfy-like in your den chair is simply wonderful.
The average novel permits the reader to step inside someone else's skin. The SFR or futuristic novel (and yes, they are somewhat different) takes the reader not only inside another's skin but another's star system and often turns everything the reader knows topsy turvy.
What if (and all good stories start with a 'what if?') being blind was considered such a heinous flaw that the blind were put to death? And what if you survived as a blind child by seeking refuge in a nearby monastery whose monks viewed blindess as a sacred gift...but killed telepaths? And oh, you're a blind telepath.
That's the backstory for Frayne Ackravaro Ren Elt--Ren--a secondary character in my October 2005 release from Bantam, Gabriel's Ghost. Now, he's a secondary character--blue skinned aquatic, too--mind you. You can imagine what kinds of troubles the main characters have (they're Sully and Chaz and I invite you to experience them on my site).
But I couldn't build Sully's and Chaz's story without having Ren there. What Ren is directly relates to Sully's conflicts. See, they're long time friends. For a reason. And that reason almost gets them killed.
In SFR, intergalactic aliens, odd cultures, strange political structures aren't one-dimensional backdrops. They are the texture--the warp and weft of the story. And they're not always secondary characters, either. Sometimes they're a main character...
Umm, yep. Sully's not quite what he seems...
Oh, I'm Linnea Sinclair and I write SFR for Bantam Spectra. Look for my books in the science fiction section (not the romance stacks) of your local bookstore. I'm the odd-gal-out here. :-)
Come explore with us.
Hugs all, ~Linnea
Writing the average novel with the average cast of characters is tough enough. Writing an SF novel with unique and strange characters and settings is tougher still. Writing SFR--science fiction romance--in which one must satisfy the desires of two sets of readers (SF and romance) is lunacy.
I love it. Writing, that is. Although lunacy does have its attractions...
As those of you who've read past posts here notice, there's simply something special about writing in this genre. To me, it has more texture, more depth, more flavor, more potential for wow-factor plot lines than any other genre. Writing SFR is like painting with a brush that only knows vivid colors and can paint in vividly colored patterns as well (Photoshop can do that, but I digress...).
One of the elements that makes this so unique is the novel's character(s). More often than not, he or she isn't your next-door neighbor (unless you live on Cirrus One Station). A character's upbringing, his social or cultural setting, her religious background, her political milieu is often different to vastly different from what we experience on this planet.
That's why readers read it. That's why I write it.
Because being hijacked by intergalactic aliens for an hour or three whilst tucked all comfy-like in your den chair is simply wonderful.
The average novel permits the reader to step inside someone else's skin. The SFR or futuristic novel (and yes, they are somewhat different) takes the reader not only inside another's skin but another's star system and often turns everything the reader knows topsy turvy.
What if (and all good stories start with a 'what if?') being blind was considered such a heinous flaw that the blind were put to death? And what if you survived as a blind child by seeking refuge in a nearby monastery whose monks viewed blindess as a sacred gift...but killed telepaths? And oh, you're a blind telepath.
That's the backstory for Frayne Ackravaro Ren Elt--Ren--a secondary character in my October 2005 release from Bantam, Gabriel's Ghost. Now, he's a secondary character--blue skinned aquatic, too--mind you. You can imagine what kinds of troubles the main characters have (they're Sully and Chaz and I invite you to experience them on my site).
But I couldn't build Sully's and Chaz's story without having Ren there. What Ren is directly relates to Sully's conflicts. See, they're long time friends. For a reason. And that reason almost gets them killed.
In SFR, intergalactic aliens, odd cultures, strange political structures aren't one-dimensional backdrops. They are the texture--the warp and weft of the story. And they're not always secondary characters, either. Sometimes they're a main character...
Umm, yep. Sully's not quite what he seems...
Oh, I'm Linnea Sinclair and I write SFR for Bantam Spectra. Look for my books in the science fiction section (not the romance stacks) of your local bookstore. I'm the odd-gal-out here. :-)
Come explore with us.
Hugs all, ~Linnea
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Research is like an iceberg ... only not as dangerous to readers
I use an iceberg analogy because --as a rule of thumb--
it is only appropriate for about 10 percent of my
background research to show up in my books.
The other 90 percent looms below the surface.
My numbers may not be everyone's ideal.
But, whether it's ten percent or twenty,
with luck, my readers will never notice that it's there,
beyond perhaps admiring my worldbuilding. :-)
After all, for every cool, alien-seeming flower or fruit, there are lots of
equally exotic plants that aren't useful for the purposes of my story.
For another example, in INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL
(which I recently sold to Dorchester)
my furious hero is stuck on a deserted island
with an unwilling heroine who won't take off her fancy
(but wet) clothes to save her life .... which she should!
According to SURVIVORMAN, Les Stroud, the best way to avoid
hypothermia is to doff the wet duds and share body heat.
So, my hero decides that life will be more tolerable if he can
construct a distillery and a guitar --or a flute.
It doesn't much further the story if my hero then plans exactly how
he will go about fabricating his moonshine still or his instrument,
but the author needs to know, and a true detail here or there gives
the hero something plausible and character building to do
in coming scenes.
Not to mention, his seemingly pointless and illogical activities
are bound to annoy the heroine.
Research is on my mind partly because my "Research" for a desert
island survival romance was the topic of a radio interview I was
given yesterday.
Also, because I have suggested to the organizers of
next year's Romantic Times Convention that I'd like to put together a
workshop on "Research".
And finally, because I am about ready to get
into the Research phase of writing my next book.
Thank goodness for the internet! Imagine walking into a public
library, and asking the librarian to point me to the stacks dealing
with unauthorized exhumations, for example.
I'll leave you with that thought, pretty much.
I'd like to wish you all a prosperous and happy week.
I'll hope to blog on SUNDAYS in future,
in an effort to be more predictable.
Best wishes,
Rowena
it is only appropriate for about 10 percent of my
background research to show up in my books.
The other 90 percent looms below the surface.
My numbers may not be everyone's ideal.
But, whether it's ten percent or twenty,
with luck, my readers will never notice that it's there,
beyond perhaps admiring my worldbuilding. :-)
After all, for every cool, alien-seeming flower or fruit, there are lots of
equally exotic plants that aren't useful for the purposes of my story.
For another example, in INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL
(which I recently sold to Dorchester)
my furious hero is stuck on a deserted island
with an unwilling heroine who won't take off her fancy
(but wet) clothes to save her life .... which she should!
According to SURVIVORMAN, Les Stroud, the best way to avoid
hypothermia is to doff the wet duds and share body heat.
So, my hero decides that life will be more tolerable if he can
construct a distillery and a guitar --or a flute.
It doesn't much further the story if my hero then plans exactly how
he will go about fabricating his moonshine still or his instrument,
but the author needs to know, and a true detail here or there gives
the hero something plausible and character building to do
in coming scenes.
Not to mention, his seemingly pointless and illogical activities
are bound to annoy the heroine.
Research is on my mind partly because my "Research" for a desert
island survival romance was the topic of a radio interview I was
given yesterday.
Also, because I have suggested to the organizers of
next year's Romantic Times Convention that I'd like to put together a
workshop on "Research".
And finally, because I am about ready to get
into the Research phase of writing my next book.
Thank goodness for the internet! Imagine walking into a public
library, and asking the librarian to point me to the stacks dealing
with unauthorized exhumations, for example.
I'll leave you with that thought, pretty much.
I'd like to wish you all a prosperous and happy week.
I'll hope to blog on SUNDAYS in future,
in an effort to be more predictable.
Best wishes,
Rowena
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Sexy, Paranormal Romances
Hi Everyone,
I write futuristic romances because I love to tell stories about how people react to unusal situations. In THE CHALLENGE my hero used sexual frustration to teach the heroine to use her psi powers and win a challenge for Earth. In THE DARE, the heroine is a 300-yer-old computer who wants to build a body to make love and discovers what being human is all about. In The ULTIMATUM a scientist works to free women from their biology--if they don't make love to regenerate their cells, they die. And in July 06 Tor will release the 4th book in my series, THE QUEST. Kirek's story started when he was a baby with extraordinary psi powers. At age 4 he's proclaimed an Oracle, at 18 he's a sex slave and in THE QUEST he falls in love and must defeat the Federation's most powerful enemy.
See you around the net and please visit at www.susankearney.com if you'd like to watch my books. That's right, you can WATCH them on my site. :)
Susan Kearney
I write futuristic romances because I love to tell stories about how people react to unusal situations. In THE CHALLENGE my hero used sexual frustration to teach the heroine to use her psi powers and win a challenge for Earth. In THE DARE, the heroine is a 300-yer-old computer who wants to build a body to make love and discovers what being human is all about. In The ULTIMATUM a scientist works to free women from their biology--if they don't make love to regenerate their cells, they die. And in July 06 Tor will release the 4th book in my series, THE QUEST. Kirek's story started when he was a baby with extraordinary psi powers. At age 4 he's proclaimed an Oracle, at 18 he's a sex slave and in THE QUEST he falls in love and must defeat the Federation's most powerful enemy.
See you around the net and please visit at www.susankearney.com if you'd like to watch my books. That's right, you can WATCH them on my site. :)
Susan Kearney
Monday, May 29, 2006
Conception of a hero (and shark self gratification)
Most of my May was spent either in Florida (at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention) or driving to/from it.
As I drove South and East through the Smokey Mountains, taking in the dramatic scenery, and also the aquarium at Gatlinburg, I thought of alien heroes, and also about a shark's sex life.
I am incorrigible that way! Not just about fish, of course. Any animal with interesting or excessive reproductive habits or equipment may serve to inspire an alien romance.
The concept of a shark's claspers (which look like labia when not deployed) fascinates me. However, I am not about to give alien males claspers in their groins. A penile bone and a tattoo is about as far as I'm willing to deviate from the conventional wisdom of what is romantic and "normal" in a hero's wedding tackle.
The Gatlinburg aquarium has a very long viewing tunnel of three inch thick glass (it might be perspex), through which visitors progress majestically on a travelator.
Sharks lie on it. One hears how sharks have to keep swimming. Not these boys. Their bellies and genitals were pressed to the glass above the gaping tourists. I wonder whether the tunnel vibrated pleasurably --because of the travelator-- or whether it was warm, or whether the sharks are exhibitionists.
That thought led to musings about figuratively cold blooded heroes, which is unfortunate for me. As I mentioned earlier, I went to the RomanticTimes convention to promote myself, Mating Net, Forced Mate, and the February 2007 release of Insufficient Mating Material.
Insufficient Mating Material takes up where FORCED MATE left off. Now it is written, I am conjuring up the book that should follow it.
The logical choice for the next Great Djinn to fall in love and live happily ever after ought to be Rhett. He's the elegant, calculating, slightly anachronistic swordsman, inspired more by Adam Adamant than any of George Lucas's knights.
Adam Adamant was Rip Van Winkle with a sword.
However, I'm beginning to think that Rhett is too shark-like to fall in love.
No matter! Today I chanced upon a photograph that put a face to a much younger hero. The only problem --the challenge-- is that in FORCED MATE he was a bit of a "Beavis" (if I can say such a thing) !
I shall think on....
As I drove South and East through the Smokey Mountains, taking in the dramatic scenery, and also the aquarium at Gatlinburg, I thought of alien heroes, and also about a shark's sex life.
I am incorrigible that way! Not just about fish, of course. Any animal with interesting or excessive reproductive habits or equipment may serve to inspire an alien romance.
The concept of a shark's claspers (which look like labia when not deployed) fascinates me. However, I am not about to give alien males claspers in their groins. A penile bone and a tattoo is about as far as I'm willing to deviate from the conventional wisdom of what is romantic and "normal" in a hero's wedding tackle.
The Gatlinburg aquarium has a very long viewing tunnel of three inch thick glass (it might be perspex), through which visitors progress majestically on a travelator.
Sharks lie on it. One hears how sharks have to keep swimming. Not these boys. Their bellies and genitals were pressed to the glass above the gaping tourists. I wonder whether the tunnel vibrated pleasurably --because of the travelator-- or whether it was warm, or whether the sharks are exhibitionists.
That thought led to musings about figuratively cold blooded heroes, which is unfortunate for me. As I mentioned earlier, I went to the RomanticTimes convention to promote myself, Mating Net, Forced Mate, and the February 2007 release of Insufficient Mating Material.
Insufficient Mating Material takes up where FORCED MATE left off. Now it is written, I am conjuring up the book that should follow it.
The logical choice for the next Great Djinn to fall in love and live happily ever after ought to be Rhett. He's the elegant, calculating, slightly anachronistic swordsman, inspired more by Adam Adamant than any of George Lucas's knights.
Adam Adamant was Rip Van Winkle with a sword.
However, I'm beginning to think that Rhett is too shark-like to fall in love.
No matter! Today I chanced upon a photograph that put a face to a much younger hero. The only problem --the challenge-- is that in FORCED MATE he was a bit of a "Beavis" (if I can say such a thing) !
I shall think on....
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
OF STARSHIPS, SORCERERS, AND SEXY HEROES
I'm on that panel at the Romantic Times conference, sorry if the title misled you! I shall be talking about characterization when your hero is not human.
Also, my May/June newsletter is out and can be enjoyed at www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter
There's an interview with a sexy hero there, who jousts for a living! Also two (it's a double issue) sensual scenes by other authors.
Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry
Also, my May/June newsletter is out and can be enjoyed at www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter
There's an interview with a sexy hero there, who jousts for a living! Also two (it's a double issue) sensual scenes by other authors.
Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry
Thursday, May 04, 2006
ALIEN DJINN ROMANCES
My name is Rowena Cherry, and I write alien djinn romances.
Why alien djinn?
I wanted a legendary or mythological breed with strange powers, whose existence is immortalized in human tales. They had to be dark, dangerous and complex...
I wanted them to be mistakable for godlike beings, but I did not want them to be identified with any region of Earth--as are Norse gods, Greek gods, Egyptian gods etc.
And, I did not want to offend anyone!
I hope it won't just be about me and my alien djinn romances. I hope lots of alien authors will blog here with me.
One of my creative friends writes about vampires who are descended from aliens. I think that's brilliant. I intend to invite her to blog here occasionally. Some of the gargoyle romances have aliens who are not only turned to stone but exiled on Earth!
Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry
www.rowenacherry.com
www.rowenacherry.blogspot.com
www.ncpauthors.blogspot.com
www.outdamnedstory.blogspot.com
Why alien djinn?
I wanted a legendary or mythological breed with strange powers, whose existence is immortalized in human tales. They had to be dark, dangerous and complex...
I wanted them to be mistakable for godlike beings, but I did not want them to be identified with any region of Earth--as are Norse gods, Greek gods, Egyptian gods etc.
And, I did not want to offend anyone!
I hope it won't just be about me and my alien djinn romances. I hope lots of alien authors will blog here with me.
One of my creative friends writes about vampires who are descended from aliens. I think that's brilliant. I intend to invite her to blog here occasionally. Some of the gargoyle romances have aliens who are not only turned to stone but exiled on Earth!
Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry
www.rowenacherry.com
www.rowenacherry.blogspot.com
www.ncpauthors.blogspot.com
www.outdamnedstory.blogspot.com
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Hello everyone. I'm Colby Hodge and I write what I like to call Futuristic Action Romance. Which means I have a great balance of action and romance in the future. I guess that was self explanatory. The first book in my exciting Star series was released last April and was a Pearl Finalist this year.
So what happens when a convicted criminal suddenly develops telepathic abilities when he meets a princess traveling incognito on a star ship that's under attack? Can Shaun and Lilly defeat the power hungry Circe and save Lilly's beloved home planet?
Guess you'll have to read to find out.
Thanks for inviting me here Rowena. Looks like this will be a great place to hang out.
Colby
aka Cindy Holby
www.cindyholby.com
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Aliens and Fantasy Knights in shining armour
The May-and-June issue of the Rowena Cherry newsletter is coming together. One of the regular features is my Interview with a cover model, and my next interviewee is David Deslandes, who is Canadian... not much of a claim to alien status... and a Knight in shining armour at Toronto's Medieval Times.
www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter
I've been invited to speak briefly about CHARACTERIZATION WHEN YOUR HERO IS NON-HUMAN as part of Linnea Sinclair's SFR and Fantasy panel at the Romantic Times BOOKclub convention in Daytona. I'm honored and excited. Since I'm also appearing there as a misfit faery, I suppose it ties in well to mix Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry
www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter
I've been invited to speak briefly about CHARACTERIZATION WHEN YOUR HERO IS NON-HUMAN as part of Linnea Sinclair's SFR and Fantasy panel at the Romantic Times BOOKclub convention in Daytona. I'm honored and excited. Since I'm also appearing there as a misfit faery, I suppose it ties in well to mix Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry
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