I'd like to welcome author, Lisa Sanchez to Where's My Muse today as our guest blogger--She is hitting the book blog sites and talking about her newest novella, CURSING ATHENA.
World building 101
~ It’s not all Legos and blocks ~
Copy of eBook provided by Sizzling PR
Book Excerpt:
Okay, so I’m a girlie girl. I’ll admit it. When I was a kid I had a closet full of Barbies and various other dolls I’d play with on a daily basis. Along with my beloved dollies, I owned a crap ton of Tinker Toys and blocks…all kinds of blocks, in every shape and size imaginable. As an overly shy, but creative child, I’d create elaborate worlds for my dolls to live in complete with castles, motes, cars…the list goes on and on.
I’ve always considered myself to be somewhat of an overgrown child. You’re only as old as you feel, right? So really, it was no big shock to me when I realized that at the age of 40, I’m still creating new worlds for my favorite things to live in. And, for the record, I just have to say: world building on paper is every bit as fun as world building with blocks. Maybe even more so.
The genre you write in ultimately dictates the type of world building you’ll need to do when working on your novel. If you’re writing a Space Opera, you’re either going to have to have extensive knowledge of the galaxy we live in, or you’re going to make shit up. A great example of creating a world in this particular genre would be the television series Battlestar Galactica. Yeah…I know. I’m totally outing myself as a sci-fi geek. Whatever! There were some hot guys on that show! Point is: the writers did a fabu job at creating a brand new world (several worlds, really) complete with planets, new life forms, transportation, etc. They didn’t skimp on anything. Didn’t cut corners. Didn’t leave anything out. That type of world building takes a lot of work. But, when done right, that new world will suck readers in and hold them captive. As authors, that’s what we strive for.
Most of my works fall into the paranormal romance genre, though I have written one contemporary novel set in San Francisco. I’ve got to admit, for me, it’s much easier to create a new world within the framework of the reality we live in. Playing by the rules of our world is tough! If one of my characters is in a pickle, I want to be able to poof them out of their bad situation with magic, or some other wicked cool device. Contemporaries don’t let you do that, lol!
I’ve found I enjoy reading (and writing) about fictional places set within the universe we live in. My characters like hanging out at the local bar before they bust demon ass. Ty, the hero from my latest work, Cursing Athena, suffers through a heavy amount of irritation each time he shifts into his Nemean lion, as his clothes disappear, and he’s left wandering the streets of Arcane––naked. My alpha guy might be mighty, mythological and sexy as hell, but he still lives within the framework of our reality and doesn’t enjoy free ballin’ it in front of strangers. Especially if it’s cold…not that that would have any effect on his glorious and might I add, well-endowed junk. Hee hee. Just sayin’.
Title: Cursing Athenda (The Order of Seven, Book One)
Author: Lisa Sanchez
Publisher: Lisa Sanchez
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Paranormal Novella: 49 pages
Copy of eBook provided by Sizzling PR
Book Excerpt:
For Danika, the only thing worse than going commando while wearing a fugly, silver bodysuit, was dealing with her deadbeat, ex-husband James. Catcalls, unwanted groping and lecherous stares weren’t really her cup of tea either, but she’d endure all of it and more if her new job serving cocktails at Masquerade meant ridding herself of his mountain of debt. It was just a job, after all, and what choice did she have with James' creditors breathing down her neck? What she didn't bargain for, however, was falling heels-over-head in lust with a two-hundred-plus pound, shape-shifting immortal from Ancient Greece.On a mission to take down a parasitic demon, Ty doesn't have time for distraction. Not even when that distraction could prove to be his possible life mate in the form of sweet, innocent, yet sexy-as-hell Danika. But when the leech he’s hunting goes after the cocktail waitress, all bets are off. Unable to resist her siren call any longer, Ty surrenders himself to Danika, body and soul, treating them both to a night they'll never forget.
More info on the author:
Where to buy the book- CURSING ATHENA
This is a very, VERY, short read -- exactly forty-nine pages--and took me all of an hour (if THAT) to read. If you are a fan of novellas, you will be pleased with this little ditty.
The excerpt pretty much sums on this novella. Alpha hero is on the hunt for the bad guy--Heroine is in a crappy job, unaware she is the Alpha man's life mate. No originality there. It's the typical recipie that we all see in the paranormal genre.
But what I do admire about this author is that she packs this short story in a concise manner-all neat and tidy...just lacking the meat of a full-length novel. Which is what I really would have loved to have seen with this book. It makes me wonder if the other books in this series will be as short.
It's hard to develop a character-driven story in forty nine pages...just IMPOSSIBLE. But the world building is good, the writing above par, and wraps up nicely with a HEA that leaves the reader happy.
So, for a quick read I rate this as a quick, smexy read to get the juices flowing...before it abruptly ends and leaves you wanting more.
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| 4 Horny Devils |
I never considered the benefits of *poofing* a character out of a troubled scene before, LOL. Love the Barbie/building blocks analogy.
ReplyDeleteJennifer--
Deletethanks for stopping by and leaving me some comment lurve, lol. This was a great/funny guest blog :)
Hee hee, Jenn. There's much to be said for "poofing" abilities :D :D Glad you enjoyed my little post! Mwah!
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