The Chain-Letter Blog Tour

A while ago I was tagged by my friend and fellow indie author Jade Kerrion to participate in a chain letter / ongoing blog tour. The idea was to have fun and to pass that convivial moment forward. So without further ado…

What am I working on?

Just a few days ago I finished Sunstone. It is a sci-fi / steampunk / thriller. Where my Sage Seed Chronicles series flowed fairly easily out of my fingertips and were written quickly, Sunstone and I have played ‘Twister.’ (Anyone remember that old game?) It started as a futuristic sci-fi piece with elements similar to a few in SSC. Those were ripped out and, taking the remaining threads, I bent and braided it into the early industrial steampunk time frame with strong parallels to our contemporary world. Sunstone is currently with its second beta reader. When it comes back to me in a few days I will finish my edits and send it on to Paper Crane Books. It may get out late this year.

Currently I’m mentally plotting a fantasy short story which will complete my multi-genre collection called Tendrils.

How does my work differ from others of this genre?

My writing has been somewhat hard to classify. Basically I write crossover between genres and age categories.

I like to separate my stories from the here-and-now because I’d like the reader to see the story with fresh eyes instead of slipping into a predisposed mind set. I invent a fictional world to do that, complete with believable science and mechanics. That makes it a soft sci-fi. I also add elements that are not necessarily possible which puts it in the fantasy genre.

In the SSC series most of the characters were adult but my protagonists were seventeen. To be classified as Young Adult fiction usually means most of the characters are in their teens and dealing with teen related issues inside the story. Primarily my lead characters are dealing only with adults and at the tail end of the growing-up-and-finding-themselves process. So technically the Sage Seed Chronicles can be classified as YA but it also has appeal to people of all years. Crossover.

Sunstone, and my short story anthology, Tendrils, won’t be YA.

Why do I write what I write?

I write what appeals to me. When I was a teen I needed to deal with adults. I also moved around a bit so anchoring my middle and high school experiences with one set of friends was impossible. I write stories of all ages working and blending together as I think that’s closer to reality. At least it was mine. *grins*

The stories come from inside me and have different layers. For instance I live in a beautiful area and am very conscious of eco balance, niches….. My publisher says my voice is green. That doesn’t necessarily mean wacko tree-hugger. It means that I weave eco themes with things that are on the news or that concern me. Have you ever watched the news and wanted to throw something at the TV set? I have, so I make my own worlds and I fix things my way.

How does my writing process work?

It starts with an image or an idea. If it intrigues me I examine it from all sides and see if I can stretch and embellish it. I build layers for the world to work. Then I add the adventure, thriller aspect. I weave in memories, concerns and liberally mix with my imagination. I do this until I have at least half of a story in my head and on an outline.

I mentioned that Sunstone mutated as it grew. There were a few scenes that were the early kernels of the idea for the book. I liked those and kept them even as everything else changed. It was a bit of a mess for awhile as I filled and refined around those disparate pieces. I really hope I don’t write another book that way again or you may find me committed to a padded room. Whew! Tough going!

So the short answer would be that inspiration comes from my core beliefs, my concerns, my memories and imagination. *smiles*

Now I’m suppose to tag three authors. I would rather the writers tag themselves and answer these few questions. Just reference me so I can see who passed this baton.

So those writers who read my blog posts, I’m throwing down the challenge. Have fun!