• 5 Easy Questions,  Regency

    King of Swords by Anna Durbin @TheAnnaDurbin #RLFblog #RegencyRomance

    King of Swords by Anna Durbin @TheAnnaDurbin #RLFblog #RegencyRomanceAnna Durbin author of King of Swords answers five easy questions.

    Please tell us about yourself.
    Anna Durbin is the author of charming tales of the Beau Monde. Having grown up reading sagas of chivalry and romance, she began crafting her own elaborate stories in her imagination at a young age. It was only natural that she would one day write them down. Her first novel, King of Swords, was a 2012 Golden Heart® finalist.
    Despite years of study in the biological and physical sciences, her true love has always been the literary arts. Inspired by her favorite author, Jane Austen, Anna adores the Regency Era and writes period pieces set during that time that show love conquering adversity. Oddly, for all her love of science and history, she is a faithful devotee of the New Age. She discovered tarot cards in a New Age shop in Minneapolis during a high school class trip one year and has been enchanted with them ever since. She enjoys weaving the symbolism of the tarot deck into her storylines.
    Anna has lived in ten different states throughout her lifetime, from California to New Jersey. A Midwesterner at heart, she was born in Kansas and raised in Iowa. Currently, she lives in Wisconsin with her husband and works as a technician for local government.
    What is your go-to meal when you dine out?
    Thai food. I love the spiciness of Thai cuisine.
    Who is your “book boyfriend” (that hottie you read about and drool over)?
    Mr. Darcy, of course! He’s the perfect not-so-perfect hero who risks it all for love.
    Describe the perfect vacation.
    The perfect vacation for me is doing absolutely nothing as I lie on a warm beach in the Caribbean, sun shining, palm trees swaying, the gentle ocean waves lulling me to sleep.
    Tell us about your favorite toy as a child.
    Barbie and friends. My sister and I would play for hours with our Barbie dolls, making up wild stories and exploits for them, usually involving romance, of course!
    What are your hobbies?
    I like reading and collecting antiques. I also have a Barbie collection, which includes both vintage and contemporary dolls.
    Please tell us about your latest book.
    Genre Romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    A fiercely independent spinster who desperately needs assistance…
    Lady Cassandra Gardner will inherit fifty thousand pounds when she turns thirty—and just in time. She has a special purpose for her money, one no man could understand. But when her brother the duke tries to cheat her out of her fortune, she has no choice but to accept the help of the man who shattered her heart years ago.
    A gallant nobleman who can’t resist rescuing a damsel in distress…
    Lord William Poniard is looking for a wife, but the last woman he should consider marrying is his archenemy’s sister, the woman who hates him with a vengeance. Yet, when she is compromised by her brother’s nefarious scheme, he sees an opportunity not only to rescue the lady by marrying her but also to exact revenge on the duke for his past betrayal.
    Will she accept his offer of help and at what cost?
    Despite the long-standing animosity between Cassandra and William, sparks fly when their attraction to one another ignites into a passion neither saw coming. Will one night of rapture unite them or drive them apart? Can she forget past wounds and let him back into her heart? And can he convince her that she is the only woman he wants?
    Publisher self-published
    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/King-Swords-Kings-Tarot-Book-ebook/dp/B072KFYXQV
    CreateSpace https://www.amazon.com/King-Swords-Kings-Tarot-Book-ebook/dp/B072KFYXQV

    Anna Durbin Social Media

    Website https://annadurbinauthor.com
    Twitter https://twitter.com/theannadurbin
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AnnaDurbinAuthor/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16946965.Anna_Durbin
    Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Durbin/e/B072N25NR4/

     

  • Character Interviews,  Suspense

    Meet Drew Samuels from The Cost of Deception by Mary Marvella #RLFblog #RomanticSuspense

    Meet Drew Samuels from The Cost of Deception by Mary Marvella #RLFblog #RomanticSuspenseLet’s meet Drew Sanuels from The Cost of Deception, a new Romantic Suspense. Welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. I’d like to get to know you better. Let’s talk.

    Introducing Drew Samuels

    Please tell me about yourself.
    Age: 38
    Gender: Male
    Birthplace: Florence, Georgia
    Profession: undercover cop
    Ethnicity: English/Irish
    Tell us about yourself, please.
    You don’t ask much of a guy, do you? I am 6 feet and fit. Some folks say I’m cut. I earned my six-pack. I have black hair like Sam and Esther, my older brother and younger sister. I wear my hair long. My Spider earrings let everyone know my street name, Spider. Some folks say I have whisky colored eyes. Depends on which color contacts I’m wearing.
    I was a skinny teen in a family of athletes. Since I wanted to go to Georgia Tech with scholarship money I studied hard. In college I studied ROTC and learned I could run. Don’t talk about my time in the army, but it matured me in more ways than one. I thrived on the danger so much I became a cop when I finished my tours.
    I didn’t fit in any groups in high school and I don’t regret it. I do love family, but I don’t need to start one for myself.
    Who is the significant other in your life?
    When the story begins, I don’t have one. When I make myself go to the 20th year high school reunion I see Tess, the one person I really remember. Man, that woman is hot and even better than she was as a teen.
    How do you dress?
    Besides my grungy jeans, tight tees, and spider earrings?
    Please tell us about your education.
    I have a degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech. I went ROTC all the way, so I went in the army as a Second LT.
    What is your family like?
    My family is lovin’ and a tad bossy. Mama and Daddy don’t know I’m a cop. They think I’m an insurance investigator, a waste for a Tech graduate. I haven’t told Sam, Luke, or Esther, but blabbermouth Esther figured it out. Well, she and Sam did. She and Sam worry about me, but Luke is too busy helping Daddy run the farm to worry about his younger sibs. My family would be called “good folks”. Sam has a wife and kid. Luke, the oldest, has a wife but no kid, a huge problem in his marriage.
    Can you keep a secret? Why or why not?
    Hell, lady, I Iive with secrets I wish I could tell!
    How do you handle challenges?
    I hit ’em head on!
    When (if) you lie or are upset, what gives you away?
    My sister says she can tell, but no one else can. I’m a pro at lying.
    What would you like to tell your writer?
    Took long enough! Sam is so boring you didn’t have to write his story first. Finally publishing my book!

    The Cost of Deception

    Genre Romantic Suspense

    Book heat level: (R )

    The Cost of Deception is a romantic suspense with a lot of family interaction. Tess is a widowed mother and a teacher. She has been so wrapped up in her role as a mother that she has forgotten how it feels to be a desirable woman. Attending her 20th year high school class reunion, the first she’s ever attended, changes that when she meets Drew Samuels. She and Drew were the class loners and too involved in studying to feel the hormones that attack teens.
Drew is now an undercover cop in Atlanta, GA. During his years in the military he had no concerns about marriage and starting his own family. His life put him in danger and he liked things that way. He was no longer the nerd who had attended Georgia Tech.

    Seeing Tess at the class reunion made him rethink what he really wanted.
She loves her children more than anything else and he respects that. He doesn’t know how to make his career work with the things Tess and her kids make him want. 
Yes, there will be hot sex and danger will stalk her family.

    Publisher Gilded Dragonfly Books http://www.GildedDragonflyBooks.com
    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Cost-Deception-Protective-Book-ebook/dp/B076FLTTHB/
    https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cost-of-deception-mary-marvella/

    Mary Marvella Social Media

    Mary Marvella has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember. She made up the “Let’s Pretend” situations for the neighborhood kids. The arrival of the book mobile was as exciting as hearing the music of the ice cream truck, more, since she could check out books but seldom had the money for the ice cream. Her parents preferred letting her walk to the corner store for less money. She still pinches pennies.

    When Mary’s daughter was small, story time often meant Mama made up stories. Now retired from teaching the classic works of the masters, Mary writes her own stories and reads modern novels. Georgia raised, she writes stories with a Southern flair.
    Website http://MaryMarvella.com
    Blog http://pinkfuzzyslippersauthors.wordpress.com
    Twitter https://twitter.com/mmarvellab
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ARomanceCaper
    https://www.facebook.com/mmbarfield
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Marvella- Author/121044561311561
    Goodreads https://goodreads.com/author/show/4909455.Mary_Marvella
    Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Marvella/e/B008E1SJ32/

     

  • Book Release,  Shapeshifter

    Prince of Fools by Nancy Gideon @NancyGideon #RLFblog #paranormal

    Prince of Fools by Nancy Gideon @NancyGideon #RLFblog #paranormalWelcome Nancy Gideon author of Prince of Fools, a new Paranormal Romance.

    Why did you write this book?

    Prince of Fools is the third installment in my four book “House of Terriot” dark shapeshifter series. The Terriot clan was initially introduced as villains in my “By Moonlight” shapeshifter series, their warrior family ruled by the brutal iron-fist of Bram the Beast until overthrown by rowdy, rock-n-roll brawler son Cale in a move that divided the House and its twelve princes. The deliciously dark and dangerous brothers caught my creative attention, seducing me into giving them their own spin-off series and I’m totally loving each connected yet capable of standing alone book.

    What is your favorite genre to read?

    I read anything and everything but my go-to has a touch of suspense and a hint of the paranormal. Dean Koontz is my all-time favorite author.

    Who is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own)?

    That would be a favorite couple, Eve Dallas and Rourke from J. D. Robb’s “In Death” series. Their relationship is constantly evolving and never ceases to fascinate. They inspired me to write my “By Moonlight” series with a continuing hero and heroine, something not unusual in Urban Fantasy but rarely done in Romance.

    What are you working on at the moment?

    I’m getting ready to start Prince of Dreams, the fourth and final “House of Terriot” book which features the youngest prince, who prefers to use brains over brawn in the fight for his family’s survival until forced to decide between their path and his love for their enemy’s daughter. The heroine is a fortune teller whose gift is from a source she doesn’t understand and I’m loving researching the Tarot and other divination arts.

    What books will we see from you in coming months?

    Prince of Dreams should debut in the spring of 2018 along with the reissue through Tell-Tale Publishing of my very first novel, Sweet Tempest, a historical regency written as Lauren Giddings. I’m planning at least one more book with Max and Charlotte, the fan favorite couple from my “By Moonlight” series as well as bringing back my “Bass Family of Texas” western historicals written as Dana Ransom. Lots of exciting and varied reading to watch for!

    Please tell us about your latest book.

    Genre Paranormal Romance

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

    Prince of Fools by Nancy Gideon

    “House of Terriot” Book 3

    A dark prince to her Cinderella barmaid…

    Rico – Prince in the shapeshifter House of Terriot

    Reckless, hotheaded Rico Terriot seeks purpose and a sense of pride training the resentful guardians of New Orleans to defend a city besieged by a deadly outside force. Torn between his desire for his brother’s mate and the woman tied to the child of another, protecting their future happiness means denying his own on a dangerous path to redemption.

    One night of stolen pleasure he didn’t remember and she couldn’t forget…

    Amber – a single mother hiding a terrible past

    Rico Terriot was the stuff of dreams…lately all of hers. But there’s no happily-ever-after for someone living in the shadows, protecting dangerous secrets that threaten her and her daughter. Dare she believe in a fairytale prince when he comes to her rescue, not knowing the price he’ll pay for making her troubles his own? From world’s so far apart, is love strong enough to hold them together…and keep them alive?
    “Utterly captivating 5 Stars, Prince of Fools is intense, fast-paced, paranormal romance/suspense at its best – A stunningly raw, heart racing story that held me in a trance from cover to cover!” -Cross My Heart Reviews
    Publisher: self-published
    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074QYWHQ7/
    Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prince-of-fools-nancy-gideon/1127267660
    iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/prince-of-fools/id1299474253?mt=11
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/prince-of-fools-2
    CreateSpace https://www.amazon.com/dp/1978047061/

    Nancy Gideon Social Media

    Nancy Gideon is the award-winning bestseller of over 60 romances ranging from historical, regency and series contemporary suspense to dark paranormal, with a couple of horror screenplays tossed into the mix, and is currently testing the “Hybrid author” waters. She works full time as a legal assistant in Central Michigan, and when not at the keyboard, feeds a Netflix addiction along with all things fur, fin and fowl. She’s also written under the pen names Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West and Lauren Giddings.
    Website http://nancygideon.com
    Blog http://nancygideon.blogspot.com
    Twitter https://twitter.com/NancyGideon
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NancyGideonAuthor/
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/nancygideon
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/282919.Nancy_Gideon
    Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Gideon/e/B001H9PV8E
    Newsletter http://www.nancygideon.com/newsletter/

     

  • Book Release,  Science Fiction Romance

    Europa by Aurora Springer @AuroraSpringer #RLFblog #SciFi

    Welcome Aurora Springer author of Europa, a new SciFi Romance.

    Why did you write this book?
    I enjoy creating new worlds. This story began when I envisioned the scene where the exhausted heroine sees the hero’s face under a thin sheet of ice. She will die if he does not save her. Then, I had to imagine life on the “space” station on Jupiter’s moon, Europa, and introduce several alien species.
    What is your favorite genre to read?
    I prefer to read science fiction and fantasy stories. Adventures combined with a romance are great.
    Who is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own)?
    I don’t have a single favorite character, although I prefer a specific type of character. My favorite characters can be illustrated by examples in Andre Norton’s books. Gillan in Year of the Unicorn and Hosteen Storm in the Beast Master stories are loners, despised or abused for their differences. Yet, their special abilities will help them overcome disaster and achieve a better life.
    What are you working on at the moment?
    Europa is the first book in a planned new series, Taxyon Space. I am writing the second book, which follows a few days after the end of Europa. This series is intended to have adventures on different planets, or rather celestial objects, since Europa is a moon.
    What books will we see from you in coming months?
    I hope to publish Rishalt, Book 2 of Taxyon Space, early in 2018. Then, I plan to write book 5 in my series, Grand Masters’ Galaxy. Afterward, I’ll poll my readers for their preferred series to extend, or pick an idea from my list.
    Please tell us about your latest book.
    Genre Science Fiction Adventure and Romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13
    What alien creatures lurk under the icy surface of Europa?
    Dr. Nikki Bell’s plan to discover intelligent life hits a rocky start when her spaceship crashes on the icy surface of Europa. Seconds before she blacks out, she spies a man’s face in the water beneath the ice. When she wakes on the submarine Station, nobody believes her story. Convinced the mysterious stranger saved her life, Nikki searches for him while she explores the ocean and its alien inhabitants.
    Kiron Arqin Ramis chose exile as a Watcher on a remote outpost to redeem his family’s honor. He never expected to find an attractive Earther woman close to death. He violates the prime policy by rescuing her. Despite suffering the penalty, he strives to warn her about his hostile leaders.
    Nikki’s unexpected meeting with Kiron triggers a chain of disasters in Europa’s perilous oceans. Can the daredevil scientist and scarred Watcher forge a new alliance despite their people’s antagonism?
    Publisher Aurora Springer
    Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0764DFSDM/
    Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/europa-aurora-springer/1127329162
    iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/book/id1303214624
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ebook/europa-43

    Aurora Springer Social Media

    Aurora Springer is a scientist morphing into a novelist. She has a PhD in molecular biophysics and discovers science facts in her day job. She has invented adventures in weird worlds for as long as she can remember. In 2014, Aurora achieved her life-long ambition to publish her stories. Her works are character-driven romances set in weird worlds described with a sprinkle of humor. Some of the stories were composed thirty years ago. She was born in the UK and lives in Atlanta with her husband, a dog and two cats to sit on the keyboard. Her hobbies, besides reading and writing, include outdoor activities like gardening, watching wildlife, hiking and canoeing.
    Website http://www.auroraspringer.org
    Blog http://auroraspringer.blogspot.com
    Twitter https://twitter.com/AuroraSpringer
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuroraSpringerNovels
    Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8197461.Aurora_Springer
    Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Springer/e/B00K2C4NL8
    Newsletter https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/g5c1c9
    Instafreebie https://www.instafreebie.com/author/Aurora_Springer

     

  • Book Release,  Mystery

    Chaos at the Compound by Karen Cino @KarenCino #RLFblog #Cozy #Mystery

    Welcome Karen Cino author of Chaos at the Compound, a new Cozy Mystery.

    Why did you write this book?
    I moved to a fifty-five and older community and was amazed at how seniors are just as bad as teens. When I heard people talking about cheating on their spouses and the crazy antics they do, I knew I had found plenty of information on writing a new series.
    What is your favorite genre to read?
    I enjoy reading women’s fiction with romantic elements, contemporary romances and cozy mysteries.
    Who is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own)?
    Stephanie Plum from the Janet Evanovich series.
    What are you working on at the moment?
    I’m working on women’s fiction contemporary romance that takes place during the summer at the Jersey Shore.
    And I’m also working on Book three in my Camp Mirage cozy mystery series where there is a parallel story line between solving the mystery and the main character’s romance with one of the male residents.
    What books will we see from you in coming months?
    At the end of November, early December, book two in my Seaside Boulevard Series – A Different Kind of Perfect will be published.
    Please tell us about your latest book.
    Genre: Cozy Mystery with Romantic Elements
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG 13
    It is the grand opening of The Perfect Pitch. All the pieces fall into place until Francine’s Diagnosis of breast cancer, throwing their lives upside down. While Amy and Jason deal with the reaction from her family to their interracial relationship, Toni finds herself in another overbearing relationship with Pelicans third baseman Gary Thompson.
    In the mist o taking care of Francine and working at The Perfect Pitch, Richie gets a call from the owner of the Pelicans. He is offered a job as pitching coach for the team. Richie accepts the job, putting a huge strain on his marriage which affects all of them.
    Publisher: Mandolay Press
    Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Compound-Camp-Mirage-Book-ebook/dp/B076FBVBZY/

    Karen Cino Social Media

    Karen Cino has been writing since she was fourteen years old. She started her career by writing poetry, short stories and writing articles for her high school newspaper. After reading Jackie Collin’s Lovers and Gamblers and Jacqueline Susann’s, Valley of the Dolls, Karen found her niche. Karen loves writing about local places that people can relate to.
    Karen loves the summer, loves the beach. Her previous books were written and take place in various places across Staten Island. Karen relocated to Barnegat, New Jersey in 2015. She traded in the Staten Island Boardwalk for the shoreline in Long Beach Island. Her Camp Mirage Series takes place in Barnegat, NJ.
    Karen has two adult children, Michael Giordano who’s a singer, songwriter and producer and Nicole Giordano who works in Retail Management and is also a photographer. In 2014 Karen married John Gatti. Her husband is an actor, teacher and attorney.
    Karen is a member of Romance Writer’s of America, Liberty States Fiction’s Writers Association and Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association.
    Currently, Karen is working on a Cozy Mystery Series and Women’s Fiction Series.
    Website http://karencino.com
    Blog http://karencinobooks.com
    Twitter http://twitter.com/karencino
    Facebook http://facebook.com/karencino
    Pinterest http://pinterest.com/karencino
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4444484.Karen_Cino
    Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008LCG31Y
    Newsletter http://mailchi.mp/e67ab333db05/summer-newsletter-new-release

     

  • Sci Fi World,  Science Fiction Romance

    Weapon of Tyrants, The Last War: Book Four by Sylvie Grayson @SylvieGrayson #RLFblog #SciFi

    Today’s featured book is Weapon of Tyrants, The Last War: Book Four by Sylvie Grayson. Tell us about your story. We’ll have other questions in a moment.

    The International Head Balls Games are about to begin at Deep Creek, Southern Territory of Khandarken. Tension rises with the new nations Adar Silva, Khandarken, Jiran and Legitamia scheduled to take part in the competition.

    Damian Stuke still has nightmares about being captured by the Emperor’s men and tortured during the Last War. Now he is an enforcer for an illegal gamer in the Western Territory. When his sister marries the Chief Constable of Khandarken, his life has to change.

    Training for undercover work in Deep Creek in the midst of the International Games, he encounters a fascinating woman with a small child and a hidden agenda. But as he discovers what she’s hiding, his protective instincts kick into high gear.

    When Fanny Master’s parents are assassinated, she is forced to run for her life. A member of the Khandarken political elite, she doesn’t know who is after her, but she’ll do almost anything to remain under the radar. That could include using someone else’s ident and adopting their child, a child who could be from another world.

    As Emperor Carlton ramps up his plans for invasion, and the Head Ball Games approach a thundering climax, the assassins make a new attempt on Fanny’s life. Damian is her only hope. Will he save her from her unknown enemy, or is he still working for the other side?

    After the Emperor was defeated in the Last War, the Empire broke apart and new nations arose from the debris left of the old. Ranging along the Catastrophic Ocean are Adar Silva, the most sophisticated of the countries, having been the location of Emperor Aqatain’s palace, headquarters and centre of learning. North of that is Khandarken, led by a middle class group of politicians and military men. Here the people struggle to establish some kind of political openness while still relying on official appointments and governors to keep order in the hinterland.

    Legitamia and Sturridge are further north and have regressed into their own dictatorships, run by the military and boasting closed borders. To the west is a territory of tribal wars and loose affiliations.

    The Last War destroyed nearly everything. The hills crawl with the dispossessed, men who are too damaged by the battles to live in community. There are roving bands of raiders, mud roads, travelling sellers and llama farms.

    In the midst of all this, the defeated Emperor dies and his son takes over the task of re-establishing his empire out of nothing. Suddenly the dispossessed have a purpose, one they understand.

    Language and Culture

    Please give us a few words in this new culture.

    Creating a new world is a lot of work. It involves inventing new countries, traditions and cultures. I have reams of words that are used in The Last War. Some are obvious, others less so. Communication is difficult in many territories, and carried out through links—facelink if reception is good, beltlink if working in secret where silence is needed., voicelink if you don’t care that messages are hacked and monitored.

    Paper is hard to get and expensive, only used by the wealthy.

    Transportation is by bus, they slow down at the stations for people to leap off or on. Scooters are also common, the expensive ones are aerial, and very fast. The remote territories still use mules or horses and wagons.

    In the culture of your story world, what is different from ours?

    A scientific experiment sponsored by Emperor Aqatain during the Last War resulted in an increase in male births. It was exactly what was needed, with the endless war and its ensuing list of casualties. But once peace came, the shortage of women created a crisis for the young men coming along and the need for population growth.

    What rights (such as equality) are challenges for your characters?

    The dispossessed have no rights. They can’t vote, don’t receive services that other citizens receive.

    Disease runs rampant. The high temp virus is vicious but doesn’t usually kill the victim. Mangohrea is a venereal disease with no cure and kills quickly. Viruses attack women when they are weakest—at puberty, or at the time of giving birth—making the shortage of females even worse.

    Story Setting

    Describe one of the worlds where your story takes place.

    Khandarken is a new country with fledgling laws and regulations. The first Leader elected was a man named Harold Master. He was a retired university teacher and received little respect from the local military but managed to take his country toward a more law-abiding establishment. He was murdered by rebels who had a different idea of where Khandarken should be headed. His wife was then killed. Their daughter, Fanny, is running for her life.

    Because everyone must carry an ident, she has to find herself a fake one or steal one. If she uses her own, the murderers can track her through that document. She can’t trust anyone. The military has just left the Emperor’s grasp and been reorganized within the country’s boundaries. The Constables are headed by the bastard son of Emperor Aqatain, and many hold no allegiance to the government.

    What food or drink is available to your characters?

    Drinks consist of Chilean or spice caf tea, lemon water for ladies, various drinks of clouded ale, bourbon and spririts. A typical meal might include lentils, astrofruit, fried oliguito. Pané sandwiches and curry ginger soup,

    In what ways was it helpful to have a map (or sketch of one) for your story? (Provide a link to an image, if available)

    I have a map that keeps growing as the stories spread out over more territory. I publish the map in the front of my books because readers say it has been very helpful. Even my critique group has asked for it to keep the countries clear in their minds and to be able to understand the travels that my characters undertake. My daughter has drawn it for me and it can grow depending on where I got with my next books.

    Sharing World Building Expertise

    Please give us three tips you find helpful when creating a story world:

    Once I was part way through Book One, I needed several things. A map was very helpful, where I could note the towns and villages my characters visited. That map grew as the books continued.

    A list of names. Many people have noted the names in my books are unique in that they often reflect the occupation or position held by the characters. That has been fun, but it’s still hard to keep track of all these people in a whole new world. I have two lists of characters, as I sort them by occupation and by name.

    A list of words. There are many new words in world-building. It’s very hard to keep them all in mind, and although I might remember what the word is, I may not use it the right way. So again, I do two lists, one of the words themselves, one of their definitions so I am able to cross reference them.

    All of these things are in my bible for The Last War. Each new book adds to the characters, the towns and villages, the food and drink consumed. It’s been a lot of fun.

    What’s your advice for writers who want to create a solid background for their story world?

    Keep notes, write it down. I’ve found over time that characters get moved around and I have to move them back where they belong. At one point, I had killed off a bad guy in one book, but when I began writing the next one, I needed him. I had to go back and rewrite that part. I got to kill him off later after he’d served his purpose in the next book.

    Specific science fiction genre: different world
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): 3
    Publisher Great Western Publishing
    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Last-War-Tyrants-criminal-enforcer-ebook/dp/B06XHXJ59T/

    CreateSpace https://www.amazon.com/Last-War-Tyrants-criminal-enforcer/dp/0994734573/

    Sylvie Grayson Social Media

    Sylvie Grayson loves to write about suspense, romance and attempted murder, in both contemporary and science fiction/fantasy. She has lived most of her life in British Columbia, Canada in spots ranging from Vancouver Island on the west coast to the North Peace River country and the Kootenays in the beautiful interior. She spent a one year sojourn in Tokyo Japan.
    She has been an English language instructor, a nightclub manager, an auto shop bookkeeper and a lawyer. Now she works part time as the owner of a small company, and writes when she finds the time.
    She is a wife and mother and still loves to travel, having recently completed a trip to Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam and Hong Kong. She lives on the coast of the Pacific Ocean with her husband on a small patch of land near the sea that they call home.
    Website http://sylviegrayson.com/
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