Speculative Species
On
the way home from Genrecon my seven year old son asked me why I like zombies.
To spare him nightmares I simply replied that I thought they were wonderfully
creepy and lots of fun. I certainly couldn’t tell him that I thought they were
the ultimate monster, driven by an insatiable hunger for human flesh and
relentless in their hunt for it. They have no conscience, no morals, just the
need to feed. (For the record, I like my zombies slow and shambling. Those fast
ones freak me out.)
My
son’s question got me thinking about all the other creatures that populate the
speculative fiction worlds that draw me in again and again. Paranormal,
extra-terrestrial, supernatural, mythical or magical, I love them all. And I
really love how the lines between the worlds can blur. Talented authors are
blending more than one species into their stories, mixing the well-known with
obscure or totally imagined creatures, turning what I think I know about the
speculative fiction world on its head.
While
I do have a couple of ideas for zombie stories in my ‘One Day I Will Write
This’ folder, I decided to make reapers the focus of my debut urban fantasy
‘Lost Reaper’. When I started writing the first draft, over five years ago, I
couldn’t find many books featuring the macabre little suckers. Since then I
have seen more than a few popping up but have resisted the temptation to read
them until after I have the next two books in the series written.
For
‘Lost Reaper’ I also had to come up with an entirely new race. At first I toyed
with the idea of extra-terrestrials, and then came up with the Tr’lirians.
Earth’s original inhabitants, and the root of many angel myths, they have hidden
themselves away in a higher plane.
But
that all changes when the Grim Reaper resurrects a seemingly ordinary human
girl and turns her into a living reaper. Tyler Morgan has one week to discover
the truth about her heritage if she is ever to enjoy her second chance at life
and with more than one person wanting her dead that is not going to be an easy
task.
I
really enjoyed creating a new race of beings, and putting my own spin on the
Grim Reaper and his underlings, but I’m sure it won’t be too long before those
zombie stories start clamouring loud enough to get there turn to shine.
Blurb
Lost Reaper
The first
dead body I ever saw was my own
For
twenty-five year old Tyler Morgan, being murdered was easy. Easy in comparison
with working for the Grim Reaper. Jonathon Grimm may have brought her back from
the dead in exchange for working as a reaper for her home town, Easton, but she
has to find his lost reaper before she can enjoy her second chance at life.
Only
… the lost reaper isn’t actually lost. He has a new body, a new life, and no
intention of turning himself in.
Tyler
begins the grisly task of reaping the souls of Easton’s dead while searching
for the reaper. He could be anyone – the intriguing detective, Sam Lockwood:
the handsome, wealthy Chris Bradbury; or the serial killer stalking the women
of Easton. Women who bear an uncanny resemblance to Tyler.
As
the killer closes in and Grimm’s deadline draws closer, Tyler discovers she is
fighting a much bigger threat than the Grim Reaper and time is running out for
everyone.
About
the Author
Shelley Russell Nolan is an avid reader who began writing her own
stories at sixteen. Her first completed manuscript featured brain eating aliens
and a butt kicking teenage heroine. Since then she has spent her time creating
fantasy worlds where death is only the beginning and even freaks can fall in
love.
A member of Romance Writers of Australia, Australian Romance
Readers Association and Queensland Writers Centre, Shelley regularly attends
workshops and writers festivals to meet other writers and readers.
Born in New Zealand, moving to Australia with her family when she
was seven, Shelley currently lives in Central Queensland, Australia, with her
husband and two young children. They share their home with a demon cat, a
deformed budgerigar and two dogs that are fairly normal as dogs go.
Shelley loves to hear from her readers so feel free to contact her
on Facebook or leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Facebook
- https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyRussellNolan
Twitter
- https://twitter.com/ShelleyRNolan
Website
- http://shelleyrussellnolan.com/
Buy
Links
Amazon
Au - http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0169KUNCO
Smashwords
- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/582944
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