Good News Day!

Welcome to this week's good news...

SALES

Michelle de Rooy (w/a Dakota Harrison) has sold "Breathless" (working title), a second contemporary romance to Samhain Publishing!

Imogene Nix's Starburst is now under contract to Secret Cravings Publishing with a tentative release date of February 2013.  It is the final novel in the Warriors of the Elector Trilogy.

Angela Castle has accepted a contract from e-publisher Evernight Pubishing for her book (working title), Love Unbound.

Congratulations to all our Dark Siders!

COVERS & RELEASE DATE

Happy Release Day for Sin's Dark Caress by Tracey O'Hara. It came out on July 31st! This is the third installment in the Dark Brethren series.

 

Astrid Cooper's latest release in the Monsters InK paranormal series, Fang Tango, came out on August 1st and has debuted at #4 on Extasy Books bestsellers list.
But the good news doesn't stop there! Older titles in the series - A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Christmas Ck & Vampire for Hire - made a return and also rank on the list at #11, #12 & #13.
And to top that off she's received some lovely fan mail from a couple of readers telling her how much they've enjoyed the series.

Anna Hackett has a cover for her upcoming release, Time Thief.

Rowena Corey Daniells has two books out this month! Exhile (fantasy from Solaris, out August 1st) and Price of Fame (ClanDestine Press, out August 18th).

REVIEWS

Tracey O'Hara's newest release, Sin's Dark Caress, received a 4.5 star rave review from RT Book Review.

The threat of the Dark Brethren rising hovers over O’Hara’s impressively compelling series with wonderfully chilling menace. This third installment explores witch clans and murder by deadly dark magic. None of O’Hara’s protagonists are without flaws, but all have guts and determination in the face of dangerous odds. O’Hara is on a roll!

And here's another snippet from Book'd Out (you can read the full review here):

Sin’s Dark Caress is a fast paced read with plenty of action, exciting twists and strong characters. With its mix of murder, mayhem and magic I think its the strongest book of the three and though it could work as a stand alone, I would recommend reading the previous installments.

And another from Paperback Dolls (full review here):

Sin’s Dark Caress is a chillingly dark and twisted tale of just how far the Dark Brethren and their accomplices will go to unleash pure evil into the world. I found myself absolutely compelled to keep reading as the tension and urgency rose with each new murder. Sin’s warm, sweet personality complements the gruff McManus’s explosive temper in a comfortable way that only comes after years of lifelong friendship, but I find myself wishing that these two were the stars of the next Dark Brethen novel when it releases next year.

And Scooper Speaks also gave it a great review:

Tracey O’Hara’s Dark Brethren series gets better with each book...Sin’s Dark Caress is even better because it brings something I love. It is dark. Not horror dark, but heavier than the average romance. Evil permeates its pages, but it never lets you forget you are reading a romance.  

Go, T!!!

CONTESTS

Michelle de Rooy is a finalist the HODRWA "The Molly" contest with her fantasy romance "Appleseed".

Carolyn de Ridder has received an honorable mention for her manuscript, The Hostage. Her work was a finalist in the mystery/suspense category of the RWA Kiss of Death Chapter's Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence contest.

S.E.Gilchrist also received an honorable mention for her post-apocalyptic romance, Beyond Aquarius, in the RWA Southern Heat East Texas contest (paranormal category)! AND her novella, Bound by Love, is a finalist in the paranormal romance section of the Music City Romance Writers "Minuet of Love" contest.

Woot, to all our contest slaying Dark Siders!

OTHER 

Maree Anderson (with a little bit of help) has constructed landing pages for her books.

Freaks of Greenfield High

The Crystal Warrior

Ruby's Dream

Jade's Choice

Lightning Rider

BOOK SIGNING EVENT

The following Dark Siders will be attending the Australian Romance Readers Association Book-Signing Event (held in conjunction with the RWAustralia annual conference) at the QT Hotel on the Gold Coast, on Friday 17th August, 2012 from 4.30-6.00pm.

• Denise Rossetti
• Imogene Nix
• Keri Arthur
• Kylie Griffin
• Louise Cusack
• Nicole Murphy
• Paula Roe
• Rowena Cory Daniells
• Tracey O’Hara

 

What a great wrap up for the week! Thanks, everyone, for sending on your good news.

Now, don't forget GND is going into hiatus for the rest of this month as many of the Dark Siders (myself included) are migrating to the Gold Coast or Auckland in preparation for or to attend the annual Romance Writers' conferences!

Good News Day will return the first week of September! See you then!

Magic Thursday - What makes a tortured hero?

Who can resist the appeal of a tortured hero? I certainly can't.

Every time I read a book with one of these characters it usually ends up as a keeper on my bookshelf. Why? Because there's something unbelievably attractive about a man who overcomes incredible obstacles to find himself, a soul mate and love.

Take Bren, the hero from Christina Phillips' book, CAPTIVE.

With the rape and murder of his wife at the hands Dunmacos, a Roman leader with a sadistic reputation, he's wracked by survivor guilt and torn apart with hatred for the Celtic Druids whom he believes should have saved her instead of him.

To avenge his loss, he hunts down and massacres Dunmacos then disguises himself as the soldier in order to spy on the Roman army for the Briton king. He spends three years in this role, taking on the reviled persona of the feared leader, killing anyone who ever knew Dunmacos to avoid being exposed and does what he can to sabotage Rome's efforts to conquer Britain.

With only his skills at deception and subterfuge, killing in the name of his king, and haunted by his failure to save his wife, he doesn't see himself as worth anything or having anything to offer a woman who might love him.

Irredeemable? Maybe. Tortured? Hell, yes. Irresistable. Oh, yeah...

Let's take a look at another tormented hero. Zsadist - from LOVER AWAKENED by J.R.Ward. I've worn out the spine on this book and need to get a new one, that's how many times I've reread it.

This vampire warrior is the ultimate tortured hero. The guy bears some serious, serious issues involving intimacy and any sexual relationship with a woman thanks to being kidnapped, raped and used as a blood slave when he was a young man.

His reputation as a Black Dagger Brotherhood warrior is legendary, friends and foe alike fear his anger, and his sinister deeds strike terror into them.

This is a powerful, heart-wrenching story of Zsadist's journey to come to terms with what was done to him and how he discovers that he can love and be loved. I don't know how many times I cried for Zsadist, over what was done to him and the destructive perceptions he had of himself.

Tortured character? He's at the top of the list.

Not to left out, what about Zarek from Sherrilyn Kenyon's DANCE WITH THE DEVIL?

Another man reviled for his fearsome reputation as a warrior, one believed to have gone insane. Totally misunderstood by everyone, but then Zarek was never one for sharing his past or explaining his actions. Thank goodness for Acheron and his understanding and identifying with his nature!

What a past Zarek's had - the bastard son of a Roman noble, disfigured by a lifetime of abuse, reviled for his appearance, enduring the worst sort of life after being sold as a slave then once he was made a Dark-Hunter and began taking out his anger and pain on the Daimons (the bad guys) in full view of the public, he's exiled to Alaska and shunned by other Dark-Hunters because of his actions.

This man's never had a gentle word said or kind action bestowed upon on him. So, do you think he might have some serious trust issues? Then, to top it all off, he finds himself being judged by a justice nymph who'll determine whether he lives or dies. Any wonder he has the reputation of being a cold, angry cynic?

Damned? Many seem to think so. Worth saving? Depends on your point of view - I know a few Gods who'd be glad to see him dead (Artemis, anyone)? Tortured? Well and truly.

How can you not empathise with Bren, Zsadist or Zarek? The odds are stacked against them, they're well behind the eight ball, every one's against them (cliches abound!). How can they possibly redeem themselves?

Certainly not through their own self-destructive actions, but how about the love of a good woman? Could that help? Oh, yeah, you betcha.

They have such a long way to travel but the end reward is well worth the angst, the tears, the resistant transformation. The struggle and journey these heroes are put through makes their redemption all the more satisfying.

So, you just gotta love tortured heroes. They make for one heck of a good read. For that matter, a good dozen re-reads!!!

Do you have a favourite tortured hero? And care to share? Come on, I dare you!

Magic Monday - Are you a paranormal groupie?

(a special Magic Monday this week, from Kylie Griffin)

You know you're a paranormal groupie when....

• ...you can reel off the meanings of an acronyms such as DUF, F&F, UF, SF/F/P, HF, EF, PR, BPS, FU and varying combinations with alacrity
• …you hear a strange sound and immediately reach for your backpack (which, incidentally, contains a wooden stake, holy water, a hand gun with silver bullets, a communicator, a phaser, a spell book for all occasions, a variety of amulets and lucky charms, an almanac of alternate realities, a handy pocket sized dictionary of demonic languages, a crystal ball with matching tarot cards and a ring of magic keys) and you head straight for the location you last heard it shouting, "Go ahead, make my day, hell-spawn!"
• ...you think it's normal to open conversations about demons/vampires/shape-shifters/psi-powers/alien races in mixed company
• ...you understand that “succubus/incubus” have plurals and that they’re “succubi/incubi”
• ..."Live long and prosper" (accompanied by the traditional hand sign) is your standard farewell

• …all the clothes you own are variations in the color black
• ...you've made weapons out of your garden implements...just in case, because the next door neighbour's kid gives new meaning to the word holy terror
• …when you hear the words “Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica, in nomine et virtute Domini Nostri Jesu + Christi…” and realize you aren’t at a baptism or partaking in Holy Communion
• ...you realize the danger of shouting the expletive phrase “Suck me!” in a nightclub with people with pallid skin and who claim pointed canine teeth are the latest “vamp” trend
• ...you can reel off every known class of starship from Earth to the Delta Quadrant without drawing breath
• …the newest release of Keri Arthur/Mel Teshco/Sherrilyn Kenyon/(insert other fav.author) excites you more than sex does
• ...you wear steel-capped boots, a long leather jacket, and an array of hidden weapons on your person when you step outside your house
• ...the saying “his/her eyes turned red” can hold so many different meanings (not all of them good)

• …your significant other plays the opening tunes to Star Trek/The Twilight Zone/Blood Ties/(insert other favourite program here) just to get your attention
• ...you believe it makes perfect sense to decorate you house with necklaces of garlic, hang mirrors in every room, install fonts of holy water at every entrance, and burn twists of sacred herbs 24/7
• ...the phrase “TRUST NO ONE” isn’t just an X-Files quote
• …the word “World Con” has you salivating in 3 seconds flat
• …an earthquake shakes your house and you dive for cover shouting, "Take cover! The Hellmouth is opening, the Hordes of Baccus begin the Reclamation!" and everyone else looks at you as if you’ve gone mad
• …you understand exactly what the phrase ‘seduced by an succubus’ means and that it may be less alluring than it sounds
• ...you find yourself translating magazine articles in waiting rooms (out loud) in fluently Elvish, Pernese or Klingon just to pass the time
• …you think it’s normal to name your child Buffy, Angel, T'Pol, Tiberius, Acheron, Wrath, Sookie or after various pantheon deities

You know you're a paranormal groupie when...you immediately send this list to other paranormal groupies, here and overseas, realizing that only they will understand!

Can you think of any other signs or symptoms I might have missed? :-)

Magic Thursday: For Your Eyes Only...

Unfortunately, no give-away today (golly-gosh-darn it!) but definitely a bit of light-hearted fun, gentle readers.

The upside is that you get to look at a swag of hot guys...and they get to look at you!

I've chosen 11 pairs of eyes - all belonging to actors in movies with a paranormal slant - sci-fi, fantasy, futuristic, UF etc.

All you have to do is identify the actor or character/movie they belong to. Some are a tad easier than others, as you'll see (heh, heh!).

Answers are at the bottom of the post. How well did you go? Do you know these eyes by sight?

Actor A

Actor B

Actor C

 

Actor D

Actor E

Actor F

Actor G

 

Actor H

Actor I

Actor J

Actor K

ANSWERS:
A. Hugh Jackman (The Fountain)
B. Brad Pitt/Achilles (Troy)
C. Hugh Jackman (Van Helsing)
D. Andy Whitfield/Spartacus
E. Eric Bana/Nero (Star Trek)
F. Sam Worthington/Marcus (Terminator Salvation)
G. Hugh Jackman (yeah, I have a thing for Hugh, I know...)
H. Sam Worthington/ Jake Sully (Avatar)
I. Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)
J. Chris Pine/James T.Kirk (Star Trek)
K. Ioan Grufudd/Lancelot (King Arthur)

World-Building Summary

World-building can be hard to get your head around but if you can follow the guide below then you'll have a basic structure you can build on as your understanding and knowledge of your world develops.

1. Research – make the time to flesh out your world. Readers come to your book wanting to believe and if you don’t delve a little more deeply into what makes your world function, then you run the risk of the story not living up to its potential.
2. Structure and consistency – by all means interweave reality with imagination but whatever you create in your world must have a set of rules or be based on logic or reason. Gerrold, in his book Worlds of Wonder, quite rightly states, “The reader will suspend belief - he won’t suspend common sense.”*** Little or no structure will result in the reader becoming confused; that leads to boredom or frustration. And without consistency the reader will disbelieve and mistrust what they’re reading. Don’t give them a reason to put your book down.
3. Humanize elements of your world building – make them similar enough to something readers would be familiar with but then balance it with whatever is unique about it. Combine the old with the new. 
4. Layer the experience – use the senses. Create the scene in your head. What did you see? Hear? Smell? Touch? Taste? Feel emotionally? Provide this and you’ll bring your world alive, make it believable.
5. Have fun – take time to daydream. It’s part of the creative process of world building. Collage your ideas, make maps, family trees, lists of your character likes/dislikes, create a play-list of songs that evoke the right mood conducive to the tone of your world.

What are you waiting for? You have the tools to start world building – it’s time to go for it. Discover and enjoy the process that works for you, whatever it may be.

Once you get started, you never know what sort of wonderful world you might end up with! 

Quotes used in the article
* “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto” article by Maree Anderson from her website (www.mareeanderson.com)
** Nalini Singh website – web-link called Behind the Scenes re: “skin privileges” (www.nalinisingh.com/psy.html) 
*** Worlds of Wonder – How to write science fiction & fantasy – David Gerrold (Titan Books 2001)

USEFUL REFERENCES
Website Articles:
A Way with Worlds by S.Savage (www.seventhsanctum.com/www/wwwfull.html)
Magical World Builder by S. Cottrell Bryant (www.web-writer.net/fantasy/)
Fantasy World Building Questions by P.C.Wrede 1996 (www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm)
Books:
Checking on Culture by Lee Killough 1993 AG Press
The Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference – Introduction by Terry Brooks (Writer’s Digest Books 1998)
Worlds of Wonder – How to write science fiction & fantasy – David Gerrold (Titan Books 2001) 

(Pictures from http://fantasyartdesign.com"> Fantasy Art 3D Wallpapers, digital art modern online gallery.)

How do I World-Build?

In the third post in this series we'll look at what elements make up world building. It's the practical part, where you get to ask yourself lots of questions and apply them in the context of the book you're writing.

So, where do we begin world building when we have no idea where to start?

I discovered plenty of comprehensive checklists of elements essential to world building and character development in articles and books as I researched this topic. Too many to cover in the space of this post. So I’ve combine a smattering of those with some our authors mentioned in the previous post.

ELEMENTS OF WORLD BUILDING

Environment – What is the world your characters inhabit? What life forms are there? Are there any physical features such as continents or landforms? Ecosystems? What are the locations of any cities & towns? Does weather or climate play a part in your story? Will these factors influence your characters culture, lifestyles, shelter, food production or types of clothing?

I like to draw maps of the places where my characters live, putting in details of topography, territories or borders, cities and place names and often thumb through information books or travel guides to get a visual image of the landscapes to accompany them. 

Culture – What building blocks make up your characters life? Do they have government, religion, an economy, values, language or dialects, beliefs, social classes, education, family structures, law, the arts or leisure activities? How do these issues relate to marriage, sexual relationships or death?

All these things will influence your characters thoughts, behaviour and actions. The foundations of culture can come from your imagination or you can draw on aspects of past & present societies from our own world history. This is where research comes in. A lot of fun can be had hunting for information, whether you surf the ‘net or visit the local library. Note taking is a definite must and don’t forget to reference where you found your ideas as there’s nothing worst than losing a great source of information when you want it again.

Alternatively, post a query on the on-line loops – there’s a wealth of information among our own members for all sorts of things or they can refer you to a site, article or book if they don’t.

Technology – Is your society/culture industrial or pre-industrial? What forms of machinery, communication and transport exist? Have they achieved space travel? Who uses the technology in your world? The military? An undercover cop? Everyday Joe and Jane? A specific race or culture? How does it impact on your characters lives? Do they have a phobia associated with technology?
 

Clothing – What does your character wear? Does their environment dictate the style? Will their culture or class influence their choice? Do male and female clothes differ? What fabrics make up their clothes? Does their employment require a certain image?

Language or communication – Do your characters speak another language or dialect? Will their conversation be interspersed with words from their native tongue? Do you need to make up your own language? Have you considered giving a character a speech affectation (eg. a stutter, a lisp, an accent)?

Depending on your genre your choice of vocabulary and the grammatical structure of the sentences your characters speak may vary (eg. think of Yoda from Star Wars). Language isn’t just confined to verbal communication. Gestures, sign, sounds, and mannerisms are all facets of language.

In one of my stories I have a young character who’s mute as a result of a childhood trauma. He communicates using sign and I indicate this through the use of gesture and italics. In the same book I have an alien who has a sibilant hiss in her speech. In another, the colour of my heroines eyes change with the moods she’s experiencing. 

Sex – Does culture affect your characters views on this subject? What practices are acceptable? Frowned upon? Are there any taboos or restrictions? Do your characters have relationships, love or is it just for the purpose of reproduction? What sexual preferences are the norm in your world? Will marriage be a pre-requisite to having sex? What slang words do your characters use associated with sex?

(eg.Nalini Singh uses the term “skin privileges” in her Changeling series. It refers to who has the right to touch one another in their Packs. Here’s how she explains it – “Because touch is such an intimate thing, it depends on each individual as to what level and to whom, they will accede the right to skin privileges.” **)

By no means are these the only categories you should consider when world building. They’re just a starting point. Many of the sub-categories mentioned within the larger ones can be teased out as well. It all depends on each writer’s needs.

Play the “What If…” game when you ask questions about the categories. Dig deep on the who, what, where, when, why or how this affects or influences your world and characters. One of the benefits is that you’ll discover conflicts, plot twists & sub-plots for your characters coming from the answers.
Now, once you’ve built this world, do you include every little detail?

No. Not if you want to bore your readers to death. Details are good for the likes of writing for Encyclopedia Britannica or Lonely Planet.

Details, in this instant, provide you with knowledge. The confidence of this knowledge will come through in the tone of your writing. You’ll write the story from the inside out.

Join me next week for the final post when I summarise the points I've made over the last few weeks about world-building.

Quotes used in the posts:
* “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto” article by Maree Anderson from her website (www.mareeanderson.com)
** Nalini Singh website – web-link called Behind the Scenes re: “skin privileges” (www.nalinisingh.com/psy.html)
*** Worlds of Wonder – How to write science fiction & fantasy – David Gerrold (Titan Books 2001)

An Author's POV on World-Building

This is part 2 in my series on world-building. Part 1 (What is World-Building?) defined what world-building was and you can find it in a previous post.

This week I wanted to know if writers approached world-building with a set process, so I asked some of my writer friends, published and unpublished, for their point of view on how did they handled it. See if any of their replies give you any ideas … 

“For me, world-building is very much an organic process. I feel as if I step into the world and write what I see.
One tip I can give is in terms of writing a series - consistency is key. It is the absolute bedrock of a realistic world. I've learned the value of keeping detailed notes on characters, events, the physical world itself. This helps so much in terms of maintaining continuity.”
Nalini Singh
(Paranormal - Berkley Sensation)

“Because I've done extensive research about the Regency over many years, I have a good general knowledge of the period so I usually know if a story will work within the constraints of my historical period. But each story has specific elements that require more specific knowledge.
For example, in CLAIMING THE COURTESAN and TEMPT THE DEVIL, I had to know about the demimonde. In UNTOUCHED, I researched mental illness in the early 19th century. The Regency is such a popular setting for historical romance, I'm lucky when it comes to world-building. I can often use just a few salient details to establish the world. Many readers probably know as much or more about this period than I do!
One thing I like to do to establish a feeling of time and place is throw in the occasional unusual bit of vocabulary or expression. I want my readers to recognize that they're reading about somewhere different from where they live now. Luckily the Regency abounds in really colourful, vigorous language so that part of my writing is often a joy.”
Anna Campbell
(Regency historicals - Avon/HarperCollins)

“I spent 7 years researching my 1000 BC book. I searched libraries for rare books, the ‘net, interviewed Jewish folk and historians.”
 Melissa James
(Harlequin romance)

“When creating the fictional peninsula and the township of Onemata in my February 08 release, TYCOON'S VALENTINE VENDETTA, and when I created the fictional luxury game resort in my August 08 release, CLAIMING HIS RUNAWAY BRIDE, both with Silhouette Desire, I drew very strongly on my own experiences and knowledge of the country in which I, and my characters, live. For what I was unfamiliar with it was an easy matter of researching such areas and places both online and via other people who'd experienced places like that (travel books are marvellous for this kind of information, I've found.)
As far as process goes, once I've decided upon where I'm going to set my stories I will glean as much information about it by (a) searching the internet, (b) taking relevant books out from the library, (c) visiting those places if at all possible and taking a whole lot of photos and notes, and (d) speaking to people who have been to those places or experienced the kinds of things my characters are doing.”
Yvonne Lindsay
(Silhouette Desire)

“My world building starts with the premise that my heroine is a powerful woman in her own sphere. Whether she happens to be a witch or a druid her existence is influenced by her matrilineal heritage and the goddess culture.
Since I'm fascinated by this, research is no hardship and I spend far too many hours reading up on ancient customs and beliefs, and then incorporate whatever happens to best fit my plot.
Within this framework I can twist the world to accommodate spirits of ancestors, elemental power from the earth herself and the occasional demon.
It's a lot of fun being the goddess-of-my-own-universe!!”
Christina Phillips
(dark erotic romance with paranormal elements & ancient historical romance - The Wild Rose Press & Berkley.)

“I usually use places I know for my books, although occasionally I will change some aspect of them.  I very rarely name streets only towns.”
Ann Patrick

(contemporary romance - Whiskey Creek Press) 

“My stories are steeped in reality, but my heroines have special abilities that set them apart, such as clairvoyance or witchcraft. So rather than building a futuristic, fantasy or parallel universe, my challenge is to show the internal world of my characters--what is it like to see and talk to ghosts; interpreting visions; learning who can you trust in the spirit realm--that kind of thing. I'm not psychic, but I do know people who have the gift and I draw on their experiences.
For research, I read a ton of esoteric books and memoirs by psychics, and I love to freak myself out by watching scary movies. This part of the process is where ideas for characters and plots percolate. By the time I'm ready to work on the book, I feel I'm writing from an authentic point of view.”
Vanessa Barneveld
(YA paranormal – represented by Writers’ House Literary Agency NY)

You can see from these comments that there is no set formula to world building. The process is as varied as there are genres. Frustrated yet? Join the club!

Next post we'll move on to how we begin world building when we have no idea where to start.

Quotes used in the posts:
** Nalini Singh website – web-link called Behind the Scenes re: “skin privileges” (www.nalinisingh.com/psy.html)
*** Worlds of Wonder – How to write science fiction & fantasy – David Gerrold (Titan Books 2001)

What is World-Building?

Two of the most memorable novels I read as a teenager were DRAGONFLIGHT by Anne McCaffrey and CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR by Jean M.Auel. The wonder of McCaffrey’s feudal-like society of Dragonriders and their Weyr’s and the savage beauty of Auel’s prehistoric setting sparked my imagination.

The detail, the unique characters, intriguing cultures and vivid descriptions drew me into their worlds and convinced me I was flying a-dragonback with Lessa and F’lar or walking right alongside Ayla as their stories unfolded.

This is the sort of effect we all want as authors when a reader picks up one our books and spends a few hours sharing our characters adventures. We want the world to stick in their minds so well the memories will last long after they’ve put the book down.

I’ve no doubt Ms.Auel and Ms.McCaffrey spent weeks, if not months or years, world building. And as they wrote other books in their respective series they revealed additional layers of detail and expanded our knowledge of the worlds their characters inhabited.

How did they do it? Is there a set formula or process writers’ use when constructing their world?

Answering these questions wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Firstly, though, what is world building?

The best definition I could come up with was this … world building is imagination with logic, a world unlike our own but with enough familiar similarities that they resonate with the reader and then accept the differences.***

It’s also a term frequently associated with the science fiction, fantasy or paranormal genres. Type in the search words world building on the Internet and you’ll be inundated with thousands of articles and references that assure you the term is synonymous with this genre. In fact, it’s hard to find something that doesn’t mention it.

Sure, it plays an integral role in sf/f/p but it’s not confined to this genre alone. A contemporary still needs a setting, an historical needs to get its facts right, a suspense might be based loosely on a true story or an erotic romance might push the boundaries of what’s socially acceptable.

How can you address these issues, in whatever genre, if you have limited or no knowledge of them? Whatever you write, world building is as important to your book as any other.

So, is there a set process or magic formula to follow so we can get it right?

Do you want the good news or the bad news? Bad news is, there’s no set process or magic formula to make world building easier. You have to figure out what works best for you. This next couple of posts in this series on world-building will provide some ideas on where to start.

Join me next week to find out how other authors approach this process.

Quotes used in the posts:
* “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto” article by Maree Anderson from her website (www.mareeanderson.com)
** Nalini Singh website – web-link called Behind the Scenes re: “skin privileges” (www.nalinisingh.com/psy.html)
*** Worlds of Wonder – How to write science fiction & fantasy – David Gerrold (Titan Books 2001)

Darklight On...Rowena Cory Daniells: Kissing Cousins, or ...

Where Fantasy meets Romance ...

I grew up reading Fantasy and SF, didn't know it was a genre but loved it all the same. I read Georgette Heyer's regency stories, never realising they were 'Romance'. They were just great stories, which happened to have a love story as the central theme.

I like a book which has a love story running through it. Love is a great motivator, whether it's a mother's love for their child, a king's love for his people, or the love you have for someone special.

The characters in my fantasy trilogy, King Rolen's Kin, are motivated by love, love for their family, love for that special person, some even suffer unrequited love. They are also motivated by ambition, the need to see justice done and, sometimes, the simple need to survive.

That's the difference between a Romance book and a Fantasy with a love story. Romantic love is the prime motivation in a Romance, while it is one of many/several motivations in a Fantasy.
Having said that, the line between some Dark Urban Fantasies (as the Romance field defines them) and Dark Urban Fantasies (as the Speculative Fiction field defines them) is getting finer and finer. Take Trent Jamieson's 'Death Most Definite' and Tansy Rayner Robert's 'Power and Majesty', both are published by speculative fiction publishers, Orbit and Voyager respectively.

Trent's trilogy is set in Brisbane were Death is a business, Tansy's trilogy is set in an invented city which is threatened by supernatural means. In the first books of both these series love is a strong motivation. In Trent's book the main character, Steve, falls in love with a dead girl (it's not icky, he can see dead people and she's there to help him). In Tansy's book the main character, Velody, is swept into the supernatural world filled with very sexy, rather menacing males. There's bucket loads of passion and sensuality. Both books have drama and action, both books have sex and love, and both books end with the promise of more to come (no Happily Ever After).

Now compare that to your Romance Dark Urban Fantasy -- the protagonist, a feisty female, is swept into a supernatural world, where sensual, menacing characters interact with them, and team up while they fight off evil. Plus there's no HEA because the main character goes in to further adventures in a series.

So there you have it. A Romance or a fantasy with a love story, the line is getting ever thinner!

The King Rolen's Kin Trilogy came out in July, August and September of this year. I had a new fantasy trilogy - The Outcast Chronicles due out in 2012.

See Rowena's blog here.
Her web page here.