Come a little closer - I'll let you in on a little secret...
I was chosen as the preliminary reader for the second book in Nancy's Drift Lord series - and my word - are you guys in for a treat!! Nancy's writing is so easy to read, so real that you forget where you are and what you're meant to be doing. It is all too easy to fall in love with her characters which to me, is the mark of a wonderful writer, whether they be romance or otherwise.
I've been dying to hear how she came up with the idea of her series which is very clever with fantastic world building, and I'm delighted to have her here today to tell us all about it. Welcome Nancy, and thanks for making a stop at Novel Natterings! The floor is yours.
Where do
writers get their ideas? This question always comes up during author
presentations. My answer is that ideas come from everywhere. They spring from
the well of our life experiences.
The idea
for my Drift Lords paranormal series came from a ride at Disney’s Epcot theme
park. In World Showcase is the Maelstrom ride at the Norway pavilion. Guests
board a boat that glides into a dark tunnel which rises up a steep incline. Staring
down from the top is a glowing eye. At the summit, the boat sails into a misty
forest where trolls appear. These evil creatures cast a spell on visitors to
“Disappear…Disappear.”
Suddenly,
the boat is whisked backward as though through time. The boat glides past
scenes of Norwegian history as this rich heritage is related to passengers.
Never
mind the rest of the ride! I loved the idea of evil trolls, and my imagination
took flight. I decided I’d write a story based on Norse mythology. The trolls
in my series would be the bad guys, except I renamed them Trolleks. Thus I began
to build my world. The Trolleks have invaded Earth through a crack in the
Bermuda Triangle, a rift between dimensions. Like the trolls of legend, they
are tall beings with abnormally large noses, hands and feet. And while the
males are ugly, the females may be beautiful creatures who lure men into
slavery.
Enter the
Drift Lords, warriors from space who’ve been summoned to Earth to save
humanity. But the Drift Lords cannot repel the Trollek invasion on their own.
According to prophecy, they must join with a select group of Earth women whose
special powers can defeat the enemy. However, the Trolleks are not their only
concern. Remember the Norse gods? Loki, the evil trickster, is secretly
manipulating the Trollek king behind the scenes. Our heroes and heroines turn
out to be descendants, respectively, of the warrior god Thor and the
All-Father, Odin.
The gift
shop at Epcot’s Norway pavilion provided several of my research books and a
troll figurine who stands upon my desk for inspiration. Think of my series as Thor meets Lord of the Rings. Using mythology as a model for world building is
nothing new. A wealth of stories exists for our writer’s minds to plunder.
The
action in Warrior Prince starts in
modern day Florida when mythologist Nira Larsen goes hunting for a summer job.
Her employment interview turns into a nightmare when a Trollek attacks her.
Coming to the rescue is the Drift Lord leader and his squad of hunky warriors.
And so the adventure begins. Ancient legends come into play along with myth and
magic in this tale that expands across the globe in subsequent sequels.
Where do
our ideas come from? They’re out there. We only have to catch them and turn
them into our fictional worlds.
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All
commenters during Nancy’s blog tour will be entered into a drawing for a Warrior Prince tee shirt and magnet
and a pdf copy of Warrior Prince. Go
to http://bit.ly/9ytdvu for a complete schedule of her tour stops.
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Warrior
Prince: Book One in the Drift Lords Series by Nancy J. Cohen
When mythologist and Florida resident Nira Larsen accepts a job as
tour guide for a mysterious stranger, she's drawn into a nightmare reality
where ancient myths come alive and legendary evils seek to destroy her. To
survive, she must awaken her dormant powers, but the only person who can help
is the man whose touch inflames her passion.
After a dimensional rift in the Bermuda Triangle cracks open and an ancient enemy invades Earth, Zohar—leader of the galactic warriors known as the Drift Lords—summons his troops. He doesn't count on a redheaded spitfire getting in his way and capturing his heart. Nira has the power to defeat the enemy and to enslave Zohar's soul. Can he trust her enough to accomplish his mission, or will she lure him to his doom?
Author's BioAfter a dimensional rift in the Bermuda Triangle cracks open and an ancient enemy invades Earth, Zohar—leader of the galactic warriors known as the Drift Lords—summons his troops. He doesn't count on a redheaded spitfire getting in his way and capturing his heart. Nira has the power to defeat the enemy and to enslave Zohar's soul. Can he trust her enough to accomplish his mission, or will she lure him to his doom?
Nancy
J. Cohen is a multi-published author who writes romance and mysteries. Her
popular Bad Hair Day mystery series features hairdresser Marla Shore, who
solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Several of these
titles have made the IMBA bestseller list, while Nancy’s imaginative sci-fi/paranormal
romances have garnered rave reviews and a HOLT Medallion Award. Active in the
writing community and a featured speaker at libraries and conferences, Nancy is
listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets
& Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S.
Writers, Editors, & Poets.
Follow Nancy on her Social
Networks:
Website: http://nancyjcohen.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nancyjcohen
Sounds awesome Nancy! You do have an amazing imagination - I'll check out your series on TWRP :D
ReplyDeleteLaverne, you seem to get the best reads! I must go see if any more I've beta-read are out yet...only seen the one so far :)
Thanks, Kelly. I really enjoy writing this series. Norse mythology offers such a wealth of material to use as a basis for my stories.
ReplyDeleteI love that your idea came from a theme park, since such places are meant to transport the customeer to an adventure for a short while. Good luck with your new series!
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't love evil trolls? Great post, Nancy!
ReplyDeleteNancy, I loved the idea of sinister theme parks. Everyone goes there for a happy day. What a perfect place for something nefarious to be going on.
ReplyDeleteLisa, evil trolls are great fun. And they're characters portrayed throughout the ages in film and stories. They make great bad guys in my series.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fun that you never know when an idea will jump out at you and say, Me! Me!
ReplyDeleteLove your series idea.
Thanks, Shelley. As you say, one never knows what will inspire our next story.
ReplyDelete