For the Love of Sci-fi - Greta van der Rol

Please help me welcome the incredibly talented Science Fiction romance author, Greta van der Rol to Novel Natterings. I was lucky enough to read The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy recently and I was immediately entranced by the incredible characters and world Greta had established. I'm so glad her latest release is now available - I can't wait to dive in!

Hi Greta, thanks for visiting us here on Novel Natterings. I'm curious as to what drew you to write science fiction over 'traditional' romances.  

Why do I like writing science fiction? Because it's lots and lots of FUN. I remember seeing the first Star Wars movie back in 1975 (was it that long about?) and really enjoying the ride. Especially that awesome first scene where the Imperial Star Destroyer catches up with Princess Leia's ship and passes over the top of it. I ducked. But that was the engagement party, if you like. When “The Empire Strikes Back” was released, I fell in love. I saw that movie four times in one week and I must have watched it dozens of times since. Oh, man. Sexy dudes in black uniforms, great big star destroyers, space battles. Oh yeah, and that little Yoda guy and the bloke in the orange jumpsuit.

Who cared if the science was flawed? The hyperdrive's broken? Can't get to hyperspace – and yet you can still bunny-hop to a star system nearby? Yeah, right. And then there's Han Solo's quip about completing the Kessel run in x parsecs. (A parsec is a unit of distance, not time). Spaceships dog fight like world war one bi-planes as if they were in atmosphere, not space and nobody seems to need airlocks for anything. To mention just a few.

There's an awful lot scientifically wrong with the Star Wars universe but nobody cares. You go along for the ride. You'll find many, many so-called SF books do the same thing. Humans go and talk to aliens on planets without any breathing equipment, protective suits, special boots to cater for the higher or lower gravity etc etc. Inter-planetary travel is like catching the number nineteen bus.

I love looking at the stars and reading about the expansions in physics and technology and I love to read books with science at its heart. I grew up on Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Heinlein and more lately Elizabeth Moon and Jack McDevitt who use science as the backbone to their fiction. So in my writing I try to use that example. Sure, my stories are space opera about strong, capable men and strong, equally capable women. But I can justify the background of my universe.

When I wrote “The Iron Admiral” books I wanted a non-humanoid alien but I also recognised that if I wanted a species that could exist on the same planet as humans they would have to come from the same sort of planet. So that's a premise I made when I created the ptorix. I recently wrote a guest blog about their background http://lbelow.blogspot.com/2011/08/evolution-of-aliens-ptorix-origins.html.

With my spaceships I don't deny my battlecruisers owe a passing nod to Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica – as well as modern day aircraft carriers. But my ships have airlocks to transfer from the vacuum of space to aired up interior, not a cavernous bay that ships can just fly into. I use artificial gravity, too, because the human body will atrophy in space without gravity. Sure, we can't do it now – but this is science fiction. Like every other writer of space opera I have faster than light travel (FTL) in my galaxy so my characters can travel from one planet to another without dying of old age. I explained how that worked in http://gretavanderrol.com/2011/04/02/planet-hopping-might-not-be-so-silly/

What I'm saying is, I've done my homework. I can justify my universe. I don't explain the science in my books much but the background is there. Like an iceberg, you'll only see the tip above the surface but rest assured, there's an awful lot down there to support the visible part.

Given all of that, my main purpose has been to write an action-packed adventure story set in space.

According to the reviews I've received for both 'Morgan's Choice' and 'The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy' I've succeeded; 'The Iron Admiral: Deception' carries on (quite literally) from where 'The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy' left off.  I hope all you readers out there have as much fun reading them as I had writing them.

Bio

Greta van der Rol loves writing science fiction with a large dollop of good old, healthy romance. She lives not far from the coast in Queensland, Australia and enjoys photography and cooking when she isn't bent over the computer. She has a degree in history and a background in building information systems, both of which go a long way toward helping her in her writing endeavours.

Buy Links

Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/GretavanderRol

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Greta-van-der-Rol/e/B003JF323U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Omnilit http://www.omnilit.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Greta+van+der+Rol
or other online book stores.

 http://gretavanderrol.net
 http://twitter.com/GretavdR
 http://www.facebook.com/Author.Greta.vanderRol?ref=ts

Red Hot Release - Riley Quinn

The winner of the e-copy of Guardian of the Jewel is...Maeve! Thanks for stopping by Maeve.


Please help me welcome Riley Quinn to this second installment of the Jewel of the Night series.

Riley's book, "Blood Diamond" has already received some great reviews, and I can tell you from my own experience, you will be blown away with the world she draws you into. Leave a comment and be in to win your very own e-copy of Blood Diamond. Good luck!

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Thanks for having me today, LaVerne.

I first heard about the Jewel of the Night series last fall. A friend who was already published with The Wild Rose Press forwarded the information on to me. I thought it sounded like a lot of fun. Only one problem, I couldn’t think of a story!

So I shoved it to the back of my mind. Then one day I was watching a rerun of Bones, the pilot episode where she’s walking through the airport with a skull. I got to thinking about how physical anthropologists (those that study bones) sometimes went to exotic locations for work. Just that little thought really got the creative juices flowing.

What other kinds of professions required travel like that? Where would I want the action to take place? I didn’t know much about diamonds so Google was my friends. After searching “blue diamonds” for a while, I came across an article that talked about the Republic of Congo getting sanctioned in 2004 for having too many diamonds exported when there were no mines.

Ooh, what could I do with that? So I thought some more. My characters starting talking to me. Around this time last year, I had the kernel of an idea. After the first of the year, I started writing. I turned some pages into a critique group I’m a member of and got some pages of someone’s else’s story about a blue diamond.

What are the chances? So I emailed her and we chatted back and forth. We decided to work with each other to get our stories done and out there. We met for writing sprints. We helped work out plot holes. We helped figure out what our characters were trying to say. We both made the March 31 deadline. I’m proud to say we both got picked up. My book, Blood Diamond released December 1 and my partner in crime, Rachel Lynne’s book comes out December 22.

I had a great time writing my story, thanks in part to working with another author. Writing can be lonely work and for me being in Europe, even more so because of the time difference. I loved my characters and seeing them learn to trust each other. But best of all, I loved the location of the story.

I’ve never been to the Congo jungle where my story is set. I did a LOT of research and I hope it comes across as realistic. It gave me some extra options to add suspense. I hope that my readers enjoy the exotic locale as well.


Blurb:
Dodging an angry warlord and running through the rain forest in Congo Brazzaville was not what Jillian St. James expected when she signed up with Doctors Without Borders. Yet that’s exactly what she gets after a mysterious visit from her brother.
Mercenary Mack Nichols doesn’t have much faith in humanity these days. When the beautiful young doctor denies being part of the theft of a blue diamond from his client, he doesn’t put much stock in her story.
Neither have reason to trust the other and their mutual attraction is an inconvenience to both. A betrayal and the reveal of an evil plan pit these two against an army. Can they put aside their doubts and work together to bring down a corrupt, power-hungry overlord or will their chance at love be over before it ever starts?



Excerpt:
“Are you all right, Jillian?”
The husky timber of his voice sent another shiver through her, this time having nothing to do with fear.
How could she be aroused after being scared so bad? Especially with a man like this one, a man who worked for the General. She was one sick puppy.
“Jillian?” A hand came down on her shoulder and she jumped.
Finally lifting her head, she ignored Mack and trained her attention on the log where she’d been sitting. As recognition set in, her entire body began to shake and her heart pounded so hard she feared cracking a rib. Dear God. A yellow-green snake with ridged scales lay in two pieces on the log she’d occupied. Eyes the same color of its body stared sightlessly toward the fire.
She swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat. “Is that—”
“An African Bush Viper? Yep. I think in the firelight, your hand must have looked like dinner.” Though the snake now lay dead, Mack’s voice still sounded strained.
She stood on shaky legs. “I didn’t even see it there.”
“I’m not surprised. It had coiled its tail around the branch overhead and dropped from there.”
If he hadn’t seen the highly poisonous snake, she’d be dead right now. She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his throat. She heard a thud and then his arms were around her, surrounding her in a blanket of safety. For the first time, she thought maybe he really would keep his promise.

Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/blood-diamond-p-4332.html?zenid=3467be87fcef7a20661864de9906a871

I enjoyed stopping by today and talking about my story. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask away. Again, thanks, LaVerne for sharing your space with me.

It's a pleasure Riley : )

Be sure to stop by next post where Christine DePetrillo stops by to talk about her story, Lazuli Moon.

Dazzling Diamonds, Heartbreaking Heros

With my first post fading fast in the rearvision mirror, it's time for another one! With the Jewel of the Night series kicking off with my story last month, I was fascinated by the other stories coming through and how different they all were. Then I thought, how great would it be to learn a bit about each author's thought processes, how they came up with their plotlines and what, if anything, their influences were.

For the next couple of months, I'll be featuring my fellow 'Jewels' and their stories as they release. Sit back, relax and enjoy...it'll be a thrilling ride!

My story came to life as the result of a special submission call by the Crimson/Suspense Line of The Wild Rose Press. The guidelines were simple. Write a suspenseful, romantic story featuring a blue diamond, set anywhere in the world, minimum of 20,000 words.

My good friend and writing buddy, Cherie le Clare (TWRP author) emailed the details and asked me if I thought I could write a story to suit by the end of March. She would help me all the way with critiqueing, encouragement and anything else I might need. At that time, I had three months and thought that was plenty - and it wouldn't worry me if I didn't acheive "The End" in the specified time. I was unpublished and had never submitted anything to a publisher before, so the whole idea seemed surreal to me. Normally, I was very shy about sharing my work - with anyone. I don't think I'd really shared anything with Cherie either. But something got into me that day, and I'm mighty glad it did.

Now there is no stopping me from bombarding my editor and others at TWRP with future offerings. The feedback they gave from the original query and edit suggestions, right through to the final version of my book, were all positive and such a great experience for this newbie to the publishing world. I wish everyone's initiation was as wonderful as mine was.

My knowledge of diamonds was limited to the engagement ring on my finger and how pretty it looks sparkling under lights. Google is a writer's best friend, so I paid a visit to that fantastic search engine and came up some ideas. I liked the sound of South Africa where they mine the diamonds, but wanted to set the story in my home country of New Zealand, which brought on the idea of a diamond stolen and hidden in New Zealand. Then my characters appeared to me - Amy - strong but struggling in all the ways possible, and Gabriel - hig morals and loyal, but yet not all he seems. The character that came to me first though was the villain Razor. I had so much fun writing him. What is it about baddies that they're such fun to write?

BLURB:

After coming to terms with the brutal death of her husband by unknown thugs half a world away from New Zealand, Amy Hamblin concentrates on bringing up their son alone, struggling to make their dream of an action-adventure tourism venture a success.
When a dark, dangerous-looking man knocks on her door late at night claiming to be a guest, the safe, quiet life she’d created is suddenly anything but...
Gabriel Ryan’s task of finding the priceless blue diamond Amy’s husband stole from an organised crime ring, is made all the more difficult by the attraction that sizzles between them. Playing a role had never been so hard, and now, with a ruthless killer on the trail of the missing jewel as well, he needed all his wits about him to keep them all alive.

EXCERPT:
Gabriel’s knee pressed into Amy’s thigh and sent unexpected frissons of longing to race through her system. The thin material of her jodhpurs weren’t any barrier to his heat. She scrambled to regain her composure and urged Pippin away, fixing her concentration on the path ahead.
“I’m not looking for romance,” she stated flatly. “I have a child to raise and a business to run. That’s more than enough for me."
“It’s not nearly enough for a woman like you,” he murmured, his changeable eyes darkened to molten steel and raked over her in thorough appraisal. Her shaky resolve melted away under the heat.
Unable to take a breath, let alone speak, Amy lifted her hand and gave the signal to ride single file. As she trotted ahead, the unmistakable sound of soft laughter followed her. He recognized she was running away and the knowledge he was right made her face flame all the more.

New review link - another 4 stars!: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=961

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All comments go in the draw for an e-copy of "Guardian of the Jewel" drawn Sunday 12 December, New Zealand time ; )

Next post will be about the talented Riley Quinn and her story, "Blood Diamond"

See you then!