You've found the home on the net for romance writer, LaVerne Clark. Thanks for visiting! :)

I write suspense and light fantasy/paranormal set in the beautiful country of New Zealand. A land of myths and magic, Aotearoa (Maori for Long White Cloud) has always been a storytelling nation and it is my pleasure to share mine with you.

Make yourself your drink of choice, stay a while and feel free to leave comments. I love to meet new friends.



Heartpounding suspense and fantasy Downunder



Showing posts with label story ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story ideas. Show all posts

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Exciting New Series - Nancy J. Cohen

Psst...

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.

Myth as Inspiration by Nancy J.Cohen


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 Bio

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.

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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Finding Story Ideas - Anne Ashby

Please help me welcome fellow Kiwi and incredibly talented author, Anne Ashby. Little did Anne know that I was one of her preliminary readers for this book before it was contracted (hehehe) and I was absolutely blown away by the writing, characters and beautiful setting. After reading it, I had to read more of her work. Grab yourself a copy - I bet you'll be blown away too. 
Hi LaVerne, thanks for inviting me to join you today. I’ve been giving some thought to providing an interesting (and possibly helpful I hope) little spiel on some facet of writing and have come up with an idea I’d like to share.

Finding Story Ideas

One of the most frequent things a writer seems to be asked is “how do you come up with ideas?” For me the answer is likely to be an “oh, I don’t really know, they just pop into my head”.  I do find driving is great for me and my muse, swimming too. Probably that’s because my brain is pretty dormant during these times. Luckily, once I think of something it tends to stay with me, so I don’t have to hurriedly drive onto the shoulder, stop and grab a pen, or even more awkward, have a pen and pad beside the pool.
There are so few themes in romance stories and sometimes it feels a struggle to add something fresh and new to the mix. But finding a unique story isn’t so hard if you are open to the suggestions that abound around you every day. Surfing the net will bring you a gazillion ideas, newspapers and magazines heaps more. Song lyrics, TV programmes, talking with people, all add volume to the possibilities. For example, some years ago I read an article that brought tears to my eyes.  About a high flying business woman, it wasn’t until halfway through the article we learned of her youthful angst which this lady dismissed as irrelevant.  However to me it showed her enormous strength of character and I based Kelsey in ‘TIME TO BURY THE PAST’ on this amazing example. Reading of how she’d survived an abusive relationship, the means she employed to protect her child, miscarrying a second child because of a beating that almost killed her as well, finally running away and hiding for years until she knew her partner had died in a gang related incident. The horror of a young teenager needing to deal with such occurrences stuck with me and I wanted to share that even such horror can lead to a happier life. My most recent release ‘WILDERNESS LIAISON’ sprang into being after a walk down memory lane with my mother. We were chatting about a tramp (hike) we’d done along the HEAPHY TRACK some years ago and suddenly Shal and Jodie were the ones beside the swollen river.
                                                                     My advice is to be open to everything around you. I’m sure there are stories being written right now with a sports theme. So many exciting/interesting things have happened in London I’m sure some of them will be blended into stories. Perhaps the girl beside herself with happiness at winning a bronze or the one crying despairingly because she’d only managed silver could spark an idea for your heroine. Avoid the Olympics as a setting though, this will date your story. There are many other events which occur every year, use one of them instead if you do decide on a sporting theme.
But what I wanted to share with you is some great advice I recently read. I wish I had taken the name of the person posting it on-line so I could give her credit but unfortunately I didn’t. However I am going to share it anyway because it struck me as being a wonderful way to search for ideas. Every week this writer reads a magazine outside of her area of interest. What a great idea. You only need to visit the magazine section of the supermarket to see how much variety there now is. A city girl, she spoke of reading an article about a woman farmer that had spurned her into writing a story. Perhaps you might never use that particular idea/setting given in an article, but reading it will give you a greater depth of knowledge and understanding of human nature so your time will never be wasted. Maybe it’s not your hero/heroine but a secondary character who might become a karate expert, a heavy metal musician or a scrap booker. A DIY expert, a joiner or a quilter. The prospects are endless. Get off to the library or magazine shop, who knows what exciting ideas might be lurking within covers you’ve never considered opening before. Your next storyline and/or characters might be patiently waiting there.  Good luck and happy hunting.

Back Blurb

The concrete jungle defines financier Shal Gregory. He thrives on the liveliness and sheer vitality of the fast paced business world. So how does he find himself alone in the thick of the New Zealand bush with a feisty guide who undoubtedly despises everything he stands for?
Jodie Mathieson’s devotion to the wilderness fulfils her. She isn’t prepared for an intimate liaison with a man who clearly does not share her love of the great outdoors. But the sparks between them ignite and soon scare Jodie into flight.
Bewildered but determined, Shal tracks Jodie down and resolutely embarks on a course to convince her that having some differing life goals isn’t enough to keep them apart.
But can Jodie ignore past experiences? Dare she believe him?
Website:                                              www.anneashby.com
Facebook:                                           www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneAshby
Twitter:                                                www.twitter.com/AuthorAnneAshby
The Wild Rose Press:                      http://goo.gl/rl2D2
Amazon:                                              http://goo.gl/Dg08q
GoodReads:                                       http://goo.gl/u2uIj