Showing posts with label champagne books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label champagne books. Show all posts

Sunday, 20 April 2014

Fun Tagging Questions from ongoing Goodreads Blog Tag

Hi Julie, here we go!




1. What am I working on?
Experimental Eve, a science fiction novel. I’m hoping to write a crossover novel at some point during my writing career. By this I mean a book that speaks across the genres and to a wider audience. I hope that this new book might be a possible contender. I just finished writing, The Cinderella Proposition and The Virgin Lottery, both contemporary new adult.


2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
For Experimental Eve, I think its biggest difference is that it’s truly an experiment! I’m bringing together an Ice Queen heroin, an alien protagonist that could easily exist, and a catastrophe of epic proportions that has occurred on another exoplanet outside our solar system making Earth a target. To up the game I’m writing half from the alien’s point of view and the other half (interspaced by chapters beginning with their names) from the human’s point of view. It’s also very humorous due to the misunderstanding in the two planet’s cultures and traditions.


3. Why do I write what I do?
I cannot imagine not writing in every possible moment. Writing is my life. Beginning a new book is the same endorphin rush for me as falling in love.


4. How does my writing process work?
My writing is always either on the front of my brain, or swirling around at the back waiting for time to write.  The more you write the more it finds you. I’ve never been one to wait for their muse to strike, but get myself there by dedication and persistence. If you sit down to write I guarantee something good will happen.


Best,
January Bain
Storyteller


 


 


 


 

Sunday, 28 October 2012

Lily and Cullen's story

The Perfect Storm

The gentle flow of three hundred year old classical music surrounded Lily as she waited at the entrance of the wedding venue for the march to begin. It would announce her intentions to walk down the aisle to join with Cullen. Her mind had been filled all day with an intense buzzing sensation that heightened her sense of unreality. Then, as the wedding march started and she began her long walk toward her intended she felt a great relief come over her and it was a little like swooning. Above her the stars shone hard and bright and sparks struck off the dark skin of the universe through the vaulted glass ceiling of the conservatory. In this other humbled world she walked on the wings of love toward Cullen, carrying their child in her womb.
 
*These two lovers are more than star-crossed. They come from different planets! Lily is from Earth and Cullen is from 2topia. Talk about conflict as 2topians are on Earth to exploit humans...
 
Best, January Bain
 

Sunday, 21 October 2012

World Building for The Perfect Storm


Welcome to my 2topia:! A planet that has two moons and a highly advanced civilization that will take your breath away...
 
Excerpt from today's writing:
 

His mother was pushing to see him but maybe it was for the best. He was thankful his parents’ trip would take a week, even at infinitely faster-than-light speeds that humans have not even dreamt of yet. They would go through the Universal wormhole in Alpha Centauri’s binary star system propped open with superstrings of limitless energy. He saw it in his mind’s eye: the wormhole used by 2topians for easy access to Earth and its rich resources.

 From 2topia to Earth was just a week’s travel. The incredible pressure that such high velocities were thought to be created for the body did not happen as expected at that speed as time also speeded up to a superluminal blur. Of course, everyone was backed up with data streams in case of failure to allow cloning in the case of death, though it was not an option Cullen liked to think about as it was too similar to a mind-sweeper experience and he could not imagine for one second wanting Lily to forget any of their time together...
Best, January
 
 
 
 

Thursday, 26 April 2012

Armageddon

The Journey of PLANET:

PLANET is going to be a difficult journey for this writer. Perhaps this is why I have put it off for some time, because Armageddon is a hard topic for humans to face. With an ice comet from the Kuiper belt, directly inline to destroy Earth, all human inhabitants have been told they have to vacate Earth by their World government. The need has unleashed von Neumann probes, those self-replicating robots that are “seeding” the galaxy with terraform, which is, changing the new chosen planet’s surface and climate to be like Earths.

Logistic questions have arisen:

How will all the billions of Earth’s inhabitants leave? Could they go in digital data streams? Or on ships?

Is the Kardashev scale for categorizing civilizations a good choice? A three level advancement or a five level advancement?

Okay, I admit, that’s a very interesting part to be thinking about, and one I truly relish. I hope you will find a little time to follow me on this journey as I report back what I learn and how it all unfolds. I will mainly discuss the scientific and philosophical questions that arise for me, rather than excerpts from the actual book.


Wednesday, 25 April 2012

My first Book Launch

Just two months until my first book launches and I'm getting butterflies just thinking about it! Forever Man will be coming out July 2, 2012 as an e-book from Champagne Books. Wow! Never thought I'd get here.

I thought I'd add a photo of myself today taken at the time just before I began writing, Forever Man, as I like it because it was taken by my beloved husband, Don, which brings me to today's blog. Without the support of wonderful husbands, lovers, friends, and family an author would have a difficult journey indeed! Thanks to my wonderful, precious darling for being there for me. Don is my very own Forever Man!!! Xxxooo

Who has made your journey easier?

Tuesday, 24 April 2012

The Magic of Storytelling!



Why write and devour romance novels? Simple, it always ends happily. I’m a sucker for a happy ending as it makes everything right with my world. And the trial and tribulations along the way just add to the suspense of how will the author make it all work out? I’m fascinated by how many twists and turns one novel can contain. . .

And even though I know it’s going to work out in the end, still, I want to be caught up in the story so much that I’m uncertain on how it possibly could!? I love the magic of storytelling.
Opening a new book is so exciting. What journey does it contain...

Why do you write romances?

http://www.champagnebooks.com/

http://www.thewritersvineyard.com/

http://www.januarybain.ca/

Monday, 23 April 2012

The Vampire Minx Appears

The evening started out like every other evening. Then, just after sundown, which I’ve since discovered in Nome is around ten o’clock at night in late August; she walked in—a gorgeous black-haired woman with porcelain skin and dark glittering eyes that seemed old and intense at the same time. Wearing a too short, black-pleated skirt showing fabulous toned upper thighs, a tight white tee stretched across a full bosom and high stiletto heels she caused the entire bar to become silent as she provocatively shook her silky, waist-length head of hair back from her perfect oval face in the bar’s open doorway and then made her way deliberately and provocatively in a straight bee-line right up to Mike!
With a throaty, drop-dead sexy voice she spoke, as she placed one long, red-painted fingernail on Mike’s broad chest, “I hear you are hiring Mike Stone and I’m desperately looking for a night job.” The sexy voice was heavily tinged by an accent that I couldn’t place. And when I’m stressed, all extraneous thought connections just go flying out of my mind…
Mike looked alternatively concerned and flummoxed at the same time. I knew he needed more night help, but this woman?
“So, what do you say Mike Stone? Will you give me a go?” The woman pushed him a little more with the annoying red fingernail as she set her very red full lips at him in a knowing smile.
One of the more drunken regulars spoke up, “Hell, yes, Mike. Give the woman a chance!”
He looked decidedly uncomfortable and raked his hand through his hair.
“What’s the matter—she too much woman for you?” The friend of the man who had first given his opinion added a low blow. I didn’t like where this was headed.
“Okay.” Mike was obviously very reluctant to agree. “We’ll give you a trial. Have you had any experience working in a bar before, miss?”
The woman stretched like a black panther and purred, “I’ve had lots of experience. And my name is Katrianna—you can call me Kat for short.”
Crap, I was immediately pissed off. Couldn’t Mike see this woman was trouble with a capital K?
Care to comment?

Sunday, 22 April 2012

The Power of Healing

This excerpt from Forever Man contains one of the biggest reasons I wrote this novel, I wanted the gift of healing that our heroine possesses.


While I waited for her to return I looked out the window, admiring the view of snow-peaked mountains when I heard the screeching of brakes and a thud, then realized someone had hit a dog with a half ton truck right in front of the restaurant. The driver, a young woman in obvious distress, jumped out and cradled the animal’s head in her lap. In an instant I turned and rushed for the stairs, taking them two at a time.

As I reached the woman she looked up at me with stark pleading in her eyes. “I didn’t see him! Please, I need help!”

Crouching down beside them, I carefully laid my hands on the whimpering dog. It looked like a husky, probably a sled dog. He or she was still breathing, but it was labored and loud. I could also see blood on its soft white fur. My heart instantly melted and reached out to the poor creature with its pain-filled, whiskey-brown eyes that seemed to beg me to do something. Despite the gut-wrenching plea, I felt helpless, sheer happenstance had brought this poor animal to this end and I had no power to save it from its fate.

Hesitantly, I reached my hands out and laid them on the poor dog’s head and its eyes seemed to tell me that it knew its fate. Tears flowed and the image of the dog blurred. I felt its pain as my own as I closed my eyes in sheer anguish.

Please God, let this beautiful creature be okay. Suddenly, something came alive inside me like a dam bursting its banks, and a great tidal wave of energy flowed through me from my very core. It was so strong it made me shake and my legs, cramping in the crouch, almost gave way.
A surge of pure power seemed to drive through my hands into the dog as I concentrated my thoughts on it and then all I could see and feel was hot, white light surrounding me for a few brief incredibly thrilling seconds. The light blinded me, its power as strong as the noonday sun. A sense of pure aliveness electrified me, as if I was at the pinnacle of my strength and could rise up and fill the world with goodness and healing. Then, just as suddenly, the floodgates in my mind closed and the white hot energy retreated back into my hands that began to shake violently with the excess energy.

The sensation left as abruptly as it had come and I fell back exhausted from the effort. The dog whimpered, shook itself and sat up. It looked at the two of us as if nothing had happened, its brown eyes shining and its tail wagging as if it didn’t even remember the last few minutes of its life.

Friday, 20 April 2012

Forever Man’s Muse

A couple of years ago October (I remember it very clearly) a fierce urge to write a book overcame me. This wasn't my first try, but this was the first time I was going to give it my all. I had been watching the movie, The Green Mile, with Tom Hanks and it really spoke to me. I wanted to be a healer like the gentle giant that had that gift in the story. At the time I had just lost two dear brothers to cancer and I was grieving their loss. And so I lost myself and buried my grief in writing a novel about a gifted healer named Ellie Hightower.

As her journey unfolded I began to heal. I was the character and I could do what she did for long stretches of time. It was pure freedom and so a series was born, The Forever Series, which appears to be never ending.

What has caused you to write the stories you do?

Thursday, 19 April 2012

Eclectic Muse



When my eclectic muse insisted on taking the paranormal route, I knew instinctively that the stories would include vampires. But which vampires and why?

If you could save someone, who would it be and why?

Well, the obvious choice is loved ones. But then, who next? So I went looking for important characters in history that would add something to this Earth if they were able to live forever. Some will be far less deserving of this honor, of course, because they create that all important story conflicts that keep the novels racing along.

It was an interesting journey and brought in some amazing characters from history, some altruistic, some not so much. Like Joan of Arc, (the) Anastasia, Dracula, Dr. Jonas Salk, Queen Isis, and Pharaoh kings.

Why do you choose the characters you do or do they choose you?

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Finished for now

Finished the first draft of The Time Key one hour before my editor, the great Judy Griffith Gill, sent me Forever Woman for editing. (No time to be sad about finishing The Time Key and that is good timing!) The editing work has now been done on Forever Woman and I will place my efforts for the next number of days into polishing the third book in the Forever Series, Forever Clan.

I will now blog about the journey of writing the Forever Series and then continue with PLANET.

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, 17 April 2012

Nearing Completion

74, 245 words.

As the first draft of The Time Key nears completion I feel somewhat sad that my characters are finishing their journey that I had the privilege to go on and document for them. If only it could go on forever. . .

Monday, 16 April 2012

Meet you on the other side

The two hero’s are now approaching the wormhole with extreme apprehension as they have no idea what awaits them on the other side.

I had an epiphany: My multi-universe story should have multiple endings. (Explains why I saw so many ways to go.) I am deeply thrilled about this development as I get to spend extra time telling this never ending story!

Sunday, 15 April 2012

Timelines and reading aloud

Now at 64, 225 words. It's going well. Thinking about timelines and will the past mirror the future with the same amount of time passing at the same rate. This will affect the story. The question is swirling around my fevered brain today.

I read an excerpt (a chapter) to a classroom of grade 7 and 8 students. It was a surprisingly good experience. I chose one that contained many space-travel facts to engage the boys and some romance to engage the girls. I would certainly do that again!

Saturday, 14 April 2012

Back to Earth?

Ah, my heroes are on their way back to Earth.

The only question remaining is will they make it back to their future lives or not? They've done all they can to try to prevent a time-split. Will it be enough? I hope to know soon...

Friday, 13 April 2012

What Jazlyn our heroine from The Time Key is thinking today

What my heroine is thinking about today:

Excerpt:

Jazlyn contemplated the enormous impact of such a discovery in the world. What else could now be changed? Now that information could be sent—albeit expensively—back to the past, would the outcome of wars be changed? Like every new invention there was a dark side, one that those involved in the creative process did not always gleam before it was let lose upon an unsuspecting public. She hesitated to mention this to Josh, preferring instead to consider the wonderful outcomes that this new astonishing technology that he had perfected could activate. Maybe it would help their limited civilization achieve a level one status and help them avoid the negative outcomes that so many of her fellow scientists worried about on a daily basis. It was assumed by most of her colleagues that the majority of the danger now felt on Earth would pass as that juncture. She was personally convinced that Earth’s inhabitants would make it to a level one civilization on the way to the full level three where everyone could safely leave for another galaxy when the Sun finally entered its death throes and most likely consumed Earth in fire. She was convinced because she had to be. She wanted to feel that future generations would evolve to the point that human beings would make it into infinity and beyond.

Thursday, 12 April 2012

Falling Down a Wormhole and Dopplegangers

Time travel to the past has created a doppelganger in our story!

Justin Kennedy meets himself, we'll call him JJ. JJ is in far better shape that Justin as he has not under gone the tragedies that have befallen his older self.

Ah, Justin has just met up again with his wife, Angela, who is pregnant and will die in a plane crash in a few short weeks if he cannot stop it from happening. He is unwilling to worry her so he states that he came "back to the past" to share medical advances that will help everyone. Stay tuned, the characters are now in charge once more.

The split-in-time scenario has not occurred as yet as nothing had really changed the past yet, just effected it. But when, (or if) the past is changed, things will become problematic for everyone.

Wednesday, 11 April 2012

Moon Cruisings

Yesternight my 2 cosmic travelers began circling around a celestial body: the moon. They are looking for the wormhole left for them to find by a future (class 3) civilization. The excitement is building as I write these words and I wanted so to share the experience with fellow book lovers. I'm now holding on tight myself for the ride!

The Time Key stands at 44,769 words this morning. The chapter I wrote last week is the huge life-changing event of the first trip of the RX-8 Atlantis to the moon and the discovery of the Kennedy-Nasca wormhole. This is central to the story and sets off an amazing turn of events that will affect all the rest of the story. This week, the effects of "falling" down the wormhole will be disclosed one day at a time.

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

Great Books

I have been reading everything I could get my hands on about the physical realms of our amazing universe. After this wonderful journey I now highly recommend the following books:

(1) The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene

(2) The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos by Brian Greene

(3) Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos by Michio Kaku

(4) In Search of the Multiverse by John Gribbins

(5) The Cosmos by Carl Sagan

(6) A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

I also thoroughly enjoyed the personal diary of an astronaut that went to the moon in the 1960's. A better understanding of spaceship travel with a rocket ship can only help my writing! It is titled Carrying the Fire.

Monday, 9 April 2012

The moon and other muses

Fabulous writing day. And especially for my lovers in the novel, The Time Key. They got to spend their weekend at The Plaza hotel in New York celebrating. Kind of envy them, though writing about it was also a good experience. I highly recommend writing as a way to escape the bonds of our Earth. There was a very pretty, full moon hanging in the western sky on our way to work (school) this morning. In all my books the moon always plays a key part.