V IS FOR VICTOR GOES THE...

My theme for A to Z this year is a wildly different, but very exciting, HERE'S TO YOU all month long. 26 posts to be precise. The most difficult part was narrowing down the 26. All of you deserve your own post. What you will find here is a post by the featured blogger, with traveling music chosen by me that complements said post, and two links. One will link back to the original post and the other to the main page. This year's A to Z is all about making new friends!

The post was actually titled To The Victor Goes The... and it was written by Susan Gourley/Kelley over at Susan Says. Not that you asked, but I had Susan written down in three, maybe four, different letters of this Alphabet Challenge. I kept moving her around in an effort to fit "everyone" in. Turns out with 26 letters there is no fitting "everyone" in.

Susan says this about herself in the ME section of her blog:  "I write fantasy using my real name, Susan Gourley and romance under the pen name, Susan Kelley.  I've been writing for nearly ten years and have three romance series and so far two fantasy series published or being published.  I read as much as I can across many genres including YA, suspense, thrillers and of course fantasy and romance." I will add that she is a retired teacher, posts on a variety of topics that are frequently writing related (though not always), active commenter, and loyal supporter. I consider myself lucky to have found her blog and I hope you feel the same.

Cue the traveling music:




To The Victor Goes The... by Susan Gourley/Kelley
10/30/13

I remember a line in the movie, The Dark Knight, where Batman says you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain. Or something like that. I've always loved that idea for a novel plot.

In my upcoming release, First Dragon, war is spreading across the land of Morbunda. Long ago in the history of Morbunda, a war was fought that resulted in great loss of human life and the apparent annihilation of all dragons. It took generations for civilization to recover. Now war is coming to Morbunda again, and this time the aggressors are the former heroes of the first war. Just like Batman said would happen!

In most fantasy novels, war is part of the plot line. In the best novels, each side in the war believes they are fighting for what is right and best unless they're purely evil. I hope the readers of First Dragon see the issues driving both sides of the new war.  And I hope lots of people read First Dragon when it's released this Friday from Crescent Moon Press.

Do you agree with Batman? Do you think wars happen in cycles? Have you read any good fantasy novels where you couldn't really tell who the good guys are and who the bad guys are?


Susan consistently asks the thought-provoking questions. She makes me think about my characters in my writing and my life. Thank you Susan!

All Things Writing ~ Susan Says

Welcome to another addition of All Things Writing. I have a special guest here today to share her thoughts on GENRE. Susan Gourley/Kelley has published novels in multiple genres and crossover genres. If you aren't following her blog, I urge you to give her a read. Her blog is one of my favorite stops in this Blogger journey. She doesn't write solely about writing, but covers a broad range of topics... including writing.

Susan, thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts today.  Without further ado... Susan Gourley/Kelley from Susan Says.... 

Some Hard Speculation

My last two romances and my current WIP are all science fiction novels. My publisher labels them futuristic, and they are that, but I prefer the science fiction label because I, well, I love science. Though my college major was health and physical education and my masters is in health education, I also carried a minor in science. I even taught biology one year. So when I write my futuristic romances, there is some real science in there along with the science I crafted during my world building.

When people talk about science fiction novels they often distinguish between them using the words, hard-core versus soft. There are many ways to describe those two types of writing but I taught high school for quite a few years so I know how to make things simple.

In hard-core science fiction, a large portion of the story is about the technology and how it’s used. There may be long descriptions of guns or space vessels. Battles may be determined by the level of advancement in an enemy’s weapons. The characters take second place to the plot’s factors in the futuristic world.  Usually the story revolves around the ‘hard’ sciences like chemistry, physics and astronomy. Writers and readers of hard-core term biology, psychology and ecology as vague or soft sciences.

In soft science fiction, the story revolves around the characters and their growth and personal challenges. The world around them may be filled with big guns and fast space ships, but the plot is about the personal battles and struggles of the characters. Writers and readers of this kind of science fiction never call it soft but usually will call it by one of its subgenres like dystopian, steampunk, or perhaps space opera.

There are fans of both types and some fans who overlap when a novel manages to combine both intriguing technology and world building with vibrant, engaging characters. One point I should make is that hard-core or soft, the science can be just as realistic in either type of writing.

In my science fiction romances, I try not to break any real laws of physics, but if a novel is going to involve space travel, some science must be invented. A long-burning fuel source would be needed for space travel, so my intergalactic space vessels use a mineral called crystallized iron. But one of the metals they need to build their technologies is iridium. And just like on Earth, the deposits my characters discover are from meteor strikes. It’s still a rare element in my futurist setting as dramatized in my most recent release, The Marine’s Heiress.

A lot of the science I use in my Recon Marine series is biology, specifically genetics. Mankind is discovering new things about our genetic codes and how our DNA determines our intellect, ability to fight diseases and more things about our health and well-being. My Recon Marines have been genetically engineered to be perfect soldiers. The drama ensues when the marines decide they no longer want to be used as weapons of war.

The definitions I’ve applied to science fiction are my own opinions and you know what they say about those. I’m sure a hundred writers could come up with one hundred different descriptions. Speculative fiction is a term that covers a lot of area so maybe we should use that one. 

The Marine's Heiress, Book #2 of The Recon Marines, takes up the story of Vin. If you read the first book, you know who Vin is. At the end of the first book, Vin left his marine brothers, alone in his anger and need for revenge. The second book will delve further into the origins of the genetically enhanced soldiers and the people responsible for their creation and downfall. Can there be a happily ever after for a man who believes his one chance at a normal life has been lost.