Yes!
Here’s an author who proves it! First,
because this is a Thursday Thirteen post I want to share the opening 13 lines
from SON OF THUNDER, my favorite novel he’s written.
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Header courtesy of samulli |
What
the heck was this thing?
The
supple leather strap felt buttery smooth as Meghan Larson ran her hand over it.
It appeared almost new. There were no cracks, no dry spots. She glanced back to
the report she’d received about it that afternoon. The leather had been
carbon-dated at over two thousand years old. It should have been dry, brittle
and crumbling to dust. There had to be a mistake.
The rectangular metal medallion attached to one end
presented a whole new set of problems and contradictions. The Nordic runes on
it were definitely Elder Futhark, dating them somewhere in the third to eighth
century A. D., yet it appeared to be made of titanium, which hadn’t been
discovered until the late eighteenth century.
The whole thing looked like a belt of some sort, but the
buckle, if that was what the medallion was, had no mechanism to latch on to the
leather. There were just so many contradictions. Who imprinted a dead language
on a new piece of metal, then attached it to a two thousand year old strap of
perfectly preserved leather? It didn’t make any sense.
As intriguing as the cover
was, these paragraphs pulled me in, and got me to give this author my attention.
I liked the story and I’m betting you’ll enjoy his writing, too.
I’ll let Steve introduce
himself and tell you a little about his novels.
What is a guy doing
writing romance?
Yes, I am a guy. A guy who
reads, writes and loves romance. We’re few, but we’re here. I love writing
romantic tales set in fantastic worlds, and I’ve created a few of them.
I started out writing
science fiction and fantasy, and I am still pursuing projects in those genres,
but I found when I mixed in a romantic element, the story always got stronger
and more satisfying.
I was an avid comic book
collector as a kid, right up into my 20’s. From comics I discovered Robert E.
Howard’s Conan series of books. It was only a short jump from there to Tolkien
and other fantasy and science fiction authors, my all time favorite is Anne
McCaffrey. I’ve spent many wonder filled days on Pern and her other fantastic
worlds. It was my wife that introduced me to the romance genre with Nora
Roberts book Enchanted. (You never
forget your first romance.)
My first published work, Swiftly Beats the heart, is a romance
novella about two superheroes, a direct tribute to my early years of neglecting
my homework, lost in a comic book. There are a lot of fantasy and science
fiction elements (magic, fantastic creatures, dimensional rifts) in my Demons Rising trilogy. And in my novel, Son of Thunder, I was able to blend in
my love of Norse mythology as well.
In my latest series, I’ve
given myself the whole galaxy to play in. Inspired by Star Wars/Star
Trek/Guardians of the Galaxy, Hearts in
Orbit is my interstellar playground for adventure and romance. The first
book launched in December and is titled The
Blarmling Dilemma.
I often have to remind
myself that the heart of my story is the romance itself. The fantastic elements
are really just window dressing. The real story is two people falling in love.
The prize/triumph/payoff isn’t defeating the nasty villain. It’s the love the
two discover along the journey. If I stay grounded in the love story, I can add
in just about anything else.
Here’s the blurb from The Blarmling Dilemma (Hearts in
Orbit-Volume 1)
“They’re not animals.
They’re people!”
Phoebe Callista’s pleas
fall on deaf ears and she’s forced to rescue two helpless Blarmlings from
certain death. Fleeing across a backwater sector of the galaxy, with Galactic
Marshals in hot pursuit, Phoebe falls into the hands of a handsome but
determined bounty hunter.
Rigel Antares has captured
wanted criminals throughout the galaxy rim, but he’s never come across anything
like Phoebe Callista. The gorgeous blonde is playing the innocent, and
something deep inside wants to believe her, but Rigel has problems of his own—a
ship that’s falling apart and an unscrupulous Galactic Marshal looking for any
excuse to send him back to the prison planets of the Theiler System.
An intergalactic circus,
vicious space pirates, and a planet full of backtechers cross their paths as
two hearts go into orbit to save a pair of adorable Blarmlings.
Hearts in Orbit - Volume
1: The Blarmling Dilemma is a science fiction romance set in the far-flung
space traveling future, and sets a new course across the galaxy that leads to
love and adventure.
If you’d like to know more
about Steve or his novels, here are some helpful links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorSMitchell
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007D0Z1MW
If you'd like
to read a sample of S.C. Mitchell's awesome storytelling for free. Follow this
link--http://www.amazon.com/reGenesis-Awakening-S-C-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B00NRBFJXC
And as always, I look
forward to your comments.