When you’re writing a book, you get to name your characters,
so why can’t you name the town your story is set in? You can!
There are many books, as well as movies and TV shows set in
towns, cities, or islands that don’t actually exist. Would you like me to name
some? Okay. Here you go:
·Metropolis (Superman)
·Gotham City (Batman)
·Sunnydale, California (Buffy the Vampire
Slayer)
·Hill Valley, California (Back to the Future)
·South Park, Colorado (South Park)
· Castle Rock, Maine (The Dead Zone)
If you’re writing a book, you can create your very own
town or city. And it doesn’t even matter what genre you’re writing! You can be
writing a romance book and have it set in Misty, Maine. Or a horror book set in
Bleeding Heart, Louisiana. You can be writing a fantasy story set in a
different galaxy, on a planet named Euphoria.
Here is a list of real
towns and cities with spooky names:
·Devil Town, Ohio
·Half Hell, North Carolina
·Ghost Town, Texas
·Red Devil, Alaska
·Slaughter, Tennessee
·Witch Lake, Michigan
Other odd names:
·Hot Coffee, Mississippi
·Cheesequake, New Jersey
·Boring, Oregon
·Shoofly, North Carolina
·Monkey’s Eyebrow, Kentucky
·Sweetlips, Tennessee
Whatever you name your fictional town or city, be
creative. In my (unpublished) series, I created a whole new world and was able
to name islands as well as cities. It was a lot of fun! I used people’s names I
thought were pretty and a strange word that means “appetizer” for one of the
islands.
Think: Mordor (The Lord of the Rings), Hogsmeade (Harry
Potter), Emerald City (Wizard of Oz), and Zion (The Matrix).
SHARE: The odd names for cities and towns that you know.
QUESTIONS: What is your favorite fictional town/city
name?
Have you ever named a town (city, island or world) in one
of your stories?
Note: The following book is erotica. I normally don't host these, but there's no nudity on the cover or explicit content in this interview. Plus, she's my fellow Rose from The Wild Rose Press!
So please help me to welcome Sydney
St. Clare toWrite with Fey!
She is sharing her inspiration behind her BDSM novella, wonderful advice for
new writers, and a fabulous giveaway!
Sydney, tell
us about your current release.
Jaimie
Newberry is jobless, her rent is due, and her cat just died. On top of that,
she was accused of embezzling before she was fired. When her friend invites her
for a weekend of kinky fairytale role-playing, she agrees to go as Cinderella.
What has she got to lose when sex with a handsome prince is involved?
CEO Bryce Langston needs
to know if Jamie is innocent of embezzlement or just very clever. He arranges
for her to be his weekend sub but soon realizes the pretty scullery maid is
naïve to the BDSM lifestyle. As her prince and her Dom, he intends to not only
learn the truth but to make sure she has a fantasy come true.
Yes, this is book one of my Once Upon A
Dom series. Red & The Big Bad Dom, book two will be out in November.
2.What movies inspired your book?
There wasn’t really a movie that
inspired my book but more of an idea. Writing in the BDSM market, the series
title just popped into my head. Once Upon A Time became Once Upon A Dom. Then I
really liked the idea of taking fairy tale characters and putting them into a
BDSM setting. Fairytales you’re mother never read you became the series tag
line. But I will say, with the ABC show Once Upon A Time, and the new
Maleficent movie, the idea of taking fairytales and using them as my theme held
a lot of appeal. Must be something in the air!
3.I love the show Once Upon a Time! What would women
find irresistible about your hero?
Bryce
is a Dominant male sexually and he takes his role seriously. When he learns
Jaimie is about as vanilla as you can get, he decides to introduce her into
some light BDSM and show her just what her body really craves. It doesn’t
matter that he’s unsure of her innocence in an embezzling scheme or that he’ll
prosecute her if she’s guilty.
The
two issues are separate. She’s there for fun, games, and sex and he’s the
perfect Dom to see that she has the best weekend of her life.
The
other aspect of Bryce is his devotion to his deceased wife. He loved her and
until he meets Jaimie, there’s been no other man. He’s also a kind, caring and
honest man. Once he’s learned the truth about Jaimie, he goes out of his way to
admit he was wrong.
I
think it boils down to his having that alpha personality with just enough beta
thrown in so women get it all with Bryce.
4.Bryce sounds steaming! If you have a pen name, can you explain
how you came up with it?
I have a pen name: Sydney St. Claire. I’ve
always loved the name Sydney, and a very long time ago, I had St. Claire as the
last name of another “possible” pen name. When I was deciding on a pen name, I
spent time searching for free domains, blogs, Facebook pages, twitter handles,
etc. I wanted to get all of the social media names for whatever pen name I
chose. So I ended up merging a couple of pen names on my list until I ended up
on Sydney St. Claire. I like her. Think I’ll keep her!
5.I like her, too! What are a few things we would find in or on
your desk?
Lol’s on this question. I have a huge
executive size desk and I have very LITTLE room on it. I have a rose quartz and
an amethyst tea light candleholder, a monitor and a small paper sorter. Other
than that, my desk is taken up with three cat beds and there are usually three
cats in those beds (though in the summer not all the time). In winter, there
are usually four cats at times, and a few times, all five have insisted that I
can’t possible write without their support…
6.Your desk looks a lot like mine! Share three random facts about you.
Obviously I love my cats and spoil them
horribly, I love to garden and have a cool, 26 foot medicine wheel garden (the
weeds are having a hay-day), my first grandchild is on the way—a little girl so
am busy sewing cute little dresses.
7.How long have you been writing?
Wow, have to think on this. My first
book came out in 1996 and it was a 9-year road to being published so that means
I started in 1987. Holy-Moly! 27 years. Now I feel very, very old!
8.What lessons did you learn early on in your
writing career? (Your advice to new writers.)
Determination: Be determined in your quest. The road to
being published is windy, twisted, and filled with potholes and often times,
the bridges have been blown up by fate, and you have to travel the longer
road.
Stubbornness: Be stubborn. Believe in your
work and don’t be defeated when an editor (or agent) says your baby is ugly and
will never see the light of day. Stubbornly refuse to run and hide and keep
working on the beautiful baby. Rewrite, edit, and resubmit. And in the
meantime, take what you learn and keep writing. Be stubborn. “I will write. I
will submit. I will do what it takes to achieve my goal.”
Willingness: Be
willing to work your butt off. It takes a lot of work. Sometimes many years. My
road was 9 years and I trust me, it took determination, stubbornness and
willingness to get to where your entire writing career hinges on you being
willing. If your publishing house goes out of business (mine did) then you have
to be willing to start over. If your genre takes a dive (westerns did), then
you have to be willing to try something new. Be willing to rebrand yourself, be
willing to work hard, be willing to reap your rewards.
9.Great advice, Sydney! If you could write anywhere in the
world, where would you go and why?
With except of Hawaii, which has got to
be a very inspiring place to go, I’d choose something a little bit more
generic. I love the Mendocino coast. It calls to me periodically. I love the
sea. I also love mountains so a nice place in the woods (no chance of fire
please) would also be an inviting and welcome place to write.
10.That sounds lovely! Do you listen to music while you write?
Absolutely. Not every time but I often
do put on music. I either choose from my computer my current favorite play list
which has Blackmore’s Nights, David Lantz, Secret Garden and Gregorian Chanters
and Enya. Very new aggy. I’m also known to play Neil Diamond, Walela, and Jaya
Lakshmi. More often, I put on Pandora and select a new age channel.
About
the Author:
Sydney St. Claire is the pseudonym of Susan Edwards,
author of 14 Historical Native American/Western/Paranormal romances and the
author of the popular “White” Series.
Sydney loves writing and sharing stories of love,
happiness and dreams come true with her readers. She credits her mother for her
writing success. Encouraged to read as a child, she always preferred happy
endings which meant romances were her favorite genre. Sydney takes her readers
into the world of erotica romance where her characters come together in
explosive passion as they solve life’s problems and find true love along with
the best sex our hero and heroine have ever experienced.
Sydney’s office is quite crowded with three dogs at her
feet and five cats to keep her company while she writes. Three cats always
insist on beds on her desk, barely leaving enough room for her monitor and
keyboard. Life gets fun when all five insist on supervising…
When not writing, she enjoys crafts of all sorts
including quilting, sewing, cross-stitch, and knitting. She and her husband of
30 + years are avid gardeners. He takes care of the veggies, and Susan is in
charge of the ‘pretties’. Her medicine wheel garden is in a contact state of
war: flowers vs. weeds. Sadly, right now the weeds are wining…
While writing, she listens to a wide variety of music.
Her current favorites are Blackmore’s Night and David Lanz.
Prize
includes: Tote Bag Mug 4GB Flash Drive Lighted Key tag Once Upon A Dom Pen What Happens at the Castle Stays at the Castle Notepad Assorted other goodies
I created my own Mob in 30 Seconds. The great thing is
you can change up the rules in fiction. You don’t have to have an Italian or
Russian Mob. I don’t actually mention the nationality of the Mob in my story,
just that they live and run Cleveland, Ohio with the goal to kill
cops.
Here are 10 things to consider if you want to write about the Mob:
1.Leader/Boss
There will have to be a leader/boss, otherwise the members will run a muck .Your leader has to be the biggest bad ass
of the group with the clout to control criminals of all kinds. He, or indeed
she, should have a recognizable name (or nickname) and appearance. The leader
of my Mob is known as Red “because of all the blood on his hands.”
2.Followers
A Mob boss can’t be a
leader unless he/she has followers. These men and women need to be tough with criminal backgrounds. You should try to introduce a few loyal followers
close to the leader to make the Mob more real. Also try to give each of them
distinct appearances and personalities so your readers can tell them apart.
3.Crime
What kind of criminal
activity does your fictional Mob do (murder, money laundering, grand theft auto)? Whatever they do will impact the plot of
your story.
4.City
What city does your Mob run?
Where do they live and work? If they’re real big and bad, they can be known
across a whole state or small country.
5.History
How did the Mob in your
story get its start? Is it a family thing, or did a group of like-minded
criminals get together? Share this bit of information early on so your readers
can understand the Mob’s motives.
I saw this sign at the Brevard Zoo in Florida.
6.Goal
Along with knowing what kind
of crimes they commit, you also need to consider their goal. They could be
after weapons, money/diamonds, drugs, or revenge. In 30 Seconds, the Mob kills
police officers with the goal of wiping them all out of Cleveland.
7.Victims
Mob's have a lot of victims
from innocent bystanders to people they specifically target. Give your
fictional Mob victims, too.
8.Guns
Mobs aren't very threatening
unless they have guns. Give them a slew of guns. In 30 Seconds, my Mob has a
lot of AK47’s, the guns known as cop killers because the bullets can penetrate
Kevlar vests.
9.Plans
Criminals usually have a
plan. Give your Mob a plan to get what they want. Even if you don’t reveal it,
it’ll become known through your plot.
10.Personalities
The leader of your Mob needs
to be ruthless in his pursuits, cruel and cold-hearted. His/her followers need
to be mean and vindictive, too, with a thirst for blood, money and revenge.
TIP #1:Capitalize the “m” in
Mob. Otherwise, you’ll be referring to a horde of people like those who flock
to shopping centers on Black Friday. (Some writers don't do this though, so it's really up to you.)
TIP #2:Watch Mob movies or
any movie with a criminal gang.
QUESTION:What name would you give a Mob leader in a work
of fiction?
Alex J. Cavanaugh (AKA Ninja Captain Alex) has created a fun blogfest for us to share our favorite movie, band, TV show, or book that no one else has probably heard about, so we can tell the world (or at least the blogosphere) about our Underrated Treasures. Sign up and check out the other participants' treasures HERE.
The Young Wizard series by Diane Duane is
like a dark, more urban version of Harry Potter. It’s for young readers, but
it’s written in such a way that adults can enjoy it. The science in these
books, as well as the magic, is so amazing it blows my mind.
I found the first book
when I was young (It was first published in 1983) in the same manner that Nita
found her Wizard’s Manual. I was trailing my hand along a library’s bookshelf
when I felt a little zap! I looked
and saw this book:
So You Want to Be a Wizard
by Diane Duane(Book One)
BLURB:
Nita Callahan is at
the end of her rope because of the bullies who've been hounding her at
school... until she discovers a mysterious library book that promises her the
chance to become a wizard. But she has no idea of the difference that taking
the Wizard's Oath is going to make in her life. Shortly, in company with fellow
beginner-wizard Kit Rodriguez, Nita's catapulted into what will be the
adventure of a lifetime -- if she and Kit can both live through it. For every
wizard's career starts with an Ordeal in which he or she must challenge the one
power in the universe that hates wizardry more than anything else: the Lone
Power that invented death and turned it loose in the worlds. Plunged into a
dark and deadly alternate New York full of the Lone One's creatures, Kit and
Nita must venture into the very heart of darkness to find the stolen, legendary
Book of Night with Moon. Only with the dangerous power of the wizardly Book do
they have a chance to save not just their own lives, but their world...
A Wizard Alone (Book 6) This one is mostly in
Kit’s perspective (the other main character), and a new character
is introduced, a young boy who is thought to be Autistic.
If you like aliens, this
is a pretty neat story set in an alien planet where Nita and Kit vacation for
spring break. At the same time, three aliens are sent to earth to stay with Dairine,
Nita’s little sister.
The latest book is a fun
story set on Mars. I’ve always been a buff when it comes to the other planets
in our solar system, so I enjoyed this one a lot.
Coming in 2015! ***************************************************************************************
You
have untilMonday,
October 6th to post a picture of your shelfie! Enter the giveaway HERE after you post your picture on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.
Here is a picture of three shelves on my bookcase. The top shelf has books by authors I know, and the books I love to reread. The second shelf contains my J.D. Robb collection. And the third shelf is packed with Nora Roberts and a few books I like to read to my nephews. I’ve added decorations like ruby red slippers and Hermione Granger’s time turner necklace. My bookcase is also my cats’ favorite sleeping spot. :)
QUESTION: What is your favorite underrated movie/band/TV show/book?
