Click to Read an Excerpt
Hi everyone!
I’m so pleased to join the other Bradford girls here on a more regular basis, and thrilled to meet all of you.
I’m Jess Granger, and I write Science Fiction Romance. That feels like a confession. I chose to write SFR because I loved reading paranormal romances. I loved them, and read as many as I could, but when I set out to write, I found I needed more freedom from the paranormal conventions and world building of that genre. So I created my own worlds completely from scratch and I’ve used them to create the most terrible and terribly delicious conflict I could.
My first book, Beyond the Rain took conflict to a whole new level. Here’s the blurb.
In a universe torn apart by civil war, a warrior and a slave must fight for their freedom, for their lives, and for a love that may destroy them both…
After five years behind enemy lines, Captain Cyani is ready to retire to her homeworld of Azra as one of the Elite — the celibate warrior sisterhood that rules the planet. But first she must complete one final mission to rescue her fellow Union soldiers. The last thing she expects to find is a prisoner, chained and beaten — but radiating feral power and an unbroken spirit…
Soren is a Byralen, an enigmatic people who possess a unique hormone that they use to bond with their mates — and that is sold as a sexual narcotic in the shadow trade. For years, he has endured torture at the hands of his captors as they leeched his very essence. The last thing he expects is to be freed from slavery by a beautiful warrior woman with radiant blue eyes.
Driven by her rigid sense of honor, Cyani frees Soren even though her life hinges upon the success of her mission. But after so many years in bondage, his hormones are so unbalanced that he will die if he does not bond with a woman. Can the lovely but distant warrior be the woman he needs to survive, or will the forbidden bond destroy them?
I loved writing this book, and I had so much fun with the characters and this conflict. But I had even more fun writing the second book.
Click to Read an Excerpt
Beyond the Shadows is coming to bookstores this May, and I can’t wait for everyone to read it. I had more fun with this hero than I have ever had with a character. (Okay, that sounded a little dirty. Oh, what the heck, he’s delicious.)
Here’s the blurb.
A man of deception. A woman of justice. Can their fragile trust be strong enough to prevent a war?
Commander Yara knows perfect leadership requires perfect control and discipline. She has spent years living without the distraction of caring for anything—or anyone. It’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make. Yara has honed herself into the perfect heir to the Azralen throne, but a bloody coup could destroy everything she’s worked so hard for. She must return home to prevent war. Unfortunately the only ship available belongs to an Earthlen trader with no regard for authority—especially hers.
Cyn is a rebel, driven to protect those suffering at the hands of the Elite leaders of Azra. Using his alias to manipulate the lovely but icy commander onto his ship, he has to keep her from Azra long enough to ignite the revolution. But when he awakens a vibrant and feeling woman beneath that icy exterior, he gets more than he bargained for—love. He must find a way to convince Yara to join him, before they get caught in a web of deception that could tear their world apart.
In celebration of joining the blog today, let’s have a contest!
All you have to do to enter is ask me a question. You can ask anything, ask about the books, ask about me, ask about the mating habits of ring-tailed lemurs, anything is game so long as it isn’t a question that has been asked before in the thread. I’ll choose one winning comment, and that person will have a choice of prizes between a signed copy of Beyond the Rain, (limited to US and Canada residents) or a super secret only you can see it sneak peek at an exclusive excerpt from Beyond the Shadows. (This one is open to everyone!) The contest will close Jan 4th, when I announce the winner.
Good luck all, have fun, and ask away!
Jess
December 28th, 2009 at 10:07 am
I’m just curious, do you have to do a lot of research to write science fiction ? Or is it easier because you can choose your own facts and ideas ?
seriousreader at live dot com
December 28th, 2009 at 10:52 am
It’s a mix of both, really. For my planets, I’ve drawn on evolutionary biology, geology, cultural anthropology, and various other random things I’ve learned over the years. For my second book, since I was dealing with starships a little more than the first book, I had to decide what to call all the parts of a starship.
SF convention dictates that starships use nautical terminology, but that never made much sense to me, so I turned to aerospace tech to name the parts of a starship. That had me looking through maintenance manuals for C-130 aircraft to see what a “wall” is called in an airplane, but it was fun.
I like the aerospace terms better because they are a little more straightforward and familiar for me.
I’m doing more reading into physics and space than I every have, but for all this knowledge I’m gathering up, I take pride in keeping the stories easy to read and focused on the characters and interpersonal problems that people here and now can connect with.
December 28th, 2009 at 11:01 am
[...] Here’s the link. [...]
December 28th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Hi Jess
Thank you for sharing here today.
I was wondering what you read while you are writing, or if you read at all whilst writing?
Also do you need solitude and quiet to write or do you write to music?
And, which authors are amongst your favorites?
I love the second cover even more than the first, did you get to have any input into it?
Happy Holidays,
RKCharron
PS - I am Canadian so don’t enter me for the signed book.
(forlorn sigh)
December 28th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Curious too about building characters here :)!
How do you work your characters and their conflict? Just write what you imagine or work with quizes, and character sheets and the like?
Do you build conflict before starting to write or just think about it, as you go along?
Thanks!
December 28th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Anna,
I spend quite a bit of time before I write the book thinking about the characters. I usually start thinking about them while writing an earlier book than the one they’re in, since I like to use secondary characters as main characters of following books.
Once I have a character, I spend a lot of time thinking about why they are the way they are, and through that process I develop their backstory. Once I know a character like a person, I develop their love interest. The second person in the couple usually comes about as “the worst possible person to set this character up with.”
For example, Cyani is an emotionally restricted warrior nun, so the worst possible person I could set her up with was a physically addictive and openly emotional former sex slave. LOL
Cyn is a manipulative revolutionary who tends to treat people like chess pieces. So I matched him up with the leader of the group he’s rebelling against who keeps her cards close to her chest, is not easily manipulated, and not easily charmed.
Once I have my characters at odds, I fill out the second one, asking why and how they got to be the way they are, and on and on it goes.
I always know my characters core strengths, deepest desires, and what really sets them off before I do anything.
December 28th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I don’t read at all while writing, at least not fiction. I have to read books straight through without taking a break, and I can’t do that while writing. It’s too distracting. I’ll read biographies and research books though. Once I finish a draft, I treat myself with a book. I love Susan Grant and Nalini Singh. I’ve got two of their books on my shelf taunting me right now. I’m hoping to finish them before New Year’s.
I really can’t listen to music and write at the same time. It splits my concentration and I end up typing the words I hear. So I tend to write late at night when it is quiet and everyone is asleep.
I like the second cover as well. It shocked me, because it is very different from the first, but it conveys the dark and gritty nature of the second book well. I didn’t have much input other than giving character descriptions. Mostly I tried to convey to the art department that this book was dark and dangerous. I think I told them that the hero needs to convey a sense that he’s the Devil. He’s going to cause trouble, and you’re going to like it. I think the guy on the cover certainly looks like he’s about to cause some trouble, so I’m pleased.
December 28th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Hey VK, I’m opening up the contest to Canada people as well.
December 28th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Hi Jess,
I was wondering, do you outline the whole story and then flesh it out. Also, with all the world building, do you have cheat sheets with your facts that you reference throughout your writing process.
Thanks - Miranda
December 28th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I’m gonna go the random question route:
Cats or dogs?
Milk or dark chocolate?
Vampires or werewolves?
Morning or night person?
I think Beyond the Rain sounds awesome. I’m more of a UF/PNR reader, but your concept sounds so interesting I’m willing to jump genres.
December 28th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Miranda,
Oh, you had to ask about the outlines. LOL, my CP teases me. After I figure out my characters and I generally know what I want to do with them, I write out the story in an old beat up green notebook. This is outline number one, though it really is just me telling myself the story. This part is very hard and a lot of fun for me as a writer because the pressure to write well is off, but I’m composing the structure of my novel and figuring out how everything ties together and works itself out. It’s my freethinking stage, and I do it by hand.
I use that outline to write the formal synopsis for my editor, then I break apart the plot points into a chapter by chapter outline of what has to happen when for my pacing.
Then I write the book. That’s when my characters and worlds become real.
I do have yet another notebook where I jot down world building details. Eventually I want a card system, but honestly, I’ll probably keep track of most of it by putting it up on my website and being a student of what I’ve already written. I always keep the other books handy for reference. I’ve got a good memory for where to find the details I need, so that helps.
December 28th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Sara M,
I love all sorts of animals. But if someone said I could only have one, I’d have to go with a cat. They’re easier to take care of. (No offense, Jake, you’re a good puppy.)
Um, I can’t eat either milk or dark chocolate. I’m allergic to chocolate. It’s a killer because I really do like it. If I tempt fate, it is usually with milk chocolate because it doesn’t make me as sick as the dark chocolate. However, I prefer fruit based treats.
Werewolves, as I said before, I like fuzzy things, and I’m hemophobic so vampires really squick me out.
And I’m a night person.
I’ve had a lot of paranormal readers really enjoy Beyond the Rain. It has a fantasy feel, a strong heroine, and lots of grit and adventure.
December 28th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I love SciFi Romance - it’s the melding of two of my favorite genres. My question - are your characters basically human, or do they have extraordinary characteristics, such as mind reading, super strength, etc?
December 28th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Barbara,
I had to decide early on how fantastic I wanted to make my alien cultures. One of my own personal jokes of the series is that we don’t meet very many people from Earth.
That gives me a lot of room to play with my alien cultures. I decided that anything “fantastic” had to be grounded in what I believed was physically possible. So there’s no magic. Technology that does the impossible, but no magic.
I drew the line on psychic powers. I believe theoretically they are possible scientifically, so I allowed those, though I haven’t had direct mind readers yet.
But some of my aliens do have different abilities you won’t find in a “human” population.
Take Soren for example. He is able to do things in Beyond the Rain that seem magical. He can change the color of his eyes with his mood, and either hypnotize or knock out someone with his “eyes”. He also has an extraordinary ability to make plants grow.
What I don’t reveal in this book is that it isn’t actually his eyes that do this. His species release very potent pheromones that do this in conjunction with a flash of their eyes. His species assumes it’s an eye thing, but it is really a chemical reaction.
Some other extraordinary powers that show up in the series is the ability to heal by laying on hands, (special glands in the palms of the healers combined with psychic ability to read and influence what they are sensing), ability to alter the mood of others, super strength, super balance, perfect memory, etc.
The thing that was important to me was that each ability has to serve a function that makes it easier to survive on the alien’s home planet, and it has to have some sort of explanation that doesn’t completely defy physics enough that I could buy it as possible.
December 28th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Jess, I loved your book and can’t wait for the new one in May. I have a question. Do the chemicals change anything (besides bonding and attraction) other than eye color? Is there anything you haven’t mentioned that we can look forward to with this species. In other words, do you have some surprises for your readers regarding this species?
December 28th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Thank you, Melanie,
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I assume you’re talking about the Byralen. Book two revolves around the Azralen, but hopefully book three will return to Byra. We’ll learn a lot more about Byralen culture, their symbiotic relationship with plants, their fertility issues, more detail about how and why they bond, and their relationship with their planetary neighbors, the Pyri (Yeshulen).
I hope I have some surprises in store. Rensa certainly has one huge surprise coming. *wink*
December 29th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Hi Jess! I already have a copy of BTR but I would love the sneak peak at BTS. Can’t wait till May!!
I’m assuming Cyn is more a typical alpha male based on what we saw of him in BTR and the excerpt on your website of the new one. Soren is, by your own admission on Galaxy Express, more beta. My question is which character did you like better, Cyn or Soren?
December 29th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
!!!!! Spoilers ahead, maybe, just warning!!!!
Hi Katrina,
Actually, I wouldn’t call Cyn “alpha” either. I wouldn’t call him “beta” exactly, that doesn’t fit. He defies convention.
My definition of an alpha male is a dude who is all protector, gets his way through a “My way or the highway” attitude and intimidation/muscle. Combine that with a dark and brooding/tortured persona, and voila, you have a typical alpha male.
Cyn is a charmer. He absolutely gets his way, but he does it by tricking you into thinking that’s what you wanted all along. You see a little of that in the first book with how he deals with his sister. He doesn’t come clean about what he is really up to until he absolutely has to. That’s how he is, and that tendency toward a secret agenda gets him tangled up into all sorts of trouble in the second book.
Can Cyn kick some bloody booty, oh yeah baby! But he comes from a culture where women are superior and his love interest is the epitome of an Azralen Elite. Yara is what Cyani would have been if she had been raised in the canopy and not on the ground.
Cyn is very mindful that Yara considers him inferior, and how he gets around to challenging all her assumptions about men, and him in particular was so much fun to write.
Cyn is clever, surprising, and funny. I had a lot of fun writing him.
I feel like I know Cyn a little better than Soren, but Soren has my heart for his pure sense of self sacrifice. Soren’s the guy I’d want to actually live with. Cyn would drive me nuts.
December 29th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Terrific blog, Jess. “Beyond the Rain” sounds like my type of book. I’ll have to search it out. I’m totally with you as far as writing sci fi/romance. There is such a freedom to making everything up yourself. When you invent something, who’s to say you’re wrong?
December 29th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Well, my husband, usually. LOL
My hubby is a scientist, and he usually calls me on things that aren’t physically possible. I appreciate it. He’s been very supportive and a valuable asset to my writing.
December 29th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
What’s your best way to cope when you hit a wall when it comes to a scene? Do your characters lead the story or are you able to control the path of the story?
December 29th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Well, by the time the outline is done in the notebook, I’ve worked out most of the problems the story is going to hit ahead of time, and it is pretty clear sailing after that point. However, that outline is the time to work through tricky scenes. My best way to deal with them is to invite one of my good friends/readers out for late night desserts and just talk it out. Having the back and forth of a conversation with someone who knows the characters really helps me work through tricky scenes.
My CP is good for this too, and we’ve both spent many a phone call trying to work out something that is sticky. She always knows she’s in trouble when she sends me something and I call her instead of emailing back, and I know I’m in trouble if the email with the chapter attached has a big old paragraph on it that usually ends with “call me.”
It’s good to have friends.
December 29th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I’m curious. What made this hero more fun than any other you have worked on?
BTR sounds amazing. Wishing you (early) many happy sales:)
December 29th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Fallon,
Cyn has a very quick wit, which made him a lot of fun. There were moments in the book that were painfully tense, and he’d say something or do something that made me laugh. He’s just delightfully naughty, and very very smart. I’m always entertained by naughty smart people.
Beyond the Rain is in bookstores now! Just sayin’ LOL
December 30th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
What’s the significance of the tattoos on the cover? I have a thing with tattoos.
December 30th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Technically, the tattoos are supposed to be hidden by those bracers on his arms. In fact, the only reason he wears the bracers is to hide the tattoos. The art dept took a little liberty with the tattoos so we could show them off on the cover. I thought it was an awesome artistic move, because they are important to the story, and should be shown off. Besides, hot buttered biscuits, they’re sexy.
On Azra, members of pure bloodlines that can claim direct links to the great matriarchs have tattoos around the blue skin on their forearms and lower legs. Partially it is adornment, and partially it is a personal statement. Cyani did not mark herself with her bloodline, instead she marked herself with the Ciera blossom, a plant she identified with and used as inspiration.
Yara, like the good high-born daughter she is has falcons, the symbol of her bloodline.
Cyn marked himself with the snakes of Cyrila the Rebel, his direct ancestor. He takes the symbol very seriously and it is a big part of his personal identity. Usually only women get such blatant tattoos, but Cyn isn’t about to be a submissive man. The Rebel’s blood burns brightly in him. He knows it, and he definitely lives up to the glory of his ancestor.
The tattoos themselves are a rebellion, and he wears them well.
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:45 pm
I really enjoyed BEYOND THE RAIN and am looking forward to BEYOND THE SHADOWS. Cyn definitely intrigues me, but from the descriptions of Yara I’ve seen here, can I just say, rowrrr! I lurve me a strong, well crafted heroine.
I also want to say, Jess, that your dedication to worldbuilding shines through your work. It really felt as though Soren and Cyani were organic to their worlds, if that makes sense.
Here’s my question: Will you pick me to win the exclusive excerpt of BEYOND THE SHADOWS? LOL!
I do like the cover of BTS, although I picture Cyn with more of a Han Solo body type.
At any rate, congratulations on your forthcoming release!
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Thanks Heather!
Yara turned out well. I really like her. She is powerful, smart, and has true grit. Her journey in this book is about learning what it takes to be a true leader.
As for picking you for an exclusive excerpt, your odds just got a lot better. LOL
And the cover model is a little beefcake, isn’t he? What can you do. I’ll refer back to Yara’s first description of Cyn in the chapter posted on my website…
The man in the corner leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his honed chest. There was nothing soft or tired about him. He bore no evidence in his body of long stretches of time spent in macrospace as he delivered his goods.
No, he was built like a cat, sleek muscle and lazy curiosity in his gaze as he watched her approach. She wasn’t fooled. Tuz always looked like that just before he pounced.
*shiver*
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Hi! I have stumbled onto this website and I must say that you are a new author to me but after reading your post I am excited to start reading your books! I think my question would be do you find yourself ever getting too carried away with creating your own worlds?
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Hi, Jess!! So glad to see you here!! Have you been inspired in particular in your writing career by any person/people in particular? Conversely have you had the chance to mentor another writer? It seems like writing can be a solitary thing, but I imagine that it’d be a blessing to have critique partners or mentors to rely on
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:52 am
Hi Amanda,
Actually, sometimes I don’t feel carried away enough. Now that I have contracts and deadlines, I feel like I’m always fighting for time. For my world building, my worlds never take over my characters.
Usually, I think through the fundamentals of a world, then build it as I need it. If I do my job correctly, it gives me a viable and logical world that is easy to expand on or pull more details out of later.
My characters will carry me away sometimes. I’ve got a handle on my next two victims, oh, oops, I meant protagonists. Now I’m thinking ahead of who I’d like to torture, excuse me, I meant play with, next.
January 3rd, 2010 at 8:03 am
Hi Fedora,
I did a lot more reading when I was in school in the 90’s. Now I have much less time so I have a harder time finding books and just fitting in the time to read them.
Because of that, I think I’ve been inspired by a lot of the books written when the paranormal wave first started gaining a foothold.
I like the dark emotional, very high stakes tension of books written at that time, but there were a lot of things I wanted to do differently, especially with my heroes.
I want my heroes to be complicated and heroic. I don’t want my heroines to be forced to give up their whole lives so all would be okie dokie in the hero’s world.
If a heroine makes a life changing decision, it had better be because she believes it is the best decision for her. Not because there will be dire consequences for the hero if she doesn’t. Now at some point, I’ll probably have more heroes that need saving because of the heroine’s love, but I refuse to force her hand. Instead I’ll put a great big stick in it and tell her to go ahead and smack him.
What I liked about books written at that time that I think we’ve gotten away from a little is focus on the main characters and the romance. With the upswing of Urban Fantasy, I’ve seen the romantic arc turn more loosey goosey, they’ll get around to the love story eventually, experiment with someone different for a while, or whatever. Or I’ve seen series get so cluttered with the perspectives of other characters and their love stories I wonder who the book is really about.
I like having a focused love story. I also like feeling sure that these two characters are in it for good.
I don’t have any mentees at the moment. Linnea Sinclair recently tied a knot in my tail, so I always look up to her. I do try to answer questions and help out new writers on Romance Divas, and RWA Online.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:39 pm
>No, he was built like a cat, sleek muscle and lazy curiosity in his gaze
*fanning self*
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:21 pm
If you were a road sign what would you be and why?
My husband says mine should be curves ahead because I have child bearing hips, or wide load (he sleeps on the couch a lot)
I rather think slippery when wet, but whatever, he is most likely right (don’t tell him i said that)
January 4th, 2010 at 8:02 am
LOL,
Hmmmm, I’m not sure. Probably “No Outlet.” I don’t seem to have the time for any of my outlets lately.
January 4th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Okay everyone, Contest closed, and how is this for Kismet. According to Random.org, RK Charron is today’s winner! Woo hoo, good thing I decided I’d open it up to Canada.
You have until noon Eastern next Monday the 11th to contact me through my website so I can send you the book, or you can pick the excerpt. Either way, contact me at
http://www.jessgranger.com/contact