Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Guest Post & Giveaway: "Breaking the Nexus" by Lindsay Avalon



My husband is a wise man who gives great advice on everything from whether the outfit I picked out looks good with the shoes I want to wear to what I should write about in my books. Without him, I may have abandoned writing after I failed abysmally during NaNoWriMo 2010 (I tried to write a pure epic fantasy), but he encouraged me to give it another try and to write what I love to read.



What is it I love to read? Romance, especially paranormal and dark fantasy romance.



I’ve always loved fantasy, mythology, and folk tales so I knew I wanted to write a book revolving around those aspects. There’s also the little fact that I’m a bit lazy and would rather break the rules than ensure I follow them. You see, I’m a proponent of doing your research if you write about a certain topic. Writing a crime thriller? I expect you to do some research into the process of catching criminals. The beauty of paranormal and dark fantasy romance is that you don’t have to follow the rules, you can make them up as you go. Sure there’s still some research to be done, particularly if you draw from inspiration from actual myths and legends, but you have more freedom and flexibility.



My husband gave me another piece of great advice when I pitched my idea to him. Since there will be lots of fantasy elements, he suggested I stay away from the tendency to invent complex names “filled with apostrophes,” as he put it, that so many fantasy authors lean toward. How many times have you picked up a fantasy book and had no clue how to remotely pronounce the names? How many times have you gotten confused because you couldn’t remember the names of places that were equally as complicated? Hubby told me that a book should be memorable and if the names are too convoluted, it’s harder to stay memorable.



Taking his advice, the world of the Mythrian Realm began to take shape in Breaking the Nexus. One of my other great loves is romantic suspense, so naturally I wanted there to be some sort of murder mystery to the plot. I knew plenty of myths and legends after reading them growing up, so I incorporated some of my favorite aspects into the story. Above all, I tried to keep the names unique, but simple, in deference to my husband’s suggestion.



The result? A book where I don’t have to constantly refer back to character sheets like I did when I wrote the epic fantasy. With that book, I went all out with bizarre names and I could never remember how to spell them. If I can’t remember how to spell something, how are my readers supposed to remember? I’d like to think my book has some unique premises, but the most important thing is I wrote a book I’d want to read.



To those of you who have read and loved Breaking the Nexus, thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy my novella coming out at the end of March, tentatively titled Warrior Unleashed. I promise to have book 2 in the trilogy out by early summer if I’m able to :) If you haven’t yet read my debut paranormal romance, Breaking the Nexus, I hope you’ll give it a try! 


Breaking the Nexus
Book 1 of the Mythrian Realm series
Lindsay Avalon

Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Blue Phoenix Publishing

ISBN: 978-0615753140
ASIN: B00AMPXDLQ

Number of pages: 200 print pages
Word Count: 42,000

Cover Artist: Miranda Stork (front cover)


Book Description:
Throughout history, myths and legends of extraordinary creatures have been told and retold. Fantastic tales of demons and banshees, gryphons and dragons, and of course, magic. Stories that every child grows to learn are nothing more than fantasy…or are they?
Beyond the world you see lies a hidden realm, the Mythrian Realm, inhabited by all of the creatures you’ve been told are mere fiction. Only one thing lies between humans and the truth: the Nexus. A magical barrier erected millennia ago to separate the two realms, it has stood the test of time. Until now.
For Mythrian Sha Phoenix, magic is nothing new. But when she stumbles upon a portal on the verge of collapse, her fate will forever change. Pulled through the portal into the Human Realm, she lands in the middle of Detective Connor Flynn’s brutal murder scene. Soon it is obvious someone is using blood magic to try to bring down the Nexus. Together, Connor and Sha must work to unravel the secrets before the barrier falls and the realms collide.
The Nexus is breaking and all hell is about to unleash…literally.


I am a wife, a programmer, and now an author. I have an adorable mini Schnauzer and more books than I have room for. I love reading romance because no matter what may be happening in my life, I can always count on my books to end happily ever after. The day I met my husband was the day I truly began believing in happily ever after. After hearing me complain a few too many times that I had “nothing” to read despite the hundreds of paperbacks scattered around the house, my husband began suggesting I write my own stories. When I finally took his advice I discovered that although I enjoy my day job as a software engineer, my true calling is to be an author.
My sister drilled into me an appreciation for fantasy and mythology, something I try to bring to my books. My debut novel, Breaking the Nexus started as a book written for NaNoWriMo and has grown to so much more. It was the conduit that introduced me to a fantastic group of independent authors who have changed my life in unimaginable ways.
When I’m not writing, I’ve found a passion for blogging and interviewing fellow authors. I also love reading (of course!), baking, crochet, sewing sock monkeys, playing video games, and all sorts of random crafts. I have an incurable love of rubber duckies and stuffed animals, and I believe nobody should have to grow up if they don’t want.
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6568822.Lindsay_Avalon


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

1 comments:

Patches said...

I just finished Breaking the Nexus, I loved it and waiting for book2!

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