Elora Morgan's Blog, page 2
October 12, 2020
I Cannot Tell A Lie...
As much as I'd love to play by the rules (*bites lip and grins*), I cannot give "comps" for Beyond the God Sea by likening it to 2 YA novels published in the past 3 years, as one must when pitching.
I mean... I could... but it would be a lie and not a very effective way to communicate to potential readers what the book's about. And I'd hate to disappoint readers -- I'm here to entertain (more on that in another post.)
So here's the truth, as near as I can compare.
Beyond the God Sea is Tristan & Isolde (boy washes ashore) meets a combination of M. Night Shyamalan's The Village and H.G. Wells The Time Machine (WTF is going on here?)
At least, in parts, and with a lot of angst-y romance, royal politics, and island lore thrown in.
So, that's it. That's my pitch. If any of these concepts sound interesting, I hope you read it.
As always, thanks!
I mean... I could... but it would be a lie and not a very effective way to communicate to potential readers what the book's about. And I'd hate to disappoint readers -- I'm here to entertain (more on that in another post.)
So here's the truth, as near as I can compare.
Beyond the God Sea is Tristan & Isolde (boy washes ashore) meets a combination of M. Night Shyamalan's The Village and H.G. Wells The Time Machine (WTF is going on here?)
At least, in parts, and with a lot of angst-y romance, royal politics, and island lore thrown in.
So, that's it. That's my pitch. If any of these concepts sound interesting, I hope you read it.
As always, thanks!
August 28, 2020
Let Them Grow: In Support of the Female Hero Quest*
*Or, why I'm a Sansa stan
I enjoy books with bad*ss female protagonists who come out guns blazing, swords swinging, fists at the ready. I also like books with children outsmarting their elders, solving puzzles and winning quests and treading where others dare not. Some of these novels are my all-time favorites.
But.
I read a lot of these books. And while they're inspirational, they can at times feel like a staged and unattainable Instagram post, where we know the influencer took one hundred shots to get that room/body/cake looking just right, then photoshopped out all the undesirable parts and added a pretty filter.
In other words, it's not always the most realistic.
But here's where it gets even more interesting.
There are examples of the "hero's journey" in middle grade and YA/NA books, where a flawed or even unlikable character grows into the role he's meant to have (or reluctantly embraces it, etc.) And while he doesn't start out ideal, he changes along the way. He learns lessons from friends, family, even rivals. He's allowed to mature.
Yet I don't see a lot of books where female protagonists begin un-fully formed. Where they gain experience and mature along the way. They seem to start with killer combat skills and minds already sharp enough to cut through the heaps of BS surrounding them.
Of course, I love a historical novel where my gal is flouting conventions of the time, speaking up for herself and others in a way that goes against societal norms, embracing traditional "male" roles with a smirk and the flip of a quip...
But.
I'm also interested in books where the characters do not start out that way. Where a young female, ironically, doesn't please people of our time because she's been brought up to/buys into being a people pleaser in her time. It's interesting to to watch her struggle with the internal conflict of rejecting that belief.
Because who amongst us hasn't been there?
I genuinely love reading special, above-it-all/ahead-of-their-time characters. But I also dig the internal growth of the female hero's journey. Enough that I read (and write) books with flawed (at times, unlikable) female characters. Because, screw perfection. That's everything I hope to reject. Life is messy, people are messy, and I hope we can allow female protagonists to be messy as well.
I enjoy books with bad*ss female protagonists who come out guns blazing, swords swinging, fists at the ready. I also like books with children outsmarting their elders, solving puzzles and winning quests and treading where others dare not. Some of these novels are my all-time favorites.
But.
I read a lot of these books. And while they're inspirational, they can at times feel like a staged and unattainable Instagram post, where we know the influencer took one hundred shots to get that room/body/cake looking just right, then photoshopped out all the undesirable parts and added a pretty filter.
In other words, it's not always the most realistic.
But here's where it gets even more interesting.
There are examples of the "hero's journey" in middle grade and YA/NA books, where a flawed or even unlikable character grows into the role he's meant to have (or reluctantly embraces it, etc.) And while he doesn't start out ideal, he changes along the way. He learns lessons from friends, family, even rivals. He's allowed to mature.
Yet I don't see a lot of books where female protagonists begin un-fully formed. Where they gain experience and mature along the way. They seem to start with killer combat skills and minds already sharp enough to cut through the heaps of BS surrounding them.
Of course, I love a historical novel where my gal is flouting conventions of the time, speaking up for herself and others in a way that goes against societal norms, embracing traditional "male" roles with a smirk and the flip of a quip...
But.
I'm also interested in books where the characters do not start out that way. Where a young female, ironically, doesn't please people of our time because she's been brought up to/buys into being a people pleaser in her time. It's interesting to to watch her struggle with the internal conflict of rejecting that belief.
Because who amongst us hasn't been there?
I genuinely love reading special, above-it-all/ahead-of-their-time characters. But I also dig the internal growth of the female hero's journey. Enough that I read (and write) books with flawed (at times, unlikable) female characters. Because, screw perfection. That's everything I hope to reject. Life is messy, people are messy, and I hope we can allow female protagonists to be messy as well.
August 16, 2020
Kindle Countdown Deal Coming!
This weekend, from August 21st through August 23rd, Beyond the God Sea: Betrothed will be on sale for $0.99.
If you're not familiar with Kindle Countdown Deals, they're a great way to sample new books at a discounted price, without a Kindle Unlimited membership.
For three days only, Beyond the God Sea will be available for $0.99.
Thanks and happy reading!
If you're not familiar with Kindle Countdown Deals, they're a great way to sample new books at a discounted price, without a Kindle Unlimited membership.
For three days only, Beyond the God Sea will be available for $0.99.
Thanks and happy reading!
August 10, 2020
I Despise Desire You
Is there anything more thrilling than an angst-y pair, aching to kiss one another somewhere in between trying to kill each other?
I HATE YOU BUT BY GOD I WANT YOU.
It may come in and out of vogue, but I will never tire of the enemies-to-lovers trope. Ever. Eh... perhaps if a vampire gave me an immortal kiss and I lived forever, the beats would bore me. But, mortal as I am, I will shamelessly cling to such angry-lust for life, until such time as someone pries this pairing from my cold, dead hands.
And if that sounds dramatic, well. That's exactly how I like my 'ships. We're going to fight. We're going to make mistakes. We're going to miscommunicate. We're going to push and pull and we're probably going to hurt each other along the way, often intentionally.
But, I believe in happy endings. The toughest climb often offers the best vista. We hack it out of the jungle to find our perfect beach together.
What Kirywn and Zaria might get up to on that beach... well... I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. I hope you enjoy finding out in Beyond the God Sea, the first book in their trilogy.
I HATE YOU BUT BY GOD I WANT YOU.
It may come in and out of vogue, but I will never tire of the enemies-to-lovers trope. Ever. Eh... perhaps if a vampire gave me an immortal kiss and I lived forever, the beats would bore me. But, mortal as I am, I will shamelessly cling to such angry-lust for life, until such time as someone pries this pairing from my cold, dead hands.
And if that sounds dramatic, well. That's exactly how I like my 'ships. We're going to fight. We're going to make mistakes. We're going to miscommunicate. We're going to push and pull and we're probably going to hurt each other along the way, often intentionally.
But, I believe in happy endings. The toughest climb often offers the best vista. We hack it out of the jungle to find our perfect beach together.
What Kirywn and Zaria might get up to on that beach... well... I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. I hope you enjoy finding out in Beyond the God Sea, the first book in their trilogy.
