How to Come Up with Story Ideas by Elizabeth Alsobrooks

Ideas come in many forms and in many ways. Any activity, even idle time, is an opportunity to let your imagination loose. One such think time came today when I was at the dentist [Yes, you instantly conjured plenty of horrific images, didn’t you?]. With nothing to do but ignore random questions asked while your mouth is too full of dental equipment to answer, getting your teeth cleaned is a perfect time to brainstorm.

I have often gathered story ideas while doing mindless chores like dishes or vacuuming, dusting, or sweeping. Today I was thinking about the fact that it’s time to write my annual horror story, and while not quite as infamous as a barber’s chair, a dentist’s chair can also spark ideas. I mean, I personally maimed the dental hygienist a number of times in the first ten minutes. She didn’t of course know about it as she scraped, polished, and flossed away.

It may seem rather obvious, but how many people make a conscious effort to discipline their mind to transfer situational anxiety into imaginative what-if’s? Not only does it make you forget your emotional reaction to certain events (from fear of heights in a glass elevator to standing in a long line), including boredom (depending on your comfort and the technician’s talent), but it makes much better use of your time.

Writers with deadlines must often come up with a series of ideas in a short period of time, often in between getting them down on paper in story form. Making good use of ‘wasted’ time, is a valuable technique from which everyone can benefit.

There has been a lot written about how fear can prohibit creativity, but perhaps a more useful discussion is how one can transfer fear to others, because let’s face it if it scares you it scares plenty of other people too. If not, you can come up with reasons and examples for the reader to suddenly look at things in a different, more terrified, way.

So the next time you have some ‘wasted’ time on your hands, think big!

 

Character Motivation

Recently I've been working on two different novels. Partly because I do better when I can jump from one project to another when I get to a writing roadblock that requires some thinking through, and partially because figuring out a character's motivation can be tricky (which means if you've got a multiple POV story like me, there's a whole lot of motivations you've got to figure out). 

Everyone wants something, right? 

We want caffeine when we first wake up, so we crawl out of bed to go find it. Around lunchtime, we want to eat because we're hungry. At night, we're tired, so we make our way back to our cozy beds and go to sleep. 

Not all character motivations have to be super dramatic (even though those are fun too). 

These lesser exciting motivations can easily belong to the secondary characters that populate our books. Maybe you've got a thief who steals something precious for the sole purpose that they're trying to make money. It's easy to believe, and it makes sense. The trick is to have a good balance between the lesser motivations and the big ones. 

Your protagonist has to have something that they are willing to leave the comfort of their everyday life for, but they can't have everything figured out when they decide to make their move. What that means is that your protagonist has to know enough to go, but not so much that everything else in the story universe is predictable. This is why the lesser motivations can help us complicate the main character's overall goal. 

What that in mind, your job is to learn to layer these character motivations in a way that gives your reader (and protagonist) enough unknowns that drama ensues and fiction is born. So let's go back to our thief example. 

Maybe your protagonist has found a reason to go on a quest. They're looking for something that will save the world. After numerous dead ends and battles, they've finally located and retrieved it. All is seemly well, and they are on their way back to save the day. Until they meet a thief, who has been charged to steal this precious item by the ultimate villain. Now the protagonist, thief, and villain are linked together and the reader is left wondering how all of this is going to work out. 

Layering motivations will not only help you build tension in your stories, but it will also help you learn more about your main character's abilities to problem solve and ultimately give your reader a much better sense of what kind of person it is that they are rooting for. 

Happy writing!

Friday, 13th October, 1307

 

I am Brother Everard, a Templar, also called Knight Templar, member of the Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, a religious military order of knighthood established at the time of the Crusades that became a model and inspiration for other military orders. Originally founded to protect Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, the order assumed greater military duties during the 12th century. Its prominence and growing wealth, however, provoked opposition from rival orders. Falsely accused of blasphemy, homosexuality, and other grievous sins, the Order was blamed for Crusader failures in the Holy Land.

Take a step further back with me, please. Following the success of the First Crusade (1095–99), a number of Crusader states were established in the Holy Land, but these kingdoms lacked the necessary military force to maintain more than a tenuous hold over their territories. Most Crusaders returned home after fulfilling their vows, and Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem suffered attacks from Muslim raiders. In late 1119, pitying the plight of these Christians, eight or nine French knights led by Hugh de Payns vowed to form a religious community specifically for the purpose of protecting these pilgrims. Baldwin II, king of Jerusalem, offered these knights quarters in a wing of the royal palace in the area of the former Temple of Solomon, and from this they derived their name.

Many opposed the Templars. Some rejected the idea of a religious military order while, later, the order was criticized for its wealth and influence, but we were supported by many secular and religious leaders. Beginning in 1127, Hugh undertook a tour of Europe and was well received by many nobles, who made significant donations to the knights. The Templars obtained further sanction at the Council of Troyes in 1128, and in 1139, Pope Innocent II issued a bull granting the order special privileges. The Templars were allowed to build our own oratories and were not required to pay the tithe. We were also exempt from episcopal jurisdiction, being subject to the pope alone. By the turn of the 14th century, the Templars had established a system of castles, churches, and banks throughout Western Europe.

From these grand beginnings, we come to the early morning of Friday, October 13, 1307, and the beginning of the end of the Templars. At dawn, King Philip IV ordered de Molay and scores of other French Templars to be simultaneously arrested. The arrest warrant began: Dieu n'est pas content, nous avons des ennemis de la foi dans le Royaume" ("God is not pleased. We have enemies of the faith in the kingdom")

Unbeknownst to the order, a month earlier, King Philip IV of France sent secret documents by couriers throughout his country. The papers included lurid details and whispers of black magic and scandalous sexual rituals. In preceding years, this avaricious monarch had attacked the Lombards, a powerful banking group, and on France’s Jews, expelling the letter to confiscate their property for his depleted coffers.

In the days and weeks that followed that fateful Friday morning, more than 600 Templars were arrested, including Grand Master Jacques de Molay, and the Order’s treasurer. Philip’s evil net not only entangled the highest-ranking members of the order, but also hundreds of non-warriors—middle-aged men who managed the day-to-day banking and farming activities that kept the organization running smoothly. The men were charged with a wide array of offenses including heresy, devil worship and spitting on the cross, homosexuality, fraud and financial corruption.

 

The Templars were kept in isolation and fed meager rations that often amounted to no more than bread and water. Nearly all were brutally tortured, using the strappdo and the rack to force confessions to these false charges.

 

The Templars lingered in their cells until 1310 when King Philip had more than 50 of us burned at the stake. Two years later, Pope Clement V formally dissolved the Templars. However, he did so without saying the order had been guilty of these false charges. In the wake of that dissolution, some Templars again confessed to gain their freedom, while others died in captivity.

And so, the mighty fall. I did say this was a sad tale. You can readily see how the Templars and that evil Friday the 13^th have become associated with the superstition surrounding the date. I leave it to you to decide whether you believe King Philip’s allegations or in the innocence of an austere and chaste religious order formed to protect pilgrims. I firmly believe it was the wealth amassed by the order that caused its downfall.

Yours in God,

Brother Everard

 

The Red Tides are Coming! by Marilyn Barr

            I love the beach. Collecting shells, riding the waves, and watching the weather change over the seas are some of my favorite things to do. My husband is a fervent animal rights activist, so our vacations are dependent on different threatened animal populations. An ocean animal shifter novel was an inevitability. Every September, my family travels to Anna Maria Island, Fl, to help the sea turtles make their journey from the nest to the deep waters.

            In 2018, our trip was delayed by algae bloom overgrowth. The coast of Florida was ravaged by a natural phenomenon called “Red Tide”. From the Florida keys to the top of the panhandle, the ocean was tinged with red. There were warnings to stay out of the water due to respiratory distress symptoms from swimmers. Instead of ushering baby turtles to the ocean, my family was cleaning up piles of dead fish. What was going on?

(Family photos, same boy on the same beach. 2018 pictures taken in October one month after the Red Tide effects were declared clean.)

Karenia brevis is a microscopic, red algae species, native to Florida. When you learned about filter feeders from sponges to whales who live on phytoplankton in elementary school, Karena brevis is part of the phytoplankton population. More specifically, it is a dinoflagellate, so it is shaped like a sandwich cookie with multiple tails. Usually, it whirls within the microscopic populations of phytoplankton unnoticed. It eats ammonia and releases oxygen, so to villainize the algae isn’t accurate. Most algae species produce toxins as byproducts of oxygen production too and we take the good with the bad to keep the ecosystem in balance. In 2018, the population exploded.

(NOAA US Navy satellite photo from khou.com )

Karenia brevis lives in larger quantities in the rivers and eats run-off agricultural waste. As the colonies grow larger, pieces break off and float downstream to Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. In 2018, a perfect storm of increased agricultural activities, climate change, and minerals uncovered by erosion made a feast for the algae. Colonies grew to clog the rivers and washed into the bay in giant mats. The mats released large quantities of toxins which were ingested by the herbivores of the bay. As the herbivores were eaten by the predators, they were dosed with large amounts of toxins. In a few weeks, large animals and small ones were washing up on the beach.

(WSPA Local News, Whale Shark succumbed to Red Tide)

The above picture was my inspiration for Bart the Oyster bar owner in my next book, Smoother Than Spumoni. I wanted to give pizzeria heir, Frank Paulino from the Strawberry Shifters, a summer internship which brings him to Florida. Bart the whale shark shifter gives Frank his big break. Being the owner of an oyster bar when fresh oysters are contaminated due to Red Tide, Bart nearly loses his business until Frank saves the day. Frank has been rolling pasta every day since he was old enough to do it. He can turn one piece of rock shrimp into a risotto to feed two people and its shells into a soup.

While Bart’s menu problems seem to be solved, another one takes its place. Red Tide toxins stink. Dead fish stinks. It is a well-known fact that no one vacations on stinky beaches and no tourists means no customers for Bart and the rest of the pack. Not only is the oyster bar struggling but so are the souvenir shops, and Larkin’s Dairy Dip. Larkin’s depends on not only store sales, but sales on the beach from their pedal carts. Not only are their businesses on the line but so is their health. From dolphins to crabs, the Seagrass Shifter pack members are aquatic animals who need time in the water.

Red Tide can be a natural phenomenon but the impact and duration of it on Seagrass Island raises suspicions. They are confirmed by Susie Larkin when she breaks the rules and goes for a swim with her bestie, Jean. Here’s a snippet from Smoother Than Spumoni:

They move quickly, efficiently, and silently, only stopping to check over their shoulders every few minutes. When the exchange is complete, the truck starts again. Even though it is dark, without headlights they navigate unerringly through the native swamp.

“That was weird. You thought it was weird right?”

“Yeah, I want to know what is in those barrels.”

“Let’s leave it alone. We have been gone for months and have no idea how this area has changed. Let’s go home and ask our parents or Wilson.”

“Why? When one look at the label will answer all our questions? Besides, the truck has already left.”

“They could return.”

“As shady as they were acting, they aren’t coming back. Come on—”

“No way, Susie Q. We are going home.” Her voice shakes as she lays down her ultimatum. She can’t abandon me here in case I succumb to Red Tide on the swim home. However, tears have already started rolling down her cheeks. My bestie is terrified.

“You are right. Let’s go ask,” I say calmly. Why upset her more when I can bring a braver companion tomorrow? Surely a demon-slaying werewolf won’t be scared of a few barrels?

 

Will Frank and Susie get to the heart of the conspiracy behind Red Tide or pay the ultimate price? Pre-order Smoother Than Spumoni (on sale for $1.99) and find out on 8/23/2021.

 Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097CLMBTM/

iTunes - https://books.apple.com/us/book/smoother-than-spumoni/id1573010468

You are Invited! A Friday the 13th Facebook Party

Did you know the Paranormal Romantics have a fan group on Facebook? Get links to our blog articles and the latest news from your favorite paranormal romance authors in your Facebook feed when you join us here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/169710865178935 Our first party of 2021 will be this Friday, August 13th from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm EST. Here's the schedule of hosts but I would check in periodically through the night as each author will have different games, tricks, and treats. 

 

Times in EST	Author / Host
3:00 PM	Maureen Bonatch
3:30 PM	Jessica E. Subject
4:00 PM	Diane Burton
4:30 PM	Julie Howard
5:00 PM	Mary Morgan
5:30 PM	Marilyn Barr
6:00 PM	Linda Nightingale
6:30 PM	Tena Stetler
7:00 PM	Nancy Gideon
7:30 PM	Sydney Winward
8:00 PM	Sofia Aves
8:30 PM	Elizabeth Alsobrooks

Hope to see you there!

7 Things to do before you advertise your novel

 

By Keri Kruspe
Author of Otherworldly Romantic Adventures

Now that 2021 is halfway done, I find my sales are experiencing a bumpy ride. As I’ve outlined in previous articles, my overall plan is to leave my secular job and live off my writing career.

So, to that end, I started thinking, how do I know if I’ve made myself ready to advertise? What are the challenges I could be facing? After a little research, here are some ideas I’ve come across so I can audit myself to make sure I’m ready.

Of course, if you have any suggestion that should be added to this list, don’t be afraid to leave a comment!

Before I get into the “nitty-gritty”, the number one advice given was to make sure my “Brand” was obvious for all to see.

 

Your Brand–It’s Strengths and Weaknesses

In marketing terms, what is an author brand? Is it something that we need or can we skip that and continue with our career?

In May 2019, Beth Barany wrote an article on the Writer’s Fun Zone describing “author brand.” “… your author brand is the promise of an experience the reader will get every time they read one of your books, encounter your marketing material, like your website, your social media, your visual material (digital and physical), and any other aspect of your professional author self.”

To use myself as an example, I am first and foremost a romance writer. While that might differentiate me from other author tropes (i.e. mystery, science fiction, horror, etc), in the genre of romance it leaves me wide open.

Just on the surface, there are some subgenres within romance—

• Contemporary
• Historical
• Romantic Suspense
• Erotic
• Religious/Spiritual
• Paranormal
• Young Adult

And guess what? The type of romance I write isn’t listed there. It’s under “Paranormal”, but I have to drill down further. I actually write with the moniker of “Science Fiction Romance”.

While a reader may consider themselves a romance aficionado, someone who appreciates the religious/spiritual genre will not necessarily want to read an erotic novel.

In order to separate myself from the thousands of romance writers, I’ve “branded” myself with the claim: “Author of Otherworldly Romantic Adventures”. Here I’m hoping to attract romance readers who like a little extra something in their stories. I feel the word “otherworldly” can be either scifi or paranormal, while adding the word “adventure” gives it a little extra “umph” because my heroes and heroines go on a roller-coaster ride as they fall in love.

Once you have your brand in order, what do you do with it? Why, everything, of course! It should flow with your website, your author pages (i.e. Amazon Author Central, Bookbub, Goodreads, etc). And don’t forget to make it your signature on your email.

There are other “signals” that a reader might find if they researched you. Does everything you have out there paint a favorable light for your brand? Are you convinced you’re maximizing your potential and reaching those readers who are interested in what you have to offer before you begin to advertise?

And now... time for a quick audit

We all have precious seconds to capture someone’s imagination. Readers won’t go very far before they decide to buy or not. They don’t have time examine every element of your retail page (like on Amazon, Bookbub, B&N, etc). Especially new authors. It won’t matter if you run the best ad in the universe if what you point folks to is all over the place. To that end, you’d want to make sure you have as much in sync between retailers and the personal brand you’ve created.

In order to see if you’re ready to advertise, let’s take a look at seven aspects of what you have to offer before your try to get folks to “click” and purchase your book:

Book Cover

• Where does the reader's attention go first? Does it scream your genre from a quick glance? Is it eye catching and professional?

Price and Format

• These are the two elements every retailer shows prominently. How does your book compare to others in your genre? Too high? Too low? Look at the top ten wherever you sell your book. 

Reviews

• The review stars are right there next to the cover and title of the book. Be assured, if you have any “bad” reviews, they have to scroll down a bit to read it.
  
  
  

Title and Subtitles

• In my genre of SciFi Romance, the subtitle is one of the most important aspects of the retail page displaying my books (see below):

Blurbs

•          By the time a reader decides to read the blurb, you’re halfway there. Just be aware that a lot of folks won’t read the whole thing. Some will skip and go to the next tidbit. Make sure those first words count!

Editorial Reviews  

• Like all of us, we want a sure thing. And what better way to get that from an unknown author/book than to check out the reviews. The best kind of review is from a known endorsement under the editorial section. 

      Detailed Review Content 

•      Lastly, there are individual reviews down the page. Most readers take the average of them at face value and don’t scrutinize the comments.  

Final Thoughts  

If you’re happy with your audit and you feel you’re ready to plunge into the ad biz (like Amazon, Bookbub, or Facebook ads…), here are some parting thoughts to tighten things up for you:  

• Try to have 25 reviews (50 is recommended. Something I’m still working on).
• Reviews to have at least 4 stars
• Strive to get some Editorial Reviews from tough author friends (those familiar with your genre)
• If nothing else, ignore everything but keep an eye on your profit. 
• Are you making more than you’re spending? If you sell on Amazon, their reports aren’t always up to date. A good way to check your daily sales/KDP reads on Amazon is an app called BookReport. It will sync with Amazon and give you an up-to-date analysis of what you sold or is read through Unlimited that day or within a timeframe you set. 

I’d love for you to share what you think about starting or continuing your ad campaigns. I know I still have a lot of work to do!

        

       

How Music Plays a Role in My Stories by Mary Morgan

I’ve often said music feeds my soul for creativity. It stirs the muse and my writing soars. Dragon Knight’s Ring was an emotional story for me. Since this was the last book in the Order of the Dragon Knights (my first series), I had to search for different types of music—ones that would be epic and convey the emotion of the final story.

Here's my playlist for Adam and Meggie’s from Dragon Knight’s Ring, and the other Dragon Knights along with the scene I was writing…

 

1. “A Celtic Lore” by Adrian von Ziegler, from the album The Celtic Collection. I listened to this song during the beginning of Adam and Meggie’s courtship. It was soft, hesitant—like both of them.

2. “Yearning Hearts” by David Arkenstone, from the album Celtic Book of Days.  Adam is desperately trying to find out what is bothering Meggie. He’s hoping to spark some memory of their past together by skipping stones across the river.

3. “King of the Woodlands” by Peter Gundry, from the album The Dream Weaver.  A meeting between the evil druid Lachlan and Meggie. Cannot say anything more. This song was perfect.

4. “The Witch’s Tale” by Peter Gundry, from the album The Lost Book of Fantasy. The druid, Lachlan is preparing and plotting his one last battle against the Dragon Knights. 

5. “The White Witch” by Peter Gundry, from the album The Lost Book of Fantasy. Adam’s journey to visit his home, Castle Leomhann. He’s unprepared for what he will find. 

6. “Circle of Life” by Adrian von Ziegler, from the album The Celtic Collection. I listened to this many times while writing the scene where Meggie’s memories are restored, and she greets Adam. 

7. “Storm Cry” by David Arkenstone, from the album The Celtic Book of Days. Adam’s quest to reach Meggie before the battle begins.

8. “Morrigan—Goddess of War” by Peter Gundry, from the album The Dream Weaver. A fitting song for the pre-battle between the Dragon Knights, Lachlan, and the Dark One.

9. “The Quest of Culwch” by David Arkenstone, from the album The Celtic Book of Days. I used several songs for the final battle, but constantly played this one until I knew I had poured out every detail.

10. “Ceridwen—The Potion of Knowledge” by Peter Gundry, from the album The Dream Weaver. My farewell song to the Dragon Knights. It starts slow and then builds to this powerful ending. Did I cry writing this ending? Aye! I sobbed buckets! The Dragon Knights dwelled within me for fifteen long years. 

Currently, the Wolves of Clan Sutherland (my third series) dominate most of time and thoughts. Usually, I turn to YouTube for my music selection. Here’s a brief sample: 

Nordic and Viking Music

YouTube: https://youtu.be/pm7QtSXNcno

I’m curious. Any writers out there who use music to aid in their writing? Do share!

 

Returning to Space with the Kaddim Brothers and Space Racers by Jessica E. Subject

 

Guess what? I'm returning to space! Not in a literal way. I've never left planet Earth, but I'm returning to space with my stories. For the last couple years, I wrote my paranormal shifter series, Shifter Towers, which took place on an alternate Earth. My new series, Kaddim Brothers, takes place on multiple planets, and space travel is quite common. The beings travel from planet to planet the way we on Earth travel from one continent to another.

There are also the space racers. They are multiple teams of five from various planets, who race their jets (think racing fighter jets) in a circuit. They train hard, race hard, and party hard. No time for love or family. Or so they say...

With that, I'd like to introduce the first book in my Kaddim Brothers series, VAWN...

VAWN

Kaddim Brothers book one

by Jessica E. Subject

Release date: August 9, 2021

Genres: Romance, Sci-Fi, LGBTQ, MPreg

Vawn doesn’t need a mate. He’s already established himself universe-wide as a hot name in fashion, while raising his daughter. But he won’t say no to a fling with a hot space racer when he travels to Eurebly to visit his brothers. One night. That’s all he can give. Because his heart shattered when he lost his previous alpha, and he hasn’t been able to repair it completely. He refuses to love someone like that ever again.

Ojokun survived on Jenegath in order to leave the planet and become the best space racer in the universe. Though he flies with a team, he’s never depended on anyone outside of his jet. He keeps to himself. Has one-night stands, just like every other space racer. But, after a mind-blowing night with the brother of two of his teammates, he can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous omega, or the foreign longing that scares him more than his overly-protective teammates.

Can Ojokun convince Vawn that he wants more than one night? Or is that all they were ever meant to be?

AVAILABLE FROM:

Kindle | Paperback

Add on Goodreads

Enjoy an excerpt:

“Daddy! Daddy!” Enif shook my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Look! Dey’re gedding ready to stard!”

I glanced at the starting hangar, where all the jets had moved to the front. The race was definitely about to begin. I rubbed my hands together. “I wonder if they’ll win this one.”

Enif sighed then dramatically threw herself onto my lap. “Of course dey’ll win. Dey’re ORIXA.”

Utahn chuckled beside me. “She’s right, you know.”

My omega father gripped my chair and leaned forward. “I agree. I did give birth to two of them.”

I rolled my eyes at the sentiment. He said that every time he watched a race, one of the reasons I had stopped going over to their place to watch. “There are three other members of the team you didn’t give birth to, you know.”

“Yes, I do know.” He sat back with a huff. “And I’m sure their parents are proud of them, too.”

I disagreed since Qé and Xac didn’t have parents, and Ojokun had never mentioned his. Yet, I didn’t have a chance to argue as the green start light flashed to signify the beginning of the race.

Jets darted out of the hangar structure right away. One after the other. So fast. Too fast. I gripped the arms of my chair, suddenly worried for the safety of the entire team. I never realized how quickly those jets moved until I saw them fly in person.

I glanced at the large screen, divided into different images, to see the location of each team. Team Storm seemed to be in the lead, which I knew no one on ORIXA would stand for. Team Light took the lead shortly after, but there were jets from Storm and ORIXA among them. Everything went at breakneck speed; it was hard to keep track of everyone’s positions.

Grandma’s Got a New Look

By Maureen Bonatch

My book, Grandma Must Die, that is! 

Grandma had a makeover! Grandma Must Die has a new cover, the prose was proofed and polished again to make sure there wasn't a hair out of place, and the story was moved under my cozy pen name of M.L. Bonatch. 

 Here she is showing off her new look! 

 Expose her magic blood by curing the spell—or stop the infection from spreading by killing the source…the grandmother. 

 In a world where magic is hunted and feared, the worst job a reckless witch like Carman could have would be in a small-town library that stores banned magical items. When a friend goes missing, and another is infected with a deadly spell, Carman is desperate to save them. 

Escorting Dylan, a Magic Bounty Hunter, to inspect the mysterious artifacts provides an opportunity to locate a cure. Instead, she discovers one of the items kept hidden belonged to her family—and recognizes Carman as its’ rightful owner—with Dylan bearing witness. Carman can barely control her newfound powerful magic. Still, if she doesn’t stop the infection from spreading, the host must die…the grandmother. 

Teaming up with Dylan may be a terrible idea, but so is spelling a household product into a mode of transportation. Carman is known for impractical shoes and impulsiveness, not sensible choices. 

 Grandma Must Die will release next week on August 12th but you can preorder your copy today right here. 

 Love our blog? 

We have a new fan group where 20+ of your favorite paranormal romance authors host parties with prizes, games & all things paranormal! Plus we're having a party next week—come join us right here! 

Just a small-town girl, Maureen Bonatch leads a double life. She lives in a magical world as a novelist, and as a nurse leader in reality. Maureen’s first novella was a paranormal romance published when blogs were a new-fangled thing. She’s since changed her focus to writing paranormal cozy mysteries as M.L. Bonatch and urban fantasy as Maureen Bonatch. 

 While she’s not busy writing or doing nurse-things, she’s a mom to her twin daughters, bicycling in the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby, doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, and dancing as much as possible. She believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and that caffeine and wine are essential for survival. 

 Follow M.L. Bonatch all through cyberspace- she's new in town and can use some friends! 

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Billionaires in Space by Diane Burton

image credit: space.com

 July brought two huge events. In the first, Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic) plus four others were launched into suborbital space aboard the VSS Unity 282,000 feet above Earth. 

image credit: Virgin Galactic

Branson tweeted: I was once a child with a dream looking up to the stars. Now I'm an adult in a spaceship looking down to our beautiful Earth. To the next generation of dreamers: if we can do this, just imagine what you can do.

Nine days later, Jeff Bezos (the richest person in the world) along with three others traveled into suborbital space aboard New Shepard, a rocket topped by a capsule. They reached a height of 351,120 feet above Earth. New Shepard was named for Alan Shepard, the first American to fly in space.

image credit: Joe Raedle/Gettyimages

Besides Bezos, his brother, and 18-year-old Oliver Daemon (a Dutch physics student, 82-year-old Wally Funk finally realized her dream. Wally is a member of the famous (or infamous) "Mercury 13", a group of women who completed all the tests required of the original Mercury astronauts yet were denied the opportunity to go into space because of their gender. Wally has the distinction of being the oldest person in space.

Funk said: "It was great. I loved it. I can hardly wait to go again."

image credit: Blue Origin

As I watched the landing of New Shepard, I was captivated by Wally's enthusiasm. The picture (above) of her exit from the capsule says it all.

Even though I knew the names of every Mercury and Apollo astronaut, I never knew about those women. Shame on NASA for denying them their dreams.

I've always been infatuated with the space program. I lined the bulletin boards in my classroom with pictures from space as well as the astronauts. If I'd been given the opportunity to go into space back then, I would've jumped at the chance. Until Wally's trip, I always thought I was too old. Now, I'm not so sure. I'm younger than her. 😊

When I blogged about my novella Mission to New Earth, I asked readers if they had the chance would they go into space. Most who replied said they'd go if they could come back. My thoughts exactly. We all thought of our families and wouldn't want to leave them forever, like the characters in Mission. Their task was to explore a "Goldilocks" planet, one that was just right for humans. However, the planet was so far away, they couldn't return. A one-way trip. Unlike the billionaires, who hoped they would return in one piece.

But what have these two historic launches proved? Is their a market for tourism in space? Would customers be willing to fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars for the chance to say they've been in space? I'm pretty sure there's already a waiting list.

I'll ask the question again: if money were no object, would you go into space?

Blurb:

Earth’s overpopulation and dwindling resources force the United Earth Space Agency to ramp up exploration of new planets for a possible new home. As Sara Grenard and her team prepare for launch, are they ready for the one-way trip? Will they be in time?

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