E: A to Z Blogging Challenge

Welcome to another day in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Find the entire list here. My theme this year is world-building. Mostly I’m asking questions that I believe need to be considered whether you creating a medieval fantasy world, a science fiction story or even a contemporary novel. The ideas I present aren’t in a particular order as I had to fit them into the alphabetical order needed. And don’t forget to visit the other blog I’m part of during the A to Z Challenge over at the IWSG. Now onto your world.

What is education like in your world? Does everyone receive equal education? Are the peasants literate? Are there traditional schools? Does having an education give a person status? Are certain races or genders denied educational opportunities? What subjects are part of the educational experience? How is education paid for?

Do you characters attend a banquet or stop over in an inn? What is the entertainment like for the times? Musicians? Street players? Singers? Acrobats? Singing around a campfire? Does entertainment involve war games like jousting tournaments? Horse races? What kind of wild games could you create in a futuristic setting? Are entertainers respected and well paid or is their profession less than honorable? How about small games of chance, poker, throwing dice or something else you invent?

Do you think education can play a key plot role? What kind of entertainment can be found in your novel? Ever invent a game by yourself?

D: A to Z Blogging Challenge

Welcome to another day in the A to Z BloggingChallenge. Find the entire list here. My theme this year is world-building. Mostly I’m asking questions that I believe need to be considered whether you creating a medieval fantasy world, a science fiction story or even a contemporary novel. The ideas I present aren’t in a particular order as I had to fit them into the alphabetical order needed. And don’t forget to visit the other blog I’m part of during the A to Z Challenge over at the IWSG. Now onto your world.

Every world has them. Disease can play a big role in a novel. A disease could have destroyed society or nearly so. How does your society fight disease? High tech treatments? Old fashioned herbs. Magic or witchcraft? Is it a futuristic world where all disease has been eliminated? Do all people have equal access to treatments? Are you inventing diseases or using one already known to mankind? Is treating disease the responsibility of certain groups?

Along the same lines, are drugs a part of your world? Alcohol is found in medieval societies in various forms but how about tobacco? More potent drugs? Are the drugs being used for medicinal reasons or being abused? Do they play into the plot?

How long is each day on your world? Earth days? In my Recon Marine series, the novels take place on various planets. Not all planets will have days of twenty-four hours or even regular periods of dark and light. What will the days be like?

Can you name a disease a novel used as part of the plot? Have you read a fantasy or historical novel that used magic or herbal cures for illnesses? Have you read a novel with odd length days?

C: A to Z Blogging Challenge

Welcome to another day in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Find the entire list here. My theme this year is world-building. Mostly I’m asking questions that I believe need to be considered whether you creating a medieval fantasy world, a science fiction story or even a contemporary novel. The ideas I present aren’t in a particular order as I had to fit them into the alphabetical order needed. And don’t forget to visit the other blog I’m part of during the A to Z Challenge over at the IWSG. Now onto your world.

Does it get cold in your world? What is the climate like? Will there be seasons? Is it dry, rainy or tropical? Are your characters going to have to camp out? Does the wind blow all the time? Snow? Will a sunny, moderate climate be boring?

Going along with the climate, what clothing are your characters sporting? Start with the material. Wool? Cotton? Hides? Synthetics? Are social classes distinguishable by their clothing? Hand-stitched? What are they using for needles and thread? Are they wearing hose? What about undergarments? Belts or suspenders? Buttons or zippers? Hats or helmets? Will you spend many of your words on clothing at all?

Can you see how climate could play a role in your book? Do you find clothing an essential part of your book or something forgotten in the background?

B: A to Z Blogging Challenge, ISWG

Welcome to another day in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Find the entire list here. My theme this year is world-building. Mostly I’m asking questions that I believe need to be considered whether you creating a medieval fantasy world, a science fiction story or even a contemporary novel. The ideas I present aren’t in a particular order as I had to fit them into the alphabetical order needed. And don’t forget to visit the other blog I’m part of during the A to Z Challenge over at the IWSG. Now onto your world.

Are there books in your world? Books like ours or are all writings on scrolls? Are books copied by hand? Are they precious and rare or perhaps considered magical? Can even poor people possess books? Is it the future and all writings are on a computer like device?

Blacksmiths in medieval societies are important. They're needed to make weapons, plows, tools and often jewelry and tableware. They keep shoes on horses and make buckles for harnesses, shoes and clothing. Do they work with bronze, steel, silver, gold or some metal unique to your world? Don't forget the smiths.

Any books in your novel? (Ignore the pun) Any of your characters smiths of one sort or another? Any swords or weapons being made? Who does it?

Don't forget to share in your insecurities for this month. Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for starting this monthly group. Check out the entire group of participants on the IWSG blog. My theme for A to Z, world building, is actually my insecurity for this month. There are so many wonderful books, websites and classes on world building, I feel exposed putting myself out there by sharing some of my thoughts on it. Who am I among these experts and famous published authors? But I went for it anyway because I like world building and felt comfortable talking about. What is your insecurity this month?

A: A to Z Blogging Challenge

Welcome to another day in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Find the entire list here. My theme this year is world-building. Mostly I’m asking questions that I believe need to be considered whether you creating a medieval fantasy world, a science fiction story or even a contemporary novel. The ideas I present aren’t in a particular order as I had to fit them into the alphabetical order needed. And don’t forget to visit the other blog I’m part of during the A to Z Challenge over at the IWSG. Now onto your world.

If you have a town or a city in your novel, there will be buildings. What will the architecture be like? Castles or stone or wood? Hovels? Wooden dwellings? Clay bricks? Two story buildings? Formal salons? Will there be walls will guard towers? Do the windows have glass?

Is there art in your world? Paintings? Sculptures? Tapestries? Will they play into the story by depicting history or as symbols of wealth?

Any world lives or dies on its food supplies. What is agriculture like in your world? Horse or oxen pulling plows? Or are your people hunters and gatherers? Do your characters live in a city or castle where they don't know or care where their food comes from? In a medieval society the majority of the population might have to be farmers to provide enough food for everyone.

Do you include any artwork or references to art in your stories? Do you do any research on the type of architecture in your novels? Is agriculture mentioned or does food just appear?

5, 4, 3, 2, 1... A to Z

Yes, five days to go and then A to Z is here. I'll be completely prepared by this time tomorrow. I'm looking forward to having new friends visit here and finding more out in the blogosphere.

Even though a three veteran of A to Z, I have some concerns going into the month of April. I'm over 20K into my next book and I would like to keep the momentum going but I know I won't have as much time. It's also that time of year when I need to get a lot of yard work going. Between the weather these past few months, there's a bigger mess than usual in the yard. With such a cold March, including snow yesterday, I've started nothing outside. More demands on my time. I want to really give max effort this year and have imposed stress on myself about it.

Last year I didn't get around to all the blogs but I hope to do that this year. But I want to do it at a pace that I can enjoy the experience. My minion duties won't be a burden and I intend to visit all my regular blog buddies and also visit back anyone who visits me. That leads me to some tiny bits of advice.

Make a strategy for your experience. Decide how many blogs you can visit and enjoy. Some days you might not reach your goal but on other days you might do more. You can use Sunday to catch up or use it as a day to step away from the keyboard. If you can manage, don't so all your visits in one session. Visit some and then do something else. Come back to it later if you can.

I'd like to wish Terri Rochenskie good luck with your upcoming release, Love's Sorrow. Beautiful cover, isn't it. Her release date is April 21st.

My last bit of advice it to take a break between now and next Tuesday. This is my last post until April 1st. Are you ready? Any last bits of advice? Do you rest on Sundays or catch up? Do you have a strategy?

Stephen Tremp: Science And The Supernatural, or E=Mc2

It's my great pleasure to introduce Stephen Tremp today as part of his blog tour for Escalation. You don't want to miss this one. I certainly didn't. Please read my review on Amazon along with lots of others and you'll be convinced. So take it away, Stephen.

What Is Your Why? Can you define a platform you can build your brand on? For my platform, I want to help bridge the gap between science and the supernatural in order to help explain the universe and our place in it. For my brand, I want people to associate wormholes and portals between our four dimensional world and other dimensions that most likely exist, with me and my books.

I can think of no greater division between people than science and the supernatural. All too often, both parties draw a line in the sand that might as well be as wide as the Grand Canyon, then take separate sides and shout out just how ignorant each other are. 

Let’s explore this a little deeper.

Little Johnny won’t go to sleep. He’s sure there is a monster under his bed. Little Susie cries out in the middle of the night. She knows she saw a creature in the closet. Your crazy aunt Edith swears she sees angels protecting you and the rest of the family members.

An over active imagination? Unfounded fears? Flashbacks? Maybe. Maybe not.

Since man has walked this Earth, people from every culture claim to have seen, heard, and even touched beings that can only be described as not of this world. We live in a four dimensional universe of up and down, left and right, back and forth, and time. At least, that’s all we can perceive with our five senses.

But what if there are more dimensions? Certain scientific theories seem to support and even predict such things in a most elegant way. And there could be a whole lot of wonderful, strange, and terrifying beings that live there. Well, if so, no worries. At least they’re there and we’re here. Right?

 Excerpt from Escalation: The Adventures of Chase Manhattan, after an encounter with good and evil beings not of this world:  

“If angels and demons are hyper-beings, creatures that exist in extra dimensions, then they can manifest themselves as angels of light. Perhaps they can easily roll right out of additional dimensions of hyperspace as light, or pure energy. Then they convert to mass in our three-dimensional universe as a being we can perceive with our five senses.”

But how can they do that? Albert Einstein was way ahead of his time. E=MC2. Equal means the same. Energy and mass times the speed of light squared are the same thing. So once again, an angel or a demon could step back and forth between dimensions at will (as long as they have authority to do so). Energy to mass, or a physical being that can be seen, heard, smelled, and touched. Then from mass right back into energy and poof, they’re gone just as quickly as they appeared.

So perhaps those monsters or angelic sightings we saw as children were more than imaginary. Kids. Their innocent minds are not as polluted as ours when it comes to viewing and perceiving the world we live in.

Stephen Tremp is the author of the Breakthrough series. Together, Breakthrough, Opening, and Escalation follow the lives of the unlikely participants from innocence to a coming of age through sacrifice, betrayal, passion, lust, unconditional love, and hope. Escalation will appeal to fans of modern-day science fiction, paranormal, action, horror, and even romance.

Stop by Stephen's blog and find more of his insightful thoughts on science and our future.

And to download Escalation: The Adventures of Chase Manhattan At Amazon

Thanks, Stephen. So readers, do you think there are other dimensions? If so, what will we find there? Have you checked out Stephen's blog and followed his tour?