{"id":6081,"date":"2016-04-26T01:05:07","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T05:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kate-hill.com\/blog\/?p=6081"},"modified":"2016-04-06T15:46:41","modified_gmt":"2016-04-06T19:46:41","slug":"guest-blogger-j-j-lore-alien-ation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kate-hill.com\/blog\/?p=6081","title":{"rendered":"Guest Blogger: J.J. Lore – Alien-ation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JJLTheEssentQuest\"<\/a>Alien-ation<\/p>\n

By J. J. Lore<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been binging on classic Star Trek episodes on Netflix recently and wasn\u2019t surprised to find how much the series I watched as a child had influenced my writing today. I was<\/em> surprised at how much I remembered from shows I haven\u2019t seen in twenty-plus years. The social commentary, action, and interesting characters from the series are all reference points I use when writing my own stories.<\/p>\n

Some people may remember cheesy sets and the glaring need for seat belts on the bridge, but what I loved as a child were the aliens. I didn\u2019t care if the makeup was questionable, or if the costumes looked like they were made from some 1960\u2019s remnant bin. No, I loved the wild imagination that led to blue skin, antennae, scales, and weird abilities.<\/p>\n

When I was writing the Essent Quest, I needed a scary alien for a crucial moment in the plot. My heroes are on a sandy, deserted planet, and my thoughts went to how the ground must shift under their feet when they walk. This led me to remember ant lions and their unique method of trapping prey by digging into the bottom of a funnel-shaped hole and waiting for their prey to slide in where they can be picked off. Well, I needed something bigger than a thumbnail in my story, so I expanded the idea of an ant-lion into something the size of an actual lion, with the added terrifying bonus of tentacles. So my poor guys are unlucky enough to be trapped by one of those and have to escape. These creature\u2019s normal prey items are animals built like tumbleweed that glean nutrients from the sand as they roll across it, so I\u2019m not sure how well my super predator would have dealt with muscular hominids.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the fun of writing sci-fi, building idea after idea into what you hope will be a compelling story that holds together. Star Trek showed me that when I was young and impressionable for that, I owe it great thanks.<\/p>\n

Title: The Essent Quest<\/p>\n

Author: J. J. Lore<\/p>\n

Publisher: Loose Id<\/p>\n

Release date:<\/p>\n

ISBN\/ASIN: 978-1-68252-080-2<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blurb:<\/p>\n

Playboy Tellan knows other races consider his people spoiled and arrogant, but he\u2019s determined to put aside fine sheets and elegant meals in order to search for a mythical Domidian elixir for his ailing sister. He\u2019s also smart enough to realize he\u2019ll need help staying alive in the unsettled wastes of the Empty Quadrant. Enter Jorant, an intimidating Atavaq who\u2019s been genetically modified to be the perfect soldier. On the run from his past, Jorant accepts the task of protecting Tellan as they venture to a planet populated by tentacled monsters and space pirates. As they search for the potion, Jorant realizes his Domidian client isn\u2019t as helpless as he\u2019d assumed, and Tellan is intrigued every time the taciturn bodyguard speaks. Will their unexpected attraction to each other survive the dangers threatening to destroy them?<\/p>\n

Buy links:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.loose-id.com\/the-essent-quest.html<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Essent-Quest-J-J-Lore-ebook\/dp\/B01BUCEOSA\/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1455654446&sr=8-3&keywords=jj+lore<\/a><\/p>\n

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  1. J. Lore bio:<\/li>\n
  2. J. Lore has been interested in the dashing men who roam outer space since she was transfixed by Han Solo piloting the Millennium Falcon a long time ago in a theatre far, far away. Sadly, there is no way for her to join in the fun of intergalactic adventures unless she writes them, so that\u2019s what she does whenever she isn\u2019t taking care of the business of life. If you can\u2019t find her typing madly on her sluggish keyboard, she\u2019s probably poking around in a thrift store searching for the perfect pair of worn jeans or a vintage kachina bolo tie. These days she puts her anthropology degree to work when she whips up dishes from many different cultures, most of which benefit from a liberal dose of sriracha or a smear of green curry paste. Her favorite reading topics are costume history, epidemiology, and permaculture, all of which she\u2019d like to work into a story if she\u2019s suddenly overcome with a brilliant idea someday.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/J-J-Lore\/1393971707546734<\/a><\/p>\n

    Twitter: @JJLore1<\/p>\n

    Website: www.jjlore.com<\/a><\/p>\n

    Tweet<\/a>