5 Facts about The
After Series That Might Surprise You
By Traci L. Slatton
Having
recently finished BLOOD SKY, Book 4
in The After Series, I’ve turned my mind to ruminating on the series as a whole.
This musing serves as a segue into Book 5; it’s a way for me to let my
conscious mind sink into the creative unconscious, where rich, juicy material
is born. Along the way, I’ve uncovered some fun factoids about the books.
Fact #1:
I didn’t know it was a series when I wrote FALLEN,
Book 1. In the beginning, I had a flash of a man and a woman, very much in
love, walking away from each other. He was dark-haired and she was blonde. Behind
them stretched a desolate landscape. That flash drove me to write the first few
scenes of FALLEN. Then I wrote the
first several chapters, and then I was hooked and driven to write on until the
end. I had to find out how it ended.
Fact #2:
I started off in Europe purposely, but the subsequent books’ setting in the
wilds of Canada was a surprise for me. As I hinted in the first paragraph, I
work a lot with the fertile ground of my unconscious mind. Experience has
taught me that unexpected and expansive characters, plot points, and twists
will grow up like living vines if I trust and go with it. This makes writing
the books as much a process of right-brain discovery as it is a process of
left-brain analytical structuring.
Don’t
misunderstand me, both elements are necessary. I write an outline and refine it
carefully as I work into the chapters. But since I am open to what rises up, I
was surprised to find Emma and her cohort of psychic misfits traveling on foot
and on horseback through the wilderness of Manitoba in COLD LIGHT, FAR SHORE,
and BLOOD SKY.
Fact #3:
I really enjoy writing Alexei, the Russian sociopath. It’s fun—artistically
satisfying—to create a crazy character. Also, I find Alexei mirthful. Arthur
may be the dashing hero and Emma’s soul mate, but I find him intense and
driven. Alexei has a psychotic playfulness that intrigues me. What will he do
next? It will be fun to find out!
Fact #4:
I have in mind that Haywood, Emma’s long-suffering husband, will connect with a
woman. Then Emma will have to face her feelings about that. Because even though
she is deeply in love with Arthur, she’s never been able to let go of Haywood.
Fact # 5:
Newt, the little girl in FALLEN whom
Emma loves, is based on Newt from the movie ALIENS. Sigourney Weaver was such an awesome, kick-ass heroine that
I had to acknowledge her somehow in my own sci fi books. And this I was
completely aware of!
I’ll keep
running my thoughts over the series as I delve into Book 5, and other bits will
come to me. I’m also open to readers’ questions, so feel free to email me if
you’re curious about something.
Blood Sky
The After Series
Book 4
Traci L. Slatton
Genre: paranormal romance
Publisher: Parvati Press
Date of Publication: August 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-942523-02-4
ASIN: B012TXZ4OC
Word Count: 67,000
Cover Artist: Gwyn Snider
Book Description:
In a time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test… Deep in the badlands of Outpost City, in the Dark Horse saloon, a poker game is being played. The stakes are life and death—for the world.
What can Emma afford to lose? Will she gamble on herself, or on Arthur?
Will love find a way when the apocalypse closes in? A mystical odyssey, a haunting love…
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/moBlcXPG33o
Available at Amazon
About the Author:
Traci L. Slatton is the international bestselling author of historical, paranormal, and romantic novels, including IMMORTAL (BantamDell) and BROKEN; the award-winning dystopian After Series which includes FALLEN, COLD LIGHT, FAR SHORE, and BLOOD SKY; the bittersweet romantic comedy THE LOVE OF MY (OTHER) LIFE; and the vampire art history romp THE BOTTICELLI AFFAIR. She has also published the lyrical poetry collection DANCING IN THE TABERNACLE and THE ART OF LIFE, a photo-essay about figurative sculpture through the ages. Her book PIERCING TIME & SPACE explores the meeting ground of science and spirituality.
@tracilslatton
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