Have you ever had a thought that ran through your mind over and over and over until you thought you’d go crazy? It could be a story that has played in your head, a song, or something that you’ve been wanting to do around the house. This happens to me all the time. Most of the time, I can box it up, but other times, I have to do something about it. Just like with Gracie’s Touch, Touching Rune, Choosing Riley, and countless other stories, I knew that Voyage of the Defiance had to be told. I’d pushed it back until it wouldn’t be boxed up and set back up on the shelf any longer. I’ll warn you, I have a 7-9 book Children’s series swirling in my head as well! It is an action/adventure/fantasy series. I’ve already started it, shelved it, and peek at it every once in a while, but I have also promised my grandson that I would finish it, so watch out! LOL.
When a story becomes so powerful that it leaves you laughing, crying, and fighting to stay awake so you know what happens next, you know it has to be written. My poor husband gave me a lot of weird looks as I excitedly told him different scenes that were happening, gave him a quick kiss, and said I had to go write more so I could see what Makayla did next. I’ve shared the story with a few close friends, nervously biting my nails as they did for fear they would tell me my baby was ugly. Yes, that is how protective I am of this story. I feel the same way about each one, but this one was especially close to my heart, maybe because it has been with me for so long or because it is a little different from my other stories, I’m not sure.
When I announced the pre-order for Voyage of the Defiance, I received a few comments expressing readers’ disappointment that I had not written another book in one of my existing adult series which is why I’m sharing this post. I’m not giving up on my other series, I’m simply adding to the collection. I’ve also had comments from readers who said they can’t wait for their kids to get old enough to read some of my stories. This is simply a bridge for kids of all ages who enjoy reading. If you enjoyed the Dragonlings’ stories, and there will be several stories of them as teenagers, then you’ll enjoy VoD. For those who may not have seen it yet, Voyage of the Defiance, is a YA book that tells the tale of a sixteen year girl, Makayla, and her coming of age. As with my other stories, it contains interaction between characters who value family and friends and who will do the right thing rather than the easy thing. Irregardless of whether my stories are set in space, on post apocalyptic earth or modern day Florida, you will find they have the common threads of family and friends, love and acceptance, and honor and integrity.
Voyage of the Defiance has these same qualities wrapped in an amazing tale. It is a wonderful story of a young girl/woman struggling to find who she is in the world. The journey of self discovery is a common theme to us all. Who else remembers what it was like to be sixteen?! The only way I’d go back to being that age is if I could take all my knowledge with me! Maybe it was because of my experience, but I thought it was important to show that teens can do amazing things and experience adventure (think of the young Australian girl who sailed around the world on her own).
As a mother and a teacher, I have seen many young people struggle to cope with all that life could throw at them. It isn’t so much the curve balls it throws, but the way we handle it that defines who we are. This is what Makayla and Tyrell, the two main characters in Voyage of the Defiance, discover. They learn that things are not always what they appear to be and are willing to fight for their respective families while still trying to discover their own identity in this world.
So to wrap everything up, if you’ve enjoyed my other stories, loved reading the Dragonlings, and are ready to read something a little different, you’ll probably love Voyage of the Defiance as much as I do!
Susan, Write the stories you have swirling around in your head!!!!!!…Don’t let those small minds who think you are only good enough to write for adults sway you! Every good book needs a great story to be written on its pages…we need good story tellers for ALL ages. You were once a teacher and have children and grandchildren of your own …obviously some of these stories have been percolating for some time!!! Let them out!!!!!!!!
PS I am sure many thought Jules Verne had few screws loose but the stories he brought us were great and still captivate to this day!
Thank you, Jessie. I was thinking of Grimm’s Fairy tales as well. I love Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid (okay, the Disney one as it has a HEA), heck, W. Disney himself! Look at the imagination he had and his love for a mouse. I really enjoyed Makayla’s story and knowing that there is more just makes me happy that I shared it with everyone. Hugs and thank you for your wonderful support.
It’s not crazy at all. You obviously have a very creative mind so it only goes to follow that you’d branch out from the normal sci-fi/fantasy stuff you started out with and move on to YA books and perhaps children’s books. You’re so prolific that I imagine you were boxing up those ideas for a great number of years before you put them down on the page for us to read. I can only say that I am thankful you did. I love your stories.
Thank you, Angela. I admit, I’m nervous as I mentioned in the post. I love writing books of all kinds. Just like I love Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Riddick and yes, Aliens, I also love Treasure Planet, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, and a host of other stories. I can’t wait to see Hotel Transylvannia 2! LOL. Those are my kind of paranormals. I think the reason I like the new Dracula movie (except for his wife dying, but I liked her coming back (spoiler alert!!) was because he was the good guy! Yes, even baddies can be good! So, thank you for accepting the inner child that still lives on inside me! xoxoxox