Thank you kindly, Dani, for having me here today. Hello, readers. I’m Susan Laine, an author with Dreamspinner Press. I’m here to talk about my upcoming novel, An Island in the Stars. It came out a few days ago on June 12, 2017.

Here’s the blurb:

“Sam, a geeky college freshman, has bigger problems than lusting after Marcus, sexy jock, college junior, and his big brother’s best friend. Chasing after a beanie caught in the winter wind turns into a tumble down the rabbit hole for them both—science fiction style.

Sam and Marcus find themselves trapped on a tropical island in the middle of a strange ocean on an alien moon. The sole structure is a ruined temple devoted to the art of love. Flustered, confused, and unable to return home, they need to figure out a means of escape from a hostile jungle teeming with dangerous life-forms.

In this tale where opposites attract and secret crushes are revealed, two very dissimilar young men discover they actually have a lot in common after all, but it will take their differences as much as their points of connection to survive on an island in the stars.”

The topic today is inspiration. This story was rattling around in my head for years, like seeds in a gourd. I envisioned the story pretty much as it is written, except for the talented corrections by my editors. You know how it’s said that one should never ask a writer where they get their inspiration? Well, It’s fine to ask. And since I’m an author, guess where I got my inspiration? From fiction! Books, movies, myths. The Island of Doctor Moreau, Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Verne’s The Mysterious Island, Gulliver’s Travels, Lemuria, Atlantis, Dinotopia, etc.

The book I drew on for inspiration is Barlowe’s Expedition. It’s speculative science fiction, with a mix of notes, journal entries, sketches, and paintings about the journey to an alien world, Darwin IV. I was fascinated with the depictions of alien life forms, the animals, the plants, and how it all made sense. That was what I was going for in my story too.

The idea of finding and exploring a strange new world, with an unknown ocean around it… well, it sparks the imagination. Perhaps it is the curious child and inquisitive explorer within us all who seeks out adventures, excitement, and new experiences. I certainly felt like I was right there alongside my young heroes as they stumbled their way across an alien landscape full of wonderment.

Here’s an exclusive teaser excerpt from the book:

Sam retreated to the center of the chamber and studied the framework of the recess, which was made of the same metal as the other, cleaner chamber from before. Nothing seemed out of place. Except… no blue light glimmered in the oval lamp above the opening. A blue beam had appeared in the light fixture above the alcove back in the other chamber on Earth when Marcus had pressed his hand on the holographic screen. Now there was nothing.

“There’s no light,” he said, pointing at the unlit horizontal oval shape above the portal. “I… I think… we don’t have power. Whatever makes this place, this chamber, these openings work—electricity, alien energy, or damn magic—this place doesn’t have it.”

Marcus drew in a sharp breath. “But… that means… we’re stuck here.”

Sam let out a sigh so deep and profoundly desperate that he actually slumped with the force of the emotion. “That about sums it up.”

If you liked that little scene,

here are the buy links:

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Thanks again to Love Bytes and Dani for arranging this guest post.

Like Kathleen Turner’s romance novelist said in the movie Romancing the Stone: I’m a hopeful romantic.

Susan Laine is an award-winning, multi-published author of LGBTQ erotic romance. Susan lives in Finland, where summers are wet and winters long. Thankfully, she’s kept plenty warm by the spark for writing, which kindled when Susan discovered the sizzling hot gay erotic romance genre.

Trained as an anthropologist, Susan’s long-term plan is to become a full-time writer. Susan enjoys hanging out with her sister, two nieces, and friends in movie theaters, bookstores, and parks. Her favorite pastimes include listening to music, watching action flicks, eating chocolate, and doing the dishes while pondering the meaning of life.

You can find me:

• Website http://www.susan-laine-author.fi/
• Dreamspinner Press https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/authors/susan-laine-52
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/susan.laine.author
• Twitter https://twitter.com/Laine_Susan
• Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Laine/e/B006HGQXRU/