When I first get an idea for a story, it usually starts with a single scene. For example, when I came up with the idea for The Fourth State of Matter, I had a scene in my head of a spaceship crashing while two characters are having sex in the control chair, seemingly unconcerned by the chaos happening around them. At this point the characters didn’t have names, or descriptions. I didn’t even know if they were human or alien. In my mind they were just “male 1” and “male 2”. So, I started by freewriting this scene, giving it as much life as I could without any background information or details. The characters managed to land on a populated asteroid before I had to stop. Then, I stepped back and carefully read over what I had written.
Sometimes, this is where a story’s life ends. If I decide there isn’t enough potential, or if reading over what I’ve written doesn’t spark any more creativity, then I’ll set it aside and move on to a new idea. With The Fourth State of Matter, however, reading over that initial freewriting scene gave me a lot of ideas for how to flesh-out the world and the characters. A whole novel slowly unfolded in my mind just from this opening scene, so I started outlining the story from scratch.
My first step for planning out a full novel is to draw the characters. I’ve found that I can’t write about a character until I’m able to draw them. Not only does this give me an image to work with, but it can have a profound impact on the story itself.
With The Fourth State of Matter, my original plan for the trio was for them to only be a duo. I wanted to write a story about a human character that gets into a relationship with two aliens. However, this changed when I was trying to draw the aliens. Brog’s design came easily, and I could immediately see a backstory for the character on the page. I had an idea to create alien characters that were partially inspired by fantasy creatures. This would give them a sense of mystery and make them seem “larger than life”. Brog is my version of a reimagined mermaid, only instead of a delicate fish-girl, he’s a powerful shark-man.
Then I created a second alien that was a counterpoint to Brog. So, I drew Xavis, whose design is partially inspired by a phoenix. I liked the contrast between an aquatic species and a winged, bird-like species. Yet, it didn’t quite look right. Something felt off. So, I set Xavis aside and tried something new. This time I used a dragon as inspiration and came up with Desmodian. This also provided a good contrast alongside Brog, with a sort of “land and sea” vibe, yet it still didn’t look right.
It was only when I had all three characters on the page, trying to decide which to use, that I realized they looked best altogether. So, the duo became a trio, and the story was altered to fit this change.
Of course, characters are defined by more than just the way they look. It’s also about their personalities. Since the trio already hand a “land, sea, and air” theme going on, I took the symbolism a step further and based their personalities on the first three states of matter. Desmodian is the solid foundation that the group is built on. Silently stubborn and unmovable, he doesn’t react much with the world around him. He puts himself where he wants to be, both literally and metaphorically, and stays there no matter what. Brog embodies a liquid state in the sense that he is more adaptable than Desmodian, but still maintains his own boundaries. He’s very reactive to even small disturbances, like a ripple effect, and while he is capable of standing still, he can also become an unstoppable tidal wave when he gets emotional. Lastly, Xavis’s personality resembles a gaseous state because he is the most wild and untamed. He sometimes seems to “have his head in the clouds” like he isn’t entirely grounded. This allows him to be the most creative and versatile member of the trio, but also makes him reliant on the others to keep him on track.
Once I established the characteristics of the trio, and their connection to the first three states of matter, it was a natural conclusion to base Pet on plasma, the fourth state of matter. This is what gave rise to the overall message and theme of the story. Pet’s journey into discovering himself as a person is the primary focus of the story, so I don’t want to spoil anything by explaining too much about how Pet’s character is inspired by plasma. Just know that it is a step-be-step journey that he’s still undergoing. After two books, he’s already come a long way in his personal discovery, but there’s still a much longer journey ahead of him.
BOOK 1
Book Title: The Fourth State of Matter
Author: D’Arcy Arden
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Cover Artist: Jennifer Greeff
Length: 87 000 words / 349 pages
Release Date: May 31, 2021
Genres: Sci-fi, M/M Romance, Menage, Space Opera, Aliens
Tropes: Class divide, Fast burn, Scifi spaceship adventure
Themes: Rebellion, Freedom, Personal discovery
It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.
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Blurb
Earth is dead. Humanity survives by selling the only resource available—themselves. 2689 has signed away his rights as a living being and become décor, living artwork that rich aliens use to decorate their homes. It’s a stable existence but a boring one. Until one day his owner plays host to three unexpected guests. Large, loud, and more potent than anything 2689 has ever experienced, this trio of ship-dwellers from the wrong side of the universe awakens a desire he can’t ignore.
However, blissful days of sex and companionship with Brog, Desmodian, and Xavis come to an end when 2689 discovers a plot that could land the trio in jail…or worse. 2689 will have to make a choice—stay silent and allow three innocent lives to be ruined or give up his stable life to protect the ones he loves.
Excerpt
Pet fumbled his drink, creating a clink of glass against glass and spilling pink droplets onto the table’s surface. He had encountered Décor Preservation Services once before, at his first auction, when they evaluated his quality and determined what price to charge his buyers.
“And what does DPS want with us?”
Desmodian sounded too calm, considering the tremor Pet felt running through the hand on his head.
Vige scoffed. “Really? A trio of dirty ship-dwellers running around with one of their precious décor, and you don’t think they’re going to intervene?”
“We’ve done nothing wrong.” Xavis ruffled his feathers again, filling what little space remained in their alcove. “Pet was transferred to us legally. Anyone can check the license.”
In a different situation, Pet would have stroked the feathers back down, but he was too scared to do more than stare dumbly from person to person.
BOOK 2
Book Title: The Use of Heavy Water
Author: D’Arcy Arden
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Cover Artist: Jennifer Greeff
Length: 89 000 words / 360 pages
Release Date: October 12, 2022
Genres: Sci-fi, M/M Romance, Menage, Space Opera, Aliens
Tropes: Beach vacation, the past returning, capture, rescue / escape
Themes: Relationships, betrayal, deception, personal strength, communication
It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.
The books are best read in order.
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Blurb
Décor don’t usually go on vacation, but after their adventure in the Iota Cloud, Pet is looking forward to a week of relaxation on the planet Syzygy, an ideal vacation spot for aliens from all corners of the galaxy.
The fancy resort they’ve chosen isn’t welcoming to ship-dwellers, but defying societal expectations has always been a favorite pastime for Desmodian, Brog, and Xavis.
However, a divide is sparked in the trio when shadows from Brog’s past make an unexpected appearance. Distracted by their conflict, the three are left vulnerable to an enemy who knows their weaknesses.
The trio can’t save Pet this time. It’s up to him to rescue the ones he loves and return them all to their true home among the stars. If he fails, their freedom and maybe even their lives will be forfeit.
Desmodian turned sharply back to Brog. His hand, which had been holding the card, opened and closed as if confused about its sudden emptiness. “What? You’re keeping it?”
One of Brog’s hands held the card, and another gripped Desmodian. That still left two arms free to cross over his chest in a challenging posture. “Maybe. No reason not to.”
Desmodian gaped. “No reason…after what that man did to you. There’s every reason to avoid him.”
The pair stared each other down, Brog with one set of eyes and Desmodian with his whole body.
Pet’s foot slipped over wet rock, and he nearly tumbled off the island. He had seen these emotions on his trio before, but rarely directed at each other. On the rare occasion they fought, it usually ended as quickly as it started. He hoped this time would be the same.
Xavis approached the argument with both wings outstretched. “Hey, guys, calm down. This isn’t worth fighting over.”
Brog let go of Desmodian, practically throwing his hand away. “If he thinks he can make decisions for me, then we got somethin’ to fight over.”
Desmodian’s hammer planted in the sand again, hard enough to sink several inches. “It shouldn’t even be a decision. It should be common sense. Yaivin Vels is the reason you ended up arrested and in Unit 22 in the first place. You shouldn’t want anything to do with him.”
D’Arcy Arden grew up in Akron, Ohio, where she attended creative art schools and was surrounded by beautiful country landscape. This combination cultivated an interest in literature, art, and the natural world around her. In college, she earned a Masters Degree in Fiction Writing, which primarily taught her that there is no one way to tell a good story. So, she turned around and went back for a degree in Animation as well. This love for both visual and written stories has given her a preference for stories that are memorable, easy to picture, and, most importantly, fun.
That was her main goal when she started writing The Fourth State of Matter—to provide readers with a fun story featuring the three S’s. Science, sex, and spaceships. It is her first published novel, but only the beginning of a great adventure.
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