Elizabeth Mueller: Diehard Romance Author Writing Science Fiction

Credit: Pixabay

Today we have another guest blogger! May I introduce to you author Elizabeth Mueller! I’m very grateful for Elizabeth to be with us this post. She is, as she puts it, “a diehard romance” writer yet has also written and published in other fiction genres, including science fiction and fantasy. She’s currently working on a dystopian sci fi / fantasy / romance novel which she’ll be sharing with us a segment from. Both a full-time author and a homeschooling mom of five kids, Elizabeth has contributed to several science fiction anthologies, including steampunk, while still writing in her favourite genre. Let me not delay any longer: here’s Elizabeth discussing her writer’s journey from speculative fiction to realist fiction, to romance! 

Guest Blogger: Elizabeth Mueller

Thank you for having me over at your lovely place, Steven! You’ve asked if I could talk about speculative fiction. To be honest, I’ve always wondered what that was and never tried to understand it as I’ve always focused on romance.

Confession: I am a diehard romance. This fact doesn’t deter me from exploring other genres, of course. The deal with the way I work is that everything I write has romance in it! It frees me…

Don’t judge, but I just looked up what speculative fiction means. Haha! I’m caught by surprise because, not knowing what it had meant, I started out as a speculative fiction writer in my teens. That’s pretty much all I wrote until I came across a book distributor who informed me that the book I’d asked him to consider was not marketable. He’d said that the market was saturated with fantasy and encouraged me to try realistic fiction.

Despite the shock of rejection, yet, grateful for the helpful push, I pushed myself to write outside of my comfort zone.

That was eleven years ago. Since then, I’ve written over ten realistic fiction books along with my nine speculative fiction. Yes, I started out writing high fantasy. There was nothing but elves, goblins, fairies, and sorcerers. I love the power it endowed me. I am the goddess of world-building and government. It has always been a wild ride for me and slipping into realistic fiction, whether historical or contemporary, curbed the creativity that comes with speculative fiction but then came research that opened many doors to learning and inventing things based around said events—I’ve never once lost my creative license which is most cathartic that comes with my writing!

After spending years dabbling in realistic fiction, I challenged myself to write steampunk, which came as quite a lovely surprise that, yes, I am capable of writing in that genre. So excited over it that I’ve written three books. I do intend to further my exploration in that sometime soon. This leads into science fiction, which, I’ve always been timid to write.

I attempted it once, co-authoring with my son though that story was rejected. No matter, I attempted writing it again once more and the story was accepted. Yay! I guess this means that I am capable of writing scifi.

The latest book I’ve been nurturing is called AWAKEN: A LOVE STORY. And yes, this is science fiction. It is a story of firsts: first love, first emotion, first feelings, first freedom—it is a journey of exploration. It is a Dystopian Science Fantasy Fiction Romance to be exact. This one was a wild ride inspired by a single song over ten years ago: The Same Parents by Enigma. Though this particular song talks about Adam and Eve, it stirred my super creative juices that cried “Science Fiction”!

The thing about this particular story is that, despite feeling the plot stirring behind my eyes like well-loved memories, it wasn’t ready to be born. I set it aside in the backburner of my mind and touched on it throughout the years until last year, it hit the ground running so fast and so hard, that I found myself tripping after it. Whoa! What an experience…

Here is the summary I’m using for my pitches:

What good is “perfect” without love? There is no crime in the Balance. No aging. No death. Living on the outskirts of society, Daemos escapes his prison with dark secrets that threaten the Balance. Because of this evidence, his life is forfeit. N'reena is drawn to him and the impossible happens--she falls for him. Lives are at stake, especially their own! Can she keep him a secret, or will the Balance destroy them?

There are villains in this story. Chilling villains. I start the book through his viewpoint. Okay, back to the diehard romance: in every book I’ve written, there is romance. My writing motto has always been: make love, not war—so you can imagine how difficult this was for me to create a truly deplorable villain. It had to be one that has little care for precious life, and I forced myself not to be afraid to show that. It wasn’t easy for me but it’s the world my characters live in and what drives them to fight for everything they believe in.

Here is the opening scene: Season 1: Episode 1: Through Eyes Darkly: a villain’s view:

Andro narrowed his gaze, scanning the information on the screen with a practiced eye until… He sucked in his breath, his gaze snapping to the mewling asset shackled to the slab. Had it become self-aware again? It was the same pattern of adapting. Over and over. How was this possible? To rewrite its commands, its subroutines each and every time. It seemed willful to a fault. Was it mocking him? Though the cost was great, the asset along with its skillset was crucial to the survival of the Balance.

“We cannot afford such freedom to the extent that it has enjoyed. I expect a revision,” he addressed the caretaker who discovered the asset’s encrypted coding and locked gazes with the asset.

“This is our umpteenth revision, surely—” the caretaker timidly protested.

“Are you saying you are incapable of removing unwanted data?” Andro shouted over the caretaker, his hand twitching. Perhaps he could pull from Mainframe One to replace this dolt of a caretaker though it would cost him dearly. He would not waste time or tech on a mere caretaker. Just as he reached for the sleek handle of the disruptor, the caretaker fumbled.

“Every time we do, it-it finds a way to circumvent the sequencing.” The caretaker bowed. “We are working ceaselessly to remove the encryption.”

“I see.” Andro turned on his heel and bent at the waist, bracing his weight with his palms against the metal slab where the asset lay. The flawless features, from the silvery locks upon its head to its graceful feet, enticed him. None rivaled its intellect or skills to producing the finest technologies. It was his choice above all others. “What are you hiding?”

He beheld the asset’s wide and unblinking silvery gaze. It showed no fear despite its bewildered expression.

“I understand the zest for life. The desire to test everything.” Gliding his fingernail down its soft cheek, he grinned. “It is what you are as an integral part of the Balance. However, curbing unnecessary protocols is crucial.”

Its lips moved, shaping words unspoken with soft cries.

“Muted by your own invention.” With a shake of his head, he clicked his tongue. “What a grand genius it was, my dear.” Its slight movements caught his attention to its shackled limbs. “If anything, you must remember this: only create for the benefit of the Balance. Otherwise, you risk all I have ever achieved.” It was time. “No one needs to know any better.”

He addressed the caretaker without breaking eye contact with his favorite asset. “Remove all encryption. Self-serving is not part of the Balance.”

“We will extricate the undesirables as you require.” The caretaker bowed.

“You have a day to do so.” Only then did Andro meet the caretaker’s gaze.

“A-a day?” The caretaker sobbed, exchanging glances with his assistants. “There are millions—”

“A day!” Andro’s hand twitched again. Obeying the impulse, he lunged for the disrupter and jammed it into the caretaker’s side, engaging the switch. It happened oh so swiftly. The loud zap traveled down the shaft, the vibrations causing Andro’s arm to quiver until the sensation muted itself the moment it reached the life’s blood beneath the caretaker’s skin.

The caretaker collapsed with a gurgle, clawing his chest as he writhed in agony while his body caved in on itself. Andro stepped back and tilted his head at the delightful process that started with the viscera. It worked its way through each inner organ, disintegrating everything it encountered until the entire thing shrank with minimal leakage. He grinned at the pure genius as he admired the body’s gratifying course of disintegration into an accommodating size. A clean and swift disposal that easily fed the Balance.

“You have a day! With such a valuable asset at risk, we do not have more than that.” Andro stepped over the quivering pile of flesh and scanned the chamber with a narrowed gaze. The other caretakers quietly continued their duties.

“Make this the last incident.”

“Of course.” The nearest caretaker bowed, his gloves crimson as he hurried to clean after the bloodied remnants.

His esteemed asset blinked, a single drop of moisture leaking from its eye as the lips quivered.

“What is this?” His brow arched when he saw the droplet. “A tear?” It rolled onto his fingertip from its cheek. “If you are aware enough to weep, then you are aware enough to recode yourself.” He smirked and whispered, “And we cannot have that happening now, can we?”

Tears, indeed. He flicked it from his finger in disgust and nodded at the next caretaker who closed in with a disruptor in hand who pressed into the asset’s neck.

With one last glance at his prize, Andro said, “I trust you will perform better with this next round, N’reena. Only then shall you live up to your true role as Top Founder.”

Up next: E2 Her Rescuer via Amazon’s Kindle Vella—the first three episodes are always free!

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Despicable, isn’t he? I hope you enjoyed it! 

Currently, I have a horror romance stirring to life and it’s bursting through the membrane of creativity. I believe that’s what I’ll write next. Please sign up for my newsletter to see what I’m up to with my writing adventures.

Thank you for joining me. ’Til then!

Credit: Elizabeth Mueller

Award-winning author Elizabeth Mueller lives deep in the heart Texas surrounded by everyone she loves—including the characters who don’t stop talking in her head. While she enjoys homeschooling her kidlets, she thrives as a full-time writer of any genre that captures her heart.

Website: http://www.elizabethmueller.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/elizabethmuellerauthor

That’s a really fascinating writing career you’ve had, Elizabeth! You look like you’ve come a long way. This shows people that a person can both write successfully in their usual genre as well as others. You can find Elizabeth’s work at the links in her bio provided above. Thank you again, Elizabeth, for guest-blogging here at A Far Out Fantastic Site!

Credit: Pixabay

‘Night Creatures’ Call No. 11 Now Out

After nearly an entire summer, I’ve finally put together and released “Night Creatures’ Call”, my monthly author’s newsletter! This issue I give my latest progress on my upcoming book of short stories, “Bad Apps”. I also debut a new section of the newsletter that will present blog posts I’ve presented here at the Fantastic Site except they will contain additional content! To receive my newsletter, sign up for a free subscription here! 

Be here Wednesday for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog hop post! Will you be reading Elizabeth Mueller’s dystopian sci fi / romance novel, “Awaken: A Love Story” when it releases?

Until next time . . .