Virtual Tour: Forbidden Things: Book One - Dissident by Nikki McCormack @Author_NikkiMc @GoddessFish #Giveaway

Forbidden Things: Book One - Dissident

by Nikki McCormack

BLURB:

Ascard power can strengthen, heal and create. It also has great potential to destroy, enough to topple entire governments. Indigo’s country places strict limitations on the use of ascard so she must channel her talents into the healing arts or risk severe punishment. An orphan from a disgraced family, trapped by her father’s treason, Indigo struggles to reclaim her place in a society that has driven her into an abusive engagement.

Then a mysterious stranger from a neighboring country contacts her using ascard. He needs help escaping his prison so he can bring an end to his emperor's oppressive rule or die trying. His unshakable devotion to his cause and the passion hidden behind his cool arrogance move her to help him at the risk of being branded a traitor herself.

When the politics of society bring them together a second time, Indigo decides to use her growing powers to help him fight his war. If only she dared fight for her own future with such passion. Perhaps she can find the courage to do so by helping the man she has fallen for win his revolution. She might have exactly the power he needs to succeed.

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EXCERPT:

Her attention wandered to the fountain sprouting up in the center of a nearby courtyard, simple and elegant like a great stonework lily. A man stood by the fountain, watching water droplets falling with the shimmer of multicolored gems in the bright sunlight. Long silver hair hung to the middle of his back like a frozen waterfall. His smooth pale skin and unusual hair marked him as Lyran, but his regal bearing and rich attire didn’t befit a slave or merchant.

Curious. “Have you seen him before?”

Andrea turned, following her gaze. “Who?”

“The man beside the fountain.”

“There’s no one by the fountain.”

Andrea’s reply tugged at her awareness, but the silver-haired Lyran was turning toward them now. His pale eyes met hers and the air pressed from her lungs as if a corset were being pulled too tight. The buildings lurched and spun in her vision.

“Indigo?”

She sank to her knees. Andrea crouched down with her, her eyes wide and frightened. She held Indigo’s shoulders tight, her lips moving. Indigo heard only the pounding of blood in her ears.

GUEST POST:

Research in Fantasy Writing

When asked about writing fantasy, I’ve had people comment that it must be hard because you have to make up so much. I’ve also had people say that it must be easier because you get to make everything up. I think there is a false perception that fantasy is all flights of imagination and no research. I’m here to say that this isn’t true.

No matter what genre you write in, there are some common elements that always need research unless you know the subject well. For example, if someone breaks a bone, whether you’re writing a thriller, a historical romance, or an epic fantasy, you still need to understand how such an injury will affect your character in the moment and going forward in the story. Not only that, but you need to understand how treatments might vary depending on the technology and culture of the society your writing about. In the case of a thriller or historical romance, this is a matter of researching the appropriate time period and location. In the case of fantasy, unless you have magical means of dealing with the injury, you can research cultures that are, or were, similar to the one you have created for your story to get an idea of how they might handle such an injury. Using the real world as a starting point can give your story a feeling of authenticity.

In the Forbidden things series, I looked to historical conflicts, including two different falls of Constantinople and numerous other battles throughout history, to gather ideas for strategy, location and other such details to give my battle scenes a more realistic feel. I also spent hours researching poisons and torture to gather ideas and information for a few other scenes in the book. Like any good author, I’m probably on several government watch lists by now.

No matter what the genre, the research you do can help you provide grounding in the real word and make the book more relatable for readers. If you’re lucky, you might also stumble on occasional amazing historical tidbits that give you ideas to make your story even better. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction after all.

AUTHOR BIO:

Nikki started writing her first novel at the age of 12 (which is still tucked away in a briefcase in her office). Despite a successful short story publication with Cricket Magazine in 2007, she treated her writing addiction as a hobby until a drop in the economy left her with an abundance of free time to focus on making it her career.

Nikki lives in the magnificent Pacific Northwest tending to her awesome husband, two sweet horses, three manipulative cats, and a crazy dog. She’s a wine and tea fanatic who loves sitting on the ocean in her kayak surrounded by open water or hanging from a rope in a cave, embraced by darkness and the sound of dripping water. She also enjoys horseback riding, archery, PC gaming, dancing, good anime, etc. She studies Japanese and practices Iaido because she believes we should never stop learning.

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