Making up worlds
Yes, I write futuristic/fantasy romance and fantasy with a (strong) romantic subplot – and make up worlds.
The world of Celta is a many-years-in-the-future colony of Earth on another planet, settled by people who had strong psi powers and have developed them in the 400 years since they’ve landed. And, yes, this is the series with telepathic pets (especially cats with attitude) called Fams.
I use the Fams for comic relief, use them as tricksters, friends, and sometimes mentors…I’m never quite sure what will come out of their mouths…but I DO know my cats talk and act like cats.
I like writing romance because the stories deal with relationships, and most importantly the relationships that form the basis of our family structure. So I explore the making of this structure.
In Heart Choice (#4 – after HeartMate, Heart Thief and Heart Duel, and yes, I’m tired of ‘Heart,’ but I have a list!) we have tracker Straif Blackthorn has returned to Druida City after his last rescue mission, intending to repair his home and resume the noble duties he abandoned at seventeen, when he lost his family to disease. He’s futilely searched Celta for a cure.
But a secret enemy is ready to claim his title, his lands, and destroy the woman he loves.
As an interior designer Mitchella Clover dreamt of someone saying “no expense spared.” Unfortunately it’s a wildly attractive GreatLord who offers her the chance of a lifetime – to restore an ancient showplace. She knows she can never give Straif what he truly wants, but can she resist him?
The job isn’t easy. Both the sentient Residence and Straif’s new snobbish Fam cat have remodeling ideas, and Mitchella’s ward instantly dislikes Straif.
Everyone’s back! Characters from HeartMate, Heart Thief and Heart Duel appear to help renovate the Residence, solve the mystery, give advice on the perfect duel – or meddle. And the first baby of the next generation is born…
A pair of seemingly star-crossed lovers face incredible odds in this well-written, humor-laced, intellectually and emotionally involving story, which explores the true meaning of family and love in a non-traditional setting. – Library Journal
READ AN EXCERPT: http://www.robindowens.com/images/HeartChoiceWebsite.pdf
Question #1
Best animal companion: Cat, Dog, Fox, Hamster, Shape-shifting fairy….? Tell me your reasons/stories!
Question #2
What paranormal stories do you like the best? I like reading vampires, but I sure can’t wrap my mind around creating them.
Question #3
This is an additional contest/promotion. Add your name to my INFREQUENT mailing list and you can win a bit of literary immortality. I’m in the midst of writing Heart Quest now, so I thought I’d let you all have a really fun prize. My hero and Fam fox will be prowling the streets of Druida City searching for a murderer. So, you can choose the name of a street! (probably that of the hero’s childhood home), or, if you don’t mind, you can choose the name of a victim! The street name will always remain the name you choose and may eventually make it on to some sort of map, but I probably won’t mention the victim again outside of Heart Quest (unless you follow my plant-type names and it spurs my imagination)! So go to it!
