My writing career started 12 years ago when I sold my debut novel to HarperCollins Voyager. Well, it started 10 years before that, really, when I started writing the book. Yes, it took me 10 years to write my first novel. Compare to 4 years to write the entire 1.3 million-word Wynter Wild series… I’ve learned a lot since those days.
Recently the rights to that first novel, Song of Scarabaeus, and the sequel, reverted to me – so I’ve republished the series with new covers on Amazon.
Now, you might think science fiction isn’t for you – and you might be right. But if you’re a fan of TV shows and films like Star Trek, Star Wars, Pitch Black, and especially Firefly, along with a strong female protagonist and a touch of romance, you might enjoy this series. Links and more info below.
They say a writer just keeps writing the same story, and maybe that’s true. As I re-read my manuscripts I found similar themes to my Wynter Wild series: escaping an isolated childhood, finding family, and finding purpose. The main character Edie reminds me of Wynter. The hero and some of the “pirate” crew are a mix n’ match of her brothers, Xay, Luke, even Joey (“Rosie”). And the main villain – a single-minded, cold-hearted woman with grand plans to “save” the galaxy – is very like Miriam (Wynter and the boys’ mother).
The “science” in my fiction is based on the idea of genetically engineering entire alien ecosystems to create human colony worlds. Don’t let that scare you. There’s a bit of jargon, but at its core this is a personal story about Edie’s struggle for freedom from people who want to use her talent for nefarious purposes.
Oh, and she has a hot, reluctant, convict bodyguard whose head will explode if he leaves her side.
Felicia Day picked Song of Scarabaeus for her Vaginal Fantasy Book Club in 2013 – read the discussion between club members here (spoilers). The book was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award and the Aurealis Award.
The new Amazon listing doesn’t have reviews yet, but here are the reviews at Goodreads to give you a feel for the book:
“Perfect mix of angst, personal growth, imaginative sci-fi, and world-building, plus a bit of romance.” – Goodreads reviewer
“Creasy’s convincing scientific speculation, appealing characterizations, and eerie alien landscapes make this science fiction romance deeply satisfying.” – Publishers Weekly starred review
Never submit…
Trained since childhood in advanced biocyph seed technology by the all-powerful Crib empire, Edie’s mission is to terraform alien worlds while her masters bleed the outlawed Fringe populations dry.
When renegade mercenaries kidnap Edie, she’s not entirely sure it’s a bad thing… until they leash her to a bodyguard, Finn—a former freedom fighter-turned-slave, beaten down but never broken. If Edie strays from Finn’s side, he dies. If she doesn’t cooperate, the pirates will kill them both.
But Edie’s abilities far surpass anything her enemies imagine. And now, with Finn as her only ally as the merciless Crib closes in, she’ll have to prove it or die on the site of her only failure… a world called Scarabaeus.
Children of Scarabaeus is the sequel and it’s available too.
Sara Creasy 