Cover Reveal – The Drift Lords Series

I am excited to share these beautiful covers for The Drift Lords Series. I’m reissuing these books previously published by The Wild Rose Press. All three titles have been updated with added bonus materials. Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc.

Meet the Drift Lords, galactic warriors sent to Earth to seal a dimensional rift opened by an ancient enemy. To defeat the evil beings, they must join forces with a special group of Earth women, whose legendary powers are just awakening. “Star Wars” meets “Lord of the Rings” in this adventurous fantasy paranormal romance series.

Warrior Prince  Warrior Rogue  Warrior Lord

The inspiration for the series came from the Maelstrom ride at Disney’s Epcot theme park. I loved the idea of evil trolls and so I created the Trolleks, invaders from another dimension. It was huge fun to make up the parameters for this multiverse. Each hero has a quest but he can’t complete it without the Earth woman destined to be his mate.

WARRIOR PRINCE
Book One in The Drift Lords Series
Copyright © 2012 by Nancy J. Cohen
Published by Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-13-3
Release Date – November 6, 2020

When mythologist Nira Larsen accepts a job as tour guide for a mysterious stranger, she’s drawn into a nightmare reality where ancient myths come alive and legendary evils seek to destroy her. She must awaken her dormant powers to survive, but the only person who can help is the man whose touch ignites her passion. 

“I’m a huge fan of Nancy Cohen’s Bad Hair Day Mysteries and was thrilled to discover her latest book, a terrific mix of science fiction, mystery, and sizzling romance.” Mary Kennedy, author of the Talk Radio Mysteries 

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WARRIOR ROGUE
Book Two in The Drift Lords Series
Copyright © 2013 by Nancy J. Cohen
Published by Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-14-0
Release Date – November 13, 2020

When fashion designer Jennifer Dyhr loses her lead actor for a video-game commercial, a replacement literally drops from the sky. Reluctant to let him leave, she hires him as a model for her studio. When alien invaders attack their flight home, Jen must awaken powers she didn’t know she had to protect them both. Will she be able to keep her heart safe from the man sent to save her planet?

“Cohen’s futuristic, paranormal romance series blends aspects of science fiction with magic and mythology then tops it off with steamy scenes that are so hot you will need a fan and a mint julep drink to cool off.” Manic Readers

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WARRIOR LORD
Book Three in The Drift Lords Series
Copyright © 2014 by Nancy J. Cohen
Published by Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-15-7
Release Date – November 20, 2020

Pottery sculptor Erika Sherwood marries a stranger at a Las Vegas casino after they win a game together and agree to split the reward. It isn’t until her life is threatened that Erika realizes the wedding was for real and her husband is an alien.

“Cohen’s third book in her Drift Lords series is an action-packed thrill ride from start to finish. She effortlessly blends fact with Norse mythology and fiction to create a fabulous tale, layered in detail and rich in texture.” Muddy Rose Reviews

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The Drift Lords Series mixes Norse myths, magic and action-packed adventure in an exciting tapestry of romance. #fantasy #pnr #romance Share on X

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Necronomicon Conference Part Two

Necronomicon, Part 2

Getting Started: Writing Believable Dialogue with Nick DiChario, K.L. Nappier, M.B. Weston, Nancy J. Cohen, and William Hatfield. A lot of good advice came from this panel. Be true to your character. Determine your target audience because it makes a difference in the language you can use. Listen to the people around you to get ideas for speech patterns. Read your material aloud to see if it sounds stilted. For more detailed advice, see my Blog on Writing Effective Dialogue. Below: Author Gary L. Zeiger and his lovely wife selling his book in the Dealers’ Room.

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I skipped out next to roam around the hallways and to stop in to the hospitality room for a snack. You could attend such subjects as Higgs Boson [Particle] and You, Steampunk Invasion, Author/Publisher Contract Do’s and Don’ts, the Music of Science, and Anime Timeline. Then I met up with my husband for lunch and we strolled across the street where a farmer’s market was in full swing.

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Why Sell Your Books to a Small Press with Eric Beebe, Lucienne Diver, Ed Howdershelt, and K. Piet. The reasons are many. First of all, Lucienne said the term Indie Author applies to writers who are published by an independent press. This is different from self-published and authors who are published by small presses or by vanity presses. One advantage of going with a small press is the individualized attention you get that you may not receive from one of the Big Six. You can build up your following and increase your readership. You may also have a say in your cover art. Discoverability is always an issue, so see what the small press publisher will do for you in terms of marketing.

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Lucienne said the best chance for a high level of success is still with the big presses, with some exceptions. She discussed the agency versus the wholesale model in regard to pricing. Brick-and-mortar stores may devolve into smaller boutique shops over time. Humor can be a hard sell in today’s market, but anything erotic is still hot. Science fiction and fantasy aren’t doing as well in e-book format as romance and erotica, which are the biggest sellers. YA Paranormal doesn’t sell well in ebook either, because not all kids have e-reader devices. This genre is also hard to sell right now because Barnes & Noble has decreased demand for them.

Getting it Right: Paranormal Elements in Fiction with Nancy J Cohen, Lucienne Diver, Pamela Labud, Will Ludwigsen, and Brandy Stark. As I was on this panel, I didn’t take notes but we each talked about the elements we use in our fiction. My new series deals with Norse mythology. Being consistent in your world building is essential.

Getting Started: Writing Fight Scenes with Richard Byers, Johanna Bolton, R.M. Garcia, T.S. Robinson, Michael Joy, and William Logan. One of the recommendations is to give glimpses of your hero’s special ability along the way. Build anticipation and get to know your villains. Johanna writes spaceship battles, and she visualizes the scene ahead of time. Richard suggests that you consider the level of realism you want to achieve. Consider scene length also. Is this meant to be the grand finale or merely a build-up to the end? The fight scene should have a purpose, such as showing team work. And don’t forget physics. When you hit a wall, what happens? Does the wall crack? What are the results on your body? Michael says his fight scenes serve as the action around the dialogue.

Problem areas can be giant battle scenes with multiple armies, unfamiliar technology, mercenaries for hire, psychic combat, lack of experience with weapons. What are some common mistakes? If you use very specific terms such as Japanese martial arts moves, you are appealing to a narrow audience. Either rename the move or qualify it through action. A general audience won’t understand the jargon. Fight scenes can go on too long. Get back to the people. Factual errors can be a problem, like when the gun is putting out the wrong caliber bullet. Or the choreography can be wrong. Make sure the sequence of events is physically possible. Also if somebody gets killed, give a definitive ending for that person before the story moves on. And remember that injuries need time to heal. It’s unrealistic when your hero pops up the next day after a major fight scene, and he’s perfectly fit.

Your hero’s background will determine how he approaches the scene. A trained fighter will observe how the enemy holds his weapon, and that may tell the hero how to confront the guy or if it’s wiser to get out of his way. Women can fight for different reasons than men, so keep that in mind. Alternate moments of high tension with those of low tension but don’t ever completely let go.

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On Saturday night, the Masquerade brought out characters in all sorts of costumes, including the bagpipe artist in a kilt and the dog. We skipped outside to have dinner at a restaurant just past the yacht club and alongside the marina. It was breezy but clear with a full moon. I’d had a great time but left early Sunday to head over toward Orlando and a revisit to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

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Necronomicon Conference Part One

Necronomicon was the first SciFi/Fantasy convention I’ve attended. In many ways, it’s similar to a mystery conference. There were more men than at a romance con. The panels were professional and moderated by a host. Aspiring authors attended in abundance. However, here’s the biggest difference: Gamers. One darkened breakout room held 3 rows of computers where people sat all day and sometimes all night playing Halo. Other guys sat at round tables engrossed in role playing games. And the hospitality room was open 24/7 with free food and soft drinks. A guard on sentry duty made sure you were wearing your badge if you walked by. The mode of dress differed, too. At a mystery con, many of the men would be wearing sport coats. Not so much here. No editor/agent appointments either. So it was a curious mix of writers and fans of the genre.

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Authors who paid for a table sat in Author’s Alley down the hallway at tables with their books for sale. The Dealers’ Room was similar to the ones at mystery cons, where authors have to hope one of the vendors has their books for sale or else make a consignment deal. Few booksellers showed up here; vendors sold mostly jewelry and games and other knickknacks. Did this mean people weren’t booklovers? I only sold two books. Granted, my name isn’t known by this crowd, but I’m thinking most readers of this genre probably buy e-books since they’re tech savvy. Or else they are just not familiar with sci fi/paranormal romance. This convention was unlike those huge SciFi cons with celebrity stars. The cost is reasonable to attend and many panels are geared toward writers.

Instead of a forensics track like at a mystery writers con, this event had a science track led by scientist guests. All in all, it was a valuable introduction to an entirely new audience. People were very welcoming and if I went again, I’d start to recognize familiar faces. The panels were all interesting and parties ranged into the night if you were so inclined. We arrived the night before to settle in and become familiar with the hotel. Across the street was a big sports arena where a soccer game played on Saturday night. Down the road was the Dali museum. And nearby was a popular Mexican restaurant, the Red Mesa Cantina, where we had dinner. The food was delicious and the Halloween decorations really neat. I had grilled mahi mahi on a bed of plantains with mango salsa and my husband had shrimp with beans and rice and veggies.

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Now here’s what I learned at some of the talks.

Friday

The Resurgence of Fairy Tales with Tracy Cornett, David Berger, Lucienne Diver, Kat Heckenbach, and K.L. Nappier.

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How did you get interested in the genre? Kat replied that she wanted to see how contemporary fantasy fit the fairy tale model. Lucienne was interested in anthropology and how creation myths are similar and different for various cultures. Comparative religion sparked her interest. David was inspired by books and mythology. A high school English teacher, he mentioned how many mythologies are similar to each other regarding the Hero’s Journey.

What’s the difference between fantasy and fairy tales? David said both can have magical elements, but fairy tales are lighter. Our exposure is Disney-fied. Lucienne mentioned that the original fairytales were dark and cautionary. They were meant to strike fear into people and their dangers still apply. For example, the big bad Wolf could be considered the serial killer in the woods today. People are trying to recapture the earlier mythos and not the sickly sweet tales we’ve come to know. We would rather have the Princess save herself these days.

Can things swing too dark? Not if the demand is there, Lucienne advises. “Dark really sells.” She said that fairy tales don’t teach kids that there are dragons. The stories teach kids how to defeat dragons. David writes about Greek mythology. The kids in his classes write dark stories with vampires, werewolves, and dragons. The dark experience in literature can be safe and cathartic. K.L. Nappier added that the overall plot arc and character growth are important. Fairy tales derive from folklore, while mythology has religious origins. For example, myths have gods that are similar in the various creation myths. Legends have heroes, while folktales are more achievable by human standards.

Romantic Elements in F&SF: The Male Perspective with Nancy J. Cohen, William Hatfield, Chris Helton, Rick Wilber, and Linnea Sinclair. In this panel, we discussed the male viewpoint in romantic relationships. Some of the men write female protagonists. Linnea suggested you have to target the audience to know what readers you are trying to reach. And Chris gets into the emotional depth of his male characters so he has no problem showing their feelings. You can show characterization through dialogue as well as action.

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The Future of “Star Trek” was a fun panel where we discussed the recent movie that reinvented the series. People had vocal opinions on whether they liked certain elements or not, and a lively debate ensued. You could tell from the episodes bantered about that the audience members felt great affection for the show, whichever version we discussed.

A delicious Italian buffet dinner followed the last panel after which Guest of Honor Linnea Sinclair gave an inspirational speech. After 8 PM, you could either attend more panels such as Settling Mars: The Next Great Challenge; You call it Urban Fantasy, I call it Horror; Dr. Who and the 21st-Century; It’s the End of the World: Apocalyptic Fiction. If you are still awake at 11 PM, you could attend Sex and Science Fiction/Fantasy or still other topics. There were ongoing sing-alongs, cartoons, art shows, and role-playing games into the wee hours. Pix below: Linnea Sinclair on left. Bestselling author Timothy Zahn with me and Linnea on right.

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A Dream Come True

Circle of Light was the seventh book I’d written and the first novel I sold. This story began as a dream. When I woke up, I felt compelled to finish the story.

Circle of Light

Circle of Light began the Light-Years trilogy that followed. This first title won the HOLT Medallion Award in the paranormal category. The story has ancient prophecies, mysterious glowstones, a magical Blood Crystal that foretells the future, and a transcendent healing power inspired by love. It also has villains: the evil Souks, a slaver race; the nasty Horthas with their stun whips; the Twyggs with their grasping branches, a traitor in the central government; and mercenaries who hire their services as assassins. It’s an exciting story. No wonder I felt compelled to finish it.

Circle of Light was originally published by Dorchester when I was writing as Nancy Cane. I reissued it under my own name after doing a new line edit. For research, I used a National Geographic article on volcanoes for the scenes on Taurus, a volcanic planet. I used my Star Wars and Star Trek sourcebooks and technical manuals for inspiration in terms of ships and weaponry. The capital city of Bimordus Two is a biome, a self-contained ecosystem. I cut out articles about these habitats at the time. Research took many forms for this futuristic romance. And because it’s at heart a romance novel, woven throughout the exciting adventure is the developing love story of Sarina and Teir.

Attorney Sarina Bretton is kidnapped from Earth to become the legendary Great Healer, thus saving the galaxy from a dreadful plague. To activate her power, she must marry Lord Cam’brii, a stiff politician. Instead, she falls in love with the spaceship captain transporting her to the wedding.

Captain Teir Reylock is drawn to the feisty woman he’s escorting to the capital city, but he must fulfill his duty. He doesn’t count on being assigned as her bodyguard once they arrive. Now not only must he protect Sarina from the Coalition’s enemies, but also he must guard her from his own heart.

Current editions are available here: https://books2read.com/CircleofLight