Author Insight- LM Preston + Contest

Today I have guest blogger, author LM Preston doing a post about why she wrote Explorer X-Alpha which is her first book in a new series, which comes out in February, 2010!

Here's a summary of Explorer X-Alpha:

For most kids, a trip to space camp is the trip of a lifetime for Aadi it was life altering. After receiving a camp immunization needed for travel to Mars, Aadi finds that the immunization is the catalyst of an insidious experiment. He realizes what is happening too late for a change of fate. The full experiment is set in motion when he and his co-pilot, Eirena, crash in a distant galaxy called Shrenas, where they change and realize the full extent of their power. This turn of events forces him to grow up quickly, accept his change, and to decide to save a world, or to do what he was trained to do dominate it. His power is coveted by the warring leaders of Shrenas, and he is forced to choose sides a decision that may prove just how much humanity he has left.

HOW DID I WRITE EXPLORER X – ALPHA

We were driving to my happy place, a fourteen hour drive (whew) … Disneyworld. Ok, I’ll admit it. I am still a big kid. I love to imagine and Disney World is just the place for that.

While on this long drive, my husband turns to me and says, “You should write a book. You loved to write when we were younger and you haven’t written since.” I told him of the one other time I had attempted to write a book and that I had lost interest in the story. His reply was that I should write science fiction, because it had no boundaries.

That was a pivotal point in my writing career. He challenged me to come up with and idea. This was a big challenge because my husband is a science fiction fanatic. He has comic books and graphic novels galore. He watches it and breaths it. It was the ultimate challenge, because I knew that he is a very opinionated person that would not hold back his comments to save my feelings.

After racking my brain for days, I dreamed of my main character, Aadi. His adventure consisted of his trip to camp that turned out to be a life changing event of discovery about himself and his true purpose at camp.

I told my husband about Aadi, whose parents forced him to go to space camp. He later discovers that he was created to go to any planet, adapt to it, and then dominate it. The best moment I can think of was when my husband’s face broke out into a grin and he said, “Write that!! I haven’t read anything like that before.”

I immediately started writing. After writing the first chapter, I realized I had to outline the story. At that point I realized that Aadi’s journey would take more than one book. I created his friends and co-pilot Eirena who crash landed on the planet Shrenas with him. Then came the fun part. The World Building which is my favorite part of writing science fiction.

I constantly looked to my kids for feedback on my book. They did not hold back, and then I gave it to their friends to read. They all told me that they love the story, even though they didn’t read science fiction. I wanted the book to be enjoyable for anyone, and was happy that I achieved that goal.

WHAT NOW

I am working on the follow-on series to EXPLORER X – Alpha, and just completed the final edited copy of THE PACK, an edgy YA novel about a girl who saves her world that comes out Fall of 2010. My adventures with Aadi in the EXPLORER X- Alpha are action packed, just enough to keep me writing.

By: LM Preston, Author of EXPLORER X – Alpha, www.lmpreston.com

So LM Preston was so gracious enough to let me hold a contest for a copy of Explorer X-Alpha and a book poster!!
How cool is that?!

How do you win?
Become a follower of my blog and LM Preston's (lmpreseton.com) and tell me why you want to read Explorer X-Alpha!
Deadline: November 23rd, 2009! Happy Reading!