Mysteries of Oregon
Oregon is filled with mysterious landscapes. They
make me wonder and spark my imagination.
What if the whole universe was on this tree?
What if a different world existed beyond the mist?
What if this mushroom grew teeth and sucked the life
force out of my toes?
If the bubbles are breath, what lives under the lake?
What if the lava were alive?
That last question inspired a swarm of beasts in my
imagination ten years ago. They made their way into The Initiate, Rifters Book
2 as the starring monster.
As fantastic as my stories can get, they’re based on
real things and places around me. Oregon never fails to disappoint me. To me,
it’s the most awesome place in the galaxy.
The Initate is now out! It picks up exactly where The
Rifters left off. More monsters. More time travelers. More steampunk. More
adventure.
A
junction erupts between the worlds in Settler, Oregon, a rift from which
horrors attack our world. The Rifters defend us.
To
trust unquestioningly is the first lesson Daelin Long must learn as the newest
Initiate of the Rifters.
Her
first day is a disaster. She stands on a deserted street in a town smaller than
a city district, courting killer rocks from another world with her ancestor
from the Revolutionary War. Normal no longer exists.
While
she struggles, Earl Blacke grapples with atoning for his past ill deeds,
running far and fast from Settler, Oregon. The Shaman of the Desert promises
him redemption, and an old mine puts the possibility of a gold strike in his
grasp. His luck has changed for the better, but he can’t have both.
What Inspires You?
***
M. Pax is author of the space adventure series The Backworlds, the urban fantasy series
The Rifters, plus other novels and
short stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons to her, and she blames Oregon, a source of
endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers as
a star guide, has a cat with a crush on Mr. Spock, and is slightly obsessed
with Jane Austen. Learn more at mpaxauthor.com.
So awesome how Mary finds inspiration in the world around her. And asks such interesting questions to create her new worlds. Congrats on her new book.
ReplyDeleteThe research is a blast.
DeleteToe sucking mushrooms - I'd never go into the forest again.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Mary!
It's fun to imagine. :)
DeleteThat's a beautiful landscape to use for inspiration. I find the ocean and the mountains in Colorado inspiring for story backgrounds and I've used them both.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful country out here :)
DeleteEvery time I read one of Mary's posts I want to visit Oregon. I'd just avoid the toe sucking mushrooms.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read The Initiate as the Rifters was a fantastic read.
Next year I hope to visit the giant fungus.
DeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteIf I thought like you, I'd never walk on the grass. Those are some scary mushrooms!
ReplyDeleteTis the season :) Actually, fall is when fungii blooms.
DeleteBeautiful pictures. I love wondering the same things. I think I get along with kids so well because I ask the weird questions. Most adults just look at me oddly. :) The Initiate is even better than the first book!
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it! I worried some over it as I had to rewrite a good chunk. I love wondering weird stuff. It's fun.
DeleteGwen, I'm like you--I love hearing where writers' ideas come from. And Mary, I really enjoyed pondering those questions you posed. What a great way to spark an idea! You're such a prolific writer.
ReplyDeleteHi, M. Pax! Congrats on The Initiate! I wish I could go to Oregon to see all of those beautiful things up close.
ReplyDeleteThanks for having M. Pax on your blog, Gwen! :)