Please welcome, if you will, author and fellow Briefer Ravon Silvius! I first ran into Ravon's books on eXtasy when I discovered her Enforcer's series and quickly fell in love! I was so enamored of the books that I found the courage to write to the author, and then I had the nerve to invite her to join our Wednesday Briefers! And now here he is, guesting on my blog! Exciting stuff, right?
Well, Ravon, make yourself at home, and go ahead and start answering those questions, while I dig us up
something to drink
Hello
everyone! Ravon Silvius here, ready to answer a few quick questions. I’m a
writer of science fiction and fantasy M/M novels and novellas. It’s great to be
here!
I’ll
introduce the sorts of things I write. I have a steampunk series called The
Enforcer’s Series. It’s a bit of a blend of historical and fantasy in steampunk
setting, and follows the lives of a noble mage and a poor talentless, or man
who cannot use magic, as they strive to earn equality for talentless. The blurb
and an excerpt for the first series can be found below!
Another
series is a pure fantasy, called the Waterlord Trilogy. It follows the story of
two men who seek to overthrow a corrupt ruler in a fantasy setting where the
world is covered in water.
Finally,
I have plenty of books that follow cyborgs. The best one to start with is
Remembrance, a story about a man who fought in the war that ended the world,
and how he survives. Perils of Forgotten Pain takes place 1000 years later,
where a cyborg must decide if he wants to continue fighting in a war he slowly
realizes is corrupt. And the Erotic Cyborg stories are fun little jaunts about
cyborgs getting frisky ;).
For
now, though: The Questions!
1)
You’re marooned on a small island
with one person and one item of your choice—who is that person and what item do
you have?
If I'm marooned, I'm probably mostly
concerned about survival, so I'd pick something useful in terms of
items.
Probably a sharp knife. People wise--whichever of my friends know how to build
a shelter. :P Or knows which plants are safe to eat and which aren't.
If the island was safe, of course,
I'd bring my computer and get some writing done!
2) Which
musical would you say best exemplifies your life – and which character in that
musical are you?
I don't know musicals well--I wish I
did, but seeing them is expensive! I liked Wicked a lot, and Billy Elliot.
Actually, lets go with Billy Elliot. I'm no dancer, but I relate to him a lot.
3) Take
these three words and give me a 100 word or less scene using them: snow,
genius, orchestra
Kenneth shivered, wishing
he had used magic to keep them both warm on their walk to the
theater. Of course, if he did that, he never would have gotten to see
another one of Thorn's genius contraptions--an umbrella, he called it.
Thorn shook it, sending
snow onto the floor. "So, ready for the show?" he asked. "A
talentless orchestra may not be as fancy as what you noble mages are used to,
but I think you'll enjoy it."
Kenneth smiled. "I'm sure I'll love it." As long as he
was with Thorn, he would enjoy it no matter what.
4) You’ve
just been let loose in the world of fiction, with permission to do anyone you
want. Who do you fuck first and why?
Ooh, this is a tough question. There
are so many fictional characters out there who are so interesting, whether they
be in books, movies, anime or tv. There are also a lot who are unbelievably
hot, so it's hard to pick one!
I’m going to go with the Terminator.
Yeah, he’s technically a robot and a villain in the first movie, but damnit he’s
hot! Plus he gets almost sweet in the second movie.
5) What is
your idea of how to spend romantic time with your significant other?
Going on a walk outside in the
evening (preferably with no bugs!) You get the awe of nature along with
togetherness. Bonus for fireworks!
6) When you
start a new story, do you begin with a character, or a plot?
It depends on the story. Sometimes a
plot will pop into my head--for example, the world ends, but how? Or "what
would a world ruled by those with magic look like?" That was the
inspiration for the Enforcer’s series.
Other times, characters come first, not fully
formed but as concepts. For something like Perils of Forgotten Pain, the idea
was a cyborg built for battle when there isn't war any longer. Or in an
upcoming story, a vampire's servant who has a mind of his own. The story will
then come together around these concepts. That's not to say I don't run into
problems sometimes--it's hard to build plot around certain ideas, and with no
conflict, the story falls flat. But for the most part, I chase interesting
ideas and weave a story around them.
7) If they
were to make the story of your life into a movie, who should play you?
This is a tough question because I
don't know actors well. Probably someone like Adam Sandler, because if there
was a movie of my life, I'd want it to be a comedy. :D
8) Who’s
your favorite horror villain and why?
Can the Terminator count again? He's
sexy. :P
If I have to go with classic
horror villains, I've always liked Frankenstein. A monster who is actually
relateable and not traditionally villainous has always been fascinating to me.
9) Do you
have an historical crush and if so, who is it?
Julius Ceasar. He always seemed like
a cool guy. :P Plus who wouldn't want to go to Ancient Rome?
10) Is there a story that
you’d like to tell but you think the world isn’t ready to receive it?
I have a horribly dumb story about
people given ridiculously overpowered superpowers, with lots of erotica
and needless angst and drama. It's been unfolding in my head since college. I
don't think its ready for the world at all--it's just a place I go to when I'm
bored. I sometimes wonder if others would enjoy it, but I kind of doubt it. Besides,
I have plenty of other stories to focus on!
Thanks for interviewing me! If people are interested
in my writing, you can check out my backlist at http://ravonsilvius.blogspot.com/
. Below you can find the blurb for the first book in my most recent series,
along with a brief excerpt!
Noble Magic:
Enforcers series, book 1.
Lord Kenneth
Victeni has every opportunity and every privilege. As the noble son of a
powerful mage, he puts little thought into the lives of the talentless, the
second class citizens who cannot use magic in a world ruled by mages.
That changes when he meets Thorn, a
talentless who is studying at the inventor’s college, where those without magic
develop steam-powered technology. The two men share a mutual attraction, and
what’s more, Thorn just might be Kenneth’s lifemate—the man who, with just his
presence, can double Kenneth’s magical power.
Kenneth’s ignorance of the lives of
the talentless puts an obstacle in their budding relationship, however, and his
life grows even worse when another mage at the collegium attacks and nearly
kills him. Now Thorn and Kenneth must put aside their argument and find a way
to put a stop to a mage who poses a threat to others—and along the way, Kenneth
might even learn the sensitivity he needs to win over Thorn.
Excerpt
from Noble Magic:
Thorn smiled. “I would like that,
but I have a want to show you my work also. Why not come to my lab tomorrow
afternoon? We’ve talked about your alchemy, but I want to show you my work
too.”
Kenneth squashed disappointment.
He wanted to spend time with Thorn, but he didn’t relish looking at what was
sure to be inventions for war. “That sounds nice,” he managed. “I can do that.”
“Excellent.” Thorn stepped close,
and Kenneth froze as the brunette grabbed his arm, his grip like a vise, and
kissed him on the lips, a light question.
Kenneth put his arms around him
and deepened the kiss, thoughts of other magi and talentless and what his
father would think vanishing. Thorn pushed him lightly, up against the wall of
the alley, flicking his tongue against Kenneth’s lips.
Kenneth could barely breathe, but
he didn’t much care. The man against him was strong, his lips soft, his tongue
slick and wet. Kenneth opened his mouth, twining their tongues together,
panting at the heat and wetness. Thorn moved so that his body was flush against
Kenneth’s, pressing against his hardening length, and Kenneth fought not to
move his hips.
Impossibly, his magic responded
too, a light thrum, like the unfolding petals of a flower. Strength flared, and
for a moment, he wondered if this was what finding a lifemate must feel like.
As quickly as it had begun the
moment ended, Thorn pulling away, his face flushed. “I’ll see you tomorrow
then. I should get Chocolate back to the stables.” He leapt up into the saddle,
a playful smirk on his face.
Kenneth adjusted his suddenly too
warm robes, aware that his erection was obvious. “Tomorrow, then,” he said
after a moment to collect his thoughts.
“Good luck with your alchemy.”
Thorn clucked his tongue, Chocolate setting a quick pace, and soon he had
vanished out of the alley.
Kenneth breathed hard. A
talentless lifemate? He spoke to the aether, calling his magic, running heat
and electricity down his hands. No. It was the same as before. He was no
stronger. An illusion, then, brought on by lust.
He shook his head. Tomorrow. It
shouldn’t upset his studies too much. Kenneth was still leery of the inventor’s
work, but Thorn being there would make it worth it. He mounted Jade and headed
out of the alley with a satisfied smile on his face, excitement buzzing through
his body like the first time he had used magic.
He had gotten the supplies he
needed, and it looked like he would get what he wanted too.
