World Building with Carrie Ann Ryan, Author of Dust of My Wings

Hi friends! Yesterday we had a visit from science fiction author Jeffrey Zweig where he talked about world building in the context of other worlds. Today, we’re hearing from bestselling paranormal romance author, Carrie Ann Ryan. Carrie Ann will tell us all about how she came up with the idea for the world in her new series beginning with her just released, Dust of My Wings.

Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Title: Dust of My Wings
Series: A Dante’s Circle Novel

Genre: Paranormal romance, Science Fiction and Fantasy
Published: July 2012

Available from: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | ARe

Synopsis
Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?

Neat freak lab tech, Lily Banner lives her life as any ordinary human. She’s dedicated to her work and loves to hang out with her friends at Dante’s Circle, their local bar. When she discovers a strange blue dust at work she meets a handsome stranger holding secrets – and maybe her heart. But after a close call with a thunderstorm, she may not be as ordinary as she thinks.

Shade Griffin is a warrior angel sent to Earth to protect the supernaturals’ secrets. One problem, he can’t stop leaving dust in odd places around town. Now he has to find every ounce of his dust and keep the presence of the supernatural a secret. But after a close encounter with a sexy lab tech and a lightning quick connection, his millennia old loyalties may shift and he could lose more than just his wings in the chaos.

Creating a New World by Carrie Ann Ryan

First, thank you so much for having me today. So how does the author’s mind work? For me, I think of the characters in the world comes from that. Each time I created a new world, have to be consistent, but I can be as dramatic as I feel like. That’s where world building comes in. Each time we create a new species have to make sure that you have their powers, characteristics, descriptions down pat. Especially when you’re in a series, and a little small tidbit of knowledge that you said in chapter 2 a book 1 may actually be important in chapter 12 book 7.

In my Dante’s Circle series, I have the seven book series in which I’m creating a whole new world, that is outside of my Redwood Pack world. Meaning, I had to make sure that each species and supernatural are consistent with themselves. In order to do this, I use Microsoft OneNote. Each book has a different tab and with each tab, I have serious outline character outline character descriptions and then species descriptions. And I have an overall book Bible that combines these tabs I can do a quick glance at what I need.

So unlike my Redwood Pack series in which I have demons, witches, werewolves, I have a lot more going on this time. I have angels, demons, wolf shifters, bear shifters, Fae, mermen, brownies, pixies, cats, and many, many more. And so each time I do this, I need to make sure I’m consistent with myself, and actually interesting. You don’t want to have each supernatural have the same exact thing. That would get a little boring.

Now, I do use an online resource about magical beings to at least get an idea of what I wanted. But as I kept reading through the mythologies, it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. So ended up taking that and evolving it into something that was my own. So yes, I do cite them, but it really wasn’t my overall arc.
In my world, humans are not merely humans. They are diluted versions of supernaturals who over time forgot the meaning of magic and what goes bump in the night. But because it’s still inherent in their DNA, something can make all of that change, and bring back that latent feature in and make it dominant. That’s why so excited about this, because I get to go crazy and do it ever I want in my own world. As long as I’m consistent with myself. That’s why I love reading fiction and paranormal books. You don’t have to stick to the normal rules, but you have to stick to your own rules.

So what is it that you guys love about breaking open new worlds? What are your favorite types of supernaturals? Do you like that have the same tendencies in care services in each book by different authors? Or do you like it when an author goes off the path and makes it her own?

***Giveaway Info***
Carrie Ann is giving away a swag pack to a lucky person who comments. Be sure to leave your e-mail address to be entered.

About Carrie Ann Ryan

Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate – even if its just in her books. Happy endings are always near – even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.

Her first book, An Alpha’s Path, is the first in her Redwood Pack series. She’s also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.

Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. You can find her at:

Website | Blog | Heartthrob Haven | Facebook Author Page | Facebook Friend | Goodreads |
Twitter: @CarrieAnnRyan |

Dust of My Wings Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | ARe

Dust of My Wings Excerpt
The motorcycle vibrated beneath Shade as he pulled off the side of the road and parked. The rain pelted him, the cold seeping into his bones, but he shrugged it off. He was in northern Washington and this seemed to be the norm in terms of weather.

He lifted his leg and got off the bike, ignoring the stares of the women around him. They watched him stroll, his powerful legs leading to long strides. He’d tucked his wings into the slits into his back to hide the fact he was an angel, but he couldn’t hide his face or the fact that women seemed to fawn over it.

It had been a long time since he had a woman. Not since that were jaguar a century or two ago in a night of deep depression and loneliness for him. But the heat, claws and desperation and only served to fill a physical need that left him even lonelier than before. From then on he left his carnal needs up to his hand. Before the jaguar it had been even longer, but he didn’t want to think about her. The one he’d lost. She was long since gone.

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Kristine: Thank you so much, Carrie Ann, for being such a great guest on my blog today. I loved hearing about how you created your characters and the rules for your world, and how you kept them all organized. You are truly and amazing author and woman! Congratulations on your new release 🙂

Readers, remember to be eligible to win Carrie Ann’s wonderful swag pack, you need to leave a comment with your email address.

Here are Carrie’s questions again: So what is it that you guys love about breaking open new worlds? What are your favorite types of supernaturals? Do you like that have the same tendencies in care services in each book by different authors? Or do you like it when an author goes off the path and makes it her own?


Happy Reading!
~Kristine