I'm thrilled to share that I'm currently putting the finishing touches on The Eleventh House, a story that has taken me eleven years to write (or at least ponder writing). It's my first foray into sci-fi romantic suspense, and to be honest, it's been a recalcitrant beast of a book.
The idea for this story and series germinated over a decade ago during an existential crisis centered around themes of 'exile' and 'outsiders.' I may have also been deep in research about the Roman Empire and slavery around that time because apparently that's where my mind goes during life crises! Back then, I simply didn't have the tools or mental capacity to tackle such an ambitious project (the jury's still out on whether I do now).
Originally, this was going to be a sci-fantasy or maybe a romantasy book. Either way, it felt like a complete pipe dream at the time.
The Traditional Publishing Maze
In Australia back in the early 2000s, the only viable option for writers was the traditional publishing route, heavily encouraged by all the industry powers that be. I can't tell you how many writers' festivals and workshops I attended, desperately trying to learn the ins and outs of 'landing a deal.' Looking back, none of it was particularly helpful because I hadn't even written a book yet. I just had so many voices in my head telling me what I shouldn't do. But hey, I did get to drink fancy wine and prance about pretending I was on my way to something great!
Those ideals came crashing down when I realized that most of my ideas were considered commercially unviable. People kept dismissing the kind of romance I wanted to write. I'll never forget attending a sci-fi writers' workshop where we had to mention our favorite sci-fi book beforehand. I chose S.E. Smith's Gracie's Touch.
What I didn't know was the organiser was going to print out all the book covers and hold them up to the room, then ask each person why they considered their choice to be sci-fi. I knew I was in the wrong room when none of the other book covers featured a gloriously naked alien man chest displayed across the front. I mean, people were referencing classical sci-fi novels, and then along comes 'Isla Troy' (my sci-fi social media handle at the time) with an alien romance. The entire room erupted in laughter, and I just wanted to sink into the ground.
I remember one writer actually sneering at me. She was the same person who then stood up and lectured about how "real" science fiction needs to have a purpose for humanity, needs to expand intellectual horizons, and change the world for the better. Good grief, I knew then I was completely out of my depth!
It didn't help that several writers in that room were scientists who were very puritanical about writers needing a background in science or, at the very least, an astrophysics degree. The irony? The one actual astrophysicist in the room happened to be sitting next to me, and he was genuinely lovely and encouraging. Maybe it's because he knows we're all just living on one big rock hurtling toward a black hole in the universe!
So I shoved my little pipe dream into a dusty drawer for years and never quite recovered.
The Indie Revolution
But here's where the story gets exciting! Fast-forward to 2022: I was now an indie author, having bypassed the traditional publishing road altogether. I decided to pull out those dusty file notes on the Friven Empire and my little sci-fi romance trilogy. I naively assumed I could just use my old notes and throw them together. Sadly, that wasn't the case. The characters no longer presented themselves to me as they had over a decade ago. So I pulled down the pre-orders and decided to rewrite the entire series (which brings us to 2025 and the constant delays along the way).
This long, winding journey has brought me here: my sci-fantasy has evolved into more of a sci-fi romance that, to be honest, has some 'dubious' science in it. But it does have a generous sprinkle of romance with a mystery threading through the background. I tried very hard to make it a dark and serious romance, but I can't stay serious for too long, so it's also got humor woven throughout. It's not your typical alien romance, but it's exactly the type of story I'd pick up and read, even without a man-chest cover.
Meet the Characters
Aribeth Forraine is a feisty heroine growing up in the outer regions of the Friven Empire. She knows very little about her lineage, having been raised by an adoptive father, but she's the last remaining blood descendant of House Unitas (the exiled 11th House). There's a prophecy attached to her existence, and she's delightfully reluctant about the whole heroine business.
Emperor Caleb 'the Black' Retoria also had a difficult life growing up within the confines of a brutal empire. He's your typical broody alpha male with his own compelling backstory, but he's not as dark as you'd expect. There's a side to him that's constantly drawn to the utterly ridiculous woman he meets while working undercover at an outstation.
That's all I'll reveal for now! I really hope you'll enjoy it and that it's not a completely nonsensical read. Given how many times I've rewritten it, I just hope it doesn't send you off to sleep… unless you suffer from sleep deprivation, in which case, maybe I’ve done you a favor.
What's Next?
Hot on the heels of the 11th House is Torstein Hagansson's story, ‘To Tame a Viking Warlord’ so I’m switching back to medieval Viking romance. This one has been a huge challenge for me and has taken me right out of my comfort zone. It’s partly based in medieval Morocco, which has a fascinating history. I ended up spending so much time down long rabbit holes just reading about the amazing history and stories from that whole region, including the people and societal structures that inhabited the place. Drawing everything together has been a bit of a wrangling exercise, but I'll get there and share more when the time comes!
Until the next post,
Elina