Thursday, October 3, 2013

Truth or Fiction: Which is Stranger?

Hello from London town,

As I prep for the launch of the print version of The Deveron Manuscript, coming November/December 2013, I took time to look back at the development of the book, especially the research.  
 
© Kasia75 | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images
If you've read the thriller novel, you see that the story explores technology advancement, a lot of history and a bit of the paranormal/supernatural.  But, one thing I actually question and you may have a better answer is: What is stranger, or more unbelievable fact or fiction?  

How's this for thought?
  • 200 years ago, flying would have been a tale to be told only in books.
  • 100 years ago, a cell phone would have been an invention only possible in science fiction tales.
  • What about the internet? The automobile? The light bulb? The list goes on…
On that note here are some thoughts that I leave with readers of The Deveron Manuscript.


TRUTH OR FICTION?

The Deveron Manuscript is a journey across continents, cultures, history and a dip into the creative world of technology.  Many of the settings discussed in the book are places close to my heart, where I have either lived or had the opportunity to visit.

Except for a couple of altered street names like St. Giles Square, each location in the novel is taken from the global map and I hope one day you’ll have an opportunity to visit some of them. In the meantime, I endeavor to draw plots from the smells, the sights and the beauty of these places and hope that some of them captured your interest.

Note from Technological & Scientific Record
I am extremely passionate about technology and scientific entrepreneurship and have had the opportunity to work in multinationals that explore the daring, the imaginative, the inventive and the creative. So where did fact end in the book and my imagination take over?

In the story, Jack Kleve is our tech whiz and in many ways the type of individual you would find presenting at a TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design conference, a non-profit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. See: http://www.ted.com/) Much inspiration for this character came from the amazing talks that are shared here.

Slate Mendes, Mason’s hit man experiments significantly with ISTF, technological developments. Many ideas grew from some of the army technologies being developed within armies and universities. For example, Slate uses an exaggerated military cloaking concept similar to one explored by Army Technology, a component of Net Resources International. (See http://www.army-technology.com/)

Note from Paranormal Records
Calla Cress is gifted perhaps more than most, and physically capable of strengths beyond human capacity. While exploring this character, I questioned if some of her abilities were indeed fictional or had science and technology ventured a little further than I had thought. While developing her x-ray vision, I came across a report by the Discovery Channel on a girl with x-ray eyes. Fact or fiction, I leave that one up to you. (See here: http://bit.ly/195M4Ly

Lastly, while researching black diamonds for the story, known as carbonados by some, I was intrigued by their “extraterrestrial” element as some researchers have explored, including NASA. Although their abilities are skewed in this book, are carbonados truly diamonds from outer space? This was all fuel for a fascinating paranormal element. Again, fact or fiction, I leave it up to you.

Note from Historical Record
© Starper | Dreamstime Stock
 Photos &Stock Free Images
Except for a couple of altered facts around the mysterious character Merovec, I endeavored to keep each historical record explored in this book as accurate as possible, from Alexander the Great, to the history of English Grammar and Priam’s Treasure. History continues to fascinate me and casting Calla Cress as museum curator means that history will remain part of her adventurous world.

As a storyteller, I find it intriguing to dip into the mysteries of our world and hope that some of those explored in the novel not only spark your own imagination but your own curiosity.

See you on the next adventure.
(Sequel coming December - The Deveron Mandate)

Thank you!
 Rose