This week Maureen O. Betita visits. I met Maureen in 2011 at the Erotic Authors Association conference here in Vegas and I loved the idea of a magical world with pirates without the scurvy. She writes fun and tongue-in-cheek sci-fi/fantasy romance and action/adventure. Today I asked her one question about blending fantasy with reality.
BBTF: Many people have a pirate fantasy, but real pirates aren't the ideal. Where do you think the fantasy comes from and how do you make your pirates the ideal?
Where does this fantasy come from? The same place the idea that everyone in a medieval castle is warm, that a highland hut would be vermin free, that a homestead in the wild, wild west could be kept clean of dust... Hollywood. And, to a certain extent, writers. Legends and folk tales never mentioned stink, dirt, vermin, starving, teeth falling out... And then Hollywood came along and continued the tradition.
In other words, it's not my fault.
How do I make my pirates the ideal? Well, I cheat. I follow what I consider the pirate code and I cheat. I don't write historically accurate pirate stories. In my series, The Kraken's Caribbean, there are modern conveniences in the Caribbean, despite it being the late 1690s, because travelers from the future have brought things that help. Like...ice machines. A substance tossed into the privy which eats human waste. A thread woven into every banner and sail and line called solar thread...which powers all the toys that fell through time. Like Ipods, blenders and speakers for when the band plays at the bar.
In my BIG series (30 books/1 couple), now known as Forever A Pirate, one of two main characters is a witch with several nice spells. The vermin free spell is a favorite. She also has a bag of healing spells she uses and, to be quite frank, her Caribbean is simply more aware of things like sweat and stink and...they wash more! I also made the Caribbean much more fruitful...more produce available and fresh water wells everywhere.
It's all fantasy, because let's face it, no one wants to imagine living with vermin, starving to death, teeth falling out...etc. Where does it come from? We all want freedom, we want to run away to someplace less complicated, full of color and fresh air and hot men... It's there because it's what they want. The readers want fantasy, not reality. I try to deliver what they want. And what I want, because I am my favorite reader. If I don't love what I write, why would anyone else?
So, for vermin free pirate ships, all the fresh water you want, feasts on the beach, dancing on the deck, hot men and women...visit my worlds.
You can find out more about Maureen's hot, sexy fantasy pirates on her website. Be sure to buy a book and tell a friend. Happy reading!
Siobhan
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