As part of the Legends and Lore Anthology blog Tour, I was assigned to read and review Peradventure, a short story by Sarah Seeley. And I feel lucky I have come across Ms Seeley’s work. Peradventure is an absolutely a fantastic read. Amazing and chilling from the beginning to the end! I was engrossed from first word to last.

Peradventure by Sarah Seeley: A jinni must choose between the woman he loves and destroying the city that persecuted her.

Judging of the quality of this short story, I’m convinced the rest of the book is such amazing like this particular one.

Here is what Sarah Seeley has to say about her work:

How did the idea for this story come to you?

I read the description for Xchyler’s Mr. and Mrs. Myth contest, of which Legends and Lore is the result, and interpreted the theme to be about fantasy married couples who might be intent on destroying each other (as in the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith). The story of Samson and Delilah seemed to fit that idea nicely, and I decided to retell it in a way that cast these two classic characters in a completely different light.

What makes your main character unique?

Delilah of Sorek is not the scheming seductress often portrayed from the classic Biblical tale. In “Peradventure,” she is a woman of tragic circumstances, caught between the advances of a brutal jinni named Samson and the wrath of his enemies as she struggles to balance doing the right things with her own survival. The jinni knows Delilah is afraid of his magic and doesn’t believe him when he says he loves her. The jinni knows Delilah is going to betray him. The jinni also knows she doesn’t belong in the city he’s come to destroy. He wants to save her, but she is too good, even for him.

Is this part of a series?

“Peradventure” stands alone.

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always loved writing. My first attempt to write books was around age ten, though I didn’t get very far. I wrote little stories about my toy dragons coming to life, and adventures I had with my real life friends on Star Trek mission simulators at the Christa Mcauliffe Space Education Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah. I even wrote my own rule manuals for clubs that never took off (I was obsessed with the idea of starting common interest clubs as a child). I’ve also kept journals on my life from a very young age.

What have you written?

I have two independently published works. One is a novel, a paranormal thriller entitled Maladaptive Bind. It’s about a woman who survives being kidnapped by a serial killer and discovers she is turning into a vampire. The other is a novelette called “Blood Oath: An Orc Love Story.”

There is one other short story of mine aside from “Peradventure” coming out in a formal publication this year. “Driveless” is a technothriller about a paraplegic man trapped in what is essentially a Google Driveless car gone rogue. It is due to appear in Leading Edge Magazine Issue #66.

Overall I enjoy writing both science fiction and fantasy, and my stories tend to have darker elements.

What are you working on?

Lots of things. Short stories have been my main focus lately as a way to break into traditional publishing, but there are a number of novel-length projects I’ve started and set aside. I plan on completing more novels and taking the traditional rout to publishing them eventually, if I can. On the short story front, I’m churning out new stories at a slow but steady pace. I plan to enter more writing contests in the future, including Xchyler’s upcoming Steampunk contest.

How do you write? Longhand, typewriter, laptop, tablet?

I use a laptop while spinning drafts, but I also keep handwritten notebooks for brainstorming, making notes, or exploring structure points in my stories. Changing back and forth between handwriting and typing helps me shake ideas loose, focus, and combat writer’s block.

What is your writing zone and how do you get there?

I like my space quiet and generally like to work on my writing in the library, or at home late at night when my folks are asleep. I also like writing late because I’m too tired to care if my writing is bad. It’s easier to make connections and seed the various sections or chapters of my drafts when I’m not feeling self-conscious about things that aren’t quite working yet in my story.

What’s the hardest thing about writing?

Life gets in the way sometimes, for better or worse. I’m a slow writer and become discouraged easily. The best thing I’ve found to stay motivated and regain lost momentum is tenacity. I’m still learning. Every story I write is an exercise, exploring something new that I haven’t tried before. Demystifying what a story is and how to create one has been a long, slow, arduous process for me, with plenty of frustration and confusion and loneliness along the way.

What’s the best thing about writing?

Writing, like all art, is about exploring what it means to be human. There’s something magnificent about stirring the imaginations of others, and articulating thoughts and experiences in a way no one has thought of before. The ability to connect with other people and their emotions using something called words arranged on a two-dimensional page or a screen is amazing. An author can literally alter the metabolism and brain chemistry of their readers from miles and miles, and eons away. That is my favorite thing about writing.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve been listening to books on tape at work lately. I recently finished James Dashner’s Rule of Thoughts, and have plans to begin Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter series as well as Ellis Peter’s Cadfael series. I have a non-fiction in my Audible cue called The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver that I’m curious to listen to. For reading of the eyeball-scanning-text variety, I’m currently reading Jason King’s Valcoria: Children of the Crystal Star and Brad R. Torgersen’s science fiction collection Lights in the Deep. And I have far too many non-fiction books on psychology and evolution, my favorite topics, which I’ve begun and need to finish.

Do you prefer reading eBook or paperback?

I like both, but I do enjoy the feel of tangible pages. For my non-fiction collection in particular, I like paper so I can make handwritten notes in the margins when I feel so inclined.

What advice do you have for fellow writers?

Put people first, and be aware of yourself and your needs. Sometimes important things happen that pull me away from my writing goals. Sometimes less important things affect my mood and make it difficult to believe in my own abilities to learn and create. Sometimes the story I’m writing is simply not going to work out and I don’t know how to fix it because I lack the skill. Whatever the circumstances, I’ve seen that no effort is lost.

If you have to take a break from writing, do it. The key is coming back. If you’re passionate about it, you’ll return. At times, you might not feel like you’re any good, or like you have a clue what you’re doing. But if you keep working through all the things that don’t work and don’t make sense, the important things will start to click. You’ll meet one goal, after adjusting it several times. Then you’ll meet another goal, and another.

Don’t quit! Take care of yourself. Put people ahead of your craft. Keep learning. Stay determined. Be bold. Keep writing!

 Author Bio

Through two wonderful mentored research experiences, Sarah E. Seeley had the opportunity to work with dead sauropods and ancient odonates while acquiring her undergraduate degree in geology from Brigham Young University. She hopes to study more dead things in the future and contribute to scientific discussions about what makes life on Earth so amazing. In the meantime, she explores the bright side of being human by writing dark fiction. Sarah’s independently published works include Maladaptive Bind and Blood Oath: An Orc Love Story. Another short story, “Driveless,” appears in “Leading Edge Magazine” Issue #66. You can learn more about Sarah on her writing blog at http://www.SlithersOfThought.com.

Email: seeleyspeech@gmail.com

Website: http://www.slithersofthought.com

Twitter: @SarahESeeley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorsaraheseeley

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/SarahESeeley

Blurb: Delve into myth and legend, where the Fates force post-modern man into a world of the unknown—a world long since dismissed as ignorant superstition.

The Brother-Sister Fable by Alyson Grauer: A young boy disappears into a realm where only his sister can follow.

Faelad by Sarah Hunter Hyatt: Claire Whitaker didn’t even know she was Irish, let alone The Morrigan, the goddess of war.

By Skyfall by Emma Michaels: A mer-couple from Atlantis find themselves in the middle of a human murder investigation.

Charon’s Obol by. R. M. Ridley: Jonathan Alvey didn’t believe in gods, until he helps a lost child find her all-powerful parents.

Peradventure by Sarah Seeley: A jinni must choose between the woman he loves and destroying the city that persecuted her.

Natural Order by Lance Schonberg: When Carlos Vasquez is kidnapped, he discovers powers within himself to change the world.

Two Spoons by Danielle E. Shipley: A little girl’s soul meets its match in the family diner’s most mysterious patron.

Grail Days by A. F. Stewart: Living forever has its drawbacks, especially when you spend it clearing away the messes of other immortals.

Downward Mobility by M. K. Wiseman: They say love conquers all, but can it save a Valkyrie when she breaks all the rules?

Link to the Publisher’s page:
http://www.xchylerpublishing.com/site.cfm/Our-Books/Legends-and-Lore.cfm