Inspiration Behind Across the Wire
by Stella Telleria
I always had made up stories running through my head my whole life and had always loved to read. In high school I had my heart set on being an animator/digital artist. I had a few comics I’d written and illustrated and I applied for a design and digital media program at a local college. Alas, I was rejected. It was a really hard program to get into. Life went on and I had engrossed myself in a job I was no longer passionate about when my father suddenly became ill and passed away when I was 24. I was numb. I couldn’t find happiness in anything anymore and it really made me examine my life. I relate to Mia’s character so much because my feelings of mourning for the death of a loved one played into her story so much. I had this overwhelming urge to write my thoughts and feelings down and suddenly I couldn’t stop writing. That was when I knew I wanted to be a writer.
I’m not exactly sure where the idea for the book came from. Many writers will tell you our brains work in strange and mysterious ways. I remember an episode of a show I used to watch called Sliders. Every episode, the cast would travel to a different parallel world of Earth in hopes of finding home. One episode was about a world where the society was matriarchal instead of patriarchal. It really bothered me that the writers had simply reversed the roles. I always thought that if a culture, from its beginnings, had been matriarchal that there would be some big differences culturally. There was also a comic book I’d read where a woman was transported to a matriarchal world, but I also didn’t like how it was handled. It was a very juvenile story that missed the bigger picture for me.
One day this story just started to build in my mind and it kept growing. It got bigger and bigger and then I just started to write it down to get it out of my mind, but that didn’t work. It just got bigger and more detailed.
I had often wondered how our world might have been different if our cultures had been honed as matriarchal instead of patriarchal. All the stereotypes for men and women have been taught to us our entire lives, but what if they hadn’t? What if our culture had taught us differently? What would that culture look like? I was fascinated by this possibility.
Synopsis for Across the Wire
When Mia Mitchell, a hardcore but lonely former Marine, steps into an alley to pull some thugs off an unlucky foreigner, she walks into a fight she expects. What she doesn’t see coming is the foreigner making her a job offer any sane person would refuse. So, she takes it. She thinks she’s headed for some third-world country; instead she’s mysteriously transported to an Earth-like parallel world. That’s a mad left-hook.
Mia discovers a matriarchal dystopia where freedom doesn’t exist and fighting for it means execution. Lethal force bends all to the law; women fear for their families and un-wed men suffer slavery. Mia’s job is to train an underground syndicate of male freedom-fighters for a violent revolution. However, the guys don’t want a pair of X chromosomes showing them the way.
Eben, an escaped slave, is encouraged by Mia to become a leader among the men. But when he turns his quiet determination on her, it spells F.U.B.A.R. for cynical Mia. Their unexpected connection threatens more than her exit strategy; it threatens the power struggle festering with in the syndicate.
Haunted by nightmares and post-traumatic stress, unsure who to trust or how to get home, Mia struggles to stay alive as she realizes all is not what it seems.
Genres: Adult, Science Fiction
Across the Wire on Goodreads. Purchase on Smashwords | Kobo | iTunes
About the Author
All my life I’ve dreamed of stories or have had my nose buried in one. I live in Edmonton, Canada with my husband and my weird sense of humor. Across the Wire is my first novel.
I love old war movies, dystopian fiction, and any story with action, a good plot, and characters I’d get into a fight at the pub for. Not that I’m a brawler or anything. Unless you think that out-of-print book or vintage piece at the thrift shop is going home with you instead of me. Then, my friend, the gloves are off.
Some say if you have your nose buried in a book, you’re missing out on life. I say my nose is buried in a book because one life is not enough.
Connect with Stella
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Giveaway
Tour courtesy
I fine the best stories are the ones that the author says just came out of nowhere – authors who try to force it or write a story that “should sell” or something just doesn’t work. Like those package book deals :S Great post! 🙂
Thank you so much for taking part in the tour! 🙂
My pleasure!