Are the Eden Thrillers science fiction?

Are the Eden Thrillers considered science fiction?--Eileen

Science fiction is probably not the term that best describes the books, as that genre relies heavily on projecting what life would be like with different or future uses of science and technology.

One of the early reviews of CHASING EDEN referred to it as "speculative/adventure" fiction, and that seems on the mark. Speculative fiction "speculates about worlds that are unlike the real word in important ways," according to Wikipedia. As Michael Allison said in his review, "In the tradition of many of the best examples of speculative/adventure fiction, CHASING EDEN makes one whopping assumption and then plays its story with a gritty realism and a breathless plot that no one will be able to put down." (We left that last part in because, heck, it was hard to take out!) It is realistic adventure fiction with a speculative twist...and if you insist on a sub-genre under the wide tent pole of speculative, I guess we'd have to go with Utopian. But we're open for discussion!

Writing Style/Characters

How has your writing style evolved over the series?

B.K.: It evolved from nothing (or, more accurately, a mish-mash of writing styles useful in sermons and short articles) to what I think may work as a more flowing combination of dialogue and action that can be blended into the manuscript by Sharon. (blended in a way that it does not seem to scream: someone else wrote this!!!)

SHARON: You always hope your craft gets better and better as you get more practiced and skilled. The Eden Thrillers explore some interesting philosophical, ideological, and theological ideas--but at the core, they're written to be fun to read. As we've gone along, I think we've gotten a higher and higher quotient of the text being "the good parts"--that is, scenes and conversations that are fun to read and reread.

Some things haven't changed, though...I'm one for understatement in writing relationships...until the passion between two characters EXPLODES and then you realize you saw it coming. But our editor, Jen Enderlin, has sent me the same note on each book: "MORE YANI." And she's always right.


If you could be friends in “real life” with one character from the first three Eden books, (not counting Jaime or Yani) whom would you choose?

B.K.: Well, since Jaime stood him up, maybe I could be friends with Mark (from TREASURE), and who knows what might develop!!

SHARON: I'm married, and I'd still choose to be friends with Mark, who wouldn't? (I wonder what happened to that chilled bottle of Champagne he went to get?) But I'd also like to be friends with Jaime because I've always regretted that the action in each story is so compact and on the run that we haven't been able to give her a close female friend in whom she can confide. I think both B.K. and I know how important close friends are!

Have you learned anything unexpected or new about your co-author from her writing on the Eden Books?

B.K.: I had no idea how twisted Sharon is.

SHARON: I had no idea that B.K. had no idea how twisted I am. And I'm making some headway on being able to say the same about her. In fact, I've been purposely persuading her to do some of the more demented characters so she can't always sidestep by saying, "Oh, Sharon wrote that part!"

But seriously, I now have a much fuller picture of what an Army chaplain does. And most of the good stuff can't end up in the books.