The Second Sign by Elizabeth Arroyo, Guest Post

My world of angels and demons

I started writing The Second Sign with one image—an exploding demon.

I’ve always been afraid of the supernatural. As a kid my dad would tell us stories about ghosts and demons roaming the countryside of his birth. I heard about the lady in white when I was about ten. How she’d lure men to pick her up and start crying and explode into nothing. I heard about the demon cloaked in black who walked with a gait, a goat’s hoof replaced one foot. And it collected souls.   They were real to us as they were to him, and I was pulled into a fascination—and fear, mostly fear—of the supernatural.

And then there was that ghost thing that happened where we lived, but that’s a whole different story.

Anyways, I developed the world of angels and demons based on those stories. Demons are bad, influencing and possessing humans to do their bidding. But…angels are not all Goody Two-shoes and lollipops either. I also include a hint of magic and other creatures in the story, but as their link to the main characters are limited, so is their time on the page. The story focuses on the two main characters—Gabby and Jake. Love and free will have huge consequences that both characters begin to realize a bit too late.

Set in present day Maine, I didn’t need to imagine much for time and place.  Most of the worldbuilding revolved around the elements of the plot and characters.

Some tips to think about when worldbuilding:

• Have a worldbuilding blueprint. Lay it out, draw it out, and/or write it out. Make sure the dots connect.
• Be sure to include language, culture, dress, governance, etc. in your worldbuilding blueprint. The amount of work needed depends on your story.
• Give the reader only what they need to know, when they need to know it.

How do you begin worldbuilding?

 THE SECOND SIGN

Dark YA Paranormal Romance

Sapphire Star Publishing

Bred to believe in the war between angels and demons, Gabby has come to the conclusion that love is responsible for war, jealousy, and all the other deadly sins she can think of. So when she’s exiled to the middle of nowhere for getting kicked out of her fifth school for fighting, she doesn’t expect to meet Jake. Much less fall in love.

When a demon guardian comes to collect her soul, she refuses to give it up. She’s not a demon. She can’t be. Her father and twin brother are angels. The demon gives Gabby twenty-four hours to decide her allegiance, and then starts killing her short list of friends, leaving a message behind: She is the Second Sign.

                                                                                                                             

As Gabby and Jake begin to unravel the mystery behind the Second Sign, she learns Jake may be the key to saving her soul. But it means a sacrifice has to be made that will change their lives forever.

About the author

Elizabeth has worked in the community for the bulk of her professional career. She enjoys quiet moments, action flicks, and dancing with her four-year-old.  THE SECOND SIGN is her debut novel. You can find more information about Elizabeth at www.elizabetharroyo.com