Today I have a special treat for everyone. C.S Boyack’s lovely assistant, Lisa Burton, is touring blogs to promote his latest book: The Playground. She is here to give her opinion on the combination of magic and technology. As a very advanced robot herself, I’m sure Lisa has some unique insight into this. Also, I should make another apology for anything Lloyd said when she interviewed him. Welcome, Lisa.
Lisa Burton
Hi Charles, thanks for inviting me. Craig said you wanted to know about the mixing of technology and magic in stories.
As a robot girl, I never would have believed it possible, but the more I read the more I come across it. There is a bit of mixing in The Playground too.
This story involves a series of high-tech dolls for children. They contain access to The Playground Network, designed especially for children. These things talk to the kids, and understand just like a real person. You know, high-tech.
There is also a high-tech drug in the story called Microbe-Bots lotion. This lotion is programmable and can target specific amino acids, cancer cells, and other things.
That’s all right in my wheelhouse as a robot. That’s stuff I can get behind. Craig added the netherworld, with an angel of death, ghosts, and a Hoodoo practitioner that does strange things with a human finger.
Somehow, Craig managed to pull it all off and it makes a pretty good story. I think there is no limit for a creative author. If you want to mix technology with magic there’s no reason you can’t. Craig did it once before, in Panama, only that was all steam tech. The trick is to sell it well, and that usually involves research.
Don’t let Craig fool you, I do most of his research. He filters through it for the pieces he likes.
While I’m here, Craig always makes me bring posters to his hosts. This one is me with a dog that plays a prominent role in the story. We were supposed to have a nice hugging pose, but he’s kind of a bad dog.
There is a cherry 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge in the book. I have a swag deal that lets me keep everything I pose with. I didn’t want the stupid dog and sent him back. He would have scared Bunny, my pet rabbit. I would have kept that GTO though.
Thanks, Lisa!
You can Pre-Order THE PLAYGROUND Now!
Click the Cover Below!
The Playground by C.S. Boyack
Blurb
The hottest toys of the Christmas Season are the Playground Network dolls. They contain a worldwide social network for children. Except, the network is controlled by a ruthless businessman with dreams of power.
To reach his goals he turns to the occult. Will our children make up his personal army? Could we have an enemy soldier in every home?
Gina Greybill is a cancer survivor who stumbles into her own brush with the paranormal. She wants nothing to do with it, but may be the only one who can bring down the Playground Network. To do it she’ll have to embrace her new situation, and recover the next generation of Playground software.
There is competition for the software in the form of a brutal thug named Clovis. He’s bigger, more ruthless, and more experienced. To top it all off, he has a head start.
The Playground is suitable for more mature readers, due to violence and mature themes.
Legends of Windemere 
Thanks for having Lisa over today. You’ve mixed magic and tech yourself, as I recall. I think it’s a neat world building idea. I’d love to see some debate on it in the comments today.
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It’s a lot of fun to design a real world item, but use magic in place of some of the parts. I agree that it would be a fun debate to see. I tend to fall in the middle though.
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I’m not polarized either. All one way or the other is fine, and so is a mixture. It depends upon the story.
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True. I’d say it’s a central part to world building too. You usually have to set it up early on or at least open a door for the second one to appear. Though that’s only if you want a combo.
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I agree completely. Helicopters swooping in at the end of The Hobbit wouldn’t have worked.
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Nope. Though in regards to the movie, I don’t think it could have made it any worse. 😛
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I have to agree with you there. A few Blackhawks might have improved the whole thing.
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They could have replaced the Elven Benjamin Button aka Legolas. That got cringe-worthy at some points.
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It was pretty forced, and he’s not exactly young anymore.
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Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:
Lisa drops in on Charles Yallowitz today to talk about the mixing of technology with magic in stories. She mentions my new book, and gives Charles something to hang in his garage. Check it out, and give Charles a follow.
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Thanks for reblogging . . . Always feels weird saying that to person who wrote it.
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I agree. I do it anyway, because it’s polite.
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Manners. Yes. Good to have. 😀
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I’ve read urban fantasy series’ that mix magic and tech. I enjoyed the stories. They were fun reads but certainly ones you have to suspend disbelief to get into. Your’s seem like a different mix, Craig, where the research and inclusion make things seem more plausible.
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I like the idea of making as much plausible as I can. That way when I need readers to take a leap of faith, they are more inclined to do it.
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That suspension of disbelief is so important. 🙂
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Great job for Lisa and Craig, Charles 😀 I loved Panama (and Hoodoo!) so The Playground’s just been pre-ordered for my TBR collection 😉
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Thanks Jan, that makes my day.
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Magic and tech make a great combination. Can’t wait to see what kind of elixir they make in The Playground.
And I’m so glad Bunny will be safe from the dog. Lisa can’t have anything happening to her pet!
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I think it’s fun to mash things up. I’m getting excited to have people reading it. As far as Lisa and Bunny are concerned. She’s on a New York shopping spree, and I’m tending the rabbit.
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Cool! Lisa is such a great spokesperson for you, Craig. You dont know how lucky you are having her around.
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Thanks Ali. She has more charm than I do, that’s for sure.
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I dont know about that. Different is all. 😊
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