Cool technology? (In which I reveal my secret identity)

Okay, I admit it. Just like Clark Kent and Peter Parker and other extremely cool people, I have a hidden identity. Besides being mild mannered Janette Rallison YA author, I am also Sierra St. James, exotic romance writer. Not that any of my romances were exotic, just my persona as a romance writer is exotic.

I would regularly wear a boa and dangly rhinestone earings, and all of that other glamorous stuff romance writers wear. I would also swish my luxurious auburn curls around my shoulders and lower my lashes while speaking to wry, brooding men. (Okay, I am totally lying about that. I wrote those books in my pajamas and my husband only gets wry and brooding when I inform him that once again we’re having cold cereal for dinner.)

Anyway, I haven’t been Sierra since 2002, but one of my Sierra books, Time Riders–which is a science fiction LDS romance–is going to be picked up by Deseret Book and rereleased in 2010. (Wahoo! Wahoo!)

DB wanted me to make some changes and one of the things they asked was, “Will you be updating the technology in the book? With all the latest, greatest techno gadgets that materialize these days, are there things in the future setting that don’t seem as cool now as they did when you originally worte the book?”

True, I wrote the book in 2001 so a lot has changed since then. When I wrote about a GPS-like device that not only steered cars to their destination, but had an electronic map that showed the destination and the car’s progress, I had never seen or heard of a Garmin.

Here is a list of technology that I already have in the book:

1) the time machine (sort of)

2)cell-phone like communicators that can also track where people are (GPS will get us there quickly).

3)Voice activated computers

4)hologram recreational rooms.

5)crystals in their hands which work like credit cards (and also can be used to track them)

6)laser guns, of course! What would the future be without cool laser guns?

7) instead of cars they have community owned pod-like cars on rails that they call whenever they need to go someplace. When they’re done with the car it sits there until someone else calls it. People program in their destinations, but because the cars move on rails, there are never car accidents. (I actually think this is a good idea–someone go out and invent this.)

8) I have added restaurant chairs that moniter and tell the diner what their weight, body fat, blood pressure, heart rate, etc are.

Do you guys have any other ideas of cool things you’d like to see in the future?

Let me know!

15 comments

  1. Annette Lyon
    December 22, 2008 at 8:10 pm

    No ideas for you, but I must say Wahoo! Yay! Celebration!!! I LOVE Time Riders! It’s about time it got the attention it deserves!

  2. Steelefamily
    December 22, 2008 at 10:37 pm

    hmmm..maybe if everyone had their preferences and personal data programmed into their phone or watch(that was always with them) so whatever room they went to or computer they were on it would know all of their settings or preferences such as temperature television channels or colors. Does that make sense? If there are kids maybe they should get some sort of railway for mobility only using skateboards with somesort of safety precaution of course. Maybe that does not make sense but its all I have. I tried.

    I always wondered why people use different names. I like multiple authors who use two or three different names! It drives me crazy.

  3. earwaxtasteslikecrayons
    December 22, 2008 at 11:04 pm

    I’m with Annette–love Time Riders.

    Any new Sierra St. James books coming any time in the future?

    Wendy

  4. Heather B. Moore
    December 23, 2008 at 7:11 am

    A robot that does your scrapbooking for you? A robot that cleans your house? A robot that shops for groceries? A robot that fixes lovely meals? A robot that does your edits? Do get where I’m going with this? And congrats on your 2010 book 🙂

  5. Melanie J
    December 23, 2008 at 3:33 pm

    Ooh, interesting question. I’m going to think about this and answer it because it will be fun to read about.

    I read two of your Sierra St. James novels so I’m excited that this one is getting a re-release. Cool!

  6. Heather
    December 24, 2008 at 1:06 pm

    I am so excited that you are revealing your secret identity! I have been a big Sierra St James fan since your first release, and for years gave “Masquerade” as a gift to anyone I could think of. When is the next Sierra St James novel coming out?

  7. Anonymous
    December 24, 2008 at 3:48 pm

    A gossip hearing bug? A real live bunny that finds dust? A couch that moves to where you want to sit? Lights the only turn on when you want them to? Shoes that change colors?

  8. Janette Rallison
    December 25, 2008 at 1:45 pm

    Shoes that change color–that could come in handy. Well, that and also the robot that does chores. I sooo want that.

    Time Riders will be out in 2010. A new Sierra St. James novel? Hmmm. To tell you the truth, even though I’m supposed to be working on young adult novels, I have two romances outlined. I’m not sure when I’ll ever get to write them, but I still think about them.

    Writing romance is sort of an addiction for me. (Or a byproduct of being married to an electrical engineer, one of the two.)

  9. Kristi Stevens
    December 26, 2008 at 5:36 pm

    How about a clone that cleans the house, pays the bills, answers the phone, remember important appointments and makes dinner.

    That would be useful.

  10. Julie Wright
    December 26, 2008 at 11:27 pm

    LOVED Time Riders. Wahoo right along with you!!!!

  11. Anonymous
    December 28, 2008 at 8:16 pm

    This is actually a comment on your last blog but i love the changing shoe color idea.
    Please switch all the way to fantasy! Your books are my favorite to read. Of course there is hard stuff in highschool but there are some girls out there that lead mostly normal lives and i love reading about that. Because even if your boyfriend breaks up with you (gasp) it’s still just highschool right?
    If i have to sinlge handedly go out and buy thousands of your books i will. Even if it requires me picking up a few more hours at the local albertson’s.

  12. Janette Rallison
    December 31, 2008 at 12:25 am

    Oh, that’s so sweet. Really. I wish I could clone you a bunch of times! So you’re voting for me to switch to fantasy?

  13. Danyelle Ferguson
    December 31, 2008 at 9:56 pm

    I thought I would let you know that there are already cell phones that can track where you are, your position, etc. They’re hard to get a hold of, but they’re out there. & I thought it was funny you mentioned Garmin as their headquarters are about five minutes from my house! 🙂

    Future Tech Suggestions:

    I would love to be able to just put my grocery list updated on a computer, hit submit, and have it all delivered that afternoon.

    I would also love a closet where I could say, “I want to wear this skirt and I’m in a sassy mood. Find me a top to go with my skirt and mood.” or that I could program other’s preferences into it, such as my boss prefers employees to wear dark office suits, then be able to tell the closet I’m meeting with my boss & it would pick out a suit that would meet his preferences. How totally cool would that be?

    I would like to stay snuggled into my bed and be able to tell “the house” that I want it to be warmer or colder without having to get out and adjust the thermostat.

    I hope those suggestions help. I can’t wait to read your newest St. James book. I love all your others!

  14. Anonymous
    January 1, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    oops i accidentally left out the don’t in my last comment. As in please DON’T switch all the way to fantasy. kinda makes a difference doesn’t it? that’s embarrassing.
    My vote is definately to keep writing your young adult books, i love them! If you stopped i’d probably go into withdrawals and severe depression and really, do you want that guilt on your hands?
    As for an invention, how about a machine that does hair because whenever i curl mine, my poor right hand gets a workout.

  15. Ariana
    January 2, 2009 at 8:24 am

    oh yeah I would really like a robot that does stuff for me and I liked the shoes changing colors and the machine that does your hair for you. That would be so helpful! Also I think it’d be cool to have a watch ( that tells time) but also works as a camera and if u press a button a cell phone would pop out. I can’t wait for your next book!

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