1) What is the title of your next book/work?
Well, the book I just finished yet another editing pass on is "A New Threat". It was originally titled "Meskka", but I didn't like that as it didn't tell you anything about the book.
The book I'm writing right now is called "Wings of Truth". I think I'll talk more about that one, as I've posted a bunch about the former, and not much about the latter.
2) Where did the idea come from for the book/work?
A dream. It sounds cliche, but the way I fall asleep is to actively daydream, then my subconscious takes over, then whey I wake up I analyze the dream and kinda re-play/edit it. That's one reason I hate being woken up. I should clarify something here. The above makes me sound like some kind of dream-savant or something... it's not really like that. I can't usually tell which part of the process is which. I don't usually remember my dreams, I kind of infer that the process works something like how I described because suddenly it's morning.
3) What genre does your book/work fall under?
Science fiction. Wings of Truth has kind of a fantasy feel to it, but it's definitely sci-fi.
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I hate these questions. I really don't know. Natiah looks kinda sorta like Karen Gillan. I'm more of a 'use your imagination and have the characters look however you want them too' type.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
"Elrund's views of the evil Vincetii are turned around when he captures their new, young queen. To further complicate matters, a group of Vincetii are threatening to destroy Elrund's country--and the rest of the world."
I'm not happy with that though. I only have about 25,000 words written in this story, and haven't worked on a synopsis at all. I don't think I'm really good at writing synopsis's. When I finish the story, I will trash the current one, try to forget it ever existed, and write a good one.
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Not sure. I'm leaning toward self-publishing for a few reasons, but might try to submit to a small press or two. We'll see.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Well, I'm not done yet. "A New Threat" took about four years. It was my first book, and I learned a LOT writing it. Also, I had to cram writing time in around a day job to pay the bills, my other hobbies, and family.
So far, I've been working on Wings of Truth for about four months (not including time editing A New Threat, and other stuff. I also wrote a very rough draft of another novel before I started Wings of Truth.)
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Hmm. A handfull of images flash through my mind when I read that question, but no titles come to mind. That's how I remember books. When I read, it's like stepping into a holo-deck on Star Trek, so a picture comes to mind. Let's see, girl thrust into a foreign culture is similar to when Lessa comes to the Weyre in Dragonflight (completely different than where she came from, the people there might or might not be enemies...). Errr... can't remember titles for the rest. It'll be interesting to see what readers compare it to when it comes out.
The main plot line is more Romeo and Juliet in space... only with a happy ending. ;)
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
A lot of it was indirectly inspired by the movie Thor. It's kinda hard to see when reading the book, but my wife and I watched that before going to bed one night, and started imaging an alien culture with what we might almost call super powers, and how that might work... Natiah came from almost nowhere (gotta have a heroine) and I think I spent most of the night re-working who she was, where she came from, and her relationship to the male lead.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
I like this question. I tend to get stuck on side trails when asked a specific question, so people might get the wrong idea about what the book is about, due to me talking mostly about inspiration and such.
It's set on a planet with two cultures that have been at war for so long they don't even remember how it started, and don't know anything about the opposing side.
The story is about a young man from one of these cultures, and a young woman from the other that are forced into working together to save both of their people from factions on both sides that are so filled with hate that all they can think about is killing the enemy.
Elrund and Natiah learn that perhaps they have more in common than they thought, and that both sides have been hiding information from everyone. Can they each get past they way they've been brought up to hate the enemy and stop the potential destruction of the planet? Can they accept the new-found feelings they have for each other, and what are the consequences if they do?
And now for my favorite part, a sample! (Some writers don't like to give out samples at all, some not until it's finished... it doesn't bother me though, I just want to share what I'm passionate about. Warning though, this is mostly un-edited. Expect all the mistakes to be fixed before it's published, and possible massive changes.):
Chapter 1
Elrund jumped
out of bed the instant the alarm rang. He fumbled for the switch for the lamp
on his nightstand and pulled his pants on as soon as he found them. He grabbed
his sword Vinrid and strapped it to his waist along with his blaster.
"Security
breach in the detention area," the intercom announced. "All forces,
report in."
Elrund ran
for the door. He turned sideways and launched himself through just as the door
started to slide open. He ran down the hallway, the columns starting to blur
together as he picked up speed.
He skidded to
a stop at the entrance to the detention area.
"Let me
through!" he yelled.
A soldier
snapped to attention, saluted him, and immediately keyed in the sequence to open
the blast door.
Elrund
stepped through the door into the holding area and looked around to survey the
damage. Scorch marks covered the white walls and debris covered the floor. A
large hole had been blasted in the roof, and a female Vincetii hovered above
the hole.
She had light
purple skin. A noble, then, as the commoners had a deep purple, almost blue
tone to their skin. She had auburn hair, most unusual for her race, and the
claws on her wingtips were larger than average for a female, and sliver. This
was no ordinary warrior. The glowing purple cylinder she held in her right hand
wasn't ordinary either.
"Status
report," Elrund said.
General
Torbian stepped forward and saluted him.
"You
arrived quickly, your highness. She's been hovering there since she blew a hole
in the roof, and has demanded to speak with the king. She hasn't said a word
since."
"Any
idea what that is?" Elrund nodded at the cylinder the Vincetii was
holding.
"No sir.
However, it's giving off cardia radiation..." General Tobian's voice
trailed off.
Elrund
glanced at him, then back up at the cylinder. It looked harmless enough. No
controls that he could see from here, just a black cylinder with blotches of
purple light wafting around inside. But cardia radiation, that meant that the
one hand-sized cylinder could possibly destroy the entire city.
"The
king is away on business." Elrund stepped forward and waved the soldiers
back. "Will the heir to the throne suffice?"
The Vincetti
stared back down at him, her wings flapping just enough to keep her hovering
there. Elrund returned her stare. Her violet eyes weren't haughty, or full of
hatred. That too, was unusual. Instead, he almost thought he saw fear, or
uncertainty in them.
"Are you
authorized to meet my demands?" she asked.
The woman's
voice was clear, and pleasantly toned, yet another surprise. The other Vincetii
that he had fought had either deep gravely voices, or high shrieking ones. But
then, most of them had been yelling at him and trying to kill him at the time.
"My father
will stand by my word," Elrund said.
The Vincetii
paused, her eyes flicking down to the sword at his waist, then back up to meet
his eyes again.
"I want
you to release the prisoners that were captured in the last raid on our
settlement."
Elrund raised
any eyebrow. "That 'raid' was to recover supplies that were stolen from
us. The thieves have been apprehended."
The Vincetii
looked down at the cylinder she held, then back to Elrund and raised an
eyebrow.
"Very
well." Elrund sighed. "What do you give in exchange for the
prisoners, then?"
"Not
blowing up your city."
Now Elrund
raised any eyebrow. "You do realize that in doing so, you'll kill the
prisoners that you're attempting to free. And, though we would die, we would
most likely kill you before you could escape."
The
Vincetii's shoulders sagged a little.
"I offer
my self in exchange for them."
"May I
have your name, then?"
The Vincetii
slowed the flapping of her wings and lowered herself to the floor. She folded
her wings to her back and took a step towards Elrund. The soldiers around
Elrund raised their weapons.
"I am
Natiah, queen of the Vincetii."
Elrund cocked
his head. "I was lead to believe that the queen of the Vincetii died in
battle a month ago?"
Natiah
straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "I am her youngest
daughter, now queen."
"Sergeant!"
A young man
stepped forward at Elrund's command.
"Binders,
please."
Elrund took
the binders from the sergeant and took a step toward Natiah. She jerked the
cylinder up in front of her. it emitted a loud hum and left a purple
after-image as she swung it upward.
"The
prisoners first," she said.
Elrund
stopped and waved the soldiers back again.
"Then
what's to stop you from leaving with them? If you're serious about your
proposal, then I suggest a show of good faith. Allow me to take you into
custody. The soldiers will stay back, you you willingly give up the cylinder
once the prisoners have been freed."
It was
gamble. The Vincetii were cruel, vicious, and untrustworthy. Elrund couldn't be
certain that Natiah wouldn't detonate the cylinder once the prisoners were
freed. This could have been planned to be a suicide mission from the beginning,
and there was no way to know if this really was the queen or not.
Still, this
was the best way he could think of to avoid as many deaths as possible. And the
young Vincetii seemed different. She was certainly young, and possibly naive.
Why else would she come up with such a hair-brained scheme instead of just
attacking? And since when did Vincetii
care about what happened to each other.
Natiah stared
into his eyes as he was thinking this. She swallowed a few times, and Elrund
noticed that her wings were twitching.
She's not sure this is a good idea, either,
he thought.
"Very
well," she eventually said. "I think I can trust you. I surrender
myself into your custody, as long as the prisoners are freed, and you give me
your word that you will be personally responsible for my safety."
"You
have my word."
Elrund
stepped forward and Natiah held her hands out in front of her. She was
breathing harder now, and noticeably trembling. She still clutched the cylinder
in a death grip. Elund placed the binders around her wrists. She didn't meet
his eyes.
"I'm
afraid we will have to bind your wings, as well, your highness."
"A
reasonable precaution. May I ask for some of the prisoners to be released
first."
Elrund bent
down and looked into her eyes. Her pupils were dilated, and they were a darker
shade of violet now, a sign of fear.
"Very
well, General,"
Elrund
grasped her wrist with his left hand as General Tobain walked over to the first
cell bank. The Vincetii was definitely trembling.
She relaxed a
little when the first wave of Vincetii prisoners flew out of the hole in the
detention block. Elrund wrapped binders around her wings, securing them
together so she couldn't fly off. She whimpered a little when he did that. He
wondered if they were sensitive.
General
Tobain released another bank of prisoners.
"The
cylinder, your highness?" Elrund prompted.
"I will
surrender it once the last group of prisoners is away."
Elrund looked
down at her with new respect. She was obviously terrified, but she had courage.
But did she have honor? No Vincetii he had yet met had seemed to, yet if this
one did not, then he was gambling with the lives of everyone in the city.
He took a
deep breath and nodded to the General, who released the last group of
prisoners.
Elrund looked
Natiah in the eye and placed one hand on the cylinder. It was warm to the
touch. Natiah released it, and Elrund handed it to a solider to be taken to the
lab for analysis.
Elrund
snapped his fingers and another soldier stepped up to him and snapped to
attention.
"Yes,
your highness?"
"Take
her to a secure cell."
Natiah
whipped her head around and looked him in the eye. "Your word?" she
whispered. Her eyes were pleading with him, and she was shaking visibly now.
"You
will not be harmed."
"Could...
could you take me to my cell? You've given me your word that I won't be harmed,
they haven't, and all the stories..."
Elrund
wondered for the first time if the Vincetii children were told tales of horror
about the evils of the Alandra the same as the Alandra children were told tales
about the Vincetii.
"Very
well."
Elrund waved
the soldier back and his hand under Natiah's elbow.
"If you
would come this way, please," he said.
***
Elrund
returned his father's stare. The king had returned a few hours after the attack
and had summoned Elrund to the throne room. His father had been staring at him
for the past half and hour, and hadn't yet mentioned why Elrund had been
summoned.
"Well?"
the king finally asked.
"Father?"
"Why did
you let the prisoners go?"
"The
queen threatened to destroy the entire city. I took the course of action that I
thought would save the most lives."
"Yes,
and that's commendable, however, it's rare that we get prisoners. We hadn't
even had a chance to get much information out of them yet."
Elrund raised
an eyebrow. His father knew as well as he did that Vincetii prisoners very
rarely gave up any information at all.
"What
really troubles you about my conduct, father?"
The king
leaned back on his throne and looked Elrund up and down.
"I'm
trying to decide whether I've raised a good leader or a sentimental fool."
"Sir?"
"You've
fought the Vincetii. You know what they're like. Yet you believed that young
whelp wouldn't actually destroy the city if you released the prisoners. Oddly
enough, she kept her word, a first for the Vincetii as far as I know.
"I need
to know we're all alive today by a fluke accident, or if you know what you're
doing. How did you know you could trust her?"
Elrund took a
deep breath and squared his shoulders.
"I'm not
sure, sir. If she had wanted to kill us all, she could have done it without
warning --enough of our battles with them are started that way. Everything
about this one is different. When have the Vincetii ever cared about anything?
Why give us the chance to cooperate? Why offer herself at all instead of just
demanding that the prisoners be released or she'd blow everything up?"
Elrund paced
back and forth.
"None of
it made any sense, and I wanted answers. I looked her in the eyes."
He paused and
glanced up at his father, who had straightened up at that.
"I've
only ever seen hostility in Vincetii eyes. Anger, hatred-- this was different.
I saw fear and trust in her eyes, so I took a chance. And I still believe that
choice was the best outcome to avoid loss of life.
"If I
accepted her offer, and she betrayed that trust, then where would we be? Right
back where we were, either dead in an explosion anyway, or in the middle of a
battle. At worst, accepting her offer would be a waste of time, so I took
it."
The king
grunted. "I suppose so. I'm not sure I would have seen it that way. Good job,
son. Now go and see if you can get anything out of her."
"Yes,
Father."
Elrund
stepped up and clasped his fathers hand, then turned and left the throne room.
***
"What do
you mean she's not in her cell?"
The guard
cringed when Elrund yelled at him.
"I'm
sorry sir, she had to be taken to the medical ward."
Elrund leaned
up against the wall and rubbed his temples.
"Why?"
"As soon
as you left she tried to escape. She cut through the bars with her wing
claws--"
Elrund looked
up. "What?"
The bars were
re-enforced steel. Even Vincetii claws shouldn't have been able to cut through
them.
"Yes
sir. We even have it on camera."
The guard
turned around and pressed a button. The monitor behind him changed from a
schematic of the facility to an overhead view of the Vincetii queen's cell. She
looked around, and then slammed a claw across the bars.
Elrund gasped
as the claws sliced through the steel bars. It wasn't exactly like a knife
through butter, but the bars didn't offer much
resistance.
"After
that," the guard continued, "she ran out of her cell and headed for
the exit. She killed two guards before we could tranquilize her. General Tobian
ordered her claws amputated, and your father approved it."
Elrund sunk
into a chair and lowered his face into his hands.
"What a
day," he murmured.
He didn't
know what to think. One the one hand, he had given her his word that she would
not be harmed. On the other hand, she had murdered two guards.
He stood and
thanked the guard, and headed to the medical ward.
The Vincetii
was strapped to a bed in the recovery ward when he got there. She was crying
softly.
"I'm
sorry, I was not made aware of this until it had happened," he said.
She blinked
the tears from her eyes and turned to face him.
"It is
not your fault. It was my duty to attempt escape, and now I must suffer the
consequences of that failure."
She turned
away and her body shook as she fought back more tears.
Elrund
reached down and released the shackle around her left wrist. A medical tech ran
into the room.
"Sir,
you can't do that!"
"It's
fine. She is my responsibility now."
"Yes
sir."
The tech
stood there, wringing his hands.
"Is
there anything else?" Elrund asked.
"Yes,
sir--" The tech glanced back and forth between them, the conflict between
helping an enemy and caring for a patient evident on his face. "Uh, she
should rest or be limited to light duties for the next day or so... So,
um..."
Elrund turned
to look at Natiah before answering the tech.
"Don't
worry, I will see to it that she isn't harmed."
Elrund
removed the rest of the restraints and stepped back, allowing the girl to sit
up. Upon closer examination, he was almost sure she was still a girl. Or, if a
young woman, just barely so.
"Natiah,"
he asked.
"Yes?"
she answered in a small voice, not meeting his eyes.
"If I am
to keep my word to you, I need your word that you will not attempt escape, will
not harm any of my people, and obey my word."
Natiah looked
up at him.
"That is
much to ask of a prisoner, and of a young woman," she said.
"You
already have my word that I will not harm you."
"You not
realize how the oath you wish me to take would bind me, and that it could harm
me in ways that I do not understand if I mis-judge your character?"
Elrund
smiled. "I believe so. Do you understand how large a risk I take in
trusting the word of a Vincetii?"
Natiah did
smile at that. "As much as I can trust the word of an Alandran."
She stared
into his eyes for a while, her whole body taut. She slowly let out a large
breath.
"Very
well, Elrund. I give you my word, though you know not what your request means
among my people."
Chapter 2
Natiah curled
up into a ball in the corner of her cell and wrapped her wings around herself.
She looked out in despair over her cell. It was a small room. Not even big
enough to spread her wings in, let alone fly.
How can the Alandrans stand such small
rooms? she wondered.
The sanitary
facilities were barely adequate, and the only piece of furniture in the room
was a bench that could be more accurately described as a hard block of plastic
big enough to sleep on. The bars on this cell were thicker that the ones in her
old cell, and made of a different alloy.
Not that that
mattered now. Now that they had removed her wing-claws. How could they? She could
never go back home now. Without her claws she wouldn't be admitted into any
noble's property. Even the peasant classes had wing-claws, puny, nail-like
things that they were.
She folded a
pinion down and looked at the bandage where her wing-claws had once protruded
and chocked back tears. Yet, she couldn't really blame them. She would have
done the same to a prisoner who tried to escape and killed her people.
She looked up
and pulled her knees tighter to her chest when she heard footsteps in the
hallway outside her cell. Part of her wanted to believe Elrund's promise that
she wouldn't be harmed, but the stories warned of torture and painful death for
any prisoners. That was why she had risked her life to free her people. She
hoped they had made it home.
"Want to
take a walk?"
Natiah looked
up. Elrund was standing outside her cell, leaning against the bars.
"Where?"
she asked.
"Oh, I
was thinking the gardens."
"Outside?"
This had to
be a trap. Was he dangling hope of escape in front of her, hoping for an excuse
to break his word? How did she even know she could trust him?
"Well?"
Elrund drummed his fingers on the bars. "I thought you might want to get
out and stretch a bit?"
Natiah rose
without taking her eyes off him, not saying a word. Could this still be a trap?
Why was he being so nice to her? She stood in front of the bars and waited in
silence.
Elrund
pressed his palm against the wall and the bars slid open. He stepped back and
gestured for her to precede him down the hallway.
Natiah took
slow, careful steps. They had removed her clothing after her first escape
attempt, and now she was clad only in a short white shift with orange trim that
barely met the needs of modesty. She wrapped her wings around herself. It most
definitely did not meet the needs of anatomy. She wasn't really surprised about
that either. The people of Alandra probably didn't entertain that many Vincetii
outside of a barbecue--and she was starting to doubt that tale as well.