Author Spotlight - Excerpt from Blue Lioness

BLURB FOR BLUE LIONESS:

In the face of Human slavery, Back Sword Captain Ariela of Kassouk must do the unthinkable. Rebel against the Mutant regime. But she cannot do it alone.

Ariela suspects the king’s death is no accident. And the tyrant who usurped the throne looks guilty as hell. As leader of the Human rebellion against the Mutant rulers, Ariela is desperate for help, and Lord Starro, the handsome Crown Prince of the Star Children, offers the technology the Human faction lacks. But can Ariela trust a spoiled, arrogant foreign prince who never fought a battle, and thinks he is destined to rule the universe? Is she trading one tyrant for another? No matter how kind, handsome, or fascinating, Starro has frightening mental abilities. And this alliance is not safe, especially for Ariela’s heart.

EXCERPT: different from the one on the publisher's website.

Starro closed his eyes and the golden light caressed the regular planes of his face. "Still no sign of pursuit."

Ariela wrenched her gaze from his athletic body, a hint of shame warming her cheeks. She scrutinized their surroundings. "Assassins use stealth. We must keep our eyes open."

"I don't need my eyes to know there are none close to us." His neutral tone barely covered a subtle impatience.

"What exactly can you do that Humans cannot?" The question had been on Ariela's mind for a while. "If you explain it to me, I won't have to bruise your precious ego at every turn."

"You speak straight as an assassin's arrow." Starro gave a short, nervous laugh. "But it wouldn't be wise to tell our secrets to a foreigner. All foreigners are potential enemies."

Ariela couldn't help the flare of anger in her voice. "I thought we were allies against Lord Kohl and his blasted Mutant freaks!"
He flinched. Did her swearing bother him? Too bad.

His expression turned serious. "We are allies. So, I guess I should tell you." He straightened his long, muscled legs. The loose silk trousers tucked into white boots showed signs of dust, and the trek had scuffed the fine material. "We Star Children do not take these gifts lightly, and keeping them secret insures our advantage when conflicts arise. We pride ourselves in resolving most disputes without bloodshed."

"Blood is shed all the time." Ariela scoffed. "You can't avoid spilling blood, especially in an all out war."

"Yet, our gifts allowed us this luxury... thus far." He sighed. "I fear this is the end of a peaceful era. The specter of war is upon us."
"So what are these mysterious gifts?" The words came out sharper than Ariela intended.

He flashed an uneasy smile then stared at the ground.

Ariela resented his stubborn silence. "What if I give you my word as a warrior never to tell a soul? Will you trust me then?"

"I do trust you, Beloved mine." His warm voice in her mind again. "But even the best of us can be made to talk."

Ariela sighed, finally accepting that he could speak in her mind. "I guess you found that out in Kohl's dungeon."

He lifted his piercing gaze, and his jovial smile returned. "All right. I owe you the truth. We inherited our gifts from a now extinct race called the Estrell."

Find the book on the Desert Breeze Publishing site, or for your specific eBook reader, wherever eBooks are sold.

Vijaya Schartz
Award-winning Romantic Science Fiction with a kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Vijaya's paperbacks, kindle, and audiobooks at Amazon.com:
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Vijaya's eBooks at ARe:
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Author Spotlight Week - How Author Vijaya Schartz became addicted to her ebook reader

A few years ago, although my books were available in eBook as well as paperback, I didn't read eBooks. I felt guilty about not reading on a device like many of my readers did, but such was life. I didn't read eBooks. Out of guilt, I purchased an eBookWise reader. Never took it out of the box, which still sits on a corner of my desk.

Once in a while I would read a pdf book on my computer screen, because I needed to read it and it was not available in paper, but that was it. I couldn't make the switch. I so loved the feel of a hard cover or a paperback in my hands. Change is hard. Any kind of change.

I should mention that my office library is a jumble of sagging shelves, and it became hazardous to pile one more book on any of them. I told my husband he didn't make the shelves strong enough. He said I was just stuffing too many books on them... which I did, but what else could I do? It's the nature of books to keep piling up.

Then last Christmas, he surprised me with a phone call. "I'm buying you an eBook reader. Do you prefer the nook or the kindle?"
It was nice of him to ask. He seemed so excited about getting me the perfect gift that I didn't have the heart to tell him I preferred paperbacks. All the time thinking about the eBookWise Reader still sitting in its box on my desk, I said I wanted a kindle, because Amazon has more titles than Barnes & Noble, and their eBooks are often cheaper due to their constant promotion sales.

On Christmas day, when I took the kindle out of the box, I had a shock. It was feather light, elegant, simple, uncluttered. It took me five minutes to figure it out, and in that time I loaded all the eBooks I had stored on my computer over the years onto it via email. I purchased a few new titles from my favorite authors, and lo. Within ten minutes, I had an entire library at my fingertips, ready to read and carry around with me. I felt light, happy, unencumbered.

Vijay's Library


Looking at my office library shelves, I could already tell this would be a big change in my life. My husband was all smiles, saying I never needed to buy another paper book again. I quickly corrected him. I would still need research books and such, but we agreed that popular fiction, from now on, would be eBooks only.

Then I started reading. And reading. And reading. I could read anywhere, anytime. I turned off the TV after my husband went to bed and read avidly, simply enlarging the font when my eyes were getting tired. In the last six months, I read more books than in the past three years.

I also categorized my lists of books on my kindle, so I don't have to fumble. I have my TBR list (new books waiting to be read), my list of favorites and TBRR (to be re-read), and various lists by genres and by authors, so I can quickly and easily find any book when I want to peruse it.

As a result of getting exposed to so may authors, I think my writing improved, my mind is getting more nimble and creative, having imbibed so many experiences through reading. I also increased my field of knowledge, and often, when I read for research (yes, now I do research on my kindle as well) I just take a pen and jot down only the information I need for my next novel. Later, I transcribe my notes into a file on my computer. And no, that doesn't explain the clutter of papers on my desk. It was there all along.

Now I love my kindle and could not imagine not having it. It has become part of my life. My only concern is to find more eBooks for my TBR list. I worry when it's getting low. Heavens forbid I would run out of books to read. And although I keep buying eBooks, my husband is all smiles... and so am I.

Now if anyone wants an eBookWise Reader, I have a brand new one for you in its original box, real cheap...

Vijaya Schartz
Romantic Science Fiction with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Author Spotlight Week -Vijaya Schartz shares her passion for Science Fiction

After a period of being fascinated by the classics, then by Mystery novels as a reader, I discovered science fiction and fell in love. So many possibilities... It became a passion. What if?

Yet, as I was reading more and more science fiction, one element was always missing. Sometimes the stories ended on a depressing note, and there was nothing to deter from the somber themes. Even when the hero won in the end, he was usually alone.

For superheroes of comic books, victory was always bittersweet, as they had to protect their anonymity. I found that disturbingly unfair. Of course if they could just get the girl and be happy, it would be the end of their career. Can't imagine Superman kissing his wife and a bunch of snotty kids goodbye before jumping out the window to go save the planet from a nefarious intergalactic villain...

Later, when I discovered traditional Romance, I found it a little too mild and lacking in action and external conflict. I yearned for a grander scope to the stories, not just two people's happiness. I did however appreciate the guarantee of some kind of happily ever after at the end. It made me feel safe and fuzzy.

Then, when I decided to write for publication, what came naturally to me was science fiction. But I still yearned for a romantic thread.

Some of my friends say I come from another world, that I am a time traveler from the future who forgot who she was. I don't know about that, but it would explain a lot. LOL. I believe I have a solid imagination. But is it really imagination?

Thanks to my extensive travels and contacts with many earthly cultures, I can also discern which elements of a culture are purely Human (if any really are), which are dictated by survival, and which are ingrained from a young age, learned through experience, or forced upon an individual to fit specific cultural standards.

This discerning skill now allows me to write believable futuristic worlds and characters, even if their looks, their circumstances or origins would be unlikely in our world. It's a matter of justifying the differences to suspend the reader's ingrained beliefs.

So now, I write romantic science fiction with a kick, where I get the best of two worlds, with a guaranteed satisfying ending through the love story. So many science fiction novels tend to be dark and depressing. Not mine. My action-packed stories and kick-butt heroines lend themselves to many romantic conflicts, and I found that science-fiction is a perfect stage for it.

Find out more about my books at: http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Vijaya Schartz

Born in France, award-winning author Vijaya Schartz never conformed to anything and could never refuse a challenge. She likes action and exotic settings, in life and on the page. She traveled the world and claims she comes from the future. Her books collected many five star reviews and literary awards. She makes you believe you actually lived these extraordinary adventures among her characters. Her stories have been compared to Indiana Jones with sizzling romance. So, go ahead, dare to experience the magic, and she will keep you entranced, turning the pages until the last line. Find more at http://www.vijayaschartz.com


STEPH: I don't much about Blue Lioness. What's it about?

VIJAYA: It's about Ariela, a female Human warrior, a Black Sword Captain in the medieval Citadel of Kassouk. After the suspicious death of her king, she organizes a revolt against the abusive new regime of the Mutants (Half Human half Godd), but she needs help as her people have been deliberately barred from technological developments.

She hopes to find a powerful ally in the person of the very wise and handsome crown prince of the Star Children, Starro, who claims to have the technology to defeat the Mutants. But Ariela soon realizes the extent of the powers of Starro's people, and despite her attraction to him, she fears she might have traded one tyrant for another.

STEPH: Where did you find the inspiration for it?

VIJAYA: This story came organically from the previous books in the series. First I want to say that each book is a complete story and can be enjoyed even if you didn't read the other books. Each romantic story involves a different couple, and the books are separated by decades, sometimes over a century. But if you are like me, you'll want to read the books in the right order, to see how the society progresses.

At the end of Book One, WHITE TIGER, the Mutants saved the Human race and started a fair government. In Book Two, RED LEOPARD and Book Three, BLACK JAGUAR, the civilizations and cultures evolve over the centuries, through conflicts, explorations, alien visitations, new knowledge. I also introduced in these books the seeds of corruption, and offered a glimpse of what might come next.

In my mind I subtitled Book Four, BLUE LIONESS, The Fall of the Mutants. Every culture flows and ebbs, and the people of Kassouk are no exception. This book marks the end of an era on that particular planet. Things will never be the same again.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

VIJAYA: Right now I write Two novels and one novella a year. Although it took me three years to write my very first novel, after fifteen or so, the pace accelerates. And writing a series is easier, because you do not have to create a brand new world for each novel. You already have a complete history of your world as a foundation.

STEPH: How important is setting to the novel?

VIJAYA: I like to make the setting an integral part of the novel. In other words, the story I write could only happen in that particular setting, at that particular time. It's not specific to this series. Even when I write contemporary novels for other publishers, I make sure the setting is a very important part of the story. In Kassouk in particular, there is a recurring theme of large cats. The people of that culture keep large cats as pets and also train them to fight in battle. Most Human warriors choose feline names. All the titles in the series are names of Human warriors, sometimes the hero, sometimes the heroine.

STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research for the novel?

VIJAYA: I did a lot of research at the beginning of this series, and for the subsequent books. As a history lover, I want my medieval Human society to be believable, then I incorporate the elements unique to my world, like the fascination with large felines. This society, although medieval, lives in the far future, on a planet where a Human vessel crashed centuries ago.

STEPH: Will there be anymore books in the Chronicles of Kassouk?


VIJAYA: Funny you ask. BLUE LIONESS marks the end of an era in the world of Kassouk, but as I was writing it, I realized that what happened before, the story of how the Human settlers happened to be stranded on that particular planet needed to be told. There is also the matter of how the large cats became part of the landscape, and how even then, the conflicts with alien races abunded.

VIJAYA: So the prequel to the series, NOAH'S ARK (the name of the vessel they all came on), is in the works, and will be released in April of 2012. You can get a glimpse on my website at: www.vijayaschartz.com

But before that happens, I also have a sci-fi romance novella coming out this October from Desert Breeze Publishing in the BOREALIS III anthology, titled BLACK DRAGON.

STEPH: What do you want people to take away from the novel?

VIJAYA: We all read for different reasons. Although this is science fiction and romance, an escape by definition, I like to think that my readers learn something in the process. Some may gain understanding and tolerance for vastly different cultures, others may realize that no one is perfect and it's all right. They will find in my books that standing up against tyranie and injustice is difficult, but true heroes are willing to do it and sacrifice a lot in the process... It's true on the page and in real life. Our soldiers do it every day.

STEPH: Are you a plotter or a panster?

VIJAYA: Like most writers, I started as a pantser, then I became a plotter. Now I do both, depending on the book, the mood, the inspiration. There are many ways to write a book, and varying the techniques keeps it fresh and exciting for the writer and for the reader.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

Vijay's Writing Space


VIJAYA: My desk is cluttered. Bits of papers with notes on them, a print of my last chapter full of red marks. Sometimes a kitten or two playing with my computer mouse or jumping at the monitor. Red pens, post it notes, notepads, daytimer, glasses, paperweights, a picture of me jumping from a plane, a pot of green tea, bits of dark chocolate in a white rammekin.

Pictures of my characters hang on the walls with posters of my book covers. Promotion material semi-ready to be shipped in boxes on the free standing table behind me. The entire back wall of shelves is bulging under the weight of research and fiction books. Excuse the dust. I'm not exactly the domestic type.

STEPH: Tell us a little about the state you live in.

VIJAYA: I live in sunny Arizona and I love it. After traveling the world and living in exotic places like India and Hawaii, I am partial to the heat. The only thing I miss in Arizona is the ocean. There is much to discover in Arizona, though, from the Grand Canyon to the Anasazi ruins, and the rich western history... many things to inspire a writer.

Find out more at: http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Thanks you so much, Steph, for having me.