Q: Is
this another book covering the Kalquorian civil war?
A: It
is, but there are a lot of other things going on as well. This book ties up a
lot of loose ends for the Clans of Kalquor series, including the Lost
Colonists, the origin of the virus that brought Kalquor to the verge of
extinction, new clanning laws, and so many other things.
Q: But
this isn’t the last Clans of Kalquor book?
A: No,
but I do plan to take an extended break from the main series to return to the
spinoffs of the First Mataras and the Nuns of Europa. Michaela and Sister Katherine
are looking lonely out there without the other stories that should have been
written long before now. With Shalia’s Diary wrapped up and Clans of Kalquor in
a good place, I can finally carve out a little time for writing those other
series.
Q: The
new book is Nobek-heavy, I understand.
A: Nobeks
and dual-breeds galore. Nako is a Dramok-Nobek and Ulof is an Imdiko-Nobek. And
they serve on a raider, the warship of the pre-destroyer era. Raider crews are
the most ferocious in the Imperial Fleet, so it’s a natural fit for men with
Nobek tendencies.
Q:
Is Ulof the kind of Imdiko-Nobek we’ve seen with Emperor Bevau?
A:
Not quite. Bevau’s principle designation is Nobek rather than Imdiko, and he
doesn’t have half the issues Ulof does. Ulof has a learning disability that went
ignored by his family for too long, and he’s not been treated well in the past.
He has a tendency to react to stress with violence. In fact, he’s served time
in prison due to his poor coping skills.
Q:
He sounds angsty. I love angsty.
A:
Then the whole clan will make you happy. Clan Nako is Angst Central.
Q: There
have been hints that the hero clan of this book is a group of pirates?
A: The
raiders, Kalquorian warships, have all been decommissioned. Their crews,
usually a motley lot of the wildest men, are not happy about it. Captain Nako
in particular took exception to the order to turn his ship in, so he and a
number of his crew gave Fleet Command the middle finger. They abandoned the
fleet and have been raiding the Basma’s renegade armada for supplies ever
since.
Q: The
heroes sound exciting. What about the heroine? Who is the lucky lady who finds
herself among this bunch of rogues?
A: Piper
Warren was enslaved by the Bi’isils after Armageddon. She went with them by
choice, by the way. Piper’s got a few issues when it comes to self-worth.
However, circumstances convince her she needs to get to Kalquor to give them a
warning about her masters and the Basma. Instead of loyal Kalquorians, she
finds Clan Nako and his merry band of brutes. They aren’t exactly the champions
she was hoping for.
Q: What
about the sexual dynamics?
A: I didn’t plan Piper to be a masochist, but she
kept insisting on going in that direction. This isn’t really a book that delves
much into S & M, but there’s a taste of that in there. The men, having
served on a raider with little access to women, are not terribly experienced
with females. Ulof has never been with a woman at all. These guys, in any case,
are not about finesse. So things can get a little rough, but in a way that is
exciting and even (believe it or not) rather sweet.
Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes
& Noble, and Smashwords. Coming soon in print.
She escaped to Kalquor to warn the empire…but did she bring its
destruction instead?
When a rogue Kalquorian raider snags a Bi’isil cruiser in Empire space,
the outlaw crew is hoping for supplies. Instead, they find a Tragoom and an
Earther woman with a dire warning: Bi’is is set to unleash a fatal plague on
the Kalquorian Empire.
Piper Warren, with the help of her friend Ob, has faced death to save
the Kalquorians from utter destruction. Instead of help, she stumbles on a ship
filled with men who swear no loyalty to anyone but themselves. Can she convince
them to set aside their lawless ways to save their people?
Captain Nako turned his back on Kalquor after Fleet Command
decommissioned his raider. Abandoned by his government, he swears he will never
lift a finger to aid them, not even against the traitor Dramok Maf and his
fleet. With the new Bi’is threat, if Nako doesn’t do something, the empire will
fall and its people will die.
Nako’s Nobek clanmate Terig is as fierce as they come. However, his
shameful past destroyed a once-promising career, and leading his men into
battle can only end in defeat. But how
can he refuse when utter annihilation is racing straight to Kalquor?
Dual breed Imdiko Ulof is a terror to anyone who crosses him. Leaving
broken bodies in his wake, the ex-convict struggles with equally broken dreams.
No one can tame him, until a beautiful Earther and an unlikely new friend show
that belief has the power to heal all wounds.
The survival of Kalquor depends on this unlikely band of misfits. Clan
Nako learns that love for an Earther woman can make heroes out of
outcasts…until they discover that Piper harbors dark, deadly secrets of her
own.
Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes
& Noble, and Smashwords. Also in
print.
