. . . Like space, love knows no boundaries . . .
As a
rebel insurgence builds against the oppressive government known as the Agency,
Valeni and Nik/Nikki encounter a sexy Terran cowboy named Garrett Rawls. Since
being pulled into this region of space by another mysterious wormhole, Garrett
has looked for a way to return to Earth. After meeting Valeni and Nikki, he
might have found something worth staying for.
However,
dark forces may have a much bigger picture in mind for all of them. Valeni,
Nik/Nikki, and Garrett are pulled into a life and death fight that lays bare
all of their secrets and their desires. Will they lose everything as the battle
against the Agency rages around them or can love pull them through?
Good morning, Valeni. Thanks for taking time to speak with
us. Let’s begin with where you’re from? I was
born on the planet Terza in the Sisrian system, which is made up of five
planets, Kizra, Marriel, Terza, Perpetra and Lennor. I grew up with my. parents
and my brother Luca on an estate with servants and all the advantages.
Tell us a bit about Sixshooter. It’s the story of how I
started out a year without a credit in my pocket, met Nicholas, the first love
of my life, had my brother drag me through some damned terrorist crap, but not
even as bad as what the government did to us. Then I met the second love of my
life, Garrett Rawls. Then Nikki fell in love with Garrett. So there we were, I
loved two men, Nikki loved two men, two men loved me, and maybe I loved Nikki,
too. We kept meaning to have a conversation and straighten things out….but we
just never seemed to find the time. It was all the people who kept shooting at us.
I mean, Sprechan’s balls, what kind of life is that?
What did you think the first time you saw Garrett
Rawls? He
seemed like one of the most interesting people at Captain Temms Rogers’ meeting
with the rebels. I guess I thought he liked me.
What
was your second thought? I hoped by
all Sprechan’s power that he liked me. Ha!
Did you feel it was love at first sight? I don’t know about love—but definitely
lust.
What do you like most about Garrett? He’s sexy, of course, and
kind. But mostly he’s just easy to be with. With a lot of the bureaucratic kinds
around here, a gal feels like she’s always got to be watching her back or being
careful what she says. Garrett’s just Garrett—he is what he appears, and he
assumes you are too. You don’t ever have to put on a front or worry about being
yourself. That’s so refreshing!
How would you describe him? Yum? Is that a good
description? No, really, he’s smart, he’s good-looking—or a long drink of cool
water, as he’d say—and he’d do anything for you. He’s a great member of our
team—Nikki and I love him very much.
How would Garrett describe you? He tells me I’m beautiful.
He trusts me with his life. I think he’d say I’m competent and I can handle
myself. In bed, he calls me his “ginger candy.” Okay, he also thinks I’m a
handful and he hates my stubborn streak. I told him it’s not being stubborn, it’s
being forthright. How else can you get things done if you don’t just do them?
What made you choose to become a mercenary pilot? Well, my parents were wealthy, and they never let you forget it. They also favored my screw-up brother, so I really had no reason to stay on Terza. I saved my money and bought my own ship, the Tiburon, when I was 21, and I headed out to make my own future. It’s hard sometimes, because you never know when you’re going to get a job, or what kind of crap people can pull on you because you’re working alone. That’s why I was glad Nik came with me. Because they are brawn as Nicholas and brain as Nikki, and we work well together. And of course, once we met Garrett Rawls.
What is your biggest fear? Being alone. Not just ‘by
myself,’ but alone, as in not having anyone to count on. The one thing I’ve
learned in the last little bit is that I am stronger with a team, and I don’t
have to depend on only myself for everything. It’s really made me a lot more
confident and secure.
How do you relax? With some of our favorite Terran ales, some
that Garrett brought with him through the wormhole. Otherwise, I’ll drink about
anything that’s available, even Sandor’s crappy havafruit cider.
Who is your favorite fictional character? Who has time to read? I’m
out in the black saving my ass every day. Maybe when I get time to retire. If
that ever happens. For real, we are hand to mouth more days than I’d like.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Captain Dutton, my mentor,
told me I had to open up and let these people in, that I shouldn’t be afraid.
He was right. Now I am surrounded by love and on the road to adventure.
Rogers called on the man for his
opinion. “Now here we have an import—a genuine cowboy from the old Terran
system.”
“Cow boy?” Nik asked Valeni. “Is he
part bovine, then? He looks human.”
Valeni chuckled. “I suspect he is
human. Wait a minute.” She pulled out her handheld communication device and
typed in the question. “Hmm. It is a old Terran term. A cowboy herds animals from
horseback on a ranch.”
Nik then asked about the term “horse”
and the term “ranch,” both of which were unfamiliar. “It seems unlikely such a person
could exercise these pursuits in space.”
Valeni shushed them as the man spoke.
“I’m Garrett Rawls, come from a planet called
Earth which ain’t in your system here. Not sure how I got to this place,
exactly, but somehow I got sucked through some kinda wormhole.”
His dark eyes sparkled with good will.
“Been makin’ my way pretty well with my ship, the Six-shooter—some of you know it—mostly keeping to the planets of
Marriel and Terza, staying under the radar as much as I can. But just like back
on Earth, the government cain’t help trying to keep us good ol’ boys down.”
He looked around the room, stopping to
focus on Valeni for a moment. “And good old gals.”
Val blushed, and Nik felt her
whole body set change. Rawls’ gaze slid to Nik, curiosity in his eyes. Nik felt
a definite weighing of possibility.
What event in your private life were you able to
bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? Actually the whole story
came from a real life participation in an online role playing game. My
ex-husband played a character who was genderfluid, like Nik, I played Valeni
and my friend Kellie Hicks played Garrett. We originated the characters and
developed them for a couple of years, and after the RPG folded, I really missed
them. They’ve been kicking around in my brain ever since, and I finally got
them down on paper.
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear
about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? Dragonfly Publishing is a small press in Oklahoma.
Editor Terri Branson was the first to contract a novel from me about 10 years
ago, The Elf Queen. She’s since published other fiction of mine,
including the Horizon Crossover series, which Sixshooter is a part of.
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I have Fringe The Zodiac
Paradox waiting….but Sixshooter came out in June, and my alter ego
Alana Lorens had Encounter come out in June and is working on final
galleys for A Rose by Any Other Name, so I doubt I’ll get to that book any
time soon. 😊
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on
the shelves? Once those three are thoroughly
launched, I’m continuing a suspense/mystery that opens with a woman finding
herself in the Everglades next to a burnt car with a dead body in it…and no idea
how any of it happened.
Where can our readers find you on social media? The best way to follow up is watch the websites at
alana-lorens.com or lyndialexander.wordpress.com
To purchase Sixshooter, go to:
Oh, love the sound of this one! Good luck with it!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for a wonderful interview and discussion! Lyndi aka Babs
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