To heal the future, one must confront the past…
After an estranged explorer returns home to help her ailing mother, she’s confronted by powerful forces who demand a high personal cost for any hope of a cure.
Wild Women Authors feature Diana Fedorak and Origins Progeny, a sci-fi adventure published by the Wild Rose Press.
About the Book which has been described as “. . . a gripping sequel to the Firebird Award Winner, Children of Alpheios. . .”: Alina DeHerte thought she had escaped Alpheios, the genetically engineered city on planet Eamine. After rescuing her son from its corrupt rulers, she built a fresh life with a new fiancé in a remote sanctuary. But when word of her mother’s grave illness reaches her, Alina's fragile peace shatters.
Returning to Alpheios means she must navigate rising
threats in an unpredictable city. In pursuit of dominance, the city’s power
brokers are jeopardizing their citizens’ lives. Alina must ally with a man she
has long avoided—the Guardian officer who fathered her son. Both have a shared
stake in the city’s uncertain future.
If Alina wants her mother to survive, she must unravel
the city’s secrets and grapple with her conflicted past. Deep winter is upon
them, and Alpheios is on the brink of explosive change.
We had a chance to speak with Captain Chance Graylin, aide to Chancellor Jade Graylin.
Good morning, Captain. Thank you for taking time out
of your schedule to speak with us. We’d like to begin with knowing what made
you choose to become a Guardian officer? My father was a Guardian officer. I was drawn to its sense of purpose in
protecting the citizens of Alpheios. A stable city is a peaceful city, and I
aim to keep it that way.
Knowing what you know now, if you had it to do over
again, would you stick with being a Guardian or would you choose something
different? There’s no doubt in my
mind I’d become a Guardian officer. I was born for this.
What is your biggest fear? That I will fail in protecting others. Don’t repeat
that.
Who is your favorite fictional character and why? Bond. James Bond. I don’t think I have to explain
why.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? My mother once told me that when you seize on a good
idea, move fast. Otherwise, the energy that is required of you will dissipate
and fade. Make it a fait accompli.
Thanks for speaking with us, Chance. Now we’d like to
chat with Diana.
Which writer or character[s], from either books or
movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing? I was enamored with fantasy stories growing up. I also
enjoyed YA dystopian from the 2000s like the Hunger Games and Divergent
franchises. Lately, I’m into sci-fi /fantasy authors like Adrian Tchaikovsky, Elizabeth
Lim, Sarah J. Maas, Martha Wells, and Frank Herbert. I’m currently watching HBO’s
Dune Prophecy series, and I’m a big fan of the movies. Also, anything Game of
Thrones or House of the Dragon related, I’ll watch.
With regard to research, where did you start for this
novel? Did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original
concept? For the medical piece of the
story, I read up on medical journal research concerning genetics and stem
cells, and how donors are matched. I listened to doctors on podcasts who
described the concept of regenerative medicine, and how your stem cells play a
major role in keeping you healthy. It helped me hone some of the finer points
of what was happening to the characters in the story, like Alina’s mother, who
is suffering complications from a biotech product. It didn’t change the overall
story arc much, but I made some tweaks to it.
Tell us a bit about your publisher. How did you hear
about them; what influenced you to submit to them? I met my editor, Morena, virtually at a writer’s
conference in Las Vegas during the pandemic when I pitched to her my first book
in the series, Children of Alpheios. I had pitched to numerous agents by
that point. Some had gotten back to me, politely declining, but they had
initially asked for a portion of the manuscript, so I kept pitching. I saw that The Wild Rose Press had published
some fantasy and speculative fiction novels recently and had been in business
for over fifteen years which was a good sign for a small press.
How is the submission process; what is the turn-around
time from date of query to date of release? Morena asked me to send her my full manuscript on the spot. A month
went by, and I followed up asking her for her thoughts. I was used to getting
rejected so when she said she loved it, it was a very pleasant surprise. Within
a week, the President of The Wild Rose Press, Rhonda Penders, sent me a
contract offer. About nine months later, Children of Alphieos was
published, which is fast if you’re with a publisher. As soon as the first book
received a release date, Morena asked me for a second book, now Origins
Progeny. It took me about a year-and-half to write and revise it, and once
I signed the contract, it took them about a year to prepare it for publication.
What are you reading right now? I’m currently reading Comics Lit, a new essay
series of why we love comics. It’s edited by a friend, Tonya Todd, who also
wrote a delightful essay about Catwoman in it. It contains wonderful insights
on how comics have shaped our culture.
What's next for you? I’m currently working on the third book in the Children
of Alphieos series. I hope to have it done this year.
Here’s an excerpt of Origins Progeny:
Her knee aching, Alina pressed her
hands against the hard object she’d tripped over. Snow hid a log in her path.
Shivering, she rubbed her knee. Blackness surrounded her. She squinted at her
link in the dark. The numbers glowed back. It was nearly negative sixty degrees
Celsius outdoors.
She’d cleared the woods but wading through the accumulating
snow had lengthened her travel time. The snow was up to her knees and would
continue to rise. Gasping, she peered through the curtain of whistling white
all around. She wasn’t even sure she emerged at the right spot out of the woods
where the dirt path led back to the city.
Uncertain of her whereabouts, she tried to activate the
link’s other features. “Show my location.” But the howling wind drowned out her
voice, and the link blinked back, “ERROR.” She tried again. “Light.” But her
link did not register her command.
Crap. She could remove her gloves and fiddle with it,
but her fingertips were numb. Her body shook as the suit struggled in its fight
against the elements. Her stomach had shrunken into a pit. Although her face
was covered, she couldn’t feel the end of her nose. She wiggled, feeling a coil
inside her suit. Did one of the battery lead wires disconnect? If the other two
leads held, she still could make it back.
Had Gordo received her message? No response from him.
How long would it take until he called her in missing? Touching the corner of
her eye, she winced. Windburn scraped at the small amount of her exposed skin.
She could call Chance. He’d find a GATV to search for
her. A small relief grew within her at knowing he wasn’t far. Her link might
not even tolerate much more of the freeze. But the GATVs would have to drive
slowly in this weather, and by the time he reached her…
To learn more about Diana Fedorak, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/dianafedorakauthor
https://www.instagram.com/diana_fedorak_author
To purchase Origins Progeny, go to:
Amazon: https://a.co/d/7y3tY5f
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DM2Q1J6Q
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/origins-progeny-diana-fedorak/1146492137
Series: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/children%20of%20alpheios/_/N-w
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221237516-origins-progeny
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/origins-progeny-by-diana-fedorak
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/origins-progeny/id6737810409
Great interview!
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