Please tell us a bit about yourself:
I'm Canadian, raised in Toronto Canada and
emigrated to the United States in 2000 to marry a sweet-talking man who met me
originally through my X-Files fanfiction!
Tell us about In the Black:
In the Black is the first book in the Tales
from the Edge series, dealing with a Mercy ship—the Bonnie Belle.
The Bonnie Belle is a Mercy ship carrying
courtesans from mining base to mining base, providing services for whoever can
pay for them. Not necessarily sex – there are Charity ships for that. The
Belle's crew are made up of courtesans with a variety of skills who can help
you improve your chess game, your self-defense skills… and yes, great sex if
you want it.
Sam Keller is the captain of the Bonnie Belle
and on her first tour. When one of her women is found dead in her cabin
suspects include an entire base of miners along with her own crew. She has to
rely on Marshal Daniel LeClair for help to find the killer and maybe, just
maybe a bit of loving along the way…
What inspired you to write this particular
story?:
I've always loved science fiction and science
fiction romance so I wanted to write something in that vein. I loved the
character of "Inara" from "Firefly" and the concept of
courtesans in that world and decided to take that idea and work with it. So I
came up with the idea of the Guild, shuttling courtesans from mining base to
mining base to meet the needs of lonely men and women out on the edge. It's not
necessarily only about sex—it's about offering comfort and aid to those who
need it.
And of course, I needed a good story. Enter
Sam Keller, a military vet with her own secret and now captain of the Bonnie
Belle. Hiding on the Belle might be her plan but she's suddenly faced with the
murder of one of her courtesans and the need to find the killer. Which is where
Marshal Daniel LeClair comes in and I figure we can all guess where that goes,
eh?
Please share a favourite snippet from your
book:
“Sam,” Daniel whispered, “Kiss me. Please.”
There was a trace of whine and want in the words, a combination of curiosity
and need.
“Why?” Her heart hammered in her chest.
“Because you want it. I want it. We’re two
consenting adults and I know I won’t be able to walk straight for the rest of
this trip unless I get a taste of you.” He paused. “Consider it a trial run for
when we finish this job up. You know what’s going to happen when this is all
over.”
The harsh honesty shocked her into silence.
“Would it be easier if I ordered you to?”
he said.
“What?” She felt lightheaded.
“You’re a soldier. You know how to take
orders.” He ran a finger along his lower lip. “Kiss me,” he demanded.
She blinked, unable to form a coherent
thought.
“Afraid?” Daniel chuckled. “Surely a big,
strong woman like yourself can handle a little kiss.” He
smacked his lips together in a mockery of
the act.
A mixture of anger and heat pushed her into
a decision.
A single kiss and she’d find out if there
was any compatibility or if this was a disaster waiting to happen. She’d still
sleep with him but it’d be better if there was a spark, some sort of connection
there.
She drew a staggered breath, seeing the
longing in his face and wondering if he saw the same looking at her.
What harm could it do?
Which comes first for you – a character's
looks, personality or name?:
I always think of a character's personality –
what brought them to this place in their lives, what decisions put them where
they are. For example, Sam Keller is a military vet with a dark past that has
pushed her to take on captaining the Belle for a five-year tour. What makes her
tick, what made her choose this penance. And what would be enough for her to
try and leave?
Any tips for aspiring authors?:
Read.
Write. Read more. Write more. And to quote Chuck Wendig, Write HARDER.
Questions for fun:
If you had the power of time travel, is there
anything you would go back and change? Why/why not?:
I'd probably go back and tell my younger self
that it does get better. I was bullied when I was young and had a horrible time
in high school. It'd be nice to know then that I'd find happiness in the
future.
What super-power would you choose?:
Strangely enough I wrote a superhero romance
– my "Blaze of Glory" trilogy with Samhain Publishing! I decided to
give Jo Tanis, my heroine, the ability to manipulate electromagnetic waves – so
she can fly and shock people. I think that'd be pretty cool.
Or I'd be Wonder Woman. She totally rocks…
If you could have three wishes, what would
they be?:
Ooh… toughie. Probably perfect health, world
peace and an ability to eat as much chocolate as I want without gaining weight.
Coffee, tea or wine?:
Tea. Tea tea tea tea tea. And a cuppa white
wine to top it off!
What is your favourite book? (aside from one
of your own!):
I *heart* The Jungle Book by Kipling. Not the
cartoon, the book. Rikki-tikki-tavi, Toomai of the Elephants… so many good
stories there. So much goodness…
Favourite genre and why?:
I sort of bounce around all genres when I'm
reading. One day I'll be reading Keegan's History of the Civil War, the next a
historical romance by Tessa Dare and the next a graphic novel. Variety is the
spice of life…
Favourite colour?:
Plaid. No, wait… red. Blue?
Upcoming news and plans for the future?:
Book Two of Tales from the Edge, In the Void
comes out in October from Carina Press!
This will be Sean's story… but there's room for so many more tales!
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk
to us!
Thank you for having me visit!!!
Book one of Tales from the Edge
When Sam Keller left the military, she ran to the far end of the galaxy. Now she captains the Bonnie Belle, a spaceship full of courtesans who bring a little pleasure to hard-up men on mining colonies. When one of her girls turns up dead, it's Sam's job to find out who killed her, fast.
Marshal Daniel LeClair is as tough as steel and quick on the draw. But when his vacation gets replaced by an assignment to help find the killer, he can't help angling for a little action with the saucy, hard-charging Sam. She's got brains, attitude and a body he wouldn't mind investigating.
Sam, six months lonely, might just indulge him. But the Guild that owns the Belle wants the case closed yesterday. With pressure coming from all quadrants, Sam and her marshal clash over false leads and who's on top. But when the killer threatens the Belle again, romance will have to wait. It's a captain's job to save her crew, no matter the cost.
Links:
AMZ amzn.to/PA2HI1
B&N bit.ly/1lDhThE
Carina bit.ly/1gW7VmX
My personal info:
Twitter link https://twitter.com/
Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/
Author website/blog link http://www.sherylnantus.com
Goodreads Author Page Link https://www.goodreads.com/
In the Black on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/
Read the book and loved it.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely loved this story! So glad there will be another book in this series.
ReplyDelete