Please tell us a bit
about yourself:
I'm a long time brigade
member who writes in too many genres. However, my first love is SFR and I try
to get back to her as often as possible. I've been writing for too many years
to count and a fan of science fiction since infancy. The Princes of the Shroud
series is my first scifi series in awhile and I am thrilled to be playing in space
again.
In my mundane life, I
home school my two children, raise hairless dogs and tarantulas, crochet and
watch a great deal of Star Trek.
Tell us about Shrouded:
Shrouded is the first
book in the Princes of the Shroud series. The stories are not traditional
romances, but have a central theme that is definitely romantic in nature.
Shroud introduces the Princes, who live on a world with a thick, protective
atmosphere and rarely interact with the rest of the galaxy. They are descended
from seven original colonists and their genetic makeup is such that only sons
are born. Thus, they have to import bride candidates in order to perpetuate the
species. My heroine, as you might guess, is one of these Brides. Unfortunately
her appearance is orchestrated by outside forces trying to worm their way into
Shroud.
What inspired you to
write this particular story?:
My novels usually begin with characters, but
in this case it was the world and the culture that first inspired me. I was doing
some studying about planetary science and became fascinated by the idea of a
culture evolving underneath a heavy atmosphere. The seclusion and the nature of
the Shrouded people then spawned the original two characters Vashia and Dolfan.
Their story came naturally after that.
Please share a favourite
snippet from your book:
My favorite bits in
Shrouded are the sparring between Dolfan and his rival, Mofitan. (who gets his
own story in book three) In this part, they are both convinced that Vashia is
their heartmate.
Dolfan watched her slip
back into the crowd. The girl behind her, the redhead, squealed again and
pretended to faint. Maybe she was Mofitan’s mate. Maybe their little
pissing match had been only a misunderstanding. He peered at Mof and shook his
head. No. It had been Vashia that held both of their attention. Impossible, but
undeniable.
“Murrel, dear, calm down
please.” Madame Nerala tossed a pleading look in his direction.
“Oh!” The girl teetered.
She wobbled in his direction and then swerved toward Mofitan. Her knees gave
out a little too quickly and she fell backwards. He had to admire her
commitment. If Mofitan hadn’t caught her, she would have cracked her head.
“Girls!” Nerala almost
shrieked. “Back to your rooms, please.”
The women scattered into
the plants. Mofitan held the still whimpering imposter. He cleared his throat
and looked to Nerala for direction. The panic on his face earned him a speck of
pity, but it didn’t last.
“Set her down,” Nerala
ordered. “What just happened here, gentlemen?” Without warning, she turned her
pursed lips toward him. She cast a suspicious glance at each of them in turn.
“The Kingmaker,” Mofitan
released the girl, who turned her wide-eyed face up at him in worship. “I can
feel her.”
“Good.” Dolfan nodded to
Nerala. He pointed a finger at the woman on the ground. “She’s his Kingmaker
then.”
“Not her.” Mof stood
tall and faced him again. “You know which one it is.”
“I haven’t a clue which
one is yours.” Dolfan felt his lip cure. He couldn’t help it. Mofitan
had damn sure been eyeing Vashia, and he was having none of that. He growled
and balled his fists at his side. “Do you?”
“You son of a—”
“Gentlemen!” Nerala
clapped her hands together. The smack echoed to the glass walls. “Highnesses,
please. I believe we can discuss this later.” She dropped her eyes pointedly to
the woman in their midst. “After I have a little talk with Murrel.”
He stared at the girl.
Her huge eyes dropped away immediately, but he caught the glimmer of tears
there, and a wave of shame shook him. They’d been brutal in their rush to out
snarl one another. He shook his head, even though she wasn’t looking at either
of them now.
“I’m sorry. Of course.”
He backed away, hoping Mofitan could pick up on the not so subtle cue from
Nerala. They could hash this particular dispute out later in private.
All their little display
had done was cue Nerala in to the problem and possibly hurt someone innocent. Foolish, perhaps, but innocent enough.
Now they’d have to answer for it, both to the trainer, and to the women who
would, no doubt, hear about the scuffle. She would hear about it, and
he’d look like some kind of possessive brute.
Not the best foot to put
forward, was it? He scowled and turned for the exit. The Heart would sort it
out, of course. He’d only been riled by Mofitan’s reaction to his mate, a
reaction that should not be possible. He frowned. Only the Heart would be able
to fix the mess. They were just too far away.
He nodded and left the
courtyard. Let Mofitan posture all he wanted, as soon as they took the Brides
under the Shroud, the truth would out. The Heart would sort out the mess, and
it would sort it out in his favor. He felt the pull. He recognized his Heart
mate, and that booked no argument. The Heart was never wrong.
As he stalked the
corridor back toward the atrium, he forced down the thought that Mofitan was no
doubt counting on exactly the same fact.
Which comes first for
you – a character's looks, personality or name?:
I almost always begin
with a character's personality. I think looks and name depend a great deal on
who I want the character to be and both can be used to symbolically reinforce
the character inside. In Shrouded's case the cultures came first, then the
characters and then descriptions and names.
Any tips for aspiring
authors?:
Keep going. That's so
cliché, and yet it's so important. So, I'll add
study, learn every bit of information you can about craft and industry
and be educated before you leap into anything. But really, what it comes down
to is keep going. Keep writing, keep submitting or publishing, keep believing
in yourself, because that is what will make or break you in the end.
Write on!
Questions for fun:
If you had the power of
time travel, is there anything you would go back and change? Why/why not?: No.
(though it might be fun to go back and observe) I believe we don't have a big
enough picture to know what the right changes would be. Everything that happens
feeds into a giant puzzle of events, and I wouldn't want to be the one who
averted a past disaster only to cause a larger one in the future!
What super-power would
you choose?:
I just want to fly. Really. It might not be the most useful, but
give me wings!
If you could have three
wishes, what would they be?:
I would wish that my
children were always safe, healthy and happy. If that could count as one wish,
then I'd add world peace and prosperity for myself.
Coffee, tea or wine?:
Coffee, then wine. Wine
is lovely, but the coffee must flow! I love tea as a decadent treat from time
to time (usually herbal) but Coffee is not optional.
What is your favourite
book? (aside from one of your own!): The Year of the Unicorn by Andre Norton
and very closely after that, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip.
Favourite genre and
why?:
I don't do this. Never
could choose between fantasy and science fiction, not even as a reader. I love
humor a great deal, and that can cross genre borders. Favorite genre.....hmm
I'll take the cop-out. Speculative Fiction.
Favourite colour?:
Copper. I love oranges
and Burnt Sienna, but mostly because they remind me of copper.
Upcoming news and plans
for the future?:
Book two of Princes of
the Shroud is finished and sent off to the publisher. I'm very excited about
that one. I have other series running as well, some indie and some with
publishers. My next SFR should be the sequel to Shrouded though. I have an
amphibious humanoid series in the back of my mind as well as a time travel
foray, but I guiltily squeeze some fantasy in there between scifi, so they
might be awhile coming. Of course, there are at least four (okay, maybe five)
Princes of the Shroud books planned too.
Thank you so much for taking
the time to talk to us!
Thank you for having me
and for all that the Brigade does for the genre!
Publisher direct: http://stores.modularmarket.com/zharmae/shrouded-p41.php?retain_errors=Y&retain_notices=Y
Author Website: http://francespauli.com/
Blurb:
Vashia’s father is the planetary governor. Unfortunately,
he’s also a complete bastard. When he promises her to his lackey, Jarn, she
panics. On the run in the nastiest corner of the galaxy, Vashia seizes her one
chance at escape and signs on as a bride candidate for the elusive race of
aliens known as the Shrouded, unaware that she very well may be chosen as the
next Queen of Shroud
Of the seven, volatile Shrouded princes, Dolfan may be the only one that doesn't covet the throne. So the last thing he expects to find in the future queen is the woman of his dreams. If he wants Vashia, he must accept the throne as well. Unfortunately, his long-time rival has the same idea. Now, only the planet’s sacred crystal can decide their fates, but what happens when the right woman is paired with the wrong man? And when Jarn comes after what was promised to him?
Of the seven, volatile Shrouded princes, Dolfan may be the only one that doesn't covet the throne. So the last thing he expects to find in the future queen is the woman of his dreams. If he wants Vashia, he must accept the throne as well. Unfortunately, his long-time rival has the same idea. Now, only the planet’s sacred crystal can decide their fates, but what happens when the right woman is paired with the wrong man? And when Jarn comes after what was promised to him?
