SFR SHOWCASE

Please remember to check out the posts from the other participants at 

 http://sfrcontests.blogspot.co.uk/p/sfr-brigade-presents.html

Once a month, the Science Fiction Romance Brigade’s showcase enables the brigade’s authors to highlight snippets from new works, WIPs, cover reveals or other fun things.

My fun post for today is a slightly 'tongue in cheek' interview with Narjohol, the antagonist in the first book of the Destiny Trilogy 'Starquest.' Each book is a 'standalone' and complete but features some of the same characters. Narjohol is a slaver  from the planet Salmar, and a not very pleasant alien.
(You can also read another, slightly more serious character interview of the hero in this series at https://anastasiapollack.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/book-club-friday-interview-with-hero.html?spref=fb )

INTERVIEW WITH NARJOHOL

(The automatic scan of Narjohol’s travel pack recorded: 
A hand held weapon of mass destruction, An electronic whip, A small container of food, most of it still alive, An unusually designed short bladed and very sharp knife, A great deal of money in intergalactic currency,One automatic laser branding iron.)

This is a recording of an interview with the Salmaran Narjohol relayed from Ms Lettus Prey’s personal holcorder.

Please make yourself comfortable Narjohol – it’s all right if I call you Narjohol  is it?

Of course, that is my name, please let’s get on with this.

Er. Okay. Can  you confirm your occupation for us?
  Interstellar slave trader

And where do you live?
   On board my slaveship, mainly.

So where do you come from originally?
My home planet is called Salmar, a good many parsecs from your world,
    Originally a penal planet, my ancestors were overseers.

Have you any family?
 The question is rather frivolous.  Salmaran children are abandoned by their mothers as soon as  they are able to fend for themselves and they never meet again.  There are usually about three in a litter and they go their separate ways. 

So do you ever see your brothers and sisters?
    Of course not.  What would be the point?  Salmarans have no need for companionship, that is  a weakness  you humans have.

I see. Are you married?
  The concept of marriage, is meaningless to a Salmaran.  The females of our species are for pleasure and breeding, there is no necessity for anything permanent .

What happens to the slaves on your ship?
  Most are sold to the highest bidder.  Some of them are special orders, privately commissioned.

For what purpose do you use your own slaves?
Both male and females can be used for pleasure purposes and those who do not find favour in our eyes for such pleasure are used for performing basic and the most menial tasks.

What is your main ambition?
   To make as much profit as possible from the sale of slaves, of course.

That is self evident, if I may say so. Anything else?
   To capture and kill a young Anraatian who has something I want.

May I ask what that is?
    Certainly not. That is between him and myself. 

You seem to have an interest in his female travelling companion as well.

Why wouldn’t I have? She is most attractive – for a human female.

Er...yes. Getting back to your slaves, what species are they?
      No particular species.  Whatever my clients request or that I think may fetch a good price at  auction.  Many of my clients have a liking for Earth women.

Do you have any pets?
   The question is meaningless.  Elaborate please.

Do you keep small animals for companionship?
   As I've told you before, Salmarans have no need for companionship, although I did once  capture a venomous Blachmas monster, and derived great pleasure from watching  it devour small Terran mammals.

That gave you pleasure?
   Immense pleasure

What else do you - enjoy?
      Anything that involves pain or blood - especially blood, I love the sight of it. I especially  enjoy making others suffer.

That seems a strange way of deriving pleasure.  Why do you think you enjoy
      such things?
   What a peculiar question.  Why should I need a reason to enjoy something?

Let me put it another way.  Have you ever suffered such treatment yourself and did you  enjoy it ?
   Yes, I was once whipped to within an inch of my life. The other Salmaran seemed to enjoy  the experience, but not as much as I did when I got my revenge on him.

Did you have a happy childhood?
    The question is irrelevant.  Childhood is a time for learning to survive and prosper. 

Do you have friends?
    Friends>? I am not sure how I’m supposed to interpret that question. I have people who are useful to me whom I will reward as I see fit.

 Do you have affection for these people?
    Affection is a meaningless concept to me.

Have you any children?
     Undoubtedly, there is a need to continuously propagate our race,

 Do you ever see any of your children?
    I wouldn't know where to begin looking, nor would I want to. It is sufficient to know my line continues.

Would you describe yourself as wealthy?
    Yes, but not as wealthy as I intend to become.

What is your favourite food?
      Another irrelevant question. Food is a necessity.  As long as it is fresh that's all that's     important.  If I was to insist on  my 'favourite' food I might end up starving to death!

You're not very forthcoming with your answers, are you?  Is there a reason for this?
  In my line of business you learn to keep certain things to yourself.  It’s habit forming.

What's  it like on board your starship?
Sufficiently comfortable for our needs. Not so comfortable for the slaves, of course, especially when we have had a successful hunting trip.  Would you like to see for yourself, my dear?  She'll be making planetfall in approximately thirty of your minutes.

Eh…well…thank you for the invitation, but actually there is somewhere else I have to be...

The interview seems to have ended abruptly and the recording ceased. Ms Lettice Prey has not been seen since.  If anyone knows of her whereabouts would they please contact their nearest Intergalactic Law Enforcement Unit. Thank you

https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Enemy-Destiny-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01BBCBYCS

STARQUEST  * CHILDREN OF THE MIST * BELOVED ENEMY

Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

SFR BRIGADE SHOWCASE - Cat and Kerry are celebrating!

Once a month the Science Fiction Romance Brigade authors showcase snippets  Excerpts from WIPs, cover reveals or other fun things. 

This is the link to the other  participants.

(If you're looking for Snippet Sunday, you can find it HERE)+
or First Page Review - HERE

I'm thrilled to say that the excerpt from Beloved Enemy that I submitted to 'The Best Banter Contest won the Paranormal, Published Section I have a nice shiny new badge which you can see on the top left hand side of the this blog. I'm really thrilled to win this, it makes me feel I must be doing something right! :)  

You can see 'teaser' below, and here is part of the excerpt I sudbmitted for the Best Banter Contest (You can read the whole excerpt in the link beneath the blue Best Banter badge if you really want to! 😉

EXCERPT

BACKGROUND

Cat Kincaid has sworn to avenge her sister’s death by killing the man she believes to be responsible. After her ship is attacked, her escape vessel crash-lands on an unchartered planet and when she sets foot on the planet, with her companion animal—an alien creature called ‘Shifter’—she finds herself caught up in a power-weapon fight. When the firing ceases, she feels compelled to go to the aid of a man wounded in the fight, who seems to have become separated from his companions. When she reaches him she is stunned to recognise him as the man for whom she has searched for five years—Kerry Marchant, second-in-command of the starship Destiny. Although they have never met before she knows him from her extensive search of various hologram-libraries. Reluctantly she attends to his wounds, using his own bio- regenerator, after telling herself she will make him tell her the truth about what happened to her sister, before carrying out her revenge. She also realises that if she keeps him alive, she can use him as a bargaining chip when the other members of his crew return to rescue him.

EXCERPT 

He made as if to stand, and in an instant, she drew her pistol.

“Like I said before, no sudden moves. Get up—slowly.”

“So you are making me prisoner?”

“Not exactly, but I’m not stupid enough to take any risks.”

He rose to his feet, his gaze not leaving her gun-hand. Several inches taller than her, broad shouldered and slim, he presented a commanding figure. His expression froze as his gaze homed in on the insignia on her breast pocket, his eyes like chips of blue ice. “You work for the Union.”

“I work for myself.”

“Then why are you wearing the insignia of the Global Union of Earth and Allied Planets?”

“I have a license to requisition any enemy ship trespassing in the sectors of space over which they hold dominion.”

“A licensed pirate in the pay of the Global Union,” Kerry’s eyes showed outright contempt. She almost preferred the icy coolness.

“I prefer to think of myself as a freelancer—doing a service.”

His expression did not change, although he did change tack. “You could have left me to die—or just shot me. Why didn’t you?”

“Call it a personality flaw. I don’t like abandoning someone who’s wounded even to save my own skin. And I don’t kill in cold blood. If I have to shoot someone, I’d rather they were facing me, with their eyes open.” Even if I did swear to leave their dead body for the Union to use in their hideous experiments. Keep it casual. Don’t let him guess what’s really in your mind.

To her amazement, he smiled, the most devastating smile she’d ever seen, and made even more remarkable because he didn’t look as if he did it very often.

“My own philosophy as it happens. It seems almost a pity we are on opposite sides.”

“Opposite sides?”

“I have no love for the Union. That puts us on opposite sides, even if you are just a pirate, doing their dirty work for them.”

She gave him her best withering look. “Fine. And just because I decided to save your hide, don’t get any ideas. We don’t have to like each other.”

“I was merely alluding to the fact we seem to have a similar moral code.”

“I doubt it.”

BELOVED ENEMY BLURB

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?

Purchase the Destiny Trilogy individually (Each book is a 'standalone' or as a set from:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0711J641G

(Sorry about all the shameless self-promotion, I'll try to be a little more restrained next month!)

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join