Sci-Fi Encounters: Interview with 'At Star's End' author Anna Hackett
Today I'm interviewing Anna Hackett about her science-fiction romance novel At Star's End, the first in a new series. I really enjoyed the heroine, Dr. Eos Rai, a highly principled intergalactic archaeologist who's now working with treasure hunters to search the galaxy for a tiny remnant of the Mona Lisa. Sexy treasure hunters, I must add. I kept thinking how much fun Indiana Jones would have in the future Anna created.
A little about Anna (courtesy of the author):
I write action romance stories to thrill you, excite you and leave you inspired. I write about people overcoming unbeatable odds and achieving seemingly impossible goals to inspire you with the truth that the possibility exists for all of us to do the same. I love car chases, explosions and spaceships ... and of course when the boy wins the girl. Oh, and I'm a sucker for that moment when the team is walking in slow motion, shoulder-to-shoulder heading off into battle. After reading, watching or writing an awesome action romance story, I'm left energized and feeling like anything is possible. I aim to give the same to my readers.
Here's the blurb for At Star's End (Phoenix Adventures) (courtesy of Carina Press):
Dr. Eos Rai has spent a lifetime dedicated to her mother's dream of finding the long-lost Mona Lisa. When Eos uncovers tantalizing evidence of Star's End—the last known location of the masterpiece—she's shocked when her employer, the Galactic Institute of Historic Preservation, refuses to back her expedition. Left with no choice, Eos must trust the most notorious treasure hunter in the galaxy, a man she finds infuriating, annoying and far too tempting.
Dathan Phoenix can sniff out relics at a stellar mile. With his brothers by his side, he takes the adventures that suit him and refuses to become a lazy, bitter failure like their father. When the gorgeous Eos Rai comes looking to hire him, he knows she's trouble, but he's lured into a hunt that turns into a wild and dangerous adventure. As Eos and Dathan are pushed to their limits, they discover treasure isn't the only thing they're drawn to…but how will their desire survive when Dathan demands the Mona Lisa as his payment?
Veronica: What was your inspiration for the book?
Anna: I wanted to write an action-packed, thrill ride of a treasure hunt. A fun, scary, exciting, heart-pounding adventure. I wondered what it would be like for explorers and treasure hunters of the future discovering artifacts from Earth, and the Phoenix Adventures series was born.
Veronica: Who was the most challenging character in the series to write and why?
Anna: No one's been a huge challenge yet, but some are certainly going to give me trouble in the future. Rival treasure hunter Nera Darc appeared (unplanned and without my permission!) in At Star's End — she's deadly, ruthless and very mysterious. She and Niklas Phoenix have a crazy game of besting each other going on. I'm guessing unraveling Nera's story is going to be a huge challenge.
Veronica: Oh, yes, characters will do that, pop up when you least expect them and demand to play a part. Will there be more adventures in this universe? Perhaps for the female treasure hunter, Nera? I found her fascinating and wanted to know more about her for sure.
Anna: Absolutely! There are many more treasures to be found. Book two, In the Devil's Nebula (Zayn Phoenix's story), has just released! After that is cousin, Malin's story, On a Rogue Planet, which will be out before the end of the year. And, yes, both Nera Darc and Niklas will get their stories!
Veronica: Why did you pick the Mona Lisa vs. any other Earthly treasure?
Anna: I wanted to write about the most recognizable treasure we have today. The Mona Lisa is the most visited painting on the planet and I was intrigued to think what might happen to it in our future.
Veronica: Do you have a favorite line from your new book?
Anna: One of my favorite lines from my latest release, In the Devil's Nebula, is when Zayn and heroine Ria meet crazy teenage explosives expert Lastite Lala:
"I'm Lastite Lala to my friends … hmm, and Lastite Lala to my enemies as well."
Veronica: What's your guilty pleasure?
Anna: Diet Coke! I know it's bad for me, but I love the stuff. I limit myself to one can a day.
Veronica: What's on your Bucket List?
Anna: To take my two boys (when they're older) to see the pyramids and temples of Egypt. I've been a couple of times, and there is no adventure like stepping into an ancient temple at dawn or seeing ruins go past as you sail the Nile.
Veronica: No argument from me — I love all things to do with ancient Egypt. How do you celebrate when you finish writing a book?
Anna: Usually it's the chance to sit down with a new book on my Kindle (usually by one of my auto-buy authors like Nalini Singh or Meljean Brook) and just read, read, read.
Veronica: I'm a huge Nalini Singh fan, too! What book by another author would you recommend to readers who are new to reading science-fiction and/or fantasy romance?
Anna:Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair. Love that book! I want my own Kel-Patten.
You can learn more about Anna and her books at www.annahackettbooks.com.
MOVIE REC
I had to ponder what movie to recommend with this column. Just about any Indiana Jones movie would do and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull did involve aliens along with artifacts, but to be brutally honest, I wasn't a major fan of that installment. So I put science-fiction and archaeology in as my search terms and the first result was the 1994 movie Stargate. (Pets the pretty stargate.) I loved that movie. There wasn't enough ancient Egypt in it for me, but everything inside Ra's spaceship was fabulous. My family and I watched it so often for a while there we learned parts of the Egyptian dialogue. (Everyone does that, right?) James Spader was excellent, Kurt Russell was steely, Mili Avital was indomitable as Sha'uri … OK, I'm settling in with my popcorn. What are you doing tonight?
Amazon best-seller Veronica Scott is a two-time recipient of the SFR Galaxy Award and has written a number of science-fiction and paranormal romances. Her latest science-fiction romance release, Escape From Zulaire, recently received the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award for Paranormal and Futuristic Romance. You can find out more about her and her books at veronicascott.wordpress.com. Please e-mail Veronica at scifiencounters@gmail.com about content related to this column. Due to the volume of mail, e-mails may not be answered personally, but all will be read.