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Q&A: Desire The Stars

/ AuthorCMHerndon / Leave a comment

Hello! Welcome to The Screaming Damnation, ship of Captain Jorsen! This is the brief Q&A for C.M Herndon’s latest novel: Desire the Stars.

 

Q: Just to clear a few things up, DtS is slated as a “new trilogy” set in the same universe as the Defiant Trilogy. Do the trilogies need to be read in order?

A: No, they do not need to be read in order. You can read the Defiant Trilogy before or after. DtS is designed to be it’s own standalone series. If you are interested in character connections, there are characters from the previous trilogy mentioned and shown. The Main Character himself is seen in the final Defiant Novel, Havoc. They can be read in any order.

 

Q: So it’s a new series in the same universe. Tell us a bit about the Ektos Universe.

A: Right, so the Ektos Universe is the name of the universe both trilogies are set in. There are dozens of planets, thousands of cultures, and plenty of badass characters to keep you company.

 

Q: Speaking of badass characters, tell us a bit about the main characters in this story and the places.

A: Actually, a lot of the “places” of the first book is on ship. The Screaming Damnation has a big role to play. It’s not just a ship, it’s a safe place, a home for the crew. Similar to the way Captain Mal in Firefly looks at Serenity, I think this crew shares that opinion of this ship. We do, however, see a brief glance at the planet Achmos, a mostly desert planet with fierce natives. They take a brief trip onto a couple of other planets. As for the characters, Captain Jorsen is the best warrior on his planet. He let’s that go to his head sometimes, but he’s damn good at what he does and Shera, while a bit naïve, is equally as fierce. She has a stubborn recklessness that gets her into a lot of trouble but lucky for her she usually has the skills to get herself out of the trouble. When she doesn’t, that’s where she finds Jorsen.

 

Q: So what separates the Desire the Stars Trilogy from the Defiant Trilogy?

A: A whole lot actually! Defiant was a very dynamic story, showing many points of view from different planets. Faelan had a certain carefree charisma because she was a criminal who fell in love with a prince. Her only goal was to keep that. She and Virion started a war and had to live without, trying to hold onto each other and the family and home that was important to them. It was very broad but at the same time, it was very much about them. While Desire the Stars is also about the couple, I think it’s a little more centered on the couple as a whole. Their issues are more defined in who they are as people. They have obligations, they have expectations, and they have two different races to contend with. Jorsen has a specific set of laws he has to abide by and Shera’s goals don’t align with that. They have to overcome the fact that she can’t just walk away from her family and that he can’t leave his people. For the two of them, their battles are with personal enemies. Faelan and Virion were fighting for a whole planet. While it may seem less broad that way, I think Jorsen and Shera really get to touch on issues in today’s society with bi-racial couples not always feeling welcomed or being acknowledged. Even Shera herself has to come to terms with the fact that Jorsen’s own race is different than hers.

 

Q: Different how?

A: Let’s just say his race has a few biological differences.

 

Q: Will we be seeing more of these races in the other two books?

A: Absolutely. In book two we will be visiting Victere and learning more about how they operate. Especially since Jorsen doesn’t exactly play by the rules. We’ll also be visiting Achmos and learning more about Shera’s culture.

 

Q: What defining qualities can you tell us about each culture?

A: Without giving away major plot points… Victere is a heavily militarized culture that places value on being able to give and take commands. Achmos is a free culture that places value on family and welfare.

 

Q: I’m sensing this might create some tension between the characters?

A: Tension. Sexual tension. D, all of the above.

 

Q: Is there anything else you can touch base on?

A: Read it. If you like your characters with a little sass and a little badass, you’ve come to the right place. Read it, love it, share it.

 

 

Check out Desire the Stars below!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Defiant Ads 14

HOT NEW WHAT?!

/ AuthorCMHerndon / Leave a comment

I’m so very excited and pleased to tell you guys that Havoc (Defiant #3) has been on Amazon’s “Hot New Release” list for Action and Adventure since it’s début!

Everyone just can’t seem to get enough of:

A) Faelan’s sarcasm

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B) Virion’s Man Throwing Skills

Faelan gawked as Virion lifted the man even higher and then literally threw him several feet. “Get out!” His voice was so loud it seemed to fill the entire main cabin and then some.

The pilot scrambled to his feet and ran from the main cabin. Faelan didn’t know where he went and she didn’t pay attention, her focus was on Virion. She could honestly say she’d never seen a man throw another man like that.

“I just have to say,” Faelan began, “That was the coolest shit I’ve ever seen.” Or perhaps the hottest. She could stand to see him do that again…and again…and again. Hell, she wouldn’t mind having him throw her as long as it was onto a bed.

-Excerpt from Defiant

 

C) Mikhal’s Mysteriousness

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(Or maybe not so mysterious. He’s The Bone Breaker, we get it. He likes to torture people)

 

Or D) All the general action and mis-adventures befalling Faelan and her crew

  • Like Virion’s sister getting kidnapped
  • Or the whole planet falling under attack
  • Or basically everyone almost getting shot

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Either way, the verdict is in! Fans can’t get enough of Faelan and I am so blessed you followed me through to the final book of Faelan’s story, but never fear! This won’t be the last adventure in the Ektos Universe! There’ll be more adventures to come. Click here to see the Hot New Release list for Action and Adventure, and catch Havoc while it’s hot!

 

Much Love,

C.M.

 

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See the Defiant Trilogy here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079Q2M9CW/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

 

Excerpt “Defiant III”

/ AuthorCMHerndon / Leave a comment

Here’s a special inside look at the final novel of the Defiant Trilogy. Join Faelan as she tries to put back together the broken pieces of past and present.

 

She leaned back in the pilot’s chair, staring at the stars out the ship’s front panel. She loved this eternal night, but her heart no longer belonged to the deep space that once brought peace to her soul. Tonight it didn’t, nothing eased the guilt that tore at her, or the hatred she felt towards the people that had stolen her future. She couldn’t sleep with these thoughts in her head. Every time she closed her eyes, she imagined killing them all, one by one.

“Faelan?”

Faelan jumped and twisted, going for her gun in the same motion. Her finger was on the trigger before she could stop herself, but at the last second her brain seemed to catch on and she titled the gun just in time to keep from shooting Mikhal as she pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit the wall over his left shoulder and ricocheted, making her flinch. Mikhal didn’t even move. He just stood there, motionless, staring her down. Faelan swallowed and dropped the gun to her side immediately, staring back.

“Uhh…” she licked her lips, trying to find the words to speak but wasn’t sure what to say.

Mikhal rolled his shoulders and walked through the doorway he was standing in. His expression didn’t change but she could hear the barely clipped anger in his voice. “I was going to ask what you were doing but I don’t think I want to know now.”

Faelan sat back down in the pilot’s chair and stuck her feet up, shrugging, “I stopped myself last second.”

“You almost shot me.” He glowered at her.

“Don’t sneak up on me and that won’t happen.” She flashed a grin but he wasn’t amused. She could see his fists starting to curl.

“I wasn’t sneaking.”

“Oh please, everything you do is sneaky.” Faelan replied, holstering her weapon. Her voice was nonchalant like she hadn’t almost killed him. “I swear sometimes you don’t even make a sound. It’s inhuman. Besides, I didn’t shoot you. Like I said, I stopped myself.”

“The ricochet could have gotten me or you just as easily as if you’d shot us yourself.”

Faelan snorted, “You’re no fun.”

“Nothing about this is funny, Faelan.”

She rolled her eyes and sat down in the pilot’s chair. “So serious.” He looked like he wanted to shoot her himself, but instead he moved to the tiny kitchenette and rummaged for food. “Throw me those chips.”

“Get them yourself.”

“Why are you so grumpy?” She demanded and leaned forward in her chair, turning it so she could see him better.

“You almost shot me!” He hissed and wheeled to face her. “How grumpy would you be if someone almost shot you?”

Faelan shrugged, “Honestly, if I was angry every time someone tried to shoot me I’d never be happy.”

“You’re psychotic.”

“So says the man everyone calls the Bone Breaker.” He glared at her again, but as he made his way towards her, sitting in the co-pilot’s chair, he dropped a bag of chips on her lap. Faelan grinned and ripped them open. “I knew you liked me.”

 

Hope you enjoyed this excerpt, look for Defiant III March 2018

Much Love,

C.M.

Recent Thoughts (From a Potentially Crazy Author)

/ AuthorCMHerndon / Leave a comment

Hey there! So I know I have things I am supposed to be doing (i.e. the next Safe Novel, the next Defiant Novel, that paranormal romance book I’m releasing this year…) but sometimes, as an author, I find that I get D I S T R A C T E D.  Not necessarily by the mundanes of life either, more often it is my own brain distracting me. Here lately I can’t seem to write the story I want to write. Why? Because that other story I want to write is screaming at me.

Don’t ask me why that happens. It’s a puzzle even to me. Some days it just happens like that. How is it possible that I can have so many different stories raging for attention in my head? I sit down to write. I stare at the screen, I plan to write the story that is currently the number one priority…. and instead other stories vie for my attention.

It’s like Writer’s block but instead of having nothing to write, it’s like I have too much to write. I have so much struggling to break out of my brain and run onto the paper that I can’t focus on a single one and then I can’t write at all. VERY FRUSTRATING.

So I screw around a bit. I try to focus. I yell at the character refusing to sit in the corner and wait their turn. Ha. That’s actually my lovely cousin’s analogy. It’s rather fitting. This is where I’ve been, though.

What do I do when this happens, though?

I’ll tell you!

I don’t know. It varies. Sometimes I write a few pages in each, jumping back and forth, back and forth, until one captures me enough that I can focus on it. Other times I have what I call “fun side stories” that I start writing on the side for myself. They’re not part of any series I’ve written, they’re just little tendrils of something in my head. Sometimes it’s complete nonsense, it’s basically just writing for the sake of writing, but I have no constraints because it’s a story that doesn’t follow my other stories’ rules. This allows me to write a little more freely and lets me get my creative juices flowing so I can get back to the story I intended to write in the first place. The best part of fun side stories is that, because I usually write them only for my eyes, the crazy factor gets amped way up. That’s why they’re so much fun. I don’t need rhyme or reason when I’m writing them.

The cool part about those fun side stories? Sometimes they become “Holy sh** this is an epic story that I must share with the world!” And in the Fall of this year I intend to release one of these stories. One of my beta readers who had the privilege of reading it first absolutely fell in love with it so much that she has read it three times. Strangely, I fell in love with it, too. I never intended to write more than a few pages of it and it blasted off all on it’s own and before I knew it, I was dozens of chapters in and writing up a storm. It was my own personal heaven and hell. I couldn’t stop, when I was forced to I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was truly the story that kept me up at night, losing sleep to write it. It was so distracting that I barely ate, I would go hours past a normal meal time before I realized I hadn’t touched food all day. I think it’s a story that’s worth remembering because you don’t just read it, you live it, you feel it, and it stretches far through the reaches of your heart and soul.

And that’s what fun side stories can do for you. Like the one I started writing in recently because I couldn’t decide what to write. Because all my characters were screaming for attention and I just needed to write. Sometimes, we just need to write. Or at least us crazy authors do 😉

Questions About Defiant

/ AuthorCMHerndon / Leave a comment

Hey gang! I am so thrilled to share some of the frequent questions I get about Defiant and my corresponding answers. If you have any more, you are always welcome to comment or contact me here or on my other social media accounts.

 

How long did it take you to write Defiant?

I wrote Defiant in little more than a month, first draft, mind you. There were plenty of things that needed to be cut and added to get the wonderful story we have today.

 

Who is your favorite character in Defiant?

Would it be cliché to say it’s impossible to choose? No, actually, I do have a soft spot for each of my characters, but how can I not say Faelan? She is a very special character to me. For years I tried to create to the perfect, sarcastic heroine, and somehow it never came out right. I found that each time I tried, something was missing or it felt too bitchy with limited awesome, kickass, sarcasm. When it finally happened, it was Faelan, and she is perfect. She is the character I wanted for years, the one I waited on for so long. When she finally came strolling through my mind, it was with a wicked smile and a glint in her eye that said, “You finally found me, let’s get this show on the road.”

 

Are your characters based on real people? They seem so real!

I never strive to model a character after any one that I know. I am a creative person at heart, I enjoy creating. That includes imagining new people and the way they are, how they would react to certain situations, and I have to stay true to that character and my own heart.

 

How do you come up with character names?

Now this is a question with several answers. You wouldn’t believe the amount of lists I have roaming around the house with names in them. I even have two such lists in my phone. Since we’re talking about Defiant, I’ll mention fantasy names first. I take inspiration from everything and anything. Sometimes it is a word I accidentally stumble over that gives me an idea for a unique name. Sometimes I combine street signs to create a new name. Other times I randomly combine names. Then there are days when my mind draws a blank and I resort to fantasy name generators to get random combinations. Most of the time, when I see a name I like on a random name generator, I still alter it to something I like better. Depends on the day.

However, there is a particular method to my madness with Defiant. You’ll see more of this in Impact and the third novel of the series. I try to align certain types of names, certain syntaxes and syllables and ways to spell a name with each individual culture and nation. The Galiseans are the best example of this. Their names are much more “clicky” or “slithery” so to speak. As reptilian humanoids, I found this fitting. Their names have a lot of Cs and Ks and a lot of Ys and Ss for this purpose. Things that slide of your tongue with a Sssss (like a snake). Likewise, the Santains tend to have common names with extremely different spelling than what most of us have seen. You can read more about names on my blog the Power of Names.

The universe in Defiant is really vibrant, how did you come up with the Callanans and will there be other cultures in the next books?

I don’t know, it just sort of comes to me. I can be inspired by different things and build around that one idea sometimes. A lot of the time it starts with a character and I build around that character, giving them a life, history, culture, etc.

The Callanans, however, I know exactly where they came from. I was having a day where I wanted to write something new, but I was stuck somewhere between wanting to write something with a medieval setting and a scifi setting. Some of the story that was in my head, there was more technological things, like space travel, but I wanted a reason for my character’s to use swords and be warriors. So I decided to put them together, a race that was almost medieval, with lots of old age weapons, but also technologically advanced. Thus, the Callanans were born. Ironically, Virion never really uses a sword, but I originally wanted him to. Perhaps one day I’ll go back and make use of my warriors in such a way that they use more swords, axes, bows, and arrows.

 

We had a bit of a cliff hangar at the end of the book, will we see more about that in the next?

Of course! As Impact has now released, you can read the next step in the journey and I promise there are resolutions to any other clip hangars that might be hanging around 😉

Super Secret List

/ AuthorCMHerndon / Leave a comment

Okay ladies and gentleman. You found it. The Super Secret List… or else, not so secret since it’s on a public blog post, but, you know, we’ll work with it. It’s a special list, one I think might make many of you, my amazing, wonderful readers, very happy.

It’s the list of upcoming Safe Novels. And characters they feature.

Wait…what? Did she just say that? I know what you’re thinking… “OMG, what? Yes!” This is what you’ve been dying to know since you read the last one. Who is next? Which characters are next? You silently plead that your favorite is on the list. I can, however, honestly inform you that we’re about to have a change up. You thought Cole and his team were the only people to talk about? You thought they were the only characters worth knowing?

Well, of course not, and of course you hope for more than just Cole’s team. That’s why we have Ace. That’s why we have Ace Executive Protection Services. We have many teams. We have many bodyguards. We have more books!

Calm down, calm down, you want the list, that’s why you’re here. Let’s wait no longer. Currently, I do have a list of which characters are next, and some of those have a title to their novels. Here it goes, our super secret list:

 

Safe (Adrian and Mia)

Run (Chet and Eve)

Obsessed (Ro and Tori)

Reckless (Dakota and Raina)

Savage (Ace and Moira)

Unbroken (Bash and Ash)

Super Secret Untitled Safe Novel (Nikolai and Cevanna)

Super Secret Untitled Safe Novel (Charlotte/Charlie)

Super Secret Untitled Safe Novel (Chain)

Wow, what a list right? Allow me to introduce you to some disclaimers as well. Disclaimer #1: List is subject to change at the whim of the lovely author (me). Disclaimer #2: No release date has been set for any of the above novels.

Hope you enjoy this list. Tell your friends but remember, SHHHH! It’s a secret!

Much Love,

C.M.