Sunday, July 29, 2007
Altered Destiny by Lynda K. Scott
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I'm a computer operator/programmer for a Building Automation System and a bit of a geek; love technology and love to figure out how it works. I also love science (even if a good deal of it's over my head, I love to read Scientific American) and history though not recent history. I'm a wife and a mom and I've done all the mom things like make costumes for dance classes and Halloween, bake sales, chauffeuring, etc. I've done the Girl Scout Troop Leader thing (which was a LOT of fun!) I've got so many interests that it's hard to catalogue them all and, like the heroine of ALTERED DESTINY, I often refer to myself as a Jack-of-all-trades.
As for writing, I mostly write cross-genre futuristic romance with a good strong adventure though I've written some erotic paranormal and I have a historical that's been begging for attention for the last few years. But, right now, I'm working on a futuristic romance tentatively titled, RIDER'S LUCK. Here's the premise: What happens when a female 'Han Solo' falls in love with 'Judge Dredd'? When I finish this, there are a couple of secondary characters who are quite insistent about getting their own books, so who knows what I'll write next? So many ideas, so little time to actually write them!
Website: www.lyndakscott.com
Blog: http://lyndakscott.blogspot.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lyndakscott
Newsletter: LyndaKScott-Newsgroup-subscibe@yahoogroups.com
ABOUT THE BOOK:
BLURB:
Stranded on an alternate Earth, architect and Jill-of-all-trades, Liane Gautier-MacGregor must find her way back to her homeworld before she's enslaved...or falls in love with a man who is the exact duplicate of her ex-husband.
Devyn MacGregor's alter ego as the Reiver Lord is the only way he can fight the Qui'arel and their nefarious Bride Bounty, a tax paid with human females...until he meets the oddly familiar woman who claims he is her husband. And who sets in motion the rebellion that will either free his countrymen or destroy them .
EXCERPT:
She picked up the shirt and hung it on a hanger, frowning thoughtfully. "It's funny. Last night I helped my ex-husband pack his clothes."
"Did you now? In the cottage that was not there?" Devyn cast a look at her as he passed on his way to the smaller bedroom. Her words registered and he stopped. "Ex-husband?"
"Yes." Her gaze met his, level and cool. "You're just like him, you know. I
thought you were different but I was wrong.""You loved him greatly, aye?" he asked, irritation tightening his forehead. "And I look somewhat like him, is that it?"
The lass looked startled, then offered a smile that would have chilled a buitseach's arse. "You look exactly like him. And, no, I didn't love him greatly. He was a liar and a cheat and I'm well rid of him."
She took an armload of shirts and gestured him to precede her to the smaller bedroom. After tossing his load onto the bed, Devyn shimmied the closet doors open. A single crate sat on the floor, mementos of a long ago childhood. He needed to throw that out. He couldn't even remember what the box contained.
Watching Annie perform the somewhat wifely duty of organizing his clothes did something inside him. He'd always known he would never marry...unless Cuini consented to be his bride. He'd never expected to see a human female in his room, taking care of him so efficiently. The something he felt turned into a warm glow of pleasure. And that made him uncomfortable. In self-defense, with a tone of patently false sympathy, he asked, "You make a habit of mistaking one man for another, do you?"
Her gaze flicked toward him and away as she continued hanging the shirts, organizing them by style and color. "I doubt I'll make that mistake again."
"Too late for me, aye?" He leaned against the wall. The coolness in her voice shafted a spike of irritation through him. If she was a spy, she would be willing to share herself with him. If not, she would fight him. He needed to know which way she would react. He needed to know now. He stepped forward, put his hands on either side of her as she backed into the wall. Her eyes widened. Her breath grew unsteady. Her cheeks flushed pink and her tongue touched lips as silken as a rose petal. He stepped closer, watching for the flare of interest in those bonnie eyes and nearly crowing when he saw it. To hell with control. "I'm going to kiss you."
She made a breathless sound. "Don't be silly. You don't want to kiss me."
"Silly?" One hand drifted up her arm to encircle the supple column of her neck while the other settled on her waist. He leaned forward, slowly, letting his body brush hers. Desire rippled over him and he lowered his head until her warm breath danced over his skin. His lips met hers, slowly, smoothly, until she softened beneath him. Then he kissed her in earnest. Her lips were sweet and her reluctance soon vanished as he pulled her closer, pressing her against his body, chest to hip to thigh. Her hands settled on his waist, holding him close, as a low moan vibrated in her throat. Her warmth filled him. Her taste satisfied him yet made him hunger for more. His blood roared in his ears and it was all he could do to pull back, to release her. He nodded, slowly. "Aye, silly."
INTERVIEW:
Why did you become a writer?
It's what I do.
Was it a dream of yours since you were younger or did the desire to write happen later in your life?
Though I've written since a very early age, it was only the last ten or so years that I sought publication.
What do you love about being an author? Is there anything you dislike?
I love learning about the characters in my stories and I love discovering the different worlds they inhabit. What I dislike about being a published author is the necessity to promote my work...I'm not much of a salesperson. I'd rather just say here's the book, enjoy! Then cross my fingers that they do
How do you balance your personal and writing time?
It's tough. When my daughter was younger, I put my writing aside because I felt she would only be that age (whatever it was at the time) for a very short while and I planned to enjoy as much of it as possible with her. Now, she's out on her own (and boy, do I miss her!) so I have more writing time available. The only drawback is the dayjob which takes a hefty chunk of time. And weekends, well, I have to fall back on FlyLady routines to keep the house clean and I kind of like to spend a little time with my husband
How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?
Generally my characters march up and say Hey! Have I got a story to tell you! Then they turn shy and I have to pry the plot and the world out of them
What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
I write SF/F/P action romance. I fell in love with science fiction, oh about a hundred years ago, and it just seems a natural choice for me.
Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
Generally my characters come straight out of my imagination but now and then, a few select secondary characters might exhibit some characteristics of real people that I know or have met at one time. None of the characters are based solely on anyone that I know; they're more like a melange of people
Out of all the characters that you've written, who is your favorite and why?
I am so fickle--I always feel like my favorite is the one I'm currently writing
What would you want readers to take away from your books?
Most of my stories are about trust and love and trying to be the best person you can be. I think we should all strive to be the best possible person but we shouldn't fault ourselves if we fall short of our goals. We just have to try harder and be proud of what we have accomplished.
Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book?
The absolute best thing a beginning writer can do is to read (both in and out of her/his genre) and then re-read dissecting the book to discover what made it a great, good, or so-so read. Then the beginner should sit down and write, write, and write some more. It's only through sharpening your own skills that you can create a great book.
What are you reading right now?
Right now, I'm re-reading (yep, I re-read books all the time, LOL) a terrific book, SLEEPING WITH THE AGENT, by a friend of mine, Gennita Low.
If you could be anyone or anything that you wanted, who or what would you be?
If I had to be human, I'd be me. I'm comfortable with myself (though I sure wouldn't mind losing a few pounds!). If I didn't have to be human, I'd want to be a much-loved pet (dog or cat) in a household like mine. Talk about having it made! LOL
REVIEW:
"ALTERED DESTINY is a rousing tale of despair, hope, love and courage. ...I recommend ALTERED DESTINY. I am keeping it."
-- Vi Janaway, Romance Reviews Today
posted by Rachelle
at 9:57 PM
at 9:57 PM