Today’s
guest is author Frances Pauli and is focused on the first book in her Princes
of the Shroud series, Shrouded.
Frances is giving away an e-copy of the book to a lucky commenter (who uses the form below) during her virtual book tour. Feel free to visit other tour stops between now and December 6th and enter for chances to win there, too!
Frances is giving away an e-copy of the book to a lucky commenter (who uses the form below) during her virtual book tour. Feel free to visit other tour stops between now and December 6th and enter for chances to win there, too!
Bio:
Frances Pauli writes speculative fiction, usually with
touches of humor or romance, which means, of course, that she has trouble
choosing sides.
She's always been a fan of things outside the box, odd, weird or unusual, and that trend follows through to her tales which feature aliens, fairies, and even, on occasion, an assortment of humans.
More information on her work and upcoming releases can be found on her website.
Welcome, Frances. Please tell us about
your current release.
Shrouded kicks off a series about a race of
aliens who have made their home on the planet Shroud, a veiled world with
almost no outside contact. Their culture revolves around their dense,
protective atmosphere and the sacred crystal that they use to find and bond
with their ideal mates. When the selection process is tampered with, the
Shrouded throne and the safety of the whole planet are put in jeopardy.
What inspired you to write this book?
A discussion
on planetary science. I’m a pretty big fan of space, and of getting humans into
it as soon and as often as possible. I can’t remember where the idea of this
heavy, veiled atmosphere sprouted from, but as soon as I worked out that it was
possible, then I started to imagine the people who would make their home
underneath it, the technology they’d use, and the reasons they might choose to
remain secluded. The Shrouded spawned on their own from there, and their
stories are still unfolding along the way.
Excerpt:
“I think
they’re going to torture us and feed us to something,” Tarren hissed.
“What was
that?” Murrel asked.
Vashia
stared down the ramp. She took a step forward, and they both followed her.
“Nothing, Murrel. It’s going to be fine.” She ignored Tarren’s snort and took
another step. The girls that left ahead of them pooled in a bunch around Madame
Nerala. They fidgeted and shifted from foot to foot, but the whispers stilled.
The three
of them were last to leave the ship. Vashia led the way out into the hangar.
The ship a few bays down fired up, drowning out whatever Nerala said to them in
a roar of engines. The women moved closer, pressed up beside their newest
caretaker and waited for instructions.
The sleds
followed the floor lighting between the freighters, weaving toward their
individual destinations. Vashia took a step to the side and let Tarren and
Murrel squeeze in beside her. She leaned out around the butt of their ship and
watched the tunnel where the majority of the cargo seemed to end up. The
departing ship’s engines faded as it returned to orbit. Its absence made the
regular hangar sounds seem quiet.
“There we
go,” Madame Nerala purred. “Now, we’ll head through the atrium and get your
rooms assigned. I think you’ll find them comfortable for the short stay. Oh!”
Her hands clapped to her mouth and all fourteen bride candidates jumped in
place. She waved them to calm with one hand, but the other busily straightened
her hair. She stood taller, cast nervous glances to their right.
Vashia
followed her gaze and caught her first glimpse of the Shrouded. Two men stalked
across the hangar, and she had no doubt at all as to their race. They had to be
Shrouded. They couldn’t be anything less. Her jaw dropped open.
“What is
it?” Murrel whispered.
Before
Vashia could answer, static exploded inside her brain.
What exciting story are you working on
next?
I just
finished the zero draft of Seen,
Princes of the Shroud book two. It features the Seer character from book one
and a new race of shape-shifting aliens at war with their technology obsessed
cousins. Taking the Princes off of their safe little home world was a lot of
fun.
When did you first consider yourself a
writer?
After I
finished my first novel. I had begun many projects before that, but finishing
was something I didn’t know I could pull off. Once that happened, I knew I was
never going back.
Do you write full-time? If so, what's
your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find
time to write?
I am a stay
at home mom and I home school my two children. That being said, I write full
time in the sense that I don’t have another outside job. I write as much and as
often as possible, and always have a book in the works. That’s about as full
time as I can get around the rest of my crazy. I make time to write. That’s the
only real way to find time. And I don’t do idle. If I’m not busy with kids and
school, I’m writing nine times out of ten.
What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?
Aside from
having a panic attack at about 35,000 words (every book, I swear) I eat a lot
of wasabi peas while writing.
As a child, what did you want to be
when you grew up?
I wanted to
be a zoologist. Actually, I wanted Marlin Perkins’ job. (Part of me still does)
Anything additional you want to share
with the readers?
A huge
thank you for being readers, for loving books and making it possible for
authors to tell stories and keep reading around as long as possible.
Ways to connect:
Buy links:
Buy Direct | Amazon | BN
1 comment:
Thank you so much for hosting a tour stop. Best of luck to all on the giveaway. :)
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