Unveiling a Deep Dive into the Release of "Lok's Love" by Keri Kruspe

 

“Lok’s Love” has been… well… a labor of love. While a novella of just under 32,000 words, I put a lot of heart and soul into each scene. For those of you who’ve read my first series, An Alien Exchange, I ended the trilogy with Lok taking care of his narcissistic brother who held him as an isolated prisoner for over fifty years out of spite and jealousy. But I purposefully left out what ultimately happened to them.

In this article I’ll not only highlight the two main characters, Lok and Althea, whose passionate journey defines the heart of “Lok’s Love”, but I’ll give you a peek into the richly crafted supporting cast as well.

So, let’s get started!

MAIN CHARACTERS

LOK

Lok, whose full name is T’terlok “Lok” Shon U’unk, is from the planet Zerin. He was born with an almost identical twin brother, Shon T’Terlok U’unk. Lok looks like a typical Zerin with dual-colored eyes with a deep jade inner circle and a lighter apple green outer ringing around an iridescent pupil. He has a full head of black hair liberally sprinkled with yellow strands that shows signs of middle age.

of his own existence. Adrift and uncertain about the very purpose that once anchored his life. While his twin brother, Shon, was born bald with eyes a solid black color. When he started going through puberty, their parents erased all records of their “deformed” child and exiled Shon to a remote galactic labor camp.

Lok never saw him again until a fateful day thirty years later.

By then, Lok had become the golden star of the political scene in the Federation Consortium. After years of struggling, he was about to be appointed as Chancellor by the Galactic Senate and Judicial ruling body. It would make him the most influential government entity in the galaxy, having ultimate control over every decision made by the member planets.

            But on the eve of Lok being promoted, Shon showed up and captured him with a paralyzing drug and took over his life. Shon resumed Lok’s place, covering his differences enough that no one noticed the switch.

            To make Lok suffer, Shon held him in isolated captivity for over fifty years. Lok’s only relief came when Shon, by his own greed, caused him to become a dying vegetable. Even though Shon tormented him, Lok felt it was his duty to take care of Shon until he took his last breath.

            In the beginning of the novel, we find Lok burying his brother’s ashes on a remote planetoid he’d claimed as home called Hiigar. Now truly alone for the first time, he discovered he was lost in the vastness

ALTHEA

Althea MacGregor was more than eager to attend the Alien Exchange program, anxious to find her true love in space. Being a divorcee in her early forties, she finds that continuing her life as a convenience store manager only enhances her feelings of being unworthy for life and love. When given the chance to join the Exchange program, she realized that waiting around for her meaningless life to change wasn’t for her. Craving a deeper existence, she leaves everything behind and does something totally radical for once. To find love in space.

            Too bad things don’t go as planned.

            Instead of attending the Exchange, she finds herself snatched before the ceremonies began and is taken and held prisoner on a gangster planet called FiPan. FiPan had once been the stronghold of a notorious criminal by the name of Dread Pirate Maynwaring, but had since fallen into collapse once the pirate was vanquished (see “Ki’s Redemption”).

            Althea ends up crash landing on Hiigar, where she gains employment as a part-time waitress and part-time singer at the Galaxy’s Pub run by two strange looking aliens, Hayami and Fylgir.

(I must apologize – Hayami has for arms and Fylgir one eye. Just couldn’t make Midjourney cooperate with me!)

            That’s where Althea meets and falls in love with Lok when they become hostages in a violent take-over at the Galaxy’s Pub by a species called the Ozevroc.

SUPPORTING CAST

"Shysuta" - Hayami's Sister

A Sismall male "Tukkuttok"

He works for Sysuta

A Draconian female "Vovin"

Who also works for Shysuta

The small village of Kijiji where the Galaxy's Pub is

IN CLOSING

One of the things I love about this poignant tale is the backdrop of love and resilience in a fantastical universe. I did my best to fill it with rich characters, strange-otherworldly landscapes, and pulse-racing action. I wanted this story to be a science fiction romance that delves into the heart of darkness and redemption, only to end with a satisfying conclusion. 

            “Lok’s Love” debuts on Valentines Day, but can be preordered now for only 0.99¢. I hope this short article has intrigued you enough to give Lok and Althea’s love story a try. 

Beyond Boundaries: Discover the Enchanting Universe of Qhasheik's Pod by Keri Kruspe

 

This month I wanted to spotlight my latest release, the novella Qhasheik’s Pod.

This book is special to me since it’s my first attempt at writing a novella. I’d never published a short story around 30,000 words before and was worried I’d screw it up. To make it more challenging, Qhasheik’s Pod is a love story different from anything I’ve written before. It explores a throuple relationship between one female and two males—all aliens.

Nary a human in sight.

Good thing my characters made it easy. 

The trio was first introduced in Alien Legacy: The Vampire. There we find they raised the heroine of the story, Jelena, and ended up a predominant part of it. They’re also have a huge part at the end of the series in Alien Legacy: The Mage.

By the time that series ended, there were still some unanswered questions involving our three lovers. How did they meet? Did they fall in love right away? How did they all end up in the hidden city on the moon?

That’s just some questions about these guys that I deliberately left handing when the series ended. Not to mention how I couldn’t get the three of them out of my mind. I swear they forced me to sit down and write their story.

Nagging little buggers.

Ah, well. Let me introduce the main characters of Qhasheik’s Pod to you. Best way to start is with Qhasheik himself.

Qhasheik

Qhasheik, a male Ibbin from Peinuewei, is the captain of the merchant spaceship, Phytro. He and his crew of three other males are suddenly caught in a massive power wave that threatens to destroy them. Desperate for a way out, they spot a rogue planet and hastily head towards it in hope of making a safe landing. 

Sadly, their journey ends in disaster. When Qhasheik regains consciousness, he discovers instead of safely landing, his ship is destroyed on a planet called Akurn. And him the only survivor. Taken into custody by the strange-looking aliens, he’s sold into slavery.

I found Qhasheik to be an unforgettable protagonist. He's a smartass who doesn't fear the opinions of others, confident in himself and his decisions. But, while he might appear to be invincible, there is a chink in his armor. With his home planet gone, he struggles to come to terms with the overwhelming grief of losing his people. And as the sole Ibbin on Akurn, he finds his solitude crippling, at times more than he can bear.

That is until he meets Abiditan.

Abiditan

            Abiditan appears to have it all. The second-born son of a high-ranking family on the rogue planet Akurn. He has wealth, is handsome beyond belief, and considered being one of the key minds in the nobility.

            He’s also labeled unclean, an outcast. The Akurns are a bigoted society where anyone who doesn’t fit into their idea of perfection runs the risk of being executed. Even with something as small as having been born with two separate eye colors. One eye is a normal blue green hue of an Akurn but the other is steel-metal gray. Even this minute deviation is considered an abomination, especially among the upper class. He may have the unwavering love of a doting family, but the longer he stays on Akurn, the more he not only puts his life in danger, but those of his loyal family as well. In a desperate attempt to avoid execution, he fakes his death and joins other rebels from Akurn to start up a hidden city underneath the Earth’s moon.

            There he meets and falls in love with Qhasheik. They form a tight bond and are positive life couldn’t get any better. That is until they meet Katsuki. 

Katsuki

            Katsuki comes from the planet Runihura, a matriarchy society that is first introduced in Chloe’s Turn. She comes from a successful family that owns and operates a mining colony on one of their moons called Narkata. We meet Katsuki coming back from a vacation on a pleasure planet with her college bound daughter when their spaceship suffers unexpected engine problems. She and her daughter would have died in space if it weren’t for a rogue planet answering their stress call.

To their horror, they find themselves on the infamous planet Akurn known to be a highly patriarchal society that refuses to provide women, especially aliens like Katsuki and her daughter, any rights. Both are arrested and sold into slavery for being unclaimed females. To make matters worse, the Akurns separated them. Just before Katsuki is sold into the pleasure houses infamous for their brutality, she’s given the opportunity to join some Akurn rebels to create a hidden society on Earth’s moon. Now, with some semblance of freedom, she believes she’ll have the resources to find her daughter.

            After settling on the moon city, Katsuki stumbles on Qhasheik and Abiditan. From the moment she meets them, she knows they are her aruu, her eternal mates. 

            Qhasheik claims his two companions are now part of his “pod”, a bond the Ibbin’s calls their immediate family.

From There...

            The series that this novella stems from finishes with the liberation of all Akurns from the harsh monarchy of Sub Prince Murduk. At the request of the ruling galactic government called the Federation Consortium, our three heroes are instructed to take the vile villain to Katsuki’s matriarchy home planet for sentencing.

            And that’s when the fun begins….

 

Alien Legacy: The Vampire by Keri Kruspe

I'm excited to announce Book Four of my Ancient Alien Descendants series titled Alien Legacy: The Vampire. I really loved "mashing" up two genres - Paranormal with SciFi Romance. My heroes have the typical vampire tendencies as they struggle to stop an alien invasion headed to Earth.

Here's the blurb:

From deep within a hidden moon city to the streets of an alien rogue planet comes a tale of elusive love…

 

Zamush is the stuff of legends. An apex predator of the night, he’s able to control and manipulate others to his will.

 The Vampire.

 He has lived a lonely life for thousands of years—until he meets her. She’s an alluring and provocative mix of innocence and temptress. His match in every way.

 He falls in love at first sight, but her heart belongs to someone else.

 Jelena is an outcast, ridiculed for being different. Living in the shadows, she struggles each day to overcome the restless urges plaguing her…until the day she watches a video of a rogue leader fighting to thwart the efforts of the maniacal dictator they live under. Now, her life’s goal is to meet this leader, convinced only he can complete who she is. When that leader is captured and sentenced to a violent execution, she will do anything to save him.

 Even trade Zamush for the condemned male.

 Zamush willingly agrees to Jelena’s dangerous plan just to be with her. It’s a race against time. Not only are their lives on the line, but he must win her heart before she meets the man of her dreams.

It's on sale for 0.99 during it's Pre-Order until the 17th. It will also be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited so you can get it for FREE! 

To celebrate, here's the scene where the hero (Zamush) stumbles across a mysterious woman (Jelena).

Enjoy!

One of the best things about the hidden city of Azadi was its total lack of sunlight. For the first time in his life, Zamush didn't have to worry about being caught outside in the middle of the day. While his past actions might’ve been the basis for much of the vampire lore throughout human history, bursting into ash or twinkling glitter in the sunshine wasn’t one of them. Whenever any of his exposed skin was touched by the rays of the sun, he broke out in red, patchy, itchy blisters that hurt like a muther. To make matters worse, he'd suffer for days until his skin scaled or scabbed over. While steroid pills or creams helped, with his unusual metabolism, it was as effective as putting a bandage on a hacked off limb.

Strolling down the softly lit main drag of the underground moon city, he enjoyed the exotic sights.

Hover vehicles lazily floated by, while droids or animals pulled two-seated carriages.

The domesticated animals reminded him of gazelles with a lion's mane.

They sported four pointed ears across the top of their heads, slick skin like a dolphin’s, while their skinny tails ended in pointed barbs.

As for the people passing him on the busy sidewalk, they appeared to be a cheerful bunch. All smiles and warm nods.

While his dual-color turquoise-gold eyes were more the norm here than on Earth, the seemingly carefree demeanors bugged the shit out of him. No one was that happy all the time.

A flash of shiny dark red slipped around a corner ahead of him.

Wait, what did he just see? He stopped.

Several people behind him dodged his motionless form with murmurs of “excuse me”.

Which annoyed him since he caused the gridlock. Sidestepping close to the nearest adobe two-story building, he followed the strangely dressed woman. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear it was Jena or Julienne. But that couldn't be. First, neither one of them would tear themselves away from his brothers ever since they bonded. And it couldn’t be the newest sister... Jordyn? Doubtful, since Michael was still looking for her.

There, just around the corner, another splash of red. Making sure he didn't call attention to himself, he followed her and the midnight-red, formfitting, one-piece suit she wore. Damn, that woman’s mode of dress stood out, begging for attention. Instead of the long tunics and pantaloon pants the people on Azadi wore, her outfit was more of a formfitting shiny suit best suited for a professional gymnast.

Or Catwoman.

He lurched after her. The fabric of his cape swirled around his knee-high boots. Staying close to the wall, he followed her down the narrow alleyway. With a smirk, he kept close to the building as she ambled down the confined alley as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Why was she going down a claustrophobic, uninhabited walkway so dark a normal human couldn’t see what was in front of them? Good thing he wasn't a normal human.

Just ahead, she turned a corner and was out of sight.

He followed right behind her. What the hell? A boxed dead-end and no woman. He spun around.

There she was, right behind him. Close enough he felt her body heat. And close enough for him to see she was an almost exact copy of Julienne and Jena.

With a tilt to her head, her dual-colored irises of sunset orange surrounded by a sea of topaz brown glared at him. Those orbs were cold, hard, and flinty.

“Look, I mean you no harm...” He never got another word out.

Between one blink and the next, her eyes changed color. Instead of the dual topaz-orange, they morphed into a sea of milky white. In the middle was a red vertical slit similar to a deadly cobra’s, or his, before he sank his fangs into someone.

And just as he immobilized a person before he struck, he was caught in a snare so tight he could barely breathe. Much less talk. The ability to protect himself or call for help was beyond him.

She surged forward, grasping him around his neck, and pulled him down.

First there was sultry heat, then a searing pain as her fangs sank deep. His body coiled. Her mouth on his neck produced a combination of pleasure-pain so intense he didn't know where one started and the other left off. Waves of need roared through him until he hungered for more.

Every instinct he possessed demanded he claim her for all time.

 

Why Write (or Read) Romance?

With a handful of decades reading romance and now 10 years of writing it behind me, the question I still get asked most often is why romance?

For a long time, I would blush or joke it off. I spent years hiding the covers when I read in public (although Kindle has helped with that lol). But honestly, I am proud to both write and read this genre. I don't blush or stammer any more, but proudly proclaim my love for romance.

Even then, I still have some stock answers for folks depending on the way the question is asked. Here are my top 4:

It's my chances to put a little happiness in a world that has way too much of the opposite.
I can hardly stand to turn on the news these days. It is a rare thing that the stories don't display a world in chaos filled with hate and violence. By writing romance--stories inherently about HOPE--I am taking the creativity God gifted me with and putting a little happiness back into the world. Out of curiosity, what are you doing to make this a better place?

It makes me happy.
I write and read romance because it...wait for it...makes me happy. I love the interaction between the characters and their growth on the page. I love seeing how finding love makes them happy. And, again, I love the HOPE. For dragon shifters and cowboys and billionaires and nerds and outgoing people and shy people and people who are hurting alike, the opportunity is out there. Immersing myself in things that turn out beautiful and lovely is a wonderful way to spend some hours.

Why not? Why aren't you reading it?
Love is at the center of all relationships (or it should be). It's at the center of making babies (or it should be). It's not a female-only past time (guys do feel something other than lust, I hope). And it's not just escapism for women. Not when mysteries and action/thrillers are also out there. I don't see most men running around beating up bad guys and solving crimes. Just saying.

So if these books are about hope and reflecting something that everyone on this planet has the capability to experience, and most have a wish to experience it (traditional forms or not), then why not? Please explain to me why more people don't read romance? Maybe if more people did, this would be a happier, more hopeful world than it currently is.

Finally... The voices in my head won't shut up, so I give their mouths something to do. ;)
Come on. You always suspected writers were crazy. I'm just saying...you're right. To sit in front of a computer for hours/weeks/months/days/years torturing myself and my characters isn't exactly an easy task. Even so, I love what I do, and the people I get to meet because I do this, and the happiness it brings. So I guess I'll continue to sing the praises of love and romance to anyone who asks.

Writers and readers alike, what are some reasons YOU love to write/read romance?

**Image linked directly from giphy.com