One of the elements I like
to include in my science fiction romances is a strong feeling of the richness
of the myth and mystery of the planet where the action is occurs. My most
recent science fiction romance MISSION TO MAHJUNDAR is no exception.
I make sure to have science
fiction and advanced technology in my novels but I also work in an element of
“otherness” to raise questions and open up possibilities. My heroes are Special
Forces personnel from the Sectors (the universe where my stories take place).
They’ve learned the hard way on missions all over the galaxy not to be
skeptical of powers stemming from sources other than the technology they rely
on. Blasters don’t necessarily solve every problem!
For the planet Mahjundar, I
envisioned a world where the older beliefs are fading, under assault from new
gods favored by the local Empress. The heroine, Princess Shalira, has the knack
for channeling the power of the legacy gods, but this ability is no longer
respected or needed in the current political situation. The fact that she’s
blind further reduces her status in society, to the point where she’s left
facing a less-than-desirable arranged marriage.
Over the course of the
novel, she and the hero, Major Mike Varone, face a number of challenges, some
of which can be resolved by his high tech weapons and gadgets, others which
only yield to her connection to the mysteries of Mahjundar’s past.
I always ask myself, What
would be really cool to have happen on this planet?
Here’s an excerpt from MISSION
TO MAHJUNDAR, illustrating my approach. Shalira has requested a brief stop at
an abandoned temple, and asks Mike to escort her to the shrine.
He led
her to the round mosaic in the middle of the platform, colors still bright. As
they stepped onto the slightly upraised pattern, there was a sudden trill of
musical notes and a brightly colored creature fluttered around his head.
Automatically he recoiled, free hand going to his gun.
No doubt
feeling him tense, Shalira crowded closer. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Are we
likely to be in any danger from a bird-butterfly kind of thing?” Focusing on
the tiny, brilliantly-hued creature as it fluttered around him, Mike felt a
little silly. But there were deadly predators on other worlds that seemed just
as harmless at first glance and it wasn’t his nature to take chances.
“I’m
sorry, a what?” Her forehead wrinkled as she puzzled over the term he’d used in
Basic.
“I don’t
know what to call it in your language. They weren’t mentioned in our briefing.
Some kind of flying warbler?” The creature set down on his shoulder for an
instant, fuzzy antennae vibrating, and then launched itself into the air with
another trill of bell-like notes that seemed too loud to be coming from such a
tiny being.
“A
myrdima of Pavmiraia! Do you really see such a marvel?” She turned
her head left to right. “I thought I heard music.”
“It’s
flown off now, to the trees. It was pink and purple and red, with furry white
antenna. About the size of your fist.”
“We’d be
blessed indeed, to be serenaded by Pavmiraia’s songbird. None has been seen in
this area of Mahjundar for centuries. They withdraw, as the old gods withdraw,
because the people’s faith wanes.” She shook her hand free of his, not rudely.
Arms outstretched, she twirled, dancing, humming under her breath. She made
graceful hand movements in time to her tune as she swirled. Pausing for a
moment, she said, “I feel so free here, momentary though the sensation may be.
I haven’t felt so unencumbered since I was ten and my world fell apart.”
Not
knowing what to say to her personal revelation, but feeling pleased she was
happy, Mike leaned on the nearest pillar, scanning the ground for snakes or any
other menace. He hoped Vreely would let Shalira enjoy her brief excursion for a
bit longer. The man had been impatience personified since they’d left the
capital city.
“Uh oh,
look out, the whatever-you-called-it is back, with a friend,” he said. “Stand
still and maybe it’ll land on your hand.”
She
closed her eyes and extended one hand, giggling a moment later as the little
creature settled on her outstretched fingertips. “That tickles.”
“They
have tiny, fuzzy feet,” he told her. “Gave me goosebumps.”
A
green-and-blue companion followed suit, touching down on her other hand.
Shalira began to sing in a lovely, high soprano and after a moment the myrdima
joined in with their crystalline three notes. Mike thought he’d never heard
anything so beautiful, on any world. As Shalira continued to sing, in a
language he didn’t understand, more of the tiny warblers arrived, in a rainbow
of colors, each adding its own three notes to the performance. They placed
themselves on the princess’s hair like jeweled ornaments, and more hovered
around her in a cloud. Entranced, Mike thought there must be several hundred in
all. A few even floated over to where he stood, although none landed on him.
The colors ornamenting the wings shone in the sunshine, particularly vibrant
against the drab, dusty landscape.
If
they’re waiting for me to sing, they’ve got nothing but disappointment coming. He bit his lip, not wanting to make a sound
that might interfere with Shalira’s serenade. He wished there was a way to
record the scene, or to somehow share it with the princess, who would never
know what a beautiful picture she and the magical creatures made. He locked the
vision away in his own memory, as one of the most special moments of his life,
an unexpected grace note in the midst of a tense and frustrating mission.
The story:
An attempted assassination left Princess Shalira blind as a child and, now that she’s of marriageable age, her prospects are not good because of her disability. She’s resigned herself to an arranged marriage rather than face life under the thumb of her cold stepmother. But then she meets Mike Varone, a Sectors Special Forces officer sent to Mahjundar by the intergalactic government to retrieve a ship lost in her planet’s mountains. After Mike saves Shalira from another assassination attempt, she arranges for him to escort her across the planet to her future husband. She’s already falling hard for the deadly offworlder and knows she should deny herself the temptation he represents, but taking Mike along to protect her is the only way she’ll live long enough to escape her ruthless stepmother.
But what should have been an easy trek through Mahjundar’s peaceful lands swiftly turns into an ambush with danger around every turn. Shalira’s marriage begins to seem less like an arranged union and more like yet another planned assassination. The more they work together to survive, the harder it becomes to stop themselves from falling in love. Caught in a race against time, can they escape the hostile forces hunting them and make it off the planet?
This will be my last regular post on Paranormal Romantics. I've enjoyed the experience of blogging here very much and made some wonderful friends, but it's one of those times where an author has to re-evaluate everything she's involved in and make some adjustments...I'll still be posting regularly on my own blog at http://veronicascott.wordpress.com/ and writing my column for USA Today's Happily Ever After page, as well as working on my novels! Best wishes to all the Paranormal Romantics!
