Welcome, Vicky!

Today I’m highlighting Vicky’s new release, Revenge Among the Stars.

Tell us a little about “Revenge Among the Stars” being published by The Wild Rose Press.

Revenge is a futuristic romance, which in this case means it takes place in another galaxy, on another planet. But there are no aliens involved. Just bad guys, a hunky good guy, a determined heroine, and a couple of AIs (Artificial Intelligences) who like to steal the show on occasion. It was originally published thirteen years ago by another publisher who shall remain nameless as an erotic romance. I wasn’t comfortable with the heat level then, so when I got my rights back, I completely rewrote it. The bad guys are still there, along with the hunky good guy, the determined heroine and the AIs, but the sex level has been definitely toned down to PG-13.

Blurb:

Aleksia Matthews is left for dead, after space pirates attack her ship and kill her brother. She swears to avenge his death but knows she can't do the job alone. After taking out an ad for a bounty hunter, she weeds out the bad from the good, and one man stands out. He could be the perfect partner—and that scares Ali more than the pirates do.

Special agent Jason Cole is tracking the pirates who killed his family, but he's always one step behind. There have never been any survivors—until now. He needs Ali to identify the attackers, but she proves to be stubborn. She plans to go with him on the hunt, and he's determined to keep her safe.

While Cole and Ali seek revenge, someone at headquarters would like to see them fail. Together they battle explosions, their emotions, and danger from one of their own.

What inspired the story?

I’ve always been a bit of a science fiction geek. I love Star Trek, Star Wars, star… anything. I love thinking that there are other beings out there; that we’re not alone in this vast universe. And yet… those people have the same problems and issues we have. Maybe they’re a little more advanced, but the basic things that go with life would still be true. And come on, who doesn’t love an AI with attitude? Also, there’s a cat—Me-too—that was inspired by Robert Heinlein’s cat Pixel.

In writing Revenge Among the Stars, what was the most fun?

The AIs. Coming up with Posi, Zeus, and Sami and making them come alive was so much fun. You have to realize, I wrote this before “Siri” and “Aleksa” were part of our daily lives. But even with their presence in our homes, they still don’t have a lot of personality. My AIs do. Also, Me-too, was named by the hero’s niece. She always wanted whatever her brother had and was always saying “Me too!” Thus, the cat’s name. And a nod to my now-grown kids who used to do the same thing. Endlessly! LOL.

Are you working on other books in this series?

Yes, but with different characters. All the books will be in the same universe and may have people who cross over, but each book will be stand alone and focus on a different set of characters. After creating an entire universe, it would be a shame not to use more of it.

How did you go about building the world in which your characters live?

I had to do a lot of science research into building worlds that could sustain human life, but also creating a landscape that would work for the story. For that, I used a trip I took across country from Pennsylvania to Washington with stops along the way—the Badlands of the Dakotas as well as the area of the Little Big Horn and Monument Tower and the desert area of Washington state (I’m serious—the central area of Washington is a desert!). My pictures and mental images of those areas as well as many more on our 6,000 mile drive (to meet new grandchild) formed a lot of the landscape for my story.

Why did you revise/revisit this book?

As I said earlier, to tone it down. It was very well received when it originally came out by multiple reviewers, but I just wasn’t comfortable with the heat level. Several people told me I needed to get it out there again, and The Wild Rose Press agreed. 

What authors have inspired you?

A lot. Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, Linnea Sinclair, David Eddings, Kathleen Woodiwiss—I could go on forever. I read a wide variety of books that are not limited to just romances. I pretty much read everything except horror—and maybe “literary” books like Faulkner (read him, didn’t care for him). Not my thing. But science fiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, etc. You name it, I read it. You can even go farther back and add in Nancy Drew books, Shakespeare, the Greek tragedies… and more. 

Which genre is your favorite?

In line with the answer above, I can’t pin down an exact favorite. But if I had to say something, I’d say probably cozy mysteries and romantic comedies (any era) in the style of Sandra Hill or a good futuristic like Susan Grant and Linnea Sinclair. I like a little tongue-in-cheek humor when I read. Something that makes me smile. But they all have to have a HEA.

How do you decide on a character’s name?

That’s a hard one for me. It has to have meaning of some sort. I have lists of names (and their meanings) that I often fit to the character. One thing is certain, I cannot write the story until I know their names. And once I settle on a name, it doesn’t change.

What time of day do you feel most creative?

Very early in the morning. I’m definitely a morning person—I’m usually up around five or five-thirty (with no alarm clock) and use that time before my husband is up to write and work. The dark hours before dawn are the best time of day for me. But don’t ask me to do anything after 9:30 p.m. Not going to happen. 😊 

Did you ever have a character surprise you?

Yes. All the time. I think they’re going to do one thing and…there they go, off on some tangent I never had in mind. And it usually works out better.

Who is your favorite character and why?

It depends on the story I’m writing. In “Revenge Among the Stars”, SAMI, the AI, was actually my favorite character because he’s so…human. He’s a computer with attitude. In the book I’m working on now (a fantasy), Crumb is my favorite. In another book, it will be someone else. Each book has someone I love. Someone who will stick in my mind.

Now for an excerpt!

She risked a glance at Jason and the other man. They were both out cold. “That’s it, then. We go by water.”

“Ali, it’s too dangerous,” Sami protested as a laser flare lit up the area in front of the rocks. “The sled’s been damaged.”

“I don’t have much of a choice, Sami. They haven’t seen me yet, but they will soon, and I don’t

think this baby can take too many of those crystal hits, can it?”

A very reluctant “no” issued from the speaker.

“Keep a fix on me, Sami. I’m going to be busy, and I’m going to need your help. Activate night vision.”

“Ali, you can’t be serious. The odds of you surviving in such turbulence are beyond my capabilities to compute.”

“Sami, either help me or shut up.” She lifted the sled out of the rocks and took a perpendicular line to the river. A minute after she left the safety of the rocks, a flare lit them up, and she blinked against the sudden glare—momentarily blinded. The sled bounced as she scraped against a low rise, staying on course by instinct alone. As she reached the river, another flare burst,

lighting her for the pirates to see.

“I’ve been spotted, Sami.” Ali killed the night vision and turned on her running lights as a beam

whizzed by her port side. She gulped at the sight of the raging torrent but headed into the dubious safety of the water. Hopefully, the roiling water would dissipate some of the power of the beams.

“Baby, I sure hope you’re watertight.” Ali crossed her fingers as she dropped the sled into the water.

Find Revenge Among the Stars on Amazon and other online venues.

What was your funniest moment as an author?

Weird as it may sound, a vacation I took with my family to the ocean. I was in the middle of creating the world for another book and just couldn’t figure out the landscape, so, my kids and I sat on the beach and built a world out of sand, kind of like the guy in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. We built mountains and rivers, towns, everything. People looked at us kind of funny, but it all worked out. The kids and I had a ball and I got my world built. I took pictures of it all before the tide washed it away to bring home.

What do you find more challenging about writing than you expected?

Two things: the actual writing and the promotions. I have a ton of stories in my head, but actually sitting down and putting them on paper is often a challenge. There are some days when the words just won’t come. When you stare at the blank screen and wonder what the heck you’re going to write that’s new and different and exciting. If you’re not careful, you can become jaded after a while. And then there’s promoting your books and yourself. For a strong introvert who doesn’t travel, this can be the hardest thing in the world to do. But it’s necessary.

Are you a pantser or a plotter:

A little of both. I don’t plot the entire story out, but I know where I’m starting and where it’s going and a little of what happens in the middle. It’s a very loose sort of plotting.

How do you start work on a book?

I get an idea and come up with a main character. Then I interview that character using a journalistic approach: Who are you? What happened? Where did it happen? Why did it happen? How did it happen? When did it happen? And so on. Once I have those questions answered, I can write the story.

When you’re having a problem with a book, what do you do to solve it?

I have an amazing group of writing friends. We call ourselves the Boot Squad because we kick each other’s butts if we’re not getting the work done. Of the five of us, two are my best friends and I can turn to either one of them for brainstorming. They are my worst critics and my best supporters. I’d never be able do what I do without them.

Vicky Burkholder has been married forever to the one person who accepts that she lives in a fantasy world most of the time. She's even been seen at the beach building worlds for her stories. In addition to creating fun characters, fantasy worlds, and suspenseful situations, she also enjoys and is very good at things like writing policy and procedures manuals and setting up continuity and organizational spreadsheets, both of which she has actually earned money doing. She has a master's degree in library science so likes things organized. Okay, so her family thinks having the spice rack alphabetized it a bit much, but she has no trouble finding what she needs when she needs it. And just because her extensive library is cataloged and organized, that doesn't mean she's obsessive. Honest. When not writing, Vicky can be found in the kitchen whipping up gluten-free, lactose-free, other allergy-free meals. Or watching the world go by from her front porch swing.

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