Interview with Angela Verdenius

1. What is your release called and what is it about?

Shattered Soul is a sci-fi/futuristic romance, and is about a warrior woman mystically frozen at the time of her dying. Dragged from the arms of death to do The Overlord's bidding, Rani, a once proud and nobel warrior (though of an outlawed race), loses her mind and becomes insane, but through better forces, is able to regain her senses. However, her destiny is to serve The Overlord and his dark minions in the Outlaw Sector, to keep (ironically enough) the Lawful Sector safe.

The hero of the book is Fredrico, a space pirate who has made brief appearances in earlier books. Now under the control of The Overlord, he is true to his commands, but eventually comes to fall in love with the Reeka warrior woman.

This story has a bit of everything - mysticism, dark mystics, aliens, dark power, demons, space pirates, mystery and romance. The road to true happiness is an uncertain one in this book, but the ending, I feel, comes together quite nicely, because not everyone cane escape their desstiny...but true love must still prevail.

2. Could you give me a short sample passage?

There was a whooshing sound and the ice went to water. One second, frozen ice, the next water rushed across the floor and the warrior was there, clear to see, real to touch. Kneeling on one knee, braced on one hand, her hand at her bloodied throat. Her hair, wet and straggling, slapped against her arm as she looked up at him.

Brilliant green eyes looked directly into Fredrico’s, and he saw the fear and pain, the horror and acceptance, all in one split second. He felt the touch clear down to the soles of his boots. Returned to life, only to find she was dying. It would have been as if nothing had happened to her, as if time hadn’t stopped for years. For the Reeka, this second would never have ended.

Involuntarily, he straightened.

Opening her mouth, she choked, and scarlet spilt down over those pink lips, turning her chin red. She fell forward, the gurgling sound of blood and air combined loud in the room.

It happened fast, everything blurring. The orange spiral of smoke struck, covering her face, forcing itself into her nostrils and mouth, filling her. Tendrils came from the open gash in her throat as she convulsed on the floor. Water and blood drenched the stone floor and the stench of blood and decay filled the air sickeningly.

Fredrico had seen sights enough to make a sane man scream and turn from the world of reality. This wasn’t the worse he’d seen, but he’d never seen anyone fight as much as the Reeka.

3. Whom do you consider your writing influences?

I don't know that anyone actually influences me, but I know that Laurel K Hamilton's books showed me to not fear to tread unknown territory!

4. Where are you from?

I live in West Australia - where it's dry and I can't remember what rain looks like!

5. How experienced are you as an author?

Ummm...I guess I have some experience. I have 18 novels, 2 novellas, a short story and some short stories in an anthology all published. My recent short story is Zombie Hospital ( a lot of fun - satire and horror, what's not to like? Plus Zombies rule!)

6. Is there anything else you would like your readers to know?

I'm currently working on my first contemporary romance, and having a lot of fun. It's on a subject many of us know, and I'm not just talking romance!

7. If I lived in an enormous mansion where you were welcome to stay, what would you want your guest room to be like?

Warm and cosy, with a big window, and room for my cats to come with me