Author Quiz: Eva Caye, author of the To Be Sinclair series

Eva Caye is the author of Dignity, a science fiction romance and book one in the To Be Sinclair series. Dignity is available for Kindle and PC on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk:

US: Dignity by Eva Caye on amazon.com

UK: Dignity by Eva Caye on amazon.co.uk

Dignity by Eva Caye,
a science fiction romance.

Dignity (Book One in the To Be Sinclair series)
by Eva Caye:

Why does Emperor Victor Sinclair fall madly in love with Lady Felicia Sorensen? She is a High Royal lady scientist in a heavily patriarchal society, and the Emperor has only dated socialites who see him as an icon and a prize. Felicia's intellect and capacity to see him as a man with more than sexual needs instantly inspires Victor to want to make her his Empress, for he needs true love and support, not a lady who will be a burden upon his time and energy.

Although he entices her with all the resources at his command, from sexual stimulation and outrageously expensive gowns to promising she can 'write her own job description', Felicia cautiously learns the differences between love and manipulation. And, after an interplanetary invasion and being censured by a ducal panel, all due to one of her inventions, she must choose between toughing out the extreme social and political pressures of a high elevation, and pursuing her scientific achievements. Victor finds a way for Felicia to do them both!

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Author Quiz Interviews Eva Caye...

AQ: Do you ever feel yourself becoming quite emotional when writing a particularly intense scene, and is there a specific passage in particular where this was the case?

Eva: I don’t get emotional at first. I write the actions in the rough draft, but when I do rewrites, I put myself into the head of the character and ‘feel’ their emotions, then I click my way through thesaurus entries to pick exactly the right words I (they) feel. At that point, I can get pretty emotional. I most often get emotional when selecting the last line of the book. For some reason, writing (even reading!) the last line makes me cry!

AQ: Why do you enjoy writing in your usual genre? What is it about your usual genre that appeals to you most as a writer?

Eva: Science fiction romance is the ultimate fusion! Uber-macho science fiction meets ultra-feminine romance? It’s the blend of two opposites that gives me the scope to do just about anything I want! Tough guys need love and can express their secret tenderness without shame, and gentle, nourishing women get to show their steel spines, the sheer power of their spirit and ALL skills of which they are capable, and the strength of their determination. I love to write romance because we all need more love in our lives, and everyone loves a well-written, steamy romantic interlude. I love to write science fiction because I can visualize products and technology that someone will hopefully say, “There’s an idea!” and go invent it.

AQ: If your book, DIGNITY, was made into a movie, who would you want to play the main character and why?

Eva: I’m not big on movies and know very little about actresses. If I had to go from my little knowledge of their previous roles, I would say either Natalie Portman or Gillian Anderson should play Lady Felicia Sorensen. Natalie’s performance as Queen Amidala is how I visualize Felicia as a lady; Gillian’s performance as Dr. Dana Scully is how I visualize Felicia as a scientist.

AQ: Have you ever written a supporting character who took on a life of their own or turned out to be far more popular than expected, and if so do you have plans to feature them as the lead character in a story of their own?

Eva: I publicize my To Be Sinclair series as having seven books, but there is actually an eighth book. The youngest Imperial Son, Prince Evan Sinclair, has always agonized over whether he can ever live up to the Imperial standards of his siblings, especially the incredible mates they manage to find. Evan doesn’t feel complete unless he has a lady, to prove at least one person loves him above all others. I wrote four novellas about the highs and lows of his search; the book is called Evan’s Ladies, though I haven’t been able to afford an editor for it yet. The first novella, The Cremian Dance, will (probably) be published in the free e-book anthology edited by members of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade. The goal of the anthology is specifically to generate a wider audience for science fiction romance, and it should be out around April 2013.

AQ: When deciding on your book title, what influences you most, potential sales or artistic integrity?

Eva: Artistic integrity, without a doubt. I refuse to lie to the reader; if I were to put out a book called Monkey R*pe, it will have monkeys and it will involve r*pe. If it sells, good. If it doesn’t sell very well, perhaps my readers will pick it up just to see what I have to say about the subject. To me, the title should be the theme of the book, one or two words. The cover should have a few more tidbits of information, to orient the reader on genre or whether it’s a series. The blurb explains more fully, and then the reader can either go to my website to see in-depth information about it, or they can simply buy the book!

AQ: What changes would you like to see take place in the publishing industry over the next few years?

Eva: My most recent blog post is titled E-Book Sales: Copyright Laws Must Change!

AQ: Do you have a favourite review or has anyone expressed a particularly nice compliment about your writing which stands out as your most memorable piece of praise?

Eva: My first non-Amazon review will always be my favorite! I even wrote about it on my website, My First Five-Star Review! The Geek Girl Project's magnificent Amy Dixon noticed every single quality I had striven so hard to achieve. This quote, however, was the one that thrilled me beyond measure:

“I would like to point out (with a certain amount of glee) that the author has managed to write a scifi romance without relying on The Big Misunderstanding of romance, or (as is more commonly seen in SciFi romance) The Inadvertent or Perceived Betrayal for the climax of the story or the major conflict. I was absolutely thrilled about this; while there is nothing wrong with either of the aforementioned tried-and-true plot devices, they are (dare I say it) a trifle overused. And, in this case, using either would have been out of place… disrespectful of the intellect of the main characters and the nature of their strong relationship dynamic.”

AQ: Would you rather sell 1000 books at $10/£10 each or 2000 books at $1/£1, i.e. what gives you the greater sense of satisfaction; overall earnings or overall sales?

Eva: I would rather have a more extensive readership. I would not have spent the last few years pounding out eight complete books, two-thirds of a ninth, and introductory chapters and background information of two others if I did not realize I had meaningful things to say to the world. I want to make my mark, I want to inspire our culture toward benevolence and away from animosity, and I want to characterize the lessons I have learned in my life so readers can learn from them. The only agony I suffer over pricing is whether I will sell enough of them to be able to afford an editor for the rest of my books, since this was the first summer I’ve been able to afford to get DIGNITY and MAJESTY edited.

AQ: What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?

Eva: First, line up beta readers, preferably three in your genre. Over half of my beta readers were romance readers; the rest were science fiction enthusiasts. Their purpose: to point out the glaring errors. Second, GET AN EDITOR. You can go to all the conferences, seminars, workshops, and creative writing classes you want, but until you hire an editor, you will not learn the real problems with your prose. In addition, the indie market is being flooded by unedited manuscripts, giving the rest of us a bad name. I made certain to put my editor’s name as a contributor, precisely so readers can see that I have paid for and taken the advice of a professional.

AQ: What sort of audience will your To Be Sinclair series most appeal to?

Eva: Ah, the most difficult question of all, at least for me! They are romances, no question, and they are based about 600 years in the future on a different planet, with all those technical considerations built into the story. (Ex: since one second is the strongest scientific standard as a unit of time, and the planet’s day is 26 hours and 28 minutes long, I called those extra 28 minutes ‘the demi’.) Science fiction romance is considered by traditional publishers a niche genre; even Amazon does not have a separate category for it when you upload it and file it under two categories! Otherwise, since I write with as much straightforward clarity as I can, and since I visualize the scenes as if they are actually happening in a parallel dimension and being downloaded into my brain, I feel my overall ‘style’ could be characterized as literary fiction. As far as the actual events in the book, the depth of the characters and the conflicts and lessons learned, I personally feel it could easily go mainstream. In the To Be Sinclair series, science is the backdrop, romance is character development, and fiction is the story. I think all science fiction romance should be that way.

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Thanks for your comments, Eva, and good luck with your writing.

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A short sample of Eva’s writing…

She looked away, bent over, and wrapped her arms around herself for a minute. Then she threw herself off the couch into some furious pacing.

Finally stopping, she growled, “Talk about manipulation.” Victor flinched. She folded her arms across her chest. “I want to go back to Lady Brighton’s. Right now. I don’t think I can stand to hear another word about this. I know you politicians have your dirty tricks, but I didn’t think you would ever turn them against me. Please leave, right now. Before I say something unforgivable.”

Victor stood up. “You will not leave Lady Brighton’s for any reason until we figure out what we do, together.”

Felicia couldn’t keep from grinding her teeth. Since he had just given her a command, she had to acknowledge him, but it galled her to feel he was using his Imperial authority to do so, instead of simply asking her as his Betrothed. In an attempt to show she took his demand as a family request, she finally gave him one nod.

Victor blinked in rapid realization of her interpretation before striding from the room without another word. Felicia wondered which of them felt more ashamed of their behavior during this dispute. She dreaded its resolution not only because she feared for his mental state and political pressures; her own anxiety at being put in a figurative box and labeled as a source of ova for the Imperial Heir was a legitimate legal threat.

Four new Sentinels and two watchmen, all unknown to her, arrived to take her back to the sorority. Felicia spent the entire trip weighing her love for Victor against her fears for the future.

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