Denise: Just want to get this straight. Do you write Sensual Historical Romances under your real name and Fantasy/SF under the pen name of Jordanna Kay?

Jordanna: Correct. I chose a pen name for my Fantasy/Futuristic books because I didn't want to confuse my readers. However, I cross-promote. So each of my websites has links to the other site. And both names are on my blog and mySpace profile.


Denise: What do you love about writing both genres?

Jordanna: Both genres represent the ULTIMATE fantasy to me, which is usually why I read in the first place. It's not possible to go back or forward in time, so this way I can let my imagination go and create a world that is quite different from today. With historicals I have to be historically accurate, but it is still a life so different than we live today. It is a true escape to bring myself (and my reader) to a different world, whether literally on a made-up planet or figuratively in a historical setting.


Denise: Let's talk about your red hot Fantasy novella "Taboo." For one, I love the cover.
(You can check it out at www.samhainpublishing.com/taboo.shtml.

So who are these two strangers who meet by chance? Tell us about their very different societies?

Jordanna: Since you mentioned the cover, I hope it's okay if I throw a plug out there for a dear friend of mine, L.P. Spindler, who designed that cover for me. She does websites, blogs and graphics. I'm so thrilled with the way it turned out.This story (like "The Price of Discovery") began as a dream. I had a dream about a planet where a group of people where stranded there and lived in a single, partially crumbling building. One group lived at the top, the other at the bottom. Over time, the two groups adapted to their environments and that was the basis for "Taboo." My heroine, Ariana, is from the upper floors of The Dwelling. She is an Aerotaun, a race of slim-built peoples who have created wings to help them fly to gather food, etc. My hero, Andreus, is a Marimar. His culture is at the bottom and they are a sturdier group, who have lived off the sea. As the story progresses, the reader learns that the Aerotaun have descended from the engineers, captains, and more white-collar people of the mission. The Marimars' ancestors were the mechanics, plumbers, electricians - the blue-collar workers on the shuttle that took them to the planet. So, this is the basic opposing cultures story, but we don't learn until the end why the peoples have become so separated.


Denise: Why do these societies live separately? Why are they forbidden to interact?

Jordanna: I don't want to give away the ending of the story, but those who live there believe that their ancestors naturally gravitated to stay with those they knew and understood the best. Over time, the societies just no longer had anything in common and stayed apart from one another. Laws were created eventually to actually forbid them from interacting, the reader learns why at the end of the story.

Denise: What brings them together? Are they even able to communicate?

Jordanna: They speak the same language, so communication isn't difficult, they just don't really know anything about each other except what is taught by the elders. But are those teachings the truth?They are brought together because of Andreus' injury. He is alone on a beach, working on a very taboo project when he hurts his ankle. This prevents him from swimming or walking back to The Dwelling. So he's waiting for it to heal. Ariana is on a solo flight to meditate over a marriage proposal. She has only a few days to decide if she wants to make the union. When she spots Andreus on the beach alone, injured, she is curious about him and feels compelled to help.

Denise: What message are you presenting to your readers with Taboo?

Jordanna: Just about every story I write is about belonging, finding out who you are and where you fit in the world. In this case, we have two lovers from secluded societies who mistrust one another until the truth is revealed. Their fascination becomes passion, which in turn becomes love. This is a story told the world over. Can one overcome the obstacles society has put in place to follow his or her heart? Can one trust their leaders/parents/guardians or is there something else behind the curtain?

Denise: You work full time, are raising three children and writing? How do you balance all the things that are important in your life?

Jordanna: I often wonder if I am balancing it all!! I don't get stories written fast enough is mostly the issue. I work all day, come home to the family, and once the little ones are in bed, I'm at my computer. Then it's a matter of focusing on the writing and not being distracted by the TV or cleaning or something else I could be doing. Often I take my laptop and sit in the same room as my husband, just so that we are in the vicinity of one another. If I'm lucky, I get in two solid hours of writing a day. But there are many times that Real Life just gets in the way of that.

Denise: Your novel "The Price of Discovery" focuses on "a sexy alien with secrets to hide," and a reporter who is looking for a great story. Can you tell us about Drakor's past and ask him why he's on earth?

Jordanna: This story also came to me as a dream. I dreamt of a beautiful Victorian house in the middle of no where, but without bathrooms. LOL! So when I woke, I started thinking of who would live in a place like that? Certainly a human being couldn't live without a bathroom! Well, that brought me to aliens. Eventually, the no bathroom idea went away, but I kept the alien part. Drakor and his people are descended from humans. They were taken by another life form from Earth many, many years ago and brought to a planet called Elliac. Throughout the years, they've progressed in technology and have ventured back to Earth on secret missions.

Denise: How does he meet reporter Erin Price? How in the world did she find out he is an alien?

Jordanna: Erin meets him. She lost her reputation as a star reporter by getting too close to someone she was investigating. So now she's desperate to reclaim her "mojo" and get a big break. An investigation into a missing John Doe leads her to a strange Victorian house in backwoods of Virginia. There, the door is answered by Drakor.

She doesn't find out he's an alien until half way through the book. She's had odd hints the whole time but always dismissed them as absurd. But then she sees their "spaceship" with her own eyes. Suddenly, EVERYTHING is different!

Denise: What caused this bone crippling disease that’s hit his race hard? Why do his people think the cure is on Earth?

Jordanna: The problem is that his race has had a hard time getting sunlight on their planet. It's there, but it's so strong they can't stay outside very long or they will be severely burned. To make it worse, a mutation long ago caused the gene which processes Vitamin D to fail. So their bones are weakening. They've tried supplements and external ways to increase bone strength but it isn't enough. They need to reintroduce the gene into the race. Thus, they've come to Earth to get it from humans. I'll let you read the book to find out how!

Denise: Are you already working on your next book? What can we expect to read in your future novels?

Jordanna: I'm always working on something. I just finished my revisions for my first full-length historical. "Secret Intentions" will be released from Triskelion in March. Currently, I'm revising a gothic historical to send back to my agent. After that's complete, I'll start on the next story to follow "Taboo." Their story isn't over yet!

--© interview conducted by Denise Fleischer, Jan. 2007
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