annobannon

house. She kept leaving unfinished bits and pieces of her stories lying about the house, so I decided to teach her how to plot, in the hopes that she would finish one of her stories.
     As a parent, we teach by example so I plotted a story and wrote one myself.
     What a rush!
     It came out, then kept right on going just like that cute, pink energizer bunny. There was no stopping my imagination. In order to feed my imagination, I wrote what is closest to my heart: romance and science fiction. Then I used my creative license to explore the great unknown, to experience love, life and freedom not easily achieved with all the day-to-day responsibilities that rule my life.
     By helping my daughter, I unleashed the child within myself.

Denise: How far in the future is your novel "Star Dust" set? Is Captain David Alexander of the NASA space shuttle Independence alone on his journey?

Ann: Star Dust takes place in 2018, but David's journey started in 2011.

Denise: What does his mission involve? Was it to last a few years or a lifetime?

Ann: He was the only person to volunteer for NASA's first manned mission to Saturn, a trip to the outer reaches of our solar system that would take a minimum of fourteen years to complete. David would spend seven years in cryogenic sleep, then wake up for about three weeks when he reached Titan and traveled to Saturn, then would have to return to sleep for the voyage home. Today's technology has not progressed to the point of cryogenic stasis for such prolonged periods of time, so he would be accepting the mission without any guarantee that he would return home. He would in fact be a guinea pig.

Denise: Describe Earth's economic, political, social situation during this time period?

Ann: It starts out similar to our own, but the Middle East had formed a consortium and the Orient had also joined together to form a balancing faction...During the course of STAR DUST, the warring factions of earth agree to disarm and form a single planetary government called the Allied Nations of Earth.

Denise: When the Captain wakes from his cryogenic state what leads him to believe he's not going to survive? What are his odds of returning to his home world?

Ann: Referring back to the third question, the chances of success were very limited to begin with. Let me ask you this: What do you think he would look like after being frozen for seven years? In a perfect world he would look like "Sleeping Beauty" but this is not a perfect world, and the technology is only experimental.

Denise: Who comes to his rescue?

Ann: Well, Zara doesn't exactly come to his rescue. Heck, she nearly put him out of his misery when she shot him from the stars.

Denise: What is Commander Zara Darien, of the Shimuran Starship Command, doing in this sector of space? Is she on her own mission?

Ann: If I answer this question, I'll be giving away too much of the story. I will tell you this: Zara is a very reluctant heroine. She cries, she laughs, and learns to enjoy and kicks his ass from time to time, too.

Denise: How far has her race come in evolution? Can you describe her to us?

Ann: I prefer to think in terms of divine creation. You see, if we were created in the image of a higher being, then it would stand to reason that any other sentient life out there would resemble us. However, here's where evolution or adaptation to the environment comes in and makes some minor changes...Her planet is rich in minerals, so she has a metallic sparkle to her hair and skin and she has whites in her eyes. She is also empathic, sensitive to strong emotions, and full of energy.

Denise: Explain her government's rules and restrictions for 'first contact?' Are David and Zara part of some future event yet to unfold?

Ann: She was forbidden to make contact with any world incapable of interstellar travel. We have not attained this level of transportation yet. We are capable of exploring our own solar system, but beyond that is the greater frontier of unexplored territory...
     Star Dust is a 'first contact' scenario, a complete story that brings these two star crossed lovers together. Yes, they play a part in a future event that I'm not at liberty to disclose, but their story is complete. They will interact with the other heroes and heroines that shape the legacy as it unfolds.

Denise: What do you love the most about this novel?

Ann: I love the whole story, especially the way it altered the perceptions of the characters within the pages as the story unfolds. It offers me hope, that in a perfect world we will put aside our petty differences and band together as a race of Sentient Beings on this beautiful blue planet we call Earth.

Denise: Who published it and what format is it in? How can we purchase it?

Ann: It was published by BeWrite Books and released in September 2005. It can be purchased online from BeWrite or through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Booksamillion.

Learn more about Ann's books by logging onto her website.

--Denise Fleischer, gottawritenetwork.com
Nov. 2005
copyright D. Fleischer, GWN