Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to the Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer. 

Today we have Paris from the sci-fi romance Worlds Away, by J.L. Hendricks

Katelina: Welcome Paris! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Paris: Well, my name is Paris and I have just been abducted by aliens! But, oh my word, are they hot, hot, hot!!!! I guess I shouldn’t complain too much because I have a very able bodied Commander who is taking good care of me now. You see, I used to live on the streets of LA. I was homeless after my parents died and I never was able to get out of my rut. But, I am only 22. My alien Commander, Venay, is in love with me, although a bit over-protective. If you read Worlds Away, by J.L. Hendricks you will see what I mean.

K: Oh wow! I guess we know you’re involved in a romance, then!

P: Yes, I am the soul mate to an alien commander. His name is Commander Venay, but I call him Venay. Some of the other girls tease me about it, but they are jealous. Sheila wanted him if I was going to turn him down, but I think she ended up with the right guy. Venay is a strong warrior who actually has a great moral compass. He isn’t happy with abducting slaves, but he doesn’t know how to change the situation of his people. Letting them die out is not something he can do, so I think he will work with me to change their society for the better and abolish slavery and human abductions.

K: He sounds hot *fans self and looks to make sure her vampire boyfriend isn’t hanging around* Um, anyway, he sounds almost perfect, except for that slave thing.

P: I am still having a hard time supporting Venay because he is responsible for abducting humans and bringing them back to his home planet to be either slaves, or mates. I can understand why he is doing it, his species almost died out due to a disease, but there are better ways to rebuild a society than forced slavery or marriage.

K: Exactly! Though as you said, he isn’t happy about it, so hopefully he will work for change.  Since we’re talking about his evolution, how do you evolve during the story?

P: I have always been strong and independent, so I am that way even when I am abducted. At first I choose to be a slave, but then I start to realize that I can make change happen much faster if I agree to be the mate, or wife, of the alien commander. For these aliens, once they meet their true, fated mate, they never love anyone else and will do whatever they have to in order to keep their mate safe. I start out taking advantage of his bond to me so that I can try to free the prisoners he has in his cells. Their intent is to sell them as slaves once we reach their home planet. Well, a lot of the women will agree to be mated to the warriors on the ship, but not all. So over the course of the trip (book) I realize that I have fallen in love with the giant alien. He is over 7 feet tall! And did I mention he is gorgeous? I do try to help keep my people from being used as slaves, especially one girl who is only 18 and hasn’t even graduated high school yet! What were they thinking abducting a kid like that? Some men are just stupid, whether they are aliens or humans, doesn’t matter. I hope to talk the alien government into changing how they view humans, and to stop the abductions, but that is something that will take time. I hope by the end of the series all humans will be free and the V’Zenians will stop abducting my kind.

K: I’m guessing when you got taken they didn’t give you time to pack. If you could have anything of yours from back on Earth, what would it be?

P: Lola. I miss my dog. She is the most loyal and loving pet a person could ever hope for! If you read my story you will learn about how she chose me to be her companion. I really hope that one of our friends is taking good care of her. If anyone reading this can go to the Santa Monica or Venice Beach area, could you look for Lola? She must be missing me something awful by now.

Not Lola, but it is a dog at least.

K: Poor puppy! I’m sure she’s okay, though I’m not sure if anyone reading this can cross into our dimensions…my author would say sarcastically, “Do you think your life and universe are real?”

P: Yes, of course they are! How else could you be interviewing me if I wasn’t?

K: Exactly. Authors have a weird sense of…I don’t know. Megalomania if you ask me. Speaking of authors, if you could say one thing to yours, what would it be?

P: I have two things: 1-don’t make me pregnant! I have too much work to do and no time to care for a baby, especially if I am going to change an entire society. 2-don’t kill off any of my friends! I have read your Eclipse Series and you kill off a lot of great characters, like Xandrie! So please leave my friends alone. And by friends I mean Lisa, Sheila, and their mates. Please!!!! I will gladly do whatever you want if you grant me my two wishes.

K:  Do you have an enemy, aside from the whole alien kidnapping thing. Though they sound less like enemies and…*cough* anyway…

P: The Zateelians attack my ship right after we leave the solar system. Well, not MY ship, but Venay’s ship. They have acquired some advanced weapons and attack us which forces us to crash land on a planet that is controlled by the V’Zenians, thankfully. But a few of them get on my ship and try to kill me, but to be fair, they are trying to kill us all. However, I prove to them that I am a force to be reckoned with! Well, I have a laser pistol. Sooo, I guess my pistol is a force to be reckoned with.

K: I need a laser pistol! What is the one event that you think helped to shape your personality?

P: When I was 17 my parents died, I don’t wish to go into the details, it is still a tough subject for me. However, I have survived living on the streets for the past 5 years. All of the things I have had to deal with, like finding dead bodies of other homeless people I knew, and fighting off men who wouldn’t take no for an answer, have all made me the strong fighter I am today. I don’t think I could have survived this current situation if I was still living a fairy tale life with my family. Not that I am happy about it, but it has made me the warrior I am today.

image by Yogendra Joshi via Flickr used under a CC license

K: And it looks like we’re running out of time. If you could say one thing to your readers, what would it be?

P: Keep an eye out for some recruiting opportunities to join the V’Zenians on their home world!

K: Hee-hee! Right? I mean, um…For a final question, if you could have anything in the world, what would it be?

P: For my parents to come back to life. But this is real life, for me at least, and people don’t come back to life. So what I want most, is to help the V’Zenians to save their species and to stop abducting humans. I know there are better ways. How many people on Earth would jump at the chance to mate with an alien? Or to come to an alien world to work, not be a slave, but for an actual job with benefits? A ton! They would have to get in line and only the best and brightest would be chosen, but the V’Zenian society would benefit so much from this. Earth would too!

K: Yes! I can see the possibilities! And with that we’re out of time. Thanks so much to Paris for letting me interview her. You can read more about her in Worlds Away, by J.L. Hendricks.

Worlds Away, available on pre-order now for only .99c at Amazon. Price will go up after launch date.
http://amzn.to/2caV2gQ

And a special thanks to J.L. Hendricks for playing along!

If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:

https://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/character-interviews/