A warm welcome to author Rebecca Cohen visiting Love Bytes today on her Blog Tour for her new release “Under Glass”
Rebecca kindly answered some questions for us , shares an excerpt and there is a giveaway to participate in!
Welcome Rebecca 🙂
Author Name: Rebecca Cohen
Book Name: Under Glass
Release Date: April 6, 2015
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Pages or Words: 108,000 words
Categories: M/M Romance, Romance, Science Fiction
Blurb:
Creating planets and guarding the stars leaves novice planet builder Kai Faewiva lonely. For members of Kai’s species who are born with an organ called a caerellon, their true love, their Sun or Moon, is identified at birth. But the novices are people who have lost their perfect love, and Kai’s Sun is long dead, killed in an accident when he was five years old. Or so everyone thought.
After recovering from another bout of the unidentified illness he has battled for years, Kai returns to work. But his quiet day at the planetarium is thrown into chaos when scans of Goka Prime, one of the planets in the Sol-Alpha2 system, picks up a life-form that shouldn’t be there. Kai’s Sun, Oliver Gyin, is alive and well, but how he got to be on Goka Prime, no one knows. Now he needs to be brought home.
Ollie has lived most of his life in the City of Harrea, never guessing he is from another planet. Surprised to find a stranger means the world to him, Ollie wrestles with his loyalties and the drive to return with Kai. To leave Goka Prime, he must give up everything and everyone he knows. But twenty years apart means Kai and Ollie face a fight to secure their destined future.
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This looks like a very creative plot, how did you come up with it?
I’ve always been fascinated by the planets and how they were created, and I’m also a biology nerd, so this is the accumulation of those. I wanted to play with the idea of love at first sight but wanted a biological reason for it, so it needed to be an alien species. And then I had a perfect excuse to write about planet building aliens.
Can you tell us about the “world” Kai and Oliver live in?
The planet Kai and Ollie live on is called Miridena and, more specifically, they are from the city of Sehora the capital of the Gilidea region. Sehora is where the planetarium is located, and it houses all the planets their race has created, so as you can imagine is a very sophisticated city. One the planets they created is called Goka Prime, and it is here where Ollie’s mum took him to when he was very young. Goka Prime is nowhere near as advanced as Miridena, and Ollie has quite the culture shock when he returns home.
Who is your favorite sci-fi writer?
Douglas Adams. I love his humor as well as his vast imagination. Considering UNDER GLASS involved a planet builder, there is a nod to Slartibartfast…
What draws you to a book? Cover? Blurb? Author?
Particular authors are always a draw, but I can be persuaded by a great cover with a good blurb as long as it’s in a genre I read.
Are you working on another book? Care to share it with us?
I’m currently working on a rom-com contemporary novella series called ‘Treading the Boards’, based around an amateur dramatics society in Greenwich, London. The first in the series, OVERLY DRAMATIC is already contacted with Dreamspinner Press with a release planned in the summer, and in the second, SUMMER SEASON, was submitted the end of March. The final one, HE’S BEHIND YOU, is due to be submitted by end of May.
The East Terrace had clear views of the city and the hills in the distance, and the setting sun bathed the world in hues of red, purple, and orange. “One of the best views from the palace,” Ollie said. “Guests aren’t usually allowed here.”
Kai glanced back to the door. “Will we get in trouble?”
“No, Menish is a personal friend. He won’t mind.”
“Must be good to have a friend who rules the city.”
Ollie chuckled. “We went to school together. I often have to remind myself that he’s the sultan and not the kid who helped me toilet paper the housemaster’s study windows.”
“Very good friends.”
Ollie didn’t think Kai needed to know just how good a friend Menish had been at one point, although what they had enjoyed was nothing more serious than teenage exploration. “Put it this way: he’d have no problem with me showing you this terrace.”
“The sunset is quite beautiful,” Kai said, turning to face it, and Ollie thought Kai wanted to steer the conversation away from Menish.
“Yes. It changes through the seasons, but I think this is my favorite time of year.”
“Then I am fortunate we chose this time to visit and a place on the mission became available.”
Kai’s choice of word in calling his visit a mission was a little strange, but Ollie thought better of mentioning anything. “Oh, you were. The festival to celebrate the end of harvest starts in a few days, and the city is awash with stalls and street entertainment.”
Kai turned back to him, cocked his head to one side, and smiled. “Perhaps you would agree to be my guide for that as well?”
The hopeful expression and the slight smile made Ollie swallow thickly as he stared into Kai’s dark brown eyes in the failing light. Kai bit his bottom lip and tilted his head back a little to look Ollie in the eye, making Ollie lick his own lips involuntarily. His hand twitched to cup Kai’s cheek and rub his thumb across his cheekbone to prove his hypothesis that Kai’s skin would be soft and warm to the touch.
The little voice in the back of his head returned, and it bluntly reminded Ollie he wasn’t a single man. The pang of guilt made him turn away, and he saw a confused look on Kai’s face. Not only was he in danger of betraying Rica, but he was also leading Kai along on a dance that Kai didn’t know Ollie already had a partner for.
He stepped away, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Kai. I can’t do this. While I can’t deny you have caught my eye like no one else, I am not the type of man to be unfaithful.” There, he’d said it, made it clear he was attached, and Kai’s expression morphed first to confusion and then into hurt. “I don’t understand.”
“I have a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” asked Kai weakly.
“His name is Rica. He’s away at sea.” The devastation on Kai’s face almost made Ollie step closer and gather him into his arms, but he forced himself to put more distance between them. “I’m sorry, Kai. I was so wrapped up in the connection we seemed to share I lost sight of things. I should never have let it get this far, and I must stop it going further.”
“I see.” Kai turned away. “I wish you a good evening, Mr. Gyin. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to enjoy the view a little longer before I find one of the servants to show me to my room.”
“Of course. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Kai didn’t reply, and Ollie retreated back inside, part of his mind protesting that he was going the wrong way, the other part telling him he was doing the right thing. He turned back to see Kai still standing on the terrace, his head bent. Ollie fled, fearing that if he stayed a moment longer he’d do something he’d really enjoy but regret later.
Rebecca Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left London behind and now lives with her husband and young son in Basel, Switzerland.
She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of Darjeeling in the other.
Where to find the author:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes
Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25128249-under-glass
Tour Dates & Stops:
6-Apr
7-Apr
8-Apr
9-Apr
Because Two Men Are Better Than One
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
10-Apr
13-Apr
Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
14-Apr
15-Apr
16-Apr
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
17-Apr
Rafflecopter Prize: $25 DSP gift cert and choice of a book from my backlist (does not include Under Glass)
My perfect world would have unlimited books to read!
Sounds good to me!
I’d have plenty of books, and fun museums, bookstores, and record shops to browse in. My favorite bands would come to play often. There’d be lots of lovely and attentive guys around. The fabulous baked goods and chocolates would actually speed up my metabolism. My dad would still be alive. And the San Jose Sharks would have multiple Stanley Cups…sigh. (Sorry to get all maudlin on ya, folks…)
I think this sounds like a great place. I’d love to visit!
My perfect world would be one without hate.
That would be a wonderful world 🙂
There would be no disease or strife in my world. Everyone would have all they want with out hurting anyone.
Sounds perfect 🙂
In my perfect world there would be equality for all and no hate.
Hopefully one day we can have this on our world
Respect, I think a perfect world would be one where everyone and everything was giving the respect its due. Love the blurb, I sure want to read this.
So true, Laurie!
Diverse! A perfect world has to have a lot of different types of people (or creatures) in it. Congrats on the release of Under Glass, Rebecca!
I completely agree, Cia. And thanks for the congrats 🙂