What motivates you to write the Oarthecan Star Saga?
Representation! While there’s a tonne of MM sci-fi out there, only a handful of books showcase big, burly men as the main heroes — and I think that needs to change. There’s nothing wrong with a svelte, athletic Adonis as the lead (and if that’s your thing, you’re spoiled for choice), but not all of us readers fall into that category. Some of us have genuine tummies! Or body hair. Or—dare I risk saying it—are actually over thirty. Our voices are just as interesting as any other, and it’s vital we have our chance to shine.
But… space bears?
Yeah, space bears. Well—officially not bears at all, but an anthropomorphic race of sapient marsupials whose drones bear a striking resemblance to, well… bears. Imagine six-to-ten-foot-tall werebears and that’s what you’re dealing with when delving into the world of Oartheca.
Though I’ve not fully explored this yet, figuring out why Oarth drones have this uncanny resemblance is a major aspect of the story. Is it all just a wacky coincidence? (Stranger things have happened in a universe full of infinite possibilities, I guarantee it.) Or is there another, more deliberate reason? Stay tuned to find out!
Oh, and of course, there’s also the human kind of bear. Rowland is a big ol’ slab of beefcake and makes no bones about it. And all these bears—human and Oarth alike—are men who love men. Go big or go home, I say.
I’m a little confused about the Oarth ‘coatclans’. What’s a suncoat, nightcoat, etc.?
Easily answered! An Oarth’s coat refers to his fur or hair colour. Suncoats are varying shades of blonde; nightcoats are flat or glossy black; and woodcoats span a wide range of browns. The rare embercoats are reddish—ranging from orange and ginger to deep rusts and smoky reds not seen on humans.
Stormcoats are coloured like storm clouds—they can be gentle grey to ponderous thundercloud, like Toar, or pewter and iron, like his father, Cullergrath. Snowcoats, like Erac, are usually snowy white, but some are ivory, especially those from Oartheca’s southern pole.
This is the third book in the series, with Dangers of Oartheca announced as the fourth. How many more instalments can we look forward to?
Three more, for a total of six instalments in the Saga. There’s a story arc I’m following, with the first half of the series setting the stage for the confrontation in the latter half. Expect plenty of conflict—on the battlefield and in the hearts of our heroes. The Saga is about how war changes everything, and yet war itself never changes.
There’s a great cast of supporting characters in the Saga. Are there any plans to give them their own spotlight?
I’ve been thinking about a spin-off featuring Erac and Bethany—they seem to get on rather well in the books. They’re both military professionals, and it’d be fascinating to see them thrown into a high-stakes adventure outside of their usual combat-oriented lives.
We’ll see, though. Each has a major part to play in the Saga, and it’s entirely possible one—or both—won’t make it to the end unscathed.
And then there’s a little story I’ve got kicking around in the back of my head about a highly intelligent Oarth saboteur and a planet-sized sentient ball of goo…
Your second series, BuzzCuts, is set in the same thematic universe as the Oarth. Any chance of a crossover?
Never say never! Buzz and Cutter are up next on my storytelling agenda. While I want to give them their own space to explore, I also want to fully flesh out the shared universe. It’s all about building worlds, and I want mine to feel like a densely populated galaxy.
That said, it’d be a waste not to let them meet at some point. I mean—how would an Oarth react to Cutter? Just how thorough is Cutter’s disguise when faced with the best sniffer the galaxy’s ever seen?
James Siewert has a new MM sci-fantasy romance out, Oarthecan Star Saga book 3: Captains of Oartheca.
Welcome to Oartheca—a world of shattered beauty and stolen futures.
Where noble Barons rule with ironclad grace, and loyal drones unquestionably obey. A wounded world, rich with history and pride, struggling to heal… while war still smoulders at its edges.
Hoping to change the fate of all Oarthecans, Captain Rowland Hale II and Toar Grithrawrscion embark on a mission as herculean as it is perilous: to bring Oartheca under the aegis of the Coalition of Allied Planets, and in doing so, usher in a new era of strength, stability, and peace.
But nothing on Oartheca is so easily won. Not peace. Not unity. And certainly not the truth.
In Captains of Oartheca, James Siewert sees our heroes challenge empires, defy impossible odds, and confront the terrible cost of hope. But when victory demands everything they are—and all they have—can they pay the price?
Warnings: Explicit sex scenes between consenting adult males
About the Series
An action-oriented, sci-fi extravaganza staring heroes who battle vicious foes, overcome galactic obstacles, find true love, all while just happening to be men-who-love-men. For adults only, the Oarthecan Star Saga will thrill readers with cinematic battles, daring romances and authentic, one-of-a-kind characters that rise to face challenges through bravery, courage and loyalty.
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Get the hell off me!’ I shout angrily, futilely pushing at the rhino of a man smothering me. Goddamn he’s heavy but I’m giving it everything I’ve got, trying to wriggle free. I manage to get my head out from under the behemoth and turn to try and see what the hell is going on.
‘Stay down, Baron!’ the security guard overtop of me orders, his voice hard and urgent. There’s another bright green flash, and this time I see a plasma shot streak harmlessly into the skies, followed soon by more yelling and the sounds of intense struggle.
Annoyingly, cyan telemetry floods my cybernetic ocular display—suit’s integrity is down to ninety-two percent, but no injuries, and my shields are regenerating. That shot was a point-blank, direct hit. Thank God for top-tier CAPS engineering—anything less, and I’d be dead.
‘No!’ I hear a man yell. ‘No, he killed my brother!’
What?
‘Evacuate, evacuate!’ a stronger voice booms, and the man over top of me begins to ease up slightly; I immediately scoot out from under him and try to get a decent look around.
There’s a pile of security guards clustered together—it looks like there are three of them surrounding a fourth, having driven him to his knees. One is wrenching the kneeling man’s rifle from his hands, but the man is not letting go anytime soon. It takes the butt of another security guard’s rifle being driven into the side of his head before his grip finally weakens, and the gun is wrenched free.
The rhino then steps in front of me, blocking my view of the struggling men. I scowl and try to push him out of the way, but this guy’s a stormcoat, maybe a snowcoat, and I don’t even budge him a centimetre.
‘This way, Baron. Now,’ He pushes into me, using his superior bulk to knock me back. With one hand on my shoulder, he spins me around so that I’m facing away from the scene.
‘Where is Ton?’ I demand, trying to slip this guy’s grasp but his grip on my shoulder is firm—not painful, thanks to my exosuit’s kinetic absorption—but I’m not getting free unless I put up a serious struggle, which I don’t think is the wisest of things to do right now.
‘We’ll meet at the safe-point. Hurry, Baron, straight ahead,’ the rhino orders, and I follow as he steers me deeper into the docking bay. He sets a brisk pace—nearly a jog—we’re moving fast. A tug on my shoulder turns me left toward an open corridor, where two guards stand ready, rifles raised and scanning.
‘Inside, Baron.’ I’m not used to being manhandled like this, but I know if this dude wanted to, he could pick me up like an infant. He’s at least letting me move under my own power, so I do as I’m told, and head into the corridor.
We head down a gently sloping, well-lit cement tunnel—hopefully toward the safe-point rhino-guy mentioned. He’s stopped steering me, but with only one path ahead, we keep moving. After about thirty seconds, a circular portal sealed by sliding doors appears and opens as we approach.
‘Through the doors, Baron,’ my escort says. I step into the next tunnel, and he follows, tapping commands into a wall-mounted keypad. The doors slide shut behind us, leaving me to figure out what comes next.
The security guard then turns to face me, placing his hand over his heart, his fingers splayed, and gives me a deep bow. ‘We are secured now, Baron. The safe-point is just down this hall.’
‘Thank you,’ I reply genuinely. ‘I prefer Captain Hale, however. What’s your name, officer?’
‘Second Lieutenant Crahlstran Grithrawrclan, OSS Navy, Captain Hale,’ the man answers. ‘I’ve been assigned to you as your personal security representative. Are you injured?’
I immediately shake my head. ‘No, my suit took the damage. I’m fine. Where is m’Ton? Or the High Baron Grithrawr?’
‘At or en route to the safe-point. Please, if you will follow me, Captain,’ Crahl offers, extending his hand down the new corridor. With him leading the way, I follow as we descend further, until we reach another set of closed sliding doors. Crahl enters a command on the keypad, and they open. He stands aside to allow me to enter first.
James and his husband live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Part-time office drone, part-time storyteller, full-time sci-fi and fantasy enthusiast (and some spooky ghost tales), James couldn’t find enough stories involving guys like him and his hubby are: big men with big hearts, full of big ideas!
Taking matters into his own hand, James seeks to share high adventure, low-angst stories where the heroes are solid blokes who take centre stage. Come join the adventure and explore bold new worlds full of authentic characters, gripping scenes, lush imagination and a touch of mushy stuff – there’s a whole galaxy waiting for you to discover!
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21531168.James_Siewert
Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/james-siewert/
Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/James-Siewert/author/B095T25ZSB
