Hello, everyone! I’m really excited to be here at The Book Binge to share a bit about my new Science Fiction Romance novel The System. It just released on August 11th from Silver Publishing, and to say I’m in love with this book would be an understatement. It’s a novel six years in the making, my seventeen year old self’s first attempt at a full-length novel which my twenty-three year old self finally completed. To introduce you to this exciting work, full to bursting with action, drama, and romance, I thought I’d discuss my novel’s theme statement.
The theme statement is one line of text that appears after the prologue, before the story begins. It reads “The three that will transcend all generations are violence, lust, and love.” The System is set over 600 years in the future. The people of Earth have traveled to a new solar system to escape a world of depleted resources that would eventually serve to deteriorate the human race. But the story I wrote isn’t so much about this transition or the new, futuristic world as it is about two characters—Brody and Capri—and how, despite their painful pasts and resistance, they eventually fall in love.
But as I wrote The System—which does include prostitution, near rape, and gun slinging—I found myself contemplating whether or not the future would really still be that violent. Wouldn’t we mature from where we are now? There are those who hope that utopia might still be in our reach. Actually, I’m sure we all hope for it, but there are those who truly believe in it. For me to believe, I would need to see a trend, proof that society has improved from the past and will continue to improve.
But when I consider the past, I find the same cycle of violence that we are and have always been stuck in. Atilla the Hun, Ghengis Khan, and Vlad the Impaler were all known for their bloodlust. War has existed since there was anything to fight over—the Crusades, all kinds of civil and revolutionary wars, the World Wars, and now the Iraq War. Whether as a united force or a single person, whether the violence is within the law or outside of it, it seems to just be an unavoidable part of our existence.
The same goes for lust. Whether it’s for power or for pleasure, lust can be a dangerously driving force, clouding judgment and often creating violence. And it’s always run rampant. Antony & Cleopatra, Henry VIII, Rodrigo Borgia, Bill Clinton—lust isn’t going anywhere. And if we are to speak about it strictly in a physical sense, I’d say it may even have its place in existence. It’s the carnal desires that tell us to mate and keep our population strong. But it’s also the root of sexual deviance and prostitution—there’s a reason it’s called “the oldest profession.”
Will violence and lust still be an issue in 600 years? All signs point to yes. I think they’re just unavoidable evidence of our baser instincts. But we have one redeeming quality: love. And that is also something that has always been and will always be a part of us. Love is the good that can so easily outweigh the bad. It has the power to erase violent pasts, tame a person’s lust, and make the world a better place. Love is the utopia that everyone’s hoping for.
The System is by no means a simple, lighthearted romance. The characters are complex with dark pasts and uncertain futures. They suffer from the human condition. But they manage to find love—Utopia—in spite of themselves and their circumstances. And, even in the ugliest worlds, that is a beautiful thing.
Giveaway Alert: Thank you so much for stopping by! Be sure to comment below with your e-mail address for your chance to win a custom bracelet, engraved with a quote from The System. Winner will be announced on my blog September 1st!
Capri is an alluring young prostitute with a painful past; Brody is a ruthless mercenary for a crew of thieves from the spaceship Gypsy Lass. When he enters her brothel, the attraction between them is instant, electric, and too much for him to handle. After a robbery gone wrong, the crew takes Capri hostage, forcing her and Brody to remain in close quarters until they see fit to drop her on another planet.
But Capri’s plight and the intense feelings between her and Brody turn out to be the least of their problems. Together—whether they like it or not—they uncover a secret no one in the whole System could have expected.
Excerpt (Unedited):
Year 564 after the Migration
Brody walked along a quiet street on the outskirts of New York on Earth one. A car zoomed by every few minutes. The newest ones were held aloft over the street by opposing magnetic charges; others were navigating themselves as the drivers fixed their hair or ate their lunch; and the cheapest ones necessitated the driver to attempt to handle the controls while fixing their hair or eating their lunch. He glanced over to admire a new Ford Mustang before opening the door to a small, neatly-kept building.
On the outside, it looked like a nice, upscale bar, but the inside would have shocked any upper-class drink connoisseur. There was loud yelling and catcalling, beer splashed out of mugs, and scantily-clad girls sat around, waiting for their turn to dance on poles. Brody grinned and rubbed a hand over the stubble of his chin. This was his kind of place.
“Good evening, sir.” At the intrusion of the male voice, Brody tore his eyes away from the dancing girls. “Will you be needing service tonight?”
“Yeah, how much?” Brody replied to the short, well-dressed man.
“Depends on who you like. Sit down and have a drink.” He smiled accommodatingly. “There isn’t any hurry to decide.”
Brody gave a short nod before heading to the bar. He watched the girls for a while, took in the scenery. There were older girls who were too faded for his liking and younger girls who were too fake. He was well into his second beer before he saw one that really made him want to open his wallet.
She was coming out of one of the side rooms, tugging a heavy-set, bald-headed man by his hand. They were laughing and chatting, and by the flush of their cheeks, they had just finished something hot and heavy. The girl was a young one, barely old enough to be called a woman, with a slim figure and long chestnut curls that were scattered with braids and beads. She must have felt Brody looking at her and met his gaze for a brief moment. Brody gave her a grin and signaled to the brothel’s manager. He came over to the bar with the scheduling window already up on the screen in his hand.
“Have you come to a decision?”
“Yeah. That pretty brunette there.” He waved a hand in the girl’s direction.
“Capri. She’s a very good choice. But I’m sorry to say that was her last customer. Our girls only take five per day. They need their rest. Would you like to choose another one or make an appointment for tomorrow?”
“I think I can handle another one, Guy,” said an alluring female voice.
Capri had escorted her last customer to the exit before approaching the bar. The barkeep handed her a glass of water, and she kept her eyes locked on Brody as she took a sip, examining him, sizing him up. He was keenly aware of his unshaven face, ratty jeans, and the gun strapped securely to his hip. But he was unapologetic. He might not be one of her upper-class clients, but he had the money for her. For now, she was his, whether she liked him or not. And by the way she’d jumped to get his pay, he doubted she was fazed by his rough exterior.
“I like the looks of this one,” was all she said to Guy by way of explanation before beckoning to Brody and heading back to her room.
“That’ll be five hundred,” the man told him.
Brody took out his wallet and opened it. A pocket on one side held blank cash cards and the other side held a small scanning device with a numbered keypad. He entered his password and the amount of money and swiped a card. Then he handed it to Guy and followed Capri into seclusion.
She was sitting on the edge of a double bed, her long, smooth legs crossed, waiting for him. Dark curls fell elegantly over the satin fabric of her red dressing gown, and her hazel eyes gleamed green in the overhead lighting. She was the image of perfection, and Brody could feel desire pulsing within him. He sat next to her and fingered the smooth fabric of her outfit.
“Red’s my favorite color,” he said.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Capri smiled and reached up to touch his face. He sucked in a breath at the tender gesture.
“It’s been a while for you, hasn’t it?” she asked softly.
“Don’t get the company of women much in my career.”
“What career is that?”
“There ain’t one in particular,” he replied, trying to focus on what he was saying as her fingers traced the muscles of his chest and abdomen. “The crew I run with just does… sorta odd jobs.”
“Sounds exciting,” Capri murmured, raising her eyes to meet his. “So how about you tell me your name before we get started?”
“Shots,” he answered.
“Is that your real name?”
“That’s what the boys call me.”
“Well, as you can see, I’m not one of the boys.” She gestured to her modest, but all-too-appealing curves.
“Brody,” he answered after a moment.
“Brody,” she repeated softly, grasping the bottom of his shirt and sliding it up over his head.
Buy Link
Author Bio
Heather currently resides in Delaware with her loving husband and beloved cat. She began writing romance and erotica in 2008 and hasn’t been able to keep her mind out of the gutter since. Like Heather Lin on Facebook or visit her blog at http://heatherlin88.blogspot.com/ for updates, talented guest bloggers, and the occasional piece of free fiction!