Interview With Regine Abel
I sat down (virtually) with Regine Abel for a short interview. Today is the release day for Regine Abel’s Anton’s Grace, a Dark SciFi Romance!
Cynthia Sax: Where did you get the idea for Anton’s Grace?
Regine Abel: Anton’s Grace is part of my Dark Tales series. All the books are inspired by a fairy tale, folktale or in this instance, a fable: The Ant and the Grasshopper by Jean de la Fontaine (or Aesop). In the fable, the Grasshopper spends the whole summer singing while the Ant slaves away preparing for winter. When the cold comes and the Grasshopper finds no food, she begs the Ant for some scraps. Depending on which version of the story you read, the Ant either tells her off or shows mercy. In my story, it takes on a darker twist where Grace begs Anton for help not realizing he has a serious vendetta against her.
Cynthia Sax: That is so cool! Where is Anton’s Grace set?
Regine Abel: The story takes place on the Venus Hive pleasure barge. It’s a space station devoted entirely to entertainment in all its forms. Imagine Las Vegas in space, with fine dining, casinos, gladiator rings, cabaret, strippers, fetish clubs and everything else in-between. You can walk past masters with their leashed human pets while on your way to the museum or a tribal dance recital. Anton owns Venus Hive. He makes the law. He is the law. And Grace just gave herself over to his every whim for six months. By getting her to sign an indentured sex slave contract, Anton now has the right to do whatever he pleases to her short of killing her. Question is, does he want her pain? Her pleasure? Both?
Cynthia Sax: That DOES sound dark and delicious. What makes Grace and Anton right for each other?
Regine Abel: Both are desperate to belong, to be accepted. Grace never got over her parents abandoning her to an orphanage where she was abused. She grows into a woman plagued with a Dependent Personality Disorder. Anton was persecuted for being a half-breed. He devoted his life trying to make himself worthy of his bigoted people, despite knowing it was a lost cause. For these reasons, they do things against their conscience in the hope of earning the approval of others who only end up using them. Through hardship, they come to realize happiness lies within their own hands. They are exactly what the other needs but only if they are true to themselves and follow their own hearts, not other people’s expectations or demands.
Cynthia Sax: Beautiful. What do you love about writing in Dark SciFi Romance?
Regine Abel: The beauty of sci-fi romance is the absence of boundaries. I’m not constrained by the rules of modern day world. Sure, I can’t go too wild and crazy or I’ll spend more time explaining the world than actually telling a story, but it allows me to push the limits in a way contemporary prevents. I love creating new societies and cultures. Anton’s Grace is a perfect example where everything that drives him and pushes him to make some pretty bad decisions are due to the crazy society he grew up in. I also love being able to tie in real world problems to my alien societies and present them in a new light or with a different twist.
Cynthia Sax: This sounds fascinating. Thank you for joining us today, Regine Abel!
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Grace is in trouble. Her agent and ex-boyfriend, Marcus, has fled, leaving her stranded on the Venus Hive pleasure barge. His creditors want compensation and with Marcus nowhere to be found, they’ve decided Grace will do nicely. Desperate for help, she turns to Anton Myers, the wealthy and ruthless owner of the Hive Network. He agrees to help her. The terms: anything he wants for six months.
Anton has waited a long time for this moment. Grace may not remember him, but he hasn’t forgotten her. Signing herself over to his every command will not keep her safe. A Braxian never forgets a slight to his honor. And Grace will pay… with interests.
Anton’s Grace is a twisted tale of unlikely second chances that will leave you squirming in your seat. Can you stomach the darkness?
Buy Now:
On Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HDF8ZP/
On Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071HDF8ZP/
On Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071HDF8ZP/
On Amazon (All): http://smarturl.it/AG_Amazon
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