Review + Author Interview: Renegades By Sara Mason @saramason1287 @VBTCafe

Title: Renegades

Author Name: Sara Mason

Author Bio:

Sara Atherton Mason was raised in Somerville, Massachusetts, with an amazing immediate and extended family. She attended Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, graduating with highest honors in Chemistry. She then graduated from the Florida State University College of Law with high honors. She lives in the Florida with her toy poodle, Melvin, and clerks for a United States District Court Judge. She enjoys coffee, wine, sports, and science fiction television shows. 

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Book Genre: Science fiction

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: October 31, 2013

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Book Description:

Elora Pertin spent her life trying to please her father, an esteemed General for the Empire. 

When he convinced her to leave her quiet life as a scientist to advance a secret project for the Emperor, she had no idea what she was getting into. The seemingly innocent projects she engineered were actually being used to develop a genocidal weapon. After uncovering the Emperor's plot, Elora had no choice but to act. 

Elora finds herself fighting for her life against the Empire she once served, abandoning everything with only a handful of friends and an unlikely ally-the Emperor's deadliest assassin. Will he prove himself true as her protector, a loyal servant of the Empire, or a romantic distraction? With the law and assassins searching the star system for them, Elora and her team are determined to accomplish their mission . . . or die trying.

Excerpt One:

Back in her room, Elora tried to come up with another plan. If her father couldn't-or wouldn't-help, she had to find someone else. Just finishing and going home was not an option. She tried to focus on the weapon, but was preoccupied with thoughts of her father. What was he involved with? How could he involve her in the development of an illegal weapon? He had been her rock and best friend since her mom died when she was so young. If she couldn't trust her dad, whom could she trust?

She had just closed her eyes to practice the meditative techniques she learned on Naruta when she was suddenly pulled out of bed to her feet. She felt the strong arms of a man on either side of her head. Instinctively, she tried to jerk his arms away because she was sure he was about to break her neck. Her head was pulled so far to one side she could feel the muscles in her neck tearing apart. Then he stopped.

Elora could barely see the mirror in her peripheral. The man's black monochromatic attire made him hard to see in the dark room, but she could make him out against her body. He was tall with shaggy dark hair, slightly curly on the ends. He had a strong jaw, and as she moved up his face, she saw he was looking at her in the mirror. His eyes were dark-almost as black as his clothes. Just as suddenly as he pulled her out of bed, he released her.

Author Interview:

What inspired you to write Renegades?

Renegades was inspired by the short-lived television show Firefly. Fans of the show who have read the book could definitely pick up on the inspiration, but it's so different, it doesn't even qualify as fanfiction. It took years of developing the characters in my head before I began to write about them. Once I graduated from law school and actually had some free time, I seriously began outlining and writing the story.

When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

In first grade, we wrote and illustrated our own hardcover books, and I won an award for the best book. I remember my dad saying I'd be a great writer, so I think that's when the seed was planted. But looking at my academic career, creative writing was never something I seriously pursued. I did it as a hobby in my spare time, but I'm too much of a planner to have graduated college and decide to be a writer without the guarantee of a salary. I didn't even know what I wanted to do with my Chemistry degree, so I went to law school. I published academic articles while in school, but always had these characters floating around my head. Once I graduated and didn't have to read for class or do homework, I finally had time to focus on my writing. At some point, you have to stop saying that someday you're going to write a book and just actually do it.

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

The first book I can remember reading in my spare time on my own is The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame when I was around 9 years old and home sick from school. After I finished, my parents bought a bunch of the Dover Evergreen Classic books, and I devoured them. I was always an avid reader after that.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

Honestly, I read a little bit of everything. Bestsellers that are made into movies are always on my list. I refuse to watch a movie before I read the book. Books are always better, and I like to imagine the characters and settings in my mind and then criticize the movie for not doing it right. Science fiction, fantasy, and romance are my favorites. I don't read much in the mystery or thriller genres.

What is your favorite book?

It's a toss-up between Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I read both at a young age and reread them fairly often.

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

I've read many of Orson Scott Card's novels, so he's definitely one of my favorites. He definitely sets the bar when it comes to science fiction. Recently, I've been devouring everything written by Lindsay Buroker.

If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time, where would you go and why? I think it would be really awesome to go to the Cretaceous period. I want to meet some dinosaurs.

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Once I have a fairly detailed outline, writing a first draft doesn't take long at all. The first draft of Renegades took two months, but the first draft of Redemption (the second novel) only took a month. My drafts are very rough though. I have learned to love editing and rewriting. I was not a fan at first, but I really think that's the most important part of the writing process.

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

I have the sweetest, quirkiest toy poodle, Melvin. Even people who don't usually like dogs love Melvin. He's awesome, and I treat him like a little person.



I adopted him from a local shelter a little more than four years ago. He was approximate 3-4 years old at the time. The poor little guy was found on the side of the highway, paralyzed, and weighing in at only four pounds. The vet didn't think he'd make it, but he slowly put on weight. He's now thirteen pounds (fatty!). He was heartworm positive, so he had to undergo treatment for that plus some rehab for his paralysis, but he's as good as new now. And he's going to live forever.

What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

I can eat my weight in Chinese food. I'm also a sucker for Mexican or pizza and wings. Basically, if it's delicious and not healthy, I'm a huge fan.

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Write. Write. And write some more. Find a really good editor. Grow a thick skin.

My Review:

I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

Elora Pertin was raised by her father to always be a honorable and loyal servant to the Empire. Elora's father is a General in the Empire's army and is very loyal to the Emperor himself. Elora lives and works as a scientist on a different planet than her father. But her father talks her into leaving her job and coming to live and work for the Emperor making a weapon of mass destruction. When Elora figures out what is going on and what the Emperor has her doing she wants no part of it.

When Elora is roughly jerked out of bed from a dead sleep in the middle of the and someone is twisting her neck which almost breaks it but then all of a sudden the dude dressed all in black for whatever reason decides that he can't kill her and lets her go. He then makes it is place to watch over her and keep her safe. He hides her out in his home and when the Empire finds out they have to run away and leave the planet. This dude was also sent to kill Elora's co-worker Nigel as well but Elora talks him out of it.

While they are all trying to get off the planet alive they meet some new friends. These two guys help them to get off the planet in their ship. They own a private ship that takes people from planet to planet. I guess it is like a taxi spaceship. When the two brothers find out what is going on and why they are running they decide to join them in their quest.

Elora knew what she had to do and she did it. Elora was not as good at fighting as the assassin or the brothers were but she could stand on her own two feet or at least she gave it her best shot. But her little friend Nigel would run and hide in the corner beside the bed when the sh**t hit the fan. He would go hide because he was afraid that someone was going to mess up his pretty little face. That is just my opinion of him and what kind of person he was it never said that in the book. He was very attracted to Elora and was jealous of the assassin but he was too afraid to fight for her. I guess I have to say ole' Nigel was a computer geek; you know he was more of a lover and not a fighter kind of person.

I loved the world that the author built in Renegades. I loved that you could just hope on a train or subway type spaceship or even a taxi or a private spaceship and travel from planet to planet. You could live on one planet while your family lived on another. I thought that was so cool. I have always wished that I could travel around in space like the folks on Star Trek. That would be so cool. It would be out of this world cool!

Renegade has a little bit of something for different folks. It has a touch of love, suspense, murder, conspiracy along with a space travel just to name a few of its attributes. I can't wait to read more about Elora and her friends in the next book Redemption.

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