Veronica Scott - guest post

I’m so pleased to be a guest here today! I know you’ve been having quite a discussion on the blog about heroines so I thought perhaps today I’d interview Mara from my new book Wreck of the Nebula Dream.  The novel is science fiction with romantic elements and is loosely inspired by the sinking of the Titanic, 100 years ago.

Here’s what the book is about:

Traveling unexpectedly aboard the luxury liner Nebula Dream on its maiden voyage across the galaxy, Sectors Special Forces Captain Nick Jameson is ready for ten relaxing days, and hoping to forget his last disastrous mission behind enemy lines. He figures he’ll gamble at the casino, take in the shows, maybe even have a shipboard fling with Mara Lyrae, the beautiful but reserved businesswoman he meets.

All his plans vaporize when the ship suffers a wreck of Titanic proportions. Captain and crew abandon ship, leaving the 8000 passengers stranded without enough lifeboats and drifting unarmed in enemy territory. Aided by Mara, Nick must find a way off the doomed ship for himself and several other innocent people before deadly enemy forces reach them or the ship’s malfunctioning engines finish ticking down to self destruction.

But can Nick conquer the demons from his past that tell him he’ll fail these innocent people just as he failed to save his Special Forces team? Will he outpace his own doubts to win this vital race against time?

What first attracted you to Nick?

I noticed Nick right away, while we were waiting at the spaceport. He’s confident but not cocky – the kind of person you just know you can depend on, especially in a crisis. Wow, was I right about that! He and I found out during the disaster what a good team we make. (She blushes and laughs.)  And of course he’s very handsome, in or out of uniform, which he doesn’t seem to understand but I appreciate.

Before the action in the book, what were your plans/hopes for the future?

I’m in senior contracts management for Loxton Galactic. Since I was fresh out of school, I’ve been working my way up the ladder there. Most recently I was in line for a promotion where I would have been overseeing the growth of our business in several Sectors. My career has always involved a lot of traveling around from planet to planet and this new job would have allowed me to stay at Loxton’s headquarters most of the time. Even before the Nebula Dream disaster I wanted to take some time off from constant traveling!

What changed your plans?

Being on board the Nebula Dream when it was wrecked and then struggling so hard to survive all the events which happened.  Now I realize how quickly it can all slip through your fingers and I’m not putting my life on hold for a job any longer. A lot of things I thought were important right up to the second the ship crashed became nothing instantly. When you’re in imminent danger of dying, the work-related stuff just doesn’t matter. So many people perished and Nick and I lived, so I need to make good use of the years I’ve been granted.

How would you describe your personality?

I’m pretty tough when I’m doing a business deal for my employer. I can negotiate anything! But in my personal life I tend to be on the shy side. Nick says I used my work as a shield to keep people from ever getting to know the real me. Of course that strategy fails with someone as determined as he is, I’m glad to say. I’m organized, no nonsense, can take care of myself pretty well in most situations. That attribute came in handy on the Nebula Dream, after the wreck, when the challenges were nonstop.

What one thing would you take to a desert island?

Other than Nick?  I love to read, so I’d take along the device that stores my personal library. There’s a lot of downtime on interstellar journeys and when I wasn’t working or socializing for business reasons, I’d be curled up in my cabin reading. Nick is in the Sectors Special Forces, a very handy guy with all kinds of skills, so as long as I had him with me on the island, I’d be fine. Between the two of us, we could solve any problem.

What is your major skill or talent?

I have a head for international commerce.

What’s your favorite color? Favorite food?

I love blue. If I’m not careful, my entire wardrobe will be shades of blue and that gets boring. I’m very fond of sea food, no matter what world I happen to be on.

If you had to pick another career, what would it be?

Funny you should ask, since Nick and I are both re-evaluating what our next step should be. We’re not sure yet if he’s going to stay in the military. We might start our own business.

What are your future plans?

Nick and I are both basically orphans so family is very important to us. Turns out we both love kids, which we discovered on the Nebula Dream when we became responsible for getting two young children – Gianna and Paolo -  off the ship to safety. We know we want to have children in the very near future. I’m thinking four and Nick says two, so we’ll see.

Available from Amazon for the kindle and Barnes & Noble for the Nook…special 99 cent price

You can find Veronica at her blog http://veronicascott.wordpress.com/ or on twitter @vscotttheauthor