Characters from BELOVED ENEMY by Hywela Lyn

Today we have two special guests. Kerry Marchant and Cat Kincaid from Hywela Lyn's BELOVED ENEMY.

Diane: Please introduce yourself for those who haven’t met you in your author’s other books.

Kerry: Good morning, may I say what a pleasure it is to be here with you today. I am Kerry Marchant, the second in command of the starship Destiny.

You want to know more about me? I suppose many people would describe me as a loner. I don’t make friends easily and I have learnt to depend on myself and not to rely on anyone else. However the crew of the Destiny and I have come to know each other very well after nearly ten Earth years in space, facing many perils together. I am not very good at showing my feelings, but I would do anything to protect them if they were in danger.

He turns to Cat:

Hello, I’m Cat Kincaid. I’d just crash landed my escape vehicle when I came across Kerry. And this is Shifter (she indicates the large animal lying at her feet, which slowly seems to disappear in front of their gracious hostess).

(Cat laughs softly) Oh, don’t worry about him, he has a knack of blending into his surroundings. He’s still there, just hiding. He’s a chameleopard. Kerry calls him a wolf but he’s really more related to the cat family. He’s much friendlier than he looks – when you can see him, that is.

Diane: Tell us about your family.

Kerry: I have no recollection of my father and my mother died when I was very young. I was raised by an Aunt and her partner. They did not treat me particularly well and eventually sent me to the Formal State Centre for Education. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. I met Jon Quinlan there and we became friends, a friendship which has continued into childhood. Eventually we realized our childhood dream of building a great exploratory starship, the Destiny. I suppose you could say that the crew of the Destiny are the nearest thing to a family I have ever known.

Cat: For a long time Shifter was the only family I had. My sister left home shortly after my father left us, and my mother died several years ago. I suppose you could say Kerry is my family now, and of course, like Kerry, the crew of the Destiny.

Diane: How did your upbringing influence who you are today?

It taught me to rely on myself and to fight for what is rightly mine. My experiences with my Aunt, and later on, with a woman who tried to steal the Destiny meant that for a long time I kept my distance from most of the women I met and believed them to be devious and untrustworthy. (He flashes a rare smile at Diane.) Present company excepted, of course – and naturally there were other exceptions, one of our ship’s medical officers, Zeldra, and our ecologist, Laitha. (There is a long pause and a distant, far away expression crosses his face) and…Jess—but that is a different story.

Cat: And me I should hope! She turns and gazes at Kerry with a stern look that quickly gives way to one of affection.

(Kerry takes her hand, his expression serious.) Of course. I would trust you with my life – now. But it was not always the case, I don’t think either of us trusted the other at the start.

Diane: What was your first thought when you met the Kerry, Cat?

Cat: (Grinning wryly.) My intention was to kill him – I thought I had a good reason at the time. However we were forced to face a hostile planet and dangerous situations together, and I began to suspect that I might be mistaken about him. I shouldn’t really say this in front of him, but he is very charismatic, as well as being too good looking for his own good, and although he could be sarcastic and a bit patronizing, I can give as good as I get, and we gradually formed a grudging respect for each other. 

Diane: Kerry - what was your first thought when you met Cat?

Again that flashing smile crosses Kerry’s face. My first thought was that she was about to kill me—since she was leaning over me with a knife in her hand. Once we got over our initial mistrust of each other however, I realized that she was not only very attractive, but extremely brave, strong, and independent as well as being a very capable fighter. She also seemed to share my own rather dry sense of humour, when she wasn’t actually trying to kill me, that is.

Diane: Why did you fall her?

Why does anyone fall in love? It was certainly the last thing on my mind – my main concern was to get off that wretched planet. However we were forced to work together and I realized that in fact we made a good team. The more I got to know Cat—the real Cat, the one she tried so hard to hide, the more attracted to her I became, despite my determination not to allow myself to get too close to her, and never being quite sure which side she was on. There was something about her that called to something in me, and ignited a spark which I thought had long since died, a spark that became a flame so strong, I would have given up anything for her, even my life.

Diane: Why did you fall for Kerry?

Cat: (Blushing ever so slightly) You mean aside from those mesmerizing blue eyes and devastating smile? I’m not sure. I grew to admire him as a person, his strength of character, his intellect—we just seemed to have a connection and much as I tried to fight it eventually I had to admit that I’d fallen in love. He means everything to me now, and I couldn’t imagine us being apart.

Diane: How would you spend a free day?

A free day? Away from the Destiny you mean? I would take one of the ship’s ferry craft and show Cat a beautiful paradise planet I know, in the Andromeda system. It is completely unspoiled and sparsely populated. I won’t say any more though, as I have sworn to keep its precise co-ordinates a secret--but I could not think of a more perfect location for romantic break for two people who have only recently discovered  are in love! His mouth twitches at the corners and he looks straight into Diane’s eyes. Did I really say that? I do not normally show my feelings so openly, especially to someone I have only just met. However, love makes fools of us all, as someone once said, and now I would not have it any other way. Cat is my love, my life, and I could not imagine a future without her.

(He stands and takes Diane’s hand in a formal handshake.) Thank you for the interview, it has been delightful to meet you, but we have to return to the Destiny – if Cat can persuade her tame wolf to re-materialize.

Cat: Goodbye, as Kerry says, we’ve really enjoyed meeting you and your readers. Come Shifter, time to go home.

Wow. What a couple. Let's learn about their story.

BLURB:

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?

EXCERPT:

(This takes place shortly after Cat and Kerry first meet, he has been shot and she tends to his wound.)

She put the tri-dee-viewer to her eyes again and scanned the area. “There’s no sign of life over there. They must all be dead or badly injured. They’d have shot at us again if they were still capable.”

“Unless they are waiting for us to show ourselves, so they can pick us off more easily,” Kerry said.

He made as if to stand, and in an instant, she drew her pistol.

“Like I said before, no sudden moves. Get up—slowly.”

“So you are making me a prisoner?”

“Not exactly, but I’m not stupid enough to take any risks.”

He rose to his feet, his gaze not leaving her gunhand. Several inches taller than her, broad shouldered and slim, he presented a commanding figure. His expression froze as his gaze homed in on the insignia on her breast pocket, his eyes like chips of blue ice.

“You work for the Union.”

“I work for myself.”

“Then why are you wearing the insignia of the Global Union of Earth and Allied Planets?”

“I have a license to requisition any enemy ship trespassing in the sectors of space over which they hold dominion.”

“A licensed pirate in the pay of the Global Union,” Kerry’s eyes showed outright contempt. She almost preferred the icy coolness.

“I prefer to think of myself as a freelancer—doing a service.”

His expression did not change, although he did change tack. “You could have left me to die—or just shot me. Why didn’t you?”

“Call it a personality flaw. I don’t like abandoning someone who’s wounded even to save my own skin. And I don’t kill in cold blood. If I have to shoot someone, I’d rather they were facing me with their eyes open.” Even if I did swear to leave their dead body for the Union to use in their hideous experiments. Keep it casual. Don’t let him guess what’s really in your mind.

To her amazement, he smiled the most devastating smile she’d ever seen, made even more remarkable because he didn’t look as if he did it very often.

“My own philosophy as it happens. It seems almost a pity we are on opposite sides.”

“Opposite sides?”

“I have no love for the Union. That puts us on opposite sides, even if you are just a pirate, doing their dirty work for them.”

She gave him her best withering look. “Fine. And just because I decided to save your hide, don’t get any ideas. We don’t have to like each other.”

Buy links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Enemy-Destiny-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01BBCBYCS

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BBCBYCS

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/beloved-enemy-21

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/beloved-enemy-hywela-lyn/1123368339?

Bio

Hywela Lyn lives in a small village in England, with her long suffering husband Dave, although her heart remains in her native rural Wales, which inspired much of her writing.

Although most her writing tends to be futuristic, the worlds she creates are usually untainted by crowded cities and technology, embracing the beauty and wildness of nature. Her characters often have to fight the elements and the terrain itself. Her heroes are strong and courageous, but chivalrous and honourable–and of course, handsome and hunky. Her heroines are also strong and courageous, but retain their femininity and charm. However difficult the journey, love will always win in the end.

Her first novel, a futuristic romance released by the Wild Rose Press was followed by a sequel 'Children Of The Mist'. A third novel 'Beloved Enemy', released on 11th March 2016 continues what has now become a series known as 'The Destiny Trilogy'. Although some of the characters appear in the other books, each story is complete and can be read as a ‘stand alone’.

She is a member of The Romantic Novelists' Association (UK) and Chiltern Writers, her local writing group.

When she is not writing, she can usually be found enjoying the outdoors with her two horses and little ‘rescue’ dog - or just reading and eating chocolate!

Author Page: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/138_hywela-lyn