Author Showcase: Regina M. Joseph

    Colony Earth by Regina M. Joseph is an expertly woven tale of the interactions of the inhabitants of the planet Alterra and “primitive” people of Earth. For the Alterrans, Earth has become an attractive alternative for desperately needed resources as the core of their planet begins to slowly cool. Traveling through a portal to Earth, they carry on research, experiments, and gold mining. En.Lil, a named successor to the leadership of Alterra when his time comes, finds himself, as well as numerous researchers, support personnel, and guardsmen, stranded on Earth after the portal they'd been coming through for ages has to be shut down due to sudden limited power sources after a catastrophic event on their home planet. Realizing the portal may never be activated again, En.Lil must take decisive action to ensure the Colony's long term survival, even though it puts him in direct violation of the Non-Interference Directive. Meeting the beautiful Alana pulls him even further into that violation as he realizes that perhaps Earth people are not as filthy and primitive as he had once believed.
     Colony Earth is a fantastic read! Author Regina M. Joseph has painted a fascinating picture of what it could have been like for early Earth people to encounter people from another civilization. Well developed characters and rich world descriptions, as well as great pacing and storytelling make Colony Earth an engrossing read. I smiled quite a bit as the guardsmen slowly came out from under the effects of eating food containing emotion controlling substances and began to experience emotions they hadn't before. And while En.Lil was raised in a strictly regimented way as befitting a future leader, he begins to find Earth quite liberating, as well. After the men of Alana's adopted tribe are slaughtered by Danes, it's En.Lil and his guardsmen who help them, despite the directive, and realizes that Alana and the other women may be their only hope in preserving their race. I highly recommend this first book in The Alterran Legacy and am very much looking forward to reading Khamlok, the second book. - By Chameleon for Reader's Favorite 

Q. Regina, I really enjoyed Colony Earth. You played off the Sumerian legends, as well as that of Atlantis quite well. How hard was it to find good material about these legends, was it all gleaned through Google?

Thanks, Chameleon, I’m glad you enjoyed it.

    Much more than Google, I used Amazon to locate books, and then I tracked down cited source material. I have an extensive home library. I purchased nearly every Sumerian history available, as well as ancient texts such as the I Ching, the Bhagavad Gita, the Book of Enoch – I could list at least 2 pages of sources, perhaps more. The comet details, for example, were drawn from scientific works. The rituals at Stonehenge were largely drawn from Stonehenge Decoded on NatGeo. And of course I watch Ancient Aliens on the History Channel. I’ve read so much on Atlantis that it all blends together.

Q. Fascinating, I'm an avid student of many of those sources, as well. Usually, there is something that sets off certain story lines for authors, what was it that set this book into motion for you?

    The story of EnLil and Sud/Ninlil – I don’t want to give too much away because it is the cornerstone of Book 3. It led me to wonder how an advanced technological society could have devolved into being governed by a tiny family, and how and why someone with an adolescent appearance, as set forth in the “myth” of EnLil would have been sent to govern Earth. And why he would be interested in staying here if he was in line to govern his home world. And why he would suddenly erect the City of Nippur with high stone walls and an intricate layout and purport to live in the center ziggurat. There must have been an interesting story before all that, both here and on his home planet. Since Mesolithic artifacts align with the zodiac or Earth’s magnetic fields, I needed to weave a philosophical or scientific reason into the story.

Q. How about the primitive lives of Alana, Maya and the others, what kind of research did that take to make them come to life for the readers?

    Alana will become Ninlil, but I don’t want to give away those details. That is Books 3 and 4. Her experiences in Books 1 and 2 lay the groundwork for her actions conforming to the myth I referred to above.

    Maya was originally so named to become the mother of Buddha. As I was writing, though, I couldn’t mesh the timelines. So, she gives birth to an earlier divinity – Krishna. 
    I took a course on shamanism to understand their practices as Earthkeepers. And of course I’ve read the Jean Auel Children of Earth series. Their hut designs are from archeological excavations. 

Q. And while we're on the subject of research, how about the technology you describe in the book? Where did the ideas for that come from, it all sounded real and plausible to me.

    My goal was to create a society that was only somewhat more advanced than us. Their leaders restricted technological research because innovation was too disruptive. They wanted to prevent society from plunging in unforeseen directions over which they’d have no control.

    I subscribe to nearly a dozen scientific and archeological magazines and watch the Science Channel, so some of the book’s technology is work-in-progress in our own time. Ki’s wave collection technology is from Nicola Tesla.

 (laugh) Ok, Regina, between writing and all the researching you do, I don't see how on earth you run a law practice too!

Q. This the first book in your series, correct? You also have Khamlok on the market, and are working on the next book called Resurrection?

     I plan to wrap up the story line of The Alterran Legacy Series by the end of Book 4, Redemption. However, the story could be further developed in free-standing works if there is sufficient reader interest. It would be similar to how Anne McCaffery structured The Dragonriders of Pern. I don’t want readers to be deterred by thinking that they must read four novels before starting the next one.

Q. Excellent, I can see how there would easily be ample material for 4 books, you have so much to work with. I've gotten Khamlok and am looking forward to continuing the story from Colony Earth, care to give us a sneak peek at Resurrection?

     It was a bit tough to find a passage that wouldn’t give too much away from Khamlok’s plot twists. But here’s a bit:
     Azazel, astride the black stallion, felt oddly alone. He sauntered toward the familiar hunting grounds near Khamlok. Where are my hunters? In the eerie, orange-yellow twilight, autumn leaves swirled in the air around him despite the absence of discernible wind. His skittish horse pranced and snorted. “Be calm,” he ordered by mencomm, and the horse instantly obeyed. Hearing no crickets or birds or wind, he was startled by a squawking blackbird sinking its talons into his boiled-hide shirt. “Be gone!” He briskly brushed it away, surprised that the odious creature left no wound. He tensed, noticing the advancing shadows yet again stalking him—except the shadows lingered, revealing the shapes of men.
     “What are you?” he shouted, although a nagging, forgotten memory told him that he knew. He reached for his sword; his sheath was strangely empty. I need Caledfwilch. He blinked, and his mighty sword shone, its hilt grasped by his fingers. Did I imagine it missing? The shadows shimmered and grew opaque, transforming into the warriors who guarded Drood.
     “Heh, heh, heh,” a shadow to his side laughed, floating before the warriors.
     “What do you want?” Azazel demanded angrily, his horse nervously prancing.
     “You know me,” the apparition replied.
     “Drood?” Azazel recognized the sophisticated spirit-world voice that had once come from Drood’s twisted mouth.
     The shadow unfolded into a statuesque figure dressed in an exquisite white hooded cloak trimmed with ermine. He let the cloak fall open to flaunt his perfect physique. “What do you think? Impressive, isn’t it?”
     “You’re not a cripple,” Azazel observed flatly, giving Drood no quarter.
     “No, not here.” Drood adjusted his cloak and locked his hands behind his lower back. “This world is an artistic palette that creates the forms and colors I desire. My thoughts control what happens.”
     Azazel snorted at Drood’s arrogance. “What does a savage like you know about artistic palettes?”
    Drood narrowed his eyes. “It’s unwise to underestimate me, especially here.”
   “Dreams aren’t real,” Azazel said, smirking. He slid his fingers into the bag slung over his horse’s back, searching for a friendly dagger, or a bow and arrow. He found none. Not unusual for a dream. He scanned the ground for useful rocks or logs. His clothing provided no defense, being merely his boiled hide shirt and breeches. Why can’t I at least have my recorder? With relief, he felt his recorder slung as usual from his belt. He hadn’t noticed its weight moments before.
    “This is no dream, my friend,” countered Drood, as if having read his mind. “I told you we’re as one. This is an alternate universe. It’s a place co-existing with our ordinary world but occupying a higher dimension; sensed at times but unseen.” He rendered the latter phrase slowly, for emphasis, and he deliciously awaited Azazel’s appreciation.

Q. A tantalizing tidbit, thanks!  Any idea what you plan on working on after this series?

    A story exploring the cultural upheaval that will occur when a technology is invented that truly restores youth and becomes broadly available. If grandma undergoes a therapy to regain the appearance of a thirty-year-old, won’t that shake things up?

     Frightening, actually, I can see grandma chasing down my latest beau- and him responding *shudder*! God, someone help me get that out of my head! (laugh)

    Thanks for stopping by, Regina, anything you'd like to say in closing?

   Chameleon, I appreciate this opportunity to discuss The Alterran Legacy Series, and that you’ve created interview questions that are so thoughtful. It’s been a pleasure working with Reader’s Favorite.

 

    Thanks, Regina! Stay tuned, folks, I have more great author showcases, and book reviews coming next week! If you enjoyed this, please give it some +1 google love, If you really enjoyed it, won't you please Follow and share it with your circles, and help me support the great works of Indie authors, thank you!



 

Colony Earth (The Alterran Legacy Series, Book 1) Click Here to Purchase From Amazon

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