Blog Archives

How A Dictatorship Can Fall

Stella Atrium Author Interview

Home Rule is an intriguing Science Fiction novel that has a lot of real-world themes blended into this fictional world. Why was it important for you to write this book?

HOME RULE pulls together the threads for the trilogy. The story has two male narrators, Hershel Henry and Jessup Chandliss who reviewers seem to really like. We see characters grow into adult roles, especially at the wedding of Rufus and Kelly. And we see how a dictatorship can fall on the strength or failure of one personality.

I wanted the final sequence to be operatic and show outcomes for several characters. They experience a moment in their history together and are forever changed.

It seemed like you took your time in building the characters and the story to great emotional effect. How did you manage the pacing of the story while keeping readers engaged?

Pacing was a puzzle with a pantheon of characters. I added a character list at the end for the reader’s convenience, but I feel that the story is easy to follow since we tend to choose favorites and wait for their action scenes.

For the writing part, I had a chart for character location. Each needed to be on the right planet for her big scene. LOL

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

The story is science fiction for entertainment, of course. If we learn something about our lives along the way, then that’s a plus. I just wanted to show multi-dimensional women rather than the stiff archetypes of formula sci-fi stories. I hope that part is satisfying to the reader.

Where does the story go in the next book and where do you see it going in the future?

In book 4 titled CYLAY GAZETTE (slated for a January 2024 release), Jesse Hartley jumps back to Dolvia from Paris France, just like Brianna Miller had but with different consequences. Hershel Henry carries the middle part of the story, and then we hear from Bybiis the beastmaster who is traveling with Jesse.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website

Photojournalist Hershel Henry witnesses the self-torchings of tribal women protesting to the oppressive rule of Rabbenu Ely. While Brianna Miller seeks peace among the tribes, Kelly sets the bride price for a wedding at Stargate Junction.