From Goodreads: "Hidden within Human
society is an entrancing race of beings who look just like us. They are
the Akataromai. Originating on Earth, they conceal themselves, blending
within the Human population. Though they appear to be Human, mature
Akataromai live for centuries and feed upon negative Human emotions.
Angelina Quorra is an Akataromai, a Human-looking girl who might never
die. But Angelina is unique among her people, absorbing pain as well as
emotion and giving anyone who feeds her overwhelming pleasure. This is
her story, told by the men who adore her. Her talent is called The
Lustre, bringing her great fame, and great trouble."
What was the inspiration behind The Lustre?
The
Lustre actually started out as a vampire story. The way it was written
was too salacious for my tastes with the vampire genre, so I shelved it
for a long time while I tried to figure out what to do to make it less
obscene. One evening my husband and I were discussing it and he came up
with the idea for drinking emotions rather than blood. Somewhere in the
discussion, we also were talking about how a character’s attributes are
often enhanced by the opinions of other characters rather than just a
straight description. I was fascinated by this concept and so I changed
the voice of the book to reflect the points of view of the male
characters. You’ll notice that Angelina never speaks for herself in the
story.
I originally was going to
release it unedited as a free ebook, but I got scolded so much by my
friend Cynthia, who loved the story, that I decided to expand it, edit
it, and publish it.
Where did you get the name “Akataromai”?
I
was looking for something old-sounding and perhaps an actual or
mythical race from ancient times. I didn’t find any in my research that
fit the description, so I translated the term “without curse” in Greek
(with Google Translator—yes, I’m so very authentic). I based the idea on
the book of Genesis where Adam and Eve are cursed because of their sin
of disobedience to God. The Akataromai became a race that sprang from
creatures that existed alongside Adam and Eve, but didn’t choose to sin
and so weren’t cursed. It kind of grew by itself from there.
Do you have plans for more books about Angelina or other Akataromai?
I
don’t have any stories in mind, but I am open to them. Friends have
have suggested an expanded story about Isa and Idris, or a book about
another Akataromai with The Lustre, such as one of Angelina’s children.
The chances of another book will depend on how well The Lustre does.
About the Author:
Kate Policani is a homemaker and compulsive writer from Seattle. She has
a wild imagination and an addiction to reading and writing. Her hobby
is exploring and analyzing all kinds of stories. She uses them like a
literary chemistry set to examine a variety ideas and concepts and to
fuel her own writing. The Science Fiction and Fantasy genres are her
favorites because the exciting flights of fancy make a thrilling plot.
Every day is filled with the stories of those around us, especially in
this information age. It is her passion to find what stories inspire her
and others, and why they inspire. There are more than 80 stories
waiting on her hard drive, incubating and developing for future reading!
What will she come up with next?
Where you can find Kate:
Kate's book is fabulously imaginative, her voice authentic, her idea unique. This was a great read.
ReplyDeleteMaria Tatham