But Ul-Mellor is not human and Amira is a princess – far above Ul-Mellor’s status on his home world. He and Amira will have to overcome a gulf of cultural and class differences if they’re to turn their mutual attraction into a relationship. And what will Ul-Mellor do when faced with a choice – Amira or his hard-won commission?
Genre: Romantic Science Fiction
Release Date: April 11, 2014
Thanks so much for stopping by the Authors' Cafe today, Greta. I'm very excited to host you and your book, A Matter of Trust!
Okay, I see you've got your glass of sav blanc and a savory quiche, so let's get right to the interview.
At what point in your life did you realized that being an author was no longer going to be just a dream but a career you were going to turn into reality?
I'd toyed with the idea of writing as a career for many years, but I had other things that interested me. I had a long and successful career in the IT industry, but when retirement loomed, I saw that change in my life as a wonderful beginning to writing fiction. So I did.
Which of your characters is most like you?
I suppose all my female characters have a bit of me in them. But none of them is me. Jess in Starheart is a spaceship freighter captain not averse to a bit of smuggling, but she's just an ordinary person, a widow with a teenage daughter. So in a way she's more like me than Morgan Selwood, of Morgan's Choice, who is a thoroughly female cyborg, or Princess Amira, who is a, um, princess. But I also differ from Jess because I'm not a widow and I've never had children (by choice).
If you were stranded on a desert island, which character from A Matter of Trust would you want with you?
Is this a trick question? Admiral Ul Mellor J
Where do you write?
I have my own office, with a Mac desktop, but I actually use a Windows laptop sitting at the dining table to write. It helps me to get off social media – and since I don't have pets or kids, I can really write anywhere without being disturbed.
Do you have any “rituals” you go through before you write?
No. Unless you mean giving myself a severe talking to. However, I do record number of words to date before I start. That way, I can see if I've achieved anything. I aim at 1,500 a day. Any more is a bonus. More than 1,000 is a pass.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) of A Matter of Trust to write and why?
The scene where Amira and the admiral are in his apartment at Amira's in-laws. I had some fun with that, matching a sexually naive man trying to be honorable, with a woman who wants him to be anything but.
What would YOU like your readers to know about this book or you in general?
A Matter of Trust is a beach read, a short space opera love story. I enjoyed writing it, I hope people enjoy reading it. As with most of my work, it's action-packed with a romance thrown in. I'm not expecting to win a Nebula award for my stories, and that's fine. I aim to entertain.
What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Go and learn the craft. Don't imagine that because you were great at creative writing in grade school that you're ready to produce the world's greatest novel. I sure wasn't. I did courses and then floated my finished work on beta readers. I get my work properly edited, too. My readers can expect a professional novel – even if they hate the story. And that's the other thing. Not everybody is going to love your work. Accept it and move on.
Do you have a favorite author?
Several, of course. But I'd have to give Sir Terry Pratchett pride of place. I love his quirky sense of humor and the way he parodies human society in his Discworld books. Having said that, I like Anne McCaffrey, Linnea Sinclair, Elizabeth Moon, Jack McDevitt, Peter Robinson... Etc, etc.
What is your favorite quote?
“Life is not a dress rehearsal,” I've no idea who said it – apart from me.
What genre of books do you read for pleasure?
Science fiction – from Star Wars to hard SF like Jack McDevitt's books. Also crime – Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, Peter Robinson and the like.
What’s the most amusing thing that’s ever happened to you?
Amusing. As in for other people? I was supposed to be jumping from the bow of our boat onto the jetty to secure her while the OH went to fetch the boat trailer. I missed and fell into the water. No harm done to me (apart from getting drenched in cold water), but quite a few people nearly died laughing.
LOL! What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I take photographs of nature and wildlife. You can see some of my pictures at my Can Stock Image Portfolio.
Wow - Those are all lovely! Who is the Fiction Hero you’d run off with?
Linnea Sinclair's Admiral Philip Guthrie. Always assuming I'm not allowed to run off with my very own Admiral Ashkar Ravindra. (drool)
If all TV shows were real, what show (all time) would you most like to live in?
Doctor Who. Zipping around in the Tardis sounds like fun.
I suppose all my female characters have a bit of me in them. But none of them is me. Jess in Starheart is a spaceship freighter captain not averse to a bit of smuggling, but she's just an ordinary person, a widow with a teenage daughter. So in a way she's more like me than Morgan Selwood, of Morgan's Choice, who is a thoroughly female cyborg, or Princess Amira, who is a, um, princess. But I also differ from Jess because I'm not a widow and I've never had children (by choice).
If you were stranded on a desert island, which character from A Matter of Trust would you want with you?
Is this a trick question? Admiral Ul Mellor J
Where do you write?
I have my own office, with a Mac desktop, but I actually use a Windows laptop sitting at the dining table to write. It helps me to get off social media – and since I don't have pets or kids, I can really write anywhere without being disturbed.
Do you have any “rituals” you go through before you write?
No. Unless you mean giving myself a severe talking to. However, I do record number of words to date before I start. That way, I can see if I've achieved anything. I aim at 1,500 a day. Any more is a bonus. More than 1,000 is a pass.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) of A Matter of Trust to write and why?
The scene where Amira and the admiral are in his apartment at Amira's in-laws. I had some fun with that, matching a sexually naive man trying to be honorable, with a woman who wants him to be anything but.
What would YOU like your readers to know about this book or you in general?
A Matter of Trust is a beach read, a short space opera love story. I enjoyed writing it, I hope people enjoy reading it. As with most of my work, it's action-packed with a romance thrown in. I'm not expecting to win a Nebula award for my stories, and that's fine. I aim to entertain.
What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Go and learn the craft. Don't imagine that because you were great at creative writing in grade school that you're ready to produce the world's greatest novel. I sure wasn't. I did courses and then floated my finished work on beta readers. I get my work properly edited, too. My readers can expect a professional novel – even if they hate the story. And that's the other thing. Not everybody is going to love your work. Accept it and move on.
Do you have a favorite author?
Several, of course. But I'd have to give Sir Terry Pratchett pride of place. I love his quirky sense of humor and the way he parodies human society in his Discworld books. Having said that, I like Anne McCaffrey, Linnea Sinclair, Elizabeth Moon, Jack McDevitt, Peter Robinson... Etc, etc.
What is your favorite quote?
“Life is not a dress rehearsal,” I've no idea who said it – apart from me.
What genre of books do you read for pleasure?
Science fiction – from Star Wars to hard SF like Jack McDevitt's books. Also crime – Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, Peter Robinson and the like.
What’s the most amusing thing that’s ever happened to you?
Amusing. As in for other people? I was supposed to be jumping from the bow of our boat onto the jetty to secure her while the OH went to fetch the boat trailer. I missed and fell into the water. No harm done to me (apart from getting drenched in cold water), but quite a few people nearly died laughing.
LOL! What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I take photographs of nature and wildlife. You can see some of my pictures at my Can Stock Image Portfolio.
Wow - Those are all lovely! Who is the Fiction Hero you’d run off with?
Linnea Sinclair's Admiral Philip Guthrie. Always assuming I'm not allowed to run off with my very own Admiral Ashkar Ravindra. (drool)
If all TV shows were real, what show (all time) would you most like to live in?
Doctor Who. Zipping around in the Tardis sounds like fun.
And now it's time for some . . .
Party dress or blue jeans? Jeans
Plotter or Panster? Bit of both
Print or e-Book? Both
Coastal walks or extreme sports? Coastal walks
Cookies or cupcakes? Quiche
You suddenly realize you live in a haunted house. Do you:
Plotter or Panster? Bit of both
Print or e-Book? Both
Coastal walks or extreme sports? Coastal walks
Cookies or cupcakes? Quiche
You suddenly realize you live in a haunted house. Do you:
- Run screaming for the door.
- Bravely go to a church, load up on holy water and try to get rid of the ghost.
- Set up ghost hunting equipment to capture phenomenon.
- Call in the Ghost Adventures crew so that you can ogle the lead guy Zac’s amazingly stiff hair when you’re not ogling his uh, physical attributes.
- Deny you have a ghost and just let it scare the bejesus out of your visitors.
Could you tell us five random facts about yourself?
Random facts? Hmmm
- I have a BA(Hons) in history.
- I'm a pretty good cook.
- I had a motorcycle accident when I was 25 which left me with short term memory loss for some months.
- My father died suddenly when I was in my last year of high school.
- I was born in Amsterdam.
Greta van der Rol loves writing action-packed adventures with a side salad of romance. Most of her work is space opera, but she has written paranormal and historical fiction. She lives not far from the coast in Queensland, Australia and enjoys photography and cooking when she isn’t bent over the computer. She has a degree in history and a background in building information systems, both of which go a long way toward helping her in her writing endeavours.
$10 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card!
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