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| Senth is HalfKin, a half human, half catlike alien. |
Welcome to the Science Fiction Romance Summer Blog Event!
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Senth Antonello, the hero of At the Mercy of Her Pleasure, is a HalfKin, half human and half Kin, a feline species. I wanted to introduce him in the book in such a way that you knew immediately he was different. I had him skulking around in shadows, which brought out some of his ultra senses. Here are the opening paragraphs.
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| SFR Brigade Midsummer Blog Hop |
Sheathed in black, Senth checked left, then right before molding his body into the shadows near a brick wall. The human and feline Kin gangs in Crooktown hunted mixed breeds. At first glance he appeared human, but with his catlike eyes and fangs, no one could miss his feral nature. He tugged the hood of his cloak forward, concealing his eyes. In moonlight, they’d glow like a cat’s.
?Ffffftt this kkkhh!? The Kin cuss words hissed past his fangs. Where are you? Pressed against the wall, he slipped around a corner and into the alley.
Senth slid into the concealing darkness behind a barrel. His HalfKin senses caught the scent of his quarry before he saw him. He narrowed night-sensitive eyes.
Senth’s human half brother leaned against the opposite wall of the rubble-strewn alley, silent and unaware of his presence. Khyffen’s blond hair shone faintly in the muted light. A female pinned him, arms around his neck. She tore open Khyff’s shirt and ran her hands over his chest, then went to her knees in front of him. Khyff opened his pants.
Yechh. Senth squatted at the base of the brick wall, folding himself into the tight space behind another barrel to guard his brother’s back. Do you have to get your cock out now? If those gangs come down here? He leaned out from the barrel. Khyff had his fists clenched, eyes squeezed shut, and face lifted to the night sky, mouth open in a silent scream.
Hurry up, Bro. He rubbed the back of his gloved hand across his brow. Man, if I had to worry about a perpetual hard-on, I’d never get anything done. We’ve gotta get you off that drug. The one Senth’s Sen’dai gave him had the opposite effect.
A scritch near his feet signaled rats. When one ran across the toes of his boots, Senth bared his fangs. He clamped down on a hiss before Khyff could hear it. From down the street the faint sound of a gang chant carried in the chill night air.
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In four paragraphs, we’ve learned a lot about this character.
He’s wearing black
He knows how to be quiet
He’s in a dangerous part of town
He looks human at first
He has catlike eyes and fangs
He has a feral nature
He’s concealing his eyes because they glow
He knows how to curse in the Kin language
He’s sneaking around in the dark
He has a half brother who’s human
He’s curious about what his brother is up to
He’s oddly uninterested in sex
His master keeps him on drugs to suppress his sex drive
He’s wearing gloves and a hooded cloak
He doesn’t like rats
He has good hearing
He has good night vision
He has a master — does that mean he’s a slave or an apprentice?
None of this info is presented as a dump of details — it’s all incorporated into the story. Creating an alien hero (or any character) is more about making the character understandable and relatable than about making them different. The small mentions of the things about Senth that are different emphasize the things about him that are the same as us. Creating an alien hero is a challenge, but one that can be a great deal of fun.
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| At the Mercy… |
Antonello Brothers 1: At the Mercy of Her Pleasure (a Tarthian Empire Book)
Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/At-the-Mercy-of-Her-Pleasure.aspx
Nook: http://is.gd/atthemercy_bn
ARe: http://is.gd/atthemercy_are
Fictionwise: http://is.gd/atthemercy
Print: http://is.gd/atthemercy_amz
Kindle: http://is.gd/atthemercy_kin
Get an electronic autograph for the Kindle version of this book at Kindlegraph
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Erotic Romance, Action Adventure
Warning: Contains half-feline thief who plays with what he steals, and a by-the-book military heroine whose passion he liberates. Author not liable for items missing once book is open, including hearts.
The sequel to At the Mercy is For Women Only. Learn more about the book on my website by clicking the title. It features Senth’s older brother, Khyff.
