Today we sit down for a chat with Special Agent Tyler Conrad from Angel Brave by sci-fi romance author Vijaya Schartz.
What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?
Well, I was born on Corabora Prime. My parents were explorers and adventurers. I accompanied them on safaris on wild planets… until the accident. As a young man I joined the military. When offered a special agent position for Internal Affairs, I couldn’t resist. Ever since, I’ve worked undercover to expose those who take advantage of their position to profit, exploit, or sometimes even betray the society I protect.
What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?
I’m an excellent investigator, and to this day, I’ve never failed to catch the culprits. I believe in justice. All crimes should be punished. But it can be a curse. Because of my skills, I never have a minute to myself. Oh, and my ex-girlfriend Akira thinks I’m a hopeless romantic. I don’t know why. Maybe because I let her smuggle an abused child and his protector out of Byzantium in the last book. Sometimes, it’s more important to do the right thing rather than the lawful thing. Children should never be made into weapons of mass destruction… but that was in book 2, Akira’s Choice.
What do you like least about yourself?
It bugs me that I’m always attracted to strong, extraordinary, unattainable women, who have no room in their lives for relationships. I also don’t like cats. Most people don’t understand that. In my defense, I was attacked and mauled by a lion as a child. My body healed, but to this day, even small cats make me feel like prey.
What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?
Well, I’m genetically enhanced. As a kid, after almost dying under a lion’s claws and fangs, I had my DNA re-sequenced to regrow my torn limbs. So, I’m taller, stronger, smarter, and I like to believe handsomer than most men my age… but that’s not in my official files. It happened a long time ago, in some obscure star system of the fringe.
Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?
She tends to make me weak. Why does she insist on giving me flaws? I’d rather be perfect. Given a choice, wouldn’t you?
What is your greatest fear?
Well, there is the lion thing, of course. Big cats scare the heck out of me… although I’m getting better at controlling my reaction to them.
What makes you happy?
The simple things in life. A good meal at Chef Bonaventure, Pythian beef is my favorite, catching the bad guy, the love and respect of a beautiful woman like Lady Malaika. She’s a true angel.
If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?
The lion attack, What a traumatic incident. It’s embarrassing to have a paralyzing fear of cats… especially big cats. It’s humiliating for a grown man, especially in front of the woman you want to impress.
Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?
Admiral Mort Lowell, my direct superior. I thought he was a standup guy, despite his scary looks. Yes, he’s a hybrid, half Human and half Tenebran. Raised on a dark moon, he is oversensitive to light, so he wears a black visor. I’ve never seen his eyes. Some call him the Vampire, others call him the Shark, because of his pale skin and sharp, pointed teeth. Apparently, he belongs to the Stygian Order, a dark group that infiltrated the GTA, and he's selling out the Human race to some dark immortal entity. And on top of that, he tried to kill me. I can’t stand people with no morals.
Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?
None. I complained a lot in this interview, but all in all, I would never want to be anyone else… except, maybe Raja. Raja is the lion in our story. Although he had a rough start, the beast is set for life as a pampered feline at the side of the wonderful Lady Malaika. Sometimes I’m a little jealous of all the loving attention Raja is getting. But to be fair, now, I’m getting my share, too.
Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?
My author is Vijaya Schartz. She’s an award-winning author of fantasy, science fiction, and romance. She had thirty books published so far. Check out her website.
What's next for you?
I think I’ll kick back and enjoy my honeymoon with Malaika… although I’m sure it won’t be all play. We have a space station to run. I’ll also watch what happens in my author’s next book. It’s part of the Azura series and is set on the angel planet, not on Byzantium, but it belongs in the same universe. Maybe there will be a small part for me and Malaika in Angel Brave, the next Azura story.
Malaika's Secret
A Byzantium Book 3
Special Agent Tyler Conrad works security undercover on the Byzantium Space Station and adheres to a strict moral code. When strange beings with wings are murdered, and a dangerous lion wanders the station’s indoor streets, Tyler’s investigation leads him to a mysterious woman, who could make him break all his rules and get them both killed.
Forbidden to love, the beautiful Malaika, guardian of the glowing crystal in the temple of the Formless One, is an illegal mind-reader who hides perilous secrets. She has seen the great evil coming to Byzantium but must hide her extraordinary abilities or perish with her people.
When Admiral Mort Lowell, a hybrid Tenebran nicknamed the Vampire, makes a surprise visit to Byzantium, Tyler knows something wicked is afoot…
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