She lives in the Range of Light, which is what John Muir called the Sierra Nevada — where the deer and the antelope play and wild horses roam freely — with a spouse, offspring, and an opinionated 75-pound lab/border collie mix whose nicknames include Princess, Missy, and Zuul, the Minion of Gozer.
What kind of books do you write?
My first series, the Temporal Protection Corps series, takes its characters on adventures back in time, forward in time, in and out of parallel timelines, and across a rift between worlds to save the past, present, and future.
My latest series, the Adventures of the Empyrean Guard, is a spin-off of the Temporal Protection Corps series and follows a couple of my time travelers far into the future, where they opt to remain as members of a team dedicated to protecting the sapient species of old Terra, as the galaxy faces war.
Can you describe your writing why?
What motivates me to write is that I want to know what happens next! While I always have "big picture" knowledge of where my stories are going and how my characters are going to evolve, it is the unexpected plot twists and character surprises that come without warning that I enjoy most. That others also want to know what's going to happen next in my stories makes it delightful.
Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most
The book I enjoyed writing most was a novella in my Temporal Protection Corps series called The Forest of Time written after my offspring requested a story with dinosaurs:
***
The shadows under the trees were dark enough to hide a man. Rose entered the copse, looking for a heat signature, movement, anything to suggest Dr. LeMonde was there. But the only thing that registered was the trembling of the ground beneath her feet.
“Uh, Rose, Taneema says you need to vacate the area immediately,” Richard said.
Rose froze.
“Why?” she asked, but she already knew the answer.
A heat signature appeared on her heads-up display. It was enormous and getting closer. If it stayed on the same course, its trajectory would take it past the copse, but not through it. She stepped behind a trunk, hiding in the shadows. She peered out as it came through the trees. Over nine meters long, it towered over her. Like the beipiaosaurus, it was feathered, and like the altirhinus it had a distinctive snout with a flash of color along a high central crest. But that’s where the similarities ended. Everything about it said predator. It stopped within feet of her, its huge head swinging. Rose felt the stirrings of panic — the zinging, primal fear of the hunted. She took deep breaths.
“Rose, your heart rate is increasing. Are you ok?”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t know if it hunted by sight, sound, or smell, and she didn’t want to find out.
“Taneema calls it a yutyrannus. It’s the apex predator in this environment,” Richard’s voice was low, as if he, too, did not want to be overheard.
“I can believe that,” Rose whispered. “What do I do?”
The yutyrannus raised its head and roared. Rose flinched.
“Taneema says not to move.”
Tell us about your latest project
The Adventures of the Empyrean Guard is a space opera spin-off of the Temporal Protection Corps series (without the time travel) and will be a 5-book series when completed:
Caught in a tangled web that threatens the galaxy... and their lives.
Nizhoni and Jonas are former time travelers who gave up the past to become members of the elite Empyrean Guard, dedicated to the noble cause of fighting for the freedom of Terran sapients.
But on their first mission they are captured, threatening a fragile peace. As war looms, the Empyrean Guard must face the consequences of their choices and the slow realization that only ones the team can trust are each other.
Even if the choices they make may ultimately tear them apart...
The first novel in the series, entitled Apsis, is currently releasing episodically on Kindle Vella. Episodes are also available on Patreon on the Patron of the Empyrean Guard pledge tier, and free audio episodes are released weekly on YouTube.
What is your favourite cake?
Chocolate lava cake with raspberry coulis — cake and pudding, sweet and tangy. Perfect.
To learn more about the author, current and upcoming works, and about Princess the Dog, visit https://linktr.ee/E.W.Barnes
Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Isobel Wycherley.
If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.
You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me virtual tea & cake through Kofi - it's what makes the world go round!
Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.
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