Eva Caye

Shah Fazli

‎Eva Caye, We are so pleased to have you on Spotlight tonight, when did you start writing, and you may want to tell us what was it about that you wrote for the first time, please?





Flemming Rasmussen, Eva Caye and ShahSight Literature like this.

Eva Caye I've been writing since college, but for 25+ years I have simply written a few stories here and there, entering them into contests and such. It was only in 2010 that I latched on to the idea that made eight books come pouring out of me! So I have been working in the craft all this time, and it took that long for all the things I want to say to coalesce into a saga.


Shah Fazli Which book do you want to talk about for this interview?


Eva Caye My first book, DIGNITY, was published in August. Set 600 years in the future on a planet called Sinclair Demesne, the Emperor has been dating socialites for 12 years when he meets Lady Felicia Sorensen, who is a 20-year-old microengineering student. He falls madly in love with her, for she sees him as a person, not an icon or prize, and he desperately needs an Empress who can help him in his work. Her brilliance alone stuns him, so he pursues her with all the resources at his command!

Nevertheless, Felicia-the-geeky-scientist has never had a boyfriend, so she is quite hesitant. She's never had to deal with the emotional issues of other people. The one thing I truly wanted to portray in the romance was that super-intelligent people have needs in finding partners that most other people do not seem to have.


Shah Fazli Thanks, what happens in the book, what is the genre of the book please?


Eva Caye It is science fiction romance; I estimate this book (of the seven in my series) has about 60% romance to 40% science fiction. My next book, MAJESTY, is some 90% science fiction, and my third book, FEALTY, has so little science fiction I will likely call it simply a 'futuristic romance'.

In DIGNITY, I begin with the romance; once Felicia says Yes to Emperor Victor Sinclair, that's when the real problems of how two such dedicated, brilliant, high-society people come into play. How do they even find time to build a relationship? How do they keep their professional lives separate from their personal lives, or can they? I slowly work in Felicia's scientific research, which is all critical to the plot and eventually 'saves the day' during an invasion. Part of the science she develops is the basis of her huge breakthrough in book two, a pivotal book for the entire series.


Shah Fazli Thanks, can you describe DIGNITY in about two or three sentences please?


Eva Caye What does it take for two brilliant loners to find love and maintain a private relationship when one of them is the ruler of a four-planet empire? When Emperor Victor Sinclair and Lady Felicia Sorensen get betrothed, they must not only work on relationship issues; they must also deal with how Felicia's research affects the Empire. After an interplanetary war perpetrated over one of her inventions, the Ducal Assembly recommends that Felicia be barred from pursuing research if she becomes Empress, but Victor finds a way for her to do both!


Shah Fazli Tell us more about Felica and Victor, I suppose they are your two main characters, we would love to know about the other sides of these two characters, their looks, way of thinking, maybe, etc?


Eva Caye Felicia is, physically, completely average; she realized from a young age that her mind was the only thing she 'had going for her'. Victor became a child Emperor after a coup in which the rest of his family was slaughtered; he has been pumped full of information since he was six, over military and political realities, and suffers chronic depression from his horrific past and also because, surrounded by guards and manipulative people all day long, he's desperately alone, for no one can really relate to his problems.


Shah Fazli Thank you, it is a fascinating story, tell us about your story more, what do we read a lot in your book, you said about the romance, a lot of action and drama as well?


Eva Caye There are several moments of action/drama, but it is principally a literary work describing the social and psychological realities Felicia and Victor face due to their circumstances. My overall goal was to portray people who THINK their way through problems, not FIGHT their way through them. The first two books are about Felicia and Victor; the other five (actually, six) books are about their children. I portray how super-affluent and politically important people do have strong work ethics and do have problems figuring out how to have private relationships, just like everyone else. I prefer to have them do so intellectually, since they are all supremely intelligent.


Shah Fazli Interesting, tell us about the romance in DIGNITY please, maybe describe one or two romantic scenes for us?


Eva Caye I have selected a scene for you describing their first kiss. Felicia has never had a boyfriend, so although Victor has invited her over to the Palace on a Saturday morning for a 'date' (since it's the only time spot he has available), and Felicia is so intrigued with a design on the floor of a gazebo that she takes out her 'palm pad' and sketches it, she is so wrapped up in the details that she is unaware how much Victor wants to get romantic.


Shah Fazli Brilliant, thanks, you said about social and psychological realities Felicia and Victor face, what do you mean by that please, can you explain what does it mean?


Eva Caye First, Felicia insists on finishing her education. She takes a wide variety of science courses because she adores them, so she has a year and a half to go and insists on it, despite the dangers. There is an assassination attempt one night as she's coming home from class, and although she has guards who take her to the Palace immediately, Victor does not want her to be exposed in public anymore.

Then there is all the gossip Felicia must deal with. She lives in a sorority and some of the ladies there have let out information that, for one, caused the assassination attempt, by people whose monopoly over a certain microchip will be devastated when Felicia releases her new development. The social pressures of meeting so many politically important people drain her and distract her from her studies, too.

Victor's pressures are due to the fact that he cannot spend much time with her. He's obsessed with her but must run the Empire. Now that he is engaged, women all over the Empire try to attract him more than before because so many people think Felicia will not make a good Empress because she has outside intellectual goals, instead of planning to be a 'good wife' and only support Victor's needs by taking care of social events for ladies of all the people he must deal with.


Shah Fazli Thank you, can you read from DIGNITY for us please?


Eva Caye She stood up for one last comparison, almost directly over the pattern. Shaking her head a bit, she sighed and slipped the palm pad back into her jacket. “I sure would like to figure this pattern out. It’s in my brain now, and I’m probably going to go mad if I don’t figure out what it represents.”

Victor rose and shook her arm a little. “We can’t have that, now, can we? Does the Empire truly need another mad scientist?” He smiled deeply at her laughter.

“I don’t know any mad scientists personally, yet. They all seem quite sensible to me. Do you know of any?”

“Just one. He works at the Imperial Science Institute. Quite mad, to be sure.”

“Oh, I’d love to meet him! What’s his specialty?”

“Biochemistry.”

Her face fell. “Oh, drat. I’m weak in the biosciences.”

Victor lifted his hand to cup her face. “Perhaps you could use some… tutoring?”

Felicia could not tear her gaze away. She supposed she should not have been so surprised that he was interested enough to kiss her, but she rather thought it would be something like a good-bye kiss. The sheer finesse of his move, the timing, the conversation leading to that simple sentence, the way he gazed at her every facial feature, the fact that he was oh-so-very slowly folding one arm around her while that powerful hand caressed her face as he oh-so-very, very slowly lowered his lips….

He kissed her, lingeringly, as he drew his hand through her hair. The gentle and sensuous touches thrilled her to her core.

She blinked up at him. “Oh. I feel so odd right now.”

He looked concerned. “What’s wrong?”

She described her symptoms. “My heart rate is very fast. I feel like I can hardly breathe. I’m very tense, all up my spine. I… I… am I afraid of you? Surely not afraid, am I?”


Shah Fazli Thank you, now tell us briefly about MAJESTY please?


Eva Caye MAJESTY is over the first six years of Felice (she changed her name) and Victor's marriage. It deals with how and why they have children via 'gestation chambers' (a politically divisive issue), political maneuvers that directly lead to treason, Felice's development of her brand-new science and its presentation to the galaxy, fighting over the immense wealth her technology generates, and eventually an assassination attempt where Felice and Victor must personally fight for their lives.


Shah Fazli Thanks, it was such a pleasure. Hopefully see you again soon.


Eva Caye Thank you so very much!


Shah Fazli Visit: http://shahsightshop.blogspot.de/2012/10/dignity-eva-caye.html

ShahSight Literary Book Shop: DIGNITY - Eva Cayeshahsightshop.blogspot.com


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