The Prometheus Saga Author Interview: The Pisces Affair by Daco

AUTHOR DACO

Our featured author today is Daco, author of "The Pisces Affair", a short story in The Prometheus Saga. "The Pisces Affair" is available for FREE on Kindle today, 4/6 - 4/10, so be sure to download your copy!

Welcome, Daco. What inspired you to launch / join The Alvarium Experiment?

Last Fall, 2014, Ken Pelham asked if I’d consider joining a consortium of authors in The Alvarium Experiment—or the “beehive,” as now we often refer to our group. I knew if Ken was involved, I had to say yes. We’d met through the International Thriller Writers debut program, and I quickly learned that Ken had “real energy,” so joining was a no-brainer. So, I began writing my story, The Pisces Affair, for The Prometheus Saga.

What are some of the benefits and challenges of writing “into” an existing framework for Prometheus as a character? How did that shape your creative process for your story? Is it different from your usual writing process?

The beauty of The Alvarium, the beehive of authors, has been true collaboration to accomplish a common goal. I’ve been overwhelmed by my colleagues’ generosity and creativity. When I needed help with a Facebook cover, Jade Kerrion provided a link to a great site for beginners. When I struggled with formatting, Bria Burton immediately came to the rescue. Together,the group took the basic concept of Prometheus that Ken and Charles A. Connell envisioned and began shaping and molding the character with ever greater detail. Everyone weighed in with ideas as to how they envisioned the elemental character of “Prom.” For instance, Kay Kendall of the hive pointed out that we needed artwork graphics for a female Prom, because Prom could change identities and forms—including genders. So Charles went to work and created a female Prometheus. As for challenges, we had to agree on consistent guidelines that all authors could easily follow. For example, since Prom has a life span of 100,000 years and would need to constantly regenerate into a new form, we had to define the parameters that all hivers could use consistently with their stories. We also had to ensure that were no contractions, such as Prom being both alive and dead in the same time period.

Tell me more about your other work(s).

My debut, The Libra Affair, an international spy thriller featuring CIA agent Jordan Jakes, debuted in April, 2013. It was an Amazon #1 Bestseller of Suspense, Romantic Suspense, and Romance in September, 2013. Later in July, 2014, it was included in a limited time only suspense bundle entitled Racing Hearts: 10 thrilling suspense novels. In between writing a full-length sequel, The Scorpio Affair, I took a break and wrote this short story, The Pisces Affair. Libra received great reviews.

Here are a few:

The Libra Affair is “A complex spy game, rather like a Jason Bourne movie – only instead of the usual male secret agent, we get Jordan Jakes. And she is more than capable of rocking your world.”—RT Book Reviews

"Daco’s romantic thriller debut intrigues with fast-paced, high-stakes action that forces the take-charge heroine to balance her clandestine mission with obligations to her heart ... The keenly sharp intelligent female characters soar in this edge-of-your-seat adventure ...”—Publishers Weekly 

Tell me more about your short story in The Prometheus Saga. Why did you pick that episode in history?

When deciding which timeframe I wanted to write in, I knew two things from the outset. First, I wanted to write in present day. Second, I wanted my heroine, Jordan Jakes, from The Libra Affair, to interface with Prometheus. I also knew that Prometheus would be male. Like most of my storylines, the plot came to me all at once: “CIA operative Jordan Jakes meets Prometheus when the Secretary of State becomes the target of a terrorist attack at a head-of-state dinner in Dubai.”

What are your writing plans for 2015? What does the new year hold in store for you?

Whew! I’m finishing The Scorpio Affair first, and then completing the last round of edits on my romantic comedy, Scotch on the Rocks. My publisher has asked me to write a novel about a superhero, so I’ve started writing that as well. In addition, I have two children’s stories that I want to place. I’m sort of all over the board, but intensely focused. So much to do, so little time. But if I’m anything like the meaning of my name Daco—a physics equation for the speed of light—I’m sure I’ll get it all done.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Daco is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Romance Writers of America, Author’s Guild, and the Alabama State Bar. She is the author of The Libra Affair (April, 2013), an international spy thriller featuring CIA agent Jordan Jakes. The Libra Affair was an Amazon #1 Bestseller of Suspense, Romantic Suspense, and Romance in September, 2013. The novel was also included in a limited-time only Suspense bundle entitled Racing Hearts: 10 thrilling suspense novels released in July, 2014. The sequel, The Scorpio Affair, will be released soon.

Visit Daco at www.authordaco.com, Twitter @AuthorDaco, and her author Facebook page “Daco.”

The Libra Affair is “A complex spy game, rather like a Jason Bourne movie – only instead of the usual male secret agent, we get Jordan Jakes. And she is more than capable of rocking your world.” —RT Book Reviews

“Daco’s romantic thriller debut intrigues with fast-paced, high-stakes action that forces the take-charge heroine to balance her clandestine mission with obligations to her heart … The keenly sharp intelligent female characters soar in this edge-of-your-seat adventure …” —Publishers Weekly

ABOUT THE PROMETHEUS SAGA

The Prometheus Saga is the premier project of the Alvarium Experiment, a consortium of accomplished and award-winning authors.

The Saga spans the range of the existence of Homo sapiens. The stories do not need to be read in any particular order; each story is an entry point into the overall story.

The Prometheus Saga stories & authors are:

“The Pisces Affair” by Daco Auffenorde. CIA operative Jordan Jakes meets Prometheus when the Secretary of State becomes the target of a terrorist attack at a head-of-state dinner in Dubai. Visit Daco at www.authordaco.com.

“On Both Sides” by Bria Burton. When a mysterious woman vanishes during the American Revolution, young Robby Freeman searches for answers from a cryptic sharpshooter who deserted Washington’s Continental Army. Visit Bria at www.briaburton.com.

“Ever After” by M.J. Carlson. Two mysterious women convey the same Cinderella story to Giambattista Basile in 1594 and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in 1811. How different cultures retell this story reveals humanity’s soul to those who listen. Visit M.J. at www.mjcarlson.com.

“The Blurred Man” by Bard Constantine. FBI agent Dylan Plumm's investigation of a mill explosion puts her on the trail of the Blurred Man, a mysterious individual who may have been on Earth for centuries. Visit Bard at www.bardwritesbooks.com.

“Crystal Night” by Charles A. Cornell. Berlin, 1938. On the eve of one of history’s darkest moments, a Swedish bartender working in Nazi Germany accidentally uncovers a woman’s hidden past. Can he avoid becoming an accomplice as the Holocaust accelerates? Visit Charles at www.charlesacornell.com.

“Marathon” by Doug Dandridge. Prometheus, posing as a citizen of Athens, participates in the battle of Marathon alongside the playwright Aeschylus. Visit Doug at www.dougdandridge.net.

“The Strange Case of Lord Byron’s Lover” by Parker Francis. Writing in her journal, Mary Shelley recounts a series of perplexing events during her visit with Lord Byron—a visit that resulted in the creation of her famous Frankenstein novel, but also uncovered a remarkable mystery. Visit Parker at www.parkerfrancis.com.

“Strangers on a Plane” by Kay Kendall. In 1969 during a flight across North America, a young mother traveling with her infant meets an elderly woman who displays unusual powers. But when a catastrophe threatens, are those powers strong enough to avert disaster? This short story folds into Kay’s mystery series featuring the young woman, amateur sleuth Austin Starr. Visit Kay at www.kaykendallauthor.com.

“East of the Sun” by Jade Kerrion. Through a mysterious map depicting far-flung lands, a Chinese sailor in 1424 and a Portuguese cartographer in 1519 share a vision of an Earth far greater than the reality they know. Visit Jade at www.jadekerrion.com.

“Manteo” by Elle Andrews Patt. In 1587, Croatan native Manteo returns from London to Roanoke Island, Virginia. Can he reconcile his strong loyalty to the untamed land and people of his home with his desire for the benefits the colonizing English bring with them before one of them destroys the other? Visit Elle at www.elleandrewspatt.com.

“First World War” by Ken Pelham. 40,000 BC: As the last remaining species of hominid, Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis, fight a desperate battle for ownership of the future, the outcasts of both sides find themselves caught in middle. Visit Ken at www.kenpelham.com.

“Lilith” by Antonio Simon, Jr. In this retelling of the Adam & Eve story, a hermit’s life is turned upside-down by the arrival of a mysterious woman in his camp. As the story of their portentous meeting carries forward through the millennia, only time will tell if Lilith is a heroine, a victim, or a monster. Visit Antonio at www.DarkwaterSyndicate.com.

“Fifteen Dollars’ Guilt” by Antonio Simon, Jr. 1881: After a close brush with death in a steamship disaster, Prometheus encounters another survivor who gripes about how aimless his life has become. Prometheus helps him find his calling, inadvertently setting in motion the assassination of President Garfield. Visit Antonio at www.DarkwaterSyndicate.com.

Visit the website to view all of the stories: The Prometheus Saga