Please welcome author Rie Warren to the blog today. Rie’s publisher has kindly contributed three copies of In His Command for giveaway. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for a chance to win.

The Future’s (Not) So Bright

by Rie Warren

The Don’t Tell series, beginning with my m-m novel In His Command, was my first foray into creating a futuristic world. I’ll admit I was tempted to throw the whole flashy whiz bang at my boys. Think of all the cool gadgets I could come up with, right? Telepathic transport, hi-tech weaponry, the whole shebang!

After letting my imagination run wild and clapping my hands with evil glee, I took several deep breaths and stepped away from the edge of ‘Holy Transporter Machine, Spock’. Beefing up the Company—the presiding power—and stripping down the Territories became my direction. I wanted the oppressive political regime engendered by the Company to be the building block for the books, and I needed the horror of their laws and lifestyle to be as believable as possible. That’s why I created a future world not so distant from the one we inhabit today.

Slick and cold, the territories that make up the cities of the InterNations world are anything but pleasant for their mind-numbed civilians. The little advancement available to the gen pop is used as spyware to ensure total allegiance to a Big Brother breeder campaign. The inclusion of Data-Paks in daily life was my form of technological fear tactics nobody is safe from, not even the military elite.

I loved creating the city-scape of Alpha Territory—a uniform grid system of sectors echoed in each of the sixteen worldwide territories. The poorer citizens are relegated to the poverty-stricken, warehouse-style outer sectors while Company hotshots reside in the city center where the streets gleam and skyscrapers rise needle-high in gleaming steel pinnacles. With each territory enclosed by high walls and razor-wire, the sinister side of my landscape was complete.

I had the barren world of the territories down for these dystopian novels, but I needed balance. I had to give my man Commander Caspar Cannon reason to hope for more than bare necessities and hard-headed survival. Enter the Nomads/Freelanders with their Wilderness communes. Hellooo Utopia! Where free sex is a no-go under Company edicts, free love reigns in the communes, Freelander bastions amid the land left to Mother Nature after two ELEs.

The colorful, back-to-earth communities provide the massive foil for the Company’s sterile new world order. Poor, poor Cannon when he wakes up after being wounded in a tricked-out Freelander caravan. Cue his instant migraine (and distrust) when assaulted by the visual overstimulation of fabrics and books and furniture and bedding. I kinda felt bad for him. Actually, I laughed and laughed while writing the top of that scene. Gotta love a hard-ass alpha male grumbling about interior decorating.

I had a total blast creating this not-so-distant future! In upcoming novels, readers explore different aspects of the 2070s. On Her Watch introduces new factions and delves deep into Corps life as well as the seedy side of the Company. The third book, Under His Guard, is slated to be the sweeping series finale. We’re going overseas, y’all, and getting a rich look at InterNations Freelanders. Live in Freedom, Love at Will.

Peace out~

About Rie:
Rie Warren is the author of Sugar Daddy and the Don’t Tell series—a breakthrough trilogy that crosses traditional publishing boundaries beginning with In His Command.

She lives in gorgeous Charleston, South Carolina with her small family where she basks in the sunshine during the day, and adjourns to her woman cave at night. A nocturnal creature, she stays up way too late talking to herself, her characters, and anyone who will listen. She’s all about writing with heat, heart, and a hint of the dark, and she doesn’t shy away from the impossible.

Rie’s work has been called “edgy”, “daring”, and “some of the sexiest smut around”. Get in touch with her at www.riewarren.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Three winners!

Contest ends November 18th.

Enter daily!

Multiple ways to enter!

US addresses only, please.