Today, we have the great good fortune to share a pre-release-day mini-interview and Fast Five with debut author Donna Frelick. Her novel, UNCHAINED MEMORY is available for pre-order and will be released tomorrow.  I first met Donna in a bar on New York City. At least I think it was New York. Funny hoe sometimes the people you meet stand above the trip in general. Not that it wasn’t a memorable trip, just that my memory of our chat lives apart and stands beyond the trip itself. I knew then I would love her books one day and she went on to final in some of the most prestigious contest for unpublished authors. But you can learn all of that in her bio, way at the bottom of this post. For now let’s focus on the book and memory is an important part of the story. The blurb is down below this neat little interview, so be sure to read on.

The Mini-Interview

Charlee: In the description for UNCHAINED MEMORY there is an awesome line that says: “the lovers race to navigate a maze of mind control, alien abduction and interstellar slavery.” I love that! Can you tell us what led you to include these elements in the story?

Donna: Well, the idea of alien abduction for use as slaves isn’t new.  But the creative germ of Unchained Memory is that if you have an interstellar slave trade, then you would inevitably have those who would oppose it.  And what if the interstellar abolitionists would have the means to return those stolen from Earth? But the former slaves would have traumatic memories of their time in slavery—can’t have that!  So our Rescuers use a benign form of mind control to erase the traumatic memories so those who are returned can resume their normal lives.  But what happens if that control breaks down?  That’s my heroine’s story.

Charlee: I’ve just started reading UNCHAINED MEMORY and I’m anticipating a fair amount of action and adventure. Would you say that is a safe expectation? If not what should I expect?

Donna: Um, yes, you could certainly expect that! Linnea Sinclair called the book “Part political thriller, part sci-fi, part romance” (and a lot of other nice things, thanks, Linnea!). Pretty quickly Asia Burdette, the heroine, and Ethan Roberts, the hero, find themselves on the run from black ops kidnappers with a sinister interest in UFOs. Then there are Asia’s memories of what happened to her during her captivity.  And I’d say what happens between Asia and Ethan is pulse-pounding in itself!

Charlee: Can you tell us who your favorite SciFi heroines are?

Donna:Samantha Jax (Grimspace), Trilby Elliott (Finders, Keepers), Sarah Connor,  Ripley,  Neytiri,  Lt. Nyota Uhura

Charlee: Great list! If you would please, I’d also like to get your responses on our FAST FIVE this or that questions.

Fast Five

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Trek, the Original Series

Coke, Pepsi or other?

Coke Zero

Salty or sweet?

Salty—popcorn, especially!

Monsters or Space Aliens?

1950s SF monsters, eg. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

Spaceballs or Galaxy Quest?

Galaxy Quest

Book Blurb – UNCHAINED MEMORY

Three hours ripped away her past.

His love promised her the future.

From the night she wakes up in her pickup on the side of the road, three hours gone and everything of value lost to her, Asia Burdette is caught in a clash of invisible forces. She has only one ally in her struggle to understand why–Ethan Roberts, a man she shouldn’t love, a psychiatrist who risks everything to help her.

With black ops kidnappers dogging their trail, the lovers race to navigate a maze of mind control, alien abduction and interstellar slavery. If they keep following the signs, they’ll find a battle that’s been raging since the first silver saucer was spotted in the skies above Earth.

Get it on: AMAZON

Author Bio

Donna S. Frelick was an RWA® Golden Heart® Double Finalist in 2012 in the Paranormal category for the first two novels in her SFR Interstellar Rescue series. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband and two talkative cats.  Find her at http://donnasfrelick.com; blogging at http://spacefreighters.blogspot.com; and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DonnaSFrelickAuthor.