Most kids are fascinated by dinosaurs, and it’s something I never entirely grew out of. One of my favourite classes in university was my paleontology class. Instruction took place in one of the workrooms at the Royal Ontario Museum, and we got to study real fossils along with plaster casts… including those of dinosaurs.
When I needed to create an alien species for my sci-fi romance, I went back to that fascination. I took some basic dinosaur theory, stuck dinosaur-like creatures on a planet and imagined them evolving. In Spice ‘n’ Solace, I was more concerned with physiology, and only superficially covered what culture would have evolved alongside those physiological changes.
In Alien ‘n’ Outlaw, with an alien in the role of romantic hero, I needed to consider more carefully what culture would have evolved for the creatures I developed, as a result of the evolutionary pressures I brought to bear on the species.
Of course, it helped that I knew my final result needed to end up in a bipedal form that could be sexually attractive to humans. I was able to manipulate (in my head, because I don’t go into that much detail on the page) the conditions under which my Ankylos lived to create the result I wanted. Obviously, it’s a very simplified version of evolution, but boy oh boy, it was so much fun.
Since I’m not an anthropologist or paleontologist, despite my love of both of those fields of study, writing is the best way I can utilize that knowledge. But that’s the point, isn’t it? Writing is my first love, and it allows me to incorporate all those other loves, in various ways. Best job in the world!
R’kos, son of the Ankylos Emperor, is expected to settle down. But he’s much more attracted to human males than to his own species. Eager to explore his forbidden longings, he steals a ship and heads to Elora Ki to see if he can find the right human guy.
Darien robs the corrupt to give to those in need, but now he needs a ride off Elora Ki, stat. Pursued by drug lords, he accepts help from the amorous stranger who calls himself Ricky. As they fly together along Darien’s route, their friendship quickly turns into passion.
But when Ricky is injured, Darien must contact the embassy to get his alien lover the medical care he needs. As Darien finds himself accused of kidnapping, and Ricky fears his family’s disappointment, can the two protect their growing relationship? Or are their differences just too great?
KC Burn has been writing for as long as she can remember. After moving from Toronto to Florida for her husband to take a dream job, she discovered a love of gay romance and fulfilled a dream of her own — getting published. You can find KC on her website, Twitter and Facebook.
Tags: Alien 'n' Outlaw, KC Burn