C. O. Bonham

I hope you are ready for the annual, “Hey it’s winter, have every holiday smashed together,” week. I am just ready for it to be over. Honestly I look forward to having my hours slashed. I need more time to read. So that I can keep up my weekly goal of bringing you more awesome things to read.

speaking of awesome things to read: I really recommend the Diverse series. It’s great for fans of Star Trek. The second book releases the 26th of December. Just in time to use your amazon gift cards. In honor of this release I’m interviewing Sharon Rose about a special twist that makes her series really stand out in the science fiction world.

But first a little about the book.

Diverse Demands 

 by Sharon Rose

 She could use forbidden telepathy to prevent an alien war. But will her own people call her a hero or a criminal?

Kena, a lone human among aliens, forged a truce with her enemies by promising a controversial telepathic link with their future leader. They claim this is the foundation of lasting peace. But what are these obscure problems they now hide? Why is TarKeen, her strongest supporter, suddenly missing? Will their future leader be executed before Kena can reach her?

When another human joins Kena’s crew, he creates as many problems for her as he solves. Dissension sparks among her allies. Despite his interference, Antony does have a form of wisdom—unwelcome, though it is. Now, her decision is that much harder.

If Kena succeeds in fulfilling her risky promise, will anything be left of her career? And what about her and Antony?

Diverse Demands, the sequel to Diverse Similarity, is packed with adventure, intrigue, and rich alien cultures. The story explores just how far a person will go to solve the unsolvable. If you like classic science fiction merged with a Christian worldview, this book is for you.

Diverse Demands – book two will release Dec 26, 2019.

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082BJQN93

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082BJQN93

Previous book:

Diverse Similarity – book one:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BC5ZX35

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BC5ZX35/

Both books are also available in Kindle Unlimited.

Did that description sound like your standard sci-fi plot? So what is this twist that set’s this book apart? Well it’s no secret that I feature a lot of novels by Christian authors on my blog. Well Sharon has done something astounding with this book she doesn’t just have Christian characters. She set her novels after the return of Christ! And she did it so subtly that I read the first book and had no idea.

(For those who need context: The Christian Bible ends with the book of Revelations that foretells a time of trials and hardship. It ends with Jesus Christ returning to Earth to rule for a millennium. This series takes place during that time span.)

To me the idea of having space travel and first contact after what we would think of as the end of human history is so mind blowing. Because it isn’t really an end. It’s the true beginning. As you can imagine I just had to ask the author about it.

FANtastic Interview with Sharon Rose:

CO: Why set a sci-fi novel after the return of Christ?

SR: Two entwined reasons:

If God created other races, then it follows that we would eventually meet them. I doubt that God would allow that contact while humankind is still in deception and turmoil. But after Christ returns and Satan can no longer deceive, the field changes dramatically.  Plenty of room for “What if…?”

I’ve always wondered about those who survive the trauma of the 7-year tribulation. Like us, they will have a lifetime of choices. Will they all agree? Humans? Not! I think life will be much better than today, but not without challenge.  And that drives a story.

CO: Was this twist part of the series from the beginning or did you decide one day to add it? 

SR: Always intended. I once experimented with removing this aspect. It didn’t jive with Kena’s character. She is who she is because she has always known her God’s deep love for her.  (By the way, that same knowledge is possible for all of us, right now.)

CO: Can you tell me what hints there are in the first book to this post-Revelation future?

SR: In chapter 18, one of the Grfdn skews Human history to insult Kena, and she sets him straight. Kena is relating  historic events to a non-human, so she doesn’t use our prophetic terminology.

CO: Why don’t your aliens know about God or worship a creator?

SR: A creator is mentioned in book one, and Kena wonders about their apparent lack of interest. She actually has limited knowledge of what they believe. I speculate that every alien race is different. What they know or care about could vary. Timing, need, willingness, purpose…many issues could play into this. Kena didn’t find an answer in book one. Book two… I’ll just say that desperation and purpose crop up.

CO: Were there any resources that were especially helpful in writing about the end times and the millennial kingdom?

SR: I have found very little about survivors of the tribulation or their descendants. From the Bible, I know they exist, they still have choices to make, and not all choose well. That gives me plenty of room for fictional descendants, such as Kena and Antony.

CO: Why does human telepathy in this series, differ from other representations in sci-fi, including your own Agents of Rivelt novel?

SR: I can’t help but chuckle over this. Ever since I saw Spock do a mind meld, I have been fascinated with telepathy. I’ve imagined it dozens of ways and considered all sorts of ramifications. For me, the story’s purpose drives the flavor of telepathy. Alas, Kena and Tracy (of Rivelt) can never meet.

Telepathy’s purpose in the Diverse series is to show the intrinsic differences between the alien races. Those differences create tremendous potential, but also challenges. I tucked an allegory into this, which refers to the uniqueness of every person. If only we could see past our surface variations, and recognize the amazing potential within each individual.

I want to thank Sharon so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I highly recommend her books. Great for fans of Star Trek, a clean alternative to the Orville, readers of Left Behind will be thrilled, and anyone who says that Revelation means there will never be deep space travel, need this book.

Author bio:

 I started writing when I was seven years old. Okay, My Life as a Flying Squirrel may have had a couple spelling errors, but my classmates loved it.

 Plenty of life has happened since that first story, and I’ve come to realize the things that fascinate me. People. Communication. Culture. Personality. Viewpoints. Beliefs. Anything that makes each of us beautifully unique. Small wonder that my art spills out in story form.

 It was only a matter of time before I just had to share my stories. I’ve published science fiction and have some fantasy novels coming in the future.

 When I’m not writing or reading, I may be traveling, enjoying gardens, or searching for unique coffee shops with my husband. We live in Minnesota, USA, famed for its mosquitoes—uh, I mean 10,000 lakes and vibrant seasons.