I love when that happens. And I can assure you this will not be the last you will see of any of them. They have much more to share.
I hope that you will fall in love with them as much as I have.
The Meer
Of all the elements in this story, the Meer proved to be the most challenging to lock down. During my first draft, they were very human, to the point that they were having conversations with Aurora and Justin. And it felt wrong. Very wrong. Justin’s the one who let me know that communicating with the Meer would be a challenge, something he and the teens would have to deal with as part of their captivity.
I knew the Meer would be smaller than humans, but it wasn’t until I began asking questions about how they lived that they came into focus. I pictured a desert environment, with brush and rocks and very little water, at least on the surface. A little research online told me that the images in my mind were closest to the deserts in Africa. And the most humanoid species that burrows in the ground there were the meerkats.
Suddenly, the Meer came to life. Their mannerisms, attitudes, social structure, everything, took shape with clarity. As did the tragedy they’d endured when the Setarips attacked.
The Meer leader and his daughter were part of the story from the beginning. Their relationship dominated the action, and provided a wonderful parallel for Justin’s developing connection with the three teens. While the leader took actions that caused harm, he did it for all the right reasons.
And that made him a character whose story I wanted to tell.
ALSO BY AUDREY SHARPE
Starhawke Rising
The Dark of Light
The Chains of Freedom
The Honor of Deceit (coming soon)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Audrey Sharpe grew up believing in the Force and dreaming of becoming captain of the Enterprise. She’s still working out the logistics of moving objects with her mind, but writing science fiction provides a pretty good alternative. When she’s not off exploring the galaxy with Aurora and her crew, she lives in the Sonoran Desert, where she has an excellent view of the stars.
Connect with Audrey online!
audreysharpeauthor
audreysharpe.com
[email protected]
Table of Contents
Dedication
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Captain’s Log
Also by Audrey Sharpe
About the Author
The Chains of Freedom (Starhawke Rising Book 2) Page 27