Breaking Bonds And Taboos With Margaret Fieland

Margaret Fieland, poet and author, has just released the second book in her tales of the planet Aleyne, Broken Bonds. Quite the evocative book, it details a book of political intrigue and alternative sexual life-styles. I’m curious (“alien-curious?”) to see what she has to say, so let’s delve right in.

*Hey, Margaret! Your book, Broken Bonds, is the second in the “Novels of Aleyne” series. I came into the book at a disadvantage, feeling I missed a lot of background by skipping the first book. It stands alone, but I suspect the readers enjoyment will be doubled by having read the first book. Assumption correct?

 I wanted the book to stand alone, but there is quite a bit of information about the planet and the society in the first novel. The events are first person from the POV of Gavin Frey's son, Keth, and are recapped, briefly, in chapter one. But yes, to answer your question, just like any series -- or sequence -- the reader benefits from reading it from beginning to end.

 *The Aleyni are a very sexually driven species. It’s not uncommon for four of them to bond together (“Rolor”) in a ceremony close to what we earthlings know as marriage. But, not quite. Please elaborate on “Rolor” and the Aleyni outlook on relationships.

 I wouldn't call them sexually driven. They do form families that are different from the typical ones most of us are used to. Rolor forms a spiritual bond rather than a legal one. The Aleyni are psychic, and the rolor ties them together through their psi senses. It's a forever-type thing. They take their commitments very seriously.

Coercion, to force one's will on another, is the ultimate crime in their eyes, as is lying. Aleyni have a truth sense, so they always know if someone tells a falsehood.

 Aleynis rely on consensus and personal responsibility rather than laws. If they decide a crime has been committed, the person is let out in the desert with enough food and water for one day. If it's the will of the spirits, they survive. But no one comes back unchanged.

*I gotta’ ask. The closest thing we Terrans have to compare the Aleyni outlook on relationships is “bi-sexual” and “polygamy.” I hate to put labels on things, but looks like I’m doing it anyway (remember, I live in Kansas. LOL!). Why did you choose to portray this species in this manner?

 A lot of this came out of a reaction to a story I read many years ago where the aliens formed households of two couples, but they weren't all sexual with each other. My reaction? That's not how I would write it.

*I felt like the most important female character in your tale, Nidrini, somewhat got the short shaft of the deal (um, no pun intended). She was always heart-broken, longing for the other males of her pacted group. Things, of course, change by the end of the tale, but my heart sorta’ went out to her. Was this intentional?

 That's how it played out. I'm somewhere between a plotter and a pantser, but my characters live -- in my mind, anyway -- and tell me what they feel and do. She's a musician, and musicians -- in fact, most artists -- are quite self-involved. She's no exception.

My characters continue to surprise me. Nidrani was no exception. Brad did as well. In fact, I had no idea how the relationship between Nidrani and Brad would play out until I wrote it.

 *Poetry and song lyrics play an important part in setting the mood of your story. I know you’re a poet. Did you write these first or did you compose them to fit around the narrative?

 Both. The Constance Trusdatter poems were written before I completed the novel, and the rest were written as I went along. The partial poem that ends the book, in fact, is one I completed after I had submitted the novel. I'm not done tinkering with it, though.

I put out a collection of science fiction persona poems that I wrote to go with the first novel, Relocated. It's called Sand in the Desert. I have a good number of new poems now, and I'm considering what to do with them.

 *It’s a hard book to categorize, Margaret. I actually like that. Very unexpected and original. But how would YOU categorize it? Personally, I think I’d call it “science fiction sexual intrigue (hey, you created an entire new genre!).”

{grin} The publisher is calling it a science fiction romance. That's good enough for me.

Anyway, I love not fitting into the box.

 *Your courtroom scenes seem authentic (even if set on another planet). Any personal experience in that arena?

 {Grin} Lots. My father was an attorney in (mostly) sole practice rather than part of a firm. He appeared twice before the Supreme Court. In fact, the transcript for one of the cases is available on Amazon. I also have a goodly number of cousins who followed my dad into the profession.

My father was close friends with Sammy Silverman, the attorney who won Joe Papp the right to put on free Shakespeare in Central Park. Sammy was at the house a lot, and he and my dad would discuss law and politics. Also, my mother served on the grand jury, and while she couldn't discuss cases that were ongoing, she did speak a lot about procedural stuff. I heard a lot about the law and a lot of behind--the-scenes political talk growing up.

*I knew you had an inside lawyer somewhere! Anyway, I always enjoy a good villain. You have one in Senator Manning. Politicians always make for vile characters. It was interesting to see he was a past lover of your protagonist, yet you also fleshed him out a bit. Any empathy for him on your part?

I did have empathy for him. He's stuck, for various reasons, in a bad marriage. While in many ways he's a ruthless bastard, he does have his nicer side. A bit of that comes out toward the end of the novel.

 *What’s next for Margaret and the Aleyni?

I have another novel coming out in November that actually takes place after Relocated, but before
Broken Bonds. I'm also working on another adult sci fi novel that takes place right after Broken Bonds. Lots of political stuff in this one. But I'm still working my way through the first draft.

Muse-It-Up website:
http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/new-releases/broken-bonds-detail
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Bonds-Novels-Aleyne-ebook/dp/B00E5SGVSS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1374851946&sr=1-1
Barnes and Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/broken-bonds-margaret-fieland/1116214695?ean=2940148784913 Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/broken-bonds