Here are excerpts from an interview I did about this series... check out The Romance Studio for the complete interview.
J.L., thank you so much for talking with us. Your featured book is Leap of Faith and it's the third in your New Human Intercession series. What can you tell us first about this series?
The New Human Intercession is set on another planet (Delmorna). The series shows what happens to a society when that society was built on lies—and now the truth is coming out.
Delmorna is relatively newly settled (400 or so Earth years), and the descendents of the original settlers think that their society was created with some very high-minded ideals of justice, equality, and fairness. But throughout the course of the 3 books in the series, that façade starts to break down until the truth is revealed about the past.
Where did the idea for this amazing series come form and why do you think it appeals to today's audience?
The series began as a logical conclusion to a series I’m currently working on (hopefully to release next year). That series is set in an alternate America, and when I mapped out the final book in the series, I thought, “What am I going to do with my villains?” There is a rival group vying for power on Earth and I couldn’t just kill them all off. So I sent them to a new planet—Delmorna.
Once I got them on the planet, so to speak, I had to decide what to do with them. That gave me an opportunity to address what I perceive as many social problems: racial inequality, law enforcement issues, and poverty. This was a whole new world I could design myself. And I had a lot of fun doing it!
I think that’s why it appeals to people—they see a lot of our current problems ‘solved’ but other problems crop up along the way. I think it gives people hope that by working together, the big problems can be resolved.
What can you tell us about the first two books in the series, Human Touch and Living Proof?
Human Touch introduces us to most of the major characters in the series. Isbel Kensington and Cyrus Durant are unlikely protagonists: she’s a klutzy researcher and he’s a law enforcement officer and a New Human clone who knows nothing about women. But he’s been ‘trained’ to be Isbel’s Paid Male companion on a holiday weekend so he can get close to her (in more ways than one!)
As the story unfolds, Isbel discovers a secret during her researches that might topple the government, which is led by her father and by her sister, Dru Delaney. In the end, Cyrus and Isbel form a bond that helps them escape…but only temporarily.
In Living Proof, Dru takes center stage in the book along with Jak Exo, leader of another ruling family. Dru doesn’t trust Jak, but she’s also attracted to him. And when he decides to lead an expedition to a relatively unknown part of the planet, she goes along to keep an eye on him. While on that continent, she finds a hidden group of people who threaten her power base in the government. And she also uncovers a secret about Jak that threatens the tentative love she feels for him and that might destroy their society if revealed.
How does Leap of Faith continue it?
In Leap of Faith, we see Dru mature into the leader she was meant to be. She makes hard choices about how to handle Jak, the government, and the hidden group of survivors on that lost continent. She also faces her toughest rival: Justine Jackson, a woman who has ties to Jak and who is the leader of the rebel faction. Dru has to overcome all obstacles to rescue a child and she has to discover her own humanity in order to lead the planet to a new beginning.
What do you like best about Dru and why do you think readers will relate to her?
Dru changes throughout all three books. At first she’s selfish and self-centered. But as she assumes power she begins to see how she can use her position to help the most people, not just a small group. She also learns from Jak, who is charismatic, kind, and also respected. Dru is initially feared and respected, not loved and respected as Jak is. She learns from him and from her geeky sister and in the end, Dru discovers her own humanity and finds the ability to truly love other people.
