Meet the Author: P.R. Garcia

Item: Europa: Awakening
Author: Lillian

Posted April 18, 2016 by Lillian in Interviews / 0 Comments

When asked who she is, she describes herself as a not-too-gray-haired-old-lady who, at the age of 61, was inspired to write a science fiction novel. The one turned into a series of 6, with a sub-series of three. She is currently working on book number 10, another off shoot from the original series.

She lives in beautiful southern California, where she volunteers as a naturalist on whale watching boats during the gray and blue whale seasons.

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Tell us a little about yourself.

I am originally from Michigan and grew up beside Lake Erie. My father was a welder and built his own boats, so I spent many years out on Lake Erie fishing. Perhaps that is where I get my love for water. Now that I live in the San Diego area, I volunteer as a naturalist on the whale watching boats and spend time out on the Pacific Ocean, teaching passengers about the amazing cetaceans and other sea life that. I am also an award winning basket weaver, a skill I inherited from my maternal grandmother, Dark Feather Margaret.

What inspired you to become a writer?

I’ve always loved writing and, like many people, thought it would be cool to write a book one day. I dabbled in poetry a few times and several short stories in my younger days. It wasn’t until the age of 61 that I was so inspired by a story that I sat down at the computer and began to write. I haven’t stopped since that eventful day.

Is there an author or book that influenced you in any way?

I am a big fan of Stephen King. I also love Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, J.K. Rowling’s Harry PotterSeries and Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park books.

Where did you get the idea for Europa series?

One ordinary day, I was watching a documentary about possible life on other planets. The narrator said that of all the planets in our solar system, it was felt that Jupiter’s ice moon Europa had the necessary ingredients for life and it was hoped that, in the near future, an unmanned probe could be sent to the moon. It would drill down through Europa’s layer of ice and hopefully drop into a world-wide ocean and discover simple life. I was surprised that the anticipated life forms were“simple” life. Europa is almost as old as Earth, so why couldn’t there be complexed life there? Plus, Europa is an enclosed environment. There could be all kinds of life that has developed and is way more advanced than we are. That thought led to the question of “What if there is sentient life and they had to escape their world and came to Earth to live?” That question brought me to the existence of Atlantis and the idea for the first book, EUROPA Awakenings was born.

Is there anything in the series based on real-life experience or is it purely imagination?

The Quanundocii that is introduce in book two EUROPA Quanundocii and is a constant theme throughout the remaining books, is based upon the love my two parents had for each other. The Quanundocii is a special love so deep, so pure, so great that is unites two beings together at the soul level and grants them the power to conquer anything, including death, as long as the two are together. It is a love that has occurred only four times before in the Oonocks’ races’ tens of millions of years of existence. It occurs whenever the Oonock race is in danger of being annihilated and unites two together so they can save their race.

For the Oonock race, their number one priority is family. This too is based upon my family’s deep love for each other.

The whale, dolphin and other marine life are based upon my experience as a whale naturalist.

What was your favorite part to write?

I would have to say the emotional parts – when a main character dies or leaves. I felt so much emotion while writing these scenes that I often could not see the typed words through all the tears in my eyes.

Is there a character or theme you’d like to revisit?

Since this is a series and has lots of characters, the possibilities are endless. Even though King Kiijon and Queen Europa’s stories are basically finished, there is still more that can be written about Prince Enok and his struggle to save Earth. And I haven’t even touched on Princess Misso’s story. But the story I am working on now is about Princesses Mary and Amber, the twin daughters of Prince Enok.

What drew you to this genre of writing?

Since I can remember, I have always been a huge Science Fiction fan. My high school friends would always get so mad at me because I wouldn’t go to the football games on Friday night and miss the original episodes of Star Trek. We didn’t have recorders or DVR’s in those days, so if you missed the show, you missed it completely. Later, when the movies came out, it was not uncommon for me to take the afternoon off of work and go to the movie’s opening day. I did the same for Star Wars and Jurassic Park. And I’m the type of person who watches the movies over and over. I’ve probably seen “The 7^th voyage of Sinbad” and “Mysterious Island”, to name just two, at least 100 times each.

What are you working on now?

I am working on book #10. It doesn’t have a title yet. This will be about the twin daughters of Prince EJ. Mary has gone to Mars to try to find any remanence of the Oonock colony JeffRa destroyed on Mars. She disappears one day, swallowed up by Mars itself. Sensing her twin is in danger, Amber will rush to the red planet only to discover she can sense her sister, but she can’t find her. Many of the original characters will be drawn into the story. And what happens to Mary and what she finds will take your breath away.

Now that you are published, what’s been some of the hardest criticism you’ve dealt with? Best compliment?

I keep waiting, but so far I haven’t received any hard criticism yet. All my reviews have been 4 and 5 stars.

My best compliment was being compared to Gene Roddenberry. And one reviewer said EUROPA Awakenings was the best book she had read in years and it had restored her faith in Indie Writers.

My most memorable moments have been when men have told me the books brought them to tears. I was able to describe the scene and convey the characters feelings so well that my words brought tears in their eyes. No author could ask for more.

Any advice you’d like to share with aspiring writers?

Never give up. If I can do it at age 61, so can you. Believe in yourself and put your best product forward. And, if possible, try to keep your book small. (Something none of my books are.) Editing fees for large books like mine are astronomical.

Anything you’d like to say to your fans?

Enjoy! The books will make you laugh and cry and you’ll fall in love with the characters. I’d love to hear your thought on them, and can be reached either through my web page prgarcia1.com or on Facebook, Europa: Awakenings. I post a number of articles about whales and the health of our oceans on my Facebook page, as well as updates on the books and when I am doing free giveaways.

Now for a few fun questions…

Favorite color?

Blue

Favorite movie?

That’s a hard one. There’s so many. If I have to choose just one, I’d have to say the 1951 The Day The Earth Stood Still staring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neil and Gort, the invincible robot.

Favorite TV show?

No question – the original Star Trek. Favorite episodes: Trouble with Tribbles, the Space Seed and The Devil in the Dark.

Favorite place to write?

On the couch in the Living Room

If you had to choose just one book, what would it be and why?

You would think it would be a sci-fi or fantasy book, but it’s not. It’s Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson. It is the story of Comanche Chief Quanah Parker’s parents, Cynthia Ann Parker, an English-American kidnapped around the age of nine, and a Comanche brave, Peta Nocona. I read the story when in grade school and have never forgotten it. While a tragic story in the end, it tells of the great love that existed between this man and woman, and is probably the most beautiful love story I have ever read.

Last question and possibility the most important…what brand of cereal best describes you and why?

18 Rabbits’ Gracious Granola – a combination of granola with pecan, maple, almond and coconut. A crazy mixture, a little nutty, but oh so good when put together. Homegrown and old fashion with a pinch of exotic sweetness and mystery.

Europa: Awakening by P.R. Garcia
Series: Europa,
Published by Self Publish on 2013-10-23
Length: 492 pages

When the Oonocks sank their golden city of Atlantis beneath the ocean, only the words of Plato gave testimony of its existence. Now learn a new thought of who the Atlantians were and why they had to sink their city that eventful night. Find out why 6000 years ago, a race known as the Oonocks left their beautiful lilac, waters of Jupiter’s ice moon Europa to begin a new life on Earth. Discover the real Atlantans.

Europa is a nineteen year old human female who has never heard of the Oonocks. And, although she’s heard of the legend of Atlantis, she’s never giving the story much thought. She is approaching her twentieth birthday and all that adulthood has to offer. But her life is an illusion and her future doomed, for their enemy has returned and is stalking the future queen, waiting for his chance to end her life. The day after her birthday, Europa’s perfect world is destroyed when JeffRa assassinates her mother, believing she was Europa. Seeking solace in her mother’s bedroom, Europa discovers an entrance to a secret attic, where she finds picture of her parents hundreds of years old. But the most terrifying find is her mother’s diary. Inside, Queen Medaron wrote that Europa would be born human and never know who she really was. Unwavering in her attempt to learn the truth, she embarks on a journey of discovery, a journey of many dangers as JeffRa chases her, determined to personally end her life. Along the way, Europa will lose almost everyone and everything she loves. Yet somehow she must discover the truth of her past and awaken the queen inside her. To accomplish both, she must learn and accept the true story of Atlantis, the Oonock race and what lies beneath the ice shield of Europa.

Praise for the Europa Series

“The best way to describe the book, is to say its Roddenberry-esque.”

–Top 500 Amazon Reviewer

“Wow! That’s what I thought when I finished reading this fantastic new book! Author P.R. Garcia has done an amazing job in creating a storyline for the history of Atlantis that I’ve never heard before, as well as characters that her readers will truly relate with, connect to, and care about. If those aren’t hallmarks of a great author, I don’t know what are.”
– Chris Fischer for Readers’ Favorite

Excerpt

Jeanip stood there, his legs shaking as they struggled to support his grief. Tears flowed from his eyes as he stared at the new grave dug earlier that day – her grave. Even though there was no body inside the coffin, it did not lesson his sorrow. Oonocks did not leave bodies behind when they died. They flowed out and became one with the oceans of this planet. With the realization that she was now part of the Waters of Life and he would never see her beautiful face again, Jeanip’s legs faltered, dropping him onto the grass. He sat there, just staring at the pile of newly dug dirt.

How could this have happened? How could he have missed the clues that their enemy was still alive, still hunting his monarchs? Had he become so complaisant, so sure his security protocols would always protect her that he dared believe they were invincible? How did he allow himself to believe the Terrians were all gone, that no threat still existed? Her death proved the error in his thinking, that some still lived. JeffRa still lived, and he had kept his oath of vengeance. Medaron had sensed him coming. Why didn’t he pay closer attention to her uneasiness, to her fears? WHY DID HE FAIL HER?

Sitting there, his shirt soaked from the many tears he cried, his body shaking with grief, Jeanip ran over the events in his mind for the hundredth time in hope of finding what went wrong. Everything had been meticulously planned, every component checked and rechecked. Once more, he could find no flaw in his plans to protect her except for one – himself. He was the Head Commander of Security, and, as such, her safety had been his main responsibility. He was the one who always had to be on guard, thinking of the impossible, acting against any possible threat, imaginary or real. But the thought that JeffRa still lived after all these centuries had never occurred to him. And that was the mistake that took her life. He should have lived each day as if JeffRa still pursued her. Why didn’t he? Enok, his king, had trusted him to do just that, but he had allowed himself to exist in a false sense of security, to fail at his duty. His only redemption now was the hope his king would end his life for his failure, as their law decreed.

A small Red Rock sparrow flew down from the nearby tree and landed on her grave, hopping about as it looked for one of the juicy worms that squiggled through the displaced portions of fresh dirt. Using its beak, it poked around until it located a worm, then quickly grabbed it in its mouth. With dinner in hand, it flew off to deliver the tasty morsel to its newly hatched chicks. Through tear-blurred eyes, Jeanip watched the sparrow fly across the meadow towards one of the rookeries.

His vision scanned the area, envisioning the four hundred acre estate that housed the small cemetery. Enok and he had designed and settled Minnos almost four centuries earlier as a refuge for Medaron. It had been determined the Terrian threat had been eliminated and it was safe once again to live on land. The land had been secured from a local Native American nation and was governed by tribal law, therefore making any happenings on the land immune to local jurisdiction, a technicality that had often served Jeanip well. As agreed upon when the land was acquired, the grounds were mostly feral, a sanctuary for wildlife. A small section on the cliff above the ocean had been cleared for the inhabitants. A warm, two-story country cottage, with a sitting porch encircling the house, sat in the middle of the clearing. It was a present from King Enok to his beloved mate, Queen Medaron.

Jeanip watched as another Red Rock sparrow flew towards him, this time landing on the headstone on the grave beside hers. For eighteen years the other grave had resided there alone, empty and false. It was King Enok’s grave, another fabrication in the web of lies created to hide the monarchs’ past from their daughter. Jeanip wondered how many more fake graves would be dug to hide the truth of who they were. He prayed one would be his.

“Jeanip, the headstone should be ready within the hour,” Sunam, Jeanip’s Second-in-Command, stated as he softly walked up beside his commander. “Do you want me to place it upon her grave or wait until you return from the Complex?”

Jeanip wiped the tears from his face and stood, instantly transforming into the Head Commander and soldier he was. “I will be gone for several days, so place it upon the grave as soon as it is finished. You’re in charge until I return.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Without another word, Jeanip turned and headed towards the house. After several steps he stopped. Keeping his back to Sunam, he added, “Sunam, if I don’t return for some reason, make sure they get to Saint’s Isle right away. JeffRa can’t reach them there.”

“Why wouldn’t you return, Sir?” Sunam asked.

Jeanip did not answer, but continued toward the house. But Sunam didn’t need an answer, for he knew the truth. Jeanip had failed in his duty. Punishment for his failure was the death sentence, as decreed in their security protocols. He said a silent prayer that his king would forgive his commander and allow him to live. Without Jeanip there was no hope in stopping JeffRa from killing them all. “May the Waters of Life protect you and bring you back to us.”

Start the Europa Series today with Awakenings

Original Europa Series

EUROPA Awakenings
EUROPA Quanundocii
EUROPA Engagement
EUROPA The New Monarchs
EUROPA The Horrturn Truth
EUROPA The Lilac Orb

The Blue Planet Sub-series

The Light of the Blue Planet
The Shadow of Apathy
The Dream of Atlantis

Tags: Author Interview, Europa Series, Excerpt, fantasy, Meet the Author, P.R. Garcia, Romance, science fiction, Young Adult