Book Spotlight- “The Overtaking” by Victorine E. Lieske

The Overtaking

High school senior Shayne Bartlet has been kidnapped, his powers disabled and his memory altered. He’s having a bad day…and he doesn’t even know it.

Shayne thinks he’s a typical teenager at a college prep boarding school on Earth. He couldn’t be more wrong. The girl he likes is keeping secrets–which doesn’t work too well when Shayne begins to hear her thoughts.

Danielle knows she can’t fall for Shayne. It would never work out between them. For one thing, she’s lying to him about who she is. She’s responsible for his kidnapping. That tends to cramp a relationship. Besides, she’s leaving his planet in a few weeks.

At least, that was the plan…

My Review

I recently read The Overtaking on ebook and thoroughly enjoyed it. The concept and settings were quite unique. The setting is sci-fi without any heavier sci-fi elements. It reads more like a contemporary super hero story than distant future alien settings, which I enjoyed and think others who are more keen on fantasy than hard core sci-fi will too. The story deals with two cultures at war- the Dykens and the Maslonians- only, neither side seem to know the truth of what is really going on. It’s in discovering the hidden truths that the beauty of this story lies. The super-powered Maslonian race is being kidnapped and “resequenced” so they don’t remember the conflict. That is until Shayne, an exceptionally powerful Maslonian, starts getting his powers back…

It’s Shayne, and his female counterpart and love interest Danielle that make this story for me. Their romance is at odds right from the beginning, and faces set back after set back as their lives are manipulated (whether by each other, or outside forces). The way they re-approach their relationship each time is wonderful to watch. It’s a very sweet romance that feels realistic and heartwarming.

On the technical side, The Overtaking is tightly written with some great turns of phrase and a few moments that made me chuckle. The plot is solid and compelling, and even with fine pointed implements I struggle to find holes in the plot to poke at.  The ending is a little open, but there will be a sequel. The storyline wraps up, but leaves the characters in a rough place that makes you wonder what they can possibly do next.

Overall, I highly recommend The Overtaking for all ages and anyone who enjoys a sweet romance with a bit of action and intrigue.

Check out the Amazon page for samples to read, ebook and paperback versions.

An interview with Victorine

Selina- What, in your mind, is the major theme of The Overtaking?

Victorine- To me, the major theme of the book is hidden potential. In the book it’s more literal, the people in the book have powers that have been taken away. Their memories have been altered so they don’t know who they are. To me this parallels our own hidden potential. When we don’t know who we are, we are powerless. Once we figure out our potential, we can do amazing things.

Selina- Shayne is a real old-school gentleman. How did you develop his character?

Victorine- Shayne is one of my favorite characters to write. His character came easy for me. He is the kind of guy who will make you laugh one moment and then melt your heart the next. When I develop a character I ‘interview’ them, and ask them questions about their past, what they like, and what their dreams are. Shayne’s character was easy to develop for me.

Selina- More than a few characters don’t make it to the end of your book. How do you handle choices on whether to kill characters and who? Do you find it hard or easy to kill characters?

Victorine- It’s hard for me to decide who won’t make it out of a situation, but I felt it was necessary that some of the characters die to show the real danger. A couple of the characters were minor, which was easy for me to write, but one character that I really liked didn’t make it out of the situation. That wasn’t as easy for me. I kind of grew attached to the character.

Selina- Me too. Sad to see that character die, but it certainly amplified the moment.
If you could have one of the Maslonian’s powers, what would you choose?

Victorine- Definitely telekinesis. When I was young I read a book where the main character could move objects with her mind. I’ve always thought that was the coolest thing.

Selina- Telekinesis is right up there with teleporting as the most interesting and useful superpowers.
What do you love about being an indie author?

Victorine- My favorite thing about being an indie author is the freedom. I’m free to change my book blurb if I’d like, or redesign the book cover if it’s not working. I also love interacting with my readers. It’s so fun to get an email from someone who enjoyed my book!

Selina- What is the oddest thing you’ve found yourself researching for your books? For example, I once ended up watching videos of people re-setting dislocated shoulders while researching for Memory’s Wake.

Victorine- Funny, I was just thinking about this the other day. In the sequel to The Overtaking, Danielle gets pulled into the Holodome by Trenton in an attempt to control Shayne. He needs to hide her somewhere, so he sticks her into a mental institution and claims she’s delusional. I found myself researching what happens in a mental institution, especially to teenagers.

Selina- Tell us a little bit about your next book, (hopefully) the sequel to The Overtaking?

Victorine- I’m hoping to release the sequel in December of this year. As I mentioned, Danielle gets put in a mental institution and finds out that all of the other patients in the facility are there because of the Dyken takeover. They are the resequencing mess-ups, and most of them remember bits and pieces of what happened to them.

Super Quick Q&A’s

1. Which would you pick- fame, money, happiness, or easy inspiration? Easy inspiration, definitely!

2. Plotter or Pantser? I’m a pantser.

3. Word count of your last book? 59,000

4. How many drafts until “perfect” or “final”? Five

5. Author archetype Yes or No- Cat owner? Coffee Addict? Write in café’s?
Cat owner – Yes. Coffee addict – No. Write in cafe’s – No.

Readers can find Victorine Online at-

Website: victorinelieske.com
Twitter: @victorinelieske
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050P4ZEC