Hello everyone and welcome to my stop on the Escapist Book Tours virtual book tour for K. Pimpinella’s Sci-Fi/soft-Military Sci-Fi novel Nexus Point! Today, I am excited to help kickoff the tour by sharing an interview with the main character from the book, Commander Kai Sawyer!
You can find our Q&A below, along with all of the info about the book, the author, links to purchase a copy of Nexus Point for yourself, and a chance to win a copy in our giveaway! Also, be sure to take a look at the schedule here or at the bottom of the post and follow along to see the stops from our other awesome hosts!
Book Information:
Nexus Point by K. Pimpinella
Series: Time Ranger #1
Genre: Sci-Fi/soft-Military Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Adult
Pages: 338
Published: July 2021
Publisher: Friesen Press
Blurb
Winner of a 2021 Canada Book Award
Quarter Finalists in SPSFC
Editor’s Pick, BookLife/Publisher’s Weekly
The year is 2198. Earth has unified under one government, Utopia. War has ravaged the planet, forcing many citizens to immigrate to space stations and colonies. As human life expands into space, the Nexus Point and its abandoned station are discovered along with their time-travel capabilities. Time travel becomes the new luxury vacation, but some citizens go rogue and as history starts to change, the Time Rangers are born; a specialized unit tasked with chasing down the Time Runners. Following family tradition, Kai Sawyer, joins the Rangers. His first mission as a commander; travel to1634 France and defeat a Time Runner trying to jump start the progression of medicine. As Sawyer struggles to save his team and the future of Utopia; he learns of a more sinister plot that might include his father, the Rear Admiral of the Time Rangers. Should the Runners succeed, they will rewrite the future of all mankind.
See Also:
Despite All My Rage, I Am Still Just a Rat in a Cage • Release the Beast! • We Need to Get Back to the Future!
Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VFBZWXM/
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Nexus-Point-Audiobook/B097WVSHNY
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Nexus-Point-K-Pimpinella/9781525595479
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56882759-nexus-point
Character Q&A
What music do you listen to?
Commander Kai Sawyer: 90’s grunge. Tool. Rage Against the Machine. Alice in Chains. I feel that shit. If there’s one line from any of that music that resonates with me, it’s ‘despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage.’ That’s ‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings’ by Smashing Pumpkins, if you’re not familiar with that old-school music.
What are 3 items you can’t live without?
KS: Thor, my AI. My Stormguard, which is my sidearm. And a pouch of cyto-juice which I need to drink to keep my metablism up. Being a genetically enhanced
human isn’t all fun and games. And what can I say, I’m practical.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what is one thing you’d like to have with you?
KS: The BlackOut. My ship. Is that allowed? Can I bring my ship? Is that against some sort of rules for this game? Because, yeah. I’d want my ship. Wait. Maybe I don’t want my ship. At least not right away. I’d like to be alone, stuck there for awhile before getting off the island.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
KS: People thinking I’m just a token commander due to my father’s influence within the Time Rangers. I did the same trainning as everyone else. Probably more. I’m not just my father’s toy soldier. I also hate snoring. I want to punch someone in the throat if I hear them snoring. I can’t handle it. And I need my sleep.
What do you do in your free time?
KS: What free time? Do you mean down time? Like between missions? Usually I’m prepping for the next mission. So I guess I work out and train. I never had time to myself growing up, so I don’t know what to do with myself when I’m not working.
What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning?
KS: Thor’s incessant voice in my head telling me to get up. He’s an alarm clock you can’t turn off.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
KS: It was my first mission out of the Academy, and I’d tried to do everything by the book, like I was taught. But then I got reamed out by my first commander for acting like a FNG, that’s fucking new guy, for those of you that don’t know, for being
too strict with the rules. Sokolov, the Specialist on my team said … Trainning is learning the rules. Experience is knowing the exceptions … I’ve learned to loosen up and be more adaptive.
What do you carry in your bag?
KS: No bag. Just cargo pockets. And they’re usually empty. I’m a
minimalist. But when on duty, I have my comm-card tucked into the collar of my uniform. It has to be there.
What’s your favorite animal?
KS: I had a cat once. Grey and white with markings resembling a Siberian
Husky. I named it Thor. And then I named my AI after that cat. So I guess cats. I like cats. They’re independent. And they always act like they have a chip on their shoulder. I have a chip on my shoulder so I guess I can relate.
What do you think about [other MC(s)]?
KS: Hawk, my lieutenant, he’s also my best friend. Only friend really. We’ve known each other since we were cadets at the Academy. He lets me let loose. I can be myself around him. I don’t know how he does it, but he’s one of the smartest people I know, and he’s a legit soldier, and he knows how to have a good time despite all that studying and trainning. I wish I had that balance. As for my Historical Specialist, Perry. He’s a bit uptight. And well … there’s some personal issues I don’t want to get into right now, so why don’t we leave it at that? If you want to hear more, I’d have to be really drunk or … well, that’s about it. Santiago is a whole bag of messed-up. To me at least. She’s a very dedicated soldier, very ambitious, and I admire her strength and ability to say what’s on her mind. I like spending time with her. She might rattle me a bit, but that’s what I need sometimes. And as for my father … Next question, please.
Do you have favorite saying?
KS: Yes, sir. That’s it. That’s my favourite line … yes, sir. It usually denotes
the end of a conversation.
What is your favorite holiday?
KS: I’ve never celebrated holidays. My father never allowed it. Unless you
count Veteran’s Day, which is when my father would dress me up and take me to the Admiral’s Balls to show me off.
If you could go anywhere in [the book’s world], where would you go and why
KS: That’s a limitless question in my line of work. As a Time Ranger, I can literally go anywhere or any time. But I guess if I had the option, I’d like to see the start of the universe … if there is one. To see where space and history began.
What do you do to relax?
KS: That word is not in my vocabulary. But I guess my girlfriend, if you can call
her that, Aurora, helps me relax. But I’m not getting into that. Next question.
What is your favorite food? I know what I don’t like, and that’s cyto-juice. Hate it, but I have to drink it to keep my metabolism up. Otherwise, I just eat what’s in front of me.
What is your favorite season?
KS: Hawk and I spent time up in Nunavut, the Republic of Canada, during
our Academy days. We were there doing winter in-doc training and I kind of liked the solitude up there. That is of course when you’re not in the capital or one of the bigger cities. So I guess I like winter best, since I associate it with that place.
How would you define happiness?
KS: A job well done.
What are you passionate about?
KS: Doing my job well. These Time Runners we chase, they’re selfish and
out for personal gain. And they’re screwing with Utopia’s natural existance. What right do they have to change Utopia’s future for their own personal wealth or well-being? Okay … Deep breaths. Sorry. I’m starting to angy just thinking about them. Can we move on, please?
How do you feel about your government?
KS: Safe. I voted for President Ahnah Crow. She wants to clean
up Earth, and bring humanity back to its origins instead of their priorities being space stations and colonies. And she’s kept everything relatively stable. There’s no wars going on, and I’ve seen some new development in the Republic of America- which got hit pretty hard in the so-called Asteroid War. I mean, Earth has been united under a single government for quite awhile now, but so far, she’s
probably our most liked and respected leader to date.
If you could change one thing about [the book’s world], what would it be?
KS: Perhaps my life would be better if I had a different father. But I can’t change that.
What’s your biggest secret?
KS: I’m Special Forces Military. If I told you my biggest secret, I’d have to kill
you.
What do you hate?
KS: I hate many things. Most things. How specific of an answer do you want? I mean, if you want an answer … being shot with the debilitator setting of a Stormguard. I hate that. It’s so annoying.
What’s your biggest fear?
KS: Fear of failure. If I fail on my missions, the whole of Utopia suffers. I can’t
have that on my conscience.
What do you think your best quality is?
KS: Loyalty. I’m fiercely dedicated to protecting what I cherish, and
to the Time Rangers, who I’ve dedicated my life to.
How would you describe the world you live in?
KS: Complicated. If one of these Time Runners creates a Historical Contamination Act, a HCA as we call it, the ripples through time could prove devastating to
our current time. 2198 could change in an instant, like what happened after the Albatross Incident when people, places, things suddenly disappeared or rearranged themselves. But we can’t live walking a tight-rope, waiting to see what the next moment brings, so we just live our lives as if time-travel doesn’t exist anymore. It’s the only way we can without going crazy.
About the Author
An author and lover of all things science fiction, K.Pimpinella grew up with the greats like Star Wars, Star Trek and the original Battlestar Galactica, and still enjoys them today. The theme of teamwork which dominated Stargate, the camaraderie of the character dynamics of the video game Mass Effect, and the time-travel ideals of the TV show Timeless, were the foundations of her world-building and characters of the Time Ranger series, of which, Nexus Point is the first novel.
Some of her favourite sci-fi authors are; Isaac Asimov, Gareth L. Powell, Elizabeth Moon, Michael Mammay and fellow Canadian science fiction author, Timothy S. Johnston. She also enjoys Jane Austen and Shakespeare … ‘as flies to wanton boys we are to the gods. They play us for their sport.’
Having studied English and space sciences at university, it helped hone her skills to keep her science as real as possible while also enjoying the classics of english literature. And time at NASA’s Adult Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama, helped her realize her dreams of going into space.
Her time as a Trooper with the reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment, The Queen’s York Rangers (1st American Regiment) has also provided her with insight into writing soft-military novels. As one of the only female recce combat arms soldiers in the unit at the time, it was an interesting and challenging experience for her. She also is fortunate enough to work closely with a developmental editor with over 20 years experience in US Special Forces and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
Pimpinella has also worked with GlobalMedic, a volunteer organization whose mandate is to ‘save lives by providing short-term, rapid response in the wake of disasters and crises, both at home and abroad,’ where she volunteered in both Thailand and Cambodia as a paramedic (of which she has worked for the past 20 years). The experience with GlobalMedic was eye-opening and gave her a chance to see the world.
She now lives in Uxbridge, ON. In her spare time she enjoys ice hockey, snowboarding, western horseback riding and spending time with her husband and two dogs, Dallas and Tonka.
Author Site: www.kpimpinella.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_pimpinella
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.pimpinella/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeRangersBookSeries
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21135489.K_Pimpinella
Giveaway
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