MUSE MONDAY
Please join me in welcoming Carmen Webster Buxton to Muse Monday. Love and marriage, they go together like a horse and carriage...or do they? Let's ask Carmen.
I
like to read both historical romance and far future romance. If you think about
it, romance—at least romance with a happily ever after ending—is not just about
falling in love, it’s about pairing off and getting married—finding a partner
for life, if you will. And one reason I like reading (and writing, when it
comes to far future) stories set in the past and the future is, marriage, as
practiced in these stories, is not always familiar.
Romances
set among the upper classes of 18th or 19th century Great
Britain, for example, often feature arranged marriages, something you would rarely
see in a contemporary romance unless it was set in some exotic place where
fathers still rule their daughters’ lives.
Such historical romances also describe a very restricted life for unmarried
ladies. Chaperones were a fact of life. If you were a woman caught alone in a
house with a man who wasn’t a close relative, your reputation was in shreds and
you might be forced to choose between an unwanted marriage and being an outcast
from society. I like reading about people coping with unfamiliar (to me,
anyway) situations.
In
far future romances, there is no limit to the differences that can exist. Women can have harems; marriage might have
been abolished; if the author creates a new species, marriage might never have
existed. That’s what I did in Alien Bonds,
the first book in my Wakanreo trilogy; I created a species that mated purely
from biology. No one ever tries to choose a mate because if they do, it could
all be blown away if mating occurs with someone else. Widows might pair off,
but they didn’t call it marriage. In Tribes,
a standalone science fiction romance with only human characters, I
abolished marriage in favor of tribal allegiance. In this story, people pair
off, but because nothing is more binding than loyalty to your tribe, no one
actually gets married. If you think about it, marriage as we practice is at
least partly about ensuring the continuation of the species. Marriage helps
make sure children have a secure home. And if something else provides that
security, who needs marriage?
The
thing is, customs change but feelings don’t. I’m sure lots of people who
practiced arranged marriage grew to love their spouses. But I’m also sure lots
of people weren’t happy in a marriage where they might not even have met the
other person before the wedding. For one thing, sex becomes a matter of duty
instead of attraction, and robs it of a lot if its appeal. At least in my
Wakanreo trilogy, biology takes control and attraction is there whether you
want it or not. But that can be difficult to bear, too, if you don’t really
want to be with that person, as Alien
Vows, the second book in the trilogy, illustrates.
And
if it comes to that, even people who get married after a long acquaintance
sometimes choose to end the marriage. One reason I was inspired to write Alien Bonds is, my father left my mother
after 28 years of marriage, after he found out that a woman he had always
admired was a widow. He went to see her, and a week later packed his belongings
and moved out, leaving my mother shocked and devastated. I wanted to explore
what a society would be like where such a thing would never happen.
So,
love and marriage are two different things, but they are two things that are
often tied together. And I find that it’s when they’re not tied together that
things get interesting.
EXCERPT
FROM ALIEN BONDS
She turned
to survey the crowd again, looking for any sign of iridescent blue and silver.
She didn’t see Arliana, but she noticed the silver-headed Wakanrean had left
the Ambassador’s circle and was standing by himself in the middle of the room.
Dina wasn’t
sure, but she thought he was staring at her. She took a few steps toward the
stairs, and his eyes followed her so closely there was no doubt that she was
the object of his scrutiny.
No, his
animosity. He looked angry—furious, in fact. She had never seen a Wakanrean
show so much emotion. His eyes gleamed with rage, and his nostrils flared wide.
She took another step toward the stairs, and the Wakanrean began to walk
rapidly toward her.
Dina fought
panic. What could she have done to make him so angry? She hadn’t come close
enough to any Wakanreans to offend anyone. She clasped her hands together to
reassure herself that her gloves were on.
The
silver-haired Wakanrean came closer still. Under his cape he wore a long, blue
robe instead of the trousers and loose, tunic-style shirt favored by Wakanreans
of both sexes. He was very close now. His golden facial and body fur combined
with the creamy white of his crest reminded her of some Terran animal, but she
couldn’t remember which one. Other than the dark blue trim on his robe and the
diamond-shaped pattern that decorated his sandals, his only adornment was a
piece of silver jewelry fastened at the base of his throat; she couldn’t tell
if it was pinned to his robe or his chest fur.
Dina could
feel herself breathing faster, her heart pounding hard. She should walk away.
Why couldn’t she move her feet? She stood waiting by the mezzanine railing, as
still as if she had taken root in the floor.
The
Wakanrean stood in front of her. He glared down at her, his face contorted into
a scowl, his amber eyes glowing with contempt.
“I beg your
pardon.” Dina tried to keep the quaver out of her voice. “Do I know you?”
He was so
close, she could feel the heat from his body. Either that, or the room had
gotten suddenly warmer. Dina felt herself flush from head to foot.
He didn’t
answer, but all at once it was as if his anger was a physical thing, an
invisible mass, pushing against her. She stepped backward, stumbled, and almost
fell.
She reached
for the mezzanine railing behind her, and in the same instant, the Wakanrean
grabbed her arm.
Dina froze,
utterly baffled. The orientation had said clearly that Wakanreans would always
avoid touching a Terran, and yet here was one not only touching her, but holding
her firmly by the arm and helping her to stand.
The
orientation had also failed to warn her that a Wakanrean’s touch was so warm it
almost burned. Dina could feel a flush of heat on her arm where his hand still
gripped it. She stood straighter and looked into his face. He had typical
Wakanrean features—an arched nose, large round eyes, a wide mouth.
His
expression changed as she watched. His anger faded to confusion. He looked
almost stunned. His nostrils still flared, but from the way his eyes had opened
wide, Dina knew he was surprised rather than angry.
Neither of
them had taken a step since he took hold of her arm. Dina swallowed once,
conscious of discreet glances and overt stares from those around them.
“I’m all
right,” she said finally, wondering if she was speaking the truth. The
dizziness had passed, but she still felt lightheaded. “Thank you, but you can
let go now.”
He loosened
his grip but didn’t release her for a few seconds. When he did, he brushed her
bare arm with the back of his hand. Dina was amazed when it sent shivers of
anticipation up her spine.
“This is
unexpected.” His wonderfully resonant voice had a rich, warm timbre to it that
made Dina’s shivers change from anticipation to yearning.
“Yes,” she
said, unsure of what he meant, but afraid to give offense.
“Where do
you live?”
“I have an
apartment in the off-world sector,” she said, wondering why she was answering
him. She fought the urge to close her eyes and just listen to that wonderful
voice.
“My house
is in the cliffs outside the city. Let’s go there instead.”
“All
right.”
It took
Dina a moment to realize that she had agreed to go home with him.
Buy link for ALIEN BONDS: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07959BHM4
You can connect with Carmen here:
Carmen's blog: https://carmenspage.blogspot.com/
Carmen on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Carmen-Webster-Buxton/e/B004V8MM8U/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Carmen on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/carmenwebster.buxton
Carmen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarmenWBuxton
