Author Spotlight: Shari Sakurai

Today I am happy to welcome author Shari Sakurai, interviewing her character Adam Larimore from her dystopian/sci fi novel, Perfect World:

1. What is your full name? Is there anything significant about your name?
Adam: My full name's Adam Victor James Larimore. The Larimore family name is very well known due to the fact that my father, Victor James Larimore, was one of the wealthiest men in the country. 

2. How old are you?
Adam: I'm 22 years old. 

3. Tell us about your family. What do you like and not like about them?
Adam: Father was the only real family I had. My mother was a surrogate and was only interested in the money that father paid her once she had given birth to me. I've never met her and nor do I want to.

My father made all of his money in creating computer software mainly for the Government and L.S.A (London Security Agency). We never really got along to be honest. As he paid for my creation he saw me as an investment rather than his son. He was pretty cold towards me most of the time, unless I did something to anger him which I did rather frequently! He was obsessed with his work and we didn't spend that much time together outside of the office. After learning that I had been created to inherit his company and wealth we fought most of the time. I remember him making more of an effort with me when I was a child, but his business-like approaching to parenting meant that I never really knew him. 

4. Who was your first kiss, and what did you think of it?
Adam: My first kiss was with a guy I met in one of the illegal underground nightclubs that I used to go to. Seth I think his name was. We'd been talking for a while and I was sure he wanted to kiss me, but he was kind of nervous about it so I took the initiative and kissed him *laughs* it was kind of awkward as I don't think he'd kissed anyone before either! We kept bumping teeth and he didn't know what to do with his arms - at one point he just had them by his sides! It was quite cute but nothing special really! 

5. What is your occupation?
Adam: Supervillain! *smirks*

6. What are your best and worst qualities?
Adam: My best qualities are my intellect - I've never met anyone smarter than me - and I'm very self-assured and have a good sense of humour. 

I can be very arrogant and ruthless, but I would say my worst quality is not being able to deal with my emotions. I tend to hide behind my strong personality rather than talk honestly about my feelings. 

7. What quality do you value most in a romantic partner?
Adam: Honesty and openness. Most of the people in my life whom I've been closest to have lied to me so I really value someone who can just be honest with me. 

8. What is your favorite thing to do?
Adam: I love to visit places of historical importance that were left in ruin by the great tsunamis. I've spent quite a lot of time at the ruins of the Tower of London collecting artefacts that had been displaced by the waves and restoring them. I find the past fascinating and it's really sad that a lot of our history has been cast aside and forgotten in the wake of the disaster.   

9. What is your greatest fear?
Adam: That Eric will discover the truth about me and what agreements I made in order to get revenge against Ivan and the L.S.A. I'm terrified of losing him and know that I will if he ever learns everything about my past. 

10. What is your most treasured possession?
Adam: It's a photograph of me and my father. It was taken outside of Larimore Systems' headquarters when I was about eleven years old. There was a problem with a new program that the company was developing and I had been able to resolve it. He was so proud of me that day. It's one of the few occasions that I can recall us actually getting along. 

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Perfect World (Perfect World series, Book 1)
It is the year 2115 and the world is very different. With climate changes, natural disasters and war shaping the landscape, England has become a nation made up of several super cities and wasteland in between.

Eric Rawlins is a genetically engineered superhero created by the London Security Agency (L.S.A) to defend and protect the city against both national and international threats. With his superior abilities, celebrity status and beautiful girlfriend, Eric appears to have the perfect life. However, it is an illusion created by the L.S.A in order to control him.

Eric’s nemesis is the charismatic Adam Larimore. The only son of billionaire business tycoon Victor Larimore, Adam is gifted with a genius level IQ as well as the same longevity as Eric.

When the actions of the L.S.A throw the two of them together Eric finds himself questioning everything that he has ever known as well as discovering the true course of events that led to Adam turning to a life of crime. As they become closer Eric realises that the L.S.A may be the real threat to London. But can he trust Adam or is he part of Adam’s plan for revenge against those who have wronged him?

Perfect World:
Amazon | Website 

Read on for an excerpt from Perfect World:

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“So what were you doing this morning?”

“Trying to figure things out,” Eric replied.

“Did you make any progress?”

“Some,” Eric didn’t feel like elaborating and Adam didn’t push for an answer. He looked up and down the expanse of coastline and spotted a small food outlet some distance away behind the sea wall. It looked open.

“Are you hungry?” He asked the villain. “I could get us something if you like.”

“A picnic on the beach,” Adam chuckled. “How romantic.”

This had not been Eric’s intention at all and the awkwardness that flooded him prevented him from mustering any kind of direct reply. “What would you like?” He settled for instead.

“I don’t mind. Whatever they have. Here,” Adam dug in the pocket of his jeans and handed Eric some notes. “They’ll be monitoring your payment card,” he explained. “And I’m sure every sensor in the country is looking out for mine.”

“Thanks,” Eric had to admit he’d forgotten about that.

He sprinted up the beach towards the food outlet. The silver dome shaped kiosk was open as Eric had thought. A bored looking blond man in his twenties was leaning over the chrome counter.

“What can I get you?” He asked, not even bothering to meet Eric’s gaze.

Eric glanced at the menu hologram on the wall behind him.

“Two portions of the chicken lunch please,” he said finally.

“That’ll be fifteen pounds fifty,” the man barely looked up at him. The transaction took about ten minutes and it was only after it was complete that the guy realised whom he was serving. He asked for an autograph, which Eric was happy to give him.

Adam laughed when Eric rejoined him and told him what happened. He sat up as Eric finished speaking.

The lunch was simply prepared and served in a small reusable tray that could be returned the following day or kept for home use. The chicken lunch consisted of three pieces of chargrilled chicken, a light side-salad, some bottled water and a pot of fresh fruit. Both the bottle and pot were made of glass, which could be recycled.

Eric sat down beside Adam and handed him one of the trays. “Is this how you pictured spending your afternoon?” He asked as he unwrapped the knife and fork that came with the meal.

“Not really,” Eric admitted. “It’s…it’s nice though,” he gave Adam a small smile.

“Better than going alone?”

Eric speared a piece of chicken with his fork. “Yeah,” he nodded before taking a bite. He watched Adam as he ate, taking in how relaxed the villain seemed. It would appear that the afternoon away from London was doing him some good too.

“Can I ask you something?” Eric questioned after some consideration.

Adam set his cutlery down and stared curiously at Eric. He did not say anything and merely waited for Eric to continue.

“Did you really mean what you said to me? That you have feelings for me?”

“Must we keep going over this? You are never going to believe that I am sincere, that much is obvious.”

Eric swallowed hard. Suddenly lunch did not seem that appetising. He set the tray down and reached for the bottle of water. He twisted the cap in his hands but did not take a drink.

“I would like to,” he ventured finally.

Adam sighed and changed the subject. “I’ve missed coming here. I’ve often thought about coming back but it hadn't seemed right. This place holds a few happy memories and I used to worry that if I returned it might not have the same meaning for me anymore.”

“Do you miss your father?” Eric asked before he could stop himself. He cursed inwardly. He had to stop speaking before thinking around the villain.

“No,” Adam responded finally. “At the end I hated him.”

Eric didn’t believe him. They finished lunch in silence, both deep in their own thoughts.

It was starting to get a little cold and Eric wondered if they should be heading back. A breeze had picked up and neither of them was wearing a jacket. He almost felt disappointment at this. Being here with Adam felt different to life back in the city. Eric felt less the burden of his duty and his worry regarding the future. Here his problems seemed far away.

“We should probably get back,” he voiced his thoughts reluctantly.

“Yeah,” Adam nodded as they stood up. The younger man took a moment to try and brush some sand out of his long hair. Eric chuckled at his attempts before taking pity on him. He reached up to brush some grains aside at the same moment that Adam did and their fingers touched. Adam froze, his expression becoming hesitant when Eric’s hand automatically covered his own.

They remained in place for seconds that felt as though they were lifetimes. Eric hadn't made a decision concerning his feelings for Adam and worried that he was getting caught up in a moment that would end in regret. Adam appeared to sense this too and gently withdrew his hand. The shorter man turned away.

“Adam—” Eric trailed off when he caught sight of something moving in the distance. It was a stealth aircraft circling just above Perses’ landing site.

Eric knew without question that it was the L.S.A. Adam turned back around and the fear in his eyes said it all. They had nowhere to go.

About the author:

Shari Sakurai was born in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom. After completing secondary school she moved away from further education to work in administration. 

Shari is very interested in other countries’ cultures and mythology; in particular Japan. Japanese themes and influences can often be found in her work.

Shari's debut novel Demon's Blood was released in ebook format on 25th January 2014. She has participated and won the National Novel Writing Month challenge for the past eight years.

Where to find Shari Sakurai:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Wordpress