Black Holes and Worm Holes

In science fiction, there are many phenomena in space that are mentioned, including black holes, and worm holes.

Black holes

• objects of extreme density with such strong gravitational attraction, that even light cannot escape
• formed by the collapse of individual stars
• small black holes and the more popular supermassive black holes
• thought to lie at the center of each universe
• gather mass from dust and gas around them
• "event horizon" is boundary around mouth of black hole where light loses its ability to escape
• objects aren't sucked into black holes, they fall into them

Worm holes

• a theoretical entity in which space-time curvature connects two distant locations or times
• not traveling faster than light, but taking a short cut through the fourth dimension, hyperspace
• in theory, they would collapse before anything could travel through them, but still most loved physical phenomena by sci-fi authors
• recent calculations suggest we may be able to prevent collapse of worm holes by using "exotic matter", which contains negative energy

So, what do you think? Do you believe worm holes exist? Would you take the chance and travel through space or time by worm hole?

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

Liz Crowe Visits Today

I will never forget the moment I sat on my stairs in my Executive rental house in Overland Park, Kansas and told my mother I would be moving her grandchildren to Turkey.

It was less of a shock I think because we had just spent 2 years in Hiroshima, and almost a year in Kansas (sort of like a foreign country). My 3^rd kid had been born in Japan and my mom had travelled to be with us that summer.

But still…the inevitable “haven’t you SEEN ‘Midnight Express?’ “cries of horror coupled with the “will you have to go around with your hair and face covered?” and the ever popular “do they have running water there?” moments were endured, over come, the “pre trip” (ostensibly to find housing) was achieved, we packed up our 3 kids ages 10-7-3 and headed out on our new adventure.

It was a rocky start. We hit Istanbul at the height of the heat—August, when all logical residents who can afford it are on the coasts, and avoiding the soul-choking heat and exhaust and other smells of an ancient city located in a 2^nd world country.  The flat we rented sight unseen (because we didn’t realize one had to bribe the estate agents to get the one we wanted---RED FLAG) was hotter than the 7^th level of hell. There was no food in the fridge, no milk or juice for the travel shattered kids, and I sat down and told my spouse I was never sleeping a second in that (admittedly really love flat) and to book my ticket straight back to Michigan…OR ELSE.

Well, suffice it to say I fell in absolute love with the city, and the country and I think it was my absolute rejection of it for the first couple of weeks (that I spent sleeping with my luggage still packed, no lie) actually was the perfect framing of an ex-pats experience with one of the most beautiful, fascinating, frustrating, awful, amazing, gorgeous, thrilling and terrible cities in the world.

Istanbul is nothing but chock full of history and I was lucky to befriend a Turkish woman who owns and runs a boutique travel agency—who was a closet historian. We explored nooks and crannies of the city and out into the country that I never would have seen without her. I had a basic working knowledge of “Constantinople” then “Istanbul” that was a little beyond the catchy They Might Be Giants song. But nothing prepared me for the onslaught of amazing people that I met in my travels.  The Turks are fiercely proud, somewhat divided ethnically, like many countries, but among the most hospitable people I’ve ever met (and I’ve been in a few countries so I can say this). 

Turkey is no more represented by “Midnight Express” Than America is by “Deliverance.”  Trust me.  It is a secular nation, run by a parliament and prime minister that is no more corrupt than any other government and I am not only not required to “go around covered” it is discouraged by the government itself unless you religion requires it.  And the water runs, although we did purchase giant bottles of drinking water as the electrical grid suffered under the weight of nearly 14 million people and was known to go out, which would cause water treatment plants to become less reliable. 

I had my down moments. One featuring being “arrested” by some eager Gendarme (sort of the “state police”) by accident. Some of them potentially earth shattering. But overall, I loved it. And when it came to writing a series that had at its core a “magical dating service” based in Las Vegas (another of my fav cities in the universe) I automatically said: “Madame Eve must have an Istanbul outpost.” And hence the Turkish Delights series was born.

I wrote 3 of the 1NightStand stories then loved the blended American/Turkish Deniz family so much I gave them a prequel and a final, slightly harrowing novella in which a beloved member of the group is restored to them—which has its own complications.

A young American woman comes face to face with her destiny in Istanbul in the 1960's and an epic dynasty is born.

When Vivian Kinkaid turns around in her college classroom and makes eye contact with a man who was once her forbidden childhood friend, her life is changed forever.

A sweeping saga of family, love, loss and recovery—The Turkish Delights series begins with a special sort of magic. Then, Madame Eve works her miracles for the Deniz family, but even she can’t overcome the harsh realities that force this Turkish/American family to deal with tragedy when one of their own is ripped from their close-knit circle.

“The Turks” opens with a best-selling classic romance for the ages then ends with a thrilling novella that brings all the players back together. Set in Istanbul, Las Vegas, and Southern California, The Turkish Delights series has it all—heat, heart, intrigue and a deep, family connection that transcends all barriers.

Buy Links: 
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Publisher

Follow Liz's tour:
2/25 www.backwardsmomentum.blogspot.com

2/26 www.harliesbooks.com

2/26 www.twinsietalk.blogspot.com

2/27 www.stickgirlbookreviews.blogspot.com

2/27 www.happilyeverafter-cgtetreault.blogspot.com

2/28 www.msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

2/28 www.literatiliteraturelovers.com

3/1 www.sevensexyscribes.blogspot.com

3/1 www.cindyspencerpape.com

3/2 www.shhmomsreading.com

3/2 www.melissakeir.com

3/3 www.desireeholt.com

3/4 www.kimcharmichaelnovels.com
3/5 www.markofthestars.com

3/7 www.nicolezoltack.com

3/8 www.carrieannryan.com

3/9 www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk

3/10 The final stop: www.decadentpublishing.blogspot.com is a contest that consists of 5 questions plus a bonus round. All answers can be found in various posts throughout the tour.
The commenter who gets the most answers correct AND leaves an email in their comment wins:
1 signed print copy of Turkish Delights
$50 Amazon gift card
and if they get the BONUS question too: a Beer Wench tee shirt from Liz' brewery.

Thanks for stopping by, Liz. Now how do I con you out of one of those Beer Wench tees?

Highlighting Science Fiction Romance

Good day! On this blog, we highlight our own stories, but we also like to highlight other authors in science fiction romance and other genres. Today, I'm going to share some of the SFR titles that I've recently enjoyed.

Terms & Conditions Apply by Pippa Jay

“Welcome to Venus Ascendant, a Public Grade space station in the Andromedan Galaxy. With our open-to-all policy, any being in the universe can find their perfect R & R, romantic getaway or dangerous liaison at our purpose built resort. The on-board empathic AI Ganesa ensures that anyone coming to Venus Ascendant will find their heart’s desire, with suites that transform from luxurious boudoirs to sunset-lit beaches to dark BDSM dungeons. So come to Venus Ascendant and find exactly what you’re looking for!”

It was meant to be a romantic getaway for Marie and the love of her life Jaisen; a chance for him to get to know her better after months of her denying him more than a few stolen kisses. Instead, Marie finds herself dumped and alone on Venus Ascendant with no credit for a transmat and the next starship home not due for another hour.

But the all-seeing AI isn’t going to leave anyone aboard the space station with their dreams unfulfilled. Marie's boyfriend might not have made it to the station, but there are others willing and able to take on the role - even if they aren’t entirely human.

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Psychologist Elizabeth Cole prepared for the worst when she accepted a job on a newly discovered world—a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. But she never expected she'd struggle with the requirement to shun these "ghosts." She never expected to be so attracted to the charming Irishman assigned as her supervisor. And she certainly never expected to discover she died in a transport crash en route to the planet.


As a ghost, Elizabeth is symbiotically linked to her supervisor, Murphy—creator of the Ghost Protocol, which forbids him to acknowledge or interact with her. Confused and alone—oppressed by her ghost status and tormented by forbidden love—Elizabeth works to unlock the secrets of her own existence.

But her quest for answers lands her in a tug-of-war between powerful interests, and she soon finds herself a pawn in the struggle for control of the planet…a struggle that could separate her forever from the man that she loves.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Everything is different

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year-long coma - so she's been told - and she is still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. But what happened before that? She's been given home movies chronicling her entire life, which spark memories to surface. But are the memories really hers? And why won't anyone in her family talk about the accident? Jenna is becoming more curious. But she is also afraid of what she might find out if she ever gets up the courage to ask her questions.

What happened to Jenna Fox? And who is she really?

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous. 

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

Did you miss the three day offer for my Carnality Bundle, including my short stories, Carnal Desires, Carnal Attraction and Carnal Denial? Never fear, you can still get a chance at winning some bundles. Just enter the rafflecoptor below, and you're on your way.

But don't be later to the ball Cinderella or Cinderfella, you've got until Monday at 12:00am to get in on the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spend Valentine's Day with some Sci-Fi Fiction Heroes & Giveaway!

Happy Valentine's Day! I've brought some of the heroes from my stories with me to help celebrate the day. There here to tell you how they'd spend Valentine's Day. At the end, you tell me which hero you'd prefer to spend the evening with.

Prince Aris from An Unexpected Return:

Valentine's Day is foreign to me, since I'm not from Earth. But I'd fly you through space to the planet of Elatia, where sensuality is celebrated. We'd take in some local cuisine, experience an erotic couples massage from the well-trained Adomos, and then spend the rest of the night enjoying each other. Exploring every single inch of each other.

Erik from Never Gonna Let You Go:

First of all, I'd have to make sure you weren't loyal to Planet Core. If you were, I'd have to say goodbye to you before we even started. If not, I'd take you underground. We'd join the rest of the rebels for dinner. Then we'd go off on our own to the underground spring-fed pool. What happened after would be up to you.

Dare from Made For Her:

I've never been able to celebrate Valentine's before. Clones aren't allowed to date. Given the opportunity, I'd take you out on the town, maybe go to one of the local military hangouts for dinner. You do like military guys, right? Then we'd go dancing and back to your place, because the barracks don't offer any privacy.



So, tell me which hero you'd like to spend Valentine's Day with, for your chance to WIN an ebook copy of one of my backlist titles. Winner will be drawn February 17, 2013. Contest is international. Good luck!

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous. 

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

Bring On The Sizzle: Erotic Steampunk Romance  

Steampunk romance ventures into the steamy side of relationships as a way to subvert Victorian-era attitudes toward sex, but sometimes the stories play with erotica just for fun! As long as there’s been steampunk, there’s been erotic steampunk. Erotic steampunk romance places more focus on the emotional connection between the main characters.

In general, steampunk romance tends to include spicy love scenes. Teasing out the exact heat level can be a challenge. Some books are steampunk romance with an erotic heat level. Others fall squarely into the erotic romance category, wherein the characters’ sexual journeys are more front and center.

Erotic steampunk romance takes the traditional steampunk romance characters and eroticizes them in a way that’s only hinted at in non-erotic offerings. For example, Nathalie Gray’s Mechanical Rose features an inventor hero—talk about traditional!—and pairs him with a heroine spy. The love scenes in that story are positively scorching. We’ve always known inventors have passion that runs hot, but Mechanical Rose spells that out in the clearest way possible!

Erotic steampunk romance makes creative use of gadgets. Steam and clockwork powered sex toys are a popular way for characters to titillate themselves as well as each other. KT Grant’s Brass Balls and Hysteria, for example, includes a steam-powered vibrator that pays homage to the “Manipulator,” a real nineteenth century invention. Nancy Clacht’s A Certain Pressure in the Pipes features a mechanical sex aid that runs on clockwork power and is designed to, you know, unblock those pipes!

Sometimes stories include multi-purpose gadgets. They’re used for functional purposes but also as a sex toy/object of sexual gratification. Two examples of this approach can be found in Skies of Fire by Zoe Archer and Nights of Steel by Nico Rosso. On one level the love scenes in these two books are pure kink, but they can also be interpreted as validating a character who is different in some way. The heroes in both stories are steampunk cyborgs, and so the heroines are taking the “Other” into themselves in the most intimate way possible.

As glorious as steampunk gadgets are, there’s a danger of reducing them to the sex toy of the week. Gadgets can be more than simply toys—they can also be tools of social commentary. When erotic steampunk romances stimulate our hearts and minds as well as our bodies, everybody wins!

For your reading pleasure, here’s a short list of erotic steampunk romance titles:

Infernal Devices – Abigail Barnette

The Iron Heart – Leslie Dicken

Geared For Pleasure – Rachel Grace

Brass Balls and Hysteria (Dreamspell Erotica, Vol. 1) – K.T. Grant

Mechanical Rose – Nathalie Gray

The Watchmaker’s Lady – Heather Massey (in the interest of full disclosure, that’s me!)

Far Too Human (m/m) – Anitra Lynn McLeod

A Certain Pressure in the Pipes (m/m) – Clancy Nacht

Clockworks and Corsets – Regina Riley

Sky Rat (m/m) – Angelia Sparrow

Steamlust – erotic steampunk romance anthology from Cleis Press; Kristina Wright, Editor

If you’d like to give a shout out to others you’ve enjoyed, hit me up in the comment section!

Giveaway time!

Leave a comment for this post and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of the following ebooks:

Steamlust – Kristina Wright, Editor (ePUb or .mobi)

The Blacksmith’s Lover – Heather Massey (ePub, PDF, or .mobi)

And there’s more! Everyone who leaves a comment at any of the stops on The Great Steampunk Romance Airship Tour will be entered for a chance to win the Grand Prize:

$100 e-gift card (winner’s choice Amazon or B&N)

75$ e-gift certificate to Clockwork Couture

1 digital copy of IRON GUNS, BLAZING HEARTS (winner’s choice PDF, ePub, or .mobi)

Please include your email address. The deadline to enter all of the giveaways will be midnight PST on February 14. On Friday, February 15, check back here to see if you’ve won an ebook prize.

The grand prize winner will be announced on February 15 at The Galaxy Express.

About the author

Heather Massey is a lifelong fan of science fiction romance. She searches for sci-fi romance adventures aboard her blog, The Galaxy Express. She’s also an author in the subgenre. To learn more about her published work, visit heathermassey.com.

Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts (February 2013; Lyrical Press)

The West just got a whole lot wilder.

A woman on a mission… Scientific achievement isn’t enough for Violet Whitcomb. Life working alongside her renowned scientist father is filled with intellectual challenges, but what she truly craves is love and adventure. She’s resigned to a fate of academic pursuits–until a fateful trip across the American frontier changes everything. A rogue inventor known as the Iron Scorpion kidnaps Violet’s father and she alone is left to plan his rescue.

A man with a secret… Logan McCoy knows firsthand going up against the Iron Scorpion is suicide, but he can’t let Violet waltz into the villain’s lair alone. She may be a stranger, but she’s also the most compelling woman he’s ever known.

A perilous quest… Their attraction is undeniable, but their alliance turns contentious when Violet insists on including a third partner on their mission: her father’s latest invention and the world’s most advanced automaton, Arthur. The reason for Logan’s resistance isn’t clear until Violet comes face-to-face with the Iron Scorpion’s diabolical devices, and by then, it’s far too late.

P.S. Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts has a “sweet” heat level.

Book Spotlight: Cavern of Youth by Kashif Ross

Cavern of Youth by Kashif Ross:

Kay has a new life and identity, but he can't stop thinking about the past. The longer he's away from his abusive mother and Helios, the more he obsesses over them. In order to kill the woman that pitted him against Spencer, Kay re-enrolls at Colt Academy and watches his brother's every move.

Upon his return, Kay befriends a beautiful warrior that may have the hots for him. Unable to trust her intentions, he keeps his distance like he does with everyone else. Yet, his dark heart leads him back to Angie. Like his plan for Spencer to fight Helios, Kay develops a scheme to strengthen the gladiator princess. And this time, he's willing to put his life on the line.

Dennis convinces Kay to change his appearance, but it comes at a cost; he becomes half the man he once was. Without his power, Kay must use his intuition to sneak out of deadly situations. There's a parade of obstacles in his way, including his own fate, which many people know about, but he knows very little.

Excerpt:

Blurry images and very little color slowly merge into my world. Sadly, the first thing I hear is the most terrifying sound of all.

Hayley bursts through the hospital doors and that’s a bit difficult to do. Most of these barriers are a very heavy glass material and they automatically slide to the side. Obviously, she couldn’t wait.

Dennis runs in front of my large hospital bed. Carmen and Richard are still glaring at my motionless body.
They continue complaining about Malik until Hayley explodes, “Get out of my way, now!” Instantly, their eyes focus on the demon before them. She’s ready to slice through Dennis and it shows.

“He’s still not up.”

“He’s about to be!” Hayley jerks and stands upright. With a softer tone she asks, “Wait. Did he recover?”

“That’s the crazy part. The bandages were killing him last night, but like I told you over the phone, he jumped out of the bed and we found him in Casey’s classroom almost completely healed.”

“Has he recovered?” she angrily spouts one more time.

“Yes.”

That’s all the confirmation she needs to shove Dennis to the side and approach my gigantic bed. It’s so big, she has to crawl on it to reach me in the center. This spectacular cloud of delicious goodness was massaging my back, but even it senses the danger approaching. Once she reaches me, it shuts off.

An inch away from my ear she blares, “Get up now!” Hayley remorselessly grabs my cheeks with both hands and pinches them wildly. We both scream together as she lifts me from the bed. “Are you out of your mind? Who in the hell told you to jump off of a mile high building?”

“Fifty yard course,” I cry.

“Don’t give a damn. Are you out of your mind?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? Do you know, I was worried sick about you all night? Then I find out this morning that you got out of your damn bed and crawled down the stairs!”

“I took the elevator.”

“Shut the hell up.” Hayley throws me back on my pillow. She completes the assault by punching me in the leg. Each of her knuckles provide me with an incredible amount of pain. “I can hurt you now. Good!”

Buy Link:

Amazon

Add to Goodreads

Find Kashif Ross on Twitter

Anyone seen my bundle???

I'm still looking....

 

 

Somewhere on Amazon, is my Carnal bundle. You get three books for the price of one, Carnal Desires, Carnal Attraction and Carnal Denial. Now I've been told it will be there today, but I can't find it. Since I can't stick around to play hide-and-seek today , I'm going to make an offer you won't want to refuse. :)

The first person who can find the elusive link, and responds under this post with the link, will get a signed teeshirt with one of my Decadent covers. The second will get a set of my romance trading cards, and the third a pen.

 

The cover appears as you see it above, with all three stories.

 

BTW, I did spot Ms. Royce's Biker Bundle, but alas, my Carnal Series is bashful.

Release the hounds!