Falling Into Science Fiction Romance by Pippa Jay

I’d never considered myself a romance writer. As a teenager, romance novels meant the shelf of Barbara Cartland paperbacks belonging to my mum. Things I read only out of desperation when there was nothing else left in the house and I’d already spent my pocket money on the last stack of books. They were mostly bodice-ripping historicals that frankly I didn’t understand. No, two years ago I was a straight scifi/fantasy writer with a preference for character-driven stories rather than loads of techy descriptions. Romance didn’t figure.

 The first indication I got that Keir might not be the scifi I’d defined it as came after my husband read the first draft and said it was good but not his kind of thing. He also declared that it was ‘mushy stuff for girls.’ (Yeah, he got slapped for that). But it wasn’t until a couple of friends had read it too that the comment ‘this is a romance’ came up.

Seriously? A romance? But I don’t write romance!

But the more I looked at it, the more I realized my own characters had pulled a fast one on me. It was a romance, and now a whole new range of possibilities opened up. Instead of submitting it as a science fiction story, I subbed it as an sfr (a sub-genre I hadn’t even been aware of despite being a fan of Anne McCaffrey) and got offered a contract. Woo hoo!

My editor wasn’t satisfied with the romance elements however. She made me strengthen that aspect of the story, and I learned a heck of a lot about romantic tension in the process. Now I don’t seem able to write any story without at least an element of romance in it, but I’m happy with that.

So I’m proud to call myself an sfr author, and to be a part of that community of writers, with thanks to those who pointed me in the right direction with my story. “To infinity and beyond (with a kiss).”

So what makes a good science fiction romance story for you? A simple ‘will they/won’t they’ storyline? A love story set against galactic conquest? Love that’s doomed to fail? Please tell me in the comments (with your contact details) and I’ll choose a random winner to receive an e-book copy of Keir. And there’s more! To celebrate the official release date on the 7th May I’m offering a special prize over on my blog here, open internationally. You can also see the full list of blogs for the Keir Book Tour for more chances to win. All prize draws will take place after midnight BST in the UK on the 14th May. Good luck!

If you can’t wait to find out if you’re a winner, all new titles at Lyrical Press Inc are 30% off for the first week after release.

Keir - a science-fiction romance available 7th May 2012 from Lyrical Press Inc:

Blurb:

Outcast. Cursed. Dying. Is Keir beyond redemption?

For Keirlan de Corizi--the legendary 'Blue Demon' of Adalucien--death seems the only escape from a world where his discolored skin marks him as an oddity and condemns him to life as a pariah. But salvation comes in an unexpected guise: Tarquin Secker, a young woman who can travel the stars with a wave of her hand. 

But Quin has secrets of her own. She's spent eternity searching through space and time with a strange band of companions at her back. Defying her friends' counsel, Quin risks her apparent immortality to save Keir. She offers him sanctuary and a new life on her home world, Lyagnius.

When Keir mistakenly unleashes his dormant alien powers and earns instant exile from Quin's home world, will she risk everything to stand by him again?

Author Bio:

A stay-at-home mum of three who spent twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay bases her stories on a lifetime addiction to science-fiction books and films. Somewhere along the line a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. Besides torturing her characters, she spends the odd free moments trying to learn guitar, indulging in freestyle street dance and drinking high-caffeine coffee. Although happily settled in historical Colchester in the UK with her husband of 18 years, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Links: 

Blogsite: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @pippajaygreen http://twitter.com/pippajaygreen
Facebook: 
Keir - Beyond Redemption (book page) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Keir-Beyond-Redemption/114058821953752
Pippa Jay (profile) https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001581482219
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

 Book trailer:

A Chemical Romance by Pippa Jay

Love is one of the most common themes in creative arts. It’s considered part of the survival instinct, a drive that helps keep human beings together to ensure the continuation of the species. Perhaps that’s why it’s such a common theme, particularly in science fiction, where threats to the species can be so much bigger and catastrophic on a galactic, or even universal scale.

But how would that work for a relationship between two different species, as can happen in a science fiction romance? Would a species that might be physically compatible respond in the same way to the pheromones released by a human? What if they had the opposite effect? And if love in a human is the drive to mate and perpetuate the species, how does that work with a biologically incompatible partner? Will we ever find out for real!?Most of us are aware that love is supposedly the result of a cocktail of different chemicals surging round our bodies. That initial dizziness we feel, the racing heart, the sweaty palms and hot flushes are all down to the release of dopamine, norepinephrine and phenylethylamine. The feeling of bliss comes from the “pleasure drug” dopamine. The racing heart and excitement are due to the adrenaline-like norepinephrine. Together they produce elation, intense energy, sleeplessness, loss of appetite: all the classic symptoms of being in love. When a couple has sex, oxytocin is released during orgasm and creates an emotional bond. The more sex, the greater the bond.

So far most of my involved couples have been human (or relatively so!). But romance in science fiction where one or both of the characters isn’t human is part of what gives sfr a greater scope to explore. To pursue a whole range of ‘what ifs’ beyond the simple ‘will they/won’t they?’ get together. That’s what I love about science fiction romance, where a happily ever after may not just depend on that first kiss.

To celebrate I’m offering a random commentator (please leave an e-mail address!) the choice of either a $10 Amazon Gift Card or a $15 Gift Certificate from my publisher Lyrical Press Inc. Enjoy! J

Find me at: Pippa Jay - Adventures in Sci-fi

Follow me on Twitter as - @pippajaygreen

Keir - a science-fiction romance available 7th May 2012 from Lyrical Press Inc:

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=81&products_id=513

Blurb:

Outcast. Cursed. Dying. Is Keir beyond redemption?

For Keirlan de Corizi--the legendary 'Blue Demon' of Adalucien--death seems the only escape from a world where his discolored skin marks him as an oddity and condemns him to life as a pariah. But salvation comes in an unexpected guise: Tarquin Secker, a young woman who can travel the stars with a wave of her hand.

But Quin has secrets of her own. She's spent eternity searching through space and time with a strange band of companions at her back. Defying her friends' counsel, Quin risks her apparent immortality to save Keir. She offers him sanctuary and a new life on her home world, Lyagnius.

When Keir mistakenly unleashes his dormant alien powers and earns instant exile from Quin's home world, will she risk everything to stand by him again?



Be sure to check out previous posts from the Valentine's Day Bash for more chances to WIN!
Arlene Webb
Graylin Fox
Barbara Elsborg
Laurie A. Green
Jessica E. Subject
Jaleta Clegg
Heather Massey
Rebecca Royce