Different World, Different Rules ~ Guest Post by Lolita Lopez & $100 GC #Giveaway #scifirom

Different World, Different Rules

Guest Post by Lolita Lopez

The most exciting part about writing sci-fi romances is that there are few rules that can't be broken. If you can dream it up and find a way to make it plausible, you can write it.

Ships with constant gravity? Yep. Interstellar travel? Check! A planet orbited by three moons? Why not! Earth human colonists living in the far reaches of the galaxy? Sure! Big, sexy men who are at least seven feet tall and deliciously muscular? Um…yes, please!

Writing about life on other planets also allows me to play with different cultural norms. The premise of the Grabbed series—that Earth descendants who have colonized a small planet under the protection of a warrior race called the Harcos hold a quarterly lottery to provide brides to these super sexy sky men—wouldn't fly on real Earth. You can't just go around chasing women through the woods, collaring them and taking them home where you plan to make sweet, sweet love to them. Like—people get arrested for that sort of thing, you know?

But, if you create a whole new world where the cultural ideas are slightly shifted from what we consider to be good and right and true and where those taboo tropes like capture fantasy are accepted…well…you get some interesting possibilities for your erotic romance!

Saved by Venom

By Lolita Lopez

Grabbed, Book Three

Synopsis: 

To escape her father's debt to a loan shark, Dizzy seeks refuge in the upcoming Grab. She’d rather belong to one of those terrifying sky warriors from the battleship Valiant than to the sleazy criminal who wants her as his plaything.

The years of constant war haven’t been kind to highly decorated sniper Venom. Only the promise of earning a wife kept him going through deadly battles. Catching and collaring Dizzy fills him with incredible hope. Finally he has a woman of his own, a mate to love—and bind and adorn with his ropes.

After a brazen Splinter attack, the Shadow Force uncovers secrets about Dizzy’s late mother that entangle her in a web of deceit. To save Venom, her father and an operative named Terror, Dizzy digs deep and risks it all.

Venom refuses to stand idly by while Dizzy’s haunted past threatens the future they’re trying to build. He finally has a reason for living—and he’s not giving her up.

A little about the character Venom:

Rank: Land Corps Captain, SRU second-in-command

Specialty: Sniper

Mate: Dizzy

Ranked as the third best shot in the entire land corps force, Venom is nonetheless the most deadly of all their snipers. During the Sendarian siege, he volunteered to take a risky position outside the wire to keep the desperately needed supply routes open. Haunted by that battle, he lives for the day he can take a mate. Currently, he's the second-in-command of the SRU Alpha Team aboard the Valiant.

Sneak Peek Excerpt:

Dizzy gasped at the terrible, pained shout that echoed in the forest. Birds scattered as the guttural groan tore the stillness. She slid to a stop in the freezing cold snow and tried to slow her ragged breaths. Was that a man?

Was it the man?

She gulped hard and licked her lips. Glancing back in the direction of the awful sound, she tried to decide what to do. A sky warrior like the rugged, intimidating one who had been eying her would only make a sound like that if he was in big trouble.

The race officials had warned them that people hunted in these wounds. The gun laws out here weren’t like the strict zero-tolerance laws in The City. It was rumored everyone in the sticks had a weapon.

Maybe the sky warrior chasing her had been shot? Did he need help?

She warred with her conscience only a moment before exhaling roughly and turning back in the direction she’d come. Pressing a hand to her temple, she tried to gain control over the dizziness threatening to swamp her. She hated this damn sickness! Running and playing had been nearly impossible as a child. She couldn’t predict when the waves of nausea and dizziness would hit her but they usually happened at the worst times.

Like right now.

Bracing herself on a tree, Dizzy closed her eyes. She inhaled steadying breaths and performed a series of slow maneuvers that usually helped abate the uncomfortable swirling some. Today, thankfully, it worked. She managed to get moving again without feeling like she was going to puke or fall flat on her face.

The sounds of a struggle met her ears. She heard rattling chains and grunting. Hiding behind a tree, Dizzy licked her lips and gathered her courage before sliding to the side and peeking out at him.

Seated on the snow, he gripped a long, thick chain in both gloved hands and jerked hard. Her eyes widened at his shocking display of strength. When her gaze moved lower, she gasped at the sight of the awful-looking trap closed around his lower leg. The snow around his leg remained white and pristine so he wasn’t bleeding badly. Even so, the injury he would sustain if the trap wasn’t removed quickly would be a terrible one.

Trembling with cold and fear, she stepped out from behind the tree and revealed herself to him. His gaze snapped to her and she took a nervous step back. He let the chain fall from his hands. The tension eased from his face, softening his harsh features and making him look less vicious. They stared at one another for the longest time.

Finally, Dizzy found enough courage to move closer to him. Her footsteps crunched on the firm, packed snow. He glanced at her bare feet and scowled. “Why the hell did you take off your shoes?”

Taken aback by his gruff tone, she froze in place. Squeaking with fright, she explained, “The soles were too slippery. I nearly face-planted on a tree stump and decided it wasn’t worth the risk.”

He grunted. “You’ll care when you lose those toes to frostbite.”

Her stomach trembled violently and she stared at her frigid feet. “Are you serious? Am I really going to lose my toes?”

Available From:

Ellora’s Cave | Amazon | B&N

Author Bio:

While browsing bookstore shelves as a teenager, Lo discovered the erotic writings of Anaïs Nin and A.N. Roquelaure. Certain her mother would not approve, Lo smuggled the books home and squirreled them away in the most likely of places: under her bed. Late at night, she delved into the sensual worlds both writers created.

As a co-ed studying biochemistry and genetics at Texas A&M University, Lo dabbled in creating naughty tales to entertain her friends. Study for a midterm or pen a deliciously dirty story to delight her small band of fans? Not surprisingly, Lo is now on an extended sabbatical from college.

Luckily, Lo stumbled onto the world of erotic romance publishers. She realized there were other readers and writers who loved and craved breathtaking romance with the spiciest of love scenes. She took a chance and submitted her first novella. The rest is history.

Lo lives in Texas with her Viking throwback of a husband and mischievous preschool-aged daughter. She also writes super sexy romances and scorching hot erotica under the pen name Roxie Rivera.

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Top Ten Words of an Alien Vocabulary - Guest Post by @CaraBristol #scifirom #Breeder

Top Ten Words of an alien vocabulary

By Cara Bristol

Reality creates language, but language creates reality too. An author uses words in the literal sense to tell a story. But within the story, words have a message of their own. Here are ten “Parseon” words that contribute to the reality of Breeder, a science fiction erotic romance.

Baronian Ilyx – A mammal with a leathery flat tail, embedded with slightly venomous quills.

Sudon – A paddle made from the tail of the Baronian Ilyx. Although the quills are removed, protrusions in the stiff leather remain and retain trace amounts of venom. A padding with a sudon creates fierce stinging.

Protocol – A compilation of law and culture, the ultimate authority. Protocol divides the race into castes, and deems females as inferior, unworthy beings. Protocol makes loving a breeder illegal.

Drakor – Literally a carrion-eating rodent, but to call someone a drakor is the vilest insult. Drakor is most often used to describe social deviants.

Breeder Containment Facility – a warehouse for females awaiting purchase/breeding.

Alpha – An alpha (lower case) is a male who tested and deemed by Protocol to be physically fit, strong, aggressive and dominant. By virtue of their superior genetics, only alphas are permitted to reproduce. An Alpha (uppercase) denotes one of only five ruling Commanders of planet Parseon.

Beta – A male of secondary status. Betas have been tested and deemed by Protocol to lack aggression and dominance, so they fulfill the support functions of Parseon society and serve as domestic partners to alphas. It’s been said that betas can be exceptionally cruel.

Breeder – Female. The most inferior, substandard members of society. Their primary function is to serve as reproductive incubators for alphas. Their secondary function is an ancillary sexual outlet for betas. Few alphas would lower themselves to engage in intercourse with a breeder—except for mating or to take possession of another alphas property.

Bridge of Amity – A formal ritualized gesture/position ostensibly used to demonstrate friendship. In reality, the first one to initiate a bridge of amity in effect neutralizes an enemy’s defenses.

Enclave – a settlement of drakor. A group of males who have accepted females as their betas.

There’s a word that’s not on this list because it doesn’t exist in the Parseon language….love.

BREEDER by Cara Bristol:

To secure his legacy, Commander Dak, a ruling Alpha of planet Parseon, purchases Omra, a breeder slave. He intends to impregnate her, produce a son, and hand her off to his anointed beta partner. As Dak and Omra discover a sexual bliss banned by law, he begins to question the traditions and ways of his people, causing him to jeopardize his command and endanger the life of the woman he has come to love.

Breeder explores the concepts of gender roles and social prohibitions against deviant behavior. It includes graphic M/F and some M/M sexual content and violence, including nonconsensual domestic discipline.

Available from:

Loose ID | Amazon | All Romance

Excerpt from Breeder:

If not for the sneeze, Dak would have exited the musty, dank corridor. But the muffled sound caught his attention. When he squinted into the darkened cell, he spotted a female crouched on a straw mat in the corner. He hadn’t noticed her on his way into the Breeder Containment Facility; the habitation unit had appeared empty.

Dak turned to the BCF director and sighed. “What about her?”

The beta’s already crooked mouth drooped farther in distaste. “My apologies, Commander. You don’t want that one.”

Sival’s disparagement piqued Dak’s interest. The director’s opinion had proven worthless; none of the breeders he’d preselected for inspection had rated close to satisfactory.

“I would like to see her,” Dak insisted.

“Very well, Commander.” Sival saluted and opened the habitation cell with a master entry card. Dak stepped into the small enclosure. The director followed, and the metal gate clanked shut.

The naked female drew into a tighter ball and tucked her face deeper into the crook of her arm. Other breeders had preened as soon as they’d noticed him and his chest-insignia identification. He wasn’t just an alpha. He was the Alpha.

This breeder’s lack of respect and failure to adhere to Protocol by acknowledging his presence struck him as odd. Dak frowned. “Is she mentally deficient?”

Sival tightened his lips. “No, stubborn, ill behaved. She would not befit an Alpha Commander.” He nudged the female’s hip with the toe of his boot. “Rise to your feet.” She did not respond, and he moved to prod her again. Dak forestalled him with a wave and grasped the female’s arm.

“You will stand.” He hauled her upright. She averted her face, so he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. Tangled hair the color of black heating stones fell back from an oval face to reveal eyes like the Parseon moon. The glimmer of intelligence that sparked within the violet depths aroused his interest more than anything else he’d seen so far. Nature had bestowed the Parseon people with an exceptionally strong immune system so that they rarely required medical intervention, but breeders by nature were weak, and so many of the ones he’d seen had seemed dull or ill or both. This one’s skin, when unsmudged by grime and dirt, probably glowed like the pale sands of the Ospian Sea. He supposed, as breeders went, she wasn’t unattractive, although the stench emanating from her was. His beta would throw a fit if he dragged such a creature into their domicile.

“Why is she so filthy?” he asked.

“She refuses to bathe.”

As Dak scrutinized her facial features for shape and symmetry, he noted little imperfection or dysgenics other than her lack of hygiene and her gender. When cleaned up, she would please the eye, but to bear his sons, it mattered more that she be healthy and strong.

He released her face, stepped back, and assessed her from head to toe. He exceeded the height of most males, alphas included, while she stood smaller than the average female. The top of her head failed to even meet his shoulder. She was thinner than other breeders too, although her chest bore an abundance of fatty breast tissue. In the chill of the cell, her nipples had puckered to hard points. Despite the coolness, he was experiencing a rise in temperature. A dormant lust chose that moment to kindle, causing heat to coil in his abdomen and groin. He could not remember the last time he’d experienced such a spontaneous reaction—if he ever had. With the pads of his fingers, he probed the sides of her neck for swollen areas. The way she trembled under his touch aroused a sliver of sympathy. Breeders lacked courage, and uncertainty frightened them. Not all alphas and their betas treated breeders well. If he chose her, she would be adequately fed and housed. His command consumed his time and energy, which left his beta alone for long stretches. A breeder would relieve Corren of household chores and provide him with a physical outlet as well.

“What is she called?” Dak asked.

“Her sire named her Omra.”

Peace, it meant.

He parted Omra’s lips with his fingers and slipped a digit into her mouth, running it along her upper gum line to check the solidness of her teeth. At a flash in her eyes, he jerked his hand away a centisecond before she snapped her jaws together, so that her incisor only grazed the tip of his finger.

Sival’s face reddened. “Commander, I apologize. I will have her flogged.”

“Unnecessary. I will take care of it.” He unclipped the sudon from his belt.

You can find CARA BRISTOL here:

Author website | Twitter @CaraBristol | Facebook

Friend, Lovers and Enemies - Guest post by @ChandraRyan #SFR #polyamory

Friends, Lovers and Enemies.

Guest post by Chandra Ryan

It’s been said that hate isn’t the opposite of love. Hate has too much passion, too much heat to be. If you’re looking for the opposite of love, you have to turn toward apathy. But when you’re in the middle of a good old-fashioned feud, love might just be the furthest thing on your mind.

Then again, if there’s a history, if it was love that drove you to hate, love might not be as far away as one might hope. And that’s the spot one of my heroes, Ben, finds himself in with my newest book, Shared Objectives.

Ben and Lisa had been in a relationship two years ago. One that ended when he found out she is a geneticist working for the government. Being a genetically altered soldier who is fighting for a rebel organization, she is clearly Ben’s enemy. Which, in his mind, meant she’d been using him.

And when they’re forced to reunite two years later, he’s still carrying that hatred. But he’s going to need more than anger to keep their old chemistry from affecting him, especially when one of his friends, Dixie, starts having feelings for Lisa. He’ll have to find a way to make peace with the past or he stands to lose more than just his lover this time.

 

Blurb:

Universal Defiance, Book Two

When Lisa and her son are rescued from a military prison, one look at the genetically altered mercenary who carries her to freedom puts some racy ideas into her head. Dixie is strong, handsome and kind, an unfamiliar combination. Her job as a government geneticist usually sends men running, not rushing to her aid.

Unfortunately Dixie isn’t alone. Lisa’s ex, Ben, is another member of the Coalition, the band of rebels fighting against the government that locked up Lisa. After their split two years ago, she never thought she’d have to face his scorn again. But now she has to work with him without giving in to old temptations. Or so she thinks.

The men need her for her genetics skills. When they discover they’re both attracted to her, they have to find a way to share or risk destroying their friendship. And Lisa finds that two sets of sexy hands all over her body are hotter than one.

Inside Scoop: This ménage features a kiss between two men that sparks a plan to steal a woman’s heart.

A Romantica® futuristic erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Excerpt:

The man sitting at the computer terminals turned to face her for the first time and Lisa’s blood went cold. At least now she knew who had her. She’d been taken by the Coalition. She’d never be able to forget his face or who he worked for.

Her grip on Nate tightened as she fought back a wave of fear. This was the one man who had a claim on Nate. He could take her baby from her and she couldn’t do anything to stop him. Laws didn’t apply to those who fought to bring down the lawmakers. “Hello, Ben.” Her voice was soft as she said his name. “Long time no see.”

Ben smirked at her. “So you managed to get knocked up by one of us, then?”

His voice held condescension even over the static of the microphone. But his arrogance actually helped her relax. If he didn’t know Nate belonged to him, he wouldn’t fight her for their child. “What can I say? Looks as though I was just a whore for the government after all.” She managed to glare at him as she repeated the final words he’d yelled at her the last time they’d been together. Two years was a long time, but it felt as if mere seconds had passed as she stared at him.

He just shrugged and then reached into one of his cargo pant pockets to pull out a sealed syringe package. “I tried to warn you about their retirement plan.” He passed her the medicine and then returned to his station.

“Thank you.” The words had to be forced through gritted teeth but she still managed to get them out.

“I’m not doing it for you.”

His words hurt almost as much as watching her son waste away in her arms. She’d loved him once. And she’d been naïve enough to believe the words he’d whispered against her skin. Once he’d found out who she worked for, though, his words hadn’t been nearly so nice or inviting. “Yeah, you made your feelings about me clear the last time we spoke.” She used the excuse of taking the injection out of the package to not have to look at him. Thankfully, as she injected the chemical into her baby, she could almost see his health improve. “I’m trying to be gracious for the sake of my son.”

“No need. He’s one of us and we take care of our own.”

If you want to know more, you can find Shared Objectives on Amazon, Ellora’s Cave, or on my website: www.ChandraRyan.com

What About The Cats? Guest Post by @MariaHammarblad #scifirom #OperationEarth

WHAT ABOUT THE CATS?

Guest Post by Maria Hammarblad

Cats? What in the galaxy is this woman babbling about? Cats?

They’re relevant to my book. Honest!

In the first draft of Operation Earth the book had one cat: the heroine’s. This feline is named BonBon after my dog Bonnie, and she plays a big part in Rachael’s life.

Sometimes people ask why so many of my characters have cats; I’m more known for being a dog person. It just turns out that way. I like cats, I just don’t have one living with me right now. My heroines are often cat people, or end up in a setting where a cat seems… right.

Anyway, BonBon has an important part in the story. Rachael wants to be a good kitty mom, she talks to the cat, and worries for the cat. When the alien Peter first comes into their lives, BonBon hides from him. It goes like this:

The cat trotted out of the bedroom, stared at him, and froze. A moment later it fled across the room, seeking shelter under the sofa.

“Bonbon?”

Peter sighed.

“She knows I’m not of this world. Animals never like us.”

“Really? They know?”

Maybe the intruders were different on a level so deep only an animal’s senses could detect it. Her first instinct was to try to soothe the cat, but if he was right, nothing she did or said would help.

Later in the story Peter gains the cat’s trust. This is an unprecedented event, but it had to happen. I don’t think Rachael would ever have trusted him if Bonbon remained under the sofa, hissing at his feet. I sure don’t trust people my dogs don’t like; they’re much better judges of character than I am.

My editor is a big cat lover and cat rescuer, and she helped me tweak the details to make the cat more believable. She also suggested that if one cat could take to one alien, maybe the same thing happened in more places. Since the aliens have always been shunned by animals, maybe they in turn were fascinated with the kitties, and brought some to the mother ship. Given a little time, they’ll probably take over.

Reviewers and blog hosts who read the book have asked, “Why cats? Wouldn’t other animals be easier to 
get along with?” Now you know. =)

Operation Earth by Maria Hammarblad

Seven billion people on Earth go about their daily lives, and no one is prepared when a global EMP slows the world to a crawl. With all our technology incapacitated, everything changes. Within days alien soldiers line the streets, and life will never be the same. In the midst of chaos, Rachael Hill struggles to adapt to the new order, doing her best to keep herself and her cat alive.

On a ship far above the planet surface, Peter just got his new Earth name, and can’t even remember his identity from the last world he visited. It’s another day on the job, one more planet on a never-ending list. That is, until Rachael bumps into him, dropping exotic objects all around his feet. His culture taught him females should be obeyed and protected, but he never had an urge to leave himself at a woman’s mercy until now.

Rachael’s neighbor Ryan hounds her to join a brewing resistance movement and make a stand against the newcomers. She still befriends Peter, enthralled by his enigmatic personality and hypnotic golden eyes. Would falling in love with an alien be treason against humanity? When the rebellion gains momentum and open conflict with the newcomers is a fact, Rachael’s personal insurrection might be her doom, or bring salvation to us all.

Published August 11 2013 by Desert Breeze Publishing.

Available From: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Maria Hammarblad:

Born in Sweden in the early 1970's, Maria showed a large interest for books at an early age. Even before she was able to read or write, she made her mom staple papers together into booklets she filled with drawings of suns and planets. She proudly declared them, "The Sun Book." They were all about the sun. She also claimed, to her mother's horror, that her being on Earth was a big mistake and that her alien family would come and bring her home at any moment. This never happened, but both the interest in space and the passion for bookmaking stayed with her.

As an adult Maria's creativity got an outlet through playing bass in a number of rock bands, and through writing technical manuals and making web pages for various companies and organizations. She did write drafts for a few novels, but the storytelling muse was mostly satisfied through role playing online on Myspace. It was here, while writing stories together with people from around the globe, she stumbled onto Mike. They started talking out of character, and she moved over to Florida to him late 2008. Today the two are married and live in the Tampa Bay area with three rescue dogs.

Besides writing and playing bass, Maria enjoys driving off-road, archery, and Tameshigiri.

Upcoming releases

Borealis XII, to be released by Desert Breeze Publishing October 11, 2013

Fun Facts

Favorite color: Blue
Favorite food: Chicken with cashew nuts
Doesn't eat: Mammals
Favorite TV Show: Star Trek TNG and Leverage
Favorite animal: Border Collie
Quotes: "Full Speed Ahead" and "Caffeine is good for you"

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

A New Release from Melisse Aires & a Giveaway!!

Please welcome Melisse Aires to Backward Momentum to tell us about her new release, Starwoman's Sanctuary!

About the book~

I wrote Starwoman's Sanctuary thinking of all the work charity institutions have done through the years to help people in need. I have a friend who works with the local food banks and admire her dedication--it is more than a job.

I went to Catholic school as did my mother and I have good memories of nuns who taught, who loved me and my family. My mother, a child in the Depression with eleven siblings, remembers the sisters giving them Nickles so they could go to the movies and remembered a Christmas when they came home from church to find bags of food and treats on the porch, highlights of her childhood.

Another influence--the old movie Father Goose. If you've never seen it you should!

So I wanted to write a character who made choices in her life to help the helpless. We meet Skyleen as she is ready to 'retire', she has established a healthy Sanctuary.

http://amzn.com/B00E89RK1G


My Easy Contest!
 In celebration of Starwoman's Sanctuary release, I'm having a giveaway!

10 people will receive an ebook copy of Starwoman's Sanctuary

One Grand Prize Winner!
One person will receive all three Diaspora Worlds books and this lovely necklace (North America addresses only.)

A variety of dog tooth amethyst strung with 8mm round green aventurine  beads, and silver spacer beads. Large rectangle amethyst focal bead with faceted coin and smaller rectangle amethyst. Adjustable length with S hook closure 19-21 inches. Natural stone variations.

Amethyst qualities: Help with depressions, stimulates inspiration and contributes to inner peace.

PLUS, necklace reflects the colors in Starwoman's Sanctuary Cover!

To enter Drawing, simply LIKE my new Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/DiasporaWorldsMelisseAires 

A drawing will be held Aug 20th.

No Aliens - Guest Post by Author Cathy Pegau

Three Reasons I Don’t Write Aliens

And Three Reasons Maybe I Should

Guest Post by Cathy Pegau

At this point, I haven’t written alien species as the main characters or hero/heroine in my science fiction romance. Not that I have anything against them. Some of my best friends are from space. No wait, that’s spacey. Never mind. Anyway, all of the inhabitants of my worlds are plain ol’ human beings. Here are some reasons why I stick to the species I know best (even if the men make me shake my head in wonder at times : ) And reasons why maybe I should give the green guys a try ; )

1.      Known biology. For the most part, I know how humans function. By using them, I don’t have to worry about all that messy science : P Kidding. I love biology. Creating a new species has its appeal; I just haven’t had the inspiration to do so.

On the other hand….There are GOBS of configurations of body parts and subsequent positionings that could make a story…um…interesting. Create your own species? Hmm. Give them sensitive areas or erogenous zones that aren’t typical or expected? Hmmm…

2.      What are the chances of humanoid life out there? I’m guessing pretty low. For the sake of my novels, the species we’ve encountered aren’t more intelligent than animals, let alone candidates for potential mates.

On the other hand…The point of speculative fiction is to, in fact, speculate! What if there are species just waiting for us to reach a certain maturity? Or on their way and we have yet to invent the technology to detect them? There are many reasons why we haven’t bumped into aliens at this point, but that doesn’t mean we won’t. Just because we’re barely out of our own cosmic backyard doesn’t mean we’re alone in the neighborhood.

3.      The Human Condition. I’m no expert in this field (or any other, for that matter) but like most writers I’m fascinated by human interaction. Why are these two people attracted to each other? What is it about the other person that makes them rail and shake their fists while wanting to kiss them? How can the characters get over their differences (some of which are so opposing they’re often enemies in the beginning of romances) to come together (heheh. “come together” heheh. Sorry. Carry on…)

On the other hand…What better way to explore our humanity than through the eyes (or whatever ocular mechanism) of an alien species? And if there is a way for two characters to be any more different and possibly at odds than by being different species, I’d like to know what it is.

So I guess there’s no real reason for me NOT to take a stab at an alien romance. But I’ll tell you right now, I think I will be drawing the line at anything that includes tentacles. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

********************************************************

Cathy Pegau can’t seem to write anything that doesn’t include some sort of foray into a different reality. Her debut novel, Rulebreaker, came out in August 2011. Her second novel from Carina Press, Caught in Amber, releases January 28, 2013. The third book set on the mining colony of Nevarro, Deep Deception, comes out in May 2013.

Pre-order Caught in Amber at Amazon

Check out it out at Carina Press

Find Cathy at her website.

Or drop her a note on Twitter or Facebook

Building An Avatar - Guest Post by Pippa Jay

Say avatar to most people these days, and they either think of the little images we now use on social media sites such as Twitter, or perhaps the James Cameron film with the big blue aliens. But it has an older meaning...

av·a·tar

[av-uh-tahr, av-uh-tahr] 

noun

1.Hindu Mythology - the descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form or some manifest shape; the incarnation of a god.

2.an embodiment or personification, as of a principle, attitude, or view of life.

In Terms & Conditions Apply, the main avatar is Ganesa - the physical manifestation of the AI aboard space station Venus Ascendant. Ganesa considers herself the incarnation of Venus - the Roman Goddess of Love. Combined with her omniprescient abilities as the station’s AI and the principle that VA is actually meant as a place for lovers to fulfil their dreams, she comes close to matching the original definition. 

For my story I gave her some sub-avatars - artificial constructs just like Ganesa, but linked to her and working in a subsidiary fashion, helping to ensure the smooth running of the station and the happiness of her visiting clientele. They’re replicas of a real human, with that human's persona and memories imprinted into the copy. So my male MC - Soren - isn't a digital image or a human/alien hybrid powered by a genetically compatible human mind. He's a mechanical construct, designed to be as close to his human original as possible, and with all his memories of the human life he lived before. And while he's linked to the AI, he's still capable of autonomy. Despite being contracted to work on the space station and bound in return for his maintenance, he's allowed a certain freedom of choice. He chooses Marie - even if she isn't particularly flattered at the start. But being as close to his original humanity with all the emotions and complexities of human nature comes with a price.

Excerpt

“Look, no offence, but your only purpose on this station is to please the clients, and while you’re doing a pretty good job of making me feel a little better, I just got dumped by the love of my life and I’m not up for some construct trying to have sex with me.” The words spilled out in a torrent, and she bit her lip as she finished.

“I see.” The easy smile that had graced his perfect lips faded for the first time. “You are one of those who believe that the AI’s sub-avatars are no more than programmed pleasure machines, solely for sex. That we have no personality—no feelings.”

His comment sparked a sudden pang of guilt. “You mean you’re not just a machine?”

He gazed at her, as if considering the question. “We are artificial constructs, built to serve the AI, to be an extension of it and to ensure that everyone on Venus Ascendant is happy. But that doesn’t make us mere ciphers. Each of us carries memories from a real person, one who either chose this existence in preference to the many kinds of death they were facing, or as penance for a crime.”

“Some of you are criminals?” she squeaked. That wasn’t in the station’s blurb!

 “Oh, not the dangerous ones. We are incapable of harm.” A smile lifted the corner of his mouth, and he leaned forward to run a finger up the inside of her wrist. The tiny gesture sent tingles skittering over her skin and she caught her breath. “Unless harm is our client’s preference, of course.”

“What was your crime?”

He snatched his hand back. “I never said I was a criminal.”

“Then what were you?”

To find that out you’ll have to read the whole story. <evil grin>

Buy it in all digital formats from Smashwords.com

Also available from Amazon US, Amazon UK and Kobo

Coming soon to B&N

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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. Between 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 19 years, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

LINKS:

Blogsite: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  @pippajaygreen 

Facebook:  Keir - Beyond Redemption (book page) & Pippa Jay (profile)

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

Guest Post: What Makes a Great SFR story by Jenna Bennett, author of Fortune's Hero

Sometime last year, I was asked if I’d care to give a quote about “the duality of Science Fiction and Romance that make SFR such a great mixed genre,” for an article the wonderful Heidi Ruby Miller – herself a science fiction romance author – was writing.

You can read the whole thing here, if you like. 

There are a lot of great quotes from a lot of great authors, most of them a lot more eloquent than me. My quote – “space guys are hot” – makes me sound rather more shallow than I like to think I am, to be honest.

I actually had some pretty deep thoughts on the matter.

The way I see it, science fiction has traditionally been a male genre, with more male writers and more male readers. Please note that I’m not saying “only,” because there are certainly some fantastic female science fiction writers out there, and quite a few female science fiction readers too. One of my favorite authors in the entire universe, who just happens to write some excellent science fiction, is Lois McMaster Bujold. She’s female, and I’d venture to call her one of the great SF writers of our – or any – time. Those five Hugo awards speak for themselves, I think, along with the additional six nominations. So do the three Nebulas (and five nominations) not to mention the three Locus awards.

If I can grow up to write half as well as she does, I’ll be a happy camper.

But Lois notwithstanding, and others like her (Ursula LeGuin, Anne McCaffrey and Andre Norton – who, yes, was female), I think the genre is more heavily weighed toward men, possibly because of the science aspect. And the weapons. Boys like their weapons.

In that respect, science fiction is a lot like the old-fashioned western, only with spaceships instead of horses and with laser blasters instead of six cylinder Colt .45s. 

(And don’t get me going on the phallic-shaped spaceships thrusting through the blackness of space. Just... don’t.) 

In both westerns and SF you have the traditional outlaw hero, larger than life, gun on his hip, chasing down the bad guys and restoring order to lawless territory. But in science fiction, the scope is so much bigger: it isn’t about saving the ranch, or even the town, hell, not even the country—the hero can save whole worlds!

So what makes a great SFR story?

There’s the hot space guy, of course.

I mean, Han Solo? We’ve all been in love with him for so long we don’t even realize how much he’s done to shape romance heroes over the past thirty years, just by being himself.

There’s the kickass space girl.

Not that she always has to be kickass, but she can be, and that’s nice. It’s the future, after all, and women don’t have to abide by 19th century rules for proper behavior. Not like the old damsel in distress tied to the railroad tracks. In SFR, a damsel in distress can rescue herself – and her guy, while she’s at it.

Having a bad guy – or guys – help. Someone to juxtapose the hero and heroine. Something to overcome.

Throw in a few otherworldly critters – flesh-burrowing worms, spider-scorpions, poisonous water-snakes, and lizards that make you blister when they touch you – and you’re golden.

It’s like anything else, you know. Boy meets girl, boy looses girl, boy saves the world and gets girl back.

Amid phallic-shaped spaceships thrusting through the blackness of space. 

So what about you? What do you think makes a good story, in science fiction romance or elsewhere?

~*~*~

Excerpt from Fortune's Hero:

Quinn Conlan was bleeding to death.

Slowly, steadily, one drop at a time. One big-ass drop. He could feel the mechanism at his wrist working, opening and closing the artery to let the blood ebb and flow. At this rate, he calculated, it would take him about an hour to bleed out.

Down on the floor, a few of the drops turned into a trickle, and he watched as it made its slow way to the big drain in the middle of the room. And down it went, soon to be followed by others. Many others.

He put his head back and closed his eyes.

It wasn’t a bad way to go. It wouldn’t be quick, but it was mostly painless. A slight burn in his wrist every time the mechanism opened to let another few minutes of his life hit the floor. But compared to the other things that had been done to him in this room, it was nothing. The med tech had made sure of that. They weren’t trying to hurt him. Not this time. By now, they must have realized that pain wouldn’t make him talk. Been there, done that. Kept his mouth shut. So they’d decided to let him sit here instead, perfectly still, perfectly conscious, perfectly unable to move, as he watched his life drain away, drop by drop by drop. An hour from now, when his limbs were weak and darkness started to descend over his eyes, they’d expect him to call for help. That he’d start babbling, and tell them what they wanted to know.

Fat chance.

They’d brought him within a hairsbreadth of death before and revived him each time. Always their choice, never his. And this time would be no different. He wouldn’t call for help, and they’d wait until it was almost too late to save him—almost, but not quite—and then they’d bring him back. Again.

Damn Rhenians. Never satisfied.

Quinn never thought there’d come a day when he’d welcome death. Always figured he’d fight to the bitter end. Beat death, or die trying. But when it came down to it, it hadn’t taken long. Just a few months in the prison camp on Marica-3, and weekly sessions with the camp’s medical team—the best in the galaxy, both when it came to bringing a prisoner to death’s door and to making sure he didn’t walk through it—and here he was, ready and willing to die.

Hell, scratch ready and willing. Try eager. He’d die now, this hour, this very minute, if he could cheat them out of being able to revive him again. If he could will himself stone dead right now, he’d do it.

A sound at the door brought his head up. The exsanguination must be happening more quickly than he thought, because it was already a little harder to move, and a little more difficult to make his eyes focus.

“Good afternoon, Captain Conlan.”

A woman. They’d sent him a fucking woman.

And not just any woman. He recognized this one. She’d been at his earlier sessions, standing in the background taking notes while the doctor injected him with something that made him feel like he was being boiled alive. She’d watched out of those cool, green eyes as he writhed in pain and screamed until his voice was gone. Writing on her goddamn clipboard. With not a flicker of emotion on that perfect alabaster face.

Ice bitch.

Quinn wet his lips and cajoled his rusty vocal chords into cooperating. “Come to watch the big finish, sweetheart?”

Her eyes flicked to his, the clear green of glacier ice under brows the shape of bird wings. “It doesn’t have to end this way.”

Her voice was lovely, as cool and clear as those eyes. And as devoid of emotion. If he’d had the strength, Quinn would have laughed. As it was, all he could manage was a smile, and a weak one at that. “Sure it does.”

She monitored the progress of the blood flow from his wrist between glances at his face. “You could tell them what they want to know.”

Them. Like she wasn’t part of the same unholy alliance.

Quinn shook his head. “Sorry, sweetheart. Not gonna happen.”

One of those exquisite eyebrows raised. “You would rather take the whereabouts of the rebels to the grave with you? I’m not so sure they would return the favor. Are you certain you aren’t sacrificing yourself for nothing?”

It would be almost laughable if he wasn’t twenty minutes from bleeding to death.

“I think we both know that ain’t gonna happen, sweetheart. Ten minutes from now, just when I think it might be too late to revive me, someone’s gonna run in here and pump me full of synthetic blood. And next week I’ll be back in this room with high and mighty Doctor Sterling and his toys again. We both know it, so let’s just stop pretending.”

He looked away. Down to the floor in time to see another sizable trickle of blood head down the drain.

For a second, nothing happened. Then he heard her heels click on the floor, a quick, angry rhythm. At the door, she turned for a final salvo. “You think you’re so smart, Captain Conlan. But we’re smarter. You’ll see.”

The door opened and shut with a slam.

“Yeah, yeah,” Quinn said, and closed his eyes again to wait for the darkness. With any luck, he’d be unconscious for a day or two before he woke up and realized he was back in hell.

Again.

~*~*~

Fortune's Hero by Jenna Bennett: 

To ensure their survival on a hostile planet, an escaped prisoner and his hostage must forge a partnership that changes them from enemies to reluctant allies and – eventually – to lovers.

Last year, space smuggler Quinn Conlan was on top of the world. He had everything a man could want: a fast ship, a great crew, a gorgeous girlfriend, lots of money, and adventure and excitement around every corner.

That all changed when he agreed to ferry a shipload of weapons to the beleaguered planet Marica, currently under siege by Rhenian forces. Now he’s stuck in a prison camp on the moon Marica-3, subjected to weekly sessions with the camp’s “medical team,” and praying for a quick death before he breaks under the torture and spills everything he knows about the Marican resistance.

When the opportunity presents itself, Quinn takes a Rhenian med tech hostage and heads into the inhospitable interior of the small moon. There, he has to keep himself and Doctor Elsa Brandeis safe from the deadly flora and fauna, as well as hidden from the prison guards searching for them, all while formulating a plan for getting his crew out of prison, his ship out of impound, and everyone out of orbit.

But when Elsa professes her love, can Quinn take the beautiful doctor at her word, or will trusting her—and his heart—condemn him and his crew to an eternity on Marica-3? 

~*~*~

Author Bio 

New York Times bestselling author Jennie Bentley/Jenna Bennett writes the Do It Yourself home renovation mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, and the Cutthroat Business mysteries for her own gratification. For Entangled Publishing, she writes a variety of romance, from contemporary to futuristic and from paranormal to romantic suspense. Her most recent release is Fortune’s Hero, first in the Soldiers of Fortune series of science fiction romantic suspense novels. For more information about the Fortune series or any of her other books, please visit her website, www.jennabennett.com