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.

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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.

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When Family Reunions Attack! - Guest Post by author Diane Dooley & Giveaway!!

Hi, everyone! I’m Diane Dooley and I’m here to chat about my recent release, Blue Nebula, from Carina Press. Blue Nebula is the sequel to Blue Galaxy, also from Carina Press. Much happens in both books, but some of the recurring events/themes in Blue Nebula are reunions of the family variety. Here’s a snippet from one of them:

Sola sensed the movement of someone into the room, but didn’t take her eyes from Grady. “Who did you leave to wait for me?” she asked. “My loving brother, Miguel, perhaps?”

Grady shook his head.

“Your loving sister.” The familiar voice came from behind her. Sola immediately ducked under the table and out the other side, just as the laser sliced a swathe where her head should have been.

“Oh, you still have those wonderful reflexes, Marisol,” her sister said, giggling. “I wasn’t trying to kill you, silly. Just teasing.”

Sola stood, staring at her older sister. “Hello, Serena. It’s been a long time.”

Anyone ever have a family reunion like that? This is just one of the reunions in Blue Nebula, but you can probably tell from the snippet that Sola doesn’t have the most loving of families. Quite the contrary, in fact. With a family like that, thank the stars she has the love and support of Captain Javan Rhodes: he of the scruffy beard, soulful eyes, and enticing grin. With him by her side she has all the love in the galaxy to keep her on the straight and narrow. She just has to do right by her man. Problem is, with the upbringing she’s had, she doesn’t know the first thing about how to sustain a loving relationship. Will she learn? Or will she lose the best damn thing that ever happened to her?

Thanks to the Backward Momentum crew for having me aboard! I’m giving away an e-copy each of Blue Galaxy and Blue Nebula. Readers can expect twists and turns, shocks and surprises, some steamy sex, and lots of awful relatives - all while the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment and contact information. And remember, in this Blue Universe, falling in love might be easy, but staying alive just keeps getting harder. Enter before midnight October 8, 2012 for your chance to WIN. Winner will be notified October 9. 

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Diane Dooley writes romance, science fiction and horror - sometimes all in the same story. You can catch up with her on her blog, Facebook or Twitter. She also blogs regularly at Contact: Infinite Futures and is a regular contributor to The Galaxy Express.

Her website is the best place to find her books and their buy links. Her blog is the best spot to find her short stories. They are listed here.