Crystal Power - Guest Post by author Pippa Jay - @PippaJayGreen #scifi #YAlit

Crystal Power

by Pippa Jay

I’ve always had an obsession with shiny things, and especially crystals. Just like a magpie, anything with a bit of sparkle attracts me. I dabbled in alternative therapies and witchcraft as a teen, an area where the mystical properties of crystals play a part. And reading (and adoring) Anne McCaffrey’s Crystal Singer trilogy introduced me to the idea of using crystals in scifi. Quartz crystal is used in a lot of modern tech already – who hasn’t heard of quartz watches? A more recent innovation is the use of nanocrystals for memory storage.

So when deciding on a particular type of technology for Gethyon’s universe, it was a logical choice. Crystophile technology is the norm, and a field in which Gethyon himself excels. At one stage in the story, his knowledge pays his way. But at the beginning, it’s a piece of crystophilic technology – a CHI device (crystalline holographic imager) – that lands him in trouble in the first place.

Excerpt:

As the door closed behind his grandfather, Gethyon rose and went to the table. A large, clear octagonal crystal lay nestled in a protective bed of fabric, glittering faintly in the slivers of light that trickled beneath the edges of the black curtains. An Χ—the company emblem of the ancient Greek letter chi taken from the acronym for Crystalline Holographic Imager—was carved into one facet of the device. Gethyon traced the emblem, a rare smile touching his face. This was his one treasure, the one sure thing he had. Lifting it from its box, Gethyon clutched the CHI in his hands and activated it. A representation of the galaxy filled his room with a translucent blackness. Stars glittered and planets glowed before his eyes.

Take me away from here… He stared deep into the image, his longing to be out there burning in his chest. Take me far away.

Something within him stirred, forcing him to focus deep inside the image. Warmth flowed from his chest, through his arms and into the crystal. Suddenly, the image opened and surrounded him; the room transformed into the dark void of open space, the stars orbiting him in slow rotation, a supernova within the grasp of his free hand.

Gethyon gasped in shock and dropped the CHI device; the illusion vanished, leaving the inactive crystal gleaming at his feet.

***

To celebrate the release of Gethyon, I’m offering you a piece of crystal that could have come straight from his story. This hexagonal gem is exactly how I visualized the CHI (though this one is green to match Gethyon’s eyes, lol) and although this one won’t generate any pretty pictures for you it will look pretty. Just use the rafflecopter form below to enter, and in the comments tell me what’s your favorite piece of scifi technology that you’d like to have for real.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GETHYON by Pippa Jay

A YA Science Fiction Novel

​Released by Champagne Books 3rd June 2013 

​

His father died. His mother abandoned him. In the depths of space, darkness seeks him.

Abandoned by his mother after his father’s death, Gethyon Rees feels at odds with his world and longs to travel the stars. But discovering he has the power to do so leaves him scarred for life. Worse, it alerts the Siah-dhu—a dark entity that seeks his kind for their special abilities—to his existence, and sets a bounty hunter on his trail.

When those same alien powers lead Gethyon to commit a terrible act, they also aid his escape. Marooned on the sea-world of Ulto Marinos, Gethyon and his twin sister must work off their debt to the Seagrafter captain who rescued them while Gethyon puzzles over their transportation. How has he done this? And what more is he capable of?

Before he can learn any answers, the Wardens arrive to arrest him for his crime. Can his powers save him now? And where will he end up next?

AVAILABLE FROM: 

BURST | Kobo | Amazon UK / US | Omnilit

Book Trailer: 

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. 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 20 years, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head. Her works have won a SFR Galaxy Award, and finaled in the Readers Favorite Award Contest and the Gulf Coast RWA Chapter Silken Sands Self-Published Star Award.

LINKS: Website

Celebrating the one-year anniversary of Pippa Jay's Keir!

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the science fiction romance novel, Keir, author Pippa Jay is celebrating by sharing YUMMY recipes and hosting TWO GIVEAWAYS! So keep reading for all of the details.

Mini Blueberry Pancakes

You will need:

1 egg
7oz bio-yoghurt
2 ½ fl oz milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
5oz plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
7oz blueberries

Place the blueberries in a saucepan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook on a low heat and crush once soft to make a sauce. Place the egg, yoghurt, milk and oil in a bowl and mix together. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well with a fork. Add a little extra milk if the batter is too thick. Heat up a large frying pan or griddle, adding a little oil if necessary. Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the frying pan/onto the griddle allowing room for each pancake to spread. Cook on medium heat until bubbles appear and the undersides are golden brown. Turn and cook other sides until golden. Serve immediately with the blueberry sauce. Makes 12 pancakes.

KEIR by Pippa Jay

A 2012 Readers Favorite Award Finalist and 2012 SFR Galaxy Award Winner.

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?

AVAILABLE IN PRINT AND IN ALL DIGITAL FORMATS FROM:

Lyrical Press Inc.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble 

Kobo

All Romance eBooks

Bookstrand

The Book Depository

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS SHELF HERE 

FIND PIPPA JAY HERE:

Website | Email | Blog | Goodreads

Twitter |Facebook | Google+

Enter to WIN a print copy of Keir via Goodreads (open until the end of May)

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Keir

by Pippa Jay

Giveaway ends May 31, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Enter to WIN a blue crystal star pendant via rafflecopter 

(open until the 14th May), available internationally

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And be sure to visit my fellow party hosts – 

Liana Brooks

Misa Buckley

Karen Y Bynum

Chantal Halpin

Jessica E Subject

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

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

There’s also a chance to win a copy in the digital format of your choice, plus a super shiny star keyring, available internationally. Just enter the rafflecopter form for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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