Ladies and Gentlemen, I am thrilled to unveil the covers and story blurbs for IMPULSE POWER & MEN IN SPACE, Samhain Publishing’s forthcoming space opera anthologies! Thanks to anthology editor Sasha Knight, my esteemed passengers get the first exclusive peek (the information isn’t even listed on the publisher’s site yet).
The IMPULSE POWER anthology includes three m/f romances. MEN IN SPACE is the title for the collection of three m/m romances (hmm, remember when I expressed interest in more m/m SFR?). The covers for each trio of stories also combine to form two tapestries which I also have the pleasure of sharing with you. Cover artist Kanaxa designed them both.
I’d like to extend a special congratulations to anthology author Nathalie Gray who’s a regular here at The Galaxy Express.
Now, on with the show!
METAL REIGN by Nathalie GrayGenre: SciFi-Futuristic Romance
Price: $3.50
Publication Date: 23 Feb 10
The invaders thought they had crushed humanity. They messed with the wrong species.
An Impulse Power story.
Francine Beaumont is tired. Tired of waiting for an armada of Imber ships to finish off what’s left of humanity. Tired of fear and privation. Tired of living like a rat, feeding off what scraps the cat lets her have.
When the chance comes to hit the Imbers where it really hurts—right at their fuel supply—she takes it. One stealth cruiser. One pilot. A cargo hold filled with explosives. A suicide mission for sure, but better that than doing nothing.
As the ship’s cook, John O’Shaughnessy knows everything that goes on aboard the warship. And something is definitely up with his Frankie. If she thinks he’s going to let her carry out this crazy plan of hers alone, that stubborn woman has another think coming.
Frankie thinks she’s gotten away clean…until her instincts tell her she’s not alone on her mission. Still, it’s a shock to find her peace-loving John standing there with eyes that spell murder. Now is a hell of a time to discover they’re more than friends. But there’s no turning back…
Warning: Space invaders were seriously harmed in the making of this story.
And here are the rest:
THE MYTHMAKERS by Robert AppletonGenre: Sci-Fi/Futuristic Romance
Price: $3.50
Publication Date: February 23, 2010
The last will and testament of a forgotten Earth…
An Impulse Power story.
For Captain Steffi Savannah and her crew of deep space smugglers, life has become little more than a dogged exercise in mere survival. Their latest disastrous heist ended with another dead crew member—and no place left to hide. She’s even finding it hard to dredge up any excitement over the giant, crippled ship that appears on their radar, even though it’s the salvage opportunity of a lifetime.
They find that it’s no ordinary alien vessel. It’s a ship of dreams, populated with the last remnants of Earth’s mythical creatures. Including the blond, built, mysterious Arne, one of a race blessed with extraordinary beauty—and few inhibitions. Though he won’t tell her exactly what he is, in his arms Steffi rediscovers something she thought she’d never feel again. Wonder, love…and hope.
It isn’t long, though, before the Royal guard tracks them down, and Steffi and her crew are faced with a terrible decision. Cut and run. Or risk everything to tow the ship and her precious cargo to safety.
Warning: This book contains moderate sex, ménage (FFM), strong language, and strong violence. Also includes hot nudists, naïve men, and other creatures that don’t exist on Earth.
HEARTS AND MINDS by J.C. HayGenre: Sci-Fi/Futuristic Romance
Price: 3.50
Publication Date: 23 Feb 10
Working together is unavoidable. Falling in love…inevitable.
An Impulse Power story.
Syna Davout thought it was supposed to be a simple smash-and-grab job—smash onto a luxury yacht, grab the cash, and split the proceeds with the client. Unfortunately, the client failed to mention that she’s the diversion for an assassination attempt that destroys the yacht and leaves her with a passenger she never expected. A fugitive telepath caught in the middle of a revolution.
Galen Fash thought his days were numbered. The fledgling revolution on his homeworld needs him to buy them time, with his life if necessary. The last thing he needs is to get involved with a pirate captain-for-hire whose larger-than-life emotions draw him like a moth to a flame.
Inexorably, Syna is dragged into a war that isn’t hers, and they both discover—between knock-down-drag-outs—that their whole is far stronger than the sum of their parts. Dodging the enemies that want them both dead will be hard enough. First, they have to survive each other…
Warning: this book contains Space Vikings, gossipy AIs, boxing-as-foreplay, rogue telepaths and a demanding pirate captain who likes to be in charge. The author will not be held responsible for a desire to punch your partner in the jaw, or a sudden awareness of latent psionic ability.
MOONLUST by KallystenGenre: Gay romance, Red Hot, Sci-Fi Futuristic
Price: $3.50
Publication Date: January 26th 2010
In space, no one will hear them moan.
A Men in Space story.
The job was supposed to be an easy one for Captain Kar and his two-man crew: land the Danaus on the deserted moon, appropriate a few boxes of precious chromore, and jump out of the system before the Guardians could get to them. Even Will and Jay’s inability to keep their hands off each other for any length of time should not have been too much of a problem.
They discover too late it’s the laineards’ mating season. The resulting sexual pheromones begin to affect them as soon as they step off the ship. With Will and Jay losing their minds to lust, and Kar himself blinded by visions of the two men he has wanted for months, things suddenly get much harder than expected.
Their only hope for not ending up in jail is to get out of there before the Guardians find them. Except an open loading dock contaminated the air inside the Danaus. And Kar will have to resort to drastic measures to keep Jay and Will apart long enough to escape…
Warning: The Lodge does not endorse or otherwise approve of this sexually charged M/M/M rendition of one of its elite members cavorting with the crew of a thieving spaceship while under the influence of pheromones-induced, overwhelming and all-consuming lust.
CRIMSON by Ethan X. ThomasGenre: Gay Romance, Red Hot
Price: $3.50
Publication Date: January 26, 2010
Submission isn’t an option—it’s a full-time job.
A Men in Space story.
Humiliated by the betrayal of his former Master, Lieutenant Benjamin Kraft will do anything to bring the drug czar Tazu to justice—anything but kneel again. Forget passion too. He’d rather risk daily grow-op raids. Then, just when Tazu is finally within reach, an ambush wipes out Ben’s entire squad and threatens the life of his partner—a partner he never realized he cared about, much less loved.
As a member of a former slave race known as starlings, Adam’s speed and strength make him a valuable asset to the police force even as his blue skin inspires prejudice and derision from the other officers. Ben’s always been able to look past that, so what’s changed? Suddenly his partner is rude at every turn. Ben may try to get rid of him, but too bad; Adam won’t be scared off. He has his own reasons for wanting to bring Tazu in, and he’ll do it even if it means putting Ben in his place.
Even if it means acting as Ben’s Master on their next mission: an investigation on a planet where sex is everywhere, and where whips and chains are the norm...
Warning: This title may prove addictive. It contains explicit m/m sex, leather chaps, latex shorts, and slippery goodness.
BEYOND MERIDIAN by C.C. BridgesGenre: SciFi-Futuristic Romance, Gay Romance
Price: $3.50
Publication Date: January 26, 2010
Two men. One passion. No choice.
A Men in Space story.
Captain Rick Raine got more than he bargained for when he agreed to take on a brash young man as a crewmember along with contraband cargo. Karl’s spirit intrigues him, but he didn’t sign up for battling privateers, the United Planetary Alliance—or his traitorous body’s response. Especially to a naïve kid who cheats at holo poker and knows a whole lot more than he should.
Deep in the heart of enemy space, Karl’s goal, to rescue the woman who saved him from a life of sexual servitude, is finally close enough to touch. Unfortunately, so is Captain Raine, who becomes erotic poetry in motion when he pilots the ship. Raine’s an honest thief, but Karl can’t trust him with UPA secrets that could get them both killed.
But when Karl signed on for this mission, no one told him to hang on to his heart…
Warning: hot man-on-man sex, talking spaceships, eight-legged robots, space pirates, a potty-mouthed space cowboy, a beautiful woman in distress and a sad lack of laser sword battles.
Joyfully yours,
Heather
27 comments:
We can finally reveal our love. :P
Ooooo. Look at all the pretties.
WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!! I love it!!!!!!! I'm so excited about this.
Fabulous covers!
Have you read the warnings? Check out C.C. Bridges'
"and a sad lack of laser sword battles"
Mfft!
Just goes to show it takes all types. I'd avoid books with those sort covers as too over the top sex as object sort of stories for my taste. I really find the bare midrift/torso with the rest of the body cropped off a turnoff on book covers, especially when mixed with the oddly impersonal sexual body language and the guns. Looks more like gun-porn than Romance or SFR to me.
But that is just my take.
I love all six of these stories, and when Kanaxa sent me the cover drafts I squee'd and did a happy jig and showed everyone within shouting distance these gorgeous covers. I can't say enough great things about this anthology. It's been a dream to work on. I couldn't be more excited for these books to be in readers' hands. Just a few more months...
(whoops, I hit submit too early on my last comment.) I wanted to add a special thanks to Heather, for all her support of this genre and of these two anthologies, as well as all the support she's shown for Samhain Publishing and me. I couldn't be happier to have the premiere of these covers and blurbs on her site.
As the author of "Crimson," part of the MEN IN SPACE anthology, I am extremely pleased with these covers and Samhain's overall quality. This was my first experience with them, and I hope it won't be my last.
Someone put a wooly jumper on those folks! Don't they know that space is COLD?
*giggle*
Actually, the covers are gorgeous. Kanaxa's name is duly noted. I'm looking forward to reading these stories.
Congratulations, Nathalie!
Yeah, those are some seriously cool covers. I love that they poster together like that. That is awesome.
Cool title.
The cover art colors hurt my eyes and makes me think they're Erotic Paranormal. The beauty of blogs like this is the chance to snag readers in other ways though.
So, what makes these stories special?
I just couldn't fit the laser sword battles in, @NathalieGray! ;)
And @Kimber An, I think there are a few things that make "Beyond Meridian" special. It's good old-fashioned adventure, in a lively, well-realized universe with two main characters who literally come from different worlds and yet somehow manage to fall in love despite everything.
All that and eight-legged robots too!
@ Mfitz. You're right. It takes all types.
@ Kimber An. These stories are special because they're romance. In space. With cool weaponry (but no laser swords). And they're being hosted on the GE blog.
@ CC-Bridges. Eight-legged robots? Bring it on.
@Kimber An - Unlike a lot of romances, "Crimson" doesn't depend on love/lust at first sight. It is the story of two men--one alien and one human--who have worked side by side for years before the story commences. You'd think that would decrease sexual tension, but an uncover mission in a BDSM club raises the heat.
Dig the blurbs. LOVE the cover tapestries.
I started writing "The Mythmakers" with Firefly in mind, but it quickly evolved into something all its own. It has touches of Mike Resnick's "Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge", but here we're talking deep space, deep trouble and X-Files by the shipload.
Think there's no room left for a sexy romance? Steffi and Arne might have something to say about that! Cue dodgy Danish crooning and full English breakfasts. Mmmm.
All righty, you sold me on the Impulse Power stories. Guess I need to get reading to make room in my wip pile. Hubby says no more buying until I "get rid of" a few. LOL. Hey, I only have to read a few...hundred. LOL.
I recently read two interviews with men in TV Production in Hollywood that relate to the prevailing mentality about SFRs. If I can find the links again I'll post them. In one, the creator of Defying Gravity James Parriot, mentions the reason someone attached the "Grey's Anatomy in Space" label to the show was to attract women to science fiction because they don't watch it. (Uh, what am I then?)
The other was about Stargate Universe. One of the creators/head writers, Joe Mallozzi, said in an interview that the reason for the negativity about the show is people apparently don't like the "romance" in the sf. That's not why *I* don't like it, it has no humor or characters that engage me but the Romance is a plus.
But both interviews made me wonder if these guys were still in the dark ages. They've apparently never heard of this blog or the increase in SFRs in book form. Both shows do have romance mixed with SF and that's good. They *seem* to assume that's the part that's hurting the shows but I really don't think so.
There's plenty of sword fighting in "Hearts and Minds" for you folks who need it. It's no laser sword, but it'll fit the bill. It's a perfect weapon for fighting in ship corridors, especially for someone like Syna--she likes to get up close and personal.
Seriously, as the others have said, I couldn't be more pleased with these covers or the fine folks at Samhain--they really are a dream to work with. I can't say enough nice about them.
I love the cover tapestries. Great idea :D
The other was about Stargate Universe. One of the creators/head writers, Joe Mallozzi, said in an interview that the reason for the negativity about the show is people apparently don't like the "romance" in the sf. That's not why *I* don't like it, it has no humor or characters that engage me but the Romance is a plus.
OMG!
Head desk. Head desk. Head desk. Head desk.
I don't even know where to start on Stargate Universe. One, what romance? Maybe a sex triangle. But, romance? Huh.
Two, somehow they've managed to take an established SF universe from two previous series and completely forget every bit of continuity that ever existed.
Three, and that add totally clueless characters who not only know nothing about said universe but don't even seem to have a purpose or reason for being there in the first place.
What's to like?
Oh, and the books in this post look great. :D (Just had to vent there or pop a gasket.)
What fun covers. The colors, the graphics, very cool. This was such a fun post, thanks Heather. I mean really, IMPULSE POWER & MEN IN SPACE, what is not to love?
Plus, REALLY loved this, lol: Warning: Space invaders were seriously harmed in the making of this story.
Thanks for visiting, everyone! Always great to see new folks here. Needless to say, I was stoked to host the unveiling of the anthologies. Looking forward to reading them very much.
@Sasha I'm biased, to be sure, but to me the release of the anthologies is a very momentous occasion for SFR. For a long time I wasn't sure I'd be into SFR novellas, but since starting this blog I've developed a taste for them. And it'll be a long time before we see an SFR anthology from a mainstream print publisher. I need my fix now, lol!
AnnaM wrote: They've apparently never heard of this blog
Nice of you to think of this blog in that way, but I rather think TGE is small potatoes to the likes of them.
They *seem* to assume that's the part that's hurting the shows
I agree, it's not--it would be so many other factors such as the writing, marketing, the production values, etc. Mainly the writing and the ability to tell a story. They zero in on the romance because they need something to blame other than themselves or the network.
Warning: Space invaders were seriously harmed in the making of this story.
I'm partial to that one, too!
Can you imagine, just ten years ago, such an anthology ever taking flight? I mean the magnitude of it? Six stories, back to back to back? ALL scifi romance, ALL the time? AND gay romance in there, too? It's so exciting.
And I'm so stoked it's finally coming. Heather's blog is the perfect vehicle for the unveiling. The Galaxy Express...dude, hear our boosters roar!
I wonder...Sasha? Are you here? How many submissions did you receive for this project? All total?
I wouldn't call what they're doing on Stargate Universe as "romance". Maybe it's some clueless dude's idea of how a "romance" is supposed to work (in space!) but...no. Happily, so far it's not T&A, either, so at least they have that going for them.
"Happily, so far it's not T&A"
Exactly! That so bummed me when Star Trek: Entreprise started disrobing that Vulcan chick. The "decontamination" scenes, I could deal with because everybody was doing it. But when it started with her and the engineering officer, some lame excuse that she had to help him get in touch with his inner-stud, or something (or was it therapy?...I can't remember!), then I stopped watching the show. Maybe that, too, was some clueless dude's idea of romance? It didn't work for me, anyway. Too bad, because I loved that geeky weapons officer with the British accent.
Glad to see you many people enjoying the covers! Sasha, I did that little dance too when I first saw mine!
Moonlust was a ton of fun for me to write because back when I started writing, long before I fell into supernatural stories, my first love was sci-fi. Coming back to it was a delight, as was getting to know my three characters.
The relationship with the vulcan chick and the engineer was just about the only thing I liked about Entreprise.
Like I said before, it takes all types.
SG Universe - trying too hard to be BSG and not getting there. Also they have completely forgotten the Humor and tounge-in-cheek writing that made SG such a good show. Plus there is absolutley no cast chemistry. SG got a way with a lot because the cast was just so fun to watch work together.
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