THE GALAXY EXPRESS

@battle royal sucks and hunger games is the best b...

2011-04-09T01:45:51.916-04:00

@battle royal sucks and hunger games is the best book ever

Haha You're a hater!

I got Dashau (I think I saw a post on FB) and yes,...

2011-04-08T22:27:48.793-04:00

I got Dashau (I think I saw a post on FB) and yes, FUN and fascinating! I have the other two waiting for me to get reading time again (as opposed to tush in chair writing time!). I'm trying to read my way through the SFR classics and loving it.

I have those three book on my shelf and have had t...

2011-04-08T20:22:29.922-04:00

I have those three book on my shelf and have had them since they were first published. All this is making me want to get them down and reread them.

Elorie

Heh. Well, okay. You sold me. *Heads off to fin...

2011-04-08T16:13:50.159-04:00

Heh. Well, okay. You sold me. *Heads off to find a copy of Dushau.*

Wow, you guys really say nice things blush -- no...

2011-04-08T12:11:56.086-04:00

Wow, you guys really say nice things *blush* -- now I have to work harder to live up to them all.

I'm not-quite a third of the way through the final draft of THE FARRIS CHANNEL (what Wildside Press is labeling Sime~Gen #12) and though it's esoteric like the third book of Dushau, and laced through with a driving dynamic of emotional relationships that are rooted in various sorts of love (family, ideals, romance sizzling in the background seizing the plot, even self-love and hatred drive various plot elements), it's not a "real" Romance like Jean Lorrah's brand NEW NEW first publication novel Sime~Gen #11 TO KISS OR TO KILL.

Oh, all the Sime~Gen have new Kindle (B&N etc etc) editions, and there are several brand new first published novels. Wildside has chosen to number them in publication order, but the internal story-chronology is inside the books with the link to the full universe chronology. You get both chronologies with the Kindle Sample.

THAT is another way Sime~Gen differs from what's being written today -- though I had originally intended to write them in chronological order which at that time was disallowed by publishing, the publishing industry insisted on books that "stand alone" rather than build the story-arc.

This mirrored TV (see ST:TOS) anthology series popularity. Today TV is all story-arc shows, and in SF Babylon5 pioneered that, in the footsteps of DALLAS.

In DUSHAU I had a 3-book contract, and had the luxury of telling a longer story, as I am now doing writing THE FARRIS CHANNEL -- which will depend on your having read some of the earlier books.

You can find links to ALL my other stuff, Jean Lorrah's other stuff, and Sime~Gen which takes up several "pages" in this Amazon store http://astore.amazon.com/simegen-20

The new Sime~Gen is on the second page of the Sime~Gen section. Dushau is under my name.

Oh, and "how" I worldbuild and create things like the Dushau Trilogy is detailed (I mean seriously DETAILED -- boring to non-writers) in my Tuesday posts on http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com

Live Long and Prosper,
Jacqueline Lichtenberg
http://jacquelinelichtenberg.com (needs updating! check the amazon store first)

THE FARRIS CHANNEL (that's not First Channel which is a prequel -- this is a sequel to First Channel and Channel's Destiny) is about the founding of the House of Zeor.

Lucky me! I have the DUSHAU trilogy with all thos...

2011-04-08T07:51:23.121-04:00

Lucky me! I have the DUSHAU trilogy with all those lovely covers in paperback. :) Found them at a used bookstore and I have to say, as good as they look on the shelf, they actually read better! :)

Lichtenberg's world building is fantastic and the way she draws you into the story immediately is unbelievable. I wish I could figure out how she does it. HOUSE OF ZEOR (another used bookstore find. Oh, how I love used bookstores! :) ) opens with two men waiting in the rain and the atmosphere and suggestion of mystery are just so fabulously drawn that you can't help but want to read on.

And yes, I blame this blog for all the Lichtenberg books cuddled up on my shelves. :) I couldn't not read her after the interview you posted with her.

It's hard not to see HG as BR's copycat. ...

2011-04-07T22:33:28.590-04:00

It's hard not to see HG as BR's copycat. But there are several differences:

1. Friendships.

Battle Royale puts its main focus on the theme of friendship and what it takes to keep or break them. What Battle Royale does is asking you if you can kill your friend? And that is a difficult question that no one can *really* answer until they are in similar situation as the BR kids. Why should you defend your friend when he/she hurt your heart/pride not too long ago? Will your loyalty to a friend stay intact or will it take a ride over his/her dead body when push comes to shove?

Battle Royale's kids/participants are classmates. Think about this. These are people they've seen on daily basis. Probably develop fondness or hatred for a few years but there's always that social norm that prevent them from going completely all-out on each other. At best, the fight will only materialize in clique, little scuffle, etc. Now they have the chance to unleash every single unpleasant things they've been wanting to say to their friends/enemy. In other words, personal feelings are involved and that makes Battle Royale far more interesting to me.

On the other hand, Hunger Games' participants are largely from 12/13 districts. They don't really know each other well prior to the battle apart from what they've heard/read. As a result, the emotional attachment is lowered. While killing a person is difficult, killing someone that you know is 10x more difficult. Hunger Games never really explore this because the participants don't really know each other that well (except towards the end).

2. Point of view.

Battle Royale's POV is scattered towards 42 students. Some get more while others less but never the less, it's sort-of equally distributed, allowing us a little glimpse to see their thoughts, their insecurities, their fear, their hatred bubbling up to the surface as the battle intensifies.

Hunger Games' POV is restricted to its 3-4 lead characters. But mainly it's focused on Katniss and Peeta. While this allows the two characters to be far more developed than their counterpart on BR, Shuuya and Noriko, it also means we don't get to see much of everyone else's POV. Actually forget about other people, the POV of the story has always been mostly that of Katniss. It's her story. Whereas in BR, it's no-one's story. The readers/viewers are free to give their attachment to whichever character they like.

3. Romance.

Hunger Games' strongest feature is actually its romantic story. As a result of its primary focus on Katniss and Peeta, it is possible for the series to zoomed in on their (blossoming) relationship. Whereas Shuuya and Noriko's romance is pretty subdue and not given so much focus. It looks more like a crush where it's not really clear whether it's mutual or one-sided or something else.

For my money, I don't think I'll ever experience love in the battlefield so while Katniss/Peeta's relationship may interest others, to me the general theme of friendship and betrayal that Battle Royale offers resonate far more to me. I've had friends who willingly ditched a fun party so he can spend some quiet 1-2 hours with me as I was packing to go overseas, I've had friends who seem to like me when we're together but keeps me at arms' length. With all the different permutations of friendship I've experienced, I feel all sorts of affection, love, hate, abandonment, etc. Many of those feelings are so easily stirred up and it can't help but makes me wonder if I'd stick up for my friends when push comes to shove or if I'd put my personal safety first and not trust them.

And that's why Battle Royale will always have special place in fiction genre for me because it makes me questions things about myself, about my friends, and how to deal with friendship in general. I don't mind Hunger Games but I just don't feel as strongly towards it as I do towards Battle Royale.

LOL! I hear you. When Diane told me she'd boug...

2011-04-07T21:56:59.366-04:00

LOL! I hear you. When Diane told me she'd bought DUSHAU, I turned right around and purchased Jacqueline's UNTO ZEOR, FOREVER (the fact that it's available on the Kindle now is a significant factor because frankly the ebook price was more affordable for me). It's in the queue...shouldn't be long now before I can read it.

Diane--you're money, baby!

I'm beginning to suspect the "sample"...

2011-04-07T21:19:53.485-04:00

I'm beginning to suspect the "sample" option on the Kindle is actually very dangerous. The one for the first book is on its way to mine right now.

What a fun interview! Can't wait to pick this...

2011-04-07T18:57:21.296-04:00

What a fun interview! Can't wait to pick this up and get reading :) I read a lot of straight scifi as a teen, and am thrilled that there's more scifi romance now I can enjoy! Thanks for contributing to my TBR, you two!

Susan- We'd love to hear from you once you do....

2011-04-07T17:51:01.307-04:00

Susan- We'd love to hear from you once you do. Enjoy!

Cathy- Thank you! I've got absolutely no problem with erotica romances- I've written several erotic romance shorts stories, and will write more, I'm sure- but Michelle and I really feel strongly that the characters have to lead the story, and if they aren't in a place where it's in-character for them to have sex, we're not going to write it. We're deeply appreciative that our editor (the fantabulous Sasha Knight) and our publisher didn't push us on that at ALL.

Stevie- Thanks, it was a blast, and Heather asks great questions, doesn't she? Certainly hope you enjoy them when you read them!

An excellent interview. I definitely want to read ...

2011-04-07T13:36:56.377-04:00

An excellent interview. I definitely want to read these books.

"Our goal is always to remain true to the cha...

2011-04-06T17:17:33.482-04:00

"Our goal is always to remain true to the characters, and under the circumstances, it just wasn't right for them to fall into bed."

I love that! I have no problem with erotic romances, but if sex doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. Glad your editor and publisher thought so too : )

Congrats on the release!

Great interview! Loved Balance of Silence - aweso...

2011-04-06T15:51:55.832-04:00

Great interview! Loved Balance of Silence - awesome book! Can't wait to read Slipstream!!

We really didn't know that we were writing suc...

2011-04-05T21:41:00.706-04:00

We really didn't know that we were writing such an odd contribution to the genre. Our goal is always to remain true to the characters, and under the circumstances, it just wasn't right for them to fall into bed.

Thank you again for the interview, Heather!

I thought the sweet aspect was important to mentio...

2011-04-05T21:26:00.749-04:00

I thought the sweet aspect was important to mention because if one is interested in giving a menage romance a try, but doesn't care for erotic ones, then this story delivers. There was more room for the development of the emotional bonds between the characters. Would be nice to have more like this, for variety.

A fun interview and I will admit, also trying to w...

2011-04-05T21:21:21.974-04:00

A fun interview and I will admit, also trying to wrap my head around the "sweet" part! LOL!

@Gini And increasingly more authors & readers ...

2011-04-05T21:03:38.447-04:00

@Gini And increasingly more authors & readers are unapologetic about liking soft SF, which is great.

Cathy, congratulations!!!!! Can't wait to read RULEBREAKER. f/f sfr--boo-yah!!

@Sheryl Way to go! BLAZE OF GLORY was a fun read and I'm glad you're getting a chance to play in that world some more.

I'm pleased to announce that Samhain Publishin...

2011-04-05T16:19:14.448-04:00

I'm pleased to announce that Samhain Publishing will be releasing the sequel to my superhero novel, "Blaze of Glory"!

"Heroes Without, Monsters Within" is scheduled for a January 2012 release!

*does happy dance*

Very enlightening and beneficial to someone whose ...

2011-04-05T16:05:24.456-04:00

Very enlightening and beneficial to someone whose been out of the circuit for a long time.

online pharmacy

Nicola Griffith is not only one of my favorite aut...

2011-04-05T13:51:52.738-04:00

Nicola Griffith is not only one of my favorite authors, but dang smart and insightful. I read her post earlier this week, and it's great to see it linked here :)

Shoot! Everytime I come over here on News/Links/Release day my TBB list lengthens and my credit card weeps :) But thanks!

Oh, and me too over at Contact-Infinite Futures...today!

Thanks for the shout out, Heather, as well as the ...

2011-04-04T18:50:42.143-04:00

Thanks for the shout out, Heather, as well as the link to Nicola Griffith's article. There is indeed a prejudice in the SF community against soft science fiction. But, as with anything else, the readers are the ones who make the ultimate decision, and soft SF is both here to stay and does well. And hurrah for that. :-D

I already have Collision Course on my Nook and Ali...

2011-04-04T17:44:36.584-04:00

I already have Collision Course on my Nook and Alien In The Family is being shipped from Amazon but there are more books to buy and read this month. I think this is the best month for SFR releases this year.

I suspect you're right, Heather. Romance doesn...

2011-04-04T16:45:25.516-04:00

I suspect you're right, Heather. Romance doesn't have a lot of shortcuts available. In longer stories, they're rarely needed. Besides, they shorten the journey, which is really what romance is interested in. {odd smile}

Anne Elizabeth Baldwin

Can't wait to see it!

2011-04-04T13:08:29.816-04:00

Can't wait to see it!

THE GALAXY EXPRESS

@battle royal sucks and hunger games is the best b...

I got Dashau (I think I saw a post on FB) and yes,...

I have those three book on my shelf and have had t...

Heh. Well, okay. You sold me. *Heads off to fin...

Wow, you guys really say nice things *blush* -- no...

Lucky me! I have the DUSHAU trilogy with all thos...

It's hard not to see HG as BR's copycat. ...

LOL! I hear you. When Diane told me she'd boug...

I'm beginning to suspect the "sample"...

What a fun interview! Can't wait to pick this...

Susan- We'd love to hear from you once you do....

An excellent interview. I definitely want to read ...

"Our goal is always to remain true to the cha...

Great interview! Loved Balance of Silence - aweso...

We really didn't know that we were writing suc...

I thought the sweet aspect was important to mentio...

A fun interview and I will admit, also trying to w...

@Gini And increasingly more authors & readers ...

I'm pleased to announce that Samhain Publishin...

Very enlightening and beneficial to someone whose ...

Nicola Griffith is not only one of my favorite aut...

Thanks for the shout out, Heather, as well as the ...

I already have Collision Course on my Nook and Ali...

I suspect you're right, Heather. Romance doesn...

Can't wait to see it!

Wow, you guys really say nice things blush -- no...