Manda Benson Interviewed At Hank Quense's Blog

DARK TEMPEST AUTHOR Manda Benson is featured in an interview over at Hank Quense's blog. Of her writing, she states, "I want to write fiction that shows controversial science used for both good and bad."

Controversial science and romance--it's love at first sight!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Announcement for the Winner of Nathalie Gray's FULL STEAM AHEAD

Congratulations to...Donna S. Frelick! You've won a copy of FULL STEAM AHEAD by Nathalie Gray.

Please email me at sfrgalaxy "at" gmail.com (subject line: FSA) to collect your prize.

Thanks again to everyone who entered!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Interview With Lisa Lane, Author Of LOVE IN SPACE

SEX IN THE CITY meets RED DWARF meets BARBARELLA meets GALAXY QUEST.

That, in a nutshell, is LOVE IN SPACE by Lisa Lane.

Going in, I knew nothing about the story. I tend to avoid spoilers and even jacket copy descriptions because I like being surprised, and boy was I ever. The title promises space opera, but says nothing about the overall tone. The cover image especially does absolutely no justice to the story’s wacky high jinks. The prose has a definite fan fiction feel, which depending on your taste could be a plus or a minus. At times, I couldn’t tell if some of the absurdist worldbuilding elements were tongue in cheek or not, but if you read it with the understanding of all camp, all the time, there’s plenty of fun to be had.

An ensemble piece, LOVE IN SPACE involves multiple romances, and more than one are interspecies (*waves at personal fave Jim the Lilliputian*). Interestingly, the author originally wrote it as an erotic SFR titled LUST IN SPACE (currently available as an ebook). As far as I know, this is the only case of an erotic SFR having undergone such a transformation. While reading LOVE IN SPACE, I was curious a time or two about the erotic love scenes, but there were so many other shenanigans happening I didn’t miss them (well, maybe except for however Jim got it on with [Censored]).

Once I finished the book, I concluded that this galaxy hopping, hopped-up-on-dilithium-crystals space romp is for fans of the above shows and those who adore comedy/camp/pulp with their science fiction in a fierce, fierce way. Truthfully, I was surprised at how much the story entertained me (which is more than some mainstream print romances have done), and so I asked Lisa Lane for an interview to learn more about her work.

But first, here’s the premise for LOVE IN SPACE:

Captain Nora Bradley has full intentions of keeping her relationship with former classmate, and now First Officer, Robert Smith, purely professional, when she hires him. The two, along with a crew of top professionals in their fields, embark on a journey into regions of space not yet charted.

Along the way, the crew endures a space flu that puts the entire ship in fevered frenzy, alien races that change the crews’ perceptions of size, compatibility, and companionship, and hitchhiking shape-shifters that will do just about anything to keep their sensuous human forms. As the crew endures, Nora and Robert find it increasingly difficult to hide their love from one another. Once they profess it, however, can their love survive a mix-up with the shape-shifters, the unexpected takeover of their ship, and intergalactic war?

And now for my interview with Lisa Lane:

The Galaxy Express: Please tell us a about yourself and your path to publication.

Lisa Lane: I was an avid follower of Lori Perkins’ blog, “Agent in the Middle,” for some time, and when she listed an open call for short story submissions prior to the launch of Ravenous Romance, I decided to give it a shot. I had only written a small amount of erotica and erotic romance, most of my novels and shorts being straight science fiction, literary, and horror, but I found the meshing of genres a fun and refreshing change of pace. Lori offered me a three-book deal for my erotic horror trilogy, THE DARKNESS AND THE NIGHT, and then asked me if I would be interested in writing an erotic STAR TREK-inspired work. The episodic space-trek fan that I am (I love both STAR TREK and RED DWARF immensely), I jumped on the offer, writing the fun and kinky LUST IN SPACE. Last year, Ravenous Romance co-owner, Holly Schmidt, approached me with an offer to rewrite LUST IN SPACE for a non-erotic romance venue, for sale as a part of an exclusive package for sale on the Home Shopping Network. LOVE IN SPACE is much more romantic than its sister book, but much less erotic, and is only available in paperback through HSN.

TGE: What are three things potential readers should know about LOVE IN SPACE before embarking on the journey?

LL: Potential readers should know that LOVE IN SPACE does everything but take itself seriously, paying heavy homage to the campy humor found in my favorite episodic greats. They should also know that LOVE IN SPACE is designed to emulate the feel of an episodic adventure, the novel being divided into seven “episodes” that mesh into one collective story. Finally, the story pays homage to numerous romance influences, as well as my favorite pulp and speculative science fiction authors, and I invite readers to look for the many literary “Easter eggs” that I have hidden throughout the book.

TGE: LOVE IN SPACE is a literary mashup of various SF shows and films. How many, exactly, and which ones?

LL: My main influences for LOVE IN SPACE were STAR TREK and RED DWARF, but I also incorporated aspects to the soap operas I watched as a teenager, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, GENERAL HOSPITAL, and ALL MY CHILDREN. Other huge influences were GALAXY QUEST, STARSHIP TROOPERS, and THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

TGE: Who is your favorite science fiction romance couple (from film, television, or books), and why?

That’s a tough one. I think Amanda and Kyrian in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s NIGHT PLEASURES of the DARK HUNTER series was pretty hot, especially because their relationship did so much for one another and their trust was a key element to the book’s climax. Neo and Trinity in THE MATRIX trilogy are probably my favorite sci-fi film couple, just because their love is so deep yet their passion is so primal. With that said, I must admit that my all-time favorite science fiction couple actually comes from the Marvel comic book, UNCANNY X-MEN: Jean Grey and Cyclops. Their love survived the most trying of hurdles, including Jean’s supposed death (Phoenix Saga), Cyclops falling in love with her clone (Goblin Queen), and the many alternate universes that tangled their lives. I know—I’m a geek.

TGE: If you could visit one of your favorite science fiction settings, where would you go?

LL: I would love to visit the android planet in LOVE IN SPACE (without being captured and preserved in a “habitat,” mind you). I think it would be neat to explore the electronic forests, encounter the mechanical creatures, and interact with the wanna-be-human androids. I had a great deal of fun creating the android planet; what I love most about it is the society the androids built to emulate earth and every life stage of humanity. I think we could all learn a little about ourselves from them.

TGE: Is there anything else about LOVE IN SPACE that you’d like to share? Do you plan to write any other science fiction romances (erotic or otherwise)? What can readers expect to see from you in the future?

LL: I am currently working on a sequel to LOVE IN SPACE’s sister book, LUST IN SPACE. The story follows the crew of Pandora’s Hope as they encounter new alien races, experience new ethical and romantic dilemmas, and complicate their lives in fun and provocative new ways. I hope to have it available through Ravenous Romance within the next couple of months.

For more information and general updates, readers can visit http://www.cerebralwriter.com and my newly-launched erotica blog, http://www.newsensuality.blogspot.com.

Thanks so much for having me!

Ms. Lane, thanks for your time, and for your art.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Guest Blogger Nathalie Gray: Enter to Win a Free Copy of FULL STEAM AHEAD!

Or, How Chuck Norris is Afraid of Heather

Okay, I’m not sure if Chuck Norris really is afraid of Heather. But someone almost singlehandedly pushing SFR into the mainsteam consciousness is one major kickbutt lady. So, yeah, I imagine he’d be afraid of that. No roundhouse kick can save you from the Awesome Power of Scifi Romance.

But where are my manners? Let me introduce myself.

Hello, my name is Nat. I write SFR as Nathalie Gray, I do covers for SFR as Kanaxa, and I’m a proud passenger of The Galaxy Express. For me, it’s all science fiction romance, all the time. And because she rocks like that, Heather let me have the floor for today. Isn’t she brave?! I mean, this could very well be like letting a bull into a fine porcelain store, or worse, a Nexttryllz into a cargo bay filled with rare Fhhewrt! But I’ll try to behave, I promise…

So today I’m here to celebrate steampunk romance and pimp my book. That’s right. Some people pimp their ride. I pimp my brass goggles. And the hero in my latest title, FULL STEAM AHEAD (Red Sage Publishing) wears not only brass goggles with different coloured lenses depending on time of day, but also a blood-red greatcoat, an assortment of steam pistols, and one single black leather glove. Throughout the story, readers wonder why he wears only one. I could tell you here and now. In fact, maybe I should…

But I won’t.

Mwa ha haa! Let’s just say that if you enjoy tortured, taciturn and scarred heroes, Captain Phineas “Finn” Hamilton definitely is one. Yet this privateer still fights the good fight and would die for his crew. Imagine him as part Elric of Melniboné (Michael Moorcock, I love you long time), part Captain Harlock (you too Leiji Matsumoto), and part Jack Sparrow (sans eyeliner). My geek roots, let me sho U dem.

FULL STEAM AHEAD is distilled into a very telling paragraph by Theresa Stevens (my editor at Red Sage, all mine and mine only and you’ll need to get your own okay don’t make me hurt you). She had this to say about FSA:

“the book is about a woman who time travels -- or dimension travels, I guess -- to a parallel earth where two species (one human and one humanoid) are fighting for dominance. The oceans are toxic, the continents have drowned, and people live either on dirigibles or in stilted cities high above the toxic surface. It's a bleak world, but it's not lacking in comic elements. For example, the humanoid species, which in my mind's eye looked something like dreadlocked orcs, has a very low tolerance for insults. So part of the humans' battle strategy involves shouting little-boy snark through a brass bullhorn. It's very funny, and that humor makes a great counterpoint to the bleakness and peculiar stresses of the environment.”

Me, I’m all for little boy snark.

So if a sky pirate with a past, a time-traveling racer with a motor-mouth and dreadlocked orcs as villains sound like a good ride, then I invite you to read FULL STEAM AHEAD, on sale from the venerable Red Sage Publishing, March 1, 2010.

To thank Heather, I’ll give a free copy of FSA to one of her passengers. The deadline to enter is Saturday, March 6, 2010, by 6 p.m. EST. Comment early + Comment often = Win.

Science Fiction Romance News & Links for March 2010

As you may have noticed, I decided to change the header for my monthly roundup in order to more accurately describe what these posts entail.

March is a busy month for science fiction romance, so let’s get buzzing!

New Releases

CHANGELESS – Gail Carriger

About the story:

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria. But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can. She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

FULL STEAM AHEAD – Nathalie Gray

About the story:

This is a race against time. Against oneself. This is the Vendée Globe, the most grueling race around the world. Singlehanded. No stopovers. On board is Laurel Benson-Desmarais, a thirty-six-year-old racer from a family of sailors. Five foot and a quarter inch of pure adrenaline junkie. One hundred and forty-seven pounds of thrill-seeking, motor-mouth, caffeine-addict of a woman who redefines the word “stubborn determination”.

Laurel’s venture starts admirably. Day one of the race sees her well in advance. Until the meteorological forecasts start messing with her patience. The mother of all storms is gathering speed. Heading straight for the race. For the first time in its history, the Vendée Globe is annulled due to bad weather. She’s worked years for this but has to turn the boat around. She’s not fast enough. The storm catches up with her, tosses the 60-foot sloop as if it were a bit of cork. Electricity crackles in the air. Spray hits her like rocks. Then as she pitches into a mountain-size wave, everything changes. The water, the very air. As if she crossed over to another world. Crazy.

Phineas Hamilton, captain of the brigantine the Brass Baron, never thought he would one day run into a woman who physically looks like the enemy, with pale hair and eyes, but yet is not one of them. The exotic prisoner is also the most obstinate, argumentative, confrontational…and fascinating woman he has ever met. He does not really care where she hails from and what brought her to his ship—no one speaks to him that way. And certainly not on his own damn ship! A lesson in manners is most definitely in order. But for now, he must make sure his crew and ship survives the latest enemy attack. They all depend on him. Another link to the long chain he carries.

Read the excerpt.

Want to see more? Don't stop now! There's MUCH more to share:
JORDAN – Susan Kearney

About the story:

1600 years ago, Jordan was the sole survivor of a ruthless Tribe attack which annihilated his world. To stop the Tribes deadly galactic conquest from continuing, he followed the Tribes to Earth, assumed the name Merlin and assisted King Arthur and his Knights to save Earth. When Arthur died, Camelot fell and Jordan lost his Ancient Staff. Now, over 1000 years later, the Tribes are back and so is Jordan. He’s recovered his Ancient Staff and is again on the trail of the Holy Grail to save Earth and protect the galaxy.

Vivianne Blackstone is a lady with her own agenda. An American businesswoman, self-made billionaire and a fighter from the get-go, she’s confident, capable and a definite type A personality. One of Earth’s brightest and most loyal citizens, she vows to do her part to save the planet when she learns the Tribes are on the move again.

Jordan and Vivianne team up to save Earth and along the way they fall in love. But according to galactic legend, there’s only 1 way to defeat the Tribes: Uniting the Ancient Staff with the Holy Grail. There’s only one catch, Jordan cannot live without the Ancient Staff. To defeat the Tribes and save Earth, he must perish.

Read the excerpt.

BREAKING CHANCE – Kim Knox

About the story:

What a girl wants and what a girl needs are sometimes two different things…
For Melissa “Lucky” Chance, another stretch in Ganymede’s ice prison is nothing new. The flash-freeze that’s supposed to destroy her will only leaves her with an insatiable desire for the first hot body she lays eyes on. Except this time, she faces a death sentence. Her only hope of escape lies with the man known as The Butcher.

John Ramius understands the logic behind his conviction as a criminally insane mass murderer. No man should have been able to slaughter over fifty men in as many minutes, but no one sees the underlying curse that compels him to sense—and fulfill—someone’s deepest need. Chance’s skill will free him to kill the Sun-King; he will find no rest until he does.

As they run from the forces of the Jovian colonies, Ramius finds himself temporarily sidetracked, not only by Chance’s relentless desire, but by her underlying, unspoken need. Ignoring it—or his own compulsion to do every wicked thing imaginable to her—is not an option.

Only after all their defenses are stripped away do they discover that their meeting wasn’t by chance. Someone is manipulating them both, and the only way out is the path to their destruction…

Read the excerpt.

WITH A TOUCH – Rhiannon Leith

About the story:

Kidnapped by rebels…or rescued by love?

The Guild Chronicles

As a prized psychic, Eva’s lived her entire life inside the Guild Compound. While sex isn’t exactly forbidden, she’s rarely indulged—such encounters could swamp her sensitive gift.

A chance encounter with Aidan, a sexy Guild Security Officer, rocks her to the core when she sees herself entangled in his arms. She fights the unfamiliar surge of lust and tries to focus on the job at hand, the interrogation of the subversive Rafael. Yet she discovers that he’s no terrorist. In fact, his capture is a ploy, a way for him and Aidan to infiltrate the Guild with one goal in mind: Eva.

At first Eva fights her captors, but once outside the Guild’s sheltered walls, she realizes she is free. Free to live and love as she pleases. And her two rebels please her indeed, introducing her to erotic pleasures she never imagined. They break down the barriers imposed on her mind and body, making her question everything she’s ever known.

Even as Eva dares to dream of a future with her lovers, she fears for their lives. The Guild wants her back. And that’s not all they want…

Read the excerpt.

REBELS AND LOVERS – Linnea Sinclair

About the story:

OUT OF OPTIONS…Devin Guthrie can’t forget Captain Makaiden Griggs even though it’s been two years since she was in his family’s employ. A Guthrie does not fall in love with a mere shuttle pilot. Going against his wealthy family’s wishes isn’t an option—not with the Empire in political upheaval, much of it caused by Devin’s renegade older brother, Admiral Philip Guthrie. The Guthries must solidify their standing—financially, politically and socially—or risk losing it all.

But when the Guthrie heir—Devin’s nineteen-year old nephew— goes missing, Devin’s loyalty to his family’s values is put to the test. And suddenly the unthinkable becomes the only option available: Devin must break the rules and risk allying himself with the one woman he could never forget—and was forbidden to love.

ABANDON THE NIGHT – Joss Ware

About the story:

Everything they knew is gone.
From the raging fires, five men emerge with extraordinary new powers. They are humankind's last hope ... but they cannot survive this dark, ravaged world alone...

Quentin Fielding had everything. Money. Power. Women. But now that civilization is all but annihilated, Quent only wants one thing: revenge. Harnessing a strange new "gift," he embarks on a deadly mission to find the the man responsible for the chaos and destruction, the man he should have killed years ago: his father. Only one thing stands in his way – a mysterious, arrow-wielding beauty...

Zoe Kapoor is on her own quest for vengeance, searching for the monstrous fiends who murdered her family. Soon she and Quent join together, journeying through the ruins of the world they once knew as a desperate desire builds between them. Drawing closer to an enemy they never imagined, Zoe and Quent must abandon all fear, abandon all regret, abandon the night ... if they want to stay alive.

Read the excerpt.

STAR RAIDERS – Elysa Hendricks

Found out about this new release from hanging around the Intergalactic Bar & Grille.) STAR RAIDERS will be released by Dorchester on March 30.

About the story:

A Fiery Encounter

Like two ill-aligned stars, Shyanne Kedar and Greyson Dane were destined to collide. She was a smuggler's daughter, and he, an interstellar lawman. Their affair was scorching, dazzling ... and ended like a supernova, in a blaze of betrayal.

A Love Rekindled

Ten years later, the flames haven't cooled. Shayanne's lush body, the twist of her lips and the fire in her eyes - all radiate the same magnetism that ensnared Greyson before, and now he's truly her prisoner. But as much as things have changed, they remain exactly the same. Danger threatens. Humanity's fate hangs in the balance. And though his tempting captor doesn't know it, if Greyson's plan succeeds, it will save mankind ... and lose him the only woman he ever loved. This time, forever.

Read the excerpt.

Alien Romances lists the 2009 P.E.A.R.L. Award finalists. Congratulations to the SFR authors who made the list:

FUTURISTIC ROMANCE
============================================
OBSIDIAN PREY by Jayne Castle
HEART CHANGE by Robin D. Owens
GUARDIAN by Angela Knight
SCARLET by Jordan Summers
BLAZE OF MEMORY by Nalini Singh

SCIENCE FICTION
============================================
THE WARLORD'S DAUGHTER by Susan Grant
DIAMOND STAR by Catherine Asaro
HOPE'S FOLLY by Linnea Sinclair
BEYOND THE RAIN by Jess Granger

At Fall Under My Spell (adults only), Robert Appleton (THE MYTHMAKERS) guest blogs about 10 Sci-Fi Movie Love Stories To Cherish.

Natalie Hatch writes about the thrill of Falling In Love With The Bad Guy at Romance Writers of Australia (G'day, Natalie!)

Steampunk Romance

Next month, LoveLetter magazine will feature a super happy special on steampunk romance. In addition to my column on the subgenre, there will be interviews and articles with authors, including Dru Pagliassotti (CLOCKWORK HEART), Meljean Brook (THE IRON DUKE), Nathalie Gray (FULL STEAM AHEAD), and Katie MacAlister (STEAMED).

Readers can also look forward to reading about the work of cover artist Timothy Lantz, who did the art for CLOCKWORK HEART, and delve into the mind of editor Theresa Stevens of Red Sage Publishing (editor of Nathalie Gray’s FULL STEAM AHEAD).

Read an excerpt of Meljean Brook’s steampunk romance novella “Here There Be Monsters” from the BURNING UP anthology (August, 2010).

Congratulations to author Sheryl Nantus who sold WILD CARDS AND IRON HORSES, a steampunk romance novella, to Samhain Publishing. It will hit the virtual shelves in August. In the meantime, here’s the premise:

Their loves rides on a spring and a prayer…

During the recent Civil War, a soldier risked his life to save Jonathan Handleston—and lost. With the help of an advanced metal brace on his crippled hand, Jon now travels from one poker tournament to the next, determined to earn enough money to repay the man’s debt.

Prosperity Ridge is supposed to be the last stop on his quest, but his brace is broken and he needs an engineer to repair the delicate mechanisms. The only one available is Samantha Weatherly, a beautiful anomaly in a world ruled by men.

Sam is no fool. Jon is no different from any other gambler—except for his amazing prosthetic. Despite a demanding project to win a critical contract to develop an iron horse, she succumbs to the lure of working on the delicate mechanisms. And working with the handsome Englishman.

Like a spring being coiled, Samantha and Jon are inexorably drawn together. Sam begins to realize honor wears many faces, and she becomes the light at the end of Jon’s journey to redemption. The only monkey wrench is Victor, a rival gambler who will stop at nothing to make sure Jon misses the tournament. Even destroy Jon and Sam’s lives.

Fire up your boilers for STEAMPUNK II: Steampunk Reloaded, an illustrated anthology of steampunk stories, nonfiction, and art edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer. Coming October 2010 from Tachyon. (Via SF Signal). While not steampunk romance, this and the first anthology, STEAMPUNK, is a great way to dip your toes into steampunk if you’re interested in learning more about the subgenre.

And now for something completely different…SciFi Guy’s latest Urban Fantasy Weekend Report. My favorite part? The news about Columbia Pictures greenlighting a DOC SAVAGE film. Rowrrr! Learn more about this project at SciFi Wire.

Now I turn the mike over to you. Share your own SFR news in the comments!

Joyfully yours,

Heather