Science Fiction Romance News & Links For April, 2010

New Releases

LAST FLIGHT OF THE ARK – D.L. Jackson

Evolution never happened so fast.

Twelve hours outside of Terra II, Colonel Kaleb Titan, a molecular geneticist and commander of the Ark, faces a life or death choice that could change the fate of mankind.

The Genesis I, aka the Ark, travels with a hold full of wildlife and three crew members. When a wolf bite and genetically-altering gamma radiation transform Kaleb, he notices his senses have been heightened, his libido has gone haywire and he can’t keep his hands off his crew. Worse yet, they don't seem inclined to stop him.

When their sister ship, the Genesis II arrives early, Kaleb’s problems compound. As soon as the command crew of the Genesis II boards, one whiff tells Kaleb they’re not from Earth or who they appear to be.

When he discovers that they’ve kept the Genesis II’s crew of over two thousand alive, he begins to believe their reasons may be far more ominous than anyone could have imagined. However, he also discovers what’s holding them back. The hijackers seem to be allergic to canines.

Now they're forced to employ biological warfare against their own, but will it be enough to save humanity?

History is about to repeat and only one species will survive.

GIRL GONE NOVA – Pauline B. Jones

Doc—Delilah Oliver Clementyne’s—orders are simple: do the impossible and do it yesterday. A genius/bad ass, she does the impossible on a regular basis. But this time the impossible is complicated by an imminent war between the Earth expedition to the Garradian Galaxy and the Gadi, an encounter with some wife-hunting aliens, and not one but two bands of time travelers.

The only way it could get worse? If the heart she didn’t know she had starts beating for the wrong guy…

TOUCHED BY AN ALIEN – Gini Koch

How can a sexy marketing manager join forces with an Alpha Centauri male in Armani to save the planet--using hairspray, a Mont Blanc pen, and rock n’ roll?

Easy…

She’s Touched by an Alien

Marketing manager Katherine “Kitty” Katt steps into the middle of what appears to be a domestic dispute turned ugly. And it only gets uglier when the man turns into a winged monster, straight out of a grade-Z horror movie, and goes on a killing spree. Though Kitty should probably run away, she springs into action to take the monster down.

In the middle of the chaos a handsome hunk named Jeff Martini appears, sent by the “agency” to perform crowd control. He’s Kitty’s kind of guy, no matter what planet he’s from. And from now on, for Kitty, things are going to be sexy, dangerous, wild, and out of this world.

BLAZE OF GLORY – Sheryl Nantus

Saving the world is easy for a superhero—unless you’re a fraud.

Jo Tanis is a superhero, fighting evil on the city streets, using her ability to feed off electromagnetic energy and fire off charges—and it’s all just a show. The Agency captures her and others like her when their powers begin to manifest, pitting them against each other in staged, gladiatorial fights. An explosive implant on the back of her neck assures she’ll keep right on smiling for the camera and beating up the bad guys.

When Earth comes under attack, suddenly the show becomes deadly real. Unable to deal with a real alien, the “supers” are falling in droves. Millions of innocent civilians are going to die…unless Jo can cobble together a team from among the fake heroes and villains the Agency enslaved. Including Hunter, who not only promises to show her how to deactivate the implants, but seems to know more than he should about how the mysterious Agency operates.

Forcing a rag-tag bunch of former enemies to work together is the least of Jo’s problems. The trick is determining if Hunter is friend or foe—and becoming the hero everyone thought she was before the world is destroyed for real.

SOMATESTHESIA – Ann Somerville

Sensual overload can be a tactical disadvantage.

Devlin Grace’s experience with child exploitation cases lands him a new assignment with the Special Crimes Investigators unit of the Federal Justice Agency, plus a new partner who could make the job tougher than expected. Connor Hutchens possesses incredible, scientifically enhanced senses…and zero social skills. Word on the street is that his last partner left under a cloud—and it was Connor’s fault.

Connor blames himself for losing his previous partner, and wants to do right by his new one. But Devlin confuses and frustrates him, and he struggles to cope with Devlin’s swift intelligence, quirky humor and teasing sexuality.

With the dangerous, perplexing case facing them, there’s no one Devlin would rather have at his back than Connor. But the longer they work together, the higher the sexual tension rises—until attraction boils over and puts everything at risk. Their careers, the children they’re trying to save—and any chance of lasting love.

TSUNAMI BLUE – Gayle Ann Williams

No safe harbor

With her badass rain boots, her faithful dog, and the ability to predict the monster tsunamis that have reduced the US to a series of islands, Kathryn O’Malley isn’t afraid of much. Cut off from all society, she takes to the airwaves as Tsunami Blue, hoping to save something of humanity as the world around her crumbles. But Blue should be afraid—because her message reaches the wrong ears.

Now she’s the target of ruthless pirates known as Runners who want to use her special talents for their own profiteering—as soon as they can find her. Blue’s only shot at survival lies with the naked stranger who washes up on her rocky beach. A man who might just be working for Runners himself. Torn between suspicion and attraction, the two will have to navigate a surging tide of danger and deceit if they hope to stay alive.
Now for the rest:

Industry

Congratulations to Sharon Lynn Fisher (GHOST PLANET), who has signed with agent Robin Rue of Writers House. In this interview, she discusses the journey of becoming a Golden Heart finalist a second time.

Congratulations to J.L. Wilson who won an EPIC award for her time travel romance ENDURANCE (Cerridwen Press). The two other finalists were:

* IMMERSED by Liz Craven—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
* LADY OF THE STARS by Linda Banche—The Wild Rose Press

And author Rowena Cherry (KNIGHT’S FORK) won the “Friend of E-Publishing Award”! Way to go, Ms. Cherry!

The full list of EPIC award finalists and winners is here.

The cover of the forthcoming SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH anthology has been announced. Linnea Sinclair blogs about it here.

At A Writer’s Dream, Rae Lori posts a roundup of articles about “the juicy Amazon/Apple/Publisher smackdown business” as well as those exploring “how digital is changing the face of the industry” in Linkety Split - The Publishing & SFR Edition

As of April 5, 2010, the SFR Brigade has hit the 50 member mark! If you’re an SFR writer, join now.

SFR Book Giveaways!

BLAZE OF GLORY by Sheryl Nantus: Click here for details (Hurry! Contest ends today).

TOUCHED BY AN ALIEN by Gini Koch. Click here for details.

Via SFSignal:

Gini Koch weighs in on The Best Aliens in Science Fiction in her first Mind Meld discussion.

Two esteemed SF authors who incorporated romance into their stories are featured in this “Classic Leigh Brackett & Edmond Hamilton Interview.” Even cooler is this audio interview with Leigh Brackett from 1975!

Sexual Politics, Farscape, and Stuff by Joel Shepherd has an SFR-relevant observation about sexuality, feminism, and SF/F female characters:

I was thinking about this watching DVDs of Farscape, and reflecting that the character of Chiana (played by Gigi Edgley) was unlike almost anything you’ll see on TV — a ‘loose woman’ prone to seducing anything male just for fun, but who is also tough, smart, likable and is given some of the show’s best one liners. And the fact that it’s so rare that this type of character should be likable and even heroic is pretty sad, because it shows that popular culture still has a problem with female sexuality, with women who are overtly sexual in any way still insulted and disrespected, or otherwise treated as though they are no more than the sum of their sexual parts, while male characters are held to an entirely different standard.

The above reminded me of the previous discussions we’ve had here regarding extraordinary heroines. If they are so rare in SF/F, then all the more reason science fiction romance can carve out a niche for itself by making a home for such characters.

For Writers

There’s a Mundane SFR story here, I just know it! Via Kimber An (Enduring Romance) comes this link to an article about “China’s New Requirement for Women in Space: Married with Children.” Deep stuff.

Gini Koch discusses her writing process in How They Do It over at The Other Side of the Story.

Here’s an article with really cool specifics on How To Write Action SF.

Check out SCI-FI 101 for all of your research and worldbuilding needs, courtesy of Spacefreighters Lounge.


Clare Dargin invites you to join her Science Fiction and Fantasy Romance writers webring and Futuristic Romance Writers webring. According to Clare, “We are open to fans and writers alike! Come join us as we celebrate science fiction and fantasy! Books, short stories, published not published, hobbies within scifi and fantasy alike!
It's a big universe out there and it can awful lonely!”

Get your space pirate on

File this one under OMG I CAN HARDLY BREATHE! Check out this promo poster for the new Captain Harlock film. The article shares that “Japan’s Toei Animation plans to release the CG Captain Harlock movie in 2012.” That poster should give you a pretty clear idea about why I lurve the space pirate action so much!

Galaxy Express Shtuff

I’ve updated my 2010 Science Fiction Romance New Release Roundup with more titles, so check ‘em out!

Talk about a cool niche to exploit: The Kindle Blog Report reviews…blogs available on The Kindle! The blog recently featured a positive review of The Galaxy Express. Thank you, Ms. Cairo! (And do check out her blog Winged Victory: A Women in Aviation Webzine. Très cool.)

Now I turn the mike over to you, all-knowing passengers. Have any science fiction romance news of your own to share?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

New Mind Meld Post: "The Best Genre Crossovers"

I'm at SFSignal right now as a participant in the latest Mind Meld: The Best Genre Crossovers. The question posed to the panelists ("What are some of your favorite genre crossovers?") had a lot of relevance for SFR given its hybrid nature.

Despite what someone might initially think, genre boundaries are blurry, allowing storytellers to mix-and-match (intentionally or not) different genres, thus producing a story with an altogether new flavor.

Check it out for all the great picks, and to discover which food gives me a sweet breakfastgasm.

But the discussion doesn't have to end there...what are your favorite genre crossovers?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Introducing Gini Koch – Debut Author of TOUCHED BY AN ALIEN

[Pssst...Heather here. I'm hijacking Agent Z.'s interview to announce that Gini Koch is giving away a personalized, signed copy of TOUCHED BY AN ALIEN to one lucky passenger to help celebrate her new release! Details to follow the interview.]

Howdy, dear passengers of the Galaxy Express. I recently met with debut author, Gini Koch, and over an Intergalactic Gargleblaster (or seven) we bantered about writing, reading, drinking and being touched by aliens.

Agent Z.: Hi, Gini! I have to say that you knock back a Gargleblaster like a pro. Tell me – do you write: A) when completely sloshed, B) slightly tipsy, or C) stone cold sober?

Gini: Girl, drink is an author’s friend. I actually write during B and C, and also D) while asleep. (I am not making mention of anything to do with A, on advice of my legal counsel.) I do find that drinking (or whatever else makes you actually relax and shut up your internal editor) speeds the flow. And, strangely enough, what I write when I’ve had a drink, am tired, or feeling forced rarely feels less “good” when I read it back the next day than what I write cold stone sober and in the zone.

Agent Z.: Speaking as someone who has been touched by a variety of aliens, I have to ask – how do you feel about tentacles?

Gini: I had to censor my first several replies, because I’ve been on the internet since it started (well, since after Al Gore allowed it to be shared), and research takes you to some interesting places, to say the least, so I’ve seen a lot of tentacle-related things, most of which I’m sure my editor would prefer I not mention here.

Tentacles are great. I think you can do a lot with tentacles, some of it even printable in family magazines. The majority of aliens in “Touched by an Alien” are gorgeous, though. ‘Cause it’s my universe, and that’s the way I like it.

Agent Z.: In the opening to your debut novel, ‘Touched By An Alien,’ your heroine has to kill a super-being with a very expensive writing implement. This reminded me of the time I had to fight off a horde of evil aliens, using nothing but a crumpled-up candy wrapper and a box of Tampax. What other items of everyday life do you feel are under-utilized as weapons?

Gini: I like how you think in a crisis. And funny you mention the crumpled up candy wrapper. In “Alien Tango”, Book Two of my Alien series, Kitty (my heroine) holds off an alligator with balled up paper. I see you and I are on the same great wavelength. I knew I liked you. (Even before the third Gargleblaster. Or is this the fourth?)

Kitty uses hairspray, Everclear, and rock and roll, via her iPod, to fight off various threats. I think the common, everyday things are the most fun. I mean, isn’t it more fun to think you can reach into your purse and pull out something (Look! An ancient piece of gum!) that will save the day? Most of us don’t go equipped like James Bond, and I like my characters to be resourceful. Real life and fiction tip: In a pinch, a stiletto heel is a girl’s best friend.

Agent Z.: I know a lot about the business of inter-galactic spying, but very little about the publishing business. Tell me – how many people did you have to sleep with, betray or murder to get a publishing deal?

Gini: OMG, if I could have slept with someone to get an agent and a publishing contract, believe me, I would have. After a while, the hubs would have probably okayed it, too. Sadly, I had no one to betray, and I didn’t think I could get OJ’s legal team in place, so murder was out.

It’s a thing everyone hates to hear, but the answer really is -- write a book an agent and editor can’t put down. Which, as we all know, is the hardest thing to do until you learn how to do it. Then it’s easy.

Ahahahahahahahahaha! Sorry, sorry. It’s hard to use the word “easy” in relation to the publishing business. It’s working at it, day in and day out, on your writing, yes, absolutely, but also on your promotion and networking skills. I didn’t get representation based on a query letter -- I got it based on a lot of research and networking and then ensuring I was in the right place at the right time.

My real secret, if you will, was that I went to a lot of writer-focused conferences and met as many authors, agents and editors as I could. I met my fabulous agent at a conference, she got me a two-book deal with DAW, the rest is history, so to speak.

Agent Z.: If you were to be touched by an alien from page, stage or screen – which one would it be? (And no, you can’t choose Zaphod Beeblebrox. With two heads and three hands, that boy is mine-all-mine.)

Gini: Is it wrong to say Jeff Martini or Christopher White from “Touched by an Alien”? I mean, I know how hot and awesome they both are (that’s the fun of being The God, which every writer is), and if I didn’t like them, they wouldn’t be on the pages.

If it is wrong, I guess I have to go with Han Solo (he’d be an alien if he were in our galaxy, baby), ‘cause Han A) is the MAN, and B) shot first, George Lucas you traitor to my youth, he shot FIRST!

If we’re demanding an alien who’s shown up on Earth (yeah, I can really draw this one out, can’t I? Well, you headed it towards the gutter, not me…) I’m going with Frank N. Furter from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” because no one has ever looked better in fishnets and a teddy than Tim Curry.

Agent Z.: I know you writer types like to read a lot. What is your favorite romance novel? Sci-fi novel? And could you recommend a self-help book for a hard-drinking spaceslut who would love to get in touch with her inner lady? It’s for, um, a good friend.

Gini: Oh, urgh, the hard questions. I hate the “favorites” question because I always blank and have to run through every book I’ve ever read to come up with the right answer, and the moment it’s in stone, I realize I forgot that other favorite…

But, giving it a pathetic go, for romance novel, my favorite would probably be “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” by D.H. Lawrence and “Bloodsucking Fiends, a love story” by Christopher Moore. (I’m happy to argue whether or not these are romances with all comers. They’re romances to me. Besides, I have a lot of friends who write romance, and you’re not going to catch me with the old picking one of theirs over the others’ ploy, sister. I didn’t fall out of the airlock yesterday, you know.)

For science fiction, probably “Dune” by Frank Herbert and “City” by Clifford D. Simak. And everything by Robert Silverberg (aka My Idol).

Thanks for the “favorite child” question. Now every other book and author I’ve ever loved are whining at me. I’ll get you for this. And all the fantasy, horror, and mystery novels are whining at me that it’s unfair they were left out.

I got nothing for you on the ‘inner lady’ thing, other than to suggest you read the collected works of “Miss Manners”, aka Judith Martin. Not only is she a great authority on how real ladies and gentlemen behave, she’s also hilarious, and the best place to turn if you need a really nice scathing insult. I truly believe that the world would be a far better place if Miss Manners were our World Dictator, even though I like to wear white shoes after Labor Day (hey, I live in the freaking desert -- it’s summer here nine months out of the year). If you can’t find a book by Miss Manners handy, try “Modern Manners” by P.J. O’Rourke. I think the advice he gives will do you right. (And I’d like the video rights if you put his advice into action, too.)

Or, your spaceslut “friend” could just read “Touched by an Alien” to get some tips. Of course, they’d be tips on how to kick evil alien butt, so perhaps that’s not helping, either.

Agent Z.: If ‘Touched By An Alien’ were to be made into a movie, what five songs would definitely be on the soundtrack?

Gini: This is easy, so you are forgiven for the hard question prior. In fact, the hard part is limiting the answer to five.

“Born to Raise Hell” by Motorhead, “Cold” by Tears for Fears, “Keepin’ it Gangsta” by Ludacriss, “Fight for Your Right” by the Beastie Boys, and every song ever done by Aerosmith (but, if forced to only pick one, “Back in the Saddle”).

Can I have five more? I can? Cool. “Love in a Elevator” by Aerosmith, “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top, “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, “Give it Away” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and “Whole Lotta Love” by Smashmouth.

Agent Z.: I found your website entertaining and easy to navigate. How important is it for writers to have websites/blogs/internet presence these days?

Gini: Thanks for the compliment! We put a lot of work and thought into it over here at Team Gini, so it’s nice to know people are enjoying it and finding stuff easily.

Per my agent, my editor, every other agent I know, every other editor I know, and my publishing PR person -- websites, blogs and all forms of social media are vital.

From an author’s perspective, though, this stuff takes work, because it all requires content, and all that content takes you away from what you want to do, which is write on your novels or short stories.

Facebook and Twitter are both time suckers. But they’re as important as a blog these days. And that blog is a beast that needs regular feeding. And a website is a blog to the nth degree. It’s a fine, stressful dance you do as an author to keep up with all the many mouths that need your time, attention, and words.

My advice, in case anyone cares, is to save the website for when you have a publishing contract. Because they take time and they take money, but blogs take less time and they’re free. The first thing my editor asked when she told my agent “yes” was “Does she have a website or blog?” To which I replied, “Going up shortly!”

The thing is, it took two years from contract to publication, so I had plenty of time to get both going before the book was even a twinkle in the cover artist’s eye, so to speak. I spent the time in between contract signing and release date creating the site (with many thanks to ArtichokeHead Creative and Lisa Dovichi, without whom there would be only black space with my name on it) and getting lots and lots of content up there.

Now, as my regular web visitors can attest, I’m more sporadic because there’s a lot more going on. But there’s stuff there, and more comes on at least a semi-regular basis.

In terms of blogging and all social media, if you’re out there, you should sound like you (and by ‘you’ I mean ‘your writing voice’) and support your writing. No one, not even your mother, cares about that weird dream you had last night that has no point, but oh, wow, Ben Affleck was there while you were delivering a space alien… I mean it, no one cares. Now, if you turn that into a nifty science fiction piece and either blog about that or get it published, well, then they’ll care.

Agent Z.: And now for the most important questions: where do you stand on heroes on covers – hairy-chested or shaven? Heroines on covers – headless torso or torsoless head?

Gini: I am a chest-hair girl, myself. To me, a furry chest is a sign of virility. Fur in general is a sign of virility. It makes a hot guy hotter (waves to the hubs), an okay guy hot, and an ugly guy worth taking at least a passing interest in. However, I realize that the majority of women, for reasons I cannot comprehend, like them without chest fur. So, I try to make sure I have some of both in everything I write.



I’ve given up the hope of seeing a man with chest fur on a cover any more, unless it’s Wolverine (and I love Wolverine) on the cover of “Women’s Comics Pictorial Monthly” (no, it doesn’t exist, but I’d have a lifetime subscription if it did). My perfect man cover would have a man with Tom Selleck’s chest furs (and that man was the GOD of furry chests, and undoubtedly still is) with at least three days worth of stubble on his face. I realize this is a dream that shall never be. I’d settle for Ryan Reynolds and/or Chris Evans with their natural, non-shaven chests and that three-day stubble going on. I should think someone out there, besides “Entertainment Weekly” and “Details” magazines (God love them), would be willing to put Ryan or Chris on the cover essentially naked. I’d buy that book regardless of author or content.

As for heroines, I seriously wanted a headless Kitty on the “Touched by an Alien” cover. Thankfully, Daniel Dos Santos, who is the beyond awesome artist who did my cover, didn’t have to listen to me. He totally captured the entire essence of the book in the cover, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I think it depends on the artist, when you get down to it, for what’s really going to work and work well.

I’m not much for the floating head look unless it’s the evil being or similar. So, I go headless heroine, versus torsoless, in that debate.

Agent Z.: Gini, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you. I’m not quite sure how you’re still alive after so many Gargleblasters, but I’m damn impressed.

Passengers, you can read an excerpt from ‘Touched By An Alien’ here. Book Mom, Pearls Cast Before a McPig, Genre Go Round, and Diana Tixier Herald at Good Reads all featured a recent review of the book. You can check in on Gini’s news on her website here.

Good luck, Gini! And thanks for taking the time to board The Galaxy Express.

Be seeing ya!
Agent Z.

Now for the giveaway! For a chance to win a personalized, signed copy of Gini Koch's TOUCHED BY AN ALIEN, all you have to do is leave a comment for this post (contest limited to U.S. residents). If you have a juicy alien encounter tale of your own, please don't hesitate to share. The contest will run until 9 p.m. EST on Saturday, April 10, 2010.

TSUNAMI BLUE Winners

Congratulations to...Mitzi H. and Laurie Green ! You've both won a copy of TSUNAMI BLUE by Gayle Ann Williams. Grab your double short breve, and prepare to curl up with your new book!

Please email your name and addresses to sfrgalaxy "at" gmail.com (subject line: TB Win) to collect your prize.

Thanks again to everyone who entered!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Interview with TSUNAMI BLUE Author Gayle Ann Williams & A Giveaway!

This month marks the release for the post-apocalyptic romance TSUNAMI BLUE (Dorchester) by Gayle Ann Williams! Every day a science fiction romance is released is a good day, eh? Recently, RT Book Reviews awarded TSUNAMI BLUE 4 1/2 Stars—you go, Ms. Williams!

To help celebrate the book’s release, Ms. Williams will give away a print copy of her book to two lucky passengers.

Here’s the premise:

NO SAFE HARBOR

With her badass rain boots, her faithful dog, and the ability to predict the monster tsunamis that have reduced the US to a series of islands, Kathryn O’Malley isn’t afraid of much. Cut off from all society, she takes to the airwaves as Tsunami Blue, hoping to save something of humanity as the world around her crumbles. But Blue should be afraid—because her message reaches the wrong ears.

Now she’s the target of ruthless pirates known as Runners who want to use her special talents for their own profiteering—as soon as they can find her. Blue’s only shot at survival lies with the naked stranger who washes up on her rocky beach. A man who might just be working for Runners himself. Torn between suspicion and attraction, the two will have to navigate a surging tide of danger and deceit if they hope to stay alive.

View the book trailer here.

Before we proceed with the giveaway, I’m delighted to share an interview I conducted with Gayle Ann Williams about her debut book. The author has been with us previously—in Throw That Novel Into The Ring!, the author revisited her path to publication during a guest blog here at The Galaxy Express. You can read more about her journey in her recent guest post at Emily Bryan's blog as well as her piece Write What You Know--And Also, What You Don't at Dorchester's site.

Now, read on for an in-depth look at the author and her work, including what she means by the three “P’s,” the inside scoop on her raging [censored] addiction, and what exactly William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy did to make her cry.

TGE: What was the inspiration for TSUNAMI BLUE? What attracted you to a post-apocalyptic setting?

Gayle Ann Williams: On Christmas night, in 2004 I boarded a plane out of Seattle and flew right into the Southeast Asian Tsunami. In the air when the deadly wave hit, I knew that if I had arrived earlier, I might have been a statistic. As I traveled around the region, I listened and observed, hugged and cried, and all along, the writer in me asked, what if?

I did not know this at the time, but this experience, this life changing adventure, would become the very foundation for my book, TSUNAMI BLUE.

And on the appeal of a post-apocalyptic world?

There is only one answer for me.

MAD MAX.



The first time I saw this 1979 Australian dystopian movie, it was on a funky TV, with bad reception, which had to add to an already gritty experience. Dialing in the tube, I zeroed in on a movie simply titled “MAD MAX.” I had never seen anything like it. And the rest as they say is history. A post-apocalyptic world grabbed my imagination that night, and never let go.

TGE: What’s unique about your heroine Kathryn “Blue” O’Malley and hero Gabriel Black?

GAW: What I most love about Blue, is her vulnerability. What makes her unique is that she is a young woman of extreme contrasts. She is both naive and innocent, a victim of her isolation, and yet at the same time, she is dangerous with a “kill or be killed” instinct. An instinct she had to use for the first time at the age of thirteen. But through it all, she desperately fights to hold on to her humanity, to do what is right. And I admire her for that.

Gabriel Black is an enigma. Brave, loyal, fierce. He will fight to the death to protect the people he loves. And yet he travels with the brutal Runners. Still, he has held on to his humanity, when in reality he would be much better off to just take what he needs to survive and to hell with the rest. But he doesn’t. Why? Is he a protector? An opportunist? Is he good? Evil? Or somewhere in between? And he certainly makes his mistakes. . .especially with Blue.

TGE: Please describe some of the differences between “Runners” and traditional pirates.

GAW: I think we tend to romanticize traditional pirates with images such as the dashing and charismatic Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Even terms such as “The Golden Age of Pirates,” leads us to believe perhaps these men were somehow more civilized then they really were. Many did however have a “code of conduct,” and a loyalty to their “brotherhood.”

The Runners of my post-apocalyptic world are nothing like the pirates of old. They have no code, no loyalties, no boundaries, and most have no soul. The Runners in TSUNAMI BLUE survive only for themselves, and not for each other. There is no true “brotherhood,” although they would like you to believe there is.

TGE: What are some of your favorite science fiction romance books/films/television shows?

GAW: Oh Heather, lol. Too many to name. But I loved the HANDMAID’S TALE, and can’t tell you how many times I’ve revisited DUNE. I’m old school STAR TREK, and when I saw William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy take the stage at a convention in Seattle, years ago, I cried. I know, lol. BLADE RUNNER is one of my all time favorites, and of course films like ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and TOTAL RECALL are on my list. And we do have amazingly talented authors like Ann Aguirre (The JAX SERIES ) and Susan Grant (The STAR TRILOGY) writing great stories in this genre.

On a personal note, my favorite science fiction story of all time (and I know I’m not alone here) is, "I HAVE NO MOUTH, AND I MUST SCREAM," by Harlan Ellison. This post-apocalyptic tale is one I will never, ever forget.

TGE: Texas Hold'em is probably one of the coolest names for a poker game, ever. Just in case I find myself playing against a band of ruthless runners, what are some strategies I should use?

GAW: First, Heather? Show. No. Fear.

Poker players, um, I mean Runners, can smell fear from miles away. And to coin a poker term, you then become a “fish” and they become the “sharks.” This is never good.

Second I would tell you to use what I call the three “P’s.” Patience, position and practice.

Runners are not known for their patience, in fact, they have none. Wait them out. They will play most anything, and you can take them down with your strong hand. Second, wait until you are last to act, in late position, and pounce with your all-in move. And lastly, practice. Blue grew up playing poker, she could read people, calculate odds, spot a cheat. But nothing, and I mean nothing, beats your ability to run fast. Because after all, Runners tend to be very sore losers.

TGE: What was the most challenging aspect of writing TSUNAMI BLUE? The most enjoyable?

GAW: I loved writing TSUNAMI BLUE, every word, and I hope that shows up in my novel. It was such a challenging, interesting world to create and such fun to write in first person. Through the narrative, I felt close to the characters and telling the story through Blue’s eyes, the way she viewed the world, what she perceived was her “truth” was a great experience.

But there were challenges. How to keep the story moving and interesting? How to make you the reader, love my characters as much as I did? I worked hard on these elements, and I hope I succeeded.

TGE: In your bio, you describe your love of espresso. Do you have a favorite brand? Please share three of your favorite espresso drinks.

GAW: Ah, espresso. How I love thee!

I live on a small island in the rainy, Pacific Northwest. We have wonderful coffee here on the island, and of course, Seattle, the city that is the home of Starbucks and Seattle’s Best Coffee, is just a ferry boat ride away.

My favorite espresso drink is a double short breve. Served in an eight ounce cup, it consists of two shots of a dark roasted blend and heavy cream or half and half. Rich, creamy, and packed full of calories, it is my winter drink.

During the summer I drink double Americanos. Again two shots (dark roast) with a one, two, three, count of cream. Americanos are great over ice.

And lastly, just two straight shots of espresso with a splash of cream. Fast, strong, and guaranteed to get me going. And I never use a sweetener of any kind.

Addicted you say? Yep, pretty much.

TGE: Is there anything else about TSUNAMI BLUE that you’d like readers to know? What can readers look forward to seeing from you in the future?

GAW: I only hope that readers find the world of TSUNAMI BLUE intriguing and exciting to read. It is a fast paced story that doesn’t let up until you have reached, THE END. And with Runners around every bend, I guess that’s the way it should be.

And I do have some fun news. This just in, there will indeed be a second novel set in the TSUNAMI BLUE world. Out from Dorchester Publishing in March of 2011, the second book will feature new characters. But don’t be surprised if Blue and Gabriel make an appearance somewhere along the way.

And I can’t say much, but I will say this. . .the deadly waves have calmed, but the winds are starting to whisper. . .

Thank you, Heather for having me. It is always so much fun here at the amazing Galaxy Express.

Ms. Williams, congratulations on the sale! Thanks for your time, your exclusive news, and for your art!

Now for the giveaway details: To enter for a chance to win a copy of TSUNAMI BLUE, leave a comment for this post (contest limited to U.S. residents). Two winners will be chosen. The deadline to enter is 6 p.m. EST on Sunday, April 4, 2010.

Share your favorite espresso drink recipe or post-apocalyptic story. Or both!

Joyfully yours,

Heather