Tuesday, August 31, 2010

SFR Brigade Welcomes Rachel Savage!

A Hearty SFR Brigade welcome to new member Rachel Savage. We shine the bright (but friendly) light on all willing to submit and Rachel bravely stepped up. (Love the avatar, btw! LOL!) And now here's Rachel in her own words:

A little something about myself:

I’ve been married nine years now to a great guy that puts up with my special brand of crazy. Though if he ever suggests it’s a good idea to remodel a home while living in it again (assuming we survive this first one), I might find myself with a slightly lumpy wall in one room. It’s just us, and a tank in the dining room housing a collection of loaches and one slightly cranky pleco. And his office right now – but don’t get me started on that.

When I’m not writing or reading, you can occasionally catch me on the xbox or engaged with one of my various hobbies - making jewelry, sewing, or 3D modeling/rendering. It’s rather scary when a virtual model has a bigger wardrobe than I do (might be tied for shoes though).

Something about my book:

Dark Shame is my latest WIP – a story about making the most out of second chances when the universe is kind enough to give you one.

Captain Darius “Fizzy” Dark has spent the past ten years seeking oblivion at the bottom of a bottle. It’s never that easy to forget the mistakes of the past however – not when the blood of an innocent left a stain upon his soul.
Exiled to the outer territories after a mission gone wrong, Darius is finally given a chance at redemption. One last mission they tell him will salvage his ruined career. All he has to do is find a missing woman. A simple task, one he and his crew are good at, but odd rumors begin to crop up. Things grow more confusing the closer to the target they get. It’s enough to make him nearly break his rule about no drinking while on a job.

Dark’s world is turned upside down when the lover they told him had died is suddenly not so dead. He can’t blame it on the alcohol though – drunken hallucinations don’t usually point a gun at your face. What he once considered truth is called into question, and there might just be a chance that someone out there doesn’t want him to succeed.

What do you like about writing SFR?

Aliens. I love coming up with different life forms and the worlds they live on. It lets me use my bit of background in geology/paleontology in new ways. Bring to that fun and interesting characters and you’ve got something good going on.

What do you find challenging about it?

Aside from attempting to wrap my head around star charts and a plausible way to go from planet to planet? I think the hardest thing is finding a good balance between tech and love. It’s also a factor of how much science – in an area where you can go from space opera to hard sci-fi – you’ve got to know where you want to be before jumping in.

What is your favorite SF book or movie?

Flowers for Algernon is my favorite SF tale. There was just something about the character and his journey that grabbed me and never let go.

Movie/TV wise it’s much harder to pick one single favorite. The Empire Strikes Back (alright, so I have a thing for not quite so HEA endings), Babylon 5 – and dare I say shows like Gatchaman and Airwolf even (can’t tell you how much young little me wanted that helicopter in my back yard).

And hey, I married a trekkie – in uniform even! Except we’re divided on captains. I’m a Capt. Kirk girl while he favors Sisko. Suppose I can forgive him that. He keeps me supplied with anime.

If you could have a robot that did only one task – what would you choose?

The moment they make a cute little robot that can clean my house I’ll be first in line at the store. That might be more than one task though. I really don’t like to clean (really, my office looks like a bomb went off in a book store/bead supply warehouse).

Favorite mode of fictional travel?

Imperial Star Destroyer. Stick some Airwolf copters in one of the landing bays and I’m set for life.

Lovely to "meet" you, Rachel and again, welcome aboard!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Other worldly chat

You're invited to post your SF, Fantasy, or Paranormal excerpts at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/classicromancerevival/
Sweet to sensual rating only please. this  is strictly a non erotic group.

The Space Foundation Asks...

Who is Your Space Hero?

Whether your favorite hero from space is a real astronaut, a character from a science fiction/romance book, TV series, film, comic book, or someone you know, you can name them in a Space Hero Survey sponsored by the Space Foundation web site. 

Just tell them who your space hero is and why, then follow the site for future results.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

International Space Film Fest Planned

Although still in its planning stages, the International Space Film Fest currently set for April 2012 could go a long way in bringing the excitement of reaching for the stars back to the hearts and minds of Americans.


An article on the FloridaToday web site quotes Bill Larson of the ISFF planning committee:  “We’re losing our race for space, and somebody needed to do something to bring the space program back to the American public,” said the former broadcast journalist. “For me, it’s a labor of love.”


Organizers hope to attract between 10,000 - 15,000 attendees at its inaugural event, and is looking to NASA for support to attract such celebrities as John Glenn or space-enthusiast Tom Hanks.  (And hmmm...maybe a SFR book promotion opportunity, too?)

Friday, August 27, 2010

Desert Breeze Publishing: Showcase


Brigader AR Norris recently interviewed Gail Delaney (also a new member of the SFR Brigade) about Desert  Breeze Publishing.  I think you'll find what Gail has to say as exciting as I did!  

1. Would you like to share a little history about Desert Breeze Publishing?

I suppose in a way, the genesis of DBP came from my own sci fi romance series. Several years ago, I was with another publishing company that no longer exists, and they were publishing my sci fi rom series. While visiting my best friend (and now business partner) in California, I received the cover art for the last book in the series.

I was beyond disappointed. It was horrible. Absolutely horrible. Jenifer begged me to get the publisher to allow HER to make my covers. They refused. During the visit, one of us said "We should open our own publishing company".

Within a year, that publishing company abruptly -- and lacking any ethics -- shut down and filed bankruptcy. In the year plus it took to get my books free from the bankruptcy trial, my family and I moved to California and we began the process of opening Desert Breeze Publishing.

2. Who are your key personnel?

There are two owners of Desert Breeze Publishing -- myself as President and Editor-In-Chief -- and Jenifer Ranieri as Vice President and Marketing Driector. Patrick Delaney acts as Chief Financial Officer. We are currently in the process of bringing on a staff of editors and cover artists.

3. What are the most common reasons a novel (especially a Science Fiction Romance novel) is rejected?

Most commonly of all is a disregard for our guidelines and preferences, which we make clear on our website. We are primarily a publisher of romance, with a variety of sub genres. So, don't send me a hard boiled suspense with no romance. Don't sent me an epic space opera... with no romance. And on the other end of the spectrum, don't send me an erotic novel under the guise of a sci fi rom or rom suspense.

4. How far do you read into a submission before you know if the novel is right for you?

It's more about how far I read before I know it's 'not'. I can determine within a chapter or two whether I want to read more. If I get past the first couple of chapters, you've probably got a 7 in 10 chance of receiving an offer. If I go past those few chapters, I look for some very specific elements. How does the romance develop? How do you handle physical intimacy (or just attraction if you choose not to have any actual physical intimacy in the novel). How does the story develop? Is it a strong ending? If a series, is it set up well to continue?

So, if you can hook me early on you've got a better chance.

5. What can authors do to maximize the chances of their stories being accepted?

One of the biggest things -- beyond having a strong story -- is be a strong writer. I don't exclude a manuscript because it's not formatted to our final guidelines -- but the manuscript should be formatted neatly and consistently. Understand POV -- and the fact that I want third person and I want ONE POV per scene. Write in active voice, not passive. That doesn't mean I'll exclude you for a couple errors, but I will if I read 4 pages and see more errors than not.

6. What do you look for in a Science Fiction Romance submission? What grabs your attention, makes you sit up and want to read more?

When it comes to science fiction romance, I want to see strong world building, a sufficient base in science without requiring a degree in quantum physics to understand it, strong character development and strong character driven storytelling with a beautiful romance. So, I'm likely to reject if it reads like the author just threw his or her characters on a ship or an odd planet and call it science fiction. Or throwing in a bunch of anamorphic creatures and calling them aliens.

I believe true lovers and readers of science fiction want an intelligent, well thought out, intricate and thorough science fiction novel. And that's what I want to deliver.

7. Do you have recommendations or requirements regarding "heat levels" of submissions?

We have 4 heat levels, from the sweet to what we term 'intense'. Our intense level will have scenes of physical intimacy within the book, but while the scenes contain description, those descriptions will not go into a great deal of detail and will not use terms often associated with erotica or erotic romance. A love scene can be intense and physical and sensual -- and moving -- without the reader being told how many times tab a and slot be meet up.

8. What are you looking for right now? What kinds of submissions would you like to see pop up in your e-queries? Anything you’re dying to see more of? Steampunk? Futuristic? Space Opera? Any dream novels?

I would actually love to see some Steampunk. I have one scheduled for next year, but I want to see more. I like sci fi in series, because I like the development and world building that can really happen when you create a series. Futuristic... Space Opera... they're all good when well developed.

Because I have series set in both the near future and the distant future, I'd be interested in seeing a sci-fi series set in the here and now, but with an alternative timeline. What would our world be like today if we made contact? Whether good or bad? More often than not, when 'first contact' stories are told, the aliens are the wolf in sheep's clothing (I'm guilty of that myself -- I just had it take decades for the truth to be found out), but what if our first contact isn't with a potential adversary? What if they're our friends? But, maybe by making contact with us -- we've drawn the attention of an enemy?

Just a thought...

9. For science fiction romance, are you interested in any particular types of heroes and heroines (e.g., cyborgs, space pirates, scientists, airship captains)?

Wow... I don't think anyone has ever asked me that kind of question. I just like strong character development -- whether they be pirates or captains. I do usually make to make a clarification, though. 'Strong' doesn't mean 'jerk'.

A strong hero doesn't have to be an alpha male. I'm sure I can talk sci fi and people will 'get me' around here. Stargate SG-1's Jack O'Neill is a strong male character. And yet... so is Dr. Daniel Jackson. They are strong in different ways. They are different men. John Crichton of Farscape was a very strong hero -- and yet, how many times did we see him weep when he lost someone he cared about? Han Solo was a 'scruffy, stuck up, half-witted nerf herder'... and yet, we love him. Luke Skywalker started out as a whiny kid who wanted to know "Why me?", but by the end... he was a hero.

And just because a woman is strong, doesn't mean she can't be feminine. Just because a woman can fire a blaster and hit her target at 100 paces while riding a runaway power platform, doesn't mean she won't feel a pleasant rush when a man smiles at her or tells her she's beautiful.

I don't like characters who are so extreme in one direction that they can't be anything else. We -- as humans -- don’t work that way.

10. Is there anything else you’d like to share either about your interest in acquiring SF/SFR or forthcoming titles you’ve edited?

If you haven't been able to tell by now, SFR is my favorite genre. I want to expand the genre and improve it. I'd love to have a SFR title every month.

In an effort to do just that, we will be introducing a new anthology series in October of this year, titled Borealis. The anthology series will center around a space station on the edge of explored space in the 27th century. Initially, it was intended to be a single anthology of 5 stories -- but as I often find with sci fi writers -- we can be long winded. So, I brought on a 6th author, and we're releasing a 3-story anthology in October and another 3 story anthology in December. And we'll be releasing another 3-story anthology next year. All around Borealis.

The first anthology will have stories by PI Barrington (Author of the critically acclaimed Future Imperfect futuristic series), J. Morgan (Author of the hilarious paranormal series Love Bites, but his nickname is Bubba Fett, if that tells you anything) and myself. The second anthology has stories by Esther Mitchell (Author of numerous science fiction novels), Stephanie Burkhart (Author of paranormal, fantasy and steampunk), and Shea McMaster (who has joined us specifically to write for this series).

We have a wide variety of science fiction already available at DBP, and coming up soon. Vijaya Schartz has a galactic series titled The Chronicles of Kassouk and my own futuristic series The Phoenix Rebellion. PI Barrington's Future Imperfect series -- set in Las Vegas in the not-too-distant future -- has been compared to the writing of Stephen King. Coming soon is the Future Savior series which is an amalgamation of science fiction, fantasy and Christianity based genres.

I invite lovers of sci fi rom to check us out.

Thanks so much for your time and insights, Gail, and to A.R. for a wonderful and informative publisher's showcase.  I loved hearing about DBP's SFR-friendly attitude.  (And just want to mention author Vijaya Schartz is also a new member of the Brigade.) 

Have questions about submitting to Desert Breeze?  Read their Submission Guidelines or leave your question below.

Be sure to stop by Desert Breeze Publishing's site to check out Cooking by the Book and the Desert Breeze Publishing Book Club, as well as their full catalog of many great fiction titles.

A link to this interview will be added to our Publishers Showcase section on the sidebar.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Thursday Tag Party for 8/26/10!

The desert wind howls in the rocks. The vibrations from distant thumpers pulse under your feet. A swirl of sand, a sudden vision--

He who controls the Tags controls the universe...

Fine, so I like my melodrama, bu
t I also like themes. This week we have books from Desert Breeze Publishing, hence the Arrakis references.

You haven't tagged before? It's OK, we're here to help:
  • Go to the Amazon buy page (I've included the links below)
  • Scroll down to the Tags Customers Associate with this Product header
  • Look for these tags: SFR, Scifi Romance, SF Romance, Science Fiction Romance and Paranormal Romance - please feel free to add any extra tags you feel are appropriate to the work (i.e. Space Opera, Military SF, etc.)
  • If the tags are already there, just click on them to add your 'vote'
  • If not, type them into the 'your tags' box to add them (no need to save the page, just type and add)
For a list of past Tag Party books, come on over to the Book Launch and Tag Party Books page. Tagging is always welcome.

And now our promised selection of Desert Breeze books:


White Tiger by Vijaya Scharf

Red Leopard by Vijaya Scharf

Have a book out on Amazon that we haven't featured yet? Know an SFRB member who does? Want to ask me how I stay so beautiful? Send me a message at ravenesperanza@yahoo.com and I'll add you to the schedule.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

All Romance Having a Short Story Contest

From their website:




Thank you for choosing to submit your work for consideration for publication in conjunction with All Romance's Just One Bite Short Story Contest. We are very excited about this contest. Thirty-two of the short stories submitted will be deemed “Semi-Finalists” and released on October 1, 2010.
Readers will vote for their favorite short stories during 5 rounds of voting with the field being narrowed at the end of each round. The first prize winner will receive $1000 US. The second prize winner will receive an iPod Touch. The third prize winner will receive a $100 eBook Bucks Gift Certificate redeemable either at AllRomance.com or OmniLit.com.


For rest of the story, click here. 


If you've got an SFR short languishing on your hard drive, this might be an opportunity to boost both SFR and your own work. 

The LASR All Weekend Party

This Weekend:

Long and Short Of It Romance Reviews will be hosting an all weekend party on their Yahoo group to celebrate their 3rd Anniversary. Why attend?

  • Chances to win one of 3 Nooks - preloaded with all sorts of wonderful stories - along with a $50 GC for more
  • Every hour, a different author hosts the chat - here's your chance to see what some of your favorite authors are up to and ask them whatever burning questions you have!
  • The lovely LASR ladies always have fun surprises during these chats (I won a copy of a Larissa Ione book last year!)

I'm hosting from 2-3 on Saturday, 8/28. Please stop by and say hello!

To join the Yahoo group:
Long and Short of It Romance Reviews
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LongAndShortRomanceReviews


Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Packing for Mars

During the "Out of this World Blog Tour," we talked about a lot of space things (and we hope you checked them out!). It seemed serendipity today, that I saw Packing for Mars  in the iBookstore (only access it through the iBooks app). It's $12.99 there, and only $9.99 in the Kindle store. I ordered a sample to check it out, but it does seem like a fun book for those of us exploring things SF. It released the 2 of August and has picked up some stars in the review section. 

Saturday, August 21, 2010

New I/R Science Fiction Romance Story

My Moonbeams & Stardust series first title, Star Seduction, is back in ebook format (pdf). It's available from Mocha Memoirs Press, LLC.Title:
Star Seductions
Series: Moonbeams & Stardust
Publisher: Mocha Memoirs Press, LLC
Price: $3.99
Author: RaeLynn Blue
Genre: Science Fiction Interracial Romance
Blurb: Thanks to an explosion on his touring ship, Jackson’s life of intergalactic glitz as the guitarist in rock band dead ends on a chunk not too far from Earth, the moon. Depressed, down on his luck, and emotionally desolate, Jackson spends night after night, drowning any feelings he has left in countless mug of beer. When he accidental clashes with a beautiful black woman in the Cat’s Meow lot, he sees a ray of sun in his otherwise dreary life. Star Summers is a woman betrayed. Thanks to a boyfriend who left her for greener pastures on Earth, Star is reduced to dancing as a stripper at a dump called the Cat’s Meow, not to mention her morning gig of working at a diner. The moon promised to be a blessing, but has turned into a curse. Longing for Earth on the rise she’s willing to do anything to get home. When they do find each other, sparks not only fly, they explode. There’s just one problem–Star’s pimp…Darius…

Running to Catch Up...

I apologize for my absence on the SFR Brigade these last couple of weeks.  August is always devoted to an overwhelming "A" priority at my day job that sucks up most of my evenings and weekends in addition to my usual forty hours.  I should be back in full swing soon...and hanging around the Brigade Lounge as I burn umpteen hours of comp time.  Woohoo!  :)

Meanwhile, I'll step into Kylie Griffin's shoes while she's away at writers conferences Down Under and post some news and happenings.

~*~*~*~

First of all, a hearty and very belated congratulations to member Katherine Allred for her PRISM win in the Futuristic category and for the BEST OF THE BEST!  The wins were for her wonderful SFR, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS.  Her second, CLOSE CONTACT was launched here at SFR Brigade after receiving a Top Pick by Romantic Times!  Definitely a series to check out.  Several members of the Brigade were on hand at the FF&P Chapter "The Gathering" event at RWA in Orlando to witness the win.  Many, many congrats for your huge achievement, Katherine.

In fact, SFR Brigaders swept the PRISM Futuristic category, with placings also going to Linnea Sinclair for HOPE'S FOLLY and Jess Granger for BEYOND THE RAIN.  Ella Drake also placed second in the Novella category with her FIRESTORM ON E'TERRA -- HEARTS AFIRE anthology. Congrats, Brigaders!!!!

~*~*~*~

Secondly, a huge congrats to A.R. Norris for her FIRST SALE!!!  *thows confetti* DUTY AND DEVOTION by A.R. Norris is being published by Desert Breeze Publishing in June 2011! Please join me in congratulating A.R. on her sale and to Desert Breeze for acquiring a SFR! :) Here's a sneak peek:

DUTY AND DEVOTION follows sisters, Nettie and Rinny, through battle. Both rely on sisterly love and dedication to stay true to themselves and follow their hearts, no matter where fate takes them.

Older sister Nettie wasn’t sure what the militia thought she was, but she knew and it wasn’t a space fighter pilot on the front line. But Dad always pressed the importance of duty to your territory. Now she has to figure out how to survive in a place she never imagined ending up. Keeping things interesting is a very overconfident competitor, James. Through it all, she’s got her younger sister Rinny. Or so she believed until the moment she lost her.

As for Rinny, the Mars facility gives her chance to break family expectation and she thrives in ground combat training. She also learns life off the concert stage can be just as rewarding when she makes her first real friends and meets Daniel, who could just be “the one”. He’s a little more reluctant and it turns out he has a reason, a secret involving Rinny. After the enemy attacks her facility and kills her best friend, Daniel disappears. Now captured, Rinny must fight behind enemy lines to help her people remain free, and live to return home.


We hope to give DUTY AND DEVOTION a super send-off here on the SFR Brigade. Stay tuned!

~*~*~*~

New member Darlene Reilly was recently honored as the Member of the Week on the Literary Gumbo site. Congrats, Darlene, and thanks for the mention of the SFR Brigade in your interview.

~*~*~*~

We have many new members that I've been remiss in listing, so let me *try* to play catch-up.  (We've had quite a rush, so if I missed anyone, don't be shy about jumping around and waving your hands so we can acknowledge you.)  In aphabetical order by last name:

Erica Anderson
Julia Rachel Barrett
Misa Buckley
Gail Delaney (co-owner of Desert Breeze Publishing)
Jennifer L. Hart
Belinda McBride
Mandy McCartney
Darlene Reilly
Rachel Savage
Vijaya Schartz
Gary Starta

Welcome to our merry ranks, new members.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Reader seeking 2010 Novels to Nominate for Hugo

This call for SF authors to nominate for the Hugo popped up on the Amazon SF discussion board. Not sure he'd be open to SFR, but he is looking for books that meet his criteria. 


Attn: Authors (he is interested in indie novels, btw)


Here's his criteria:


1) It is eligible for the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Novel
2) It is availble as an eBook for the Kindle (although it doesn't have to be available through the Kindle Store). Most non DRM eBook formats can be easily converted to Kindle format if they are not available in a Kindle viewable format.
3) I have limited funds, so it must be priced at $2.99 or less. ($2.99 gets you Amazon's best royalty rate. You don't need to work for free.)
4) The novel is available in english. (I'm not saying that great works aren't written in other languages, just that I can't read other languages.)

If you have written such a novel, please reply to this posting with the information. I cannot promise to buy and read every novel posted, but I will read those that I can. I also promise that I will nominate the best novel from the bunch I read. (This does not mean it will make the final ballot; you did notice I said hundreds of nominators.)

For more information about the hugo award, go to thehugoawards dot org. Here is some important information about the Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Out Of This World Blog Tour continues...


The Out Of This World Blog Tour is winding down. Today I'll be guest blogging with Lisa Lane at
The New Sensuality. I'm talking a bit about -- okay are you ready for it --  Lovemaking Deep Space Style. So if you have a chance stop by for a visit. I'll be giving away a download copy of Forbidden Love as a prize to a commenter.


See you around the Galaxy!


Kaye Manro

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Blogger asks, "Why Write Science Fiction?"

Rhobin's Rambles Blog asks the question, "Why Write Science Fiction," and got answers as diverse as the genre. Some brigaders there, so if you get time, stop by and check it out. 


And don't forget the lastest in the Out of This World Blog tour, info to the right!


-------------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>

Thursday Tag Party for 8/19/10!

Holy categorization, Batman! It's Thursday again! Time for our weekly batch of Taggables.

Will tags make the difference between an author becoming God Emperor or just another scruffy nerf
-herder? Probably not. But they do make a difference in search rankings. If your readers can't find you, reading your books becomes a bit of a challenge. Unless your target demographic is exclusively Scanners and that could get messy.

It's your first Tag day? No worries - here's how:
  • Go to the Amazon buy page (I've included the links below)
  • Scroll down to the Tags Customers Associate with this Product header
  • Look for these tags: SFR, Scifi Romance, SF Romance, Science Fiction Romance and Paranormal Romance - please feel free to add any extra tags you feel are appropriate to the work (i.e. Space Opera, Military SF, etc.)
  • If the tags are already there, just click on them to add your 'vote'
  • If not, type them into the 'your tags' box to add them (no need to save the page, just type and add)
For a list of past Tag Party books, come on over to the Book Launch and Tag Party Books page. There's no such thing as a late tag.

Our lovely lineup this week has something for everyone:





Into the Woods by R R Smythe


















Speculative Sky by Clare Dargin

















Celestial Dragon by Ciara Gold





















An Uncommon Whore by Belinda McBride













Have a book out on Amazon that we haven't featured yet? Know an SFRB member who does? Just want to write and tell me I've won the Microsoft/Irish Lotto? Send me a message at ravenesperanza@yahoo.com and I'll add you to the schedule.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Out of Time Book Video!


Not strictly SFR, though the time travel is by machine!

Also having a book release (not SFR but there is a drawing!) here

Out of This World Blog Tour: Day Five!


Today's Blog Tour guest is our lovely Tour Coordinator, Lisa Lane! She's visiting with me on Writer's Habitat - come see what she has to say about writing romance for alien life forms (and, of course, a fun excerpt from her new book - Pandora's Hope :) )

Writer's Habitat (For Authors and Their Keepers)

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Out Of This World Blog Tour continues...

Our Out Of This World Blog Tour is at Kaye Manro's Blog today and the featured author is fellow SFRB author D. L. Jackson. She'll be talkiong about her upcoming anthology release, Blown Away which contains not one, but two stories! So stop by and say hello. D. L. is also giving away a download copy of her recent release, Slipping The Past to one lucky commenter!

Monday, August 16, 2010

T-minus Three Days and Counting...

Thursday, August 19 - Anchorage Book Three releases!

The exciting conclusion of Romenel's story - mind-manipulating monsters, wild battles, lots of inventive thinking, explosions, opinionated leemacats and one very stubborn mercenary commander who can't admit he's in love.

Don't miss out - and don't forget to visit my contest page for the launch contest!

Sandra Stixrude: Cold Facts Meet Flights of Fancy

Haven't started the Anchorage Series yet? Come catch up!


Marya: Anchorage Book 1

Marya:
The reclusive priestess healer charged with the heir’s safety
Dire prophecy and the threat of fanatic assassins shadow her every step

Roke:

The perfect warrior who arrives in her hour of need, with a letter:

Know he will succeed when all others fail you…


He disturbs her peace in ways she thought no longer possible. She disrupts his life, divides his loyalties and his heart. Together they could change their world - but they have to survive each other first.






Romenel: Voyage Into Twilight
Anchorage Book 2


We first met Romenel collared and chained to a wall in Marya.

Now it's seven years later, and our blond hunk has become one of the continent's most powerful mercenary commanders. Even so, he's in serious trouble and needs help.

Something is hunting him. Something he can't even describe. If he can't get to Marya and Roke in time, he knows he's a dead man.








Anchorage
One Planet - Seven Books
Come Join the Adventure

Saturday, August 14, 2010

There's a New Kid on the Block


Please help me welcome YoungRebel Publications.


New UK independent publishing house YoungRebel Publications have announced they are open for submissions from Saturday 14th August 2010. Jacqueline Young, editor at YoungRebel said, ‘We are looking for exciting, fresh stories with main characters aged 16 to 21 years old. We accept queries for all genres and lengths, from writers of any age.’ Jacqueline, a teacher with over seventeen years of experience, went on to add, ‘We are particularly interested in writing that will appeal to our young male readers. A typical YoungRebel story has a strong lead character and an original plot line. It appeals to the tastes of today's young adult readers, not a sanitised distant memory of young adult tastes.

‘We launch on 25th October (the week before Halloween) with an anthology of paranormal shorts and at least one other title. If you have a story that will make our hair stand on end, then we'd like to hear from you. Your short must have a paranormal theme but can cross any other genre. For this anthology we are looking for stories with a maximum length of 3,000 words.

‘It’s an exciting time in publishing and we passionately believe e-books are the future. The young adult market has been neglected in e-publishing terms, a remarkable fact considering today’s youth are so comfortable with technological media. YoungRebel aims to connect this readership with new and upcoming talent.’

YoungRebel Publications are a full service, royalty paying company. Submissions by e-mail only. Send a query letter and sample chapters or complete manuscript as a Word compatible attachment to submissions@youngrebelpublications.com . Full submission guidelines are available on the website along with more detailed company and contract information. International authors are welcome.

Details: Jacqueline Young (Editor); e-mail: admin@youngrebelpublications.com

website:  http://www.youngrebelpublications.com/

Out of This World Blog Tour!




August 14: Sandra Stixrude at Dasef Central 

August 15: Linnea Sinclair at The Cerebral Writer

August 16: Pauline Jones at Behind the Pallid Mask 
August 17: D. L. Jackson at Forbidden Love  
August 18: Lisa Lane at Writer's Habitat 
August 19: J. C Hay at Perils of Pauline 
August 20: Kaye Manro at The New Sensuality 
August 21: Marva Dasef at Backward Momentum 

Hope you'll stop by and support your fellow brigaders and spread the tour links around your social networking sites!

The Brigade Welcomes Misa Buckley to the Ranks!

We'd like to welcome, Misa to the Brigade!

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a married mum of five children, escaping the crazy by slipping off into time and space. When I’m not writing, I can be found watching Doctor Who and Stargate Universe. Non-sci fi loves include House and Castle, and restoring my 1971 Volkswagen Beetle.

We’d love to hear more about your book.
When Commander Corin Arrack dares to circumvent Protectorate regulation, he has no idea that everything he’s ever known is about to collapse around him. His ship is attacked by aliens, killing the crew and leaving him for dead.

Meanwhile, Ella Skye is fleeing for her life when the path of her ship converges with Corin’s. Horrified by the dead, she chooses to rescue him despite his violent history and the misgivings of her crew.

Oil and water, Corin and Ella must put aside their differences in order to unite the remnants of the military with a handful of rebels and mercenaries: the last hope to save the galaxy from the alien threat.

Would you like to share any upcoming projects (and links)
People can follow me on Twitter as @misaditas  and on Blogger as misabuckley.blogspot.com

What do you like about writing SFR?
I love character-driven stories, so I’m all about writing the human condition which includes love (and sex!) as well as grief, hope and determination.

What do you find challenging about it?
Finishing! I’m Queen of the Unfinished Novel. It’s quite dire, really.

What is your favorite SF book or movie?
Ohh, um The Last Starfighter. I know it’s a kids’ movie, but it’s the perfect zero-to-hero story with a nice romantic sub-plot. I can still quote the video game blurb (sci fi geek and proud!)

If you could have a robot that did one chore/task and only one, what would you choose?
One that would nag my kids on my behalf!

Great to have you in the Brigade, Misa!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Life On Other Planets?

This is an interesting article. My mind latched onto a great idea for a new SFR story. And my heroine's career is already in the making...



Clues to Alien Life                                         




Galan Volcano, Argentina

A lake in Argentina's remote, inhospitable northwest may offer clues to how life got started on Earth and how it could survive on other planets, scientists say.

Researchers have found millions of "super" bacteria thriving inside the oxygen-starved Lake Diamante, in the center of a giant volcanic crater located over 15,400 feet above sea level.

The bacteria's habitat is similar to primitive earth, before living and breathing organisms began wrapping a protective atmosphere of oxygen around the planet.

The conditions -- which include high arsenic and alkaline levels -- could also shed light on life beyond Earth.

"This is of great scientific interest as a window to look to our past and also for a science called Astrobiology, the study of life on other planets," said Maria Eugenia Farias, part of the team that discovered the life-forms in Lake Diamante earlier this year.

And We Have a Winnah! ("Wild Cards and Iron Horses" Giveaway!)


The lucky winner of not only an ebook copy of "Wild Cards and Iron Horses" but ALSO a copy of Girl Genius is...

...

...

...

Courtney!

*thunderous applause from automated hands*

Courtney, please drop me an email ASAP so that I can not only send you the ebook but also get your mailing address to send out the trade paperback!

Thanks to all who entered and I hope you enjoy "Wild Cards and Iron Horses" along with the other fine books here on the SFR Brigade!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Thursday Tag Party for 8/12/10 - Sequels

Thursday. The city twitched in its uneasy sleep like a cat with a bad conscience. A lone figure filtered from shadow to shadow in the dark alleys like some lost gnat in a seedy gin joint, searching...

For books to Tag, of course.

OK, so I'm not Raymond Chandler, but it is time for another lovely list of members' works to Tag. Why? Because the more we tag, the more the community grows. More tags, higher search engine rankings, more visibili
ty - it's the little things that add up!

If you've never tagged before - a brief run
down:
  • Go to the Amazon buy page (I've included the links below)
  • Scroll down to the Tags Customers Associate with this Product header
  • Look for these tags: SFR, Scifi Romance, SF Romance, Science Fiction Romance and Paranormal Romance - please feel free to add any extra tags you feel are appropriate to the work (i.e. Space Opera, Military SF, etc.)
  • If the tags are already there, just click on them to add your 'vote'
  • If not, type them into the 'your tags' box to add them (no need to save the page, just type and add)
For a list of past Tag Party books, come on over to the Book Launch and Tag Party Books page. There's no such thing as a late tag.

This week, I thought we'd do some sequels:



Linnea Sinclair Hope's Folly


Katherine Allred Close Contact
Gini Koch Alien Tango

But, wait Sandra, this one hasn't released yet! By golly, you're right - and we can still tag it. Cool, huh?

Go out and Tag, folks. If we don't support each other, how can we expect the reading public to?

Have a book out on Amazon that we haven't featured yet? Know an SFRB member who does? Send me a message (it'll have to be email since my ansible is on the fritz) at ravenesperanza@yahoo.com and I'll add you to the schedule.


The Brigade Welcomes Jennifer L. Hart to the Ranks!

The Brigade would like to welcome Jennifer L. Hart to the ranks! She is a reader and a writer who "grew up on Star Trek TNG and [is] a rabid science fiction fan, especially in books." Her book Stellar Timing is currently out with editors and agents. I asked her to tell us a bit about her project.



Blurb for Stellar Timing.

When a man wearing blood-soaked armor begs her for sanctuary, Ellie McIntyre is sure her mind has snapped like a dry twig.  In the year 2059, poverty and stress have done much worse. What else could explain her ability to hear animals talk and the knack for communing with the wounded warrior inside her head?  One thing’s for sure, she needs to eject this sexy figment from her life, stat. 



Betrayed by those closest to him, Prince Brennigan was banished to the universal Hotel California, the penal colony called Earth. The only way to escape this fate worse than death is to befriend a portal-maker, a sorci who can open a gateway through time and space and return him to his home planet. Getting along with the magically inclined is not his forte—magic is the prevalent fungus at the root of his problems. Now the hope for his people, and his heart, lies with Ellie. Can an ignorant witch best an evil sorceress before this medieval times space opera’s final curtain? 

Jennifer's bio:



Jennifer L. Hart has tried on many accessories including early childhood educator, Navy wife, video store clerk, photographer and mother of two.  The “wife” and “mom” shoes got stuck and she found the hats of mystery writer and romance novelist are a perfect fit—and don’t clash. Jen’s works to date include The Misadventures of the Laundry Hag mystery series, the contemporary romance Worth the Wait and the romantic suspense novel River Rats. Up next is her Next Best Celler contest semifinalist novel Redeeming Characters, due for release in late 2010 by Passion in Print Press. For up-to-date information, and a few good laughs, please visit her website, www.jenniferlhart.com.

Let's give her a hearty, brigade welcome!

SFR Brigade Bases of Operation