Hailing On All Frequencies!

To all our American Brigaders, I hope everyone had a relaxing/satisfying/exciting/wonderful/crazy Thanksgiving holiday with family or friends!

Just a reminder, Brigaders - please send me your news as you'd like it written in the post. I'd like to avoid misquoting you or giving misinformation when I have to fill in the blanks.

NEW RELEASES

Frances Pauli's new SFR release, THE DIMENSIONAL SHIFT, was released on Nov. 24th from Awe-Struck Publishing.

Pauline Baird Jones' new release, TANGLED IN TIME, is available from L&L Dreamspell Publishing in digital and available for pre-order in print.










Sara Creasy's CHILDREN OF SCARABAEUS (sequel to SONG OF SCARABAEUS) will be out in March 2011 with Harper Voyager.

E.D.Walker has a new release out this week, HEIR TO THE UNDERWORLD, from Sapphire Blue Publishing. It's a YA fantasy novel dealing with ancient gods, the Wild Hunt, fairies & other supernatural shenanigans.









Robert Appleton has two books due for release shortly - CLAIRE DE LUNE - an erotic SF mystery novel from Amber Quill Press, co-written by Robert Appleton & Sloane Taylor & releases as as eBook on November 28th (paperback in December).








And THE MYSTERIOUS LADY LAW, a steampunk mystery novella from Carina Press on January 31, 2011.








Jess Anastasi's SANCTUARY will be released from Noble Publishing on November 22nd. 










BLOGGING
Marcella Burnard was interviewed this week over at The Galaxy Express. Click here for the interview.

Over at Kylie Griffin's blog this week...
26th Nov. - Guest Author: Maree Anderson shares some insights and more on her latest release FROM THE ASHES.
29th Nov. - Interview with...Nalini Singh, NYTimes best-selling paranormal romance author.
30th Nov. - FROM THE ASHES winner announced (give-away from Maree Anderson)
2nd Dec. - Romance Rocks! Some statistics about romance sales.

Pauline Baird Jones is a guest blogger over at Literary Escapism. She has a give-away as a part of it. 

BOOK REVIEWS, SIGNINGS & GIVE-AWAYS
Brigader Jess Anastasi with her debut release, SANCTUARY, has an e-book giveaway at the Dark Side DownUnder blog Wed.24th Nov. 

Mel Teshco received this week's Top Pick review (4.5 star) over at Night Owl Reviews for her novel, ICE-COLD LOVER. To read it click here. Congratulations, Mel!

The Manic Readers have reviewed T.K.Toppin's book, THE LANCASTER RULE.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Knight Agency president and founder Deidre Knight is on the hunt for a fresh, unique voice to add to her personal client roster. Are you the one she's looking for? Find out by joining her on The Knight Agency blog for "Speed Dating with Deidre."

Beginning Tuesday, November 30th, Deidre will whittle down the first 125 entries to one lucky winner.* The contest opens at 8:00am ET on the blog, so set your alarms!

Oh, and there’s a special bonus, one randomly drawn winner will receive a first chapter critique from Deidre – drawn from all entries.**

Check the Knight Agency blog for more details.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST
The Galaxy Express tackled the topic SFR Needs to Get High on...Concept. A great post on lifting the profile of SFR outside romance reading circles.

We've all heard of Amazon, Borders, Angus & Robertson, but what about The Book Depository, an online bookstore based in the UK. If you're looking for a book - fiction, non-fiction, romance, e-books, try this site.

Behind the Scenes at a Pub Committee Meeting was an eye opening and scary post at agent, Rachelle Gardner's blog this week.

A Klingon Christmas Carol

Yes, I'm as serious as Data.  Thanks to Merc (author Abby Rustad) for bringing this to my attention on her Livejournal blog.  If you live in the St. Paul MN or Chicago IL area--or are planning a holiday trip to the environs--you might want to check it out.

Commedia Beauregard--  together with the IKV RakeHell of the Klingon Assault Group in St. Paul and the IKV Emperor's Hand of the Klingon Assault Group in Chicago--presents this very original take on an age old holiday tradition entirely in Klingon...with subtitles! (And narrative analysis from the Vulcan Institute of Cultural Anthropology.)

St. Paul Pioneer Press says of A Klingon Christmas Carol:

"Commedia Beauregard weds Dickens to Roddenbury, with oddly effective results."

And hey, these are Klingons so expect plenty of action (brawls! spills! chills!) and classic Trek elements (transporters! and other fun!). 

Not sure about a blend of Klingons and Scrooge?  Check out the full page of reviews including io9.com.

The dates are November 26th - December 12th in the Twin Cities area.  November 26th to December 19th in the Chicago area.  (See the links above for details.)

tlhIngan Holidays!

'The Christmas My Sister Blew The Head Off Malibu Barbie' by Bianca Dawson, as dictated to Kimber An

My short, short story is up at 30 Days of Decadence  It's a harrowing tale of early life with a geek-sister.

Thursday Tag Party for Turkey Day!

I'm a little late this week, sorry to all you early risers. Got caught up in my own writing last night, but since I'm home today for the holiday (hooray!) I have time this morning. Lots of people stop for a moment today to think about what they're thankful for. Me, I'm thankful that I survived my misspent youth, that I have home and family, and that those predatory aliens haven't shown up to devour me yet.

I have a couple of requests this week - so please take a moment and help fellow members out with a few quick tags!

The quick manual if you're a new tagger cadet:

• 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.)

• Don't forget your SFR Brigade Tag!

• 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.

Our short, but lively, selection for this week:



Pauline Baird Jones - Tangled in Time













Nancy Brauer (with Vanessa Brooks) - Strange Little Band












Always on watch for YOUR SFR books - new or old releases on Amazon that we haven't featured yet. Though not today - today is all about family and food. If you any suggestions, requests, or demands, send me a message at ravenesperanza@yahoo.com and I'll add you to the schedule.

REMINDER: HOAF news

Send any of the following information to me, Brigaders!

• a new release
• interesting blog post
• contest news - finalist, place or win?
• a book reviews - either one you've done or one done on your book by someone else?
• a link to a good article or website
• a contest running on your site or blog
• give-aways on your website or blog
• free stories on your website or blog
• a blog tour for your new book
• an upcoming birthday
• attending a convention
• just signed with an agent
• sold a book
• industry news
• heard of an SFR contest our members could enter

Email kyliegriffin (at) clearmail (dot) com (dot) au

John Scalzi's Science Fictional Thanksgiving Grace

Click the link below for a little seasonal genre mirth from SF author John Scalzi.

A Science Fiction Thanksgiving Grace

from the SFR Brigade

Sci-fi, Romance, and a Little Something Extra

This came to me via my teenage son, so consider the source.

It's a movie trailer and then some for the film Skyline, with lots of er, helpful pointers for the sci-fi writers out there. Warning, it might skew how you view the film, for like, forever.

New Member: Jess Anastasi

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you all to our newest recruit, Jess Anastasi. Please give her a warm welcome!

Please tell us a little about yourself:

Woo, staright away with the hard questions. Okay, I live in regional Victoria, Australia, not too far from Melbourne. Its the boring part of Australia. There's no big red desert, no outback, no pristine tropical beaches, no world-renowned vineyards and no rainforest. There are some kangaroos though! I have a very supportive hubby, a couple of kids and a dog who thinks she's a kid. Like many writers, I have a busy life and write when I can.

We’d love to hear more about your book,

Its set 500 years in the future. Humans have colonized other galaxies, but are on the verge of being wiped out by an on-going four-hundred year war between angels and demons. The heroine, Tori, sees something she's not meant to, so the demons are after her for information. The angels send the hero, A'albiel, to protect her. They're fleeing to Sanctuary, a planet protected by ancient pacts, and along the way they find danger and romance.


Would you like to share any upcoming projects ?

My first book, Sanctuary, is coming out with Noble Romance Publishing (http://www.nobleromance.com/) on the 22nd November. It will also be availble from book-buying websites like Amazon.

What do you like about writing SFR?

I think its the possiblities, the endless options, the fact that there are few boundries and you can take your characters anywhere and have them encounter anything. There aren't many genres that can boast that! It leaves a writer with the freedom to have their characters fall in love under the most amazing circumstances.

What do you find challenging about it?

I probably lack confidence in whether or not it sounds genuine and makes sense. Some sci-fi fans are hard-core and I'll never be that. Though I like the idea of my characters flying around in spaceships and having all sorts of helpful technology, I'm probably not so strong on the science-side of things.

What is your favorite SF book or movie?

Easy! Joss Whedon, you are a god. Serenity, because I just loved Firefly so much. All that wasted potenial... don't get me started! Favourite book would be Linnea Sinclair's Accidental Godess.



What SFR book would you most like to be stranded in and with whom?

I'm going to cheat, because Joss Whedon did write a couple of graphic novels that went with Serenity/Firefly. Strand me in the 'verse with Mal and I'm a happy woman!

Favorite mode of fictional travel?

Stargate! Travelling to other planets in a single step sounds great. And who wouldn't want to go on a couple of missions with SG1? Although, I'd probably get shot as soon as I stepped through the stargate coz I'd be too busy perving on Daniel Jackson.

Author Bio:

Jess has been making up stories since she can remember. Though her messy handwriting made it hard for anyone else to read them, she wasn't deterred and now she gets to make up stories for a living. She loves loud music, dumb movies, and a good book on a rainy day. Jess lives in regional Victoria, Australia with her very supportive husband, two kids and one spoiled border collie.

Sanctuary:

For four hundred years, angels have been at war with demons while humans fight both, trying to survive. As world after world is destroyed by the conflict, there is a race to terra-form planets for colonization before mankind is wiped out altogether.
Toriane Cresol is part of a team leading the terra-forming charge. On assignment, she stumbles across a scribe and six warrior angels hiding sacred relics. Within a few hours she comes face to face with A’albiel, an angel sent by Archangel Michael to protect her from the demons, who want to know what she saw.
Ripped from her life, Tori is taken on a flight across the galaxy by A’albiel, their destination is Sanctuary, a planet protected by ancient pacts, and the only place the demons can’t get her. Though hate for angels and demons alike is ingrained deeply within her, Tori can’t fight the growing spark of attraction between her and A’albiel. Bit by bit, everything she once thought or believed is eroded away, replaced by the knowledge that if she and A’albiel don’t make it to Sanctuary, the entire fate of the universe could hang in the balance.

Win a Copy of Blown Away

Want to win a copy of Blown Away? Go to the blog below to find out how.
http://para-fanatics.blogspot.com/

Hailing On All Frequencies!

NEW RELEASES

E.D.Walker has a new release out this week, HEIR TO THE UNDERWORLD, from Sapphire Blue Publishing. It's a YA fantasy novel dealing with ancient gods, the Wild Hunt, fairies & other supernatural shenanigans.









Robert Appleton has two books due for release shortly - CLAIRE DE LUNE - an erotic SF mystery novel from Amber Quill Press, co-written by Robert Appleton & Sloane Taylor & releases as as eBook on November 28th (paperback in December).








And THE MYSTERIOUS LADY LAW, a steampunk mystery novella from Carina Press on January 31, 2011.







 
Jess Anastasi's SANCTUARY will be released from Noble Publishing on November 22nd.

D.L.Jackson's BLOWN AWAY is two-story, single author anthology combining SFR and explosive ordnance in Detonate and Happy Trails. It was released on Nov.13th from Passion In Print.









Ella Drake's space western romance, SILVER BOUND, releases from Carina on Nov.22nd, soon to be followed by an audio release from Audible.com










Stephanie Burkhart's story "Shadows & Light" is part of a SFR anthology called BOREALIS: A SPACE ANTHOLOGY and it was released by Desert Breeze Publishing on Nov.1st, 2010.









BLOGGING
Over at Kylie Griffin's blog this week...
22nd Nov. - "Read a good book lately?" - showcasing some talented Aussie & NZ authors
26th Nov. - GUEST AUTHOR: Maree Anderson talks about her latest release FROM THE ASHES and she has one electronic ARC give-away for one lucky visitor

This week Ella Drake (accompanied by Han Solo) was interviewed over at The Galaxy Express. Click here for the interview.

NEW MEMBERS
Welcome to our newest members:

• Ainsley Davidson 
• Nancy Brauer

BOOK REVIEWS, SIGNINGS & GIVE-AWAYS
On Nov.26th Maree Anderson is giving away an electronic ARC copy of FROM THE ASHES over at Kylie Griffin's blog. 

INFORMATION OF INTEREST
The Blood Red-Pencil has a quiz on "What Do You Know About e-books?"

The RWA FFP Chapter blog gives some great hints on world-building this week in the post WORLD BUILDING: Stop the world, I want to build a new one!

For any reviews, news, information, books, sites, movies on anything to do with sci-fi or sci-fi romance, check out the Top 100 Science Fiction Blogs. 

Results of Weekend Poll

Are You Participating in the 2010 NaNa WriMo?
(In order of percentage of answers.)

 No, I'm too busy editing, promoting, revising, blogging, etc. 33.33%

Yes, I've participated before but not every year. 20%

No, I've never participated and don't expect I ever will. 20%

Yes, I participate every year! It's a great thing for writers.13.33%

Yes, this will be my first year participating. 6.67%

What's NaNoWriMo??? This is the first I've heard of it. 6.67%

No, I've participated before, but didn't think it was very useful for writers/authors. 0%

Other: 0%

If Participating in NaNoWriMo, are you:

A multi-published author, including SFR. 50%

Unpublished.  50%

For those who aren't aware what NaNo WriMo -- National Novel Writers Month -- is all about, here's the link:  NaNo WriMo.  It's part contest, part social network, part writers' circle, part phenomenon and it's held each November, with other various events throughout the year.

~*~   Thanks for participating in the poll   ~*~

Children of Scarabaeus - cover

Just wanted to share my new cover for Children of Scarabaeus (due out March 2011 from Harper Voyager). This is the sequel to Song of Scarabaeus. I'll be posting chapters and blurb on my blog and website soon, so stand by. The cover is again by Chris McGrath. Isn't it awesome!

Writing a romance as a series is a challenge, because usually the story ends when our couple "rides off into the sunset." Well, in book 1 there was no sunset and the romance was slow to take off in order to leave room to grow (didn't want to shoot my load, so to speak). Things heat up in the sequel as Edie and Finn's adventures continue.

TANGLED IN TIME Gets a Holiday Early Release!

I got an early Christmas present from my publisher! She started uploading the files for Tangled in Time, (my science fiction/steampunk novella) so I could take advantage of holiday shopping! 


First sighting of the early release is here. It should start showing up in other venues in the next few days! 


Fun fact about this book: The digital editions are inscribed by the author!


For more information, click here. 


Okay, must go happy dance now! :-)

Thursday Tag Party for 11/18/10!

Tag Party Time! This week I've unabashedly taken the info from HOAF to create a New Release Tag Party. But remember, tagging is just as beneficial for backlisted items, so if you have older titles you want featured, you know where to find me...

The quick manual if you're a new tagger cadet:

• 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.)

• Don't forget your SFR Brigade Tag!

• 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 lovely covers and links for this week!




Silver Bound by Ella Drake

















Borealis II - A Space Anthology featuring Stephanie Burkhart















Blown Away by D L Jackson












As always, we're looking for YOUR SFR books - new or old releases on Amazon that we haven't featured yet. I'm also looking for the perfect hard-bodied warrior/poet to be my second husband. Hey, a girl can dream, right? If you have either, send me a message at ravenesperanza@yahoo.com and I'll add you to the schedule.

REMINDER: HOAF news

Send any of the following information to me, Brigaders!

• a new release
• interesting blog post
• contest news - finalist, place or win?
• a book reviews - either one you've done or one done on your book by someone else?
• a link to a good article or website
• a contest running on your site or blog
• give-aways on your website or blog
• free stories on your website or blog
• a blog tour for your new book
• an upcoming birthday
• attending a convention
• just signed with an agent
• sold a book
• industry news
• heard of an SFR contest our members could enter

Email kyliegriffin (at) clearmail (dot) com (dot) au

Cowboys & Aliens, oh my!

If having cowboys and aliens in the same film weren't enough, we also get Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. Perfection could be achieved if Nathan Fillion at least had a cameo, but I won't push it, so excited am I over this film, due out next summer. Have a peek:

Hailing On All Frequencies!

NEW RELEASES

D.L.Jackson's BLOWN AWAY is two-story, single author anthology combining SFR and explosive ordnance in Detonate and Happy Trails. It was released on Nov.13th from Passion In Print.









Ella Drake's space western romance, SILVER BOUND, releases from Carina on Nov.22nd, soon to be followed by an audio release from Audible.com

Stephanie Burkhart's story "Shadows & Light" is part of a SFR anthology called BOREALIS: A SPACE ANTHOLOGY and it was released by Desert Breeze Publishing on Nov.1st, 2010.








 
Marcella Burnard has a May 2011 release for ENEMY GAMES.










BLOGGING
Nathalie Gray was interviewed over at Literary Escapism earlier this week. She talked about her latest story TheDemon's Secret in the new MAMMOTH BOOK OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE 2.

Verona St.James aka E.D.Walker is throwing out an open invitation for guest bloggers. She has Tuesday & Thursday dates available for guest blogs, interviews, character interviews - whatever tickles your fancy!
She has a YA friendly and an adult blog so all heat levels are welcome. Anyone interested can email her at e.d.walker.author@gmail.com

Over at Kylie Griffin's blog this week...
15th Nov. - "How good is your opening line?" (part 1) - analyze some practical examples and find out what makes them spark
19th Nov. - "How good is your opening line?" (part 2) - some more practical examples
22nd Nov. - "Read a good book lately?" - showcasing some talented Aussie & NZ authors
# She's also extending an invitation to any SFRB member to participate in a guest interview on her blog either as a promotional opportunity or just so her readers can get to know you. Feel free to email her at kyliegriffin (at) clearmail (dot) com (dot) au if you're interested. 

MEMBER'S NEWS
Brigader Leslie Dow has been elected a member of the RWA FF&P Board for 2011 as the Webmistress.  Congratulations, Leslie. 

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Dragon Moon Press will be opening its virtual doors for another open submissions period: November 1 – December 31, 2010. Editor Gabrielle Harbowy is keen to find new voices (she has considerable experience in the SF/F areas).
WHAT THEY WANT:
Completed 80,000-110,000 word novels, not previously published. They’re looking for strong, compelling fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal fiction of all flavors. They're particularly seeking fresh, original urban fantasy.
WHAT THEY DON’T WANT:
Children’s fiction, middle grade, YA, mainstream literary fiction, nonfiction, biography, anthologies, short stories, graphic novels, or this year’s NaNoWriMo novel (send it NEXT YEAR, once it’s been edited!).
Dragon Moon Press's roster of authors includes winners and finalists of writing awards like ForeWord Book of the Year, the Bram Stoker Award, Sir Julius Vogel, IPPY and Endeavour.
Submission guidelines and info on Dragon Moon Press can be found HERE. Also, more info and resources are available on Gabrielle's blog.

#NB: The author strongly advises anyone to do their research before submitting work. Use the website links as they are the best source of information. 

BOOK REVIEWS, SIGNINGS & GIVE-AWAYS
Maree Anderson is running a FROM THE ASHES ARC giveaway on her website/blog. It runs from now until 22nd Nov. 

INFORMATION OF INTEREST
A VERY informative article from Ripping Ozzie Reads on Backstory: the bane of the SF & fantasy writer.

Nathan Bransford is retiring as an agent and leaving the world of publishing. He's taking up a new work at the tech news/review site CNET, where he'll be helping to coordinate social media strategy.

 It's not just Point-of-View has some practical hints on how to tackle POV over at the RWA Chapter Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal blog. 

BLOWN AWAY Released Today

Brigader DL Jackson's two-story anthology, has just been released by Passion in Print. These SFR/erotica stories share an exciting theme of explosive ordnance in space.

Four soldiers face alien threats in these two erotic tales of explosive romance.

Detonate

Alice MacKay can't keep up with all the bomb threats in Trios Port. When Boomer, a former Terran Marine with more than a healthy dose of arrogance, strolls into her office for an interview, she can't get rid of him fast enough. But disarming bombs is easier than disarming amorous Marines. When Boomer decides to stick around, MacKay wonders if she's met her match.

Happy Trails

Jenna's been infatuated with Tyson Rivers since she boarded the mining ship, but the scoop's explosive ordnance officer doesn't seem to know she's there. Too shy to introduce herself, she decides to snoop in his personnel file instead. When Tyson catches her digging, he realizes he's not the only one feeling the attraction, but could his tactics to get her alone end with a bigger bang than he expected?

BLOWN AWAY is available now on the Passsion in Print site.

Congratulations on your latest release, DL.

Shiny New Badge on Our Side Bar

Recently, we received an invitation to earn "The Versatile Blogger" award badge from Misa Buckley.  (Thanks, Misa!)  In order to qualify for this badge, we have to do three things:

1. Thank the giver and link back to them.
Already done on both counts, but in addition to linking to her name, we added Misa's blog to our blog roll, too.  So doubly done!

2. List seven things about myself.Or in this case, "ourselves."
1.  The SFR Brigade was founded in March 2010.
2.  It currently has over 140 members (counting both blog and site)
3.  It has over 100 followers (102 at this exact moment).
4.  The members include best selling authors, RT top picks, and EPIC winners.
5.  [I believe] the membership also includes at least one each RITA and Golden Heart winners.
6.  Activities include tagging parties, HOAF news round ups and book launch parties.
7.  I probably haven't told you anything you don't already know.

3. Pass the award on to 15 other bloggers.
Well, by posting this notice, we've now passed it along to at least a hundred other bloggers.  Share and enjoy.

Hmm, maybe the SFR Brigade should come up with its own award?  Any of our talented graphic artists want to come up with a SFR Brigade Recommended Blog badge?

A Special Thanksgiving Event!

The Holidays are a wonderful time of year, where we thank those in our lives that have done so much for us throughout the year.  Romance in the Backseat is also taking part in saying thanks.  We have authors giving away books as well as some truly generous giveaways.  Those of food for families in need this Holiday.  Come and Visit Romance in the Backseat.  Nominate those who need some cheer for the book giveaways and those you know who are in need to win the Food Gift Cards from Silver Publishing and author Kylie Brandt. 

Romance in the Backseat



Join us and enter to Win a $100 Food Gift Card from Silver Publishing








Author Kylie Brandt is doing a special $50 Holiday Food Giveaway on RITBS

Thursday Tag Party for 11/11/10!

I know, I know, not the usual way to start a Tag Party, but I adore natural fractals. Computer generated ones are all well and fine, but I prefer the ones that occur without our help. Above from the left: a head of romanesco, a mountain range and lightning.

While we SF writers often concern ourselves with tech and man-made wonders, Mother Nature is still the genesis of our inspiration. And no one is more inspiring.

On that note, we have new releases and a new edition this week - go forth and Tag!

A little info for our virgin taggers:

• 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.)

• Don't forget your SFR Brigade Tag!

• 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.

On to our fun selection for this week!


Ultimate Duty by Marva Dasef



Subtle Invasion by Lyn Crain



Girl Gone Nova (in Paperback!) by Paula Baird Jones


Do you have an SF book out on Amazon, old or new, that we haven't featured yet? Know an SFRB member who does? Want to let me in on where those missing socks really go? Send me a message at ravenesperanza@yahoo.com and I'll add you to the schedule.

REMINDER: HOAF news!

Send any of the following information to me, Brigaders!

• a new release
• interesting blog post
• contest news - finalist, place or win?
• a book reviews - either one you've done or one done on your book by someone else?
• a link to a good article or website
• a contest running on your site or blog
• give-aways on your website or blog
• free stories on your website or blog
• a blog tour for your new book
• an upcoming birthday
• attending a convention
• just signed with an agent
• sold a book
• industry news
• heard of an SFR contest our members could enter

Email kyliegriffin (at) clearmail (dot) com (dot) au

Author Interview: Stephanie Burkhart

Okay crew. It's my first official author interview. Stephanie Burkhart is a contributing author to Desert Breeze's newest SFR release, Borealis II. I thought I'd interview her about writing the anthology and about her story, Shadows and Light. Ready? 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...


Steph: First, I'd like to thank Amber for having me here today to talk about the Borealis II Anthology and my short story, "Shadows and Light."

Just a little about me: After being raised in New Hampshire and growing a wicked New England accent, this Patriot fan joined the US Army for a great adventure. I spent 7 years in Germany and I miss Lullusfest, a weeklong bonfire festival in Bad Hersfeld that has really hot cinnamon schnapps. In 1991 I married a fair-haired California boy and in 2000 we settled in Castaic, just north of LA. I now work for LAPD as a 911 dispatcher, and my wicked England accent is practically a whisper these days.

Amber: Before we get to your specific story tell us a little about the anthology and how you became a participating author.

Steph: Author J. Morgan was chatting to Gail Delaney, Editor-in-Chief, Desert Breeze Publishing, and said, "Wouldn't it be cool to write a science fiction anthology?" Gail ran with it. There are 3 stories in the Borealis II anthology, each centered around a backdrop of a space station.

One day at lunch, Gail mentioned it to me, and I told her I'd be interested. She kept me in mind. A couple weeks later she came up to me and asked if I wanted to write a story. I said sure. I had never tackled science fiction romance before so I was excited to try my hand in it.

Amber: Tell us a little about Shadows and Light.

Steph: Sarina, (from Gail's story in Borealis I, Forgive us our Debts) asked my heroine, Persephone Talon to investigate the Uudon Trade on the Borealis. Elijah Kess, also a member of the Rebellion, is there undercover. Soon, they start stepping on each other's toes. Persephone provides the shadows, Elijah provides the light in the story.

For the complete interview and to find out where to get this latest and greatest SFR anthology, come on by: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/2010/11/author-interview-stephanie-burkhart.html

You might even win a prize...

Hailing On All Frequencies!

NEW RELEASES

Marcella Burnard has a May 2011 release for ENEMY GAMES.

Shelley Munro's HOUSE OF THE CAT is out now with Ellora's Cave.











CRIMSON:MEN IN SPACE is Ethan X.Thomas's latest release from Samhain Publishing.

Marva Dasef's ULTIMATE DUTY comes out on November 7th with Eternal Press.








 
Barbara Elsborg's LUCY IN THE SKY (already released in e-book format with Ellora's cave) is coming out in print sometime next year.

Maree Anderson's FROM THE ASHES is due for release from Red Sage on Dec.1st.

SUBTLE INVASION by Lyn Crain is out now with Devine Destinies.










MEMBERS NEWS
Brigader and The Galaxy Express blogger Heather Massey announces her debut novel ONCE UPON A TIME IN SPACE will be released by Red Sage Publishing in March 2011.  Heather has distinguished herself as one of the major voices of SFR for her outstanding posts and discussions that have made her blog a major hub for the subgenre.  Many, many congratulations from the SFR Brigade, Heather! 

Eleni Konstantine has her flash fiction story, "The Bucket",  up on the Antipodean SF site this month.

J.C.Hay's Hearts and Minds just had a lovely review from the RT book blog, which thrilled him to the core. He received a four star review from them. Congratulations, JC! 

Maree Anderson has three books coming out with Red Sage Publishing - FROM THE ASHES in Dec. 2010, SCENT OF A MAN in Feb. 2011, & KAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF in a Red Sage Secrets Vol.30 anthology in June 2011.

Julia Barrett has two new SFR books available on Kindle - Books 3 & 4 of her SFR series, DAUGHTERS OF PERSEPHONE, REBORN and RED DEMON (in one volume) and my futuristic SFR menage, ONE FOUR ALL.

SFR author DL Jackson introduces her shiny new website including a cover unveiling for the soon-to-released SFR/erotica short BUILT TO LAST.

CONTEST NEWS
We have a constellation of finalists in the 2010 EPIC Awards. Please congratulate the following Brigaders:

• Pauline Baird Jones -- GIRL GONE NOVA -- SFR category
• Julia Rachel Barrett -- CAPTURED WITH SIREN -- SFR Erotica category
• Robert Appleton -- CHARLIE RUNS RINGS AROUND THE EARTH -- SF novella

And in non-SFR categories:

• Robert Appleton -- SUNSET ON RAMREE -- Historical Fiction
• Pauline Baird Jones -- MYSTERY OF THE GREEN MIST -- Short in Anthology

We also have four Brigaders nominated in the 2010 RT Book Reviews Awards for Best Books/Authors! Woohoo!!!

For Best Futuristic Romance of 2010:

• CLOSE CONTACT - Katherine Allred
• ENEMY WITHIN - Marcella Burnard
• REBELS & LOVERS - Linnea Sinclair

For Best Small Press Paranormal/Fantasy/Futuristic of 2010:

• GIRL GONE NOVA - Pauline Baird Jones

BLOGGING
Over at Kylie Griffin's blog this week...
9th Nov. - "Going on an agent hunt..." (part 2)
12th Nov. - "Interview with...Angela Knight" - NYTimes best-selling paranormal author & author of the Time Guardian series (an SFR of a sort)
15th Nov. - "How good is your opening line?" (part 1) - analyze some practical examples and find out what makes them spark

As a part of Marva Dasef's release day for ULTIMATE DUTY, she'll be participating in a Chat day at Eternal Press. You can join the chat on Sunday, November 7th starting at 11:00AM PST. Marva will be chatting at 1:30 PST. Remember that the we all "fall back" early on the 7th, don't get caught out resetting your clocks!

Brigader A.R. Norris hosts a guest blog by author Vijaya Schartz (also a Brigader) that explains the basis of the fascinating culture in her series:  WHITE TIGER, RED LEOPARD and the just released BLACK JAQUAR.  All are available from Desert Breeze Publishing.

Sharon Lynn Fisher shares contest feedback on her website.  Sharon is a two-time Golden Heart finalist and award winning SFR writer.

NEW MEMBERS
Please welcome the following new Brigaders to our ranks:

• Stephanie Priestley
• Teagan Rand

BOOK REVIEWS, SIGNINGS & GIVE-AWAYS
Maree Anderson is running a FROM THE ASHES ARC giveaway on her website/blog. It runs from now until 22nd Nov.
INFORMATION OF INTEREST
"Crossing Genres for Publication" is enlightening and thought provoking read that poses and discusses the question “Lots of people have been saying that SF is dead… [but] you have combined SF with a paranormal element in a contemporary setting… how did you integrate the SF elements into the contemporary story?” over at Ripping Ozzie Reads.

"What Motivates Your Characters?" is a great read over at The Blood-Red Pencil this week.

The SciFiGuy blogs about Cover-Art Coincidences - major bummer for the authors involved to have their book covers looking so similar!