Below are the seven finalists' pitches from all three heats of the SFR Pitch Tournament. Please vote for your top three choices for best pitch in the poll above to determine the winners of the competition. If you leave feedback to let the authors know what you liked about their pitches, you'll be entered in the drawing for a $15 Amazon e-gift card.
Voting for final round ends Thursday, January 12, at 6 PM Pacific Time.
~~~ Pitch Tournament Final Round ~~~
(In Alphabetical Order by Title)
B Cubed Book One: Born
By Jenna McCormick
Post-Apocalyptic erotic romance
Born: Natural born humans are precious few and dwell in darkness.
Bred: Genetically engineered slaves who are the protectors of the Born.
Borg: The cybernetically enhanced enclave that split from the Born humans.
B Cubed
These three factions are all that remains of the human race after the world stopped turning. Scavenging in the darkness for what little is left, the war between them rages on though few know why. It begins with a child’s prophesy and can only end when they unite.
Or die.
From the moment he spies her silhouette cast by the bonfire, Cormack understands what it is to yearn for something he will never possess. Breds are made to provide for the natural born humans, dig their homes deep beneath the surface of the earth and to protect them from the ever-present cyborg threat. A Bred who reaches beyond his station will be recycled immediately, yet Cormack cannot get her visage out of his mind. Until he unearths a box, buried long before the earth stopped spinning.
Task Mistress Allora has no wish to brutalize the Bred worker she finds hoarding treasure, but as a servant of the colony that raised her from infancy, she is duty bound to report anything unusual to the Overlord, even if it costs the blue-eyed man his life. Yet something about the way Cormack watches her forces Allora to reevaluate her understanding of right and wrong. For this genetically engineered soldier is her only protection against the cyborgs who seek what they have discovered, a journal written by the prophetess Cassandra and a way to end the warring between the factions forever.
B Cubed Book One: Born By Jenna McCormick Now Available on:
Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and ARe PDF
By Jenna McCormick
Post-Apocalyptic erotic romance
Born: Natural born humans are precious few and dwell in darkness.
Bred: Genetically engineered slaves who are the protectors of the Born.
Borg: The cybernetically enhanced enclave that split from the Born humans.
B Cubed
These three factions are all that remains of the human race after the world stopped turning. Scavenging in the darkness for what little is left, the war between them rages on though few know why. It begins with a child’s prophesy and can only end when they unite.
Or die.
From the moment he spies her silhouette cast by the bonfire, Cormack understands what it is to yearn for something he will never possess. Breds are made to provide for the natural born humans, dig their homes deep beneath the surface of the earth and to protect them from the ever-present cyborg threat. A Bred who reaches beyond his station will be recycled immediately, yet Cormack cannot get her visage out of his mind. Until he unearths a box, buried long before the earth stopped spinning.
Task Mistress Allora has no wish to brutalize the Bred worker she finds hoarding treasure, but as a servant of the colony that raised her from infancy, she is duty bound to report anything unusual to the Overlord, even if it costs the blue-eyed man his life. Yet something about the way Cormack watches her forces Allora to reevaluate her understanding of right and wrong. For this genetically engineered soldier is her only protection against the cyborgs who seek what they have discovered, a journal written by the prophetess Cassandra and a way to end the warring between the factions forever.
B Cubed Book One: Born By Jenna McCormick Now Available on:
Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and ARe PDF
____________________
Forbidden Destiny (Book Two of the Forbidden Series)
By Kaye Manro
Science Fiction Romance/Space Opera
Can their love survive light years across the stars and centuries old archaic law? For Forbidden Lovers, T’Kon and Maya the adventure continues…
It should not have happened.
Something so inconceivable it sends his inherent perceptions spiraling. To make matters worse T’Kon now faces the Asconage Council of Elders, including G’Nore his father. They strip him of his flight privileges. After all, he broke the Realm of Planets formidable rule of no interspecies mating. How could he not? Maya enamors him with a passion so deep it mislays his sense of reasoning. T’Kon contemplates a perilous time travel journey into the past. The problem is a temporal leap will cause him to lose Maya forever…
What the hell can Maya do now? T’Kon warned that hitching a ride on his hyper-space jumping ship would send ripples throughout his Galaxy. His people, the Asconageans disapprove of their relationship and now hold her in confinement away from her alien lover. The thing is T’Kon stirs unimaginable sensual heat inside her, constantly. How could she have stayed behind? Yet Maya must find a way to escape this scorching unbearable planet. What will they do when they discover the secret she harbors?
Maybe none of this should ever have happened…
Forbidden Destiny/Red Rose Publishing
Release date: May 2012
By Kaye Manro
Science Fiction Romance/Space Opera
Can their love survive light years across the stars and centuries old archaic law? For Forbidden Lovers, T’Kon and Maya the adventure continues…
It should not have happened.
Something so inconceivable it sends his inherent perceptions spiraling. To make matters worse T’Kon now faces the Asconage Council of Elders, including G’Nore his father. They strip him of his flight privileges. After all, he broke the Realm of Planets formidable rule of no interspecies mating. How could he not? Maya enamors him with a passion so deep it mislays his sense of reasoning. T’Kon contemplates a perilous time travel journey into the past. The problem is a temporal leap will cause him to lose Maya forever…
What the hell can Maya do now? T’Kon warned that hitching a ride on his hyper-space jumping ship would send ripples throughout his Galaxy. His people, the Asconageans disapprove of their relationship and now hold her in confinement away from her alien lover. The thing is T’Kon stirs unimaginable sensual heat inside her, constantly. How could she have stayed behind? Yet Maya must find a way to escape this scorching unbearable planet. What will they do when they discover the secret she harbors?
Maybe none of this should ever have happened…
Forbidden Destiny/Red Rose Publishing
Release date: May 2012
____________________
Knight Medieval - The Quantum Portal Series
By Kaye Manro
SFR/Time Travel
While research Archaeologist Alisa Vonn explores the ruins of Calimere Castle she finds a strange devise foreign to the era. When she examines it a temporal rift opens and transports her back to the 12th century, and straight into the arms of Sir Bryan, Knight of Calimere.
If that wasn’t enough, she meets Wyver, a time tampering wizard who in truth turns out to be a Time Dilatation Scientist from far into the future. He promises Alisa a one way passage back to her own time.
Yet the allure of the past and passion-filled nights spent with Bryan give her pause. If she takes Wyver up on his offer, she may never see her sexy knight again.
Coming soon...
By Kaye Manro
SFR/Time Travel
While research Archaeologist Alisa Vonn explores the ruins of Calimere Castle she finds a strange devise foreign to the era. When she examines it a temporal rift opens and transports her back to the 12th century, and straight into the arms of Sir Bryan, Knight of Calimere.
If that wasn’t enough, she meets Wyver, a time tampering wizard who in truth turns out to be a Time Dilatation Scientist from far into the future. He promises Alisa a one way passage back to her own time.
Yet the allure of the past and passion-filled nights spent with Bryan give her pause. If she takes Wyver up on his offer, she may never see her sexy knight again.
Coming soon...
____________________
Steamrolled
By Pauline Baird Jones
Science fiction romance/steampunk
With all of time at risk, it’s a bad time to fall in love…unless it’s the only time…
Robert Clementyne is going on a transmogrification machine hunt. He fears finding the machine will be as difficult as pronouncing the name. How can the steam-powered device perform as advertised, and how useful can any information be, coming from a steampunk themed bowling alley/museum?
It’s pretty crazy, but he’s been there, done that, and thinks he can handle it.
And then he meets the proprietor/curator…Emily Babcock.
Emily grew up in crazy, still lives in it—hey, it’s her freaking zip code. So no worries when Robert and his team walk into her bowling alley. The first visitors ever to her museum.
But neither of them is prepared for what happens when they open the door to the past…and the future. With a side trip through Roswell…and a face-to-face meeting with an evil genius/wannabe—who is on his way to becoming evil overlord-of-everything…
Published on April 11, 2011
Available here:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, and Fictionwise
____________________
Stellar Timing
By Jennifer L. Hart
Futuristic Romance
In the year 2059, the best part of Ellie MacIntyre's day is her morning coffee and it's all downhill from there. When a talking dog and cat enlist her aid in finding their missing brother, everything she ever knew about the universe is knocked on its keister by a six foot warrior with smoldering dark eyes.
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 Ellie best an evil sorceress and win the heart of her space prince before this medieval times space opera's final curtain?
Available for purchase or free lending with Amazon Prime membership Kindle
By Pauline Baird Jones
Science fiction romance/steampunk
With all of time at risk, it’s a bad time to fall in love…unless it’s the only time…
Robert Clementyne is going on a transmogrification machine hunt. He fears finding the machine will be as difficult as pronouncing the name. How can the steam-powered device perform as advertised, and how useful can any information be, coming from a steampunk themed bowling alley/museum?
It’s pretty crazy, but he’s been there, done that, and thinks he can handle it.
And then he meets the proprietor/curator…Emily Babcock.
Emily grew up in crazy, still lives in it—hey, it’s her freaking zip code. So no worries when Robert and his team walk into her bowling alley. The first visitors ever to her museum.
But neither of them is prepared for what happens when they open the door to the past…and the future. With a side trip through Roswell…and a face-to-face meeting with an evil genius/wannabe—who is on his way to becoming evil overlord-of-everything…
Published on April 11, 2011
Available here:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, and Fictionwise
____________________
Stellar Timing
By Jennifer L. Hart
Futuristic Romance
In the year 2059, the best part of Ellie MacIntyre's day is her morning coffee and it's all downhill from there. When a talking dog and cat enlist her aid in finding their missing brother, everything she ever knew about the universe is knocked on its keister by a six foot warrior with smoldering dark eyes.
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 Ellie best an evil sorceress and win the heart of her space prince before this medieval times space opera's final curtain?
Available for purchase or free lending with Amazon Prime membership Kindle
____________________
Tethered
By Pippa Jay
Space Opera/Sci-fi Romance
For Loree of the Su, being an assassin isn’t simply something that she was trained to do - it’s the sole reason for her existence. A genetically enhanced clone, one of many in Refuge, she’s about to learn her secluded existence - and those of all her kind - is under threat by a race that can neutralize their talents and leave them defenseless…
For Zander D’joren, being a diplomat has not only cost him his appearance, but also the love of his life. Scarred, grieving, he must nonetheless continue in his role as co-delegate to the Tier-vane, or risk a conflict that could only end one way…
Now both of them need to keep each other alive and maintain a risky deception long enough to renegotiate the treaty with the Tier-vane, or throw their people into a war that could wipe out humans and Inc-Su alike. But there’s more at stake than humanity, whether true or modified. Can the love that they share save them both? Or merely hasten their destruction?
Tethered is a Work in Progress
By Pippa Jay
Space Opera/Sci-fi Romance
For Loree of the Su, being an assassin isn’t simply something that she was trained to do - it’s the sole reason for her existence. A genetically enhanced clone, one of many in Refuge, she’s about to learn her secluded existence - and those of all her kind - is under threat by a race that can neutralize their talents and leave them defenseless…
For Zander D’joren, being a diplomat has not only cost him his appearance, but also the love of his life. Scarred, grieving, he must nonetheless continue in his role as co-delegate to the Tier-vane, or risk a conflict that could only end one way…
Now both of them need to keep each other alive and maintain a risky deception long enough to renegotiate the treaty with the Tier-vane, or throw their people into a war that could wipe out humans and Inc-Su alike. But there’s more at stake than humanity, whether true or modified. Can the love that they share save them both? Or merely hasten their destruction?
Tethered is a Work in Progress
____________________
The Warlord's Comeuppance
By Gail Koger
Stealing from a warlord and giving him the one finger salute as I made my getaway was not the brightest thing I’d ever done. Okay, it was an incredibly stupid stunt.
Did I mention that this particular Coletti warlord is the most feared in the entire galaxy? That Zarek’s the ultimate predator and even the other warlords are scared spitless of him? That he never ever stops until he either captures or kills his prey?
Yeah, I have the big, bad after me and all because of one little finger. Okay and a Ditrim crystal the size of my fist. Am I worried? Of course, only an idiot doesn’t fear a very angry Coletti warlord. But, I am very good at what I do. Bad news is, so is Zarek.
Available at Whispers Publishing
Gail Koger
____________________
By Gail Koger
Stealing from a warlord and giving him the one finger salute as I made my getaway was not the brightest thing I’d ever done. Okay, it was an incredibly stupid stunt.
Did I mention that this particular Coletti warlord is the most feared in the entire galaxy? That Zarek’s the ultimate predator and even the other warlords are scared spitless of him? That he never ever stops until he either captures or kills his prey?
Yeah, I have the big, bad after me and all because of one little finger. Okay and a Ditrim crystal the size of my fist. Am I worried? Of course, only an idiot doesn’t fear a very angry Coletti warlord. But, I am very good at what I do. Bad news is, so is Zarek.
Available at Whispers Publishing
Gail Koger
____________________
END OF FINAL ROUND
Congrats to everyone who made it! I just want to say that i'm new to the SFR world and find many of the summaries intrigueing. Looking forward to many new reads.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to ALL the finalists! And good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting Steamrolled into finals and good luck everyone! Fun tournament and I've learned so much about pitch writing. "-)
ReplyDeleteB Cubed...I think there's too much information presented here. I'm skimming before I get to the meat of the story. The last two paragraphs are what hook me.
ReplyDeleteForbidden Destiny... The opening line makes me want to skip. Yes, maybe it's forbidden, but so was Romeo and Juliet and that wasn't a good romance book. Reading on I see it's a sequel, book 1 sounds interesting, but I think I'd like the blurb better if it stood alone more. "FORBIDDEN LOVERS Maya and T'Kon are faced with..." something like that would grab my interest quickly, plus let me know this is book 2.
Knight Medieval... Still one of my favorite blurbs. :o)
Steamrolled... Has the promise of a good Voice but I'm thrown off (and giggling) because the machine makes me think of a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. Overall, even reading the blurb isn't giving me a firm sense of the conflict. I'd read or sample it if it came with a strong recommendation from friends, but I wouldn't have to buy based on this blurb alone.
Stellar Timing... Still a favorite. Hits the Voice right off the bat, doesn't dance around, lays out the conflict. Perfect.
Tethered... Good, although the names makes me giggle (sorry, Pippa! I love you!). Aside from the deluge of new proper nouns to learn, it looks like a strong blurb and I'd download a sample.
The Warlord's Comeuppance... A very promising blurb.
Very exciting to see this roll out! Best of luck to all the contenders! (no need to enter me in the drawing)
ReplyDeleteThis was a tough one--so many great pitches. I chose KNIGHT MEDIEVAL because it was the most succinct of the finalists. Good luck to you all!
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Gail!
ReplyDeletebarbbattaglia@yahoo.com
Mega congrats to all the finalists! And thank you everyone who has voted, advertised, retweeted and made this event such a success!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun tournament! Still rooting for Gail.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the finalists! I picked my same three. I love these stories and plan on buying - B Cubed, Knight Medieval, and The Warlord's Comeuppance. Good luck! christina_92 at yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the finalists! I just wanted to comment that Tethered sounds like a book I'd love to read. I hope the author finishes it and publishes. I'll be first in line to buy it.
ReplyDeletershiderly(at)gmail.com
Congrats to the finalist. Special good luck vibes to Gail! So far you are in the lead!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all of you! Your books all sound wonderful! All of your books bring something to the table. Tough competition! I wish you all the best of luck!
ReplyDeleteshadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Any book with Comeuppance in the title gets my attention. That and an apparently humorous story really gets my vote as well.
ReplyDelete@inlovewithstan - thank you for the comment. It will definitely get finished! :)
ReplyDelete@Liana Brooks - thanks so much for the feedback!
Good luck to all of the finalists! These are all great. :)
ReplyDeleteI love-love-love Pippa Jay's pitch! And OH - how I wish it was available for sale! I love the ideas she advanced - how original! Just the right mix of angst and adventure!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the finalists!
ReplyDeleteThe transmorgraphication device always makes me think of Calvin and Hobbes too. But at least it makes me smile.
I think the Warlord's Comeuppance has the strongest voice in the blurb. It really tells me what to expect when I read the story.
The warlords cumupance was fantastic! I couldn't wait to read it after falling in love with "just my luck". Could not put it down!
ReplyDeleteI like these all, good luck to everyone (and especially Jenna, Jennifer and Gail :)
ReplyDeletekaisquared
Congratulations to all of the finalists, your books all sound so great.
ReplyDeletei have almost all of Gail Koger's books and i am a huge fan of hers, but "The Warlord's Comeuppance" is probably my favorite.
i loved the characters and the humor that had me laughing out loud.
Good Luck Gail, you deserve to win.
trvlagnt1t@yahoo.com
Read all the pitches and voted for my three favorites. Good luck, everyone!
ReplyDeleteThe Tournament is now over. Thanks for all your votes and comments.
ReplyDeleteAnnouncements coming soon.