Pat Hauldren » *Urban Fantasy
Delve into the underworld of the paranormal/urban fantasy writing with this online class that starts Monday, Oct 1, 2012. Tell them Alley sent ya!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Amazon Tag Party 09/27/2012
Welcome to the monthly SFR Brigade's Amazon Tag Party. Please find the
list of this week's participating titles below. All you need to do is
click on the title and it will take you to the relevant Amazon page.
Happy Tagging!
A brief step by step guide:
1.Go to the Amazon buy page (links provided below)
2.Scroll down to the 'Tags Customers Associate with this Product' header. Please be aware that not all the tags show up on the books - you will; need to click 'show all (number of) tags' to see the full list. There's also a limit to how many tags you can agree with - 15 - so choose wisely my young apprentice!
3.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.)
4.If the tags are already there, just click on them to add your 'vote'
5.You can also type into the 'your tags' box to add your own (no need to save the page, just type and add)
6. Please also click the 'Like' button next to the title.
7. If you could also take a moment to 'Like' the author's Amazon page too, that would be awesome. :)
PLEASE NOTE! There's been some mention on Twitter by Liana Brooks and Jo-Anne Kenrick about 'malicious' tags , such as 'boycott', 'too expensive' and even 'delete'. While people are obviously entitled to their opinion, suggesting that a book should be tagged 'delete' is just plain nasty. If you happen to see any tags of this kind on a book during the tag party, please could you mention it in the comments and/or if you see a way to report it, then do so. Thank you.
A brief step by step guide:
1.Go to the Amazon buy page (links provided below)
2.Scroll down to the 'Tags Customers Associate with this Product' header. Please be aware that not all the tags show up on the books - you will; need to click 'show all (number of) tags' to see the full list. There's also a limit to how many tags you can agree with - 15 - so choose wisely my young apprentice!
3.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.)
4.If the tags are already there, just click on them to add your 'vote'
5.You can also type into the 'your tags' box to add your own (no need to save the page, just type and add)
6. Please also click the 'Like' button next to the title.
7. If you could also take a moment to 'Like' the author's Amazon page too, that would be awesome. :)
PLEASE NOTE! There's been some mention on Twitter by Liana Brooks and Jo-Anne Kenrick about 'malicious' tags , such as 'boycott', 'too expensive' and even 'delete'. While people are obviously entitled to their opinion, suggesting that a book should be tagged 'delete' is just plain nasty. If you happen to see any tags of this kind on a book during the tag party, please could you mention it in the comments and/or if you see a way to report it, then do so. Thank you.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Guest Post By BREAK OUT Author Nina Croft, Plus Giveaway
Introduction: Nina Croft's sci-fi romance Break Out has been extended from its original version and Entangled Publishing has now released it in print. It's great to see publishers making such an investment in this subgenre! Following Nina Croft's guest post are details for a Break Out giveaway. Enjoy! - Heather Massey
The Supporting Cast…
by Nina Croft
Break Out is book one in my Blood Hunter
series, which follows the adventures, romantic and otherwise, of the
crew of the space ship El Cazador de la Sangre (or The
Blood Hunter). The hero of Break Out is Ricardo Sanchez, space
pirate and vampire. I love writing about Rico, but I thought today, I
would spend a little time talking about the other characters from the
book.
One of the things I love best about
writing science fiction is creating the cast of people. And that’s
because there is absolutely no limit but your imagination to who—or
maybe more accurately what—populates your world.
Secondary characters can come in many
forms, side-kicks, best friends, enemies, family, work colleagues...
The crew of El Cazador include most of these categories.
Except maybe family, though I like to think they have come to see
themselves as one nice big happy family—most of the time.
I’ve spent a lot of time getting to
know them better, giving them lives and hopes and needs of their own.
I have to be a little careful though, because they’re a stroppy lot
and most of them would take over if they could. I have to tell them
be patient, and if you’re very good, then one day I’ll give you a
book of your own.
Okay, so who are the crew of El
Cazador. Most people who end up on board are hiding or running
from something. So they all have interesting pasts and I’ve tried
to use that. Anyway here they are:
- Tannis is part snake, part human, all bitch! She’s the Captain of El Cazador. She’s also Rico’s best friend—really at the start of the book—his only friend as he’s always been a loner. Tannis is a GM or genetically modified, she’s mostly human but with a little bit of snake DNA in there (doesn’t show much except she’s long and thin, with luminescent skin and yellow eyes). She’s fiercely loyal to her crew but more than a little mercenary and has an annoying (or so Rico thinks) tendency to sarcasm when she should be providing sympathy.
- Janey looks after the ships computers, hacks into everyone else’s, and comes up with really nifty gadgets. I’m a technophobe (along with the rest of the crew of El Cazador) so I don’t really understand what she does—but she’s very good at it. She’s also perfect—perfect hair, clothes, make-up—she’s the sort of woman you’d hate if she wasn’t so nice.
- Daisy is the co-pilot. She’s another GM, but she has plant DNA, and she’s green, and I mean totally green, like green hair, green skin, green eyes. She can actually photosynthesis, which is really cool, though she prefers eating proper food. She’s crazy about flying and will pinch Rico’s pilot’s seat every chance she gets. She also dresses like a mini Rico and follows him round “like a puppy” (Rico’s words—he says he finds this annoying, but I think he secretly likes it.)
- Al is the cabin boy. Al is a bit of a mystery. They picked him up starving on an out of the way planet a few months ago. Apart from that, they don’t know much about him except that he’s terrified of Rico (which drives Rico spare—it’s not as if he makes a habit out of eating the crew—he has some standards).
- Finally the Trog – the secretive and reclusive engineer. In fact, he’s so secretive and reclusive that even I don’t know much about him. What is he hiding?
So there they are. Book two in the Blood
Hunter series focuses on the story of Al, the cabin ‘boy’ and
book three on Tannis, the captain.
Book four? Well I haven’t quite
decided yet. I have a few contenders, but who do you think would make
an interesting addition to the crew? Let me know for a chance to win
an ecopy of Break Out. (All comments will also be entered into a draw
at the end of October—details on my site.)
SFR Brigade visitors can check back on Monday, October 1 to see if you won the giveaway here!
Break Out – Blurb
The year is 3048, Earth is no longer
habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered
the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive
mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few.
A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves.
The Collective, as they’re called, rule the
universe.
Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous–or so fun!
About the author:
Nina Croft grew up in the north of
England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years
working as a volunteer in Zambia, which left her with a love of the
sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years
mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but
has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a
remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.
Nina writes all types of romance often
mixed with elements of the paranormal and science fiction.
Find me at:
Monday, September 24, 2012
SFR Brigade Anthology in the Works
It's official!
An SFR Brigade anthology, TALES FROM THE SFR BRIGADE, is a go! The preliminary editorial staff will consist of 'Cali Hicks as the Editor-in-Chief, Paula Diane Dooley as the Developmental Editor, and Laurie Green as the Editor-at-Large. As we get closer to publication, we'll be calling for help from the Brigade for copy-editing and promotion (and anything else that pops up.)
Please note: The anthology is open to SFRB members ONLY. The submission guidelines are posted under our "files" tab on the SFR Brigade Facebook Group, but we'll post them here for those who don't have Facebook.
Deadline for story submission is January 1, 2013 and open to ALL SFR from flash to novelettes up to 15k, with a heat level up to steamy. Please read the guidelines below and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Good luck everyone!
GUIDELINES
TALES FROM THE SFR BRIGADE is an anthology of science fiction romance stories written by Brigadiers. Submissions may be up to 15,000 words, open to all heat levels up to steamy. No erotica please. YA stories welcome. All submissions will be anonymously evaluated for inclusion in the anthology. (See formatting.)
Before submission, please run all stories past beta readers and polish as much as possible.
If you would like to submit a story please send an email to: Sfrpreview@gmail.com. Make sure to include "SFR Brigade Anthology" in the subject line. Include in email body a cover letter with contact information, links to blog/web page, word count and heat level, and attached file.
Deadline for submission is January 1, 2013. The anthology is tentatively scheduled for release in the late Spring 2013, final publish date TBA. This will be offered as a free e-book for the express purposes of building the SFRB brand and cross-marketing our authors. Inclusion in this anthology is open to SFR Brigade members only! By submitting for inclusion into the anthology, authors are granting the SFR Brigade the worldwide rights to publish their story in this anthology. Authors will retain all rights to their work.
This will be an all-volunteer compiled anthology. The anthology will be a free e-book highlighting the work of the SFR Brigade, cross-marketing Brigadiers, and raising brand awareness of the SFR Brigade. Authors whose stories are accepted for publication will have a one-paragraph bio at the end of their story along with a link to the author’s blog or web page. The SFR Brigade will be highlighted at the end of the book with links.
Formatting: Please keep formatting to a minimum. Do not use tabs to indent paragraphs. Do not embed fonts. Do not include art. Scene/POV breaks should be marked with three consecutive asterisks without spaces, centered. Any special characters will be removed as will any formatting. Files may be submitted in DOC (.doc preferred or .docx) or RTF format.
An SFR Brigade anthology, TALES FROM THE SFR BRIGADE, is a go! The preliminary editorial staff will consist of 'Cali Hicks as the Editor-in-Chief, Paula Diane Dooley as the Developmental Editor, and Laurie Green as the Editor-at-Large. As we get closer to publication, we'll be calling for help from the Brigade for copy-editing and promotion (and anything else that pops up.)
Please note: The anthology is open to SFRB members ONLY. The submission guidelines are posted under our "files" tab on the SFR Brigade Facebook Group, but we'll post them here for those who don't have Facebook.
Deadline for story submission is January 1, 2013 and open to ALL SFR from flash to novelettes up to 15k, with a heat level up to steamy. Please read the guidelines below and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Good luck everyone!
GUIDELINES
TALES FROM THE SFR BRIGADE is an anthology of science fiction romance stories written by Brigadiers. Submissions may be up to 15,000 words, open to all heat levels up to steamy. No erotica please. YA stories welcome. All submissions will be anonymously evaluated for inclusion in the anthology. (See formatting.)
Before submission, please run all stories past beta readers and polish as much as possible.
If you would like to submit a story please send an email to: Sfrpreview@gmail.com. Make sure to include "SFR Brigade Anthology" in the subject line. Include in email body a cover letter with contact information, links to blog/web page, word count and heat level, and attached file.
Deadline for submission is January 1, 2013. The anthology is tentatively scheduled for release in the late Spring 2013, final publish date TBA. This will be offered as a free e-book for the express purposes of building the SFRB brand and cross-marketing our authors. Inclusion in this anthology is open to SFR Brigade members only! By submitting for inclusion into the anthology, authors are granting the SFR Brigade the worldwide rights to publish their story in this anthology. Authors will retain all rights to their work.
This will be an all-volunteer compiled anthology. The anthology will be a free e-book highlighting the work of the SFR Brigade, cross-marketing Brigadiers, and raising brand awareness of the SFR Brigade. Authors whose stories are accepted for publication will have a one-paragraph bio at the end of their story along with a link to the author’s blog or web page. The SFR Brigade will be highlighted at the end of the book with links.
Formatting: Please keep formatting to a minimum. Do not use tabs to indent paragraphs. Do not embed fonts. Do not include art. Scene/POV breaks should be marked with three consecutive asterisks without spaces, centered. Any special characters will be removed as will any formatting. Files may be submitted in DOC (.doc preferred or .docx) or RTF format.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Harper Voyager Seeking Unagented Manuscripts
The sci-fi imprint of HaperCollins, Harper Voyager, is taking unagented sci-fi and fantasy submissions October 1st through 14th. They are looking for manuscripts between 70,000 and 120,000 words. YA is accepted.
Previously published works will be considered if the author has retained rights.
Polish up your work, and good luck!
Previously published works will be considered if the author has retained rights.
Polish up your work, and good luck!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Cover Reveal for IRON GUNS, BLAZING HEARTS at The Galaxy Express
I have exciting sci-fi romance cover news to share! IRON GUNS, BLAZING HEARTS, my forthcoming Western steampunk romance release from Lyrical Press, now has a cover--and it's digitally illustrated!
Visit The Galaxy Express to check out the amazing work of artist Christine Griffin. I'd share it here, but as of this writing, I currently have a cover reveal exclusive. :)
Thanks for celebrating with me!
Visit The Galaxy Express to check out the amazing work of artist Christine Griffin. I'd share it here, but as of this writing, I currently have a cover reveal exclusive. :)
Thanks for celebrating with me!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
"Blaze of Glory" - FREE!
You heard it here, folks!
Samhain Publishing has decided to make the first book in my superhero trilogy, "Blaze of Glory", FREE from September 1 - 14th.
*****
Saving the world is easy for a superhero—unless you’re a fraud.
Jo Tanis is a superhero, fighting evil on the city streets, using her ability to feed off electromagnetic energy and fire off charges—and it’s all just a show. The Agency captures her and others like her when their powers begin to manifest, pitting them against each other in staged, gladiatorial fights. An explosive implant on the back of her neck assures she’ll keep right on smiling for the camera and beating up the bad guys.
When Earth comes under attack, suddenly the show becomes deadly real. Unable to deal with a real alien, the “supers” are falling in droves. Millions of innocent civilians are going to die…unless Jo can cobble together a team from among the fake heroes and villains the Agency enslaved. Including Hunter, who not only promises to show her how to deactivate the implants, but seems to know more than he should about how the mysterious Agency operates.
Forcing a rag-tag bunch of former enemies to work together is the least of Jo’s problems. The trick is determining if Hunter is friend or foe—and becoming the hero everyone thought she was before the world is destroyed for real.
*****
Here are the links!
Samhain Publishing has decided to make the first book in my superhero trilogy, "Blaze of Glory", FREE from September 1 - 14th.
*****
Saving the world is easy for a superhero—unless you’re a fraud.
Jo Tanis is a superhero, fighting evil on the city streets, using her ability to feed off electromagnetic energy and fire off charges—and it’s all just a show. The Agency captures her and others like her when their powers begin to manifest, pitting them against each other in staged, gladiatorial fights. An explosive implant on the back of her neck assures she’ll keep right on smiling for the camera and beating up the bad guys.
When Earth comes under attack, suddenly the show becomes deadly real. Unable to deal with a real alien, the “supers” are falling in droves. Millions of innocent civilians are going to die…unless Jo can cobble together a team from among the fake heroes and villains the Agency enslaved. Including Hunter, who not only promises to show her how to deactivate the implants, but seems to know more than he should about how the mysterious Agency operates.
Forcing a rag-tag bunch of former enemies to work together is the least of Jo’s problems. The trick is determining if Hunter is friend or foe—and becoming the hero everyone thought she was before the world is destroyed for real.
*****
Here are the links!