New Member, Yolanda Sfetsos

Please give a big welcome to our next new member, Yolanda Sfetsos. Thanks for sharing with us today!

Please tell us a little about yourself

My name is Yolanda Sfetsos and I live in Sydney, Australia. I've been writing stories for many years and love to dabble in a variety of genres. SFR happens to be one of those genres. I love telling a SF story with romantic elements. I also like to throw in a little paranormal in there, too.

When I'm not writing, I love to read. Or spend time with my hubby, daughter and cat.

We’d love to hear more about your book, Recast, Book 2: Clash

This is actually the second installment in my Recast series, which started with Wither.

The main character, Ace Abu, actually appears in Wither. And this is his story. He's a shifter who is determined to put a stop to some barbaric arena fights that are destroying the lives of many people, with the help of Colt and Brynn (from Wither) but at the same time gets entangled with a woman who could end up destroying him.

It was a lot of fun to write, and I can't wait to share it with the world...

Would you like to share any upcoming projects (and links)

Clash will be available from Samhain Publishing on January 24, 2012. So I'm very excited about that.

I recently finished writing the third book in this series, and have plenty more tales to tell. I'm hoping to write the next two in 2012. Each book features a new hero and heroine. Some which make appearances in previous books, others that follow the main storyline about the Recast, the fallout from the arena fights, and the mystery of the Y-123 AI models.

But for now, you can check out Wither: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/wither-p-4724.html and Clash: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/clash-p-6617.html Which both have awesome covers, btw. ;) Both were made by the very awesome cover artist, Kanaxa.

What do you like about writing SFR?

I love writing stories, and the freedom that SFR offers my muse and imagination is amazing. I love setting stories in a fictional galaxy, where the rules are different from our world, yet there are still similarities. I absolutely love the idea of characters owning small (and big) spaceships, and travelling the galaxy in them. I also love integrating AI and robots into the mix, as well as creating technologies of my own.

But what I love doing the best is giving my characters the strengths and weakenesses of humanity in a world where not everyone is human, or live by human rules. And because the freedom to create planets is so vast, I love throwing them into unexpected climates and cultures. It's just so much fun. The worldbuilding is filled with awesome possibilities.

Let's not forget the romance and the sensuality, the difficulty of relationships. Oh, and secrets. I love sprinkling SFR stories with secrets. I think it's something I subconsciously picked up from theStar Wars movies when I was a kid.

What do you find challenging about it?

You know, all the things that make it so much fun and exciting to write, are also the most challenging. I mean, creating a galaxy filled with different planets, technology, and so many characters with interconnected lives, provides a huge challenge.

What is your favorite SF book or movie?

There are several, but I'll just list one movie trilogy and one book: The original Star Wars Trilogy, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.

If you could have a robot that did one chore/task and only one, what would you choose?The only chore I would expect a robot to perform is to 'live'. The chore I would give it is freedom.

Favorite mode of fictional travel? Definitely a small spaceship. I'd love to own my own ship and travel around the galaxy. That would be awesome! ;)

About the author:

Yolanda Sfetsos lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband, daughter, and cat. She loves to spend most of her days writing stories. Her muse doesn't like genre restrictions and is always happy to toe the dark edge of storytelling. When she’s not writing she spends as much time as possible with her small family. She also enjoys watching movies, TV shows, anime, going for walks, and reading.

WITHER:

Betrayal. Lust. Secrets. It’s enough to send a space cowboy riding hell-bent for stardust.

Recast, Book 1

Wrangling is in Colt Marshall’s blood. He was known across the galaxy for his skill at roping horses and cattle, but found that the woman he loved wasn’t so easy to tie down. Now a mysterious client has him wrangling a man who may or may not be fully human. Colt doesn’t know and doesn’t care, as long as he gets paid. Until his pursuit of the escaped captive lands him on his former lover’s planet…and her request for help threatens to crack the armor around his heart.

With Colt’s unexpected arrival, Brynn Wright’s problems could be solved…or multiplied a thousandfold. She doesn’t expect him to understand why she left him, but she sure could use his help ridding her planet of the feral creatures terrorizing her town every night. It doesn’t help that he looks just as good as she remembers. Or that even after five years, their mutual lust is very much alive.

Their desire rivals the heat of the planet’s skin-peeling sun, stripping away layers of secrets to expose the truth. And a secret that could be their death sentence…

Product Warnings: This book contains a space cowboy with an attitude, a female sheriff with a kick-ass past, an AI dressed like a deputy, feral creatures, and a planet scorched by its proximity to the sun—but still not as hot as the cowboy and sheriff are for each other.

Samhain Publishing: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/wither-p-4724.html

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Wither-Recast-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00309SCWG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A24IB90LPZJ0BS&s=digital-text&qid=1305613441&sr=1-1

NOOK Book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wither-yolanda-sfetsos/1019192329?ean=9781605046969&itm=2&usri=yolanda+sfetsos

Fictionwise: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b101951/Wither/Yolanda-Sfetsos/?si=0

CLASH:

When revenge, secrets and lust collide, there can only be chaos.

Recast, Book 2

Jenks Maine is dead, but the devastating effects forcing Recast to fight in the arena goes on. Half-Recast Ace Abu is determined to put a stop to it. All he needs is to get to the planet Fray, locate the concealed Clash Arena, and destroy it. But first he has to cross half the galaxy before the sound and smell of his partners’ nonstop lovemaking drives him mad.

By the time he parks himself on a barstool in the town of Grit, he’s more than ready for a few beers. Except the sexy singer on stage is only making him—and his inner beast—burn hotter.

Ely’Shea longs for the freedom Jenks stole from her. She’s his right-hand woman, but when the boss is away she steps out of her enforcer role and ducks into a remote bar to indulge her passion: singing onstage. The night she catches a glimpse of an alluring cowboy in the audience, he ignites a spark inside her she never thought she’d feel again. 

Unable to resist temptation, they’re consumed by passion…but once the fuses are set, their deepest personal secrets could blow any chance of forever all to hell. 

Product Warnings: This book contains a very lonely shapeshifter in need of some loving, a kick-ass singer leading a double life, a serious case of mutual lust, an arena filled with enslaved warriors, and so many secrets it can only end in total madness. 

Samhain Publishing:http://store.samhainpublishing.com/clash-p-6617.html

Pre-order for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Clash-Recast-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00699SCPQ/ref=sr_1_17?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321996222&sr=1-17

Pre-order for NOOK Book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/clash-yolanda-sfetsos/1107495680?ean=9781609286873&itm=1&usri=yolanda+sfetsos

Links:

My website: www.yolandasfetsos.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/yolandasfetsos

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/yolandasfetsos

Thank you so much!

In Defense of Hope at Ethics in SF :-)

I did a guest spot at Ethics in SF, talking about hope:  http://okalrel.org/blog/

Blog post ahead of mine is also on optimism in SF. :-)

Slugs in Print

Space Slugs, the long running web serial by Frances Pauli, made its print and ebook debut in July. Join the crew of the Slug One for their revised adventures and the never-before-seen bonus story, Escape from Damas Prime included in all versions of the book.

SFR, with a healthy dose of silly humor....and slugs. The rough draft of book two, Slug Opera is also available as a free, ongoing serial at: spaceslugserial.blogspot.com


Space Slugs
by Frances Pauli

When Xenobiologist, Dr. Murray, receives yet another phony wedding invitation from her galaxy hopping sister, she does what any good sibling would do. She drops her research and hops the first flight to some obscure planet at the edge of the civilized universe. But Zora's weddings never manage to go off as planned, and before the cake is served, Murray finds herself imprisoned with the unapologetic bride. With the assistance of a mysterious android and the universe's last living space slug, the two find themselves on the run in a stolen space ship with half the galaxy in hot pursuit. Thanks to Zora, it's the least desirable half. Maybe Murray will get lucky, and the crash landing will kill her.

Website, galaxy guide and slugtionary at: http://spaceslugserial.blogspot.com/p/book-one.html

Smashwords: http://spaceslugserial.blogspot.com/p/book-one.html

In Print: https://www.createspace.com/3437760

and for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Space-Slugs-Livngston-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0057X4WQ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309483234&sr=8-1

Amazon and The Vanishing Tags

I know some of you have been concerned about the missing Tags on Kindle books - and, yes, it happened universally to all Kindle editions. I sent some angry emails to Amazon and I did get a very nice reply.

Let me start by saying they did not do this on purpose. This was not an intentional corporate decision, it's a glitch.

Here's the bulk of the answer they sent:

"I have contacted our technical support team and they are currently working on the issue with Tags not appearing on the Kindle pages. I'm very sorry for any concerns this has caused and I can understand your frustrations.

They were not able to provide an exact date or time when they expect this issue to be resolved, but I will continue to monitor the situation with the technical support team until the problem is fixed. I will send you another email when I've received notification that the Tags are back on the Kindle products and have confirmed this myself. We appreciate your patience in this matter."

I'll keep you guys posted if I hear more. We'll have to see if the Tags return or if we all need to start over *groan*

Two Short Stories release in new anthology!

While most of the short stories in this anthology are NOT SFR, one of mine IS and it's the lead short story in the anthology!

Comfort Zone 
Marrying a man she'd met once was a bad idea. When the guy was ET it was insane—even if they were anatomically compatible. He and his world weren't just outside her comfort zone, they were outside her comfort universe. And if he didn't have amazing green eyes, saving her father's career might not have been enough to get her through the wedding...


I don't write a lot of stories where someone doesn't die or have to battle someone for something, so this is a rarity. It is just a romance story. Right now, it is only available in digital, at Amazon and ARE/OmniLit, but it should show up in print soon. 


This is the last anthology (for now) that I have stuff in, but I have to say, I like having them. They fill in the gaps between books rather nicely. I'm over at The Romance Studio having a release party for this anthology. There are prizes and lots of other books, if you feel inclined to party!
Perilously,
Pauline

Coffee Time Romance Reviews Kaye Manro's FORBIDDEN LOVE

Remember when this released back in May? I'm excited to share with my fellow Brigaders the Coffee Time Romance review of my sensual little SFR eBook FORBIDDEN LOVE... 

This is an interesting review, and earned four cups by one of CTR's highly regarded reviewers.  It is great to know that we SFR authors are out there and getting noticed.  Another great thing-- FL is now available at Amazon and is a kindle edition! I'm so pleased and impressed.

FORBIDDEN LOVE (CTR Review)

Reptilian specialist Dr. Maya Belle loves spending her days studying and caring for her beloved scaly desert friends. However, the government uses this desert as training grounds, and she fears for their existence as much as their safety.

Scouting missions like this are part of the reasons T’Kon of Asconage loves space travel, but it did not take long to realize that this planet is not ready to meet his people. They are a violent and combative species, and he sees no reason to interact with them.

Everything is going according to plan as T’Kon readies his craft to leave this solar system, when suddenly he is plummeting to the planet below. As Maya recovers from the freak sandstorm, she finds herself looking at the embodiment of her greatest dream and desire. This…man/alien is absolutely the most amazing creature she has ever laid eyes on, and for the first time in her life, she feels a soul-deep connection unlike anything she has ever experienced. T’Kon is struck by the same heady sense, and the feeling that this human female is everything his body craves, but how can they ever be together when they are worlds apart?

This quick read is as hot as the desert sun and just as scorching. Maya takes to her alien like a duck to water, which may seem odd, but when in relation to her profession feels almost natural. T’Kon is much more of a mystery, and one that I would love to see unfold in episodes to come. If you enjoy sci-fi combined with some blistering hot romance, these two are sure to rock your galaxy.

Lori Gardner
Coffee Time Romance Reviewer



Okay, you've got it! Book 2 in this series, FORBIDDEN DESTINY with more FTL adventures featuring T'Kon and Maya, coming in the near future...

FL did generate some fantastic attention. Here's a question for those of you who have already read FORBIDDEN LOVE. Did the CTR reviewer hit it right on, or is there somehthing else you would have said or added?

See you around the Galaxy!
Kaye Manro

FEATURE - Tips for Attending Smaller Cons

(posted by Jaleta Clegg, in case you're wondering)

I spent the weekend at ConDuit, a general SF/F con in Salt Lake City, Utah. Good friends, old and new; great networking opportunities; lots of good information in panels and less formal venues; local cons can be an invaluable resource to the aspiring or newly published author.

I admit, I've only attended two cons outside of my area. One was specific to Terry Pratchett and his Discworld, the other one was World Fantasy last year. Both seemed a bit overwhelming and large. Can you say, "Intimidation?"

ConDuit, on the other hand, usually has an attendance of maybe 500 - 600. We bring in one big name author, one big name artist, and occasionally another guest deserving of honor from the science fiction/fantasy community. This year, I got to meet Barbara Hambly, one of my favorite all-time authors. We also had Brandon Sanderson, but he's local and usually comes if he can. We had at least 20 established authors, numerous artists, many lesser known authors, costumers, gamers, and other specialists and professionals at the con.

So why attend your local con? Why not aspire to the big leagues? Local cons tend to be less formal, less expensive, more accessible than the big ones. And if you're like me, you'd prefer a little less social face-time with huge crowds. For an aspiring or newly published author, it's easier to be a medium or small fish in a small pond than a tiny fish in an enormous pond. You have a better chance of being noticed, of connecting with future and current readers.

Some mistakes I've made:
1. Don't be part of the committee once you are attending as an author. I spent most of my weekend stressing over the hospitality suite, my job on the ConDuit committee, not socializing and networking. Being part of the volunteer staff is a great way to get to know the organizers and open doors to participation, but be smart about it. As an author, you should be spending time getting to know the other authors and readers at the con.

2. Don't be pushy. People come to the con to have fun, not to be badgered with sales pitches for books they really aren't interested in. I bring bookmarks and leave them on the freebie table. I make sure to carry a handful with me, just in case. If someone asks, I'm more than happy to promote my book. It's a balancing act.

3. Don't hide in your room. Be in the public spaces. Be social. Reach outside your comfort zone, if necessary. And be open to other points of view. Cons are a great place to learn your craft. The insights and advice are well worth the price of admission.

4. Costumes are not necessarily the best first impression. Business casual is a good choice if you want to be taken as a professional. But feel free to dress up for the evening entertainment. Local cons usually save the silly stuff for evenings.

And some Do's:
1. Do have fun, but keep in mind that people will associate your behavior with your writing.

2. Do come prepared for interviews, blog exchanges, signings, people asking questions, etc. etc. Bring a stack of business cards with your contact info. Bring something to promote your book, like bookmarks or sample chapters. I used badge ribbons this year. Everyone wanted them. I forgot to print the title of the book on the ribbon, though. Something to change next time I order ribbons. Carry a pen with you. When someone hands you a business card, jot a note on the back - who they are, why you talked to them and got their card, and what you agreed to do as a followup, even if it's only a thank you email.

3. Do follow through. If possible, take time every night to send some emails to those people you contacted. At least make sure you have a list of who to send what email to. If you get a request for a manuscript or a query, DON'T LOSE IT IN YOUR LUGGAGE! Write a note, then put it in a pocket or bag set aside for important contacts.

Check into your local SF/F groups to see if your area is hosting a con. Ask other authors on this board or others if they know of a good local con that you can attend. Some websites attempt to gather information on local cons, but it's mostly hit and miss. Besides, it's nice to know you'll find at least one friendly face at the con when you arrive.

And if any of you are in Utah, please let me know. ConDuit (http://conduit.sfcon.org/) happens every Memorial Day weekend in downtown Salt Lake City. LTUE (http://ltue.org/LTUE_2011.html) happens every February near President's Day at BYU in Provo. Both are great opportunities to make some connections. And I'd love to meet you in person.

"Blaze of Glory" is now available!

"Blaze of Glory" is now available from Samhain Publishing!!

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.

Warning: Contains superhero in-jokes, Canadiana and large alien craft shaped like avocados. Really.

Check out the first Chapter here!
And the book trailer here!
Buy link to Blaze of Glory here!
Amazon/Kindle link here!

Thanks to the Brigade!

Thursday Tag Party for 4/15/10

All right folks - bag 'em, tag 'em, and let 'em run wild!

We're asking all our members and like-minded sentient beings to tag the SFR titles listed below. "Tagging" at Amazon helps us promote each others' books, helps buyers find the books they crave and helps build the community.

A brief on-board manual if you've never done it before:

• 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


• 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

And off to the next one!

This week, we have a fresh, juicy new batch of SFR:

Two Flames as One~Ella Drake

Claimed ~ Elle Amour

Close Encounters ~ Katherine Allred

Femme Metal ~ Nathalie Gray

Marya ~ Sandra C. Stixrude

The Winds of Fall ~ Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter

Of course, fell free to pick up some specimens along the way for, ah research purposes - and if you have a new release you would like included in the tagging, please email me at:

ravenesperanza@yahoo.com

Happy Tagging!

An Introduction from an I/R SF Romance author

Hello! My name's RaeLynn Blue and I'm very excited to be a part of the brigade! I'm a published author with Phaze, Changeling, Whispers, and others. I write science fiction erotic romance, mostly interracial, but love comes all kinds of ways. I'm not into boxes and labels so much as I am in a good story! I wanted to drop by and say hello, introduce myself and to tell everyone what kinds of sf I enjoy. I read a lot of Philip Dick (over and over again), and I read the classics: Brave New World, fahrenheit 451, and Octavia Butler, and a host of others. I've written a blog entry about interracial romance at my blog, http://raelynnblue.blogspot.com/. Check it out. I'll post more here, but I've never felt so at home. *waving* Best, Rae

Can Our SFR Community Make Another Stronger?

Over on Alien Romances, author Rowena Cherry wrote an article on the SFR Community at Amazon in which the subject of book tagging came up.  I think this helps illustrate not only how and why book tagging helps the general SFR genre on a major book site, it also points to one very sad fact:  The SFR Community on Amazon is virtually non-existant.

Consider the enormous response we've had to the SFR Brigade in the last couple of weeks, I really wonder why that is.  It's obvious SFR is alive and well and there are a whole lot more enthusiastic writers out there willing to make a difference than I even dreamed.

So let me throw out another idea we can look at as the emerging SFR community we have become.  We could make the Amazon SFR community more active simply by having more members join in the weekly tagging parties (it does make a difference!) and by encouraging members to participate in the Amazon SFR community discussions. If we throw our numbers behind this, we can make the SFR Community a much larger presence on Amazon.

So how do we go about this?  Do we have a member who'd be willing to be our Amazon SFR Community Coordinator?  This person would be involved in finding new ways to help make the Amazon community more active.  How about posting a question of the week?  Or linking to a thread on the Amazon SFR Community that other members of the Brigade might like to respond to?

For instance, I found this discussion also started by Rowena Cherry, very exciting.  Do you think so too?  Chime in and offer your thoughts.

The Amazon SFR Community Coordinator could also work with Sandra Stixrude, our Tagging Party Coordinator to start a thread on the what books we are tagging that week.

It does seem our success as a community can only be strengthened by a stronger presence in the Amazon SFR Community.  Do you agree or disagree?  Any other ideas you'd like to discuss?