My Top Ten "Comfort Movies" are all Sci-Fi + Giveaway

Before school ended for my children, I was talking with one of the other parents at the bus stop about movies we like to watch when we're having a bad day, or when the world is having a bad day, and watching the news makes us incredibly sad. They're movies we watch over and over, and never get tired of watching. He called them "comfort movies", and his #1 pick was Ferris Bueller's Day Off. While I've seen that movie many times, it has never been a comfort movie for me. But, the idea made me think about my own comfort movies. And the only ones I came up with were all science fiction.

Here's my list of Top Ten Comfort Movies:

1. Independence Day - I know this may seem strange as a comfort movie, with aliens attacking the Earth, but in the end, the world came together to fight the aliens and bring them down. It's that unity in the end that gives me hope for our real world.

2. Contact - Once again, the world has to come together to send Eleanor Arroway on a mission to make contact with alien life. In this movie, the aliens are peaceful, which is what I hope for when first contact is made.

3. Avatar - Even with all the weapons one could imagine, it is love and what is right that wins.

4. Super 8 - An alien is stuck on Earth, and it only wants to get back home. Sometimes it takes a bunch of children to help us realize the truth.

5. The Host - Aliens come to Earth, and believe they have made the planet a better place to live. But, it's the human spirit they did not expect that wins in the end, our desire to live.

6. Home - This is such a fun movie about aliens again learning about the human spirit.

7. The Martian - While this is a newer movie, I have watched it many times already. Once again, the world comes together for a purpose. This time, to bring Mark Watney home.

8. Any Jurassic Park movie - While some in the series are better than others, I love watching these movies about genetically engineered dinosaurs.

9. Any Star Wars movie - Once again, there are some I love better than others, I will watch any of these space adventure movies.

10. The new Star Trek movies - I do love some of the older Star Trek movies, but it is the new ones I will pop into the DVD player. I love all of the interpersonal relationships involved in these movies, and I've become attached to the characters. I admit, I wasn't around when the original series was on television, so the actors playing the characters now are the ones I've become accustomed to.

Please share with me your comfort movies. Are any of them sci-fi?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous. Check out her new release, BRYCE:

A dedicated Defender…

Bryce fell in love once, but after Lalia was ripped away from him, he locked his heart from feeling anything for anyone else. Instead, he devotes his life to the Galactic Alliance, killing every bloodthirsty Erebus he comes across.

A shunned princess…

Lalia Comosova fell in love with the wrong man. When her parents learned of her transgressions, they sent her to Earth to hide her error in judgment from the rest of the kingdom.

A second chance?

When these lovers are reunited after many years apart, they have a chance to find happiness together. But fate steps in and threatens to rip them apart as it did years ago.

For more information about Jessica and her books, visit her website: http://jessicasubject.com

Not only is Jessica E. Subject celebrating the release of BRYCE, the first book in her Galactic Defenders series, she is also celebrating FIVE years published. And she is offering three fabulous prize packages. Contests are open as stated, except where prohibited by law. Must be 18 or older to enter. Contest will close July 24, and winners will be notified by email. Good luck!

RTC Giveaway (Canada/US only) includes:

3013: Renegade by Susan Hayes (signed)

Reader Abduction by Eve Langlais (signed)

As Cold As Ice by Mandy Rosko (signed)

Alien Next Door: The Complete Series by Jessica E. Subject (signed)

Cosmic Desires by Jessica E. Subject (signed)

other goodies from some of the authors who attended Romancing the Capital

My Favorite Things Giveaway (Canada/US only) includes:

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

The Martian by Andy Weir

Alien Next Door: The Complete Series by Jessica E. Subject (signed)

Cosmic Desires by Jessica E. Subject (signed)

Bryce by Jessica E. Subject (signed)

International Only Giveaway includes:

Alien Next Door: The Complete Series by Jessica E. Subject (signed)

Cosmic Desires by Jessica E. Subject (signed)

Bryce by Jessica E. Subject (signed)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Auspicious day...

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

And in keeping with the romantic theme of this auspicious day, I have a romance writer visiting my blog, well, actually, an erotic romance author!

She been there before, and she's one of our own SFRBrigaders - please come say hi to Maree Anderson (there's a very special give-away!)

Hailing On All Frequencies (for the last time)!

NEW COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER NEEDED!
This is my last week of posting Hailing On All Frequencies! Due to time constraints, I'm signing off as chief collater and information gatherer for this weekly round-up.
If any Brigader would like to take over this commission (feel free to use the same format if you like) then please contact Laurie Green and she'll happily let you take your place on the bridge at the communications station.
Thank you to everyone who's sent in information and snippets - it's been a pleasure promoting SFR and our Brigaders!
Kylie Griffin - Comms Officer - signing off...

Merry Christmas, Brigaders, and may 2011 be a year of achieving all your writing goals!

NEW RELEASES

Mel Teshco's latest release is MOON THRALL. Available from Ellora's Cave early next year (date to be confirmed).

Jennifer Leelan and Mima are releasing their anthology BOUND AMONG THE STARS on Dec.20th at Liquid Silver Books.

MEMBERS' NEWS
Mel Teshco's book, ICE-COLD LOVER, has been nominated for a CAPA award in the Paranormal Erotic category. Congratulations, Mel! The Cupid & Psyche Awards are given by The Romance Studio for excellence in romantic and erotic fiction. Results will be announced on Valentine's Day 2011.
The SFR Holiday Blitz has started!

The SFR Brigade will be participating.  The event runs until December 26th with free books to be awarded on December 27th. This is the 2nd annual event and it's bigger and better for 2010, with 15 participating blogs, and over 50 SFR books to be given away by at least 33 participating authors!

BLOGGING
Erica Hayes has posted a list of achievements accomplished in "This year, and what I did".

Over at Kylie Griffin's blog this week...

25th Dec. - Christmas is...a time of giving books, of course! 
27th Dec. - Talented Aussie & Kiwi Authors - check out some great authors from Down Under!
30th Dec. - Who's That Girl? Interview - Alli Sinclair - a writer who hails from Oz
1st Jan. - Need a Useful Link or Two? - a smattering of blog articles I found useful in 2010

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Angry Robot will be opening their doors to unsolicited manuscripts in the month of March 2011.

And this is what they are looking for:
We’re publishing novels, either standalone or as part of greater series. We’re not looking to publish your novellas, short stories or non-fiction at this time.

All our books are “genre” fiction in one way or another — specifically fantasy, science fiction, horror, and that new catch-all urban or modern fantasy. Those are quite wide-ranging in themselves; we’re looking for all types of sub-genre, so for example, hard SF, space opera, cyberpunk, military SF, alternate future history, future crime, time travel, and more. We have no problem if your book mashes together two or more of these genres; in fact, we practically insist upon it.

Our books will be published in all English-language territories — notably the UK, US and Australia — so we’ll be buying rights to cover all those. If you are only offering rights in one territory, we will not be able to deal with you. We will be able to offer e-book and audio versions as standard too, plus limited edition and multiple physical formats where appropriate. We are not contracting any work-for-hire titles; we offer advances and royalties.

Beyond all of this, what we’re really looking for in your writing is this:
• A “voice”, that comes from…
• Confident writing
• Pacy writing
• Characters that live, have real relationships and emotions, even in extreme situations
• A sense of vision, a rounded universe that lives and breathes
• Clever construction, good plotting, a couple of surprises even for us jaded old read-it-alls
• Heightened experience – an intensity, extremity or just a way of treating plot or situation in a way we’ve not come across before.

Here's the link for details.

REMINDER: HOAF news! (last for 2010)

This is your last chance to send any of the following information to me, Brigaders!

After the 27th I'm signing off as your Comms Officer!

• 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

Hailing On All Frequencies!

Well, the 25th is fast approaching and for those of us who celebrate Christmas, I'd like to wish you a safe and relaxing holiday.

May you celebrate this special time of year with your family and friends and remember the true message behind the "reason for the season". 

Merry Christmas, Brigaders!

NEW RELEASES

Jennifer Leelan and Mima are releasing their anthology BOUND AMONG THE STARS on Dec.20th at Liquid Silver Books.

Erica Hayes' Book 4 in the Shadowfae Chronicles, BLOOD CURSED, is due for release on 2nd August, 2011 in the US & UK.

Francis Pauli has a new release, her holiday diesel punk, LORDS OF OAK AND HOLLY. It came out on the 15th from Devine Destinies.

MEMBERS' NEWS

Laurie Green and Jennifer Hart have placed in the HF/SF/F section of the RWA FFP On The Far Side contest. Final results below. Well done, ladies!

Hard SF/SF/F: Danielle Rose Poiesz, Editor, Penguin
1st: Jennifer Hart - "Stellar Timing"
2nd: Elizabeth Struble - "StarWay to Paradise"
3rd: Laurie Green - "The Outer Planets"

For a full set of results, click on this link.

The SFR Brigade will be participating in the SFR Holiday Blitz this year.  The event begins Monday morning, December 20th and lasts until December 26th with free books to be awarded on December 27th. This is the 2nd annual event and it's bigger and better for 2010, with 15 participating blogs, and over 50 SFR books to be given away by at least 33 participating authors! Mark your calendar and stay tuned.

NEW COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER NEEDED!
December 27th, 2010 will be my last week of posting Hailing On All Frequencies! Due to time contraints, I'm signing off as chief collater and information gatherer for this weekly round-up.
If any Brigader would like to take over this commission (feel free to use the same format if you like) then please contact Laurie Green and she'll happily let you take your place on the bridge at the communications station.
Thank you to everyone who's sent in information and snippets - it's been a pleasure promoting SFR and our Brigaders!
Kylie Griffin - Comms Officer

BLOGGING

Maree Anderson has been a guest all this week at the following blogs (and giving away free copies of her latest release, FROM THE ASHES) - Dark Side DownUnder and Helene Young's blog.

Over at Kylie Griffin's blog this week...
13th Dec. - The 12 Days of Christmas - a light-hearted list of things to do before the big day

16th Dec. - Who's That Girl? Interview with Chris Taylor
19th Dec. - You Know You're a Paranormal Author When...poking fun (in a nice way, myself included) at those who write in this genre

23rd Dec. - Who's That Girl? Interview with Maggie Le Page - a writer who hails from Quake-City (Christchurch), New Zealand

25th Dec. - Christmas is...a time of giving books, of course! 

BOOK REVIEWS, GIVE-AWAYS & BOOK SIGNINGS
Francis Pauli kicked off book two of her Space Slug saga, a free SFR read. Both book one and the new, SLUG OPERA, can be found at this link along with the Space Slug Galaxy Guide and Slugationary. 

Erica Hayes is visiting the Dark Side DownUnder blog on Thursday 16th Dec for Magic Thursday and is giving away a copy of POISON KISSED (Bk 3 in the Shadowfae Chronicles) to one lucky person who leaves a comment. 

INFORMATION OF INTEREST
From the Irene Goodman Agency website. Might be of interest to some of you:

"Irene Goodman will be conducting a live webinar on Thursday, December 16th, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on How an Agent Picks a Client: From Query to Career.

This event will give you an inside look at exactly what goes through an agent’s mind through each step of the submission process when  making this all-important decision. And with this peek inside an agent’s mind, writers will see what makes a query letter stand out, what makes an agent request sample pages or a book proposal, and how agents evaluate single titles vs. a book series.

In addition to instructing, Irene Goodman will be taking questions live during the webinar. No question goes unanswered."

Here is the registration link.

"All registrants are invited to submit either a query letter or the first page of a manuscript (300 words or fewer for each) immediately after the event. All submissions will receive a critique from the instructor. (All the instructor's funds will be donated to charity—specifically: the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Deafness Research Foundation.)"

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

First post and book giveway!

I joined the SFR Brigade a while back, but this is my first official post. And I’ve got a box of gently used science fiction romance books to give away to make more space on my bookshelf.

Included are titles by SFR authors, Susan Grant, Patti O’Shea, Susan Kearney, Catherine Asaro, Kristin Landon and others, 14 books in all, and every one is a science fiction romance. The copyrights vary, but none are older than the 1990’s.

To be eligible to win the box of books, just leave a comment on this post today with a way for me to contact you if you win. I’ll pick a winner at random tomorrow and announce it in the comments.

Good luck!

Hailing On All Frequencies!

NEW RELEASES

Erica Hayes' Book 4 in the Shadowfae Chronicles, BLOOD CURSED, is due for release on 2nd August, 2011 in the US & UK.

Francis Pauli has a new release this week, her holiday diesel punk, LORDS OF OAK AND HOLLY, is coming out on the 15th from Devine Destinies.

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.

MEMBERS' NEWS
The SFR Brigade will be participating in the SFR Holiday Blitz this year.  The event begins Monday morning, December 20th and lasts until December 26th with free books to be awarded on December 27th. This is the 2nd annual event and it's bigger and better for 2010, with 15 participating blogs, and over 50 SFR books to be given away by at least 33 participating authors! Mark your calendar and stay tuned.

NEW COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER NEEDED!
December 27th, 2010 will be my last week of posting Hailing On All Frequencies! Due to time contraints, I'm signing off as chief collater and information gatherer for this weekly round-up.
If any Brigader would like to take over this commission (feel free to use the same format if you like) then please contact Laurie Green and she'll happily let you take your place on the bridge at the communications station.
Thank you to everyone who's sent in information and snippets - it's been a pleasure promoting SFR and our Brigaders!
Kylie Griffin - Comms Officer

BLOGGING
Over at Kylie Griffin's blog this week...
9th Dec. - Who's That Girl? Interview with Jenn J.McLeod
12th Dec. - A Few Good Books - some recommended readings
13th Dec. - The 12 Days of Christmas - a light-hearted list of things to do before the big day
16th Dec. - Who's That Girl? Interview with Chris Taylor

On Dec. 18th, Verona St.James will be hosting SF author Vijaya Schartz on her blog as she talks about her two ongoing SFR series The Ancient Enemy and her upcoming release, The Chronicles of Kassouk. 

NEW MEMBERS
Please welcome our newest member:

• Suzanne Hamilton
  

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Samhain Publishing is seeking submissions for their November 2011 End of Days themed anthology. Stories can be of any genre or heat level, and submissions are open to M/F, M/M, or multiples thereof, but all submissions must feature either an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic theme (or both) as integral to the story. Submissions should be 20,000 to 30,000 words in length. All stories must end with a happy ever after for the hero and heroine. For more details check out their Submissions page.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST
Dear Author has an interesting little discussion about the kinds of author promotions that work and don't work, and some readers weighed in on what works for them in the comment thread.

A very helpful post called Through the Plot Hole over at The Ruby Slippered Sisterhood focuses on techniques to help you fix holes in your plot. Worth a read!

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

Hailing On All Frequencies!

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.









MEMBERS' NEWS
Marva Dasef's SFR, ULTIMATE DUTY, is now out in print as well as ebook. It was released on Nov.7th by Eternal Press.

Remy Belieux, a woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive 
factory planet, is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted 
into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaves 
her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. 
Now, she must decide what to believe, where her ultimate duty lies, and 
fight for more than her life against impossible odds.

Available from Eternal Press PDF, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Print.
She also has a spacey, cool trailer. Click here. 

BLOGGING
Over at Kylie Griffin's blog this week...
2nd Dec. - Romance Rocks! Some statistics about romance sales.
6th Dec. - The Gifted Gecko - craft of a different sort (with a give-away!)
9th Dec. - Who's That Girl? Interview with Jenn J.McLeod
12th Dec. - A Few Good Books - some recommended readings

BOOK REVIEWS, SIGNINGS & GIVE-AWAYS
Marcella Burnard will be at the PNWA Writers Cottage in Gilman Village in Issaquah, WA (just outside of Seattle) on 12/8/2010 from 3-6pm for a book signing. This is a multi-author signing/holiday party. Everyone is welcome!

INFORMATION OF INTEREST
An interesting post for all published authors on the Importance of Tracking World Rights at Pub Rants this week.

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

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.

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

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. 

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

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. 

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

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!

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

Hailing On All Frequencies!

NEW RELEASES

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.

CARNAL MOON is Mel Teshco's latest release from Ellora's Cave and is available from October 28th, 2010.











MEMBERS NEWS
Pauline Baird Jones has just found out her SFR entry, GIRL GONE NOVA, is a finalist in the Epic Book Awards in the SFR section. Congratulations! 

Jaleta Clegg has had three stories release just this past week. The first is The Last Man Anthology by Sword & Saga Press and takes the theme of "The Last ___" and expands into all sorts of intriguing possibilities. Her story, "Omega Museum", deals with a society where men died off several generations back. Cloning is keeping humanity alive, but only females survive and that rate is dropping. The prime display at the museum is a cryogenically preserved vial of the last sperm. Could it hold the key to bringing men back to life?

Rotting Tales: A Zombie Anthology, by Pill Hill Press, used the cover art to inspire zombie stories. From silly to psycho, these tales will keep you entertained well past your bedtime. In "Always a Bridesmaid", Great-Aunt Tildie decides she's had enough of being a bridesmaid. It's her turn to be a bride. Only trouble is she's dead, but she isn't about to let that stop her from hijacking her great-niece's wedding and stealing the groom.

"Just Like the Movies", by Bewildering Stories, documents man's last stand against the zombie apocalypse. Sort of. It's just three hunting buddies holed up in their cabin. Until a professor-turned-wizard shows up with his book of spells to tip the balance. Bewildering Stories is a free online 'zine. 
The others are print anthologies.

CONTEST NEWS
Pauline B.Jones is having a contest over at AuthorIsland in the lead up to her release of TANGLE IN TIME, her first steampunk/SFR novella. Go to her website contest page to get details on how to enter. 

BLOGGING
Marcella Burnard was Nalini Singh's guest author this week. Nalini was so impressed with her book, ENEMY WITHIN, she invited Marcella to visit and talk about it - check out this post for the interview.

Pauline B.Jones has been interviewed about her books over at The Galaxy Express.

BOOK REVIEWS, SIGNINGS & GIVE-AWAYS
Over at Kylie Griffin's blog this week...
30th Oct. - "Welcome to the DarkSide!" A promo for the new blog site of Australian and New Zealand authors who write speculative fiction with romantic elements, be it fantasy, futuristic, paranormal, urban fantasy and everything in between.
2nd Nov. - "Going on an agent hunt..." (part 1) - how to find an agent
5th Nov. - "Do you have a full ms ready to enter the RWOz Emerald?"
9th Nov. - "Going on an agent hunt..." (part 2)
INFORMATION OF INTEREST
RT is surveying readers and there's a section on genres with a subscriber and non-subscriber link.

The Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter Blog has an interesting post called It's All About the Writing - Or is it? - it discusses what catches a reader/editor's eye.

The Dark Side DownUnder launches its new blog site of Australian and New Zealand authors who write speculative fiction with romantic elements, be it fantasy, futuristic, paranormal, urban fantasy and everything in between on Halloween (October 31st).
Please support fellow Brigader members - Mel Teshco, Maree Anderson, Jess Anastasi, Michelle de Rooy & Kylie Griffin - by dropping by and saying hi!

Over at the Galaxy Express it looks like SFR is making its way into Europe, and one of our own is forging the way (Linnea Sinclair) - Breaking News: SFR Authors to Be Released in Germany.

"Finding Your Character's Voice" is a good read over at Ripping Ozzie Reads (Spec Fic authors).