SPARKS IN COSMIC DUST (Romantic SF) - Robert Appleton(This novel-length story is inspired by THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE.)
Varinia Wilcox, the star attraction of a lucrative bordello gambling house.
Solomon Bodine, spurned by his lover and looking for distraction.
Clayton Barry, AWOL and a few drinks away from having to live in the gutter.
Lyssa Foaloak, a double-crossing criminal who'll kill anyone for a few credits.
Four strangers, each with secrets that could cost them their freedom, are desperate to get off-planet. They meet Grace Peters, a cynical ex-doctor with an intriguing offer: a six-month trip to a faraway moon where she claims a stunning fortune awaits.
But this adventure is no easy escape. Danger, passion, secrets and madness await. Can they survive the mission, and each other, to make it out alive?
And there are many more releases....
Alexandra Syato has complete control of her life. She’s rich and has Captain Rhearden Lawe as a delicious friend with benefits. Her life couldn’t be more perfect. Until the mysterious force known as sheen turns her world upside down.
It changes Lawe in a way she doesn’t expect and now her easygoing friend has become a dark and brooding stranger, determined to take her control. She can’t fight their new, blistering attraction. But the price for having him may break her.
Completely.
THE CRYSTAL VARIATION (omnibus; re-release) Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Crystal Soldier
The galaxy is in danger. A mysterious alien race of energy being called the shereika is rapidly unmaking – dissipating, lock, stock and quark -- entire star systems. Humans are making their last stand. M. Jela is a top-of-the-line of soldier who realizes the peril and persuades a talented space ship pilot named Cantra yos’Phelium to help what humans remain to escape to an alternate reality with unpopulated, but livable, star systems: the Liaden® universe!
Crystal Dragon
Cantra is revealed to be no merely a great pilot, but a genetically engineered aelantaza, or assassin and spy whose specialty is taking on the entire personality of her “cover,” so much so that she believes it herself. She remakes herself, as only a aelantaza can, and infiltrates the scholarly towers on the university world of Landomist where she narrowly avoids being killed in scholarly conflicts. There she liberates the scholar Liad dea’Syl, along with the equations for escape stored inside his head. Once in her new domain, Cantra creates a hereditary alliance to protect her child by Jela – to be known (and become legendary) as Clan Korval.
Balance of Trade
Young Jethri Gobelyn is a young Terran, working on his family's trading spaceship. Jethri has ambition, and he sets out to make a name for himself in the time-honored fashion of his family by investing in a trading scheme with what he takes to be a bona fide Liaden® master trader. But when Jethri discovers he’s been had, Jethri must master the intricacies of Liaden society, which include many formal rules and regulations of behavior, to regain his place – and face – within the clan.
DARK EMPRESS (erotic space opera) - Anitra Lynn McLeod
Errion Ald'Areed senses that his business partner's passion for designing pleasure upgrades for service robots has cooled, but nothing he's tried—men, women, exotic adventures—has lifted Lorren D'Buren's ennui. Until he sees the look in Lorren's eyes when the intergalactic ambassador from Diola crosses their path at a charity ball.
Under the watchful eye of Gabriyel, her faithful bodyguard, Farjika is determined to live down her empress mother's scandalous reputation for taking multiple lovers. Her instant attraction to Lorren, though, tempts her to cross her self-imposed bounds of propriety. And Gabriyel is shocked that his level-headed mistress has fallen so easily into a torrid affair.
At first Errion is pleased that Farjika has roused Lorren out of his funk. When he notices the depth of the mutual fascination, though, he realizes he must act quickly—or lose his sometime lover and best friend.
His plan to eliminate the threat is perfect in its beautiful complexity. Until one snag in his delicate web of seduction plunges them all into a potentially deadly tangle with no way out...
Warning: Contains humor, masturbatory robots, mystical BDSM, stern punishments and more variations on m/m/m/f than the author can count. Sex toys are not included with purchase but are strongly recommended.
MILE HIGH AIRSHIP CLUB (erotic steampunk romance) – Nishi Serrano
Newlywed Lady Rose’s curiosity is inflamed when a mysterious airship captain shows up extending an honorary invitation for her and her husband, Lord William, to join the Mile High Airship Club. A club she has never heard mention of in polite society. Rose is excited for the trip. It will be her first time aboard an airship. However, Rose is modestly unaware of the trials she will endure to acquire a membership in this pleasure club!
“The Devil’s Children” (from DREAMS OF STEAM 2: BRASS AND BOLTS anthology; edited by Kimberly Richardson) – Angelia Sparrow
According to the author, this story
“…features a proto-romance between Tamas Vardo, a Union draft-dodger, and his very distant cousin, Jaelle, who travels with an airship entertainer troupe, set against the New York Draft Riots.”
RAGNAR AND JULIET – Lucy Woodhull
Bounty hunting is usually so easy. Flash a little cleavage, mix a roofie cocktail, and Juliet has her man right where she wants him: out cold, ready to be swapped for cash. Her passions are freedom, trashy clothes, and pie -- not necessarily in that order.
Hunky alien ship captain Ragnar doesn't deserve torture at the hands of the psychotic king who hired Juliet; he liberated one of William the Nefarious' illegal concubines. Juliet can't ignore such a noble act. She doesn’t trust men, but this one, with the kindest smile she's ever seen, picks away at her resolve to stay aloof and clothed. He's just so... nice! Crazy she can deal with; sincerity is terrifying.
Before she gives in to her irrational urge to get a timeshare with him (and his cute tail), they're caught by the bad guys. Ragnar disappears and abandons her to her disgusting captors -- so much for togetherness. Perhaps he’s not such a saint. Even worse, Nefarious William has nominated her for Concubine of the Evening. This dubious honor does not thrill her, and only a few hours remain before the king’s mind control drugs obliterate her free will.
Sexual slavery might not be fatal, but Juliet would rather die. Of course, the third option (run away to a beach and hump Ragnar silly) is the best, if they can live that long.
Hunky alien ship captain Ragnar doesn't deserve torture at the hands of the psychotic king who hired Juliet; he liberated one of William the Nefarious' illegal concubines. Juliet can't ignore such a noble act. She doesn’t trust men, but this one, with the kindest smile she's ever seen, picks away at her resolve to stay aloof and clothed. He's just so... nice! Crazy she can deal with; sincerity is terrifying.
Before she gives in to her irrational urge to get a timeshare with him (and his cute tail), they're caught by the bad guys. Ragnar disappears and abandons her to her disgusting captors -- so much for togetherness. Perhaps he’s not such a saint. Even worse, Nefarious William has nominated her for Concubine of the Evening. This dubious honor does not thrill her, and only a few hours remain before the king’s mind control drugs obliterate her free will.
Sexual slavery might not be fatal, but Juliet would rather die. Of course, the third option (run away to a beach and hump Ragnar silly) is the best, if they can live that long.
GALAXY GIRLS – Edie Ramer
(According to the author, this story is an homage to the GILMORE GIRLS television show and has strong paranormal elements. I used to watch GG and never anticipated that one day, there’d be an SFR connection! I am going to check this one out just because of that.)
She’s ovulating.
Phyrne turns up the heat, taking out more than the crooks in her wave of sexual torture. FBI Special Agent Hawk Higgens, running to protect the women, is brought to his knees, too. Caught in her procreative spell, Phyrne ravishes Hawk.
Being seduced by an alien and left half naked and unconscious in the back of a surveillance van changes Hawk’s life. He joins the Foundation, a privately funded agency that hunts aliens. Six years later, the reason for his career change pops back on the radar in a tea shop in Kentucky. The woman whose face still haunts his dreams has an addition to her family – a five-year-four-month-old daughter.
At the same time, two Kergeron warriors are sent to Earth to bring the women back to their home planet. With an ex-FBI agent and two alien warriors on her trail, Phyrne’s calm life running the Tea & Comfort shop is about to get shaken, stirred and screwed.
EVERY SAVAGE CAN REPRODUCE (futuristic-inspired Pride & Prejudice; steamy) – Enid Wilson
In the futuristic society on Planet Earth, Elizabeth Bennet is accused of luring Fitzwilliam Darcy to an illegal establishment, which leads to their exile deep in the center of a rebel planet. The subsequent galactic war exposes dark secrets regarding the autocratic Queen Immortal. Will Elizabeth and Darcy discover their love for one another and find their way back to Earth?
Set in the 39th Century, this novel is a tale of Pride and Prejudice-inspired science fiction, where Jane Austen’s characters take on new lives but still face the barrier of class distinction and seek to overcome their faults, as in the original classic.
Set in the 39th Century, this novel is a tale of Pride and Prejudice-inspired science fiction, where Jane Austen’s characters take on new lives but still face the barrier of class distinction and seek to overcome their faults, as in the original classic.
Forthcoming releases
Kim Knox (GAMBIT) recently sold Book 4 of her Planetary Bodies series to Ellora’s Cave. The title is ENERGY. Here is the unofficial blurb:
Callie Thiago lives for gossip. And her crew aboard the CMC Theseus provide her with enough lurid tales of sex to keep her lonely nights warm. It sates her curiosity. Mostly. She has no experience of her own to draw on as shyness plagues her…until sheen smashes into her ship.Now she’s stuck on a small outpost moon with Aaron Blane, a man she’s wanted all of her adult life. But she knows sheen can’t work through her as it does others. She’s different. And it’s this difference that Blane is more than eager to explore...
Gini Koch (ALIEN PROLIFERATION) recently sold a novella—the first in her new series, The Martian Alliance Chronicles—to Musa Publishing. Here’s the official announcement:
Gini Koch's THE ROYAL SCAM, the first book in a humorous science fiction serial about a shape-shifting con artist and her crew that uses her unique talent to make a killing off the rich and famous of the galaxy, to Celina Summers at Urania Speculative Fiction, in a nice deal, for publication in October 2011, by Cherry Weiner at Cherry Weiner Literary Agency (NA).
Way to be prolific with science fiction romance, ladies!
Industry
At the Carina Press blog, Executive Editor Angela James wants to know: “what genre do you wish there was more of?”
Okay, not just us, but across the board in publishing, what genre do you wish there was more of? Are you hankering for a great Western romance, looking to go back in time with steampunk technology or maybe have a lingering desire to visit new worlds with a great science fiction thriller.
I know, for me, I still wish I could find more really amazing futuristics, as well as some space opera cowboy tales! I feel like it’s hard to find really great fantasy romance or fantasy with romantic elements to read, and I also wouldn’t mind if the science fiction romance genre suddenly exploded.
The comments reveal lots of interest in SFR (including steampunk). Boo-yah!
Authors blogging
At CONTACT – Infinite Futures, J.L. Hilton asks the mind-bending question, “Would an alien be a person?”
If we did find intelligent life, would humanity have a large contingent of xenophobes who reject the rights of aliens – on the grounds that the extra-terrestrials are inferior, dangerous, or just too different? Would we – and how would we – change our laws, morals and beliefs to accommodate someone who is not a human being? In the U.S., most states don’t allow gay marriage. Would they allow alien/human marriage?
Sci-fi romance events
Keep an eye out for Lisa Lane’s Second Annual Out of this World Blog Tour, which should hit the blogosphere around mid-September.
FREE science fiction romance!
C/o Galaxy Express passenger V. comes this news of three free science fiction romances being offered by ImaJinn Books:
These titles are available for free until September 5, 2011, so hurry!
Now I turn the mike over to you. Got any science fiction romance news or links to share?
Joyfully yours,
Heather