Guest Post: The Heart of an AI by Yolanda Sfetsos

 "In this dangerous galaxy, nothing is safe. Not even your heart.

SFR series featuring space cowboys, shifters, vampires, pirates, gladiators, AI, and the tough women who love them..."

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Hi there! It’s great to visit The Galaxy Express again, so I want to thank Heather for having me over today. I’m very excited at the moment because my latest SFR book was released a few days ago. It’s called DASH and happens to be the fourth installment in my RECAST series. So far I’ve written about a space cowboy, a sheriff, a shapeshifter, an assassin, a vampire, a psychic, and the latest addition features an AI and the gladiator he falls for.

That’s right, I said AI. As in, Walsh is an android or robot—whatever you want to call him. He’s a Y-123 model, which are all males that look alike and were outlawed years ago. Now there’s a handful left in the galaxy living in remote places so that they don’t catch the attention of the authorities. See, Y-123 might look generic, but they were programmed to develop individual personalities. They can think for themselves, learn and even love. All traits that made them desirable to people searching for company or pleasure, but not so much for everyone else.

Cover & Blurb Spotlight: MINDER RISING by Carol Van Natta

Presenting the cover and blurb for a new release I'm looking forward to reading!

The Art of Managing Romance In a Danger Zone

During a recent email exchange, a friend and I discussed how much we enjoy reading about characters who are tightly focused on saving the day in (non-erotic) sci-fi romances with some kind of danger component or important mission. In other words, regardless of the characters' ages, the couple conveys an ability to delay sex-related gratification when danger looms.

For me, dangerous situations/missions are at distinct odds with feeling sexy and relaxed. Often time is of the essence, a villain is on the couple's tail, and/or the characters get seriously grimy. Such situations don't seem conducive to nurturing the physical aspect of one's romance, nor do I expect them to.

Many of these stories feature characters who have an important job to accomplish while enduring unpleasant physical situations (e.g., lots of dirt, heat, sweat, alien bugs, injuries, etc.). Yet sometimes one or both of the couple will engage in mental lusting or even sex at a time when I'm thinking, "Shouldn't they be more focused here?". When a couple's lives and/or the lives of other characters are at stake, I bring an expectation that sexual thrills will either already have taken place or be delayed until after the danger/mission has passed. If the couple doesn't seem to be worried about dying or preventing a catastrophe, becoming distracted by sex risks devaluing whatever it is they're trying to save.

Entertainment Weekly Mentions "Sci-Fi Romance" PASSENGERS

I was reading an article about Chris Pratt (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) in Entertainment Weekly #1365/1366 and was thrilled to see a sci-fi romance reference:

And right now he's seriously busy. Pratt's toughest juggling act these days is his schedule: First up, he'll be in Louisiana shooting Magnificent Seven, then he'll film the sci-fi romance Passengers with Jennifer Lawrence later this year, followed by Guardians of the Galaxy 2 in London in 2016. (p. 37)

So, like, wow--"sci-fi romance" got a mention in a national U.S. magazine! I'm probably the only cis het woman reading the article who was more excited about the SFR reference than hunky actor Chris Pratt. LOL! How could I not be excited?! That strikes me as pretty major exposure for our beloved li'l ol' genre.

I've mentioned PASSENGERS here before and there doesn't seem to be much new to report, but here are a few more tidbits about this forthcoming film, which will be helmed by Morten Tyldum (THE IMITATION GAME).

New Heroes & Heartbreakers Post: Breeder Themed Sci-Fi Romances

At Heroes & Heartbreakers, I delved into the intense topic of erotic sci-fi romances that feature breeding as part of the story. Trigger warnings for references to rape and non-consensual sexual acts in SF erotica and erotic sci-fi romance.

For a much gentler alternative, check out an interview with OVERLOAD FLUX author Carol Van Natta at Smart Girls Love SciFi & Paranormal romance. This book is for readers who enjoy complex worldbuilding, mystery, corporate crime elements, police procedurals, tortured heroes and heroines, and a mild heat level in their sci-fi romance.

RK: What drew you to SF/SFR as a genre?

CAROL: The science fiction part is easy – I’ve been reading it since I was nine, when my parents figured to shut me up one summer by handing me science fiction to read. The joke was on them, though, because instead of complaining that I had nothing to read, I started complaining that I had no science fiction to read. Romance came a little later, when my high school friends and I were sharing books. I love the endless possibilities of science fiction, and the humanity of romance.

Joyfully yours,
Heather

Blogging At Heroes & Heartbreakers About Nina Croft's Dark Desires Series

I'm at Heroes & Heartbreakers blogging about the first three books in Nina Croft's Dark Desires series. She's one of a handful of authors (that I know of) tackling vampires in a futuristic setting and in my post I discuss (in a mostly spoiler-free way) how her books offer a different spin on vampire romances.

Paranormal romances often feature centuries-old vampires, but stories featuring a (non-alien) vampire in a far future setting are few and far between. That kind of boggles my mind given how popular paranormal romance has been. Why, then, haven't we seen vampires migrate to science fiction romance in greater numbers? Is there a significant difference in plausibility between vampires in contemporary settings and futuristic ones?

Joyfully yours,
Heather

Question For Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly Readers

Do you read Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly? If so, we—editors KS Augustin, Diane Dooley, and I—would like your input on something.

Lady Geek of the Week at Being Geek Chic

I had the honor of being profiled for Being Geek Chic's Lady Geek of the Week feature. This is a fun site and a great discovery. Being Geek Chic was launched by Elizabeth Giorgi and her team includes Emma Bauer and Emma Carew Grovum.

Here's their mission statement: "Being Geek Chic is a blog for stylish geeks, sophisticated nerds and people who enjoy the musings of a complete dork."

My Lady Geek of the Week post touches upon how I came to love sci-fi romance, things that inspire me, and other geek-related topics. Come for the feature, stay for the Geek Chic fun!

Joyfully yours,
Heather

The Top Ten Things To Pack For An Erotic Space Adventure by Charlee Allden

To help celebrate the release of author Charlee Allden's erotic sci-fi romance STEALING MERCURY, I invited her aboard The Galaxy Express to blog about 10 essential items we need to pack in order to be prepared for this steamy adventure!

After her post, read on for information about the book, special pre-order price details, and an excerpt!

 

Take it away, Charlee!

The Top Ten Things To Pack For An Erotic Space Adventure

By Charlee Allden

In my May 11^th release, Stealing Mercury, Samantha Devlin sets out on a risky venture that unexpectedly turns into an erotic adventure. She’s caught a bit unprepared—though Samantha is a bit of a girl scout—she has the basic supplies covered, but there were a few things that might have been handy to have. Based on her experience, here are Samantha’s top ten things she recommends packing for an erotic space adventure. Pardon any bad puns or double-entendres I inadvertently include.

A Hard SF Romance: MANX PRIZE by Laura Montgomery

Author Laura Montgomery recently visited The Galaxy Express and told me about her book MANX PRIZE (2014, Ground Based Press), which she describes as "hard sf romance." If, like me, you're intrigued by a heroine who's involved in "...the first successful de-orbiting of space junk", here's the cover and blurb!

In the second half of the twenty-first century, when Charlotte Fisher was just thirteen, orbital debris took its first large-scale human casualties from an orbiting tourist habitat. Haunted by visions of destruction and her father's anguish, as a young engineer Charlotte follows in his footsteps and determines to win a prize offered by a consortium of satellite and orbitat operators for the first successful de-orbiting of space junk. Her employer backs these efforts until the reentry of a piece of debris kills two people, and she and her team are spun off to shield the parent company from liability. With limited resources, a finite budget and the unwanted gift of a lawyer who, regardless of his appeal, she doesn't need, she must face a competitor who cheats, a collusive regulator, and the temptations dangled by the strange and alluring friends of a powerful seastead.

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Joyfully yours,
Heather

My H&H Post About Winged Heroes in Sci-Fi Romance

If you've got a hankering for winged heroes in sci-fi romance, I invite you to read my Heroes & Heartbreakers post about them!

Since writing the post, I learned about another title featuring a winged hero. Teresa Noelle Roberts is the author of THRILL-KINKY (Chronicles of the Malcolm #1), an erotic SFR that releases May 7, 2015 from Samhain Publishing.

Here's the cover and blurb:

It's 2015 And One Publisher Is Still Trying To Dumb Down Sci-Fi Romance

Folks, today I'm blogging as Anger Translator for sci-fi romance Author X.

Anger Translator originated with the Key and Peele show.

I have the author's permission to blog, without using identifying information, about something I learned from her via email. Namely, that a well-known romance publisher has directed her to cut thousands of words from her manuscript. Why? To significantly reduce elements like worldbuilding, science fictional concepts, essential details related to the story's antagonist, and the like in favor of the romance.

SFR News & Links For May 2015

May looks bright and wonderful for sci-fi romance! I invite you to check out this month's new releases as well as some interesting articles.

New releases

 STEALING MERCURY (erotic space opera; Arena Dogs #1) - Charlee Allden 

 Born a slave, Mercury is an Arena Dog, genetically engineered to fight and die in the Arena for the entertainment of others. Trained as a gladiator from boyhood in a violent world, where men must form alliances and share what little bounty they have to survive, his only goal has been to keep his men alive. But two are dead and the rest are condemned to be hunted down and killed for sport. Worse, their demise will leave a woman Mercury has sworn to protect, alone and vulnerable. And then there is Samantha—a courageous human he has no right to claim. But she is his. He feels it deep in his soul and with an ache in his body he can’t deny.

Samantha Devlin is an indie-freight pilot who has lost everything: her ship, her crew, and her father. When an old friend hires her as an emergency replacement to pilot a cargo carrier for the Roma Company, she’s shocked to learn her cargo is three, living, breathing, and dangerously sexy Arena Dogs. When Samantha learns she’s taking the men to their deaths, she must decide is she if willing to risking everything for a man whose customs require that he share her with one of his men and demands he return to Roma to protect another woman. Mercury, their leader, and Lo, his emotionally broken arena-brother, challenge all her notions of honor, loyalty, and love. Her heart tells her Mercury is worth any cost, but her head sees nothing ahead but disaster.

SONG OF THE NAVIGATOR - Astrid Amara

SFR Shindig: When Zyrlm Met Sally and/or Sal by P.J. Dean

When Zyrlm Met Sally and/or Sal: The drawbacks & perks of other-worldly love connections in SFR/PNR & reader appeal by P.J. Dean

Partners not-of-this-Earth. Lovers with something extra. Why are heroines and heroes of SFR/PNR, and for that matter, the reading public, so comfy snuggling up with extraterrestrials, lizard warriors, zombies or not-quite-human-acting folk? Around the world, readers swoon over a sentient, not-of-this-Earth creature as a human’s love interest. Why?

If you’ve read any SFR/PNR book with this premise, you’ll know that when the parties meet it’s rarely love at first sight. Being curious about E. T. is entirely different from committing to E. T. From my reading of SFR/PNR, I discovered some common drawbacks and perks that can stop and start that love train.