Author Spotlight - Vijaya Schartz's Favorite Authors

Being a writer can be a curse when it comes to favorite authors. Although I love to read, sometimes I can't help it when my editing cap comes on and I feel compelled to edit in my head a bit of sloppy writing. I hate when that happens, and I have no tolerance for it, because it takes me out of the story and spoils my reading pleasure.

So I'm very picky when it comes to favorite authors. Before I became a professional writer, I liked Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley, Richard Bach, Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series), Bernard Cornwell (Excalibur) all pioneers of their time. I still love them. To me they are the true classics of the late last century.



But nowadays my favorite authors are exploring the new frontiers of space. My absolute favorite author at this time is NYT best selling author and Rita AwardWinner LINNEA SINCLAIR, author of Finders Keepers, Games of Command, Hope's Folly, Rebels and Lovers, Shades of Dark, Gabriel's Ghost, An Accidental Goddess, and many more wonderful romantic stories taking place in spaceships, space stations, and on incredibly interesting planets, with colorful villains and courageous heroes and heroines. I read and re-read them all and can't wait for the next one to come out.


I recently discovered A.R. NORRIS, a new and upcoming author in the sci-fi romance genre. Her last novel, DUTY AND DEVOTION, is centered on two sisters engaged in a galactic war and falling in love with equally courageous heroes, despite the physical and emotional turmoil. That book kept me enthralled. A.R. Norris also wrote a story in one of the excellent BOREALIS anthologies from Desert Breeze. I'm eagerly waiting to see what this promising author will write next.

I also enjoyed the Phoenix Rebellion series by Gail Delaney, of course, and the Future Imperfect series by P.I. Barrington, gritty books, with action and heroism in harsh circumstances, where good always prevails in the end after a bitter battle.

Once in a while I enjoy a historical novel, Vikings, medieval fantasy, I love the middle ages, as attested in my Chronicles of Kassouk series, where Medieval Humans meet intergalactic cultures... and win.


And if you like Regencies with a steampunk flair, you'll love Stephanie Burkhart's Victorian Scoundrel.

Now, if you are crazy about a particular sci-fi romance author, let me know, so I can check them out. Since I got my kindle, I am unstoppable.

Find out more about my books at: http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Author Spotlight Week - P.I. Barrington shares her favorite movies

When asked about my favorite movie, I thought hard about it and came to the conclusion that I would have to split that answer into three: one a guilty pleasure, one a genre' I write in, and one for sheer epic romance! Now Lord of the Rings and Star Wars notwithstanding, here they are:

The Ten Commandments is my all time guilty pleasure film but I can't help it. I love spectacle movies and an historical, religious spectacle movie like TTC sucks me in from the opening strains of the soundtrack until the last credits scrolling on the screen! It's huge, from the giant statue of Ramses II to the burning bush to the famed parting of the red sea (come on, I've ridden the Universal Tour from the time I was about seven but that's a whole other psychological problem, lol!), it's reverent and the all star cast doesn't hurt either! Pitting Charleton Heston against Yul Brynner was a stroke of casting genius I don't care what anyone else says. (Besides, how can you not love Yul? He was the STAR of West World, if you've never seen it, track it down, it's amazing! And Anna & the King of Siam is another masterpiece!)
So there I am every Easter season, sitting in front of the tube, sucking down all the many times slightly incorrect ancient history I can stand. Spectacle and Spectacular, just the way I like 'em!

Blade Runner. It was LA before LA knew what it was. It's the perfect dystopian society and is just technically advanced enough to be believable. This was the anthem movie of the eighties, a sort of cyberpunk gothic that showed us all the future of our city. While we may not have advanced that far (all commuters still fantasize about those flying cars) and our districts (Chinatown, Little Korea, Olvera Street and downtown) may still be a little cliquish, I still have every faith that I'll walk the downtown shopping district some night hearing a "mix of Vietnamese, Spanish, and English" (which is in reality basically any weekend night) and finding some Replicants wearing killer boots and see-through plastic overcoats flinging themselves through plate glass windows for fun.

Gone with the Wind has to get the prize for defining the epic, sweeping romance movie and in color no less! While perhaps not as politically correct as we'd like, who can resist Vivian Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara, a strong, determined heroine that saves both her family and her beloved Tara against the backdrop of the horrific scope of the Civil War and who still cannot recognize what and who is good for her. Scarlett chases her dream man, Ashley Wilkes with a passion that can only be characterized as pathological, all the while resisting the charms of (whom else?) Clark Gable (another pairing example of casting genius) as the dashing and controversial Rhett Butler. Too late she realizes that it is, in the end, Rhett whom she really loves and leaves us hanging as to whether she will really get him back because "after all, tomorrow is another day!" If you've ever been in love with the wrong man, you'll both empathize with Scarlett O'Hara and smirk with smug satisfaction that she finally got what she deserved. Either way, GWTW, is a tearjerker of epic proportions! What's not to love (and hate)?

Borealis Week - What inspires your Sci-Fi

Today the Borealis authors talk about what's inspired their sci-fi. Enjoy!

GAIL R. DELANY

My greatest science fiction influences were my first influences. When I was in elementary school, Star Trek was in syndication and an episode ran every day at four. I would watch the clock all the way home on the bus, jump out of my seat and run up my driveway just to make sure I got home in time. I kept a Captain's Log, just like Captain Kirk. And by far, Mr. Spock was my favorite Starfleet officer. Something about him "fascinated" me (Trekkies will get that. LOL), and it wasn't until years later that it was his pure sarcasm that drew me. Yes, Mr. Spock is frelling hilarious (a mix of sci fi fandoms there, but I don't care!) if you speak sarcasm as fluently as I do.

My other great science fiction influence was the Star Wars movies. Star Wars: A New Hope was released when I was in elementary school, but I never saw it until it was released on VHS. On the last day of school in fourth grade, my teacher wheeled in the big television cart and played Star Wars. I freely admit that my interest in Star Wars also stemmed from the itty bitty crush I had on Peter Cummings, a boy in my class who loved Star Wars. ☺ The first time I watched it, I may have been looking for Peter's attention, but once I saw it... I was hooked. My crush switched from Peter Cummings to Han Solo.

Sorry, Peter.

As I got older, I was up for watching just about anything science fiction. In junior high, one of my friends told me I should watch Doctor Who on PBS. Instead of rushing home Monday through Friday to watch Star Trek, now I watched Doctor Who on Sunday afternoons.

All three influences are with me still today.

PI BARRINGTON

Wow. It's been so long since I've read anything that I need to have a moment to think! Let's see. Harlan Ellison was a big influence or maybe just the most memorable, lol! Poul Anderson, Michael Crichton was a biggie and of course the biggest of them all for me – Ray Bradbury whom I've had the pleasure to meet twice. I've also found a writer and book that I really like, Ann Benson's "The Plague Tales". She has superb logic to her technology and makes the images come alive. The book was published in 1997 but I've only acquired it in the last four or five years. I think most of these authors (excepting Anderson) really write what I like and that's 'near future' science fiction. Of course a space station or two doesn’t hurt (I'm thinking of you Borealis, lol!) as long as we retain our humanity in it. I've read things that remove people from being people and that is just uninteresting to me. Oh, yeah and I've read a couple of Star Wars anthologies (there it is again!) which were great and some of them actually hilarious intentionally. One of the stories used anthropomorphism to give a robot (android) bounty hunter a point of view and human-like reactions which was difficult to pull successfully but the author did and I think I remember a Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk outwitted an android precisely because he did not do the logical thing, but the illogical and most especially unpredictable (to the android) that humans are capable of due to the fact we don't have a set of carved in circuitry with only prime objectives (oh yeah Robocop). In other words we can deviate from the programming that machines cannot. That makes good sci-fi.

J. MORGAN:

I think my influences started with reading novels based on the shows and movies I loved. Namely, Star Wars and Star Trek. It always goes back to Star Wars doesn't it? Whatever the case, from those fevered continuations, I discovered real SciFi. The first two authors and their works that I can remember having an impact on me were Anne McCaffrey's Pern series and Christopher Stasheff's Warlock books. The blend of fantasy and SciFi just amazed me. Before them, I didn't know you could have two things in one book, but McCaffrey and Stasheff did it so well you couldn't help but be drawn in by it. As I grew older, I discovered Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven and a host of other authors that did more than introduce me to new worlds. They opened my mind to thinking. To me that is the heart of a good book, it forces you to access what you know and consider all the possibilities that could unfold. Those authors gave that to me.

But, my two greatest influences in Sci Fi were Robert Asprin and Douglas Addams. If you've never read these two amazing authors shame on you. They were the first to teach me a valuable lesson. Science Fiction could be funny. The minute a friend dumped Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe into my lap, my brain was forever perverted to the funny side. I found Asprin earlier with his Myth Adventures, but he jumped into Sci Fi with a small tome by the name of Phule's Company. Yes, I posted the titles so you could run out and check them out. Really, you should check out all the authors I jotted down. They are amazing and not to sound threatening but if you don't, I've got a werewolf and a vampire slayer on the payroll. Do you really want them showing up with Conan the Librarian to make you? I thought not.

Borealis Week - What's your favorite Sci-Fi movie or TV series/

Hi everyone, today on the blog the Borealis authors talk about their favorite science fiction series. What's yours? Enjoy!
Steph


GAIL R. DELANEY
This was actually a very tough choice to make. Every science fiction program I've watched I've loved for a different reason. So, I'm going to cheat on the answer and tell you why I loved each one that I loved. I'm skipping Star Trek because that's a topic for another post.

Because science fiction can be in outer space, can be the future, can be here and now... my favorites vary just as much. My favorite science fiction program of all time is Farscape, which falls under the category of a Space Opera. Space Operas are a subgenre of speculative fiction that emphasizes romance, dramatic adventures, set mainly or entirely in space, with power elements of good and evil. And that's Farscape in a nutshell. Inspired by the creative mind of Jim Henson by way of his son, Farscape is one of the best romantic stories set within the parameters of a television series I've ever watched. In fact, my children and I are watching it through from beginning to end on DVD.

After Farscape, I would have to go with Stargate SG-1. I loved that SG-1 was set in the here and now, right here on Earth, but we had the technology to jump wormholes to other worlds, other galaxies. And of course, being a lover of romance, I loved the dynamics between Colonel Jack O'Neill and his second in command, Samantha Carter. Unlike Farscape where the romance was allowed to play out to its full potential, SG-1 was restrained. In the words of Jack O'Neill, when forced to admit his affection for his 2IC, he said, "I care about her. A lot more than I'm supposed to." As her commanding officer, regulations prevented them from openly admitting how they felt. But, oh, the fanfiction those two inspired!

I could keep going, but I've run out of word count. ☺


PI BARRINGTON

Star Wars. In my opinion that first movie shattered everything before it as well as influenced the designs of our actual space transportation. I watched it recently and while now it looks a little dated, so much of the design of our technology that exists today smack of that movie. We can look at Princess Leia's cinnamon bun hair style and laugh but to me at least our Space Shuttle design is really close to what Star Wars introduced. Prior to that movie, our space travel vehicles were phallic looking pointed rockets. Star Wars changed all that with sleeker, prettier fighters and space stations. And they were inventing film technology as they went using miniatures that blew away effects masters like Ray Harryhausen. Those miniatures changed film-sci-fi film-into the most amazingly realistic efforts that nothing, not even CG (with the exception of WETA) has affected and changed sci-fi as much. I actually ducked in the theatre when SW opens up and the giant white ship appears to travel over the audience after the narrative. That moment just blew me away like nothing else could. Body armor, blasters, and Bespin along with Darth Vader's man/machine combination (while not a new concept, the best attempt at it) are now called "sexy" technology but they were so beautiful and possible that it took away one of my big pet peeves: the suits/technology becomes the character as opposed to enhancing the character: if a suit or machine can do everything, who needs a protagonist?

For me Star Wars cannot be topped for innovation in both film and sci fi genre. It's gonna take something big to top that!

J. MORGAN:

Star Wars is the ever loving bomb! No other movie has influenced me more. I can still remember going to the Rose Theater, an impressionable boy of eight, and seeing it. From that moment on I wanted to be Darth Vader. Still do in fact or Boba Fett. Darth Maul is pretty awesome too. Yes, I am a student of the Dark Side. My love for science fiction didn't start with Star Wars but it did bloom into an obsession that I haven't been able to shake with it. The first movie to capture my interest was Planet of the Apes, along with a TV addiction to Lost in Space. I so loved Angela Cartwright. But, Star Wars affected me on a level, I'm sure I even understand. Maybe it was the battle between good and evil, or the story of redemption that got me. Whatever the case, every book I've ever written has some homage to the love of my life. As I write this, the Duel of the Fates is playing in my head.

That isn't to say, over the years I haven't dabbled in other venues. Battlestar Galactica, both old and new, Doctor Who, Tom Bakker being the best of them, Red Dwarf, Star Trek, every incarnation but Enterprise . See, the list goes on and on. That is the thing with Science Fiction, once you get started you just can't stop. You're like a junkie looking for your next fix. Which is a lot like being an author. Once you put words to page, you just can't stop. You want to see new worlds unfold in front of you and if you can create those worlds yourself, it just makes it all the more satisfying. For me, it all started with a galaxy far far away.

Borealis Week - Feeding the muse & growing a passion for Science Fiction

J. MORGAN:

I'm not sure I have a full blown passion for writing SciFi, but I definitely want to write more. Kiss me Kate has sparked the kid in me. I grew up on Sci-Fi, books, TV shows and movies. Basically, I devoured anything I could get my hands on. That love affair kept growing as I got older. Even though, I'm neck deep in ghosts, vampires and werewolves, I would like to try my hand at discovering new worlds one day instead of haunting the one we have now. In the end I think that's the heart and soul of a Sci Fi author. They're not content with the world as it is. They want to explore the world or worlds that might be just beyond the fringe of the present. Whether it is the near future or the far flung maybes that not even our grandchildren will have thought about. As an author, I can't help but want to be part of that. Scary thought, isn't it? An entire future full of Jmo. Then my tagline could be, The Future's so bright you gotta wear Groucho Marx Glasses. Okay, that might be going too far, but I think I could wait around just to see if it happens. Maybe in one of those Futurama head thingies. Now, that sounds cool! Somebody hook me up with that.

PI BARRINGTON:

I think that my passion for science fiction was a combination of luck and timing. I was fortunate to be born at the end of science fiction generation of the 1950's so that when I watched television as a child and forward the sci-fi shows were literally were in full swing. There was "Lost In Space", "Journey to the Bottom of the Sea", "The Time Tunnel" "One Step Beyond", "The Invaders", "Outer Limits", "Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Bionic Woman" to name the most famous series of the 1960's and 1970's. "The Outer Limits" was the show that really affected me the most because it showed humans sometimes at our worst and was downright depressing at times but for me, that was the reality of science and science fiction. Sometimes we do things we shouldn't just because we can and other times our bad humanity comes out and uses science as a power base or for some negative motivation. We have to be very careful with our technology. "The Outer Limits" was just the most intense for me. "Space 1999" was also a sentimental favorite. By the end of the 1970s both "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Bionic Woman" was the bar for sci-fi television and in the 1980s science fiction really came into its own through George Lucas' Star Wars episode. For me, it's all about military element that thrills me, lots of cool clothing, weapons, and effect, not to mention space travel itself! Plus, I'm just a girl nerd.



GAIL R. DELANY

I feel I'm being a bit repetitive on this because I did a similar set of blog posts a couple months ago, but I don't mind repeating. Writing science fiction is the ultimate test for your imagination. As writers, it is our natural instinct to 'create'. Whether it's create characters, create fascinating settings or plots, or in the case of science fiction and speculative writing, often creating worlds.

I write science fiction because I love asking 'what if...' questions. Because Borealis involves so many kinds of people and storylines, I got to create not only my own series of 'what if...' questions, but some 'what if...' questions for the other authors in the series. I feel like a movie director. "This is your motivation in your book..."

Borealis is my first venture into more 'hi sci fi' versus futuristic and/or speculative, and I find it's almost like writing in a different genre. While I could stretch the concepts of Earth in my Phoenix series, with Borealis I can stretch further -- and play with more cool gadgets. My hero, Theron, has a lot of cool gadgets.

Writing science fiction opens up so many doors, and sometimes a few spaceports.

Here's a buy link on the Desert Breeze Site: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-111/Borealis-J-Morgan-PI/Detail.bok

Borealis Week - Welcome and Author Interviews

The Borealis I Anthology released on 1 OCT and contains stories from Gail R. Delaney, PI Barrington, and J. Morgan. The stories are centered around a space station in the future. This week, the blog will be visited by the Borealis I Authors who share their thoughts about writing, the Borealis and science fiction romance. Enjoy the week!


5 QUESTIONS FOR GAIL R. DELANEY:


1. How did you come up with the idea to do a Sci-Fi series?


I can take no credit for this series whatsoever. In truth, fellow Borealis author J. Morgan approached me with the idea. He can be very convincing, and the more the two of us talked about it the more I liked the idea.

I like the concept of individual stories set in a common place with 'threads' connecting them because it's almost like an episodic television show. And since many lovers of science fiction are influenced by episodic television, it seemed appropriate.

2. How did your vision for the Borealis take shape?

I have to refer back to Jmo on this. Once he gave me the original idea, the two of us did a lot of 'back and forth' brainstorming on what the stories could be about and how they would tie in. I loved the idea of not only doing an anthology of 'like' stories, but a series of anthologies that interconnected. We could delve deep without each author committing to a full length novel.

3. What's it like editing an anthology where the stories intertwine with each other? Do you have to tell authors, "well, you can't do that because so-so did this...?"

I worked as a writer on a continuity series a few years ago, and unfortunately, the 'continuity' was lost in the series. By the time I was asked to write the last book, the storylines had gone off course so badly I couldn't write it and match the other books. Anyway, this was definitely on my mind when I began editing these stories. And yes, I've had to point out areas that don't work, or ways to make them work, or even ways to tie in other stories that might not be 'required', but adds interest. It's been a challenge.

4. How did your story in the anthology come to be?

Remember that continuity series I mentioned? ☺ Well, the book was never written for a variety of reasons. The timelines didn't mesh, and ultimately the publisher shut down before the book was done. I'd written about 45k words of the book, and liked several elements of it. So, I took the parts I liked, edited out parts that no longer applied, and added a new ending. It works GREAT in the Borealis setting.

5. Are there more Borealis Anthologies on the horizon?

The first Borealis anthology is October 2010, with the second coming immediately after in November 2010. This anthology has morphed a couple of times. It started as 5 stories in one release, but I realized quickly that the single anthology would be much too long. So we split it and added a 6th story for two releases. Borealis II has contributions by Stephanie Burkhart, Esther Mitchell and Shea McMaster. We also have Borealis III scheduled for next year, but if sales go well, I'm not opposed to also doing Borealis IV next year. Borealis III has stories by Vijaya Schartz, Michelle Levigne and Shay Wells. Time will tell on whether a fourth Borealis will happen in 2011, but if it does, I have a few authors in mind.

5 QUESTIONS FOR PI BARRINGTON:

1. How did you get involved in the series?

Gail (DBP Editor in Chief Gail R. Delaney) invited me to participate in the anthology she was creating which was Borealis (I love that name) and I accepted. I loved the whole concept and Gail is really good at creating sci-fi worlds.



2. Did you pick your story or did it pick you? *grin*

As I said Gail created it, and gave us the bones of the stories so we jumped off from there and created them in relation to the concept.

3. Where did you find your inspiration for your story?
I wanted a different character type for both hero and heroine in Inamorata Crossing. I think the casting I did really developed them and their particular story. Just the fact that they were part of a futuristic military setting aboard a transport and that each had an unresolved past, especially Khai and that Teyrnan had such an annoying/endearing sense of humor was the basis for the inspiration.


4. Did you "cast" your characters? Write character bios? How did you shape the characters for your story?

Yes, I definitely did, I almost always do. Bios I try to do but I'm not very successful at it. Usually just a particular photo of a character gives me the personality and conflicts but also helps me to create dialogue. If I can picture that actor/person in that photo speaking or behaving or thinking then I've pretty much got the character. Usually if I've got the photo and the first line the story falls into place. I picked Eric Bana, because as I told Gail, he started out in stand-up comedy and I've seen him do 'bits' and he fit the character of Teyrnan Sajan perfectly. Evangeline Lilly was perfect for Khai Zafara. For some reason I picture her fairly tall and the character of Khai is a soldier, lean but athletic when needed.


5. Did you coordinate with other authors on your stories? How was that like? Did JMO and Gail play nice in the sandbox? *wink*

I did not. My story was set on a transport ship en route to Borealis and there was no interaction between my characters and other stories' characters because of that. I didn't really think it needed interaction because Khai is a dedicated soldier and she contents herself with that, she would rarely if ever be spotted at a tavern or bar off duty because for her, she's never off duty. It's her life, her compulsion in a way. So I was flying solo, pardon the expression, when I wrote Inamorata Crossing,LOL!

5 QUESTIONS FOR J. MORGAN

STEPH: How did you get involved with the Borealis? 



JMO: 
I believe it started with 'Hey Gail, wouldn't it be fun to do a SciFi anthology based on a space station'. From there, her imagination took over with some nudges from me on details but the heart of Borealis is all hers.

STEPH: Did you pick your story or did it pick you? *grin*

JMO: I'd have to say it picked me, then fought me every step of the way. It was one of the hardest stories for me to write for some reason. I think that was because I wanted it to be perfect and hope I succeeded.


STEPH: JMO, we all know your tag line is "Romance straight to the Funny Bone." Is your story humourous? Serious? A blend? 


JMO: Humorous, of course, with some serious undertones. You can't write a totally comedic story without something to drive the funny. In Kate's case, it is to discover the man both he and his planet need him to be.

STEPH: What's your story about? Where did the inspiration come from?

JMO: I think the title of my story gives the answer to both questions away. Kiss Me Kate is a reworking of Taming of the Shrew and Our Fair Lady, only Sci-Fied up. K'tlyn is a prince from the planet of Pyern. He comes to Borealis in search of the one man who can turn him from a foppish figurehead into a real man. A warrior if you will. Only instead of the Professor, the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy, he gets the Professor's second in command, Richelle Burton. She might not be the man K'tlyn wanted but she is woman enough to turn a boy into a man.


STEPH: Did you coordinate with other authors? What was it like it? Did Patti & Gail play nice in the sandbox? *wink* 


JMO: 
There are no sandboxes in outer space. If there were in this case, I think I'd be playing in Gail and Patti's, since this was my first stab at writing SciFi.

Featured October Release - Borealis I Space Anthology

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In orbit over a deserted outpost at the edge of conquered space sits an aging space station under the control of the Trans Planetary Protectorate. The Borealis is slowly falling apart as the Protectorate funnels its massive resources into the border wars and keeping the outlaying systems in line, as insurrections break out.

Inamorata Crossing by PI Barrington

As an Enforcement Officer of the TPP, it's Khai Zafara's job to transport Teyrnan Sajan, a rebel leader and 'prisoner of war' to the Borealis to serve out his sentence in the prison levels. Khai holds a deep-set hatred for the Rebellion, believing they were responsible for her father's murder – which she witnessed as a young girl.

Teyrnan Sajan was on Borealis they day Khai's father was murdered. He thought he was the only person left alive who knew the truth. Once Teyrnan realizes who Khai is, he begins a slow process of helping her separate reality from the false memories the TPP drilled into her head.

Teyrnan is a convincing man, and Khai begins to see the truth behind TPP lies. At first, she convinces herself that it's the draw she feels toward him that's clouding her judgment… but as memories break through, she has to accept the truth. And she has to make a choice: Deliver Teyrnan to Borealis so he can serve out his punishment -- and probably die -- in prison. Or, turn her back on the TPP and everything she thinks she's known to join him and the Rebellion and right the wrongs done by her father's murder

Kiss Me, Kate by J. Morgan

K'Tyln Dar is a pampered prince who wants to finally become the man his planet needs so he goes in search of the baddest bounty hunter in the known universe -- The Professor.

Richelle is called The Professor because she knows every possible way to kill a man. Most people -- like K'tyln -- have no idea that the most ruthless killer in the known universe is a woman. And she likes to keep it that way. Richelle has neither the time nor patience for a puff-shirt, golden boy politician like K'tyln Dar.

When he brazenly demands to meet The Professor and reveals his desire to 'learn to be a warrior', her first thought is to put him in his pompous place. But, as he takes his licks -- and bruises -- and contusions -- she sees a glimpse of the man he not only wants to be, but the man he is deep down inside.

Forgive Us Our Debts by Gail R. Delaney

Sarina Laroux is taken hostage and held as a prisoner on the Borealis, considered a traitor to the TPP after they took her father's throne and laid waste to Andromeda Prime -- her home. Theron Kess is sent by her family to rescue her, a job he would never refuse because he owes her family more than they even know.

Theron almost gives up hope in getting her out when he can't locate her amongst the other Uudon-dosed prisoners. When he finally finds her, he is thankful he always prepares for the worst, because her situation is the stuff of nightmares.

Add to that the fact that the Rebellion picks this time to attack the station. Not only does he have guards and Sarina herself to deal with, but gunfire and an aging station ready to shudder apart with the next pulse cannon blast. He has to earn Serina's trust -- something that doesn't come easy on the Borealis -- if he has any hope of getting her out alive. By the time all is said and done, they both come out different people... and for the better.


EXCERPT:
From Inamorata Crossing

"Hungry?" she asked him without emotion. "It's time for your regulated meal."

"It would be nice," he said, and smiled once again.

"You haven't tasted it yet." She smirked back.

What are you doing? Flirting with this guy? Cut it out, Zafara!

She turned her back on him, walking to a panel of drawers. She keyed in her identification number and pressed a palm against a square that lit up. A small whirring sounded and then the drawers disengaged with a clunk. Khai pulled one of them open. She inspected an MRE wrapped in foil, then shoved it into another drawer at the top of the panel and punched another key. A line of light flickered into life, and a moment later a buzz rang out. Khai pulled the MRE out and set it down on the table slab beside him.

"Utensils are in the package," she informed him in a flat tone.

He shifted a bit and then nodded down at his body

"Do you mind? It will be impossible to eat with my hands bound."

Khai flipped a lever and the seat swung out and around to place him at the table and she knew he expected to be freed completely. Instead a metal shaft rose from the floor and a thick metal clamp wrapped around his chest and clinked shut. She could hardly repress her laughter as she unlocked the wrist restraints.

"Enjoy your meal," she told him sweetly. She walked back to the dais where the cockpit sat, waiting for him to gag. When he didn't, Khai narrowed her eyes at him.

"Not bad," he said between shoving forkfuls into his mouth.

Her mouth dropped open. She'd tasted the MRE once, and it horrified her. Once was all she ever needed. The taste still rankled on her tongue whenever she remembered it.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

PI BARRINGTON

P.I. Barrington has returned to her original career choice of fiction writing after a long detour in the entertainment industry. Her experience includes work as a newspaper journalist, radio air talent, and at a major record company. She lives in Southern California with her dog and wildlife in her rural neighborhood.

J MORGAN
Surviving a long bout with sanity, J. Morgan found a muse willing to work cheap and began work on his first book.

Since then, his imagination has been seen running wild on several occassions. Luckily, the straight jackets have been limited to his time away from the computer.

When not writing, 'Jmo' can be found in front of the TV pretending to write while really watching endless hours of drivel and laughing at the voices in his head who are constantly feeding him plotlines. While the voices may not be in total control just yet, one day they hope to have a book deal of their own.

Until the, J. Morgan will continue to get to spend the royalty checks.


GAIL R DELANEY
Gail R. Delaney has been actively writing 'for publication' since 1996. The first novel she ever wrote is still sitting on her computer, waiting for the major rewrite that will make it acceptable. She says she has learned a great deal since writing that book, and it shows when she looks back at that rough draft.

Gail has had eight novels published in the genres of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and futuristic romance. Her novels have received several nominations and awards since she was first published in 2005.

Gail and her family recently moved from the cold and blustry east coast to Southern California, and is loving every moment of sunshine she can soak in.

Featured Author - PI Barrington blogs about Las Vegas (Contest!)

Location, Location, Location!

P.I. Barrington

Okay, I stole that title from one of my sister’s articles but since I’m older than her, I can do what I want. At least that’s what I tell her. Never believes me though.
In any case it’s still apropos especially when talking about locations inspiring writing. One of my favorite locations is where my Future Imperfect series takes place: Las Vegas, Nevada.

Why? Aside from the obvious draw of gambling the city is one of a kind. First and foremost, it’s the location of the location that sets it apart. Las Vegas is in the center of nowhere. It’s surrounded by seemingly barren desert for hundreds of miles (if you discount State Line and Jean - two other mini Mecca for gambling: sort of pre-Vegas Vegas) when it suddenly rises up garish and loud if you arrive by night; tacky and drab if you arrive before sunset. Either time of day your first glimpse of Sin City is something you most likely won’t ever forget.

I’ve been visiting Las Vegas since the Excalibur was the new, impressive casino resort, circa roughly 1990. I’ve seen implosions of casinos and explosions of them as well. While some were blown down, others exploded up onto the Strip like eruptions of decadence and glamorous luxury. My mother still holds the belief that Bugsy Siegel is still the best psychologist in the world. She says that he tapped into the one thing people can barely resist: the luck of the draw and the possibility of that big win. Don’t believe her? Walk through any casino and listen to those one armed bandits, the slot machines.

Yet, while that is one of major reasons for setting Future Imperfect there, the city also jives with my story of a near future Las Vegas, one that is down on its own luck and scrambling to function as a city at any cost. When I started the series I wanted to set it somewhere instantly recognizable and somewhere that readers could picture as increasingly decrepit and desperate. Las Vegas has both those elements to different degrees and its economy right now is in dire straits, perhaps not to the extent as in the series but close and that makes Future Imperfect very plausible. If you’ve ever watched the show Cops, you might have seen the show on location in Vegas. That show exposes another side of Sin City, perhaps where some of the real sin happens—on the back streets and alleys off the Strip. Again, it all adds to the verisimilitude of Future Imperfect; that there is more to the city than just the casinos and adventures. Another aspect that I love about a future Las Vegas in financial desperation is that I can play loose and fast with rules and regulations! I have police and hospital staff pulling double and triple duty and the city officials looking the other way or saying “damn the torpedoes!” just to keep the city running. In Future Imperfect for the most part I’ve done away with protocols and procedures and city personnel do whatever they need to solve crimes and keep as much order as they can! It’s the perfect venue for crime and corruption to thrive virtually unchecked!

And finally, I come back to the biggest draw of all for me as an author: that writhing, seething, snaking thing called the Las Vegas Strip, that living organism comprised of thousands of tourists, tramps, ladies of the evening, and the rest of the working class population of Sin City all of whom draw their lives and livelihoods from it. If you drive down the Strip any time from dusk until dawn, you can almost feel it, that rhythm and music of city’s heartbeat, the people on the street acting as its lifeblood flowing up and down the artery of Las Vegas Boulevard. The real music spills out onto the boulevard from open faced smaller casinos, from fountains and fires and light shows of the giant casinos and even the cars move through traffic to the beat. This city is alive for good or bad, and in Future Imperfect you can take what you need from it but always at a cost. It can be your last day or your last dollar but Las Vegas in 2032 always exacts its price and there’s no hedging your bets. If you’re brave enough, foolish enough or crazy enough you might just hit it big in both love and money. And if you do, head out and don’t look back. Otherwise you might fall out of one love and into another: that beautiful mirage of an oasis located in the middle of nowhere.


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Thanks for visiting the blog, Patti! *smiles* Patti has generously autographed a UNIQUE MEDIA Map of Las Vegas (ready for framing) and several postcards.

All you have to do to have a chance at winning the map & an autographed postcard is to sign in and tell Patti what you LOVE about Las Vegas. I'll pull the winner's name out of a hat on FRI, 18 JUN and announce it that morning (PST TIME) So C'Mon and sign in. What do you *LOVE* about Vegas?

Smiles
Moderator Steph

Featured June Release - Miraculous Deception by PI Barrington

THE BLURB:

Payce Halligan is nearly dead -- comatose, at the least -- when she disappears from her hospital room with no clue where she's gone. Even as he searches for his missing partner, Gavin McAllister must deal with a new, 'temporary' and hostile partner and rival for Payce, a seductive journalist, and the return of the deadly cult The New Creation.


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EXCERPT:

"What happened?" Gavin kicked off the wall as Georgene emerged from Payce's room with a weak, but still present, smile. "Is she alright?" He scanned her face for uncertainty.

"Believe it or not, yes. I thought she was gone for sure. Chalk it up to modern medical science."

"It sounded as if you were blasting cement. The whole building rocked. What did you do?"

"I took a major chance on a new machine that disrupts the body/brain functions. It forces resets of the organ systems. It's something akin to rebooting a computer. Until a few minutes ago, it was all theory. Now it's reality. You can't beat advances." Georgene smiled again.

"But she's okay?"

"Pffft! She's better than before. She's breathing on her own and from the current holograph, I'd say all systems are 'go.'"

"Oh, thank God. Georgene I could kiss you!"

"Do you see me objecting, Detective?"

He grabbed her face and planted a smack on her lips.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

P.I. Barrington has returned to her original career choice of fiction writing after a long detour in the entertainment industry. Her experience includes work as a newspaper journalist, radio air talent, and at a major record company. She lives in Southern California with her dog and wildlife in her rural neighborhood.

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Congratulations to Patti on her latest release!