Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 81

Summer Writing Goals ~ Update #6

Hello! Time for the last summer writing update. I’m still goingt to continue this every Tuesday, as it keeps me accountable. I find that even when I don’t have time to write, I fit time in so I can prove that I’ve written something during the week. I didn’t get a lot of writing done this week, but I came close to reaching my goal. Plus, I finished writing and sending out all of my blog posts and interviews for the two tours going on right now.

Beneath the Starry Sky in audio is on tour. You can find the schedule here. Also, the ebook is on sale for 99¢ at Amazon and All Romance for the duration of the tour.

Taken by the Billionaire Alien Next Door is now available and on tour. Tour dates can be found here.

As for Alien Attraction, I started at 18,560 words and finished this week at 20,886, for a total of 2,326 new words.

Formatting Course – I’m finished. I highly recommend Meredith Bond’s course if you ever get a chance to take it.

Marketing Workshop – I attended a workshop with Mark Lefebvre from Kobo Writing Life on Saturday, and then I was on the panel discussion afterward with Deborah Cooke and Zoe York. Not only did I help others with marketing ideas, but I also learned a lot and have a long list of things to do and changes to make.

NEW PROJECTS ~ I have started working on Cosmic Desires, a short story anthology that will release this fall. After the workshop, I’m also anxious to plot out my next project. Both Deb and Zoe have given me a lot to think about and added excitement for it. Stay tuned!

GOALS FOR THE WEEK ~ I’m hoping to finish Alien Attraction, get Cosmic Desires ready for formatting in ebook and print. Plus, I want to cross many things off of my long to-do list.

  

#SFRMonday: Check out A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE by Heather Massey @ThGalaxyExpress #scifirom

Please welcome Heather Massey, whom you will know from The Galaxy Express. Today, she is giving us a peek into A Brief History of Science Fiction Romance.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF

SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Heather Massey

How did science fiction romance evolve? That’s the question behind A Brief History of Science Fiction Romance.

Women have always been creating and consuming speculative fiction. Sci-fi romance is one example of such efforts.

This brief, easy-to-share document presents core information about the fascinating history of sci-fi romance, a genre with roots in fan fiction, Star Trek, and the passion of countless women determined to assert their interest in SF-romance hybrids. This collection of essays is a mix of original content and information culled from the author’s blog, The Galaxy Express.

Download your free copy from Smashwords.

 

 

How did science fiction romance evolve? That’s the question behind this ebook.

The title says A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE, and I do mean brief! The goal is to preserve the core information about SFR’s history in an easy-to-share document. This collection of essays is a mix of original content and information culled from my blog, The Galaxy Express. Where applicable, I included a link to the original post.

Preservation of this knowledge is of paramount importance since it’s an example of many missing narratives, namely, the roles women have played in speculative fiction since Frankenstein was a gleam in Mary Shelley’s eye. Women have always been creating and consuming speculative fiction, yet accounts of their efforts are either ignored or written out altogether. Even giants of the science fiction literary field, like Octavia E. Butler, are rarely invoked with the same amount of respect and frequency as their male counterparts. Even more erasure has been happening to LGBQT and non-white female authors.

Another reason preservation is important concerns the need to validate the stories many women enjoy reading. The concepts of love and romance—never mind that they’ve been the subjects of scientific research—haven’t been traditionally valued as “speculative” enough and therefore are deemed unimportant by many in SF publishing and fandom. Romantic love with an upbeat ending expressed with a female gaze was a frontier SF feared to tread, and it showed. So fewer people view romantic SF and sci-fi romance as legitimate stories than might otherwise be the case.

Whether this aversion to exploring and reading about romance in a technology-based setting is based on a fear of women’s sexuality and sexual needs, the concept of a Happily Ever After, or outright sexism/misogyny, the end result is marginalization of epic proportions. Therefore, A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE aims to establish a course correction, even if by only a degree.

 

 

Heather Massey is a lifelong fan of science fiction romance. She searches for sci-fi romance adventures aboard her blog, The Galaxy Express and is the Releases Editor for the Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly.

She’s also an author in the genre. To learn more about her published work, visit heathermassey.com. When Heather’s not reading or writing, she’s watching cult films and enjoying the company of her husband and daughter.

Twitter @ThGalaxyExpress | Facebook

50% Off! Massive Summer Sale at Kobo

Kobo is hosting a Massive Summer Sale this weekend. Right now, you can get 50% off many of my titles. Simply enter the promo code SALE50 upon check out.

Here are the list of titles:

Taken by the Billionaire Alien Next Door

Crash Landing

The Power of Three

Alien Lover

Alien Adoration

Alien Admirer

Hey, Santa

w/a Paisley Brown

Sexy Suitors from Space

Sex Boot Camp

 You might be able to get some of my Decadent titles for 50% off. I’m not sure which titles though. All I can say is try if you’re interested. I will not guarantee any of those though.

Happy reading!

The Rightful Alpha is back to claim his Pride ~ FIGHTING FOR HONOR by @KaceyHammell #newrelease

There’s only one rightful Alpha, and he’s back to claim his pride and his mate…

As the rightful Alpha of a unique pride of panthers, originally founded by his father, Dominic Stone followed his inherent solitary path to find peace and grieve the untimely demise of his dad. Five years later, he returns home ready to take his place, settle old debts and claim the one woman he’s always wanted as his.

AVAILABLE FROM:

Evernight Publishing | Amazon Stores | All Romance | Bookstrand

Review:

Fighting for Honor may be a first for Kacey Hammell in a new genre, but within the pages, Kacey’s delectable story telling is on full display…a quick read that will leave you on the edge of your seat…Whether or not you’re a fan of shifter book won’t matter, because you’ll be too engrossed in this riveting story.” 5 Stars from Liz, Goodreads

© Kacey Hammell, 2015

Dominic closed the front door of his old cabin quietly behind him. The urge to run crowded him, tormenting him to let loose and give into the call of the wildness of being home. He needed some time to himself before he met up with his contact in an hour.

He was confident in the fact that he could bring down his cousin and those on his side and repair the damage to the pride before anything further was lost.

Shedding his sweats and t-shirt, he slipped out of his sandals and let the change overtake him.

His muscles stretched and elongated, pulling his flesh taut and realigning his physique. On all fours, he lifted his nose to the air and darted his eyes across his surroundings. He’d always been grateful for his Panther ancestry. His vision alone was something he coveted. With silver eyes, he had the ability to see through the darkness in the dead of night, as if he held a lantern. His father told him many times that having that unique color was something only the most powerful of panthers possessed.

Taking off at a run, he re-familiarized himself with his favorite trail leading to the waterfall where he’d spent much of his childhood. The serenity and secluded area had always called to him, drawing him in and giving him the best place possible to contemplate his future.

If there was any one place in the valley he’d missed the most, it was the falls, and the memories there.

His awkward first kiss.

With Honor.

Clumsily losing his virginity.

With Honor.

Crying over the death of his father.

With Honor holding him.

Darting faster and harder, his paws barely touching the ground, he pushed away the memories. He’d missed so much over the last five years. And she was at the top of his list.

How she’d fallen into his cousin’s hands… well, he had himself to blame.

Stopping at the clearing, breathing hard, he trotted to the edge of the falls and stuck his snout in. Replenishing himself with the cold water, his ears twitched as he listened for anyone nearby.

Gulping down a last swallow, he strode to a clear spot in the cool grass, lay flat on his belly and let the quiet of the night draw him into its solitude. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t returned just for this. Too many years had flown by.

A twig snapped to his left, capturing his attention. Tilting his head, he bided his time before letting the intruder know he was there. He was lucky his black fur would cloak him. He blended well and had destroyed many enemies years ago with patience and fortitude once he was ready to pounce.

Hidden by the tree above him, his heart picked up speed as the most beautiful creature in the world made her way to the same falls he’d just quenched his thirst at.

She made his mouth water and the animal inside him took notice.

Avid Reader. Romance Author. Redhead…

Canadian-born author Kacey Hammell is definitely a book-a-holic. A romance reader from a young age, she fell in love with happily ever afters.  These days, as a multi- published erotic romance author, she enjoys adding a lot of heat, sass, and emotion to the many genres she writes.

Mom of three, Kacey lives her own happily ever after with her perfect hero in Ontario, Canada.

Connect with Kacey…

Website  | Newsletter |  Facebook  |  Facebook Reader Group

Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

 

#MySexySaturday from TAKEN BY THE BILLIONAIRE ALIEN NEXT DOOR #romance #newrelease

Hello everyone! Thank you for joining me for the 107th week of My Sexy Saturday. Here are the details: every Saturday, published and unpublished authors will be sharing 7 words, sentences, or paragraphs from a work-in-progress or an already published story.

Today’s theme is…

SEXY HAS IT

Here’s seven from TAKEN BY THE BILLIONAIRE ALIEN NEXT DOOR, which released on Monday. It’s available for 99¢!

Setup: Erika went next door in search of her new stepbrother, but instead she finds her sexy neighbor, and he is not at all what she expected…

Laken inched closer, and closer still. I moved along with him until my back hit a wall on the other side of the room. Trapped. Trying to duck away wouldn’t do me any good. He’d only race around and block my way again. My heart beat so hard, I expected it to thump right out of my chest. Would he let me go, or did he have other plans? If I screamed loud enough, would someone come to my rescue?

Leaning forward, he placed his palm on the wall behind me. “What if I told you I knew the instant you came into this room?” He ran his other hand along my cheekbone, tucking my hair behind an ear. “What if I told you I could feel your attraction, smell your sex?”

A shiver raced down my spine. Sure, I wanted to jump his bones before I’d seen his eyes. Now, I yearned for a way out, a clear path to escape from Mr. Sex-on-a-stick who may or may not be an extraterrestrial.

He dipped his head so close to mine, his warm breath brushed my neck. A flash of heat washed over me. Fuck, it had been so long since I’d been with any guy. Did it really matter where he came from?

“What if, Erika? If I am an alien? Would you still find me attractive? Would you still want to lick me from head to toe? Suck my cock? Would you want me to fuck you against this wall, in my spaceship, and on every single surface of this room?”

If not for him sliding his knee between my thighs, I would have melted into a puddle of lust at that moment. Who was I trying to kid? I had the hots for an extraterrestrial. I wanted to do everything he said, craved to feel his alien cock thrusting in and out of my pussy. Running away wouldn’t work, and wouldn’t satisfy my aching need.

I cupped the bulge in his pants. “Yes, I want all of that.” I’d never had the opportunity to be fucked by a man of his caliber. Whether he came from Earth or beyond, I wanted to experience him.

~ TAKEN BY THE BILLIONAIRE ALIEN NEXT DOOR ~

Living on the other side of the tracks was a fantasy Erika never expected to come true. But when her mother marries an investment banker, she moves to a home larger than all her previous houses combined. While searching for her new stepbrother to help with unpacking, she stumbles upon his smokin’ hot neighbor, all alone in his mansion and busy at work on a… flying saucer? Can Erika escape before he notices her, or will she be abducted by the sexy alien?

Available from:

         

Be sure to check out other MY SEXY SATURDAY excerpts!

5 Sci-Fi Movies I’m Looking Forward to this Fall

Time for another Friday Fun post. I haven’t posted one of these for a while, but it’s about time.

The speculative fiction movies get better and better every year. Sure, many are based on books, but hey, not everyone reads. I know that is a big shock to many, but what better way to draw new fans into sci-fi than with movies. And if they learn the movie is based on a book, they just might pick up a book to see what else is in the genre, what hasn’t been turned into a movie.

Anyway, here’s my top five movies I’m looking forward to this fall…

5) Everest – I do love a good disaster movie, whether in space or on Earth.

4) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 – Yes, I’ve read the books, and wasn’t happy with this ending, but I’ve watched the other films and want to see if they changed this part to give a more satisfactory ending.

3) Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials – I loved the first movie! And bought the box set of books to read after watching it. Even my husband enjoyed this movie and actually encouraged me to buy the books, which never happens.

2) Star Wars: The Force Awakens – C’mon, who isn’t excited to see this movie?

1) The Martian – Yes, this is the movie I am most excited about. Can you imagine being stuck on Mars? By yourself? Although I have the ebook, I listened to the audio book, and I cannot say enough good things about this story. For me, it’s a must, whether you read the book, listen to the audio book, or watch the movie. I will be doing all three, just like with The Host.

Sale! Beneath the Starry Sky is 99¢ while on tour! #1NS #romance

Hello all! I wanted to let you know that BENEATH THE STARRY SKY has been marked down to 99¢ USD at Amazon while the audio book version is on tour.

  

BENEATH THE STARRY SKY

Left at the altar with bald patches on her head and her self-confidence stripped away, Tamara Johnson must pick up the pieces of her life and face her Alopecia Areata, the autoimmune disease causing her hair to fall out. She is convinced no man will date a bald woman and arranges a one-night stand through Madame Evangeline’s popular service, 1Night Stand. With her new wig held firmly in place, Tamara arrives at the Castillo Hotel in Las Vegas for a night of passion and pleasure. Anything more than one night would mean exposing her bald head, and she will never do that to any man again.

Running into the Castillo Hotel, away from the paparazzi constantly at his heels, Josh Summers wants to spend his next few days locked away from the flashing lights and screaming fans. When he finds an incredibly sexy woman lying on his hotel room bed in nothing but lingerie, he thinks management has made a mistake. Leaving her behind, he heads for the lobby to get the situation rectified. But an unexpected text from Madame Evangeline sends him back to his room. Though unsure whether the woman on the bed is really his perfect match or just another fan believing him to be like his character on television, he knows he must find out, even if it means he must risk telling her his own secrets. If Tamara can handle his imperfections, she just might be his ideal woman.

ONLY 99¢ USD FROM:

Amazon US | UK | Canada | Germany | Australia

Also available in Audio:

Audible | Amazon | iTunes

“This has got to be my all time favorite 1 Night Stand story…. Beneath The Starry Sky may only be a short story but Tamara and Josh will surely steal your heart.”

A Top Pick at Night Owl Reviews – June 2013

“What do you think I am, Miss Erika?” a Wednesday Tease post #scifi #romance

Happy Wednesday! Welcome to today’s Tease!

For today’s post, I’m going to share an excerpt from TAKEN BY THE BILLIONAIRE ALIEN NEXT DOOR, which released on Monday. Enjoy!

“Your brother’s not here.”

“Stepbrother,” I said automatically, returning my attention to Mr. Sexy. “Now, tell me, who are you?” I wanted to add what are you, but thought better of it.

“I am Laken.”

“Then where is Barron?” For a brief moment, I worried about my new stepbrother. “What have you done with him?”

The sigh again, as if I’d asked the dumbest question.

Laken shook his head. “He’s with my sister.” Placing his palm on the wall, he leaned against it and crossed his ankles. “Always says he’s coming over here to hang out with me then takes off with her. I only cover for him because I’d rather have both of them out of my hair. I prefer to be alone.”

“So you can study the spaceship?” If not for the strange abnormalities, I’d assume him a science geek who’d built a giant model of some ship from a sci-fi show. But, no.

“Spaceship?”

“Yes, the one behind me.” I crossed my arms. He couldn’t pretend it didn’t exist. The thing occupied half the room, at least fifteen feet in diameter, the space obviously designed to hold the craft.

“I, uh…. You don’t…?”

Confused? Cute, but it didn’t work on me. “Your sister, is she like you?” And did Barron know? Because I couldn’t imagine him seeing anyone who wasn’t rich, beautiful, and human.

He frowned. “Like me? You mean—”

God, I hated the playing-stupid routine. “Yeah, with the all black eyes, speediness, and such.”

“What exactly do you think I am, Miss Erika?”

“An alien.” There, I’d said it, and I expected him to laugh in my face and deny it.

Instead, he placed his hands behind his back and stepped nearer. “And what if I am?”

~ Taken by the Billionaire Alien Next Door ~

Living on the other side of the tracks was a fantasy Erika never expected to come true. But when her mother marries an investment banker, she moves to a home larger than all her previous houses combined. While searching for her new stepbrother to help with unpacking, she stumbles upon his smokin’ hot neighbor, all alone in his mansion and busy at work on a… flying saucer? Can Erika escape before he notices her, or will she be abducted by the sexy alien?

Available  for only 99¢ from:

        

Plus, be sure to follow along with the Taken tour!

 

Summer Writing Goals ~ Update #5

Hello! Time for this week’s writing update. Once again, I didn’t get much writing done this week. At least, not on Alien Attraction. I did make up for it in emails and blog posts I sent to other bloggers though.

Beneath the Starry Sky in audio is going on tour starting tomorrow. There is a contest, and you can find the schedule here. Also, the Kindle version of this story has been reduced to 99¢ USD for the duration of the tour.

Taken by the Billionaire Alien Next Door is now available! Find out what happens when Erika discovers her sexy neighbor is an alien. This story is going on tour tomorrow with a contest as well. Tour dates here.

As for Alien Attraction, I started at 17,530 words and finished this week at 18, 560, for a total of 1,030 new words. not my goal for the week, but better than last week.

GOALS FOR THE WEEK ~ I’m hoping to get a minimum of 2,500 new words written, and I’m also spending a second week taking a formatting course with Meredith Bond. Also, I want to finish sending out the blog tour information to the wonderful people hosting me during the later part of the tours.

   

On Tour with Aliens & Audio ~ Find out how you can win!

I have two new releases, and therefore two tours starting. With each tour, you can enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form. Tour stops are listed below. I hope to see you there!

August 26 – Starla Kaye – spotlight

August 27 – London’s Scribbles – spotlight

August 28 – Erzabet’s Enchantments – guest post

August 28 – Melisse Aires Romance with Infinite Possibilities – interview

August 29 – Allie Ritch’s Blog – spotlight

September 2 – Nancy Fraser ~ Notes from a Romantic’s Heart – interview

September 3 – JoAnne Kenrick – guest post

September 5 – Going from Nobody to Somebody – guest post

September 8 – Tara Quan – guest post

September 9 – Cara Bristol – guest post

September 10 – Gina Writes Words – guest post

September 14 – V.S. Morgan – spotlight

September 14 – Sara Daniel Romance Author – spotlight

September 15 – Vicki Ballante – Sugar and Spice – guest post

September 18 – Kacey’s Kreations – spotlight

September 19 – The Blog of C.R. Moss – guest post

August 26 – Lola Karns – interview

August 29 – London’s Scribbles – spotlight

September 2 – Starla Kaye – spotlight

September 4 – Melisse Aires Romance with Infinite Possibilities – spotlight

September 5 – E-Romance News – spotlight

September 12 – Allie Ritch’s Blog – guest post

September 17 – Vicki Ballante – Sugar and Spice – interview

September 17 – Going from Nobody to Somebody – spotlight

September 20 – Gina Writes Words – interview

September 21 – V.S. Morgan – spotlight

September 22 – JoAnne Kenrick – spotlight

September 23 – Tara Quan – guest post

September 25 – Erzabet’s Enchantments – spotlight

September 25 – Kacey’s Kreations – interview

September 26 – The Blog of C.R. Moss – guest post

September 28 – Sara Daniel Romance Author – spotlight

October 7 – Nancy Fraser ~ Notes from a Romantic’s Heart – interview