Readers who know my work may be a bit surprised to learn that my latest book, Thrill-Kinky, is science-fiction romance. Or maybe they’ll wonder what took me so long to venture into yet another subgenre. I already have paranormal, contemporary and fantasy romances under my belt (and one short historical romance in Delilah’s Conquests anthology), not to mention dark fantasy and short erotica featuring every possible combination of consenting adults having naughty fun.

So why add science fiction romance to this conglomeration, other than the already obvious “I like variety”?

I blame and thank my husband.

I’ve always flown my geek flag proudly. In seventh grade, I turned in a paper written in Tolkien’s Dwarven runes. (My handwriting was too bad to pull off Elvish script.) My first several novels were heroic fantasy, which still live in boxes in my closet, awaiting the time I’m brave enough to reread them and see if there’s anything there to salvage. I worked at Del Rey Books in the eighties and binge-read every fantasy book they published and a lot of the science fiction. But while I went through a stage of reading just about anything that involved wizards, witches, dragons, or people with swords fighting evil, I was fussier about science fiction. A lot of what I picked up seemed to be more focused on technology and (admittedly cool) world building than on characters. The male characters were two-dimensional, the female ones even flatter. With a few exceptions—Ursula LeGuin comes to mind—I preferred my fantasy. Sure, some of the women of fantasy were basically plot devices waiting to be rescued, but Mercedes Lackey! Anne McCaffrey! Guy Gavriel Kay! Even going back to my roots, Tolkien had some impressive women characters and some emotional arcs as epic as the adventures involving swords and sorcery. And of course, there were his delightful, down-to-earth hobbits thrown in among the fierce and mighty.

And then I met Himself, who realized I’d managed to miss out on Star Trek when I was growing up and got me watching both the original and the various spin-offs. From there, we branched out into other science fiction TV shows: Farscape, Babylon 5, and what became my favorite, Firefly. In these series, action was important, but interaction was even more central. You cared about the firefights and the capers and the narrow escapes because you’d come to care about the team of characters, not just because Spaceships are Cool and Aliens are Awesome. I mean, both of these things are true, but Firefly’s spaceship was the space equivalent of someone’s rickety but much loved first car held together with duct tape and bubble gum, and there were no aliens—and the show still captivated me. Himself also got me watching anime, enjoying the completely goofy plotlines and random bits of humor and sexiness in dark scenarios. And then there were the superhero comics and movies…

With all this imagery in my head, it was inevitable I’d try my hand at science fiction sometime—but science fiction my way. With wacky aliens because they’re fun, political complications worthy of Babylon 5 because those interest me more than space battles, and an independent freighter with a motley crew I can imagine drinking with Malcolm Reynolds and the rest of the crew of Serenity at some seedy spaceport bar. There’s also a cat-girl sidekick, thanks to too much anime. Of course there are tough women, handsome men, hot sex and true love, because all that kind of inevitable if I’m writing the book.

And the name of my rickety independent freighter? It’s the Malcolm, a direct bow to Joss Whedon’s wonderful series and its hero, Malcolm Reynolds, a.k.a. Captain Tight-Pants—who would have gotten into different and more fun kinds of trouble if he’d been my character!

Thrill-Kinky

Chronicles of the Malcolm,Book 1

Sexual freefall is like a game of chicken, except the first one to let go wins.

Humans may have expanded to the stars, but they still have the annoying need to work for a living. Which is why Rita, crew member of the space freighter Malcolm, is stuck collecting recyclable slag rather than attending her favorite festival celebrating love and sexuality.

Things go from boring to interesting when she discovers a badly injured man who’s been thrown into a recycling bin to die. The catch, he’s gorgeous, winged, and naked.

Drax Jalricki, reformed (mostly) art thief and reluctant covert operative, is on an undercover mission to protect three planets when someone in his own government brands him a traitor. By virtue of association, Rita and her crew are going down with him.

From their first, hide-in-plain-sight quickie, the erotic spark between Rita and Drax is fueled by danger and adrenaline. But their growing suspicion that there’s more to their connection than lust may not matter if they don’t live through the night.

Warning: Hero and heroine who straddle the line of criminal behavior—and definitely violate public indecency statutes. Exhibitionist, dangerous sex. Dark, sordid pasts. Wild risk-taking. Giggly cat-girl sidekick who’s not just another pretty…tail. And the greatest risk of all: true love.

Excerpt (Adult)

Definitely something in the danger-as-aphrodisiac theory, because in a fetid alley, with the law and outlaws both after them and her no doubt out of both a job and a home when the guys found out she’d dumped the slag and abandoned the floater, Rita was getting more turned on than she ever remembered being. She’d been excitable to start with, from the kiss, and from simply being around Drax’s dangerous good looks, but now she could feel herself getting slick, hot, ready for the cock that she could now feel all too well against her bare skin.

And his wings—marling stars, she’d never felt anything like the soft, sensual caress of all those feathers against her back, her ass. So good. His hands gripped and kneaded, and his wings stroked and soothed, and all the while he was kissing her, exploring her mouth with his tongue, sending sparks down the connections from her lips to the mouth of her sex. Her common sense told her they needed to move, couldn’t take the time to play there when the overpriced thugs in the Fiero might show up at any second.

Her common sense lost the argument with her libido.

Buy links: Samhain / Amazon / B&N / Kobo /All Romance eBooks / iBooks (iTunes)

Teresa Noelle Roberts started writing stories in kindergarten and she hasn’t stopped yet. A prolific author of short erotica, she’s also a published poet and fantasy writer—but hot paranormals and BDSM-spiced contemporaries were her favorites until she realized science-fiction romances offered new possibilities for outrageous adventure, wild sex and love that overcomes serious obstacles, including being from different species! Find her at www.teresanoelleroberts.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter, where she hangs out as @TeresNoeRoberts.

Hi! How are you? I’d like to thank Delilah for giving me the chance to blog over here today.

While most people are still taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo, I’m already thinking about NaNoWriMo. See, Camp NaNoWriMo takes place in April and July, which are awful months for me to get started on a first draft. Both of these months contain two weeks of school holidays, and/or public holidays, maybe even some annual leave. So, they’re not an option for me.

But NaNoWriMo takes place in November, which is a great month for me.

Have you ever taken part? I started taking part in 2006 and have tried to do it every year since then. I think 2011 was the only year that I didn’t because I was too busy editing a book. I love allocating a WIP to the month of November at the same time as a bunch of other writers are doing the same. I mean, I write fast drafts anyway, and get caught up in a first-draft frenzy that can last 4-6 weeks—whatever it takes to get the story out.

So NaNoWriMo isn’t a big stretch for my usual way of writing.

Besides, I think that completing a first draft just before the end of the year is a great accomplishment. And an awesome way to end the year. 🙂

My latest book release was actually a book I wrote during NaNoWriMo 2013. It was just like every other story I write: I had copious amounts of notes (I’m more a note-taker than an outliner), and when November 1^st hit I got stuck into writing the story and didn’t stop until I reached The End. By November 30^th, I had a new novel ready for revision the next year.

I know there are differing opinions about whether NaNoWriMo is good for writers or not, but I personally think it’s great. First drafts are meant to be messy, a way to get the story out of your head and onto the screen or paper because you can’t ignore it any longer. So, IMO, this is the perfect event to do so.

Have you ever done NaNoWriMo? What was your experience like?

Thanks for reading,

Yolanda

AUTHOR BIO:

Wife. Mother. Writer. Bibliophile. Dreamer. Animal lover. Intrigued by the supernatural. Horror freak. Zombie enthusiast. Movie & music fan. Slave to her muse.

Yolanda lives in Sydney, Australia with her awesome husband, lovely daughter, and cheeky cat.

MY LINKS:
Website: https://www.yolandasfetsos.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/yolandasfetsos
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/yolandasfetsos

She escaped the arena of death, but trusting him might be the death of her.

RECAST, Book 4

Taylor may be the Clash Arena’s most dominant—and only—female gladiator, but today she just can’t catch a break. After winning yet another brutal fight, with the arena inexplicably falling down around her ears, she jumps at the chance to escape the prison of her subterranean pit.

Instead, she finds herself knocked unconscious more times than she can count, and pursued over the edge of a sea cliff by an AI enforcer she can’t shake off her heels.

Walsh has been living a double life, masquerading as a tyrant’s enforcer while hiding his true agenda. When the despicable arena falls, there’s only one thing on his mind—saving the savage blonde who doesn’t trust him as far as she can throw him. Which is a considerable distance.

Once he convinces her he’s not out to kill her but help her survive, they form an uneasy alliance. But Taylor senses he’s keeping a secret, not just from her, but about her. And the truth will show them exactly what it is to be human.

Warning: This book contains some girl-on-girl action, a kick-ass gladiator who takes no crap, an AI who puts it all on the line, a band of misfits who aren’t as merry as they seem, cute tadpoles with sharp teeth, and grip-you-by-the-hair kisses. Strap in, interstellar turbulence is a bitch.

DASH is now available from Samhain Publishing.

Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone enjoys the day with family and good food! But before you eat, how about thinking of the fallen soldiers, sailors, and airmen the day is meant to honor…

Delilah Devlin
US Army in her former life 🙂

Have you ever had a co-worker who pushed all your buttons? What if, despite that, you couldn’t help lusting after him?

That’s the dilemma facing Anna Reynolds when she’s forced to work with Giles St Clair. Anna has worked damned hard to earn her recent promotion, and she’s determined to meet her deadline even if she’s understaffed. But that means having to accept help from Giles, who’s rubbed her up the wrong way ever since the red carpet was rolled out for the highly sought after consultant.

Giles has every man and woman swooning at his feet, but Anna can’t stand his superior attitude. Too bad she can’t help finding him super sexy. She’s not going to get involved with him and risk her professional reputation.

But when she finds herself locked in a stationery closet with Giles, they can’t hide the heat between them. In order to break the tension and get her project back on track, Anna must make a difficult decision.

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY is Book 2 in my Serendipity series – short, breezy romance from the heart. When you’re short of time and in need of a pick-me-up read, try FIREWORKS AT MIDNIGHT or ALL WORK AND NO PLAY.

Links:
US www.amazon.com/dp/B00WIMBGCY
UK www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00WIMBGCY

Author Bio:
Coleen Kwan has been a bookworm all her life. At school English was her favorite subject, but for some reason she decided on a career in IT. After many years of programming, she wondered what else there was in life — and discovered writing. She loves writing contemporary romance and steampunk romance.

Coleen lives in Sydney, Australia with her partner and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys avoiding housework, eating chocolate, and watching TV shows like Criminal Minds and Bob’s Burgers.

Website: www.coleenkwan.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ColeenKwan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/coleenkwan.authorpage

I had a blast at RT last week and wanted to share some of the goodies from a ton of wonderful authors I had the pleasure of meeting, because, heck, I may be an author, but I am a reader, too!

This year has rocked. I can cross three things off my bucket list: Hitting the NY Times and USA Today Bestsellers lists, and meeting my idol, Jill Shalvis!!

She had several panels and events at RT, but I was up in my room working on edits, so I didn’t get to meet her until the Hot Guy Bingo event she did with the wonderful Jaci Burton! They were a riot! And I am happy to say I wasn’t tongue-tied when I approached Jill, but I was tongue ‘stupid’. Yep, instead of telling her I wanted to be like her when I grow up, I said I am going to be her when I grow up. What an idjit I am. lol Thankfully, she took it in her stride (I think). She laughed, but come to think of it, it was a little on the nervous side…

But, she didn’t call security when I approached her table at the big signing, and she even invited me to show up at her next event so she could sign the book of hers I left in my room. And, when I told her I was collecting swag from authors to give away to my newsletter subscribers next month, she shoved a ton of stuff in my hands!! *Holds hand over heart* I promise I will part with every bit of it…because I already have my own stash of Jill stuff. J I even have Jill & Eloise tote bags to give away!

So, if you’d like a chance to win some of these goodies, books, totes, and more I couldn’t fit in the frame, then be sure to subscribe to my newsletter at www.donnamichaelsauthor.com for your chance to win! Most of the loot is signed, too, by Cat Johnson, Becky McGraw, Don Allen, Sylvia McDaniels, Elle James, Paige Tyler, and Geri Foster, just to name a few!

I had a blast at all the events, especially the cowboy and military ones. Creating a hero that is both is one of my favorite things to do, and I’m excited to announce my new Harland County release that just came out May 21^st!

HER HEALING COWBOY/Book 5: Jace

Available now at Amazon

The doctor/captain/cowboy is on a mission to convince the visiting beauty that some doctors are worth trusting…

Holly’s stay in Harland County Texas is limited. She’s only there to help run her uncle’s ice cream business while he recuperates from an operation. Her home is in Colorado. Her life is in Denver. Her dream job is in Denver but won’t be if she doesn’t get back before her leave of absence runs out. Everybody knows this, but apparently her heart and body didn’t get the memo because they spark to life whenever her uncle’s smoking, hot doctor is around. But she’s been burned by one before and is definitely not interested. Much.

Doctor Jace Turner has one goal: Join Doctors Without Borders. Ever since his father was in a car accident and became HIV Positive from a blood transfusion, Jace set his sights on the organization and plans to join, once his contract is up with the Texas National Guard. The last thing he needs is the crazy attraction he feels toward the beauty from Colorado.

The cowboy isn’t looking for a relationship. She isn’t staying. Perfect set up for a fling. What harm could there be?

Excerpt:

As he walked toward the window, he noted several customers and decided to go inside instead of waiting in line. Besides, he needed a little relief from the heat.

As he stepped inside the vacant shop, he was hit by the blessed cold of the air conditioner…and globs of flying ice cream, followed by Holly’s panicked voice.

“Donny!”

Unable to avoid a second hit, Jace took a smattering to the face and ear. The sticky, cold substance slid down his neck while he ducked to evade a third, taking cover behind a display case.

“It won’t shut off,” the young college student yelled, jamming button after button.

Ice cream covered the ceiling, walls, and floors in a pink, organic hue, dripping off The Creamery’s three unlucky occupants.

Holly lunged for the outlet, managing to yank the cord from the wall while she slipped on a milkshake puddle by her feet. The whirl of a blender dissipated, along with the flying dessert, both giving way to a muttered oath as the valiant woman smashed into a work table on her way to the floor; the clang of bowls and spoons echoed in the suddenly quiet shop. Read the rest of this entry »

I admit it. My name is Marianne and I am a royalophile.

I love reading about the royal families still out there today (particularly British royalty), and hearing what’s going on in their lives. I may or may not have (ahem – did – ahem) surreptitiously watched Prince George’s debut live at my day job while I should have been doing something else. I’m very lucky Princess Charlotte was born on a weekend (though I was very distracted on the Monday after waiting for news of her official name).

My love of royals has now extended into my writing life, as my newest series, the Royals of Valleria, is about a fictional European monarchy.

Just what is it about these royal families that we love? I present five reasons below.

1. We’ve grown up with them.

As children, we’re told stories of princesses and princes, kings and queens in faraway or made-up lands. Our innocent imaginations carry us away as children and we imagine ourselves being swept away by the prince to live a magical castle. I’m a romantic at heart so, while I may have more realistic expectations now, I do hope to find a man with prince-ly qualities: brave, kind, a leader, and handsome wouldn’t hurt, either (*wink, wink*).

Is it any wonder I became a romance author?

1. It’s exclusive.

Not everyone is born into direct royalty, but many can trace their roots back to some royal family member. Despite ourselves, we can’t help but be fascinated by something we can’t officially be a part of. It’s why we buy silly commemorative items, try some crazy beauty tips, and watch royal weddings and ceremonies on television. It’s also why I use a cup commemorating Will and Kate’s wedding at my day job (which I received as a gift, though I would have been tempted to buy it).

Caption: Yes, I am admitting that I proudly use this cup.

Even after the innocent days of youth we are bombarded with more stories that feature troubled royal families in the forms of movies, books, plays, and television. More recently, on the television scene, there’s Game of Thrones, Reign, The Tudors, and The Royals. One of my all-time favorite past shows was Kings that sadly only lasted one season.

4. Their lives seem much more exciting than ours.

Who wouldn’t like to list their occupation as Prince and Princess? While the real life of a royal is likely a balance between royal duties and personal ones, we are still fascinated by them. When we’re going around our mundane lives of laundry and cleaning, who can’t help but imagine a life traveling and helping others?

5. There are still plenty of monarchies out there to entertain us.

Though true traditional monarchies are rare these days, constitutional and other monarchies are still around and making headlines. Think Monaco, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan.

These are just five reasons why I love royals. If you like stories about royals, then please check out my newest series, the Royals of Valleria! My latest release, Marcello & Grace (Royals of Valleria #2) is available today on Amazon. You can read a synopsis below.

What do you love about royal families? Contact me via my website and let me know. For more information about me and my books, sign-up for my monthly e-newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Marcello & Grace (Royals of Valleria #2)

Meet the Royals of Valleria, a country as old as the fall of the Roman Empire. The reigning king and patriarch rules with his beloved queen. Nine children, ranging from the eldest twins to the youngest son, watch over the country they love and care for. Bound by honor, duty, and each other, follow their lives as they fall in love, face tragedies, and triumph against the evils facing them.

***

When fate made Lady Grace a widow, after years of a disastrous, abusive marriage, she felt a sense of relief and escape. Now, a year after her husband’s death, she’s just beginning to feel like her old self again, though she still carries the scars, both visible and hidden, of her past. Having been separated from friends and family for too long, she’s only too happy to see her old friend, Princess Catharine, on a visit to England. What she didn’t expect was a visit from her brother, Prince Marcello. When she begins to feel the first stirrings of love within her, can she overcome the horrors of her past to make a future with him?

Prince Marcello, head of Valleria’s national security and defense, is still dealing with the fallout from security breaches under his watch. After long days and nights of political maneuvering in London to reclaim Valleria’s and his reputation, he takes a needed break by joining his sister on a visit to her friend, Lady Grace. What he thought would be a relaxing week becomes anything but when he begins to fall in love with her.

In the midst of blooming love, Marcello is asked to lead a secret, dangerous mission to thwart an international threat. Marcello knows he must go, both for his country’s honor and for his own. Will he survive? And, if he does, will Grace be waiting for him upon his return?

Unlike Romance Writers of America’s National Conference, the Romantic Times Convention’s focus leans more towards readers, where RWA’s focus is on writers. At RT, you saw librarians, readers, agents, editors, writers all blended together.

During the workshops, the authors on the panels gave away copies of their books to members of audience that asked questions. A great chance for readers to get free books and chat with their favorite author.

A big common factor struck me as I waited thirty minutes or more to get into the hotel restaurant. None of the hotels are prepared for a convention or conference the magnitude of RWA or RT. Not the rooms, mind you, but the little shops, where you wait in mile long lines to purchase a cup of coffee or a bottle of water, or even a sandwich where one cashier is overwhelmed trying to wait on customers. Then waiting for half an hour to sit at the restaurant, there were only two, and even ordering food to go took at least an hour. It wasn’t their fault. They had no idea where all these people came from. Too bad, there isn’t a way to forewarn the poor hotels to beware of a writers’ conference because you will be swamped with people.

The convention was fun and exhausting. It’s go, go, go every day and party at night. I was too tired to hit the parties. With a bad knee and using a cane by 5:00 in the evening, I found the only place I wanted to be was in the room resting.

I missed the awards because I was waiting for my food in the restaurant and didn’t have time to change. I didn’t feel jeans and a shirt were appropriate attire for it.

Both conferences are fun. RWA is for writers and RT is geared towards the readers. However, you can benefit from attending both. You can connect with industry professionals as a writer at both; at RT you can connect with your readers. Craft workshops, marketing workshops, connections, book fairs. At RT, you can take books from your personal collection to have your favorite author sign for you. They limit you to ten, but you can come out to trade them out for more.

If you have the opportunity, attend both and boost your writing career a few notches. Or if your published you can network with other authors and readers. Just know you will find it busy and nonstop.

Oh and at Romantic Times there were, whew-fanning my face, gorgeous cover models.

SOS Aloha hosted a military tribute. Over two hundred people attended as veterans stood and sang the song for their service and learned about the things our veterans are going through.

My recommendation is gather your money and pick a conference.

What do you want from it?

A chance as an aspiring unpublished author to meet with that dream editor or agent? Both offer that chance.

Want to connect with other authors? Both offer that opportunity.

Want craft workshops? Both have that.

Are you published looking to connect with more readers and other industry professionals? Then Romantic Times is your best bet there.

Sometimes it’s about location. I chose RT this year because RWA is in NYC this year, and I can’t swing it. RT was in my hometown of Dallas, TX so I chose it.

What would you choose?

C. K. Crouch
https://ckcrouch.com