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Category Archives: SFR
Romance Writers: The Unvarnished Truth About Their Miserable Existences
The writing life! Being wined and dined by publishers and agents. International book tours and humungous royalty checks. Stellar reviews and loyal fans.
Yeah. Right. Read on…
A Day in the Life of Diane Dooley
0600: I wake to golden sunlight streaming through the window. It’s going to be another perfect day! Wearing my favorite pink twin-set, my grandmother’s pearls and a scant misting of Chanel #5, I drift downstairs to my book-lines study, where the butler brings me herbal tea and buttered toast points. I start writing my latest romance novel, the words falling to the manuscript like raindrops to roses…
0630: Wake from the lovely dream to find a dog’s butt in my face and my husband’s snoring in my ears. Grope around in the dark until I find yesterday’s clothes, then rub deodorant on my smelly bits. Spend the next hours corralling children, dogs and husband, finally collapsing in exhausted heap until coffee ready.
0830: Open manuscript, read last few paragraphs. Realize I have written the Great American Romance Novel. What should I wear to the awards ceremony? Write the most wonderful words of all: The End. Send manuscript to agent, knowing that it was too perfect to edit.
0930: Wake from the lovely dream to find a different dog butt in my face. Inhale coffee. Open manuscript, read last few paragraphs. Sob with frustration, then spend an hour on Facebook and Twitter, pretending to be a real writer. Drink half a bottle of inspiration, then write a three chapter sex scene in which the heroine unfortunately dies of erotic asphyxiation. Delete it, reminding myself that I am a romance writer and a very nice person. Remind self again. Drink more inspiration.
12Noon: Pass out on couch with my butt in the dogs’ faces.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, another writer is stirring…
A Day in the Life of Cathy Pegau
0600: Husband’s alarm goes off, kicking me out of a dream about hot pool boys and honey. OMG! I’m paralyzed! No, just the cat across my legs. Eject the furry boulder, Dog immediately jumps up on bed, huffs and falls asleep. Dog’s got the right idea.
0615: Alarm goes off. Slap snooze. Slap drooly dog face away from mine.
0624: Ditto
0633: Double ditto (what’s with 9 minute snoozing? I never understood that.) Roll out of bed to make sure kids are up (they are). Bless husband for making coffee. Squint out into darkness. *Shiver* Global warming my ass…..
0800: Kids and husband out to school and work. Time to hit the manuscript. Open email, Twitter and Facebook…just to check.
1200: Manuscript not open and I’m still in my pajamas, but I now know what all my imaginary writer friends had for lunch, did at work and will be doing this evening. Also, a personal best on Spider Solitaire. Go me! OK, let’s get serious.
1230: Open manuscript. Read last few pages. Hmmm…..This needs some work. Oh! Time for lunch!
Diane Dooley’s Day Continues…
1230: Put final touches on the Oscar acceptance speech for Best Original Screenplay, then go out with actual, real-life, flesh-and-blood people called “friends.” Find jeans and a swimsuit that fit perfectly and make me look fabulous.
1245: Wake up with dog’s tongue in my ear. Roll off the couch; find some spaghetti in my cleavage. Eat it and call it lunch.
1300: Open manuscript, then spend two and a half hours looking for inspiration on YouTube. Also complete all chores while loudly singing the entire ‘Bat Out of Hell” album.
1630: Kids arrive home from school. Spend next several hours cooking, cleaning and doing 4th and 6th grade English, Math, History and Science homework, along with art projects that include building dioramas of books I’ve never read. Use physical force to get boys in shower, then to bed.
2130: Look for inspiration in fridge, but it’s all gone except for a lone bottle of Angostura bitters. Fix drink with it. Open manuscript and start to type. The Angostura is working!
2200: Husband arrives home, seeking food, shelter and good company. Ignore him. Continue to write romance novel in which everyone is damaged and dies at the end. Fingers working hard to keep up with words flowing from brain. I love writing!
0200: Take phonecall from Daniel Day-Lewis, who wants to have one of my books adapted for screenplay so he can play one of my characters. He was born to play the role, apparently. He would also very much like to meet me. Am eventually persuaded.
0400: Awake with my face on the keyboard, which is covered in a vile-smelling, sticky substance which could not possible be my own drool. Final line in manuscript is: h4O[[NKLN,K [P9-O=-O9M=ORTZST=O-U. Save document, then drag my carcass to bed, considering it a day of successful writing. Kick dogs out of my sleeping spot. Collapse. Sleep without dreams.
Cathy Pegau’s Day Continues…
1330: Wake from carb-induced coma nap. Why is MTV’s Hip Hop Countdown blaring from the television? Button pants and sit at table. This manuscript will ROCK as soon as I can get past chapter three. Is the hero/heroine “cute meet” too cute? I think punching a guy in the junk spilling coffee on a guy makes a lasting impression. Leave it in. Plow on, making notes to flesh out scenes later.
1445: There! Made it to the end of chapter three! Wait. What the…? I’d already written chapter three? Really? Son of a…. *sigh*
1545: Furious activity as kids arrive home from school, dogs jump about, cats streak out from under thunderous paws of death. Call the dogs in. Tell kids to shut BOTH doors. Wonder what that damn piteous wailing is. Fetch indoor cat from outside. Ask kids how their day was. Half listen while I consider a plot point that can make or break this story. Wait. What was that about meeting with the principal tomorrow???
1730: Look up from sixth version of opening paragraph of chapter four to see kids staring at me, hollow-eyed. Dinner? Didn’t I feed them yesterday? Husband is settled in his favorite chair (when did he get here????) shaking his head. I suggest pizza.
1900: Favorite show about to come on. But it’s a rerun, so I can miss it and get back to writing. Oh, but it’s a REALLY good episode! Sit on couch with manuscript open. I’ll work during commercial breaks. Get one and a half sentences down.
2000: Ditto with second favorite show in line-up. Rewrite sentence. Twice. Add two more. Yay! Progress!
2100: Laptop battery dying. Plug it in. Crack knuckles. Get to it!
0030: Dog snoring at my feet. Everyone’s been in bed for a couple of hours, but things are moving along. Just need to get the gist of this scene down….
0245: Husband taps me on the shoulder, startling me and nearly knocking me off the chair. “You’re working in the morning. Come to bed.” Look at screen. No new words. Save what I have, shut down computer, and hope to squeeze in a little writing between classes tomorrow.
So there you have it, folks. Think twice before you take up the writing life!
* * * * *
Diane Dooley writes romance, science fiction and horror; short stories, novellas and novels . You can catch up with her on her blog, Facebook or Twitter. She also blogs regularly at Contact: Infinite Futures and is a contributor to The Galaxy Express.
Check out Diane’s latest releases Blue Nebula and That Night!
Come on A GALACTIC HOLIDAY!
THE SCI-FI HERO, IN ALL HIS GLORY!
First, thanks to Cathy Pegau for hosting us, the authors of A GALACTIC HOLIDAY, Carina’s Press’s sci-fi holiday anthology. Happy Holidays, Cathy!
There’s just something crack-o-licious about certain sci-fi heroes. Think about it—what is it that’s so appealing about Mal Reynolds? He was rough around the edges, educated by life rather than a stuffy academy, and a former member of a rebellion that wound up losing in an epic way? And then there’s the seemingly opposite side of the coin represented by James Tiberius Kirk. Sophisticated, Academy-raised, a respected member of Star Fleet—a winner in every sense of the word. These two heroes shouldn’t have anything in common.
But they do.
In their heart of hearts, both Mal and Kirk were mavericks. They both understand the parameters of their worlds/galaxies/’verse, and their place in it. They know the rules. A lot of the time, they even follow them…until they don’t.
What makes these two so universally loved is that they always tried to do what was right. Not what’s legally acceptable. Not what they’re ordered to do. Not what was expected of them. What these two much-adored characters shared is an moral compass that always pointed true, and they didn’t care about what rules they had to break in order to make things right. How can you not love someone like that?
In A GALACTIC HOLIDAY, the three heroes also come from very different backgrounds, but each one falls into the category of hero. To find out more, read on!
Anna: Born and raised on Rendar (a high-tech planet with no families), Savan Bardan has always fought for what he wanted. First as a space marine, he led his men into terrible battles and now as the top trade negotiator in the galaxy. He’s the tough, silent type who keeps his past nightmares buried and likes to always win. But deep down he questions everything: his planet’s hunger for more energy, the tactics his colleagues are willing to use to close a deal and his own goals. I think he knows something is missing from his life.
Enter Brinn Fjord. The negotiator for the ice world of Perma. A woman who blames him for the death of her father. Brinn is dedicated to her family, her people’s prosperity and protecting her world’s environment. She is just the woman to show Savan what he’s missing! And I tossed them together during the winter holiday of Yule…let’s just say it is a real education for Savan.
Sasha: Leo is a man’s man. He’s a man of action, but he’s smart enough to think things through first. His colony lost protection from Patrols and the Raiders ‘recruited’ him before Black Lung wiped out the rest of the colony. After raiding for a while, the Patrols caught up with his ship. He spent the next few years working for the Patrols, feeding the info. Once he’d earned their trust, he got his own ship and crew. He still helps out the Patrols from time to time, but he’s an entrepreneur – taking whatever jobs pay most so he can help people/colonies/ships in trouble… partly because he knows what it’s like to be deserted and partly because he likes to do the right thing. He’s a loyal captain and protective of his crew and his ship. But he’s a loner, maintaining enough distance to keep control of his wily crew. Meeting Riley, the heroine, makes him question the whole ‘loner’ thing – but Riley isn’t necessarily sold on the idea of a long-term ‘thing’ either so he has his work cut out for him.
Stacy: Right from the beginning, Detective Edison Wicke popped out of my head as a full-fledged smartass! He’s a sexy charmer, though, so I can forgive that quick-trigger mouth of his. Just think of Edison as that guy we ladies secretly want to meet—the guy who has a sizzling quip for just about everything that comes his way, and the sleek charisma to keep you laughing.
But come to find out, Edison’s wicked sense of humor hides a turbulent childhood where December 25th was just another day to struggle through. Because of the harshness of his background, he has a strong sense of justice (in fact, his name was almost Edison Just instead of Edison Wicke, due to his unwavering sense of what is right). He’s hardcore when it comes to protecting those who can’t protect themselves, and his loyalty to Reina is so great he changed his entire life in order to be near her. And in the face of adversity, he stands by her side when no one else will.
If that isn’t a true hero, I don’t know what is.
You tell us—what traits do you like to see in your heroes?
Take a moment to enter our fabulous giveaway!
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A GALACTIC HOLIDAY – Carina Press | Amazon | B&N | All Romance
Anna Hackett – Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Stacy Gail – Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Sasha Summers – Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Stellarnet Prince by J.L. Hilton
Welcome J.L. Hilton on her blog tour for her newest release from Carina Press, Stellarnet Prince, Book Two in the Stellarnet Series, following Stellarnet Rebel (January 2012).
Stuck in the Middle with You
When Cathy wrote about M/F/M relationships, she joked that if she ever happened to be the “/F/”she hoped she wouldn’t have to sleep in the middle of the bed. I’ve never had the opportunity to be an “/F/” either. I know I’m an edge sleeper. I like to be able to uncover a leg for proper temperature control, climb out to use the bathroom, or get as far away as a king-sized bed will allow when my husband starts snoring. And I have kids, so I have to be accessible in the event of nightmares, illness and thunderstorms. In my new novel, Stellarnet Prince, chapter one begins with the heroine waking between two males –one built like Matthew McConaughey and one built like Michael Phelps.
Chapter One
J’ni pressed her breasts to Duin’s speckled back, kissing his neck while he slept. In many ways, they were similar, his race and hers. They were omnivorous mammals who bled, laughed, and needed sleep. They possessed two legs, two arms, ten fingers. But there were numerous differences between her race and his, between humans and the Glin.
Her hand moved over his thigh, smooth as pearl, and traced the dense muscles hardened by a lifetime of hunting and swimming. Beneath closed eyelids rimmed with short, white lashes, his eyes were larger than her own and filled almost entirely with dark gray irises. Past his pale lips were teeth smaller and sharper than hers. His hairless skin bore several shades from taupe to chartreuse—but only on the back half of his body, like many aquatic creatures on Earth.
Light flickered through cracks in the woven walls of the hut. J’ni knew what the sunlight meant to his planet. Devastation. Too much water had been stolen by the Tikati, too many rivers dammed. Within a few years, pollution and ecological upheaval had altered the storm systems and water flow upon which the lives of these hunter-gatherers depended. But she couldn’t help her instinctive response. The light made her feel good.
She rolled onto her back and stretched. Bright spots danced over Belloc’s arm and across her stomach. Glin faces, chests, stomachs, the insides of their arms and the fronts of their legs were pale. But Belloc’s front had the slightest shade of blue, where Duin’s had a hint of yellow. Unique among all Glin, her husband’s back half was a deep indigo blue, with thin lines of blue-green in a wriggling pattern that looked like rain on a window. The pattern made his skin seem to shimmer when he moved. “Gulla tup, bugloim.” The rich cello music of Belloc’s voice resonated in his chest as he spoke to her in Glinnish. “Awaken well, my love.”
“I couldn’t think of a better way to wake up than between the two of you.”
Me neither. I tell you what, edge sleeper or not, if I had the opportunity to play monkey-in-the-middle with some men who looked like Matt and Mike, I’d do it. Or die trying. Even if they are from another planet. And knowing Duin – at 40 years old, a father of five and grandfather of two with a personality similar to Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street – he’d probably be better at dealing with the kids’ nightmares than I would, anyway!
~J.L. Hilton
Hot AND good with kids?!? I’d “suffer” the middle too ; )
Thanks, J.L.! Folks, if that sexy excerpt wasn’t enough to excite you into picking up Stellarnet Prince (and how could you possibly resist after reading it???), here’s a blurb to whet your appetite even more:
An otherworldly love. Human blogger Genny O’Riordan shares two alien lovers: Duin, a leader of the Uprising, and Belloc, the only surviving member of the reviled Glin royal family. Their relationship has inspired millions of followers–and incited vicious anti-alien attacks.
A planet at risk. A Stellarnet obsessed with all things alien brings kidnappers, sex traffickers and environmental exploitation to Glin. Without weapons or communications technology, the planet cannot be defended. Glin will be ravaged and raided until nothing remains.
A struggle for truth. On Earth, Duin discovers a secret that could spur another rebellion, while on Glin, Belloc’s true identity could endanger their family and everything they’ve fought for. Have the Glin found true allies in humanity, or an even more deadly foe?
An exciting continuation to a fabulous series! Go get it now!!!
Author website: www.JLHilton.com
Book website: www.StellarnetSeries.com
Publisher website: www.CarinaPress.com
Buy link: http://www.StellarnetSeries.com/shop/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/J.L.Hilton.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorJLHilton
deviantART: http://jlhilton.deviantart.com/
Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5344538.J_L_Hilton
The Next Big Thing! Deep Deception
The lovely and talented Amber Kallyn tagged me last week for The Next Big Thing blog meme (her post is here) where writers can connect with readers to reveal a little something about their works in progress.
I’m cheating a tad, since the book I’m showcasing is almost done being a WIP and on its way back to my editor : ) Still, it and the connected books are fantastic and you should totally check them out!
What is the working title of your book?
DEEP DECEPTION is the only title it’s been known as, really. During the writing, it was “Book Three” or “Natalia and Gennie’s Story.” Neither terribly creative : ) So I challenged my family to come up with a title. After giving them the premise of two women digging for secrets in a mine while trying to keep their own secrets, my husband suggested DEEP DECEPTION.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
While writing the first book in the series, RULEBREAKER, I thought some of the secondary characters were too dang interesting just to leave alone. Nathan Sterling gets his story in CAUGHT IN AMBER (Jan 2013). Natalia had small roles in both RULEBREAKER and CAUGHT IN AMBER, and Gennie is in CAUGHT IN AMBER. Now both are in DEEP DECEPTION, which is a kicking ride ; )
Though the books are connected by being set on the same planet and some overlapping characters, I’ve tried to write them so you don’t have to read them in a particular order to understand the current story. But read them all! ; )
What genre does your book fall under?
Science fiction or futuristic romance. It’s not hard SF. And if you read lesbian or f/f or want to give it a go, this would fit the bill. There are a couple of love scenes that are more sensual than erotic. I’m not one to write graphic sex.
Which Actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I have always seen Tricia Helfer as Natalia, especially during her Battlestar Galactica years. When she first shows up in RULEBREAKER, she is platinum blonde, like Caprica 6. In CAUGHT IN AMBER and DEEP DECEPTION, her hair is a slightly darker shade. She definitely has the tall, cool blonde vibe going. Well, cool until she meets Gennie ; )
Anna Torv would be perfect as Gennie, with darker hair and eye color. Her mannerisms and intonations when she plays Olivia Dunham on Fringe are spot-on Gennie in my head. Like Olivia, Gennie plays things close to her chest, but there’s an underlying passion that erupts as violence or actual passion, depending on circumstances.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A Colonial Mining Authority agent and a former drug dealer’s assistant join forces to learn what a corporation is really shipping out of one of its mines, but while mutual attraction flares both have their secrets to keep.
That’s not the official one-line synopsis, but you get the gist of it.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It will be out in May 2013 from Carina Press.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Several months. I started it pretty much as soon as I was done with CAUGHT IN AMBER. Then both books got contracted (yay!) and I suddenly had a real deadline : ) That’ll move things along.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Wow, I stink at this part. Um, books with a good amount of action, smoldering looks between characters, shooting and sex? (Not sex while shooting people though. That would be tricky.)
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Since this book is the third in the series, the characters did. I don’t necessarily think characters speak to me, but they sure as heck stand around in my head, tapping their toes and looking very impatient. Then they poke my brain until a plot oozes out and off we go!
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The characters are very real and down to earth. They are far from perfect, and often far from law-abiding. The setting is on another planet in a far-off future, but the problems my heroines face both personally and professionally are relatable.
For next week (#19) check out who I tagged in The Next Big Thing:
Happy First Year, Rulebreaker!
One year ago today my debut novel, Rulebreaker, was released by Carina Press. It’s been a wild ride for the past year. Lots of ups, a few downs, but overall fantastic. I can’t say too often how fabulous Carina Press and my editor Rhonda Stapleton have been, or how much I appreciate the input and patience of my agent, Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary Agency.
I’ve received great feedback from readers. No, not all of it was “OMG! This book rocked!” And that’s all right. I need to know what works and what doesn’t so I can make future books better. So thank you ALL for your comments and reviews.
Rulebreaker’s actual birth/conception (ie: first words on paper or into computer) took place long before last August. Perusing old files, I found the original bits that dated back to 2008, a full manuscript dated late 2009, and the full I’d sent to Carina after getting picked up in a pitch contest in May 2010. But it didn’t stop there. Rulebreaker went through a few changes, including the title. It saw the red pens—or rather, the red of Track Changes—of two critique partners and a couple of beta readers. Two different editors worked on it with me. There was a cover that wasn’t really the cover that had to be straightened out. For the record, I loved both versions. Carina covers rock!
So now, over three years later, Rulebreaker is out there. I have two more books in the works with Carina Press. Other stories are in various stages of development. I’m busy writing and researching, falling in love with new characters and trying to keep some of the plot bunnies wrangled for later dates. Life is good and I couldn’t be happier. And I have many people to thank for that. So thank you!
To celebrate, I’m having a giveaway. A digital copy of Rulebreaker and a $25 gift certificate to Amazon or B&N or wherever. There may be another surprise prize, if the stars align themselves. I’ll keep you posted.
EDITED TO ADD: I just received actual print copies of Rulebreaker that were not needed for the Ritas. So there will be more than one prize winner. Ebook or print copy plus the GC for the first person chosen. Ebook or print for a second lucky duck. Comment away, people!!!! Oh, and funny thing, the cover of the print book is not the same as the ebook. Heh!
What do you have to do? Comment on this post. Ask me about my writing process. Tell me if you’ve read the book and what you liked or didn’t like. Ask me about living in Alaska. Whatever. I’ll do a random drawing on Sunday, August 12. Also, can you answer this question: What was Rulebreaker’s original title? No, you don’t have to answer correctly to win anything. I just want to see who’s paying attention : ) BTW, my CP’s cannot answer this one!
ETD, Part 2: We have winners! Helgagrace won a print copy of Rulebreaker and asked for an iTunes gift card. Taryn Rose won an ebook copy of Rulebreaker. Thanks for commenting everyone!!!
Oh, and the original title for Rulebreaker was….Hmmm…I think I’ll save that for another time ; )
Cover Reveal and Giveaway for Colonization by Aubrie Dionne
I’m honored to be part of Aubrie Dionne’s cover reveal tour for her release Colonization: Paradise 21, a sci fi YA book coming from Inkspell Publishing as an ebook and in print this October. Isn’t it lovely!
Finding a new home has never been so dangerous.
Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.
But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius’s ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus.
Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to protect her new home. What she didn’t expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus.
Can she save the colony and discover her true love?
Author Bio:Aubrie Dionne writes science fiction fantasy with romantic elements. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing, Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She’s also a professional flutist in New England.
Please visit her website: www.authoraubrie.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2964057.Aubrie_Dionne
Twitter: @authoraubrie
Blog: http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com
Giveaway! – Open for US and UK only.
We have a very cool keyring as a giveaway.
Go here to find out how to win!
Congratulations, Aubrie! I can’t wait to read Colonization!
SFR Brigade Mid Summer Blog Hop Winner!!!!
Woo hoo! What a great blog hop! Lots of fantastic comments and interesting posts.
Thank you all so much for participating. I wish I could give every one of my commentors a prize, but, alas, there is only one from here. And that one is….
Diana!
*Confetti in air*
Diana won a copy of Rulebreaker and an Amazon gift card.
But wait! There’s more!
Be sure to check the SFR Brigade blog for the GRAND prize winner. Really. DO IT!!!! (That’s a hint, people!)
Yanno, I love giving things away so much, and Rulebreaker‘s first “birthday” is coming up in August…Yep! I’m gonna do this again!
In the meantime, feel free to buy it if you can’t wait ; )
Thanks again, everyone! I had a great time and hope you did too!
Posted in contest, contest results, SFR, Woo hoo
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SFR Brigade Mid Summer Blog Hop: Land of the Midnight Sun
Twenty-three hours and forty-one minutes. That’s the hours of visible daylight we experience during Summer Solstice. That’s a lot of light.
Here in Alaska, we celebrate both Solstices, but Summer Solstice is my favorite. Summer Solstice is full of outdoor parties, midnight baseball games, kids running about well after their bedtimes. Who can sleep when the sun is bright until ten or eleven at night? The normal cues for activities are skewed when the sun doesn’t set. Energy levels run high, until you have to get up for work the next morning anyway.
How do we here in the northern latitudes deal with all that lovely, tempting light? Blackout curtains and routine. You see, we gain or lose light gradually, just a few minutes a day. We ease into those 23+ hours without realizing it because we try to keep our biorhythms on an even keel for work or school or sanity when it comes to getting kids into bed. Then, after Solstice, we ease back into shorter days, minutes at a time. Our bodies and minds get used to the coming winter darkness. Mostly.
But all this light has me wondering (because that’s what I do).
What if we were in a place where the sun NEVER set? Would the artificial dark of buildings be enough? Would we miss seeing stars and the moon? Would we lament the loss of mystery that night brings?
Over time, how would we humans adapt? Would we? What sort of psychological issues might erupt from not enough natural darkness? What about the flora and fauna in our all light, all the time location?
There are a number of SF and horror movies that use darkness because it scares the bejeebus out of us. Could we use light the same way?
Tell me what you think about a permanent Land of the Midnight Sun. Leave your email addy and I’ll choose a comment at random for a copy of Rulebreaker and a $25 gift card to the ebook outlet of your choice. A winner will be announced on Sunday, the 24th.
If you can’t wait to see if you’ve won, feel free to pick up Rulebreaker at Carina Press or Amazon or B&N or wherever fine ebooks are sold ; )
Liv Braxton’s Felon Rule #1: Don’t get emotionally involved.
Smash-and-grab thieving doesn’t lend itself to getting chummy with the victims, and Liv hasn’t met anyone on the mining colony of Nevarro worth knowing, anyway. So it’s easy to follow her Rules.
Until her ex, Tonio, shows up with an invitation to join him on the job of a lifetime.
Until Zia Talbot, the woman she’s supposed to deceive, turns Liv’s expectations upside down in a way no woman ever has.
Until corporate secrets turn deadly.
But to make things work with Zia, Liv has to do more than break her Rules, and the stakes are higher than just a broken heart…
And don’t forget to hop on over to the other SFR Brigade Mid Summer Hop spots (Sorry a more convenient list isn’t on this post! There is a complete list in the post below : ) for more prizes and a chance to win one of the biggies!
Enjoy the sun!
SFR Brigade Midsummer Blog Hop
Hello there!
On Friday 22nd June (Pacific Time) the SFR Brigade will be holding its first ever Blog Hop to celebrate Midsummer. 36 fabulous science fiction romance authors will be telling you mystical or scientific stories related to the event, and they’ll each be giving away a prize – books, gift cards, swag bags…and lots more!
Plus there’s TWO GRAND PRIZES!
1st Prize – a Kindle Touch or Nook Touch
2nd Prize -a library of science fiction romance titles from over 20 authors (these will be mostly ebooks with one print anthology), and an Anabanana Gift Card.
All you need to do to enter is pop along to the blogs listed below and comment on as many as you want (only ONE comment per site will count as an entry). Each time you comment at a stop, you’ll earn one entry into the grand prize – so the more sites you visit, the greater your chances of winning. The winners will be drawn at random on the 24th June and announced on this site. The list of participating authors can be found below this post. Spread the news!