When a couple finds itself in possession of a briefcase filled with $160,000 of obviously illegally obtained $100 bills, its criminal owner terrorizes the two in his attempt to retrieve it. Destination Unknown is a tense and at times heart-wrenching psychological piece in the vein of the classic stalker thriller. The author's style is bold, the characters well developed, and the pace nearly perfect. Although formulaic, Zelazny knows his genre and takes great efforts to turn common cliches on their heads. While I did not personally like the stylistic choice to fall into present tense in some internal dialog, it is clearly a stylistic choice and the story's prose is otherwise superb.  Add Comment In this dark dystopian horror, the United States has become the Empire, a theocracy that offers no tolerance for any offense from crimes of morality to murder. Those found guilty are sent to Necropolis, the rotting remains of Las Vegas, to be devoured by its undead inhabitants. Hank, among the most recent group of convicts sent to die, is desperate to find his way out and to his son, Toby. Hank’s offense: following an ex-hooker-turned-undercover morality agent in a frantic attempt simply to talk to her, as she holds an uncanny resemblance to his deceased wife. In his scramble to survive the night, he falls into a scandal that sheds new light on Necropolis, its inhabitants, the Empire, and its very unholy leader. This is one of the best horror stories I’ve read in some time. The mesh of religious symbolism and political commentary tucked neatly between pure horror and suspense is superb. The characters are intriguing, the pace nearly perfect, and the story practically flawless. There was a short lag in the middle of the book, and with that a couple of character motivations that left me puzzled. I couldn’t understand why the leader of the living vampires would choose exile over death for his adversary when there was no question the backlash would be dire, then go on to put full trust in those who would obviously turn on him at the first chance. The erotic scene between Hank and Rachel felt terribly out of place, given his intense suffering at the time. These issues are minor, however, compared to the brilliance of the rest of the story. I rate SHINING IN CRIMSON a very enthusiastic 4.5 stars. I highly recommend! 
It is my pleasure to introduce fellow dystopian author, Jeffery M. Anderson, who has some beautiful insights on the genre. Take it away, Jeffery! The Dystopian Virtue Various literary scholars and Websites, have identified several common elements that are distinct within classic dystopian literature. What distinguishes the dystopian tale, when examined, reveals the why of its importance as a literary form. The examination also gives insight into the why of the authors and their motives for writing such generally bleak stories. Classic dystopian novels, such as 1984, A Brave New World and Farenheit 451, commonly involve a humanity overburdened by technology and dehumanized by its own fragility and helplessness that technology has brought on. It is often a humanity tightly controlled and oppressed by a government, corporation or other controlling power that has stepped in to fill the vacuum left by the populace’s inability or unwillingness to self govern behaviors and social structure. The governing power may have intentionally encouraged the powerlessness of the people and helped to create the dystopian society, or simply arose as a response to the decline of self governance. Regardless, the result is always nightmarish. The “heroes” of the genre, perhaps better simply termed protagonists, are usually disaffected members of the defunct society, insiders who, for one reason or another, are not fully indoctrinated by the governing power and not susceptible to the soporific trance of the average citizen. They rebel against the dystopia and try to escape, or fight back against its oppression. Interestingly, in many cases, the protagonists are largely unsuccessful, falling prey to the power of the antagonistic governor. This leaves many dystopian novels with predominantly frightening and sorrowful endings, and leaves readers feeling as hopeless and powerless as the citizens of the novel. The intentions of dystopian novels are pretty clear-cut. The whys of these stark warnings about society are deep seeded concerns of the writers as observers of their own times and cultures. Portraying a totalitarian end result to their concerns over apathy, censorship, over-governance and over-technologied people is a plausible and logical conclusion to these writers, observing the trends of the world. It is a significant and important genre because it realizes fears that many people have about their modern world and can serve as a message of warning that the dystopia can be averted if people become more involved in the formation of their future. But is dystopian literature averting anything, or is it symptomatic of the dystopia becoming realized? The popularity and frequency of the genre has increased over the last several decades. Literature and film both seem to show an increased fascination with the dystopia. There may be something to the idea that, somewhere in our collective human conscience, the dissatisfaction with the world is increasing, as is the fear of its general direction. In my own dystopian novel, Ephemera, the world is not a clear-cut dystopia, yet. But, it is far more dystopian than its citizens realize and it edges closer to it every day. It is a dystopia and a totalitarian power that has slowly been emerging for sometime and is on the brink of taking total control of the people, as technology slowly puts them to sleep. And that is the most likely way that this scenario would come about. Not with a major defining event, but in bits and pieces over time. As the old adage goes – with a whimper, not a bang. There are any multitude of trends one could point to as evidence that the slide toward dystopia has been long coming. It is a pessimistic and perhaps, hyperbolic view of modern history. Still, observant watchers of history cannot deny that the presence and power of media, technology and governing bodies over the daily lives of people has been steadily increasing, if in seemingly innocuous, or even beneficial ways. As to now, society has not hit a stopping point, drawn a line in the sands of tolerance that it will not allow any of these influences to cross. That, in itself, may be of most concern to writers and readers of dystopian literature. Jeffery M. Anderson is the author of the breakthrough novel, Ephemera. He is the former senior publicity director for the firm FSB Associates and a graduate of the University of Iowa. He writes and blogs from his home in New Jersey. www.theephemera.com Today, as part of his virtual book tour, it is my pleasure to welcome horror author Gordon A. Kessler, who has a great new release, Jezebel. Gordon is giving away a $50 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky blog tour poster--the more blogs you post at, the better your chances of winning--so make sure to leave a comment. Thanks for stopping by The Cerebral Writer, Gordon!   Thanks for hosting me on your blog, Lisa! I’ve been asked to write about meshing horror with romance. Well that’s not only a potent mix but a perfect one! How appropriate that we discuss Jezebel with such an assignment. As many of you know, I wrote Jezebel while going through a divorce—hence horror without romance. But writing is great therapy, and I think Jezebel helped me through the tough times. Romance, humor and horror all need a build-up—suspense—to draw out the most entertainment/emotional value of the target scene. Crafting any of these elements require similar techniques, even though the writer is looking for very different results. Whether looking for a sigh and a warm heart, a chuckle and a smile, or a frightened, wide-eyed start, a seed or plant is needed early on. This is done by simply placing something in the story in an early scene to be built on in later scenes. With the interest of not getting off track, I’ll just give a couple of simple examples: for romance, it might be a glance or a coincidental meeting of the soon-to-be, romantically involved characters; for horror, it might be the door that hasn’t been opened for twenty years or the spooky alley that must be passed every night. So, after seeding the romance, readers begin to identify with the characters and find empathy with them more easily. But they become interested in not only the romantic couple, but also in the romantic subplot that develops. This adds a depth and complexity to the story, as well as the feel of realism. Then, when one or both of these lovebirds find themselves in jeopardy, talented fictionists will be able to convey the tension and suspense quickly and hook the readers.  In Jezebel, Tony Parker loves his wife, that’s obvious. She’s the mother of his children, his high school sweetheart—she keeps him grounded. But Tony’s going through that stage common to us all when we realize we aren’t the young, attractive person we used to be—he’s having a midlife crisis. Ripe and ready for the picking (and very willing) is his beautiful and seductive young assistant. Working closely with Sarah isn’t easy for a man who feels the need to prove to himself that he still has a little coal in furnace, yet who is also a moral family man who loves and appreciates his wife and family. This is especially true since he seems to be coming down with more than just a little cold virus or flu bug. Something inside his head is gnawing away at his thoughts, making him do things he wouldn’t normally do. With the huge black Great Dane loose and terrorizing the city at night, dogs attacking their masters for apparently no reason, and the sexual tension between Tony, his wife Julie, and assistant Sarah, the action clips along at a very fast pace. Then, when Jezebel seems to be stalking Tony, his friends and his family, that rapid pace goes into overdrive. Romance in a horror novel—I can’t think of a better way to really ramp up the tension. But I write mystery and sci-fi thrillers, as well. I feel romance plays a very important role in all of my novels for the same reasons I have explained. I hope you check out my stories and let me know if it works! Please, give me your comments; what makes a good scare for you, my dear bloggers? I have other blogs and websites for writers. You can tweet me at www.Twitter.com/gordonkessler, friend me at www.Facebook.com/gordonkessler1 and link with me at www.LinkedIn.com/in/gordonkessler. And you can always find my books at any online bookstore, including Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Nook, etc. All three of my thrillers are currently on sale in eBook formats for only $.99—trying to get those sales numbers soaring! Of course, you can find them in traditional paperback and hardcover at reasonable prices, as well. Here’s how to find out more about my work: the book trailers on YouTube for Jezebel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zHD9pmHOzk&feature=related; and Brainstorm at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eDjWJFbRdI. Then there’s my blog at www.WMxBlog.com and my websites at www.GordonKessler.com and www.ReadersMatrix.com. Thanks again for hosting me on your blog! Happy reading!  About Jezebel: Sleep lightly tonight… A madman has come to town seeking a diabolical revenge and large dogs begin attacking their masters for no apparent reason and with heinous results. Animal Control Director Tony Parker must find out why and stop the murderous attacks. Meanwhile, Jezebel, a huge black Great Dane has killed her master and is loose, terrorizing the city and stalking Parker and his family. Parker and Sarah Hill, his beautiful and seductive young assistant, attempt to unravel the mystery and stop the terrible carnage while dealing with their own demons and lusty desires. The attacks must be stopped. Jezebel must be found-and soon, you see--there is one other complication. Parker seems to have come down with an annoying little virus. No, it's not one of those irritating summer colds. It's certain death. She's a murderess, huge and black as a hell-bound night. Beware. Jezebel is on the loose! Excerpt: Hill went to the front door and watched Chin’s van make a U-turn at the corner and head down the street. The headlights flashed in Hill’s face, momentarily blinding her. She winced. The light burned her already blood-shot, weary eyes. A silent moment passed before a sound came from outside. The back yard. Scratching. Something was climbing over the fence. The rifle. It was still next to the back door. Hill moved quickly toward the kitchen. As she made it to the hall, the dog port began to open. Hill stepped to the side, out of sight, before seeing what was coming through. She trembled, backing up to the wall next to the large window that was painted shut. She could run for the door, but by the time she reached it, she’d be seen. No way out. Hide. Where? There was no place. Behind the sheer curtain, maybe. In the dark, she might not be seen if she was quiet and didn’t move. She pulled the curtain around her. She could see through it, but it made the already dim room even dimmer. The blowing fan was the only noise. Nothing moved except the oscillating shadows of the fan blades beating the stale air through the room. The green flash of the clock on the CD player caused an eerie, strobing light. A dark shape slowly emerged from the hallway and moved into the room. Large. Huge. Black. Author bio: Gordon A Kessler is a former US Marine parachutist, recon scout, and Super Squad team leader, with a bachelor's degree in creative writing. He is a Master Instructor for Johnson County Community College, National Academy of Railroad Sciences, and the BNSF Railway. He has taught novel writing for Butler County Community College, English Composition for Hutchinson Junior College and has previously indie-published the thriller novels Brainstorm and Dead Reckoning, and a book about the novel-writing craft, Novel Writing Made Simple. He is a founder and current president of the Kansas Writers Association and tries to stay connected to writers and the writing industry by doing speaking engagements at writers conferences and for writers organizations, and does his own "The Storyteller" seminar in Wichita, Lincoln (Nebraska), Kansas City, and other Midwestern cities based on his Novel Writing Made Simple book. His websites, http://www.WritersMatrix.com and http://www.IndieWritersAlliance are landing pages for writers to help them in their writing endeavors. His author website is http://www.GordonKessler.com. Other links: http://www.ReadersMatrix.com http://www.Twitter.com/GordonKessler http://www.Facebook.com/GordonKessler1 http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/GordonKessler  Heart transplant recipient Arthur Feldman serves as a frame narrator, sharing an otherworldly story he believes was experienced by his organ donor, Rodwell Richards. The story begins with Rodwell’s untimely murder, then shifts to a surreal alternate reality as Rodwell’s consciousness leaves his body. Instead of going to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell, Rodwell finds himself in a strange world—reborn, as it were, into a new life in a universe enigmatically connected to Earth. His experiences are interrupted by intermittent breaks back into "reality" in the form of nightmares--visions and sensations of being in a hospital room, barely clinging to life, the voice of his wife desperately trying to come to terms with his comatose condition. Over time, Rodwell becomes increasingly involved and connected with this new world, until the new life replaces the old, suggesting that there is no afterlife, but rather jumps from one universe to the next. Another Space in Time is a refreshing and provocative look at our world and the world beyond, speculating existence, purpose, and God in thoughtful and meaningful ways. At times, Bunning’s style seemed similar to that of Olaf Stapledon, one of my favorite speculative fiction authors. I recommend this book to fans of ‘50s pulp sci-fi and readers who enjoy a literary edge to their science fiction. It is my pleasure to have pop culture author Bertena Varney here to talk about her recent release, Lure of the Vampire. As an added bonus, one lucky reader will win an electronic copy of her book, so make sure to leave a comment and share with your social networks. Thanks so much for coming here today, Bertena! Tell us about Lure of the Vampire.  When I began to write this book, it didn’t begin as a book. It began as part of my master’s thesis. The long story of how Lure of the Vampire came to be is included in my book, but the short version is that I needed a final class to graduate and how my wonderful professor allowed me to create an independent study course looking at the sociological lure of the vampire. Well, I finished my paper and several people said that it would be a great beginning to a book. So, I spoke to new authors that I met on Facebook and researched how to publish a book. It looked simple enough. So, I decided I would do it. Boy was I wrong but I will save that for a later post. Once I decided to write the book I began what would be almost two years of research. I looked up folklore stories, serial killers known as vampires, author websites, vampire games and much more. While researching I found that people are very passionate about their vampires! Being a sociologist and criminologist by trade I decided to be as objective as possible ensuring that I didn’t take sides on the sparkly vampire versus traditional vampires. I even came up with a theory that showed why we need all types of vampires. But, still that was all the battles and arguments that I came across dealing with this creature of the night. It wasn’t just the Twihards that were passionate about their Twilight vampires or the real life vampires that were protective of their lifestyle (and rightly so) but it was the everyday person who had a different idea of what a vampire is. I received hate emails from people saying that I was bringing demons to life and into their world and I was going to hell. Other emails ranged from a battle of what television shows were better and who is the best television vampire. I have to say Henry Fitzroy and Mick St. John fans are passionate and don’t let me begin discussing the True Blood fans. But, the most passionate groups are the women who love the romantic vampires and the erotic stories. They have their favorite knight in a black cape and will defend them to the end. Their vampire heroes come into their bedroom at night off the pages of the books they read and bring romance and passion to their lives. These women may or may not be the traditional fan of the vampire but when it comes to their favorite character they are every loyal and passionate.  My findings after researching vampires was that there are no two vampire fans that are alike, vampire fans are very passionate about their vampires and that there is a vampire for everyone- they just need to know where to look for them. As a result, I decided to categorize my reference book into sections dealing with the different types of vampires. I thought that if one person wanted to know more about children’s vampires or learn more about recreational events that deal with vampires then the book should be easy to use. Here are the ten sections that the book is divided into are: vampires in mythology, vampires in history, vampires in literature, vampires in movies, vampires on television, vampires on the web, vampires in recreations, vampires for kids, vampires in education and vampires in real life. Each section includes one or more of the following: fun lists of facts, websites, essays, and interviews. Readers can go to a section and find websites that they can use for more information as well as read fun lists such as the top 10 Romanian Tours or the Top 10 firsts in Literature. As a result of the research and feedback that I received from the myriad of vampire fans that I met along the way I decided to make Lure of the Vampire a resource that can help you find the perfect vampire for you while providing resources for you to learn more about that vampire. So, what is your favorite type of vampire? Who is your favorite vampire character? I will be here answering your questions throughout the day. I look forward to hearing from you. Win a Free PDF of Lure of the Vampire I will be giving away a free PDF of Lure of the Vampire. All you have to do to be registered for the contest is to do the following: - Comment below - Friend me on Facebook here - Follow me on twitter @tenavarney - Join my website: www.bertenavarney.com and http://searchforthelure.webs.com - Share this link on Facebook and twitter. Make sure you comment or send a message to let me know that you have done all of these. Each one is worth one chance to win, and all five will get you double the points. Lure of the vampire is available here. Good Luck! ~ Bertena Varney. M.A. TRS Treasure Hunt! 03/31/2011
 Who can resist a good treasure hunt? Especially when the treasure is filled with exciting locations, sexy heroes and heroines, and a lot of adventure and fun to filled the hours. We hope you have fun uncovering the characters and plots of the stories each author has provided a clue to. The rules: 1. Each day a group of authors will post the answers to their clues. 2. You must use the clues to find your way to the author’s blog/website or FB and find the answer to their question. Answers can be found in the excerpts/blurbs posted on the sites. 3. All the answers will be posted by Friday 04/08/11. 4. Once you have all the answers then you must go to TRS website http://www.theromancestudio.com/ and click on the Treasure Hunt logo to submit your answers. 5. All answers must be submitted by Saturday 04/09/11. 6. The person with the most correct answers wins the Kindle. In cause of tie, a random winner will be picked from the group of top answers. Other prizes drawn at random. 7. First prize is a Kindle. Other prizes include 10 print romance titles, many of the authors will be giving away a copy of their ebook to a commenter on their blog/site, and $25 gift card to Amazon. The Clues: 04/01 Friday’s Clues Passion in Print writer Jennifer L. Hart believes in torturing her characters in the fires of hell before they are allowed a happily ever after. In her latest release, Drue redeemed himself by working as an assistant to Dakota Whitmore, the woman he believes to be a thief. What does Drue think she stole from him? http://www.jenniferlhart.com/ Seleste wishes she could visit the Badlands to enjoy some "Ramblings and Romance" and maybe even end up Blood Kissed. Which sci-fi captain does Seleste think would sit down for a drink or two with Spencer Pierce, the hero of her steampunk romance Badlands? http://selestedelaney.com/wordpress/ Ryan Field, an openly gay romance writer for twenty years who writes for Ravenous Romance, wants to know what two very important topics does Luis want to discuss with Jase in the beginning of the book? http://ryan-field.blogspot.com/ 04/02 Saturday’s Clues Decadent Publishing author, Deena Remiel can be found where The Brethren like to play, at Deena Remiel's Place. Michael, Brethren Protector has a full-time day job. What does he do? http://deenar116.wordpress.com/ Urban Fantasy and paranormal romance writer, Vivi Dumas, resides at Delusions of Grandeur. Her heroine, Angel, true love is a hot demon name Jacque, but she has a second passion she loves almost as much. What is it? http://vividumas.wordpress.com/ While sitting on her Writer’s Block, author Kelly Yeakle enjoys all things with classic beauty and Timeless elegance. In both of her current published novels, this location has been used for either a portion or the entire novel. Name the place. http://kyeakle27.webs.com/ Rebecca Leigh, a straight-laced attorney by day who writes sexy erotic romance by night, wants to know what her two hot male vampires in Room Number Twelve like to role-play on Friday night at the Warehouse on Sixth Street. http://blog.rebeccaleighromance.com/?zx=9f7ac5e328b15b 04/04 Monday’s Clues Stacey Espino loves to escape into erotic romance. Whether it be futuristic, paranormal or western menage, she has you covered. In one of her menage romances, two wolf shifters are not too happy about sharing the human female they found by the side of the road. What is the name of the woman who has captured their hearts? http://www.staceyespino.blogspot.com/?zx=9cd4776461d53fe7 Canadian author, Jean Roberta’s recent collection of stories all have something in common. What does each one have? http://www.jeanroberta.com/Books/obsession.htm Whiskey Creek Press author Cate Masters loves diving into her writing. When one of her heroes meets a real mermaid, what does she help resurface? http://catemasters.blogspot.com/ 04/06 Wednesday’s Clues Louisa Bacio enjoys traveling through some of the darker & wilder sides of the erotic. Bacio’s m/m/f paranormal release “The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf” is set in what historic U.S. city? http://louisabacio.blogspot.com/ Kilt Kilpatrick is a popular Ravenous author with a novel and several short stories to his name. Two of his short stories take place ouside of the U.S., which are they? Btw, if you can't find a blog for him, try looking for him face to face... http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kilt-Kilpatrick/160928497477 LaVerne Thompson loves a good mystery. Her hero Caine Hayden meets a mystery woman one night and his business associate the next. He falls for both. What are their names? http://isisindcblog.blogspot.com/?zx=504a36458bcde215 04/08 Friday’s Clues PJ Schnyder is an author of paranormal and sci-fi romance who believes home is where the heart is. One of her heroines, Carri, believes a man might only be a lone wolf because he was never given the option to be something else. Who is Carri's wolf and what is his nickname for her? http://pjschnyder.com/blog/ Author Jay Di Meo’s home has her name. Her hero James is a reincarnation of Egyptian god Seth, represented by a Jackal. His beloved Silver is the Falcon – which Egyptian god is he? http://jaydimeo.wordpress.com/ Trinity Blacio has been writing professionally for the last eight years. She has titles with several different publishers. Throughout the Running In Fear series what is the one thing Jaycee craved and wanted that she finally got in book 3? http://trinityblacio.com/blog/ Ravenous Romance author Lisa Lane has two series, an erotic horror trilogy and erotic, romantic space opera. In her erotic horror books, how do her vampires take their coffee? http://www.cerebralwriter.com/blog.html Good luck! Book Review: THE SORCERER'S KEY by C. C. Bye 03/18/2011
 Jack Lightfoot has a family history that makes him unique to our world. His father is a sorcerer from Eden, an alternate world to our own, and although Jack was raised on our familiar Earth, the sorcerer blood runs deep in his veins. When an Eden bounty hunter tracks down his family, hired by the high sorcerer Morgan, Jack learns that he holds the key to both worlds--and the power to take on Morgan himself. Bye offers an intriguing take on the classic hero's journey, meshing bibilical myth with Dungeons and Dragons-style sorcery to create a story that is as provocative as it is exciting. I enjoyed Bye's take on the Eden myth and its connection to modern day Earth, and the story's fast pace made it a quick read. His voice is strong, his dialog smooth, and with one exception, his style is flawless. I did find an overuse of "be" verbs, which was the only issue I had with this book, but it was a small fault to an otherwise exceptional story. I highly recommend THE SORCERER'S KEY to fans of high fantasy. It is a fun and adventuorous tale that readers will not soon forget. I give this work an enthusiastic four stars. THE SORCERER'S KEY is available through Amazon here. Please Welcome Guest Author Linnea Sinclair! 08/15/2010
 It is with great pleasure that I hand over The Cerebral Writer over to author Linnea Sinclair today. As day two of the Out of This World Blog Tour, Linnea will be sharing with us her insightful thoughts on short stories:  COOKIE TIDBITS IN THE LITERARY AISLE OF LIFE, Or Why Reading Anthologies Can Tickle Your Tastebuds By Linnea Sinclair I watched an interesting discussion about short stories and anthologies on a reader list the other week, and was surprised by the number of readers—avid, frothing-at-the-mouth-over-characters-and-plots kind of readers—who had either never tried or really disliked reading short stories and anthologies. I’m an avid reader. Always have been. I’m old enough to remember when kids’ cereal boxes came complete with a miniature picture book glued to the back. (Oh, joy! Oh, rapture!) I’ve been known to read dictionaries, encyclopedias, and, when desperate, the backs of toothpaste tubes. If it’s got words, I want it. So it struck me as a tad odd to encounter people who inhale novels yet balk at short stories or novellas. While I understand the basic tenets of the objections—“I want to spend more time with the characters than a short story allows… There’s not enough for me to get involved in the story…”—I will admit they baffle me a bit. I mean, if you’re a chocoholic and you’re strolling the cookie aisle in your local grocery store, and there’s that nice little old lady in an apron with tiny paper cups full of chocolate cookie crumbles for you to sample… you’re going to walk on by without grabbing one? My pantry has more than a few boxes of tasty things (as does my freezer) that I’ve tried—taken a chance on—from the apron-wearing saleslady at the grocery store. Delicious little delicacies I might not have ever known about. So I invite those of you a bit skittish about anthologies to think of them as tiny paper cups full of possible delights. A sampling. A temptation. A mini-experience that might lead to something even more grand. Anthologies and short stories are a terrific way to discover a new author, or a new series by an author you already know. Approach them the same way you do that paper cup full of cookie pieces: this isn’t the whole deal but a sampling. Something to whet the appetite. Not a full seven-day vacation in the author’s fantasy realm, but a quick and fun overnight getaway that might make you want to come back for more. (Or not. The reverse is also true. If you find the author’s style not to your liking, at least you didn’t waste $7.99 on an entire novel you’re not going to want to read.) With anthologies, you get a store-full of cookie samples in one fat volume. You can try one tasty treat a day. You can sample a story on your lunch hour and have a total experience right there in the middle of your usual pandemonium at work: opening scene, hot conflict, happy resolution. No dragging yourself back to your desk wondering if the character will solve the mystery or save the galaxy. But a complete mini-adventure, all yours. Of course, there’s another reason behind my gentle pleadings on this subject. I have a short story (really, more of a novella) coming out November 2010 in Songs of Love & Death: Tales of Star-Crossed Love. This is a fabulous anthology edited by two of the biggest names in the business: George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. It also contains stories by some other big names in the business: Jim Butcher, Jo Beverly, Carrie Vaughn, M. L. N. Hanover, Cecelia Holland, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Robin Hobb, Neil Gaiman, Marjorie M. Liu, Jacqueline Carey, Lisa Tuttle, Mary Jo Putney, Tanith Lee, Peter S. Beagle, Yasmine Galenorn, and Diana Gabaldon. And, oh yeah, me. A former news reporter and retired private detective, Linnea Sinclair writes fast-paced science fiction romance for Bantam Dell, including the RITA® award-winning Gabriel’s Ghost and her latest bestseller, Rebels and Lovers. When not on duty with some intergalactic fleet—or playing human slave to her spoiled felines—she’s usually on the third barstool from the left at www.linneasinclair.com.  Likely some of you have noticed the mixture of bestselling romance authors and bestselling science fiction and fantasy authors in that list. Yep, Songs of Love & Death is a crossover anthology of SFF and romance—something those of us who write SFR have long been hankering for. I don’t know if this is the first time the two genres have (amicably) gotten together, but it’s a rare enough circumstance that it makes makes this anthology noteworthy. For romance readers, it’s a chance to sample the exotic flavor of SFF. For SFF readers, it’s a chance to find out that romance isn’t all about bodice-ripping. = = = = = From “Courting Trouble,” by Linnea Sinclair: What in hell was Serenity Beck doing here? The answer was in her green uniform with its silver star emblem on the sleeve. She was ship’s crew, very likely ship’s pilot. Death threats he could handle. But Serri Beck was trouble; a seriously unexpected complication. And one that made his chest go tight and his breath hitch. If Nic thought Serri disliked him six years ago, there was no doubt in his mind that she was really going to hate him now. Damned shame he couldn’t return the favor. But six seconds of watching her sprint past him just destroyed six years of his hard-sought sanity. And might well destroy his career. He almost flexed his wrist to contact Leonoso. But he couldn’t—not for thirty-eight hours. Mission rules. Cursing himself silently, he waited for a boxy anti-grav cargo auto-pallet to whirr by before slipping out of the shadows to follow her. Some rules were about to be broken. = = = = = I hope you’ll give Songs of Love & Death a nibble (it will be available in hardcover and ebook). It has zero calories, and is definitely good for your heart and your brain. ~Linnea LINKS: http://www.linneasinclair.com/books.html http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1439150141 Coming Soon.... 08/02/2010
 Mark your calendars--The New Sensuality has a great lineup of SFR and erotic SFR authors coming up this month: Linnea Sinclair Pauline Jones D. L. Jackson J. C Hay Kaye Manro Marva Dasef Sandra Stixrude Lisa Lane More details to come! | ArchivesFebruary 2012 CategoriesAll |
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