Last Day: The Great @iBooks #Scifi #Romance Sale #iBooksSFR

Lose yourself in a galaxy of books far, far away with the iBooks scifi romance event! There's just 24 hours left to stock up your iPad/iPhone with up to 21 out-of-this-world, award winning SFR titles before they blast off. 

Click HERE for instant transportation.

Red stilettos and Lightbulbs - Guest Post by Sofia Grey #scifi #romance

You know how sometimes, the best results come about by accident? That’s how Return to Emerald City happened.

I was working on a short story aimed at a Christmas anthology. It featured a heroine called Dorothy, a pair of bright red stilettos, and a longing to go home. Real life got in the way of my writing, and I put my story aside to work on other commitments.

Around the same time, my writing / critique partner—Allyson Lindt—was finishing up a novella loosely named The Tin Man, about a futuristic hero with cybernetic implants. Camden has a lot of implants, and fears he’s lost his heart along the way.

I’m not sure who had the lightbulb moment first, but we both saw the potential for combining the stories. They both had a Wizard of Oz connection. From there we hashed out some details, agreed to each write another (for the Scarecrow and the Lion) and Return to Emerald City was born.

Sounds lovely and simple? The idea was, but like most stunning ideas, it had to be turned into reality. The first issue was creating the world, and this meant futurising Dorothy. I’d written her story as a contemp, but in order to mesh in with Camden’s, I had to shift it forty years into the future.

We wanted the stories to all link together, for the characters to develop across the story arc, and this happened surprisingly easily. Like all good characters, they grew and changed, and shared their stories with us.

We were beautifully organised, sharing documents in Google Drive and trying to keep track of the myriad of tiny details that needed to be consistent across four stories. I’ve lost track of the number of emails going back and forth between us, querying things like:

-          is it Mag-Line, Magline, or MagLine?

-          What’s the name of Camden’s girlfriend? I’ve forgotten it…

Did I mention that Allyson and I are not only in different time zones, we’re on different dates! She’s in the USA, while I live down under in New Zealand. It made collaborating interesting, to say the least * grin *

And after months of detail-checking, editing (huge thanks to “A” for content edits, and Sotia Lazu for line edits), and hours of poring over Shutterstock for the perfect cover model (isn’t Dorothy beautiful?), it’s finally released.

We had a blast working together on this, and know what? We’re already planning another collaboration for next year. Watch this space…

Excerpt from His Rewind Girl

His smile had gone from playful to dangerous, and a spike of desire drove through her. She fumbled for something witty to say, but every word raced from her thoughts.

“I might be thinking something.” His voice had dropped an octave, and she felt it roll through her as much as she heard it. Her heartbeat increased, and every inch of her pulsed with a hyper-aware sensitivity.

A heavy pause hung between them, and then he dipped his head. His mouth found hers, feather-light kiss touching her lips. She gasped, and leaned closer to deepen the kiss.

He pulled back, and disappointment flooded her. But his hand still caressed her waist. His quiet voice wove through the night. “You should know I’m not in the market for any kind of relationship. Not emotionally, anyway.”

When he shifted his weight, a distant streetlight bounced off something hanging around his neck. She squinted, and sick disbelief crawled into her gut. A gold ring with a tiny diamond hung from the chain. It had to have fallen out during their ride. She swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. “You’re married.”

He glanced down at his chest, corners of his mouth tugging down. He shoved the chain back under his shirt. “No. Not even close.” His jaw tightened, and he dropped his arm. “Never mind. I need to get home.”

Single, emotionally attached to someone else, and oh so alluring. Perfect. She grabbed his synth hand before she could talk herself out of it. She knew CyGes did an amazing job with their implants, but it still occasionally caught her off guard that a fake hand felt as real as any real one, from texture to temperature. It was in the little details—speed, precision, stamina—that the differences shone through.

“Do you have to, really?” She cringed at the plea in her voice, and pushed as much of it away as she could. “I’m sorry if I dragged up bad memories.”

He didn’t pull away, but he also didn’t move closer. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not looking for anything emotional either.” Did people usually talk about one night stands like this? How awkward. Why couldn’t they just do it then go their separate ways? She traced her thumb over the back of his knuckles. “We can go back to my hotel. Or just hang here and talk a little longer.”

Wow, talk about desperate sounding. She fumbled internally for the confidence that had driven her to start this entire conversation.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. This was a bad idea.”

Pride kept her going as much as want. She pulled his hand up and laid tiny kisses along each fingertip. The faint scent of silicone greeted her again, and she tried to be subtle about inhaling. “I didn’t mean to ruin the mood. We can get it back.”

“Probably not wise.” Despite his words, the determination was gone from his voice. His shoulders relaxed, and his expression softened.

She pressed her body as close to his as she could be without making contact. She flicked her tongue out over one of his fingers, and a low growl rumbled from his chest. That was a delicious sound. She sucked the finger into her mouth. A hint of plastic mingled with the taste of skin. Damn, she loved that taste. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment.

Her eyes snapped open, when he jerked his hand away. She was stunned to find him glaring at her, eyes practically a glacier. She frowned. “Did I do something wrong?”

He put more than a foot between them. “You knew.”

She raised her eyebrows. What was she missing? “Knew…?”

He sighed and shook his head, jamming his hands into his pockets. “You knew I’m part synth.”

She shrugged. “So?”

“Fuck.” He spoke between clenched teeth. “I’m not a fucking human vibrator. And I’m not interested in being your fetish.”

The blunt words, as honest as they were, sliced her and dug deep in the resulting wounds. “Excuse me?”

He spun away, already mounting his bike. “Go find someone else’s bike to ride. I’ve got an appointment in the morning.”

She glared at his rapidly vanishing back, as he peeled off and tore down the road. Hurt and embarrassment warred for her attention. She kicked both aside and smothered them with anger.

Asshole.

***

Blurb

Dorothy’s Red Shoes 

There’s no place like home… Dorothy is already feeling homesick for Emerald City, and wonders if taking a job halfway around the world was a mistake. When her love life crumbles–again–will she run for home? 

His Replay Girl 

If he only had the nerve… Ten years ago, Quinn made the best choice of his life, and the biggest mistake. It’s true, his band, Lionheart, is one of the biggest in the world, but how much does it mean if he can’t tell the woman he loves how he feels? 

His Reboot Girl 

If he only had a brain… Scott woke up with his head spinning and not much else going on up there. Now he’s a suspect in a terrorist plot, and on the run. One woman insists she's the key to his past and his freedom. Too bad he doesn't remember her. 

His Rewind Girl 

If he only had a heart.... Cam is as much machine as man. There are days he loathes the CyGes implants that saved his life but couldn't do the same for his family. They replaced his limbs, but now he needs someone to mend his heart.

Buy Return to Emerald City

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MV6IP3K

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/return-to-emerald-city/id929334117?mt=11

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/478473

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/5000892

Find Sofia Grey Online:

www.SofiaGrey.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6906923.Sofia_Grey

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sofia.Grey.Romance.Author

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sofiagrey1/

Twitter: @SofiaGreyAuthor   https://twitter.com/SofiaGreyAuthor 

Amazon author profile page: https://www.amazon.com/author/sofiagrey

Tumblr: sofiagreynz@tumblr.com

Find Allyson Lindt Online

Website: http://allysonlindt.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Allyson-Lindt/116062025108551

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllysonLindt

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7024176.Allyson_Lindt

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/allysonlindt

Catch Sofia & Allyson blogging at www.GeminiGirls.com

About Sofia Grey:

Romance author Sofia Grey spends her days managing projects in the corporate world and her nights hanging out with wolf shifters and alpha males. She devours pretty much anything in the fiction line, but she prefers her romances to be hot, and her heroes to have hidden depths. When writing, she enjoys peeling back the layers to expose her characters’ flaws and always makes them work hard for their happy endings.

About Allyson Lindt:

Allyson Lindt is a full-time geek and a fuller-time contemporary romance author. She prefers that her geeky heroes come with the alpha expansion pack and adores a heroine who can hold her own in a boardroom. She loves a sexy happily-ever-after and helping deserving cubicle dwellers find their futures together.

The SFR Brigade Midsummer Blog Hop - Pippa's Post

Welcome to Starry Nights, the SFR Brigade Midsummer blog hop! A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

...or right here. Stars are what bring our galaxy to life. After all, without the star our own planet revolves around, there'd be no life on Earth. I wouldn't be here right now. And according to Dr Carl Sagan, we are star-stuff.

"Hey, do you mind if I tell you a story? One you might not have heard. All the elements in your body were forged many, many millions of years ago, in the heart of a far away star that exploded and died. That explosion scattered those elements across the desolations of deep space. After so, so many millions of years, these elements came together to form new stars and new planets. And on and on it went. The elements came together and burst apart, forming shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings. Until eventually, they came together to make you. You are unique in the universe."
Eleven, Doctor Who

I love that quote. Doctor Who is my favourite SF show, the one I grew up with, and one of the biggest influences in my writing. Most of my stories are set out amongst the stars, sometimes beneath alien skies, and sometimes in space itself. And in my SciFi romance short Terms & Conditions Apply I pay homage to possibly one of the most cataclysmic events in the universe - the death of a star.

"The door glided open and Marie stepped through, to find herself in the heart of the nebula. She squeaked and Soren grasped her arm in reassurance. The floor of the room was a burnished silver disk beneath the heavens. Crimson and gold light, woven in twisted strands of fire and strung with stars, formed a gauzy canopy overhead. As the door closed, the illusion was complete. They hovered in the fiery remnants of a long dead star. In a shroud of scarlet flames between them and a void full of shadows and distant pinprick suns."

EXCERPT | Available at...  
B&N | ARe | Amazon US 
| Amazon UK | Smashwords |

And if you'd like to win some stellar prizes and out-of-this-world stories, here's your chance! To enter, simply fill in the rafflecopter below. All prizes are available internationally (there are no cash or other alternatives - if you can't accept those on offer, please do not enter).

1^st  $100 Amazon or B&N gift card plus 42 ebooks - Tales from the SFR Brigade, Heart of Stone, Her Cyborg Awakes, Anja's Star, Silver Strife, Corwint Series 4 Book Gift Pack, Earth's Requiem, Alien Blood, Starwoman's Sanctuary, one book from Jessica E Subject's SFR backlist (ONE ebook title out of the following: Alien Adoration, Alien Admirer, Alien Lover, An Unexpected Return, Another Night Another Planet, Celestial Seduction, Crash Landing, Hey Santa, His Alien Virgin, Made For Her, Never Gonna Let You Go, Never Gonna Desert You, Never Gonna Say Goodbye, Satin Sheets in Space, Sudden Breakaway, or Unknown Futures), LodeStar Series Books 1-3 (Stark Pleasure, Creed of Pleasure and Captive of Pleasure), Reunion trilogy, Terms & Conditions Apply, Wreck of the Nebula Dream, Starheart, Kuralon Rescue, A Matter of Trust, Earth's Blood, Roman's Gold, Wolf Born, The Marann, Nightfall, Unrequited, Butterman Time Travel Inc., Legend Beyond the Stars, Hathor's Legacy: Outcast, Removed, Midwinter Crisis, Shlyer: Finding Home, Boyfriend's Brother, Surviving the Trap, Captive, Tower in the Woods, Catching Red, Underlighters. 

2^nd $50 Amazon or B&N gift card plus 33 ebooks - Tales from the SFR Brigade, Heart of Stone, Her Cyborg Awakes, Anja's Star, Silver Strife, Corwint Series 4 Book Gift Pack, Earth's Requiem, Alien Blood, Starwoman's Sanctuary, Tangled In Time, Terms & Conditions Apply, Escape from Zulaire, Lana's Comet, Heart's Bounty, Glad Hands, Nikolai, The Trial of Tompa Lee, The Tribulations of Tompa Lee, The Midas Rush, Prime Obsession, Daughters of Suralia, Morning Star, Hey Santa, Tower in the Woods, Catching Red, Underlighters, Alex Wales:Promise, Recast trilogy (Wither, Clash, Shiver). 

3^rd  3 separate winners each receive $25 Amazon or B&N gift card plus 12 ebooks - 3 separate winners each receive Tales from the SFR Brigade, Heart of Stone, Her Cyborg Awakes, Anja's Star, Corwint Series 4 Book Gift Pack, Hey Santa, Tower in the Woods, Catching Red, Underlighters.

As for my stop on the hop, you can comment below and tell me your favourite SciFi show/film/character and email addy to win either a digital edition of my upcoming new SciFi romance Tethered (releasing 25th July) OR the newly edited re-release of my SFR Galaxy award winner Keir (release date TBA). If you can wait that long, lol. 

Add to your Goodreads shelf HERE

Meanwhile hop along to the other participants, and see what gems they have on offer by using the Inlinkz list below, or jump back to the main Brigade post by clicking the Starry Nights graphic at the top of the post. Happy travels!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

TETHERED - #Cover #Reveal #scifi #romance

It's here! The cover for my scifi romance Tethered is now available to see in all its glory! Just click on one of the blog links below to get your first look at my shiny pretty thing. :)

Mark of the Stars

Kyndra Hatch
Layna Pimentel
Liana Brooks
My Creative Desk
Everyday Fangirl
Celia Breslin
Winter Bayne
Karen Y Bynum
Going from Nobody to Somebody
Melisse Aires
Cassandra Page
Upon the Wings of Greater Things
Authors, Books and Chocolate
Erica Hayes
Author Deborah A Bailey
SFR Brigade
Paranormal Reads
The Shameless Penmonkey
SE Gilchrist
Liza O'Connor - Author
Racing to Read
Elle Clouse
Terry Gene

#Cover #Reveal - The Nogiku Series by SJ Pajonas @spajonas #giveaway #NA #SFR

Today is the cover reveal for the Nogiku series by SJ Pajonas. This cover reveal will be for the following books: Revealed: Part One (Nogiku series #0.1), Removed (Nogiku series #1), Released (Nogiku series #2) and Reunited (Nogiku series #3). This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

Here's a picture with all four covers:

Revealed: Part One: New Year’s Eve with Jiro and Mark (Nogiku series #0.1)
by SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult, Adult
Release Date: June 1, 2014

Blurb:
Get immersed in the Nogiku world with Jiro Itō as he gets ready for a boring and annoying New Year’s Eve out in Nishikyō. At least, that’s what he expects his night to be like. Jiro would rather drink with the geisha all evening, and avoid taking anyone home, but he has family business to attend to instead. When the family business leads to an unfamiliar restaurant, Jiro spies Sanaa Griffin smiling at him from across the room, and his night turns around.

But Mark Sakai, his uncle, is not pleased with Jiro’s flirtations. Mark has worked hard for over a decade to get Sanaa into position for her new life, and he can’t have Jiro interfering. Will a stern warning be enough to keep them apart?

PART ONE of REVEALED is a companion short story to REMOVED, Book ONE of the Nogiku Series. The first chapter of REMOVED is included at the end of PART ONE. Read REVEALED first or read it later, but don’t miss this look into the other side of Sanaa’s story.

Approximately 10,000 words.

You can find Revealed: Part One: New Year’s Eve with Jiro and Mark on Goodreads
You can buy Revealed here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- iBooks


Removed (Nogiku series #1)
by SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult, Adult
Release Date: September 11, 2013

Blurb:
Duty knows no family. Love has no price. Secrets can cost you everything.

Twenty-year-old Sanaa Griffin is about to get more than she bargained for when she wishes for love, happiness, and excitement on New Year’s Eve. Ripped from the job she always loved, she is reassigned to work for mysterious Mark Sakai and spy on the corrupt leaders of her city. War looms on the horizon, and Sanaa must help Sakai determine the key players and their weak spots before it’s too late.

Mark Sakai has many plans for Sanaa that will take her into a web of lies and danger, and her only protection is to learn to defend herself. But defense training under the watchful eye of Jiro, a strong and enigmatic young man she has a crush on, was not what she expected. Between falling in love with Jiro and the information she is gathering, Sanaa realizes Sakai is holding back secrets about her family and her deceased parents, secrets as to why she was chosen for this job, and learning the truth puts all of humanity in jeopardy.

REMOVED is the first book in a captivating post-apocalyptic series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can find Removed on Goodreads
Want to view some inspirational images for Removed, visit the Removed inspirational Pinterest board

You can buy Removed here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- iBooks
- Kobo

You can watch the trailer for Removed here:


Released (Nogiku series #2)
by SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult, Adult
Release Date: December 17, 2013

Blurb:
Left in the desert to recuperate from her injuries, Sanaa Itami paces the floors and contemplates her mistakes. She trusted too easily, and now people she loved are dead, killed at the hands of men coming to assassinate her. Sanaa feels beaten, but life awaits her at home. While her city recovers from the devastating earthquake, negotiations for Sanaa's future continue. New allies must be made, new friendships brokered, new skills acquired -- at all costs.

Life at the top of the chain is complicated and lonely, though. With all her friendships rocky and uncertain, Sanaa must learn to trust others again more than she's willing. Who is left holding a grudge? And will the new family Sanaa has found with Jiro support or betray her?v
RELEASED, Book TWO of the Nogiku Series, is the second book in a captivating post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can find Released on Goodreads

You can buy Released here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- iBooks

Reunited (Nogiku series #3)
by SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult, Adult
Release Date: August 14, 2014

Blurb:
Yūsei has surprises for Sanaa Itami. The long trip across the stars ends with Mark Sakai delivering bad news from orbit over their new home, and there’s no turning back or moving on. Despite all their misgivings, this is where they will have to stay.

Sanaa, Jiro, and the rest of Earth’s settlers move into a coastal town and stick to their plans to live the colonization life they dreamed of. But Sanaa’s existence won’t be kept secret from her enemies for long. Kazuo promised he would see her in another life, on another world, and he aims to keep his word. Now she will face those who want their revenge and make new enemies while dispensing with old ones on her journey across the fascinating and unfamiliar landscape of Yūsei.

REUNITED, Book THREE of the Nogiku Series, is the third book in a captivating post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can find Reunited on Goodreads

You can read Revealed: Part One for free! And the price for Removed has been permanently dropped to 0.99$. Haven't started this series yet? Pick up your copy today!

About the Author:
S. J. Pajonas loves all things Asian and has been in love with Japan and the East for as long as she can remember. Writing about Asia and Japan came naturally after studying the culture and language for over fifteen years. She studied film and screenwriting first and eventually segued into fiction once she was no longer working a full-time job.

Face Time is the first novel in the Love in the Digital Age series, and Pajonas’s first foray into Korean culture and families. Along with Removed and Released in the Nogiku Series, she continues to take the cultures of Asia and weave them into stories that appeal to people from around the world. Her writing is described as unique and unpredictable. Expect the unexpected.

Stephanie lives with her husband and two children just outside of New York City. She loves reading, writing, film, J- and K-dramas, knitting, and astrology. Her favorite author is Haruki Murakami and favorite book is The Wind-up Bird Chronicle.

You can find and contact her here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Pinterest
- Flickr
- Instagram
- Tumblr

And there's a cover reveal wide giveaway! You can win a 10$ gift card for Itunes of Starbucks or one of the 3 e-copies of Released!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Clone Succubi #Assassins & Felinoid #Aliens Coming Atcha!

Woo hoo! So, on top of yesterday's announcement about my Louisiana #zombies being contracted to Lycaon Press (think Warm Bodies meets Supernatural, but cuter), I can now tell you I've signed my SciFi romance novella Tethered with Breathless Press. This was my entry to the SFR Brigade blurb contest back in 2012. Yep, it's been waiting its turn in the limelight for a while. With a genetically enhanced clone who can walk through walls and a scarred Terran diplomat on the verge of a mental breakdown the only two people standing between humanity and a race of aggressive feline aliens, Tethered was the first story I wrote away from the characters featured in Keir and Gethyon. And now I finally get to share it with you!

Grace under Fire by @MisaBuckley - New #release #excerpt #sfr

BLURB: Grace McKenna wakes up to find the world in danger – the sky is on fire and the only man who knows how the global satellite system works is languishing in a mental institute. Sent by the director of Global Solutions, she discovers a man largely forgotten by society, a man whose powers intrigue her.

Breaking Benedict Thomas out of the institute might be as crazy as he’s alleged to be, but someone is lying and Grace is determined to find out whom. Especially since those lies have put the entire world in danger…

EXCERPT: In the middle of the room was a plain, metal table with a chair on either side. One was empty. The other contained a thin man in a shapeless grey overall. His wrists were strapped to the arms of the chair, his ankles to the front legs. Long dark hair shot through with silver hung over his bowed

head. He sat utterly still and only the slight shift of his chest gave any indication of life.

“Don’t worry,” the woman said. “He can’t hurt you.”

“I never would have guessed,” I muttered, unable to keep the sarcasm from my voice. “Is that entirely necessary?”

“Mister Thomas can be… unstable.” Her expression as she stared at him verged on disgust, even hatred. “The restraints are for his benefit as much as yours.”

“You’re all heart.”

“Please, Doctor McKenna. I am aware that this probably looks… medieval to someone more used to dealing with computers, but be assured that we at Hammel MI know what is best for our residents.” She motioned at the table. “Mister Thomas has requested a private audience with you. We have agreed to monitor the conversation on closed-circuit television as long as there is no audio feed. If you will…”

I stepped into the room and she closed the door. Metal clicked as the locks were turned. Claustrophobia clenched my chest and squeezed my throat. I forced myself to breathe slowly, taking in deep gulps of air until the panic passed.

Turning to the table, I found a pair of brown eyes on me, their focus sharp and calm. This was a mad man? It was hard to believe—there was far too much intelligence in that steady gaze. I approached the table. His gaze never broke from my face and my nerves jangled as I took the seat opposite.

“You wanted to see me?”

A thin smile showed beneath the tangle of hair. “Indeed I did, Doctor McKenna.” Benedict’s rich voice belayed his gaunt appearance, the words clipped and precise. “I believe that disaster has struck the Earth?”

I glared at him. “You know that it has. You made this happen.”

The straps didn’t stop him turning his hands over, palms to the ceiling in an innocent gesture. “And how did I do that from this most comfortable of prisons, Doctor? I have not seen the sky, burning or

otherwise, since Callahan declared me insane in order to steal my royalties.”

“Nevertheless, you did something. I saw the schematics and the first satellite. The system was different, it had an addition. And I’m willing to bet that addition is what’s responsible for the sky burning.” I shook my head. “It doesn’t answer why, though. Yes, Global Solutions screwed you over, but people are going to die. The entire world paying for one man’s greed doesn’t seem fair.”

*** 

Find out more from HERE!

Valentine #scifi #romance #Giveaway

To celebrate the approach of Valentine's Day, Lyn Brittan has organized a scifi romance giveaway to get you in the spirit, and I'm offering a digital format of Terms & Conditions Apply as part of the bundle. Here's a snippet -

“Perhaps I can be of service?”
Marie stared at him…at it. She’d heard about the VA avatars but never been so close to one. She’d learned from the space station’s blurb that the main AI took the form of a young Indian woman called Ganesa, spoken of with as much reverence as the bronze-cast deity behind her. This particular avatar had been crafted into a ruggedly handsome, if stereotypically human, male. Thick blond hair left a shade too long framed his face perfectly; darker brows arched over eyes the most glorious shade of deep blue she’d ever seen. He was broad shouldered and athletic, and the thin, snug-fitting one-piece in gray outlined the well-defined musculature of his torso in a way no doubt intended to draw attention and tease the imagination of potential clients. A shapely hint of what lay beneath without full disclosure, like the metallic foil used to cover chocolate treats. Also a complete contrast to the man she’d hoped to see, and all too perfect to be real.
“I don’t need your service, thank you very much.” She jumped up and tried to shove past him, but the dense composition of an avatar meant she only jarred her arm and had to sidle past in an embarrassingly servile fashion. He made no attempt to stop her, and she headed blindly down the nearest access corridor.
Tears blurred the curious faces as she passed them. She wasn’t sure where she was going or why. A starship home perhaps, or to the quarters Jaisen had booked and that no doubt held her meager luggage at this moment…
Someone caught her elbow and steadied her as she swayed with indecision. “I really don’t think you want to go that way.”

So, want the chance to win one of four scifi romance ebooks or a paperback omnibus? Simples! Just fill in the rafflecopter below. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer - Giveaway ends February 13 at 12:00 AM EST. Open internationally. Warning: content possibly not suitable for minors under the age of 17. eBooks and Digital Prizes will be sent electronically via email. Other prices may be sent U.S. Postal Service or similar service. Winners will be selected on or before 2/123/2014 by Random.org and be notified by email. No purchase necessary. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to participating authors. We do not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting winners.

Gethyon on Sale @CoffeeTimeRoman #YA #scifi

As my #YA #SciFi #adventure Gethyon is discounted to $1.49 @CoffeeTimeRoman HERE I thought I'd share an excerpt today.

Take me away from here. He stared deep into the image, his longing to be out there burning in his chest. Take me far away.

Something within him stirred, forcing him to focus deep inside the image. Warmth flowed from his chest, through his arms and into the crystal. Suddenly, the image opened and surrounded him; the room transformed into the dark void of open space, the stars orbiting him in slow rotation, a supernova within the grasp of his free hand.

Gethyon gasped in shock and dropped the CHI device; the illusion vanished, leaving the inactive crystal gleaming at his feet. He stared at it, expecting the images to leap from the crystal again and surround him. Tentatively, he reached down for the gem and his fingers closed around it. He lifted it to his face, gazing intently into the faceted prism, turning it this way and that as if it would suddenly reveal its secret. When nothing happened, he held it at arm’s length and activated it a second time. Again, the picture rose from the CHI device and hovered above it, nothing more than a simple hologram. Not understanding the strange sensation that seemed to spill from him into the heart of the imager, he allowed it to happen again. The view expanded and enfolded him in deepest, blackest space and sparkling stars. A cloud of infinitesimal space debris drifted across his eyes like wisps of cloud, and he pushed the fingers of his free hand into it, watching as the particles dispersed around his fingers.
Take me away from here.He stared deep into the image, his longing to be out there burning in his chest. Take me far away.

Something within him stirred, forcing him to focus deep inside the image. Warmth flowed from his chest, through his arms and into the crystal. Suddenly, the image opened and surrounded him; the room transformed into the dark void of open space, the stars orbiting him in slow rotation, a supernova within the grasp of his free hand.

Gethyon gasped in shock and dropped the CHI device; the illusion vanished, leaving the inactive crystal gleaming at his feet. He stared at it, expecting the images to leap from the crystal again and surround him. Tentatively, he reached down for the gem and his fingers closed around it. He lifted it to his face, gazing intently into the faceted prism, turning it this way and that as if it would suddenly reveal its secret. When nothing happened, he held it at arm’s length and activated it a second time. Again, the picture rose from the CHI device and hovered above it, nothing more than a simple hologram. Not understanding the strange sensation that seemed to spill from him into the heart of the imager, he allowed it to happen again. The view expanded and enfolded him in deepest, blackest space and sparkling stars. A cloud of infinitesimal space debris drifted across his eyes like wisps of cloud, and he pushed the fingers of his free hand into it, watching as the particles dispersed around his fingers.

Marveling at the sudden magic that had brought the galaxy’s image to life, he permitted more of the energy to surge into the CHI device, forcing it when it threatened to trickle to a halt. The image expanded farther, beyond the confines of his room and out into the landscape. Something within him seemed to unlock, and glittering threads of crystal fire shot through space, a long twisting corridor stretching out to infinity. Gethyon stood gasping on the threshold, dizzy with power and exhilaration, waiting to fall into the passageway.

Sudden alarm shot through him in an icy stream; he turned, fear stinging his nerves and fiery agony pulsing in his mind. From behind him darkness deeper than space, an antithesis of light, life and warmth, billowed into his vision, swamping and consuming all before it. He tried to scream, but the sound locked in his throat, leaving him silent and helpless. He tried to release the CHI device, to banish the image and the darkness back into the gem, but a paralysis claimed him. The blackness swelled. Amorphous fingers reached for him across the millennia, seeking to claim him. Power bled from him as the darkness drained his energy, sucked the life from him.

Pain exploded in his hand to the sound of splintering, and the vision shattered. Gethyon stood frozen. Shards of the CHI device fell from a hand dripping in crimson. He screamed as the darkness swallowed him.

 ***

And for some bonus bargains, check out the free books and multiple giveaways HERE.

Teaser Tuesday - Released by SJ Pajonas #NA #sfr #apocalyptic #giveaway

Excerpt:

“Itami-sama, I’m glad to see you’re feeling better. Sakai-san tells me you were injured during the earthquake. How unfortunate.”

What a supremely cunning liar Minamoto is. I’m sure he knows everything about the fight, my injuries, my recovery, and my near death again in the hospital at the hands of an assassin. He has spies. We have spies. If only we all just told each other everything, but instead we do this dance. To men like Minamoto, the dance is everything, and if I don’t want to offend him, I will have to step lightly.

“I am quite well now, thank you, Minamoto-san.” I rise from seiza to lean forward and lift my cup of tea from the table between us. Jiro is sitting silently to my left, Usagi standing behind me, and Sakai is on my right.

I sit back on my heels and take the time to sum up Kentaro Minamoto. He’s twenty-two, the same age as Jiro. He’s lean, fit, and possibly a little wiry under his gray kimono. He has a thin face, long forehead, and short spiky hair. If I had seen him out and about, I definitely would have thought, “Not my type.” He has yet to utter a word, but he is watching me while I watch him.

“Minamoto-san, you said you had business to discuss,” Sakai says, setting his tea cup down and placing his hands on his upper thighs. I continue to sip at the genmaicha. Hmmm, this tea is not as bad as I remember it being.

Kentaro lightly shakes his head at Minamoto. Violences flashes over Minamoto’s eyes as Kentaro turns towards me.

“Itami-sama, before the earthquake, I was prepared to get back to you about my support. I am willing to throw the full weight of my house behind you, but I ask one thing in return.”

I keep my face as passive as possible. Here it comes.

“You currently have no consort. You are twenty and of the age that such things are permissible. It would be advantageous for both our families if you were to take my son, Kentaro.”

This is my stop during the blog tour for the Nogiku series by SJ Pajonas. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours . The blog tour runs from January 20 till February 2, you can view the complete tour schedule on the Nogiku series blog tour page on the website of Lola's Blog Tours.
So far this series contains two book: Removed (Nogiku series #1) and Released (Nogiku series #2).

Removed (Nogiku series #1)
By SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: September 11, 2013

Blurb:
Duty knows no family. Love has no price. Secrets can cost you everything. Twenty-year-old Sanaa Griffin, a sweet and smart half-Japanese girl, is about to get more than she bargained for when she wishes for love and excitement on New Year’s Eve 3103. Mark Sakai, who knows more about her than any stranger should, thinks Sanaa is the perfect person to spy on the heads of the three biggest Japanese clan leaders in Nishikyo. He wants her to gather enough evidence to keep them from going to war when they land on Earth’s colonization planet, Yusei. Nishikyo, built by the Japanese 300 years ago to house the rest of mankind, is failing and everyone is preparing to leave. Sakai has known Sanaa’s family all her life but she knows nothing of him! And despite all the time they spend together, he keeps his distance from her. Then one day, he brings her to Jiro, his nephew, to learn sword fighting, and it changes her life irrevocably. Between falling in love with Jiro and the information she is gathering on the clans, Sanaa realizes Sakai is holding back secrets about her family and her deceased parents, secrets as to why she was chosen for this job, and learning the truth puts her and all of Nishikyo in danger.

You can find Removed on Goodreads
Want to view some inspirational images for Removed, visit the Removed inspirational Pinterest board

You can buy Removed here:
- Amazon (Paperback)
- Amazon (Kindle)
- Barnes & Noble
- iBookstore
- Kobo
- Wattpad

You can watch the trailer for Removed here:

Released (Nogiku series #2)
by SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: December 17, 2013

Blurb:
**Contains spoilers for those who have not read REMOVED (Book 1) Left in the desert to recuperate from her injuries, Sanaa Itami paces the floors and contemplates her mistakes. She trusted too easily, and now people she loved are dead, killed at the hands of men coming to assassinate her. Sanaa feels beaten, but life awaits her at home. While Nishikyo recovers from the earthquake, negotiations for Sanaa's eventual rule on Yusei continue. New allies must be made, new friendships brokered, new skills acquired -- at all costs. Life at the top of the chain is complicated and lonely, though. With relations in Sakai clan rocky and uncertain, Sanaa must learn to trust others again more than she's willing. Who amongst the clans is left holding a grudge? And will the new family Sanaa has found with Jiro support or betray her? From Nishikyo to Yusei, RELEASED, Book TWO of the Nogiku Series, is the second book in a captivating New Adult post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can find Released on Goodreads

You can buy Released here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo

About the Author:
S. J. Pajonas loves all things Asian and has been in love with Japan for as long as she can remember. Writing about Asia and Japan came naturally after studying the culture and language for over fifteen years. She studied film and screenwriting first and eventually segued into fiction once she was no longer working a full-time job.

Released is S. J. Pajonas’s second work, book two of four in the Nogiku Series. The first book in the series, Removed, is described as “a wonderful story” with “engaging characters, seamless world building, and an action packed plot.” It’s an “up-til-3am-because-I-read-it-in-one-sitting book.” She also writes contemporary romance and her upcoming first book in the Love in the Digital Age series will be published in 2014.

S. J. lives with her husband and two children just outside of New York City. She loves reading, writing, film, J- and K-dramas, knitting, and astrology. Her favorite author is Haruki Murakami and favorite book is The Wind-up Bird Chronicle.

You can find and contact her here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Pinterest
- Flickr
- Instagram
- Tumblr

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of the Nogiku series. These are the prizes you can win: Amazon Gift Cards, copies of REMOVED, and eBook copies of two fantastic Japanese books: JAPANESE SOUL COOKING and THE SAKE HANDBOOK. Both will be gifted through either Amazon (kindle) or Barnes&Noble (nook).
Here are the links to both books on Amazon:
Sake Handbook on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sake-Handbook-John-Gauntner-ebook/dp/B007H9GVMI/
Japanese Soul Cooking: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BVJG5GC/

You can enter the tour wide giveaway here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

A New Venue (for a not so new story)

I have to say, 2014 has started with a bang...and not in a good way. Between exploding and dying technology, starting with the loss of my phone before Christmas and ending with my machine machine coming to a noisy end on New Year's Day, it's been an expensive start. And a mixed one on the publishing side too. Some of you may (or may not) have noticed that my debut scifi romance novel Keir has now vanished from all retail sites (except for possibly the print version on B&N). If not, you might have heard the wailing on Facebook and/or Twitter about it. I'm not going into details about that now. Suffice to say, I have no idea how long Keir will be unavailable at this moment in time. No, I'm not happy about it. There are just some things over which I have no control.

BUT, on the plus side and thanks to a crash course in advanced formatting and uploading to retail sites while helping with the SFR Brigade anthology over the autumn, I have had one bonus. Yesterday I uploaded an updated version of my scifi romance short Terms & Conditions Apply to All Romance Ebooks. And to celebrate this small but significant step for me, I've reduced the price by a third to $1.01 until the 23rd of January. You can pick it up HERE in pdf, mobi (Kindle) or epub (Nook/Kobo) formats. Or gift it to a friend (one of the things I love about ARe!). And when you're done, I'd really appreciate a review if you could spare a moment just do do a line or three about what you thought of it. *smoochies*

And while you're over on the ARe site, why not grab Tales from the SFR Brigade too. It's FREE! :)

Plus, pop back in a few days when I am doing a HUGE giveaway. ;) (Psst, it's for something that right now you just can't buy).

#Cover #Reveal - Aubrie Dionne #scifi #SFR #YA #SFRom #giveaway

 

BLURB:

“Saving him meant saving her colony…”

Lyra Bryan has been saving people her whole life from a chick in the ventilation pipes to her mentally ill brother when his mind drifts back to Old Earth. She meets her match when she finds a gorgeous alien man aboard the arachnid ship. Captured after a failed attempt to save his people, his spirit is broken, craving only vengeance. To save her colony, Lyra must save his body and soul.

Lyra’s lifemate, Tauren, is jealous of her obsession with the alien man and will do anything in his power to break them apart. While they travel to the arachnid’s home world to defeat the mother brain once and for all, they must set aside their differences and work as a team. But, can Tauren be trusted? 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her books have received the highest ratings from Romance Times Magazine, as well as Night Owl Reviews and Two Lips Reviews. She has guest blogged on the USA Today Happily Ever After Blog and the Dear Teen Me blog and signed books at the Boston Book Festival, Barnes and Noble, and the Romance Writers of America conference. Her writings have appeared in numerous publications including 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, Astraea Press, Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras.

COVER REVEAL CONTEST!

Winner gets this awesome crystal paperweight from Paradise 21 series! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you Like That...Try this... #sfr #scifi #romance

You know how if you read or watch something that you really like, and you want more? But it's the last of the series, or a one-off, or if there just isn't more? Sucks, doesn't it? So, some of us decided that this week we'd do some posts to help you out. We've drawn on books, films and TV series, picking the things we like, and then tried to give you some titles we think are similar, and tags about why - what elements tie them together. Hopefully we've given you some great alternatives to try out. Here we go...

If you like Doctor Who/Torchwood, try - Kicking Ashe by Pauline Baird Jones, Keir by Pippa Jay (adventures in time and space, some romance, aliens, technology), Tin Cat by Misa Buckley (time traveller)

If you like Hunger Games, try - Alien Blood by Melisse Aires (survival of the fittest, game show, romance)

If you like Star Wars, try - The Iron Admiral by Greta van der Rol (space opera, space battles) or Gethyon by Pippa Jay (scifi adventure, technology, light against dark, young hero)

If you like Star Trek, try - Nebula's Music by Aubrie Dionne, Ambasadora and Greenshift by Heidi Ruby Miller

If you like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, try - Unknown Futures by Jessica E Subject (space station, romance, technology, aliens) or Terms & Conditions Apply by Pippa Jay (space station, androids, aliens)

If you like superhero stories (Superman, Batman, Avengers, Agents of SHIELD etc) try - Blaze of Glory by Sheryl Nantus (superheroes, alien invaders) Super Zero by Rhonda Stapleton or Even Villains Fall in Love by Liana Brooks (superheroes, evil mastermind)

If you like Bladerunner/Matrix, try - Unacceptable Risk by Jeanette Grey (gritty cyberpunk, technology, dystopian) or Jaq's Harp by Ella Drake (gritty biopunk).

If you like Fifth Element, try - The Girls From Alcyone by Cary Caffrey

If you like Space Above and Beyond, try - Made for Her by Jessica Subject (military, clones)

If you like Starman, try - Celestial Seduction by Jessica E Subject, Star 
 Attraction by Misa Buckley (love with a visiting alien)













And please feel free to make suggestions in the comments. Enjoy!

If you're looking for more suggestions, head on over to The Galaxy Express, where a master list of other bloggers taking part in the If You Like event.