Readers who know my work may be a bit surprised to learn that my latest book, Thrill-Kinky, is science-fiction romance. Or maybe they’ll wonder what took me so long to venture into yet another subgenre. I already have paranormal, contemporary and fantasy romances under my belt (and one short historical romance in Delilah’s Conquests anthology), not to mention dark fantasy and short erotica featuring every possible combination of consenting adults having naughty fun.
So why add science fiction romance to this conglomeration, other than the already obvious “I like variety”?
I blame and thank my husband.
I’ve always flown my geek flag proudly. In seventh grade, I turned in a paper written in Tolkien’s Dwarven runes. (My handwriting was too bad to pull off Elvish script.) My first several novels were heroic fantasy, which still live in boxes in my closet, awaiting the time I’m brave enough to reread them and see if there’s anything there to salvage. I worked at Del Rey Books in the eighties and binge-read every fantasy book they published and a lot of the science fiction. But while I went through a stage of reading just about anything that involved wizards, witches, dragons, or people with swords fighting evil, I was fussier about science fiction. A lot of what I picked up seemed to be more focused on technology and (admittedly cool) world building than on characters. The male characters were two-dimensional, the female ones even flatter. With a few exceptions—Ursula LeGuin comes to mind—I preferred my fantasy. Sure, some of the women of fantasy were basically plot devices waiting to be rescued, but Mercedes Lackey! Anne McCaffrey! Guy Gavriel Kay! Even going back to my roots, Tolkien had some impressive women characters and some emotional arcs as epic as the adventures involving swords and sorcery. And of course, there were his delightful, down-to-earth hobbits thrown in among the fierce and mighty.
And then I met Himself, who realized I’d managed to miss out on Star Trek when I was growing up and got me watching both the original and the various spin-offs. From there, we branched out into other science fiction TV shows: Farscape, Babylon 5, and what became my favorite, Firefly. In these series, action was important, but interaction was even more central. You cared about the firefights and the capers and the narrow escapes because you’d come to care about the team of characters, not just because Spaceships are Cool and Aliens are Awesome. I mean, both of these things are true, but Firefly’s spaceship was the space equivalent of someone’s rickety but much loved first car held together with duct tape and bubble gum, and there were no aliens—and the show still captivated me. Himself also got me watching anime, enjoying the completely goofy plotlines and random bits of humor and sexiness in dark scenarios. And then there were the superhero comics and movies…
With all this imagery in my head, it was inevitable I’d try my hand at science fiction sometime—but science fiction my way. With wacky aliens because they’re fun, political complications worthy of Babylon 5 because those interest me more than space battles, and an independent freighter with a motley crew I can imagine drinking with Malcolm Reynolds and the rest of the crew of Serenity at some seedy spaceport bar. There’s also a cat-girl sidekick, thanks to too much anime. Of course there are tough women, handsome men, hot sex and true love, because all that kind of inevitable if I’m writing the book.
And the name of my rickety independent freighter? It’s the Malcolm, a direct bow to Joss Whedon’s wonderful series and its hero, Malcolm Reynolds, a.k.a. Captain Tight-Pants—who would have gotten into different and more fun kinds of trouble if he’d been my character!
Thrill-Kinky
Chronicles of the Malcolm,Book 1
Sexual freefall is like a game of chicken, except the first one to let go wins.
Humans may have expanded to the stars, but they still have the annoying need to work for a living. Which is why Rita, crew member of the space freighter Malcolm, is stuck collecting recyclable slag rather than attending her favorite festival celebrating love and sexuality.
Things go from boring to interesting when she discovers a badly injured man who’s been thrown into a recycling bin to die. The catch, he’s gorgeous, winged, and naked.
Drax Jalricki, reformed (mostly) art thief and reluctant covert operative, is on an undercover mission to protect three planets when someone in his own government brands him a traitor. By virtue of association, Rita and her crew are going down with him.
From their first, hide-in-plain-sight quickie, the erotic spark between Rita and Drax is fueled by danger and adrenaline. But their growing suspicion that there’s more to their connection than lust may not matter if they don’t live through the night.
Warning: Hero and heroine who straddle the line of criminal behavior—and definitely violate public indecency statutes. Exhibitionist, dangerous sex. Dark, sordid pasts. Wild risk-taking. Giggly cat-girl sidekick who’s not just another pretty…tail. And the greatest risk of all: true love.
Excerpt (Adult)
Definitely something in the danger-as-aphrodisiac theory, because in a fetid alley, with the law and outlaws both after them and her no doubt out of both a job and a home when the guys found out she’d dumped the slag and abandoned the floater, Rita was getting more turned on than she ever remembered being. She’d been excitable to start with, from the kiss, and from simply being around Drax’s dangerous good looks, but now she could feel herself getting slick, hot, ready for the cock that she could now feel all too well against her bare skin.
And his wings—marling stars, she’d never felt anything like the soft, sensual caress of all those feathers against her back, her ass. So good. His hands gripped and kneaded, and his wings stroked and soothed, and all the while he was kissing her, exploring her mouth with his tongue, sending sparks down the connections from her lips to the mouth of her sex. Her common sense told her they needed to move, couldn’t take the time to play there when the overpriced thugs in the Fiero might show up at any second.
Her common sense lost the argument with her libido.
Teresa Noelle Roberts started writing stories in kindergarten and she hasn’t stopped yet. A prolific author of short erotica, she’s also a published poet and fantasy writer—but hot paranormals and BDSM-spiced contemporaries were her favorites until she realized science-fiction romances offered new possibilities for outrageous adventure, wild sex and love that overcomes serious obstacles, including being from different species! Find her at www.teresanoelleroberts.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter, where she hangs out as @TeresNoeRoberts.
Hi! How are you? I’d like to thank Delilah for giving me the chance to blog over here today.
While most people are still taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo, I’m already thinking about NaNoWriMo. See, Camp NaNoWriMo takes place in April and July, which are awful months for me to get started on a first draft. Both of these months contain two weeks of school holidays, and/or public holidays, maybe even some annual leave. So, they’re not an option for me.
But NaNoWriMo takes place in November, which is a great month for me.
Have you ever taken part? I started taking part in 2006 and have tried to do it every year since then. I think 2011 was the only year that I didn’t because I was too busy editing a book. I love allocating a WIP to the month of November at the same time as a bunch of other writers are doing the same. I mean, I write fast drafts anyway, and get caught up in a first-draft frenzy that can last 4-6 weeks—whatever it takes to get the story out.
So NaNoWriMo isn’t a big stretch for my usual way of writing.
Besides, I think that completing a first draft just before the end of the year is a great accomplishment. And an awesome way to end the year. 🙂
My latest book release was actually a book I wrote during NaNoWriMo 2013. It was just like every other story I write: I had copious amounts of notes (I’m more a note-taker than an outliner), and when November 1st hit I got stuck into writing the story and didn’t stop until I reached The End. By November 30th, I had a new novel ready for revision the next year.
I know there are differing opinions about whether NaNoWriMo is good for writers or not, but I personally think it’s great. First drafts are meant to be messy, a way to get the story out of your head and onto the screen or paper because you can’t ignore it any longer. So, IMO, this is the perfect event to do so.
Have you ever done NaNoWriMo? What was your experience like?
Thanks for reading,
Yolanda
AUTHOR BIO:
Wife. Mother. Writer. Bibliophile. Dreamer. Animal lover. Intrigued by the supernatural. Horror freak. Zombie enthusiast. Movie & music fan. Slave to her muse.
Yolanda lives in Sydney, Australia with her awesome husband, lovely daughter, and cheeky cat.
She escaped the arena of death, but trusting him might be the death of her.
RECAST, Book 4
Taylor may be the Clash Arena’s most dominant—and only—female gladiator, but today she just can’t catch a break. After winning yet another brutal fight, with the arena inexplicably falling down around her ears, she jumps at the chance to escape the prison of her subterranean pit.
Instead, she finds herself knocked unconscious more times than she can count, and pursued over the edge of a sea cliff by an AI enforcer she can’t shake off her heels.
Walsh has been living a double life, masquerading as a tyrant’s enforcer while hiding his true agenda. When the despicable arena falls, there’s only one thing on his mind—saving the savage blonde who doesn’t trust him as far as she can throw him. Which is a considerable distance.
Once he convinces her he’s not out to kill her but help her survive, they form an uneasy alliance. But Taylor senses he’s keeping a secret, not just from her, but about her. And the truth will show them exactly what it is to be human.
Warning: This book contains some girl-on-girl action, a kick-ass gladiator who takes no crap, an AI who puts it all on the line, a band of misfits who aren’t as merry as they seem, cute tadpoles with sharp teeth, and grip-you-by-the-hair kisses. Strap in, interstellar turbulence is a bitch.
I thought I’d lead with that—a maybe-naked Viking standing behind a shield and holdin’ his sword. (My daughter says I have a gift for making everything sound dirty. Says I’ve ruined certain words for her forever–Kelly, moist, moist, moist…)
I love this cover, and I love this book! It’s 62,000-words of yummilicious Vikings! And it’s up for pre-order now for the astonishing price of $0.99! And if you’re a Kindle Unlimited customer, you’re going to get it for free. Both these offers won’t last long, and if you buy now… Okay, now I sound like the Oxi-Clean salesman. But I’m excited about this book, and I can’t wait for you to take a peek inside. It releases July 14th!
This is the buy link: Amazon. I was the first to read the stories, because I was the one who chose the stories and did the first edits. So, I know what’s in store for you, but here’s another tease…
Vikings. Fierce warriors who terrified all in their path as they raided and marauded, enslaved and murdered during Europe’s Dark Ages.
But these rough men from a rugged land were also sailors, explorers, craftsmen, and highly sought after mercenaries.
Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance will transport you to the realm of fantasy where such fearsome and loyal men are relentless potent lovers. Whether the lady of the keep demands a few stolen hours of pleasure with a captured Viking warrior or the handsome Northman is the one seducing his captive, you will find plenty of lusty adventures in settings as far-flung as Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Byzantium, Moorish Spain and the New World.
Let your fantasies run wild to a time when men wearing bearskin shirts and shining iron helms could capture a fierce maiden’s heart!
These are the stories you’ll find inside…
The Captive by Lizzie Ashworth – A captive turns captor when the lady of an English keep commands a few stolen hours of pleasure with a captured Viking warrior
Ásgeirr and the Tree of Life by Mina Murray – Danger and desire collide when a wounded Viking warrior washes ashore on a remote Irish island
A Varangian Guest by Melissa Fuchs – When her brother returns to Constantinople in the company of a warrior from the far north, a widow finds herself drawn to him with irresistible desire
How to Train Your Skjaldmaer by Delilah Devlin – A Viking jarl tricked into marrying a shieldmaiden sets out to tame his fiery bride
The Viking’s Prize by Emma Jay – Treachery and desire greet a Viking warrior who travels to the coast of Newfoundland to broker peace with the indigenous tribes
There for the Taking by Nym Nix – A captive is seduced by her Viking captor as he couples with an amorous shieldmaiden whilst she is left to watch
Sweet Silk by Megan Mitcham – A Viking returns to Persia years after saving a merchant from certain death to retrieve the child-bride awarded him–yet never claimed
Little Warrior by Evey Brett – A woman braves a pair of daunting shieldmaidens and her father’s wrath in order to take her sister’s place as bride to a Viking warrior
Protecting Her by Regina Kammer – A Byzantine noblewoman seeking refuge in a monastery loses her heart to an invader when Constantinople is sacked by the Rus
Enslaved by Elle James – A conquering Viking vows to tame his sassy Celtic slave–if she doesn’t kill him first
The Oak and the Ale by Beatrix Ellroy – A businesswoman trying to secure trade routes for her family instead finds love with a crippled warrior
New Words by Teresa Noelle Roberts – An Andalusian Arab poet learns that her new Northman husband is more than just a handsome barbarian
The Needle and the Strap by Bibi Rizer – A young man hasn’t lived up to the Viking standards of his brave and ruthless kinsmen–until he rescues a wild and wicked shieldmaiden from a burning ship
*~*~*~*~*
So where does the contest come in?
You have to do something to earn your chance to win! I want you to go to the brand new Conquests website and scroll down while looking at the left-hand column. Sign up to receive our blogs via email. (I do have a way to check the names!) And then come back here and tell me in the comments that you’re signed up. And if you want to tell us how excited you are about this anthology, my day would be made!
Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone enjoys the day with family and good food! But before you eat, how about thinking of the fallen soldiers, sailors, and airmen the day is meant to honor…
Have you ever had a co-worker who pushed all your buttons? What if, despite that, you couldn’t help lusting after him?
That’s the dilemma facing Anna Reynolds when she’s forced to work with Giles St Clair. Anna has worked damned hard to earn her recent promotion, and she’s determined to meet her deadline even if she’s understaffed. But that means having to accept help from Giles, who’s rubbed her up the wrong way ever since the red carpet was rolled out for the highly sought after consultant.
Giles has every man and woman swooning at his feet, but Anna can’t stand his superior attitude. Too bad she can’t help finding him super sexy. She’s not going to get involved with him and risk her professional reputation.
But when she finds herself locked in a stationery closet with Giles, they can’t hide the heat between them. In order to break the tension and get her project back on track, Anna must make a difficult decision.
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY is Book 2 in my Serendipity series – short, breezy romance from the heart. When you’re short of time and in need of a pick-me-up read, try FIREWORKS AT MIDNIGHT or ALL WORK AND NO PLAY.
Author Bio:
Coleen Kwan has been a bookworm all her life. At school English was her favorite subject, but for some reason she decided on a career in IT. After many years of programming, she wondered what else there was in life — and discovered writing. She loves writing contemporary romance and steampunk romance.
Coleen lives in Sydney, Australia with her partner and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys avoiding housework, eating chocolate, and watching TV shows like Criminal Minds and Bob’s Burgers.
I had a blast at RT last week and wanted to share some of the goodies from a ton of wonderful authors I had the pleasure of meeting, because, heck, I may be an author, but I am a reader, too!
This year has rocked. I can cross three things off my bucket list: Hitting the NY Times and USA Today Bestsellers lists, and meeting my idol, Jill Shalvis!!
She had several panels and events at RT, but I was up in my room working on edits, so I didn’t get to meet her until the Hot Guy Bingo event she did with the wonderful Jaci Burton! They were a riot! And I am happy to say I wasn’t tongue-tied when I approached Jill, but I was tongue ‘stupid’. Yep, instead of telling her I wanted to be like her when I grow up, I said Iam going tobe her when I grow up. What an idjit I am. lol Thankfully, she took it in her stride (I think). She laughed, but come to think of it, it was a little on the nervous side…
But, she didn’t call security when I approached her table at the big signing, and she even invited me to show up at her next event so she could sign the book of hers I left in my room. And, when I told her I was collecting swag from authors to give away to my newsletter subscribers next month, she shoved a ton of stuff in my hands!! *Holds hand over heart* I promise I will part with every bit of it…because I already have my own stash of Jill stuff. J I even have Jill & Eloise tote bags to give away!
So, if you’d like a chance to win some of these goodies, books, totes, and more I couldn’t fit in the frame, then be sure to subscribe to my newsletter at www.donnamichaelsauthor.com for your chance to win! Most of the loot is signed, too, by Cat Johnson, Becky McGraw, Don Allen, Sylvia McDaniels, Elle James, Paige Tyler, and Geri Foster, just to name a few!
I had a blast at all the events, especially the cowboy and military ones. Creating a hero that is both is one of my favorite things to do, and I’m excited to announce my new Harland County release that just came out May 21st!
The doctor/captain/cowboy is on a mission to convince the visiting beauty that some doctors are worth trusting…
Holly’s stay in Harland County Texas is limited. She’s only there to help run her uncle’s ice cream business while he recuperates from an operation. Her home is in Colorado. Her life is in Denver. Her dream job is in Denver but won’t be if she doesn’t get back before her leave of absence runs out. Everybody knows this, but apparently her heart and body didn’t get the memo because they spark to life whenever her uncle’s smoking, hot doctor is around. But she’s been burned by one before and is definitely not interested. Much.
Doctor Jace Turner has one goal: Join Doctors Without Borders. Ever since his father was in a car accident and became HIV Positive from a blood transfusion, Jace set his sights on the organization and plans to join, once his contract is up with the Texas National Guard. The last thing he needs is the crazy attraction he feels toward the beauty from Colorado.
The cowboy isn’t looking for a relationship. She isn’t staying. Perfect set up for a fling. What harm could there be?
Excerpt:
As he walked toward the window, he noted several customers and decided to go inside instead of waiting in line. Besides, he needed a little relief from the heat.
As he stepped inside the vacant shop, he was hit by the blessed cold of the air conditioner…and globs of flying ice cream, followed by Holly’s panicked voice.
“Donny!”
Unable to avoid a second hit, Jace took a smattering to the face and ear. The sticky, cold substance slid down his neck while he ducked to evade a third, taking cover behind a display case.
“It won’t shut off,” the young college student yelled, jamming button after button.
Ice cream covered the ceiling, walls, and floors in a pink, organic hue, dripping off The Creamery’s three unlucky occupants.
Holly lunged for the outlet, managing to yank the cord from the wall while she slipped on a milkshake puddle by her feet. The whirl of a blender dissipated, along with the flying dessert, both giving way to a muttered oath as the valiant woman smashed into a work table on her way to the floor; the clang of bowls and spoons echoed in the suddenly quiet shop. Read the rest of this entry »
UPDATE: The winner of this contest is…Elaine Swinney!
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If you’re from the U.S. this weekend is special—Memorial Day Weekend. It’s part somber—remembering those who gave their lives for our country; but also, because of where it sits on the calendar, it’s our beginning of the summer celebration!
So while some of you are traveling this weekend, and others are gearing up to head to the lake, expecting company, etc., I’ll be here writing. It won’t be easy. Our pool is repaired (new liner). Sure, the water’s likely too cold for me to stay in long, but the thought of all that sunshine and sparkling water will be pulling at me. What are your plans for the weekend? Want to share?
Be safe! I’ve heard there will be more folks on the road this weekend than have been for a decade. For the rest of us who are staying close to home, enjoy a sexy excerpt, then…
Comment for a chance to win Mutiny’s Bounty or a short story on this carousel!
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Interested only in experiencing an adrenaline-packed adventure first-hand to give her credo when she books her clients’ adventure vacations, Lace McElhannon finds more excitement than she can handle when she meets and falls into bed with ex-SEAL Dex Haygood.
Fresh from protecting transport ships from Somali pirates, Dex figures his latest job will be a cakewalk, until he finds himself in deep water, swimming with sharks and trying to protect Lace when the yacht they’re sailing on is taken.
Excerpt:
His expression didn’t change. If anything, his eyes grew colder, narrowing.
Was he counting in his head? Seeing how long she took to scurry up on the mattress? She moved deliberately slowly, rising fluidly and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Besides, anticipation kept her revved. Then she sat at the edge of the high mattress and scooted backward, trying not to rush even though she couldn’t wait for what came next.
Dex was faster. He crawled quickly onto the mattress, pushed her to her back, and came down atop her, covering her from her shoulders to her feet, his strong legs pinning her as neatly as the weight of his torso.
She couldn’t move, could hardly breathe. His cock pulsed between them. Still, she kept her breaths even, her chin tilted in defiance.
Her common sense lost the argument with her libido.
Have you ever had a co-worker who pushed all your buttons? What if, despite that, you couldn’t help lusting after him?
But, she didn’t call security when I approached her table at the big signing, and she even invited me to show up at her next event so she could sign the book of hers I left in my room. And, when I told her I was collecting swag from authors to give away to my newsletter subscribers next month, she shoved a ton of stuff in my hands!! *Holds hand over heart* I promise I will part with every bit of it…because I already have my own stash of Jill stuff. J I even have Jill & Eloise tote bags to give away!
Available now at 
