Entries Tagged 'Alien' ↓
June 2nd, 2009 — Alien, Another Planet/Dimension, Author Interviews, Cheryl Brooks, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Space
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. It's free and a great way to keep up to date. Thanks for visiting!
Everybody say hi and welcome Cheryl Brooks, author of the Cat Star Chronicles, to Love Romance Passion. Grab a cup of something hot and let’s get down to business. Below is the interview:
Thank you so much Cheryl for sitting down to chat! How did you come up with the idea for the Cat Star Chronicles?
I’d been writing contemporary romances that utilized the boy-next-door theme and had also written a number of stories that were requested by friends, but my original intention when I began writing-about thirty years ago, now!-was to write a science fiction romance. Then I read an erotic sci-fi novel about a woman who had to pose as a slave to a dominant male, and because I’ve never been a fan of dominant alpha males, I thought it would be much more fun if the man was the slave instead of the woman! So I wrote a story about a tough, independent space trader named Jacinth in need of a man she can trust with her life to aid her in the quest to rescue her kidnapped sister. Toward that end she buys an alien slave, whom she dubs Cat, hoping to gain his loyalty by offering him freedom in exchange for his assistance. Part of the appeal of this hero was that, being a slave, he had nothing but his strength, intelligence, and sensual nature to offer a woman. It was my intention that he be the last of his kind, but to continue this as a series, I created a scenario where six Zetithian men were captured at the end of the war that destroyed their world and sold into slavery and each book in the series tells the story of how one of them found love.
Should readers start from the beginning of the series or do you feel that they can jump in any time?
I think any series works best by reading them in order, however, I’ve tried very hard to make each of my books able to stand alone, and, according to several reviews, I’ve succeeded.
What is your favorite book so far in the series? How many in total will there be?
It’s difficult to choose because though all of my heroes are irresistible Zetithians, they all have very different personalities, as do my heroines. I let my imagination run wild in Slave
, but Warrior
was fun because most of the secondary characters were animals with whom the heroine could communicate telepathically-and they all had plenty of pithy comments to make about humans! In Rogue
, my piano-teacher heroine had two stunning Zetithian brothers to choose from and some really fun aliens as the supporting characters. Outcast
, being about a man who has lost all desire for women, is more of a tear-jerker than the others, and it is also the first to be written in third person which gave me a chance to get inside the hero’s head for a change, something that I enjoyed very much. I’ve had a blast writing the last two books, Fugitive
and Hero, too, so I really can’t pick one favorite.
As it now stands, there will be six in the series, and possibly a seventh.
How did Sourcebooks first hear of your book?
I first heard of Sourcebooks when the Romance Writer’s Report listed them as a newly approved publisher. They were accepting both paranormal and erotic romances, so I submitted the manuscript for my erotic sci-fi novel, and promptly forgot about it until the editor called saying she wanted to read the rest of it. She loved it, but it was too short, so I added a few new scenes and the manuscript was then accepted.
What do you think is the biggest appeal of fantasy / sci-fi romance?
For me, the appeal is that it places few limits on my imagination, and I think that probably holds true for the readers, as well, because there are endless opportunities for surprises.
I know you’re a nurse; how does that work when it comes to writing on schedule? What is your writing routine?
I work three twelve-hour night shifts a week, which varies from week to week, so there is no schedule! I’m just like anyone else: I have free time, but what I do with it is write, rather than watch television. After Slave came out, I was encouraged to try to write four books a year-and this year, there are three-but found that I simply couldn’t do it and remain sane. As long as the nursing job is the one paying the bills, the books will have to be limited to two a year.
Most of my writing is done in the evening, with blogging and emails, etc, done during the day.
What was the hardest part of writing your series?
Remembering the small details about different alien species from book to book and just where in the galaxy each planet is located. I probably need to keep a notebook of characters and species and draw a map, but I haven’t done it yet, so I have to keep copies of my books close by!
In your own words, what is love?
A deep, emotional, enduring attachment that makes you consider that person’s wishes ahead of your own.
What is your favorite aspect of writing?
The creative outlet it provides. I’d go crazy without it!
What makes a great written bedroom scene?
One that makes you tingle all over and want to read it again and again! The specific components can vary, but if it doesn’t involve the heart and soul, it’s just sex.
How do you decide character names? Who’s your favorite male and female lead so far?
My male characters have all had a connection to the “cat” theme. There was Cat in Slave, Leo in Warrior, and Tychar in Rogue, which is an alteration of the word tiger. Outcast has Lynx, and Fugitive has Manx, which are both types of cats. Trag (Hero) is short for Tragonathon, which is a combination of a friend’s name and the words tiger and dragon.
My heroine’s names are sometimes suggested by their occupation or their personality, or it can just be a name I happen to like. For the more alien names, I experiment. Sometimes I’ll take a traditional human name and change the vowels. Other times I strike random letters on the keyboard and then go back and play around with it until it sounds right. I may change the spelling several times while I’m writing before I’m happy with it.
My favorite hero will always be Cat (Slave), because he was the one who started it all, and Bonnie (Outcast) is my favorite heroine because she had the patience and kindness to turn Lynx’s life around, which I’m not sure I could have done.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I love hearing from readers!
My email address is: cheryl.brooks52@yahoo.com
Website: cherylbrooksonline.com
I also blog on Casablanca Authors, Wickedly Romantic, and Cheryl Brooks Erotic Blogspot.
Buy: Outcast (The Cat Star Chronicles, Book 4)
Online Stores
May 10th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, ARC, Alien, England, Erotica, Kidnapping, Kings, Princes, Sheiks, Chiefs, Knight, Magic Users, Paranormal, Politician, Queen or Princess, Rowena Cherry, Space, Stowaway, Warrior
Today I am reviewing Knight’s Fork by Rowena Cherry. This is my first ARC (advance review copy; official book release is September 30, 2008) and I eagerly read the whole novel in two days! Knight’s Fork is just one novel in the futuristic set series about the Great Djinn race. Knight’s Fork contains all the right stuff from a stowaway princess to a knight’s quest and the threat of death licking at their heels. This book and series would be great for any lover of alien paranormal romance or paranormal romance in general.
Watch out for the ‘Dj’ names! There’s quite a few to remember and follow! The romance novel is filled to overflowing with political intrigue and the key players are trying to play everybody else all at the same time to get their way. The main characters have to watch out for who their enemies are and who their allies are.
Cherry titles her novels after chess moves, and yes the characters do play chess and the move in question is used several times throughout the novel. Knight’s Fork in particular is about a choice between two evils – you’re going to lose something and the decision becomes which loss is acceptable?
This choice is ‘Rhett’s, a Saurian Knight, and it is between power and a female. Saurian is another alien race, but don’t let this fool you about this white knight. Back to the point - how can power or a female be a bad choice whichever you choose? A grab for power will set other leaders in a tizzy and the female is another male’s mate that’s how!
The rival male is King of another alien race, the Volnoth, and taking Electra could start a war on par with the ancient Greek war over Helen of Troy. It’s too bad for ‘Rhett that he’s tempted by Electra and not by the power offered. Far more tempting is that she wants him… for his sperm. What’s a knight to do?
This novel and series isn’t for the fainthearted that likes their romances to be mild and sweet. Urban colloquialisms for sex and emissions abound, the Great Djinn even regularly swear by Carnality! However for those who crave the contemporary slang and straightforward nature to the approach of sex Knight’s Fork is deliciously racy and erotic. The whole novel revolves around sex!
You could compare Cherry’s novel to Laurell K. Hamilton’s Meredith Gentry series about fairies because the Princess Electra seeks to get pregnant just like Meredith does. Or you could compare the novel to the Twilight Saga with ‘Rhett being a virgin, sworn to a vow of chastity, similar to Edward’s chase behavior. Whatever parallels you draw, Cherry spins a great story.
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars
Originally posted 2008-09-11 05:56:00. Republished by Old Post Promoter
Online Stores
April 5th, 2009 — 3 Stars, Alien, Another Planet/Dimension, Book Review, Contemporary, Erotica, Interracial, Kidnapping, Magic Users, Mistaken Identity, Paranormal, Politician, Rachel Kenley, Secret Agent, Space, United States of America, Virgin Heroine
Have you ever read your name in a romance book? How about with different spelling? I rarely do as my name is fairly unique. Listening to my name as a protagonist in Destiny’s Jewel was definitely a bit of naughty fun.
Rebecca Rogers, who narrated Maestro’s Butterfly, narrates Destiny’s Jewel and does another amazing job! Five out of five for steamy!
I recently went on a road trip to meet with some friends and Destiny’s Jewel was my trip companion. Who needs the radio? Seriously! Listen to some erotica instead - it’s sure to keep you awake and get your blood pumping.
Kyra L’orrac has been entrusted to guard a royal treasure, a giant sapphire known as the Stone of Destiny. It is her first big assignment under the Royal Special Forces (RSF). She is protecting it from the incoming vizier and magician Ellard J’aron, who seeks it for personal gain and power.
For Ellard it is imperative that he retrieved the star sapphire and its two sister jewels, an emerald and ruby respectively. If he fails to bring the trio home to Dolnair he faces execution and his family the ultimate disgrace. As if Ellard’s troubles aren’t enough he is under a very strict time limit and the pretty girl who holds the first of the jewels inspires passions he should not-nay can not-indulge, even if he wants too… desperately.
Rating: 3 Stars
Buy the Audio Version Here!
Side note: I marked this book as interracial because of one partner being magical and one partner being non-magical.
Online Stores
March 9th, 2009 — 3 Stars, Alien, Another Planet/Dimension, Book Review, Cursed Lead, Dragon, Highlander, Kendra Leigh Castle, Paranormal, Queen or Princess, Scotland, Succubus, Survival, United States of America, Werewolf
Dark Highland Fire is about two distinctly polar opposites getting together and overcoming obstacles that should under normal circumstances lay them low. Rowan is a fiery demi-goddess akin to the vampire as she needs blood to survive. However her blood-taking is about life not death so at most she is a cousin of the vampire. Her actual species is called Dyaad and they are descendants of the Goddess Morgaine.
Rowan is full of sass, sharp tongued, and has a streak of violence in her. Her version of her tribe’s magic is geared toward destruction. This is important to remember as for why this is the case is revealed at the end of the novel. There’s one thing that irritated me about Rowan, the heroine of Dark Highland Fire. She claims to not need anyone but the novel starts out with her brother, Bastian, saving her by transporting them to Earth’s dimension and then again, same method, to the Scottish Highlands.
Bastian is a perfect character that at the author’s will be applied like deus ex machina to any situation to get other characters to safety. He’s used this way more than the two times mentioned so far. Overall he’s a good brother to his sisters and I hope will be the focus of another book in this set of Highland novels even though he’s not a MacInnes Werewolf. (Speaking of the MacInnes werewolves cameo appearances of Carly and Gideon abound in this book!)
Gabriel is a lackadaisical werewolf. He’s third in line and happy to stay there – no plots to overthrow his brother or father. When Bastian spies him, the cool Dyaad Drakkyn decides to leave his injured sister in Gabriel’s hands. Gabriel questions this decision and is said to have a streak of stubbornness inside him to rival Rowan – which he was going to need. Successfully he manages to get Rowan to do the things he wishes for instance drink his blood to heal, stay put in his apartment for safety purposes. He hasn’t quite figured out that as the next Dyana of her people, Rowan is more than capable of holding her own (at least when she doesn’t let fear paralyze her and smother out her flame.)
Lucien is a Dragon, heir to the throne and has fallen in lust at first sight with Rowan. His father backs his decision to go after the little fire princess and claim her as his own. Dragons apparently don’t understand the words no and not interested. He’s the reason Rowan is on the run and afraid. Though honestly from the daemon creatures mentioned throughout the novel with powerful magic sound more scary. I guess their weak and overly ripe bodies are the reason they inspire more disgust than fear though that’s there too in most cases.
If you’re familiar with the first novel in the series then you know that werewolves mate for life and this ritualistic act is like a marriage. Rowan and Gabriel initiate and finalize this unwittingly during some steamy sex scenes. Once created it is impossible to break though Lucien is going to try his best to do so – Rowan is his and the wolf will pay. Find out if Rowan and Gabriel make it in this fast paced multidimensional novel!
Rating: 3 Stars.
Originally posted 2008-11-10 14:09:27. Republished by Old Post Promoter
