WINNERS: The SFR Brigade Blog hop is over and the organizers of the Grand Prizes have notified the winners. For my Blog, I decided to award my announced $25 Prize ~ Amazon Gift Certificate PLUS an additional two $10.00 Amazon Gift Cards because I had so many lovely comments and wonderful visitors. The winners, selected by Random Number Generator, are:
$25.00 – Anna Hackett
$10.00 – Jean MP and Anna M
Thanks again for participating and for all the good thoughts about Science Fiction romance!
Welcome to the SFR Brigade Authors’ “Out of This World Blog Hop” with amazing prizes! See below for the rafflecopter link, list of prizes (including a wonderful Grand Prize), and links to the other participating authors. I’m personally giving away one $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly selected winner here on my blog – leave a comment to enter just my blog’s drawing. You must use the rafflecopter to enter the SFR Brigade prize drawing. The blog hop is open for international prize winners.
“The women in Wreck of the Nebula Dream are strong in spirit and character.” I hope you’ll forgive me for quoting from a 5 star Amazon review but this was perhaps one of the comments about my book that pleased me the most. I’ve always enjoyed strong female characters in my science fiction, from Lessa of Pern to Ripley of Aliens. Even in the original 1951 version of “The Thing From Another World,” the character of Nikki may have been the scientists’ secretary but she had guts and grit and would have been in that final battle toe to toe with the alien if the 1950’s guys would have let her. She did participate in one of the early battles with the creature.
I like to think that if I were to find myself in one of those do or die situations, I’d say “Hand me a pulse rifle and get out of my way while I kick some alien butt.”
So when I sit down to write science fiction (or anything else for that matter), I definitely want my story to feature strong female characters.
Now the story in “Wreck” is told entirely from the main character’s POV and he’s a Special Forces guy of the future, suffering from some PTSD, drinking too much, a bit lost…until the spaceliner disaster strikes and he takes action. But Mara, the heroine, is not there to be rescued by him. She makes that clear early on when she refuses his order to get into one of the few lifeboats, but rather insists he come with her to rescue some trapped children…she’s going to accomplish the rescue with or without him. She’s an intergalactic business executive, who came up the hard way and hasn’t forgotten any of the knowledge she acquired. Mara constantly surprises Nick, the hero, with what she knows, how she acts under pressure and how fast she thinks on her feet. (He’s a good guy, honestly, he just assumes civilians won’t be as effective in a crisis as his former military comrades would have been. By the end of the book, he’s thoroughly convinced otherwise and grateful.)
There are several other female characters who play key roles in “Wreck,” including a three year old. I had fun writing them all. The novel is a very loose reimagining of the Titanic disaster and as I was developing the plot within that setting, I tried to imagine who Nick might encounter on a luxury cruise liner of the future. I like to think Twilka, the Socialite, is maybe the most amusing character (although she frustrates Nick for most of the book) – she’s pretty clueless but even she has her moment to step up and be the crucial link to saving the day.
So what’s your favorite aspect of science fiction? Characters? Setting? Plot? Please leave a comment to enter my own drawing for one $25 Amazon Gift Card.
Don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter for the Grand Prize drawing and visit the other blogs and increase your chances of winning the Grand Prize and more!
SFR Brigade Blog Hop PRIZES:
1st Prize – $150 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner’s choice) and an
ebook bundle (currently Ghost in the Machine, Bayne, Recast Book
1:Wither, Recast Book 2:Clash, Alien Adoration, Switched, Reckless
Rescue, Wreck of the Nebula Dream, Keir, Terms & Conditions Apply, The
Key, Marya, The Iron Admiral, Sasha’s Calling, Trouble at the Hotel
Baba Ghanoush, Winter in Paradise, Once Upon a Time in Space, the
Telomere trilogy, Winter Fusion, Blue Nebula, Demential, Wytchfire,
Maven, Fires of Justice, Interface, Girl under Glass, and Breakout.
Bonus books – Ghost Planet, The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy and
Deception, and Games of Command.)
2nd Prize – $50 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner’s choice)
3rd Prizes – four $25 Amazon or B&N gift cards (given to separate
winners and their choice)
Remember, travel here to find the rest of the authors on this fun Blog hop!
Rafflecopter Link for the Main Blog Hop Prizes (you might need to scroll down a bit on the landing page)
(Leave a comment to enter the drawing for this blog’s prize):
Amazon Best Seller and SFR Galaxy Award Winner WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM is available from Smashwords , Amazon for the kindle and Barnes & Noble for the Nook
Also available from Amazon a as trade paperback $5.39 here
Audiobook, narrated by Actor Michael Riffle – Available Now at Amazon and on iTunes
I like being able to lose myself in another world. One that’s different from mine. I think characters and plot are what keep me reading but since its science fiction I expect it to be set either in the future on earth or off-world. I don’t require the level of technical details that many SF readers do. tasha@tasha-turner.com
I love reading sci-fi romances! I like that they’re set in an imagined future. Love your post and thank you for the giveaway!
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
Futuristic Titanic-like story? Sounds intriguing. Book is now officially added to my TBR list, Veronica. My favorite part of SF is of course the cool universe settings, but what most fascinates me is how society and humankind is depicting. Sometimes it’s very Trek, sometimes very SW, but always interesting. Probably reveals more about the author’s perpectie, but still interesting.
I love reading about sci-fi characters because its interesting to see what each author can come up with outside of the human norm.
Thanks so much for the opportunity!
farmaki(at)live(dot)com
I love seeing how other people imagine the future or other worlds or alternative universes 🙂
alinutza4u2004[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk
Sci-fi romances are my favorites!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
tl.etheridge31(at)gmail(dot)com
Definitely plot then characters. Thanks.
magic5905 at embarqmail dot com
I like the possibility! You are in a world where all things seem possible and there is so much ahead and open to you!
I love the world building in science fiction, the ability to imagine a world outside of this one is incredible. Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
I love the way some things stay the same but other things have endless differences. I can lose myself in other worlds while I read and that is what I love.
jonesjnd(at)yahoo(dot)com
Hi! I think my favorite aspects of SF has always been the sense of possibility. The tech, the exploration, the new worlds. I like characters a lot too.
AnnaM.
doxisrcool at aol dot com
That’s a tough question, but it has to be the characters. You can have as fantastical a universe/world and as much advanced tech as you like, but it’ll all fall flat if the characters don’t have depth and realism.
It is all very important to a story. I ‘ll just have to say the characters, because you get involved in their life. Thanks for the giveaway. I am looking forward to reading your books. evamillien at gmail dot com.
What I like about SF is reading about a world that is different from mine. It is almost always fun to read what came out if someone’s imagination and how far the concept(s) can go.
I think it is the combination of all three, character, setting, and plot that does it for me. They all have to fit well together to give a total out of this world experience.
I love the way everything is portrayed, it’s not just confined to one thing, it’s where imagination is limitless!! Thanks for the giveaway.
blackcapballistics(at(gmail(dot)com
Everthing’s important — but I want characters I care about, doing interesting things, in a world that fascinates me.
Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
elizabeth @ bookattict . com
I really love the characters, but what makes it sci- fi for me really is the setting. The plot is, of course, important, though. (:
thank you
snyderyan16@gmail.com
I love strong female characters as well and try to write them in my own work. Yours sounds terrific. There are many I like, making it hard to pick just one. Hope you are enjoying the blog hops.
I’m going to have to say all three. If I don’t like one then I probably wont like the book, but I have been proved wrong before. 😀
thanks for the giveaway!!
tiffany.webb29@yahoo.com
Characters and setting are important but plot is the most important to me. A book who’s main objective is to get the characters from one bedroom scene to the next is boring to me. I want romance but I also want plot.
I think the characterisation has to be tight… but it must also go hand in hand with a believable setting and plot to really rise above.
imogene @ imogenenix.com
I like the unique settings. All of my favorite series have detailed world-building in common.
Mara sounds really awesome. I love strong characters.
Thanks for the giveaway!
pinkbonanza{ AT }gmail{ DOT }com
For me it is the plot, the characters are very important also.
Thanks for the giveaway.
skpetal at hotmail dot com
I love the adventure of science fiction romance. And having read Wreck of the Nebula Dream, I can say it certainly has that!
SF for me is all about the speculative nature of the beast. Let’s take what we know and bend it a bit. Extend it a bit. See where we end up 🙂
the setting, space or hi-tech – regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com
I can’t just pick one thing! I think in sci-fi it’s the characters and the world. Love the sound of the Wreck of the Nebula Dream! And here is to strong heroines (that’s how I write them as well!)
the characters and setting
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Futuristic cruise liner? Sounds fascinating!
My favorite part of SF is the world building. I love stories that really immerse you in the author’s vision of life in colony X or aboard spaceship Y. How would the technology and new discoveries impact society?
dancingcelt at gmail dot com
Hi! Awesome post! Your book sounds great!! I cant pick just one! I love everything about them! The characters, different worlds and cultures, etc. Loving this hop! So many awesome authors! 🙂 Thank you! Have a great day!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com