NOTE: Portions of this post are from the Archive and appeared on Pauline B. Jones’s blog a number of years ago.

I thought it would be fun today to talk about my first scifi rock star romance, STAR CRUISE SONGBIRD while STAR CRUISE STAR SONG, my second such story, is still a new release

I’d always wanted to write a rock star romance because I LOVE the genre (and now I have two to my name – whee!) but if I sit down to write anything, it inevitably becomes science fiction. So when the second Pets In Space anthology was being put together (back in 2017), I thought, here’s my chance to involve a rock star. Among my favorites are Nalini Singh’s Rock Kiss series, J T Geissinger, Liora Blake…plus movies such as “The Bodyguard” and “Beyond the Lights”.  I had also read that there are cruises where bands are featured and do concerts and fan events during the cruise. So that part of the story worked fine if I set this story on board my interstellar luxury cruise liner, the Nebula Dream.

The next question was who would the hero be? I love to write Sectors Special Forces heroes, or recently retired service members from that branch, so I decided Grant would fall into that category, and be a security officer on the ship. In that job assignment, it was logical that he’d cross paths with a high profile passenger like a rock star. I adore the bodyguard romance trope so it was a fun challenge to write one of my own.

As far as a pet, I didn’t want to write another cat or catlike animal. I decided to go with a bird for STAR CRUISE SONGBIRD.  (I did include a pet in STAR CRUISE STAR SONG, just for old times’ sake – an alien walking stick bug.) I was inspired by an actual parrot I met a long time ago, which had lived through the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (as a young bird) and had been passed down through two generations of family members to the present time. But a parrot didn’t feel right for the story I wanted to tell. One of my favorite Andre Norton science fiction books was The Beastmaster, with a military hero who had a team of telepathic animals, one of which was an African eagle. I thought what if I made my hero a Special Forces officer who’d inherited a special telepathic warbird on his own planet?

Then the analogy of a certain scene for my novella involving songbirds came to mind (no spoilers here) and I had my two pets and my title.

I’ve been asked if the Diva Plavalaguna in the movie “Fifth Element” was an influence and I have to say while I love that movie, my singer Karissa was not really inspired by the Diva. Although they both sing on a fantastic cruise ship! My character is more rooted in our modern day culture on Earth, with a variety of strong female singers from Adele to Katy Perry to Rhianna to Lizzo to Taylor Swift and Kelly Pickler to name only a few. I also watched a lot of backstage documentaries, including ones on boy bands and country music group tours, to get the feel for some of the scenes I had in mind.

And then of course I weave in the scifi elements I have to have.

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The excerpt:

When Karissa emerged from the room where she’d been getting ready,Grante was astounded. She looked as if she’d stepped straight from a trideo, her sexy costume elaborate and glittering in the lights, her multicolored hair caught up in coils by all manner of elaborate, bejeweled accessories. Even he could tell her shoes were works of art, with heels designed to resemble stacked planets, standing six inches high. She smiled, obviously enjoying his reaction. “Well?”

Pirouetting on those absurd heels, she laughed and held out her hand. “Escort me,” she said like a queen.

He did so, surrounded by her team, including the backup singers and the six dancers, all of whom joined Karissa when she reached the backstage area. Gently she let go of Grant’s arm and stepped away, gathering her team around her for a pep talk. He stayed alert, watching everyone else in the area, ready to challenge anyone acting suspicious.

The show was already going on at full volume. Karissa’s was the final set of the evening and when she ran onstage, her dancers bouncing and doing acrobatics around her, the roar was astounding. Grant stood in the wings, as close to the stage as he could, and watched the performance. Karissa strutted, she danced, she teased, she brought a child on stage for a brief chat, she sang full throated. The crowd loved it all. He had a hard time keeping his eye on the audience, watching for problems, because she was so riveting.

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“First time at a show?” asked an older woman standing next to him. “This is nothing compared to what she’ll do at the big concert on Calillia next week. There’ll be multiple costume changes and aerial components. And maybe some new songs, although she’s been quiet about that. She doesn’t want Ted getting the rights to any more of her stuff if she can help it. Things are really sour between them now.” She laughed self-consciously and held out her hand. “I’m  Desdusan, by the way, her chief makeup artist. Chief busybody too. I try to look out for her as much as I can. Been with Karissa for nine years, ever since she hit the bigtime with ‘Twisted Comets’. She’ll probably sing that for the encore.”

“I hate to admit it but I’ve never heard her music before—it’s all new to me,” he said as they shook.

The woman did a double take. “Really? You’re probably the only person in the Sectors who hasn’t heard at least one Karissa song.”

“I have now,” he pointed out, annoyed to feel so defensive.

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Blurb for Star Cruise: Songbird:

Grant Barton, a Security Officer on the Nebula Zephyr, is less than thrilled with his current assignment to guard an Interstellar singing sensation while she’s on board the ship. It doesn’t help that he and his military war bird Valkyr are dealing with their recent separation from the Sectors Special Forces and uncertainty over their future, with their own planet in ruins.

Karissa Dawnstar is on top of the charts and seemingly has it all – talent, fame, fortune and devoted fans, but behind her brave smile and upbeat lyrics she hides an aching heart. When a publicity stunt goes wrong, Karissa finds herself in the arms of the security officer assigned to protect her – and discovers a mutual attraction she can’t ignore.

Trouble continues to plague the pair, driving a wedge between them and leaving Grant certain that Karissa is in more danger than she realizes, from overzealous fans and her own management. Grant is determined to protect Karissa whether she wants his help or not. Can he discover the truth behind what’s going on before he loses Karissa or is there someone else plotting to keep them apart – permanently?

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PETS IN SPACE 7 is still available by the way. I didn’t write a story for it this year but the author list is impressive and there are lots of fun scifi romance tales to be read!

Pets in Space is back and better than ever! Featuring 13 original, never-before-released stories from some of today’s bestselling science fiction romance authors, starring your favorite sci-fi pets. These furry, feathered, and slightly alien friends are always ready for a new adventure with their two-legged human and alien companions. From dogs to cats to sea creatures and unicorns, these romantic tales show that pets are more than just animals – they’re family.

This limited-edition anthology includes stories by some of the biggest names in science fiction romance. New York Times Bestseller S.E. Smith and USA Today Bestsellers R.J. Blain, Grace Goodwin, Skye MacKinnon, Carol Van Natta, Honey Phillips, Carysa Locke, S.J. Pajonas, JC Hay, and Kyndra Hatch, plus Leslie Chase, Winnie Winkle, and Candace Colt.

The Pets in Space 7 authors continue their vital support of Hero-Dogs.org, the non-profit charity that improves quality of life for veterans of the U.S. military and first-responders with disabilities.

★ Don’t miss out — grab this limited-edition anthology before it’s too late! ★

Exclusively in Pets in Space 7:
◆“Wynter and the Stone Dragon” by S.E. Smith: Love blossoms between a human king and an alien princess when a portal between their worlds opens.
◆“Life-Debt” by R.J. Blain: Hybrid human Viva and her pet fox have two rules: no names and no attachments. Why does the handsome man she rescued makes her want to break both?
◆“Marked Mate” by Grace Goodwin: An elite hunter pursues a dangerous criminal on an unsuspecting Earth, only to be distracted by a mysterious woman and her furry pet.
◆“Alien Abduction for Unicorns” by Skye MacKinnon: Unicorns are real, and alien Bruin is sexy as the stars. Can Scottish tour guide Tara forgive them for kidnapping her in the name of science?
◆“An Entanglement of Griffins” by Carol Van Natta: A space pirate and a pet sanctuary owner suspected of grand larceny get help from genetically-engineered griffins to recover the goods and find love.
◆“Cyborg Rider” by Honey Phillips: Can a bioengineered mole named Eglantine find a way to rescue the scientist and the cyborg who are depending on her?
◆“Healer Heart” by Carysa Locke: A telekinetic healer on a mission and a telepathic killer who is afraid to feel must trust an intelligent cat to help them save a group of children from death.
◆“Myra’s Big Mistake” by S. J. Pajonas: She’s burdened by a lifetime of disappointment. He’s been her secret admirer for years. Will a roll of the dice lead to a cosmic courtship?
◆“Desert Flame” by JC Hay: Dr. Cerridwen Lewis is prickly, foul mouthed, and quick to anger; in other words, she’s everything Captain Kal and his pet scythewing ever wanted.
◆“Death Angel” by Kyndra Hatch: How do you choose between your people and your mate? Especially when you’re a Korthan cyborg captain and your human mate unknowingly holds the key to lasting peace or unending war?
◆“Written in the Stars” by Leslie Chase: Megan isn’t looking for love, especially not from an alien mercenary just passing through. But love, and her winged cat Nebula, have other plans.
◆“Liquid Courage” by Winnie Winkle: Powerful sea witch Morgan is determined to save her beloved ocean creatures from thieving aliens. Tony offers to help, but he’s got secrets.
◆“Rhea’s Conundrum: A Witch in Space” by by Candace Colt: Eccentric witch Rhea only dreamed of the stars. So how did she and her snarky cat end up in a junk-picker spaceship with sexy alien captain C’tloc?

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