Note: This post first appeared on the AMAZING STORIES MAGAZINE blog…

Veronica Scott for Amazing Stories Magazine I happen to really enjoy zombie apocalypse science fiction and if there’s a romance involved, all the better. And if the author can find a few fresh twists to put on the classic zombie tropes, I’m definitely on board. With her Pandora Strain series, author Dee J. Holmes met my criteria for a really good read and I was delighted to have a chance to interview her.

ASM.: What was the first scifi romance book you ever read and what did you like about it? 

DJH: I don’t know if this is technically scifi romance, but I remember reading Cats Paw by Joan De Vinge when I was a teenager and having the hugest crush on the MC. He was in a tangled relationship, a tortured psionic, and it hit ALL my angsty romance buttons. Back then, I read any and all scifi with romance and swoon-worthy heroes I could get my hands on. Fast forward to now and I’m spoiled for choice. It’s the BEST.

ASM.: What was the first scifi romance book you wrote, when, give us the 2-3 sentence logline.  

DJH: I wrote Destination Alien Bride in 2020, because I wanted Predator to embrace the romance the property kept teasing and then (imo) failing to deliver on. Like not letting it happen even once? Cruel. Unusual even. I like to think I fixed it…

When a displaced astral warrior reaches Earth, he’s got one mission: hunt down the parasitic race that destroyed his world. Then he finds himself surrounded by mayhem and captivated by a tenacious human reporter who refuses to be fooled by his disguises. Suddenly, the warrior without a future has a mate to lose—and a destination wedding to survive, as it becomes ground zero of an insidious invasion.

ASM.: Which of your SFR books is the bestselling?  

DJH: My bold twist on zombies in Three Days In Undead Shoes, The Pandora Strain: Zombie Road is my bestselling book to date—though The Monstrous Duke and I gave it some competition. Published in December 2021, this book is about a determined dog trainer and her beloved Great Dane surviving a city turned for the undead. But these zombies are different and while most endlessly repeat their final seconds, one is hunting her across the city. Only when she and her dog are cornered by hungry zombies, her stalker becomes her savior—it’s safer to flee, but what if the only way out is together?

ASM.: I loved the Three Days book and the two sequels! None of us can ever pick a favorite book or character but if you had to go live in one of your own books, which would you choose and why?  

DJH: Tough question! I’m so tempted to say The Pandora Strain: Zombie Road because (sorry, hubs) I want a Grey of my own. But I think I have to say The Four Houses. That contemporary fantasy series has a world full of witches, fae, vampires and werewolves—and (eventually) all the wonderful varieties that ensue when magical life refuses to stay in a narrow lane. There’s such history and depth to this world, and I would particularly love to visit the fae city of Rhosenveyl.

ASM.: How do you go about world building? Do you do elaborate planning, keep a big file, use post its, wing it – what method works for you?  

DJH: All of the above? I enjoy melding thoughtful planning with utter chaos.

I have a deep, abiding love of post its. Those all-sticky square ones in bright pink? That’s peak-post it. What can’t I solve with those? I’ll get multiple colors and turn a wall into a giant kanban board while I workshop problems.

I am also intensely, wildly visual when it comes to my stories and I love working with visual inspiration—a moodboard or Pinterest board—to figure out key elements of a world. Annnd sometimes I end up turning to Spotify to find the feeling of the world or space, and then I fill in the details as I draft…or I think I’m doing that, only to realize that this new world demands something else entirely.

Yup. I plot and plan… and then somehow there are ghosts in chapter one.

<looks at upcoming monster mystery>

I’m also a massive RPG fan—table-top and console—so tend to lean into those mechanics when taking a loose, first-draft concept and making it something that feels tangible to a reader. That “feet on the ground” sensation is important to me, and I’m always striving to create something that feels real to my readers.

ASM.: You certainly deploy all the tools and then some. Which character in your books is either most like you or who you’d like to be and why?  

DJH: Oh, without a double I’m most like Jane of Pandora Strain: Zombie Road. I’d do some shady, desperate things for my fur baby. Sometimes I’d rather hang out with a Great Dane than people. And I love my occasionally non-verbal partner.

I guess there’s a solid sprinkling of Rose in me, too. The FMC of my The Four Houses series is a bit of an accident-prone disaster who wrestles with self-doubt…so yeah, I’m in that picture LOL

ASM.: What was your most recent book and what was the story spark or inspiration for that story?  

DJH: My most recent publication was Destination Alien Captive. This series entire series is basically a love letter to Predator and Alien movies. There’s that one scene in The Predator where Olivia Munn is naked in the decontamination chamber and the recently escaped Predator lets her live, and every time I watch this movie I think: “missed opportunity, people!!”

I wanted to play with the idea of a Predator-esque alien (in this case D’tan of my Apex’ir race) being trapped in a lab and being forced to align with the human doctor studying him. An enemies to lovers set up with a fun twist is always a good time.

ASM.: It’s one of my favorite tropes to read as well. Which book was the most fun to write and why? The most challenging and why?  

DJH: The most fun to date is a toss up between the first book in Zombie Road and Belfry, a monster romantasy that I wrote under Dee St. Holm for the first Monsters In Love anthology.

Three Days In Undead Shoes simply demanded to be written in the first few months of the pandemic. Weird as it might sound, writing that book in 2020 was a zombie-filled act of self-care and it helped me cope with pandemic living.

As for Belfry, Isabelle and Talos’ stories—along with this dark, complex fantasy world—just came charging out of me. The tone was delicious and it was so much fun to dive into a different world. It was this intoxicating mix of fairytale romance and horror, and I loved every moment of writing it. (I’ve also that the rights back for, oh, nearly a year and I REALLY need to solo publish it.)

The most challenging book I’ve written so far?

That would be the final book in Zombie Road. Partly because the pressure is ON whenever it’s the last book in a trilogy, and partly because I made a lot of promises in the preceding books—and then I had to make good on those promises. There’s a reason Three Months In Undead Shoes is over 90k! It’s a meaty beast of a book that straddles zompoc, military fiction, action adventure, political thriller, and blistering romance. I wanted to deliver on the promised twists and to make sure that long-awaited sex scene was as legendary as possible.

I knew the story—or at least the broad strokes of it—but I struggled with some of the finer details. I got stuck in my head more than once and played chicken with crippling overwhelm when it came to researching Canadian and American military procedures.

Oh, the joys of self-doubt, huh?

Pushing my creative limits that hard was exhausting and possibly not smart, but I was so invested in these characters—and I knew my readers were, too. They deserved the best possible ending to this trilogy. I’m VERY PLEASED to say the book landed exactly as I wanted. It resolved the trilogy while opening up the broader world—and my readers have loved it.

ASM.: Yes, some of what you set up for the reader in book two as challenges for the couple certainly were tricky to navigate in book three but I for one was very satisfied with how everything resolved. Which of your characters do your readers love to hate? Why?  

DJH: Without a doubt it’s Rachel Hale-Lee in Pandora Strain: Zombie Road. She is a fan-hate favorite. As to why…

<SPOILDERS INCOMING>

I shared this trilogy with my newsletter before publishing each book, and it was great fun to hear what people thought as the story progressed. Nothing got more commentary than this particular character—though other antagonists came very close.

At the start of the third we meet Rachel as Grey’s wife (Grey being our MMC and love interest for Jane in the trilogy). It’s a slow burn trilogy and they finally kiss…only to be torn apart. Rachel has secrets and her own agenda from the start—and she owns her role as antagonist. She pushes buttons, wedges herself between our heroes, and digs ruthlessly for information, so it’s easy to see why readers thought she was the biggest threat in the room. Especially since she’d weaponized her connection to Grey to gain access to the base.

Now, as much as I adore the dark and creepy (not to mention a good twist), I have an abiding commitment to happy endings. So, it all works out in the end and fans have grudgingly come to appreciate Rachel. But wow, she earned some scathing commentaries (which of course delighted me, because that’s the joy of an antagonist).

ASM.: Your own favorite tropes? Least favorite tropes? 

DJH: My favorite tropes include: found family, light in the dark, love beyond boundaries, owning your power and, of course, my precious secret murder princess (I’m looking at you, River Tam). I also delight in torturing the cinnamon rolls and some classic enemies to lovers.

Least favorite? I’m not a huge reader of Billionaires or secret babies (though there are always exceptions!)

ASM.: Do you also write other genres? Which ones? How does writing a book in that genre compare to writing an SFR? 

DJH: I do! I’m a determined, unruly explorer of genre. That said, I feel like a lot of what I’ve written could fall under the broader umbrella of SFR, including romantasy, gothic horror, alt history Regency romance, and litRPG. All of which make sense in the context of me. Then comes the plot twist: I have also dipped my toe into contemporary rom com!

This pen is still being constructed, but the first books are written and it is… both very different to SFR and not really that different at all. Okay, yeah. That’s a weird answer. But what I mean is: it’s easier in that you’re not creating an entirely unique world, species or researching a particular niche of history. It’s also harder because you’re not creating an entirely unique world or species. The story is set in the “real” world, which means the pressure is on to make sure the location and world details in my story follows actual reality—at least mostly.

I mean, it’s set on a reality tv show… so reality is somewhat optional LOL

ASM.: Do you have a ‘writing buddy’ pet?  

DJH: I have a mostly benevolent furry overlord. Her name is Fable, she is the self-proclaimed Greatest Dane, and she tells me that I need to work hard to earn her kibble. She’s got to be well-fed to start the dog revolution, after all. Not to mention that being the star of my newsletter is awfully hard work, I need to properly capture her majestic self.

I have too many pictures of my beastie to pic one, so would you mind if I share one of my Fable illustrations? (I share an illustration and short, funny Fable tale with my newsletter every two weeks and it is the best).

ASM.: What’s next for you? 

DJH: The book I’m working on now is under my Dee St. Holm penname and is a historical monster mystery romance. It’s a bit of a mash up, huh? Also a mouthful *wink* But it’s got sooooo many things that I adore: fantastical alt version of 1820s London, monsters, second chances at true love, ladies with claws and MURDER.

Honestly, the inspiration was: Miss Scarlett and the Duke, but with monsters.

The Harpy and the Gentleman (which I’m probably going to retitle to The Harpy In White) isn’t your average fare, but who doesn’t want to see a brilliant Sherlock analog hook up with a snarky, body-positive harpy and solve crimes (while having steamy sex and defying societal expectations)?

After that, it will be The Pandora Strain, the next book in my zombieverse.

ASM.: I’m certainly eager to have more stories set in your zombieverse. What’s on your To Be Read List?

 DJH: So many books! Context for what comes next: I’m a feral chaos goblin, so I’m normally reading 2-6 books at a time. Some will be history books, one will be a memoir or thought-provoking rumination… and most will be some fabulous SFR.

Right now, I’m reading Etta Pierce’s Convergence (I love that I can picture Garrus, best space boyfriend of all time, as her MMC…) and R. Lee Smith’s The Last Hour Of Gann (why did it take me so long to start this seriously amazing SFR? It’s so good. But I really want to kill the antagonist, so I’m needing to read in chunks to manage my feels lol).

Up next will be The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Inheritance by Nora Roberts, and Star Cruise: Star Song by Veronica Scott (I’m such a sucker for a rock star romance, and in space? Gimme.)

ASM.: Give us your short author bio and where you can be found on social media.

Dee is a USA Today Bestselling author obsessed with fantastical realms and unlikely loves. She writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and tales of people beating the odds alongside their faithful hounds. She spends a lot of time pondering so-called monsters and their love lives and enjoys creating rich fictional worlds—and always likes to play with zombies. Though werewolves, aliens, witches and vampires are also a lot of fun.

The characters she enjoys don’t sit in some narrow box and do what they’re told. Whether battling supernatural forces or facing fantastical terrain on distant planets, her characters are defying expectations and finding true love.

Above all, she loves crafting exciting tales that pull at your heartstrings—and sometimes pant strings—and sweep you into stories that leave you wanting more.

https://www.djholmes.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dee_j_holmes/

https://www.facebook.com/DJHolmesAuthor

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/dee-j-holmes

DESTINATION ALIEN CAPTIVE (APEX ASTRAL WARRIORS) by Dee J Holmes

Time is running out for astrobiologist Harper Blackwell, until the sweet, lonely scientist receives an offer she can’t refuse: study the alien responsible for her terminal condition. The secretive government project promises a cure. But the massive, muscle-bound alien strapped to a table sparks an impossible yearning—how can she perform torturous tests on him? D’tan of the Apex’ir longs for a mate to spoil and adore—but hope vanishes when he’s captured by his enemies, the Fever. Stripped of his armor, his mating instincts being twisted, he’s desperate to escape. The warrior would normally fight any male who disrespects a female, but he sees only one way out: shove his morals aside and seduce the little human studying him. But the Fever wants him to breed with her. Worse, so does he. And Harper? She might not be human at all.    Amazon

This post first appeared on the AMAZING STORIES MAGAZINE blog…

Veronica Scott for AMAZING STORIES: Welcome to my periodic series of author profiles. Today I’ve chosen Carol Van Natta, one of my autobuy authors, with terrific worldbuilding and exciting stories. She’s also the editor of the fun Pets in Space® science fiction romance anthology.

VS for ASM.: What was the first scifi romance book you wrote, when, give us the 2-3 sentence logline.

CVN: The first scifi romance book I wrote was Overload Flux, the first novel in my Central Galactic Concordance series. I call it a space opera romance series because, in addition to romance, it has adventure, mystery, and a big damn story arc about evolution and rebellion. My sneaky muse pounced on me one day with a scene that I just had to write, and teased me with more ideas. I ended up spending a summer semi-plotting the story, and then semi-plotting the whole series. My muse really likes series. It also likes long series, which is why it will probably be ten books in the aforementioned big damn story arc before I’m done.

In Overload Flux, a deadly disease rages through the stars. When the cure is stolen, two misfits are all that stand between greed and intergalactic tragedy. They both have secrets they must keep. If they solve the mystery and expose a conspiracy, they may end up dead. With killers on their trail, can Luka and Mairwin survive an interplanetary conspiracy long enough to save lives and find love?

Although I published this one first, it’s actually the second in the series as far as reading order (Last Ship Off Polaris-G is first). It’s also not the story that sparked that scene and plot I just had to write that summer; that story is Jumper’s Hope. And before I could write that, I needed to write Minder Rising, which delves deeply into the psychic talents some people have and the ubiquitous government agency that tries to regulate and manage them. Also, as a side note, Overload Flux was conceived 6 years before life imitated art and brought us a pandemic.

ASM.: None of us can ever pick a favorite book or character but if you had to go live in one of your own books, which would you choose and why?

CVN: Despite the fact that I live in Colorado about 60 miles north of Denver, I’m a big fan of warm, tropical climates. All of Pico’s Crush takes place in a lush equatorial area of a planet. The heroine, Andra, is a materials science professor at a university that attracts students from across the galaxy by pointing out they’ll be going to school in paradise. She’s unexpectedly reunited with her old military buddy Jerzi when he comes to visit his daughter, who is one of Andra’s students. I would be very happy living there, except for the part where a war between a local theft crew and a band of mercenaries breaks out on campus, and it’s up to Jerzi and Andra to save students and teachers caught in the crossfire. No town is perfect, I guess. 😉

ASM.: How do you go about world building? Do you do elaborate planning, keep a big file, use post its, wing it – what method works for you?

CVN: I would be totally lost without lists. I am a long-time fan and user of Evernote, so that’s where I keep all my world-building notes on things like galactic history, government, science & technology, military, social conventions, names for things, etc. I try to remember to record character and place names for each book, but I’m not as consistent about that as I should be. If I were truly organized, I’d set up a private wiki knowledge base with references and hyperlinks, but that’s too big a project for me to tackle. On the writing side of things, I’m a “plantser,” somewhere in the middle of the continuum between pantsers (who are magicians, to my mind) and plotters (who are more organized than I could ever hope to be). I start with characters and a rough outline that tells me where I’m going, but I make discoveries along the way as I’m writing.

ASM.: Which character in your books is either most like you or who you’d like to be and why?

CVN: I like all my main characters, as they are smarter, braver, and more adventurous than me. Plus, they get the chance to meet the love of their life. However, I don’t think I want to be any of them, since they also experience life-or-death situations far more often than I’d be comfortable with. Not to mention, there’s the whole brewing rebellion thing that guarantees they’ll be living in very interesting times.

ASM.: What was your most recent book and what was the story spark or inspiration for that story?

CVN: My most recent story is Stellar Drift, a new original novella that appears exclusively in the limited edition Pets in Space 8 science fiction romance anthology (Oct. 2023). The story was partly inspired by my recent great adventure trip to visit Australia, where I got to visit a rainforest up close and personal. And because all Pets in Space stories involve pets, I took my inspiration for the heroine’s pet from my friend’s pair of pit bulls that are, despite their looks and the breed’s horrible reputation, the sweetest dogs you’d ever want to meet. Like my other Pets in Space stories, this one is set in the same universe and timeline as my main series, but they’re little side adventures instead of being part of the story arc that’s going on. A pilot and her rescued pet gargoyle (genetically engineered pet for the wealthy) agree to help a forest ranger track the source of an insect infestation that might be bringing a disease. Trouble is, the local crime lord thinks they’re after a legendary secret treasure and wants to get there first.

Pets in Space 8 is a limited-edition anthology that includes novellas by some of the biggest names in science fiction romance including USA TODAY bestselling authors R.J. Blain, Susan Hayes, Honey Phillips, Skye MacKinnon, Arizona Tape, Carol Van Natta, Tana Stone, S.J. Pajonas, Carysa Locke, JC Hay, plus award-winning authors Gail Koger and Elva Birch. The Pets in Space 8 authors continue their vital support of Hero-Dogs.org, the non-profit charity that provides trained service dogs for disabled U.S. veterans and first-responders.

ASM.: Do you also write other genres? Which ones? How does writing a book in that genre compare to writing an SFR?

CVN: I also write paranormal romances in my Ice Age Shifters series. I write the books that I want to read, and since my lazy cats refuse to write them for me, it falls to me. These are more loosely plotted and a little shorter than my space opera romance series, so they make a nice change of pace after I’ve been immersed in the worlds of intergalactic intrigue. The series features shifters whose animal form is the prehistoric ancestor of modern fauna, such as a prehistoric lion, an aquatic sloth, and dire wolves. That focus was inspired by an article I read about how a construction project in South America uncovered the best example of an extinct Arctotherium bear found to date, a creature that would have towered above the tallest grizzly bear alive today.

ASM.: Do you have a ‘writing buddy’ pet? Care to share a photo?

My writing buddies are two furry black felines that were put up for adoption at NoCo Cat Café, which works with a local cat rescue organization. They’re brothers and a bonded pair, so they usually get up to mischief together rather than apart. Here they are, “helping” me reorganize my office by identifying bags that make suitable cat toys.

ASM.: What’s next for you?

CVN: I’m currently working on the next book in my Ice Age Shifters® paranormal romance series. I will soon be dipping my toes into the Kickstarter waters to release an expanded version of the story that appeared in last year’s Pets in Space anthology. I’ll let you know how it goes. 😉

ASM.: What’s on your To Be Read List?

CVN: I just finished Pauline Baird Jones’s excellent Cyborg Chronicles spinoff series, which was the perfect companion for long flights and waits at airports. I am now catching up on Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series, and decided to first re-read my all-time favorite book of hers, Heart of Obsidian (all the feels!). After that, I’m hoping my favorite authors will be releasing new books for Christmas to keep me warm and cozy as the days draw in and the cats pin me in my chair.

ASM.: Give us your short author bio and where you can be found on social media.

Carol Van Natta is a USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning science fiction and fantasy author. Series include the Central Galactic Concordance space opera romance series the Ice Age Shifters® paranormal romance series. She is also the current editor and publisher of the Pets in Space science fiction romance anthologies. She shares her Fort Collins, CO home with just the right number of mad-scientist cats. Find her on the web at https://Author.CarolVanNatta.com  (and https://PetsInSpaceBooks.com), or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolVanNattaAuthor or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carol.vannatta/

PETS IN SPACE 8 Buy Links:

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Nook      GooglePlay

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LINKS TO OTHER PROFILES IN SFR INTERVIEWS (listed alphabetically by authors’ first names):

Anna Hackett

Becky Black

Cara Bristol

C J Dragon

Cynthia Sax

E G Manetti

Honey Phillips

Jennifer Estep

Kayelle Allen

Linnea Sinclair

Mel Teshco

Michelle Diener

Nalini Singh

Nancey Cummings

Pauline Baird Jones

Regine Abel

Ruby Dixon

S E Smith

Tana Stone

Tasha Black

Tiffany Roberts

Tracy Cooper-Posey

This post first appeared on the AMAZING STORIES MAGAZINE blog…

Veronica Scott for AMAZING STORIES: Welcome to my periodic series of author profiles. Today I’ve chosen Becky Black, author of LGBTQ science fiction stories. I first started reading this author with Woke Up Hungry and Patient Z (not currently available) so I couldn’t resist the chance to ask a few questions. 

VS for ASM.: What was the first scifi romance book you ever read and what did you like about it?

BB: Looking back on Goodreads, it seems that was My Fair Captain by J.L Langley, which I read back in 2009. It’s a m/m romance, from a time when the genre was just getting going, or at least just starting to be published. It’s a quite bonkers mashup of space opera and Regency Romance. I enjoy both of those, so I was all in for that. What I liked about it was how it just took that goofy premise and turned things up to eleven on it. I do love a book that’s not scared to do that.

ASM.: What was the first scifi romance book you wrote, when, give us the 2-3 sentence logline.

BB: My first one was Liar’s Waltz, which I wrote in late 2009, submitted in mid 2010 and was published early in 2011 with Loose Id. The speed the ebook first small publishers work at compared to more old school publication was shocking! But it was a great experience to work with them. The first inkling of an idea for the book was the phrase “the only gay bar on the moon.” It didn’t stay on the moon in this case!

The logline is: Bar owner Karl thinks his new lover is an ally in the fight to save Eternity — the last gay bar on space station Saira. But Greg is actually a reluctant spy desperately trying to salvage his military career.

ASM.: Which of your SFR books is the bestselling?

BB: That was the second book I ever published, Stowaway, the 2nd book in a loose series called Travellers that Liar’s Waltz kicked off.  It was first published in 2011. I suspect the rather sexy cover it had at the time helped the sales!

Log Line: Bedding stowaway Kit is a bad idea for cargo freighter security chief Raine. Kit agrees – he’s been screwed over enough by authority . But they can’t resist the attraction even though they face being parted for good at the end of the voyage.

ASM.: How do you go about world building? Do you do elaborate planning, keep a big file, use post its, wing it – what method works for you? 

BB: I do a lot of my planning on paper, in a notebook, and make sure to make an index of what notes are on what page. I may later type up notes for easy reference, once I’m certain that’s the way things will be for sure. (Well probably.) My general method is to try to really tease out the social consequences of a world I’ve thought up. Like what might the world be like if humans didn’t sleep any more? That turned into my book called Dream for Me. Then I work on the research to make the world building make sense. Like if I decide a story is on a space station (and lots of mine tend to be. All that DS9 and Babylon 5 I watched in the 90s  left me with a long time love of space stations.) I’ve got to figure out exactly what’s needed for X number of people to survive there, things like that.

ASM.: What was your most recent book and what was the story spark or inspiration for that story?

BB: My most recent SF Romance is a two volume space opera called To Feed on Dreams. It’s got two couples, one m/m and one Ace couple, though it’s not a case of one book for one couple and the other for the second couple. The story just got pretty long and had a good break point in the middle that made it just perfect to be a duology. I can’t quite recall the very first spark for it any more, but at least part of the initial inspiration included wondering about what would happen if a character who was entirely without gender and unable to have a child found themself heir to a throne and the last of their dynasty.

ASM.: An interesting setup for sure! Your own favorite tropes? Least favorite tropes?

BB: I do enjoy an enemies to lovers story. I like to see them spark and banter. I had a lot of fun with that kind of couple in my book Bring Me the Dead. Least favourite has to be the harpy ex-girlfriend. Half the time I’ll end up rooting for her instead.

ASM.: Do you also write other genres? Which ones? How does writing a book in that genre compare to writing an SFR?

BB: I do! Sometimes I’ll do some contemporary, or fantasy, or paranormal. Really whatever idea happens to pop into my head. My most recent book published was called The Haunted Diamond, which is historical paranormal, set in the 1920s. It’s kind of a fun romp, but with some hard choices for the characters. And since any time a diamond or diamonds appears in a story, then in my opinion, its job is to be stolen. So in this book it’s stolen five times!  (And has been stolen various times before.)

Logline: Carrying a stolen diamond across the Atlantic to New York is already a stressful job for jewel thief Bobbie. She didn’t reckon on also dealing with Iandara, the temporarily-corporeal ghost bound to the cursed stone and determined to destroy it. Or with her double-crossing ex-partner, Frances, out to steal it. What’s a girl to do? Not fall in love. That would be a terribly silly thing to do.

How does it compare to writing the SFR? Well, sometimes there’s a bit less leeway if it’s contemporary or historical and needs to reflect how things really are or were. But really, if I’m enthusiastic about the story and characters it’s all the same to me.

ASM.: What’s next for you?

BB: I’ve only quite recently started publishing again, after a bit of a break for a few years for various reasons, but now I’m back and not slowing down. I’m working on a couple of new ones right now. One a m/m space opera, in the editing stage, the other a near future solarpunk story, which I’m drafting. And I’ve got one waiting for revision and a couple more ideas in the planning stage.

ASM.: What’s on your To Be Read List?

BB: Ooh, too many as always. But I’m especially looking forward to listening to the audio of The Ghosts of Trappist, the third in K.B. Wagers Neo G books. There will be a new PsyCop book out soon from Jordan Castillo Price, and the next of the Murderbot books by Martha Wells is due out in November and on my pre-orders list already.

ASM.: Give us your short author bio and where you can be found on social media.

BB: I live in the UK and I’ve been writing since 2003. I cut my teeth on fanfiction, then started doing original fiction in 2006, doing NaNoWriMo for the first time, before deciding to take a crack at the newly emerging M/M romance genre in about 2009. All was going swimmingly until around 2018, when my main novel publisher closed down and I also lost my urge to write. I honestly thought I was done. It had been a fun ride, but it was time to move on. But no! Turns out I just needed a couple of years off to recover from that intense decade or so of publishing at least two books a year, and I started writing again. In Autumn 2020 I published Woke Up Hungry, a lesbian romance novella about dealing with some pesky not-quite-zombies on a spaceship. Now I’m fully back in the groove, with three books out so far this year, and many of my older m/m romance books about to be republished with JMS books.

After fleeing Twitter in November 2022 I can now be found on Mastodon.

https://romancelandia.club/@beecycling#

***************************************************************

LINKS TO OTHER PROFILES IN SFR INTERVIEWS (listed alphabetically by authors’ first names):

Anna Hackett

Cara Bristol

C J Dragon

Cynthia Sax

E G Manetti

Honey Phillips

Jennifer Estep

Kayelle Allen

Linnea Sinclair

Mel Teshco

Michelle Diener

Nalini Singh

Nancey Cummings

Pauline Baird Jones

Regine Abel

Ruby Dixon

S E Smith

Tana Stone

Tasha Black

Tiffany Roberts

Tracy Cooper-Posey

Note: This post first appeared on the AMAZING STORIES MAGAZINE blog…

Veronica Scott for AMAZING STORIES: Welcome to my periodic series of author profiles. Today I’ve chosen one of my all time favorite authors, Nalini Singh. Her Psy-Changeling series with shifters, telepaths, empaths, a futuristic setting, high tech and more contains the books I’ve read and re-read the most over the years. She keeps the series fresh and with a new book out this week, I thought it was the perfect time to ask a few questions.

VS for ASM.: What was the first science fiction romance or paranormal book you ever read and what did you like about it? 

NS: Given the passage of time, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact book. It was most probably one of Jayne Ann Krentz’s early SF Romances like Sweet Starfire. Christine Feehan’s Dark Prince had a big impact, too. I also remember being captivated by the romantic arc in Anne McCaffrey’s The Rowan, though that sits firmly in the SF camp.

I do vividly recall how I felt after finding this genre of books that blended romance with fantasy, paranormal, or science fiction elements – as if I’d found my home as a reader. I grew up reading masses of SF/Fantasy, and then found Romance in my teen years. But sometimes I’d want a touch more romance in my science fiction/fantasy, or vice versa, so finding these books that crossed genres made me ecstatic. I could have all the things I loved in one book! What a gift.

ASM.: What prompted you to write your first  Psy-Changeling novel, which is still one of my all time favorites? 

NS: I’ve been writing speculative fiction in one form or another since the day I first started exploring my urge to create stories. It just felt very natural to me.

Slave to Sensation specifically was born out of my fascination with the human mind, and of all that it’s capable. I’ve always thought that we, even now, don’t understand the true parameters of it. Then one day, I found myself thinking what if extrasensory powers like telepathy were real and potent? What if the cost of that much mental power drove you mad? What would you do to survive?

The idea took hold and grew and grew until it was pouring out of me into what became the first Psy-Changeling book.

ASM.: I loved Slave to Sensation. I’d never read anything like it and the series just kept getting even better over time. How do you go about world building? Do you do elaborate planning, keep a big file, use post its, wing it – what method works for you? The Psy-Changeling world is so sprawling by now… 

NS: My worldbuilding in terms of what you read on the page tends to be character driven—I see what the characters see, learn what the characters know.

However, prior to that, I generally have the big-picture concept in mind. For example, with the Psy-Changeling series, I knew the Psy were a race without emotion, and I knew about their choice to become Silent a hundred years ago, cutting all emotion out of their lives.

I knew changelings existed in this world and that they could shapeshift at will into leopards or wolves or other creatures, and that they sat on the opposite end of the emotional spectrum to the Psy: as warm as the Psy were cold, as wild as the Psy were controlled. And I knew humans were caught between these two juggernauts. I also knew about the PsyNet, and other critical elements of the world such as the changeling race’s natural mental shields.

At which point, I began to write. I love the process of discovery alongside my characters.

However, once a book is written, the world built in that book becomes set in stone. It can still grow of course, but it cannot do so in contravention of what has already been said.

Continuity must be maintained.

And so after writing a book, I make notes of all continuity elements*—including locations on maps, timelines, how a particular psychic power works etc, because it’s really important to me that if a reader sits down and reads the entire series in a row, they feel the world come alive in all its complexity, with each new layer of the world building on the foundations laid down in previous books.

I also regularly reread each of my series. I think this is critical to maintaining character and world continuity.

*I used to do this on my own, but my amazing assistant now handles most of the updates to the series bible.

(As an aside, my writing method does mean I do multiple drafts of each book, to ensure everything lines up. But this works for me – I love just pouring out the first draft, then refining and even restructuring it if I haven’t written in a linear fashion.)

ASM.: I totally agree on the importance of continuity to the reader experience. Which character in your books is either most like you or who you’d like to be and why?  

NS: I see each of my characters as unique individuals, so I don’t see myself in them. They’re their own people, and I’m content to be invited into their world and their stories.

ASM.: What was the story spark or inspiration for Resonance Surge?   

NS: Because RS is part of a series, the spark is an ongoing thing. I’ve known Pavel and Yakov since Silver Silence, as I have Arwen. I met Theo in another previous book. So these characters were already well fleshed personalities inside my own mind (even if they hadn’t had that much page time to date). I didn’t know Yakov and Theo would end up in the same book until the moment it happened, and I was like oh, wow, I guess we’re doing this!

I often say the series is like a movie inside my head, always moving, always changing, and so with each book, I walk into the world and see what’s going on.

ASM.: That’s a very appealing concept, stepping in and out of the ongoing world you’ve created. I see the Russian bears are going to be prominent in the new book. What made you decide to create the StoneWater pack?  

NS: I knew we needed a powerful pack in that region, and after some research, I realized the Kamchatka brown bears are an integral aspect of the ecosystem there. At which point, the bears took over and we got StoneWater. I didn’t have much control in the matter – these bears know what they want!

ASM.: Yes, those bears are definitely not shy or reserved about their desires and intentions. Which book on your backlist was the most fun to write and why?  

NS: I truly enjoy every book I write – if I’m not enjoying it, that means something is wrong and I need to stop and figure out the problem. And by enjoyment, I don’t mean I’m happy all the time. I’ve written scenes while sobbing over the keyboard because it’s so traumatic, but I’ve “enjoyed” it in the sense that the writing feels good, the words feel right.

Having said that, I will never forget the ride that was Slave to Sensation. I wrote it in a manic rush, completing the first draft in three weeks because the story was just there and I had to get it out and I couldn’t type fast enough!

ASM.: Your own favorite tropes? Least favorite tropes?  

NS: All my bookish friends have heard me rant on my lack of love for secret babies lol! As for favorite tropes, oh so many! Friends to lovers is one I’ve always liked, along with (no surprise!) fated mates.

ASM.: Do you have a ‘writing buddy’ pet?  

NS: Do ten thousand plants count? Only slight exaggeration. I started with one house plant and well…my family and friends have been known to call my house an indoor forest.

ASM.: Plants totally count! What’s next for you? Will there be another in the Trinity series or perhaps a new Psy-Changeling offshoot? 

NS: My next release is a stand-alone thriller There Should Have Been Eight. It’s set in a remote alpine region of New Zealand, and involves a gathering of old university friends…and one very dark secret that’s about to come out.

After that will be the next Guild Hunter novel, featuring Elena and Raphael.

Right now, I’m at work on the next Psy-Changeling Trinity book.

ASM.: What’s on your To Be Read List?

NS: I just last night started Amy McCulloch’s Midnight, a thriller set on a cruise to Antarctica. Also on my reading table is an ARC of Kit Rocha’s Consort of Fire, along with the newest book in Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop mysteries.

ASM.: You can learn more about Ms. Singh and her books on her website. Resonance Surge is the newest release…

RESONANCE SURGE (PSY-CHANGELING TRINITY BOOK 7)

StoneWater bears Pavel and Yakov Stepyrev have been a unit since birth, but now Pavel’s life is veering in a new direction, his heart held in the hands of Arwen Mercant, a Psy empath—and the only man who has ever brought Pavel to his knees.

This is it. A point of irrevocable change. For Pavel . . . for Arwen . . . for Yakov . . . and for another pair of twins whose bond has a far darker history.

A low-Gradient Psy, Theodora Marshall is considered worthless by everyone but her violently powerful twin, Pax. She is the sole person he trusts in their venomous family to investigate a hidden and terrible part of their family history—an unregistered rehabilitation Center established by their grandfather.

Places of unimaginable pain designed to psychically wipe minds, leaving the victims shells of their former selves, the Centers are an ugly vestige of the Psy race’s Silent past. But this Center was worse. Far, far worse. And now Theo must uncover the awful truth—in the company of a scowling bear named Yakov, who isn’t about to take a Marshall at face value . . . especially a Marshall who has turned his dreams into chilling nightmares.

Because Yakov is the great-grandson of a foreseer . . . and he has seen Theo die in an unstoppable surge of blood. Night after night after night . . .

Amazon     AB     Apple Books     Kobo

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LINKS TO OTHER PROFILES IN SFR INTERVIEWS (listed alphabetically by authors’ first names):

Anna Hackett

Cara Bristol

C J Dragon

Cynthia Sax

E G Manetti

Honey Phillips

Kayelle Allen

Linnea Sinclair

Mel Teshco

Michelle Diener

Pauline Baird Jones

Regine Abel

Ruby Dixon

S E Smith

Tana Stone

Tasha Black

Tiffany Roberts

NOTE: This post first appeared on the AMAZING STORIES MAGAZINE blog website…

Veronica Scott for AMAZING STORIES: Welcome to my periodic series of author profiles. Today I’ve chosen Tana Stone, author of over 100 steamy science fiction romance novels full of action and adventure. 

VS for ASM.: What was the first scifi romance book you ever read and what did you like about it? 

TS: The first sci-fi romance I read was Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians, which I stumbled across on Amazon in 2016. Before then, I didn’t know the genre of sci-fi romance existed! As a Gen-Xer who’d grown up on Star Wars and Star Trek, I loved taking my beloved space adventures and adding more steam.

ASM.: What was the first scifi romance book you wrote, when, give us the 2-3 sentence logline. 

TS: My first sci-fi romance book was Tamed, which was the first book in the Tribute Brides of the Drexian Warriors series. It released in July of 2019, but I’d been writing it slowly between releasing other books in an established mystery pen name. It all evolved from a series of “what ifs?” What if there was an agreement between aliens and Earth that the majority of the population didn’t know about to provide mates for them, and what if they’d created a fantasy space station based on their (sometimes off base and outdated) perception of Earth’s pop culture?

She’s been promised a dream wedding. The catch? She was abducted from Earth and her groom is a hot alien warrior with a bad attitude.

ASM.: Which of your SFR books is the bestselling?

TS: My book Possessed, book 1 of the Raider Warlords of the Vandar series has remained my bestselling title. Readers love that series (which is now up to nine books with number ten coming this July) and they’ve fallen hard for bad boy alien heroes with tails and kilts. I love writing it because the Vandar have a visceral feel to me when I write them. I can hear them pounding around in their dark, cavernous ships and growling.

I sacrificed myself to save my sister’s ship. Now the raider warlord owns me.

ASM.: I love your feeling about writing the Vandar! And tails and kilts are a pretty unbeatable combination. None of us can ever pick a favorite book or character but if you had to go live in one of your own books, which would you choose and why? 

TS: My first series, the Tribute Brides of the Drexian Warriors, features a high-tech space station with holographic technology far beyond what exists now. The fantasy suites that the alien brides are given can be anything you can imagine from a South Pacific overwater bungalow to a cozy Swiss chalet, so I wouldn’t mind one of those. Hanging out in a Drexian fantasy suite while having all my food delivered sounds pretty great some days!

ASM.: It does sound great. You don’t just build one world, you create many at once! What was your most recent book and what was the story spark or inspiration for that story? 

TS: The book that just released was Protector, book 9 in the raider warlords of the Vandar series. This book is part of the return of the series after the original six book arc ended in 2021. I’d always wanted to return to the world, and I knew readers wanted more Vandar, so when I got an idea for a lost group of exiled Vandar warriors returning after a generation, I had to write about these new guys who are looking for revenge and their place in the universe.

ASM.: Your own favorite tropes? Least favorite tropes? 

TS: I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, which works well with sci-fi romance and alien abduction, but I’m not into bully romance or anything with dubious or nonexistent consent. No hate to those tropes/genres. They just aren’t my jam.

ASM.: Do you also write other genres? Which ones? How does writing a book in that genre compare to writing an SFR?

TS: I actually started my author journey as a traditionally published mystery author in 2005 with one of the big NY publishers. I still write those mysteries under a different pen name, and I also have a few paranormal romances under a third pen name. Writing mystery is very different from writing romance, but each make me better at the other. I enjoy the plotting that mystery requires, as well as the long character arcs I have with my 18+ book mystery series. I try to bring some of that characterization, especially when it comes to beloved side characters, to my sci-fi.

ASM.: Do you have a ‘writing buddy’ pet?

TS: One of our cats, Leo, loves to be held, so I often have to hold him to my chest with one hand while I write and type with the other. I’m seriously considering getting a baby sling to wear so I can free up my hands!

ASM.: What’s next for you? 

TS: This year (2023) I’m focusing on adding books to my fan-favorite series along with partnering with some of my favorite sci-fi authors for anthologies and shared world series, but I’ll be introducing a new Drexian spin-off series at the end of the year that has me excited. I’ll also be appearing at RARE London in July and Readers Take Denver next spring so I can meet more readers in person!

ASM.: Always fun to meet the readers in person. What’s on your To Be Read List? 

TS: Like most authors, my TBR pile is long and varied. I’m catching up on Sherry Thomas’ Lady Sherlock mystery series (she’s a romance author who moved to mystery), eagerly awaiting Zoey Draven’s next release, and always have the next Louise Penny book on preorder. I love Jayne Castel’s Scottish historical romances, and there is always room on my shelf for a new book from contemporary romance author Amy Daws.

ASM.: Give us your short author bio and where you can be found on social media.

Tana Stone is a USA Today bestselling sci-fi romance author who loves sexy aliens and independent heroines. Her favorite superhero is Thor (with Aquaman a very close second because, well, Jason Momoa), her favorite dessert is key lime pie (okay, fine, all pie), and she loves Star Wars and Star Trek equally. She was a loyal watcher of Battlestar Galactica and still laments the loss of Firefly.

She has one husband, two teenagers, three neurotic cats, and two excitable dogs. She lives in the Southeast of the United States where everything but the pollen moves slow. She sometimes wishes she could teleport to a holographic space station like the one in her tribute brides series (sign her up for a fantasy suite now)!

Website: www.tanastone.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tanastoneauthor/

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tanastonestributes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanastoneauthor

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tanastoneauthor

PROTECTOR (RAIDER WARLORDS OF THE VANDAR BOOK NINE)

The Vandar raiders who roam the sky are deadly and fierce. The mercenary hunting me is terrifying–and will stop at nothing to claim me.

I thought the cocky Vandar raiders I had to work alongside were my biggest problem. That was before the deranged leader of a ruthless band of mercenaries decided I belonged to him.

As a member of the underground Valox resistance, there are few things I fear. The terrifying alien outlaw who’s obsessed with me is one of them.

But now my biggest problem isn’t the alien searching for me, it’s the Vandar battle chief assigned to take me to safety. To say that Kaiven and I don’t get along would be an understatement. The Vandar might be huge and ripped, but he’s also arrogant and expects me to obey him.

At least I know that nothing will happen between us as he secrets me to the Valox base—unless it’s possible for us to annoy each other to death. Then the mercenaries find us and take us both captive. Can Kaiven save me from the alien outlaw who’s determined to make me his queen? Or will his promise to protect me destroy us both?

Protector is a full-length sci-fi romance novel with a HEA and no cheating. It features steamy scenes on an alien spaceship, thrilling space battles, and some serious heat.

If you like dominant alien warriors, alien abduction to seduction romance, and fated mates with a happily ever after, you’ll love Protector, the ninth book in Tana Stone’s sci-fi romance Raider Warlords of the Vandar series.     AmazonKU

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LINKS TO OTHER PROFILES IN SFR INTERVIEWS (listed alphabetically by authors’ first names):

Anna Hackett

Cara Bristol

C J Dragon

Cynthia Sax

E G Manetti

Honey Phillips

Kayelle Allen

Linnea Sinclair

Michelle Diener

Pauline Baird Jones

Regine Abel

Ruby Dixon

S E Smith

Tasha Black

Tiffany Roberts

NOTE: This post first appeared on the AMAZING STORIES MAGAZINE blog…

Veronica Scott for AMAZING STORIES: Welcome to my periodic series of author profiles. Today I’ve chosen Honey Phillips, a prolific and skilled author of numerous science fiction romance books with concepts ranging from cyborgs on Mars to “seven brides for seven alien brothers” to her Treasured by the Alien series featuring babies and children as part of the plot mix. And that’s only scratching the surface of her backlist! I was excited to ask her a few questions.

VS for ASM.: What was the first scifi romance book you ever read and what did you like about it?  

HP: I’m pretty sure it was an Andre Norton, possibly Judgement on Janus. To be fair, it was more science fiction with romantic elements but it hit all the notes I still love today – a mysterious world, an acceptance of those who are different, and two people finding love. From there, I went on to Anne McCaffrey and others, but I will always be grateful I discovered Andre Norton.

ASM.: I think many of us came to science fiction via one Andre Norton novel or another. My first was Catseye, which of course had no romance of any type but opened my eyes to the vast possibilities of the galactic space civilization. And then Anne McCaffrey wrote so many classics… What was the first scifi romance book you wrote? 

HP: Anna and the Alien, which I actually wrote in 2011, but didn’t decide to publish until 2018! It became the start of a series that is now up to 17 books, with the 18^th releasing in July.

Anna Elliott wanted to get away, but an alien spaceship was not on the itinerary. Can a girl and her alien find happiness on a deserted planet at the far end of the galaxy?

ASM.: Which of your SFR books is the bestselling?

HP: Mama and the Alien Warrior. It’s the first book in the Treasured by the Alien series and it was originally published in 2019.

Can a weary alien warrior and an abducted single mom save each other?

ASM.: I think that one was quite ground breaking and I’m not surprised how well it’s sold. The book is very memorable for sure. How do you go about world building? Do you do elaborate planning, keep a big file, use post its, wing it – what method works for you? 

HP: To a large extent it depends on the story. Sometimes the world just springs into my head, although more details tend to emerge as I write. Other times, there are things I feel I need to know before I begin. For example, for the Cyborgs on Mars series, I researched ideas for terraforming and colonizing Mars. If the book involves a spaceship, I almost always sketch out the interior layout. But once I’ve done the initial work, I rarely refer back to it – I just let it evolve as I write.

ASM.: I love your Cyborgs on Mars series, with the Old West vibe. Which character in your books is either most like you or who you’d like to be and why? 

HP: Even though my heroines vary quite a lot, I think there’s a little bit of me in all of them. I suppose I identify most closely with the bookish, scientist types like Faith in Faith and the Fighter or Victoria in Without a Stitch.

ASM.: What was your most recent book and what was the story spark or inspiration for that story? 

HP: My most recent new series was Seven Brides for Seven Alien Brothers. The inspiration was the classic musical, but I mixed it up with alien heroes and all of my favorite tropes. It was a little challenging to write because I structured it with overlapping timelines, but so much fun! I love mixing things together to create something new.

ASM.: I remember being somewhat skeptical about the concept and the fun covers at first  I will admit but was happy to be proven wrong. You were right on, or ahead of, the trends. The series certainly has found a happy spot with readers and it’s been interesting to watch it expand. Your own favorite tropes? Least favorite tropes? 

HP: I have a lot of favorite tropes! I like wounded heroes, found family, grumpy/sunshine, only one bed, language barriers, cabin romance, and of course, road trips – especially the survival kind. I’m not fond of cheating or love triangles. I don’t like bullies, and while I don’t mind enemies to lovers, my heroes can never be mean to the heroine for very long. And even with the tropes I don’t usually like, there is always an author who can win me over!

ASM.: Do you also write other genres? How does writing a book in that genre compare to writing an SFR? 

HP: I have also been writing cozy monster romance lately and I’m enjoying it a lot! I like the fact that I can still give them different types of hero, but I also get to show them them interacting with our everyday world. The monster romances overlap in many ways with SFR with the mixture of fantastic and realistic, and that’s probably why I enjoy writing them so much.

ASM.: I agree that the whole “monster romance” trope has done a good job of blurring the boundaries with SFR and probably brought quite a few new readers into each genre, which is always a good thing. What’s next for you? 

HP: I’ll be releasing the next book in the Treasured series in June before returning to the Alien Abduction universe after that. I have several different ideas for this fall – including a return to the Seven Brides for Seven Alien Brothers world and a brand new series – but I’ll have to see which one bubbles to the top first!

ASM.: We’ll be waiting eagerly for whichever concept makes it to the top of the to be written stack. What’s on your To Be Read List?

HP: Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews is coming out in June and I’m really looking forward to it.

ASM.: Give us your short author bio and where you can be found on social media. 

USA Today bestselling author Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne – not necessarily in that order.

https://www.facebook.com/honeyphillipsauthor

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/honey-phillips

https://www.instagram.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor/

https://www.honeyphillips.com/

GILMAT (SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN ALIEN BROTHERS BOOK 7) by Honey Phillips

Can love bloom between a bookish human and a giant alien?

Gilmat was bred for a very specific set of skills – skills which never developed. Even after finding a new home with his brothers-in-arms, the knowledge of his failure haunts him. He certainly doesn’t deserve the gift of a tiny, fragile female – but he will fight to his last breath to keep her.

When Julie wakes up surrounded by flowers in the. middle of a blizzard she’s convinced she’s dreaming – but the huge green male holding her so carefully is very real. For the first time in her life more than her intellectual curiosity is aroused, even though her gentle giant is as much plant as man.

When outside forces threaten their newfound paradise, will Gilmat’s skills finally blossom in time to save Julie – and the rest of his family?

AmazonKU

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LINKS TO OTHER PROFILES IN SFR INTERVIEWS (listed alphabetically by authors’ first names):

Anna Hackett

Cara Bristol

C J Dragon

Cynthia Sax

E G Manetti

Kayelle Allen

Linnea Sinclair

Michelle Diener

Pauline Baird Jones

Regine Abel

Ruby Dixon

S E Smith

Tasha Black

Tiffany Roberts

NOTE: This post first appeared on the AMAZING STORIES MAGAZINE blog…

Veronica Scott for AMAZING STORIES: Welcome to my periodic series of author profiles. Today I’ve chosen Tasha Black, who has been writing heart warming and fun scifi romance stories for years now. She’s the first name which comes to my mind when the topic of babies in SFR arises. The cover for her book Tolstoy always sticks in my meory as the prime example of this trope. I’ve always been a huge fan of her books and was happy for a chance to interview her. 

VS for ASM.:What was the first scifi romance book you ever read and what did you like about it?

TB: The first SciFi Romance I ever read was actually Stranger in a Strange Land. It’s not a typical happily-ever-after romance, but it’s definitely a love story. A young man, human, but raised on Mars, comes to Earth as a diplomat, and learns about sex, laughter, religion, politics, and most importantly, love and family, under the tutelage of a wonderful, crotchety old man, a nurse, a journalist, a couple of space men and a bevy of women, all of whom find the man-Martian dreamy. It is truly the story of seeing human beings with all our selfishness, sadness and fury, and falling in love with us anyway. (I’ll let any interested readers enjoy the book themselves to find out why!)

Robert Heinlein wrote it before I was born as a provocative eye-opener meant to challenge societal norms. As a curious 14-year-old, wanting to rage against the machine, I ate it right up. And I swooned over Valentine Michael Smith, the man-Martian, and my first book-boyfriend!

ASM.: I read a lot of Heinlein as a kid too. I mostly remember Podkayne of Mars and The Puppet Masters! What was the first scifi romance book you wrote?

TB: My first SciFi Romance was Reconstructed, a billionaire romance with an easy-to-hate wealthy bad boy main character, who learns humility and heroism through adversity and the love of a no-nonsense woman. I love this story so much, yet it is the worst-selling series in my entire catalogue. Maybe I bit off too much trying to make an antihero like West Worthington into a cyborg superhero! At the time it came out back in 2015, superhero romance was not “a thing”.

Here’s the premise:

Some heroes aren’t born… they’re built.

Westley Worthington has it all. Piles of money, good looks, a head for business, and a seemingly limitless supply of women who want to please him. And that’s just the way he likes it. Until a brush with death causes him to rethink his priorities, and consider someone besides himself for the first time in his privileged life.

For a limited time, if readers would like a FREE copy of Reconstructed, and several other books of mine they can get one when they join my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/VysAL

ASM.: Which of your SFR books is the bestselling?

TB: My bestselling SciFi Romance is Noxx, the first book in my Alien Adoption Agency series. Noxx was published in January of 2021 and the series is ongoing, with a new hero and heroine finding a happily-ever-after in each story. Book 13 is coming out in September! My husband and I struggled with infertility, so stories about family-building are important to me, and I think they resonate with my readers too. This series takes place on frontier moons, where adoptive single mothers go to raise their little ones, each under the guard of a fierce dragon warrior.  I’m sure you can see where this is going! The small towns on the moons, fun side characters, and dreamy dragon guards all add to the wonder of exploring a new world and becoming a new parent all at the same time.

ASM.: None of us can ever pick a favorite book or character but if you had to go live in one of your own books, which would you choose and why?

TB: Oh wow, that’s a tough one! I think I would choose the world of Alien Surrogate Agency. These books, starting with Piper, are set on the sprawling campus of a massive fertility center where human women go to carry babies for single male aliens. The Midsummer Center is run by a computer called Oberon, who read thousands of romance novels in order to create a vision of the most romantic place in the galaxy, a place where no one could resist trying to conceive, even if you have to do it the old-fashioned way.

Of course, the fertility center in the stories has nothing to do with how actual “Earthly” fertility treatments and surrogacy work. But it was fun to explore theme of fertility and be able to give 100% happy outcomes to all my characters!

Some of the locations at the center include beaches, castles, roller-skating hills, ballrooms, mountain lakes, and unbelievably luxurious houses with pools, views, and of course someone else to do the clean-up and cooking!

ASM.: What was your most recent book and what was the story spark or inspiration for that story?

TB: My most recent release, Chloe, was a book in the Alien Surrogate Agency series and it’s about a teacher, named Chloe, and how she falls in love with a man she doesn’t know is an intergalactic rock star at the Midsummer Fertility Center. They solve a locked room mystery, hike a massive mountain, and there is even a high-speed roller-skating chase.

I come from a family of teachers. My husband was a teacher too, before he left his job to write with me! I feel that teachers are some of the most overworked, underpaid, misunderstood professionals in our society.

In the story, the rockstar was treated poorly by a teacher, and it takes a lot for him to let his guard down with Chloe, who may be the only person in the system who doesn’t realize he’s famous.

They each had to do a lot of hard work to get to their happily-ever-after, and it was so much fun to get them there!

ASM.: I do love a good rockstar romance for sure. Your own favorite tropes? Least favorite tropes?

TB: I love all kinds of tropes when I’m reading! But my absolute favorite trope to write is family building – whether it’s the story of a single parent, an adoption story, a secret baby, or even an infertility story, I’m happiest when I’m writing about finding home with a partner and a family.

ASM.: What’s next for you?

TB: Jhon, the thirteenth book in the Alien Adoption Agency series, is coming out in September and I’m in the middle of writing it now. This is the story of Ella, who quit school to raise her youngest sister when the local baby-care facility closed. Now she has left her whole family and everything she knows to adopt a baby on a frontier moon. She’s doing it because the adoption agency is also giving her a farm, and she hopes to be able to send money home to support her siblings. Heartsick and homesick, she never imagines that she will find, happiness, comfort, and acceptance, in spite of her lack of education, from the prestigious Invicta warrior who was sent to watch over her adopted son. Writing about the moment she meets her son, and the instant, gut-wrenching attraction between Ella and Jhon has been absolutely scintillating. I never want to put down my laptop to do anything else!

ASM.: Sounds good for sure! Counting the days till we can read it. What’s on your To Be Read List?

TB: I’m embarrassed to admit that I still haven’t read The Murderbot Diaries! Also on my list are new releases from Susan Hayes (the most recent books in her Crashed and Claimed series) Tamsin Ley’s Galactic Pirate Brides series, and your Star Cruise Star Song, Veronica – you KNOW I love rock stars in space!

ASM.: I can promise you the Murderbot series is terrific. And yes, we do share that love of rock stars in our scifi romance. Give us your short author bio and where you can be found on social media.

Tasha Black is a USA Today bestselling author of SciFi, Fantasy & Paranormal Romance. She’s an adventurous soul, who loves traveling, reading anything she can get her hands on, making up cozy, sexy stories, and sipping pumpkin spice lattes, even when she’s in warm climates!

You can find me in these places:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RomanceWithBite

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authortashablack/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RomanceWithBite

TikTok: @authortashablack

My Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/VysAL

My Website: www.tashablack.com

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