#WriteTip - When a Story Won't Leave You Alone by @JSubject, spotlighting her #NAlit #IRMC #scifirom (w/ #zombies!)

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It’s always a pleasure to have author Jessica E. Subject on my blog. I, of all people, understand how a zombie apocalypse could be the perfect setting for a smoking hot new adult romance (*cough* Catching Red *cough*) As such, I’m beyond intrigued about Jess’ new release. Let’s dig into it together after this short writing-tip break!

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“You Can’t Always Write What You Wanna—yes, I have a certain song playing in my head as I write this post. But, it’s true. It happened to me. I had planned to write the second book in my Galactic Defenders series, had the story planned out and was ready to go. Then I had a dream. And a new story invaded my head. I couldn’t concentrate on anything else, experienced writer’s block with the other story. So, I wrote IT TOOK A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. And when it was finished, I wrote JAGER, the second book in my Galactic Defenders series. So, sometimes you just have to put aside the story you want to write, and write the one that won’t leave you alone.” ~ Jessica E. Subject

It Took a Zombie Apocalypse

by Jessica E. Subject

It started with a kiss.

Then the zombies came. Now, Missy must work with the neighbor her parents hate if she wants to survive. But zombies aren't the only threat to her life, or her heart.

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Excerpt

RJ pressed on the text and read….

Contagion arrived from Ostrander.
Spread through the hospital.
Stay in bunker.
I’m infected.
Zombies

Zombies? He dropped his phone and stared at it on the floor, expecting it to explode. Zombies didn’t exist. He was in some kind of dream. Had to be. Missy actually had come home for the summer. And kissed him. Now, zombies.

“What is it?” Missy bent down to pick up his cell then handed it back to him. “What happened back at the park?”

“Zombies.” The word came out before he had a chance to stop it. He didn’t know whether to laugh or grab Missy again and run.

A crooked smile formed dimples in her cheeks. “You’re joking, right? Trying to help me laugh off what happened.”

“I wish.” He showed her the message from his father. “My dad doesn’t have a sense of humor.”

The phone beeped, and she pushed his hand away. “I think it needs to be charged. We should call him just to be sure. Or contact somebody. Maybe he meant something else. You know how stupid autocorrect can be.”

RJ rushed to the kitchen, found his charger, and plugged in the cell. But, by then, he’d lost signal. Reception was spotty in West Vitula, but he couldn’t get anything. He peeked through the doorway, out to the living room. “Missy, can you get a signal?”

After digging into her purse, she pulled out her phone with a pink, sparkly case. Not at all what he expected from her. Had he missed that girly side, or had someone given it to her, and she didn’t want to hurt their feelings? That he could understand.

She held the cell up and moved around the room. “I got nothing. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should try outside?” Though he doubted it would make a difference.

Missy stepped over to window and shoved the curtains aside. “Um, there are people coming. And they don’t…look right.”

RJ glanced outside. Neighbors walked down the middle of the street, their bodies twitching. And no one stopped to talk to one another. They just kept marching along to some unknown destination. As they came closer, he noticed their tattered clothing, their disheveled hair, and limbs connected at odd angles to the rest of their body, as if they’d been trampled. And now they were up and walking.

About Jessica E. Subject

Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

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#WriteTip - Balancing Sex and #SciFi by Jessica E. Subject (@JSubject), spotlighting Bryce, an #Alien #Romance

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I'm delighted to welcome author Jessica Subject back to my blog today. She's the queen of sexy, slightly naughty aliens, and she's brought one along for a visit (his name is Bryce). Before we get some much-needed alone time with her hunk from space (Google likes organic keywords...bear with me), I figured we should learn a thing or two about science fiction, science fiction romance, and writing in general (i.e., I needed an excuse to goof off and make pretty graphics). 

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Balancing Sex and Sci-Fi

by Jessica E. Subject

Because science fiction romance combines two different genres, there are many assumptions from both sides. Some Sci-Fi readers believe that SFR is sex with aliens, sex in space, or something similar, that no research was involved in creating the story at all. On the romance side, some readers believe that SFR is too technical, or has too much world building and becomes boring with all the unnecessary details. While some of those assumptions are true with some of the SFR books I’ve read, SFR ranges from one extreme to the other. My favorites always fit right in the middle with just the right amount of world-building and hot sex. I guess the key is--there can't just be hot sex.

For example, besides those from Earth, I included at least seven species of aliens in Bryce, from planets across the universe. I found the inspiration for some on Pinterest, and others from my own mind. I keep a record of each species and which characters are which in a notebook, on a spreadsheet in Excel, and on a board in Scrivener. I keep each up-to-date so I have all the information depending on where I’m writing. The characters who are part of the Galactic Alliance are mostly humanoid, but each has at least one or two characteristics that makes them distinctly different from us on Earth.

There's quite a bit of plotting involved in writing as well. Bryce is the rewrite of a story I wrote at the beginning of my writing career, before I was published. It began as an alien living on Earth story, but after several edits, and a letter from a bestselling, well-respected author, who is also a friend, I decided to take the story from what it was, and make it better. Bryce went from being an alien who worked for the local police force to being an alien hunter sent to Earth to destroy the Erebus who had been spotted there. Lindsay was a woman who found out her father came from another planet in the first draft, but in the final version, she’s the long lost Princess of Hemera who escaped to Earth when her planet was invaded by the Erebus.

Bryce

Galactic Defenders

by Jessica E. Subject

A dedicated Defender…

Bryce fell in love once, but after Lalia was ripped away from him, he locked his heart from feeling anything for anyone else. Instead, he devotes his life to the Galactic Alliance, killing every bloodthirsty Erebus he comes across.

A shunned princess…

Lalia Comosova fell in love with the wrong man. When her parents learned of her transgressions, they sent her to Earth to hide her error in judgment from the rest of the kingdom.

A second chance?

When these lovers are reunited after many years apart, they have a chance to find happiness together. But fate steps in and threatens to rip them apart as it did years ago.

EBOOK: AMAZON US, UK, CA | ALLROMANCE | B&N | GOOGLE PLAY | IBOOKS | Kobo
PRINT: AMAZON US, UK, CA | CREATESPACE

Excerpt

Bryce raised his crossbow, lining his sights on the creature standing amongst the bushes, its branch-like tentacles undulating in the gentle breeze. Focusing the crosshairs on the alien’s torso, he drew in a deep breath. He had one shot. If he missed, the Erebus would cry out and alert the natives of Terra to its existence, resulting in more casualties. At first glance, no one on the planet, also called Earth, would believe an Erebus anything more than an overgrown bush, but Bryce knew the truth. He’d trained to hunt the creatures from childhood.

Each step carefully placed, he advanced until he stood twenty feet from the Erebus, no chance to miss the shot. With a slight movement of his finger, he squeezed the trigger, sending a zuranium-tipped arrow racing toward the alien.

“Quinn, would you grab me another garbage bag?”

Fornax. The creature lunged toward the female voice, Bryce’s arrow stuck in one of its tentacles. A kill, but not instant.

He loaded another arrow. At the risk of being seen, he charged through the hedges. He had to cut the Erebus off before it had a chance to kill the Terran. He leaped over metal furniture and large urns, keeping his focus on the creature.

“What the hell? Get out of my yard!”

The woman rushed him, but Bryce darted around her. When the Erebus lumbered in front of him, he raised his weapon and fired. A clean shot to the middle. The creature dropped like a fallen log, crushing the furniture it landed on.

Bryce loaded the crossbow again. No time to celebrate the kill. He had to worry about the possibility of other Erebus in the area, along with the Terran woman who had seen him. Instead of running away screaming, as he’d expected her to do, she stared, wide-eyed in horror. Not at him, but the Erebus. Her body trembled as she shuffled backward, mumbling incomprehensible words.

An unexpected sense of familiarity washed over him. He couldn’t draw his attention away from her slim figure, the way her long brown hair flowed over her shoulders. Far more attractive than he’d pictured the Terrans when others talked about them. He took a closer glance. Lalia? How had she traveled so far from home without anyone knowing? She was no stranger, and definitely not Terran. Or, perhaps she was simply a doppelganger of the woman he’d once loved. He had the sudden urge to comfort her, relieve her worry. Hold her in his arms the way he had many years ago. But what if the missing princess had somehow made her way to a planet unaware life existed beyond their own? After she’d left Hemera and him behind without so much as a goodbye, he’d searched everywhere. Though not once had he thought to look on Terra.

A ground-shattering bellow pierced the night. Bryce spun around, finding himself face-to-face with another Erebus. It stared at him with beady red eyes. Thick black goop dripped from its mouth.

Bryce raised his bow, but the creature slammed him with one of its tentacles, flinging him back. The Erebus lunged at Lalia.

Rolling to his knees, Bryce aimed and fired. He hit the alien from behind, launching it forward. Onto his former lover. Slinging the bow over his shoulder, he raced toward her. The creature’s tentacles still pulsed, even though dead. Careful not to trip himself up, he shoved his hands under the creature’s torso and heaved it off her.

Lalia stood immediately and wiped the black goop from her clothes, as if she hadn’t been flattened by an alien. “They weren’t supposed to follow me. I was supposed to be safe here.”

About Jessica E. Subject

Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk with her giant, hairy dog her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

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#WriteTip - Crafting Worlds by @jsubject, spotlighting her #military #scifi #romance MADE FOR HER

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It's always a pleasure to welcome Jessica Subject to may blog. Since she crafts such fantastical worlds, many of which contain sexy aliens, I often wonder how her ideas go from thought to print. Of course, the answer is book-specific, which means I can ask her this question whenever she releases a new book.

Ready to discover the origin of Made for Her?

Crafting Worlds

by Jessica Subject

With this story, I decided to get away from aliens in my sci-fi and try something different. I’ve always asked myself the “what-if” about Human cloning as soon as I knew what cloning was. And since many sci-fi romances deal with the military, I decided to try that aspect as well. I had a LOT of help from Karlene Petitt, who is a pilot, DL Jackson, who served in the US military, and my original editor, Rie Langdon, who also has military experience. They helped me to craft this story together, so that it worked and fit into the military romance subgenre.

Right now, I have started a new series called Galactic Defenders. It is about a group of beings from all over the universe, who travel to different planets to protect the citizens from the Erebus. The tagline for the series is They were trained to fight, not fall in love. The first book will be called Bryce, and will release later this year. And I hope to have the first draft of Jager finished by the end of 2016.

Made for Her

by Jessica E. Subject

After terrorists murder the love of her life, Colonel Mikayla Jones trains squadron after squadron of the clones he brought to life, to take to the skies. When she discovers a young clone of her husband in her newest class, her world spins out of control. How can she command the look-a-like when she can’t help but yearn for him to fill an ache in her heart?

Dare was created to be the best. As the first Daniel clone to leave Onatria labs, he needs to prove he is more than just a DNA copy. To do that, he must rely on the wife of the man who donated his genes. But when she refuses to train him, Dare faces discharge and returning to the labs. Can he convince Colonel Jones to finish his training and find a way into her bed? Or will long kept secrets unhinge the entire clone project?

Please note: Made For Her was previously published with another publisher. It has been revised and expanded from the original version. This version also includes the short story, Replicated Consequences, which takes place in the same world.

Excerpt (For Mature Audiences Only)

Colonel Jones eyed each one of her new cadets, examining the neatness of their uniforms, while inspecting for signs of stress or over-anxiousness. She’d never seen the telltale muscle twitches or sweats in any previous clones, only in human-borns, but she had to look for them anyway.

The first generation of clones didn’t live long enough to become cadets. Their hearts had given out within a year after incubation. But the scientists at Onatria had plowed on, utilizing more of Daniel’s research, speeding up the aging process with hormones to create the perfect generation she saw before her.

She’d had female clones in previous squadrons, but the government filled the one in front of her with testosterone-driven masculinity. If she’d been younger, she’d have a hard time concentrating. But her days of crushes and fantasies were long over. She was devoted to serving her country and planet, and nothing else.

That didn’t stop her from going out on the town for a stress-relieving fuck from time to time. But these young men in front of her appeared so virile, sure to last longer than any of her previous sexual partners.

No. As junior officers, and more importantly, as clones, they were off limits.

Inspecting them gave her the opportunity to check out more than their fatigues and tics, but if they knew her thoughts, they’d walk all over her. She’d be done.

They were of varying nationalities, builds, and heights, all fit to serve the planet. None of the cadets revealed any indication he would put the lives of others in jeopardy. It would be an easy squadron, every one of them ready to fly in a matter of weeks.

She reached the last cadet and froze. Her stomach clenched. No, they couldn’t have!

She pivoted on her heel and rushed off the tarmac, leaving the squad without an instructor.

ABOUT JESSICA SUBJECT

Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk with her giant, hairy dog her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers.  You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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