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

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!

“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

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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

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). 

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.

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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.

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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 - Build a Routine by @RebeccaAiries, spotlighting her #SciFi #Romance from @RedSagePublish

I'm delighted to welcome a fellow SFR Brigade member to my blog today. Since I'm in a bit of a productivity rut, her writing tip comes at a great time. So does the super sexy (adults-only) excerpt from her menage sci-fi romance. Without further ado....

Build a Routine

by Rebecca Airies

I’ve been focusing on productivity and habit building. The inability to stay productive has been one of my problems. So I tried all the standard methods. Sticking to a schedule, building a routine, put my butt in that chair, among others. What’s worked for me are writing sprints and building a routine.

I’ll sit down and do some revisions first on a finished WIP. That helps me get my mind on my writing. Then I’ll start some sprints. For me that’s 30 minute timed writing sessions where I keep typing until the timer goes off. Most of my sprints are solo. Other times, I’ll catch a writing buddy online who’s also looking to sprint and we’ll get to it.

Those sprints can quickly rack up the word count.  I love that!

A schedule has also helped some. I usually start writing at about the same time. I’ve noticed that around that time I get a little antsy to write and that my mind is ready to focus then. I also make sure I have everything I need, writing notebooks, something to drink, and any notes I have.

Available Now!

Red Sage

Sabotaged Desires

by Rebecca Airies

Suz Lore thought she had everything she wanted, a job as an engineer and a position on a colony ship headed to another planet. That was before her arranged ménage marriage with Robert Smith and David Bradford turned into a disaster. She’d thought they were building more than a sizzling sexual relationship, but all they do is argue now. She isn't surprised when they're sequestered in a room in order to reignite the passion between them and learn to trust again.

Robert believes she betrayed him while David is stuck in the middle of their conflict. Getting Robert to talk about what made him angry is difficult, but they discover there's far more behind their problems than a message with misleading information. A virus has overtaken the ship's computers, put them on a different heading and cut them off from all communication. They must work together to find a way to survive and rebuild their relationship

R-rated Excerpt (Mature Audiences Only)

Susanne looked up at him and blinked. The light tone of voice and the glitter in his eyes caught her attention. It had been a while since they’d played. Before Robert had received the message in fact. She craved the feel of David’s arms around her again.

“With all the tension, it’s been too long since I’ve felt you holding me tight. I’m sorry you were stuck in the middle of this situation.” She combed her fingers through his blond hair.

“Suz, not your fault. If he’d simply sat down with you, showed you the message and asked a question in a civil manner, this wouldn’t have happened. You tried to explain. Now, stop thinking about that and help me give him something to watch.” He drew back. His hands gripped the bottom of his shirt. He gave her a wicked smile before he whipped the sleeveless garment over his head.

She took a deep breath, let herself relax and follow his lead. “Tell me one of your fantasies and let’s make it come as true as we can in this room.”

“This situation is already close to one of them.” He guided her around the bed. “I’ve got you and Robert and a possible audience.”

“Um, that sounds fun, but tell me more about it.” She stopped and turned at the edge of the bed. Her hands lifted and stroked over his shoulders.

“I plan to strip you naked and spread you out on this bed. There are cameras in this room. What do you think of someone watching as I tease this pretty pussy or suck at one of these gorgeous breasts.” His voice lowered a little below his normal tone, but sounded breathier.

As he eased closer, his lips brushed over her temple. His hand cupped her pussy through the thin lounge pants. Her tongue slicked over her lips. Slick juices eased from her pussy and dampened her pants. The dirty talk always made her so hot. He knew that. The man shamelessly took advantage of it.

“I say let them watch and if they’re smart, they’ll take notes.” She pulled her shirt over her head. The light blue fabric fluttered to the ground.

A smile curved his lips. He laughed and leaned in close. His tongue traced over her neck. She tilted her head, willing to let him play for a while before she called on him to follow through with his fantasy.

“Damn it! Intimate moment, give us some privacy. I don’t want anyone seeing either of you in a private moment.” Robert straightened and glanced up at the ceiling.

“Relax, Robert. You know as well as I do that at the first sign of any nudity between us, they’ll cut off the recording. We have to go over and contact them to get it started again. They don’t have any intention to intrude any more than you’d like them to watch.” David shook his head. “You do know how to kill a mood.”

“He hasn’t killed my mood. We still have an audience, even if it is only one person.” Suz cupped his cheek before she urged his head upward for a kiss.

He nibbled her lips. “Yes, and even if seeing us makes him burn, he has to sit there and watch. He doesn’t get to play until he comes up with the right questions.”

She let her hands drift over his shoulders and down his chest. The warmth of his skin drew her to explore even more. She leaned closer. Her cheek brushed against his chest as she nuzzled and teased. His scent filled her, the slightly woodsy trace exhilarating. She loved it and didn’t know if the fragrance came from some type of wash or light cologne, but he always smelled wonderful.

“Um, but you know he likes to watch. Do you remember the first time he watched? He sat naked in that chair, his hand slowly stroking his cock as you and I fucked on the bed.” She slowly drew her hands over his ribs down to his stomach. The muscles rippled and flexed as she continued her downward path.

She hooked her fingers beneath the waistband. Those pants had to come off. Although they were loose, they were in the way. She much preferred the tighter pants he wore normally. They molded to the tight ass she enjoyed watching, not to mention grabbing when they had sex.

“I remember, but I also remember how desperate he was afterward. I think it might give him a reason to adjust his thinking.” David’s hands cupped underneath the full curves of her breasts, lifting them.

“Um, then let’s give him something to watch.” She pushed the loose fitting bottoms down his thighs.

About Rebecca Airies

A voracious reader since childhood, Rebecca Airies has always enjoyed getting lost in the fantastic worlds of science fiction, horror, fantasy and romance. When she began to write her own stories, they always had a romantic edge.

Rebecca currently lives in Texas and writes with the help of a couple feline critics. She’s a multi-published author whose muse loves fantasy, sci-fi and the paranormal, as well as strong heroines who are sometimes as stubborn as their heroes. She loves to here from her readers. Email her at contactme@rebeccaairies.net.

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