Last year, my fabulous publisher, Entangled Publishing, brought out a new
imprint;
Scorched (Beyond your Wildest Fantasies!) and I was asked if I
would like to write something to submit. I thought long and hardโand finally
decided Iโd love to write a really hot space opera romance. Which is how my
April releases,
Ruby
Robbinsโ Sexy Space Odyssey, came about.
Some of my favorite books as a teenager were science fiction: Frank Herbert,
Robert Heinlein, Arthur C Clark, Isaac Asimovโฆ. But romance was usually lacking
in the stories, and it was rare to find a science fiction book where the focus
was on the love story. Not so anymore.
Personally, I love stories that combine genres, but science fiction and romance
is probably my favorite mix. At first sight, and to those not familiar with the
sub-genre, they may seem like a bit of a mismatch, but dig a little deeper and
there are a whole load of reasons why the combination works.
Bad boys in space.
I first fell in love at the age of eleven. His name was Han Solo and he was a
space pirate. My tastes havenโt changed a lot since then. Plus, growing up, I
dreamed of being Doctor Whoโs assistant (I still do in fact) and of course, heโd
fall madly in love with me. Finally, more recently, my devotion to Han has been
severely tested by my attraction for Captain Mal Reynoldsโฆ among others. So Iโm
predisposed to love sci-fi romance.
But thereโs a reason most of my love affairs (imaginary at least) have been with
โspace menโ. I adore a bad boy hero, and space men, whether human, alien or
something else entirely, can be the ultimate bad boys; living on the edge of
civilization, boldly goingโฆ. Pirates, bounty hunters, cops, gun fighters (albeit
with a laser pistol rather than a six shooter.) In sci-fi romance, thereโs no
limit but your imagination to what your hero can do and be, and this is
certainly the case with Killian Sharpe, hero of Rescued by the Space Pirate.
Kick ass heroines
I want heroines who match their heroes. And in sci-fi romance, more often than
not, they more than match their male counterparts. In fact, the heroine is just
as likely to be the pirate or the bounty hunter, and just as likely to rescue
the hero as vice-versa. Ruby, my latest heroine, might start off as a shy
accounts clerk but she ends up a strong woman more than capable of saving the
universe.
Opposites attract
Iโve always loved romances that focus on people from diverse backgrounds and
cultures. I enjoy the clash of different beliefs and discovering how couples
overcome those differences to fall in love. Mixing science fiction and romance
allows you to push that premise to the limit, bringing together people from not
only different backgrounds but also different planets and even different
species. The possibilities are endless.
Anywhere
I think one of the reasons people love to read romance is to be carried away to
exotic locations, and the opportunities for that in science fiction are
unending. Space ships, different galaxies, Earth of the future, even Earth of
the past (if you happen to come across a time machine.)
Any time
People often think of science fiction as happening in the far future, but it
could take place at any time. Who doesnโt want to know what the world will be
like ten years from now, or a hundred or a million.โฆ Or maybe weโll take a trip
in that time machine and visit a long ago era. We can walk with the dinosaurs or
meet a real live pirate.
So, while sci-fi romance can provide a fantastic combination of adventure and
passion, for me, both as a reader and a writer, the real appeal is that the
possibilities are as endless as the universe itself.
Have you read any sci-fi romance, and if so what do you
love the most? If not, why not? Leave a comment for a chance to win a paperback
copy of the complete series of Ruby Robbinsโ Sexy Space
Odyssey.
Growing up in the cold, wet, north of England, Nina Croft spent a lot
of time dreaming of faraway sunnier places and ponies. When she discovered both,
along with a whole load of other things, could be found between the covers of a
book, her life changed forever.
Later, she headed south, picked up the
perfect husband along the way, and together they volunteered to work in Africa.
There they discovered a love of exotic places and a dislike of 9-5 work.
Afterward they spent a number of years travelling (whenever possible)
intermingled with working (whenever necessary.)
Eventually they stumbled
upon a remote area in the mountains of southern Spain and the small almond farm
they now call home.
Nina spends her days reading, writing and riding her mare, Gencianna, under the
blue Spanish skiesโsunshine and ponies. She reckons this is proof that dreams
really can come true.
A few days ago, in a galaxy right here...
The earth faces total annihilation and one young woman signs up for a
mission to rescue humanity. Only she ends up getting rescued herself, by a
gorgeous space pirate. And the sex is out of this world!
Ruby Robbins'
Sexy Space Odyssey #1
Hopeless romantic, Ruby Robbins spends her days as an accounts clerk, and her
nights with her head in the stars, dreaming of space adventures in the arms of
an alienโฆor two. Then one day, she's approached to help her country by going
undercoverโฆin space! She jumps at the chance and before she knows it, she finds
herself in the cargo hold of an alien slaver ship.
Space pirate, Killian Sharpe owes a lot of money to some very bad people. So
when an anonymous employer offers him a tidy sum to extract one Ruby Robbins
from a slaver ship, it sounds like easy money. But once he sets eyes on Ruby, he
knows he's in over his head. Not only is she breathtakingly beautifulโshe
refuses to be saved.
Luckily Killian hasn't met a woman yet who could hold out against him for
longโฆ.
Romance Science
Fiction [Entangled, On Sale: April 3, 2017,
e-Book, ISBN: 9781633759190 / eISBN: 9781633759190]
Ruby Robbinsโ
Sexy Space Odyssey #2
After a brief, but magical interlude with a couple of stunningly gorgeous
space pirates, Ruby is back with the slavers, and her mission is on target. Now
all she has to do is stay out of trouble, be a good little slave, and let her
tracking device lead her allies from Earth straight to the slavers' center of
operations. Hopefully, before anything really nasty happens.
Protecting Ruby is becoming a habit for Space Pirate, Killian Sharpe. When he
learns the slavers' final destination, he knows there's more at stake than just
Ruby's mission to save mankind. Because he's going home. This time, saving Ruby
might cost him his lifeโฆ
Romance Science
Fiction [Entangled Scorched, On Sale: April 10,
2017, e-Book, ISBN: 9781633759206 / eISBN: 9781633759206]
Ruby Robbinsโ
Sexy Space Odyssey #3
Killian Sharpe, is in over his head. One minute, he's a notorious space
pirate with a price on his head. And now, he's suddenly become one of the good
guys. How did that happen? He can only think of one reason โ sexy, spunky Ruby
Robbins.
Ruby is thrilled that her mission is almost over. Not only will she have
saved her planet, but she'll finally be able to live happily ever after with the
space pirate of her dreams.
But a tragic twist suddenly puts everything into jeopardy. And it's up to
Ruby, with Killian at her side, to change to world for good this time. She can
only hope they both survive the ordealโฆ
Romance Science
Fiction [Entangled Scorched, On Sale: April 17,
2017, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781633759213 / eISBN: 9781633759213]
I do read Sci-fi Romances... love how vast one's imagination can be in creating different worlds and characters!
(Colleen Conklin 6:41pm April 14, 2017)
I've read straight sci-fi, the ones with no romance, but I did get caught up in Diana Palmer's "Morcai Battalion" and now I search out the romance kind. Thanks for the list of really good sounding books.
(Annetta Sweetko 9:43am April 15, 2017)
I have enjoyed reading sci-fi romance, including the Cat Star Chronicles by Cheryl Brooks, the Alien Mate series by Eve Langlais, and the Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout.
(Bonnie H 11:29am April 18, 2017)
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