Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly by Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly

Welcome to the issue It's all Heather Massey's fault! If she hadn't written an article at her Galaxy Express blog that highlighted the problems with discovery and SFR (science-fiction romance), I wouldn't be in this pickle! But it was obvious that, while a wonderfully burgeoning crossgenre, there didn't seem to be one static place that readers could go to get the low-down on upcoming SFR releases. And so here we are. I say "static", because we often just want the world to stand still for a second, while we munch on book details, promising plots, the latest from our favourite authors, and so on. And it doesn't, does it? Stay still, that is. Everyone's lives are in such a chaos of jobs and chores and errands, and that's before we introduce blogs and news and social media and all the things we now feel are critical to our lives. It makes my head ache just thinking about it. So, with that in mind, I'm hoping Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly will become the go-to magazine that you use to just sit for a while, sip at that favoured beverage, and immerse yourself in a world of what-ifs. While we're on the topic of what-ifs, what exactly is SFR? We went around and around this question until I almost used Damon Knight's definition of sciencefiction; to paraphrase, "SFR means what we point to when we say it." Does SFR include steampunk romances? Oh, absolutely! What about cyborg/android love stories? Yep, of course! What if there's no hard science in it whatsoever? Well, okay, but there is an sf element in there somewhere, isn't there? What if someone wrote a sociological romance based on an alien planet? Okay, rather than throwing my hands up in despair, why don't I open things up a little? To me, at its foundation, SFR is "SF with heart". What do I mean by that? While I have adored science-fiction since I was little, that doesn't mean

I'm blind to its failings. To me, SF has always had a distinct white male (and chauvinistic) bent. If I browse through the hundreds of SF novels that comprise our home library, I can barely find any mention of minorities. And as for women in capable roles, forget about it! If there's one thing SFR does, is widen that perspective. Did I say, widen? It blows the doors off! It takes people of all colours, all creeds, all sexualities, and puts them in an alien environment to see what happens. SFR uses politics, manipulation, weaponry, environment, psychology, hate, love, and every point in between, to illustrate and (hopefully) solve people's problems. In other words, SFR is an exotic way of portraying the way the world works every day! It doesn't matter how strong you are, how lantern-jawed, how heroic...how much is that worth if you can't even share important moments with someone? So, back to my definition: "SF with heart". In the following pages, we'll be giving you snapshots of SFR releases for the current quarter. We also have reviews, a couple of articles and a short story to round things out. I really hope you like what you read, and if you have any feedback, please don't hesitate to drop me a line at editor ~@~ scifiromancequarterly ~.~ org I'd love to hear from you. Before I throw the magazine open to the rest of the news, I'd like to use this very first editorial to thank Heather Massey and Diane Dooley for their support, enthusiasm and can-do attitude. Or, to put it another way, if there's anything you don't like, you can blame them as well! ;) I would also like to give a special thanks to those authors who supported us by buying ads in this issue. Considering that all we were selling a couple of short months ago was vapourware, their trust, generosity and good wishes were overwhelming and very much appreciated. Stay safe and all the best for the holiday season! See you in 2014!

Kaz Augustin

Releases - September/October We strive to include as many sci-fi romance releases as possible, but with current time constraints, we apologise in advance if your release was not included in our round-up.

AGAMEMNON FROST AND THE CROWN OF TOWERS: Book 3 of Agamemnon Frost (Kim Knox, 32,000 words, US$1.99eb, Carina Press) Edgar Mason is losing Agamemnon Frost despite everything they've been through—the passion, the torture, the heat. Frost's fiancée, Theodora, is back, and Mason can feel his lover gravitating toward her. Every day he sees them together, it tears at his heart. Frost feels raw himself. His brother and sister-in-law are missing, and his guilt about failing to save Theodora from Pandarus eats at him. His feelings for Mason, whom he has put through hell twice already, just twist the screws tighter.

However, the Athanasios—a race of pure energy—have plans for Fade. They’ve been waiting for her, for her unique flesh, and they ache to experience pleasure. They can become as many lovers as Fade could ever dream…except for one man. Taras Foster. But then, the Athanasios want him too.

CONTENTS Editorial........................................................................2 September/October releases................................... 3

On top of that, Pandarus and the Martians are back to make their final push to Earth, and Frost and Mason are duty bound to fight them. People are vanishing. Bodies are turning up burned beyond recognition in the slums. The bleak, human-less future Frost and Mason saw in the hollow ships has nearly come to pass.

Reviews: Marlene Harris............................ 7, 23, 24

And in order to prevent it, each man will have to make a final choice: lose his lover or doom the world.

December releases................................................... 21

DEMONIC PERSUASION

Reviews: Toni Adams.......................................29, 33

(Kim Knox, Novella, US$4.45eb, Ellora's Cave)

Charlee's Scopebox: Got Alpha Heroes?........... 31

Fadeyka Bryce is on the run. She uncovered a dark family secret and now there’s a price on her head. Her best plan is to hide out in the last place they would ever look for her—a pleasure planet—until she can buy herself a new name and a new face.

Fiction: The Zed Word...........................................35

Reviews: Jo Jones.................................................8, 28 Opinion: What Would Romance Be Like Without Science?........................................................9 November releases................................................... 11 Reviews: The Book Pushers............................15, 18 The Cosmic Lounge: Sci-Fi Romance and the Heroic Journey......................................................... 26

Classifieds.................................................................. 42 This issue's team...................................................... 43

4 pleasure planet where no sexual practices are taboo.

ICE RED (Jael Wye, 93,000 words, US$2.99eb, Carina Press) Mirror, mirror, full of stars, Who will claim the throne of Mars? The princess: Engineer Bianca Ross, heir to a megacorporation and the Mars elevator, needs to acquire a mine on the surface to secure her place in the company. All that stands in her way is the mine's charming owner, Cesare Chan. The evil stepmother: Victoria Ross is plotting to gain control of Mars. She plans to assassinate Bianca and seduce Cesare to further her goals, and Bianca's trip is the perfect opportunity. The charming prince: Cesare shouldn't get involved. Bianca's visit could reveal the escaped slaves he's hiding at his mine, but he can't ignore a damsel in distress—especially one as beautiful as Bianca. Alone, neither would stand a chance against Victoria. But together, they could rewrite a tale that's meant to end with Bianca's blood.

NO BOUNDS (Ann Jacobs, Novella, US$4.45eb, Reissue, Ellora's Cave) Exiled for being caught in an underground BDSM club back home, Master Cole Callender has a plan—to build a resort on planet Obsidion where Earthlings can indulge in BDSM practices forbidden on Earth…a

When beautiful, submissive Amber joins him on Obsidion, Cole resolves to make her his own. First, though, he must conquer not only the evil Dom who wants her but also Amber’s deep sense of worthlessness—so he can finally bring her to pleasure without inflicting serious pain. Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published elsewhere under the title Branded. It has been revised for Ellora’s Cave.

ON BLISS (KS Augustin, 19,700 words, US$1.99eb, Reissue, Sandal Press) Hoara Felin has fallen in love with a man who is forbidden to leave the planet. Plus, he’s not quite a man…. Junior Commander Hoara Felin of the Republic’s Space Fleet has crash-landed on a planet. Her ship is inoperable, her shipmates are dead. The only thing that can make a bad situation worse is finding she has crashed on the notorious prison-planet of Bliss–a place where condemned criminals are sent…but never leave. She finds an unexpected ally in Toh, a handsome and caring man who treats her injuries and hides her from those who would hold an officer of the Space Fleet for ransom. But, as Hoara is about to find out, Toh is keeping a terrifying secret of his own. Publisher's Note: This book was previously published elsewhere, but has been completely revised for Sandal Press.

SKY'S END: Book 1 in the Cassiel Winters series (Lesley Young, 123,000 words, $15.99pb, Soul Mate Publishing)

5 A secret she must never share. A secret that two warring species are determined to control. A universe's future at stake. Twenty-year-old Cassiel Winters joins Earth's new space academy in hopes of finding her brother, one of Command's top pilots and her only family, who's been reported MIA. But she quickly realizes she may not be cut out for life in space, where female cadets are outnumbered, competition's fierce, and she's already failed her hand-to-hand combat test once. Even the station's most respected officer, Lt. Damian King, probably can't help Cassiel pass the second time around-so why is he so interested in her progress? If only one of her freaky déjà vu visions would offer an answer instead of mysterious messages like hide. When Cassiel's manipulated into a perilous mission, she encounters a warrior species bred to protect the universe from an even greater threat. And she learns that her secret visions are at the heart of it all. Now Cassiel must fight to control her own destiny and race to save her brother-even if it means pretending to be the pawn of Prime Or'ic, the cold-as-steel Thell'eon leader. Even if it means risking her life, facing hard truths, and making the ultimate sacrifice.

TASTE OF PASSION (Renae Jones, 21,000 words, $1.99eb, Carina Press) Fedni, an empath who can taste emotion, was once a highly desirable courtesan. But the conquering New Earth Federation has abolished her temple, forcing her into early retirement and making her struggle to find her place in a transformed world. Lonely and bored, she visits her ruggedly handsome new neighbor, an off-worlder doctor named Rasmus whose strange ways and delicious body arouse more

than her curiosity. Hot, hard lust flares between them, and a series of steamy encounters reveals to Fedni a generous lover. But incredible sex can’t keep their cultural differences at bay. Rasmus is disgusted by the temple system, and Fedni leaps to defend her way of life and to show him the beauty of her traditions. As their heated arguments make them each question their long-held beliefs, Fedni must reconcile her newfound knowledge and her pride in her past, or risk losing the man who stokes her passion to new heights.

THE DESCARTES LEGACY (Nina Croft, 275pp, $3.79eb, Entangled Publishing: Edge) Lucas Grafton has spent the last ten years hunting the Conclave, a secret organization who took everything from him: his wife, his child, his very identity. Now he has a lead—an imminent terrorist attack on London—code-named Descartes. Born with a genetic illness, Jenna Young has always known she was different. But the unexpected death of her father catapults her into a world of murder and terrorism she never expected. In order to stay alive, she must solve a twenty-five year old mystery—and her only ally a hard bitter man in search or retribution, her only clue the Descartes Highlands, an area on the near side of the moon.

6 Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need for revenge collides with Jennaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hunt for the past, and together they must stand against the Conclave. All the while uncovering the truth behind Jennaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s illness, a truth that will make Jenna question her very humanity.

THE MARANN (Christie Meierz, 250pp, $2.99eb, Sky Warrior Books) A story that will appeal to fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley and Zenna Henderson, The Marann recounts one woman's experience on a world where everyone can read her emotions. Marianne Woolsey is a high school Spanish teacher in rural Iowa, when Earth Central Command decides her linguistic talents would be better exercised if she spent 26 years teaching the daughter and heir of an alien ruler on a planet 24 light years from Earth. Now she's alone on a planet of aliens so humanlike that she has to keep telling herself her student's noble father is just her boss.

Handsome--and deadly--the Sural has ruled his province and led his planet far longer than he can admit to his daughter's human tutor. He hides much more from the space-faring races of the Trade Alliance than he is willing to reveal. What he doesn't want Central Command to know, he has to conceal from Marianne, but Marianne is concealing her own secrets from him--and as an empath, he knows it. The Marann is a sweet romance. Might not be suitable for young teens.

ALIEN ADMIRER (Jessica E Subject) Review by Marlene Harris

Alien Admirer takes a light touch with the science fiction aspects of this science fiction romance, but the author shows a deft hand with the down-to-earth problems involved in a widow with young children not just thinking about dating, but falling in love with the younger man next door. The story is sweet, sexy and realistic about how it handles the issues of a woman who more than young enough to move on with her life after the death of her husband more than a year previously, but who has kids that she has to put first in everything she does.

It just doesn’t make sense to her that Adam is really interested in her. What she doesn’t know is that Adam isn’t strictly human. And that now that he knows that Sera is his mate, she really is the only woman for him. For the rest of his life. Whether she accepts him or not. Escape Rating B+: I enjoyed this story a lot. Enough that I went to Amazon and bought the first book in the series, Alien Next Door, because I want to read Adam’s parents’ story. One of the tropes that seems to be difficult to get right is the older woman/younger man romance. There are issues that have to be dealt with, but too often the problems are glossed over or the concept is played for laughs. In this case, the author treated Sera’s concerns about the age difference seriously, and made sure that they were addressed

And her best-buddy is her nextdoor-neighbor, a man eight years her junior that her kids absolutely adore and who not only takes great care of them, but clearly loves them for themselves. The only problem is that Adam is still living over his parents’ garage; and until recently, he hasn’t exactly acted like he was looking to settle down. So it’s not at all surprising that Sera is skeptical about what seems like Adam’s sudden interest in settling down with her. Her erotic dreams about him don’t factor into her decision making. He’s gorgeous and she’s still among the living. She’s human, but she’s not stupid.

rather than dismissed. The children were not just plot devices either, they were real people, surprisingly so for a very short novella. And it was cute that they helped Adam arrange things for the lovely happily ever after. If you like your science fiction romance light on the SF and emphasis on the R, get your own (copy of) Alien Admirer.

Sky’s End (Leslie Young) Review by Jo Jones

Sky’s End, Book One in the Cassiel Winters Series, is combination of Space Opera and Science Fiction Romance. It is also Lesley Young’s first book and she has produced an interesting story line. The world Cassiel lives in comes to life pretty fast. It is a military academy in space and resembles the military academies of today. The danger in this world comes to life as Cassiel’s gift is revealed. The plot has quite a few twists and turns. On the surface it is simple. Find the weapon and find Cassiel’s brother. Every action is a result of those two facts but look for the weapon to be a surprise and Cassiel’s brother is not where you expect.

The world, the plot, and the action kept me reading. I like the alien race that was created for this world. For me the one weakness in the story was the character development. Cassiel starts out unsure of herself, grows as the story progresses but still come across as very young. She spends so much time looking at hot male bodies it is hard to see her as anything more that a hormone obsessed teen (even though she is 21). King and Or’ic (the alien) are presented as the two love interests for Cassiel but the connection between them seemed weak. The one male I liked best (Hathaway the science geek) turned out to play a really minor role. This is the first book in the series so even though it is SFR do not look for a HEA for Cassiel.

WHAT WOULD ROMANCE BE LIKE WITHOUT SCIENCE? Jacqueline Lichtenberg

Since many authors are releasing their own backlist as e-books on Kindle, sometimes with a "free" or "99c" promotional price, I've been catching up on older Romance titles I missed along the way. (I love my Kindle!) Some are Historicals--Victorian setting, Middle Ages, etc.--and you can't tell they were written before cell phones proliferated. Some were written as "contemporary" and now read as "historical." Some, however, read very awkwardly because the entire plot pivots on not being able to make a phone call while driving, while trapped in an apartment, or cut off by a storm. As the cell phone has changed our lives, it has changed our FICTION. The media term the "cell phone" as "technology." But to readers, it doesn't seem like "technology." Most people don't know how a cell phone works (or a computer, or tablet), but they know how to work them to communicate, to document an Event and post it to YouTube, to change status on FB, etc. Facebook, twitter, and other social networks have become the core of establishing and maintaining a Relationship today-whether it's Grandparents to Grandchildren or Lover-to-Lover. GPS features on phones open the vista of keeping track of your Lover's location. Four-Square is amazing, and will become more-so. The truth of our everyday reality is that science/technology is the single, major, issue in Romance--science is the problem, and it is the solution, in meeting people, in checking their

backgrounds, in checking genetics, in Paternity Suits, in dating, in sharing a "calendar" (Google, Yahoo, whatever, can we accept this party invitation?), in banking, in co-renting an apartment, and in "breaking up" the Relationship. In fact, there's a website for airing the dirty laundry behind a breakup, warning others off that nasty person who messed up your life. And that's all common to everyone in 2013! It's not science, or technology, it is just "life as we know it." Science Fiction projects trends into the future, and explores how science can advance technology over the next few decades, then depicts how such advances can, might, should, would impact human (and alien) lifestyles, choices, and generate options. Science is always creating opportunities for new kinds of crime and new ways to live in such an environment. If you dream of a Soul Mate and the life you can have with that unique individual, reading SFR can let you factor in the impact of the technologies of 10 years from now. If you prefer historicals, just remember that in those times, the sword was the epitome of high tech (steel), and the muzzle loading pistol became the dueling instrument of choice for the geeks of that time. Women who would not or could not master such "high" technology didn't fare as well as those who did master it. In the 1970's, women who refused to be left out of the tech revolution seized on STAR TREK, created and published Star Trek fanfic, at first on the high-

tech spirit duplicator, then on the higher-tech Gestetner Mimeo, then on the even higher-tech offset press (some bought, owned and operated an offset machine to publish fanfic)--and now on the Internet. The story of the women who have done that, and changed the Romance genre by self-publishing on paper and now in e-book, refusing to let Vampire Romance die when Manhattan publishers abandoned it, inventing self-publishing via e-books (yes, Vampire Romance was the market that proved the commercial value of the e-book and led to the Kindle, Nook, etc.) is told in the anthology FIC: Why Fanfic Is Taking Over The World edited by Anne Jamison. Note Amber Benson and Rachel Caine are also contributors. Amber Benson (actress from Buffy) has been writing Fantasy-Romance novels, and now will act in the Webisodes made from Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire series that Manhattan couldn't kill. What's the difference between science/technology and fantasy? "Any technology sufficiently advanced appears to be magic."

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Releases - November We strive to include as many sci-fi romance releases as possible, but with current time constraints, we apologise in advance if your release was not included in our round-up.

ALIEN ADMIRER: Book Two of Alien Next Door

some special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?

(Jessica E Subject, 17,000 words, US$2.99eb)

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He fills her with forbidden longing… Widowed for over a year, Sera longs for the company of her younger, sexier neighbor, the one man she can never have—unless she plans to rob the cradle. It’s too dangerous… She’s the only one for him… Adam never wanted to settle down…until Sera. But even when her children give him the green light, he must prove age is an alien concept… Will Sera give him a chance, or will Adam be left in the cold, never more than her alien admirer?

BUTTERMAN (TIME) TRAVEL, INC: Book 1 (PK Hrezo, 308pp) Welcome to Butterman Travel, Incorporated; a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. We’re a family owned and operated business with one hundred years of experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first. Anxious to attend

Use our Web conferencing to contact our frontline reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, who will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip. We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.

CYTHERA (Jo Graham, 156pp, US$17.99pb, Supposed Crimes) Cythera is a sacred courtesan, one of the fabulous Adepts of Menaechmi, famed through the Nine Worlds for their opulent beauty and decadence. However, when a fragile peace treaty hangs in the balance, the power to stop an interstellar war suddenly rests with her - a mission for which she is unprepared and unqualified. If she is to save thousands of lives, Cythera must not only rely on her wits and sensuality, but on a man she never thought she'd see again who has haunted her dreams for seven years. Athain Kinslayer is a captain in the Calpurnian navy, a star voyager who has given up on personal happiness in pursuit of his duty. His job is to stop a war. The last thing he expects is to have to rely on a

12 sacred courtesan, a woman with whom he spent one unforgettable night seven years ago and has never been able to forget. Together they must undertake a dangerous journey, face unexpected enemies, and delve into the deep and sensual waters of the most hidden rites in order to save their worlds - and find each other.

ETHEREAL LONGING (Kate Alister, Novel, Ellora's Cave) On his first visit to Earth, in the body of a golden retriever, Caleb—then Gabriel—had been drawn to Susan’s high energy and affectionate nature. Now, having risked his life to return and living in the body of a human male, he finds Susan enticing in an entirely different way. Susan’s extremely practical. She quit believing in Santa Claus at age five and considers fairies, the Loch Ness Monster and other mythical creatures stupid. Asking her to believe in aliens is a challenge. But even as the most wonderful time of year—Christmas—unfolds before them, time is running out. After the holiday Susan is leaving on the cruise she’s been dreaming of taking. And Caleb, well, if he can’t get Susan to love him—all of him—he’ll have to return to his own world for good. This book is the sequel to Ethereal Desire.

EVEN VILLAINS GO TO THE MOVIES: Heroes & Villains Book 2 (Liana Brooks, 41,778 words, US$4.99eb, Breathless Press) When your mother is America’s Superhero Sweetheart and your daddy’s the Number One Super Villain, you grow up feeling a little conflicted. Angela Smith has superpowers—nothing that will ever make her comic-book famous—but her ability to

psychically sense and manipulate the emotions of people around her has drawn unwanted government attention. Forced to choose between her quiet life as a teacher under constant surveillance or the life of a rogue, she chooses the latter. She plans to hide out in sunny Los Angeles where being a blue-eyed blonde won’t make anyone bat a false eyelash. Silver screen star by day, superhero by night, Arktos is a triple-threat. He can fly, freeze anything, and see glimpses of the future, all of which he needs to keep the city of Los Angeles safe, but which does nothing for his social life. When a frightening vision of an explosion leads him to rescue a damsel in distress, he finds himself trading Shakespearean insults with a rogue. Angela knows just how dangerous well-intentioned superheroes can be: one tried to kill her family when she was young. Arktos knows he should hand the rogue over to Company justice; it’s not safe for someone like her to be in the middle of a fight. But they can’t seem to stay apart. And together, they just might be able to melt all the obstacles standing between true love for a hero and a villain.

GOSSAMER WING, Steam and Seduction (Book 1) (Delphine Dryden, 320pp, US$7.99pb & eb, Berkley) After losing her husband to a rogue French agent, Charlotte Moncrieffe wants to make her mark in international espionage. And what could be better for

13 recovering secret long-lost documents from the Palais Garnier than her stealth dirigible, Gossamer Wing? Her spymaster father has one condition: He wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t send her to Paris without an ironclad cover.

But Peirce soon realises that hiding her in his apartment until the storm has passed may be more dangerous than looking down the barrel of a gun...

Dexter Hardison prefers inventing to politics, but his title as Makesmith Baron and his formidable skills make him an ideal husband-imposter for Charlotte. And the unorthodox undercover arrangement would help him in his own field of discovery.

LILLY'S JOURNEY (A.R. Norris, Novel, US$5.99eb, Desert Breeze Publishing) Having just lost her father and her home, Lilly Jordan must venture across the galaxy to her distant aunt. Lilly is ready to face the unknown away from the only place she'd ever been, however, she got more than she expected.

But from Charlotte and Dexterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marriage of convenience comes a distractionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a passion that complicates an increasingly dangerous mission. For Charlotte, however, the thought of losing Dexter also opens her heart to a thrilling new future of love and adventure.

LACE & LEAD (M.A. Grant, 100pp, AU$3.99eb, Entangled Publishing) (Breathtaking action, startling originality and polished storytelling combine in this futuristic Sci-Fi novella about a rough mercenary, a pampered daughter, and the lies they both believe. Blue-blood Emmaline Gregson survived one of the most brutal mining accidents ever recorded in the Republic, but she's never been in a firefight. So when unknown assailants circle the family estate, the only man she can rely on is Peirce Taggart. A former Lawman turned mercenary, Peirce has a simple job: protect Emmaline until her father can collect her and sell her to sex trafficker Richard Stone to pay off his debts. But when Arthur Gregson tries to cheat his way out of the contract, Emmaline seizes the opportunity to hire Peirce for herself, regardless of how crude, dangerous, or appealing he may be. Given the chance for redemption, he promises to help her escape both her father and Stone.

All is not how it seems on the beautiful space liner, Gentry II. Now, armed with dangerous information, Lilly Jordan must determine which of the handsome, mysterious men she should trust with the truth, and with her life. Unfortunately one seems bent on vengeance while the other holds her at a suspicious distance.

RAJASTHANI MOON (Lisabet Sarai, Novel, US$10.50pb, US$5.50eb) Neither kink nor curse can stop a woman with a mission. Cecily Harrowsmith, secret agent extraordinaire, is a woman on a mission. When the remote Indian kingdom of Rajasthan refused to remit its taxes to th, secret agent extraordinaire, is a woman on a mission. When the remote Indian kingdom of Rajasthan refused to remit its taxes to the Empire, Her Majesty imposed an embargo. Deprived of the energy-rich mineral viridium, essential for modern technology and development, Rajasthan was expected to quickly give in and resume its payments. Yet after three years, the rebellious principality still has not

14 knuckled under. Cecily undertakes the difficult journey to the rugged, arid land of the Raj puts to determine just how it has managed to survive, and if possible to convince the country to return to the Empire's embrace. Instead, she's taken captive by a brigand who turns out to be the ruler's half-brother Pratan and delivered into the hands of the sexy but sadistic Rajah Amir, who expertly mingles torture and delight in his interrogation of the voluptuous interloper. Cursed before birth by Amir's jealous mother, Pratan changes to a ravening wolf whenever the moon is full. Cecily uncovers the counter-spell that can reverse the effects of the former queen's hex and tries to trade that information for her freedom.

Drawn to the fierce wolf-man and sympathising with his suffering, she volunteers to serve as the sacrifice required by the ritualâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;offering her body to the beast. In return, the Rajah reveal Rajasthan's amazing secret source of energy. In the face of almost impossible odds, Cecily has accomplished the task entrusted to her by the Empire. But can she really bear to leave the virile half-brothers and their colourful land behind and return to constraints of her life in England? Reader Advisory: This book instantiates kidnap/captive fantasies. It includes robot bondage devices, animated nipple clamps, electric play, clockwork dildos, flogging, spanking, anal sex, double penetration in a dirigible, a small amount of F/F intimacy, scenes of MFM and sex with a werewolf in shifted human form.

SAVED BY VENOM: Grabbed, Book 3 (Lolita Lopez, Super Plus Novel, Ellora's Cave) To escape her father's debt to a loan shark, Dizzy seeks refuge in the upcoming Grab. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d rather belong to one of those terrifying sky warriors from Advertisement

15 the battleship Valiant than to the sleazy criminal who wants her as his plaything. The years of constant war haven’t been kind to highly decorated sniper Venom. Only the promise of earning a wife kept him going through deadly battles. Catching and collaring Dizzy fills him with incredible hope. Finally he has a

ICE RED (Jael Wye) Review by The Book Pushers (In an instance of synchronicity, the team at TBP was reading this book just as we were offering it for review. As a result, this review first appears at The Book Pushers website.)

***Possible trigger warning: this story contains a singular rape-themed scene where the female villain drugs and tortures the hero*** Ice Red, the first book in the Once Upon a Red World series, is a SciFi Romance loosely following a Snow White construct. The story takes place on Mars, some 300-plus years into the future. A Mars elevator and orbiting space station have been developed to enable more efficient travel from the planet’s surface to awaiting spaceships. Bianca’s father, the creator of the Mars space elevator, is about to embark a spaceship bound for Earth so he can help the Earther’s complete their elevator project according to his specs. This leaves Bianca’s step-mother, Victoria, in charge and forces Bianca in a position of having to prove her worth. Bianca is sent to the surface of Mars to complete the merger of a mine that Victoria wants to acquire for StarLine, only the owner, Cesare, isn’t interested in selling. He has secrets to protect in the mine and people’s lives on the line and isn’t about to let his mine fall into StarLine’s hands. I had a difficult time settling into this story. The narrative switched locations and POVs which

woman of his own, a mate to love—and bind and adorn with his ropes. After a brazen Splinter attack, the Shadow Force uncovers secrets about Dizzy’s late mother that entangle her in a web of deceit. To save Venom, her father and an operative named Terror, Dizzy digs deep and risks it all. Venom refuses to stand idly by while Dizzy’s haunted past threatens the future they’re trying to build. He finally has a reason for living—and he’s not giving her up.

affected the pace and made the pieces of the story slow to come together. Just as I was beginning to follow a character, the narrative would switch over to someone else in a different location. This made it hard for me to connect to the characters in the beginning and to really get a sense of where I was within the setting. The pace evened out as the story developed and the main characters came on scene together, but the approach used to introduce the story elements and the characters felt a bit choppy to me. I found the story concept intriguing and enjoyed imagining life on Mars and the slow evolutionary process of making Mars habitable. I could tell a lot of thought went into the worldbuilding with descriptions of the various types of functional clothing, the different habsuites and locales, the rugged terrain, and various modes of transportation. Wye also took into account how Mars would affect the subsequent generations who were born there. As a result, native Martians took on their own unique characteristics. She also included social elements to the story rooted in the colonization and history of Mars and the impact that had on the current times. The writing style had an ease and overall smooth flow with a good balance between descriptive writing and keeping the action within the individual scenes moving forward. However, when it came to the characters and their feelings and motivations, I felt the narrative skewed

a bit into Telling which detracted from my experience of the characters on the whole. I couldn’t help but see echoes of Firefly in the dialogue with the inclusion of Chinese phrases into the everyday English vernacular in addition to some cowboy/outback references. Although, here, the setting stayed primarily futuristic and didn’t have that full-out Western vibe. While many of the SciFi elements worked for me, the romance aspect did not. The romance began with insta-lust attraction that both Bianca and Cesare tried to deny. Bianca tried to maintain her “Ice Princess” composure while Cesare kept everything fast and loose. They didn’t engage in meaningful conversations at an intimate level as each stayed focused on their respective goals. As a result, I didn’t feel connected to a growing personal relationship. They would slake their physical attraction and then go back to being distrustful of the other. What intimacy transpired, happened only within the inner dialogue of the respective character but it was never shared. All the romantic angst could have been resolved with a single, simple conversation, but neither one of them had the courage to be vulnerable and honest. Bianca seemed to purposefully avoid actual intimacy so as not to appear “clingy or needy” as if that made her strong. But it had the opposite affect on me. It takes courage to be vulnerable. You can be honest about your feelings, stand up for what you want and still walk away if you’re offered less than you need. That’s strength. Meanwhile, Cesare wouldn’t know intimacy if it smacked him in the face. So, in the end, the romantic tension felt contrived and the characters didn’t establish a romantic foundation that transcended physical attraction. I think I would

have preferred that these two took their time in establishing a romance rather than forcing something into the confines of this story’s short timeline. Additionally, something about the language used to describe the smex scenes didn’t resonate with me: “his rod,” “her hot tab,” and mining terminology puns such as “his jack” or “jacking” and “[wanting] to drill you.” Maybe if I’d bought into their relationship and felt grounded to the characters I would have minded the language less. I’m not sure. But whatever the reason, it pulled me out of the scene every time. This story had great potential for a truly evil villainess. Initially, Victoria’s character intrigued me with her blend of warped power trip, political maneuvering, hidden agendas, narcissism and just downright evilness. However, she didn’t maintain this interesting dynamic as she devolved into a rather two-dimensional sadistic megalomaniac with no agenda other than to grab power for power’s sake. By the end of the story she felt more caricature than character. I really, really did not like the end scenes between Victoria and Cesare. I don’t like rape-themed scenes. I especially don’t like it when drugs are used to cause the victim to respond against their will. And I really don’t like it when the villain uses it to torment whoever it is they are holding captive. Victoria drugged and tortured Cesare and taunted him about raping him, but was ultimately thwarted from completing the physical act of rape. However, it was uncomfortable and I didn’t like reading about it. I’ve come across this scenario a number of times in different books and I don’t understand its appeal as a plot device. By this time in the story, I had already lost interest in Victoria’s character and this scene confirmed why. I

really couldn’t see the point of it all except as shock value. It did nothing to further Victoria’s storyline other than to highlight she had no real agenda–at least not one with any lasting impact on the series. This story incorporated some vague references to an Aurora Project run by scientists working on rather questionable experiments. I suspect this group may be featured as the series progresses, however I couldn’t help but wonder if this story would have been stronger if the Aurora Project had featured more prominently. It might have given more depth to Victoria’s character and given her a purpose beyond her megalomaniacal personality. I did, however, find the “ghost” scene odd. It seemed so randomly placed. Up to this point, the narrative hadn’t provided any hint or connection to the “ghost” and then after that snippet scene, never referred to it again. It felt like an unanchored scene set adrift within the narrative. I think I know how the “ghost” might have tied into the conclusion of this story, but since it was never brought up, I can’t be sure. Which makes me wonder why it was there

at all? There were areas where this story worked for me, and others that left me wanting. Issues with the romance aside, Bianca was a capable, intelligent heroine who stayed focused on her goals and stepped up to the challenges in front of her. Even though she often wanted Cesare to come to her rescue, that didn’t stop her from taking action on her own. Cesare grew on me as I learned more about him. His character went deeper than first glances would show and it turned out he had an altruistic heart even if he had difficulty showing it. There was some stereotyping of villains in this story and an overall lack of depth to their characters. The worldbuilding was well done and once the main characters came together, the pace of the story began to smooth out a bit as the action ramped up. A solid foundation to the romance as well as more depth given to the primary villain would have made for a stronger story overall. I give Ice Red a C+.

GHOST PLANET (Sharon Lynn Fisher) This joint classic review from The Book Pushers

A world in peril. A bond deeper than love. Psychologist Elizabeth Cole prepared for the worst when she accepted a job on a newly discovered world – a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. But she never expected she’d struggle with the requirement to shun these “ghosts.” She never expected to be so attracted to the charming Irishman assigned as her supervisor. And she certainly never expected to discover she died in a transport crash en route to the planet. Reincarnated as a ghost, Elizabeth is symbiotically linked to her supervisor, Murphy – creator of the Ghost Protocol, which forbids him to acknowledge or interact with her. Confused and alone – oppressed by her ghost status and tormented by forbidden love – Elizabeth works to unlock the secrets of her own existence. But her quest for answers lands her in a tug-of-war between powerful interests, and she soon finds herself a pawn in the struggle for control of the planet…a struggle that could separate her forever from the man she loves. E: When I read the blurb to Ghost Planet I found it fascinating. The thought of a new world, symbiotic ghosts, and of course a struggle for planet control intrigued me. I went into this without any expectations and I am glad because Fisher took her story in directions I never imagined. The combination of the ghosts, how they were treated due to the Ghost Protocol and what happened if/when people broke the rules was something else. This reminded me of some of the older science

fiction exploratory novels of my childhood with the seamless addition of some romance. Has: I totally agree with you about this book going into unexpected ways and I adored the premise which was refreshing and oh so haunting. The opening chapters of when Elizabeth finds out her fate and coming to terms to it had a stark and sad tone and I felt that Sharon Lynn Fisher really captured the emotions of grief and loss in a bittersweet way. In a lot of ways, this reminded me of a combination of Ghost and Solaris but Fisher injected her own unique twist on this premise and I freaking loved it! I also loved Elizabeth’s stubbornness and determination in not succumbing into her fate and fading away and despite the melancholy tone which I have to say the setting of a New Seattle really adds to the overall theme of the story – there were also touches of humour, passion and life which helped to balance the book. The start of the romance between Murphy who is the psychologist who created the Ghost Protocol and ends up breaking all the rules to fall in love with Elizabeth was a fantastic and I loved how themes of love, grief and hope was explored via their unusual bond. E: I agree the way Fisher started up the story with the initial attraction and then all of a sudden the change… I really liked how this was a case unlike most of the others but the logic fit. I also think that Elizabeth’s background was what enabled her to resist what the Ghost Protocol was designed to do. It

also gave her a unique perspective that came in handy as the twists and turns continued. One of the early signs of that was how Elizabeth while promising to stop pestering Murphy started talking to other ghosts and reminded them that they were still alive in a sense with the ability to eat, feel, etc. That the ghosts could talk to each other and therefore experience some contact. Of course rebellion doesn’t come without a price and that price is initially steeper then either Elizabeth or Murphy could have imagined. They got a very good display of how science can over weigh any thought of human decency but then the ghosts aren’t “human.” I have to admit that I thought the way a few scientists used Elizabeth’s knowledge of science and lab protocol against her inspired in a sick sort of way. Has: And this is why I loved how Fisher explored these themes in the book, because it really delved into what grief and love is about and what if there was a second chance in regaining someone you lost? But it also didn’t have to be someone a person knew well or was very close to. I liked the fact the planet/alien entity also offered potential possibilities and seeing that Murphy and Elizabeth who were almost strangers on earth but had a second chance was interesting and I loved the dynamic they created with each other. It was also ironic but important to see that here is a human colony settling in an alien planet but trying to control and shape it into their ideas and conventions and not respecting or embracing on what it could offer. That message really rang out loud for me and it was important to see how it panned out over the course of the story but without it being a heavy-handed or preachy. E: I liked that aspect too. I think it can be important sometimes to remember that just because we have a way of doing things that doesn’t mean that other ways are wrong or won’t work they are just different. One of the other aspects I liked was how Fisher showed things from different angles. We had the more benign side with the Ghost Protocol, then the dark side of the Ghost Protocol and experimentation, and then the ugly side of the flip

in power/control that can occur when rage and hurt find an outlet without control. Fisher also showed through Elizabeth that no one had really made any long-term documentation of the results when a settler and ghost were permanently separated for failure to follow the Ghost Protocol. The ghost wasn’t really of concern but the reaction to the former settler was never considered. The long term reaction could have provided some evidence that things weren’t necessarily as the settlers thought they were… It took the combined effort of a lot of different people, ghosts, and outsiders to actually make a difference on Ghost Planet. I loved how the solution wasn’t a single individual or idea but a combination. As I said earlier this reminded me of the science fiction of my youth. I want to say thanks to Fisher for proving that I still have that love and giving me several hours of enjoyment. I hope she provides more. I give Ghost Planet an A. Has: Ghost Planet for me was a such a surprise, because although I didn’t have high expectations even though it had an interesting premise. I was surprised HOW much I really liked it because of how it approached themes of love and loss but exploring it in a wonderful way. When a character states “People Die. Love Doesn’t” – this really sums up the book and the characters for me. Despite it being a SF romance, this goes beyond a high tech and high speculative premise because it really examines the full spectrum of human emotions and what it is to be human. And at its heart, there is a fantastic romance, which has flawed but real characters who have been given a second chance at love and by finding it they become truly alive and I loved that message. This has definitely become one of my favourite books this year and it is a standout debut by Sharon Lynn Fisher who has a fantastic voice. I highly recommend it because it was fresh, and different and it was chock-full of emotions. I want more please! I give Ghost Planet an A.

Write for us! Short stories sought for publication in online quarterly journal focused on Science Fiction Romance Length 1,000 - 7,500 words. For Issue #2, stories must include Steampunk and Romance elements with an upbeat ending. Payment $25 (U.S.) paid upon publication, promotional biography w/two links, and a complimentary quarterpage advertisement. Deadline for Issue #2 January 31, 2014. Rights Sought Six-month exclusive world digital rights from date of publication; nonexclusive thereafter. Other Info Story must be inspired by a pictorial prompt given by the editors (see image on this page). One short story will be published per quarterly issue so please send only edited and polished work, with the understanding that the majority will be rejected. Due to time constraints we are unable to give personalized feedback on rejected stories.

Stories that tie-in to a previously established world will be considered, but story must stand alone. All sub-genres of science fiction will be considered. Any heat level from sweet to erotic will be considered. Be aware that the fiction editor prefers her erotica on the literary side. Original, previously unpublished fiction only; no fan fiction, please. **Submit**: Standard manuscript format, please . Send brief cover letter with biographical information and publication history along with attached story (.rtf or .doc format) to Diane Dooley: fiction {@} SciFiRomanceQuarterly {.} org by deadline.

Releases - December We strive to include as many sci-fi romance releases as possible, but with current time constraints, we apologise in advance if your release was not included in our round-up.

DEATH DEFYING: Blood Hunter #3 (Nina Croft, 286pp, US$5.69eb, Entangled Select) Part snake, part human, and—some would say all bitch—Captain Tannis of the starship El Cazador has one goal in life—to earn enough credits to pay for theMeridian treatment to achieve the immortality she craves. And one last job will get her there. The assignment: protecting the most powerful man in the Universe. Being leader of the known universe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it sucks big time. And after five hundred years, Callum Meridian, founding member of the Collective, is bored out of his mind. But as things are changing, he’s changing—into what, though, he isn’t sure. Callum is determined to discover the truth, and he’s employed the crew of El Cazador to help him do it. Not everyone agrees with his plan, though. His own people will stop at nothing to prevent the truth coming out, the Church is taking advantage of the confusion and attempting a coup, and even the crew of _El Cazador_ seem close to tossing him out the airlock without a space suit. But defying death has never been more dangerous, sexier, or more fun.

HIS LOWBORN HEART (JC Hay, 79,500 words, Lyrical Press) The heart never obeys the rules of society. As the older, lesspretty sister, Theodora Groswald is expected to run the household and help raise her younger siblings. Buried under the pressures of her

family and society, she longs for something to make her life exciting. She finds what she’s looking for in a brash fighter pilot who coaxes forth a wildness she has kept in check for far too long. Janus Donaghue has fought for everything, working his way up to the elite Empress’s Wing on skill rather than through a purchased commission. He has little use for nobility or the fripperies of society, until one dance with the duke’s daughter leaves him willing to risk anything to fit into her world. Thea knows she’s playing with fire when she arranges a rendezvous with Janus, but the temptation is too great to resist. When Janus is arrested during their tryst for treason and believed to be an alien conspirator, Theodora alone holds the alibi to save him. Coming forward will destroy her entire family…she’s been dallying with a lowborn. Any future is bleak at best, unless Janus can prove he was framed, and stop the alien invasion from taking over the empire.

LORD REGRET'S PRICE: A Jane Austen Space Opera, Book 3 (Joely Sue Burkhart, Novel, US$5.50, Samhain Publishing) A devilish alliance, sparked by imperial blood… After weeks of travel, Lord Sigmund Regret’s nerves are frayed. He’s gone too long without a mark, but that’s not the only thing making him edgy. Once the reality of his profession

22 sinks in, he wonders how his Lady Charlotte Wyre will feel when he comes to her bed with fresh blood on his hands. Of course, the other man in her life adds more stress to an already complicated relationship. Gilead Masters’s needs are so…normal…compared to Sig’s, which leaves Charlotte turning to him to explore her darkening fantasies. Bondage is one thing. But pain? That’s too close to his bloodline’s violent weakness for Sig’s comfort. Charlotte can feel Sig pulling away, but there is no time to heal the rift before they land in Zijin, where

she is immediately attacked. Britannia’s reach is long, and Queen Majel’s reach is even deeper—and more deadly. As Imperial politics come to a dangerous boil, Charlotte must risk everything to keep her beloved assassin alive, free, and at her side. Even as he searches for his next mark. Warning: Ladies in positions of power, a dragon alien, and a BDSM ménage à trois featuring a duchess on the run, a gentlemanly assassin, and a rough-and-tumble sheriff willing to gun down anyone who gets between him and his lady.

ALIEN ADORATION (Jessica E Subject) Review by Marlene Harris

I read Alien Adoration after I read the second book in the Alien Next Door series, Alien Admirer. That means I already knew most of what was going to happen in Alien Adoration. More relevant for the purpose of this review, I bought Alien Adoration because I enjoyed Alien Admirer so much, and I was hoping that the first book in the series would be as much fun as the second, while filling in a few more details. Which means, unfortunately, that I didn’t adore Alien Adoration as much as I admired Alien Admirer. This first book in the series was definitely cute and sweet, but didn’t seem quite as polished as the second book. (And I’m aware that someone should take my punning license away, but the temptation was irresistible.) As with Alien Admirer, in Alien Adoration we have our alien hero and our “original recipe human” heroine.

She still lives in the same small town, a place that seems to be the divorce capitol of the universe. Or at least Earth. Marriages don’t last (her parents’ marriage certainly didn’t) and relationships have an incredibly short shelf life. Especially the “relationships” that the hottie next door seems to have. Gorgeous women come home with him in the early evening, and leave screaming in the middle of the night. It’s too bad for Rachel that she can’t help thinking about her neighbor, and that there don’t seem to be any decent men in town. The local church ladies feel so sorry for her, they fix her up with one “nephew” or “cousin” after another. Too bad they all turn out to be scumbags. She has no clue that the hot neighbor with the revolving front door is the grown-up version of the little alien boy. Or that he’s come to her small town to find her.

But while in book 2, the heroine’s story had the most depth, in book one we have Luke, an alien from outer space who played with one too many buttons on the control panel of his parents’ spaceship as it passed by Earth.

Escape Rating B-: There’s a sweetness to the romance between Luke and Rachel that lets the reader overlook some of the fluffy shortcuts in the storytelling while reading, but this one just isn’t quite up to Alien Admirer.

Luke stranded himself here as a boy, seeming to be about eight years old. He appeared in the middle of the night in an unprepossessing small town, and is observed by a little girl staring out the window. She lets herself out of the house, and meets her first, and last, alien. She never forgets the night, but can’t remember his name.

We never do know what makes Rachel’s small town of Hanton such a rotten place for people to build lasting relationships. It doesn’t just seem to be Rachel’s perception, the place really is that bad. But why? Is it something in the water? Is everyone in a high-risk profession? Alien influence?

Rachel grows up, and sometimes wonders if that night was a dream. She dreams it over and over as the years go by.

Luke comes to Hanton with the express purpose of finding Rachel. If she’s the woman he wants so badly, why is the skank parade passing through his front door? Especially with her right next door and

having a ringside seat for the show? Some part of this combination didn’t work for me.

looks awfully jerk-like, and rightfully makes her wary.

Particularly when added with Rachel’s own unfortunate dating history. She has kissed more than a few of the town frogs. A lot of the guys in Hanton are real jerks. When they confirm they’re jerks, Rachel dumps them. But Luke’s behavior

Although I do wonder if the so-called “church ladies” don’t have something to do with the high divorce rate. They seem to have a corner on the destructively evil gossip market. Maybe they’re witches?

Lace & Lead

Retro-fashion at its finest.

Review by Marlene Harris

All of Emmaline Gregson’s references to her life before the story begins are to a life where women, or at least “blue-blooded women” are not supposed to have any agency. Her future was supposed to have involved a move from her father’s dubious care to her husband’s, with her being a sheltered childwoman never allowed to make any decisions for herself along the way.

My heart keeps wanting to say Firefly, although when I break the story down, it isn’t a logical reaction. Pierce Taggart sure as hell isn’t an avatar for Mal Reynolds, and Emmaline Gregson has nothing in common with Inara Serra, although it turns out she has quite an affinity for Kaylee. But this has the feel that Firefly did, a futuristic western, even if that future is rather undefined in Lace & Lead. And Pierce Taggart is also an exmilitary man, as Reynolds was. Except that Taggart’s cause wasn’t lost in the fight, only his sister. In this future, the mostly good army is fighting against aliens who are not human and seem to think we might be dinner. I don’t know about you, but that feels like way more than a difference of opinion that can be smoothed over with a little negotiation. I like my parts attached. I said “mostly good” because some of Taggart’s former comrades-in-arms are as susceptible to human forms of corruption as the criminally-minded in our world. Just because they fight the good fight some of the time, doesn’t mean some people are always good. One of the reasons that Lace & Lead feels like a western is because the story starts on a very westernseeming ranch. Admittedly a ranch with some very high-tech security gadgets, but still a ranch. Also, our heroine is not just wearing a corset, but wearing gowns (gowns!) that require a corset to fit properly.

The attack on the ranch that begins the story shoves her life offcourse and changes everything. Lucky for her, it also breaks her father’s contract with Pierce Taggart. Because Taggart is something unusual, an honorable soldier-of-fortune. When Emmaline’s father sends a rival band of mercs to kill his crew in order to prevent them from collecting their pay, it does pretty much invalidate their contract, freeing him to take a much more honorable contract from Emmaline. Because Emmaline wants Taggart to protect her from her disgusting father and the man he was planning to sell her to. Yes, I said sell. In order to pay off a very large debt, “dear old dad” is planning to sell his gently-reared, blue-blooded and virgin daughter to a known flesh peddler. Attempting to stiff his hired guns by turning them into stiffs is by far the least of his sins, but it is where the story gets mighty interesting. Taggart thinks Arthur Gregson is an arrogant prick.

He thinks all blue-bloods are useless except as a source of jobs for his team. Until Emmaline. Because while he’s busy rescuing her, she’s equally busy transforming herself from the worthless prissy bitch she never wanted to be into something else entirely. It’s not just that she’s beautiful in dingy cargo pants as she crawls under old engines and learns to rebuild discarded military transport--it’s that she’s finally found a life that suits her right down to the ground. If only the men chasing both of them will let her keep it. And Taggart. Escape Rating B+: There’s a lot of story packed into a relatively short novella, and it packs a surprising amount of emotional punch. Lace & Lead feels space western, and it hints at it effectively without a lot of detailed worldbuilding. Not that I wouldn’t have enjoyed a bit more worldbuilding. There’s a piece missing about how extremely different life is between the high and low classes. It always is different, but Emmaline’s total

lack of agency to the point where she wasn’t permitted to pick her own clothing seemed beyond extreme, especially compared to Taggart’s sister’s life in the military. The rich are always different from you and me, but on this world, how did they get this far that way? Emmaline is an active participant in her own rescue. She may need Taggart and his men to break her out, but she was planning to find a way of escape from before the story starts. Also, the suspense subplot of why the chase continues to pursue her involves an earlier incident where Emma very much took matters into her own hands. She’s not the shrinking violet her society expected her to be. It’s important in the story that Taggart doesn’t just fall for her, however reluctantly, but that he also provides her with a way to do meaningful work for the first time in her life. She needs that purpose as much as she turns out to need him. Because she needs to become his equal or they don’t have a chance. Not to save their lives, and not to make a future.

Sci-Fi Romance and the Heroic Journey Heather Massey One of the best things about fiction is that nothing in the stories have to match real life. It's a place for our imagination to run wild. This is certainly true of science fiction romance (SFR), especially when it comes to the roles played by heroes and heroines. Specifically, that of the heroic journey. I'm using the term "heroic journey" to differentiate it from the "hero's journey," which is traditionally male-centric. In SFR, the central figure is not one, but two people (occasionally three) of various genders and sexual orientations. SFR stories are often structured with a particular narrative: an external threat must be overcome before the couple can be together in peace. With two characters at the center of both the romance and the external plot, it'd be odd if, book after book after book, the heroes were always the ones to save the day -- or save the heroine. Here's why: science is always present in these stories. Technology is the great equalizer. Plausibility would be in question if heroines never used science to their advantage or constantly relied on someone else's access to technology. For example, a five foot woman weighing 130 pounds may not be as physically strong as a six-foot baseball player, but put her in a suit of powered armor and voila! She can compete with the best of them on the battlefield. In SFR, technology and the assumption of its use by the characters doesn't mesh well with the damsel-in-distress fantasy or the idea that only a

man can be a hero. What if a story has two lesbian heroines? At least one of them would have to be the focus of the heroic journey. But are rescue fantasies (particularly in m/f books) and science mutually exclusive? Not by a long shot. Many authors of SFR approach the rescue fantasy in ways that deliver the trope while also acknowledging the gender-related culture shift in a futuristic setting. One method is to assign the primary hero role to the heroine, or at least increase the extent to which she plays an active part. Other stories employ the dual-heroic journey, meaning that heroines and heroes fuse together into a single heroic unit. They might take turns rescuing each other, and/or they join forces in the climactic scene to save each other at the same time. As cheesy as the Wonder Twins (DC Comics) are ("Wonder Twin powers activate! Form of, a bucket of water!"), the concept of two people bound by a strong emotional bond who are only at their heroic best when together is an exciting one. Dual hero pairs donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to rely on gender specific qualities, either, especially in futuristic settings where progressive cultures are implied. The heroine can be Alpha and the hero Beta, or vice versa. Either of them can be emotionally wounded, or

27 both. Both can be kick-butt or maybe they fit into some other category.

Caught in Amber - Cathy Pegau

Sci-fi romance reinvents the rescue fantasy by allowing for both the hero and heroine to have agency and drive the story forward. For your reading pleasure, here are a few SFR titles that incorporate a heroic journey narrative:

Touched By An Alien - Gini Koch

Enemy Within - Marcella Burnard

Darkship Thieves - Sarah A. Hoyt Nights of Steel - Nico Rosso Unacceptable Risk - Jeanette Grey L.J. Garland - MechMan Until next timeâ&#x20AC;Ś

Gridlock - Nathalie Gray Games of Command - Linnea Sinclair Advertisement

I Dare by (Sharon Lee & Steve Miller) A classic review from Jo Jones

We all have our comfort books, those books we read and read again and still again and again. One of my favorites is I Dare, the last book in the Liaden series. It has it all; action, danger, wonderful characters, great world building, and romance. I Dare takes all of the events from the previous 4 books and brings the series to a great ending. But wait; even with the ending there is room for more and a bit of a mystery at the end. It is great Space Opera and it also is one of my favorite romances. The five-book arc tells of the conflict between clan Korval and the Department of the Interior. The Department wants to control Liaden and Korval stands in the way. Korval is powerful. Their focus is ships and pilots and they have gone to ground in order to defeat the Department. One of Korval’s own Pat Rin yos‘Phelium is not a pilot. When he is mentioned in the first book he is described as a bon vivant, ne’er do well, and a professional gambler. He is just a rarely mentioned side characters. In I Dare he becomes a main character and is placed in a new and very dangerous position. The Department of the Interior has told

him that he is the last of his clan. They want to use him to control Korval but he gets away and starts on a plan to stop the Department. Suddenly he is front and center in the action even as he describes himself as “the least of us all, who is left now to carry Balance to fruition.” At his side is Inas Bhar, Juntavas Sector Judge Natesa the Assassin. It is the romance between these two that is my favorite. It does not take up much of the book. There is little physical contact between the two but Lee and Miller use every scene between the two to show the bond that is growing. They are two who never thought to give their hearts to anyone but find their soul mates while working for a common goal. Pat Rin would never make a move so it is up to Natesa to change in their relationship. That takes up less than two pages but it is a very powerful scene that catches me every time I read it. There are other couples and romances in the series but after reading I Dare, Pat Rin and Natesa became two of my favorite characters. I recommend the Liaden series to any Science Fiction fans. It is a great series and today there are more than five books. Baen publishes the Liaden series.

His Low Born Heart (JC Hay) Review by Toni Adams

A general question here: Is anyone else tired of the importance of being a “poor person” versus a “rich person”? Or even this question: Is anyone else finding it hard to believe that love at first sight will overcome personal hangups? These were the thorns in my side that kept me from fully absorbing this story. Other than the romance, I enjoyed most of it. The enjoyment came from hoping that the parasitic aliens would take over. For, oh-dear-goodness, do these humans deserve to fail. I want them to fail. The take down of the society would be an immensely beneficial asset. As you can figure out, this is a human versus aliens type of story. In the center of the human social structure is an elite society that has watched too much “Downton Abbey”. That's how I pictured this whole place: Downton Abbey with fighter jets. This story focus on the daughter of a Duke, Thalia Groswald. She's the oldest and with their mother gone,so she handles the finances of the estate. Running an estate takes a lot of time and energy, so she has no time for the frivolities of the nobility. Oh (insert dramatic hand gesture), she is doomed to a spinster. I don't understand it either. Why would that make her a spinster? Other than her own personal opinion and gossip-prone noble people, she's not described as an ugly person. So then it's not her looks that make her feel like a spinster. It all must be in her

head. The only underlying reason I could fathom was that she works hard to maintain the estate. This talent should highlight her efficiency as a noble woman (I'm pretty sure a lot of noblemen would appreciate their spouses keeping a closer hand on the finances). No, she's a spinster because she makes herself one. She isolates herself from society, she hides behind her beautiful sister, and she has so no self esteem. Until Janus Donaghue walked into the gala her family was hosting. In less than a millisecond, every personal hangup she had about herself dissolves away. Enter the baffling antics of a coy, flirtatious, sex-ified woman. Huh, that was quick. This brings me to the other perspective I have on the relationship between Janus and Thalia. Maybe she is physically lacking or plain like Jane Eyre. Then once they see each other, then beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. Which is much more romantic spin but the mental flip that happens to Thalia is jarring. Now we get to deal with the personal demons of Janus. See he was poor. That's it. His main issue is that he came from a poor background. Despite his years in the ELITE Empress Wing, his amazing skills with the jet (which we only have a glimpse of), his intelligence, none of it holds any importance. He's poor,folks. He doesn't deserve to be in the same room as the men he commands let alone to actually love a noble woman. Meanwhile, a war is brewing somewhere. A war between the grubs, a parasitic worm that wheedle their way into your brain and take over. Humans

that have been infected with the grubs become well spoken, reasonable creatures with a clear hierarchy but with a fair debate system. Truly, this is a terrifying parasite. I see now destruction other than taking over humans. Yes I am a grub supporter. Normally the thought of a parasitic creature taking over a human brain would be unsettling and horrific. In this society, go for it. I see no redeeming qualities. 7

They squabble over stupid society parameters while â&#x20AC;&#x153;fightingâ&#x20AC;? a war

Money is spent on a gala, instead of defending themselves

Our hero/heroine combine into a fornicating machine -- devoid of any personal issues or their surroundings

They have NO way of figuring out a grubinfested human except to OPEN their brains?! Lack of technological capabilities or barbaric?

Their military goes on defense shifts but they don't hold much importance to it (except Donaghue).

Poker seems to be a really big deal.

I don't see anything else in this society that is worth redeeming.

I may be the only person hung up on this, but I have seen it so often lately that it's driving me crazy. Yes, there is a distinction how a person is raised in a luxurious, entitled lifestyle and working man's atmosphere. They are very distinct and can shape a person's perspective. I just wish that it wasn't used a s a conflict between our hero and heroine. Or the whole story. It was such a huge issue that the drama with the parasitic grubs are pushed towards the end of the novel. Which is a shame. Whenever the grubs were involved, my attention was snagged. The more the division was highlighted the more it aggravated me. Is this really that important? Is it more important than preserving the human race? I would think in these times, boundaries are relaxed and collaboration is made to unite. Instead, it just becomes painfully shallow. I would have rather seen the romance blossom because Thalia and Donaghue worked together. Their combined talent and intelligence would have been the saving grace of humanity. Instead, they pit personal issues against one another creating a wall that blinds themselves to each other and the danger encroaching them. Many times I just couldn't figure out how this society could have jets but not the ability to detect grub-infested humans? Not even an ultrasonic device? A brain pattern reading machine?

Got Alpha Heroes? Charlee Allden Have you noticed that Alpha males and bad boys have space-rocketed into prominence in Romance these days? It’s hard to miss them as they stride boldly onto book covers with their cold stares, lethal muscles, and oft-tattooed skin. When readers go looking for these guys, they are most likely to click directly to the Military or Paranormal subcategories of Romance, but they are almost as prevalent in Science Fiction Romance (SFR). This quarter, I want to take a look at their role in my favorite subgenre and suggest a few books for readers who adore these dangerous heroes. But before I go there, I wanted to get a bit scopey on you. That’s my word for digging a bit deeper into a topic — putting it under a microscope. Hold on to your lab coats, here we go. If you love SFR, you’ve probably heard critics claim that Science Fiction and Romance are too disparate to mesh well. As an SFR fan, you know intuitively that the statement is bunk, but indulge me in my need to argue the point. Let’s start with what each genre does well. Science Fiction has always been good at exploring ideas. Often those ideas relate to technology, but just as often they relate to the human experience. The genre has a way of taking a volatile topic — be it ethics, social issues, religion or whatever — and providing a safe means to explore. Take the issue out of the real world and it can be easier to look at all sides with a clearer head and open mind. Romance is just as interested in the human experience — or at least one very important part of that experience. It provides a safe way to explore and experience relationships or lifestyles we might never choose for our real lives. No wonder bad boys, billionaires and rakes abound!

SFR is uniquely suited to immerse the reader in worlds, cultures, and relationship s very different from their own. Even the most terrifying situations — captivity, slavery, repression, or worse — become emotionally safe to explore when the reader is assured of a happy or satisfying place to exit the story. The Alpha male is right at home in SFR because the world he thrives in is not our own. He can make us stop and question our ideas of right and wrong and the roles of men and women. His methods often clash with modern norms, but his passionate nature delivers the emotional intensity romance readers crave. Wait. Am I claiming that gender roles are the fodder of Science Fiction? Absolutely. All fiction, and particularly Science Fiction, is influenced by the issues and concerns of the era in which the writer is living. It’s no coincidence that George Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four in the midst of the sociopolitical turmoil after World War II or that H. G. Wells wrote The Time Machine just after the Second Industrial Revolution when machines were rapidly changing the world. Gender roles are a major issue in our times, both domestically and internationally. Margaret Atwood, author of the award-winning The Handmaid's Tale may have preferred the term speculative fiction over Sci-Fi, but she knew her exploration of feminism needed the distance and room for hyperbole provided by a futuristic setting. SFR can deliver the romance of our Alphas and bad boys taking on the strong defender role of cultures more male-dominated than the reality of most English-speaking readers while the women in those stories hold onto their personal strength, making the story more palatable to modern sensibilities. It can allow us to look at another culture without putting on the filter of our real-world beliefs. We can enjoy the ride and maybe gain some insight we might not

otherwise have found. This magical, romantic combination was wide spread in the Futuristic Romance of the 1980s and early 1990s. These books often paired strong-willed women of the future with barbarians from more primitive worlds. Instant conflict! Instant sizzle! Pure fantasy! A great example of this is Johanna Lindsey’s Warror’s Woman (rereleased by Avon in 2010). Lindsey’s story takes us from the technologically advanced world of a fearless modern heroine to the more primitive world of the hero. The heroine is on a mission to save her imperiled world from evil and savage invaders and the warrior culture of her hero’s world could provide the barbarian army she needs, but first they have to come to terms. While the barbarian hero is a little less fashionable these days, Alphas and bad boys remain popular. Out this quarter, Breeder by Cara Bristol (Oct 14, 2013), transports us to an alien planet to study the extremes of gender role separation. In Breeder both hero and heroine begin firmly believing their world’s treatment of women is the natural way of things, but they quickly realize nothing is as simple as they once thought. My favorite pick of this quarter is Redemption by Stephanie Tyler (Nov 18, 2013). Redemption is the second book in Tyler’s new post-apocalyptic, new adult series set in a near future devastated by catastrophic environmental disasters. In the new,

dark and dangerous America; motorcycle clubs, survivalists, and criminals have fared better than less militant civilians. Tyler’s world is full of political intrigue that serves well as allegory for contemporary frustrations with politics and government. The heart of the story, however, is with the hero and heroine and the male-dominated culture of the motorcycle club. The entire club is struggling to adapt to cultural shifts occurring as a younger generation comes into power and the romantic couple are both adapting to the club, deciding if they fit there. It’s a powerful story of knowing and accepting yourself while finding your place in the world. One thing is certain from the moment Matthias and Jessa step onto the page; Ms. Tyler knows how to draw the reader into the minds and hearts of the characters. There were times I had to check my e-reader to see if my heart was bleeding onto the screen. Strictly speaking, you don’t have to have read Defiance (June 2013), the first book in the series, to enjoy Redemption — there is a complete romance in each — but there is a compelling world story-arc that makes it worth starting with Defiance. So, those are my picks for the quarter — along with my scopey ruminations. Hope you forgive the later and give the former a try. If you do, I’d love to hear from you. I’m always up for a chat about SFR.

DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN (Anne McCaffrey) A classic review from Toni Adams

How I discovered Anne McCaffrey came from a Book Funk I suffered with during a senior high school day. When I don't have a good book to read, the kind of book where I toss everything aside, then I go into a complete book funk. Complete with Japanese animated gray lines descending on my body. Life is absolutely gray and apathy takes over. I usually cure my Book Funk by reading a delectable romance by a favorite author and the rush of happiness sends me back. Sometimes, the apathy is too strong and I just pick up any random book. During a lunch period in high school, I went to my favorite place to go to mope. Not to the band room to oogle at the cute band member I was crushing on, not to the corner quad to enjoy a game of tag with the misfits, or the science room to study and oogle the smart guy I was crushing. I went to the Library. I had trailed my fingers along the book spines. Just for a lark, I trailed my fingers as high as it would go to the shelves above. My eyes had idly scanned the titles until my fingers stopped on an empty, thick spine. The spine was thick, darkly colored with frayed edges. It looked old and boring. And yet I pulled it off the shelf. In faded lettering the title read: “The Dragonriders of Pern”. I could almost picture a spotlight shining upon me. I knew before opening this book that I

was going to be changed. Within a nanosecond, my apathy was banished to the locked box in the corner of my mind. What's even more amazing? The librarian gave me a small smile and said: “I had a feeling you would reach for that”. Before “Dragonriders of Pern”, I did not consider myself a reader of science-fiction. As I look back, I realize I did read a lot of books about traveling through time or parallel dimensions. I had just viewed it as more of a fantasy. When I thought of science fiction, I thought of novels with horrible artwork and technology that went over my head. It was the artwork that usually stopped my picking up science-fiction novels. I know, don't judge a book by it's cover. If I like the artwork, then I go in with a happy, expectant feeling. So I'm really glad that I didn't see the original artwork for “Dragonriders of Pern”. I would have dismissed it as corny and moved on. The Dragonriders changed everything for me, The world that McCaffrey with the weyrs became the foundation for every fantasy story I would read. Pern became my home world. Pern, the planet threatening by Thread, a biological thing that destroys life. I always just pictured Thread as a wiggly black thing flying through the air. The only defense the planet had are the dragons and their fiery breath. People are able to ride dragons but the dragons choose their riders through a special ceremony. There is even a hierarchy to the dragons that the humans follow. There four Weyrs, a sort of colonies with their own Queen, leader, and community.

The series takes us through the trials of being Impressed, the connected between a dragon and its rider, the devastation of Thread, and the politics of the Weyrs. McCaffrey's world of Pern is intense and it will be near impossible to tell you about them all. I can tell you that it's not just a fantasy. I was surprised when the science-fiction portion kicked in later. Spoiler alert: Pern was terra-formed and let's say Thread was kinda their fault. The way that McCaffrey forms Pern just makes sense to me. It's so deceptively simple: humans and dragons work together to fight thread. There! Don't you see how beautiful that is?! It's not humans versus dragons, it's humans and dragons working together. As a fan of dragons, I hated reading stories

about knights killing dragons. Or anything harming dragons. I love my reptilian-like creature that is aloof and hoards shiny things. I can relate to a certain way. Everything I imagine of dragons, I owe it to McCaffrey. I daydreamed of impressing my own dragon eggs. When McCaffrey passed away, I sobbed. I collapsed into my sofa and sobbed. I felt like I lost my only connection to Pern. Her son, Todd McCaffrey has done a great job of continuing the story but he has a different voice. Anne McCaffrey will always be the mother of dragons in my world.

THE ZED WORD by Kim Knox With the loud ring of a bell, the door to the shop swung back and hit the wooden stop nailed into the floor. Hit it hard. Sofie winced and rubbed her palms against her thighs. Nettie said she’d only be ten minutes, half an hour tops. Of course, in the time she was away a customer was bound to turn up. All right, she could do this. It was probably one of Nettie’s regular clients, here for a not-quite so legal upgrade on their reclaimed flesh. They’d be as nervous as her. More so. Simple. Sofie wet her lips and put on her best smile. It was more of a rictus. “The proprietor is currently away from the premises. My name’s Sofie. I’d be happy to help in any way I can.” Her explanation was swallowed up by the hard boots of the woman striding into the shop’s small space. The dull light of the afternoon dipped further as the tall form of a reclaimed man blocked the open doorway. “Why is it so dark in here?” Sofie jumped to her feet, the action almost automatic at the woman’s barked question. Shit. Someone from the administration. She recognised the voice from official daily broadcasts. Eileen Corsen, commander of the unit that kept the vast protective dome sealed against the out-world. Sofie had no idea her friend was quite so well connected. “Nettie…I mean Engineer Jolan says it’s best for her equipment.”

glare of the radiant lamps hanging from the curved ceiling, the reclaimed spare parts Nettie dealt in were…disturbing. Hands, arms, legs, whole torsos sat on shelves or hung in neat rows from metal hooks. The thin glass box with newly molded faces, complete with hair and eyes was something Sofie never wanted to look at in full light. The special, locked box—the one that held more intimate parts—Nettie kept in the safe. Sofie didn’t want to begin to think about that. Sofie drew in a breath and planted her hands on the counter. The smooth wood was cool and calming against her skin. It was pointless trying to point out that Nettie was the engineer. No one argued with a woman like Corsen. “How can I help you, Commander?” “Zed’s malfunctioning.” Corsen snapped her fingers and the reclaimed man moved forward to stand beside the commander. With the glare of the light on his skin, Sofie was able to see him clearly for the first time. She moved out from behind the counter as if she were a puppet on strings. Was he the kind of reclaimed flesh the administration took home? He could change her mind about taking someone undead for herself.

“Yes, of course.” Sofie—her heart beating hard—scrambled into the narrow passage behind the curving shop counter and flicked up every switch she could find.

Sofie walked around him. The commander had him mirroring her own military style, but he’d lost the stark black tunic in favor of a sleeveless white shirt. The definition in his arms alone would have Nettie drooling. Her friend appreciated fine workmanship. So close, with the subtle, clean scent of his skin and the smooth rise and fall of his broad chest, Sofie would happily follow her.

Light flared around the interior. Sofie preferred the shadow. In the half-darkness the hint of clean skin was something sweet, a delicate promise. In the full

She wiped a hand across her mouth, changing the action to a quick series of taps against her lips. “Can you not take him back to your dealer, Commander?”

Corsen squinted. “Turn the bloody lights up. The enclave is running on full power. No need to scrimp.”

36 Without thought, Sofie brushed a light finger over the solid length of his forearm. Her own skin tingled. “His…his warranty will cover any internal repairs.” She knew that much. Had witnessed Nettie say it too many times to the clients who often slunk into her shop with their reclaimed flesh. It protected her. Nettie offered illegal skinware. But not straight away. Commander Corsen said nothing. Sofie glanced away from the man and caught the quick twitch to the older woman’s right eye. And she’d seen that all too often in her friend’s business. Mr. Beautiful wasn’t exactly legal to begin with. “Ah, so he’s out of warranty. I understand.” Sofie took his hand, turning over his thick palm, trying to buy herself time as her heart hammered. She stroked over his long fingers to the marked lines crossing his skin. What could these hands do? Were they strong and clever? Made to explore— She caught herself. This man wasn’t hers. Where was Nettie? She would know what to do, what else to say. Zed wasn’t legal. Someone had breached bio-fuel storage to reclaim him. He was so beautiful. It would’ve been a shame if his body had been rendered for something as unworthy as powering the lights or pushing hot water through her shower. A damn shame. “Leave him with me.” The words were out of Sofie’s mouth before she could stop them. What was she doing? “Can’t you effect repairs now? Whilst I wait?” Sofie ignored the questions the commander’s hard voice had made into orders. She had to kill time until her friend got back. “What symptoms is he showing?” “Obviously, he’s being used for pleasure.” Corsen pursed her lips. “In the time I’ve owned him, he’s never fulfilled any part of his remit.” She glared at him, her dark eyes sour. “Not one part. Fucking defective zombie.” Sofie held down a wince. It wasn’t a word Nettie allowed. They were reclaimed or rescued, or at a push, second-lifers. Never the zed word. “So…he’s been conditioned incorrectly.” She snatched more phrases from her time in the shop, wanting him away from this harridan, even if it was for the short

time of repair. “That’s a full reinstall. So a few days is likely.” “Days?” Corsen gripped his arm and pulled him back. Zed’s hand slipped free from Sofie’s and she missed its warmth. “I don’t have days.” “Everyone will tell you the same.” Sofie ducked in front of the commander, her arm stretching out to negligently block the way. “As he’s…out of warranty, there’s no access to the machine or the grinders that formed him. So it’s very hit and miss. That sort of investigation takes time.” Corsen fixed her gimlet gaze on the man again. Sofie was sure that if he could, he’d shudder. But his smoothly masculine face remained calm, hazel eyes staring straight ahead. “He was due to perform at a private party.” Sofie’s fingers flexed against the metal frame. More information than she ever wanted to know. “Tell you what.” She worked another rictus smile across her mouth. Nettie was going to kill her. “We have a pleasure-rescue in the back. Fitted with the latest skinware. Not as pretty as this one here, but he’s well proportioned.” She fought the blush she knew was rising. “He was a model in his first-life.” “And he works?” Corsen slid the man beside her an angered look. “Absolutely!” Sofie rubbed her hands together and scrambled back to the counter. She flicked through the panels set beneath the wood and pulled out the rental key for the flesh she wanted. She pressed the button at the end of the long steel spike and a red light flashed. A moment later, a man appeared in the passage behind her. “This is Alexei.” Sofie offered the key to Corsen. The woman’s eyes narrowed on it, before she snatched it up and flicked it on again. Alexei stepped smoothly into the space before the counter. He was as tall as Zed, but Alexei was more of a Nordic god with bulging muscles, golden hair and piercing blue eyes. “He’s a replacement.” The commander didn’t phrase it as a question. Nettie was going to kill her. Then reanimate her…just so she could kill her again. “Of course, Commander Corsen.”

37 Corsen fisted her hand in Alexei’s hair and yanked his head down, taking his mouth. Sofie looked away, embarrassed and then horrified. Was the commander going for a full test run, right there? She looked to Zed. Better Alexei than him. Her heart turned over. Had that been a disturbed flicker in Zed’s eyes? “Is…is that a deal, Commander?” Corsen released Alexei and stepped back, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shone. Sofie knew in that moment, Nettie would never see Alexei again. How many times could someone die and be brought back? Sofie was about to find out. First hand. “Deal.” Corsen turned on her boot heel, Alexei close behind her. “But when do you want your reclaimed man returned?” Sofie pushed down the panic in her voice. “Commander?”

Shit. Fuck. She had to get out. Because that look. That look said one thing. Hunger. So much for saving him from the commander. Who the hell was going to save her from him? Nettie had scrambler weapons. Somewhere. Sofie darted along the passage to the storage rooms, clattering her way past the crowded benches lined with parts, circuits, papers and Nettie’s neat lines of tools and monitoring equipment. The weapons were here somewhere. They were short range, but would shut down reclaimed internal units. And everything else within a two metre radius. “Looking for these?” Zed held up fat, steel guns, one in each hand. Sofie stumbled back against a bench, the wooden edge digging into her spine. She ignored the pain. “Actually. Yes.” His smile was sharp. Sofie’s heart squeezed. No one had the right to look that beautiful and that wicked.

“Keep him. He’s yours.” Corsen tossed Zed’s key over her shoulder. It clattered to the floor at his feet. And with that she was gone.

“You don’t need these.” His thumbs gouged holes into the frame of the weapons, sparks spitting over this fingers.

Sofie sank back into her chair and slowly let her body slump until her forehead hit the smooth wood of the counter. She swore softly. She had the shop to herself for five minutes and she’d lost her friend one of her best rentals. All because she’d taken a shine to some flesh.

“They weren’t mine.” Sofie wet her lips. “You broke your key. You’re free. You should—” she jerked her head towards the passage leading out to the front of the shop “—go.” “I should.”

The door banged back into its frame and Sofie jumped up.

The two broken weapons clattered into a metal box behind him. His head tilted. In the fierce white light of the storage room, his beauty caught her and her heart drummed. Sofie gripped the worn edge of the counter, welcoming the bite of pain. She shouldn’t be thinking these insane things. He had broken his key, the only technology that controlled his programming. He was rogue. Dangerous.

Zed stood before it, his key in his hand, a thumb pressed against the centre of the long spike. How was he holding his key? His programming was supposed to make that impossible.

“But…” Zed took a step closer, the same flare of hunger burning over him. His chest lifted as he took a deepened breath. “I smell the want on you. It was there from the minute you laid eyes on me.”

Sofie blinked. “How did you…?”

Heat scorched Sofie’s face. He was enhanced, his senses altered to detect the slightest touch of arousal. Someone had paid a lot of money to make Zed into a superior pleasure-rescue. “Your reclaimed form is very…nice. It doesn’t mean—”

Well, she had money. She could at least pay for something. She winced at the thought of having to pay for the full length of Alexei’s rental to the commander. It would be interesting explaining that expense away on her monthly allowance.

He snapped the key in two. No effort, just the sharp crack of breaking metal. And then he focused on her. Sofie lurched back, her body moving, escaping without her consent. He’d broken his control key.

38 He pinned her to the bench, towering over her, his face dropped to shadow. “You ever done it with a zombie?” “You’re not…” His lips brushed her ear and her denial faded. “I’m the walking dead, sweetheart.” Strong hands framed her hips, the heat of his body bleeding through the thin cotton of her dress. “The plague got me. Changed me. I died in 2052. Became a beautiful corpse.” His voice was heavy and warm, belying the darkness of his words. “So answer my question. You ever fucked a zombie?”

“You’re so sure of yourself…” His grin was hard, lighting up his eyes. He was quite the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Alive or undead. “The things I can do.” He eased her forward over the bench, until her bare thighs pushed up against the rough fabric of his combats. His mouth brushed against her jaw and her pulse jumped. “I can make you come quick, or so slow you’ll be begging me to fuck you.” Sofie swallowed, her hands trembling against the expanse of his chest. “Both.” He laughed. “Greedy.”

Sofie closed her eyes, the throb in her belly making thought almost impossible. “We don’t use the zed word here.”

“You’re my first.” She held his gaze. “I want the works.”

His low laughter spiralled through her and she squeaked as, with no effort, he picked her up and placed her on the cluttered bench. “So considerate.” His large hands teased up the cotton of her dress, his hazel eyes fixed on her. “But they made it my name. Zed. Nothing else.”

Sofie’s gaze dropped and she fixed on the strong column of his throat. She didn’t want to lie. But the truth would end it. Just like always. “Yes. And…” She didn’t think she’d be having this conversation today. “I’ll simply say, I haven’t had a lot of experience.”

Sofie’s heart turned over. She touched his cheek, her fingers light and uncertain. Zed was twenty years dead and plague-made perfect. The reclaimed weren’t supposed to remember anything of their first-life. But then they also weren’t supposed to break free of their programming. “What do you remember?” Something flickered in his eyes, but was gone a second later. He exposed her thighs and she sucked in a quick breath. “I remember that you’re a sweet little thing. And I should show my appreciation for you getting me away from the commander.” His thumbs drew slow patterns on the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, teasing ever closer to the growing ache of her sex. His smile was dark. “You like it.” “I…” What was she doing? Yes, she’d admired reclaimed flesh, but she’d never been with one. Their lack of free will had never been a turn on. But Zed…Zed was different. And she couldn’t remember anyone pushing want under her skin so quickly as he did with the lightest of touches. His gaze narrowed on her, his hands heavy and still against her skin. “Decision made?”

“Your first—what was it—rescue?”

Zed tilted her chin up. His thumb stroked under her lip and the light touch warmed her, stealing under her skin. “How much?” “Twice. Once.” She winced. “Perhaps.” He let out a long breath and Sofie waited for the let down. The familiar look of pity. Then the brusque explanation of how even he didn’t do virgins. Especially virgins her age. As if she were a crone at twenty five. The men in her circle were all too used to reclaimed flesh, preferring experienced—but mindless—partners with absolutely no strings. And she had always wanted more. Or thought she had. “Then we go slow.” Zed’s mouth curved into a wicked smile. “To begin with.” “You…?” “The men you know? They’re idiots.” His breath burned against her parted mouth. “But all the more for me to eat.” “Are you going to make inappropriate zombie jokes all the time?” “Ah…” He licked her upper lip. “We do not use the zed word here.” A laugh broke from her. She was starting to like this

39 man. And he was a man. Not some thing under her total control. “So…here?” “Again, to begin with.” He ran a hand down her back, the low rasp of her zip following. Cool air brushed her skin and she arched into the caress of his hot fingers against her spine. “Do you trust me?” Sofie wet her lips. “No.” His smile was dark. “Good. I wouldn’t trust me either.” Her heart thudded and she didn’t know where to put her hands. She caught them in the rumpled material of her dress. “What do you want me to do?” “Sweetheart, you don’t have to do a thing.” He eased her fingers free of her dress and pushed it down over her shoulders, letting it fall to her waist. Brushing strands of hair away from her neck, he leaned in to graze a pulse point. Sofie’s breath hitched, the sudden spark of want firing under her flesh. His low groan chased it. “Just one bite…” Sofie teased her trembling fingers in his thick hair. “Trying to scare me?” He grinned against her skin. “Now why would you be scared of a little nip from an undead stranger?” She fought her own smile. “You’re a very twisted man.” “I am indeed. Now.” His lips brushed hers, his breath sweet. Her heart drummed as his tongue tasted her, slow and sure, his body still and strong. He pressed harder, drawing her mouth open. Anticipation heated her blood, but she didn’t rush, didn’t stumble into an amateur kiss. Zed had more experience than anyone she would ever know, and she wasn’t going to forfeit that. But still…she wanted to touch him. To find the perfection hinted at by his tight shirt. Her nervous fingers drew lines over his stomach, inching the fabric up to reveal taut, hair-roughened skin over hard muscle. Zed broke the half kiss. His darkened gaze held her. “Want to see?” Sofie gave a wordless nod, the quickness of her pulse making a light-hearted quip impossible. He yanked off his shirt, dropping it to the floor. “No tattered flesh. Not a hit of sag.” He took her cool

hand and pressed it to his stomach. The heat of his skin stung her palm, sparking need straight to her belly. He drew her hand up, pulling her closer again. His smirk lit his eyes. “Hot and hard.” Sofie pressed her lips together, the sweet taste of him still there. “Zed…” “And now I get to see you.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Only fair.” She reddened and unclipped her bra. No man had ever seen her naked. It was a strange first time. But at that minute, with his gaze hot on her and her flesh tight and firing with need, she wouldn’t have it any other way. She’d lied before. She did trust him. Something instinctive. And she didn’t want to question it. Her clothes—all of them—joined his shirt on the floor and Zed swept her up, sudden and strong. She wrapped her legs around his hips, her skin tormented by the tough fabric of his combats and the nearness of hot, bare flesh. His fingers found her, a slow, sure caress that ran lightning up her spine and she rolled her hips against him, needing to satisfy the sudden deep ache. She buried her face against his shoulder. The warm scent of his skin slid into her lungs, the lift of his chest as he drew in air a delicious push against her breasts. He felt so very much alive. “Just who are you, Zed?” The question escaped her. She couldn’t help it. Zed was too perfect. “You want to talk?” Sofie blushed and forced her head up, holding his gaze. Need heated his hazel eyes. He was alive in a way that reclaimed flesh never was. And the reason she could never have sex with one— one that wasn’t Zed. She touched his jaw, tracing her thumb over his firm lips, moving to draw a line down the cleft in his chin. Touching him gave her confidence. “I want to know you.” Zed stared at her. He stilled, his only movement the steady rise and fall of his chest. Panic swelled though Sofie. What had she said? Had she rebooted his broken conditioning? Had she just brought back the man she didn’t want? Shit. Shit.

40 He kissed her. Hard. The sudden surge of desire, hers and his, pushed her against him and wrapped her body around him like a second skin. His clever fingers pushed in and curled, chasing the first pulses of her release up through her body as Sofie urged him deeper, harder— A cry broke from her and the sweet crash of light and fire arched her spine. Zed held her, watched her…and she found his mouth as the echoes of her orgasm faded. She let out a long breath and wrapped herself around him again. “So nice…” He dropped a kiss on her shoulder, something soft and almost gentle. “Yes, you are.” She smiled against his skin, enjoying his strength and the solid heat of his body. “What next?” His laughter shook her. “Working me hard?” Sofie drew back to look at him. “I’d prefer our pleasure to be mutual.” Zed’s mouth thinned. “I woke in a dark room three days ago. I had memories. Mine. But not.” She blinked. Was his sudden admission a distraction, a way to break her questions? Of his stopping her getting too close? A reminder of what he was. “The grinders implant instructions.” “Grinders?” “People who find and program the reclaimed.” He frowned, his eyes distant. “I saw others. Rising out of vats…” He was back. “They had keys. But my key didn’t hold me.” He lifted an eyebrow. “And the commander? No way. No way in hell.” He squeezed her till she squeaked and he grinned. “Not when I have a sweet little morsel like you.” Sofie summoned up a glare. “And yet more inappropriate zombie references.” “Oh, you said the zed word again…” Sofie gave him one of his own dark smiles. “What are you going to do about it?” His low groan vibrated through her breastbone and ran an excited shiver through her flesh. Still holding her, he backed her into the cool plaster of a bare stretch of wall. Sofie shivered. Zed loomed over her, his face in shadow and his fingers moving between their bodies. The clicks of a zip drawing down caught

her breath. “I’m going to do this.” His deep voice was little more than a growl and his fingers and the head of his dick brushed against her sex, even as his other hand kept a hot and firm grip on her thigh hooked over his hip. He eased in so slowly, so sure, and Sofie stiffened. “Breathe. Relax. Just me.” “No jokes?” Sofie pressed her forehead to his throat, drawing in his scent. There was no pain. But the unfamiliar fullness, the press of his body around her, against her, his heat, his strength spun her thoughts and licked fire under her skin. Zed swallowed. “Fighting not to come like a boy. Because you’re tight and hot and…” Both hands flexed against her thighs as he rolled his hips and sank into her body. He stilled. “Good?” Strain lined his voice and her heart tightened. She kissed his throat, the rough stubble pricking her lips. An utterly strange first lover, but she wouldn’t change him. Not for one single minute. “Very good.” And she pushed down against him. Zed swore, something low and filthy and Sofie grinned...but that faded as he eased back. The delicious friction forced her to gasp. His smile was dark. “Better?” His mouth found hers to deny her answer. He stroked deep. And Sofie grabbed at him, her fingers biting into the firm muscles of his shoulders. Sweet pain swept over her. She wanted more, she wanted all of him. His taste. His heat. His power. All of it pounding into her, consuming her. Zed drove into her and she clung to him, met every hard thrust. Sweat slicked between them and fire chased along her veins. The perfect angle of his body increased the fierce pressure pulsing in her flesh. Faster and deeper, both him and her need. She groaned against his mouth. Almost. Almost... His thumb flicked against her clit and the sudden rush of sensation surged through her, releasing a flare of blistering heat. Her mouth broke from his, a fierce cry escaping her. Her body was hardly her own. Caught with heat and rolling waves of pleasure, she arched her spine, holding him deeper, chasing the last echoes of her release. And finding his.

41 Zed stiffened, crushing her to him, his face buried against her neck. For a long moment, he simply breathed and Sofie let herself relax into his strong and secure hold. His mouth moved over her damp skin and one word rumbled, “Brains…” Sofie let out an unladylike snort. She slapped his shoulder, unable to hold back her grin. Then she kissed him, slow and deep and easy. She pulled back and let out a long sigh. He was so perfect. “Let me keep you.” Zed stilled. “I’m sorry.” Heat cut across her face and she bit back the need to curse. She’d broken the moment. He wasn’t meat, some reclaimed flesh for her to flick on with a key. “I didn’t mean…” She struggled free of him and he let her. She scrambled to pull on her clothes, hating the sour twist in her gut. Stupid. Stupid, to say that. “Sofie…” She yanked her dress over her head and fought her arms through the sleeves. What was she doing?

Nettie. Nettie would be back any minute…and she hadn’t given her friend’s return a thought. “You have to go—” “Keep me.” The shop door slammed, but Sofie was still staring at her half-naked lover. “That’ll be Nettie. I lost her a lucrative rental. She’s going to kill me.” Zed took her hand, his fingers warm and steady. “Then I get to keep you.” His eyes shone. “And brains don’t taste half as bad as you’d think…” She wiped trembling fingers over her face. “Nettie should look at your sense of humour.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t screw with perfection, sweetheart.” Sofie spluttered a laugh, fighting it back as her friend appeared in the doorway to the storeroom. Nettie frowned, but Sofie took a step forward. Zed stood behind her. Solid. Real. Hers. “Nettie. Honestly. I can explain everything…”

Classifieds Got a free book you want readers to know about? A blog tour? Giveaways? Promotions? Tell people about it here, in the Classifieds section. (Entries may be edited for brevity.) Classifieds (max. one URL per entry) are currently FREE! BALANCE OF TERROR, the sequel to IN ENEMY HANDS (Carina Press), is now price-matched to US$2.99. http://bit.ly/HMABVE Buy a sci-fi romance, help fight cancer. Heather Massey will donate proceeds from sales of *STEAMBOT RAMPAGE* (steampunk romance short story) to the American Cancer Society. Only US$0.99 at Smashwords, Amazon, and other online ebook retailers. Thanks for your support!

Meet the editorial team Editor: KS "Kaz" Augustin loves space opera, SFR and all things geeky. She currently lives in Malaysia, where she loves the shopping for tech gadgets, but hates the heat! Her website is at www.KSAugustin.com and she also runs Sandal Press (www.SandalPressOnline.com). If you're a Twitter fan, you can find her at @SandalPress . Send all feedback to editor {@} scifiromancequarterly {.} com (I hope we don't have to tell you how to string an email address together; we're all geeks, right?) Fiction Editor: Diane Dooley is the Fiction Editor for Science-Fiction Romance Quarterly. Born in the Channel Islands, raised in Scotland and now resident in the USA, she is an author, an editor, a voracious reader, an unrepentant troublemaker, and a geek of intergalactic proportions. You can follow her on her blog or on Twitter. Live long and prosper! Releases Editor: Heather Massey is a lifelong fan of science fiction romance. She searches for sci-fi romance adventures aboard her blog, The Galaxy Express. She’s also an author. Her stories will entertain you with fantastical settings, larger-than-life characters, timeless romance, and rollicking action. When Heather’s not reading or writing, she’s watching cult films and enjoying the company of her husband and daughter. To learn more about her work, visit HeatherMassey.com . This month's cover image. Artwork by KS Augustin

This issue's contributors Charlee Allden is a long time fan of SciFi, love, adventure, and happily-ever-afters. She grew up in Florida where a huge fallen oak tree in the swampy woods near her home served as her very own Star Ship Enterprise. Luckily the alligators were almost never a problem on her space ship as the flight deck was several feet above the muddy ground. She did lose a few tennis shoes on away missions, though. By day she’s a technical writer; in her spare time she pursues a variety of geek endeavors, including blogging. She is the founder of the Smart Girls Love SciFi and Paranormal Romance blog. When the moon is full, she writes fiction. She’s a veteran of Dragon*Con, a member of Romance Writers of America©, and has a tendency to take on more projects than any sane woman would. Sanity is over rated, anyway. Toni Adams is here to voice her opinions. Toni Adams resides in Los Angeles. Among the normal plane of reality, she has B.S. in Molecular, Cellular Developmental Biology and works as a veterinary technician. She has dealt with Felis catus, canus lupis familiaris, reptilian creatures, various avians, lagamorphs, rodentians, chelonians, and testudines. In her loving care are four felis catus, one canus lupis familiaris, and one pogona vitticeps. In summary, she really loves animals. When she is able to shed off the shroud of a Responsible Adult, she partakes in so many

44 guilty pleasures that the guilt has long worn off. To name them all would make your brain explode from the sheer power. Just know, that it involves a blue police box, ponies with absurd markings on their rumps, a norse alien god, a rock band from the nineties, gaming (trading cards, board games, consoles), random international romantic dramas, and lots of crafting. The guiltiest pleasure of all has been decades of reading romance novels. From corset ripping heroines to gun toting she-devils, she continues to devour story after story. Romance and science fiction is a blend that can either intoxicate her to dangerous levels of excitement or entice boiling frustration. Bring on the excessive transfer of heat and get some hydrogen elements shakin'! The Book Pushers are six book-loving girls from around the world who share a love of all things romance. From small town contemporaries, to sweeping historicals, to gritty paranormal, to the futuristic science fi, they read it all. They are known for their fun, conversational style joint reviews, and can be found lurking on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Booklikes.

Marlene Harris is currently the Technical Services Manager at The Seattle Public Library. She's also one of the co-editors of SPL's Romantic Wednesdays feature on Shelf Talk, which gives her a chance to expose her love of romance novels. In addition, she's also a reviewer for Library Journal's Xpress Reviews, and the author of their annual Librarian's Best Ebook Romance feature. Because she can't resist talking about the books she loves, and occasionally the ones she hates, she has her own book blog at Reading Reality. In her professional persona, before coming to Seattle she previously managed Technical and Collection Services Departments at libraries in locations from Gainesville Florida to Anchorage Alaska to the Chicago Public Library. Jo Jones is a retired pilot who, after retiring, had an RV and traveled 6 months out of the year. After traveling seven years she left on a trip and realized that she was ready to spend more time at home so she sold the RV. She isn't giving up travel; she just takes the trips that did not fit with RVing. When at home, she gardens, reads, plays bridge, hikes, visits with friends, and volunteers. Jo is an unabashed big cat lover and shares her home with TC, her shelter cat. Both of them live in the Ozarks in Northwest Arkansas which, they unanimously agree, is one of the best places in the country to live. Kim Knox brews sex, magic, darkness and technology in a little corner of North West England. She writes erotic science fiction and fantasy romance for Carina Press, Entangled Publishing, Ellora's Cave, Samhain Publishing, Cleis Press and others. Kim's website is at www.Kim-Knox.co.uk and you can also find details of her books at www.DarknessAndRomance.com

Jacqueline Lichtenberg was the winner of the Galaxy Award for her second novel, and later, the Romantic Times Award for the novel Dushau. Jacqueline blogs on writing craft at http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com where she posts on Tuesdays. A videogame RPG (http://ambrovx.com) is in the works based on her Sime~Gen novels.

Want to contribute? We are always on the lookout for exceptional talent. Fiction requirements. Payment is US$25 (paid via Paypal) and one quarter-page ad in the issue where the story appears. Full details are provided in this issue. Please send submissions to fiction {@} scifiromancequarterly {.} org Artwork requirements. We are after original artwork. Minimum resolution of 240dpi, 300dpi preferred. Ideally, the image should be in the ratio 500 wide x 650 long, or it will be cropped. Please make sure your image has a relatively uncluttered background and lots of empty space as that's where the magazine's teasers will go. We will accept one side image but no more...we really don't want to write on someone's face or vessel! (Planets are okay. ;) ) Payment is US$25 (paid via Paypal) and one quarter-page ad in the issue where the artwork appears. PNGs and JPGs preferred. Please send submissions (max. 2MB in size) to artwork {@} scifiromancequarterly {.} org Advertisements. We only sell quarter-page ads at a rate of US$6 per ad per issue for individual authors or US$11 for multi-author publishing houses. If you need us to do some (basic) artwork, the cost is US$11 per ad per issue. Payments accepted only via Paypal. Send enquiries to promotions {@} scifiromancequarterly {.} org If none of the above appeal to you, why not write us a letter? We'll publish the most interesting ones in the next issue. So, if you have something to say, why not say it and send your opinion to editor {@} scifiromancequarterly. {.} org We can't wait to hear from you!