Thursday, March 13, 2014

Break Time and Bed Time

By Jessica Subject

Hey everyone! I want to talk about quick love stories, as are my stories in Decadent’s The Edge line. These are stories you can read in a half an hour or less, without interruptions, of course. Why are these great? 

Well, you can read them on your ereader, phone, or computer over lunch, while waiting for appointments or the kids, and even right before bed. As a reader, you get the satisfaction of finishing a story in a short period of time.

Now, as a writer, these stories aren’t always the easiest to pen. You have to fit a whole story line into a limited amount of space, and readers almost always say they wish the story had been longer.

When I first started writing, I didn’t think I could write anything shorter than 50,000 words. But, I had to try. One of my critique partners told me that these shorties don’t tell the entire story. They’re only a glimpse into the character's life, and don’t contain much back story, so leave anything unnecessary out. And only include necessary characters. So, that’s what I did with the three erotica stories that I have in Decadent Publishing’s The Edge line, Alien Lover, Crash Landing, and The Power of Three. All of them are super hot and super short.

Unlike some erotica stories though, I have to have a happily-for-now ending, or even a happily-ever-after. I’m programmed that way, I guess.

I like the books I read to be the same way, too. I am satisfied knowing the characters are at least going to be together for now.

What about you? Do you read short stories? If so, are you left satisfied at the end, or wanting more?

Crash Landing
A story from The Edge
By Jessica E. Subject
Sci-Fi MMF Ménage Erotica
ISBN: 978-1613333884

As his ship plummets toward Earth, Cael believes his life to be over. His last ditch effort to save himself ends in a fiery crash. When he wakes up, he believes he’s entered the afterlife, but his surroundings indicate otherwise. He made it to Earth. But who saved him, and what do they want with him?

Available from:

Book Trailer:

Excerpt:
Cael gripped the cushioned arms of the captain’s chair as his ship tumbled bow over stern. The console flashed a blinding red in front of him. Piercing alarms drilled into his mind and he lost focus. The seconds raced by as he plummeted toward Earth. He’d fucked up this mission of peace. Contact with his home planet had ended months ago. No one from Narien could save him now. His death was imminent.
The water below wouldn’t soften his landing. At its current speed, his ship would disintegrate on splashdown. The planet’s gravity pulled him down faster.
He coughed; the acrid scent of fried electronics stung his nose and the back of his throat. Please let my death be quick.
A rattling to the left caught his attention above all other noise. The handle on the cabin door shook. Freedom. It wasn’t his time to die, if he could get out.
The altimeter on the dashboard read six thousand meters, high enough to jump and land safely with his chute. Only to land in frigid water and die of exhaustion or hypothermia from treading without any hope of a rescue.
“Shit.” But he’d die if he stayed. He had to take the chance. Yanking off his safety harness, he pulled himself to standing and strained to reach the recess where his pack hung. Stretching up, he fingered the cloth strap. Not close enough to grab hold of it.
The ship jolted and flung him to the stern. He weaved his arm through the straps of the pack on his way past, dislodging it from the hook. Yes.
His triumph was short-lived as he flew starboard, smashing his shoulder against the wall. He groaned when an electrifying spasm shot down his arm to the tips of his fingers. The ship lurched again, and he tumbled back toward the console. He grabbed the door, his feet dangling in mid air. If he didn’t get out now, he’d forfeit any chance to survive.
The ship righted again. He planted his feet against the bottom of the door and twisted the crank. The latch snapped open, filling him with a sense of hope. Careful to keep at least one hand on the handle at all times, he slung the pack over his shoulders.
All set. Time to jump. Pushing off the floor, he slammed his uninjured shoulder against the door. It blew open and tore away from its hinges, lost to the sky.
Cael teetered on the edge before plunging out of his failing ship. Wind whipped all around him as he twisted to catch his bearing during freefall.
Glancing down, he spied crystal blue lake, much closer than he’d expected. Too close.
He jerked the cord on his chute–several hundred feet lower than he should have. At least. His feet skimmed the cold waves just as his chute caught the current and heaved him back into the air.
The ship splashed into the water beside him, disintegrating into millions of pieces. He raised his hands in front of his face as shrapnel flew at him. Tiny shards sliced into his arms and legs, but the extreme heat from the cloud of steam billowing up at him stung the most.
From the moment his toes touched down in the once frigid water, his skin sizzled. He screamed in agony. His death would have been quicker and less agonizing if he’d remained in the ship.
A hard piece of his spacecraft smashed down on his head, and he welcomed the darkness.

Bio:
   Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous. 
When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.
   Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.



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