From High School Assignment to Published Book

By Jessica E. Subject

Happy December! It’s cold up here in Canada, but that’s to be expected for this time of year. ;)

Last year at this time, I was excited about my first print anthology, Intergalactic Heat. And this year, my second print anthology, Rebels and Romance, released. Rebels and Romance is a collection of my stories from The Underground series. All three dystopian stories are included in this book, from when Calla learns about Planet Core’s deception to the moments after The Underground rebellions attempt a coup d'état.

The series starts with Never Gonna Let You Go, a story that began as a writing assignment in my high school Science Fiction English course. I had a man and a woman on a mission to explore a new planet. (And I was adding romance to my science fiction back then, too – LOL) But besides finding a new and unusual creature, there wasn’t much conflict in the story. I had the outline and intro tucked away for years, pulling it out again in 2011.

I toyed with the plot in my mind, my muse getting free range. When the muse introduced the idea of adding another person in, I thought, okay. See, the original male (Erik) and female (Calla) were former lovers, and the new female (Melina) planned to seduce Calla.

A F/F dystopian? Not much of that around. But the story developed quickly, and worked. At least, I think so.

Over a year passed by before I wrote the next story in the series. I knew it would be Brook and Melina’s story, and how it would start, but I couldn’t come up with anything. It wasn’t until the first story received Honorable Mention in the Sci-Fi/Futuristic/Dystopian category in the 2013 Best Of Awards that my muse was drawn back to this series. Everything started clicking together, and I wrote Never Gonna Desert You, revealing why Melina made the decisions she did and what she does to redeem herself. Not only that, but Brook learns of her father’s deception and for the first time in her life, she turns against him.

Never Gonna Say Goodbye was written shortly after, as the rebellion was stirring in my own mind, and I couldn’t just leave them hanging. While the story didn’t end as I and The Underground had originally planned, I believe the rebels gave it their best effort. Did they succeed? Well, you’ll have to read the series to find out.

Giveaway!!

Leave a comment below for your chance to WIN an ebook of the first story in the series, Never Gonna Let You Go.

Rebels and Romance

The Underground series

By Jessica E. Subject

In the future...

The corporation Planet Core holds all of the power. They place restrictions on the lives of those living within their boundaries, including who they can love. And there is no escape.

Deception runs deep...

The rebel group, calling themselves The Underground, is disputing the corporation’s leadership. With the desire for freedom, they will fight.

And betrayal can come from anyone...

Will the rebels defeat Planet Core, or end up fighting for their lives?

Available From:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes & Noble

Reviews:

Never Gonna Let You Go:

“Her stories are so beautiful and hard to put down. But I must admit, this was my favorite one. Being I am a sucker for a good conspiracy, I was foaming at the mouth with this story.”

~ Offbeat Vagabond

Never Gonna Desert You:

“Never Gonna Desert You is a fast paced sci~fi romance that gives you pause and makes you think about what life might be like on Earth someday.”

~ Illustrious Illusions

Never Gonna Say Goodbye:

“I loved this story. Never Gonna Say Goodbye had a lot of heart, and engaged my emotions in a way that I wasn’t prepared for.”

~ Wicked Readings by Tawania

Book Trailer for Never Gonna Let You Go:

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.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook

Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph 

Would you do it in a car, would you do it in a bar? You can do it here or there, you can do it ANYWHERE!

The 1Night Stand series at Decadent Publishing is likely our most recognizable product because of its plethora of 5 star stories told by bestselling authors (and new authors!) all based on one core idea: one night of passion, no strings attached. 

Even after 150 stories and over 100 authors, each story maintains its uniqueness. How many ways can the same story be told, you ask? Well, you'd be surprised. 


We have Madame Evangeline, the mysterious woman who runs the exclusive (yet inclusive) 1Night Stand dating service setting up rendezvous on ranches, planes, Alaskan cabins, California beaches, high class hotels around the world, even in space. 

Hey, alien chicks need love, too--even if it's only for one night. 

With two men. 

Is paranormal romance more your flavor? 1Night Stand has shifters, ghosts and vampires, too--love doesn't discriminate just because someone is dead, undead, or occasionally turns into a wolf.

How about gay couples? We've definitely got some lesbian and gay romance happening, oftentimes in exotic locations like island getaways and Texas.

Now, what if kink is your game? You like something more than a hot, vanilla encounter with one other person--you want to immerse yourself in a fantasy for a night, something where leather and crops are typical accouterments. Fear not, Madame Eve has set up erotic encounters for you to read about, indulge in, enjoy with a glass of wine and a wicked grin. 

Because they're typically short, 1Night Stand stories can be read anytime you like a little fun,a bit of an escape. Many of our readers have over 100 1Night Stands on the Kindles or Nooks or Kobos. See what everyone is talking about, why people are addicted to this series. Find a Decadent 1Night Stand are your favorite ebook retailer today!

Thrall Web

Buy Forge HERE

By T.K. Anthony

Hello, Dear Reader!

Have you thought about what you like best about reading?

I didn’t. Until my cousin recommended a well-regarded science fiction author. The author’scraftsmanship was simply...flawless. But he didn’t have a single character I liked well enough to cheer for, and when bad things happened to them, they never rose to the occasion. I didn’t even finish the book to see if they got the fates they richly deserved.AndI learned that if I don’t care about the characters, I don’t really care what happens to them, no matter how well the story’s written.

Turns out, characters also drive my writing. In the first draft of Forge, I had no idea what the story was going to turn out to be. But a few characters walked out of my backbrain, and they told me their tales. They’d wake me up at night if I hadn’t captured the scene the way they’d lived it.

And, just as in real life, you can tell what makes a character tick when they’re facing troubles. Boy, did my characters have a sea of troubles, playing for high stakes—their lives, their love, their souls...and the fate of the galaxy.

Keir and Nica, finding their way to love—while accused of treason, hunted across three star domains by an enemy agent who has gained the trust of their high king. Col, who had once rescued Keir from servitude, now captured and enslaved by the enemy. Would Keir and Nica rescue him from the enemy before she turns him against all he believes, all he loves? I had no idea, and the words poured out through my fingers, because I had to find out What Happened Next. And then they’d veto my idea, and take the story in another direction. The process of writing often seemed more like channeling rather than something I did on purpose. I had to chuckle when a professional editor told me I had a masterful grasp of plotting—it was really a masterful grasp on the seat of my pants while hanging onto my characters for dear life!

 And as I hung onto them, I came to love them, and wanted to see them succeed. (Well, not the villains.) SoI’m very excited that Forge: Book I of the Thrall Web Series recently cracked Amazon Kindle’s Top Ten in the Romance: Futuristic/Science Fiction category. Because none of this would’ve happened without the characters. Or you, dear Readers. On behalf of authors everywhere...thank you for sharing the love of the written word.

Forge blurb:

Warned by a Seeing…

The high king of the Scotian Realm expects the arrival of an enemy, a race of psychic predators bent on galactic conquest. The Realm’s one hope is alliance with the neighboring star domains in defense of a shared colony, Forge.

Caught in Fate’s grim weaving…

Mindblind, amnesic, Tazhret lives out his drug-induced visions of servitude on Forge. He wants to believe the beautiful woman with the nut-brown hair who whispers reassurances to his harrowed heart: “You have a name.” But is she even real? Or just one bright thread in his dark dreams?

An unexpected hope…

Tazhret’s destiny leads him to freedom and the woman he yearns for—and to a desperate struggle against the enemy.

Tazhret can save Forge, and the clan of his beloved. But only at the cost of all he has hoped for: his name, his freedom, and his love for the woman with the nut-brown hair.

Phenomenal Sex and Jealousy

Buy Star-Kissed Chocolate HERE

By Azura Ice

Pet novelty dragons. What a wild concept!

Well, I think it’s wild, but then I don’t think like most people do. {winks} Can you imagine if you had a pet dragon the size of a domestic cat and no larger than a Cocker Spaniel? Speaking of the dog…in about five weeks, if all works out, I will pick out a new Cocker Spaniel puppy as our next family dog. I’m sure I’ll imagine a shiny black dragon in its place like Nova owns—‘cept hers is red—in Star-Kissed Chocolate. Thankfully our new puppy won’t be setting the couch or carpet on fire, LOL!

Nova’s pet, Smokey, is jealous of the unexpected man in her life, so her dragon makes it clear Roman is to vacate the apartment and never lay eyes on Smokey’s mistress again. But Nova has more problems than her pet spraying flames at the most inopportune times. Money is vanishing from the firm where she works, and Roman’s strange behavior makes matters worse. Oh, and Smokey only fans the flames—Yee-ouch!

{chuckles} You’ll have to find out what sort of insane chaos owning a pet dragon can cause. Oh, and word of warning—this book possesses long, hot, mind-numbing, toe-curling, thrown-over-the-motorcycle-seat sex.

Oh, and a dragon that gets even…yes siree! Even, even, even…mwhahaha! 

Ten Fun Facts about T.K. Anthony

Buy Forge HERE

I’m the youngest of five (a brother and three sisters); an aunt to three nieces and three nephews; and grand-aunt (ye gods!) to two girls, two boys. I’d like to reiterate that I’m the youngest of five, so I get to be the young, cool aunt. Being the baby of the family is finally a good thing.

Like writing, music is essential to my sanity. I sing in a choir, with the family, in the shower, and while driving. I play bluegrass/folk acoustic guitar, largely self-taught. Back in high school/college, I taught myself five or six pieces on the piano, ranging from “Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey?” to “Fur Elise”, and mostly remember them still. Now, I’m starting to pick up a little mandolin.

I serve two cats. Pip the SweetieBaby, is a 12-year-old Maine Coon. Orange-and-white Taz is a seven-year-old roadside rescue. I named him after Tazhret, the hero’s alias in Forge because my godson delivered him from the highway and into my care when I was first drafting the story. And, like Keir, Taz was a lost and traumatized creature when he first came to live with me. He’s a fat cat now, and picks on Pip when he’s bored. I can give them both baths, without getting a scratch on me.

After many years of single life, I married the man with the kindest heart I’ve ever met. Our wedding united two tribes. Neither of us has to explain our family to the other. We just get it.

I love to travel, whether by road trip or air. So does my husband. We almost never unpack our bags. But the best thing about traveling is coming home and sleeping in our own bed.

I love my in-laws.Which makes me an exceedingly fortunate woman, given how many of them I have.

I also my love my numerous cousins. In almost any conversation, I find myself saying, “I have a cousin who...[insert cool/odd/fun fact here].” This also happens with siblings, but the cousins outnumber them.

My obscure contribution to pop culture: When I was little, one of my favorite colors was magenta. Except I thought it was pronounced “magneta.” I told my cousin Chrissy this story, and she told her sister, who was in rehearsals for a community theater production of Rocky Horror Picture Show in Oklahoma City. In their playbill, the character Magenta was spelled—on purpose—“Magneta.” (See how my conversation gets around to my cousins somehow or other?)

When I first drafted the scene in Forge where the Khevox capture an important supporting character, I had both bronchitis and pleurisy. I’d say my respiratory difficulties showed up in the story. Let’s just say I shared my misery.

My father will turn 92 on March 13^th. He got a Kindle just so he could read Forge—the first science fiction he’s read since grade school: Lost on the Moon, by Roy Rockwood. He remembers the space ship had “carbide engines.” (Yes, my dad is an engineer. How did you know?) Happy early birthday, Dad!

~~~Forge blurb~~~

Warned by a Seeing…The high king of the Scotian Realm expects the arrival of an enemy, a race of psychic predators bent on galactic conquest. The Realm’s one hope is alliance with the neighboring star domains in defense of a shared colony, Forge.
Caught in Fate’s grim weaving…Mindblind, amnesic, Tazhret lives out his drug-induced visions of servitude on Forge. He wants to believe the beautiful woman with the nut-brown hair who whispers reassurances to his harrowed heart: “You have a name.”But is she even real? Or just one bright thread in his dark dreams?
An unexpected hope…Tazhret’s destiny leads him to freedom and the woman he yearns for
—and to a desperate struggle against the enemy. Tazhret can save Forge, and the clan of his beloved. But only at the cost of all he has hoped for: his name, his freedom, and his love
for the woman with the nut-brown hair…

~~~Excerpt~~~ 

Keir, on the threshold of recovering his true name, meets the haunting woman of his dreams...

Floating in a soothing sea, he didn’t open his eyes until the door clicked.

A tall and slender woman strode into the room with the grace of a dancer, and [he] forgot to breathe. A tunic in Scotian healer’s gold fell past her slim hips, belted over black trousers with the four-stranded azure braid of a Water adept. She came to his bedside, a smile turning up the corners of her wide, wonderful lips, dimpling her cheeks, crinkling the corners of her eyes—her large, luminous eyes, glimmering with brighter sparks of topaz and emerald in the softer glow of dark amber. Her nut-brown hair fell to the clean line of her jaw, framing her bonny face. Her perfect nose sat slim and straight between exquisite cheekbones. Her dark, winging eyebrows arched above her beautiful eyes.

His heart pounded, and he stared, slack-jawed. She’s real. I didn’t really believe. But…oh, Trinity, she’s real.

“How do you feel?” she asked in a soft contralto; the same voice he had followed from his nightmare entombment.

[Keir] snapped his jaw shut. How did he feel? He didn’t even know. Too much had happened, too fast. And-and she was there. Right there. In front of him. Expecting an answer.

Closing his eyes, he considered the question, waiting for the familiar, desperate jangle of jagged pain along his nerves, of slow recovery from old exhaustion and long starvation. But they were silent, and in their place….

[Keir] drew his first breath since she’d entered the room. “I feel…good, honored healer,” he said, “Hungry. Tired. But otherwise, really…really good.”

Find me at:

Website: http://www.scotianrealm.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tk.anthony.90

Twitter: @TK_Anthony_

Email: tesskanthony@gmail.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/TK_Anthony

Science Fiction Romance in Movies

By Jessica E. Subject

I really enjoy science fiction movies, whether about aliens, travelling to new worlds, or making the biggest discovery of scientific history. But it is the romantic sub-plots that make me want to watch the movie over and over again.

Here are some of my favorite Science Fiction Romance movies:

1. Star Wars (all episodes)

2. Avatar

3. Independence Day

4. Star Trek (2009)

5. Contact

6. Superman

7. The Day After Tomorrow

8. The Day the Earth Stood Still

9. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

10. Megamind

Giveaway!!

For your chance to WIN an eBook copy of Never Gonna Let You Go, answer this question: What are some of your favorite Science Fction Romance movies? Please leave your email address with your answer, or I will not be able to contact you if you win. Contest is international. Winner will be chosen October 26, 2012.

Never Gonna Let You Go Blurb

Caught in a tangle of lies, Calla Jacobs must sort through the truth to discover where she truly belongs. A biologist for Planet Core, she finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit. Sent to Airondelle, she must work with a team to prepare the newly discovered planet for colonists from Earth. But the mission does not go as she expected. Her former lover, Erik Edwards, shuns her, sending Calla into the arms of Melina Holloway, their commander, for the attention she craves and more. A confrontation among the trio leaves her with a broken heart, and fleeing from the two people she trusted most.

Attempting to break free from the lies that bind her, she discovers Planet Core has deceived everyone. And when she returns to Earth, Calla learns just how far Planet Core’s control reaches.

Available from Decadent Publishing and other ebook retailers.

Buy Never Gonna Let You Go HERE!

Book Trailer

Bio:

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

Website/Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon

Superman Looks Like Wolverine

by Claire Dargin

If you’re like me your first memories of the “Man of Steel” were of George Reeves in grainy black and clear reruns on early Saturday mornings.  Of course these were soon overshadow by the iconic Christopher Reeve who proved that he was Superman. 

 

Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent/Superman was and is in my opinion hard to beat.  Did you know he was nearly booted for the part because the producers and the director thought he was too scrawny for the role.  However after sometime at the gym, his royal buffness, sufficiently convinced them to keep him on.  Good for us because he did it so well he actually made us believe that a man could fly.

Unlike the 2006 “Superman Returns” starring Brandon Routh, this recent incarnation ‘The Man of Steel,’ promises to be the long awaited reboot of the classic DC Comics series.  Starring Henry Cavill, this movie is like its 1978 predecessor where it tells the life of Col-el/Clark Kent/Superman starting with his father Jor-El, portrayed by Russell Crowe to his life in Kansas to his eventual metamorphosis into Superman in Metropolis. 

A recent shot on the set shows a heavily muscled and bearded Clark Kent looking very much like Wolverine.  Could this be evidence of an edgier persona of Clark Kent than we are use to seeing?

The director and producers are being very tight lipped regarding details surrounding the story.  And rightly so.  Sometimes it’s better to be surprised. 

One thing for sure this star-spangled cast (Laurence Fishburne, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Christopher Meloni, Diane Lane and Amy Adams) has me looking forward to seeing this newest portrayal of the Man of Steel.

"Man of Steel," soars into theaters on June 14, 2013. 

Clare Dargin is the author of science fiction including Kybernatia available now from Decadent Publishing and Bono Books.  You can visit her on the web at www.claresblog2thehaven.blogspot.com

Erotic Massage on Elatia

by Jessica E. Subject

Decadent’s new science fiction romance lines takes place on the pleasure planet, Elatia, where some residents train to become Adamos. The Adamos spend years training in various sensual arts including erotic massage, BDSM, fantasy play and more. Visitors travel from all over the universe to experience their services.

In An Unexpected Return, the heroine, Xia, is training in the art of erotic massage at the Elatian Schola Calei. Not only does she need to know the erogenous zones of Terran clientele, but also of many other species from all over the universe and beyond.

An erogenous zone is an area of the body that has heightened sensitivity. For many, these areas, when stimulated, can result in erotic sensations and sexual excitement.

Here are some of the erogenous zones on our own bodies:

Men:

-         Lips, ears, neck, scalp, chest, nipples, inner thighs, head of his penis, perineum, anus, scrotum

Women:

-         Inner thighs, behind the knees, buttocks, nape of the neck, ears, feet, wrists, breasts (nipples), vagina (clitoris), lips

These erogenous zones can be stimulated manually (with hands using gentle caresses) and orally (kisses, licks, and even light nips)

So, go ahead and find someone to practice with, and see if you can stimulate their erogenous zones. Have fun!

Giveaway!!

For your chance to WIN an ebook copy of any of my backlist titles from Decadent Publishing, simply leave a comment with your email address.

An Unexpected Return Blurb

Looking to experience all the universe has to offer, Prince Aristides escapes from the kingdom of Tyto and travels through space to the Emerald Planet, Elatia. He yearns to partake in the activities the planet is famous for, and fulfill all his sexual desires, but loses his heart and soul to an Adamos apprentice. Unfortunately, she is Terran, and her people are sworn enemies of those from Tyto. If he can convince Xia to give up her dreams of becoming an Adamos, and travel back to Tyto with him, will his parents accept her, or condemn them both?

Abandoned as a toddler on Elatia, and raised by Kalara, an Adamos specializing in erotic massage, Xia decides to follow in her footsteps. But she remains conflicted as to whether she wants to service clients for the rest of her life, or settle down and raise a family. When she meets Aris, he turns the tables on her, and brings her as much pleasure as she gives him.

Will they have their chance to be together, or will their families tear them away from any chance of young love?

Now available from Decadent Publishing and other ebook retailers.

An Unexpected Return Excerpt:

Xia trailed her hand down the Mikashe mannequin’s scaly thigh.

Twenty minutes. Far less than the allotted time. If she could maintain the same speed with live clients, perhaps life as an Adamo wouldn’t be so bad.

She slid off the bed. All she wanted was to leave the Schola Calei and go home to rest. The practice session had followed hours of theory on the erogenous zones of all of the species permitted on Elatia. Applying the lessons to a pretend client had at least gotten her off her ass, but she could no longer think straight, her mind too numb to do anything but sleep.

“Done already, Xia?”

Spinning on her heels, she faced Jacobus, the muscular Elatian man—an Echelon Four Adamo—who trained her and several other Echelon Ones in the art of erotic massage. If he hadn’t been like a father figure to her, she’d swoon over him like the rest of her classmates did. During their lessons, he wore only loose-fitting pants made of filmy veech, which exposed his golden, god-like body to his students. Sometimes, to illustrate his lessons of a male’s erogenous zones, he’d strip down to nothing. On those days, she tried to listen more than look. Creaming her panties over her instructor was not all right. What would Kalara say?

Xia knew there was something going on between the two of them. He spent a lot of time at the house of her guardian and mentor. But she’d never seen them touch each other intimately, and he stayed away when Kalara entertained clients. If only she could figure out their relationship.

“Yes, I completed every step.” Even swallowing the warm, briny, fake ejaculation. Although she’d heard the real thing tasted worse.

Grabbing her tubes and bottles of eletin massage oils and creams, she packed them away in her appointment bag. Her own bed called to her.

With an intense stare, Jacobus set his hand on her shoulder. “There is never a need to rush with clients. You’re more likely to gain repeat customers if you take your time and prolong their pleasure.”

She nodded. “I’ll make note of that. Thank you.” Yeah, slow down. How could she be a proper Adamo if she always tried to finish as soon as possible? Quick Xia—that was her. But she wouldn’t bring any honor to Kalara and Jacobus if she maintained that mindset.

“Great.” He smiled, creases forming in the corners of his mouth. “Because you have your first appointment tonight.”

What? “But I’m only Echelon One. I can’t take clients yet.”

He stepped back and turned to the entire class. “This practical exam was your final test. You’re all now Echelon Two. There’s more to learn, but it’s about time you put your lessons into practice. You’ll all have appointments soon.”

Yes, but why do I have to be the first one? She gulped. “Um, what am I supposed to bring? Where do I go?”

Bio:

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

Website/Blog: http://jessicasubject.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jsubject

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-E-Subject-author/205759796126370

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/jessicasubject