Joyce Ellen Armond: Speculative Romance (And More) Online

2007-03-22T18:37:00.000-05:00

NEWS 2 USE: BOUND TO IRRITATE SOMEONE EDITION

Osmosis Psychic = Your Next Heroine?

A grown-up indigo child and psychic now offers a psychic activation service, using a process she terms "osmosis" to enhance everyone's natural psychic abilities.

Okay, in our reality that sounds a little odd, but in your paranormal near future…who's to say? She's got an endorsement letter from an Iraq-deployed soldier in her press release. The possibilities are wide and varied.

Ultimate Two Birder

Researchers hope to use the example of plant photosynthesis to break the carbon-oxygen bonds of CO2 and use excess carbon dioxide as a fuel source.

Now that would be a spiffy future!

Asexual Species Diversify, Too!

Scientists have discovered that tiny aquatic creatures who reproduce asexually have diversified in response to environmental pressures -- something they thought only the sexual reproducers could do. Says one admiring scientists of the celibate microscopic beasties: "These really are amazing creatures, whose very existence calls into question scientific understanding, because it is generally thought that asexual creatures die out quickly, but these have been around for millions of years."

Silly scientists, of course asexual creatures don't die out. They join the Republican Party. (HA! Go ahead, flame me. I couldn't resist. Get a sense of humor, or get your own blog and make fun of Democrats.) Seriously, though, how would love relationships develop and how would emotions be expressed by aliens who reproduce asexually? Don't tell me they wouldn't form bonds of some kind, and don't tell me they would not actively seek pleasure, either. Be creative!

2007-03-19T06:21:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

Today's question: Why do we do this? Why, when we know the odds are against us meeting our ultimate goals, do we keep writing?

2007-03-18T07:02:00.000-05:00

Website Update!

All new at Speculative Romance Online:

Candice Vetter, our own astronomy diva, helps you decide how to deal with that pesky light speed barried in DISTANCE, SPEED AND TIME.

Specrom Speaks with PAULA GURAN of JUNO BOOKS.

New Member News.

New Market News.

New Review: THE STRANGELING by Saskia Walker

New Review: KING OF DRAGONS, KING OF MEN by Emily Veinglory

New Review: MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL WEDDING anthology

Also, check this out:

OBCNFE (overworked but committed non-fiction editor) seeks plural professional relationship with other like minds. Ideal partners might be thirsting to make industry contacts by interviewing them for the newsletter, have an overwhelming passion for coordinating contests, be interested in becoming our liaison to the speculative erotic romance community or have a great off-the-wall idea for a recurring column. I'm flexible and easygoing, remember, so everyone interested in contributing is encouraged to reply. Not looking for a monthly hook-up: bi-monthly and quarterly involvement is fine, too. Creativity and a good sense of humor a must. Payment is experience and a great way to network in the community. Direct replies to joyce (at) specromonline.com with the subject line "Specrom Sounds Hot, Let's Hookup."

2007-03-13T17:30:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

Okay, more like Fess Up Monday on Tuesday. I'm blaming the time change.

Today's question: Have you ever returned a book because it did not satisfy?

Personally, I think the practice of unhappy readers returning books is, to say the least, odd. Especially if the reason is because the ending wasn't happy, or, even more strange, the book featured people outside your ethnic group (as noted on Karen Scott's blog, comments section.)

I wonder if this is a practice for romance readers only, or if unsatisfied science fiction or mystery fans demand their money back for the offending book? Presumably the fan read the book, because otherwise how could they know the story didn't make them happy?

Do you ask for your money back because the wine doesn't have the smooth finish you expected? Do you ask for your money back because the pizza gives you gas? I've read some books so unsatisfying I felt I should be able to sue the author for damages afterwards, but come on.

This world. It disenchants me on ocassion. How about you?

2007-03-12T08:32:00.000-05:00

SUM3 WEEK

Joyce Ellen Armond loves sappy love songs and face-eating monsters with equal enthusiasm. Her personal passion is melding the genres of romance and horror. From her home base in rural Pennsylvania, waiting for the zombie apocalypse, she edits the Speculative Romance Online website and newsletter.

You can read more of her short romantic speculative fiction at Quantum Kiss (www.quantumkiss.com) and her debut novel BONDS OF DARKNESS at Liquid Silver Books (www.liquidsilverbooks.com). You can visit her website at www.joyceellenarmond.com.

Armond's contribution to SUM3 is the contemporary paranormal....or is it an urban fantasy....or science fiction story entitled "Attraction of Otherness”, wherein the vampire legend is revised in a very extraterrestrial way. For the story behind this story, visit Joyce's note to readers here. For an excerpt click here.

A few people have commented on my vision of vampire in "Attraction of Otherness," employing descriptors like creative, new or different. Truth is, it isn't anything new at all. I just gathered interesting, otherwise unrelated items and tidbits and scrambled them together. That's why it feels new and different, and that's what creativity is. It's scrambling unrelated ideas into a personal vision.

Speculative fiction authors feel undue pressure to come up with "new" ideas. This fear of doing what's already been done haunted me for years. I hated to finish one project, because I feared I'd never have an idea good enough again. The books I loved would mock me: you'll never be this creative, give up, be an accountant!

Now I know that such fears are just so much self-defeating bullshit. I don't have to experience a startlingly new Eureka moment, pulling an entirely new concept from the air like Athena out of Zeus's head. (It was Athena, right? Minerva? Athena? The chick with the owl. You get the point.)

Creativity isn't really creation, as in poof abracadabra from darkness comes light. Creativity is synergy: taking unrelated ideas and scrambling them into a personal vision. So all I need, to be creative, is to gather lots of interesting tidbits and facts and opinion and, well, stuff, and know my personal vision.

That's what the News 2 Use feature in the blog and newsletter is about: tidbit gathering. Idea grazing. In this instance, gluttony is a virtue. (Too bad it can't translate to potato chips.)

Knowing personal vision, that's a little more difficult. I fear that a large swath of humans on the planet today can't stand being alone in the room without the television on. How can they perform the introspective, sometimes creepy, sometimes humbling task of getting to know what makes them tick well enough to translate it into storytelling decisions? But…that feels like another blog topic.

In "Attraction of Otherness," I poured a vampire concept I read in a book about monster-hunting, the pervasive cultural conviction of a government alien cover-up, my constant creative coveting of the Clarice Starling-Hannibal Lechter relationship and erotic kissing into the idea blender. The resulting purée I poured through the cheesecloth of my personal vision (creepiness, suspense, distrust of authority, challenging relationships, and loving evil), and voila: a tasty vampire smoothie that feels new and different.

Do you fear hitting the bottom of your idea well? Then I pose two important questions. If you answer no to either or both, I'd suggest that's your problem(s).

Do you gather tidbits and graze ideas? If no, go to the Specrom website. On the News 2 Use page, I've compiled a buffet of links. Feed often.

Do you know your personal vision? If no, shut off American Idol (that shit will rot your brain, anyway) and shake hands with your expectations, your prejudices, your dreams and your dark sides.

I am of course a fan of your dark sides. Because that's my personal vision.

-Joyce Ellen Armond

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2007-03-11T08:09:00.000-05:00

SUM3 WEEK

JODY WALLACE, also the editor of SUM3, swears she didn't crowbar her own story into the anthology; JOYCE ELLEN ARMOND of the Speculative Romance Newsletter and LIZ BURTON of Zumaya Publishing approved it first. Ms. Wallace's resume includes college English instructor, technical documents editor, market analyst, web designer, and general all around pain in the butt. One of her alter egos is "The Grammar Wench", which should give you an indication of her character. Aside from this anthology, she is published in small press erotic romance under the pen name Ellie Marvel and has several novellas with Red Sage Publishing in their line of Secrets anthologies. You can find out more at http://www.jodywallace.com/.

Wallace's contribution to SUM3 is "Cooley's Panther”, which skews the contemporary world to paranormal in this suburban fantasy. For an excerpt click here.

Can You Turn It Off?

Or will it rule your leisure time? No, I'm not talking about the TV, I'm talking about my internal editor, that bitch on wheels who is doing her best to sour the thing I used to love most in the world -- reading for pleasure.

It feels like she's always worn me out, but I can recall younger, glowier days of reading books with an uncritical eye. (Ok, let's get real...a LESS critical eye.) When I was a kid, I would devour the giant stack of library books within days of bringing them home and then, of course, have nothing to read until Mom took us back to the library. Once I was older, I used to hole up all week-end instead of socializing and stick my nose in someone else's imagination.

Those days are over. Now that I'm a writer and editor, I can barely get through a book without noticing typos, clunky POV shifts, weaknesses in characterization, cliched plotting, you name it. There are things that don't bother me which would bother someone else, and I know not everyone is the Grammar Wench I am, but nevertheless, it does interfere with my good time.

The rare book or story can sweep me away from all that, and I long for those moments. I treasure authors able to do that for me and track down everything they've written. Sometimes I reread old favorites for the glorious submersion I know is there, and sometimes old favorites pall in the glare of the dreaded internal editor. Such a disappointment when that happens. There are books I refuse to read again so I can remember them with nothing but fondness.

Eventually, I tried escaping to a different medium to get my fix -- television -- but the internal editor followed me there, too. After I watch my shows, I drive my husband nuts discussing and critiquing the just-viewed episode. If it struck me as particularly egregious (SMALLVILLE, I'm looking at YOU), the poor guy has to hear about it for days afterwards.

This makes it sound as if I've lost a valued possession, but I don't regret my transition from pure reader to analyst. The more I read (which has always been a lot), the more I became bent this way whether I wanted to or not. It's just...me. The way I view television and movies is further proof--I am of a mind to pick stories apart. To deconstruct them, examine them, and consider them from all angles. And in truth, I find stories of almost any sort interesting and worthwhile, whether I'm swept away by the wonderful worldbuilding or confused by stylistic oddities. It's always educational for a writer/editor to read (and arguably to watch television
and movies), and one hopes it helps me hone my abilities.

If I have one wish for SUM3, it's that the stories within provide an enjoyable experience for readers and silence the internal editors of those who are plagued by them.

JW

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2007-03-09T17:47:00.000-05:00

SUM3 WEEK!

C. MITCHELL O'NEAL lives and writes in Ann Arbor, MI. His speculative work has appeared in Paradox magazine, Revelation, Dead Letters, and Insidious Reflections e-zine. He received an honorable mention in the Best Fantasy and Horror of 2004 for his short story "The Moon Shone on my Slumbers." His story in this collection won first place in the Zircon Awards of 2005 and is dedicated to his own southern princess. (Editor note: this melts my damn heart every time I read it, the story and the dedication.)

For other examples of O’Neal’s work see Paradox magazine (http://www.paradoxmag.com/) and Revelation magazine (http://www.fourthhorseman.com/Revelation/).

O'Neal's contribution to SUM3 is "The Farmer's Boy and the Southern Princess”, which explains the truth behind a myth in a lyrical voice sure to captivate readers. He likes to hear from readers at coneal (at) umich.edu.

Writing The Farmer’s Boy and the Southern Princess was a literal labor of love; please forgive the cliché, but it’s appropriate. My family has this horrid tradition of homemade Secret Santa gifts at Christmas, and a couple years ago, I drew my wife, Victoria. Since writing is the one skill that I have any confidence in, she was destined to get a story in her stocking. You can read the whole story behind the story here, at the SUM3 website: http://www.jodywallace.com/zirconanthology/conealsb.htm

When people read the story behind the story, two reactions inevitably arise. Women tend to get this rosy and far away look on their face and make a sound somewhere between ‘oooh’ and ‘awww.’ Men tend to get this slight smirk, which grows into gleeful grinning, followed by various comments questioning my manhood. Which raises the obvious (though certainly not new) question, can a man write romance?

The answer is, of course, yes. I’m a man, and this is clearly a romantic story, even if it doesn’t fall into the stereotypical genre of heaving bosoms and throbbing what-have-yous. In my mind, good, readable fiction is almost always about the protagonist’s struggle to get what they want. Romance is simply the most familiar version of that. We’ve all lusted, we’ve all loved, and we’ve all wanted someone else to love us back to the point that we were willing to struggle to make it happen. This experience is shared by both sexes. In writing The Farmer’s Boy, I was never faced with a character who’s emotions I didn’t understand. I was always writing what I knew, so to speak.

Perhaps the more interesting question is, what does a man offer to a genre in which most of the authors are women, and most (though not all) of the readers are women? That’s a tough one. I do not think that I “write men” any better than my female peers. I do not think that I even added anything to this genre that hasn’t been added before; I wrote a fairy tale, essentially, the oldest version of the romance and therefore nothing new. Even so, I do recognize that there is something slightly unique in my story and my writing of it. I think it may simply be the oddity, like the first time we saw female sports announcers on the sidelines of Monday Night Football and went, “that’s new.” Challenging expectations of who should write what does lead to new ways of reading and seeing a story, and I suspect that my gender gives me some privileges in the field of romance fiction simply because people want to “see what the guy wrote.” That seems patently unfair to me, but I’ll take any edge I can get.

I enjoyed writing this story, and though it’s not my typical inclination, I enjoyed writing the romance part of it a lot. Without the romance it would have been a weaker story, or maybe not even a story at all. Will I write more romance in the future? Probably not, but I do think that everything you write breathes a little bit of itself into everything else, so the lessons of the Farmer’s Boy and his true love won’t be forgotten.

C. Mitchell O’Neal

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2007-03-08T08:08:00.000-05:00

SUM3 WEEK!

FRANCES ROBERTSON has been an avid lover of fantasy ever since she read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at a tender age. Romance followed somewhat later, and when it did, it seemed like a perfect complement to spaceships and dragons. Frances recently sold her first story to Tales of the Talisman magazine. She lives with her husband in the desert Southwest, and has a backyard full of bunnies, lizards, quail, the occasional bobcat and a gopher named Rasputin.

Robertson's contribution to SUM3 is the historical short story, "With Heart to Hear”, definitely the spiciest entry in the anthology. In Robertson's story, the troll under the bridge is converted into a romantic hero. For an excerpt click here.

“Love makes the world go ‘round.”

Well, not really. That honor probably goes to money. But I’ll wager that love is number two.

There are a lot of different kinds of love. Parental. Filial. Fraternal. Patriotic. Romantic. Love can drive men and women to heights of bravery and self-sacrifice. And unlike money, love makes us better people.

That’s why I like to write about love. I grew up reading fantasy tales of heroic deeds done by people who loved. Loved their ideals, their people, their country. And if there was a little romantic love thrown in too, all the better. :-) Later, I discovered romance, first in my personal life, and later on the printed page.

Yes, romance fiction is fantasy too. The relationships evolve too fast, and the tortured soul (usually the man) is redeemed by love; all his flaws are eliminated through the love of a good woman. In real life, the woman probably would (or should) run away from this damaged character. But the kernel of truth in that story is more important than what’s on the surface. Love redeems us. It makes us aspire to be better. To be our best selves.

It was that truth that made me want to write “With Heart to Hear.”

The word “love” is easily spoken, but not so easily demonstrated, unless the feeling is truly there. When we’re in the throes of infatuation, it’s easy to confuse desire with love. It’s really only by our actions that we show what it is that’s in our hearts to those who can hear.

– Frances Robertson

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2007-03-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

SUM3 WEEK!

ISABO KELLY is the award-winning author of numerous science fiction, fantasy and paranormal romance novels, short stories and novellas. After finishing her Ph.D. in Zoology in Ireland, she buckled down to concentrate on writing. Isabo currently lives in New York City with her brilliant Irish husband and her mad dog Eddie Monster. You can visit Isabo at her website www.isabokelly.com or email her at isabo (at) isabokelly.com. She loves hearing from readers.

Kelly's contribution to SUM3 is “The Last Guardian”, which mixes unrequited love and demonic threats into a suspenseful fantasy adventure.

When I first heard about the Zircon Short Story Awards, I got so excited. I’ve been writing speculative romance for years and publishing since 1999. But it’s nearly impossible to find a home for short stories, and I love writing them. There’s something so satisfying about being able to finish writing an entire story, beginning to end, in a day or two. Lot less daunting than a full length novel!

Then in a matter of two months, I was invited by a small web-newsletter to submit a short story for publication (any genre—yay!), and I read that my favorite speculative romance newsletter was hosting a short story contest. Yay again! So I decided to think of a story to submit to the Zircons.

As a side note, I wrote a story for that other newsletter, too. The newsletter is now defunct (very sad), but the story is up on my website. It’s called Kellyn’s Sacrifice—a fantasy romance. And a related novella, The Heron’s Call, was just released by Samhain Publishing (http://samhainpublishing.com/).

When I started mulling over ideas for the Zircons, the first thing that came to mind was the opening scene of The Last Guardian. I could practically feel the exhaustion and fear running through Neeka’s body as she stumbled through the dark forest trying to escape…something. I had to figure out the something later. But I did know she was running toward the only man she thought could help her. And that man just happened to be in love with her. At that point, I figured I had a decent idea, so I started writing.

I’m a real write by the seat-of-my-pants kind of author. All I need is an opening and I’m away. I figure the rest out as I go. The “something” chasing Neeka came to me as I was writing the opening scene for the first time. But I was a third of the way through the story before I realized why she was being chased. And even then, I had a few…things I needed to clarify. Eventually, with multiple edits, the story came together. In a week, I had my submission ready. All I needed was a title.

At this point, I have to give a special thanks to my friend Dr. Claire Cave. She was kind enough to read this story for me and help me with a title. The Last Guardian was her suggestion and it worked perfectly. So many thanks Claire!

I wanted the Zircons to be successful and continue for years to come, and I knew they’d need plenty of submissions for this to happen. I wrote my story with the intention really of supporting a wonderful contest. I never expected to final. When I won, I got so excited I had to do a happy dance with my dog.

Speculative Romance is my genre. It’s what I write and what I read. And I love it. I particularly love stories that take risks and cross genres in unusual ways. So I was honored to be included in the SUM3 collection with so many excellent examples of cross-genre writing. Roll on Speculative Romance!

Isabo Kelly
www.isabokelly.com

SUM3 at Amazon

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SUM3 Website Extravaganza

2007-03-05T07:38:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

We officially declare this week to be....(wild trumpet fanare)

SUM3 WEEK

SUM3: The Zircon Anthology of Speculative Romance is now available in both paperback and electronic formats. Yippee!

Through the two Zircon contests hosted by SpecRom, we collected short speculative romances that highlight all the facets of our subgenre. Like futuristics? We got em. Like fantasy: mythic, high or historical? We got em. Contemporary paranormal with a little humor? Contemporary paranornal with a bit of an edge? We got those, too!

I've invited the SUM3 authors (including my humble self) to share the motivations and meanings behind their stories here at the blog. Stay tuned this week!

SUM3 at Amazon

SUM3 at Fictionwise

SUM3 Website Extravaganza

2007-03-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

TTQ!

New feature! New feature!

Who knows what lurks in the hearts and minds of SpecRom members? We'll pierce the veil by asking….The Ten Twiggy Questions.

First to step out of the shadows: Specrom Jody. She lurks through specromlandia under a plethora of disguises, including the dreaded Grammar Wench. Watch out: the sharp edge of her humor is classified as a deadly weapon. Also watch out: she just made a sale! Mwah ha ha!

The Essentials:

Can you reveal your name?
Jody Wallace, and I also write under the penname Ellie Marvel. Or the cat does. Yeah, it's the cat.

Where do you call home?
The recliner in the living room

Why the heck are you a member of Speculative Romance Online?
Joyce said I wasn't allowed to leave her when she took over.
(Editor note: true story)

The Stories:

What three speculative romance novels/series must be on your shelf at all times to avoid interdimensional Armageddon?
Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, Swendson's Katie Chandler series, Briggs'Mercedes Thompson series

What three other books/series of any genre, fiction or non-fiction, must be there, too?
Clyde Edgerton's Walking Across Egypt, Jennifer Crusie's entire list, and something I haven't read before that looks really, really good, so there's always hope in my heart

In three simple sentences (beginning-middle-end), describe the plot of the Perfect Speculative Romance.
I can't answer this question. There are too many perfect plots and not enough time for me to write them. That's three sentences, anyway.

The Scoop:

What movie do you find (speculatively or otherwise) romantic?
Right now a favorite is the BBC Pride and Prejudice.

What speculative romance would you most like to see made into a movie?
I would love to see Susan Grant's CONTACT made into a movie. I won't go so far as to cast the roles, but I think it's very powerful and cinematic.

What is your favorite purple prose sexual euphemism?
Is rumpy pumpy purple prose? Because that phrase always makes me laugh.

The Secret:

Tell us a secret. (Feel free to use initials to disguise identities and to embellish wildly!)
I went to a therapist exactly two times until I made her cry, and then I figured I was healed.

2007-02-26T13:11:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

As I hit the hard wall of the middle on a project that had been spouting words like a geyser, I think I'll cheer myself up by bragging up how well BONDS OF DARKNESS has been doing.

Mrs. Giggles is not the only reviewer digging it. The Romance Reading Mom liked that it doesn't have vampires or werewolves. JERR's reviewer appreciated that the story's villain was a complex character. Fallen Angel's reviewer found it to be a "…very romantic…emotional roller coaster."

In fact, almost all the reviewers varied the roller coaster, dark suspense theme. Since my ultimate goal is to marry the romance and horror genres, this makes me think I might be on the right creative road. You can read more about that in my Liquid Silver Books Author Topic.

2007-02-23T19:53:00.000-05:00

NEWS 2 USE: The No Clever Subtitle Available Edition

Dirty, Dirty Bacteria!

Laboratory experiments point to bacteria as a defense against earthquake damage. Loose soil under buildings can be injected with Bascillus pastuerii. The bacteria cause the formation of calcite deposits that cement loose sand grains and keep buildings from shifting and collapsing during an earthquake. "Starting from a sand pile, you turn it back into sandstone," according to project researchers.

Of course, couldn't you also conceivably use this technique to make natural foundations for housing? Squirt the bug and poof, you've got your building slab! Or, if you were terraforming a planet and needed solid ground, squirt the bug, poof.

Of course, couldn't you also squirt the bug into arable farm land? Poof indeed.

Should We Be Teaching Robots Fear?

Robotics experts now consider that emotional, not cognitive, pathways may be effective in creating a robot that learns. The theory is that if a robot experiences happiness in completing a task -- whether it's cleaning a floor or nursing an elderly patient -- the robot will seek out more dirt or more ways to help in order to increase its happiness. Conversely, researchers are teaching robots to avoid certain tasks by instilling a fear response.

Does this creep anyone else out? Are we competent enough to create an artificial system that experiences emotion in a human way? I mean, last I checked, if you scare some living creatures, they don't run away. They become aggressive. So do we really want to be teaching robots fear?

Mark Your Calendars, and send Bruce Willis a Thank You Gift

Scientists are already planning for the 45,000 to one chance that asteroid Apophis, named after the Egyptian god of destruction, may slam into Earth (with 80,000 times more force than the Hiroshima bomb) on April 13, 2036. Gravity tractor spaceships are the current best idea.

Nobody at NASA wants to hear any of the dialog from Armageddon for real. See, I KNEW that Bruce Willis was INSTRUMENTAL, I say, INSTRUMENTAL, in the survival of humanity. Yeah, Bruce!

(I don't know what happened to the link for that one. You'll just have to google, lazybones!)

2007-02-22T07:22:00.000-05:00

Cynthia Ward Strikes Again!

The Internet Review of Science Fiction features Cynthia Ward in February as she presents "Interplanetary Romance: Swords and Sense of Wonder."

Be aware: she's talking "romance" as a literary term (i.e. grand sweeping emotional adventure) as opposed to "romance" genre. Read the article with that definition in mind, and you may find, like I did, many opportunities for speculative romance writers to consider.

Cynthia points out that the heroes like John Carter in A Princess of Mars are all about being alpha male characters. "…they're daring men, often soldiers, who explicitly or implicitly follow a chivalrous code of honor as they battle nefarious villains, escape durance vile, and rescue beautiful alien princesses from a variety of deadly dangers and fates worse than death."

I am not overly fond of the contemporary alpha male hero (understatement of the day), but even I can see the need for rugged, manly, take-no-shit warrior-men on Barsoom. By blending the setting and character elements of an interplanetary romance, authors can create an alpha hero that even I might be able to fall for. (And that would be a huge accomplishment!)

Specrom authors have a chance to rehabilitate the unpleasant themes in the original interplanetary romances. Ward points out that the originals "reflect the sexual, racial, and colonial attitudes of their era." With the new diversity in speculative romance, we can write "sword-and-planet" stories that feature heroes from all races and all sexual orientations. Most importantly, we can write out heroes Ward calls "species-ist." We have the cultural and literary latitude to describe relationships between humans and true aliens, as well as elevate those alien princesses from passive victims to active heroes in their own right.

And that would make for great reading. So, you know what to do. Go forth and write.

2007-02-21T07:37:00.000-05:00

Another Triumph of Human Spirit

Lisa Andel over at the Liquid Silver Books blog has traced anti-sex laws through the United States. It leaves you feeling pretty silly to be part of this culture, let me tell you.

However, once you're done either giggling or shaking your head in disappointment with your fellow earthlings, consider how you can worldbuild by blue law.

In BURNED AND BURNING, my story at Quantum Kiss, I created a near-future sub-culture driven by the notion that sexual desire, not money, is the root of all evil.

In your future, what sorts of things will be criminalized? In your fantasy world or alien culture, what sorts of pleasure or bodily functions are considered taboo? What paranormal event might make it legal to sell a dildo in Massachusetts?

Go forth and write.

2007-02-20T19:06:00.000-05:00

Website Update!

What's new at Speculative Romance Online, the website, you ask?
I'm so glad you did.

Meet the editors of Quantum Kiss: The Journal of Speculative Romance.

Learn about the electro-magnetic spectrum with Astronomy Diva Candice Vetter.

Updated Member News: Rowena Cherry, Tambra Kendall, Jody Wallace and Ellie Marvel, Jordan Summers and Kathleen Dante.

Updated Market News: Sword and Sorceress Anthology, Belle Books call for erotic southern romances, the PRISM 2007 awards and Samhain Publishing's call for entries for Valentines 2008 anthology.

New Reviews: PATHS OF BLOOD by Diana Pharaoh Francis, WATCHERS IN THE NIGHT by Jenna Black and RAGS AND OLD IRON by Lorelei Shannon.

Go forth and check it out.

2007-02-19T07:13:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

What a crappy week. I spent most of it trying to wrestle through plotting. Sometimes I THINK I know where the story should go, i.e. I want take the Path of Least Conflict and Easiest Writing. Then the words just run dry. Until I shake myself out of the stubborn desire to do it the easy way, I get nothing but frustration and irritation and it makes for a very crappy week.

Happen to any of you?

2007-02-14T20:02:00.000-05:00

It's Valentine's Day, So Let's Talk About Sex

When I was evaluating epublishers, I almost didn't submit to Liquid Silver Books (my first choice for various reasons) because I didn't think BONDS OF DARKNESS was sexy enough. No threesomes, no M/M, no toys, no anal. Just two people caught up in a paranormal conflict, falling in love and expressing that love physically, and not very often at that. I felt that more sex would've ruined the suspenseful rhythm. ("Hey, it's a life-and-death situation, let's stop for a shag!")

Mrs. Giggles and Emily Veinglory discuss the eroticism of erotic romance, and reach the same conclusion as I have. A lot of erotic romance just isn't sexy. Part of the problem lies in predictability.

Endless descriptions of tab A in slot B, no matter how an author varies the tabs and the slots, are not erotic. It's mechanical. (If you want to write about mechanical sex, actually feature an AI character. This is speculative romance!)

Miz Veinglory plaintively asks, "Where are the books full of furries, pegging, forced feminisation or all those other unexploited wonders of human sexuality?" Since I'm not even sure what pegging is, I'm instantly intrigued. We're writing SPECULATIVE FICTION here, folks. Our readers want us to look into potential futures and potential alternatives to the now. They want us to deliver the oh-wow factor, the awe, the wonder. They want us to go poking around in the dark corners. Otherwise they'd go read historical or contemporary romance! Writing another round of anal sex or a POUS (penis of unusual size, as one of my clever reviewers has dubbed it) isn't living up to your responsibility as a speculative fiction author. And with the competition for the erotic romance reader's dollar…

Mrs. Giggles (who also tires of tabs and slots) gives another insight. "I want descriptions. I want sensations. Thoughts. Emotions. I've come across sex scenes where the actual act is alluded to but the heroine's emotions and thoughts during the act are so explicitly detailed that I find such a scene too erotic for words."

You as the author may be caught up in the writing-the-sex act. But boiled down, whether you are writing about the heroine having sex or kicking ass or solving a riddle, you are always WRITING ABOUT CHARACTER. Everyone knows what it's like to have sex. (Even people who haven't had sex have a set of concrete expectations.) Readers want to know how it is for the heroine or hero or even villain to have sex.

Magical Musings hosted agent Lucienne Diver recently, and she spoke about what makes a story go from "almost, but" to sold.

"Your viewpoint character is the lens though which the reader sees the world. A lens can warp images, color them, magnify or diminish them. Voice should do the same. Descriptions will be filtered through a character’s unique perceptions and way of expressing him or herself."

Every woman feels a kiss in her own unique way. Every man experiences an orgasm in his own unique way. Every sex act is different, for an infinite number of reasons. There's just no excuse to have your characters make love like somebody else's characters. Make it a point of authorial honor, and deliver the reader a surprising, even shocking, new take on sensuality through the filter of your characters' experiences.

So there. I've had my rant. What do you think?

2007-02-11T23:54:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

The blog Magical Musings interviews one of the Five People I Wish Would Have Said Yes, agent Lucienne Diver. She gives some great insight on what makes a story go from almost to hell yes, especially that tricky thing they call "voice."

2007-02-09T07:40:00.000-05:00

Another Word on the HEA

It's been a few weeks since the last convulsion of "Romance = HEA." But I've been thinking about it, because I have a very complex reaction to the "Romance = HEA" issue.

I believe that something that's published in the genre of romance should end with the lovers united, looking forward to a life together after overcoming all the obstacles to their love.

On the other hand, when I read "it's romance and it's got to have an HEA!" all my rebel-against-authority buttons are pushed. Throw a rule at me, and I'll feel an irresistible urge to break it. It's one of my natural laws.

So I think that we are presenting the argument ineffectively. For those who feel constricted by the romantic HEA, or feel that romance novels suffer from the demands of ending happily, I appreciate your feelings because in some part I share them. But I ask you to consider it this way.

The ending of successful fiction pays off to its theme. If the theme is "misuse of science brings horror and death," the ending won't satisfy if on the last page dawn rises over a new tomorrow filled with hope. If the theme is "only through the greatest sacrifice can evil be overcome," then the hero of the story will die in the end if the writer has done her job.

The theme of every novel published in the genre of romance is ROMANTIC LOVE CONQUORS ALL. That's the ride the reader wants. And that's the ride I generally deliver, because it directly reflects my personal philosophy.

It's pretty hard to pay off to the theme of Romantic Love Conquers All without having the lovers overcome all the obstacles and live happily ever after. And that's why romance novels end the way they do. The authors are doing their jobs effectively in paying off to the theme.

I think that "unhappy endings" are effective when the story's theme mirrors or resonates with the audience's own personal world views. If I agree that only through the greatest sacrifice can evil be overcome, I might cry when the hero dies, but I will also love the novel because the theme that hooked me paid off in the end.

But I don't agree with that philosophy. When someone tells me I have to make a sacrifice, I am just too cynical and assume I'm giving something up so they don't have to. So a book with the sacrifice overcomes evil theme can be the most powerfully written story ever, but it's going to be a tough sell to me. I might admire the prose, the characters and the author's technique, but it probably won't satisfy me.

So instead of thinking "happy vs. unhappy" with all the subtext infecting that conflict, think paying off to the theme. If you are writing a story that features the theme Romantic Love Conquers All, and you pay it off, chances are you will successfully tap into some facet of the eager romance market.

2007-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use: The I Thought I Posted This On Tuesday Edition!

Or, in which towards the end I wax cynical about our species' chance of survival...

What does a six dimensional universe look like, anyway?

Scientists aren't sure. They aren't sure other dimensions even exist. But they think they might be able to figure it all out by charting their influence on cosmic energy present at The Big Bang.

If we have 64 positions in our three-dimensional world's Kama Sutra, how many do they have in the six dimensional world?

Okay, that was cheap and tawdry. I just don't get string theory.

Algae to the rescue!

The hottest potential source of renewable biological energy right now is algae. From raw algae comes something called "biocrude," which can be processed just like crude oil at existing refineries.

Before you get all excited…

I wonder if living with six dimensions makes you smarter?

The demand for an eco-friendly sustainable fuel created a boom market for palm oil. To take economic advantage of that boom, corporations in Indonesia have destroyed large chunks of Southeast Asian rainforests, overused toxic fertilizers and burned and drained peatland for palm plantations -- making Indonesia the third-worst global offender in the release of climate-damaging carbon emissions.

Go team.

2007-02-05T08:10:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

MY FAVORITE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL: Snickers: After the Kiss.

M4M assaults the bastion of machismo. I couldn't be happier!

(Also, Prince in the rain is a beautiful thing.)

2007-02-02T14:12:00.000-05:00

READ THIS!

Merrie Haskell mixes the romantic allure of time travel with the unmistakeable tone of Regencies in "The Roman and the Regency." It will resonate with all of us who ever felt lonely, kept from our hearts' desires by the expectations of our own socities.

Read it today at Quantum Kiss.

2007-01-30T07:35:00.000-05:00

NEWS 2 USE: Take That Edition

Take That, Scientists

Finally catching up with folklorists and esoteric practitioners through history, scientists reveal statistical data showing the changing phases of the moon affect humans. According to the research, menstrual and fertility cycles, flare-ups of gout, asthma and bladder problems, plus incidents of murder, suicide and traffic accidents, all seem to respond to changing moon phases.

The scientists grudgingly admit that, although the mechanism of the effects are not understood, "It is suggested that melatonin and endogenous steroids [which are naturally occurring in humans] may mediate the described cyclic alterations of physiological processes. Electromagnetic radiation and/or the gravitational pull of the Moon may trigger the release of hormones.''

When designing an alien or fantasy universe, consider that western human scientific method has worn unduly heavy blinders when dealing with items of folklore, faith and the supernatural. Imagine how different our world would be if scientists weren't just now confirming these things long known to non-scientific or anti-scientific communities.

Take That, Accountants

In great news for creative people everywhere, research published in the journal Science suggests that our brains default to woolgathering, and that goal-directed thinking and concentration are departures from the norm.

According to one researcher: "In a sense these thoughts reflect an amazing capacity on our part to multi-task. It is as if we have a sense of how much [attention] we have 'left over' and allocate these resources to working out some problem or anticipating what we have to do in the near future."

Ha, WE'RE THE NORMAL ONES!

Take That, Guidance Counselors

Psychological studies now show that long-range career planning is a big waste of time. People cannot predict what will make them happy at lunch a week from now, so it's ridiculous to expect them to know what will make them happy at work five years from now.

This takes away such an unnecessary burden. I've had it drilled into me, that I gotta have a plan, I gotta have goals. This is great. It's scientific evidence it's okay to be considered a slacker!

2007-01-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Viewing Pleasure For This Commercial Message...

Mrs. Giggles rates Bonds of Darkness an 89.

"Bonds Of Darkness is my first encounter with a genuine true-blue unabashed self-proclaimed romantic horror story and I love it."

How cool is that?

2007-01-29T08:11:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

I'm working on a little rant about appropriate sexuality levels in speculative romance stories. I've been disappointed lately as a reader by books which seem to inject inappropriate or gratuitous sexual content, detracting from the stories' character development, speculative integrity, plot and tone. But I keep sounding like some prude who doesn't like sex. Which is certainly not the intention of the essay or an accurate reflection of dirty little me.

So if anyone has some early ideas, rants of their own, etc., about speculative romance sex, toss them out in the comments and I'll address them later this week in this rant. I believe the issue is an important one, and I can't believe I'm the only person dealing with them as both reader and author.

2007-01-25T07:49:00.000-05:00

MARKETS MARKETS MARKETS

As always, find all the info with links at Speculative Romance Online's website, along with interviews, articles and reviews.

PHAZE wants to explore some new erotic romance frontiers.

ELLORA'S CAVE wants hot stories for their Torrid Tarot and Halloween anthologies.

CATSCURIOUS PRESS wants you to go in the way-back machine and submit short stories with a classic 60s gothic romance feel.

Check it all out at SpecRom.

2007-01-23T20:16:00.000-05:00

New 2 Use: Strange, Strange, Strange

Attractive Man…By Consensus?

Research by the University of Aberdeen suggests that a man becomes subjectively more attractive to women if other women pay him positive attention. The logic is this: if other women find reasons to smile at, flirt with or otherwise try to capture a man as a mate, he must be worth the time and effort, and is therefore more attractive than he would be if other women were ignoring him.

Maybe there should be an anti-evolutionary backlash. Considering womankind's propensity to latch onto the least positive man within a 50 miles radius, should we start AVOIDING the popular ones and go panning for the socially hidden gold? Sounds like a good motivation for your next heroine.

Moca Vampire…Before Chupacabras!

Early in 1975, livestock in the small town of Moca, Puerto Rico, were killed at an alarming rate, found slashed and mysteriously drained of blood…way before anybody ever heard of chupacabras. The animals' deaths coincided with reports of a huge birdlike creature in the area, as well as the killing of two unnaturally large snakes thought to be responsible. But even after the snakes were dispatched, the livestock exsanguinations continued.

I am so fascinated by historical incidents of related paranormal phenomena. Something exsanguinates livestock, and has been doing so for decades. What the heck is it????

Southeast Asian Paranormal Crime

A native of Malaysia recounts first and second hand experiences with magic-using thieves. Methods employed by the home invaders include spells that put the household into a deep sleep, and brief shape-shifting to tiger form in order to scare watchdogs into submission.

If you create a paranormal or fantasy culture where magic exists, remember it won't always be used for noble goals.

What if…

…UFOs are not visiting aliens, but precognitive visions of future human transports?

My favorite explanation for lake monsters is a vision or incursion from the past onto our current perceptions. Why not UFOs from the future? Or…

Weird Shit in Iran

UFOs, both hovering and crashing, have been observed over the past week in Iran.

Read about it:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3354296,00.html
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8510260591
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20070119-075023-4159r

And, most ominously…

http://www.unknowncountry.com/journal/?id=267

Draw your own conclusions.

2007-01-22T07:36:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

(For those new readers -- the Global Existential Threat Level monitors our chances of wiping ourselves out, or being wiped out, as a species. It's always good to put your own hopes, dreams, fears and nightmares into planet-wide perspective, doncha think? I mean, gosh, what's the sense of getting all hyped about something if the world is about to explode. We're just those kinds of pragmatists here at SpecRom. Always got your back, baby.)

I had a couple of those wonderful and far too rare days when it's a push to have my fingers type fast enough to get down all the words, they flow so fast. And other than missing my scheduled blog posts for Friday and Saturday, everything else in My Author's CageFight (doesn't that sound more interesting than 'My Author's Life'?) went pretty well. It's hard to feel threatened when your first novel-length release comes true, and step one in your evil plan to rule the world is achieved. So my Personal Existential Threat Level is Super-Mondo No Chance of My Head Exploding Low. (How's THAT for daring the universe, harhar.)

I'd like to invite you all to preview the upcoming anthology SUM3. That's for someone, somewhere, somewhen is falling in love and being amazed by it. SUM3 is the compilation of outstanding stories found through the Zircon Contest for short speculative romantic fiction. My short story, the infamous weird take on vampires "Attraction of Otherness," the story that convinced me to write speculative romance, the story that landed me this gig ladies and gentlemen, is in that anthology. It's due out any time from Zumaya Book's romance imprint, Zumaya Embraces.

2007-01-18T08:39:00.000-05:00

Website Update!

If you don't receive our monthly email newsletter, then go to our beloved website, Speculative Romance Online, and check out January's new content.

New Articles

Interview with Cover Artist April Martinez

Getting Your Love On in 2056, by Joyce Ellen Armond

Northern Skies, by Astronomy Diva Candice Vetter

New Reviews

MISTRAL'S KISS by Laurell K. Hamilton

MINDER by Joely Skye

UNMASKED by CJ Barry

TETHERS by Sara Reinke

Member News from Rowena Cherry, Robin D. Owens, Ann Macela, Vicky Burkholder and me!

Market News from Nanobison, Samhain Publishing and a new contest for sf/f/h novels, with editors and agents as judges.

If you are expecting the newsletter to pop into your mailbox, and it hasn't, please contact me. Mail kerfluffles to the AOL server! I think I fixed most of it, but if you slipped through, let me know.

2007-01-16T18:37:00.000-05:00

NEWS 2 USE: Story Ideas Galore Edition

Future Buzz

In a blog post titled "Must-know terms for the 21st Century intellectual," transhumanist George P. Dvorsky lists phrases and concepts that he expects will be on the cutting edge of our future.

Neat, neat stuff. Neurodiversity, the noosphere, information theoretic death -- it's a whole list of story concepts!

Another Good Reason Not to Trust the Government

The Washington Post visits with people who believe they are Targeted Individuals -- in mind control experiments run by the government and military.

This fascinating story of the marginalized has the same enticement as do alien abductees. Are they involved in a world weirder than then one you and I inhabit day to day? I suspect there's a coherent phenomenon going on in cases like this. Whether it's aliens, the government or something else entirely -- I just don't buy they are mentally ill. But then again, I like to think the world is weirder than it seems to be.

Perfect Story Prop, Thanks to Science

Researchers now believe that black diamonds -- a very rare and porous form of the gemstone -- originated in outer space. They say: "The new IR measurements are consistent with the formation of carbonado [black] diamonds in an interstellar environment."

Science is so obliging, coming up with these lovely details for our speculative romances. Thank a scientist today.

2007-01-15T19:59:00.000-05:00

It's official!

BONDS OF DARKNESS is now available at Liquid Silver Books.

(Checking off first step in evil plan to take over the world.)

2007-01-15T09:31:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

Hey -- having a bad day? A bad week? Do you know what you need? A new outlook. A new perspective. A radical shift in consciousness. Because, as my mother always told me, you can't change the world, so you must change yourself if you want to be happy.

Somehow I didn't think she meant this, but on a rainy (again) Monday when I'm running behind on everything, this works for me.

So You've Decided to be Evil: A Step-by-Step Plan for Joining the Forces of Darkness.

Of course, you'll also need An Evil Plan.

2007-01-12T18:45:00.000-05:00

Blog Crawl -- alien romances: Does Human Nature Exist?

Margaret Carter is cool. I don't believe I've ever told her that, so I think I should declare my admiration now. Her post about how technology and culture differences affect who we are and who we become, and just how far we can deviate from our hard-wired parts is a delight.

It ends with this statement (and I agree with it): No matter how much technology changes, it's probable that our descendants two or three centuries from now will be, in the essentials that make them human, fairly similar to ourselves.

What fascinates me about "human nature" is how wide and varied it is, and how only such a narrow band of our behavior spectrum is sanctioned by our culture. It's always instructive to remember that we all have the capability to be saints or psychopaths, depending on our neurology, nurture and personal choices. We're an interesting species, living with tremendous inner tension. It's equally our nature to kill and create. We're a strange bunch.

So while Ms. Carter is correct in that human will probably stay human, as authors we have tremendous latititude in envisioning human alternatives. But that means as authors we have to think in ways that might be uncomfortable, might challenge our own ideas and preconceptions about what's right and what's wrong. What's acceptable and what's taboo. Even what constitutes a happy ending. (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Speculative romance is not a place for the mind unwilling to take a walk on the dark side now and again.

2007-01-11T15:45:00.000-05:00

Hot/Cold: VAMPIRES

I started the New Year off with a carefully crafted Blog Schedule. According to it, today I should be introducing the Blog Crawl feature, where I surf the blogs, pick up an interesting topic, and find a different spin on that discussion.

What's up, Blog World? I could only find HEA discussions (like this one at Dear Author.com) and what's left to say? So, let's play another game instead: Hot/Cold.

Hot/Cold: Vampires

Can you imagine paranormal romantic fiction (HEA'd or otherwise) without vampires? No way, you shout. Well, me either.

But.

I am about vamped out. When I get wind of a new series that's billed as Buffy in the Regency and I yawn, that is serious serious burn out. (A year from now I'll pick this book up, be all excited, and the rest of you will be yawning because you've so been there and so done that.)

I have fallen out of love with the current vision of the paranormal romance vampire hero. Now this is not a bad thing. It just means I can fall in love all over again when the New Paranormal Romance Vampire Hero arrives to sweep me off my feet.

What might I like to see in a New Paranormal Romance Vampire Hero, you ask?

(1) More violence. I'm sure this shocks those of you who know me, har har. But I feel that the fangs aren't sharp enough anymore. The aura of danger has dulled. I want me a real predator. I want my heroine's la petit mort to be mixed up with the real threat of dying.

(2) No more angst. I want a new emotion from my vamp hero/anti-hero. I leave it up to the author which new emotion, but I want to be surprised. Give me a new emotional tone to a romantic vamp, please!

So what's your take on the Vampire? Is he still hot? Would any changes to him make you go cold? Or do you agree with me, he's cold like yesterday's Bloody Mary, and what would make him hot again for you?

2007-01-09T19:56:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use: Mind Control Where You Least Expect It Edition

Another If A Tree Falls In The Forest Riddle

By sending electric currents into subjects' brains, researchers have created a haunting effect. Subjects report perceiving shadowy presences that correspond to classic ghost experiences. But does that mean ghosts are merely a supernatural explanation for neurological phenomena? Or does it mean that spiritual entities use electrical energy to create our classic ghost experiences? And will we ever know?

Imagine if something or somebody -- a ghost or an alien species -- manipulates our brains to create a hallucination of contact. Neat stuff. On a less serious note, anybody remember this. "This is God, Kent." HA!

You Know Who's Behind This, Right?

Feasibility studies from New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Business Center conclude that the idea of an alien theme park in Roswell is viable.

The aliens! If you were an alien, and you wanted to build a base of operations in America where you have access to friendly humans, wouldn't you build an Alien Theme Park in Roswell?

Never Underestimate The Power of Cultural Prejudice to Ruin Good Science

Years after Timothy Leary told us to turn on, tune in and drop out, scientists are bucking laws and convention, running trials to determine the positive and negative health effects of psychedelic medicines. Current research involving MDMA (known as extacy), ketamine and even LSD reveal potential treatments in addiction recovery, reducing the impact of PTSD, and even relieving the pain of cluster migraines.

Our culture is so very sensitive about faith and religion that when Leary held up LSD as a spiritual shortcut, any positive benefits of psychedelics were buried under an avalanche of hysteria. What other taboos may have grown up around the same sort of cultural prejudice, robbing us of something positive? And in your futuristic, fantasy or paranormal culture, what do they get freaky about, to their scientific loss?

2007-01-08T11:29:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

Almost everyone I know, whether they live in my hometown or in Houston or London or Shanghai or Oregon, all have taken second winter homes in the Land of Mucous. I know that I'm ever so excited to be visiting!

And since I am, and you probably are, surrounded in wadded up tissues, I recommend an always fun read: Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex. If you haven't read it, go for a great laugh. If you have read it, chances are you need to laugh. It will help you cough out all that mucous.

2007-01-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

From Other Shelves: ACQUIRED TASTES, by Peter Mayle

Nothing grabs a reader's hand and drags them into a speculative world like a startling, vivid detail. And nobody does details as well as Peter Mayle. You can read any of his books to study his technique, but in ACQUIRED TASTES a speculative writer gets the added bonus of a peek inside the kind of cultural quirks that themselves are startling, vivid details of our own sort of alien world on Earth: that of the super-mega-ultra rich.

The book is a collection of essays Mayle did on behalf of Gentleman's Quarterly, a sort of wry and witty, better bred literary version of VH1's The Fabulous Life Of…. Mayle parts the waters between the have-what-we-needs and the have-it-alls, guiding us through how to purchase a cashmere sport coat and tailor-made shirts in London, how to eat caviar, choose a single malt, how not to have house guests, and never runs out of praise for luxury hotels. All very interesting (did you know that they comb the cashmere from wild goats, or that caviar must be graded and salted within the first fifteen minutes of the liberation of the eggs?), but how does it all help an aspiring speculative author?

When you create a new world for your readers to explore, you want to detail it as vividly as possible. Just as vividly as Mayle details the haunts of the privileged. Whether you are working with the rich and powerful members of a fantasy world's nobility, the down-and-dirty criminal world of a spaceport at the universe's fringe, or a contemporary secret society of vampires, details make your vision become real to the reader. And an afternoon with Mayle will give you an excellent primer on details.

On Manhattan: There is a man, usually squatting on the sidewalk at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Forty-second Street, who glares at every pretty woman who passes by and mutters at each of them, "Change your underwear, babe."

On buying truffles: But even here, in the middle of nowhere—buying direct from men with dirt under their fingernails and yesterday's garlic on their breath, with dented, wheezing cars, with old baskets or plastic bags instead of Vuitton attache cases – even here, the prices are, as they say, tres serieux.

On the historical cachet of his favorite restaurant: Ladies and gentlemen could rent rooms by the hour in the maisons de passe before tottering around the corner, still slightly flushed, to recover at Antoine's table.

Each of these examples doesn't just highlight the power of a vivid detail. Sure, sure you can get the mouth feel of Manhattan, truffle-buying and Chez Ami from these sentences. But it gets you thinking…what are the strange, vivid details of my fantasy high court, spaceport dive bar, or clandestine vampire club?

These thoughts not only makes the writing more fun, but it might be the difference that moves you from unpublished to published, or from midlist to best-seller.

2007-01-05T06:51:00.000-05:00

IROSF Flirts with Speculative Romance

Cynthia Ward, rapidly becoming one of my favorite speculative fiction theorists, strikes a blow for paranormal romance in the current issue of The Internet Review of Science Fiction. "Paranormal Romance: Here, There and Everywhere with Science Fiction" takes the IROSF sub-genre spotlight with a detailed genealogy of fiction that currently culminates in our beloved speculative romance. You've gotta register to read it, but registration's free and the IROSF is a resource worth your attention.

Cynthia's article raises a point near to my heart: how paranormal romance is starting to burst through certain seams of romance fiction conventions. I don't mean to suggest that speculative fiction conforming to the happy-ever-after, monogamous, heterosexual standard has no value. On the contrary, I love em. But I'm also excited to see the development of what I'm starting to call speculative fiction about relationships.

Cynthia singles out several Mothers of the Genre, among them the Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. While I was entranced by the romance between Lessa and F'lar (and how many among us didn't have a crush on F'lar or Lessa by age 13?), the Pern novels also deliver those delightfully fascinating relationships between the dragons and their riders. To me, Impression was always as emotionally moving as any human romantic relationship.

If I think about the science fiction and fantasy stories that stay on my shelf as keepers, they almost all have central plots that revolve equally around speculative elements and relationships. The by turns violent then disturbingly tender relationship between Morn Highland and Angus Thermopyle keeps Stephen Donaldson's GAP series an annual read for me. Guy Gavriel Kay's A SONG FOR ARBONNE and TIGANA never deliver a happy ending, but I consider them grandly romantic. Frank Herbert's DUNE series is as ripe with relationships as it is with ideas: Paul and Chani, Jessica and Faradyn, Alia and first ghola Duncan Idaho, series ghola Duncan Idaho and Honored Matre Murbella.

As much as I love a happy ending, I also appreciate the occasional tragic love story. As Cynthia states in her article, the movie Brokeback Mountain wouldn’t qualify under genre standards as romance because there certainly isn't an HEA, there's adultery and homosexual main characters. But the movie's plot is motored entirely by the characters' relationships. So of course I'm interested!

I respect the boundaries of the romance genre, because when I pick up a book marked "romance" I know that I'll be getting that HEA. But even though I love dark chocolate the best, that doesn't mean I'm not open to milk chocolate. Or caramel. Or spun sugar. Just as long as the experience satisfies my craving for something sweet.

But how the heck do we get bookstores to shelve relationship-oriented speculative fiction so we can FIND it? I leave that problem to a better mind than mine. Any suggestions?

2007-01-03T18:04:00.000-05:00

READ THIS

Godspeed, Inc. by Vincent Miskell will be a treat for all you fans of Linnea Sinclair. It's a high-concept science fiction adventure. Keep reading and you'll get to a rousing romance. Thanks Abyss & Apex for publishing such a great tale. And to Mr. Miskell for writing it!

Burned and Burning envisions a near future where misused neuroscience tries, but fails, to spoil love. The author: some chick named Joyce Ellen Armond. The market: Quantum Kiss: The Journal of Speculative Romance. A very cool place to see and be seen.

2007-01-02T07:06:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use: Shit That Freaks Me Out Edition

Clouds and Plankton?

Atmospheric scientists may have discovered a link between blooms of phytoplankton in the ocean and the creation of clouds that reflect the sun's energy away from the planet. Some researchers see this phenomenon as a planetary mechanism to counteract global warming.

I see this as a spooky reminder that we know next to nothing about the complex and chaotic systems that make the planet work. If plankton farts can control the temperature, what startling systems will exist on your science fiction planet? Think worms, spice, samlon and Grendels. And extra points to anyone who can identify the two books from which I stole my examples!

Choose One: Kid's Brain Function or Your Portfolio Health?

Joint research performed by the US and Demark suggests that exposure to toxic chemicals has created a "silent pandemic" of neurological disorders in children. The research links autism, attention deficit disorder, developmental disorders and cerebral palsy with a minimum of 200 chemicals used in industry, and that number could climb to over 1,000 as testing continues.

As you design a future world, never underestimate the damage caused by the amoral pursuit of wealth.

I Am Never Seeing A Physician Again. Ever.

New studies show that doctors are using Google to make difficult medical diagnoses, with a 60% success rate.

Three words that should strike fear into your heart now: pharmaceutical industry Google-bomb.

2006-12-31T09:29:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

Happy New Year to everyone!

This is a milestone year for me, because this is the Year of my First Novel-Length Publication. You can all read BONDS OF DARKNESS from Liquid Silver Books on January 15th, or you can sneak a peak at www.JoyceEllenArmond.com.

But of course, while that's pretty cool, I'm well into two new projects. What are you up to, this first day of 2007? What are your goals? Do you freeze up even thinking about that?

If you want a little hint in setting reasonable, attainable goals, check out FINDING FOCUS: MANAGING YOUR CREATIVITY from last autumn's newsletter. If you set an unreasaonable goal, you're just setting yourself up to fail. And that sucks. A good goal for 2007: avoid the suckage early and often.

On the blog schedule this week:

Tuesday: News 2 Use, everyone's favorite feature.
Thursday: A new Read This, with links to some good speculative romantic short stories available on the web…including MINE!
Friday: Romance and science fiction go out on another date in a new publication dedicated to speculative fiction.
Weekend: A new feature, From Other Shelves – noteable books outside our subgenres.

So I invite you, every Monday, to fess up. Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell, tell! Because if you write just 1,750 words a week, by this time next year, you'll have the first draft of a novel!

2006-12-15T17:51:00.000-05:00

Classy, Classy, Classy!

Each week I get an email from the reviews coordinator at Samhain Publishing, letting me know about new speculative romance releases. This makes me smile every single Monday, because as a one-woman shop, I really appreciate the time they take to make my life easier. (Thank you, M, did you know how much I appreciate you?)

Today when I got home from the day job, I found a holiday greeting card from the Samhain Publishing Staff.

I'm telling ya, that's classy.

Happy Holidays, Samhain Publishing!

2006-12-07T19:52:00.000-05:00

SANTA BABY...

Over at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, a call for gossip devolved into a genuine discussion of a favorite topic: what readers expect from paranormal romance.

I wouldn't want to be an editor looking for the next hot read in speculative romantic fiction, because everyone seems to expect a different experience, or bring a different reader need to the bookstore aisle. I think that our subgenre has to work the hardest in any of romance, because of the varied tastes and desires of its fans.

And although this reality too often leads to angry readers demanding to know why a favorite series has turned the corner into something they don't want to read, I think the diversity in speculative romance is a strength.

I'm sure my letter to Speculative Romance Santa is very different from yours, and not just because I'm weird. It's because speculative romance whispers so much to so many, that we must be flexible in our definition of genre, and be understanding that what tosses your confetti might sink somebody else's tugboat.

So share your wish list for 2007 with the Speculative Romance Santa.

Here's mine:

Dear Speculative Romance Santa,

Please forego the diamonds and dark chocolate confections in my stocking this year, and deliver some good specrom reads, like…

Stories so well crafted that the romantic conflict grows directly from the circumstances of the author's speculative vision.

Stories that challenge my emotional boundaries through characters that so move me, I must transcend my "squick" factors to appreciate their love story. Even if it's only for the time it takes to read the book.

Real aliens to fall in love with. Tentacles and everything.

Historical speculative romance.

More stories like early Dean Koontz, but with more speculative content. I'm tired of re-reading Watchers and Lightening, Santa, please?

Love and chills,

Joyce

2006-12-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

Holy Crap Where Did She Go?

It's going to be hit-and-miss until the New Year, folks, but just to keep you thinking...

News 2 Use -- Controversial Issues Edition

Our Brains -- Should We Thank Sexual Outlaws?

The idea of interbreeding with another species gives us instinctual heebie-jeebies. But it seems more and more likely that the key genetic development in the human brain came to us courtesy of interbreeding with Neanderthals.

So…what species can we interbreed with now, to make the next evolutionary jump in your speculative romance? Paranormal creatures like vampires? Mythological remnants of elves and fairies? Aliens? Genetic engineered mixes with animals? Machine intelligence? Go forth and write!

Social Exclusion Actually Hurts Brain Function

Studies measuring the magnetic fields inside the brain show that people who are rejected or excluded from social interaction actually undergo neurological changes, resulting in poor decision-making and impaired learning processes.

So when we socially marginalize and demonize any group -- homosexuals, for example, or romance authors -- we create huge problems. Huge. Measurable. Neurological. When you are creating that near-future setting for your speculative romance, consider how any sexual outcasts you create may act. If your near-future society marginalizes people who sleep with vampires, chances are those people engage in risky, and possibly violent, behavior.

Global Sex Study Reports Dubious View of Women and Sex

A study of sexual practices and habits in 59 countries paints a pretty damn dim picture for women. Incidents of venereal disease and other sex-related health problems are linked less to promiscuity, and more to issues of poverty, mobility and gender equality. And while monogamy remains the basic rule, women are far less likely to have multiple sexual partners than men -- especially where social situations leave women in poverty and inequality. This results in such lovely statistics as these --

HIV rates climb rapidly for married women in underdeveloped countries, as they are put at risk by their husbands' behavior and their inability to control their sexual lives in marriage.

First sexual experiences remain traumatic and coercive in cultures that value women's sexual purity and therefore marry them off young.

In poorer nations, sex is still seen as less of a personal choice and more of a survival strategy.

In industrialized nations, where gender equality has resulted in parity of multiple sexual partnerships, women enjoy a higher standard of sexual health.

The next time you consider the romantic aspects of an alien culture that values virginity, or begin to build the sexual history of your heroine, remember this study. There's nothing romantic about sexual inequality.

2006-11-13T08:53:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

This week my mind is on keeping speculative romantic sex believable. PC Cast and Gena Showalter give their insights: Aliens Do It With Tentacles!

For your reading pleasure, and a nice primer on keeping alien sex believable:Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex.

2006-11-02T07:58:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use!!!!!!!!!!!

Are You An Agent of Evolution?

We tend to think of evolution as a purely biological process, but is human self-awareness, intelligence and tool-making capacity just a series of biological advancements enabling the next evolutionary step -- co-creation? Whether we meld human and machine, or use technology to alter our DNA, or both, is the next step supposed to be humanity taking conscious control of what we become?

Ray Kurzweil should get the Moster Hug of Appreciation from speculative authors everywhere for his futuristic gleanings.

Aliens: Are they ET or Predator, and Should We Be Shouting At Them Until We Know?

As various groups, including SETI, Yahoo and Cosmic Connexion, start to beam active messages to potential alien environments in space, others wonder if it's such a good idea. After all, if there is alien life, there's no guarantee how they might feel about us.

It would be ironic if instead of blowing ourselves up, our sincere desire to connect with aliens is what causes the end of humanity.

2006-10-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level has gone back down to GUARDED.

My personal existential threat level has gone down as well. It's nice to be back.

This week's inspiration are my favorite jokes. I hope they inspire you. too.

Q: How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Banana.

So, Mr. Hydrogen Atom rushes into the Periodic Chart Police Station in a great tizzy, crying, "Help, help, someone has stolen my electron!"

"Calm down, Mr. Hydrogen Atom," says the nearest Periodic Chart Police Officer, "are you sure someone's stolen your electron?"

Says Mr. Hydrogen Atom, "Oh, yes! I'm positive."

What's your favorite joke?

2006-10-16T16:17:00.000-05:00

Provoke a Thought Or Two.

Racy Li kindly pointed me at The Sixth Feminist SF Blog Carnival, which has kindly linked to my rant about the place of virgin heroines. (Read below.)

Dozens of interesting links discuss the roles of female protagonists in books, TV, movies, comics and video games.

I was glad to see that I was not the only one let down by the season finale of Eureka. It's so great to see a sci-fi show that dares to focus on relationships, but holy crap, could we break outta the box just a bit, fellas? In a town where the rules of physics are broken left and right, can we maybe get ourselves a little more challenging of a relationship going on?

2006-10-16T07:39:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at ELEVATED.

My personal existential threat level is much, much higher.

This week's inspiration:

Fall seven times, stand up eight. - Japanese proverb

2006-10-11T18:16:00.000-05:00

Do Virgins Suck?

An astute Specrom member sent me a challenge on my disdain for virgin heroines. She had a story to enter the (cancelled for lack of entries) Zircon contest, but, knowing the market, knew that submitting a virgin heroine to the Zircons would be like submitting hot, same-sex polygamy to Guideposts. She suggested that in a genre like romance it's hard to escape the virgins, and because of my prejudice against virgins I'm missing lots of good fiction.

She might be right. Then again, maybe not.

In one of my very first reviews for SpecRom, I encountered a contemporary paranormal romance featuring a VH. The story could have been just as effective if she wasn't a virgin. Although a plausible (for some) reason was provided for her virginity, it just smacked of manipulation. I asked myself WHY an author might choose to write about a VH in contemporary America, and didn't like the reasons that came to mind.

Reason #1: The heroine must be a virgin because Virgins=Goodness. If an author chooses Reason #1, then I think it's just an example of sloppy characterization. Halos, white hats and intact hymens are lazy ways to cue the reader to cheer. You may in your personal philosophy believe that virginity is a sign of goodness. All well and good, but recognize that it won't connect with all readers unless you are writing to a niche audience.

Reason #2: The heroine must be a virgin so she won't make sensible choices about romance and sex, and then the plot can go on for 90,000 words. Insulting on so many, many levels, is it not? To assume that a contemporary heroine who has no sexual experience hasn't the wits to make good choices…yikes. To assume that a contemporary heroine who has sexual experience also has the wits to make good choices…yikes, again. I have yet to find a biology book which equates sexual experience and intelligence.

Reason #3: The heroine must be a virgin because this is a romance novel, and I don't want to defeat my reader's expectation. Get a calendar.

So I just couldn't figure out why an author writing a contemporary would choose to write a VH except out of personal storytelling choice. And hey, that's great. But expect me to exercise my personal reading choices right back. With few exceptions, stories set in our contemporary world with a VH aren't going to be great fiction to me. I mean, if the heroine is a virgin because she was abducted as a two-year old and kept in a basement by a gang of alien Satanists for sacrificial purposes, hell ya I'm interested. Chances are, you're not. Remember, the greatness of fiction is always subjective.

But, I hear you asking in legion, about speculative worlds? Can't the VH be plausible in those settings? The answer is of course. I have myself written and am trying to sell a short story set in the future featuring (gasp) a Virgin Heroine, and I didn't even realize it until Astute Specrom Member brought this issue up and exposed my own base hypocrisy. My compliments to you, Astute Specrom Member!

I guess I would ask authors to ask themselves, as they sit down to craft a speculative world, WHY are you creating a world in which virginity matters? As long as you can answer that question honestly and completely from either personal or story logic, then you write what moves you and audience be damned. If the characters ring true and the plot sweeps me off my feet, even a hypocritical virgin-hater like myself probably will like it.

Or not. Such is the subjective way fiction works. We write what moves us and hope that it connects with a reader somewhere. It's the nature of the beast we ride. It truly has two backs -- the reader and the author -- and one cannot control the other. It's a courtship, as tricky as any held in singles bars or speed dating sessions.

So I am officially no longer the founding member of the Deflower the Virgins Literary Action Committee, and I think a better author and reader for it. So bring on the virgins, but don't expect me to like them. Not all of them, at least.

So I put the question to you, speculative romance readers and authors: Do Virgins Suck?

2006-10-09T11:46:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level has been upgraded to ELEVATED.

That damn North Korea...

Here's some inspiration, but if you had a week like mine, you need more perspiration and less playing Sid Meyer's Pirates...

You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.
Robin Williams

2006-10-05T09:12:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use!!!!

This is Your Brain…Being Responsible?

As neuroscience continues to link behavior – both bad and good – to biological complexities beyond our control, how do we define criminal and moral liability?

The article draws parallels between free will and determinism. Once we thought our behavior was determined by supernatural forces. In the future, will we conclude that much of our behavior is determined by biology? And if we can excise violence from the brain with a few simple surgeries, how will the issue of free will and consent factor in then? Story fodder galore.

A Real Live Speculative Romantic Hero In Wales

A man with no identification, apparently no past and, even more weirdly, apparently using a language translators cannot identify, has been caught breaking into the same house in Wales three times. He refuses to identify his country of origin, or give authorities any personal information.

Run with it folks, it's a life-to-page situation.

TV To the Stars

Coming this fall from France, CosmicConnexion will broadcast the first television program aimed, literally, at a universal audience. Content will we beamed into outer space using the National Centre for Space Studies antennae.

So of all the shows on this fall, which one would YOU beam out into space for the enjoyment of aliens? I vote Showtime's WEEDS.

2006-10-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

I wonder what circumstances must prevail for the threat level to reach low?

And instead of inspiration, I'll leave you with my new motto:

When does CPR become necrophilia? -- Kevin Nealon, WEEDS

2006-09-30T09:08:00.000-05:00

Market News For Youse and Youse and Youse

Submission – it's good for the soul, hehehe

Omega Room wants your full-length novel of any genre, but is really hot for science fiction and fantasy.

Triskelion has two new speculative romance imprints waiting for your manuscript: Urban Sorcery and Illusions.

Medallion Press re-opens to paranormal romance and science fiction subs.

Pitch-Black Books wants your fantasy short story.

Asylett Press is looking for pretty much everything in the romance and speculative genres.

As always, full listings are at Speculative Romance Online – The Website.

2006-09-26T17:25:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use, Get Yer News 2 Use Here

Replace Football with Jazz Choir, Damn it!

A Canadian research study has linked early music training in children with increased memory capacity key to improved literacy skills, math aptitudes and general IQ. After tracking two groups of students aged four through six – one musically trained and the other not – improvements in the musically trained were noted in just four months.

Reading stuff like this makes me wonder why school districts always have enough funds for sports teams, but are always cutting those expendable music programs. Maybe in a future, or more sensible alternate, human society, we'll have battle of the bands instead of clash of the pigskin titans.

Have I ever mentioned that I think the only legitimate sports should be competition ballroom dancing, Latin and Standard?

Those Mirror Neurons are Busy Guys!

(Last week's News 2 Use showed a link between empathy and mirror neurons. Now...)

German research suggests that when a human watches sexually arousing images, the brain reacts as if the watcher is actively involved. In other words, seeing and doing elicit the same neurological response.

This particular study is on visual images. I wonder how the brain reacts when it reads a description of sexual activity. My guess is that the female brain responds to literary stimulation with much the same enthusiasm as the male brain does to visual, and between this post and the last we have enumerated the neuroscience behind romance novels.

Are We Neurological Hostages?

Neurosurgery patients have discovered, by accident, that stimulation of certain areas of the brain induces an experience known by schizophrenics as "the shadow self." Those in psychotic states and these stimulated surgery patients experienced the hallucination of shadowy presence linked to their own. However, some people experienced the shadowy presence as positive or neutral, while others felt that the presence was malign and manipulative.

The more I read about neuroscience, the more I marvel at how we are at the mercy of our brain function. And how we may someday be at the mercy of people who can control our brain function. Psychosis as WMD, anyone?

2006-09-25T10:22:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

Humanity remains in no immediate danger of destroying itself, which is always comforting on a Monday:

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

And to inspire you this week, a thought from one of my favorites:

As for me, prizes mean nothing. My prize is my work. -- Katherine Hepburn

2006-09-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

SAVE APEX DIGEST

Show our love for speculative short fiction, romantic or otherwise. Apex Digest, a great market, needs financial support. Buy tickets for some really great stuff, like

THREE AUTOGRAPHED COPIES OF SHERRILYN KENYON'S DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

EDITS OF YOUR SHORT STORY, NOVEL PARTIAL OR SYNOPSIS BY SOME HEAVY HITTERS IN THE SPECULATIVE COMMUNITY

ORIGINAL SPECULATIVE ART AND MUSIC

and on September 29th, you may be the winner.

Tickets cost a buck, you can enter as often as you like for dozens of neat donated prizes.

saveapex.maryrobinettekowal.com

I think they might still be taking donations, so if you are a published author who wants to help out, check their site.

saveapex.maryrobinettekowal.com

2006-09-21T17:26:00.000-05:00

READ THIS: Angst in D Minor, by Jenn Reese

Lone Star Stories features Angst in D Minor, by Jenn Reese: a clever little tale about one young woman's search for a new way of living in an eat-a-man world.

I've archived the READ THIS links at Speculative Romance Online, the website. There are a few broken links to fix, but otherwise you can find a short specrom fix with one quick click.

2006-09-19T17:57:00.000-05:00

NEWS 2 USE!!!!!

Lovers of Speculative Historic Romance Take Note

A history of the Scottish people written in the 1440s contends that an exiled Egyptian Queen, Scota, was the mother of the modern people of Scotland. In his new book, Scota, Egyptian Queen of the Scotts, author Ralph Ellis pulls together various historical documents to back up the claim that ancient Egypt is ultimately responsible for kilts, bagpipes and haggis.

Considering the paranormal and supernatural elements of ancient Egypt, and that some researchers think that ancient Egypt may also be the source of original vampire lore…

Just make sure you mention SpecRom in your author notes!

Pumping Up the Supercomputer

Intel researchers may have found a way to process information even faster inside computers, using laser lights instead of wires as connections. While technological advances have found fast and relatively cheap ways to communicate data between computers, advancement has stalled around finding a way to increase speed of communication between individual chips in a computer. If the laser light technology develops as hoped, incredible new supercomputers may be the result.

Supercomputing is the only way we know of to understand complex natural systems like weather and genetic patterns really work. A world where humans better understand neural activity, how tornadoes really work, where hurricanes might go, could be the setting for your speculative romance.

Empathy Is Neurological Not Emotional

Our ability to feel empathy or share an experience vicariously depends on "mirror neurons" activating in response to stimuli.

According to researcher Christian Keysers, “It’s exciting because we can start to look at the diversity of experiences of other people. Some people see others through themselves, and some are more objective about it.”

With the new supercomputers, will scientists be able to locate and activate those mirror neurons and inducing an empathetic response? How about a voluntary sharing of someone else's sexual experience? How about a nonconensual sharing of someone else's pain?

Rio Hawks Down

A pair of hawks nesting in an upscale area of Rio de Janiero have attacked residents, scratching arms and faces, one day reaching a rate of five attacks in a twenty minute span.

Nature at work, DARPA or Hitchcock: you decide.

What I Want For Christmas

From Publisher's Lunch:

Hannibal for the Holidays
Bantam announced publication of Thomas Harris's HANNIBAL RISING for December 5, the fourth book featuring Hannibel Lecter. This one focuses on Lecter between ages 6 and 20. A film version of the book, based on a screenplay by Harris, will follow closely with a February release in the US. (When signed in 2004 as part of a two-book deal, the book was originally due for fall 2005. The NYT says Harris completed the manuscript within the last month.) Publisher Irwyn Applebaum says they plan a minimum first printing of 1.5 million copies.

2006-09-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

But first...so you can focus on your muse:

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

I know my mind is greatly eased. Yours?

And our inspiration today:

Goals are dreams with deadlines -- Diana Scharf Hunt

2006-09-12T19:21:00.000-05:00

Website Updates!

Market News

It's a slow month for markets. If you have a tip, email me!

Bold Strokes Books looks for speculative lesbian romance.

Cobblestone Press wants speculative sensual romance.

Mojocastle Press wants speculative romance, whether it be sensual mainstream or hard-core, no-happy-ending.

As always, you can find all the markets at Speculative Romance Online's homepage.

Member News

Rowena Cherry is thrilled to announce that in September, Dee Gentle’s PNR Paraphernalia and What’s New column features interviews with Science Fiction Romance and Futuristic authors, including Rowena Cherry. Check it out at http://paranormalromance.writerspace.com/Paraphernalia.htm.

And in the Rowena Cherry author newsletter, look for an excerpt from award winning Aviation Romance author, Susan Grant’s newest release, YOUR PLANET OR MINE, an interview with Cover Model MARK JOHNSON, an excerpt from Historical Romance author Lori Pepio’s HIGHLAND HONOR, and Rowena Cherry’s Ramblings (in this case, about climbing a cliff for a photo opportunity), a new hunky interactive online jigsaw puzzle and a contest.

Pollyanna Williamson writing as Tambra Kendall announces that her story "Through A Magic Mist" will be featured in the Celtic Love Knots anthology from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. Watch for it in 2007.

Ellora's Cave author Nathalie Gray invites you to check out her new releases:

Bain's Wolf, werewolf/contemporary, 13 Sep 06
Sinful, historical/medieval, 25 Oct 06
Timely Defense, medieval/time-travel/humor, 13 Dec 06
Feral, futuristic/werewolf, 25 Jan 07

Debbie Mumford's release from Freya's Bower, Sorcha's Heart, gets a great revew!

2006-09-11T08:45:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

But first, on a day when my personal existential threat level is high, because I haven't been spelling "existential" correctly...

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

And to assuage my guilt for getting next to nothing done last week, this gentle reminder from Dame Agatha Christie:

We owe most of our great inventions and most of the achievements of genius to idleness – either enforced or voluntary.

2006-09-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday...On Tuesday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Exististential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

Diamonds are only chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs, you see.
Minnie Richard Smith

2006-09-01T19:24:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use: Labor on your Writing Edition!

Scary Science Breeds Sensational Speculative Fiction

Wired Magazine lists the "Science Projects that Scare the #%@! Out of Us."

My favorite is The Pain Gun: "a gun that turns people into puppets writhing in a theater of misery."

A Holiday Weekend Gift from Science Fiction Author Stephen Baxter

In an article for the Belfast Telegraph, the vice-president of the international H.G. Wells Society thoughtfully provides nine alternative history possibilities to stimulate your creativity.

My favorite is the Vision of Enduring Rome, which might have included a thriving Native American culture here at home instead of genocide and colonization.

Negative Emotions Linked to Reduced Lung Function

A study by the Harvard School of Public Health has demonstrated that the more hostile a middle aged man is, the worse his lung function becomes.

Previous research links hostility and anger to a host of other physical disorders, including heart disease, asthma and hypertension. Theories suggest that negative emotions disrupt regular hormone function, which in turn causes damage to immune systems.

Other scientists think that linking emotions, personality and health is a bunch of hooey.

If it isn't hooey, in your speculative future will we have a new commitment to soothing the angry middle aged male, and everyone else for that matter? Insurance mandated stress reduction strategies? (Erotic, or otherwise…)

When Religion and Good Sense Don't Mix #1

A clergyman drowned after trying to show his congregation he could walk on water. According to a witness: "He told churchgoers he'd had a revelation that if he had enough faith, he could walk on water like Jesus."

Insert your own jokes here. Or in the comments!

When Religion and Good Sense Don't Mix #2

The chief exorcist of the Vatican marks Harry Potter books as tools of the devil.

Stuff like this yacks me off, because it undermines the legitimacy of exorcism. Legitimacy of exorcism: discuss.

When Science and Religion Meet, It's Interesting!

Brain scans of Carmelite nuns show increased neural activity in various regions of the brain during their most intense mystical experiences.

Adding another bit of evidence that the spiritual and the electromagnetic are linked realities.

We're all aquiver, Jim!

CBS Paramount is digitally re-mastering all original Star Trek episodes, and plans to re-release them in syndication next month to celebrate the series' 40th anniversary.

This isn't exactly news, but it certainly is great. Look forward to An Analysis and Celebration Of the Spock Mystique!

2006-08-28T08:41:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

How much did you write? Did you submit? Did you sell? Tell, tell tell!

First things first:

The Global Exististential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.

And today's inspiration, from Marie Curie:

I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy.

Markets coming later today!

2006-08-24T12:17:00.000-05:00

Thursday's Creative Challenge Game!

Share your creativity in the comments section.

How do you meet the science fiction/futuristic, fantasy or paranormal date of your dreams?

Write the ad copy for the match-making service who can set you up with your personal slice of speculative romance heaven.

2006-08-22T22:50:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use: Freaky Freaks Edition

A traumatic antidepressing frontal lobotomy hysteria

According to The Psychologist, the worst ideas ever entertained by scientists about the human mind are…

#4: Freudian hysteria: it's not just in the woman's mind, Doctor!
#3: Post-trauma counseling: it makes things worse!
#2: The chemical imbalance model of mental distress: only the drug companies believe that seratonin really means anything.

And the worst idea ever about the mind in human history: THE FRONTAL LOBOTOMY.

I wasn't surprised by #1 and #4, but I'll admit the drug companies suckered me on the depression is caused by chemical imbalance. And why are we rushing counselors to disaster sites if it makes things worse? I wonder who gets paid, and by whom…

I also wonder which Bright and Shining Current Theory, in any field, will be debunked in your story's vision of the future?

With Large, Nasty Teeth!

A pack of raccoons is terrorizing a Washington State community. So far ten cats have been killed by the raccoons, one small dog almost carried off, and one human bitten.

Wildlife authorities have no explanation for the aggressive behavior. Attempts to trap the animals have failed, because the adult raccoons have figured out how to avoid the traps and are teaching the tricks to their offspring.

Says one nuisance wildlife expert at the scene: "They [the raccoons] are in control up there."

Watership Down meets Cujo, man. What species will quit pretending they are inferior next?

Astronomers Observe Dark Matter

Scientists believe that they have found proof that dark matter exists, and that our understanding of gravity is not basically flawed.

Dark matter is thought to account for up 80% of what's in the universe and is invisible because it does not emit any electromagnetic radiation.

I don't totally get the whole "dark matter" thing, but isn't it totally creepy that we are able to sense and interact with only about 20% of What's Really Out There?

2006-08-21T10:06:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday

How much did you write? Where did you submit? Did you sell? Tell, tell, tell.

The Global Exististential Threat Level has been downgraded to GUARDED.

Put your duct tape away.

Today's inspiration, thanks to Winston Churchill:

Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.

2006-08-17T12:38:00.000-05:00

SpecRom Says...

Each Thursday I'll post a writing prompt. We can laugh at our collective sicko creativity in the comments.

Create a new slang word and its definition (and etymology if you feel enthused) for romantic and/or sexual interaction with an alien/fantasy or paranormal type lover or lovers.

2006-08-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use: Oh The Humanity Edition

One More Misstep for Mankind

NASA can't find the original video tapes made of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon.

According to the BBC, they lost an audio tape of the same event, then found it again, in September of 2001: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1552367.stm.

But we all know where to find the Paris Hilton Sex Tape.

Better Wine Through Worms

Australian scientists are using the olfactory molecular recognition system of the nematode worm as a pattern for a "cybernose" that will help evaluate a grape's readiness for wine.

"The cybernose will draw on how the brains of simple organisms...process information about smells and tell the difference between related odors," according to the lead scientist of the research, resulting in better Australian wine.

Scientists continue to turn to bioengineering for clues on how to improve technology, which is great. I'm just so glad they are focusing on essential services. I mean, better Australian wine could be the turning point for humanity. Maybe the cybernose, or the little worms, can sniff out the NASA tape?

Get Your GETAS Update Here

The Global Existential Threat Advisory System, tracked by the Lifeboat Foundation, has been raised to ELEVATED.

"The Global Existential Threat Advisory System intends to provide a comprehensive and effective means to disseminate information regarding existential threats to the world," said Philippe Van Nedervelde, Lifeboat Foundation's Chief International Evangelist.

Existential risk quantifies the probability of events that could spell the end to life, the universe and everything.

Got duct tape?

PS -- I signed up for the GETAS email updates, so I think we'll report the Global Existential Threat Advisory on Fess Up Mondays. Just to put our writing travails in perspective.

2006-08-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

The Quest for Romantic Horror continues...

Here's an interesting article at HellNotes about the genre definition of horror.

The gist -- that horror is not so much a genre itself but a subcategory in all genre works when one of the author's goals is to evoke fear in a reader.

I can dig that. Because as I've said before in many places, to as many people who will listen, there is little physiological difference between the body's reaction when it's frightened and the body's reaction when it's aroused. To my mind that makes sensual romance and horror a hand-in-glove fit.

And I for one am eager to have my damp panties scared right off me, as long as I know there will be a reasonably happy ending.

2006-08-15T14:25:00.000-05:00

New Review and Member News

MONSTER by Joely Skye is reviewed at our website. It asks why is this gay alpha hero not the jerk that straight alpha heroes can be?

And our members report great and glorious stuff:

Zircon winner Isabo Kelly won the Dream Realm Award for Speculative Fiction Romance with her Cerridwen Press release, MARSHALL'S GUARD. Congrats, IK!

Visit author SUSANNE MARIE KNIGHT's Romance Writing with a Twist website and sign up for her 2006 Snowy Season Surprise Contest. The *surprise* will be an autographed copy of one of her best-selling books. Which one it will be is up to you! Goody bag also includes cool prizes, promo items, and lots of seasonal fun! Contest ends on January 15, 2007. Only one entry per person, please! Go to http://www.susanneknight.com and click on the contest button for details.

2006-08-14T17:09:00.000-05:00

Fess Up Monday!

Accountability breeds success. Or so I'm told. I'm willing to give it a try. So...

Each Monday I'll post a little thought to get us all through the week.

Then we can post our progress, or lack there of, our submissions, waiting angst, rejections and sales in the comments section.

So it's Monday, Specrommers. Fess Up.

And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.

Erica Jong -- the author whose work was the first my mom forbade me to read!

2006-08-10T19:04:00.000-05:00

News to Use!

No Gravity, No Good Stuff

(Thanks Vicky Woodard for the tip!)

As humans become space tourists, what's the first thing we're going to try? Zero-g sex, of course. And what will be the enhancement or drawbacks to performance? What will be the impact on conception and birth control?

Who knew that pregnancy in space might be unavoidable through contraception, but dangerous, even deadly, for fetal development? If people in space can't have regular intercourse, I wonder what sort of zero-g sexual expression might develop? Could it come to…

Choking the Chicken in Clerkenwell

(Thanks Denise Rossetti for the tip!)

Europe's first Masturbate-A-Thon comes to a close Saturday afternoon, when sponsors will receive pledged money for every minute they masturbate or orgasm they achieve. The event raises funds for HIV/AIDS treatment and alternative sexual practices awareness.

Okay, nothing gets the attention like salicious headlines, but this bit and the space sex bit make a good combined point. If you're writing about sex between humans and aliens, the plumbing might not match up. What alternative sexual expressions will your human/alien love match use?

OM Your Way Out of Pain

Research points to Transcendental Meditation as an effective way to reduce and manage pain. TM actually changes the way the brain responds to painful stiumuli, producing "a physiological state capable of modifying various kinds of pain."

If TM can make your brain feel pain less acutely, what other changes in human perception of sensual stimuli are possible? And without invasive technology. Well if that doesn't help there's always…

Eat Worms and Don't Die

Intentionally hosting parasitic worms may be the key to reducing allergic conditions like asthma and irritable bowel syndrome. Researchers have evidence that allergies are practically unknown in the developing world, and they think parasites are an important factor. "Many parasitic worms have … developed ways of dampening down the inflammatory immune responses that are also responsible for many of the symptoms of allergic disease."

Would controlled parasitic worm hosting help out when we colonize other planets? Could we host the alien world worms, gaining the supression of inflammatory immune response to alien allergens?

2006-08-08T16:56:00.000-05:00

Speculative Romance Online...

...is open for entries in the Third Annual Zircon Contest for Short Speculative Romance! Visit www.specromonline.com for rules and electronic upload form.

<...posted a new article: Just A Whisper of Magic: Using Magical Realism in Contemporary Romance, by me.

...salutes the achievements of its members:

Zircon winner E. Catherine Tobler invites you to share her stories: "Indigo With Distance" is in the August 2006 Realms of Fantasy, and "Threads" is in issue #18 of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet.

Zircon winner Isabo Kelly is running a contest this month. "Guess that Movie Quote" for fun and prizes at www.isabokelly.com.

Carol Berg announces that DAUGHTER OF ANCIENTS won the 2006 Prism Award for Best Romantic Fantasy from the RWA Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapter. She's running a drawing for copies of DAUGHTER OF ANCIENTS and the other books in the Bridge of D'Arnath series on her website, www.carolberg.com.

CJ Barry's UNMASKED won the FF&P chapter Prism Award for Best Futuristic, and the Kiss of Death Daphne Du Maurier Award for not only Best Paranormal but Best Overall (!!) for 2006. Congrats, CJ!

Linnea Sinclair won a RITA with her futuristic GABRIEL'S GHOST. Congrats, Linnea!

2006-08-02T18:33:00.000-05:00

Markets, Markets, Get Your Markets Here!

Silk's Vault Calls For Romantic Horror and Sultan's of Sin Halloween Contest Entries

Arg, Mateys: The Shimmer Pirate Issue!

Stardust Press wants erotic romance stories that walk the edge

Lady Aibell -- Erotica and Erotic Romance wants dark romance, horror and science fiction

New Concepts Publishing Has SpecRom Anthology Opportunities

Liquid Silver Books launches Molten Silver for speculative romantic erotica

Whispers wants speculative erotic romance with alpha males and strong heroines

The Opinion Guy opens to character-driven, thoughtful speculative fiction shorts

As always, full listing with links can be found at our fabulously marvelous and helpful website, Speculative Romance Online.

2006-07-25T19:05:00.000-05:00

A Little Musing, and then News 2 Use

A Little Musing...

Over at Romancing The Blog, there's a discussion of the Fear of Being Derivative. Which prompted me to ponder the difference between ripping off, and paying homage to, favorite works. Which led to me making a list of the books that most influence my writing style.

For an aspiring romance author, they're pretty weird. Weird enough to make me wonder what genre I really do fit in.

The two novels that have most influenced my style and goals as an author are

Imagica by Clive Barker

Hannibal by Thomas Harris

.

Which cheered me up, because how many romance readers are also Clive Barker readers? Man, I can derive from him all day long and no one will notice. Mwah ha ha.

I'm interested in finding out who influences you, and whether those influence fall in the genre you write.

NEWS 2 USE!

What's Our Response to Take Me To Your Leader?

Exopoliticians create strategies for how to deal with potential extraterrestrial contact. The discipline of exopolitics is maligned in the UFO researcher community -- unfairly maligned, according to UFOlogist R. Lee.

Without a plan to meet ETs, our reaction might be chaotic, disjointed and dangerously uncoordinated. "Which will either cause them [ETs] to be disappointed in us, and we’ll lose out on technology and other wondrous things, or at least, experiencing the thrill of interacting with aliens from outer space. Either that, or it will make it easier for them to eat us for lunch."

Oh boy, something else I'd like to be, if I ever grow up!

Potential Exopoliticians Take Note of This!

The Astrophysics and Space Science Journal has published research purporting to show that the "blood rain" experienced by provinces in Southern India during 2001 contain living microbes from outer space. The microbes reproduce without DNA and in conditions known to be hostile to life on Earth.

If further research confirms the early hypothesis, the theory of panspermia may get a boost as extraterrestrial life is at last confirmed.

Neat and all, but might the consequences be? Read on…

Take Over the World for A Half Million and Care/Feeding of Grad Student

Current official assessments suggest that bioterrorism would only be possible with the backing of state-level entities. Technology writer Paul Boutin headed into the lab to see just how expensive and difficult it would be to synthesize and spread a deadly virus.

His findings: "Every hands-on gene hacker I polled during my project estimated they could synthesize smallpox in a month or two. I remember that game from my engineering days, so I mentally scale their estimates using the old software manager's formula: Double the length, then move up to the next increment of time. That gives us two to four years—assuming no one has already started working."

And think what they might be able to do with alien microbes? Or are the alien microbes the first salvo from an unfriendly ET?

2006-07-19T16:48:00.000-05:00

READ THIS: Real Love Edition

Read This: GODDESS, by Jon Hansen

Abyss and Apex has a lovely speculative romance, in flash form, up in their latest issue.

Goddess, by Jon Hansen manages to beautifully illustrate the complexity of fantasy love versus real love in the space of about 1000 words.

Read This: THE MOUNTIANS OF KEY WEST, by Sandra McDonald

Lone Star Stories features an exploration into desperation, temptation and, finally, contentment.

The Mountains of Key West, by Sandra McDonald is another cautionary tale: do you want the illusion or the real thing?

Read This: JUDY AND NORMAN, by Darby Harn

Reflection's Edge offers a selection that fits the Real Love theme, but isn't romantic love. Still, it's a moving and provocative read.

Judy and Norman, by Darby Harn, makes the point that love isn't about who you find it with, but about finding it when you need it most.

Read them, and share what you think.

2006-07-17T21:31:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use: The Where the Hell Have You Been Edition

Did you miss me? I'm an inconstant and fickle sort of woman, c'est vrai.

Put Down That Antibacterial Soap!

Electrically conductive microbes may hold the key to nanotechnology advances. Researchers have reported success in manipulating certain bacteria into producing nanowires that "will literally reach out and connect cells from one to another to form an electrically integrated community."

I didn't even know there were electrically conductive bacteria, let alone the potential to harness them to produce teeny tiny electrical systems. What are some of the consequences of that? Positive: self-replicating, self-repairing electrical systems? Negative: clouds of squirming microbes filming electrical wires and disrupting power? I'm not sure I get the science involved with this one, so corrections and clarifications are welcome! Leave a comment and set me straight.

Amazons Take Note

Sperm created from mouse embryo stem cells successfully fertilized a female mouse, resulting in a litter of seven. Six offspring survived to adulthood, showing developmental, respiratory and other problems. Nevertheless, researchers believe this is an important first step in aiding infertile couples.

Don't you just shudder to imagine the potential denigration and marginalization of future humans created with lab sperm? Still, I can also imagine a nice colony of fed-up women populating the stars from sperm engineered from their own stem-cells, making men redundant in the reproductive process. I can also think about a pretty gross future where something like the Tleilaxu axolotl tanks from Dune matched with artificial sperm create factories for manufacturing humans. Puts a whole other spin on "animal farm."

Civilization Linked to Pressures from Climate Change

Researchers in England hypothesize that what we call "civilization" organized in response to pressure from a changing climate in ancient times. As available water resources dwindled, people converged and developed the order and power hierarchies we call civilization.

Considering the predictions of massive climate change in this century, how will modern humanity re-organize to survive such environmental pressures? How did your alien or fantasy culture do it?

2006-07-06T07:31:00.000-05:00

News 2 Use!!!!!

Just a Spoonful of Neurochemical Drugs Makes the Medicine Go Down

Psychiatrists and their patients increasingly turn to pharmacological answers to new classifications of mood and anxiety disorders which once were just considered unhappiness and shyness. And while experts haggle over issues like whether the symptoms of what is now called social phobia are just a "disadvantageous personality trait" and whether we are slipping into "cosmetic pharmacology," the fact remains that of those Americans suffering with severe mental illness, only half of them receive adequate treatment.

I think this is a trend that invades our entire medical culture: as the good folks at Mind Hacks put it, we're no longer considering health issues as much as we are treating "those without previously recognizable medical problems in an attempt to improve quality of life." Now I'm all for high quality of life, but not for just the few with the means to afford it. I see a disturbing future with those endowed with means altered in any way science can to "improve quality of life," with the rest of us poor joes schlepping along as best we can and the ones who really need medical and psychiatric intervention lurking below, like a shark ready to strike…

Are We What We Google?

Researchers have labeled the analysis of our collective internet searches as a "database of intentions," capable of predicting social trends and changes and even perhaps your future moves as a consumer.

From the New York Times: "The 20th century brought public opinion polls that showed what those customers were thinking. This century's great technology can give companies, and anyone else, a window into what people are actually doing, in real time or even ahead of time."

I'm sure you all either laughing or shuddering along with me, because I know what kind of Googling I do when I'm researching a story. I once found this website for cannibals. They gave deboning instructions and a marinade recipe.

G.R.I.N. and write about it, baby!

The threats of the 20th century were called NBC: nuclear, biological and chemical. In the 21st century we'll be menaced by the G.R.I.N.: genetic, robotic, information, and nano threats, according to Joel Garreau, author of Radical Evolution. And the G.R.I.N won't be in the hands of rogue governments, like NBCs. According to Garreau, we may find ourselves at the mercy of any "disgruntled grad student with a reasonably well-equipped lab with a good chance of creating something that could wipe out the human race."

Furthermore, Garreau envisions social upheaval in response to technological leaps, much like the advances of the 50s fueled the changes of the 60s. And as that technology begins to change the form, function and definition of what it means to be human, we can expect tension between all the different post-humans and trans-humans.

"We know historically that … when humans compete for an ecological niche --- and they did 50,000 years ago when Homo Sapiens and Cro-Magnons co-existed --- it usually ends badly for one."

Oh man what a story idea treasure trove this article at CNN is. Mutant wars! Mad scientists! Social upheaval! Clearly though Garreau isn't paying attention to our friend Ray Kurzweil. Ray thinks that with advances in the melding of neuroscience and brain science we'll all be able to download the education we need to be that disgruntled grad student. The future. Gotta love it.

2006-07-03T18:27:00.000-05:00

The Big Bang Post-o-Rama: Market News, Member News and New Reviews

Market News for your holiday:

Moxie Press wants your cross-genre speculative romances

Wild Rose Press wants you to lead them down the garden path for their new antho contest

Apsen Mountian Press is looking for cross-genre speculative romance…and they have a horror romance line

Unical Press wants fantasy/paranormal romance

The Heart and Soul imprint of Saltwater Press wants new age romances

Check out the full listings at Speculative Romance Online.

Member News 7/3/2006

Paige Cuccaro releases QUEEN OF HEARTS.

Garden District princess Samantha Vines, is all about propriety, etiquette, and responsibility. Cross-dressing Vic Cabarini has wrong-move written all over him but Sam will learn one wrong can lead to a whole lot of rights.

Rowena Cherry is happy to announce the formation of a group blog at www.aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com.

Editor's note: I've visited. Thoughtful posts about the challenges of hybridizing science fiction and romance.

Rowena Cherry is pleased to announce that the July and August issue of her newsletter will be up at www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter as of July 10th.

As your beloved but freaky editor, I fought the good fight in my Campaign for Romantic Horror with this guest post at Dark, But Shining, a grand and thoughtful blog about darker speculative genres, and stirred a little discussion at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

Of course, I'm always up for talk about the marriage of horror and romance. Leave a comment. Send an email. Join the Campaign for Romantic Horror!

I think we need a theme song. Every good campaign needs a theme song. What do you think?

New Reviews Posted on SpecRom 7/3/2006

Solstice Wood by Patricia A. McKillip

Writing The Other by Nisi Shawl & Cynthia Ward

In the Werewolf's Den by Rob Preece

The Hunters: Declan & Tori by Shiloh Walker

Read the reviews at Speculative Romance Online -- The Website.

2006-06-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

News2Use In Depth: Singularity Bomb 2

All summer we're feeling out the implications of Ray Kurzweil's vision of the future -- his singularity event horizon when technology and genetic manipulation will alter the basic elements of being human. Check out his article library and his news 2 use about the dangers of technology.

"Safety, security and sex are the biggest concerns" of the European Robotics Research Network (Euron) as they contemplate a future where humans and robots interact daily.

It's easy to imagine that robots will appear more and more in our lives, becoming more and more indispensable. While robots from the ubiquitous home shopping networks can sweep your floors and mow your grass, robots are also now performing surgery in London and are anticipated to be caring for the elderly within twenty years. Euron is trying to set the ethical boundaries before robots hit the mainstream scene, raising questions that become easy "what-if" launches for speculative (romantic)fiction.

How do we protect human beings from robots?

I'm not really thinking about how to protect dear old grandmamma from a robotic caregiver gone mad. Instead, I'm considering how to protect dear old grandmamma from someone raiding the robotic caregiver's memory for her social security number, her blood type, her DNA -- all valuable data in this age of identity theft.

Hackers have taught us that anything security systems analysts do, they can do better. Imagine a future where routine surgeries are performed by robotic assistants, with human doctors standing by to assist if complications develop. Now imagine terrorists -- or even aliens -- usurping control of the systems running the surgical robots. Gives a whole new spin on "hacking."

As robots insinuate themselves into our lives, I can imagine a dual-class society emerging. The common folk live in a world made vulnerable by manipulation of robots, while the upper echelon essentially go neo-Luddite -- using technology as little as possible, relying on humans to take care of the small stuff, and demanding intense loyalty. Like the consequences of the Butlerian Jihad on the society of Dune, the new upper crust could demand highly skilled people as a commodity and demand an intense, feudal-like loyalty from them.

Should robots resemble human beings?

Our aesthetic sense is trained to appreciate symmetry, so the cultural resistance to a monstrous-looking machine with multiple arms, a tripod stance and numerous artificial sensory organs tending to dear old grandmamma might be too great. Just to gain acceptance, robot manufacturers may need to create machines that in their mirroring of their users do not intimidate too much for use.

But consider humanity's distressing ability to dehumanize each other. If the things that snap to your commands have two eyes, two arms, two legs, a nose and a mouth like, say, your spouse, your boss, or that hottie you covet at the health club, will we start treating people like our robots?

And if you covet that hottie at the health club, can you order a robot to mimic what you can't have? Or perhaps mimic what a widow or widower, or reluctant divorcee, has lost? Which brings us to the most fascinating question…

Should robots be used for sexual entertainment?

Using machines for sex is not a new concept. If this were that kind of blog, I would post a link to a site displaying the antics of a piston-powered phallus. Almost every new technology is immediately used for sexual pleasure, so sexbots are pretty much guaranteed.

Sexbots are not an entirely bad idea. Mechanized or robotic sex workers could be designed so they wouldn't transmit disease. They can't be emotionally abused, can't be raped. And they would never turn down a request for even the most bizarre bedroom entertainment.

But what about an always ready for anything sexbot that looks exactly like Mel Gibson? Scarlett Johanson? I'm sure that laws shielding famous human images would spring up immediately, and just as immediately be broken.

Even more freaky, how about an always ready for anything sexbot that can be ordered to look exactly like that hottie from the health club? What if a blank sexbot powered by nanotechnology could reproduce the likeness of any digital image it's provided? What if your angry ex could create a sexbot you? What if using Photoshop-like technology that digital image could be altered? Imagine going into your spouse's side of the closet and finding a sexbot you, only thinner. Or larger.

What if that serial killer two doors down could create a sexbot you? While you're watching your housebot do the dishes, he's ripping sexbot you to shreds. And it's only a matter of time before he graduates to the real thing…

Of course, none of these questions and extrapolations even touch on the Biggest Question of All: what if robots become self-aware?

Imagine the possibilities, and go write about them.

Further reading on this subject:

No Sex Please, Just Clean The Floor

2006-06-27T18:07:00.000-05:00

SpecRom Cinema: Ju-on

Back again to the Asia Extreme film fest, and the offering of Ju-on.

Whoever made this movie should offer me all kinds of things just for sitting through such a 90+ minute lesson on How Good Movies Are Not Made By The Occasional Creepy Visual Effect.

I'll put the lesson in the lead this time, for all you authors looking for tips to darken up your speculative romances or other prose. Pay attention. This is crucial. I'll make it big, bold and unmistakable.

IN ORDER TO GENERATE FEAR, THE AUDIENCE MUST CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS.

Don't read any further if you want to avoid spoilers. Though, how I could ever spoil an entertainment experience this bad is inconceivable to me.

In Ju-on, which was remade with equal negative effect in America, the tragedy of one ill-fated family has leaked into the walls. The ghosts of a sadistic man and the wife and son he murdered take the lives of everyone who subsequently encounters them in the house.

The killing flaw of Ju-on is its structure. After a prologue scene both horrifically and aesthetically pleasing, hinting at the violence that's poisoned the house, the movie devolves into a series of vignettes, each prefaced with the name of the victim printed in white characters on a black screen. Once the victim is identified, the poor unfortunate struggles and screams for ten to fifteen minutes before being dispatched by the evil ghosts.

That's right. It's like an animated kill list. No characters are developed. I'm given no chance to get to know them, let alone given a chance to care if they fall to the ghosts. And since I know exactly who is going to fall to the ghosts in each scene, the only suspense revolves around how creepy the ghosts will be when they kill.

The creep factor lasted for approximately three deaths. After that, I started flipping through a back issue of Gourmet magazine I found under my chair and glancing up at the screen when the scary music sounded, just to see what the ghosts would do next.

A trio of schoolgirl zombies appeared for no apparent reason. Up until that point, the story revolved entirely around the ghosts of this one specific family in this one specific house. Suddenly, I look up from a recipe to see a cute young girl in the obligatory fetish school uniform being menaced by three dead and blue but still cute zombies in the obligatory fetish school uniforms. My mood darkened from disappointed to angry. What, I wondered, are American directors so hot for in this movie that they would waste money making a bad remake of it?

So let's review.

Vivid characters + audience empathy + threat = excellent storytelling in any medium or genre.

Cardboard characters + audience apathy + threats + creepy effects = crap with creepy effects.

If you decide to take your paranormal romance into darker shadows, or take your science fiction love story into Alien territory, please remember that the basic requirements of storytelling do not cease to matter just because the aim is to create fear in your reader.

Vivid characters + audience empathy + threat.

It's a formula that can't go wrong. Tape it above your desk. Tattoo it to your knuckles so you see it every moment that you're typing.

Don't pull a Ju-on if you want to play on the dark side.

2006-06-25T15:42:00.000-05:00

NEWS 2 USE - The I'm Sorry I've Been Neglecting You Version

Some of us have WIPs you know

Go Team Go

The team fielded by Ecuador in pursuit of the soccer World Cup has its own personal "witch doctor" who has hexed the English team, according to The Sun.

Think of the possibilities with introducing a paranormal element into the Harlequin NASCAR tie-in. Not that I don't already think that the Harlequin and NASCAR tie-in is paranormal. The only sport that should be legal is competition ballroom dancing. Latin and Standard.

PS: England 1, Ecuador, 0.

Tell Me More, Tell Me More

According to research published in the American Scientist, the human brain is wired to deliver that burst of pleasure we feel when the proverbial light bulb goes on. When we grasp a new concept, the brain shoots us full of natural opiates.

The research also indicates that the pleasure from viewing art is similarly hard-wired. So now you know why that "aha" moment when your story comes together feels so damn good.

Why Can We Go Crazy?

The emerging discipline of evolutionary psychology aims to explain why human DNA developed a cognitive, emotional and neurobiological system so prone to breaking down in the form of psychiatric disorders.

The blurb at Mind Hacks (I love them, love them, love them) is just the gateway to a web of links to learn more. As we understand how the brain's chemistry and cognitive functions work, science continues to blur the line between normal and abnormal psychologies. I remember reading not too long ago a great woo woo about how fine the line is between being creative and being crazy. Maybe our susceptibility to madness is just the risk of being such a creative species. So, if your alien species places even more value on creative thinking…

From the Oh Gross! Department

While doctors brush them off as victims of a delusional disorder, growing numbers of Americans report an itchy, bumpy rash apparently caused by "Morgellons." Sufferers report a feeling of bugs crawling under their skin, described by one victim as "It gives you the sensation that you have worms under your skin or rats crawling on you." The itchy bumpy rash shows signs of parasitic activity or other type of infection.

It's just too weird to summarize here. Go read it yourself, Rense has a dozen articles. Icky, icky, icky! But a story gold mine!

An Advertising Campaign for Space

Research shows that most people are disconnected with the idea of space exploration, have no idea of the goals of such a long-term enterprise and see little value in going beyond our atmosphere, let alone our solar system.

According to space exploration proponents, we need an advertising campaign for space.

Having formal training in marketing and advertising, my mind boggles at how those media manipulators might make the space shuttle sexy. What a great platform for a story: "what if a few marketing moguls made space exploration the #1 priority of Americans?"

Finally, from the Can't Resist Department

According to the July 2006 issue of Gourmet: The Magazine of Good Living, a new restaurant in Beijing "offers over 30 varieties of animal penises. The organs, often served with testicles, are thought to enhance virility."

So consuming male sexual parts=virility. So wouldn't that make orally enthusiastic straight women and gay men…mirror mirror on the wall, who's the most virile of them all?

2006-06-19T12:18:00.000-05:00

Market Updates: Regular Schedules Lack Imagination Edition

Echelon Press seeks Dark Fantasy Paranormal

Editorial changes at Red Dress Ink and Berkley

Shorthorror.com wants flash fiction -- and really likes erotic horror

Ralan opens the 2006 Grabber

Flesh and Blood magazine and Inara Press bid adieu to you and you and you

From The Asylum hosts a Hot Summer Something Fiction Contest -- but keep it PG-13

See the full list with links at Speculative Romance Online The Website.

2006-06-15T17:33:00.000-05:00

Short Story Boot Camp: Basic Training

SpecRom's Third Annual Zircon Contest for Short Speculative Romance opens for entries in August. Here's the first of a series aimed at potential Zircers, and anyone hoping to break the short story market.

Okay, let's start with a definition, cause that's where you should always start. Can't reach a goal without an adequate definition.

Our goal: Write a saleable short story in the speculative romance genre.

Now, let's examine the goal's components.

Saleable = exceeding editorial expectations for the target market.

When you have ANY product or service, you cannot know enough about the target market. Your fiction is both product and service. So know your target market.

For the Zircon Contest, reading along with this blog, studying the articles on the site and the reviews by the editors will clue you in on what the editorial expectations are. For example, if you receive the Speculative Romance Online monthly newsletter, you know that it is issued From the Desk of the Deflower the Virgins Literary Action Committee. Therefore, any virgin heroine had better be extraordinary to be a finalist in the Zircs.

Do you feel that is unfair? Do you think that quality should not be judged by such subjective matters? Get over it or find another craft, because every piece of fiction you ever submit anywhere, whether to a contest, an editor or an agent, will be judged subjectively. That's why you should know your market.

For other purposes, knowing the market means reading the short fiction that's being purchased and published. There is no other way to do it. You've got to read what's out there.

Here in the blog you'll find some recommendations through the READ THIS feature. But if you go to our best market friend Ralan, at Ralan's SpecFic and Humor Webstravaganza, you can find links to practically every print and ezine in the speculative genre. Click, read, study, repeat.

For more traditional and erotic speculative romances, many of the electronic publishers now offer short speculative romances for download. For a great list of these publishers, I can suggest The Passionate Pen's Romance Publisher's List. Click, read, study, repeat.

Short Story = for our purposes, i.e. the Zircon Contest, a piece of fiction with a beginning, middle and end that does not exceed 10,000 words. Though, length is always determined by editorial expectations of your target market.

See above: editorial expectations.

But for further clarification, a short story will generally follow a different plot arc than a novella or novel-length piece of fiction. In a novel, you have pages to develop characters, relationships and ideas. In a short story, you have paragraphs.

In the helpful Fiction Factor article Writing A Great Short Story, Lee Masterson suggests a good short story focuses on a single event and provides a snapshot into the wider literary world running through and behind that event. The short stories that stick in my memory provide that sense of freezing a pivotal moment and showing it to me through a unique story lens. I am left with a satisfied feeling of a story told, but also a lingering sense that the story goes on. It's hard to explain further. Good art is always paradoxical.

Being a soul who hates to re-do work, unless of course it's revisions to her own fiction, I've compiled this list of links to wonderful articles that will help you understand the form and function of short speculative romance fiction:

How to Win A Zircon, by Joyce Ellen Armond, otherwise known as me

Tips for Writing Short SFRs by Ann Townsend

Meshing the Genres: More SFR Short Story Tips, by Emily Alward

SFR Shorts: Perfect When Paired with SFR Tshirts by Jody Wallace

Short and Sweet: Writing the SFR Short Story by Megan Powell

Speculative Romance genre = a story that uses elements of romance and speculative fiction in a way that satisfies a reader's enthusiasm for both genres.

Speculative fiction is a genre of ideas. Romance fiction is a genre of relationships. A good speculative romance does more than find a balance between speculative and romantic genres. It weaves the idea and the relationship into a feedback loop, each element supporting, enhancing, reflecting and foiling the other.

In crafting a speculative romance, you have to ask what-if twice.

What if...aliens invade the earth. A speculative story could proceed from there. But a speculative romance requires another step. How will the alien invasion affect someone's romantic relationship?

What if…a mousy librarian discovers she has super-powers? How will that change her sex life?

What if…the princess must be sacrificed to a dragon to save the kingdom? How will that unexpectedly help her find her heart's desire?

What if…a woman inherits a haunted house? How will that affect her struggling marriage?

If you're running short on what-if questions, just spend a few hours surfing science, futuristic and paranormal blogs. Start with the ones listed on the News 2 Use section of SpecRom's website. There's so much what-if out there, you can't plead nothing to write about.

So remember the goal: Write a saleable short story in the speculative romance genre. And get to work!

2006-06-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

Humor Break

You Are 42% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side.
Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.

How Evil Are You?

2006-06-11T19:28:00.000-05:00

SpecRom Cinema: Perversion of Pathos

So the Sundance Channel is running a series called "Asia Extreme" -- playing all those nouveau horror movies that American directors are re-making.

Last Sunday's offering was Dark Water.

These are my thoughts on the original film (not the American version which I have not seen), as I try to figure out what makes nouveau horror tick, and what themes/mechanics/twists can we lift in the pursuit of successful dark paranormal romance.

Be warned. This discussion contains
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!
(emphatic organ music and crashing thunder.)

What struck me about Dark Water is that the horror was not so much about generic supernatural eeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil, but grew organically from the emotions inherent in the story's tragedy.

In the original, a besieged Yoshima fights a custody battle with her overbearing ex. The most important thing to Yoshima is to keep her daughter, Ikuru. But she's out on her own, trying to find work and a stable place to live. In short, she's trying to keep it together under some serious stress. Y&I get moved in, a job is secured, things seem to be going well. And then the ceiling starts to leak. It's the first clue to the tragedy that spawns the horror.

Yoshima begins to unravel clues about a child gone missing. The girl and her family lived in the apartment directly above Y&I -- the apparent origin of the ceiling leak. The little girl's mother ran off without warning, and soon after, the little girl disappeared. Through mounting creepiness and threats to Ikuru's safety, Yoshima discovers the secret of the lost little girl. Unsupervised and alone, the girl followed a maintenance crew to the roof and fell into the uncapped water tank to drown alone and unclaimed. When Y&I move in to the apartment building, the lost little girl's revenant decides that she needs a mother like Yoshima far more than Ikuru ever could.

The key here is that the horror springs from real emotion. The lost girl is trapped in grief and anger and abandonment. It's not that she wants to destroy Ikuru or claim Yoshima out of negative emotion. She the ghost of a frightened child: she wants, she aches, she takes.

Or more accurately, at the surprisingly powerful climax, Yoshima gives. To save Ikuru, she sacrifices herself and embraces the lost girl's ghost, accepting the job of being mother to a wanting child through eternity (horrifically illustrated by the drowned animated corpse trying to nurse from the terror-struck Yoshima), and thereby giving Ikuru the chance to live.

So what's the lesson of Dark Water? I think it's a new view on creating threat. Instead of making the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil want to destroy because, well, it's eeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil and that's what it does, consider grounding the threat to your characters in an emotion that, in normal circumstances, would engender a reader's empathy. Who wouldn't feel for a motherless child who falls victim to tragedy? How about when its hungry ghost starts tearing you and your family apart? It's a perversion of pathos -- a tool you can use when crafting your next dark paranormal romance.

2006-06-10T08:11:00.000-05:00

MARKET NEWS, A DAY LATE, A DOLLAR SHORT, BUT WITH A BONUS

Yes, it's Saturday, not Friday. But I spent Friday visiting with my dear old mum, sipping iced tea and eating fresh strawberries. You should have had such a nice day as we did!

As always, the full market listings can be found at Speculative Romance Online, The Website.

Walking Bones wants the odd, the strange and the bizarre in the short form.

Circlet Press calls for submissions for Fantastic Erotica.

DLSIJ Press wants work of any genre, fiction and non-fiction, by women authors. They have an upcoming anthology themed to alternate realities.

And as a special bonus to you blog readers, the most interesting market I've seen in a while...

Bust Down the Door & Eat All the Chickens
We are seeking stories of an absurdist or surrealist nature that are within the range of 2000 to 5000 words. They should not fit comfortably within any genre. We prefer humorous stories where impossible things happen. It must be able to grab our attention from the very first line. And make every word count.

An excuse to tell my favorite surrealist joke!

Q: How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Banana.

Have a great weekend!

2006-06-05T14:06:00.000-05:00

WEBSITE UPDATE!

New reviews posted today --

RESURRECTION by Sara Reinke
Guy who raises the dead vs. maniac serial killer. Sign us up!

PASSION MODEL by Megan Hart
Bot, bot, just who is the sex bot?

DESTINY'S MAGICK by Rae Morgan
Corporations, covens and astral projection orgasms. Oh my.

As always, see em at Speculative Romance Online.

2006-06-05T12:55:00.000-05:00

NEWS 2 USE MONDAY!

The Other Big Bangs

Scientists who have long speculated that an asteroid impact caused the mass extinction of dinosaurs now think that a previous impact paved the way for the evolutionary rise of dinosaurs. Evidence of an impact crater below Antartica suggests that the majority of land and ocean life died off prior to the dinosaur's prototype, archosaurs, leading the rise to dino dominance.

Read the original news article.

So what's going to walk the Earth after the next big crash?

Who Are You, Really?

Geneticists now think that "humans" may in fact be a symbiotic amalgam of human cells and bateria. Some estimates suggest that up to 90% of what we consider "us" is actually "them."

Scientists arrived at the conclusion after discovering that the DNA composition of healthy human feces is actually 95% bateriological.

Read it and weep.

Okay, after your juvenile snicker over poop having DNA, consider the implications. All those wars because of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, then we find out that we are just self-aware prime real estate for germs. Consider that the next time you feel self- important.

The Elders Strike Back

The Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry is drafting rules for the creation of robots, echoing Isaac Asimov's Laws of Robotics. Prominent among the minister's concerns: an emergency shut-off button.

Japan believes that its anticipated worker shortage in elder care may be solved through the application of robots.

Read more about it.

Imagine the potential social shift that senior citizens paired with robots might create, especially here in America. Suddenly, one of the most undervalued, most neglected, most manipulated segments of society will be paired up with robots. I'm thinking that just a few pissed off nursing home residents with the requisite education could REALLY fix the Medicare Part D problem.

Aging boomers + unstoppable robots = freaky future.

2006-06-02T08:53:00.000-05:00

MARKET NEWS FRIDAY

Report any market tips to joyce@specromonline.com!

Inara Press calls for submissions for short stories, novellas and novel-length cross-genre romance. (I've been nothing but impressed with this new start-up so far, from their cover art to their fiction. Reviews coming soon!)

Forbidden Publications is a market for everything romance, from sweet to extreme, from 2,000 to 80,000+ words.

Little Brown UK science fiction imprint Orbit is coming to the US/Aussie markets. That will eventually mean 40 new science fiction titles released per year. Woo hoo!

As always, full market updates at Speculative Romance Online!

2006-05-31T17:27:00.000-05:00

WEBSITE UPDATE!

Denise Rossetti, author of the upcoming Ellora's Cave release GIFTS OF THE GODDESS and finalist in the 2005 Zircon Speculative Short Fiction contest, presents The Campfire and the Craft.

Are you weighted toward the storyteller, the wordsmith, or balanced happily between?

Denise is writing an interactive erotic story through her newsletter, and it's hopping great fun. Check her out at www.deniserossetti.com.

2006-05-30T13:41:00.000-05:00

News2Use In Depth: Singularity Bomb

So I stumbled over this interesting guy and his interesting theory. The guy is Ray Kurzweil and his interesting theory is the coming singularity.

In Kurzweil-speak, the "singularity" is the event horizon where technology forever alters humanity. Kurzweil, a leading thinker in from the artificial intelligence community, posits that technological advances will leap ahead exponentially in the next century, changing our society, our economy and our basic humanity.

The keystones of the singularity seem to be the advent of nanotechnology, the rise of machine intelligence, and the ushering in of the post-human age. I'd run across the term "post-human" several years ago, along with the equally interesting and disturbing "trans-human."

Some of this stuff sounds banally utopian. No more poverty, because molecular manufacturing will make supply of goods limitless. No more wars, because death will be meaningless in an age when we can upload ourselves into immortality. My cynical self just cannot imagine any technology that can overcome human greed for wealth, power and control.

And projected negative singularities abound for that cynical self to gloat about: the infamous gray ooze into which rogue nanobots could reduce the world, the possibilities of terrorism at molecular and genetic levels, the looming threat of Skynet-esque artificial intelligences.

There is enough story gold in the singularity for numerous blog entries and articles, and over the summer that's exactly what I'll be doing: dropping the singularity bomb.

For heavy duty beach reading, here's an archive of singularity-related articles

For thoughts on post-humanism, read today's John Shirley blog

The folks at The Daily Grail provide a nicely organized Kurzweilian library

2006-05-26T16:16:00.001-05:00

Felled by the flu, I've fallen behind. So here's everything in one big juicy bite

MARKET UPDATE FRIDAY!

Silhouette Goes from Intimate to Suspense

Write the Next Chapter for Swimming Kangaroo Books

Science Fiction Poetry Association First Web Poetry Contest

Check the full listings at Speculative Romance Online's Website.

WEBSITE UPDATE!

With all the talk about the demise of the romantic historical, blah blah blah, we're happy to introduce you to Vintage Romance Publishing.

They feature romantic fiction set anytime before 1969, and they have a Perfectly Paranormal line. Read our interview with Vintage Romance's Editor and Business Manager, Dawn Carrington..

READ THIS!

Today's most ironic comment on the male brain: Repetitive Stupidity Disorder, by Chris Bauer, as featured in the current issue of Aberrant Dreams.

Today's most poignant exploration of love and trust: Love's Resistance (Crossing the Wheatstone Bridge), by John Borneman, a poem featured in this month's From the Asylum.

And finally, for an off-beat romp, check out the stand-alone Prologue to The Syndicate, by Jules Jones and Alex Woolgrave, which has the delightful subtitle "Because Geeks Have Sex Lives Too…"

I only had time to read the prologue today, which does not have any sexual content, but does have a clever speculative premise as well as a pair of interesting characters, Allard and Vaughan, who become a spirited couple in the further adventures. So, you know, don't get all freaky if you are of a mind not to like that stuff, because you've been warned. I happen to dig that stuff up one side and down the other, and plan to order the book.

2006-05-23T15:36:00.000-05:00

BONUS CAN YOU BELIEVE IT
FACT AND FICTION COLLIDE
NEWS 2 USE

Just could not wait to share these lovely stories, plus one unrelated but hilarious blog link. So much for the uniformity of my blog schedule!

Homeland Security, Rah Rah Rah

As part of an ongoing literary experiment, a University of Florida grad student posted a short story to his LiveJournal called "I Am Ready To Serve My Country," about an Army recruit who prepares for war by killing people.

Six months later, authorities asked him to provide fingerprints and a DNA sample, to be sure he really hadn't murdered anyone.

Read more at the excellent and fun blog, Dark But Shining.

We should just elect Keystone Cops clones and embrace the horror.

Will There Be An LKH Unseelie Court Cult? I'll Join!

British authorities raided a "sex slavery sect" based on John Norman's Chronicles of Gor. Since everyone there was a consenting adult, however, no arrests were made.

Read the whole sordid story in the Telegraph here.

Imagine with me the confrontation between bewhiskered English bobbies and sect leader Lee Thompson, together with three or four leashed women on their knees…heheheh.

The Face That Launched Another Deep Bout of Depression

Scottish researchers have created a male face they believe is irresistible to women.

See it, and some hilarious commentary, at The Retropolitan Presents: Tales to Astonish.

He looks nothing like James Woods, young Mickey Roarke and certainly nothing like the Sexiest Man Alive, Christopher Walken. Crazy Scots, what do they know of a woman's heart?

2006-05-22T12:18:00.000-05:00

MONDAY NEWS 2 USE!

My Dolphin Has A First Name...

Research funded by The Royal Society of London has concluded that dolphins recognize each other not by sound or scent or sight, but by individual whistle patterns that correspond to our idea of personal names.

"I think it is a very exciting discovery because it means that these animals have evolved the same abilities as humans," said Dr Vincent Janik, of the Sea Mammal Unit at St Andrews University.

Read the news article here.

The big question is could a dolphin learn our names? Does a dolphin realize we are intelligent? Alive? So long, and thanks for all the fish takes on new meaning...

Clyde Was Smarter than you Think

Research out of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology shows that orangutans and bonobo chimpanzees show the capacity for future planning--one of the cognitive gifts thought to separate humans from animals.

When provided a tool to reach a treat, such as grapes, 50% of the time the research animals kept the tool and used it later. Researchers state, "Our results suggest that future planning is not a uniquely human ability, contradicting the notion that it emerged in hominids only within the past 2.5 to 1.6 million years."

Read the story here.

Read on to find out what those chimpanzees were once planning ahead for...

Will the RWA let us write about this???

Recent studies suggest that early humans and chimpanzees not only shared a common ancestor, but for a while they shared a whole lot more. According to Australian National University anthropologist Colin Groves, the new findings show "that human-chimp speciation may have occurred over a long period with episodes of hybridisation between the emerging species."

In lay terms, that means chimps and the earliest humans were not only able to interbreed, they did so on a fairly regular basis.

Read all about it here.

The best, and I mean best, part of this article was author Stephen Cauchi's last paragraph: "Dr. Groves said that even today it could be possible for humans and chimps to have sex and produce offspring, although there would be ethical problems." Do you think?

2006-05-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday Fun!

I'm of two minds about evil. Gotta hate it, cause gosh, it hurts. Gotta love it, though, cause gosh--it's so damn much more interesting than being good.

Favorite book bad guys?

Dr. Hannibal Lechter. Nobody'd have to pump me full of psychotropic drugs to run off to Brazil with him.

The sexiest ugliest viper in science fiction, Angus Thermopyle from Stephen Donaldson's GAP series.

Yours?

I think that while we go about our good, upstanding citizen lives, washing our cars, paying our bills, not wantonly breaking things or other people, we all secretly long to be Bad Guys. So today, after a crappy work week, let's see What Type of Villian Are You?

I'm sure no one who knows me will be surprised to discover who I am.

What Type of Villain are You?

mutedfaith.com.

2006-05-18T18:03:00.000-05:00

MARKET NEWS FOR YOUR FRIDAY

Okay, it's not Friday. But it's almost Friday!

Booksforabuck.com actively seeks paranormal and science fiction romance at novel length.

Silver Moon Erotic Books, a division of Coyote Moon Publications, seeks novellas for their anthology Bitten By Love: Romance For All Hallows. Submissions should be paranormal (no other sub-genre) romances with a Halloween theme.

Loose ID wants you if you "unleash your plot and characters from traditional romance and genre fiction conventions to create powerful, inventive tales that delight the most responsive readers in the history of publishing." They're looking for sensual and erotic stories.

At Samhain Publishing, they "encourage authors to let their muse have its way and to create tales that don’t always adhere to current trends." They accept submissions in all genres plus non-fiction, which is a little different.

Qamara Press "explores romantic literary fantasies with a flair for tasteful erotic storytelling." They're looking for cross-genre in paranormal, fantasy, time travel and historical. They are also looking for editors and proofreaders.

Full listings with links are, as always, at SpecRom's Market Update page.

And a bonus note for you blog readers. In his livejournal Monstrous Musings, Realms of Fantasy slushmaster Douglas Cohen interviews Nancy Fulda from the editorial staff of Jim Baen's Universe. She gives insight on what it is they're looking for at that much-anticipated start-up. Read the May 15 entry here.

Remember, if you have a market tip to report, email me. Market updates appear every Friday, and a month's worth go out in SpecRom's newsletter.