Easing Into Science Fiction Romance by Sam Cheever

I love science fiction romance. In fact, I find myself inserting a bit of sci fi into most of my paranormal stuff. I didn’t even realize I was doing this until I started seeing the books described as science fiction, futuristic romance. Then I realized reviewers were right. I’ve written flying cars, futuristic food machines and hybrid communication devices since I created my first paranormal series.

I guess that genesis should have told me something about my style of science fiction…I don’t write complex worlds with elaborate naming conventions and multifaceted ruling structures. That type of sci fi is wonderfully intricate and compelling, but it can often take a good third of the first book to get acclimated to it all. I don’t have a problem with those books, it’s just that…well…sigh…I guess I’m a lazy reader.

My world building is a fairly straight forward amalgam of the world as we know it now, the world as we expect it to be in the future, and stuff we haven’t even imagined yet. My characters fly around in space ships (or flying cars) that are fueled by Hydrogen gas, fire O2 guns and lasers, and wear space suits when they’re on planets with non-compatible air.

They might have an altered density so that gravity affects them differently. But they mostly look like us and they’re enough like us to make them easy to understand and accept. My aliens speak a language that is similar enough to ours that they can acclimate easily. They are tied to us in some way through shared history but they’ve evolved differently. They’re distinct enough that dropping them into our world creates instant entertainment. They eat enough like us to survive easily on Earth, but have fun discovering things like chocolate and popcorn. They appreciate our computers and technology, while laughing at our use of paper and street art to communicate.

I use a background in chemistry and biology (I studied to be a nutritionist before I decided I’d rather write #:0) to create my characters and space experiences. I’m like the mad scientist who mixes and matches new and untried science with common, well-known tech.

But my overarching goal is always to make my world-building simple enough to quickly grasp so that the reader can focus on the characters and their antics. The world they interact in is vital…but it mustn’t overwhelm the characters. It should wrap quietly around them, enhancing rather than eclipsing. It’s a flavor rather than an entity…white noise instead of a soundtrack.

I know I’ve succeeded in creating a sci fi world that’s comfortable to newcomers when readers who generally don’t read sci fi enjoy the stories I’ve created. My goal is to help unfamiliar, maybe downright resistant, readers discover this wonderful genre. And I’m happy to ease them into SFR, so writers who create more intricate worlds can pull them more deeply into the sci fi web. *grin* 

Happy Reading, Everybody!

In case you're curious, the following are the first books in all three of my sci fi paranormal romance series:

***New Release***

Bedeviled & Beguiled - Book 1: Bedeviled & Beyond Series

Astra Q Phelps is on the side of the good guys in the war between good and evil. Unfortunately for her, the bad guys have been making inroads on her soul. And when a particularly dark and sexy dark worlder fixes his heated gaze on Astra, the lighter side of her nature quickly finds itself kicked to the curb by her slut-monkey side. But Astra doesn't have time to deal with her love life. She's in the middle of a war between two dark factions...a war that just might mean the end of the human population...and it seems the fate of the world rests uneasily on her shoulders. It's a lot of pressure to put on one feisty halfling...but Astra Q Phelps is definitely...erm...certainly...ahh...possibly up to the challenge.

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145TLCN0

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Bedeviled-Beguiled-Beyond-Book-ebook/dp/B0145TLCN0

Amazon.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bedeviled-Beguiled-Beyond-Book-ebook/dp/B0145TLCN0

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bedeviledbeguiled-1872888-150.html

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bedeviled-beguiled-sam-cheever/1122535085?ean=2940150772571

Kobo Books: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/bedeviled-beguiled

iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1031327993

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sam_Cheever_Bedeviled_Beguiled?id=chpgCgAAQBAJ Website page: http://www.samcheever.com/bedeviled&beguiled.html

~~*~~

Apocalyptic Mojo - Book 1: Apocalyptic Series

The Epoch Mages and the Sorceri Bounty Hunters are ALWAYS on opposite sides of any issue. They H-A-T-E each other. But when a rogue witch decides to take over the world using flesh-eating zombies, Ardith and Draigh have to work together to stop her. And though they’ve twisted themselves inside out trying to deny their blistering desire for each other, they soon learn they'll need to work together to accomplish what many before them have failed to do. Yep, it's all gonna be uphill from there!

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OU6O9XE

Amazon.de: http://www.amazon.de/Apocalyptic-Mojo-English-Sam-Cheever-ebook/dp/B00OU6O9XE

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Apocalyptic-Mojo-Sam-Cheever-ebook/dp/B00OU6O9XE

Amazon.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apocalyptic-Mojo-Sam-Cheever-ebook/dp/B00OU6O9XE

Amazon.com.au: http://www.amazon.com.au/Apocalyptic-Mojo-Sam-Cheever-ebook/dp/B00OU6O9XE

All Romance eBook: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-apocalypticmojo-1722001-153.html

Barnes & Noble US: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/apocalyptic-mojo-sam-cheever/1121027684?ean=2940150237537

Barnes & Noble UK: http://www.nook.com/gb/ebooks/apocalyptic-mojo-by-sam-cheever/2940150237537

Kobo books: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/apocalyptic-mojo-1 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sam_Cheever_Apocalyptic_Mojo?id=94huBgAAQBAJ

~~*~~

Sangui - Book 1: Alphas of the Blood Series

The Alphas of the Blood are an elite, alien race of vampires. They escaped a devastated planet that was overrun with plague-infected beasts and came to Earth for a chance at a new life…a new beginning. The change is bitter-sweet for Zeenon Akba, who lost much of his family in the plague wars and fears his only brother might have carried the infection to Earth with him. But when Zee stumbles upon a pretty human female being stalked by an infected, he’s determined to help her, even if it means killing his own brother. Aware of their many differences and the necessity of finding a blood slave to be his mate, Zee doesn’t intend to lose his heart to pretty and spunky Brooke Carlin. So why can’t he get her out of his mind?

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NX8GXCK

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Sangui-Alphas-Blood-Sam-Cheever-ebook/dp/B00NX8GXCK

Amazon.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sangui-Alphas-Blood-Sam-Cheever-ebook/dp/B00NX8GXCK

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sangui-sam-cheever/1120407327?ean=2940150490451

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sanguialphasoftheblood-1635549-168.html

Kobo Books: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/sangui-alphas-of-the-blood-1

GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sam_Cheever_Sangui_Alphas_of_the_Blood_BWWM_Sci_fi?id=KI_wCAAAQBAJ

iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1019374113  

Whatcha Readin'?

I love to read. Yeah, I know, that's not surprising. I am an author after all. I don't think you'll ever meet an author who wasn't first in love with the written word that carried them on a wonderful journey.

A true reader talks about memorable characters like old friends who might drop in for tea. .. Can describe story settings as if they've lived in that place for years ... And will happily explain the reasons why a favorite tomb has a place of honor on their "keeper" shelf. A reader caught up in a good read will burn dinner, pray the soccer game being played in 40 degree fog goes into overtime, agree to clean the bathrooms for a month or give up chocolate if they could just have another 15 minutes to finish the book. (Okay, maybe I went too far with the chocolate ... but you get the idea.)

I have always claimed I'd read any genre except horror (but I've even done that for the right story). But you know what? I discovered something this week. I don't enjoy romantic comedies. I know, right? What the heck's wrong with me?

There are awesome authors like Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie. Kristan Higgins and Lori Avacato. And more. Wonderful authors who write stories that readers looooove.

And I wanted to be one of them. Sometimes I just would like to want to sink into the zany angst of a quirky heroine. To laugh out loud to the bad luck that just continues to snowball into impossible situations. And I try. I pick up a book my friends have just gushed over, ready to fall headlong into a story that takes me away from the stress of my life. But it doesn't happen. I plod through the pages waiting for the good part that never seems to arrive. I skip pages wondering what I'm missing. I'm not sure why the slapstick scenes that are cute and engaging on the movie screen don't translate on the page for me, but they just don't.

And then, like a beacon in the fog of discontent I realized ... it's not the writing or the story ... it's me. Try as I might these stories will never hold my attention. I was reading them thinking I was missing something or to break the spell of science fiction and paranormal stories that seem to overflow my nightstand.

I know, this is such a "well, dur, Nina" situation. But it's taken me twenty-some-odd years as an adult to figure this out. Life is just to darn short to spend time on books that don't carry me away or make me yearn to carve out some reading time.

Writing a book is hard. Writing it well ... even harder. Authors' stories should be read by those who can appreciate them, whatever the genre. As for me, I'm off to check out Jessica Andersen's final installment in her paranormal Nightkeeper series ... Rabbit's been calling my name for a couple of weeks now.

And what about you? Any genres you truly enjoy? Any you've discovered that just don't do it for you? I'd love to hear about it. Because you know me, I'm curious like that.