If you’ve been following our featured author posts, you have seen references to the fabulous “Laurie” several times already. Yes, this is THAT Laurie. She is donating two digital copies of Inherit the Stars from Amazon for our raffle, so go enter now. Go ahead. We’ll wait.
Done? Okay. More about Laurie and her new serial, released now as a complete novel.
THE BOOK
Inherit the Stars
To escape the merciless Ithian Alliance, Sair, a fugitive slave, makes a desperate deal with Drea Mennelsohn, captain of the prototype ship, Specter. But putting his life in the hands of a woman as mysterious as she is beguiling could turn out to be the biggest mistake of his life, especially when the price on his head begins to escalate.
Drea seems to want far more from the fugitive than just payment for his passage on her ship. Though neither can deny the sizzling chemistry and growing bond between them, Sair must soon make an agonizing decision that could result in the loss of the remarkable woman he has fallen in love with–and their chance to inherit the stars.
Get it at: Amazon Geolink | Amazon US
LAURIE
Laurie A. Green is a three-time RWA® Golden Heart® finalist and science fiction romance enthusiast who founded the SFR Brigade community of writers, which now totals over 600 members.
Her extended family includes her husband, David, four dogs, three cats and several horses, all who reside on a ranch in beautiful New Mexico. When she’s not writing, networking, or searching out the perfect cup of Starbucks, she’s usually busy exercising her left brain as a military budget director.
Find her at: Her Website | Facebook
Mini-Interview
Q. When did you realize SFR was a genre?
A. I had to think on that for a minute. I’m sure everyone has their own idea of when the genre first emerged as SFR. I’ve always liked reading and writing Science Fiction with Romance, but I think most of the writers I associate with actually tagged it as SFR sometime around 2007-2008. In fact, I vaguely remember a big discussion with Heather Massey and a few others about what we should collectively start calling it–speculative romance or futuristic romance, or some other handle. The consensus was SFR and I think that’s when it really started to be discussed as a distinct genre, though authors like Linnea Sinclair and Lois McMaster Bujold had already been publishing it for quite some time.
Q. What SFR book had the most impact on your reading and/or writing?
A. Dragonriders of Pern was what really got my imagination fired up as to the possibilities of SFR. It struck a chord with me as something new, fresh and inspiring. I’d read classic science fiction since I was a pre-teen, but the relationship between Lessa and F’lar, and Lessa’s standing in the story–who and what she evolved to be–was something I’d never seen in SF before. And the dragons! Loved them! There was also a novel by French author Rene Barjavel called The Ice People that I fell in love with. It wasn’t a true romance (no HEA) and it got a bit purple at times, but the premise–a revived man and woman from a 900,000 year old civilization buried in Antarctica–still gives me goosebumps.
Q. Do your books lean more SF or Romance?
A. I like to think my work is an equal blend of both and that the two elements compliment each other. It wouldn’t work to extract my characters from their stories and try to place them in another genre or setting. The science fiction element has to be there. It’s usually intertwined with the conflict and the relationship arc in some way. That said, I strive to write science fiction that’s entertaining and user friendly, even if the reader isn’t a fan of SF. I don’t want to bore anyone with the technical details of how a ship’s drive works, I just hope to thrill them by showing what the vessel is capable of doing.
Laurie’s question for readers:
I really like to know what intrigues readers about SFR. I know what I like, but sometimes readers surprise me with what they take away from a story. SFR can be like a prism. Everyone sees different colored lights in the facets.
Comment for an entry in our Blog Lovin’ drawing.
Smart Girls love SciFi 
I love the strong female characters. I have been a SciFi fan forever but disliked the fact that there were few female characters. I treasured the few books that were different but I had to hunt to find them. With SFR thar changed. Plenty of strong females.
Thanks for commenting. Yes, the strong heroines are another great reason to love SFR. I think most SFR writers tend to envision women as empowered and equal–or capable of being so–in the future. 🙂
By the way, I’m currently crewing on Starship Day-job, but I’ll try to arrange to dock with Space Station SGLSFR as often as possible today 🙂
Many thanks to Charlee and company for hosting me and letting me join in the fun of the big celebration!
I’ve always loved science fiction. With it we move into new modes of human interaction and experience that change how our relationships work- parental, friend, romantic, professional. I love to explore the what-ifs of various scenarios, how they change human modes of interaction, and how we can stay loving and relatable amidst such changes. So add that to romance, which I love because the focus is on a relationship, and it ticks all my boxes!
I love the differences between human and alien – physical, emotional, and societal. How I may react in a given situation may not be how Mr. or Ms. Alien will respond. That makes for some very interesting reading…sometimes comical and sometimes angst-ridden because of the misunderstandings that ensue. The differences and the reactions of the characters because of those differences is what I look for and enjoy reading in scifi.
What attracts me to SFR is the diversity. The unlimited worlds, species, and situations that can be created. In this genre an author, and reader, is limited by only by imagination. In other genres, there are limitations, but sci-fi – not so much. It fascinates me.
Love reading your responses. There are so many reasons to enjoy SFR.
I like to say that Sci-Fi and Romance share the same DNA–they’re both about discovery and exploring possibilities. No wonder SFR is such a great blend of genres.
World building, strong female characters, opportunities to create science and tech that doesn’t exist yet, alien interactions, so many things draw me into SFR.
I’ve never been really big on romance. But then I noticed how it had creeped into some of my favorite SF & F novels – such as Anne McCaffrey, Andre Norton, Alan Dean Foster, etc. I really like it when the romance angle is used to show the deeper natures of the characters.
Unless is it SF Erotica, in which case I’m all about the heat and sexy aliens (like Gena Showalter’s Alien Huntress series).
Oh yes, Liz, as a writer, I really enjoy some of the technology aspects and how they aid or impact the characters and their relationships. One of my favorite things is to “repurpose” familiar technology to do new or imaginative things.
When it comes to the romance aspects, although I do sometimes read and enjoy straight SF without romantic elements (The Martian, anyone?) I prefer stories that include a powerful emotional arc. NRLYMRTL, I totally agree with you that it helps reveal the characters’ true selves.
Thanks for commenting on what you love about SFR. 🙂