tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55949723273734561942024-03-13T11:59:49.850-04:00SFR Galaxy AwardsRecognizing the Standout Books in Science Fiction RomanceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-77469656062198744082019-10-02T17:15:00.000-04:002019-10-02T17:19:26.960-04:00This Site is No Longer Active<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanks so much to all the judges and readers who supported the SFR Galaxy Awards for the last seven years. As the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end."<br />
<br />
We sincerely appreciate everyone who visited the site over the years to read our judges' many selections of standout Science Fiction Romance books and media, with the goal of helping readers to connect with books they'd love to read.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your support.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-77623896607682158852019-09-05T12:00:00.001-04:002019-09-05T12:00:55.923-04:00Announcing the End of the SFR Galaxy Awards<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1SXW7QyPmg/XW_DWtMu9GI/AAAAAAAAn34/cvadSJ-SKIQ1wThffpnuxPmRfdQ66gQKwCLcBGAs/s1600/SFRgalaxyawards_pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="199" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1SXW7QyPmg/XW_DWtMu9GI/AAAAAAAAn34/cvadSJ-SKIQ1wThffpnuxPmRfdQ66gQKwCLcBGAs/s1600/SFRgalaxyawards_pic.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Alas, the </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">SFR Galaxy Awards</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> will
be no more. This annual event launched in 2013 and was managed by bloggers </span><a href="https://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Heather Massey</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
and </span><a href="https://www.laurieagreen.com/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Laurie A. Green</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. A group of sci-fi romance-loving </span><a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">judges</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> rounded
out the team.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It's been a blast highlighting various sci-fi romances
using a fun, quirky awards lens. Like all good things, it must come to and end.
Here's why:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1. I (Heather) am no longer able to give the awards
the nurturing it needs because of family and work matters. I held off as long
as possible regarding canceling the awards to see how things would go, but Life
Stuff had to take priority.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2. Over the past several years, there's been
heightened attention given to the grievous lack of diversity and inclusion in
romance awards. The situation has been so dire that Romance Writers of America
(RWA) </span><a href="https://www.rwa.org/Online/News/2019/RWA_to_Hire_Outside_DEI_Consultant.aspx"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">hired
consultants to address "diversity, equality and inclusion issues in RWA."</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This
issue has also prompted much-needed discussion in the SFR community regarding
the same flaws present in the SFR Galaxy Awards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The SFR Galaxy Awards has its own racial and gender
biases. Even a cursory glance at the numbers reveals the award outcomes are not
as diverse as they should be. Though Laurie has been my co-partner in this
endeavor, the idea for the awards originated with me. Since I didn't bake
diversity and inclusion into the SFR Galaxy Awards as thoroughly as I could
have, it would be unethical to continue the event without rebuilding it from
the ground up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I intended for the SFR Galaxy Awards to be inclusive
and diverse regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, and #ownvoices across
its various parts, but my actions didn't always match my intent. I apologize to
anyone who was harmed by my lack of foresight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If we're lucky to have an SFR specific award event in
the future, my hope is that it's designed to be diverse and inclusive so everyone
involved feels welcome, celebrated, and safe. Furthermore, if I have the
opportunity to create SFR events in the future, I pledge to make them a safe
space for authors and readers of all kinds.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I deeply appreciate the company of everyone who came
along with me on the SFR Galaxy Awards adventure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Big thanks to Laurie Green for her hard work, generosity,
and intrepid support for this event.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A hearty thanks to the judges past and present for
their incredible work and enthusiasm. It's been an honor to know and work with them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks so very much to the winning authors for helping
to promote the event as well as their wonderful SFR adventures.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And finally, thanks to the readers who participated,
visited the awards site, and helped spread the word. SFR is nothing without its
faithful readers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All the best,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Heather</span></div>
Heather Masseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00913459109753829391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-39127497214798203032019-02-01T21:23:00.002-05:002019-02-17T13:11:49.849-05:00Special Thanks: Sites Helping Celebrate the 2018 Awards<br />
A very special thank you to columnist Veronica Scott for her coverage of the SFR Galaxy Awards on the Amazing Stories site. Here's the link:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://amazingstories.com/2019/02/sfr-galaxy-awards-for-2018-announced" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazing Stories:</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://amazingstories.com/2019/02/sfr-galaxy-awards-for-2018-announced" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SFR Galaxy Awards for 2018 Announced</a></b></div>
<br />
<br />
Many thanks to Carol Van Natta for not only sharing the SFR Galaxy Awards in an informational recap, but for also adding convenient buy links to each of the award recipients! For readers interested in acquiring some (or all!) of our SFR Galaxy Award winning books, see the post on her site here:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://author.carolvannatta.com/awards/2018-sfr-galaxy-awards/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2018 SFR Galaxy Awards</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Special thanks to Cara Bristol who posted the winning books with links on the Facebook Sci-Fi and Fantasy Romance group. (Please note you must be a member of this group to view the posts.) Here's the direct link:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1433523283574154/permalink/2213365962256545/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2018 SFR Galaxy Awards on Sci-Fi and Fantasy Romance</a></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
For those not a member of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy Romance Facebook group, the announcements also went live on Cara Bristol's site this morning. You can see them here:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://carabristol.com/2019/02/announcing-the-winners-of-the-2018-sfr-galaxy-awards/#comment-17995" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cara Bristol's SFR Galaxy Awards Announcements</a></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Many thanks to Lexi Post for celebrating the awards on her blog. Here's the link:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.happilyeverafterthoughts.com/2019/02/2018-science-fiction-romance-galaxy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HappilyEverAfterThoughts</a></b> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
We're very appreciative of the Geek Mom site publishing a commentary on the important of the awards to the genre, along with a list of the awards and links. Thanks so much for your support!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://geekmom.com/2019/02/the-science-fiction-romance-galaxy-awards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Geek Mom: The Science Fiction Romance Galaxy Awards</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Thanks to everyone for helping to get the word out </i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>and support the SFR Galaxy Awards!</i></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-10111289273419079072019-01-31T16:00:00.001-05:002019-01-31T16:00:06.381-05:002018 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 7 - KJ Van Houten<c><b><br /></b></c>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Alpha Award: Best New Series</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Edge of Eon</i> (Book 1 of the Eon Warriors series)</span></div>
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by Anna Hackett</div>
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Summary: Earth finally develops space exploration technology to enable contact with an alien species, the Eon, who, while sharing a common ancient ancestor, want nothing to do with the humans. Then the insectoid Kantos aliens discover Earth as they attempt to take over the galaxy. Only the Eon can stop them, but human appeals for help fall on deaf ears. Earth Space Corps veteran Captain Eve Traynor is sent to kidnap the deadliest war commander of the Eon fleet to get attention, open communications, and get help before the Kantos annihilates Earth. <br />
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Reason Selected: This new series by amazing writer Anna Hackett has a very resourceful heroine that manages to kick the feet from under the toughest warrior in the Eon fleet and keeps him unsteady for the entire story. She teaches a lesson to both the Eon and the Kantos to not underestimate humans. I love that the heroine takes charge, kidnaps the hero, and never stops proving she is his equal. Best of all, the series sets up for more stories to come in an overarching plot of humans and Eon learning to trust each other in order to fight a common enemy. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Omega Award: Best End-of-Series</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Hunted by the Cyborg</i> (Book 6 of the Cy-Ops series)</span></div>
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by Cara Bristol</div>
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Summary: Carter Aymes, head of the Cy-Ops organization, comes face-to-face with his past, in the form of an ex-girlfriend. Old feelings stir even as the vision tells him she is his ex-girlfriend’s twin – Beth, not Liza, and that his former love died many years prior. Carter can’t shake the comparisons or the feelings growing between them. Beth feels the attraction, too, but has her own secrets to keep. All the while, Carter, the Cy-Ops organization, and the people around them are in grave danger. The Lamis-Odg terrorists are closer than anyone realizes, and Lamani’s dangerous followers will stop at nothing to spread their religious dogma throughout the galaxy and eliminate all those who disagree with them. <br />
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Reason Selected: The Cy-Ops series has been one of my favourite cyborg series to read. Throughout the entire series, Carter Aymes has been in the background, leading the cyborg effort to stop the Lamis-Odg. His character fascinated me from the beginning, and even more so when he suffered an accident earlier in the series that led to his own transformation to become cyborg. Finally, here is the book I’ve been waiting for – Carter’s story. Beth is a very interesting twist, as her secrets are unveiled against a backdrop of political intrigue and terrorism, while Carter proves he is as much of a hero as anyone that has ever stood up to terrorism. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Phoenix Award: Best Resurrected Series</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Warleader</i> (Book 1 of The Borderlands series, revised)</span></div>
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by Susan Grant</div>
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Summary: Brit Bandarr is one of the most bad-ass captains in the Coalition. She’s ruthlessly hunted down Drakken enemies for years. Finn Rorkken is a Drakken Warleader and former pirate. Or maybe not former, it’s hard to tell with the Drakken now defeated. Then there’s the Terrans, humans from Earth, newcomers on the scene, who have been a catalyst to end the centuries-long war between the Coalition and Drakken. The three species have formed the Triad Alliance to establish peace to the galaxy. With Brit in command of the new Triad diplomatic ship <i>Unity</i> and Finn as her first officer, peace isn’t going to be easy. Falling in love with your sworn enemy won’t either. <br />
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Reason Selected: Susan Grant is reworking her previous Borderlands series now that she got the rights back in her own hands. <i>Warleader </i>is a rework of Moonstruck, which was always one of my favourite SFR novels. I hadn’t realized she could make it better, but she did. Some characters have changed quite a bit – one gender switch has me intrigued about that character’s background now. Other characters’ attitudes and references to technology has been updated. Terrans are a little more prevalent throughout the story, better roles on board the <i>Unity</i> and they don’t seem as naïve -- or in some cases annoying -- as they previously did. Brit and Finn have not changed much though, and they still make sparks fly when they are together. Still one of my favourite couples in SFR. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Little Green Men Award</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Collision</i> (Book 3 in the Prophecy series)</span></div>
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by Lea Kirk</div>
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Summary: Flora Bock was only 10 years old when the first Anferthian ambassador arrived on Earth – now called Terr. She didn’t understand why anyone wanted peaceful relations with the hated aliens who had killed her biological parents, along with many other Terrans! She hated every one of the large, green-skinned Anferthians that existed, but most of all, she hated Fander, the 11-year-old green monster, small for his age, with reddish-brown hair and weird purple eyes. He was the grandson of the ambassador, and he had done something to her. She didn’t know what it was, but she felt an electric shock when their eyes met for the first time, and she fainted. Could anyone blame her for punching him in the face when she got the chance? This began a friendship that drew them closer over the next 4 years, ending in a first kiss on her 15th birthday. The same day Fander was forced to leave Terr and return to Anferthia. Nine more years passed, and the lives of both Flora and Fander have changed. A tragedy brings them together again, and they need to work together to solve a mystery, uncover old enemies, and deal with political intrigue that sweeps from Terr to Anferthia. <br />
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Reason Selected:. OK, so Anferthians are not little, being a tall race usually 9-12 feet tall as adults, but Fander is described as “eight-foot-tall” and “still the shortest Anferthian in the bunch.” Anferthians are a powerful, green-skinned race, with a lot of sex appeal and charm, when they are not murderous, xenophobic traitors. Fander is “adorable”, “impossibly handsome”, romantic, and probably one of the sexiest aliens I read the entire year! <br />
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Extra kudos for fun alliteration of names (Flora and Fander)<br />
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KJ Van Houten is a freelance graphic designer and a book reviewer on the Whiskey With My Book review site. Read more on the <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a> page.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-9660230652157924002019-01-31T15:00:00.000-05:002019-01-31T15:00:07.991-05:002018 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 6 - Chris Stock<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Short, Sweet and Feisty Award</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>A Darkside Interlude</i>: </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">Darkstar Mercenaries 0.5</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Anna Carven</span></div>
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Set in the Darkstar universe that was created by Anna Carven, this is a very short, very fast, but oh so yummy story of the new earth commander, err, leader of security for the whatchagonnacallit, ah, yes, Dark Planet Warrior company. Fierce commander Iskar dislikes the hot planet and distrusts the humans that call his race allies. Then he meets a beautiful pickpocket and gets a tour behind the scenes when she steals something precious from him. The hunt is on! Those two clash with each other in every which way possible. He is a black and white guy (you’ll understand the pun if you followed the series), and she is a criminal he wants to punish, until he learns about the true struggles that humans face in this town he’s visiting. <br />
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It was hard to pick just one of last year’s releases of Anna Carven, but I think this one stands out because it is so tricky to write a short story with all characters fleshed out and not losing anything.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Similar but Different Out of Africa Award</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Rage</i> </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">(Alien Breed 1 - English Edition) </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Melody Adams </span></div>
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(translated by Sylvia Corbisiero)<br />
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I am a fan of human women rescuing not-so-willing aliens, alien hybrids, alien pets--you name it, I read it. Many authors have included this theme, but some are just too fun not to read. This one comes to us from an author out of Bijilo, Gambia (West Africa). Human men were spliced with alien DNA by greedy humans which makes them extremely volatile. A young assistant stumbles upon such a hybrid, who is abused and scares her with his aggressive behavior. She can’t save him, but she snaps pictures on her phone and leaks it to the press. Years later, she gets a job on a planet where the freed (or are they?) hybrids are kept and is faced with the alien breed who thinks she betrayed him. The man hates her and doesn’t want anything to do with her, but the alien inside him chooses her and doesn’t want any human or other alien close to her. A mental tug of war for the hybrid and a rollercoaster ride for the girl begins. The really fun part are the side-kicks — good ones and evil ones — dangers Rage and the girl have to go through until a HEA. I loved the lingo and the bantering.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Out-of-Space Cop Award-Despite-the-Title</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Beauty’s Alien Beast</i></i></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Linda Mooney</span><br />
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Linda Mooney has been writing a lot and for quite a while. Her newest book “Beauty’s Alien Beast” is the best one yet. <br />
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A rough, yet honorable, female intergalactic cop with some fierce mental power, called psionic abilities, is on a break when she sees a beast-alien from a mining planet getting ambushed by vicious, little mean aliens called Kronners. Instead of being able to help him, the cop gets caught as well and knocked out. Both awake in a container. The beast can’t use his strength to get to the enemies, and she’s got an implant that sends shockwaves of pain through her brain when she tries to use her power. Worse, their prison cells are hooked up on an alien version of dark-net and they are forced to “entertain” subscribers. Of course, they escape — after all, it is a SCI-FI Rom, but that’s when it really gets interesting. What they had to do to stay alive is illegal and they are facing their own planet’s judgements, which is just as dangerous as the criminal mind behind the kidnapping who is still out to get them.<br />
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I loved everything about this book, though I think a different title would have been a better choice.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Start of a New Series and Kidnapping Scene</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Edge of Eon</i> </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">(Eon Warriors 1) </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Anna Hackett</span></div>
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Anna Hackett stands for amazing books and series. Her worlds are so full and diverse that you can almost believe that they are real. (Please, tell me they exist. I promise, I won’t tell anybody.)<br />
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Edge of Eon is a new series with aliens, yes, but with a twist that is too good: Imagine the humans find out there are aliens, good looking, smart, technical advanced and…they don’t care a bit about Earth. When other aliens are planning to decimate Earth, the aliens don’t lift a little finger, even after Earth promises them everything, begging to be helped. Nichts, nada, nothing can convince that warrior race to get involved. Politicians do what politicians do best, they plot - in this case, they blackmail sub-captain Eve Traynor to do a suicide mission and kidnap the war commander Davion Thann-Eon. <br />
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This is such a fun book, hilarious how Eve outwits the commander and kidnaps him from his own ship, but she can’t haul him back to Earth because the evil Earth-decimating aliens intervene and they crash-land on a planet you would not want to send your evil stepmother to. The two must work together to survive, dodge the evil aliens and try to get the message out that it’s not only Earth the evil aliens are after. <br />
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I spent two nights until the wee morning hours reading. I am still having flash-back from that horrible planet. And Anna Hackett made me cry! Then laugh, so we are all good at the HEA.<br />
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I can’t wait for the next in the series because …Eve has two equally strong sisters ;)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Continuation of an Anthology that Makes You Feel Good</span></b></div>
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<i>Pets in Space 3: Embrace The Passion</i></div>
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by S. E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Ruby Lionsdrake, </div>
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Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Carol Van Natta, </div>
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Tiffany Roberts, Alexis Glynn Latner,</div>
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E D Walker, JC Hay and Kyndra Hatch</div>
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For the third time authors came together to write about what they love most: Alien love stories and alien animals or pets. <br />
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Best of it, they were able to raise with the sale of the anthology funds for Hero Dogs. <a href="http://www.hero-dogs.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hero Dogs</a>, Inc., a Maryland 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, that improves quality of life for our nation’s heroes by raising, training, and placing service dogs and other highly skilled canines, free of charge with lifetime support of the partnerships.<br />
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Best part of reading an anthology is that there is a story for everybody. Not every story will resonate with every reader, but the variety is so much fun. I am a big fan of strong women, soft ones who depend on heroes to save them drive me nuts. There were mostly strong women in this one. <br />
I have read Smith's books in the past and her short story, that kicks off this anthology, is now one of my favorites. It is a tight and exciting written drama and has big cats. The best part is, even the bad guys are well-written. “Heart of the Cat” is worth buying the anthology alone. <br />
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Then, there is Anna Hackett's “Desert Hunter,” which plays in her alien gladiator world. A desert man hides something evil in his heart that forbids him to go after his love interest. When a weird animal is saved, the mystery unfolds and the desert hunter may just become the hunted if not for a fiery girl who is a fighter for his heart. <br />
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“Quashi” by Ruby Lionsdrake, is set in her Mandrake Corporation storyline. It’s a sweet and funny story with undercover fluffy critters versus spaceship mercenaries and has cute characters and an entertaining love story.<br />
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“Star Cruise: Mystery Dancer” by Veronica Scott is an exciting retelling of Anastasia. Fun to read and strong characters, including a mysterious cat-like creature. The story is part of Scott's Star Cruise world. <br />
<br />
These anthologies are well-done, well-written and a perfect way to find a new favorite author, not to mention …alien pets. Bad news is, the anthologies only are available for a limited time, though most authors release the stories individually after a year.<br />
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Christina Stock is an editor at the Roswell Daily Record and in charge of the “Vision” section which covers events in Southeast New Mexico as well as art and book reviews. To read more see the <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a> page. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-91720252170759746222019-01-31T14:00:00.000-05:002019-01-31T14:00:01.916-05:002018 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 5 - Marlene Harris<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Home Again Award </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">(Dance with the One that Brung Ya)</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Edge of Eon</i></i><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Anna Hackett</span></div>
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<br />
It’s no secret to followers of the SFR Galaxy Awards that Anna Hackett is not just one of my favorite SFR authors, but one of my favorite authors of any genre. Period. Exclamation Point.<br />
<br />
But as much as I love all of her work, my favorites of all of her books are those that hearken back most closely to the book that made me fall in love with her writing in the first place. I’m talking about space opera type science fiction romance like <i>At Star’s End</i> and her Phoenix Adventures series.<br />
<br />
So I was really excited to see her return to space opera with her new Eon Warriors series, specifically <i>Edge of Eon.</i> <br />
<br />
The Eon Warriors series is a delicious blend of so many of the tropes that made me love SFR in the first place. <br />
<br />
We start with humans in charge being prideful idiots. Then follow with humans in charge covering their own asses. And then we get to the really good stuff - the kick ass heroine in the brig for a crime she didn’t commit, and the top brass sending her on a suicide mission to save their bacon and hopefully the planet from the really evil aliens who want to have us for lunch.<br />
<br />
Where she manages to turn the whole thing on its head and stick it in their collective ears by not merely completing the mission but getting the super warrior race not so much on Earth’s side as on her side, personally. (I want to see some heads roll later!)<br />
<br />
That Mars, or rather the Eons, turn out to need Earth women is just a happy accident, but certainly adds to the fun. <br />
<br />
So if you like sprawling space operas, evil alien bugs, disgusting bureaucrats, hot warriors, kickass heroines and saving the world, this book is a terrific introduction to a marvelous series.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Firefly Redux Award</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Entropy</i></i><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Jess Anastasi</span></div>
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<br />
For a TV series that didn’t really last one full season, Firefly has cast a really, really long shadow over the science fiction romance genre. While not every Firefly-a-like has hit that “space western” vibe in the way that previous award winner <i>Lace & Lead</i> captured, there have been plenty of stories that tap into the “plucky underdogs subverting galactic tyranny” mindset that was also a big part of Firefly’s appeal.<br />
<br />
However, while it’s the captain of the <i>Imojenna</i> who serves as this universe’s combination Mal Reynolds AND River Tam, this particular story in the series isn’t about him. <br />
<br />
Instead, we have one of the really, truly fun staples of SFR - because we have a book about SPACE PIRATES! YAY! <br />
<br />
Even better, this is the story of a space pirate’s daughter who decides to take a walk on the even wilder side with Captain Qaelan Forster, a former officer who has followed his crazy cousin (the aforementioned combination Mal and River) to hunt for the shapeshifting enemy who has them all on the run.<br />
<br />
The romance between Qae the flirtatious captain and Cami the space pirate’s daughter provides the lighter moments - for select definitions of “light” - in what feels like a turning point in this multiple-award-winning SFR series.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Meow it Again Sam Award</span></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Pets in Space 3: Embrace the Passion</i></i><br />
<b><b>by S E Smith, Anna Hackett, Ruby Lionsdrake,</b></b><br />
<b><b>Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Carol Van Natta,</b></b><br />
<b><b>Tiffany Roberts, Alexis Glynn Latner, </b></b><br />
<b>E D Walker, JC Hay, and Kyndra Hatch</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Please tell me that you didn’t miss your chance to get <i>Pets in Space 3</i>? Because you don’t want to miss this treasure trove of SFR stories - and January 31 is your last chance to get a copy of this year’s collection.</div>
</div>
<br />
But just in case you need a bit of convincing…<br />
<br />
I’ve snagged a copy of this every year - because each year is a real treat - whether that treat is a galactic milk-bone or space-y catnip mousie. This collection is a combination of stories in familiar SFR universes with stories that are always new-to-me. I always discover someone I just have to read that I haven’t met before, along with several someones who woof, meow, squeak or squawk their way into my heart from worlds that I’m already in love with.<br />
<br />
This year’s entry in the already in love with category was Fiend, making <i>Desert Hunter</i> a bit of a shaggy dog story in Anna Hackett’s Galactic Gladiators world. As much as I love both the Gladiators and the Earth refugees they fall for, this particular story was terrific because all of its characters are natives of Kor Magna, and none of them are gladiators. Not that Fiend doesn’t put up one hell of a good fight to protect the people that he’s decided to call his own - whether they’re ready for him or not.<br />
<br />
When it comes to the new to me stories, I always gravitate towards the cat stories. You might say that there’s catnip in all of them, at least for this reader. And this particular collection had several kitties that made me purr.<br />
<br />
But Fiend stole my heart!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Shoulda Been a Contender Award</span></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Nightchaser</i></b><br />
by Amanda Bouchet</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
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As someone who has been involved in best of the year awards at multiple venues, one of the unfortunate trends that I am all too aware of is the way that books that come out at the very beginning of the year tend to get lost in the shuffle by the end of the year. <br />
<br />
<i>Nightchaser</i> was released on January 1, 2019 and should not be eligible for this year’s SFR Galaxy Awards. But, <i>Nightchaser</i> is also quite definitely an award-worthy piece of SFR - and I hope that others remember it come award time next year. But that’s a long time from now, in a galaxy far, far away. <br />
<br />
So I’m giving it an award now - so it isn’t left out. Because it shouldn’t be.<br />
<br />
Tess Bailey and her crew are on the run from the oppressive Galactic Overlords in this space opera type SFR. But there are plenty of twists in that “on the run”. Because Tess isn’t just running from the evil Overlord. She’s running away from “Daddy Dearest” who just so happens to ALSO be the evil Overlord.<br />
<br />
An evil Overlord who used her as a lab rat, and created “super soldier serum” from whatever element it is in her blood that makes her “freakish” and him certain that he wasn’t the sperm donor no matter what his wife - his late wife - said. And not that there’s not plenty of really interesting story stuff wrapped around that bit of the plot.<br />
<br />
And there’s a romance in the making. Tess doesn’t trust anyone - and why should she after her own father betrayed her? So when she starts trusting the slightly shady Shade Ganavan, things have to go wrong before they even have a chance of going right.<br />
<br />
<i>Nightchaser</i> is a thrill a minute ride from beginning to end, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I won’t forget Tess and her crew in the meantime, and I want to make sure that you don’t either!<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Marlene Harris is a professional book-pusher, being both a librarian and a book blogger at Reading Reality, as well as on the Book Pushers site. Read more on the <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a> page.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-55473817502597245992019-01-31T13:00:00.000-05:002019-01-31T14:46:25.353-05:002018 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 4 - Lee Koven<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Most Intriguing Society</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><br /></i></i>
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>A Treason of Truths</i></i></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Ada Harper</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Lyre is a child of the Cloud Vault: an isolated floating city-state made of scavenged ships that are transformed into biological constructs. Their government is composed of scientists. They’ve got more tech than any other known power, they tend not to share said tech and they have remained neutral in the war between the Syndicate and the Quillian Empire. They’re not uninterested in galaxy politics, though, and that makes them dangerous.</div>
</div>
<br />
Sabine, the Quillian Empress, is invited to a Cloud Vault summit, and her spymaster Lyre knows they can’t be up to any good. She used to work for them, after all. As the two of them try to uncover the plot against Sabine, the reader can explore this complex and unique civilization.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Most Unusual Heroine</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><br /></i></i>
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Delta V</i></i></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Elsa Jade</span></div>
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Okay, I said to myself. This is a space cyborg cowboy romance. The premise seems a little ridiculous. There are tropes in here that I typically don’t enjoy reading. But Elsa Jade pulled it off.<br />
<br />
Why? Because Lindy is not your typical romance novel heroine. She’s fifty years old. She’s dealt with a lot of pain in her life, and the way she experiences grief is relatable. She’s grown up enough to handle some bizarre situations with…if not aplomb, then perspective. She acts as a mentor to some of her ranch hands. She’s realistic and relatable.<br />
<br />
Her life gets crazy fast. And Delta V is just funny and sweet enough that I think he’s good for her.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Mobile Phone Replacement</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"></i><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Implanted</i></i><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Lauren C. Teffeau</span></div>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
</span>
<br />
If you have a smartphone, you probably unconsciously reach for it at times when you’re bored or need reassurance. It’s become a wonderful tether to loved ones that are far away.<br />
<br />
But it hacks your behavior. You do dangerous things, like use it while driving or crossing an intersection. Push notifications make you react quickly. Social media alerts you to the latest outrage meme. Your cell phone has you trained to respond to it, to identify with it. Try not using any functionality except emergency voice calls on your phone for 48 hours. Who are you without your phone?<br />
The implants from Implanted magnify the risks and rewards of this . Teffeau presents the possible consequences of the evolution of smartphones. She also shows how much maintenance time we have to put into our technology, a cost we rarely think about critically.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Serial</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i><br /></i></i>
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Queen’s Gambit</i></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Jessie Mihalik</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Samara Rani, Queen of the Rogue Coalition, tries to kidnap and ransom Emperor Valentin Kos. Her plan goes topsy-turvy early on, and the two are forced to work together and figure out what they want from each other.</div>
</div>
<br />
Mihalik sets up a conflict wherein the ones who pay the price for war are often those who are least responsible for it. The first season has been collected into a novella. I look forward to further installments.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Bodyguard’s Buddy</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Protector Series </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">(</span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Dangerous Promise, Wicked Attraction, Forbidden Stranger</i><span style="font-weight: bold;">)</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Megan Hart</span></div>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
</span>
<br />
Nina, the cyborg protagonist of the series, is a compelling character. But Nina’s friend Al is perhaps more so. The two meet as military test subjects, and later become coworkers at the same bodyguard agency. They’re also hostage to degrading cybernetic implants that will kill them in a few years.<br />
<br />
When Nina makes contact with Al because she needs her support in getting the upgrades for their cybernetics, Max becomes Nina’s truest ally - perhaps even more than Nina’s lover Ewan is. Both women give as good as they get and are never ashamed of themselves or their work.<br />
<br />
Al always drives her own ship, tries to look out for those she cares for, and risks her life to fight for what she believes in. She’s a buddy all of us could use.<br />
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Lee Koven is a computer programmer and server admin by trade who loves to read and discuss science fiction romance. Read more on the <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a> page.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-15873743852027443742019-01-31T12:00:00.000-05:002019-01-31T12:00:03.920-05:002018 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 3 - Heather Massey<b><br /></b>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hottest Queer Sci-Fi Romance in a Superhero Universe</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>DC's Legends of Tomorrow</i></i><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">(Sara Lance & Ava Sharpe)</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Greg Berlanti - Executive Producer</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Showrunners - Sarah Schechter and Chris Fedak</span></div>
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What's a sci-fi romance fan to do when her reading in 2018 took a nose dive? Why, watch DC's <i>Legends of Tomorrow</i>, of course!<br />
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In a nutshell, <i>Legends of Tomorrow</i> is about the adventures of a ragtag team of B-list superheroes as they travel through time to save Earth from power-hungry villains.<br />
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Many fans of the show agree that it became better with age. We stuck with it despite a lackluster first season and our efforts paid off. There are dozens of reasons to enjoy <i>Legends of Tomorrow</i> (each more over-the-top than the last), and for me one of the standout elements is the romance between White Canary, a.k.a. Sara Lance (Cathy Lotz) and Time Bureau Director Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan). Putting aside for the moment that the couple is a pair of eerily identical white women, it's been glorious to watch a compelling queer romance develop in a show with a firm sci-fi bent. Even when <i>Legends of Tomorrow</i> is at its wackiest ("Beebo the God of War," anyone?), Sara and Ava's romance anchors it with a relatable and meaningful bond.<br />
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Their romance, one between an ice princess and an assassin, unfolds across seasons three and four. Sara and Ava begin as professional rivals, which involves lots of testy exchanges even as sexual tension electrifies their every encounter. Then comes the angst as they struggle to make a romance bloom while facing barriers such as full-time jobs, managing a quirky superhero team, tragic pasts, dark secrets, danger, and, of course, an always-shifting timeline.<br />
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Throughout their romance we're treated to hot kisses, sultry looks, and witty banter galore. Another exciting aspect is that Ava and Sara are experts in their fields. Their smarts and skills are hopelessly addicting. Watching them battle alongside each other to defeat villains is nothing short of spectacular. Brains and brawn at its best!<br />
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Even better, as of right now Sara and Ava's romance has reached a happy point and shows no sign of ending nor heading towards tragedy. I sincerely hope that by the end of the series, Sara and Ava can stroll off into the sunset together. Or, more likely given their fantastical occupations, leap into another rollicking adventure.<br />
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Heather Massey is one of the founders of the SFR Galaxy Awards and has been a contributor to the Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly, LoveLetter Magazine, Coffee Time Romance, Tor.com, Heroes & Heartbreakers, SF Signal, and first gained recognition in the genre for her SFR-centered blog, The Galaxy Express. Read more on the <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a> page.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-50072181236487144892019-01-31T11:00:00.000-05:002019-01-31T11:00:11.694-05:002018 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 2 - Riley Moreland<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Potent Post-War Setting Award</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Aftermath</i> </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">(Hathe, #3)</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Mary Brock Jones</span></div>
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In <i>Aftermath</i>, the post war setting of Hathe and its people is a fascinating background. Because of the huge subterfuge the Hathe people pulled over on the Terrans (See books 1 and 2: <i>Resistance</i> and <i>Pay the Piper</i>), the Hathe population has become split between the population that stayed on Hathe and the rest of the population that escaped to the moon, Mathe, and hid there for the duration of the war. Known as the dirtsiders and the moonies, they are not re-integrating into the post-war world very well. The struggles between the two sides of the same people are often heartbreaking. <i>Aftermath</i> has a complex plot, engaging heroes and heroines, and disagreeable villains. The slow burning romance between Jacquel (the understated antihero of the first two books) and Rheia is satisfying. But their roles as revolutionaries in the post war situation are what makes this book a great read.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Steampunk Transport</span></b></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Raven, Fire and Ice </i></i><span style="font-weight: bold;">(Touch of Truth, #1) </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Nita Round</span></div>
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I do love steampunk and here is a new-to-me author that is serving up what I want. In <i style="font-weight: bold;">Raven, Fire and Ice</i><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>, Nita Round describes an airship that anyone would love to take a ride on. The airship is THE steampunk machine in this story that seems to take on a life of its own. Or maybe that life is due to the very able crew. The three main female characters, Lucinda Ravensburgh, who adds a bit of mysticism to the story, Magda Stoner, very capable airship captain, and Officer Ascara d’Jharaena ael Korphen (Officer Ascara for short), security officer, have a lovely flirtatious thing going. While their relationship does not reach the lovers stage they are clearly a very close group and I am anxiously awaiting the next book to see where they go. <br />
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<b><b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Arcane History Award</span></b></b></b><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Infinity</i> </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">(Horizon, #2) </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Tabitha Lord</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Infinity</i> </span>was released in 2017, but I discovered Tabitha Lord's <b style="font-weight: bold;">Horizon</b><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>series in 2018. The series spans multiple worlds all caught up in both their own struggles and otherworldly problems. The main world, Almagest, has a spotty history. By that I mean, much of the history is unknown, lost during war. However, it appears to be very important. In <i style="font-weight: bold;">Infinity</i><span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span>some of Almagest’s history is starting to be revealed through computer logs. But not all, so I can theorize all I want about what's what. Will my theories prove true? I'm waiting on the next book to find out. In addition to all the hidden history, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Infinity</i> includes Derek and Caeli, the hero and heroine from two different worlds who may be the key to saving everything. <br />
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<b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Arachnophobia Award for Creepiest Villain</span></b></b><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Lost Valyr</i> </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">(Project Enterprise, #7) </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Pauline Baird Jones</span></div>
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Villains get a bad rap. Yet, they can make or break a story. You know I'm right. So let's talk about the malefactor in <b style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Lost Valyr</i></b><span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span>Have I given away anything about the villain yet? Specifically, let’s talk about Xaddek. So, a giant spider as a bad guy. Personally, I like spiders in my garden. But up close, they are creeeeepy. No two ways about it, Zaddek is really bad! He has been known to eat his own crew members. That has got to hamper his overall effectiveness as a captain. <b style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Lost Valyr</i></b> also has one of the quirkiest romantic couples I had the pleasure to read about in 2018. Valyr rarely talks. Rachel makes up for it by filling in all the silent spaces. And did I mention they come from different planets?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Favorite Dog Hero</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Not Fade Away</i> (Interstellar Rescue, #4) </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">by Donna S. Frelick</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Not Fade Away's</i></b><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>heroine Charlie has a dog that I love. His name is Happy. This loving pup wriggles his way into everybody’s heart. Well, maybe not everybody, but at least the important people. Including me, the reader. Hero Rafe may not be too sure about a dog at first. He is not from Earth and has never seen a dog before, but Happy knows a good person when he sees one and eventually they warm to each other. With part of the action taking place on Earth and part off planet,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><b style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Not Fade Way</i></b><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>has constant action that overlays the understated, but crucial romance between Charlie and Rafe. A fantastic addition the <b style="font-weight: bold;">Interstellar Rescue</b> series.<br />
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Riley Moreland is a book reviewer at Whiskey With My Book and a Library Director. Read more on the <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a> page.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-18527698479763362702019-01-31T10:00:00.000-05:002019-01-31T10:00:00.425-05:002018 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 1 - Jo Jones<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Dream to Nightmare Plot</span></b></div>
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<b><i>An Alien Exchange</i></b></div>
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<b>by Keri Kruspe</b></div>
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<b>A lonely woman. An exiled alien prince. Can two different individuals find a way to be together to save the galaxy from a malicious plot threatening to tear it apart?</b><br />
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Aimee Gwiazdowski has a passion for Alien Abduction romance stories. She vicariously lives through the heroines of her books to escape her lonely, loveless life. Until one morning, she wakes up in a strange, white room where an alluring voice invites her to the “Exchange” to find love and adventure in another world. Did she dare believe it? Could she leave everything behind and take a chance to become one of those heroines who finds true love among the stars?<br />
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Exiled Prince Qayyum E’etu and commander of the space vessel StarChance has a mission—transport the human women to the Exchange along with an offer he can’t refuse: find evidence against rumored human trafficking connected with the Exchange. If he can successfully bring the traitors back to Zerin for justice, it would give him a chance to return home. How was he supposed to know that meeting a human woman would put everything he was working for in jeopardy?<br />
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As unforeseen evil slowly brews discord within the galaxy, it works to tear Aimee and Qay further apart. If they don’t learn to overcome their fears and trust the love they have for each other, the coming cataclysm will devastate not only Zerin, but Earth as well.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Use of World Building and Back Story to Jumpstart a Plot</span></b></div>
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<b><i>BreakAway</i></b></div>
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<b>by Michelle Diener</b></div>
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Sofie lives in the shadow of Felicitos--the tethered way station built to funnel Garmen's mineral wealth off-planet. Because Garmen is a breakaway planet, not part of the Verdant String Coalition, the companies that control it are free to run things as they see fit, and Sofie is part of the resistance that wants to end their rule.<br />
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What she really wants, though, is to get away from Garmen altogether, and leave the drudgery and violence behind her. But when she meets Leo Gaudier, a shadowy crime lord who she admires for his ability to cheat the companies that own Garmen, her goals become less clear--and when she stumbles on a terrible new direction the companies are taking, she struggles with whether she should stay and fight, or take her chance to escape.<br />
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Leo is all too aware he doesn't know enough about Sofie, something his own security detail is not slow to point out, but he can't keep away. When Sofie reveals her links to the resistance, and shows him those in control of Garmen have begun swimming in dangerous waters, he realizes his plan to overthrown them in a careful operation of a thousand cuts is no longer workable.<br />
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The time has come for a single, lethal strike--and that will not be without consequences.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Improvement After Rewriting</span></b></div>
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<b><i>Warleader</i> [<i>Moonstruck</i>] (The Borderlands) </b></div>
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<b>by Susan Grant</b></div>
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<b>Galactic Rules of Engagement:
#1: Enemies must not become lovers.
Welcome to the Borderlands, where rules are meant to be broken . . .</b><br />
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Admiral Brit Bandar is the Coalition's greatest starship commander. The outlaw known as the Scourge of the Borderlands taunted her in a galactic game of cat and mouse for years, but she never caught him. Now they're supposed to make peace and serve together on the same starship? Not so easy to do when your sworn enemy turns out to be the hottest piece you've ever seen.<br />
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Warleader Finn Rorkken doesn't care how many medals “Stone-Heart” Bandar has. He's going to show her what it's like to be pursued and caught by a master. Intergalactic peace is on the line, and if she wants his obedience, she'll have to pay his price. Challenge accepted, Admiral.
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Jo Jones is a retired pilot who shares her love of reading on her blog, Mixed Book Bag. Read more on the <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a> page.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-21212065490418047792019-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-31T08:00:16.770-05:00Welcome to the 2018 SFR Galaxy Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanks for joining us for the Seventh Annual SFR Galaxy Awards, recognizing standout books in science fiction romance. <br />
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<strong>Special Tribute</strong><br />
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We'd like to acknowledge that these awards were inspired by a giant in the Science Fiction/Fantasy community, author <a href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/obituaries/ursula-k-le-guin-acclaimed-for-her-fantasy-fiction-is-dead-at-88.html?referer=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>Ursula K. Le Guin</strong></a>, who passed on Monday, January 22, 2018. Her words created the context for the SFR Galaxy Awards. (<a href="http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/2013/01/coming-soon-first-annual-sfr-galaxy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More about that here</a>.) She is greatly missed as both author and inspiration.<br />
<br />
This year, we'll be presenting seven rounds of awards, beginning at 10AM Eastern Standard Time USA. We'd like to thank our panel of talented judges for their work in selecting the 2018 award recipients. This year we'll be presenting a total of 27 SFR Galaxy Awards.<br />
<br />
We'd also like to thank the original designer of this site's award banner, the multi-talented cover designer and editor <a href="https://www.daniellefine.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Danielle Fine</a>, and also extend our thanks to the original award icon designer, graphic artist <a href="http://www.kanaxa.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kanaxa</a>. The 2018 SFR Galaxy Awards banner was designed by Laurie Green.<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>More About the Awards</strong><br />
<br />
The SFR Galaxy Awards is an annual, multi-award event for science fiction romance books. The 2018 awards marks the <i>seventh</i> successive year the awards have been presented.<br />
<br />
The theme of the SFR Galaxy Awards is inclusiveness. Instead of giving an award to a single book, this event will recognize the worth of multiple books and/or the standout elements they contain. The basic philosophy behind this approach is to help connect readers with books. <br />
<br />
Each of seven judges are reviewers, book bloggers, librarians, editors and/or avid readers. You can find more information about them on the <b><a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a></b> page. Each judge may name one to multiple awards for standout science fiction romance, creating award categories based on their own criteria. They may also opt to provide additional details about the selectee and why they have made the selection.<br />
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Authors do not enter to win and are not aware they have won until the awards are announced.<br />
<br />
The focus is on the award year titles, however the judges may also make a selection from a prior year and a selection can be a science fiction romance film, television series, video, graphic novel or game. (Further information about guidelines and eligibility can be found on the <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/about.html">About the SFR Galaxy Awards</a> page.)<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Presentation of the Awards</strong> <br />
<br />
As in prior years, the awards will be posted in rounds (Eastern Standard Time USA): <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
10:00 AM - Jo Jones</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
11:00 AM - Riley Moreland</div>
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</div>
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12:00 PM - Heather Massey</div>
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</div>
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1:00 PM - Lee Koven</div>
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</div>
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2:00 PM - Marlene Harris</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
3:00 PM - Chris Stock</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
4:00 PM - KJ Van Houten</div>
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<div align="center">
Read more about the 2018 judges on the <strong><a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a></strong> page.</div>
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<br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for joining us for the </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">2018 SFR Galaxy Awards.</span></em></strong>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-85782846478837538502019-01-03T21:16:00.000-05:002019-01-06T17:45:40.102-05:00The 2018 SFR Galaxy Awards are Coming!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N9LdZGPiH6g/XC7Bk0bi6SI/AAAAAAAAIhw/x1KLAICZp8AYH6M1XAneN0fudWt8qXEEACLcBGAs/s1600/SFRGalaxyAwardsIcon_2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N9LdZGPiH6g/XC7Bk0bi6SI/AAAAAAAAIhw/x1KLAICZp8AYH6M1XAneN0fudWt8qXEEACLcBGAs/s1600/SFRGalaxyAwardsIcon_2018.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Please join us on Thursday, January 31, 2019</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>for the presentation of the 2018 SFR Galaxy Awards.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The awards will be posted by round every hour </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>beginning at 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time.</i></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-30410372905704818342018-02-01T17:55:00.000-05:002018-02-08T11:05:47.410-05:00Special Thanks: Sites Helping Celebrate 2017 AwardsThe 2017 SFR Galaxy Awards are a wrap, but we'd like to thank the following sites for helping celebrate and get the word out about this year's awards.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/02/08/veronica-scott-sfr-galaxy-awards-winners-share-inspirations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>SFR Galaxy Awards Winners Share Their Story Sparks</strong></a></div>
<div align="center">
USA TODAY Happy Ever After Sci-Fi Encounters</div>
<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2018/02/science-fiction-romance-awards-announced/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>Science Fiction Romance Awards Announced</strong></a></div>
<div align="center">
Amazing Stories Mag.com by Veronica Scott</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://whiskeywithmybook.wordpress.com/2018/02/01/6th-annual-sfr-galaxy-awards/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>Sixth Annual SFR Galaxy Awards</strong></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whiskey With My Book review site by Riley Moreland</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://jchay.com/2018/01/the-sfr-galaxy-awards-2017/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>The SFR Galaxy Awards, 2017</strong></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
JC Hay Science Fiction Opera Romance site<br />
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<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-32046071493129772802018-01-31T16:00:00.000-05:002018-01-31T16:00:34.375-05:002017 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 7 - Anna McLain<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UVXuBL6dwr0/Wl5ik3V-4QI/AAAAAAAAHwI/8lHS9gYOeCsKVPGIIvOIXkq4R5c9OqBjgCEwYBhgL/s1600/SFR%2BGalaxy%2BAwards%2Bbanner%2B6th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="1600" height="56" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UVXuBL6dwr0/Wl5ik3V-4QI/AAAAAAAAHwI/8lHS9gYOeCsKVPGIIvOIXkq4R5c9OqBjgCEwYBhgL/s400/SFR%2BGalaxy%2BAwards%2Bbanner%2B6th.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Hottest Cold War</strong></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KIvEdnyBp_I/Wl5ioAk6zRI/AAAAAAAAHwM/nsDOCVrQugYheB0WKYTYGd1R_yLP9QcgACEwYBhgL/s1600/Relaunch%2BMission%2BThe%2BGalactic%2BCold%2BWar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KIvEdnyBp_I/Wl5ioAk6zRI/AAAAAAAAHwM/nsDOCVrQugYheB0WKYTYGd1R_yLP9QcgACEwYBhgL/s320/Relaunch%2BMission%2BThe%2BGalactic%2BCold%2BWar.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em>Relaunch Mission (The Galactic Cold War)</em></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Robyn Bachar </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
April 24, 2017, Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.</div>
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The more things change, the more they remain the same. The distant future is as rife with diversity and interstellar travel as it is with political intrigue, spies, and a lust for power. <br />
<br />
Captain Lindana Nyota chose a side after the great war that split known space into three factions. Running missions for her chosen government as a privateer keeps her crew fed but doesn’t always keep crew or lovers alive. Now she’s alone, a man down, and stuck with the choice of depending on the person who shattered her heart and changed the course of her life. <br />
<br />
Lieutenant Gabriel Steele sacrificed his only love, his home and family to fight the good fight against the enemies of the State on his chosen side. But are there truly any “good” fights? Can trust broken be mended? Are there second chances? <br />
<br />
Life and love are messy when politics are dirty and there are whispers of war. <br />
<br />
I loved this story with its fast paced twists and turns, humor and high tech. The worldbuilding is broad and deep, with so many possible avenues to explore that I was left hungering for another book. Lucky me, there is one. All of the major characters were interesting and multi-faceted enough that I would love to read stories about them too. The romance plot weaves seamlessly through the larger story with a satisfying ending, building at the right pace for the circumstances. The chemistry between the heroine and her hero is hot and believable. Excellent story! I plan to read the next book. I highly recommend it! <br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-57996451619546472862018-01-31T15:00:00.000-05:002018-01-31T15:00:54.957-05:002017 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 6 - Lee Koven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PWRL67YpdEI/Wkz17_dE8tI/AAAAAAAAHpc/QeoPGqmo-r4XlOqGmmkekZUtIz0gIm_vQCLcBGAs/s1600/SFR%2BGalaxy%2BAwards%2Bbanner%2B6th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="1600" height="56" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PWRL67YpdEI/Wkz17_dE8tI/AAAAAAAAHpc/QeoPGqmo-r4XlOqGmmkekZUtIz0gIm_vQCLcBGAs/s400/SFR%2BGalaxy%2BAwards%2Bbanner%2B6th.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Best Politician Protagonist</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-huV_VCcVz-I/WlY3rmkJNxI/AAAAAAAAHuE/tAloW9g02hYHwFz_mq3zoDSO_nH3UqCwwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Perfect-Gravity-by-Vivien-Jackson%2B600x985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-huV_VCcVz-I/WlY3rmkJNxI/AAAAAAAAHuE/tAloW9g02hYHwFz_mq3zoDSO_nH3UqCwwCEwYBhgL/s320/Perfect-Gravity-by-Vivien-Jackson%2B600x985.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>Perfect Gravity</strong></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Vivien Jackson </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Senator Angela Neko has ambitions. She's made big sacrifices for them. She's going to guide her country into the future. She makes plans and follows through with amazing self-control. When a rather large wrench is thrown into said plans, she seeks aid from a group that includes her old friend and lover, Kellen. Watching her try to reconcile their past with the different people they’ve become is compelling.
<br />
<br />
Angela has enough flaws to keep her interesting, and I loved watching her grapple with those. She's able to change her plans, adapt to new situations, and gets the better of her enemies without having to punch or shoot anybody.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Best Athlete Superstar</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-niGpt4YhSeU/WlY4DqLslfI/AAAAAAAAHuE/l51Tcrvdoy0uILXqd9RMHTHVIfQziXyjwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Race%2Bto%2BRedemption%2B333x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-niGpt4YhSeU/WlY4DqLslfI/AAAAAAAAHuE/l51Tcrvdoy0uILXqd9RMHTHVIfQziXyjwCEwYBhgL/s320/Race%2Bto%2BRedemption%2B333x500.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>Race to Redemption</strong></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Shari Elder </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Elaina Carteret is a pro race pilot and on the corporate board at StormTech. She's an intergalactic hotshot with money, fame, and whoever she wants to bed. But how does she cope when she’s forced to give up that lifestyle?
<br />
<br />
Lainie develops a lot over the course of the book. She puts her skills to use by flying medical transports, saving some lives and finding purpose she didn't have before. She's forced outside her stardom and comfort zone, and learns to care for others and put them first when they're in need. By the end of the novel, she's proved she's worthy of Erik’s love and has the total support of the reader.
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Best Hacker Heroine</strong><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVQmCwOVtG0/WlY6ipIDMLI/AAAAAAAAHug/3hukLJ00vnEcgeN_l-2x2R1dWA9YQ9mVQCEwYBhgL/s1600/SouthSeasSalvation2_HR_JCHay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVQmCwOVtG0/WlY6ipIDMLI/AAAAAAAAHug/3hukLJ00vnEcgeN_l-2x2R1dWA9YQ9mVQCEwYBhgL/s320/SouthSeasSalvation2_HR_JCHay.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>South Seas Salvation</strong></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by JC Hay </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Yashilla has ports in her head and interface keys in her skin. She’s cocky, but she has the skills to back up her pride. She prefers the abstract world of computers, connections, and data to the one where she has to interact with flesh, physical objects, and those messy things we call emotions. That doesn't stop her from getting involved with Zar, but it does make her relationships extra perilous.
<br />
<br />
It’s easier for her to escape into the virtual world than to deal with old pain. However, the mission she goes on to make the mother of all names for herself forces her to confront her weaknesses. Yashilla’s fears are believable, and I sympathized with her mistakes. They make her triumph all the more sweet.
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Best Currency</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLWEwWVMHZ4/WlY4R2p2J3I/AAAAAAAAHuY/FszUvXoO7BwqsRonua4cj_dGT85bzSnkgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Scions%2Bof%2Bthe%2BStar%2BEmpire%2B-%2BScandal%2B323x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLWEwWVMHZ4/WlY4R2p2J3I/AAAAAAAAHuY/FszUvXoO7BwqsRonua4cj_dGT85bzSnkgCEwYBhgL/s320/Scions%2Bof%2Bthe%2BStar%2BEmpire%2B-%2BScandal%2B323x500.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>Scions of the Star Empire - Scandal</strong></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Athena Grayson </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
In today's world, I never hear the end of how we must market ourselves and be careful with our personal brands. Celebrities are measured with their clout in followers and friends. The more of a public figure someone is, the more they need to protect their image with appropriate behavior. That image is worth money, usually in endorsements.
<br />
<br />
Grayson takes this idea to one of its logical conclusions: celebrities as variable-value entities you can invest in. The characters in <em>Scandal</em> have to be very careful with how they present themselves so that their Social Capital scores don't plummet or get too volatile. Young nobles try to accumulate enough SoCap to get out of the game and achieve some measure of independence, but a high score will also bring them to the attention of the ruling Trust. The Trust have plans of their own, and are only too happy to use the protagonists to enact them. It's a fine line to walk, and the characters in Scandal have just hit the point where they can no longer thread that needle.
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Most Interesting Aliens</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpxJcnW6Rc0/WlY4csH1dII/AAAAAAAAHuY/L5d3Xt5k67IoM_-x3F5hmAMW9DzA1M7HQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Diffraction%2B317x415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpxJcnW6Rc0/WlY4csH1dII/AAAAAAAAHuY/L5d3Xt5k67IoM_-x3F5hmAMW9DzA1M7HQCEwYBhgL/s320/Diffraction%2B317x415.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em>Diffraction</em> </strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Jess Anastasi </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Reidar are hidden among humanity, able to assume people's identities (after killing them so there are fewer questions asked). Early in the Atrophy series I found them a nebulous antagonist, but as events have progressed, I've learned more about these decidedly unsexy aliens.
<br />
<br />
I don't know what they want from we humans, or why. Their actions so far have shown it can't be anything good. The Reidar see humans as we’d see ants, but we’re important to some plan of theirs. And that's what makes them terrifying—and interesting.
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Best Romance Plot in a Science Fiction Video Game</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VV8sNqJ2o0I/WlY4fE5u_XI/AAAAAAAAHuY/PbaGgrZuQAsg9pCGbXO4OujVdaRu5fztACEwYBhgL/s1600/Neir%2BAutomata%2Bgame%2B570x513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="570" height="288" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VV8sNqJ2o0I/WlY4fE5u_XI/AAAAAAAAHuY/PbaGgrZuQAsg9pCGbXO4OujVdaRu5fztACEwYBhgL/s320/Neir%2BAutomata%2Bgame%2B570x513.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>Nier: Automata</strong></em> <br />
(for PS4 and PC) </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Emotions are forbidden to androids, but they pine for each other anyway. 2B has her reasons for not getting involved, despite returning 9S’s feelings. What does it mean for a person who can be restored from backup to love? How does it change the relationship if you are doomed to forget parts of it?
<br />
<br />
2B and 9S walk a long road in their constant battle against other machines. On the way, several tragedies punch them in the face. Helped along by their robot assistants and a prototype android, they endure through horrible ordeals before they can earn their happy ending. The moments between them are poignant, and the profound sense of relief I felt at the end of the game was something that I only experience every few years.
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-46622324466881066902018-01-31T14:00:00.001-05:002018-01-31T17:22:14.750-05:002017 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 5 - Jo Jones<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CelFdAN3etU/WkvWtfOPq4I/AAAAAAAAHpM/JEzPmMqpXuc8it0iG6aDES1C_tXjfP9PgCEwYBhgL/s1600/SFR%2BGalaxy%2BAwards%2Bbanner%2B6th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="1600" height="56" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CelFdAN3etU/WkvWtfOPq4I/AAAAAAAAHpM/JEzPmMqpXuc8it0iG6aDES1C_tXjfP9PgCEwYBhgL/s400/SFR%2BGalaxy%2BAwards%2Bbanner%2B6th.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Best Post Apocalyptic World Building</strong> <br />
</div>
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<em><strong>The Rule of Luck</strong></em> </div>
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by Catherine Cerveny </div>
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<strong>Most Interesting Plot Twist</strong> <br />
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<em><strong>Chains of Freedom</strong></em> </div>
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by Audrey Sharpe <br />
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<strong>Best Way to Make a Dream Come True</strong> <br />
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<strong><em>Mikolos</em> </strong> </div>
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by Ruby Lionsdrake </div>
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<strong>Best Way to Change a May/December Pairing</strong> <br />
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<em><strong>Flying Through Fire</strong></em> </div>
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by Nina Croft </div>
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<strong>Best Opening Scene</strong> <br />
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<em><strong>Rescuing Prince Charming</strong></em> </div>
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by Edward Hoornaert </div>
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<strong>Best and Most Coveted Cat</strong> <br />
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<em><strong>For the Greater Good: Puss in Space</strong></em> </div>
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by Greta van der Rol </div>
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<strong>One of the Best and Most Interesting Aliens this Year</strong><br />
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<strong><em>Unexpected</em> </strong></div>
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by Pippa Jay </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-90771156147692076732018-01-31T13:00:00.001-05:002018-01-31T13:01:07.809-05:002017 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 4 - Riley Moreland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tgR6aPasjzM/WlYyFkCmIZI/AAAAAAAAHtg/AXfsPCipOLEV5cD-oKtDBGIPvo3IfRw-QCLcBGAs/s1600/SFR%2BGalaxy%2BAwards%2Bbanner%2B6th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="1600" height="56" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tgR6aPasjzM/WlYyFkCmIZI/AAAAAAAAHtg/AXfsPCipOLEV5cD-oKtDBGIPvo3IfRw-QCLcBGAs/s400/SFR%2BGalaxy%2BAwards%2Bbanner%2B6th.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong>Best Original Story</strong><br />
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<strong><em>Dustwalker</em> </strong></div>
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by Tiffany Roberts </div>
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When I was half way through <em>Dustwalker</em>, I knew it was going to be one of my 2017 favorites. This post-apocalyptic epic scores big with me in all my scoring categories: Complex characters, intricate plot, intense emotional situations, humanity being tested, slow-burning romance, interesting secondary characters and a really good villain. The story of human Lara and synth Ronin has all of this and more, including an epilog that will make you cry. <br />
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<strong>Best High-Tech Love Making</strong> </div>
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<em><strong>Wanted and Wired</strong></em> </div>
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by Viven Jackson </div>
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Technology, whether it is computers or programming or hackers or robots, is hard to make interesting to this reader. Vivien Jackson makes tech fascinating. She has a knack for stringing a bunch of words together to form a very readable sentence. Any subject is new and exciting in her hands. Even sex. I admit, I am the reader that just scans the sex passages in order to get to the good stuff. But Heron Farad, high-tech genius, puts a whole new spin on making love and I read every word when he and Mari got together. Mix the sizzling sex with a high voltage plot and you have one of my favorites of the year. <em> Wanted and Wired</em> was quickly followed by book 2 in the series, <em>Perfect Gravity</em>, which is also a feast of words! <br />
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<strong>Beyond Book 3 Award</strong></div>
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<em><strong>Found Girl (Project Enterprise, #6)</strong></em> </div>
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by Pauline Baird Jones </div>
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There are many series that I stop reading after 2 or 3 books because the plot becomes predicable or the book is formulaic. Not so with the Project Enterprise series. Each book in this series has been so very unique. Connecting characters and technology are what hold the series together, but each book stands on it's own. <em> Found Girl</em> introduces some new aliens that are so not humanoid. Not even close. There is also a heroine, Arian, that gets more mysterious with each new thing you learn about her. Jones' creativity astounds me and never ceases to entertain! <br />
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<strong>Favorite Cat Hero</strong>
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<em><strong>Cypher (The Dragon's Bidding, #2)</strong></em> </div>
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by Christina Westcott </div>
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<em>Cypher</em> was actually published in 2016, but I did not get around to reading it until 2017. I love The Dragon's Bidding series, and Jumper is the main reason why. Don't get me wrong, <em>Cypher</em> has galactic politics, an evil villain, a kick-ass heroine, a split-personality hero that really mixes things up, and heart-breaking emotions. All great things in a novel. But Jumper, the talking cat, is one of my favorite cats of all time. With his spot-on ability to state the obvious, a line like “Oh shit, we are so screwed.” lets you know that things are not going as well as they could. <br />
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<strong>Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover Award</strong></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-niGpt4YhSeU/WlY4DqLslfI/AAAAAAAAHuE/l51Tcrvdoy0uILXqd9RMHTHVIfQziXyjwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Race%2Bto%2BRedemption%2B333x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-niGpt4YhSeU/WlY4DqLslfI/AAAAAAAAHuE/l51Tcrvdoy0uILXqd9RMHTHVIfQziXyjwCEwYBhgL/s320/Race%2Bto%2BRedemption%2B333x500.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<em><strong>Race to Redemption (Green Rising, #1)</strong></em> </div>
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by Shari Elder </div>
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We all do it. Get sucked in by a pretty book cover. Or put off by a cover because of preconceptions. Based on the cover of <em>Race to Redemption</em> (a lingerie-clad woman and a shirtless man), I would never have guessed the depth of the story that would be found within the pages. In addition to a slow-burning romance, you will find class conflict, a desert planet, flawed characters, sick kids and lots of high-flying action in this book. Shari Elder is a skilled, imaginative writer who wrote a thrilling book with a lot of twists and much less lingerie than you would think. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-39673316184270806802018-01-31T12:00:00.000-05:002018-01-31T12:00:09.893-05:002017 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 3 - Marlene Harris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong>To Everything There is a Season, the Turn, Turn, Turn Award</strong> </div>
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<em><strong>War Games (Valiant Knox #4)</strong></em> </div>
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by Jess Anastasi </div>
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As the old song from the 1960s goes, “To everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season (turn, turn, turn) and a time to every purpose, under heaven.” <br />
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There is a time for everything. And sometimes it is time for a series to end. And sometimes series don’t end when they should, but that’s a different (and not award-winning) post. <br />
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The Valiant Knox series is a marvelous piece of ship-based, space-opera science fiction romance. The crew of the <em>Valiant Knox</em> and the alliance that they represent is fighting essentially a guerilla war against a planet of fundamentalist whack-jobs. Or at least, the leadership are fundamentalist whack-jobs and the general population is rightfully too scared to resist the guns pointed at their heads. <br />
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The series is not about the whole war from beginning to end, although it could have been, and it would have been fascinating. Instead, what we see in the series is the end game. The self-aggrandizing planetary leader is dying and the Alliance is hoping, and working hard towards, getting the planet out from under as part of the inevitable power-scramble. <br />
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Each book in the series has featured one couple who are both somewhere in the hierarchy of the <em>Valiant Knox</em> (itself a cross between Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica and Deep Space 9) as they fight the good fight, fall in love, and try desperately to look towards a galaxy at peace - if they can get there.<br />
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The series has featured one former POW, one fighter pilot, one spy and one security chief, all roles that put them in the thick of the fighting but give them very different perspectives. We’d seen different positions, different romances and watched the fight go from nearly impossible to wrapped up and over. It was a great story but it was time to go. <br />
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And now this series is perfect for recommending to people who want to try SFR and/or love space opera but don’t want to get strung out in a series that never ends. Because it’s a wrap - and a great one. <br />
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<strong>Best Lost Colony Series (The If It Walks Like a Duck Award) </strong></div>
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<strong><em>Heart Sight (Celta’s Heartmates #15)</em></strong> <br />
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by Robin D. Owens </div>
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Some people are going to wonder what this book is doing here, because the Celta series reads very much like fantasy romance and not SFR. But just like Anne McCaffrey’s Pern and Jayne Castle’s Harmony, Celta is a lost Earth colony, founded by refugees from Earth escaping on a spaceship, and that puts it firmly into the realm of science fiction, and therefore science fiction romance - because there’s a romance in every story. </div>
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The reason that the original Celtans ran from Earth was because they were not welcome, and in fact were persecuted, because they all possessed some version of psychic talent. The planet Celta, while deadly to many of the Earthan plants and animals, and definitely not kind to the original generation of settlers, possessed something that enhanced those psychic abilities. Now, most Celtans have at least some gift, that they call flair, that determines both their status in society and their best way to contribute to that society. </div>
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That the world of Celta feels like a place one could actually live makes this series especially fun. Even with the trials and tribulations that often beset our heroes and heroines, this is a world that feels like it works. </div>
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This year’s entry in the series features Vinni T’Vine, the Prophet of Celta. Vinni really can see glimpses of the future - well, any future except his own. But this story is not about his gift, except indirectly. Instead, this is a coming of age story, and it’s also a story about two people who have always loved each other learning to become true partners. </div>
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To add icing on this marvelous cake, part of the native fauna of Celta are “fams”, companion animals who can speak with their people. The fams of all species provide both companionship as well as the occasional bit of comic relief. And as many fams are descendants of Earthan felines, plenty of cattitude whenever required. </div>
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<strong>Most Broken Butterfly Award (Time Not in the Bottle)</strong> </div>
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<strong><em>The Jane Austen Project</em></strong> </div>
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by Kathleen A. Flynn </div>
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One of the questions that lingers over time travel stories is the bit about how much the characters should, shouldn’t, can, or can’t affect the original timeline. Most of the time, there’s a prohibition on changing the timeline in any way for fear that a change in the past will alter the present, not just in negative ways but possibly even beyond recognition. </div>
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That’s the concept that gets turned on its head in The Jane Austen Project. The mission of the project is to send two people back in time to not merely meet but actually interact with the author Jane Austen. The mission that Rachel and Liam have been rigorously trained for is to find a way into Jane Austen’s inner circle by romancing Jane’s brother Henry, sneak a look at Jane’s final unpublished and utterly lost manuscript, and diagnose the disease that killed her. The trick is that they will be spending a year back in 1815, and they are not supposed to change anything or leave any evidence of their presence. </div>
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Of course it’s impossible. It’s the immersion in that impossibility, and its results, that make <em>The Jane Austen Project</em> so utterly absorbing. </div>
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<strong>Tastiest Cheese in Video Game Romance </strong></div>
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<strong><em>Mass Effect Andromeda</em></strong> <br />
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from Bioware </div>
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One of the things I love about Bioware games, both the science fiction Mass Effect series and the fantasy Dragon Age series, is that the player creates a character that can really represent themselves, and has the opportunity to be not just a fighter but also a lover. Admittedly, some of the actual romance scenes are a bit cheesy (sometimes dripping with cheese!) but the way that the choices work and how they affect the character and the story make exploring those romance options one of the reasons that I replay the games as often as I do. </div>
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So even though Mass Effect Andromeda had such a poor showing as a video game that it seems to have killed the franchise, I still love all of its possibilities for romance, and the very different romance tropes that it explored. </div>
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My personal favorite is the “bad boy makes good” romance. Admittedly, this one also has the most interesting options for fan fiction, because what we see on screen only hints at all the delicious possibilities. But this is far from the only romance available. </div>
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There’s a “just kids coming of age” romance between the player character and one of the less emotionally mature crew members. But there are also other crewmember romances that go in different directions. One is with dear old dad’s very serious and buttoned-down second-in-command, who initially resents the player for taking the place that she believes she should have had. </div>
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Two of the options are strictly same-sex romances, one with the scientist who still believes in a supreme being and the other with a “rules are meant to be broken” engineer who grows into a responsible co-parent with the help of the player character. </div>
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And those are just the human options. The non-human options are equally varied, and just as fascinating. One of the species that humans meet in Andromeda is an entire race of people who all wear their hearts on their sleeves all the time about absolutely everything. A romance with someone who loves everyone and is never afraid to show it to everybody is certainly different. </div>
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Some romances are same-sex only. Some are opposite-sex only. And quite a few are possible regardless of the gender chosen for the player character. But they are all fascinating, all different, and all have varying effects on the player, the character, and the game. </div>
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This is true for all of the Bioware games, and it’s a part of the experience that has gotten richer (and slightly less cheesy) as their series have continued. Think of these games a “choose your own adventure” romance, with occasional (well, more than occasional) battle scenes. </div>
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And just for the record, the romance options in the original Mass Effect Trilogy are all absolutely heartbreaking. If you go there, and I recommend going there, bring lots of tissues. </div>
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<strong>Best Distraction Award</strong> </div>
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<em><strong>Crashed on an Ice World (Phoenix Adventures #9)</strong></em> </div>
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by Anna Hackett </div>
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Anna Hackett has won multiple SFR Galaxy Awards since she began writing SFR with At Star’s End, and this year is no exception. </div>
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Anna is my go-to author when I really, really need a distraction from whatever feces are hitting whichever oscillating device. I read Anna the night of the 2016 election when I could no longer bear to watch the unfolding train wreck. </div>
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What makes Anna’s books such a good distraction? I think it has to do with the nature of SFR in general, and how she does it in particular. SFR is always a balancing act, the SFnal worldbuilding needs to be well-done, fully fleshed, hang together, make sense, however one wants to put that. Hers always does. In the case of the Phoenix Adventures, we have space opera, with two sets of cousins operating at nearly opposite ends of a far-flung galaxy after a human diaspora. Planet Earth is supposed to be a nuclear wasteland and when we do visit, it sort of is - definitely nuclear, if not quite as wasted as rumor had it. </div>
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That there would be treasure hunters looking for the lost treasures of the dead homeworld makes sense. And that’s where the other side of the SFR teeter-totter comes in, because in order for it to be SFR there doesn’t just need to be SF, there also has to be R. The romance, whether it ends in an HEA or an HFN (and one of Anna’s series only makes sense as HFN) that romance has to his squarely in the center of the SF story. And, in the case of Crashed on an Ice World, hot enough to melt that ice. </div>
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But part of what I love best about Anna’s romances are her heroines. There are no damsels in distress. There are, in fact, no damsels at all, but very strong and usually quite different women who have charge of their own lives, but whose lives can be made better by the right man, who does not sweep them off their feet but does stand beside them fighting the good fight. </div>
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That many of her heroines are geeky enough to make them easy for me to identify with is icing on a very tasty cake. </div>
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<em>Crashed on an Ice World</em> arrived just in time for Xmas. It turned out that I really, really needed a distraction this holiday. I found myself getting lost in Anna’s latest Phoenix Adventure as I sat by my mother’s bedside while she was in hospice. This marvelous story took me away mentally from someplace that I desperately needed to be in physically when I just couldn’t cope anymore. </div>
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The cold of Anna’s ice world, and the heat of the romance, kept me from going out of my mind or flying off into pieces. And I’m more grateful than I can say. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-89712912592972108732018-01-31T11:00:00.000-05:002018-01-31T11:00:07.632-05:002017 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 2 - Heather Massey<div style="text-align: center;">
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<strong>The SFR Cryo-Ship Future We Want</strong> </div>
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<strong><em>In Ageless Sleep</em></strong> </div>
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by Arden Ellis <br />
(<a href="https://lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_bookx_info&cPath=115&products_id=1322&zenid=fv7f7osiijn4l7884hmh39knv5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Less Than Three Press</a>)</div>
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Arden Ellis' <em>In Ageless Sleep</em> proved to me once again that sci-fi romance authors are the experts when it comes to stories blending science and romance.<br />
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If you've heard anything about the 2016 "sci-fi romance" film <em>Passengers</em>, it's that the film was reported by many to be a hot mess. I, for one, avoided it after reading reports of highly problematic elements. <br />
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While perusing the catalog of Less Than Three Press many months later, the blurb for <em>In Ageless Sleep</em> intrigued me because I wanted to see what an SFR author could accomplish with a similar premise. Like <em>Passengers</em>, <em>In Ageless Sleep</em> takes place on a cryo-ship. Also like <em>Passengers</em>, one <em>In Ageless Sleep</em> character wakes up another during the long journey. At that point, the stories diverge wildly. After finishing the story, my first thought was, "<em>In Ageless Sleep</em> is the movie <em>Passengers</em> should have been, and should have aspired to become." <br />
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Indeed, I am here to say that an SFR novella by a little-known author blew a wannabe Hollywood blockbuster film out of the water.
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Heroine Mal is a soldier, but is on a mission with criminal undertones. When the story opens, she's hijacked The Royal Arc with the intent of kidnapping Princess Aurora, all as part of a centuries-long war between the Reaches and the Sovereigns. Mal's reason for rousing Aurora from cryo sleep is selfless and a far cry from the creepy reason involved in Passengers. So right there we have a dynamic that demonstrates not only a more well-thought out premise, but also a lovely bit of characterization. Even though Mal has done a nefarious deed, she has one redeeming quality that prevents her from surrendering fully to the dark side. <br />
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<em>In Ageless Sleep</em> also outperforms <em>Passengers</em> as far as representation because one of the heroines has a disability and the other is a woman of color. Diversity of the main characters makes for a much more realistic futuristic setting. I especially appreciate the description of Mal's physical characteristics. There's nothing wrong with fantasy bodies in SFR, but Mal feeds my craving for body diversity and ordinary, relatable body types.<br />
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The story features an interracial lesbian romance and is for fans of enemies-to-lovers stories as well as romances with characters who come from opposite sides of the track. The story packs in plenty of witty banter and relatable, flawed, characters. Both Mal and Aurora have cool skill sets. Also, the story, through their relationship, addresses issues like classism. In Ageless Sleep is a great example of how one bakes science and social commentary into a delicious romance.<br />
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I'm still rather stunned that I discovered <em>In Ageless Sleep</em>. I didn't discover it because of a multi-million-dollar marketing campaign that put it right under my nose. Rather, I found it on my own as part of my never-ending quest to consume stories that serve my needs by including elements of interest to me (e.g., LGBQTIA couples, the female gaze, heroic female characters). What are the chances someone would write the perfect antidote to a Hollywood film that, despite an estimated $110,000,000 budget, seems to fail SFR fans on nearly every level? Thank heaven Arden Ellis took that chance, because it made this sci-fi romance reader very happy!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-58342145873779247032018-01-31T10:00:00.001-05:002018-01-31T10:16:19.099-05:002017 SFR Galaxy Awards Round 1 - Chris Stock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong>Best Dare Award</strong> </div>
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<em><strong>Claim the Wolf King</strong></em> </div>
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by Meg Xuemei X <br />
(released Sept. 2017) </div>
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This is the prequel in the series <em>The Wickedest Witch</em> by Meg Xuemei X and takes place on a desolate planet. For some mysterious reason any space ship that gets too close to the planet looses all energy and crashes.<br />
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The inhabitants of the planet are all crash survivors that have bonded together in different groups. Each group fights over the resources whenever a new ship goes down. The groups are divided in various supernatural, alien and human groups.<br />
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The humans, including the female hero, general Kaara (who is a strong empath), have found safety with their witch leader. However, the witch is actually the queen of a planet and Kaara is her former bodyguard and friend. They were betrayed and sent to exile to the planet. The memory of the queen was erased and furthermore, every morning the queen looses the memory of the previous day. A dangerous situation because the queen can kill with a blink of an eye with her mental powers. Only Kaara keeps her stable and — despite the queen's memory loss — she still trusts her.<br />
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The book opens with a brutal and fierce fighting scene that draws the reader in and introduces Marrok, the arrogant leader of the wolf shifters. <br />
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A ship has crashed and every party hopes to win the bounty in it. The humans are no match against the supernaturals; Kaara decides to help the shifters with her men in hopes of getting a share of whatever is inside the ship. After the fight is won, Marrok is not willing to give the humans a share without a good reason. Kaara feels that there is an entity in the ship, she dares Marrok to beat her reaching the entity first. He agrees to the game, thinking it an easy win because he is faster and his senses are far better than that of any human. He is also intrigued with the powerful little human fighter. If Kaara wins, she'll get a third of the spoils, but if Marrok wins, she has to tell him where she comes from and he'll get a kiss from her. <br />
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Kaara knows Marrok wants more than a kiss and oh, she will need all her wits to escape his tempting body and mind.<br />
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The story is a fun combination of supernatural and science fiction with strong characters and a wicked love story. This book packs a punch.
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<strong>Award for the Fiercest Mom</strong>
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<em><strong>The Emperor's Mate</strong></em> </div>
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by May Sage <br />
(released Sept. 2017)</div>
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This new release has been re-edited. According to critics, the old version (<em>Rise, Rage and Rule</em>) of 2016 had a lot of flaws. Being re-edited changed it to a new book, and made it a must-read. Reading this, I gave it a shot and did not regret it. It made me stay up all night — that doesn't happen to me that often anymore.<br />
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Center of the story and unlikely hero is a young woman, Lena, with a mysterious past. She lives in a world that has a deal with aliens who don't have enough females who can have children. The aliens are so hi-tech, they hi-teched the wombs from their women away. Seriously nerdy aliens with too much brain, too much muscle and no common sense. <br />
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This storyline has been used so often, that I rolled my eyes at the introduction. But, boy does it change from there. Most books would stop after hero meets girl, marries/mates girl and having a baby, which would be the grand ending for a HEA. In this case it is just the beginning. <br />
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The hero is the emperor of his people. Lena was supposed to be an incubator for his child and nothing more. That was before her child was kidnapped. Now, the aliens will learn not to mess with a human mom. She goes for the throats and all her emperor can do is to go along for the ride and cheer her on. The characters are so much fun, you want to join in the race for the happy ending. And, the happy ending is just the beginning for the next chapter.<br />
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<strong>Best Epic Story — It's A Stinger Award</strong>
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<em><strong>Destroyer — Hidden Planet Book 1</strong></em> </div>
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by Anna Carven <br />
(released Dec. 12, 2017)</div>
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He has never asked anyone for help, she never trusted anybody. Two warriors clash in an epic story.<br />
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Planet Khira used to be home to a mysterious race, the Drakhin. One day the entire race vanishes, leaving only one huge starship behind hovering over the planet.<br />
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The Vradhu race are technophobes of the worst order. Without technology they became fierce fighters and survivors. Strong, rugged looking creatures with one sneaky adaptation of nature: They have a tail that ends in a stinger with deadly toxin. The Vradhu are scratching out a living while the former slave-race of the Drakhin, the Naaga, conquer the planet with the help of the tech that their old masters left behind.<br />
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It's a trap! When the only source of fresh water is spoiled, a hunting party of the Vradhu, under the leadership of Ares, is sent to find out what happened to the water.<br />
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When Ares and his party arrive at the source, the white-eyed (eek) Naaga ambush them.<br />
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When the hunting party and Ares wake up, they find themselves on the ancient spaceship.<br />
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Turns out, the weak Naaga have an alien rodent infestation, the hunters are forced under threat to hunt and kill them. <br />
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The plan of the Naaga backfires when the sentient ship hooks its mental and metal claws into the mind of Ares to the shock of his fellow hunters. Who will survive the battle of minds? Ares has more to loose than just his mind. His eerie new powers that he gets from the ship alienates him from his own men. Will Ares men stick with him or abandon him because of his corruption with technology?<br />
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This is when the third party steps in:<br />
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The human captain Calexa Acura and her crew tumble into this situation after a battle against a ship of the slaver race Paxnath and a jump through an unknown wormhole that takes them through the eerie Netherverse. <br />
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The ship and crew don't get a breather and neither does the reader. Heavily damaged, the ship can't move and gets sucked into the ominous and giant ship of the Drakhin, a ship now under control of Ares and his men.<br />
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While Calexa is used to aliens in her part of the Universe, the alien she and her crew watches approaching from the safety of their ship is unknown to her. They are huge (of course), muscled and barbaric looking.<br />
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Calexa has no choice than to meet the alien, the ship's power is failing, the oxygen is depleted, weapons are down and the repairs too vast to get done soon. And, as captain, she goes alone, only protected by her combat suit and helmet.<br />
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When Calexa crashes with Ares (who is covered by armor from top to toe, created by the metal of the ship that he can bend and move with his will), it gets explosive. <br />
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Neither trusts the other, they speak different languages and, freaked out how the metal of Ares armor suddenly reaches towards Calexa the fight begins, and she looses. <br />
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When Ares sees her the first time without the helmet he is fascinated by her exotic looks that are so different from his race. That she is a woman and a warrior amazes him. <br />
<br />
Sparks fly and the enemies become weary allies against evil lurking in the ship. There is still danger from the treacherous Naaga who are trying to break the connection between Ares and the ship by trying to kill him. Ares main goal is to get out of the sentient ship and the unnatural technological mess and bring his men back to the planet. Calexa only wants to get her ship repaired, her crew saved and head home, despite her growing attraction to Ares. <br />
<br />
The main characters Calexa and Ares fit together, both are fighters struggling with and against their circumstances. Both are fiercely protective of their friends and team. For the first time Calexa feels vulnerability when Ares becomes protective of her, and he knows that he might just be the biggest danger to her life because of the changes that the ship forced on him. They unite forces to escape the monstrous sentient ship. <br />
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The author masters the complexity of writing down the feelings those two battle-hardened warriors have and shows the tender side of them. <br />
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There are many twists and turns in this book, each one well-thought out and well-written. While the Naaga play the evil counterparts, the other Vradhu of Ares' hunting party are multi-faceted. They could be violent and a danger to the crew, or they could become their saviors. <br />
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The story pulls you in and you can't get away until you read the last page ... only to crave more. However, their is hope, the title of the book, <em>Destroyer — Hidden Planet</em> carries the <em>No. 1</em>, which promises more stories to come. <br />
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<strong>Best Placed Sex Scenes Award</strong>
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<em><strong>Kayzon's Wish — Alien Bounty Hunters Book 3</strong></em> </div>
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by Michele Mills <br />
(released May 22, 2017) </div>
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Did I get your attention with this award? I thought so. My biggest pet-peeve are lazy authors who willy-nilly start spreading sex scenes throughout their books. You can't fool me, you just didn't have enough material to fill the mandatory pages for your publisher. I might exaggerate a bit, but some books would be better off with only two or three sex scenes instead of the five or six some have. Quality over quantity. <br />
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This author did it right. <br />
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I jumped into the series with the third book,<em> Kayzon's Wish</em>. You don't need to read the books in order, the author states, so I didn't. <br />
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The hero is really an anti-hero. Xylan Warrior Kayzon of Twenty-Six is a beast, a monster, scarred and ugly — that's what he thinks of himself and what he sees in the eyes of those around him. He has some serious issues stemming from the Xylan culture he grew up in. The entire series is based around the alien bounty hunter guild, specifically Xylan Warriors such as Kayzon, who were kicked out of their society. The universe is a mix of races where humans are the endangered species and not to be interacted with. Of course, that means the humans and Earth have a target on them — evil aliens love to mess with exotic creatures. <br />
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In “Kayzon's Wish,” Kayzon follows a fugitive to a remote planet that is inhabited by humans. Sneaky evil aliens have been kidnapping thousands of humans and used the planet to dump them and have them produce babies. The pitiful humans are kept under lock and key and most importantly — away from any contact with the civilized universe. In steps huge fanged Kayzon. Not only is he surprised encountering all the humans, but during the hunt for his illusive criminal, he encounters tiny Kia. A girl that doesn't take “No” for an answer. (I liked her right away.) <br />
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She thinks of him as the most handsome male in the world. He thinks of her as an annoying female. She wants to become a bounty hunter and just when she gets Kayzon to listen the evil aliens come down and grab her to experiment on her. Kayzon sees her fighting and she shows super strength and speed, which impresses him. When the evil aliens (I really like writing evil aliens) try to drag her up to their spaceship, Kayzon drags her down, accidentally touching flesh-on-flesh. <br />
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This touching flesh-on-flesh between unmated male and female Xylans triggers — if they genetically fit — a release of mating hormones. They get aroused for the first time in their life. Not only the first time, but they will only be attracted to that one person. <br />
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Guess what? That happens with Kayzon and human Kia. <br />
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Usually I don't like when the girl gives away the goods too early in the story, but here it fits, it has a fun and rather interesting tradition behind it and, the story really gets better and better with involvement of family, the mysterious prisoner who is not out of the picture, the bounty hunter guild, a planet of humans to free, an epic battle and did I mention … evil aliens. <br />
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There are some typos and minor issues, but nothing that distracts from the story. Don't look for my typos and bad grammar, I couldn't use my copy-editor. Copy-editors rule the literature universe. <br />
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Needless to say, I got all of her other books in the series. Each one has well developed characters and world-building that goes beyond a new author's capability. If you have Kindle, Amazon is a little slow. Her newest book in the series is already out and available, but not listed on the author's page, it's called Syrin's Mate. <br />
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Michelle Mills also has a dystopian series started, which I am tackling next (I just hope there are no zombies, I hate zombies). She writes that she loves to write filthy romance. It is not filthy, though there is some dirt and mud. She writes exciting, hot 18+ adventure science fiction romance that is a little rough around the edges, but so are the main characters. <br />
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<strong>Happier by the Dozen Award</strong></div>
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<em><strong>Pets in Space 2: Embrace the Romance</strong></em> <br />
(released Oct. 10, 2017) <br />
by S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, <br />
Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, <br />
Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, Alexis Glynn Latner </div>
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Twelve authors bonded together after the success of <em>Pets in Space</em> 1 in October 2016. <br />
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I would love to get into details of every short story in this collection to give it its own well-deserved award, but alas I have only five awards available to give, according to the rules. <br />
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I have always loved animals in books, my love for alien animals started with Flinx and his pet flying snake Pip whose creator is Alan Dean Foster. <br />
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When an author I followed, S.E. Smith, announced that there was a collection of SFR short stories planned, I could not wait to check it out. Thanks to these short stories I found many new authors I like and follow. <br />
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This new collection has the original authors and new ones. Each story is unique with adventures, love, wild and funny pets that add charm and some unusual encounters. <br />
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I highly recommend reading this book if you are new to SFR to find your favorite new authors and of course, if you enjoy pets of the unusual kind, with a heavy dose of love. <br />
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I liked this collection so much, I bought the hardcopy, lifting it develops my muscles, it is the thickest book in small print that I have bought since my encyclopedia — after reading <em>Pets in Space 2</em>, the hardcopy has its purpose: I will use it as weapon on any out-of-space alien invaders trying to kidnap me. You never know, I do live in Roswell, New Mexico — Alien Capital of the World and cradle of space exploration. <br />
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<em>Pets in Space 1</em> is no longer available, but most authors have or are releasing the individual stories. <br />
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P.S. These are real pets of the animal/cybernetic kind. I found out there is a sub-genre with human pets, which resulted in some hilarious misunderstandings when I talked to a colleague about <em>Pets in Space 2</em>. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-83663923154412945992018-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:002018-01-31T20:06:50.533-05:00Welcome to the 2017 SFR Galaxy Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong></strong><br />
Thanks for joining us for the Sixth Annual SFR Galaxy Awards, recognizing the standout books in science fiction romance. <br />
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<strong>Special Tribute</strong><br />
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We'd like to do a special dedication for this year's awards to a giant in the Science Fiction/Fantasy community, author <a href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/obituaries/ursula-k-le-guin-acclaimed-for-her-fantasy-fiction-is-dead-at-88.html?referer=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><strong>Ursula K. Le Guin</strong></a>, who passed on Monday, January 22, 2018. Her words actually inspired the SFR Galaxy Awards. (<a href="http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/2013/01/coming-soon-first-annual-sfr-galaxy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">More about that here</a>.) She will be greatly missed as both author and inspiration.<br />
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This year, we'll be presenting seven rounds of awards, beginning at 10AM Eastern Standard Time USA. We'd like to thank our panel of talented judges for their work in selecting the 2017 award recipients.<br />
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We'd also like to thank the designer of this year's award banner, the multi-talented cover designer and editor <a href="https://www.daniellefine.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Danielle Fine</a>, and also extend our thanks to the original award icon designer, graphic artist <a href="http://www.kanaxa.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kanaxa</a>.<br />
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<strong>More About the Awards</strong><br />
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The SFR Galaxy Awards is an annual, multi-award event for science fiction romance books. The 2017 awards marks the sixth successive year the awards have been presented.<br />
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The theme of the SFR Galaxy Awards is inclusiveness. Instead of giving an award to a single book, this event will recognize the worth of multiple books and/or the standout elements they contain. The basic philosophy behind this approach is to help connect readers with books. <br />
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Each of seven judges may name one to multiple awards for standout science fiction romance, creating award categories based on their own criteria. They may also opt to provide additional details about the selectee and why they have made the selection. Authors do not enter to win and are not aware they have won until the awards are announced.<br />
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The focus is on award year titles, however the judges may also make a selection from a prior year and one selection can be a science fiction romance film, television series, video, graphic novel or game. (Further information about guidelines and eligibility can be found on the <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/about.html">About the SFR Galaxy Awards</a> page.)
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<strong>Presentation of the Awards</strong> <br />
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As in prior years, the awards will be posted in rounds (Eastern Standard Time USA): <br />
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10:00 AM - Chris Stock</div>
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11:00 AM - Heather Massey
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12:00 PM - Marlene Harris</div>
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1:00 PM - Riley Moreland</div>
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2:00 PM - Jo Jones
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3:00 PM - Lee Koven</div>
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4:00 PM - Anna McLain</div>
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Read more about the 2017 judges on the <strong><a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges</a></strong> page.</div>
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<strong><em>Thank you for joining us for the 2017 SFR Galaxy Awards.</em></strong>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-73662005372424878002018-01-19T15:07:00.000-05:002018-01-19T15:07:35.902-05:00Update from Returning Judge Lee Koven <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm delighted to be a judge for the SFR Galaxy Awards again. I've been reading romance novels since I was a teenager, and science fiction novels for as long as I can remember. Several years ago, I won a drawing for free SFR books. They opened my eyes to a genre I'd always wanted to read but had never known existed. For each year’s Awards, I always try to highlight authors I haven't previously honored, because so many books deserve recognition. <br />
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I'm fascinated by how science and technology change society. No matter how we live or what capabilities we have, we remain social animals who seek connection to others. We come up with ingenious tools to do so, with results ranging from tragic to hilarious. I love to read books that explore these possibilities. <br />
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I live in the Boston area, where my husband and I moved last year from Seattle. It was a homecoming of sorts for us: I'd left five years ago, he eighteen. We were both lucky enough to keep our jobs as software developers and work as remote employees. We're delighted to be back in more urban surroundings. I've hopped around the East and West Coasts of the United States, living in twelve different residences in the last fifteen years. I'm hoping to stay in Boston a good long while, though! <br />
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I look forward to sharing my awards with you and discovering more books through the other judges' picks. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-39154502995706890772018-01-12T11:43:00.000-05:002018-01-12T11:44:05.220-05:00SFR Galaxy Awards Interview on WWMB Review Site<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Riley Moreland, one of the judges of the 2017 SFR Galaxy Awards, hosts an interview today to discuss the origins and purpose of the SFR Galaxy Awards.<br />
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What well-known author inspired the awards? <br />
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How did they come to be?<br />
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You can learn more about the awards in the full interview here: <a href="https://whiskeywithmybook.wordpress.com/2018/01/12/laurie-a-green-host-of-2017-sfr-galaxy-awards-interview/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Whiskey With My Book Reviews</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-83140018062495267172017-12-20T09:00:00.000-05:002017-12-20T11:21:11.282-05:00More About Returning Judge Riley Moreland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You've already met our newest judge for the 2017 SFR Galaxy Awards on this earlier blog: <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/2017/11/meet-chris-stock-new-judge-for-2016.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Meet Chris Stock</a>. <br />
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Now I have Riley Moreland, a book reviewer and returning judge for 2017, to tell you more about herself and some updates to her resume. You can also read her profile on our <a href="http://sfrgalaxyawards.blogspot.com/p/judges_30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Judges Page</a>.<br />
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Thanks so much, Riley, for returning as one of the SFR Galaxy Awards judges this year.<br />
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<b>3 Things I Like to Tell People</b> </div>
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by Riley Moreland</div>
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Each year, I look forward to the SFR Galaxy Awards for so many reasons. First, I love to talk about my favoriteS. That is favorite with an 'S' on the end. I find it impossible to choose a single favorite of just about anything. Except my favorite color (orange) or my favorite brother (I have just the one). But if I have to pick a favorite book...well...it is just impossible. With the SFR Galaxy Awards I can pick new favoriteS every year!<br />
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As a reader, I also get excited about seeing the favoriteS of the other judges and their creative awards. SFR Galaxy Award day is one of the best days of the year. It also happens to be my wedding anniversary day. What more could a happily married gal ask for? <br />
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To be honest though, the main reason I look forward to the SFR Galaxy Awards is because I am a judge. I like to tell people that.....“I am one of the judges for the SFR Galaxy Awards.” <br />
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Most people have no idea what I am talking about. I don't mind explaining it though. I'm not saying everyone I explain it to gets it. But some people do and that is what is important. <br />
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I got this gig because Laurie Green recommended me when the Awards needed a new judge. I made the assumption that she recommended me because she respects my ability to express my opinions when I review books. Talk about an ego boost. I was thrilled to be asked to be a judge! <em> “I am one of the judges for the SFR Galaxy Awards.”</em> I do like saying that! <br />
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My blogging/reviewing activity helped get me another gig. Our library board president was really impressed that I had this connection with authors and publishing. I don't know if that was the tipping point that helped me get my job, but 1 ½ years ago, it lead to another thing that I like to say<em>.....“I am a Library Director.” </em><br />
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There are 730 public libraries in Iowa where I live. 461 of those libraries are in towns with a population of less than 5,000 people. Where am I going with this dazzling display of boring numbers? <br />
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If you have your MLS (Masters in Library Science), you probably prefer a job in a city library with full time hours and full time benefits. In my library, the Director works for less than $15/hour, 26 hours per week and not too many benefits. Many of those libraries in small towns are looking for someone like me. I wanted to be semi-retired, but have a job with some challenge. <br />
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But I still needed some more in-depth library management training. I am pretty much a self-motivated learner, but sometimes that formal classroom training helps fill in gaps I didn't even know needed filling. In November, I completed the State Library of Iowa's Public Library Management curriculum. That lead to actual Public Library Director Certification! I am going to get a fancy certificate printed on a fancy piece of paper, have it put in a fancy frame and hang on my office wall from a fancy nail. <br />
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When I was in college the first time, had I known then what I know now, I might have gone for the library science degree. But at my age, I am not going back to school. So my small town library and I are very happy with my Certified Library Director status. <br />
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I may boast (yes, I admit I'm boasting) about being a Library Director or a SFR Galaxy Awards judge. But you are a booklover. You get it, don't you? Who doesn't want to be around books and other booklovers, either physically or virtually? Which leads me to the 3rd thing I like to tell people.....<em>“If you like, I can recommend a good book.” </em><br />
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Look for my recommendations on January 31 when the 6th annual SFR Galaxy Awards are announced. See you then! <br />
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If want to connect with me I hope you will check out my blog <a href="https://whiskeywithmybook.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Whiskey With My Book</a> ( <a href="https://whiskeywithmybook.wordpress.com/">https://whiskeywithmybook.wordpress.com</a> ). <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594972327373456194.post-3459467053457509282017-11-30T10:54:00.000-05:002017-11-30T10:56:38.222-05:00Meet Chris Stock, New Judge for 2017We're very pleased to welcome Chris Stock to our team of judges for the 2017 SFR Galaxy Awards. Chris is a great supporter of science fiction romance and has included references to SFR in her magazine articles. Here's a little more about her.<br />
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Christina Stock is an editor at the Roswell Daily Record and in charge of its monthly magazine “Vision” which covers events in Southeast New Mexico as well as art and book reviews.
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Stock taught herself to read at age 5, bugging her mom how words in books are pronounced. Soon she started to read by herself and her love for books and stories never ended.
Science Fiction Romance novels are her guilty pleasure since she read Anne McCaffrey's series about the dragons of the planet Pern. <br />
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Associated Press style English is the fifth English language that Stock studied. Her first was Oxford English in school in Germany, business English while she was an incentive-travel agent, American English when she moved — or rather was abducted by a handsome Marine — to the Land of Enchantment, Roswell, New Mexico. When her Marine went to guard the Pearly Gates, Stock remained in the town where she laid roots.
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“Sometimes I think I lived already at least three lives,” Stock said. “I lived in France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and traveled throughout the world. Today, Roswell is my home and I am not planning to move again (unless a very, very handsome alien hunk comes to get me and does the heavy lifting). I love living in this quirky unusual town, it fits to me.
“Having been asked to give awards to my favorite books is an honor and so difficult. There are so many new authors and new books out there, it was a challenge to pick only five,” Stock said.
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Stock is working on a biography of the adventures of her family and herself. And yes, of course, if she ever finds the time, she is planning on writing a SFR.
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You can find her magazines at <a href="http://www.rdrnews.com/vision-magazine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.rdrnews.com/vision-magazine</a>. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6