Valentines on Venus!

Coming this Valentine's Day...

Aphrodite 1
https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2822-8-aphrodite-1/

The crew of space station Aphrodite 1 finds romance, love, and danger—as well as a mystery—in the upper atmosphere of Venus.

Aphrodite 1 Life Sciences Officer Dr. Giselle Rosseau hasn’t lost a crew member yet—she’s not about to lose one now, either. Her first year aboard a space station orbiting the hot, desolate second planet hasn’t been all she hoped for, but she manages to work well under their less than friendly commander, Seth McCloud. After Seth’s a freak accident in the upper Venusian atmosphere, Giselle theorizes that perhaps their handsome comatose commander’s irritating stick-up-his-ass demeanor is a cover concealing a past heartache.  

When Seth wakes and finds Giselle pleasuring herself by his sickbed, to her surprise and delight he wants to join in on the fun.  Suddenly lonely Giselle finds both her empty heart and bunk filled with a passion that can’t be denied. 

Now everyone has a regular partner, and Giselle, Seth, and the rest of their playful crewmates can’t wait for Valentine’s Day. Seth’s increased strength and stamina since his accident is a mystery, but Giselle’s surprise a few weeks later is even bigger. What really happened to Seth in Venus’s upper atmosphere? Will it affect their future happiness together?

A hot excerpt from Aphrodite 1...

Sounds of her shipmates’ lovemaking echoing from the other end of the station caused her pussy muscles to flutter. Giselle licked her lips and moaned. Her vibrator was located in her bunk at the end of the hall, but she’d promised not to disturb the couples. She knew she should stay within earshot of her patient, too. 

She heard Sanjay shout, “Ooh! Harder! Again!”

“Naughty boy enjoys his discipline too much,” Bettina answered. “We’ll have to think of another way to punish him. Alejandro?”

“Hmm…Yes, mistress?”

“Get your face out of Tomiko’s tiny twat and come over here. I have need of that cock of yours. Now.”

“Wow…It’s certainly getting hot in here.” Giselle hit the button on her tablet to close the Sick Bay doors and turned on some soothing music as white noise for her patient.

What to do for her own physical complaint? When all else failed, there was always your friendly hand.

“Oh, Seth. I…I don’t want to be the only one without a partner tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”

Giselle slipped off her pants, relaxed back into her chair, and slowly rubbed her clit in a circular motion. She gazed upon the sleeping form of their mission commander and daydreamed about what it could be like to handle that lovely cock of his. The temptation to rip off the sheet and lick him into shape and sit on his boner was almost more than she could bear.

“Ooh…I wish you would wake up. I wish you would wake up and not act so damn cold. I don’t think it’s who you really are.”

Giselle arched her back and slipped a hand under her top, stroking a nipple until it stood proud.

“Hmm…We could have a good time together, Seth, if you could really let go of whatever causes you to have that stick up your ass—and you do have a very nice ass, if I do say so myself. What I wouldn’t give to fondle your great backside and rub myself against it as I passed you casually in a tight spot in the lower deck corridors. Ah, I could see it now, feel your hardness pressing against my butt cheeks as we switched places in the hall…Me pressing my curves against those hard muscles of yours. Ooh—ah!”

Giselle panted and climaxed before she realized how close she had been to coming. She gazed groggily over at her quiet companion.

“Well, you certainly know how to make a girl come just by lying there and looking handsome. It’s truly a gift.” 

Giselle rose and walked over to the desk to close out her report on her patient. After she switched off the screen, she gathered up her clothing. She could keep the Sick Bay doors open and hang out in the mess hall for a while and make something to eat—maybe even watch an adult vid on her tablet since her crewmates’ cries and moans were making her feel horny again.

“Good-night, Seth. Sweet dreams.” 

Giselle made sure his vitals monitor was synced to her tablet, before dimming the lights and heading to the mess.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Seth asked, just as she reached the doorway.

Aphrodite 1 is part of the Valentines on Venus collection and available from eXtasy Books as well as other fine ebook retailers.

Not Quite an "Iron Author" (Flash Fiction from DetCon1)

We're home from the NASFic, aka DetCon1, and still trying to mentally and physically recoup. My husband AJ Matthews took some great photos and put them up on Facebook for all to see. (Click here to see his photos. And, no, this blog has not been copyedited. I'm tired. So there!)

We had a lot of fun in Detroit, met some nice folk, and got a couple invites to area conventions to talk about writing, publishing, whatever. AJ sold two of his world famous bookends in the art show, so all-in-all, not a bad showing.

I thought I'd share a bit of the flash fiction I wrote in the "Iron Author Detroit" contest I participated in Sunday morning. (Yes, it was early on the last day of the con--not the best timing for a contest.) The winner was the fabulous author Lucy A. Snyder, so I don't feel too bad for losing to her at all. However, I do wonder about the sanity of the audience members who came up with the "prompts" we used to write a short story in five minutes. My example below will show you why I have some reservations on their mental stability, as these three words actually made sense or at least more sense than the last three sets of prompts. Enjoy! ;)

Prompts: a Watermelon, a Triceratops, and a Lost Shoe (the secret ingredient)

"Wherever could it be?"

Lilah looked at the trail behind her. No shoe. It must have fallen off after she had forded the stream, after she had eaten some of the delicious wild watermelon, but she was pretty sure she was still wearing it when she scrambled over the sharp rocks near the waterfalls.

"I knew this was a mistake. I knew I should have never listen to Marc (the panel MC). This is beautiful country, but really... What's so special about it?"

She sighed and plopped down on a boulder. That hiking shoe had cost hundreds. She'd never be able to afford another pair anytime soon.

"Why did I believe, Marc?"

Then she heard the sound far-off... Oh, my God! A triceratops was grazing in the meadow below where she sat.

"The Lost World!" she cried. This is why Marc had told her to come here.

I was writing with pen on legal paper since I didn't bring a laptop. I'm not sure the story would have been much longer or better written using a keyboard, but I certainly could have read it with less problems. Deciphering my horrible handwriting a day later is a challenge and a half! 

Feel free to leave a comment below, especially if we met at DetCon1, and feel free to like me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc., at the links on the right side of the page. It was great getting to know you, but now I need to catch up on my sleep. Zzzzz... :)

See you at DetCon1

We'll be seeing you at DetCon1 in Detroit this weekend. It should be a lot of fun and draw a lot of folks, as it's this years N.American Sci-Fi con (since World Con is in London). I'm on two hard science panels (really!) and one editing panel and taking the "Iron Author" challenge. I've never attempted to write flash fiction under pressure in  front of a live audience before, so this should be quite... different! ;) Be sure to say hello if you see us! (I'll be wearing a badge with my "mundane" name of Cindy A. Matthews. When I call myself "Celine" and say I write erotic-romantic fiction, I tend to scare off some SF fans. I don't know why--I won't bite them... Not unless they ask nicely.) ;)   Now available at All Romance eBooks, my latest in the Kindred Vampires series: The Vampire Next Door By: Celine Chatillon | Other books by Celine Chatillon Published By: eXtasy Books ISBN # 9781771118644 Word Count: 52832 Available in: Adobe Acrobat, Palm DOC/iSolo, Microsoft Reader, Hiebook, HTML, Mobipocket (.prc), Mobipocket (.mobi), Rocket, Epub Read More

Robot Uprisings by Daniel H. Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's hard to sleep at night after contemplating all the frightening scenarios put forth in this wonderful sci-fi anthology. Will we be taken over by our seemingly benign mechanical household servants? Will incredibly small nanobots we create to cure us from disease and infection be our undoing? Will we even have a clue our robot slaves have gained sentience before it's too late? And what is the difference between artificial intelligence and our own, particularly if the machines outwit us at every turn? These and more are part of the exciting worlds that await you in Robot Uprisings. Come the roboapocalypse don't say I didn't warn you.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Science of Discworld

The Science Of Discworld by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

You can't keep a good wizard down! I loved the chapters with the story line of the wizards of the Unseen University meddling with their "Roundworld" universe. My favorite character, Rincewind, finds himself named Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography--how appropriate! The one thing that mars this otherwise enjoyable book are the non-fiction chapters. They're simply too long-winded for laypersons and detract more than add to the fun of the Discworld story. Really, for atheists these guys preach and preach and preach... Not a turtle in sight. Boring! It's much more fun to read about the wizards in action trying to unravel the mysteries of a planet very much like our own.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Light of Other Days

The Light of Other Days by Arthur C. Clarke

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This is a book that I really wanted to like--tried to like throughout the long slog of reading it. I've always been a big fan of Clarke since his Rendezvous with Rama and 2001 days, but alas I can't say I enjoyed reading The Light of Other Days quite as much. I realize Clarke wasn't the best with developing three-dimensional characters as he is with explaining esoteric science theories, but is it too much to expect at least one character in a novel of this scope be someone you can cheer on? The premise of the WormCam and exploring Earth's past and the social upheaval it causes is intriguing I'll admit. But when the reader is bombarded page after page of the authors' take on historical personalities and events with little attention given to the fact that on page one they've set a planet-killing asteroid directly into Earth's path... Well, your suspension of disbelief gets stretched a bit. You become irritated that you've been tricked into reading what could be equated as anti-religion propaganda and not a science fiction yarn. I expected something a bit better from these authors, frankly.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Venus by Ben Bova

Venus by Ben Bova
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I somehow missed reading Venus in Bova's planet series a few years ago, and when I had to take a long trip on the road, I thought I'd give it a try. What was I expecting? Well, some good science, some interesting characters,and plenty of action. Venus delivers all this, but it could have used a bit more science about Venus itself and less of the "space opera" characterizations, in my opinion. Our hero, Van Humphries, has a lot of self doubts and fears, but he overcomes them and makes a good show of it by story's end. The female characters (and some of the male characters) come across flatter and less realistic. They fill their function in the story, but the reader never becomes emotionally involved in their plight, which is regrettable. Not a bad yarn and a pleasant, quick read overall, but I'd have to say it's not my favorite in the series.

View all my reviews

Elysium--Denying Healthcare as Crowd Control

 

Elysium: Denying Healthcare as Crowd Control

My husband and I are huge science fiction fans. We couldn’t wait to see Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium this summer. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elysium) Sure, there were other sci-fi action-thriller movies to be seen, but the enticing trailer for Elysium itself, and the fact of how much we enjoyed Blomkamp’s District 9, promised more for our always-stretched movie dollar.

Elysium as a film didn’t disappoint, but its premise posed many more questions—disturbing ones—than it attempted to answer. And, several weeks later, it keeps me awake at night.

First off, why would the near-future world posited in Elysium, filled with advanced technology that can cure disease and injury almost instantaneously, co-exist alongside a planet filled with such crippling poverty? It just doesn’t make sense. Or does it?

In my opinion, a near-future scenario of an Earth on the brink of collapse was last successfully realized on screen in the 1973 classic Soylent Green. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green)
 The Millennial Generation may laugh at
the idea of a heavily overpopulated planet, degraded and polluted by trying to
feed too many mouths and ruled by a small, secretive elite of the mega-wealthy, but they’ll have to realize that the Pill and abortion on demand weren’t freely available in the first half of the twentieth century. The assumption that we’d have way too many humans on the planet by the turn of the twenty-first century wasn’t so hard to put out of mind in 1966 when the Harry Harrison award-winning novel Make Room! Make Room! (which the film was based upon) was published. The thought of overpopulation and a dying planet posed a very real threat in the minds of the powers-that-be.

In Soylent Green, it is food—the very essence of how a living, growing organism stays alive—that is manipulated and managed to keep the masses in check. No food source—no living. Furthermore, the masses are indoctrinated by the elite that it is both noble and proper for them to commit suicide in order to thin out the ranks. There is no need for a heavily armed-presence or too much overt violence (although there are some telling riot scenes where police brutality is evident) to control the masses if the masses do the killing and self-killing themselves as they are slowly starved to death and talked into suicide.

After all, the elite classes only need a handful of human workers at any one time (who are much cheaper to “create” than androids or robots) to serve, manufacture things, run machinery, have sex with, etc. The poor, starving billions are as easily used, abused, and disposed of as paper cups—and self-destructing paper cups at that.

How convenient for the one percent! Give the poor a few guns, feed their prejudices against other groups who look or act differently, and they’ll take care of the problem for themselves. Brilliant.

Once the idea of crowd control, of implementing an efficient way for those at the top of the food chain to keep the masses in check, is discerned in Elysium, then more of
the unanswered questions present and explain themselves. Although it is set only
a mere one hundred-forty-one years into the future, Elysium hints that the advancement of technology in the fields of space travel, medicine, manufacturing, and computers has been able to solve many of the more pressing problems we experience currently in the world of 2013. With the advanced technology evident in the massive space-habitat ring of Elysium itself and the Med-Pod that cures all disease, obviously human beings in the future are capable of great things.

So, why would there be a need for slums and for little girls to die of leukemia? Why would there be a need for millions of workers working at
slave wages and under extremely unsafe conditions, as Matt Damon’s character Max
does? Why motivate these slave laborers with a carrot-and-stick promise that if they prove themselves “good workers” they might just be able to afford a ticket to go to Elysium one day just as Max has wished for since he was a boy?

Ah… could it be? It’s that control thing, yeah?

Once the motives of pure greed and a naked desire to execute absolute
power are eliminated from Elysium what else is there to explain the plot? Jodie Foster’s character, Secretary of Defense Delacourt, is painted as a military-dictator wannabe, a fascist-in-training, but there’s more to her—and her fellow citizens of Elysium—than pure greed and hidden-fascist dogma. After all, they all dress well, speak well and drink the right wines. In spite of their sanitized, movie-star-glamorous
lives, their motives to keep Elysium to themselves are much more base. They
want—no, it’s more likely need—to possess total control over the billions who dwell below them on the one planet where they receive the raw materials needed to maintain and grow their utopian world in space.

They, the elite, the one-percenters, secretly acknowledge that they cannot live without the input of the ninety-nine percent, but they dare not let on how dependent they are upon the unwashed and self-unaware masses. To do so could mean that the masses would demand equal access to all the blessings of technology and healthcare… and once the masses have access to healthcare and a decent lifestyle, would they consent to work for next to nothing?

Can it be that simple? How could the Elysium elite motivate their slave laborers without threatening them with the stick of no healthcare access? They do possess advanced military technology, and Delacourt demonstrates she isn’t afraid to use it. But like most fascists, Delacourt and the wealthy citizens of Elysium realize how difficult it is to maintain crowd control through the use of weaponry alone. Even well-paid mercenaries, such as Sharlto Copley’s sociopathic character Kruger, can’t be trusted to serve their masters all the time.

To maintain crowd control, the elite of Elysium have only one option: denying healthcare in order to convince the slave workers of Earth to keep themselves in line. The elite only has to indoctrinate the masses with the idea that if they become soldiers in the elite’s cause then they are dying for a greater good—not for increasing the profit margins of the one-percent. (Overtones of Soylent Green and suicide centers, but something else there rings a bell. Hmm.) 

The elite can dangle carrot-like promises in front of the masses, “You’ll only suffer for a little while if you go along with our plans,”
and expect most to believe the lie because it is as attractive as the beautiful green wheel in space rising above their dust-brown slum cities. “Some day soon you’ll become one of us and have access to the miracle of healthcare for you and your families if you keep your fellow slaves from agitating for equal access to it
now.”

Wow. And here I thought I was reviewing a movie. No wonder I can’t sleep at night.

My British husband calls it the “I’m all right, Jack” syndrome. As long as you keep your head down, allow your one-percent masters to call all the shots, encourage your fellow slave laborers to off themselves in desperation to survive, you’ve made it. You’ve survived long enough to gain a chance at joining the well dressed citizens of Elysium. (But there’s no real guarantee they’ll let you into their exclusive country club, is there?)  You’ve made it…but at what price?

I hope only the price of a movie ticket. Go see Elysium. Discuss it with others. And please leave your comments below.

Doctor Who Middle-Age Madness

At last the BBC announced the next actor to portray the Doctor on science fiction television's longest running series, Doctor Who. It's Peter Capaldi. Yeah!

 I'm thrilled because I think Peter will be excellent in the role. He starred in the David Tennant/Catherine Tate 2008 episode "The Fires of Pompeii". He also played quite a spine-chilling baddie in the spin-off series Torchwood in its "Children of Earth" episodes. I've loved him from the first time I saw him on screen in the wonderfully warm and witty movie comedy Local Hero. What's not to love about an actor who can play heroic, comical and pure evil characters with equal ease?

 

I think the persona of the Doctor needs a good balance of heroic and not-so-heroic traits. After all, he is an alien--he's not human (according to canon). What we puny humans may see as "evil" may not seem that way to him and vice versa. It makes for a very dynamic character, one that is at times unpredictable and at others dependable. It makes for a character that has been extremely popular for a half century now and shows no signs of diminishing in popularity.  

This brings me to the reason behind my blog post title. I really enjoy the idea of watching another "middle-age" Doctor (who, of course, is much older than he looks).  While the current producers may have thought that young people would only watch the show in record numbers with "one of their own" in twenty-something Matt Smith playing the title role, I do believe they've come to realize that it's not the age of the actor that matters but his energy level. I think Peter will have the right energy level in addition to the handsome, distinguished looks that women in  my particular age group will relate to well.

As the old saying goes, "Snow on the roof doesn't mean there isn't a fire in the hearth." ;-)

What does this mean for my alter-ego Cynthiana's ongoing Doctor Who-inspired series Loving Who (and its sequel Leaving Who)? The next title in the series that I'm working on is Losing Who. In a way Peter Capaldi becoming the new Doctor works into the plot outline quite well. Things change. My character Cici Connors experienced an abrupt change in the last installment, so a new face to confront and get to know is just par for the course at this point in her life journey. 

And who knows... Cici might find a good-looking man of a certain age worth getting to know better. ;-)

I'm looking forward to the fiftieth anniversary special coming in November and the Christmas special when Peter's Doctor will make his debut. How about you? Are you excited? Has Doctor Who "middle-age madness" taken hold of you? Or are you still crying about Matt Smith (or David Tennant or Christopher Eccleston or...) leaving the show? What sort of storylines or characters do you envision in the new season episodes? Are there any mortal enemies of the Doctor you'd rather not see?

Let me know your feelings in the comments below. You never know--I might just use one of your ideas in the plot of Losing Who!

Welcome to Nerdvana!

 

Doctor Who, Star Trek, MST3K, Babylon 5...So many fandoms, so little time!

It's like...Nerdvana.

A place where only a science fiction/fantasy fan would dare to tread...A room full of photos and original artworks and figurines and statuettes and autographed books, cards, pictures and even comic books. Yes, it's my new office. And I love it.

It's Cyberman vs. Dalek in a War of the Worlds!

I am a card-carrying nerd. I even have the fan club card to prove it! I actually belonged to the original Findlay College Sci-Fi Club. I'm not sure if the club is still in existence, but the school is now called "University of..." and has a lot more students, so perhaps they have an anime club at the very least? It would be nice to find out if they're any Whovians attending currently.

And I have proof of being a nerd since...forever! Notice my 8th grade card. All A's and nice comments in English and Social Studies. Okay, I got a B in P.E. Yeah, I showed up to gym class, but I was probably bored out of my gourd most of the time and sat in the corner reading a book--a classic sci-fi novel probably. (I was big into H.G. Wells and Robert Heinlein about that time.) That's a nerd for you!

Some of my original cross-stitch work. Do you remember Avon's quote from  
Blake's 7?

It's been fun traveling down Memory Lane while we unpack and move into our new digs. In the bottom of long-ago packed boxes I've found my autographed photos of Colin Baker (The Sixth Doctor), Anthony Ainley (The Master) and George Takei (Sulu). My hubby and I have had a great time trying to find places to show off our favorite SF artists' creations, too. We have three Tempest at Hazard prints from Paul Daly hanging in the office and two Jon Kaufman's hanging in the living room. Nerdvana just keeps growing and going... and even in the more "mundane" rooms of our home there's usually a nod or two to our passion for SF fandom. Because once a nerd--always a nerd!

A "Pair-of-Docs" by Jon Sies and "Little Horsie Who #6" by Michelle Rondeau. Some original art I haven't been able to hang on the wall for years. Now I have a whole room (and more) to hang all my favorite SF inspired artworks!

Where and how do you display your fan memorabilia? Do you have your own Nerdvana? Tell us all about it in the comments section so we can drool over your SF/fantasy collections! C'mon! You know you wanna... you have to... because you're a NERD, baby, and proud of it!

LEAVING WHO has finally arrived...

LOVING WHO has finally arrived and is ready for sale at Mojocastle Press. Once again, here are the short synopsis and link:

LEAVING WHO
by Cynthianna
Mojocastle Press
http://www.mojocastle.com/authors/cynthianna/leaving-who.html

After touring the universe with time traveler John Smith, Cici Connors wants one more thing--to go home. Will the imminent destruction of Earth throw a kink into her plans?

You can read excerpts from LEAVING WHO at Mojocastle's web site and at this blog, in the posting right before this one.

Also, you can read a very nice interview I did at Wanton Reads this week. Find out why I write what I write (if you dare). ;)

http://wantonreads.com/author-cynthianna-shares-their-story/

Enjoy! (I sincerely hope your spring weather is as nice as ours was today, too.)

Cynthianna (Celine's other half)

Calling all Doctor Who fans...

The long awaited sequel to my mainstream persona's Doctor Who inspired novel, Loving Who, has finally arrived. Leaving Who picks up the story of John Smith and Cici Connors, the universe's most unlikely time-traveling duo.

Leaving Who is available at Mojocastle Press

After touring the universe with time traveler John Smith, Cici Connors wants one more thing—to go home. Will the imminent destruction of Earth throw a kink into her plans?

Read a short excerpt of it at the Confessions of a Blonde Writer blog by clicking the link or copying the URL below into your browser:
http://momsday.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-sneak-peek-at-leaving-who.html?spref=fb

Update: Due to technical factors beyond even a Time Lord's control, the release date for Leaving Who is now scheduled for April 28, 2013. My apologies for the wait. And remember, fezes are cool. ;)

Vote for Defiance Today!

Click on the Demand it link below and help St. Louis land a world premier of the television show Defiance. After all, there's a picture of the Gateway Arch in their logo. Shouldn't St. Louis have a premier? Thanks for voting early and often.

View all St. Louis events on Eventful

 

Book Review: Wrath of the Lemming Men

Wrath of the Lemming Men by Toby Frost
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

They're furry and they belong in a cage to deal with their rage. Space Captain Smith is destined to battle the Yull, homicidal/suicidal rodent-like aliens, and prevent them from taking over British Space in Wrath of the Lemming Men. The same crazy crew of the John Pym is back, and the camaraderie is the high point of this third action tale. Polly the Simulant is sent on an undercover mission to teach other androids the basics of self-defense and learns a bit more about Jane Austen than necessary. Surak the Slayer seeks revenge against Colonel Vock of Yull, and Rhianna the Space Hippy gets a chance to learn more about her Vorl father. Major Wainscot and the members of DOG come out fighting with panache and occasionally no pants. All the while, Smith handles the violence with typical British reserve along with, of course, tea. Hopefully we'll see more adventures with these characters to come.

View all my reviews

Book Review: God Emperor of Didcot

God Emperor of Didcot by Toby Frost
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The British Space Empire's source of tea is threatened. Who better than Captain Isambard Smith to take on the evil ant people, the Ghasts, and their righteously right-winged allies, the New Edenites, along with the Great God Emperor Hyrax of Didcot? God Emperor of Didcot is a fitting sequel to Frost's Space Captain Smith with all of the wacky characters you came to know and love in the first tale along with some new weird friends. The M'Lak have become metrosexual accountants and architects rather than blood-thirsty warriors. Suruk has to convince his family members that sometimes you have to get your golf sweater dirtied in battle in order to really live. Will Polly ever find her hitman crush? Will Smith ever get up the nerve to tell space hippy Rhianna that he really cares for her? All this and water-tankfuls of morally uplifting tea awaits the happy reader.

View all my reviews