SFR Holiday Blitz 2011

Win free science fiction romance ebooks at the 2011 SFR Holiday Blitz!

A number of bloggers and authors have teamed up this holiday season so you can enter for a chance to win a variety of science fiction romance ebooks.

LIKE this...

Steamrolled
by Pauline Baird Jones
With all of time at risk, it's a bad time to fall in love...
unless it's the only time...

Robert Clementyne is going on a transmogrification machine hunt. He fears finding the machine will be as difficult as pronouncing the name. How can the steam-powered device perform as advertised, and how useful can any information be, coming from a steampunk themed bowling alley/museum?

It's pretty crazy, but he's been there, done that, and thinks he can handle it. And then he meets the proprietor/curator...Emily Babcock. Emily grew up in crazy, still lives in it-hey, it's her freaking zip code. So no worries when Robert and his team walk into her bowling alley.

The first visitors ever to her museum. But neither of them is prepared for what happens when they open the door to the past...and the future.

With a side trip through Roswell...and a face-to-face meeting with an evil genius/wannabe-who is on his way to becoming evil overlord-of-everything...

AND this...

Dreamspell Steampunk
Volume 1
by Pauline B. Jones
Heather Massey
Linda Houlse
and Chris Samson
Enjoy four Steampunk stories:

Steam Time by Pauline B Jones
The man formerly known as Tobias Smith hadn’t planned to ride along with Dr. Everly and his Medicine Show. Grifters gave him a pain their elixirs couldn’t heal. But he was headed to Marfa, too. And Everly’s son turned out to be a really a fine looking damsel—one in distress when the ghost lights of Marfa bump them into an alternate reality complete with an automaton gang and airships. Could he be the good guy? Be the hero, save the day and get the girl?

The Prometheus Engine by Chris Samson
When an airship is shot down over the desolate Kashmir landscape, seven survivors of disparate backgrounds must band together to escape. As a swarm of marauders approaches, the survivors’ only hope lies in the untested Prometheus Engine.

Steambot Rampage by Heather Massey
On the eve of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, a no-nonsense secretary and an intrepid reporter join forces to battle a bizarre automaton on a rampage.

Angelina by Linda Houle
Valerie is fascinated with an antique ruby and diamond pendant. Where did it come from and why was it hidden in a makeshift wall safe? An old log cabin on her new husband’s ranch holds the answers and a lot more, but once Val goes through a secret door will she ever find her way back home?

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of authors ~--
WIN a copy of these ebooks!

2 - winners: one for each
Winners can choose from the following formats: PDF, Mobi, or ePub.

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 16, 2011

TO DO:

1. Send me a link to a picture of something steampunk - holiday themed.

2. Tell me which ebook you would like.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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Participant entries:

I couldn't resist. Here's my pick, a steampunk reindeer from Urban Threads...


AimeeKay's pick...


Bookwyrm's pick...


DeAnn's pick...


Ilona's pick...


Laurie's pick...


Lena's pick...


Liz's pick...


Mama Elk's pick...


Marta's pick...


Sullivan McPig's pick...



Teressa's pick...


who's next?

~*~
NOW, visit these participating Holiday Blitzers for more prizes:

Alien Romances

CONTACT – Infinite Futures

Love Romance Passion

SFR Brigade

Smart Girls Love SciFi & Paranormal Romance

SpacefreightersLounge

The Galaxy Express

vvb32 reads - this is the post for it ;-D

Advert: Top 10 Reasons to Read Steampunk

Does the last advert on the page above catch your attention???

Excerpt: 10 Reasons You Should Drop Everything Right Now And Read Steampunk by Heather Massey
guest post at The Pen & Muse Book Reviews

1) Steampunk is the great multitasker. While the genre is generally set during Earth’s Victorian era, authors have placed steampunk elements in a variety of settings, including alternate fantasy worlds, the American Old West, space, and Africa. In fact, because of its versatility, you may have already read some steampunk and didn’t even know it. Way to go!

2) Steampunk has airships, which frankly are way cooler than space ships.

3) Mystery is a popular partner of steampunk. Investigators in steampunk stories discover all kinds of strange and unusual contraptions in their quest to solve the crime. The real mystery then becomes, why don’t I get to have all of that loot, for real, in my personal collection?

READ the rest of this list here.

~*~
* image source newspaper advert

::= SteamBoyz schedule =::

Winner: SFR Holiday Blitz

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended December 26, 2010
during The SFR Holiday Blitz
hosted by The Galaxy Express

Thanks to all contestants!

~*~
An e-copy of EVIE’S GIFT
by PJ Schnyder
Winner: Bea of Bea's Book Nook

An e-copy of ISLAND OF ICARUS
by Christine Danse
Winner: Stephanie of Curling up by the Fire

A print copy of SINFUL HARVEST
by Anitra Lynn McLeod
- for US only
Winner: zvi of zvi likes tv

~*~
The SFR Holiday Blitz
hosted by The Galaxy Express
adventures in science fiction romance
~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer

* I will email winners for mailing addresses.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

Celebrate the Holidays With the SFR Holiday Blitz

The SFR Holiday Blitz is Here
hosted by The Galaxy Express
adventures in science fiction romance

Welcome to the SFR Holiday Blitz!

This holiday season, you could win over 50 science fiction romance books!

33 authors teamed up with 15 bloggers to give you a taste of the adventures the subgenre has to offer.

Today I offer you 3 special treats to add to your virtual or home bookshelves.

~~*!~~ Book Giveaways courtesy of authors ~~!*~~

An e-copy of EVIE’S GIFT
by PJ Schnyder
Description:
Stubborn Evie is reluctant to play the roll of a proper lady by English standards, but she has little choice. Traveling to London for her first season, she faces the threat of an enemy submarine bent on destroying the airship carrying her across the ocean. Once she steps forward to help, her knowledge is questioned by the captain, placing her special gift in danger.

As a woman whose passion pushes her toward engineering and mechanical designs, her curious nature risks exposing her uncanny talents. Will this Christmas season allow her to keep her secrets? Or will her gift be revealed too soon?

An e-copy of ISLAND OF ICARUS
by Christine Danse
Description:
Field Journal of Jonathan Orms, 1893

En route to polite exile in the Galapagos Islands (field work, to quote the dean of my university), I have found myself marooned on a deserted tropical paradise. Deserted, that is, except for my savior, a mysterious American called Marcus. He is an inventor—and the proof of his greatness is the marvelous new clockwork arm he has created to replace the unsightly one that was ruined in my shipboard mishap.

Marcus has a truly brilliant mind and the gentlest hands, which cause me to quiver in an unfamiliar but rather pleasant way. Surely it is only my craving for human companionship that draws me to this man, nothing more? He says a ship will pass this way in a few months, but I am welcome to stay as long as I like. The thought of leaving Marcus becomes more untenable with each passing day, though staying would be fatal to my career...

A print copy of SINFUL HARVEST
by Anitra Lynn McLeod
- for US only
Description:
Virile, golden-haired Kerrick performed his manly duties like a champion, bedding virgin after virgin with the restraint expected from a Harvester. But when his leaders decide to change the rules, the tables are turned. Kerrick becomes the sexual servant of his destined mate, the beautiful and fiery Ariss. For the first time in Ariss' life, she is the master of her own pleasure. With Kerrick's slow sensual hand, undeniable physical gifts - and wicked imagination - she begins to experience sensations beyond her wildest dreams. Somewhere deep inside Ariss, something powerful has been unleashed - and no man can satisfy her like the one called Kerrick.

TO DO:

Tell me which book(s) you want to add to your shelves in comments along with your email.

Offer ends: December 26, 2010, midnight EST

AND

Visit these participating blitzers for more SFR Holiday book giveaways:

The Galaxy Express

Spacefreighters Lounge

SFR Brigade

GeekMom

Lisa Paitz Spindler

Alien Romances

Enduring Romance

Smart Girls Love Sci Fi & Paranormal Romance

SciFi Guy

Dirty Sexy Books

Love Romance Passion

Panic in the Lingerie!

Queen of the Frozen North

vvB32 Reads

Corrina Lawson

Flying Whale Productions

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Contest has ended - winners are here

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SteamPink: Private car - Heather's report

Ladies, before we commence with desserts, I would like to present our guest speaker of the day...


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by Heather Massey
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Who Is The Steampunk Romance Heroine?
When I think about the qualities of a steampunk romance heroine, three words come to mind: resilient, resourceful, and resolute.

A steampunk romance heroine must be resilient when facing the horrors lurking beneath the Victorian aesthetic’s brassy veneer. Living in a steam-powered culture presents new, unparalleled dangers even as the advances in technology herald the coming of a new age.

Our heroine must also be resourceful. Her status as a woman can place her at a disadvantage, and she can’t rely on the resources generally available to her male counterparts. But she frequently uses such underestimation in her favor.

Finally, a steampunk romance heroine is resolute. Filled with purpose, she’s determined to solve the mystery, thwart the villain, or prevent a catastrophe. Her ambition easily rivals that of the hero. Given such circumstances, this kind of heroine is nothing if not progressive. Rather than fearing change, she embraces it.

But what, exactly, does a steampunk romance heroine do?

Thematically, steampunk stories are often about change. Advances in technology invariably spawn new developments in the heroine’s society and culture. So as far as steampunk romance goes, a heroine’s role and status isn’t necessarily gender specific. She can be a spy, a scientist, an airship captain, or, as in the case of Dru Pagliassotti’s CLOCKWORK HEART, a specialized courier who soars through the skies upon wings of Ondinium. Steampunk romance offers the potential for heroines with a fresh twist.

The prevalence of steampunk inventions frequently demands that the steampunk romance heroine is familiar with steam-powered devices or at least has the aptitude to use them. If the heroine is an inventor, then she’s probably created them herself. In Nathalie Gray’s FULL STEAM AHEAD, present-day heroine Laurel Benson-Desmarais travels through a Bermuda Triangle type vortex and must adapt her sailing skills in order to survive among the airship culture of the strange new steampunk world she now inhabits.

Physically, I tend to envision steampunk romance heroines as dainty, slim, or petite rather than Amazonian in stature. Ultimately, it depends on the story, of course, but given the time period (especially if it’s a Victorian setting), I expect heroines who rely more on their sharp wit than their combat skills to extract themselves from sticky situations. Octavia Pye, the heroine of Katie MacAlister’s STEAMED, is an airship captain who must rely on her diplomacy skills—and her ability to keep secrets—in order to complete her mission.

Even if these heroines lack hand-to-hand combat skills, they are willing to physically defend themselves and others if need be. These ladies can be every bit the action-adventure heroine as any other—and if they’re wearing gorgeous, Victorian-style dresses while engaged in derring-do, all the better!

Barring any fighting skills, the steampunk romance heroine has something even better: a sharp wit. Alan Moore’s LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN seduced me with the fantastic dialogue uttered by heroine Mina Murray. Steampunk romance heroines are smart, a quality the hero under-appreciates at his own peril.

She’s also insatiably curious, a quality that can serve as a rich source of conflict. In addition, her curiosity serves as a foundation for her fatal flaw: she can be rash with a tendency to fall headlong into danger. But as is the case with Veronica Hobbes of George Mann’s THE AFFINITY BRIDGE, she is a fierce protector of the innocent and so justice must be served.

The wonderful thing about steampunk romance is that there’s room for all sorts of heroines, from traditional to progressive and everything in between. She’s not limited to just one kind of steampunk setting, either. You can find her in Victorian England, in alternate realities, in the Old West, and even in space.

No matter what she does or where she is, she’s resilient, resourceful, and resolute. It’s no wonder that the hero—and the reader—will fall in love with her.

To become acquainted with the variety of steampunk romance heroines available, here is a list of some current and forthcoming books:

FULL STEAM AHEAD – Nathalie Gray
STEAMED – Katie MacAlister
THE AFFINITY BRIDGE – George Mann (steampunk with romantic elements)
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN – Alan Moore
CLOCKWORK HEART – Dru Pagliassotti
WILD CARDS AND IRON HORSES – Sheryl Nantus (August 2010)
THE IRON DUKE – Meljean Brook (October 2010)
TANGLED IN TIME – Pauline Baird Jones (December 2010)

For more information about steampunk romance, I invite you to visit my blog The Galaxy Express for periodic updates.

Heather Massey is a blogger who travels the sea of stars searching for science fiction romance adventures aboard The Galaxy Express. Additionally, she pens a science fiction romance column for LoveLetter, Germany's premier romance magazine.


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by Heather Massey
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* image source Mina of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

SteamPink schedule
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