Julia Barrett's World

Science fiction and romance…can ever the twain meet?

One of my all-time favorite works of science fiction is Ringworld, by Larry Niven.  He creates a colorful cast of characters who set out on an epic journey to explore an anomaly, a ring-shaped, artificially created, giant planet containing an earth-like atmosphere and ecosphere.  The crew includes the giraffy guy…that’s how I like to remember him, and the lucky guy – because in this story, luck is genetic.  Ringworld is my husband’s very favorite work of science fiction.

So last night, hubby was reading my book, Daughters of Persephone, on his Kindle.  Since I’m stuck downstairs with the new puppy, he came down to discuss his thoughts.

“I really like it,” he said, “but I’m feeling an existential conundrum coming on.”

“Oh?” I asked.  “What sort of existential conundrum?”

“Can science fiction and erotic romance exist in the same book?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, “but they coexist in both Captured and Daughters of Persephone .”

“Yes,” he said, “but true science fiction aficionados might go into shock when they come upon an explicit sex scene while fans of erotic romance might not get the science fiction, especially the science fiction references you’ve included.”

“Well, hmmm, but that’s what I’ve written.”

“But is there a market for this?  Is there an audience?”

Good question, hubby!  I don’t have a clue.  I hope so!

Can the two genres meet in the middle?  In Dune, for example, while the romance takes a backseat to the overarching messianic theme, there is love in the book.  In George R.R. Martin’s series, A Game of Thrones, there is sex, not what I would consider erotic sex or romance, but sex nonetheless.

Science fiction romance is not Paranormal, i.e., Vampire Romance, Shifter Romance, Were Romance, Faerie Romance, time travel romance…those fall more in the realm of fantasy and are a sort of pop-culture genre right now. Science fiction is not necessarily post-apocalyptic, although it may contain post-apocalyptic elements, nor is it quite Steam Punk – which does contain elements of science fiction.  I don’t know whether science fiction romance is a separate genre, a sub-genre, a new genre, a finding its way genre…and I have no idea if there is a fan base.  From what I’ve read on the blogs, there isn’t, not really.

Here’s what pops into my head when I imagine a damn good science fiction story containing romance and sex in addition to outstanding science fiction elements – The Terminator.

Any ideas?  Yes?  No?  Regardless, I don’t plan to stop writing ‘em.

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For the first time in my entire life, I have a room of my own.  No, not this room, although a few years ago I did rent a flat for a week that had this exact view.  In fact, this picture is taken from a window in my flat!  Yes!

But that’s beside the point.  I went from my father’s house where I shared a room with my sister to college where I shared rooms with dorm mates to my first husband’s house to my father’s house where I shared a room with my infant son to my second husband’s house which we filled with kids and their friends.  Although my husband has an office of sorts, my office had been the kitchen table or the dining room table or the back of the couch or a chair.

After packing up my daughter’s room and injuring my back schlepping boxes and boxes and more boxes, today hubby and I put together my desk and matching desk chair, a totally cool leather armchair with matching ottoman, and a mega-amazing daybed/sofa.  OMG!  We sat up there, each sipping a Kir Royale – yay Mia – enjoying the fruits of our labors!  I have my own room with a glorious view of our backyard and its huge redwood trees and gigantic maple.  Sigh!  I’m an adult at last!  (Not really.)

Now I can slip away to my writer’s retreat and write like a real writer.  You think?

This week – still the major re-write.  Anny Cook will be guest blogging here and I think I’ve been assigned a blog meme. Gotta check it out!

Oh yeah…email me at Julia@JuliaRachelBarrett.net if you want a signed hard copy of Captured.  Just checking to see if you’re paying attention.  No really, a signed copy.  love, julia

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Captured

Julia Rachel Barrett
Fantasy erotic romance
Available from Siren Publishing
ISBN: 1-60601-722-5
January 2010

Captured and caged in a cargo hold on a spaceship, Mari accidentally awakens to learn she and a few hundred other Earth females are headed to an extraterrestrial meat market to be sold as cattle. When her captors try to return her to stasis, she strongly resists. The male in charge, Ekkatt, begrudgingly allows her to remain awake even though she injured several of his men when she was first caught. Despite her understandable anger, Mari quickly realizes her survival depends upon connecting with Ekkatt. She must make him see her as a sentient being or she will end up dinner.

Ekkatt has never spoken to a human before. For him, all humans are beasts. They are valued for one thing only, the money they bring at auction. The Attun are vegetarians, but other species prize human flesh and Ekkatt makes good money trapping for them. Then the female with red hair awakens, speaks to him and forces him to admit she has a name. Ekkatt’s discovery of Mari’s sentience throws his entire life and its purpose into question. How can he participate in the sale of thinking, intelligent beings for food?

Julia Rachel Barrett has written an engaging novella in which she fully develops a world similar to, yet quite different from our own. Though the Attun appear technically advanced, their lives are reminiscent of Colonial life on Earth. The book also poses several interesting questions about colonizing different species together and allows its readers to reach their own conclusions.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mari and Ekkatt’s journey, and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys “other world” stories filled with three-dimensional characters living and working in a world that has a long, uneasy history with Earth. We weren’t the first intelligent beings to be created in this universe, and we probably aren’t last; the question is can we learn to live and play well with others?

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Very sensual

Reviewer: Kathryn
July 21, 2010

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Ack!  I had a fun, smutty, Scottish-related post planned for today but instead, not…just news.

1.  My Everything, my romance-suspense with Cobblestone, got a five-star review from The Romance Studio:  http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/myeverythingbarrett.htm

2.  Beauty and the Feast, my contemporary with Resplendence, received a five-teacup review from Happily Ever After:  http://hea-reviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/review-beauty-and-feast-by-julia.html

3.  The release of Daughters of Persephone will probably be delayed…ACK!  DOUBLE ACK!!!  I’ll be working on it all day today…@#$%^&*+=!

4.  Author Mia Watts, my not-so-secret online lover, arrives tomorrow!  Yay!  Pant…pant…pant.

5.  I tried a piece of bacon in Montana.  I liked it.  My daughter told me I can no longer officially call myself a vegetarian.  I’m a lapsed vegetarian.

6.  Siren sent me congrats yesterday on becoming a PAN-Eligible author, thanks to sales from Captured.  I’m in the news over there and if I had time, I’d do a happy dance!   http://www.sirenbookstrand.com/pan/

7.  We get to look at the puppies early next week!!!  The breeder says there may be three long-coated babies, which we want, and one is a really big male.  Give me those really big males any day!  I do love boys and I miss mine!

8.  After reading Read React Review‘s take on Passion, by Lisa Valdez, my husband wants to know – here’s the question of the day – and if you can answer, you might just receive a copy of one of my books…How does one measure a penis?  From root to tip?  Where do you start your measurement?  LOL!  Only hubby-mine could come up with a question like that!

love, a stressed-out julia

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Captured is up for Book of the Month at Happily Ever After Reviews!

This is a first for me, so if you love me…you’ll head over there and vote for me!

http://hea-reviews.blogspot.com/p/best-book-contest_30.html

Many many many thanks!  julia

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So…I have a busy day planned.

First, a mini walk for my sick dog.

Second, a hike with a bunch of hill climbing to work the gluts and the quads.

Third, a shower prior to the haircut because it’s just what you have to do, like cleaning your house before the housekeeper arrives.

Fourth, a shower after the haircut to get rid of all the sticky little hairs that will fall down my shirt.

Oh, somewhere in there I need to link you all to my Spotlight over at the Dark Diva’s place.  They are featuring me on Monday morning, along with my science fiction romance, Captured.  As soon as they send me the link I will post it.  Feel free to search their spotlight in the meantime.  They’ll be featuring some great authors this week.  http://ddrreviews.blogspot.com/

Fifth, guess what…head shots!  A friend of mine is a photographer and she will be making me look all perty.  She knows I hate having my picture taken so she’s promised I will look gooooood!  I trust her totally.  One of these days you won’t have to look at a cartoon avatar of me.  I’m really stressing out about what to wear..

For a fun read, check out Samantha Gentry’s blog – she’s one of my fellow Cobblestone authors.  Her post is titled – The Internet Will Fail and 8 other predictions that didn’t come true.

http://samanthagentry.blogspot.com/

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I got five tea cups…really pretty tea cups, for Captured!

Thanks, LynnMarie!

LynnMarie’s Review

Mari has just about had it with life. While she’s out collecting eggs, something happens that will change her future forever. She wakes up inside a cage, naked, and never so confused. Little does she know, she is being taken to a far away planet to be sold on the meat market.

The concept of the book intrigued me from page one. I had to know Mari’s fate. She was a great character! Strong, foul mouthed, and very easy to relate to. Mari isn’t a reluctant heroine or wilting flower, despite the traumas in her past. She’s smart and knows what she wants.

The beautiful cover of the book perfectly reflects the striking dragon tattoo on her back, as well as her flaming red hair. The same hair that caught her captor’s attention when he came to Earth seeking prisoners.
Ekkatt is so easy to fall in love with. He’s a hot, ripped alien, with golden skin, and a strong moral conscience. When he discovers that humans are far more than mindless animals, he just can’t sell Mari off like cattle. He hides her out in his home, and a love story is born.

Julia Rachel Barrett has created a complex sci-fi romance that I adored. Her sense of humor was priceless! The sex scenes were hot, but the developing romance took the prize in Captured. Our hero and heroine are so different, but learn from each other, and grow as people.

I highly encourage you to take this journey…to lose yourself in a different world. Captured is a sci-fi romance you don’t want to miss out on. I want more from Julia Rachel Barrett!

5 Tea Cups and a Recommended Read!

You can read the review yourself at their delightful site: http://hea-reviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/review-captured-by-julia-rachel-barrett.html

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What’s up with my books?

Captured has come out in print on Amazon!  Yay!  This makes me really, really happy.  I can’t wait to get my own copy.  There’s something about seeing a book, holding a book, smelling a book, opening a book that just feels good!

http://www.amazon.com/Captured-Publishing-Classic-Rachel-Barrett/dp/1606018582/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275021374&sr=8-2

The book can also be purchased for your Kindle, if you’ve got one!  http://www.amazon.com/Captured-Siren-Publishing-Classic-ebook/dp/B00371V7WO/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Beauty and the Feast is a bestseller on Fictionwise and all it’s outlets.  This so takes me by surprise!  I’m in good company – Tessie Bradford and Desiree Holt – author friends – are there with me.  http://www.fictionwise.com/topstories.htm

It’s also available for Kindle.  http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-and-the-Feast-ebook/dp/B003NX70QS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1275021641&sr=8-2

SusiSunshine over at the Geeky Bookworm invited me to post for her anniversary week – you can win an e-copy of Beauty and the Feast or Captured or My Everything.  http://thegeekybookworm.blogspot.com/2010/05/guestpost-by-julia-rachel-barrett.html Susi will be announcing the winners on Sunday so you have plenty of time to leave a comment!

So…coming soon with Resplendence Publishing:  Daughters of Persephone, Book One Exile and Book Two Return.

Coming with Siren:  Anytime Darlin’ – my favorite romance-suspense.

Ya’ll have an excellent weekend!

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Prescript:  Captured is out in print on Amazon!  OMG!  http://www.amazon.com/Captured-Publishing-Classic-Rachel-Barrett/dp/1606018582/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274500727&sr=8-2

My baby girl is flying home tonight.

You know how it is.  I love my kids so!  They are my greatest achievement.  I always knew I wanted kids, the husband was optional.  Got a good one despite myself.

Anyway, she’s coming home after having two flights canceled out from under her and since she’s flying from the East Coast, she won’t have eaten for hours -  maybe a pack or two of peanuts.  So…

I put together a cheese plate with Petite Basque, Gorgonzola Dolce, and Brillat Savarin, sliced melon and muscat grapes.  I quick cooked some asparagus, roasted a couple gigantic purple artichokes – still trying to decide if I want to stuff them with crab.

I’ve got fresh bread and I’m baking our favorite chocolate sheet cake – my great gramma’s recipe.  Oh yummo!

I think I’ll chill a bottle of Prosecco.

You all have a wonderful weekend!

Oops!  Here’s the recipe:

Melt two sticks of butter with one cup of water and 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder.

Mix together 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda.  Set aside.

Beat two eggs, mix with 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Pour melted chocolate mixture into dry mixture.  Stir in liquid mixture.

Spray a rectangular cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350′.  Pour in batter.  Bake 35 minutes.  Remove.  Let sit ten minutes and frost.

Frosting:

Mix together 1 stick butter, 6 tablespoons buttermilk, 3 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 box powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Enjoy!

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I have a choice…I can write about some sad stuff or I can focus on the happy stuff, like sports and books!

As those of you who know me know, I’m not a guy, but I have the biggest man-crush ever on Andres Torres of the San Francisco Giants.  I saw him first…I swear it!  The very first time I watched him in the outfield last year I turned to my hubby and said, “That man’s a player, baby.”  In my opinion, there is nothing sexier than great defense.  Watching Andres Torres play is like watching poetry dressed up in a baseball uniform.  Omar Vizquel was the same kind of pure player.  My two other current faves are Matt Downs and Eli Whiteside.  Yeah, there are flashier players, but those three, Torres, Downs and Whiteside, are bread and butter and they slide under the radar.

All of which reminds me of T.Z., my high school boyfriend and our football team’s tight end.  Dang, he looked good running toward the goal line.  I swear, he had the greatest butt of any guy in my high school.  I’d always mess up my pom pom routine because I was busy watching his butt.

My TBR pile is growing…groan…

Here’s the list:

The Blue Zones:  Lessons for Living Longer from People Who’ve Lived the Longest, by Dan Buettner.

Herland and Selected Stories, by Charlotte Gilman.

The King of Elfland’s Daughter, By Lord Dunsany.

Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese.

Fallen from Grace, by Laura Leone.

So Much for That, by Lionel Shriver.

I have amazing news - totally unexpected!  My publisher emailed me to tell me that Captured will be released in paperback within the next month.  Yay!  I really did not anticipate this at all.  It will be available on Amazon shortly.  I cannot wait to hold that book in my hot little hands!  In the meantime…leave me a comment telling me what’s in your TBR pile, and I’ll mail you my extra copy of Sharon Kay Penman’s Here Be Dragons.  Ms. Penman is one of my favorite authors.  Here’s the blurb from the back cover:

Thirteenth century Wales is a divided country, ever at the mercy of England’s ruthless, power-hungry King John.  Then Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales, secures an uneasy truce with England by marrying the English king’s beloved, illegitimate daughter, Joanna.  Reluctant to wed her father’s bitter enemy, Joanna slowly grows to love her charismatic and courageous husband who dreams of uniting Wales.  But as John’s attentions turn again and again to subduing Wales – and Llewelyn – Joanna must decide to which of these powerful men she owes her loyalty and love.

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I’m featured over at Larissa’s place this morning:  http://www.larissaslife.com/

Stop by!  You can win a book!  love, julia

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Inquiring Minds Want to Know…

SmokinghotBooks has a hilarious, laugh out loud, post on waxing – reading it actually brought tears to my eyes – tears of amusement and memories of a shared painful experience.  You can read it for yourself!  http://smokinhotbooks.com/blog/

Do your heroines wax?  I have to say I avoid the subject altogether in my books.  I guess I let the reader be the judge.  I assume Mari in Captured does not as she’s trapped on an alien world.  I’m betting Eva does – as part of her makeover for a night out with Gabe – in Beauty and the Feast.  Grace in My Everything?  Probably not as she’s a pretty pragmatic woman and she’s still in mourning but…you never know!  Devlin Barre in Anytime Darlin’?  No friggin’ way – she’s a farm girl, but I know for sure she shaves her pits and her legs!

The heroines of Daughters of Persephone?  Seven hells no!  They have other things on their minds, you know, little, insignificant things like saving the human race!  Lira in my WIP?  Oh yeah, she’s a princess, the heir to the throne of Zhinshu.  Of course she waxes!

Waxing involves a willingness to submit yourself to torture.  No kidding.  All in the name of femalescaping, as opposed to manscaping which I am opposed to unless the man has hair sprouting from every single follicle on his entire body.  As I commented on the above post – my esthetician does torture me, but she does it in a good way.  I tell myself to think of the results…think of the results…think of the results.

Somebody who shall remain nameless, reports that waxing exposes certain soft and appealing curves in places on a woman’s body that normally lack for male attention.  I kind of enjoy that gently descriptive opinion on the issue. 

What’s your take?

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Note the size difference….

According to neuropsychiatrist, Dr. Louann Brizendine, romance writers have had it right all along, a man does think with what’s between his legs!

She says, and I quote, “Women don’t always realize the penis has a mind of it’s own – for neurological reasons.    The male brain has an area for sexual pursuit 2.5 times larger than female brains.”

Her book, The Male Brain, was released last week.  My question for women is – Does this come as a surprise?  Anyone?

In other news, as ebooks and ereaders become increasingly popular, authors in all genres are going to have to make sure to hook a reader in the first twenty pages…I’ll go a step farther.  I say authors had better hook the reader in the first ten pages or less.  If you own a Kindle, as my hubby does, you can download the first twenty pages of any book for free – even with my novella, Captured, you can download the first twenty pages for free via Amazon.  My husband said there was a work of nonfiction he was interested in so he downloaded the first twenty pages to check it out.  He knew within five pages that he had no further interest in the book so he didn’t buy it.

Those of us already in the epublishing world have been working under the premise that we must hook publishers, editors, and readers within the first few pages, sometimes in just a paragraph or two.  Do I dare venture to say that we may have a leg up? Let me put it this way – a few months back I bought an expensive hardcover book based on a friend’s rec and Amazon reviews.  The book wasn’t available on Kindle and there was no look inside feature.  The book sucked and I felt totally ripped off.  If I’d had the opportunity to read the first twenty pages, I would have known immediately that this was not the book for me and I would have skipped it altogether.  So yes, I believe ereaders will change buying habits, especially if you can download a free excerpt from the book.

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Get a look at this cover!  Totally hot!

Tessie Bradford’s new book comes out today over at Resplendence:

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/m8_view_item.html?m8:item=191-201-117-451-2

Eleanor Lewis is perfectly content with her comfortable, quiet, relationship free life until she finds herself on all fours at the feet of Jackson Royce. Eleanor is stunned by her instant and intense attraction to the power and confidence radiating from the devilishly handsome building contractor. He scrambles her brain and heats her body to the boiling point.

Jackson always trusts his gut instincts. The ultra sexy woman sprawled on the floor is a sexual submissive. How intriguing that the all business, sensible shoe wearing office manager has absolutely no idea? The moment he takes her into his embrace he vows to possess her mind, body and soul.

From their first sizzling encounter, through a whirlwind courtship, Eleanor discovers being possessed by a man who loves her absolutely is what she had been searching for all along.

Congrats, Tessie – many happy sales!

In other news – I’ve had some lovely responses to Beauty and the Feast, my contemporary that released last week with Resplendence.  Thanks, readers!

I’ve begun the sequel to Captured – The story will feature Ekkatt’s brother, Tirrit.

Half-way through my Futuristic/Sci Fi quad/menage/multiple.  It’s been interesting to say the least!

A word of advice – When your husband works from home, leave.  He’s likely to screw up your internet connection.

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Sometimes I worry about over-exposure.

It’s not my fault!!!

Jack Nicholson made me do it!

When 2009 began, the farthest thing from my mind was that I’d have four releases in three months.  Whoa Nelly as in – never look a gift horse in the mouth, but good God, people must be sick to death of me!  I’m sick of me!

The past few years have been beautiful in many ways, tragic in a few, and flat out frustrating when it comes to my career as an author.  This year took me by surprise.  I expected to see Captured in April, but Siren was really on the ball and I found out in late December that it would be released on January 6th.  My Everything was released by Cobblestone on February 12th, The Cougar Book with Logical Lust came out on February 14th and now Beauty and the Feast with Resplendence.

Believe me, I ain’t complaining, but I barely have time to breathe!  Besides, I do really worry about over-exposure.  Isn’t it better to play hard to get?  You know…like a little goes a long way?  Or is it out of sight, out of mind?  Really – which platitude is it?  I’m hearing Jack Nicholson’s voice in my head – The truth?  You can’t handle the truth! I get like that when I’m overtired…you know…can’t spell worth a damn and Jack Nicholson speaks to me like some perverted devil on my shoulder.  OMG, now I’m flashing on China Town…My sister…my daughter…my sister…my daughter...

Oh, BTW, I think of Captured like I think of Legolas….ahhhhhh…Legolas…..sigh.  Writing Captured was just – like – that.  Sigh.

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