THE SUMMER LOVE BLOG TOUR - Sci-Fi / Erotic Romance, Sarah Allan

Hi everyone!  Welcome to week two of the Summer Love Blog Tour!

Last time we trekked through the land of other worldly love with paranormal romance author, Jean Murray. This week you get two for one as we explore the high-tech adventure of Sci-Fi romance, as well as the steamy, stimulating world of Erotica.    

The author who knows these two sub-genres best happens to be someone who knows me and THE FIRE WALKERS very well, too. My critique partner, Sarah Allan.

Sarah and I met through an online writing group many moons ago, and we managed to stick together ever since. A talented writer and editor, she minds my Ps, Qs, and Oxford commas, plus gives me honest, constructive feedback. We are cohorts in literary amore, and I love her writing style and dedication to craft.

So without further ado – heeeeerrrre’s Sarah!

Thanks so much for letting me do this, Shelley!

I'm here to talk a bit about erotic romance and sci-fi romance, though I do write in the other romance sub-genres.  I'm shortly going to be querying a hot LGBT fantasy romance called Fate's Awakening, and my current work-in-progress is a sci-fi romance tentatively titled The Disillusioned.  I'm also working on some collections of erotic short stories to self-publish.  And in my spare time I edit professionally.  I guess I can sleep when I'm dead!

What do you love most about Sci-Fi/Erotic romance?

Oh man...everything!  I love how creative I can be with both mediums.

With erotic romance, you can make anything you want sexy.  Sexy werewolves?  Sure!  Sexy massage therapists?  You betcha!  Sexy professor/student? Doctor/patient? Rich girl/farm boy?  Absolutely.  The world is your oyster.  I write stories for smart girls with dirty minds, so I like to make sure that even my erotic short stories have characters and scenes the reader can relate to and care about, at least on some level.  Writing short stories is tough because of that, though, but I love the challenge.  They're far more than porn on paper--they have substance (or I'd like to think they do! :-P).

Fate's Awakening is definitely skewed toward the "hot" end of the spectrum, so if a reader likes male/male romances, I think they'll really enjoy it.  I'd never written male/male scenes before, so it was a fun challenge.

As for sci-fi, I never set out to write one, but my current work-in-progress is a sci-fi romance.  I like to describe it as Nancy Drew meets the Terminator.  I love how readers will suspend disbelief for a story if it's grounded enough in reality, so that gives you a lot of freedom.  Your story still has to make sense, though, or the readers won't buy into it.

What’s is the weirdest research you've ever had to do?

I don't know about weirdest, but for my work-in-progress (The Disillusioned, a sci-fi romance), I'm creating a whole town.  I knew where I wanted to set the story, but I didn't like the constraints an actual town would give me, so it was easier to create my own.  I spent so much time on Google Maps figuring out where it would be, what would border it, where things were...  It was exhausting, but very worth it.

What is your favorite scene in Fate's Awakening and why?

Can I say the whole book?  No?  Okay...  Well, if I have to choose one, I had the best time writing a scene where Jack and Andy are preparing Christmas dinner.  Andy's good in the kitchen and stops what he's doing to give Jack some pointers.

Tell us one unique fact about you (something that few people know).

I'm pretty awesome at driving a stick-shift...on cars with the steering wheel on the left or right, which means I have to drive stick with my left hand sometimes.  And I make a mean pistachio dessert.

What are you reading this summer?

I'm looking forward to catching up on J.R.Ward's The King, and Laura Kaye's East of Ecstasy.  Both are waiting for me to have some more free time to crack them open.

What are you working on?  

I'm busting my butt readying a query for Fate's Awakening to send out soon. *crosses fingers*  Though I wouldn't mind self-publishing, either, so that's on the table.  I'm also hoping to get at least one erotic short story anthology out the door this year.  Oh, and finishing my first draft of The Disillusioned.  Whew. I'm exhausted and excited just thinking about it!

Blurb for Fate's Awakening:

Jack Harris doesn't do relationships. He gets what he wants, and is fine with the status quo. But he's in danger of losing his chance at happiness with the one he's meant for, and he doesn't even know it. Because he's been fighting his destiny, Jack's life-thread is tangled, leaving him in great danger. When a goddess takes away one of Jack's greatest pleasures, will that be enough to help Jack see what's right in front of him? Or are the Fates just playing a cruel trick?

Links:

Sarah Allan's Website     Twitter     Facebook     Goodreads (not author page--yet!)

xoxo Sarah

Big thanks to Sarah for visiting today!

Next week: The Summer Love continues with Fantasy author, Mindy Klasky!

Please join me then for more of the Narrative! J