SPACE OPERA COVER REVEAL: FOOLS RUSH IN

In this 50th anniversary week of the moon landing, it's only fitting that my new cover reveal should be of my space opera noir novel Fools Rush In, Interstellar Rescue Series Book 3. 

An author is not supposed to have favorites among her books, but I have to admit, I'm a little partial to this cover. My heroine, Rayna, is as kickass as she should be. And my hero, Sam, is as rugged and lovable as he is in the pages of the novel. Check it out.

And, yes, I'm running another Kindle Countdown deal on this one! Why not? Starting tonight at midnight PDT (July 6), you can buy Fools Rush In, Interstellar Rescue Series Book 3 for only $0.99 for 48 hours, counting down to the regular price of $2.99 at midnight PDT on Wednesday, July 10. Remember, this new edition includes the bonus short story "Saturday Night in Devils Holler," previously only available in the Baby, It's Cold in Space anthology.

Forgot the plot to Fools Rush In? Here's the blurb: 

She thought she had the toughest job in Rescue—

until the day she had to convert a pirate into a hero.

Interstellar Rescue “conductor” Rayna Carver is deep undercover on a slave ship bound for an isolated region of space when the ship is attacked by pirates. Her liberator is Captain Sam Murphy, a man known in the spacer bars to love only profit, adventure and women.

But Murphy hates a few things, too, chief among them slavers. Will it be enough to gain his help for Rayna’s mission—ferreting out two spies bent on sabotaging an arms factory to turn the tide in an alien civil war?

Get your copy of Fools Rush In, Interstellar Rescue Series Book 3 on Amazon NOW!

Cheers, 

Donna

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC IS SPACE OPERA ANYWAY?

If you click over to Tor.com this week, you’ll find a series of articles on that most beloved of science fiction tropes: the space opera. One post lists ten classic space opera universes, another reminds that women have always written space operas. What you won’t find is a clear definition of what space opera is, because that depends a little on where you stand in SF/SFR fandom.

If you’ve been around a while, you’ll know that the term comes from the time of the Golden Age of Science Fiction (approximately 1930s to late 1950s) and originally referred to the pulp stories churned out in the “rocket magazines” of the time. Rocket ships, space heroes, tentacled monsters and evil empires abounded in these stories aimed at mostly young male readers whose parents were sure they were rotting their brains with the things. These low-bar tales were compared with the “soap operas” aimed at housewives and “horse operas” aimed at Western fans. (I’m looking at a magazine cover from the time right now that screams “Alcatraz of the Starways—No Escape but Death from the Prison-Hell of Pradim!” The illustration is equally lurid.)

But not all science fiction was pulp fiction, and the term expanded to mean much more. Yes, a space opera needs spaceships (and preferably space battles), aliens and lots of action. But what distinguishes it from other stories set in space is most often scope and a sense of high stakes (the opera part of the title.) Not only must the ship be in danger, the galaxy must be in danger. Not only must two planets be at war, two empires must be at war.

That’s why, when we think of space opera nowadays, we think first of STAR WARS and STAR TREK. George Lucas stole very consciously from the Golden Age space opera tropes of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, with their caped, “evil empire” villains and cliffhanging episodes. Similarly, STAR TREK’s multi-planet Federation is locked in galactic battle with the warlike Klingon Empire and the devious, secretive Romulan Empire. Every step Captain James T. Kirk takes is fraught with meaning for the galaxy. Empires. Galaxies. Scope. High Stakes.

There’s a common misconception that there’s no room in a space opera for romance. That, too, comes from a narrow view of science fiction that allows no romance in any kind of SF story. In fact, Golden Age stories often included a bit of romance (that cover I mentioned? A woman is busy fighting next to her man, apparently rescuing him from the “prison-hell of Paradim.”) Certainly Captain Kirk and Han Solo made plenty of time for romance.  We’ve only expanded the depth of the relationships in our space operas as our characters have grown beyond mere cardboard heroes and heroines.

Romance is the centerpiece of my own foray into space opera, Fools Rush In, Book 3, Interstellar Rescue Series. But the relationship between Rescue agent Rayna Carver and pirate ship captain Sam Murphy is set against an alien civil war that may mean the end of slavery throughout the galaxy. This space opera has romance, yes, but it also has all the scope and high stakes it should. You can check it out in digital, paperback or audiobook on Amazon. 

 Cheers, Donna

SPACEFREIGHTERS AUTHORS SNAG AWARDS!

Last week was a big one for Spacefreighters Lounge authors Laurie A. Green, Pippa Jay and Donna S. Frelick as they swooped in and snapped up not just one or two, but FOUR SFR Galaxy Awards!

Laurie's multi-author Pets in Space anthology won recognition twice as two different judges awarded the book "Best Anthology" and "Best Interstellar Menagerie."

Pippa's short story "Quick Shot" won the award for "Grittiest Hot and Fast Story."

Donna's third novel in the Interstellar Rescue series, Fools Rush In, was  awarded the "Series That Just keeps Getting Better" title.

Wowzer!

The SFR Galaxy Awards were established five years ago by blogger, author and all-around SFR cheerleader Heather Massey as a means of advocating for our diverse, unique genre. They are meant to recognize excellence in the field of science fiction romance, without forcing judges (themselves authors, bloggers and reviewers) to stick to arbitrary, unwieldy categories. 

Abducted by tentacled aliens from Orion and somehow missed these great reads? Check out the buy links on the Novels Tab above!
 
WINNERS!--WINNERS!---WINNERS!

The winners of my Fools Rush In audiobook giveaway are: Ilona Fenton, Effie Kattalakis and Sarah Ulfers! Congrats, y'all! Contact me on my Facebook Author page with your email addresses so I can send you your prizes! 

Cheers, Donna

FOOLS RUSH IN AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAY!

Runners! Tired of pounding the pavement listening to that worn-out club mix on your iPod? Commuters? Ready to ram the car in front of you because talk radio has you riled? Treadmill jockeys and heavyweight lifters! Think you might blow your top if that grunting Neanderthal in the corner drops his deadlift to the floor ONE MORE TIME??

Then run, don’t walk, to your phone, tablet or computer, go to Audible.com and download yourself a copy of the audiobook version of Fools Rush In, Book 3 in the InterstellarRescue series, read by Lisa Beacom. Put in your earbuds and let this space opera noir  romance take you away to the other side of the galaxy!  

The audiobook experience adds a whole other dimension to a story. Even if you’ve read the book, you’ll enjoy listening to the audio version—the alien voices, the whispered lovers’ confessions, the shouts of excitement in the space battle scenes. (Wow, I can’t wait to hear that myself!) This is narrator Lisa Beacom’s third time out with the challenging material of the Interstellar Rescue series. She’s wonderfully talented—and fearless!

Need a reminder what Fools Rush In is all about? Check out this blurb:

She thought she had the toughest job in Rescue—

until the day she had to convert a pirate into a hero.

Interstellar Rescue “conductor” Rayna Carver is deep undercover on a slave ship bound for an isolated region of space when the ship is attacked by pirates. Her liberator is Captain Sam Murphy, a man known in the spacer bars to love only profit, adventure and women.

But Murphy hates a few things, too, chief among them slavers. Will it be enough to gain his help for Rayna’s mission—ferreting out two spies bent on sabotaging an arms factory to turn the tide in an alien civil war?

 

GIVEAWAY!

 

I’m giving away THREE free copies of the Fools Rush In audiobook this week, and you have LOTS of chances to win! Comment BELOW, on my Facebook Author page or the Interstellar Rescue Squad Page with a good reason to listen to an audiobook (it can be a real reason or a funny one). You can comment as many times and in as many places as you like—each comment will count as a separate chance to win (but you can only win ONE audiobook). Be creative! You never know—I might take a notion and give someone a free audiobook just for coming up with a wild reason to listen!

What’s that link again?

Fools Rush In, Book 3 in the InterstellarRescue series. Read by Lisa Beacom.

Cheers, Donna