The topic this week is which authors, living or dead, I’d
want to be in a dream anthology with. I’m going to twist it a bit and tell you
which worlds by which authors I’d LOVE to be invited to play in (and then I’ll
talk about an anthology below).
First and foremost is Andre Norton. She used to do
collections where other authors were invited to write stories set in her Witch
World universe and I SO longed to write a story there. I’d probably have
written something about the Were Riders because I was always fascinated by
them, and their mysterious backstory.
Second would be Nalini Singh. I’d be so honored to write a
story set in any of her worlds. I probably gravitate to the Psy-Changeling
storyline the most, if I were trying to write a tale for her universe – I’d write
one very sexy emotionless Arrow and the heroine who thaws him out…but I’m also
fascinated by the Guild Hunter series. Nalini writes more dark and violent
themes than I tend to, especially for the Guild Hunter series, but I would find
a way to incorporate those elements if I had the chance to ‘play’. Archangels, angels and vampires - oh my!
I enjoy everything Ilona Andrews writes but I’m a permanent ‘guest’
of the Innkeeper Chronicles series (meaning it’s my favorite of theirs – I probably tried
too hard to make that oh-so-clever comment work, huh?) and I’m not positive I
could juggle all the scifi and fantasy elements as smoothly as the husband and
wife writing team does, but I’d sure try.
I’d also love to be invited to spin a story set in our own
SFF7-member Jeffe Kennedy’s Twelve Kingdoms. There’s so much rich material to
work with there, it’d be hard to pick just one theme and settle to write it. I
think I’d want a Dasnarian mercenary hero and the heroine would be an everyday
woman who gets caught up in an adventure…uh oh, I’m plotting! Sorry, Jeffe!
And to round out my dream list of anthologies I’d want to be
invited to (or Kindle Worlds if such things were happening), may I please set a
story on Anne McCaffrey’s Pern? I want to write dragons and riders and fighting
Thread!
As it happens I am in a scifi romance anthology with a few
of my favorite SFR authors and it releases this very week! Here’s the info:
Blurb for Embrace the
Romance: Pets In Space 2:
The
pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of
today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original
stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier
to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to
journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out
of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E.
Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott,
Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject,
Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out
Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!
10% of the first
month’s profits go to
Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of
charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.
Buy Links:
Blurb for my story - Star Cruise: Songbird:
Grant Barton, a Security Officer on the Nebula Zephyr, is
less than thrilled with his current assignment to guard an Interstellar singing
sensation while she’s on board the ship. It doesn’t help that he and his
military war bird Valkyr are dealing with their recent separation from the
Sectors Special Forces and uncertainty over their future, with their own planet
in ruins.
Karissa Dawnstar is on top of the charts and seemingly has
it all – talent, fame, fortune and devoted fans, but behind her brave smile and
upbeat lyrics she hides an aching heart. When a publicity stunt goes wrong,
Karissa finds herself in the arms of the security officer assigned to protect
her – and discovers a mutual attraction she can’t ignore.
Trouble continues to plague the pair, driving a wedge
between them and leaving Grant certain that Karissa is in more danger than she
realizes, from overzealous fans and her own management. Grant is determined to
protect Karissa whether she wants his help or not. Can he discover the truth
behind what’s going on before he loses Karissa or is there someone else
plotting to keep them apart – permanently?