Book Tour: Guest Post for Ricochet by Sandra Sookoo

Welcome to the Book Tour for Ricochet by Sandra Sookoo!

We have a guest post from the author as well as a giveaway, so be sure to read the whole post!

Willa Rayes, only daughter of a legendary Lingorian fighter pilot, can fly any ship in the galaxy. Better than her brothers, in fact. But does that get her any respect? Not as long as she has breasts. Winning the Nebulon Trike will not only force her family to notice her, it’ll be her declaration of independence from men in general.

Then she meets her race partner, Stratton Sinnet. Arrogant and chauvinistic, he ignites her libido like no man ever before. And threatens to send her well-planned strategy straight to hell.

A bounty hunter by trade, Sin enters the Trike for one reason: money. Somewhere among the racers his quarry is hiding, but he’s not worried. He always gets his man, and winning the race will be a nice bonus. It sure would be a hell of a lot easier, though, if he wasn’t saddled with a know-it-all navigator who’s getting on his last nerve—and under his skin.

As the checkpoints go by and the danger escalates, the fight for control, the lead—and satisfaction—approaches supernova heat. Burning away their resistance, and the tough shells that protect their one vulnerability…their hearts.

I asked Sandra why she thinks women are drawn to Science Fiction, as at one time it was a predominately male genre.  Here's her answer.

For this blog post, I’m only going to share my experience as I can’t speak for women at large, and my post will only deal with the writing side; otherwise, I’d be talking about this subject until next week.  Also, I came to sci-fi late in my life (so I’m not the world’s greatest expert), and it wasn’t until the last couple of years I got up enough courage to even write it.

So glad I did!

I think, in recent years especially, the draw for women to science fiction is a multifaceted one.  As more women pen tales on the global stage in this genre, it gives a permission of sorts for other women to read it.  Let’s face it.  Twenty or thirty years ago, it was almost unheard of for a woman to write in the genre without hiding her real identity behind a man’s name or a bunch of initials.  As if the idea that a woman’s mind couldn’t possibly handle the intricacies of a new universe or the technology needed.

What arrogance, and thankfully it’s such a wrong outlook!

For me, writing sci-fi romance if very freeing.  I can not only build worlds, but I can create universes, complete with planets, species, cultures, etc.  It opens up the canvas to show interaction between humans and aliens, or aliens and other aliens.  It gives me a chance to show differences, play them up, use them to advantage or show how evil they can be.  Sometimes I set my stories in an Earth-based place such as a space station or a moon.  Other times, I completely leave the Milky Way galaxy and head out for parts unknown.

Then there’s the action side of things.  Generally, in this genre, every story is packed with page-turning action—fist fights, laser-fire exchanges, running from the enemy.  And don’t forget the colorful imagery of new worlds and alien races.  The possibilities are endless!

That’s the glory of sci-fi.

The best thing I’ve found that women writers bring to the genre is the addition of romance.  If you ask my husband, he says romance and love have no place in sci-fi.  I tell him he’s wrong, because there’s always love in some form no matter what race of beings you’re dealing with.  And by including a romantic element within the story line, you automatically up the conflict factor.  Why?  Because feelings get involved.  People start caring more deeply about things and people.  When the focus moves away from thinking with your head to being led with your heart, problems crop up, especially when there’s sex involved.  Is it taboo for different species to hook-up?  If they do get into bed, do they have the right parts?  For me, romance and sci-fi sorta go hand-in-hand.  It’s the ultimate human connection and challenge.  It’ll always be so.

Right there is the sweet spot for me.

Yes, I sometimes have trouble with the technology side of things.  I’ll have in-depth discussion with my husband on how I can make something work—be it weaponry, ships, etc.  Yes, I still stumble over my own enthusiasm when it comes to world creation or character motivation.  Recently, the twist in a sci-fi book I’m writing suddenly didn’t work or make sense to me even though I thought I’d gotten a handle on it.  Many long convos with the husband later finally worked out the kinks.

Yup, writing science fiction romance is darned hard work but it’s also one of the only genres where the payoff is the biggest.  I kinda like that too.

Anyway, I hope I haven’t confused you or lost your interest with my convoluted ramblings.  So, what about you?  Do you enjoy straight-up sci-fi or do you like a like romance with your stories?

As for me, I usually enjoy a little romance with everything.  Let us know your opinion on the matter!

 

Sandra is a writer of romantic fiction. Her portfolio includes historical, contemporary, sci-fi and paranormal romances in full-length books as well as shorts and novellas. No matter if the heat level is spicy or sweet, she loves to blend genres and often times will add humor.

When not immersed in creating new worlds and interesting characters, Sandra likes to read, bake and travel. Her favorite place to spend vacation hours is Walt Disney World. It’s where dreams come true and the soul can play. If she’s not writing, she’s keeping things interesting at her Believing is Seeing blog or spending time with her husband, who patiently answers questions she has about men and/or sci-fi-related subjects.

You can write to Sandra at sandrasookoo@yahoo.com, visit her website at www.sandrasookoo.com or look her up on Facebook and Twitter. All links are provided on the front page of her website.

Website:  http://www.sandrasookoo.com

Believing is Seeing blog:  http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/sandrasookoo

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/sandra.sookoo