No Resolutions! Checklists work for me! Post by Jessica E. Subject

It's January again, and that means many people are talking about the goals and resolutions they want to accomplish in 2022. I gave up on those years ago. I get easily disappointed with myself if I do not accomplish things by a certain date. And when I'm working on something creative, like writing my stories, that can be disastrous. Sure, I have stories I'd love to publish this year (see below), but I don't have any dates set, and I know that plans can change, and other ideas often invade my mind.

(notice the crossed fingers)

So, what do I do instead? I use checklists!!

I have daily, weekly, and monthly checklists, and started using them at the beginning of the pandemic to stay focused. The format has changed a bit since then to become what it is now. Some of the items on my checklists are personal, and others are work-related. But I get great joy from checking off the little boxes. So much so, it motivates me to get them done. 

Above is a screenshot of part of this month's daily, weekly, and monthly checklist. (The weekly and monthly ones are listed at the unseen bottom part.)

DAILY

These are my more personal things to accomplish. I always want to get them done, but I never set a target. Simply working on them for any amount of time is enough for me. Some days I will work on them longer, and other days only for a few minutes. It depends on how much time I have that day, and whether I am able to focus for long periods of time. Under write, any work on my stories counts, whether it be planning, writing, editing, etc. Right now I am reviewing all three of my Kaddim Brothers stories and making sure my world bible is up-to-date. Reading can be anything, though I usually read webtoons, print books, and/or ebooks. Exercise is usually a class through my fitness studio. They're all online now, as we're in another shutdown, but I look forward to getting back to the studio, as the people there keep me accountable. And I'm trying to learn Korean. Have been at it for two years now. I know it's going to take a lot longer, but daily practice from multiple learning platforms definitely has helped me.

WEEKLY

These are work-related tasks; things I have to or should accomplish each week. They are for other jobs, or for writing-related promo. I usually have set days of the week I accomplish these tasks, but I keep them off my daily checklist, as the day I accomplish them can sometimes vary.

MONTHLY

These are tasks I do once a month, like this post on Paranormal Romantics, or my author newsletter. It's more a reminder for me to do them so I don't forget.

The key is, you need to find what works for you. Not everyone is the same, and it's important to recognize that.

So, what works for you? I'm always curious about others. Are you for goals and resolutions, or do smaller tasks work better for you? Do you need set dates and targets, or do you have a more fluid sense of accomplishment?

Until next month!

Alternate Universes in Paranormal Romance and Sci-Fi Romance by @jsubject #PNR #SFRomance #Romance

 

ALTERNATE UNIVERSES

IN

PARANORMAL AND SCI-FI ROMANCE

As an author of both sci-fi and paranormal romance, I know we have to create alternate worlds for our stories. Because as much as we like to believe that aliens, shifters, ghosts, vampires, zombies, etc. exist on this planet, we don't see them walking around in public on a daily basis. So, we create our own where they do.

Now, these alternate worlds or universes can be as similar or different from our own existence as we want them to be. In my ALIEN NEXT DOOR series, aliens live on an Earth much like our own. And they try to blend in to human society so their secret is not discovered. The world-building was simple, as I only had to tweak a few things from our own world.

In my most recently published series, SHIFTER TOWERS, shifters live amongst humans in an omegaverse. There was a little more world-building involved with this series. As similar as I tried to make this world to our own, I did create new cities, towns, and landmarks to match the world I was writing in. And since the characters were mostly AOB shifters, there were a few other differences I had to consider. Like how often, and where they were allowed to shift.

With my GALACTIC DEFENDERS series and my upcoming KADDIM BROTHERS series, I went all out, creating new worlds with new rules, and so much more. And the joy of these stories taking place on multiple planets and on space craft as well is that each one is different from the other, leading to so many possibilities for things to happen.

As a reader, or an author, I want to know how close you like your stories to be to your reality? Do you like to wonder if your neighbor might be an alien or a vampire? Or, do you want the full escape to leave this world during your reading/writing time? I enjoy both, but I'm always curious about what everyone else thinks.

Here's a snippet from BRYCE, the first book in my Galactic Defenders series, where Lalia is on the Galactic Defenders ship and trying to find her way around...

Glancing one last time at her daughter, she pulled on her robe then exited the room.

Confident of their safety on the carrier and in space, the Galactic Alliance hadn’t assigned them any security. They’d been housed in the guest quarters, three floors up from Bryce and the rest of the Defenders.

No one patrolled the hallway at all, making her passage past the communal bathroom and  to the lift easy. “Second floor, Defender’s Lounge,” she recited to the computer after the doors slid closed behind her. The chamber softly glowed around her, no buttons or emergency phones on the walls like elevators on Earth. While Bryce had told her to locate him in the lounge if she had an emergency, she doubted he’d expect her so soon after he’d left her. But she couldn’t share her objections in front of her daughter. If they did end up on Hemera, she didn’t want Katrina to know how much she’d detested life on her home planet.

“Destination reached,” the computer said in a neutral tone, neither male nor female.

Peeking out, she spotted no one. With all the Defenders she’d met on board, she’d expected to run into at least one of them. Instead, closed doors surrounded the gleaming floor of the large, circular room. Tables, chairs, couches, and other odd-shaped furniture rested along the far wall, as if pushed there before one of the crew had cleaned the floor.

Would she leave marks on the polished surface if she stepped across it, evidence of her visit to Bryce? Or, worse, set off an intruder alarm?

The lift door whooshed toward her. Lalia jumped out of the way to avoid getting squished. She paused, waiting for an ear-piercing wail, for all the Defenders to come rushing out to see what had set off the alarm. Yet, an eerie silence hung around her, all the doors remaining closed.

She tiptoed around the edge of the room, searching the entrances for some marker indicating which one led to Bryce. Nothing. They all looked the same, brushed metal without even a window to help her find him. No number or any sort of identification to tell them apart from each other. How did any of the Defenders find their own room?

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A Vacation in Space - Where Would You Go?

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What would you do if your neighbor were a...?

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American peeps out there! I hope you're feasting on wonderful food and enjoying time with your family and friends. Oh, and get lots of sleep so you can shop tomorrow at the Black Friday sales.

I'm from Canada, so we already celebrated our Thanksgiving in October. It's a good thing we have ours earlier, because in November, weather is so unpredictable in Canada. It was nice at the beginning of the month, and this past weekend, temperatures dropped to below freezing, and we got snowed on. That leads to neighbors helping neighbors clear the snow in their driveway and more. I live in a neighborhood where we all pretty much know each other. And when it snows, we do help each other out. Those with snowblowers help those who don't have them.

But what if you don't know your neighbors that well? Or what if your neighbors have secrets that they don't want anyone to find out? In the city I live in, many people work shift work at factories. Someone on the midnight shift could easily be a vampire. And you never know who might be a demon.

In my Alien Next Door series, the neighbors are aliens, and will only reveal what they are to their true love. But, what would you do if you found out your neighbor was an alien? Would it help if they were sexy? ;)

*Alien Adoration, the first book in the Alien Next Door series is ON SALE for only 99 CENTS at All Romance eBooks!

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to sexy. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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Halloween Memories from Our Authors

Veronica sez: We thought it would be fun to share a few of our own favorite Halloween memories with you today. This little ghost guy is a favorite pin of mine, that my Dad gave me when I was a kid - have a safe and sane (but spooky!) holiday!!!

Robert C. Roman:

Mine is a mix of funny and little-kid-sweet-romantic. 

Three Halloweens ago, my wife stayed home to give out candy, and I took our little boys (aged 2 and 5, respectively) trick-or-treating for the first time in our new neighborhood. Our older boy, Lucien, had been trick or treating once before, but this was the younger, Viktor's, first time ever.

 Our neighborhood is four cul-de-sacs and two half-block dead end streets all connected by a single lane, and we're nearly at one end of all of it. We started through our cul-de-sac, picking up a few pieces of candy every few houses, as most of them were dark. After one lap of the cul-de-sac, the boys were a little dispirited by all the closed houses, and we were considering going back in, but after waving to Mommy, the little ones decided to press on.

 Ah, such a fateful decision. Halfway to the next cul-de-sac, we ran into a strange procession. Every child in the neighborhood, from my older son's bus stop partners to the few trick-or-treating teenagers, being led along the street by a tiny moppet no bigger than my two year old. She took one look at the boys, grabbed Lucien by the hand, and said 'C'mon! We're gonna get free candy!'
 And so my son met his first girlfriend, Carter, the tiny force of nature. She towed him around the neighborhood not once, but twice, and thereafter to innumerable play-dates and parties for the next two-and-a-half years, including one spur-of-the-moment Halloween party (she grabbed kids and pulled them inside when they trick-or-treated her house).

Diane Burton:

I was a young single and went to a girlfriend’s house to watch movies on Halloween. She wanted to watch a movie that I think was called “The Hand” about a dismembered hand that crawled around and killed people. In one scene, it crept up the back of the driver’s seat and strangled the driver.  It was in black and white, which made it that much more creepy, made in the 1930s I think. Anyway, after the movie was over I had to drive home. I just knew that hand would creep up the back of the seat and strangle me.  Fastest I ever drove home.

Heather Long:

When my daughter was 4 years old, we took her to Disney World. She dressed up like Belle and we went to the Mickey's Very Scary Halloween Party. All of the characters at the park bowed to the 'princess' and she trick or treated at the different attractions, we also got to watch the Boo To You Halloween Parade which is opened by a headless horseman racing up the street--and my daughter declared after it raced past--that poor horse, he needs a better rider. That man couldn't keep his head.

It's as hysterical to me today as it was then.

Jessica Subject:

My Halloween memory is...

We used to live on a street perpendicular to Elm St. And one Halloween, one of the residents had decked his house out, and he dressed up like Freddy Krueger. I didn't get scared, but a lot of the parents did when he jumped out at them. It was more funny than anything.

Maureen Bonatch:

One of my favorite memories was when I was pretty young and my older sister, Kathy, took me through a 'haunted house'.  I'm sure it was probably pretty lame as haunted houses go, since it was done by the church bazaar, but not when you're about seven.   A group of us were walking through it and we were at the end of the line, I turned around and Frankenstein was right behind us, arms outstretched, moaning and coming right for us! I became slightly hysterical, as seven year olds can, and Frankenstein ended up having to 'ditch the scary monster act' and kneel down to console me, lol.  

(P.S.  my parents home, where I grew up was and still is Elm Street..after I reluctantly watched the first Nightmare on Elm Street movie I slept with the lamp on for a week...  umm..I was probably about twenty years old, lol)

Mimi Sebastian:

Here's my memory from childhood. I was at my uncle's house in New York and like many of the brownstone type houses, all the backs faced an alley. My cousins and I used to play on the alley street with the neighbor kids, but one night around Halloween, all the adults had gone back inside the house and I stayed outside alone, leaning against the fence, glancing down the street. It was particularly dark. Suddenly, I saw a light appear in the middle of the street about ten yards away from me, almost like a flashlight or lantern, approaching slowly, but I didn't see anyone holding the light. I was somewhat frozen to the spot until I heard laughter coming from the same direction as the light. That pretty much unstuck my feet and I raced back into the house. I don't know what the heck it was, if it just a neighbor taking a stroll, but in my child's mind, it's provided a scary memory to this day!

Stephanie Beck:

My favorite costume is a tiny cow sleeper that all my kids wore when they were babies on their first Halloweens. I've never been big on the holiday, but who doesn't like candy and tiny adorable cows?

Virginia Nelson:

Back when I was a young teen, I got with a bunch of other kids who wanted to set up a haunted farm house (mostly  boys who wanted to scare their girlfriends), so we went out to the old deserted place, decorated it then several of us took our positions in the house... I was lying on the bed with a phony knife in my chest, fake blood all over the room... everyone set the stage and the kids coming out to the house got the scare of a life time...

Afterwards, we all left, went out for something to eat then returned to the old deserted farm house to clean up. The joke was on us because this time the girls who we had scared came back, cleaned up our mess and rearranged everything including the killing scenes. Scared the dickens out of this 13 year old and others when we walked in and saw three people lying on the floor in a pile of fresh blood and a hobo looking guy standing over them.

That was the last time I set up a haunted house for anyone...

Beware the Black Cat!

One summer, just before I'd turned seven, I returned home from visiting my aunt, to find my parents had gotten me a kitten. A pet of my very own that didn't have to be kept in an aquarium or a cage. And the best part of all, she was black. I've never been afraid of black cats, but I know many people avoid them if they see one on the street. Not me.

There is much written about the black cat being a witch's familiar (would enhance her/his powers). Though, I've also heard the same thing about a dark grey cat. And because of the tales of witches, black cats quickly became associated with evil. Some people even believe that black cats are actually witches in disguise. 

Just as I shared broom lore last Halloween, here is some other black cat lore:

• In some places, it is considered lucky to own a black cat, but unlucky to have one cross your path.
• A strange black cat found on the porch brings properity to the owner of the house.
• Wives of fishermen on the Yorkshire Coast believe their men will return safely if a black cat is kept in their house.
• In the English Midlands, a black cat as a wedding present is thought to bring good luck to the bride.
• In Germany, if a black cat crosses your path from right to left it is considered a bad omen, but if it crosses from left to right, favorable times are ahead for you.
• In Italy, if a black cat lies on the bed of someone who is sick, death will follow.
• In China, some believe black cats are harbingers of famine and poverty.

Do you know any other lore about black cats? And what do you think? Lucky or unlucky?

Happy Halloween!

~Jessica

Author Bio:

The Power of Three
-Gargoyles, Witches & more in this
paranormal erotica story.

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to sexy. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.


When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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From the Archives: Broom Lore: How much do you know about your broom?

Veronica Scott sez: We thought you might enjoy this post from our archives!

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I'd share some interesting broom lore. Some of the lore I've heard of, and some are new to me.

• Two brooms crossed and hung on a wall or nailed to a door, or a broom placed on the ground by the main door is a sign of protection. 
• Brooms should be placed bristle up, not only to help them last longer, but also for good luck. 
• People place brooms outside their main door to ward off evil. 
• Placing a small broom under your pillow will keep away nightmares. 
• Yorkshire belief states that if a young girl accidentally steps over a broom handle, she will become a mother before a wife. 
• If you drop a broom, you will have company. (I've heard this for dropping cutlery, too.) 
• To bring rain, stand outside and swing a broom around your head. 
• It is bad luck to loan your broom to anyone, even friends. 
• If you place a broom on the floor with guests over, it indicates they have been there long enough. Yet if you sweep right after they leave, it will bring them back. 
• It is bad luck to move a broom. A new house requires a new broom. 

Do you know of any other broom lore, or wives tales that I've missed??

"Indeed, most magicians catch the bug as kids. My first audience was my family in Long Island. My first 'assistant' was my mother, whom I levitated on a broom in our living room."
Criss Angel 

"A new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners” Old Irish Saying Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I always go all-out with my costumes. Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow on Once Upon A Time)

Author Bio:

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

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One year ago today...

Hello peeps! I'm loving the new look of the blog. A very special thank you to Veronica Scott!

Today, I'm celebrating the 1-year publishing anniversary of Crash Landing. This story started with a conversation with one of my editors. For those who don't know my stories, I write alien romances, and many of my aliens tend to have blue skin. In our conversation, my editor and I were discussing the proper shade of blue for my aliens. And here are ten fun facts about Crash Landing (originally shared on Kacey Hammell's blog):

1. I had no intentions of writing this story as I was working on two others at the time. 
2. It was one of my editors, Kate Richards, who suggested I write it. Well, she demanded it in her inbox that night. LOL It took me a little longer than that to write it. The story idea started with this line, “…indigo is for space aliens. Turquoise is for underwater hunks.” 
3. I submitted the story 20 days after I started writing it. 
4. All of the characters’ names are Latin based. Cael = space, Mare = water, and Tara = Earth. 
5. Cael’s home planet, Narien, came from me staring at my bookshelf, trying to think of a name. The books that caught my attention were The Chronicles of Narnia, and Gini Koch’s Alien series. Narnia + Alien = Narien 
6. Originally I thought of making this just an M/M story to take place in the water, but Tara fought her way in there and brought the story to dry land. 
7. While editing this story, I found out one of my overused words was “pain”. Well, Cael did crash land after all. I’m sure there’s going to be some pain. LOL 
8. I had to use the washroom really bad while writing one scene. I’m sure you’ll figure out which one, though I didn’t hear any thumping on my bathroom walls. 
9. There is plenty of hot alien sex in this story without needing tentacles or alien abductions.

Crash Landing

A story from The Edge

By Jessica E. Subject

Sci-Fi MMF Ménage Erotica 

ISBN: 978-1613333884

As his ship plummets toward Earth, Cael believes his life to be over. His last ditch effort to save himself ends in a fiery crash. When he wakes up, he believes he’s entered the afterlife, but his surroundings indicate otherwise. He made it to Earth. But who saved him, and what do they want with him?

Available from: 

Amazon (US/UK) | Decadent Publishing | All Romance | B&N | more

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to sexy. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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Poll Time! What do you prefer? #shifters #PNR

Hello everyone! It's great to be back. :)

Right now, I'm in between celebrating my kids' birthdays, getting ready to send them back to school, and preparing for a test at the hospital. Fun! Not.

Anyway, this month is shifter month at All Romance, and there have been so many events going on. My publisher, Decadent Publishing is giving away a Kindle Fire, too. If you get a chance, pop on over and enter to WIN!

One of the surveys Decadent conducted as part of the celebration was about the type of shifters people read about. There was a bit of a surprise for me in the results. And, I'm going to conduct my own here to see if they compare.

So, please tell me, what kinds of shifters do you read about? You can select more than one answer.

Possible answers: canines, felines, dragons, birds, bears, aquatic creatures, reptiles, small mammals, and so many others.

I look forward to your answers.


Bio:
Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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R.I.P.D. - M.I.B. with ghosts?

The other day, I saw Jeff Bridges on the Jimmy Kimmel show, promoting his new movie, R.I.P.D., with sexy co-star, Ryan Reynolds. Now, I've seen trailers for this movie many times, and every time I see them, I always think that the premise is very similar to Men In Black, but with ghosts instead of aliens.

The movie starts off with a young cop trying to take down a suspect. Then he learns about a secret organization that is in charge of keeping aliens/ghosts from disrupting normal human life. There is the seasoned veteran of the organization training the rookie. There are ugly aliens/ghosts. And then they learn there is a plot to destroy the world. I don't know if there are any other similarities between the movies, as I have not yet seen R.I.P.D. But I do plan on watching it. I love M.I.B. and this one looks just as funny.

Here's a look at both movies:


For those who have seen both movies, tell me, are they similar? How was R.I.P.D.? I look forward to hearing your thoughts! :)

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to sexy. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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Take a Chance! Try something new...

Hello! I hope you are managing to stay cool (or warm, depending on what part of the world you live in). Will three releases in the part two months, I have been visiting a lot of blogs, and participating in multiple giveaways and other events. I write mostly science fiction romance, and one of the things I often hear from readers is that they've never heard of the genre before, or they've never read anything from the genre.

Now, I understand that the tag "science fiction" generally scares a lot of romance readers, as "romance" scares many sci-fi readers. But, I promise you that not all sci-fi romances are extremely technical and full of descriptions of technology and other worlds. In fact, most aren't, focusing on the romance and other relationships.

Now, science fiction romance isn't the only genre out there. There are hundreds of others, many that I haven't yet read. Growing up, I read a LOT of contemporary romance, some fantasy, and some sci-fi. Not a wide variety. But when I connected with other authors through various author memes and events, I widened my reading experiences.

The first paranormal romance I read was by Nora Roberts.

The first BDSM story by Sara Brookes.

The first Historical Romance by Cassandra Dean.

The first MM  and menage by Stacey Kennedy.

The first FF by Kate Richards.

I've read plenty more in those genres since then. And I've found stories that I will love forever.

So, take a chance! This summer, try a new genre. Read a new author. You may be surprised by the story you get swept into. Happy reading!


SALE!! Never Gonna Let You Go and Sudden Breakaway are only 99 cents at Amazon until the end of June.

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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Writing for a Publisher's Established Line - A Foot in the Door

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well.

It's been an exciting month for me, after releasing my first indie title, Alien Adoration, and working on edits for two more stories releasing soon from Decadent Publishing. One of the stories is Another Night, Another Planet, an erotic sci-fi romance that is part of both the 1Night Stand and Elatia lines at Decadent.

Now, I've written for several of the lines at Decadent, Elatia, 1Night Stand, The Edge, and The Challenge series. Why? For many reasons. My first story published was Celestial Seduction, a 1Night Stand story. The series had just started, and Rebecca Royce suggested I write a story for it as my foot in the door to being published. And it worked. The story not only increased my confidence in my writing, but exposed me to so many other opportunities, through my publisher, fellow authors, and more. As a newly published author, I also had a book in the same line as several well known authors who already had established readers. Because I had the same editors, readers could expect the same quality of story from me as the other authors.

With any line, there are established parameters that the author must follow in order for their story to qualify for submission. Usually, you can find that information on the publisher's submission page, or by contacting the editor(s) of the line.

For me, the Elatia line had the most guidelines, including a well-written world bible. Depending on the individual author, that can make writing the story easier or harder.

With my upcoming release, it is a hybrid of two lines, so I had to follow two sets of guidelines. And it was much easier than I expected, since I had already written for both of them, and knew them well. I hope you'll check out Another Night, Another Planet when it releases on June 14, 2013.

So, if you are an aspiring author, or looking to broaden your audience, consider writing for an established line at a publisher. Decadent Publishing has so many lines in multiple genres. Musa Publishing has several lines as well, including the Wiccan Haus, which I've heard a lot about lately, and Finally Ever After. There are several more publishers with established lines, too. If you know of any, please share them in the comments section.

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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Ghosts: Have YOU ever seen one?

Hello everyone! I've been thinking a lot about ghosts recently. I'm not sure why. It's not as if we're even close to Halloween.

Mostly, I've been wondering what ghosts look like. Have you ever seen one? Do you even believe in them?

I've seen one ghost in my life. I was laying on my bed, doing homework. My mom's cat, Endora was laying beside me. Then, all of a sudden, another cat ran into my room and under the bed. Both Endora and I jumped off the bed to look underneath. Nothing was there.

Now, we did have two other cats at the time. But, I swear, the cat that ran into my room was neither of them. It was very freaky, and an experience I will never forget.

Based on television and movies, there are all kinds of shapes that ghosts can take. But, I want to know what YOU think. Have you every seen a ghost? What did it look like?

I leave you with two scenes from a classic ghost movie:

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

A Hero Ménage

Good day! It's close to the end of the month, and I'm coming down off the buzz of having two releases this month. Two on the same day. Accidental Romance is a new adult contemporary western romance that is part of Decadent Publishing's new The Challenge series, and Made For Her is a science fiction military erotic romance. The two stories couldn't be more opposite. And the same goes for the heroes. Here's a bit about them:

Made For Her


Character Name - D32
Nickname / Alias - Dare
Place of Birth - clone labs in Geneva

Role in the Story - hero
Key Relationships - None. Clones aren't allowed to have "relationships" with anyone
Education - Everything he learned was transferred in terabytes per second at the clone labs.
Work History - Training to be a space pilot for the military
Phobias / Fears - That he is like every other "Daniel clone". That there is nothing different about him.
Quirks - He taps his foot when he's impatient.
Best Quality - His determination.
Worst Quality - When he wants something, he will stop at nothing to get it. (Determination.)

After terrorists murder the love of her life, Colonel Mikayla Jones trains squadron after squadron of the clones he brought to life, to take to the skies. When she discovers a young clone of her husband in her newest class, her world spins out of control. How can she command the look-a-like when she can’t help but yearn for him to fill an ache in her heart?

Dare was created to be the best. As the first Daniel clone to leave Onatria labs, he needs to prove he is more than just a DNA copy. To do that, he must rely on the wife of the man who donated his genes. But when she refuses to train him, Dare faces discharge and returning to the labs. Can he convince Colonel Jones to finish his training and find a way into her bed? Or will long kept secrets unhinge the entire clone project?

Buy Links: 

Amazon (Canada/US/UK) | Decadent Publishing | All Romance | Barnes&Noble | more

Accidental Romance

Character Name - Jake
Nickname / Alias - Ass, Jake-a-roo
Age - 22

Role in the Story - hero
Key Relationships - Brother to four older sisters. Son to parents who are good friends with Leanne's parents. Farmhand at Leanne's parents's farm. Has never had a steady girlfriend as he's always had his sights on Leanne.
Work History - Continues to work as a farmhand.
Phobias / Fears - That the one he wants will never see him as more than a friend.
Goals and Motivations - Plans to stay on as farmhand when Leanne takes over the farm, so he can continue to work side-by-side with her.
Best Quality - A hard worker.
Worst Quality - Can't always voice how he feels.

At twenty-two, Leanne Declan has graduated from college and hopes to take over the family farm until a tragic accident changes her life forever. Unable to do the simplest everyday chores, she must depend on her family and friends as she learns to face life’s challenges. But when her fears threaten to destroy her future, can an unexpected love be strong enough to help her dreams come true?

Buy Links:

Amazon (Canada/US/UK) | Decadent Publishing | All Romance | Barnes&Noble | more

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from her readers.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

Resolutions and Writing Goals

The new year is fast approaching, and many are making resolutions. I have personal resolutions, like exercising more, cutting back on the sweets... But I also have some writing goals, things I want to accomplish by the end of 2013. Here's my list:

1. Finish the two series that I've already started and had the first in the series published.
2. Revise and/or rewrite all six stories in my Mark of the Stars series, and get them published.
3. Publish a new series of alien romances.
4. Write another clone story.
5. Start a new series of erotica short stories.
6. Spend less time on twitter.
7. Spend more time writing.

So, I'm going to try and work a tight schedule to get all of these things accomplished. And with two releases in January, I'm going to have even more added to my daily to-do lists. But for me, I have to be scheduled in order to get things accomplished. Otherwise, my mind tends to drift to other things, like what my friends are up to on twitter. LOL

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Any goals? And if so, what's on your list?

Author Bio:

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from her readers. Made For Her is set to release January 15, 2013 and Accidental Romance in mid-January.

Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

I'm in for a busy December

I don't know about you, but my Decembers keep getting busier and busier. And I'm not talking about the usual buying gifts for the holidays and baking. I'm talking about everything. In my writing, I have so many projects I want to finish up. On the promotion side, I have a bunch of blog tours and blog hops coming up. Plus, I have two stories set to release early next year that need various stages of edits. I'm not complaining. It just seems everything seems to happen in December, whereas some months I have little to nothing going on except writing the next story.

One of the big things to happen to me recently is the print release of Intergalactic Heat, which is a collection of my 1Night Stand stories from Decadent Publishing. Here's a sneak peek:





Plus, my sci-fi erotica short story, Alien Lover, releases December 7, 2012.

So, what do you have planned for December? Are you taking it easy, or going to be just as crazy as me?

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

Website/Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon

Autumn Blues?

You may think from the title that I don't like the Fall. But the opposite is true. This is my favorite time of year.  I love the cooler temperatures, a welcome break from the humidity, the trees changing color along with the falling leaves. And pumpkins. Oh my gosh, just seeing the pumpkin stands along the side of the road gets me so excited.

Sure, there are some down sides to the Fall - the beginning of cold and flu season, having to rake leaves, and the worst, one season closer to winter. Hey, winter would be awesome if I didn't have to shovel or drive in the snow.

So, where does the color blue come in? Well, blue is one of my favorite colors. With all the beautiful colors of the fall, I wish blue was included. After all, it is the skin color I tend to give many of the aliens in my stories.

In Crash Landing, which released today, there are two blue aliens, Cael and Mare. Though they didn't come to Earth together. But what they bring to the story, and to Tara are sure to heat up the sheets.

Here's the blurb:

As his ship plummets toward Earth, Cael believes his life to be over. His last ditch effort to save himself ends in a fiery crash. When he wakes up, he believes he’s entered the afterlife, but his surroundings indicate otherwise. He made it to Earth. But who saved him, and what do they want with him?

Crash Landing is available from Decadent Publishing, Amazon, All Romance eBooks, and many other ebook retailers. More information and buy links posted here.

And an excerpt:

He rushed to the right, his rod too hard to wait. The slurping, sucking, and cries of pleasure continued as he reached the entrance behind which the action took place. The door ajar, he dared a quick glimpse into the room. With a gasp, he stepped back into the hall, but could not take his eyes off the sight in front of him.

With her rounded pink ass and swollen sex folds in full view, a woman went to work sucking off a man. The musky scent of her desire wound through his nasal passages and drew him closer. She rested on her hands and knees on a platform, while the guy kneeled in front of her. But unlike any beings he had ever seen on the vids of Earth, the guy had blue skin. Not his deep, almost indigo shade, but lighter, closer to the color of the water he’d landed in. Long blond hair flowed over his shoulders, onto his muscular chest.

The man held the woman’s shoulders with his webbed hands—yes, webbed hands—drawing her on and off his dick. “You have the mouth of an angel.” He threw his head back and thrust faster and faster between her lips.

The sight stimulated Cael. They weren’t trying to make babies; it seemed they were having sexual relations for pleasure. He yearned not only to bury his face in the wet pussy in front of him, but to taste the man’s blue dick, feel it inside of him. Back on Narien, he’d crafted his own devices made from the soft, flimsy bark of the totmos plant, to experience the pleasure both men and women felt in the stadium, why they cried out during mating, but never seemed injured. And learn he had, anxious to be ready when he reached his thirtieth year and was allowed to mate. He’d turned that age a half year ago, with no one on his ship to be his partner. Would he finally have an opportunity?

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

Website/Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon

More time is coming!

As an author, and a parent, I am always looking for more time. It all seems to fly by so quick, and at the end of the day, I'm wondering what the heck I did. I always have a list of things I need to get done, and a date book where I write every commitment I have in terms of writing and promotion. But lately, I seem to be completely overwhelmed. And by the time I hit my pillow at night, I'm zonked. I go straight to sleep. Is it because the kids are home on summer holidays? Maybe. Have I taken on too much? Maybe.

But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. School starts next week. I'm hoping to have more time to write. 'Cause right now I'm lucky to get in a couple of hours a week. And I'm looking forward to having family time where I'm not thinking about writing. (Okay, that's a maybe.) I want to exercise more, and work on reading the ever increasing pile of books on my e-reader.

I'll have to see if any of that happens. Knowing me, I'll just take on more. LOL

So, if you had more time, what would you do with it?

Jessica E. Subject, author of Science Fiction Romance and more

Because everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after…

Connect with Jessica here:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Amazon author page / Goodreads

Releases September 7, 2012

Celebrating 1 Year of being published!

Hey everyone!

It's an exciting time for me right now, because as of July 1, 2012, I will have been published for one year. My debut novella, Celestial Seduction released last year as part of Decadent Publishing's 1Night Stand line. It was the first scifi romance in the line, and the beginning of a dream come true.

It was fellow Paranormal Romantics author, Rebecca Royce who encouraged me to write a story for this line. Her story, One Night With A Wolf had been contracted, and she thought it would be a good fit for me. And the journey began.

So, I thought I'd share with you an excerpt from Celestial Seduction:

“Remember how I said I needed an open-minded partner?” She nodded, her eyes catching a quick glance from his before returning to her stomach. Just a couple more minutes and he’d be finished. 

He prepared to hold her down should she freak out when he told her he came from space. “I’m not exactly like you and most of the people on Earth. I’m….different.”

“Like a demon or a guardian angel?”

He laughed. It sounded forced, but he needed to stay focused on healing Carrie rather than mating with her. “No, you’re thinking paranormal. Try science fiction.”

She began to squirm under him, but he didn’t need to restrain her. “A….clone? Artificial intelligence?”

He finished healing her and lay down beside her. His thumb ran across her lips, wanting to taste them again, but knowing he probably wouldn’t. “Try alien.”


Her mouth curved into a smile. “Alien. I don’t think so. You’re missing the big head and eyes, the green skin, the willowy limbs.”

He touched his fingertips to the side of her head. “Like this?” He flashed an image of the alien Earthlings always expected to arrive from space.“

Yeah, but how’d you do that?” Fear shone in her eyes.

Leaving the bed, he sat on one of the loveseats. The night was over. In a second, she’d dress as quickly as possible and rush out of the room. “I told you, I’m an alien from outer space.” Perhaps he shouldn’t have told her. He would spend the rest of the night alone.

BUY LINKS:

Decadent Publishing / Amazon / B&N / AllRomanceEbooks / more

All the best!