Back cover blurb!

"For Humanity and Kote’ra who have shared five peaceful centuries on Earth, Anna is an unwelcome reminder of their brutal pasts. The mystery surrounding her arrival in their time is heightened with the re-emergence of the Trak’to, a warrior race determined to enslave them all. But Humanity faces another peril, the deadly secret long hidden by the Kote’ra. 

Finding love in the arms of a Kote’ra scientist, Anna faces the ultimate decision that will change the very nature of existence and the face of the galaxy forever."

Hope you like the blurb!  

As always comments and G+ recommends are always welcome :)
 Connect with Katherine on G+ Katherine on Google+

Anyone for Alien Sex?! : Part II

Thanks to everyone who made some very interesting comments on my post "anyone for alien sex?!"
It seems we all have "it" on the brain! (haha)
There are many reasons why people are so interested in sci-fi and the obvious question is : Is it appropriate in main-stream science fiction to include the sexy bits?
Well, you've all read my thoughts on that; I think it is essential!

How those scenes are handled is entirely at the discretion of the author, and some write some really hard core stuff (much of which I have enjoyed) and others seem to glance off the whole topic preferring to allude to the act itself rather than giving too much away.(which is also extremely enjoyable; sometimes the anticipation and the tease can be far more enticing!!)

The more esoteric reasoning behind why some people (and not others) are so fascinated with aliens and the possibility of having an intimate relationship with one (or more!) is nothing short of thesis material for me. The complicated psychological why's and wherefore's aside, I believe that it is simply a good escape and a fun fantasy; and in my case - hopefully an excellent read when the novel hits the shelves!!!

Thank you to all those who have taken the time to G+ the post, and for all of your wonderful, insightful and often very amusing comments! I love them, and remember ... keep 'em coming!! ;-)

KVON xx

Anyone for alien Sex?!

 Attraction 
Chemistry
Frenetic desire
Raw lust
Love
Passion
Consummation
Spiritual union 
Procreation 

What does it all mean? How does this happen between two unique beings born worlds apart? 
Simply answered...love, and the intention to start a family.

And it all begins with
Lingering, languid, eyes locked, bodies merged.....Sex
 
Well, now we get down to it.
We've all watched the really great, epic Sci-fi movies and they were, for the most part in my opinion, a little tame in the Alien Sex department. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!!)

As a science fiction writer, I had the distinct pleasure of exploring through writing my first novel, the relationship between a human woman and a male alien. Although they got off to a rocky start, I wouldn't describe my sex scenes as tame!

So, always the question....

To get it on, or not to get it on!!!

Its a tricky one to tackle (pardon the pun) for an author, especially as the Alien will no doubt possess unique physical characteristics and charm.

So, as to the question "should they or shouldn't they go for a hot and heavy session in the sack, cargo hold, stasis pod or wherever?"

To me, science fiction is the ultimate exploration of the human condition. Of ourselves as beings in the broad scheme of the universe, and obviously as sexual beings in encounters with alien beings too.
Short answer: I definitely believe they SHOULD!!

Well, it's not the first time its been done, any decent Trekkie knows that Spock is half Human, but does that necessarily mean that it needs to be included in the novel, or merely alluded to?

Well, yes and no.

There are huge fan groups that worship at the altar of Alien sex, and I mean what is referred to as "hard" alien sex. Which is great, I'm all for it!
However, 
For a more mainstream science fiction, is it appropriate to include the sexy bits?
For me, the answer has to be YES.
In my novel, it simply made sense to include the passionate, and as my Beta readers have told me "arousing" "hot" "fantastic" (and a few other descriptions I cant write here!)  inter-species love and physical love experiences of the two main protagonists. My novel would not be the same without the sex scenes and ...well...spoilers people, can't give away too much of the plot!!

So, how do you write Alien Sex?!

Start with a really good description of the Alien, not necessarily at the time of the sexual encounter, but I do think the reader needs to understand what the Human is in for if he or she goes "funky town" on the Alien!
All fun aside, the main consideration should always be love, lust is perfectly fine on its own for erotica, but for a true, lasting, romance, the newly emerging love shared between the characters must be acknowledged and explored.
What was it that drew them together?
Did they have shared experiences or was it their differences that sparked an attraction?
Is there an intellectual component driving attraction?
What character traits have been explored the will give insight to the consummation and bonding of the protagonists?

Other things to consider when writing Alien sex:

• what does it mean to the alien to have sex with a human
• what does it mean to the human to have sex with an alien
• is the alien/human promiscuous, or
• is the decision to have sex one that required a lot of thought on both parts
• is it consentual
• is it love
• does the alien view love in the same way humans do
• is inter-species easy for the participants or tricky due to physical differences
• if it is tricky, explain how and why
• what special gifts/talents/abilities does the alien have, and
• how does that make the sex good or bad
• does it change the human or alien in any way
• is it addictive to have sex with humans for the alien
• is it addictive for humans to have sex with the alien
• what are the consequences of sex for the participants
• is the sex gratifying for both parties or just a means to an end
• is it against the rules, against the law on either planet to have sex with other species
• what happens after the sex scene?!

There are simply hundreds of things I could include on that list!

So, don't shy away from Alien Sex! Embrace it! It might just broaden your horisons!

And remember, it comes with space ships, laser beams and cool clothes of the future !
Does it get any better :D



Connect with Katherine on G+

Character Traits.

How do you bring a character to life? Who is he or she in the grand scheme of plot and who are they to themselves?
Whatever the nature of the character, be it they are the lead protagonist (good) or the arch nemesis (bad) they need to be true to themselves if they are going to be believable to you the author and to your readers.

So, what do I mean by "true to themselves"?

Character traits are as complicated as any real life person.
Essentially "good" people often make really "bad" choices, and equally the "baddie" can in many cases make a righteous choice, but to be believable we need to know what motivated that character to go against the usually good/bad grain. What led them to that point? Have they been traumatised by past experiences? Are they made stronger by them and determined to never let "it" happen again?
I love to read the development of a character, how they have been changed by their experiences (if appropriate to the novel) throughout the course of the book. But you can only appreciate the growth of a character if you have the foundations from whence they began.
Let your characters do a little soul searching.

To bring a character to life we as authors need to give them PERSONALITY. Many of us (myself included) can be a bit quirky. What is it about your character that brings them joy, or really pisses them off, do they have a hobby or a habit, are they afraid of love, do they constantly run from confrontation or do they seek it out, have they always wanted something obsessively ? : now tell me why!

Another great area to explore is their APPEARANCE. Many characters will only get a cursory description, which is appropriate in lesser roles in the novel, but the big, lead players need a good DESCRIPTION.
Is the good guy really dirty or messy with his personal hygiene? why?
Is he or she a neat freak? why?
Do they have an odd little obsession they adhere to in their attire? why?
How do other characters in the book view them? Expand in this area! (see my post on GOSSIP feb. update)

Further to this, discuss your characters PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES.
I want to know if they are good looking, blonde, blue eyed, or not. Are they tall or short, fat or thin? Are they from a particular ethnic group? How does this affect their motivations and interactions with others? Are they straight or gay or bi? (or in my case as a sci-fi novelist...do they dig aliens?!)
 What does that mean in the overall plot of the novel?
Do they have a scar? How did they get it? A great talking point to expand on motivations too! I had a great deal of fun with a character of mine who had his leg broken by the "baddies" to get to another character. It was an excellent tool to use to expand on the SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS that characters have. It gave him an unusual walking style and ...well ...spoilers people! Anyway...How would you feel if someone broke your leg to get to your work colleague?

There are simply unlimited traits you can apply to your characters, get onto google and have a bit of fun exploring what they might be! Psychology web sites are FANTASTIC for adding more complicated layers to the personality of your characters. Other authors use astrology to create a personality wheel, I haven't gone that far, but I do think it's a great idea.

Some basic thoughts:
Compulsive
Ego driven
Exuberant or outgoing
Secretive and shy
Cunning
Curious
Alpha Male
Alpha Female
Passionate and sexed up
Withered and sexless
Cynical
Gullible
Tired
Energetic
Stoic
Constantly whining
Stubborn
Submissive
Savvy
Clueless
Nasty
Nice
the list is endless people!

As always, until next time...let your fingers fly on those keyboards! START WRITING NOW!!!

Science Fiction: what's the hook?

"To boldly go where no one has gone before"
We all know the quotation and I think it is an almost perfect description of what it is about science fiction that people love.
In science fiction an author and reader alike can explore "strange new worlds" as well as a whole host of aliens and alien civilisations. For me as a "social" sci-fi author, it also allows the opportunity to explore what it is to be human. By that I mean, how do we view ourselves as individuals and how does that view fit in with the broader community and global community. Being fiction, sci-fi allows the opportunity to examine where our human civilisation might find itself in the future, or in an alternate realm or indeed even today.
I believe today more than ever that science fiction is extremely relevant.
Think of your parents and grandparents, most of them did not grow up with computers, the Internet or mobile telephones, some may be old enough to remember some of the first commercial aeroplane flights! What that means for us in an all consuming age of leaping toward the technological future, is that sci-fi is not as far fetched as it was to our immediate predecessors.
Science fiction is more relevant than ever for exploring who we are as a species as well as exploring the ethical and moral implications of the new technology and our use of it, in short our social conduct amongst ourselves and the wider community of the galaxy and beyond.
By exploring these notions in novels, social science fiction authors are often able to make wonderful comparisons and commentaries on issues that our world faces today and hopefully give readers pause for thought about dire situations that make no sense (like people starving in Africa or Japanese whaling for "science") or preventable outcomes (such as nuclear war) and even explore the amazing and uplifting Utopian society that we could evolve to.
Science fiction also offers an incredible canvass for science minded authors to explore ideas that can really shake up the world (think of Star Trek hand held communicators- now look at your cell/mobile phone!)
Ideas that were once considered utter fantasy are now reality. It also offers a reader an opportunity to delve into a new and exciting novel filled with weird aliens and battles for the universe! (may the force be with you)
Science fiction adds to our social and moral conscience and can have some pretty harrowing comments to make about where we are right now as a race of beings.
Ultimately I believe that science fiction is a positive injection into the human psyche, it leads us forward and rarely looks back.

I wonder how much science fiction has actually inspired scientists ?

Sex scenes in novels.

Does your novel contain SEX scenes?
Mine does, and I had a-lot of fun writing them.
I have head from many others that writing a sex scene can be a harrowing experience, in fact one blogger that I popped in to read likened the experience to torture! (well that's another genre for me!! ;-)
For me a nice glass of red next to the computer is a great way to get started, ahem, putting the right mood in to play perhaps?
Anyway, one of the things I hate when reading is the overuse of swearing. It is appropriate in some contexts of course, but, I really hate the overuse of 'cock' or 'cunt' or 'fucking'
Another peeve is the blunt use of correct anatomical wording. I mean who wants to hear 'penis' or 'Vagina' as a description of a hot and heavy session in the sack? Equally, I am sooo over the use of pussy (well it's ok the first ten times, but after that..) or cock as a descriptive.
I want to read and I take great care to write about the sensations and the feelings (if there are any involved)
Sex is (in my humble opinion) the culmination of CHEMISTRY.
There can be romantic chemistry or the absolute and unswerving primal chemistry, and many others too of course.
So, writing a sex scene...start with the chemistry, what the characters are feeling emotionally, and what they are feeling physically, don't just dive in to the "his cock hardened" "her pussy was dripping" sort of thing, talk about the arousal, the heat rising on his skin, the hairs that stand up on the skin, that all encompassing electric churning in the stomach, the quickening of the pulse, the heady erotic delight of being touched the right way (or the wrong way!) and the euphoric delight when the mind is overtaken by the succulent sensations of the body. If there is love involved, elaborate on that too. Sometimes, with the right person, a merging of bodies, minds and souls can be the single most perfect moment in two peoples lives...tell your readers about the experience!
Think about the burning arousal, the teasing anticipation, the overwhelming, needy urges that drive two (or more) people together. Your readers need to feel the passion, the love, the drive and the desire of your characters.
So in conclusion, there is no need to write like a porn producer (unless you are one!) nor is there any need to write clinically like you are going for a medical degree, take the time to write your sex scene and fill it with anticipation, lust, desire and of course, the actual event too!

Find me on twitter!

On twitter? So am I!
I would love to connect with fellow authors, scifi nerds and science geeks, and yes, I include my self in all those groups!
Find me at https://twitter.com/OturaNovel
I always follow back!

February update! GOSSIP!!!!

Well folks it has been a busy January and February is shaping up to be even bigger!
I hope everyone is enjoying the new year so far.

So. What have I been up to?
Mmm, let me think...WRITING, WRITING, WRITING, WRITING!

Ok, so I know I've shocked you (haha) but book two, as yet unnamed is coming along nicely.
So far it is quite different to O'Tura, which is basically a social science fiction with a romance component and lots of blood and guts... Writing my synopsis has proved harder than I previously thought it would be, but after much ado, it is finally done. (yay me!!)
I have also had to do a market position statement, also not as easy as previously thought, but it was an excellent exercise as a writer to think about an to produce.

So, book two I hear you ask!
This novel to me, has a bit of a Firefly flavour. It was not what I had intended when I started to write, but the characters are as gutsy as hell and I'm having  trouble figuring out who the main protagonist is now! This is a good thing I think, it will keep the readers guessing till the last minute, and I love books that tease!

One of the things I love about it so far...Chapter three has lots of gossip! Gossip? I hear you ask. Well, yes!
I have found that no one can turn down a good piece of gossip, and certainly this is true of the characters here! It is an interesting technique to employ in a novel (in my humble opinion) and a great way to reveal vital information about a character or characters that have not actually been a big part of the context to that point.

So, my advice to others...have your characters gossip about one another! It gets the readers attention, and will definitely assist with character development of both the ones doing the gossip (why they feel the way they do, how they feel about other characters in the book etc) and will introduce the other characters from the perspective of those involved and/or will expand on the possible motivations, shortcomings or strengths of all involved.
And, it's a great deal of fun! Who doesn't like a good goss?!

I do hope everyone is enjoying the writing process as much as I am. Have fun and let your fingers fly people!

KVON.