Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Today's Special - - Jeanne Adams


I'm delighted to welcome Jeanne Adams back to The Romance Dish today. A former marketing executive, Jeanne has also worked in interior design and landscape design as well as the funeral and cemetery business. Now a full-time writer and consultant, Jeanne lives in the D.C. area with her husband, children and dogs. She loves working in the garden, running with her dogs, hanging out with her family and Halloween.  She really loves Halloween! 

Jeanne joins us today to talk about her newest book, a Sci-Fi romantic suspense novel titled The Tentacle Affaire. I can't wait to dive into this one!

Learn more about Jeanne and her books at her website and connect with her online at Facebook and Twitter


Little green men.  UFOs.  Men in Black.

What do you think about all that stuff? 

When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of Sci Fi Saturday! Which was a program on my local television station.  It was rotated with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and other Saturday night scary stories we watched during slumber parties and sleepovers.  All those movies gave my active imagination a real ramp up for telling stories about what might happen “out there.”  I also adored reading books by the legendary Andre Norton, and brilliant storytellers like Anne McCaffrey and Ursula LeGuin.  Elizabeth Moon, Mercedes Lackey, Patricia Wrede, and Jana Oliver (just to name a few) have continued that tradition.  I truly mourn the loss of Anne and Andre, as well as Ray Bradbury and Issac Asimov.  I recently re-read Rendezvous with Rama.  It’s as fresh and current a storyline today as it was revolutionary for its time.  All of that, combined with growing up as the Apollo missions began and ended, and the Space Shuttle missions started up, gave me a thirst to know about what’s out there in the deepest reaches of space. 

Star Wars.  Star Trek.  Deep Space Nine.  I’ve watched them all.  I think books and programs like those teach us to dream, to reach deeper and farther, and, like old fashioned fairy tales, remind us that sometimes the fairest face may hide the foulest heart.

My newest adventure in writing, The Tentacle Affaire, came to me as an idea about 10 years ago.  At the time, I hadn’t sold commercially yet, and I was toying with the idea of technology vs. magic.  It morphed into aliens vs. magicians.  When I sold my romantic suspense novels to Kensington Publishing/Zebra and my first suspense novel came out in 2008, I put the paranormal/alien/magic story aside and concentrated on blowing things up.  Grins.  While I love that (my short romantic suspense novella, Deadly Delivery is coming out before Halloween), the story that became Tentacle Affaire lurked in the back of my mind, calling to me.  It needed to be told.  Those characters had gained life, then I’d put them in the equivalent of Cold Sleep for ten years! Bad Writer!  Well, finally, I made time, dusted them off and pulled the story out to see if it still had something to say. 

It did. 

In Tentacle Affaire, the first Slip Traveler Novel, Cait Brennan, retired marine, supposedly dead in the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center, is back on Earth to retrieve a pet.  An ugly, interstellar pet.  Not the most taxing task, so she’s excited to get some down-to-earth time, maybe check out some of her favorite DC nightspots.  That’s all going well until her next door neighbor, a philandering senator, is killed.  The killing is brutal and messy and Cait’s across the hall neighbor is immediately suspicious of Cait, something she can ill afford.  Little does Cait know that her neighbor Aiden Bayliss is a magical protector – an Adept – charged with protecting DC.  When she does find out, she has to reconcile the fact that magic DOES exist on her planet, a planet she’d thought so mundane.  Aiden, for his part, has to accept that there really ARE aliens out there, and Cait, though human, works for them.

I didn’t get too techie.  I know I don’t like that in my reading that much.  I love Tom Clancy, but I find that I skim over the “…the lever that pulled up all the charts of the ocean’s depths was to the left of the button that could send them all to hell…” kinds of descriptions. 

I kept The Tentacle Affaire fast and active, and really, really sexy.  (Okay, disclaimer, I can’t write Sylvia Day sexy, but suffice to say, it’s hot enough!)  Tentacle Affaire is Men and Black merged with a dash of Game of Thrones and a big dollop of Harry Dresden-esque magic-in-modern-society.

Cait and Aiden will be back in another adventure, continuing their blossoming romance.  In the meantime, it sure was fun to write Tentacle Affaire and I hope it's fun for you to read it! 

So, what do you think?  Are we alone in the Universe?  Do you think we’ll “make contact” in this lifetime?  Or are we too backward still to be contacted?  Or will WE be the ones doing the contacting?

I’m picking the setting for the second Slip Traveler Novel.  Which do you prefer?  Edinburgh, Scotland? Savannah, GA? Or Boston, MA?

If you could have a walk on role in any sci-fi or fantasy type story, like Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, or Star Trek (or any of the other wonderful ones we’ve seen), which one would you pick?

One commenter today will win an autographed paper copy of The Tentacle Affaire, a Washington, DC Starbucks mug and a coffee gift card from Starbucks, along with some alien green jelly beans.

48 comments:

  1. don't think we're alone
    any setting
    Harry Potter

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    1. Hey BN100! Great to see you over here as well as on The Romance Bandits! Yay! *waves madly* Thanks for popping in. I loved the Harry Potter movies too, SO much delicious magic!

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  2. I'm fashionably late this morning. ;-)

    Welcome, Jeanne! Always a pleasure to host you here at TRD. I love the sound of your new book. It's on my Kindle and I'm looking forward to reading it.

    Growing up in the sixties fueled my fascination with space. I believe it would be incredibly arrogant of us to think we're the only ones here. I don't know if we'll "make contact" in my lifetime but I do think that somewhere out there, life in some form exists.

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    1. I agree with you PJ! And thank you! Your hospitality here at the Dish is legendary. Grins. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of Tentacle Affaire! :>

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  3. Delightful and fascinating post. I would like the setting to be Edinburgh since it reflects the mood and would be ideal. I doubt that we are the only ones here. Contact, not yet. They would be more forward. I would enjoy a role on Star Trek. My ultimate favorite world.

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    1. Hey Traveler! Great to see you today. Ahhh....Edinburgh. That's the frontrunner so far. I put it in the back of the book to let me know, just as I did in this post. Everyone who's texted or facebooked me says SCOTLAND! Grins. Wouldn't it be a BLAST to do a walk on role on Star Trek? What would you like to do?

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  4. Impressive ideas and book which interests me very much. How talented and creative. Yes, there must be others besides us but if we contact and when is a good question. Your locale of Savannah is a good choice. Having watched all of the Star Trek episodes and love them that would be like a dream come true.

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    1. Hey Petite! Another Trek fan! What would you like to do in your walk on role? Be a red shirt? Grins. Scientist with a tri-corder? And thank you for the lovely compliment! Oooh, a vote for Savannah. That's running second to Scotland right now, but hey....book three! Grins.

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  5. Jeanne, I love the Slip Traveler notion! Not sure we'll be contacted during my lifetime, since we are pretty primitive, all things considered. Still, the idea of Edinburgh makes me grin because of all the Douglas Adams books I read. I can picture some 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' type action going on there. Ha!

    And of the worlds I've seen onscreen, I would love to join the Star Lord for some 'Guardians Of the Galaxy' action. He knows how to party!

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    1. Hey Caren!! And WOOT on the Guardians of the Galaxy! Wouldn't that be an utter blast to play in that world? And don't you want a little Groot to hang out on your spaceship? Grins. And you would be yet another vote for Edinburgh. Grins. So, what role would you like to play on Guardians? Contact for a little underground dealing? Fleet officer? Smuggler?

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  6. I have not read a romantic sci-fi but the combination sounds wonderful. I've gotten away from sci-fi since reading romance but I always enjoyed it. Sounds like something I would really enjoy! Love that genres are being mixed!

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    1. Hey Catslady! I'm happily over here mixin' genres at will. Grins. I've always described it as "my usual romantic suspense but with magic and alien-tech" Grins. But there's no category for that on Amazon or B&N or BAM. Hahaha!! Hope you'll enjoy it.

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    2. Love that genres are being mixed!

      I'm with you catslady!

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  7. Hiya Dishes! Hiya Jeanne! Ooh, when you gals get together, it's always a party! Jeanne, huge congratulations on THE TENTACLE AFFAIR. As you know, I'm a huge fan of your writing. I think it would be too arrogant to think we're alone in the universe - don't think we're that speshul! But who we share all this wonder with - well, it may fall into the category of "It's life, Jim, but not as we know it."

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    1. Ooh! Ooh! Another Trek reference! Yay! Grins. Had to LOL, because I don't think we're that speshul either. Snork! I figure if anyone's watching they're probably rolling how many ever eyes they have at our politica and shenanigans. :> And *blush* thank you for the lovely compliment!!

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    2. Right there with you, Anna! And laughing at Jeanne's many-eyed aliens rolling said eyes at our shenanigans. I can just imagine. ;-)

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  8. Hello Dishes!

    So proud of Jeanne, as she ventures into Indie publishing with Tentacle Affaire, which is a fantastic story. Jeanne is one of my Sultry Sisters, along with debut author Caitlenn T. Ainnsley, and our first anthology, A Jewel in Time, debuts Nov. 14. Jeanne, perhaps it's the romantic in me, but I like to believe there's intelligent life beyond our world, and I'd love to see a first contact in my lifetime, regardless of origin. As for your next setting, you know I love Boston. And I'd kill for a walk-on in a Star Trek movie, but I'm also a huge fan of Once Upon a Time.

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    1. Hey Barbara!! Thank you so much! I'm REALLY excited about our new venture with the Sultry Sisters Anthology. I'm so excited that we were finally able to mesh our publishing schedules and do this. :> Like you, I believe we're not alone. Grins. And hey! BOSTON!!! Wooot! I know you just got back from the wonderful New England realms. Color season! Yay!! Star Trek's a popular one today, but OH yessss, on a great fun idea of a walk on on Once Upon a Time!

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    2. Hi Barbara! Nice to see you here. Congrats on the upcoming Sultry Sisters Anthology. I'm looking forward to reading it!

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  9. Congrats Jeanne on the upcoming release!!! Ummm... I don't believe that anything paranormal exists in real life, so I think that's why it's so fun for me to read about it :) Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Hey Erin! Whether you believe or not, its SO fun to think about it, isn't it? Grins. Thanks for popping in!

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    2. It's fun to let our imagination soar in the books we read, isn't it?

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  10. Edinburgh, Scotland
    Once upon a Time

    Congratulations on your new release! !

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    1. Hey AprilR! Another vote for Edinburgh! Woot! ANd yes, it would be SUCH a blast to do a walk on role with Once Upon a Time. That's such a twisty show. Love it! And thanks for your kind words. :>

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    2. I don't watch Once Upon a Time but you can add my vote for Edinburgh!

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    1. Hey GirlyGirl! Woot for the Hoosiers! Grins. I adore Quantum Leap. That would have been SUCH a fun one to go on!

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    2. Oh, I loved Quantum Leap! Such a terrific show!

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    3. I know! And gotta say, I'm loving Scott Bakula on NCIS: NO Grins.

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  12. Jeanne, fun post! Mega congrats on THE TENTACLE AFFAIR! Hi PJ and Andrea. Lovely to see you again!

    As for are we alone? I subscribe to the Men In Black theory (also the movie I'd like a role in, thanks very much!) I think there's a LOT someone's not telling us. Hee.

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    1. Oooh! Yes! I'm right there with you Christina!! And wouldn't that be the coolest to be in Men in Black??? OMGosh, that would be so great. As to what they're not telling us...that's part of the issue in The Tentacle Affaire! Grins. Thanks for your kind words!!

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  13. I love sci-fi...the ones you listed. My favorite sci-fi show though were FireFly and The X-Files (except the final two seasons--what happened there?). More currently been watching DVDs of True Blood. Hot hunky men and fairies...oh, yeah! Loving your book Jeanne! And so excited to be an author with you in our anthology coming out November 14!!! FB PARTY--WOOOHOOO!!

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    1. I know!! So exciting!!! Hope all the folks popping in here today will pop into our Facebook party on November 14th! You'll be able to find the link on my author page, or on Barbara Devlins page. It would be totally fun to walk on True Blood!! Or FireFly or X Files! Wow. I hadn't thought about X Files, but I'd TOTALLY love to do FireFly. Grins. :> So glad you're loving Tentacle Affaire. So....Scotland, Savannah, or Boston??

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    2. Welcome, Leah! I've marked my calendar for the 14th!

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    3. Scotland!!! And thanks for the welcome PJ.

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  14. Jeanne, congrats on your new series!

    I'd be amazed if we truly were alone in the universe, but I hope we don't meet anyone who would technologically swamp us. I'd vote for Scotland for the next adventure so you can do research there and take your friends. ;-)

    If I were going to have a walk-on, I would pick either Star Trek or Stargate: SG-1. Or possibly Grimm. I'm flexible.

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    1. Another Scotland vote! Why do I think you already have your bag packed, Nancy? ;-)

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    2. Oh, I'd SO pick you for Stargate, Nancy. Grins. Grimm would be a blast too. And hey, maybe we'll take a whole crewe to Scotland for research! Yay!

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  15. I don't think we are alone in the universe, but I don't think we'll make contact in my lifetime.
    I'll vote for Scotland!
    I'd go with 'Once Upon a Time' - they have the best costumes!

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    1. Hey Di! Oh, they DO have fabulous costumes, don't they? I LOVE the evil queen's costumes. Varied, but oh-so-elegant!! And another vote for Scotland! I think I'll have a wee dram to celebrate!

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  16. not sure we as a species are ready to know one way or the other regarding life out in the stars. as for sci-fi shows, old ones no longer on come to mind first (stargate, firefly) but one current show then pops in (much like the Dr himself) -- Dr Who, I think it would be really cool to check out the inside of the Tardis ;)

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    1. Hey Gamistress! Great to see you here!! Ohhhh! The Tardis!! My youngest adores The Doctor and I like him a lot myself. Grins. :> Wouldn't it be great to see the set and have a walk-on role.

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    2. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented today!! It was lovely to be here. Thank you Dishies!!!

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    3. Thank you, Jeanne! It's always fun to have you at the Dish!

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  17. I do think we are alone. I think we would have evidence otherwise.

    Scotland for me. I can hear the bagpipes.

    I want to say SUPERNATURAL, but chances are something nasty would get me.

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  18. I wrote a nice long comment last night, but don't see it. Was sure I posted it, but must have been half asleep and deleted instead.
    I think it would be rather conceited to think that with all the other planets in the vast universe, ours was the only one inhabited by intelligent (well that is open to debate at times) beings. Contact is possible, if it hasn't already happened. If we are the first ones to make contact, it won't be for many, many more years. We are a long way from being able to make trips of those distances.
    I like all three settings for your next book, but Edinburgh would be my first choice.
    For a walk on role, ONCE UPON A TIME would be my choice. Like others, it is the costumes.

    I hope THE TENTACLE AFFAIRE is a big success for you. Good luck with your next book.

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