LJ: It does. And the coffee tastes like dirt. (pulls
out a thermos)
Debbie: What’s that?
LJ: Um, coffee from home. Got fresh from my Keurig
before I left. (waves at readers) Hey, Keurig fans! You guys know what I’m
talkin’ ‘bout.
Debbie: I don’t even know what to say about that.
LJ: Hey, there she is!
LJ: (waves) Hey, Jessica!
DEBBIE: Hi, Jessica!
LJ: So glad you’ve come back again, Jessica! Love
your Underground Series…and well, all your stories! So, let’s get to know
Jessica Subject, the author…. Are you a pantser or a plotter?
JESSICA: I’m a hybrid. A bit of both. Though, I seem
to be plotting more and more.
LJ: Ooo! Us, too! We knock around a lot of ideas then
end up using them all! We need an outline to work everything in.
DEBBIE: Yeah, and what we don’t use always gets a
story of their own.
LJ: (hangs head) I know. The list is long. (looks at
Jess) Where do your story ideas come from?
JESSICA: From every aspect of life. Sometimes a
dream, a conversation with someone, a television show, news story… And
occasionally, ideas just pop into my head out of nowhere. The Underground
series was based on a story I wrote for my high school science fiction English
class.
DEBBIE: Good Lord, I don’t even remember high school!
LJ: Hmm…where do our ideas come from, Deb?
DEBBIE: Flashbacks?
LJ: What? Wait, is there something in that water
you’re drinking? You’re trippin’, aren’t you?
DEBBIE: Noooooooooooo. Just plain old water here.
LJ: Hmm…protesting a bit much there. So, Jess, why
SFR?
JESSICA: I’ve always enjoyed science fiction and
wondered about life on other planets. It just seemed to fit. And the romance
comes from my need to see everyone happy and getting along.
DEBBIE: Describe the place where you write.
LJ: (elbows, Deb) Good gosh, woman! First you nose
around Becca Dale’s house. Now you’re asking Jess for details?? I’m telling ya,
you’re gonna get labeled a stalker.
DEBBIE: Wouldn’t be the worst thing I’ve been called.
Besides it’s a public service I’m providing. Readers want to know all this
stuff ya know.
JESSICA: I usually write on the loveseat in the
living room, in my AirChair outside, or in the vehicle while traveling long
distances. I write wherever I can. With young kids around, I’ve had to. When I
first started writing, I used to sit on the floor of my son’s bedroom while he
had tummy time, and later started crawling around. Once he began to walk, I had
to be more flexible.
DEBBIE: I’ve heard yoga comes in handy for that.
LJ: HAHAHA I don’t think she means yoga… Oh, never
mind. Tell us a little about your home life, Jessica. Family? Pets? Hobbies?
JESSICA: I live with my husband and two kids. We have
a rabbit and are looking at getting a dog. Not a puppy, though. When I’m not
writing and promoting, I like to read and also go hiking. Now that my daughter
knows how to ride her bike, we go for family bicycle rides, too.
DEBBIE: Wow, we have tons in common! I like to read
and go hiking, too. It ends there though. You can keep the bike rides, lol.
LJ: I love biking. Especially mountain biking. Tons
of fun!
DEBBIE: Figures!
LJ: (snort) Jess, when did you start writing and why?
JESSICA: When I was on maternity leave with my son,
my daughter was learning how to read. She’d come home with books from school
and get so frustrated. Though, if the book was about something she enjoyed, she
would actually try to read it. So, I wrote a book for her about one of her
stuffed animals to encourage her to keep reading. It worked, as she now reads
above grade level. And after that, I kept writing, but focused on books meant
for adults rather than children.
DEBBIE: Wow! That’s awesome that you were able to
help her that way. And, great for us too that you focused on adult stories,
lol.
LJ: Very cool!
DEBBIE: What was the one thing you learned as an
author that you would share with aspiring authors?
JESSICA: The one thing I learned is that the first
draft is NEVER perfect. It can always use revisions and edits to make it
better. I was lucky enough to find a great critique group and critique partners
to show me how to make my stories better.
LJ: Critique partners are important. They can give a
lot of insight on things you as an author never see because you’re too close to
your own writing. Course Deb’s all about critting. I can never see the error of
my own ways, but others (i.e. Deb) are helpful and always point them out for
me.
DEBBIE: Hey! You stole that from me.
LJ: HAHAHAHA Maybe. (turns to Jessica) So, here we
are underground, in this strange and amazing place you created. Tell us about Never
Gonna Desert You.
JESSICA: Never Gonna Desert You is the second
story in The Underground series. It is filled with deception and revelations
that are surprising to all those involved. It is also the story of Melina and
Brook, and they both must prove how far they will go to be together. Here’s the
blurb:
Determined
to find and bring back her girlfriend, Brook enlists in the next mission to the
foreign planet, Airondelle. But the deception at Planet Core continues, and
Brook doesn't realize the depth of her father's involvement until he orders her
terminated. Struggling to stay alive, she quickly learns nothing is as she
believed.
Will she
ever find Melina? Or will Brook be stuck light years from home, alone, and with
a fierce predator hunting her down?
DEBBIE: Ohhhhh, sounds exciting.
LJ: I read the first book, Never Gonna Let You Go,
and it was awesome. This one sounds like a must read to me!
DEBBIE: I might even have to cross that line into
Sci-Fi!
LJ: Oh, well there you go, Jess! You’ve converted
Debbie. Go you! And since she’s interested in SFR (at last), what inspired you
to write this series?
JESSICA: I was looking through my school memories
book, and found the intro to a science fiction story that I wrote in high
school. I thought I’d continue the story. Though, it turned out much different
than my original idea.
LJ: Yeah, I wrote a full length novel based on a
short story that I have in an anthology. You’d never know the two were related.
LOL It’s strange how things work that way sometimes.
DEBBIE: It’s strange the way your mind works
sometimes.
LJ: Gotta keep you guessing, girly. J
(turns to Jessica) Tell us about Brook.
JESSICA: Brook is the daughter of Benson Malock, the
president of Planet Core. She is a biologist at the corporation and is involved
in creating hybrids and cloning plants and animals. Though she had bad luck
with relationships, she finally found love and happiness with Melina. Though,
they must keep their relationship hidden.
LJ: Oh, the plot thickens! Brook’s daddy is the
president of the evil Planet Core! Love it! LOL
DEBBIE: Hah! Awesome twist!
LJ: It is! Let’s dig deeper. Describe Brook in three
words.
JESSICA: Dedicated, Curvy, Loving
LJ: Sounds like a nice heroine.
DEBBIE: Me to a T!
LJ: Hmm…okay, close enough, I guess. What is Brook’s
biggest fear?
JESSICA: Never seeing Melina again.
DEBBIE: Bet she doesn’t even think about the danger
she is putting herself in to find her.
LJ: She probably doesn’t. Aww. Sad. My hubby was
overseas during skirmishes over there, and I worried I’d never see him again.
DEBBIE: Yup! Very familiar with that feeling and my
daughter when she was in Iraq and Afghanistan.
LJ: It’s tough, and I like how you’ve worked in an
aspect of life that a lot of people deal with every day.
DEBBIE: When Brook was a kid, what did she want to be
when she grew up?
JESSICA: A mother. Just like her mother.
DEBBIE: Nice!
LJ: What is her hobby or what does she do in her
spare time?
JESSICA: With Melina always gone, she dedicates
herself to her job, not giving herself any spare time. Though if Melina she
would spend time with her, visiting the last remaining green spaces in the
city.
LJ: Wow, just to go to a park and see grass. We all
seem to take that for granted. That the grass will just always be there. But I
can see how eventually it might become scarce.
DEBBIE: Not to jump on any crates here and start
preaching, but if we humans don’t smarten the hell up, that’s exactly where we
are headed.
LJ: Yep. And I think sometimes
SF/Futuristic/Alternate Reality/Dystopian authors paint that picture so we here
in the present can get a clue. LOL
DEBBIE: Tell us about Melina.
JESSICA: Melina is a bit of a free spirit, or as much
as she can be in the future world she lives in. She started out as a sanitation
worker for Planet Core, but is now training to lead a mission to the foreign
planet, Airondelle.
DEBBIE: I’m a free spirit.
LJ: What, you think that qualifies you to lead a
mission to a foreign planet? Cause if so, there must be something in
that water you’re drinking.
DEBBIE: All I said was I was a free spirit. I said
nothing about leading a mission to a foreign planet, but I could if I wanted
to. I navigate conversations with you daily don’t I?
LJ: Of course you could! (arches brow at Deb) I have
no doubt whatsoever. And I know I’m not the easiest person to follow in
conversations, so I’d like to make that up to you with this gift. (holds up
garment) Let me just help you put this on. (puts shirt on Deb) Oh, yeah. You
look great in that red shirt. Now you’re totally ready to lead a mission to a
foreign planet. You look great in red, by the way. (turns to Jessica) What is
Melina’s biggest flaw?
JESSICA: She’s quick to make decisions, not thinking
about the possible consequences.
LJ: Wow, I can so not relate to that. Nope. I’m
steady, think my decisions through, coming up with a long list of possible
outcomes. Now, Debbie? She’s the quick decider around here.
DEBBIE: Ohhhh she sh*ts you not!! Think and overthink
and think again. I’m like “just lop their heads off already”
LJ: You’re so cut throat. LOL But we usually do hack
‘em up, don’t we?
DEBBIE:Is there any other way?
LJ: Uh, nope. Jess, what was the first thing Melina
noticed about Brook?
JESSICA: The curve of her hips and ass.
LJ: Getting’ right to it. Yes, ma’am. J
DEBBIE: Is there any other way?
LJ: Uh, nope. (elbows Deb.) Your turn.
DEBBIE: What kind of life did Melina have growing up?
JESSICA: She was an orphan under Planet Core’s rule.
Her parents inspired her free spirit, but Planet Core squashed that after
killing her parents for trying to escape the city.
DEBBIE: Holy cow. That’s damn unfriendly.
LJ: Awww. Sad. Planet Core must be brought down!
Melina needs revenge! Off with their heads! Wait…that’s your line, Deb.
DEBBIE: Yes it is!
LJ: Is there any other way? J
DEBBIE: You are a downright thief today!
LJ: Hey, we share one brain, remember? All thoughts
are community property! So, Jess, tell us three things about Melina that aren’t
mentioned in the book.
JESSICA: 1. She hates eating replicated food.
2. She keeps a picture of her parents in her nightstand
drawer. And one of a cow. One day, she hopes to fulfill their dream by leaving
the city and seeing a cow for herself.
3. Before Brook, she’d never met a woman she wanted to be
with.
DEBBIE: Replicated food??? Sounds nasty.
LJ: How bad can it be? You’re drinking recycled
potable water. That means you’re chugging down some stranger’s p—
DEBBIE: OMG! I’ll have you know I get my water
directly from the rain clouds!
LJ: I’m sure you do. Okay, now that we know about our
heroines, let’s entice our readers. What are the first seven lines of the
story?
JESSICA: It’s time to take our relationship to the next level.
The text
had Brook’s heart racing ninety miles a minute. Jason had to mean marriage,
right? They’d been together for almost a year. Engagement is the obvious
next step.
Sucking in
a deep breath, Brook opened the bedroom door. What would she find on the other
side? She stepped inside and stared.
LJ: Ooo! Nice! What the heck did she
find??
DEBBIE: Wait? That answers absolutely none
of my questions? And where did the dude come from?
LJ: Exactly!
Quickies:
Boxers or Briefs: boxer briefs
Ocean or Mountains: mountains
Broadway Play and midnight dinner or Movies and popcorn
at home: My answer isn’t quick, so I’ll just say movies at the theatre.
Head or gut…JK. Always wanted to say that. I think it was
a Bruce Willis movie.
Rag top Jeep or Lamborghini: rag top Jeep
Dog or Cat: Eek! Can I say both?
Blue ink or black ink: both
Final Question…..
....You were craving a seafood feast and snuck onto a fishing
boat to snag some fresh yummies to cook up. Suddenly, a huge mother ship hovers
over in the sky. Everyone around you vanishes. Yep, just poof –gone. And
crap, the thieving aliens took all the seafood with them. What the--? Well,
that sucks. You shake your fist at the spacecraft, secretly wondering why you
were excluded from the party. “Hey, I make a mean crab shalaw,” you screech. ....Without a response, the craft shoots up into the sky. The sudden departure creates a vacuum and the boat tips. A huge wave splashes over the side, bogging the deck. Thank goodness you’re near a crab basket. You clutch the side while the boat rocks, but a wily crap gets frisky and pinches your fingers. You let go. The bastard shuffles toward the other hand. “Don’t you dare. I’ll fry you up and serve you with biscuits.”
....He doesn’t blink. (Wait, do crabs even have eyelids?) Needless to say, you slide across the deck, the ocean sucking you out to sea. Your feet slam into the railing. You sigh…then spot the huge cage skidding toward you—the bastard crab waving it’s pinchers in the air. Yeah, he needs to be dropped in some boiling water.
....Course, then you realize it’s YOU who’s in hot water. The boat has taken on too much water and is sinking. All you have is a crab basket, a buoy, and two tow lines. Oh, and a frisky crab who wants to go toe-to-toe…well, toe-to-claw. What do you do?
JESSICA: I’m doomed if I don’t get off the ship right
away. I have to swim as far away as I can, and as fast as I can or risk being
pulled down with the ship.
....Of course, I have my life jacket on as well, so I loop the
buoy through my jacket with one of the tow lines and jump. As much as I want to
eat that annoyingly delicious crab, I won’t have a chance if I go down with the
boat.
....I fall under the water, trying not to swallow the briny
water, and am pulled quickly back to the surface by the buoy and jacket. But,
I’m too late. The force is sucking me toward the vortex. I’m swimming, breast
stroke, front stroke, anything to get away. Nothing works. Closer and closer to
the spinning center I’m dragged. The sound is deafening, the sucking, and
something else, a rhythmic pulse. Water splashes in my face. I can’t see, but I
don’t stop fighting, struggling to escape. My muscles ache. My chest is heavy
as I fight for air. I can’t swim any longer. I’m ready to give up.
....A heavy force wrenches against my stomach. Plucked into the
sky, I gasp, surprised by the sudden rush of air to my lungs. What’s happening?
....Something is holding me tight. I have little room to move,
but I know I’m not in the ocean anymore. My legs are dangling and I don’t feel
the resistance of the water.
....“Ma’am, are you okay?”
....Okay? I don’t think
so. I’m imagining things. Some guy is talking to me. Am I dead?
....My body is twisted around. I feel like I’m falling. Then,
I’m flat on my back.
....“Ma’am, are you okay?”
....That voice again. I dare to open my eyes. Helmet covered
faces stare down at me. I see lips and noses, whiskered chins, but their eyes
are covered with dark glasses.
....“We got to you just in time, Ma’am. Was there anyone else on
the boat with you?”
....“No.” I shake my head in case they didn’t hear me. Though, I
don’t elaborate. They would likely think I’m crazy if I told them everyone else
had been abducted by aliens.
....Shivers overtake my body. I’m suddenly so cold. Right down
to my bones.
....“We’re going to remove your wet clothes now, and get you
into something dryer.”
....My teeth chatter so bad, I can’t respond. I hear the snip of
scissors as my outfit is cut apart. I’m lifted up, and my clothing is removed.
I’m naked in front of these strangers, but I don’t care. I just want to be warm
again.
....I expect a blanket to be wrapped around me, but instead,
large, warm hands caress my body. All four men are touching me, their fingers
tracing the outline of my nipples, stroking between my legs.
....I’m no longer cold. Now, a fire of lust rages inside of me.
....One man leans in, as if to kiss me. But he removes his
helmet first. My husband. I suck in a quick breath.
....“Jessica, are you okay?”
....The other men dissolve away, and I’m in bed with the man I
love.
....“Were you dreaming or something?”
....I rub my eyes. Was I
dreaming? It all felt so real. “I must have been. That’s the last time I
watch Deadliest Catch before bed.”
Though I know that’s a lie.
....I snuggle up to my husband, hoping to continue the end of
the dream. ;)
DEBBIE: HAHAHAHA! Love it!
LJ: I’d say you survived it—especially since it was
all a dream! And now, I’m hungry for seafood….
Thanks for coming by, Jessica! Come back anytime…we love interviewing
you! J
DEBBIE: Yes, we do. Stop by again and you can let us
know if the dream continues.
Debbie: Grab some of these worms and we can go
fishing. Do lobster and crabs like worms?
LJ: I think they like chum. Fish like worms. Oh, and
birds. But I have no clue where we’d find birds down here. (jumps and grabs
Deb’s arm) Oh, crap.
Debbie: Don’t tell me. (puts hands over ears)
lalalalalalalala. I can’t hear you!
LJ: (yanks arm) Hey, you wanted to lead a mission on
a foreign planet. Here’s your chance. Lead the way. I’m right behind you!
Debbie: (Rips red shirt off and tosses it back to LJ)
I said I could if I wanted to. Key word WANTED. This damn hooded dude is
getting annoying. Time for a confrontation! Lets go!
LJ: OMG! She's wearing a red bra? This isn't going to be good....
The Underground #2
By Jessica E. Subject
Erotic Lesbian Sci-Fi/Dystopian
Romance
ISBN:
978-1613335468
Available From:
Decadent
Publishing | Amazon.com
| All
Romance | B&N
| more
BLURB:
....Determined
to find and bring back her girlfriend, Brook enlists in the next mission to the
foreign planet, Airondelle. But the deception at Planet Core continues, and
Brook doesn't realize the depth of her father's involvement until he orders her
terminated. Struggling to stay alive, she quickly learns nothing is as she
believed.
....Will
she ever find Melina? Or will Brook be stuck light years from home, alone, and
with a fierce predator hunting her down?
EXCERPT:
....“Let’s go, Malock.”
Jager raised his eyebrows. “Or did you change your mind?”
....She stood and released a
deep breath. Even with her trepidation, she refused to back out now. Melina
waited for her. “No, I’m looking forward to seeing Airondelle for myself.”
....Brook spun away and
rushed to catch up with her comrades. If she revealed her plans, she’d be
stopped before she could find her lover. She would have to hide Melina right
under their noses to bring her home. She pushed her shoulders back. I can do this. I have to.
....The all-terrain vehicles
sat loaded with equipment for the mission in front of the swirling mass of the
portal. Her father certainly wasn’t wasting any time getting a team back to
Airondelle. Crewmembers already filled the first vehicle, so she hopped into
the back of the second.
....Jager passed around
everyone’s mission directives then shoved in on her left. Thank goodness he was
the last to load. With his bulk, he occupied both of the remaining seats.
....Before she had time to
read her personal orders, they proceeded into the portal. She passed through
the spinning matter, her body pulled and stretched in every direction. Unknown
forces pushed on her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She gripped the
seat, hoping she wouldn’t get pulled out. But the awkwardness didn’t last long.
The transporter room light years away, clean, fresh air poured into her lungs.
The alien vegetation of the foreign planet lined the rough dirt road they
traveled. She yearned to explore the flora and fauna on a more intimate level.
And she would, after setting up camp.
....She opened the folder
with her mission directive inside. Instead of the stack of papers detailing
what Planet Core expected of her, she found a single sheet.
....Her father’s handwriting
scrawled across the page. You can never
know the truth.
....Hard, cold steel pressed
against her temple. A gun. Her breath
caught. What the hell is going on? She
grabbed her knapsack and launched out of the vehicle.
Read the rest of the series....
MORE |
COMING SOON |
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
Thanks so much for having me! It's always fun to visit with you both. And careful with that chum! You may attract some sharks. (Too much Shark Week - LOL)
ReplyDeleteGotta love the Discovery Channel! Thanks for being our guest!
DeleteThat I do, as well as the rest of my family. :)
DeleteLOLOL @Shark Week! You are always welcome at Garland & Gould! Glad you had fun...I know we did! :)
ReplyDeleteAlways a great time! I appreciate you both having me over again. :)
DeleteDeadliest Catch and hiking are two of my faves. Can't wait to check out the full series. Great interview!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eva! :)
DeleteFun interview! (I don't know what I'd do in the morning, if the coffee tasted like dirt!)
ReplyDeleteI know! Maybe I just got a bad batch. (or maybe Deb was messing with me) But I'm glad I brought my backup thermos. :)
DeleteThanks, Taryn! Makes me glad I don't drink coffee.
DeleteAMEN, Jessica!!!! Noe caffeinated hot coco on the other hand is awesome!!!
DeleteSounds delish, Debbie! Especially on our cold winter days. :)
DeleteOh it is, I've only found one company here in the US that makes the Coco with caffeine in it, but it's yummy. You should give it a whirl, lol.
DeleteI'll have to search the coffee/tea houses here in Canada to see if I can find some. :-)
DeleteHi Debbie & LJ,
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me when your book Betrayal will be out? Also what's the status of the 2nd Book in the Red River series..?
Thanks
Melanie J
I'm not sure what's going to happen with Bobby and Betrayal. His story is half written, but the poor guy has been put on the back burner for a bit. I'll keep you updayted.
DeleteAs for the next book in the Red River series, Soul Kiss, we a working on it as we speak. We just wrapped up another Pararescueman story and are now going to focus on Soul Kiss. Stay tuned, lol.