Hiya! Stacy here, one of the authors lucky enough to be included in Carina Press’s sci-fi holiday anthology, A GALACTIC HOLIDAY!
As Anna Hackett, Sasha Summers and I discussed this anthology Angela James put together, we meandered our way onto the subject of what led each of us to the “dark side” of the romance universe, also known as sci-fi romance (see what I did there? Dark side? Haha
). Faster than it takes a light saber to fully extend, we realized we had something in common. Back in the day, all those yummy star-trekking hotties like Han, Luke, Kirk and Spock really tripped our girlish triggers. (What? Spock WAS hot. Smart is sexy, dammit!) Aside from distant worlds, spacecraft and quick-triggered laser guns found in sci-fi, it was soon discovered we each had a secret crush (or two) on Grade-A beefcake smexing it up in zero-grav.
Now that we’re adults, the secret’s out. We’re openly letting our geek flags fly by showing mad love for the romance found in our sci-fi favorites. What’s more, we’d like to bring your sci-fi crush out into the open. Is there a futuristic hero who puts the warp in your drive? Who would you like to have all wrapped up for the holidays?
Stacy: Let’s start with you, Anna. Now that I’ve laid the groundwork with extending light sabers and hands that are quick on the trigger, care to share which hero is the space-ace of your dreams? Just between us, of course.
Anna: How am I supposed to think straight with all your talk of “extending light sabers,” Stacy? Okay, onto the hero of my galactic dreams…I can’t pick just one! The first sci-fi heroes I fell in love with were the anime heroes of Voltron (OMG, I am showing my geek now, but hey, I was 10) – Commander Keith and Lance.
I love Han and Luke, spent many a moment drooling over Apollo from Battlestar Galactica (the reimagined version), Capt. Malcolm Reynolds of Firefly is a fabulous hero, my fav sci-fi bad boy is the silver-eyed Riddick and I’m with you, Spock was sexy. There’s something about all that repressed emotion that tempts a girl…
Stacy: Holy cats, Anna, I LOVED Voltron! Oh, but back to business…*ahem* Were any of these futuristic flyboys the inspiration for your hero of WINTER FUSION, Savan Bardan, or did Savan insist on building his own personality, the way a strong character often does with us poor, helpless writers? Also, did Savan ever “hijack” a scene from you in a way that made you blink and say, “Okay. That’s waaaaay better than I’d originally planned”?
Anna: Savan has a bit of a few of my fav heroes in him. He’s definitely the strong, silent type. He’s haunted by his past in the war and very loyal (just like Malcolm Reynolds) and he’s also very self-contained (a little like Spock) but he’s fierce and single-minded (like Riddick) at the trade tables, that’s why he’s the best trade negotiator in the quadrant.
Oh man, Savan and his heroine, Brinn hijacked the entire story! But there is one particular scene where the two of them are trapped by an avalanche in an abandoned ice village and need to get warm. The animosity and desire between the two of them is hot enough to melt ice and Savan showed me (and Brinn) that he’s not just fierce and single-minded at the trade tables. It was great to see this controlled man give himself up to what Brinn made him feel. Sigh. There’s also a naked moment in the snow (-:
Stacy: FYI, I approve of naked moments in the snow! And Savan Bardan definitely has a strong will and a great capacity to love. This is a trait shared by Sasha’s hero in her novella GALILEO’S HOLIDAY, a charming rogue by the name of Leo. *fangirl sigh* Okay Sasha, let’s dish! There has to be a hero swashing his buckle in your secret sci-fi fantasies, am I right? C’mon, you can tell me, I won’t say a word. *adjusts halo*
Sasha: Um, yes. Yes, there was, several, actually: Han, Luke, Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lt. Starbuck, and Alex Rogan from the Last Starfighter. And pretty much all the characters on Firefly – BROWNCOATS UNITE! I adore that show. Joss Whedon is the MAN at writing balanced ensemble casts.
Stacy: Totally agree on Joss. *waves Joss Whedon Fanclub banner* Leo seems to be an adventure hero in the most romantic sense. Was he inspired by your secret sci-fi crushes? Also, is there a scene in GALILEO’S HOLIDAY that’s sure to make every woman sigh and wish they had a hefty dose of Leo in their lives?
Sasha: Yes, Leo was inspired by my affection for Capt. Malcolm Reynolds. If you haven’t seen any of the now defunct Firefly series, be on the lookout for reruns on the SyFy channel or Netflix it – you can thank me later. Anyway, I visualized Nathan Fillion/Malcolm Reynolds while I was writing… *sigh* Tall, longish-floppy brown hair, calm unless provoked – very Mal. His humor, unshakable loyalty, and way with a weapon puts me into orbit. J Cheesy, yes, but I’m a fan of cheese.
One scene, hmmm… Well, he’s kind of wonderful throughout, watching over Riley while trusting her to get things done. But there’s one scene that gets me weak in the knees. He finds Riley grappling with the loss of her ship and her freedom. He’s supportive and sweet, without saying too much – but conveying just what she needs. He’s a hero after all. Of course, they end up naked pretty shortly thereafter so… yea, it’s a great scene.
Stacy: Great answers, ladies! As for me, I’ve always had a soft spot for smartasses (I know—BIG shocker, that). And I’ve got serious love for futuristic/cyberpunk/earthbound sci-fi, so that means there’s a character out there who makes my little heart go pit-a-pat—Deckard in “Blade Runner”.
Oh. Em. Geeeeeeee.
Just thinking about Harrison Ford’s Deckard brings on the hot flashes in the worst. Freaking. Way. So naturally when I was building my hero, Edison Wicke, I was given no choice in the matter. I had to go with a cocky grin, a smart mouth that doesn’t know when to quit and a kiss that’s guaranteed to blow every circuit within a five-click radius. And if there was ever a scene-stealer rampaging his way through my novella HOW THE GLITCH SAVED CHRISTMAS, naughty-boy Edison shocked the stuffing out of me in the steamy shower scene with heroine, Reina Vedette. Seriously, I had no idea it was going to be like that. At all. Well-played, Edison. Well-played. *fans self*
Now it’s your turn to share! Who’s the captain of your fantasy space cruise, and are you hoping to find him under your tree Christmas morning? C’mon, you can trust us—we won’t tell.
A GALACTIC HOLIDAY – Carina Press | Amazon | B&N | All Romance
The individual stories can also be purchased here:
HOW THE GLITCH SAVED CHRISTMAS – Carina Press | Amazon | B&N | All Romance
GALILEO’S HOLIDAY – Carina Press | Amazon | B&N | All Romance
WINTER FUSION – Carina Press | Amazon | B&N | All Romance
About the Author, Anna Hackett:

Mining Engineer by day and writer the rest of the time, Anna Hackett grew up raiding her mother’s romances and her father’s action adventure books, so no surprise that her stories combine both. When she isn’t wearing boots and a hard hat, she’s at her computer drinking too much Diet Coke and working on her stories. Along with her husband and son, Anna lives wherever her mining career takes her. She’s always delighted to hear from readers.
Find Anna at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
About the Author, Sasha Summers:

Sasha is part gypsy. Her passions have always been storytelling, Hollywood, history, and travel. It’s no surprise that her books include a little of each. Her first play, ‘Greek Gods and Goddesses’ was written for her Girl Scout troupe. She’s been writing ever since. She loves getting lost in the worlds and characters she creates; even if she frequently forgets to run the dishwasher or wash socks when she’s doing so. Luckily, her four brilliant children and hero-inspiring hubby are super understanding and supportive.
Find Sasha at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
About the Author, Stacy Gail:

A competitive figure skater from the age of eight, Stacy Gail began writing stories in between events to pass the time. By the age of fourteen, she told her parents she was either going to be a figure skating coach who was also a published romance writer, or a romance writer who was also a skating pro. Now with a day job of playing on the ice with her students, and writing everything from steampunk to cyberpunk, contemporary to paranormal at night, both dreams have come true.
Find Stacy at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads