My genre is futuristic romance. Oddly enough, it was in 1998 that I discovered that’s the type of story I wrote. Back then, the genre was enjoying an exhilarating heyday.

But at that time, I wrote sci-fi short stories, which were being published, and I was just beginning to work on novels. By the time I had a futuristic romance novel ready to market, reader’s tastes were into paranormal romances (vampires and shapeshifters), not futuristics or sci-fi romances.

Even now, where I see a glint of hope that futuristics are making a comeback, it’s difficult to find futuristic tales that I want to read. Why? Because the authors make it impossible for me to suspend my disbelief that the characters were like real people, in a real setting, contending with a real problem. It’s a case of too much outlandish fantasy and not enough realism.

For both my books KARMA AND MAYHEM and HEARTS AKILTER, the publishers didn’t use the term futuristic for them but marketed them as paranormal, fantasy romance. Which means there must be more readers for those key-word romances than what futuristics would garner. After all, sales are their goal.

As a result of this futuristic quandary, I don’t have a personal list of top ten books. However, I can list the following authors and the stories they wrote (most of them a long time ago) that forever linger in my memory because the characters, plot, and romance touched my heart and mind. These are keepers, books I will reread again and again—

Justine Davis –  Sky Pirate (and the series)

Jayne Ann Krentz –  Shield’s Lady

Elizabeth Moon –  Vatta’s war series

David Webber –  Flight of the Furies (not a romance, but a futuristic)

 

Oddly enough, every time I go online to a bookstore, I search for stories worth reading that take place in a future time and place and which have a plot and realistic characters that intrigue. I also keep hoping that with the re-issue of the above listed books, new readers discover them and will discover my stories.

 

 

Hearts Akilter

 

Applicable genres: fantasy/sci-fi romance, romance, humor (lighthearted)

 

Length: Novella

 

Coming soon from The Wild Rose Press

 

Visit her website (http://www.catherineemclean.com/) to enter to win a $25 gift card as part of the book launch.

 

Love, vengeance, attempted murder, and a bomb…No reason to panic.

When a medical robot insists he’s having a heart attack, Marlee Evans, a pragmatic maintenance technician, has every reason to panic. There’s a bomb inside him.  Since Marlee can’t risk the bomber discovering she’s found the device, her only option is to kidnap Deacon Black, an unflappable bomb expert, and secretly convince him to disarm it.  Things go slightly awry when Deacon sets a trap for someone who is trying to kill him, and inadvertently captures Marlee instead.  Instantly intrigued by her refreshingly forthright and gutsy attitude, he’s smitten.  Unfortunately for Deacon, Marlee recently hardened her heart and swore off men, especially handsome ones with boy-next-door grins.  But as Marlee and Deacon attempt to identify and prevent the bomber from detonating the device, they discover that love may be the most explosive force of all.

 

Available for Pre-Order Now

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1faTnHp

Nook: http://bit.ly/1HDMrii

The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/1HDhwAT

 

Excerpt

HEARTS AKILTER

By Catherine E. McLean @ 2015

 

The bomb. Right. Dismantle the bomb. In this lift? No, that was insane. “Marlene, if the bomb goes off accidentally—”

“It’ll blow the station to kingdom come?”

He nodded.

“Not to worry.”

She said that with such nonchalance that he found himself speechless. He cleared his throat. “Why not? Did you snatch the portable Bomb Disposal Unit, too?”

“Better.”

“What’s better than a BDU?”

“Garbage incinerators.”

“What?” He glanced out into the darkness beyond the lift.

Giant machinery stood silhouetted and veiled in shadows. “Where are we?”

“Deck forty-three, Ring D zero three. Relax. Don’t panic.  They once accidentally incinerated a torpedo in number four, over yonder.”

She pointed to the left. “Nobody heard or felt it explode, and there wasn’t even a drail’s worth of damage done to the incinerator, or anything else.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It happened three years ago. I was there, a deck above.

Never mind.”

Henry manipulated his finger appendage, grabbing and briefly tugging the shirt sleeve of Deacon’s good arm. “Marlee would never lie about anything so important.”

“Does she lie about unimportant things?” He instantly regretted his caustic remark.

“I do not know.” Henry spun sideways, facing Marlee. “Do you lie about unimportant things, Marlee?”

“I have been known to tell a white lie now and then to spare someone’s feelings, but on the whole—” She looked away from Henry.

As her blacker than black eyes met his gaze, Deacon felt pinned to the wall.

_____________________ 

About Catherine E. McLean

Besides Catherine being a wife and mother, she has ridden and exhibited Morgan Sport Horses. She’s an avid clothing and costume designer, an award-winning amateur photographer, a 4-H leader, and a Red Hatter who loves bling.

She lives on a farm nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. In the quiet of the countryside, she writes fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal stories where a reader can escape to other worlds for adventure and romance.

Her short stories have appeared in hard-copy and online anthologies and magazines. Besides having two novels published, soon to be released is her lighthearted fantasy/sci-fi romance HEARTS AKILTER. Catherine also gives writing workshops, both online and in-person. A schedule is posted at http://www.writerscheatsheets.com/workshops.html

Catherine’s website for writers is  http://www.WritersCheatSheets.com and she blogs at http://writerscheatsheets.blogspot.com/

Hub Website: http://www.CatherineEmclean.com

Connect with Catherine at: http://www.catherineemclean.com/contact-me.html