SFR Pitch Tournament HEAT #2

FOR VOTERS
There are eight SFR pitches in this Tournament heat (below).

Vote for up to three titles in the poll above with pitches that best capture your interest and compel you to read the story. The two pitches with the most votes will advance to the final round. In case of a tie, both will advance.

Find a story you just have to read? Sales links are included (if available) below each pitch.

The authors would love to hear your thoughts. Comment below with feedback on what elements in the pitches hooked you and you'll be entered in a drawing for an Amazon e-Gift Certificate.

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Nexus Point
By Jaleta Clegg
Space Opera

Dace's wants are simple - a trading ship and the freedom to fly where she chooses. But on her first trip, her crew betrays her, her ship explodes, and she finds herself stranded on a planet locked in a feudal age. With no technology, no resources, natives trying to burn her at the stake for being a demon, drug smugglers attacking her as a rival, and the Patrol trying to kill her, Dace has one hope of rescue—convince Tayvis, the sexy undercover Patrol agent, that she's trapped on the planet by mistake.

Her ignorance may cost her life. His help may cost her heart.

Available here: http://www.nexuspoint.info/


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Pandora's Hope
By Lisa Lane
Space Opera

Captain Nora Bradley, her fiancé and First Officer Robert Smith, and crew have developed quite the reputation: their current tactical officer is an astral clone of the one they started with; a race of shape-shifting aliens currently travels the stars as an impostor of "Pandora's Hope"; and everyone is still recovering from the embarrassing and life-changing ship-wide orgy caused by their bout with the "space flu." Worst of all, though, is that the more Nora tries to plan their wedding, the more Robert gets cold feet....

Now that the ship is back on mission, with a glorified babysitter from Space-Corp on its way, it seems that the ship-wide fun might be forced to an end - but first impressions always prove wrong on Pandora's Hope, and the new addition to their crew, "Quality Control Officer" Patrice Jocar, might have more in common with her new peers than they think. In this second installment of the Lust in Space series, the crew of Pandora's Hope explores more exotic intergalactic regions, picking up the most unlikely of refugees and encountering new alien species - while their wild and sexy antics continue.

Will Nora and Robert's relationship survive another excursion into deep space, or will the experience tear them apart for good?

Available on Amazon: Pandora's Hope

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Refugees On Urloon
By Melisse Aires
SFR

Under normal circumstances, Svana, non-military maintenance crew, and Captain Liam Ringel, a highly respected military instructor, would never have crossed paths. A sudden anomaly, however, thrusts them into deep space where they are rescued by the inhabitants of an exotic and isolated waterworld, Urloon.

With no rescue forthcoming, the refugees can choose between adapting to the sea or farming the land. Svana is saddened when her budding friendship with Liam changes due to their different choices. However, when they are invited to an alien fertility festival, the Moonfest, they are given the opportunity to create a memory that will impact and intertwine both their futures.

WARNING: Alien fertility festival, aurora lights, dancing alien beasts, body paints and hot pheromones. M/F Sensual

Release date; April 9, 2012
Coming Soon Page

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Shrouded
By Frances Pauli
Science Fiction Romance

Being the daughter of a planetary governor doesn’t count for much when that planet is Eclipsis. The day Vashia’s father promises her to his lackey, Jarn, she bolts. Unaware that she’s being manipulated, she signs away her freedom and boards the first ship headed for Shroud, a closed world with more secrets and more riches than a scheming governor can possibly resist.

Of the seven Shrouded princes, Dolfan may be the only one that doesn’t covet the throne. He does want the Heart, however, and when he meets Vashia, he’s pretty sure he’s found it. So when the ceremony pairs her with another, the system fails them both.

Now Vashia is queen of a planet she doesn’t understand, married to a complete stranger and in love with a man who can’t challenge his faith enough to see the truth. In case she manages to sort that out, she’s about to be blamed for a full scale invasion, a friend’s murder, and the fall of the richest planet in history.

Pre-published. http://francespauli.com/

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Splintered Energy
By Arlene Webb
Earth Based Sci-Fi/Suspense/Romance

Waves of pure energy are quite happy hanging in the cosmos, traveling at the speed of light to brighten up the sky--until dawn breaks. Literally.

When sentient light fractures, it zaps into human bodies and becomes trapped. Without any memories to guide them, a handful of confused beings whose skin tones are now specific colors, struggle to understand humanity while it's quite clear they shouldn't be in this world. The few humans clued in to Earth's invasion don't flutter, but are drawn to their fiery fate with hearts wide open as they fight to survive.

California. A widower's twelve-year-old son is rather young to bring home a woman, especially a collapsed green beauty too frightened to open her eyes.

Arizona. A divorcee blinks hard, but the gorgeous red guy stepping in front of her car is still red. She serves to avoid hitting him and ends up in the ditch. When she comes around, she wonders which layer of hell she's fallen into.

Ohio. A teen also fears he's dealing with the demonic, but no matter how dangerous things become, he's determined to stand by a man with inhumanly blue eyes.

Splintered Energy is an Earth based sci-fi/suspense/romance novel and the first in a four book series. Book 2, The R Word, and book 3, House of Seven, are available. The final is scheduled for February-March, 2012. 

Available on Amazon.

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Steamrolled
By Pauline Baird Jones
Science fiction romance/steampunk

With all of time at risk, it’s a bad time to fall in love…unless it’s the only time…

Robert Clementyne is going on a transmogrification machine hunt. He fears finding the machine will be as difficult as pronouncing the name. How can the steam-powered device perform as advertised, and how useful can any information be, coming from a steampunk themed bowling alley/museum?

It’s pretty crazy, but he’s been there, done that, and thinks he can handle it.

And then he meets the proprietor/curator…Emily Babcock.

Emily grew up in crazy, still lives in it—hey, it’s her freaking zip code. So no worries when Robert and his team walk into her bowling alley. The first visitors ever to her museum.

But neither of them is prepared for what happens when they open the door to the past…and the future. With a side trip through Roswell…and a face-to-face meeting with an evil genius/wannabe—who is on his way to becoming evil overlord-of-everything…

Published on April 11, 2011

Available here:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, and Fictionwise

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Stellar Timing
By Jennifer L. Hart
Futuristic Romance

In the year 2059, the best part of Ellie MacIntyre's day is her morning coffee and it's all downhill from there. When a talking dog and cat enlist her aid in finding their missing brother, everything she ever knew about the universe is knocked on its keister by a six foot warrior with smoldering dark eyes.

Betrayed by those closest to him, Prince Brennigan was banished to the universal Hotel California, the penal colony called Earth. The only way to escape this fate worse than death is to befriend a portal-maker, a sorci who can open a gateway through time and space and return him to his home planet. Getting along with the magically inclined is not his forte—magic is the prevalent fungus at the root of his problems.

Now the hope for his people, and his heart, lies with Ellie. Can Ellie best an evil sorceress and win the heart of her space prince before this medieval times space opera's final curtain?

Available for purchase or free lending with Amazon Prime membership Kindle

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Knight Medieval - The Quantum Portal Series
By Kaye Manro
SFR/Time Travel

While research Archaeologist Alisa Vonn explores the ruins of Calimere Castle she finds a strange devise foreign to the era. When she examines it a temporal rift opens and transports her back to the 12th century, and straight into the arms of Sir Bryan, Knight of Calimere.

If that wasn’t enough, she meets Wyver, a time tampering wizard who in truth turns out to be a Time Dilatation Scientist from far into the future. He promises Alisa a one way passage back to her own time.

Yet the allure of the past and passion-filled nights spent with Bryan give her pause. If she takes Wyver up on his offer, she may never see her sexy knight again.

Coming soon...

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END OF HEAT #2