Author's Favorite Quotes Steam/Clockworks and Science Fiction Fantasy, S.A. Huchton

I wanted to include authors of books I've loved.  And what better way of including them then having quotes from the books?  A great way to introduce you to the books and share a bit from them.


Aaaah, this is a new one.  New author and new series to me.  And I have to say I fell in love with this little Romance gem.  It's set underwater and has a touch of Science Fiction to it, but nothing that will leave you out in the great wide open lost.  No, this was a great pleasure to read and I can't wait for more.

S.A. Huchton shares a few of her favorite quotes from Maven:

"There are few things that will drive a man to change his life so completely. Hate and revenge are two of them, but love is far more powerful and permanent."

(I really love this quote. It completely speaks to the entire tone of book one, and, really, the series overall. All the characters are changed by their powerful emotions and it drives them to alter the world around them.)


"It doesn't matter where you've been nearly as much as where you're going."

(This is probably my favorite line of the whole book. It's something I personally take to heart and I love that I got to use this advice in a way that fits so wonderfully in the story.)


He swallowed, then exhaled in frustration. "Honestly, you scare the crap out of me, Lydia. I've never... I mean, you're the first and last thing I think about every damn day. I'm physically ill when I think I might not ever be the kind of person you deserve to be with. You make me want to be better at everything I do. I'm terrified whenever I screw up because I think I might never get the chance to kiss you even once, and if that were true I... I don't know if I could deal with that."

(Oh, Daniel. This is his moment where he admits defeat and puts it all on the line. It's a huge risk for him, opening himself up like this, and Lydia consistently elicits this response in him.)


She lifted her head and looked at him. "So now that you've got me, Mr. Brewer, what do you intend to do with me?"
Daniel swallowed and met her gaze. He set his glass down and cupped her face in his hands. "Keep you," he said and kissed her softly.

(And of course I had to include this one. Can you even imagine someone saying this to you? Gawd. *giggle*)

Find S.A. Hucton at:
Author website:
http://www.starlahuchton.com

Author Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Starla-Huchton-Author-Page/255657227797465

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/riznphnx


Find Maven:
Print:
Createspace
Book Depository

Print & eBook:

eBook:

Smashwords

Barnes & Nobles

Author Interview! And GIVEAWAY, With S.A. Huchton

As many of you have seen, I read and reviewed Maven by S.A. Huchton.  This is a SFR, Science Fiction Romance.  Now, don't run!  It's Romance with a science flair.  I so loved it!  And I hope to share a bit of the book with you in this interview with Starla.

Please give a big welcome to S.A. Huchton!

M:  Welcome Starla! Thank you for stopping by for the interview today.

M:  Your first book of the Endure series, Maven, is available in all formats now. This is a SFR, Science Fiction Romance. Now, before everyone runs at the mention of Science Fiction, there are no aliens and it’s light science (I read it already, I know this is true). Right?

SAH:  You are correct. I wrote something that appeals to my own personal preference when it comes to Science Fiction, that is to say, relatively grounded in reality and without bombardment by a bunch of terminology I need a Google search open to decipher. If science isn’t accessible, it appeals to few besides the experts. Since that’s not me, I wrote to my own level.

M:  You’ve mentioned to me a few times, when we chat, the Romance in this story can’t happen without the science and vise versa. They really are intertwined together. Can you share a bit of how so?

SAH:  Oh. Hmm. That. Well, I don’t know how much of that I can talk about without giving spoilers for the rest of the books in the series, but I’ll give it a shot.

Basically, without the science in the plot, there would be no reason for these two characters to get together. There would be no glue forcing them to be in proximity with one another. You can have all the chemistry in the world with another person, but if they aren’t around that tends to fade. Without the situation, the science, that Lydia and Daniel encounter, who’s to say if they’d have come around to their relationship at all? The problems they face require both of their skill sets to solve. It really is an equal partnership, which was exceedingly important for me.

I’d talk about the reverse of that, in taking the romance out of the plot, but the other books in the series sort of fall apart without it. Their union *cough* as a couple is absolutely crucial as the story goes. I can’t really say much more than that, though. Because spoilers. ;)

M:  Well, can't blame a girl for trying for spoilers or secrets of whats to come. ;)

M:  You had to do lots of research for this one. What did you research the most? And I *think* there is mention of help from your husband? ;)

SAH:  What did I research the most? Well, I think it was probably the microbiology stuff. I spent hours trying to figure out what a group of mad scientists bent on world domination might do to bring their plans to fruition in this setting and how they might accomplish that. Conversely, I also had to figure out what the good guys could or would do to fight that. Fortunately, my husband was a microbiology major and gave me a lot of guidance and explanations about bacteria and genetics and what happens with all that stuff, as well as how remedies for infections and such are created.

Running a close second is the technology used in the book. My husband studied computer science for his master’s degree so I’ve been subjected to lots and lots and LOTS of terminology as we were married when he was in that program. Some of that I was able to pull out of memories of our conversations about his projects and homework and classes, but, again, he was instrumental in explaining things I didn’t know or was having trouble wrapping my head around in terms of these books.

Perhaps it’s not 100% accurate in all things (it is still fiction, after all), but I worked very hard to make things plausible while not going overboard with technical talk. I made notes in very generic terms about the things that happen, so that, when I had to write the actual book, I could explain it both accessibly and correctly. Mostly. My notes probably look something like if you were giving a science lecture to toddlers. Because that’s pretty close to how I felt about this when I started. LOL

M:  This sweet romance is set underwater. I love the creation of the station here. It’s sure a sight and lots here in this military underwater station. Will we get to see more of the station? And of our little tailed dolphin friends?

SAH:  Much like the show Firefly would have been a very different thing without the anchor of the Serenity setting, so too is the DWRC Endure at the very core of the story. I won’t say you get to explore every last room of the place, but there will be new additions and locations explored in the other installments of this series.

Oh, the dolphins will continue to inhabit the Endure, but with varying degrees of involvement. How much of a role they will have to play by the end of the last book is yet to be seen, but, yes, there is more still to come.

M:  I’m hooked on these books! Can you tell us how many books there are and how soon we could expect them? I’m so looking forward to diving into the next one!

SAH:  As of right now I’m planning on four books. I know how torturous it can be, as a reader, to have to wait for the next part of the story, so I wanted to try my hand at a fairly fast release schedule. The second installment, Nemesis, will be released on August 26, which is right around the corner. The third one goes live November 28th. The final book in this story arc hits the virtual shelves on February 27th, 2014. I’m excited to see how this little experiment translates to readership. It’s not the norm, but I want to see how people react.

M:  You tell the story from both Lydia’s and Daniel’s eyes. This has made it so easy to fall in love with them and the love they share. How did you come to share point of views of both characters?

SAH:  If you’re asking if I planned it that way, no. When I sat down to write Maven, I had only ever intended on writing from Lydia’s point of view. Daniel had other ideas though. He decided he wanted to tell readers his side of the story. Given his experience with what other people think about him, I guess I could understand how he might be a little defensive. I guess that’s really it. I wanted readers to see why I liked Daniel so much and the best way to do that was to let them into his head. I was nervous about this, though. After all, what do I know about being a guy? In the end, I decided to let the character speak for himself and not worry so much about that.

M:  Okay, I’ve drilled you enough for the time. Now time for fun questions… I ask these of all my first time visitors. (so, next time you stop by, more tough questions! LOL)

M:  If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

SAH:  If you’ve read Maven, you might know the answer to this one. For years I’ve been fascinated by Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I can’t imagine that photographs do that place justice. There are other places I’d love to visit some day, like a few sites in Italy, Greece, Egypt, China, but that one is really at the forefront of my mind. Probably because of Daniel. ;)

M:  Tea or Coffee?

SAH:  Tough question. It depends on the time of day. Before noon? Coffee all the way. After that, I’m more likely to brew up a cup of tea. Maybe this speaks to my characters some. I’m a good mix of Lydia and Daniel both!

M:  Favorite Color?

SAH:  Red. The darker, deeper kind and less the bright, tomato red.

M:  Favorite Childhood Fictional Creature?

SAH:  Elf-type creatures were always my favorite. Like the gelflings from the Dark Crystal.

M:  Now, as an adult, what’s your Favorite Fictional Creature? (can be the same as when a child)

SAH:  I’m split on this one. I seriously love dragons now (little mini ones especially), but elves still have a good chunk of my loyalty.  Because Legolas.

M:  Favorite Word? (any word at all)

SAH:  Right now? Supercavitation. Totally a thing. I discovered it in researching stuff for book three. Not only is it fun to say, but my geeky little heart skipped a beat when I learned what it meant (and saw footage of it in action). I won’t spoil it for people. They should totally Google it.

M:  Thank you kindly, Starla, for stopping by for the interview. I wish you all the best with Maven and the series.

SAH:  Thank you, Melissa! These were some great questions!

M:  Here’s wishing you all the best in words and pages!


Maven
Book Description:

How far would you go for love?

Since losing her parents at 14, young prodigy Dr. Lydia Ashley has focused on one thing: an appointment on the Deep Water Research Command Endure. Now 21, she’s about to realize that dream, but nothing is how she imagined it would be. Her transitional sponsor forgets her, her new lab is in complete chaos, and, as if that weren’t enough, she’s about to discover something so horrific it could potentially destroy all life on the planet. 

Daniel Brewer, a noted playboy and genius in his own right, may be exactly what she needs… Or he may make everything worse.

Has she finally found a puzzle she can’t solve?

Starla has giveaways going!

I reeeeeally hope you enter.  You'll love the romance and story here.

One is for US Only and another for International.

Domestic US Only:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

International Followers:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:
Starla Huchton released her first novel, The Dreamer's Thread, as a full cast podcast production beginning in August 2009. Her first foray went on to become a double-nominee and finalist for the 2010 Parsec Awards. Since her debut, Starla's voice has appeared in other podcasts including The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine, The Drabblecast, and Erotica a la Carte. She is also a voice talent for Darkfire Productions, and narrates several of their projects, including The Emperor's Edge series, This Path We Share, and others. Her writing has appeared in the Erotica a la Carte podcast, a short story for The Gearheart (earning her a third Parsec nomination), and an episode of the Tales from the Archives podcast (the companion to Tee Morris and Philippa Balantine's Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series), which garnered her a second finalist badge from the 2012 Parsec Awards. Her second novel, a Steampunk adventure entitled Master of Myth, was the first place winner in the Fantasy/Science Fiction category of The Sandy Writing Contest held annually by the Crested Butte Writers Conference. Maven is her third completed novel and the first in a planned series of four, being released under the name S. A. Huchton.

After completing her degree in Graphic Arts, Starla opened up shop as a freelance graphic designer focusing on creating beautiful book covers for independent authors and publishers. She currently lives in Virginia where she trains her three Minions and military husband.

Find Starla Huchton:
Author Website
Twitter
Facebook Page

Maven on Goodreads

Teaser Tuesday (165)

Teaser Tuesday

is a weekly event

Sponsored by MizB of Should be Reading

Here's how it works:

Grab the book you are currently reading (anything at all)

Open the book to any random page.

Share 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on the page

Please Make Sure They Are Not Spoilers!

(Don't Give Too Much Away)

Just enough to pique our interests

This Week:

He swallowed.  He knew what she meant.  More than anything at that moment, he wanted the exact same thing.

Maven
By:  S.A. Huchton
75pg

Maven is now available for purchase:

Book Review: Maven

Maven

By:  S.A. Huchton

Publish Date:  June 3, 2013

Format:  eARC, 225pgs

Genre:  Science Fiction Romance

Series:  1st in Endure series

Recommendation:  Oh YES!  Lovely romance in a underwater station, where Lydia's predecessors trash bin leads to a mystery of danger for Lydia and Daniel, and maybe others of the world too.

Book Synopsis:
How far would you go for love?

Since losing her parents at 14, young prodigy Dr. Lydia Ashley has focused on one thing: an appointment on teh Deep Water Research Command Endure.  Now 21, she's about to realize that dream, but nothing is how she imagined it would be.  Her transitional sponsor forgets her, her new lab is in complete chaos, and, as if that weren't enough, she's about to discover something so horrific it could potentially destroy all life on the planet.

Daniel Brewer, a noted playboy and genius in his own right, may be exactly what she needs...Or he may make everything worse.

Has she finally found a puzzle she can't solve?

Purchase At:
Amazon   /   Barnes & Nobles   /   Book Depository   /   CreateSpace  June 3, 2013

First Sentence:
Ten minutes out.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Lydia has reached her goal, set six years ago with several reasons, a position at Deep Water Research Command Endure.  But, things she had dreamed of here may not be as she thought.  Lydia is left abandoned upon her arrival as her sponsor forgets to meet and escort her to her lab.  Then gets a sight of her predecessor's rather organization and mess, which will take Lydia weeks to sort through.

Trying to make up for his lack of first impression, and looking the computer genius lackey with a reputation of being a ladies man of the Endure, Daniel realizes the beautiful Lydia is all work.  What Daniel doesn't know, Lydia has known of him for years and had hoped to find a kindred soul in him, being brilliant and young like her.  To show he can be focused and taking a new direction to win her eye, he sends her unknown sample files he found from her predecessors computer trash bin.  When Lydia finally looks at them, in Daniel's presence, she's curious about the specific bacteria and why sampled and tested on this facility.  Something is off, Lydia's never heard of projects centering around these, putting her and Daniel on the alert.  What Lydia learns is deadly, to her and to the world.

Lydia might find the man she was hoping for.  Daniel might learn to find what he was missing in life.  Lydia and Daniel will learn, with knowledge could come danger. These two hold more knowledge than the whole of the Endure, and can or have connected the dots... Will they find a level ground to work on to find a cure in time?



First, this book was what I was needing in a time I was struggling through many great reads.  I sat down with it Saturday evening, stayed up late, then woke up Sunday morning to pick it up and not set it down until I was done.  I just fell in love with Lydia and Daniel.  And the creation of Deep Water Research Command Endure.  I couldn't stop reading this one!  Adorable romance.

We are in year 2050, in an under water research station.  I felt I was experiencing Lydia's first experiences on the Endure with her.  Excited, and let down when the welcoming sponsor wasn't there.  But excited.  I love ocean research, I wanted to get into it when I was younger, so I'm thrilled to arrive with Lydia.

We get two point of views, Lydia's and Daniel's.

Meeting Lydia right off, I liked her.  Smart and sharp minded.  She made me smile at her words to Daniel as he saw her for a beautiful lady to hit on.  My kind of girl.  Love Lydia and her spunk.  Not only is she a genius but quick.  Lydia knows Daniel's reputation, and will not jeopardize her dream job for him.  I love how she puts him in place, subtle but done and he knows it.  It drives him NUTS!! lol.

Daniel!! Ooooo, boy that man is something, and the exponential growth of his character throughout the book.  WOW!  He is full of potential.  But when Daniel finds the left over files in the trash from Lydia's predecessor...things will take off, in all directions.

I was drawn to learn more of what Lydia and Daniel found and how they would get more information, worried they would get caught by the people creating this danger.  And there is their relationship.  Would it take off?  Would Daniel come to his full potential?  Will Lydia see Daniel for who he is?  Oh!  There are sparks between these two, and they fly.  Oh, the computer hacking.  The suspense as to if all would work.  The mystery of finding more details and suspense surrounding a few characters had me flipping to know more.  The corruption gets deeper and deeper as we go.  So good.  I had to see how it ended.

The romance was sweet and took it's time to build.  But when it built, aah... These two are young, twenty-two and twenty-one, but still young at heart.  They both grew up struggling with being far more advanced than others.

This story is a science fiction romance.  Yes, there is some science to it, but the romance is forefront.  The technical and science part, done so I understand but in no way deters from the genius of the characters.  The science is easy to understand and works in balance with the romance to create the story.

Refreshing drop of water with this story.  I love the aquatic take and the sparking romance.  Wonderful romance with a solid story and suspenseful mystery.  I love when the two come together so perfectly!



**I requested a copy of this for review from the author.

S.A. Huchton also has a few snippets up on her sight:

You can Meet Lydia.

You can Meet the distracted Daniel.

Sneak peek into what Lydia and Daniel have found!

I have an excerpt:  Lydia's first personal impression of Daniel

Cover Reveal: Maven

I'm thrilled to bring you a new cover for a new novel, and series.  The first of it's series.

Maven

The Endure series #1

By:  S.A. Huchton

Release Date:  June 3, 2013

Description:

How far would you go for love?

Since losing her parents at 14, young prodigy Dr. Lydia Ashley has focused on one thing: an appointment on the Deep Water Research Command Endure.  Now 21, she's about to realize that dream, but nothing is how she imagined it would be.  Her transitional sponsor forgets her, her new lab is in complete chaos, and, as if that weren't enough, she's about to discover something so horrific it could potentially destroy all life on the planet.

Daniel Brewer, a noted playboy and genius in his own right, may be exactly what she needs... Or he may make everything worse.

Has she finally found a puzzle she can't solve?

Curious?  Good.  I know I was.  And I found a few tidbits at the authors site to share with you on from this one.  It's a science fiction romance read.  And no, it's not aliens.  S.A. has worked hard to make this an enjoyable science read we all can enjoy (and understand - goodness, I worry about that with every science fiction I pick up.)

And I was taken with this excerpt!  Sounds like there is something growing, or grown, between Lydia and Daniel.  Sounds like Daniel has learned a thing or two as well.  And I'm curious about the "win."  What did he (or they?) do?  Then, what had they done in the last weeks?  There is some depth here to make me curious of the story and what they are doing along with wanting to meet these two.

Excerpt:

She sat on the couch and curled her knees up, her arm slung across the back, looking at him. "So, happy about the win?"

It took him a minute to realize she was talking about the match. "Oh, definitely. It's always fun when we trounce Man U."

She raised an eyebrow. "Trounce? You call three to two a trouncing?"

"Absolutely."

She smiled and shook her head. "I don't get it, but maybe it'll grow on me."

He could've sat there staring at her for hours, taking in the way her hair draped around that exquisite neck of hers, the self-conscious way she fidgeted with her nails, the movement of her mouth as she spoke, but there were other things to discuss, and they were running out of time. "I have something for you." Daniel removed the black wireless drive from his pocket and slid it across the seat to her. She reached for it, but he put his hand over hers as she touched the device.

"It's encrypted, so you'll need the passcode."

He watched her. Every time.

He marveled at the discovery. Every single time he touched her, she held her breath for a fraction of a second. He’d first noticed it as he helped her out of her sweater earlier and then again when he’d worked up the nerve to take her hand. That he had that effect on her was amazingly endearing. She always looked so in control, to see that small vulnerability in her was exhilarating. Did she realize it was happening? He hoped not, because she might try to hide it if she did.

"So what's the passcode?" she asked.

Was he really brave enough to tease her?

He decided yes, he definitely was. With a hammering heart, he drew in close. At the last moment, he shifted to the side to whisper in her ear, "8272050”. Very slowly, he backed away.

Her eyes fluttered open. He had poured it on thick there, but he couldn't help himself.

"What's the significance?" she asked, her voice breathy.

Daniel shrugged. "That's the day I realized you didn't hate me."

"Hate you?" Her mouth formed an 'o' shape as she took it in. "Daniel, I never hated you. It was more..."

"What?" he asked.

She shifted on the couch, nestling into the soft fabric. "Disappointment, I guess." And there it was. He had suspected maybe that was the case, but it was unconfirmed until she said the words. It was hard to swallow, but he supposed it was better than her actually hating him.

"You were..." She was struggling for the right words. "I was expecting more, I think, when I first met you. You didn't seem interested in anything more than the way I looked. I've never gotten much of that, and the few times I have, well, it wasn't a good experience."

He thought back to their first meeting. He had taken her for a new intern, looked her up and down, and made a superficial judgment. After that, no wonder she had felt that way.

"Even now," she continued, biting her lip. "Even now I'm not sure what it is you're here for. I want to believe that all your efforts this past week were to prove you're capable of better, that you want to be respected and treated as one of the best in your field, and more than some shallow guy only here for a good time. I think there's more to you than your first impression led me to believe. Keeping an open mind about people has served me well in the past, but..."

She fell silent and didn't meet his eyes.

Nothing she said was untrue. Daniel knew how other people saw him. He never said or did anything to make them think differently. Lydia looked so sad sitting there, not sure if her words even registered with him. A pang of guilt shot through his gut. "But, what?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at him. "But I don't want this to be the time I was wrong."
He swallowed. He knew what she meant. More than anything at that moment, he wanted the exact same thing.

S.A. Huchton also has a few snippets up on her sight:

You can Meet Lydia.

You can Meet the distracted Daniel.

Sneak peek into what Lydia and Daniel have found!

Author Bio:

Starla Huchton released her first novel, The Dreamer's Thread, as a full cast podcast production beginning in August 2009.  Her first foray went on to become a double-nominee and finalist for the 2010 Parsec Awards.  Since her debut, Starla's voice has appeared in other podcasts including The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine, The Drabblecast, and Erotica a la Carte.  She is also a voice talent for Darkfire Productions, and narrates several of their projects, including The Emperor's Edge series, This Path We Share, and others.  her writing has appeared in the Erotica a la Carte podcast, a short story for The Gearheart, and an episode of the Tales from the Archives podcast (the companion to Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine's Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series), which garnered her a second finalist badge from the 2013 Parsec Awards.  her second novel, a Steampunk adventure entitled Master of Myth, was the first place winner in the Fantasy/Science Fiction category of The Sandy Writing Contest held annually by the Crested Butte Writers Conference.  Maven is her third completed novel and the first in a planned series of four.

After completing her degree in Graphic Arts at Monterey Peninsula College, Starla opened up shop as a freelance graphic designer focusing on creating beautiful book covers for independent authors publishers.  She currently lives in Virginia where she trains her three Minions and military husband.

You can Find S.A. Huchton:

Her Site:  Upon the Wings of Greater Things and Designed By Starla

Facebook Page:  Starla Huchton Author Page

Twitter:  @riznphnx