Hurray! My popular science fiction futuristic romance is now available on Amazon.com, Smashwords.com, and Universal Link.
So,
how did I come up with ALIEN HEAT’s storyline? Well, I got the idea for this
novel when I came across a cover story in the magazine U.S. News and World
Report. The feature was on global warming. I theorized: what if this warming
was due to villainous extraterrestrial factors, not just because of manmade
conditions like automobile exhaust? Then I researched the 1994 crash of comet
Shoemaker-Levy into Jupiter. I proposed that this could happen to the planet
Venus, with the force of impact sending fragments of Venus out into space which
then eventually collided with Earth. In addition to a dramatic climate change,
there’d have to be significant damage to civilization. With that kind of
trauma, cultures and countries usually become divided, so now I had the
“primitive” villagers clashing with the more technologically advanced people of
the territory now known as Canusa. Throw in colonizing Venusian flowers and you
have ALIEN HEAT!
AN ALIEN INVASION
A cataclysmic bombardment by meteorites drastically
alter Earth's atmosphere... and bring strange alien plants that have a mind of
their own. Because of “mutant” powers, only Glyneth recognizes the threat these
Venusian flowers pose not just to humans, but to Earth itself.
AN HONORABLE DILEMMA
Major Lucas Jefferson reluctantly abducts Glyneth as
a breeder for his country. But "Lady Bulldog" teaches him that might
is not always right. Can he learn from this villager to fulfill the ancient
prophecy of uniting the old ways with the new?
World-building in science fiction stories can be very difficult to write about. Creating and populating a believable world and culture from scratch takes some heavy research and imagination. For ALIEN HEAT, I had to propel myself into the distant future and envision a scenario where Earth is recovering from being bombarded by fragments of Venus. Climate and civilization, as we know it, has been drastically altered.
In
addition, since this novel is a romance, a major focus must be on a
relationship between a couple... human or otherwise, while the science fiction
portion explores the effects of science on some aspect of humanity. In ALIEN
HEAT, the romantic conflict is between “uncivilized” villager Glyneth and Major
Lucas Jefferson, an “Outsider” from a technologically advanced culture. The
science fiction portion deals with the invasion by heat-producing plants intent
on turning Earth into another Venus.
ALIEN
HEAT was published by Wings ePress and had been with them for many years. Here’s
what one editor said about it: “A good example of [crossing genres] is ALIEN
HEAT by Susanne Marie Knight which is a Futuristic/SF book. It has appeal to
both audiences because of the way Susanne has woven her story using a mix of
both genres.”
High
praise indeed! ALIEN HEAT had been a best-seller at Wings ePress and on
Fictionwise.com. It’s garnered 5 and 4 star reviews on Goodreads, and 4 ½ and 4
stars at review sites: A Romance Review and Romance Junkies. ALIEN HEAT’s
beautiful cover was also nominated for the 2005 Quasar Award! Here it is,
below:
All women love these
flowers... but the feeling's *not* mutual.
ALIEN HEAT was also featured at the 2006 Booklovers Conference in Wiesbaden, Germany!
ALIEN
HEAT is now available on Amazon.com, Smashwords.com,
and Universal
Link.
What happens when an
“uncivilized” villager matches wits with a handsome warrior... AND strange,
heat-producing plants intent on turning Earth into another Venus?
Amazon.com, Smashwords.com, and Universal Link
This book is part of the Fascinating Sci-Fi line.
Here are just a few great reviews for ALIEN HEAT!
5
Stars!--Goodreads
4 1/2 STARS! There
are plots of revenge, attempted murder and hatred intertwined in ALIEN HEAT.
There is also the blossoming of love between Lucas and Glyneth, and a few
others as well. The interaction between the main characters, Lucas, Glyneth,
Hawke, Will, and Sylvie was something to see. Will was a riot and the play
between the three men was interesting... If you haven't read anything by Ms.
Knight, you don't know what you are missing.--A Romance Review
I found Susanne Marie Knight’s ALIEN HEAT to be very
imaginative. Knight’s plot is like no other I’ve read, which is really saying a
lot considering that I deem reading the ultimate pastime. The villainous aliens
in ALIEN HEAT come in an unexpected form, and the vastness of the futuristic
detail was mind-boggling. ALIEN HEAT was very entertaining.--The Road To
Romance
4 Stars! Susanne Marie Knight has an interesting take
on the future of the world with aliens from Venus thrown in to heat it up. I
really loved the way she pulled modern day facts into the story to put a
realistic tint to it. Her characters grab you and pull you through the story
not letting go until the last page. Once again Ms. Knight hits the jackpot with
a compelling story and life-like characters. So much happens in ALIEN HEAT that
I only touched on some of its aspects. What an incredible journey it is. ALIEN
HEAT is not to be missed, in this reviewer’s humble opinion. Romance Junkies
Susanne Marie Knight has woven a story of a troubled
Earth, invasion by an alien species, and the mysteries of some ancient lore to
produce a captivating tale of romance and danger in a post-apocalyptic world.
The devastating impact of a comet has left the word divided, and its people
scattered. Small pockets of civilization remain in differing levels of
civilization, and through them, the diversification of the populations survive.
ALIEN HEAT is just that...it is alien, and it is heated. It takes you from the
bride markets of Columont, to the vast stretches of desert that is slowly
devouring the newly recovering earth. Treachery and death stalk the lovers, and
the destruction of civilization, and even the world as they know it now hands
in the balance. The premise in Susanne Marie Knight's story is no different
than told in many a sci-fi thriller, but in the telling, we see the difference.
ALIEN HEAT focuses on the powers of magic, love, and the intentions of
honorable men and women to not only save their society, but the very world on
which they live. After a bit of a slow start, the reader gets quickly wrapped
up in the intrigue of the court, the plans on both sides of the battle, and can
feel the thrill of the impending conclusion. The ultimate question is answered
in the long run...[and] the reader is a winner.--Romance At Heart
I was totally intrigued by this book. When we think
of aliens the first thought that pops into our heads is little green men that
walk on two legs with big, bulging eyes. Susanne Knight shows in this book that
our alien friends could be in the form of something innocent looking like
flowers. Absolutely brilliant!--Paula Beaty Reviews
ALIEN HEAT is a remarkable example of science fiction
romance. Ms. Knight has set her novel in Earth’s future, used much of its
history and technology, but given it a special twist and then stayed within the
rules of her world. Glyneth and Lucas are wonderfully dimensional characters,
each bound to their own path, each aware of who and where they stand in the
world. I especially loved the reason the women were infertile. It was so
unexpected and different. Don’t miss.--In The Library Reviews
This is a good story with several plot lines that
keep things moving. Good humor, fun characters, and playful dialogue. This
would make a good science fiction film plot, particularly with the plants as
enemies, able to release carbon dioxide gas in big enough quantities to kill a
person or use their roots to cause earthquakes. The parts in the story where
the plants conspired, “speaking” with each other were particularly well done.
This was a good book, a fun read, and well worth looking for. Good job, Ms.
Knight.--SFR Reviews
Once again Susanne Knight produces as interesting and
thoroughly entertaining paranormal romance, one that fans of science fiction
should enjoy, also. I appreciated that though there is plenty of action and
evil intentions in this story, the violence is minimal. I also was impressed at
the way the human villain reacted to his punishment. I felt the way the
invaders were dealt with was justifiable. The story kept up its momentum to the
very end, which was quite satisfying.--Paranormal Romance Reviews
Found
on the Web: Science Fiction Romance's article with Wings Press editor Leslie
Hodges. Here's what Ms. Hodges says about ALIEN HEAT: I am always looking for
good, well-crafted stories, no matter what the genre. Here in my department, we
love cross-genre tales, and all levels of romantic involvement. More and more
authors are crossing genres and the result has been some wonderfully
well-crafted stories that appeal to fans of both genres. A good example of this would be ALIEN HEAT
by Susanne Marie Knight which is a Futuristic/SF book. It has appeal to both
audiences because of the way Susanne has woven her story using a mix of both
genres [science fiction and romance].
Susanne Marie Knight has woven a story of a troubled
Earth, invasion by an alien species, and the mysteries of some ancient lore to
produce a captivating tale of romance and danger in a post-apocalyptic world.
The reader gets quickly wrapped up in the intrigue of the court, the plan on
both sides of the battle, and can feel the thrill of the impending conclusion.
The reader is a winner. Look for ALIEN HEAT today.--Romance at Heart
(Heartstrings)
I am not usually a futuristic romance reader, but I
must admit to enjoying ALIEN HEAT. Susanne Marie Knight took a unique idea and
created a fascinating novel. I loved her plant from Venus. I also enjoyed the
twists Ms. Knight added to the storyline. ALIEN HEAT has several surprises that
are revealed as the story unfolds.--Writers Unlimited
ALIEN HEAT is one of the most unusual
after-the-world’s end novels I have ever read. The comet hitting Venus, and the
Venusian fragments hitting Earth is terrific. The interplay between the
characters is good and Gwyneth being a mutant is an excellent ingredient. I
happily recommend ALIEN HEAT.--The Romance Studio
This book was a mix of romance and sci-fi. The author
has many surprises in store for the reader. The book has many twists and turns
involving the main characters. The author has woven an intricate tale of the
futuristic Earth and the people who populate it.--Love Romances
ALIEN HEAT is well-written. Glyneth and Lucas are
interesting characters with hidden depths and emotions. Susanne Marie Knight
writes an interesting tale. Grab a copy of ALIEN HEAT.--Romance Reviews Today
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now
for a quick example from real life that I used in ALIEN HEAT. The secondary
character, Lieutenant Will Flagg, was inspired by a boy I knew in seventh
grade. Thinking of him, I generated this passage:
"There were two things Will Flagg hated above all else. The first
was to be called 'short.' The second was to be a disappointment to someone he
thought highly of. Unfortunately, the latter was just about to happen."
For plenty of ALIEN HEAT (!) I hope you read this
out-of-this-world science fiction romance and enjoy Glyneth and Lucas’ story.
Susanne Marie Knight
Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing with a Twist!
