Today I am so pleased to welcome Jenn Burke and Kelly Jensen to Joyfully Jay. Jenn and Kelly have come to talk to us about their latest release, Inversion Point, the fourth book in their Chaos Station series (and that Sue totally loved). They have also brought along a great giveaway! Please join me in giving Jenn and Kelly a big welcome!
Zed’s Playlist
Like a lot of writers, I enjoy picking out songs that say something about my characters—what they’re going through, who they are, maybe even who they’re going to be. Though I don’t listen to music as I write, listening to a particular song or playlist before I sit down to put words on the screen can get me in the right mood or headspace. Here are a few songs I associate with Zed from the Chaos Station series.
Do I Wanna Know? by the Arctic Monkeys
This was the song that prompted Zed’s character in my head. The slow groove (he’s not really an excitable guy), plus all the questions about where he stands with Felix. It even inspired his love of music, with the line about playing a tune that reminds him of his lover on repeat.
Come Alive by the Foo Fighters
This song perfectly fits Zed’s mindset when he discovers that Felix is alive in Chaos Station after thinking he was dead for eight years. Zed was at the end of his rope after the experimentation that helped to stop the war but left him forever changed—he understood that his time was nearly up and he was almost okay with it. Then there was Flick, alive, and it changed everything.
Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips
I love this romantic song. It suits the dedication between Zed and Felix so well. I could see Zed singing this to Felix at some point, much to Felix’s chagrin.
Redemption by Redlight King
There’s no denying that Zed has issues with how the Allied Earth Forces treated him and his teammates, but he also feels damaged and dirtied by his choices. This song captures that sense that he needs to somehow find some redemption.
Pulling Teeth by The Cardboard Crowns
Though the video and the song is all about beating big corporations, the lyrics could easily fit Zed’s headspace about the AEF after the events of Skip Trace (he’s really not their biggest fan anymore).
(Fun fact, this band is originally from Ottawa, my home town.)
If you’ve read the series, I’d love to hear if you have any particular songs that come to mind for either Felix or Zed.
Blurb
Inversion Point
Book four of Chaos Station
Zander and Felix’s relationship has been to the brink and back: the Human-Stin War, imprisonment and death/resurrection. Zander’s death, to be specific, and the experience has left him…changed. The mysterious race known as the Guardians chose to revive him and appointed him as their emissary. A high honor, but he could do without the group of would-be cultists following him around the galaxy.
When a recently discovered species destroys a stin probe, Zander’s new role soon commands all of his time and focus. The human ambassador—Felix’s ex-lover, much to Zander’s annoyance—pulls them into strategy talks aimed at preserving galactic peace. Soon everyone is relying on Zander’s Guardian tech to telepathically communicate with the strange aliens.
Only Felix seems concerned with the strain piling up on Zander, but he has his own resolve tested when the very stin that imprisoned him show up to a summit. Zander and Felix will both have to find a way to face their doubts and preserve their love—while preventing another galaxy-wide war.
Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Carina Press
Bio
Jenn and Kelly met in 2009 through a mutual infatuation with a man who wasn’t real. After all but crashing the video game’s forums with daily dissection of their obsession, they started writing together, discovered they really liked writing together and began plotting stories in worlds of their own creation.
The CHAOS STATION series aren’t the first books they’ve written together, and they’re pretty sure they won’t be the last. As long as their so-called smartphones keep making autocorrects that trigger brainstorming sessions, they’ll have enough character ideas and plots to keep them writing for years to come.
Connect with Jenn: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Connect with Kelly: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Giveaway
Jenn and Kelly have brought a great tour-wide prize that includes the first three books in the Chaos Station series (Chaos Station, Lonely Shore and Skip Trace) and a $25 gift card to the online bookseller of your choice. Signing up for their newsletter gives access to our free Chaos Station story, “Graduation”.
Terms: Rafflecopter runs from 12:00 AM EST 1/25/2016 to 12:00 AM EST 2/1/2016. Giveaway is open internationally. Gift card value is US dollars. Winner will be contacted via email.
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Thank you for having us today!
A pleasure as always!
Thanks for the playlist – very interesting! I have read the first three books, but don’t have any songs associated with the characters – except maybe a happy dance song each time a new book comes out. 🙂 Looking forward to reading Inversion Point – so many good reviews for it already.
I’m glad you enjoyed the playlist, Jen! It’s fun coming up with a list of songs that reflect a character.
I hope you find Inversion Point a fun ride! We loved writing it. 🙂
Awesome! There really needs to be more queer sci-fi/space opera out there. I have all three books and also a couple by Cathy Pegau, but what else can you guys/gals recommend? I read and really loved Ann Leckie’s Ancillary trilogy (everyone was nonbinary, so they would be referred to in conversation as “he” so often, but in thought everyone pretty much was “she”. It was so fascinating to follow Breq through three books and still not know the gender of a single character.).
Hi Heather! I’m going to point you to this site: http://www.queerscifi.com. They post regularly about new queer SFF, so it will be a good resource for you! There’s also a Facebook group that you can join that has amazing discussions on a daily basis. (I love this group; they’re so supportive and creative.)
As for queer SFF I’ve enjoyed, here are a few recommendations of books I’ve read and enjoyed:
A SOLID CORE OF ALPHA – Amy Lane
GRAVITATIONAL ATTRACTION – Angel Martinez
PERIPHERAL PEOPLE – Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore (also won the Rainbow Award this year for best Gay SFF!)
LINE AND ORBIT – Sunny Moraine and Lisa Soem
THE BACCHI – Belinda McBride
CLAIMINGS, TAILS, AND OTHER ALIEN ARTIFACTS – Lyn Gala (and the rest of this series!)
TURBULENCE – Lyn Gala
DARK SPACE – Lisa Henry (and the sequel, DARKER SPACE)
If you prefer more Earth-based urban fantasy or SF:
INFECTED: PREY – Andrea Speed (and the rest of this series…FABULOUS)
BLACK DOG BLUES – Rhys Ford (amazing worldbuilding)
BONE RIDER – J. Fally
Hope that helps give you a starting place!
Oh good suggestions Jenn! I LOVED Bone Rider! Crissy loved the Bacci and also the Lyn Gala series. And of course Dark Space is a classic! Again, many of these are reviewed here if you want to check them out.
I have to say, I find a lot of the books I read through great review sites like this one. I think, in particular, I gave the Bacchi a try because of Crissy’s review! So a big thanks to her…I really enjoyed it!
I really liked Inescapable by Mina Kelly. Sue loved Blue on Black by Carole Cummings. And Michelle enjoyed the Outlaw MC series by James Cox. All are reviewed here on the blog. Here is also a link to all our Futuristic/Sci Fi reviews. Not all fit into “space opera” but it may help give you some ideas. https://joyfullyjay.com/category/futuristicscience-fiction/
Thanks for sharing your playlist; I don’t tend to think of music or songs when I read, so it’s interesting to get a different perspective. Thanks, too, for sharing the list above of other books you’ve enjoyed; it’s neat to hear what books an author likes. I’ve heard excellent things about the Chaos Station series and look forward to reading it. Congratulations on your newest release!
Thank you so much, Kareni! 🙂