SE Gilchrist is my Write Bytes guest today. Her debut book Legend Beyond the Stars is a sci-fi futuristic romance from Escape Publishing. 

Seeking redemption from a mission gone terribly wrong, Captain Alana Knight volunteers to aid a dangerous operation to transport colonists between Earth and alien traders. But on board the spaceship, she learns of a galactic war raging for power. A power that can be transformed into a terrible weapon.

When the colonists are betrayed and sold, Alana’s mission is re-defined. Nothing will stop her from keeping those in her care safe and finding a passage home. But her new captor is nothing like she expects…

Commander Tarak El Rajan is human, male and equally determined to retain his payload. With his race on the brink of extinction he is under strict orders to transport all females to the planet Isla for research purposes.

In a world of uncertainty, where the wrong decision could mean the death of an entire race, the last thing either of these two soldiers expects or needs is to fall in love.

Take it away SE!

What’s on top of your to-be-read pile?
Rules are for Breaking by Imelda Evans

What do you feel when you contemplate your to-be-read pile?
Frustration, excitement and dismay.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?
The old-fashioned English high tea. I love it. You know, all those sumptuous, creamy little cakes and tea made from high quality tea leaves in a pot and poured out into a bone china cup. I don’t get the cakes at home but I do have the bone china cup and saucers and I love setting the time aside, usually on a Sunday, to sit down and have a ‘proper’ cuppa.

How often do you exercise?
Not as often as I should, hence my goal for this year: to increase my fitness. I love bushwalking and am lucky to have a wonderful walking spot close by to my home, complete with kangaroos, rabbits and many species of water birds.

Where was your last holiday?
Cairns with my daughter for five days. It was wonderful, did a lot of snorkelling and swimming.

What do you like to cook?
Anything that’s quick and easy, I love those recipes you just chuck some stuff in a dish and shove it in the oven. I have an ‘every man for himself’ attitude in the kitchen these days.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be?
Lord Howe Island. Or failing that, I’d like to live inside my own Tardis – then I could go wherever I pleased.

What time of day do you write?
I snatch the time whenever I can, working full time and with family demands, I can often be found hunched over my computer late at night or early am. In a perfect world, I’d love to write 8 to 4 but I cant see that happening for a long time ☺.

What are the best and worst things about being a writer?
The best things about writing would have to be the power to create characters, different worlds (where my rules ‘rule’) and scary, dangerous or difficult situations. Also, the wonderful friendships I have formed as a result of being part of the romance writing community in Oz. The worst things would have to be writers block, lack of confidence and social media / promotion.

What was the last non-romance book you read?
Currently reading Stalin’s Hammer by John Birmingham.

Describe your writing space?
Cluttered. I now have an actual study (was a bedroom) which was originally supposed to be mine alone, however, my daughter’s files and painting gear is sneaking in when I’m not looking ☺. But I love this room, I could live in here. Somehow I have managed to squeeze in my futon, a coffee table, three bookcases, two filing cabinets, my desk, printer and chair. I have my collages up on the wall together with copies of my three book covers, bookshelves, white board, cork board and blessedly an air conditioner.

What was the last movie you watched?
In Time, a sci-fi film where people trade with time (ie their lives) as currency to live, loved it.

What are three words to describe your relationship with the world wide web?
Addicted, necessary and frustrating.

Windows or Mac?
Windows

Morning person or night person?
Morning, after work I’m usually totally stuffed by the time night rolls around.

What’s the last sentence you wrote from your work in progress?
‘Sparks zapped and the lights failed as the flyer flipped over and over and plummeted into the vortex.’

This is taken from Traitor’s Justice, the proposed second single title follow on from Legends Beyond the Stars.

Thank you Keziah for having me on your blog today.

My pleasure!

You can find SE at her website, on Twitter, on Facebook and at her f2f group

My Write Bytes guest to-day is Elise Ackers whose book Unforgettable was released this month from Escape Publishing.

What’s on top of your to-be-read pile?
Speechless by Hannah Harrington.

What do you feel when you contemplate your to-be-read pile?
Behind the times. If I stacked those titles, they’d reach the roof. But I also feel excited – like I’m going to a party, about to meet a bunch of new people.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Strawberry baked cheesecake.

How often do you exercise?
I try for four to five times a week at the gym, but when I’d much rather be writing, it’s sometimes hard to motivate myself out of my chair. Let’s average it out to three times a week and never speak of it again.

Where was your last holiday?
Nationally it was the Adelaide Hills for a wedding, internationally it was Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. I keep very detailed travel records, so I’m sure I’ll write some international romances one day.

What do you like to cook?
If I have to be in the kitchen, I prefer to bake. I love making slices and cakes and if I had the time, I’d try my hand at cake decorating. But as for regular meals, they tend to be slow cooked roasts or chicken-based dishes. Don’t come to my house if you like variety for dinner!

If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be?
Bath in the United Kingdom. Or in a little cottage in Ireland, because I’m sure (sure) I would one day stop caring about how cold and wet I was. I just love the feel of those places. I would go on so many day-trips and spend hours musing on the moors. But if I can’t have either of those, I’m very content to stay where I am. I’m a big fan of Melbourne.

What time of day do you write?
Any time of day. On the commute to and from work, through lunch, in front of the television. Pretty much whenever I am required to sit and wait for more than five minutes. But I’m usually most productive in the evenings when I’m at home.

What are the best and worst things about being a writer?
The best thing for me is hearing when readers connect with my characters. Because these fictitious people are so real to me, they matter. And it’s a thrill to know when they’ve come to matter to someone else.

The worst thing is the lack of time. There aren’t enough hours in the day for me to research and write all the books I want to, or to read all the books and blogs which interest me. Whenever I’m doing anything even remotely lazy, there’s a voice in the back of my mind telling me I should be writing. So it’s the constant push and pull of creative aspirations versus creative limitations.

What was the last non-romance book you read?
The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles.

Describe your writing space?
I recently gave it a make-over and now it’s my favourite room in the house. There’s a small desk and a purple chair, a recliner which one belonged to my grandmother, a big reading light, and a thick white rug you can really sink your feet into. My bookcases are over-stacked. I’ve framed and hung my certificates, awards, degrees and book covers, and on my desk there’s a photograph of the bravest thing I’ve ever done (which I took down for the picture – it’s too personal). But the best thing is the roof: fairy lights criss-cross the overhead space, thread through multicoloured bunting. It feels like such a creative space, and I’m drawn to it all the time.

What was the last movie you watched?
Funny Farm, starring Chevy Chase.

What are three words to describe your relationship with the world wide web?
Time-consuming, necessary.

Windows or Mac?
Windows.

Morning person or night person?
I get up really early and go to bed quite late, but I guess I’m more of a morning person.

What’s the last sentence you wrote from your work in progress?
They bent over their drinks, murmured at their hands and asked Cal the big questions–why, who, when–but he didn’t have the answers, he just had the booze and the barstools.

Thanks Elise!

You can find Elise at her website, on Twitter and on Facebook.

My Write Bytes guest today is fellow Hot Down Under writer Marianne Theresa! Her short, Hidden Passions from Momentum is out now!

What’s on top of your to-be-read pile?
At the moment I grabbed the next in line, which was a historical romance novel by Anna Campbell, Midnight’s Wild Passion

What do you feel when you contemplate your to-be-read pile?
I have a strange fetish to read in cycles … lol … Usually I get on a roll and will read all I can of one sub-genre of romance stories. I’ll be on a roll to read historicals, then after a bit I’ll need my fix to read a pararanormal/mystery /sci-fi, then I may move onto wanting something more sizzling and spicy. These may vary from 120K full length novels to a satisfying 15K short story. I like the change for the entertainment and it keeps my Muse happy and engaged. So we are both content ☺

What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Oh you’ll probably laugh, but dunking biscuits and toast in my cup of tea – especially those hard Gingernut cookies. Yummm! It’s a shocking habit learnt from a very early age and I can’t seem to break it – not that I really want to.

How often do you exercise?
I’m going to say *I aim to do so daily* – but I regularly fall off the ban-wagon when life changes my routine. ☺

Where was your last holiday?
Short holiday recently was to beautiful Queensland, long holiday a year ago to the UK, including Wales and Scotland.

What do you like to cook?
Everything!
I have my mum’s condition that good food brings people together. She was always happy to bake a dinner each weekend to feed the masses.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be?
Anywhere there’s a castle, art gallery or history situated right around the corner.
That would be Italy, UK, Netherlands or Europe.

What time of day do you write?
Lately it’s when I get the chance. While working at the paid day job, I write most week-ends. When holidays arrive, then it’s whenever I can.

What are the best and worst things about being a writer?
The best: letting my creative talent flow onto the screen / page.
The worst: letting visitors in through the front door when I really have the muse on my tail… ☺

What was the last non-romance book you read?
Tucker Max
“I hope they serve beer in Hell.”
Which I think I must be the only person in the world who didn’t find it funny.

Describe your writing space?
It’s somewhat cosy and I’m ashamed to say, quite ordered actually. No kids at home, makes for an empty bedroom , now a lovely writing room.

What was the last movie you watched?
I’m not a huge TV fan…. mostly it puts me to sleep, hence I write ☺
The last one was a late night movie on SBS with sub-titles. I can’t remember the name. It was in French and about a woman and her  two lovers.

What are three words to describe your relationship with the world wide web?
Informative – Exciting – Eye-opening

Windows or Mac?
Windows

Morning person or night person?
Morning

What’s the last sentence you wrote from your work in progress?
Currently working on a series of short Angel stories
“She dipped her head, the gesture a graceful swan-like movement as her neck inched forward—her face mere inches from his, ‘You want to know how I died?’”

Thanks for having me here Keziah.

One lucky visitor who leaves a comment and their contact details could win a Gift Pack of a hand-painted Ceramic Coaster and free e-book Hidden Passions.

Thanks Marianne! You can find her at her website and on Facebook