Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Meteors and Menorahs by Nessa Claugh. This book tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have an excerpt from the book as well as a fantastic guest post from the author. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more content. Enjoy!
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Title: Meteors and MenorahsAuthor: Nessa Claugh
Publication Date: November 15th 2021
Print Length: 180 pages
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
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'Your dad invited your ex-boyfriend.' Already committed to going home for Hanukkah, Leah panics at her mother’s text and invites her crush to come with her. The catch? They aren’t dating. The other catch? He isn’t Jewish. He isn’t even human.
Knar has been studying the physiology of humans for years in preparation to introduce Earth to the rest of the galaxy and present them as a species that can adapt to change well. Although he believes in his mission, he’s also had his eye on his coworker Leah, and her invitation to come home with her for the holidays is just the opportunity he’s been looking for.
Going home for Hanukkah is normally the least of Leah’s worries until her mom lets it slip that her dad invited her ex-boyfriend. Desperate to keep him at arm’s length, Leah invites her handsome coworker Kenneth Knar to be a buffer against her family. Having to pretend he’s her new boyfriend doesn’t hurt, and if it annoys her parents, all the better.
He just has to find some way to tell her that he’s more than just a gentile. He’s not even from this planet. And Leah hates liars.
The menorah isn’t the only thing getting hot this holiday season…
Goodreads * Amazon * Book Depository *
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EXCERPT:
A man in a freshly pressed shirt and tie bustled into the kitchen, arms out. Before I could say a single word, he pulled Leah out of my arms and into a long hug. “There’s my girl!”
To her credit, Leah was out of the embrace as quickly as she was able to shove her hands up between them. “David! I wasn’t expecting you this early!”
Was that a grimace on her face?
“Well, your dad said you were here, and my last cardiology patient canceled so I figured I’d get over here.”
“Weird flex,” Leah said. “We all know what you do.”
“And who is this?” he said, ignoring the dig.
“This is Kenneth,” Leah said, grabbing my arm. “My boyfriend.”
David looked thunderstruck. “Boyfriend? Why haven’t I heard of this boyfriend?”
“We aren’t friends,” Leah said. “I have no reason to talk to you.”
“Leah, be nice,” her mother chided. The woman was short, but she still managed to move everyone with sheer presence out of the kitchen and into the living room without anyone complaining.
“I’m sorry, I haven’t had the opportunity to tell you all about my nice new very handsome boyfriend,” Leah said, running one palm up over the swell of my arm. I’d been feeling a little underdressed since the ex-boyfriend was in a nice shirt, but if I’d known it meant she’d be touching me skin to skin like this, I would have worn a tank top.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nessa Claugh grew up thriving on trips to natural history museums and Jurassic Park. Once adulthood was upon her, it was only a matter of time before she discovered dominant aliens and shifter erotica. She enjoys titillating the Triassic and stargazing.
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GUEST POST:
- If you had to host an alien visitor for a week, what Earthly experiences would you want them to have?
If I had an alien visitor, sampling cuisines from different cultures and exploring the wide variety of biomes that Earth has to offer would be at the top of my list of experiences to offer them. If real aliens had planets like what we see in a lot of sci-fi, there are a lot of single-biome worlds. Someone from an ice planet like Hoth (Star Wars) might enjoy seeing the American southwest or the jungles of southeast Asia. A native from Tatooine (Star Wars) or Arrakis (Dune) would probably be blown away by snorkeling the coral reefs we have left or exploring the swamps of Louisiana or Florida in an airboat.
Even just the array might be an unthinkable wonder to someone coming from the more interactive experience of 2181 Despoina from Mass Effect 3. To a native, the comparably dry air of Earth might be painful, but seeing oceans side by side with land could be an incredible sight, especially when a coral reef marks the boundary.
Food availability in space could be something as wondrous as spices and plants and meats from thousands of different worlds, or it might mark the intersection of what a ship can carry that's palatable to every being on board, which might come down to a tasteless gruel of the lowest common denominator. Coming to a planet like Earth which has thousands of different cultures might be a culinary wonderland for an alien. No two cultures prepare something the same way.
Israeli shawarma can be found served in a pita with tahini sauce and not the traditional yogurt sauce because of religious rules, where it might be served with a yogurt sauce elsewhere. British Madras curries are different than ones from Trinidad and Guyana, and those themselves are different than traditional Indian coconut milk curries. Between the varieties on different dishes, surely aliens would be able to find something they would enjoy on the planet we call home.
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GIVEAWAY:
Nessa Claugh will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Good luck!
(All the Ups and Downs is not responsible for this giveaway, its entries, or the prize. Goddess Fish Promotions assumes all responsibilities for this giveaway.)
Looks like a fun book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.
Thank you, Slehan!
DeleteSounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sherry!
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Rita!
DeleteThis sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Yvonne!
DeleteI love the story line, I think this book would make for a really good movie.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda! Who would you pick to play who?
DeleteThank you for hosting me today! Readers: What would you do with your alien guest, aside from the obvious? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to see how her non crush, non Jewish and non human holds up in front of family and the ex. Sounds like a fun read
ReplyDeleteIt's hit or miss. I can't wait for you to read it!
Deletethansk this sounds great
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteSounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI enjoyed the excerpt and the guest post and Meteors and Menorah's sounds like an out of this world romance! Congrats on your new release and thanks for sharing it with me! Have a spectacular holiday season!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stormy! I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteThis sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.
ReplyDeleteabfantom at yahoo dot com
Thank you, Ann!
DeleteSounds amazing and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Zelda! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
DeleteNeat sci fi romance, cheers on the virtual tour.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Calvin!
DeleteThank you again for having me today, Heather! I'll be checking in for more comments during the rest of the tour.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome <3 Thanks for stopping by! Sorry for the late reply, but I haven't been near my laptop all day.
DeleteI liked the blurb and excerpt. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Diana!
DeleteCover looks great! Excerpt sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great excerpt! Meteors and Menorahs sounds like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteHow long was the writing process?
ReplyDeleteI had the plot hammered out in February, put it down and took a break to work on some other projects, then came back and finished it during the summer, so all told about four months outside of edits and going back and forth with an editor.
DeleteHow many ideas do you come up with a time?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say at a time but they're constantly hitting. Writing Meteors and Menorahs spawned three more book ideas that weren't in the same universe and one that was. I keep a constantly growing list of ideas that I'd love to write but I don't have the time or I'm not in the right headspace for all of them. Sometimes I come back to them later and some are still sitting there, waiting.
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteYou too, Slehan!
DeleteLove the title and the cover - sharing this book with my friends!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michele.
DeleteWhat an interesting and very unique read. Good work.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paige! I hope you enjoyed it.
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Thomas. The same to you and yours!
DeleteSounds like a great read. Looking forward to reading the book.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dianne!
DeleteDo you have any advice for new writers?
ReplyDeleteGreat question! It starts with just writing. If you can get out the story that's been noodling around in your brain, you have something to work with. Critique groups are also great because you can get a lot of really specific advice on what you're writing, especially if you're going through the drafting process. Also--read as much as you can. Market trends are always changing, and knowing what people are looking for can really help with figuring out what you want to write if you're limited on time.
DeleteThe excerpt is interesting. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, clc408!
DeleteThe book sounds interesting. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAll that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
ReplyDeleteEdgar Allan Poe
Have you ever backed anything on Kickstarter?
ReplyDeleteI have backed projects ranging from horror and fantasy anthologies to travel pillows and edible spoons.
DeleteWhat authors do you like to read?
ReplyDeleteI adore Neil Gaiman and Seanan McGuire, and when I'm in need of a mood booster or a beach read I usually turn to Terry Pratchett's Discworld. How about you?
DeleteDo you prefer to have pumpkin pie or pecan pie for dessert?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
I'm from Florida so I'm more of a key lime pie kind of girl.
DeleteWhat's your favorite thing to do when you're writing?
ReplyDeleteListen to music. It helps me stay focused and I can do little writing sprints for as long as a song lasts.
DeleteOh sounds so good! Cant wait to read and see how her parents react when she brings someone else!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura!
DeleteLearning never exhausts the mind.
ReplyDeleteLeonardo da Vinci
Do you prefer to eat turkey or ham as an entree?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Science Fiction Romance - what a great mix!
ReplyDeleteAlong with a fantastic cover.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you, Barbara!
DeleteDo the characters in your books constantly talk to you?
ReplyDeleteNot constantly but occasionally I do have scenes or plots go in a completely different direction than what I originally intended partially because of how the characters are developing.
DeleteIs this your first book?
ReplyDeleteIt's my fourth under this pen name.
DeleteHave you ever won anything?
ReplyDeleteFor writing, no, but I did once sell a story to the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and it's always been one of the magazines on my bucket list so I personally consider it a win.
DeleteAre you glad when a book is finished?
ReplyDeleteIt's always a little bit of a relief, but at the same time I do always feel a little lost since I've been living and breathing it, but once you're onto the next project it's a little easier.
DeleteWhen you eat small whole pickles, do you prefer sweet or dill pickles?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Kosher dills all day long.
DeleteShared today on Facebook.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/alpacalover627/posts/607566627114202
What are your favorite genres of books?
ReplyDeleteWhat are your plans for the upcoming week?
ReplyDeleteDo you prefer apple or cherry pie?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
What a timely book with Hanukah starting today.
ReplyDeleteShared today on Facebook
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/alpacalover627/posts/608092140394984
Thank you, Thomas!
DeleteSounds like a really nice book!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you want for Christmas?
ReplyDeleteHave you always wanted to be an author?
ReplyDeleteEver since I was little.
DeleteShared on Pinterest today.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/1057642293711663771
What are your favourite hobbies?
ReplyDeleteGrowing orchids and gardening.
DeleteWhat's a typical night for you?
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm not working late, I try to get a couple of hours of writing or plotting in before relaxing on the couch before bed.
DeleteShared on Pinterest today.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/1057642293711673939
Do you have a favorite flavor of cake that you especially enjoy? Today I'm having a slice of coconut cake with lunch.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Do you like bad movies?
ReplyDeleteWhat's your Throwback Thursday song?
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favorite meal using cooked turkey?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
What's your favorite Christmas food?
ReplyDeleteWhat's your favourite genre of music?
ReplyDeleteLAST DAY.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.
What is your favorite thing to bake?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read
ReplyDeleteDo you prefer to drink eggnog or hot chocolate?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
This sounds like a fun book with some real challenges for several people (or non-people as the case may be).
ReplyDeleteApple or Android?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book!
ReplyDelete