This week I’m going to post 8 sentences from WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM, my science fiction adventure with romantic elements, which received a 2013 SFR Galaxy Award. In honor of Valentine’s day I thought I’d post a little moment between Nick and Mara, as they’re searching the ship’s hold for some essential gear. There’s not a whole lot of time in this novel for the two of them to (ahem) actively further their romance, given that the ship may explode at any moment, the alien enemy is on the way and pirates are hovering….but romance CANNOT be denied LOL! Nick is speaking as the excerpt begins:
His courage had never failed him in combat, but he was reluctant to risk rejection from her. “You may change your mind, once we get to Sector Hub, and the adrenalin of this crisis wears off. Maybe we should forget it for now, see how the idea of dinner strikes you after we’re rescued and we return to our proper orbits in society.”
Mara wasn’t having any of his self doubt. She placed one hand on the carton he was about to toss aside, stopping him. Gently, she caressed his cheek with her other hand. “Nicholas Jameson, don’t be an idiot. I know what I’m doing – I wanted to have dinner with you long before this misbegotten ship took its detour and plowed into an asteroid field, or whatever the disaster was.”
The story:
Traveling unexpectedly aboard the luxury liner Nebula Dream on its maiden voyage across the galaxy, Sectors Special Forces Captain Nick Jameson is ready for ten relaxing days, and hoping to forget his last disastrous mission behind enemy lines. He figures he’ll gamble at the casino, take in the shows, maybe even have a shipboard fling with Mara Lyrae, the beautiful but reserved businesswoman he meets.
All his plans vaporize when the ship suffers a wreck of Titanic proportions. Captain and crew abandon ship, leaving the 8000 passengers stranded without enough lifeboats and drifting unarmed in enemy territory. Aided by Mara, Nick must find a way off the doomed ship for himself and several other innocent people before deadly enemy forces reach them or the ship’s malfunctioning engines finish ticking down to self destruction.
But can Nick conquer the demons from his past that tell him he’ll fail these innocent people just as he failed to save his Special Forces team? Will he outpace his own doubts to win this vital race against time?
I love and appreciate your comments and feedback! Go here to find all the other Weekend Writing Warriors and read a variety of excerpts…
What a sweet moment in the midst of a high stakes plot. I love how you wove this in!
Sweet! That’s actively romantic enough for me. 🙂
Yes, what they said. Very nice romance woven into the tension.
Don’t be an idiot 😀 Sweet and telling him how it’s going to be, love the mixture of emotions you show. Very nice.
She’s pretty no nonsense through the entire book!
I enjoyed the mix of suspense and romance. Interesting story!
Mara really is a woman who knows what she wants 🙂 She proved it in last week’s snippet and again this week. I love the way they can find romance in a tense situation. Spotted a small typo–she stroked his CHECK rather than his cheek. Totally different connotations 😉
Oops – thanks for pointing the typo out, which I’ve now fixed hopefully! Oh yes, VERY different meanings LOL.
“…and we return to our proper orbits in society.”
Thought provoking.
I don’t go looking for double entendres, but they seem to find me.
I love a strong female. Great snippet!
She really knows what she wants, and isn’t afraid to get it!
I think I know what she’s thinking. 🙂 I loved it, great job. 🙂
Great mixture of emotions! Nice!!
I love how she puts him straight and tells him what she wants.
One of the things I love in a romance, especially a F/M romance, is straightforwardness. I am inexpressibly weary of shrinking-violet female leads, alpha-male jerks, and other vestiges of the Usual Story. This exchange between two real people is a breath of fresh air. Looking forward to more.
OK, silly me–‘more’ was to be had immediately. I popped over to Amazon and got this novel. Excellent blurb, by the way, and you hooked me with the idea of the Titanic in space.
Thank you very much! I hope you’ll enjoy the book 🙂
I’m a print addict, and I’m already into chapter one, and ok, as a writer doing industrial espionage, I’m like “yeah, conflict–class, ooh, interesting cultures, hmmm … there’s a trope, wonder how she’s gonna spin it?” while getting sucked into the story. Opening and endgame are the tricky bits, at least for me.
That’s a lovely moment!
Very nice! Nope, not much time to further the romance, given the circumstance, but you did it nicely. 🙂
Sweet, it’s nice to hear the voice of a man who is isn’t over-confident the way so many are in romance. And she so gently reassures him…well done.
I think I’m a little past this in my reading, but I’m enjoying the book.
I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the book thus far! Thank you 🙂
I love the word misbegotten!!!!!!!!!!! powerful 8!!
This is so sweet! I like it when a man has a few doubts—that means he’s paying attention. 🙂
This is a nice moment in a not so nice situation.
Great snippet! Love when a man’s tough battle side can shield his tender heart. 😉
Also – love the name Mara!
I love the combination of the sweet moment at a time of uncertainty. Nice job!
I love it when inner demons are used as an antagonist. Great snippet!
LOL, I love this! Asteroids be damned! This love cannot be denied. 😀 Great excerpt, Veronica!
I might have to use that for the new tagline LOL! I totally cracked up but I loved it! Thank you…
Wonderful, I echo the above, the combination of romance and disaster can be quite tricky. You managed to mingle the both of them beautifully.
I like Mara! Such a strong, blunt woman. Nice snippet!
Thanks, she’s a high level exec for an intergalactic shipping company so she’s all business (mostly).
There is nothing like the fear of rejection, and then, what a reassurance!
Glad to see another sci-fi author here, and good to see some humanity amongst the space ships and asteroids 🙂
Thank you! I enjoyed your #8Sunday excerpt very much…on occasion though I write paranormal romance set in ancient Egypt vs. the SF.
It’s sweet to see that vulnerability of his.
just saw the ancient Egypt comment – I was in Egypt in Jan and learned more about old stuff than I really wanted to know lol
I like the premise. But when you say Mara wasn’t having any of his self doubts… yet we are in his POV. I swear the POV issues get really confusing…
I liked her forthrightness and his vulnerability, but I agree with Sue about switching POV. You can show his hesitancy or her dismissal of it in actions or dialog. Sometimes body language can convey exactly what you want the other character to say. Good snippet, Veronica. 🙂
I love a no-nonsense heroine. Guess I know who’s going to be running this relationship. 🙂 I love this story!
I’m a huge fan of moments like this one in the midst of danger and uncertainty. You do it superbly. His hesitancy and her openness are a really nice touch in this scene.
I love the tender reassurance here, beautifully expressed!
Thanks for all the comments! Much appreciated!
Always time for romance. Beautiful, Veronica.
I love this world you’ve created – you do such a great job with character development.