(The link is here to find this week’s excerpts from novels or WIP written by other Science Fiction Romance Brigade group members. A fun way to sample new books!)

Here’s the next excerpt from  my 2013 SFR Galaxy Award winning WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM.  The small party of survivors has discovered some really bad things about events surrounding the wreck  and are now on their way to another part of the ship. (Trying very hard to avoid giving spoilers here!) Twilka refuses to enter the crew gravlift. Khevan is a D’nvannae Brother (sort of ninja/bodyguard/assassin/servant of alien goddess).

“I’m scared of heights. I’m scared of grav lifts. I’m scared to stay here. Staying here by myself scares me less than going into the grav lift,” Twilka said to Khevan, the only other person remaining in the corridor. He was watching her gravely.

“Do you trust me?” he asked in his deep, calm voice.

“Well, of course,” she answered. “You’re a D’nvannae. Why do you think I wanted to contract so badly? Change your mind? The offer still stands, you know.”

He shook his head but extended one hand to her. “Come with us. Your destiny lies with us on this ship.”

“Truly? Did your Red Lady say so?” Twilka acted enchanted by the idea. Stiff and bruised, she worked her way to her feet awkwardly.

He didn’t answer but drew her close, staring into her eyes. “We’ll take the descent together, and I won’t let you go until we’re safely standing on the hold deck. Agreed?”

It was as if he hypnotized her. A minute later the couple, entwined so closely they could have been enjoying a romantic encounter, floated past Nick. Reflexively, he checked to be sure the children weren’t watching this too closely. Of course they were. 

Here’s 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 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?

This Best Selling Science Fiction Adventure is Available from  Smashwords ,  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  All Romance eBooks and iTunes  Also available from Amazon as trade paperback here