A fun way to sample new books and find new writers! Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…
(Friday night was another ER trip (that’s three in three weeks due to medication side effects,
for those who are counting – can’t wait for life to settle down a bit), doing ok again now, so just going to continue posting from WRECK, which was my first SFR….)
The luxury ship Nebula Dream has suffered a middle of the night catastrophe in space. My hero, Nick Jameson, has fought his way to the nearest lifeboat and found chaos. Some creative editing and punctuation has occurred. As he’s just about finished loading the lifeboat, businesswoman Mara Lyrae arrives, much to his relief. (Do I need to mention he’s been distracted by her since they met on the shuttle coming to the ship at the start of the novel?) She’s shouting for help.
He’d been prepared to search the entire ship for her if necessary, but now here she was.
Sensibly dressed but disheveled, her hair loose around her shoulders, Mara worked her way through the rapidly thinning crowd, gaze locking onto him. “Please, I need someone to come to Level Two.” His men let her through the cordon and she grabbed at Nick’s arm. “I’m so glad you’re still aboard. It’s the family who was on the shuttle with us – I can hear the children crying in their cabin, but I can’t get the door to open far enough to get in. The boy says his mother is trapped under something,” Mara bit her lip, shoving her hair away from her face, “And they can’t get out of the back bedroom, or won’t try.”
Don’t expect Mara to be getting into the lifeboat, is all I can say!
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 Titanicproportions. 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?
Hi Veronica, this is my first stop this week. Wanted to check on you and see how you’re doing. I’m sorry about your trips to the ER. I really hope, too, that you life settles down and your health improves. A big hug to you!
Your snippet this week is part of such an intense scene. I really liked this book! 🙂
such an emotional snippet 🙁 those poor people!
Uh oh! Sounds like help is needed. Great tension, nicely done, as ever!
Hope things in life get back to normal for you soon!
Tense and satisfying. He is ready for action and she keeps her head.
Oh, no, Veronica. So sorry to hear about the ER. You take care of yourself. ((hugs))
Good heavens, lady—feel better at once! 🙂
You picked a good scene, though, so I’m assuming you’re on the mend, now? Please?
What an urgent situation!
Hope YOUR situation is proving. Sending healing thoughts your way
I am sorry to hear that things are still so unstable! I hope everything settles down quickly.
Love the snippet! The connection between Mara and Nick leaps off the page. Things will get interesting;).
Again, I say the book is really amazing.
Damn, it’s inconvenient to be heroic sometimes. Love the sparks between these two- getting stranded together might not be so bad.
Take care, hope you feel better soon.
Thanks for the good wishes – I’m so tired of reporting that I still haven’t bounced back but I do really appreciate the comments very much – HUGS to all!
I read this book! 🙂 The characters are so memorable, Veronica. The excerpt just teases us, you keep the tension up beautifully throughout the book.
Glad that you felt well enough to post, and sending “be healthy” vibes your way.
Just love how you keep the tension going here. Hope things settle down for you health-wise very soon!
Ooh, he’d better go help her! Can’t leave kiddo’s trapped! Hope your meds are under control soon. Take it easy till life settles down.
Chaos has a way of bringing people together. So glad they’re teaming up to help the poor children. Maybe their heroics will bring them even closer. 😉
Sorry to hear about your medication troubles, Veronica. Truly hope things get easier from here on out. *hugs tight*
he gets to come to the rescue.. Maybe that will be a win in his favor once everyone has gotten to safety!
I love where this story is going. Nick sounds like an awesome leader and I’m interested to find out more about him!
He’d better help rescue that family, I don’t think she’ll budge otherwise.
Hope things continue to improve for you, and no more ER trips!
Sorry about the trips to the ER 🙁 Tense snippet and I love the premise of this book! You are so prolific! Get better soon!
I really like this line “Sensibly dressed but disheveled, her hair loose around her shoulders, Mara worked her way through the rapidly thinning crowd, gaze locking onto him.” It’s really visual. Great 8.
Wishes for good health being sent your way.
Getting good. Great snippet.
Great snippet. I got a real sense of time and place. But under that the relationship of trust that he could be the one to make the difference to solve it together. Lovely!
Oh crap! Very tense scene Veronica. A lot of tension and urgency in only 8.
Great snippet. I could feel the tension and the urgency to gain entry.
Intense snippet. The whole book sounds edge of your seat. Great stuff!
Tense snippet.
Hoping your medical issues clear up quickly.
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Great snippet. Mara’s desire to help that family while everyone else is jetting for the lifeboats says something about who she is. I love the title by the way!
Scary scenario so life like. Outstanding characters.
Love to you, my friend, with good wishes.
Great8. I’m intrigued ot know what’s going on in the room…
Hope you have a fully recovery of health soon!
It says a lot about Mara’s character that she refuses to abandon the trapped family.
Oh no! I hope they can help that family (I’m a sucker for happy endings). I gasped when it described hearing childrens’ screams. Great snippet!
Keep smiling,
Yawatta
Nice sense of urgency on both sides.