Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the
participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)
I’m doing excerpts from my upcoming scifi romance release, Danger in the Stars. This story is a companion piece to Star Cruise: Stowaway, my story in the PETS IN SPACE anthology, and is a completely standalone novel about the sister of Stowaway‘s heroine. I just got the book back from copy edits, so I’ll get it to the formatter next week. In the meantime, exciting news about a new book below the excerpt and blurb for Danger.
Continuing on from last week, I’ve skipped ahead. Miriell is in the groundcar with Opherra the local crime boss, Jareck her controller and the mysterious Conor, who works for Opherra. She’s surreptitiously using her empathic powers to size up her new situation. Thuun is her planet’ deity. Edited a bit from the final draft version.
She almost didn’t bother with the bodyguard, Conor, having met many like him at the facility where she was imprisoned. Some smarter and more ambitious than others, but all dedicated to the crime syndicate they’d sworn their lives to uphold. Thugs at best, killers at worse. No help to be had there, only danger.
She decided she might as well know how deep his cruelty and corruption ran, if only to armor herself against the near hypnotic effect his voice had on her.
Her senses read him as obsidian, opaque black shields, to the core. One who hid all his dark secrets well. As she closed down her silent search, she stopped, caught by a flicker, a hint of pure cobalt blue fire, buried deep beneath the outer layers Conor presented to one such as her. Startled, she focused more sharply with her senses but the flame, if it had been there at all, flickered and vanished.
Only warriors of Thuun carry the blue fire.
The story:
Miriell, a powerful empathic priestess, has been kidnapped from her own primitive planet along with a number of her people, and sold to the evil Amarotu Combine, largest organized crime syndicate in the Sectors. When she and her handler are sent to use her power to commit an assassination, she must leave behind her own sister as hostage to ensure her compliance. Miriell cannot ask for aid without endangering herself and others.
Despite his best efforts, Combine enforcer Conor Stewart is entranced by Miriell, and helps her evade the worst of brutal treatment from the rest of the mob. But Conor must keep his distance, before the lovely empath learns that he has secrets of his own–secrets that could get them both killed.
The situation becomes dire when Conor and Miriell come to the attention of both the Combine overlords and the deadly Mawreg, aliens who threaten the Sectors. Can she save herself and the Mawreg’s next victims? And will Conor help her, or remain loyal to his evil bosses?
***NEWS!*** So I had a fantasy romance about 90% done for quite a while now, fully edited – if you’ve been doing the weekend snippet hops with me long enough, you might even have read some excerpts from this one. Well, I finished it and did a cover reveal, and it’s releasing on April 3rd! Here’s the cover and the blurb:
Concealing her own considerable magical powers, Caitlyn enters the service of the northern Witch Queen masquerading as a simple healer. Under order from her goddess, she’s searching for a magical gem stolen long ago from her own people, believed to be hidden in the massive castle. The task is daunting but Caitlyn is sure she can locate the gem and escape, bringing the prize back to the temple where it belongs. Until she meets the captive shifter and her loyalties become dangerously divided.
In payment for her past services to his people, Kyler the leopard shifter has entered into a life of servitude far from his forest home, allowing the Witch Queen to tap his magic to power her ever darker spells. Factions at Court are threatening to turn the Queen to the Shadow. Her increasing demands for magic will cut short his nearly immortal lifespan. Kyler’s resigned to his fate until the day he crosses paths with the new arrival, whose secrets and magic entice and attract both man and leopard. Has he met his mate at last?
The Queen will never willingly release him from captivity. Caitlyn’s goddess refuses to grant her any delay in accomplishing her own task. Can they locate the magical gem, fight the Shadow and win free of the Witch Queen to earn the right to be together?
(And actually iBooks Amazon and Barnes & Noble have it live now! Yay! Other links to follow probably next week, ahead of the 3rd. )
Oh, maybe she can hold onto some hope regarding Conor? such an intriguing snippet! 🙂
Wow–interesting snippet–I like her thoughts about him.
Intriguing snippet …. and congrats on the new release. great looking cover!
I always love characters who aren’t what they seem — like this dude.
The setup and the hints of secrets are wonderful. I’m looking forward to this.
Very intriguing, Veronica. He is definitely hiding who or what he is. I wonder why?
Brilliant – an intriguing glimpse of his secret.
A flicker of hope, or a mere glimmer of wishful thinking? Conor’s just become much more interesting to her, I bet! Great snippet!
Love the use of colour. The intensity of both the black and the blue. In my mind that flicker of blue popped large. Hope that’s a sign of things to come.
Congrats on the upcoming release. Hope sales are fabulous.
Tweeted.
Lots of excitement in this snippet with her attempting to get into his mind. Scary scene. Hugs to my friend.
Interesting! Hope the discovery is helpful to her before long. Love the cover of your new book!
Ooooooh! Fascinating Veronica! I love that she’s seen his inner flicker and knows there’s more to him.
Thanks for the comments – I really had fun writing this book and especially when it came to Conor and his secrets.
I love the way you’ve imagined how she sees into people’s souls, taking something so intangible and making it visible. Awesome snippet.
He isn’t the thug she thinks he is, is he? Love the new cover. Congrats on the new release.
Ooh! Nice twist! Now I need to know more about that flame and the man who has it.
(And I think I do vaguely remember from snippets from the upcoming release. Congrats on it!)
Oh I like the mystery in the blue fire, Veronica. And congrats on finishing your fantasy romance. The cover is gorgeous!
I really like the description of what she sensed in him. Creative!
And that cover on the fantasy romance is gorgeous!
very intriguing snippet. Can’t wait to find out more about Conor, and just what he might be hiding.
Oooo–cobalt blue flame. I wonder what it is.
I am in love with the new cover. It’s beautiful! If you send me any promo stuff, I’d love to feature it in my blog 🙂 As for the snippet, I’m sure she’ll be surprised by his depth – even if that could bring danger.
That’s really nice of you! I sent over an e mail with attachments 🙂 Best wishes!
Ooo, the reveal of a delicious secret. Can’t wait to find out more.
Love the new cover.
So maybe he has a secret. Love the cover.
That was such a well written and intriguing snippet. Can’t wait for her to possibly see the flame again to prove that she really did see it the first time.
I feel that Conor is more than she thinks… Very intriguing! 🙂
Very mysterious. She’s going to have to keep investigating, for sure!
I really love her ability. Very interesting the way she can judge people and I’m really curious to more. Your scene drew me right in.
Love The Captive Shifter cover. Very eye-catching.
An intriguing snippet. I wonder why he is hiding his true identity. Love the cover on your new book. Good luck with that.
Congrats on the upcoming release! For your snippet, I can’t wait to find out what she has discovered.
Oooooo…. intriguing snippet. I’m enthralled and want more
Either he’s an “undercover” warriors of Thuun or he’s been enslaved but a sliver of goodness remains within. I’m intrigued. (Love, love, love the new cover).
I love it when there’s more to the bad guy than meets the eye.