Jun 30 2017

How’s Your Interstellar Kidnap and Ransom Insurance?

canva I’m over at Liza O’Connor’s Multiverses blog this week, talking about Hostage to the Stars with an excerpt and a little background as to why I wrote the story…partly because it was time for one of my favorite secondary characters to have his own book!

“Liza: You are always welcome here!

I was hoping to talk about my next new release but it’s at the editor still, so we’ll save that for July. I’m going to talk about Hostage to the Stars instead, which I always feel is one of my books that might be a bit in need of extra love, overlooked perhaps. Although I was extremely honored to receive an SFR Galaxy Award for the book this year! So I have it on sale for $.99 right now, until July 5th….”

And for the rest of the post, hop on over to Liza’s blog!

Buy Links: Apple iBooks Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble

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Jun 28 2017

New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday June 28

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

BARBARIAN (GALACTIC GADIATORS BOOK 6) by Anna Hackett

VS Note: I have been WAITING for this one! Didn’t even finish reading the blurb before I one clicked LOL.

Abducted by alien slavers, experimented on, and left blind, the last thing doctor Winter Ashworth needs is a big barbarian gladiator in her life, especially an annoying one who thinks she’s small and weak.

Rescued by gladiators on the desert world of Carthago, Winter is doggedly working to embrace her new life. But two of her friends are still missing and she’ll do anything to help get them back…even if she has to work alongside Nero Krahn: hunter, barbarian, gladiator. The scowly, brooding man is too big, has too many muscles, and pushes all her buttons.

Nero is the House of Galen’s best hunter and tracker. Raised on a barbarian world, where strength and might are prized, he was bred to hunt and fight. Now the arena is his home and his loyalty is to his imperator. He knows he can use his skills to find the two lost women, even if that means protecting a small blind woman who takes every chance to misjudge his words and lash him with her sharp tongue.

But as they follow a dangerous trail to save their friends, a new enemy emerges–one who wants Winter. The pair find themselves reluctantly attracted to each other, uncovering a scorching desire that shocks them both. As Nero fights to protect Winter, the barbarian gladiator will discover the true meaning of strength from the small Earth woman he wants to claim as his.

Amazon

LOVERS AND LUNATICS (MARS ADVENTURE SERIES BOOK 2) by Jennifer Willis

VS Note: I haven’t even finished raving about Book 1 MARS HO yet LOL so of course I one-clicked on this!

Is true love lurking in the junkyard of low Earth orbit?

Hannah Cuthbertson’s job is on the line when she is ordered into orbit aboard a fledgling salvage ship to promote a new reality show, Space Junkers. Worse still, she has to work with the Face of Space himself, Gary Nelson—the perfectly groomed and professionally sculpted Mars Ho! host whom she abhors.

But one dangerous occurrence after another proves that this is no ordinary assignment.

As two frenemy salvage crews compete for the same payload, Hannah and Gary must put their suspicions aside to get to the bottom of a treacherous conspiracy—and to satisfy the escalating heat between them.

Will Gary escape the amorous clutches of his most ardent space groupie? Will Hannah and Gary risk everything to expose the truth?

Amazon

COSMIC RIFT (GRAND MASTERS GALAXY BOOK 4) by Aurora Springer

Empath Violet embarks on a new and desperate mission to find her missing lover.

Violet’s happy family life is shattered when Athanor Griffin vanishes. The formidable Grand Master might have teleported anywhere in the galaxy. Violet strives to find her psychic partner, while looking after their baby and fulfilling his duties on the Council. Her frantic search uncovers a new threat to galactic civilization along with resurgence of the infamous Ixioth slavers. The Council dithers in response to her call for action, and even her former allies believe the Griffin is dead. She must risk her son, her psi-powers, and her life to rescue her beloved mate in the hope they can unite to fight the menace.

Amazon Amazon international: http://authl.it/B06XVQ6T93?d iBooks Kobo B&N

FIDELITY (TO BE SINCLAIR BOOK 10) by Eva Caye

Prince Richard Sinclair is his brother’s right-hand-man and go-to guy, who excels as the Emperor’s Fireman because he can’t deal with his personal life. He only plays the Imperial Bad Boy because that’s what makes the dukes respect him, despite his age, intelligence, education, and birthright. Delightfully intrigued by Lady Meredith Lauder, his virtual Cinderella, he rescues her from her burdensome family life at the first opportunity.

Scarred by ridicule and neglect, Merry gleefully abandons her family, but she feels she has to work at the Imperial Palace to compensate for Richard’s generosity. Even as he entices her to his bed, she believes she’s being true to her core principles, to never be dependent upon a man, and to pursue a relationship of equals. (more…)

Amazon iBooks

NEVERWYLDE (RIM OF THE WORLD BOOK 6) by Linda Mooney

Finally rescued from the half-world, Kyber and Kelen believed the worst was behind them.
They were wrong.

Another ship has landed on Neverwylde, but are the visitors friend or foe? Kelen, Kyber, and the crew are hoping for a rescue, but preparing for a battle. The fight between Terrans and Seneecians has been put behind by those on the half-planet in order to survive, but the newcomers are not of the same mindset.

Even if they are rescued, where will that leave Kelen and Kyber? With neither being accepted by the other’s race, will they be forced to go their separate ways?

Everyone is hoping for their own happily ever after once and for all. But sometimes the worst terrors don’t come from alien worlds.

They’re closer to home.

Amazon iBooks

TIED UP IN CUSTOMS (DEPARTMENT OF HOMEWORLD SECURITY BOOK 4) by Cassandra Chandler

Eric Peterson is a man on a mission: get his AWOL asset, Brendan, back to work on a classified communications relay his superiors want finished yesterday. When Eric tries to reconnect, a gorgeous—and strange—woman shows up in Brendan’s place, claiming to be an alien on a mission to save the planet.
Sorca has been sent to bring Eric to the Arbiter so that he can join the Department of Homeworld Security…or receive a mindwipe if he’s not interested. As the strongest soldier in the Coalition fleet, her plan is simple—ask him nicely, and if he says no, take him anyway. But the more contact she has with the Earthling, the more her thoughts turn from battling the human to bedding him.
Can they let go of their missions for long enough to follow the orders of their hearts?

Amazon

A WARRIOR’S CLAIMING (THE INSTINCT BOOK 3) by Marie Harte

It’s time to claim her mates…

Raia is on the hunt, and she never misses a target. No matter how big he–they–might be.

Arghet doesn’t know what to make of the new addition to the clan. Skehl is huge, an indomitable warrior with a beserker’s power. Once part of a hated enemy clan, he’s watched carefully. Somehow Arghet finds himself having to look after the beast. Arghet’s a Vyctore warrior. He has more important things to do than care for a troubled male. He’s doing his best to track down the strange female who stole his kill not long ago. Oddly, she bears the same skin markings as Skehl, a dark tribal marker on her left cheek.

But when he finally finds her, Arghet learns he’s no longer the hunter, but the hunted. And that Skehl is much more than the quiet, subdued warrior he once seemed.

Amazon iBooks

RECKONING (KATIERAN PRIME BOOK 13) by K D Jones

Commander MarIK made a decision that led him down the wrong path. Now he has to find a way to help the Katierans and protect the beautiful negotiator who was in danger. Then he can take his own vengeance against the leader who used him and others and now made alliances with the enemy. OrIN had finally gone too far; MarIK would not let this slide. A day of reckoning was coming. May the Goddess help any who stood in the way.

Amazon iBooks

TRANSCEND (ORIGIN BOOK 2) by Scarlett Dawn

Women are disappearing in New City, and the Corporate Army assigns their best soldiers to the case. In a world still recovering from war and death, every woman is needed for the survival of the human race.

Mina Kramer is a socialite in New City. She smiles for her father’s business associates, transcend laughs at all their jokes, and acts the perfect daughter. When she’s suddenly abducted from a party at Baker Corporation, her whole world turns sideways. The kidnappers aren’t asking for her family’s money, the one item her parents have plenty of. With only confusion and captivity in her future, she prays for a rescue by her parents.

Except her saviors come in the form of the all-power Mr. Finn Baker and Poppy Carvene, a tiny sprite of a woman. And they don’t return her to her parents. Mr. Baker decides he wants to keep her and use her as bait to flush out the kidnappers’ leader.

Mina must push her fears aside or dive deeper into them. Does she want to run to her parents, who are safe? Or will she transcend to a woman who fights criminals bent on destroying New City? And can she overcome her startling feelings for the sexy Mr. Baker, a man who harbors secrets of his own?

Amazon

OBLIVION by Adriana Moon

VS Note: From mid-June, picked up from a Goodreads comment by Reader Jen in the Sci-Fi Romance Group over there.

Captain Breanna Delaney knew Caleb Sylvaine would be trouble from the moment she reviewed his military records, but she didn’t have many options available to her on the last-minute mission. His distractions could spell disaster for her, but she wasn’t known as the Ice Queen among them for nothing—something Sylvaine sees as an intriguing challenge in spite of the danger.

The recently surfaced colony ship needed recognizance, and it was up to her to bring her ragtag group of mercenaries to investigate why the ship disappeared twenty-five years before, and what had brought it back onto their radar. None of them realized the horrors that awaited them in the bowels of the abandoned craft.

Amazon

XAVIER (AN OMNES VIDENTES NOVEL) by Wendie Nordgren

The Parvac Empire sends Xavier, a genetically engineered hybrid soldier, on a mission to capture a dangerous weapons manufacturer. When he discovers a tech slave who is desperate to escape, he finds salvation from a lifetime of unrequited love. However, Xavier isn’t the only one who wants her. Her cyborg master sends his brutal AI soldiers to take her back. Will Xavier’s telepathic and empathic abilities be enough to save the woman he loves?

Amazon

THE MECH WHO LOVED ME (THE BLUE BLOOD CONSPIRACY BOOK 2) by Bec McMaster

VS Note: I love her BURNED LANDS dystopian SFR series so I’ll have to try this!

mech who loved me Ava McLaren is tired of being both a virgin, and a mere laboratory assistant for the Company of Rogues. When a baffling mystery rears its head, it presents her with the opportunity to work a real case… and perhaps get a taste of the passion that eludes her.

Blue bloods are dying from a mysterious disease, which should be impossible. Ava suspects there’s more to the case than meets the eye and wants a chance to prove herself. There’s just one catch—she’s ordered to partner with the sexy mech, Kincaid, who’s a constant thorn in her side. Kincaid thinks the only good blue blood is a dead one. He’s also the very last man she would ever give her heart to… which makes him the perfect candidate for an affair.

The only rule? It ends when the case does.

But when an attempt on her life proves that Ava might be onto something, the only one who can protect her is Kincaid. Suddenly the greatest risk is not to their hearts, but whether they can survive a diabolical plot that threatens to destroy every blue blood in London—including Ava.

Amazon

IT’S GETTING HOT (RED PLANET DRAGONS OF TAJSS SHORT STORY) by Miranda Martin

Life on Tajss can be hard. There’s very little water, it’s hot as hell, human technology has been set back to the stone age, and some of the survivors just want to cause trouble for everyone else. Despite everything, there is hope for the future of two races. Adorable half-alien babies prove love can conquer all.

This short story is part of the Red Planet Dragons of Tajss series and is not intended to be stand alone. It should be read after book five, Olivia’s story (Dragon’s Kiss), and is a quick look into life as a survivor for those who just can’t get enough of the Red Planet.

Amazon

THE UNLIKEABLE DEMON HUNTER: STING (NAVA KATZ BOOK 2) by Deborah Wilde

After a bumpy start as the only female demon hunter in the top secret Brotherhood of David, Nava Katz heads to Prague for her first undercover mission: unmasking a demon movie star. She’d be all kinds of thrilled if it weren’t for the fact that her fellow hunter-with-benefits, Rohan Mitra, has reclaimed his rock star status and assigned Nava the role of groupie.

Rejecting her “be a good girl and follow orders” directive, Nava unleashes an alter ego guaranteed to hook their celebrity target and drive Rohan crazy. No downside-until she finds herself up against Rohan’s past, the Brotherhood’s antiquated thinking, and her own identity issues, turning her personal life into a bomb that could blow up the entire operation.

Sparkly and deadly; it’s a plan.

Amazon

RED HAVOC BAD BEAR (RED HAVOC PANTHERS BOOK 5) by T S Joyce

The countdown is on. Crazy Lynn Matheson has six days until she’ll join all the other shifters who have lost their minds and been put down by their alphas. All she wants to do is get through the next week with the Gray Back Crew as quietly as possible, but some of the big, dominant males in Damon’s Mountains are pushing her to fight her destiny. The main culprit? A tatted-up, motorcycle-riding, trouble-making giant of a man named Jathan Barns. He’s watching her every move, angering the panther inside of Lynn. She wants nothing to do with love, but Jathan is stirring up emotions she never thought she would feel again, and now he’s making her question everything—her destiny included.

The countdown is on. Jathan Barns has six days to save Crazy Lynn. She fell apart when she left Damon’s Mountains, and now no matter what it costs him, he is determined to keep her alpha from putting her down…

Amazon

BEYOND TIME (A KNIGHTS THROUGH TIME ROMANCE) by Cynthia Luhrs

What happens when a 14th century Scottish hunk ends up in the 21st century? Would you believe his story?

When Mellie Evers is dumped on social media she decides to put her imagination to good use. And with the big family reunion rolling around, there’s no time like the present. Mellie tells everyone about her new boyfriend. He’s perfect, charming, Scottish…and fake. Well, he’s based a little too closely on a certain Scottish hottie but that guy? He’s a thief and claimed to be from…the 14th century and she kind of played a big part in getting him sent away. When he appears at the museum again, Mellie tells him she’ll help him out if he’ll pretend to be her fake boyfriend for the big reunion. Only Mellie doesn’t know Connor isn’t lying, he really is from the 14th century…and this time, he’s keeping that secret to himself.

Amazon iBooks

NO PERFECT MAGIC (UNEXPECTED MAGIC BOOK 6) by Patricia Rice

VS Note: OK, I haven’t read this series and I’m not sure it’s strictly speaking fantasy or a paranormal BUT hey, it sounds GOOD. Put it on my TBR List.

Will Ives, the bastard of the late marquess, is as strong, handsome, and smart as his titled brothers, but he has no interest in society or book learning. His unique gift for training highly-prized rescue dogs is all he needs. His peace is shattered the day the beautiful but eccentric Lady Aurelia demands his help in finding a child no one knows is missing.

The daughter of a duke, Lady Aurelia has everything: wealth, beauty, and a family known for their good works. Unfortunately afflicted with hyper-acute hearing, she spends most of her time cringing in her room. She wants to please her father and make a good match, but how can she when every dinner, tea, and ball is pure torture?

When a child only she can hear cries for help, Aurelia must find a way to turn her affliction into the gift it is, before it’s too late. Will, in turn, must overcome his hesitancy to work with a lady who makes him feel inadequate in all ways but one.

With the reluctant aid of Will and his dogs, the pair sets out on an unusual journey that will surely lead to heartbreak— or a love against all reason.

Amazon iBooks

A DESTINY OF DRAGONS (TALES FROM VERANIA BOOK 2) by T J Klune

Once upon a time, the wizard’s apprentice Sam of Wilds got his happily ever after in the arms of his cornerstone, Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart. A year has passed, and while Sam’s been captured five or six more times since then, things are pretty great. His parents are happy, Gary and Tiggy still eat sass for breakfast, Randall is somehow alive despite being older than the gods, the King rules with a gentle hand, Kevin the dragon is as gross as ever, Morgan sighs a lot, Ryan continues to be dashing and immaculate, and Sam is close to convincing Prince Justin they will be best friends forever.

Life is good.

Until it’s not.

Because Vadoma, the leader of the gypsy clan and Sam’s grandmother, has come to the City of Lockes with a dire prophecy written in the stars: a man of shadows is rising and will consume the world unless Sam faces his destiny and gathers the five dragons of Verania at his side.

And she brings along her second-in-command, a man named Ruv.

Ruv, who Vadoma says is Sam’s true cornerstone.

Amazon iBooks

GARDEN OF GRAVES (HOUSE OF ROYALS BOOK 8) by Keary Taylor

The King has arrived in Boston.

Lexington confessed to a crime he didn’t commit to save Elle’s life. Now she’s summoned the one and only person who can spare him, but it comes at a dangerous price: confessing every one of her secrets to the King. That she is the one who has been curing the Bitten, and who the true father of her unborn child is.

Trying to do good comes with unforeseen consequences—a cured Bitten, one who should have just walked away and tried to forget, wants revenge. The cycle must stop, and the only way to do it is to expose all vampires to the world.

The decree has been made, the fate of Charles Allaway is sealed; he will die. But first they have to find him. No more hiding, Elle is ready to take her fate, and that of her child, into her own hands.

Amazon iBooks

ONE THOUSAND WISHES ONE THOUSAND STARS (THE COMPLEX BOOK 0) by Katherine Rhodes

The Angel fell, but not for him.

P’iliticus Alvinad had pined for the beautiful angel Arahambramin for centuries. But angels—living just a quarter turn out of the reality all the Metas inhabited—were one of the most mysterious of all the species, and she had never taken a second look at the diminutive djinn.

Pili’s heart was crushed when Min chose another to love. His ire rose when he found it was a Human. He knew he could ever turn her away from the Human who fathered her child.

He didn’t trust his heart after that. For his own safety, he entrusted his lamp to John Smith, the vampire. When John brings the lamp to the Complex, Pili is forced to follow. There, he discovers what his angel never knew about her chosen mate…

…and his plans for their child.

Amazon

MOUTH WATERING (ST LEASING BOOK 1) by L P Maxa

Looking to change her life, Corey Cooper moves across the country to a remote town in Colorado to become the new guidance counselor at St. Leasing, a prestigious all boys prep school. But soon she learns her attraction to the gorgeous head coach, Dominic Hardy, is more than the usual chemistry, and that her students are more than the typical randy teenage boys.

Dominic Hardy loves his life at St. Leasing. As head coach, he’s fulfilled by his career, and in the small Colorado town outside the school’s gates he has all the entertainment a man could desire. No complications, no attachments, life was good. Then Corey Cooper comes to St. Leasing and Dominic’s instincts kick in – she is his, and that’s for life. Throw in a troubled teen, a tyrannical parent, and a mysterious disappearance, and all of a sudden everything at St. Leasing has become a matter of life or death for his kind.

Amazon

VS: My SFR Galaxy Award Winning Novel HOSTAGE TO THE STARS is still on sale for $.99!

Buy Links: Apple iBooks Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

**************************************************************

My standard Notes and Caveats:

It’s a mix of the genres in no particular order. Also the term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon and iBooks. Pricing and availability are current as of the day I prepare the post – things can change fast in the ebook world LOL.)

Also, I often include only the beginning of the book blurb…

Jun 24 2017

Not Her Name Weekend Writing Warriors

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!)

Since I forgot to mention last week that I was done with excerpts from Star Cruise: Stowaway, here’s one more after all. I’ve skipped over quite a bit of drama with saving Tyrelle’s life right after Owen finds her. Next day Owen goes to visit her in sickbay, with the pets keeping her company. It’s a relatively peaceful moment before things heat up again as both the crime syndicate and the rather ruthless Sectors authorities come after Tyrelle, the stowaway. Next week, I’ll excerpt something else.

Midorri chirruped and slithered to the floor, going to the portal, where she scratched at the door with two of her six feet.

Owen rose to let her out.

Moby promptly entered, jumping to the bed and rubbing Tyrelle’s face, arching her spine and purring loudly.

“When one leaves, the other arrives. You’re the keeper of the animals?” she asked.

“Moby’s mine – I rescued her from kids in a rough port town as a kitten a few years ago and brought her with me to the Zephyr. Midorri belongs to the entire ship, but she spends a lot of time in the cargo bay, with Moby, hunting vermin.” He sat, trapped in the small chair, “The Zephyr’s not infested or anything, we run a tight ship, but there’s always a few space rats.” I can’t believe I’m talking to this beautiful woman about rats.

She laughed, scratching under Moby’s chin for a moment and staring into the cat’s green eyes, “Yes, this one likes you very much and the name you gifted her. Midorri is not the other one’s name, you know, but she told me she doesn’t mind answering to it.”

The story:

I’m really excited to release three Sectors stories that have only been available previously in anthologies, none of which are available currently. I’ve bundled them ALL into one book with the lengthy title STAR CRUISE A NOVELLA: STOWAWAY WITH RESCUE AND GOLDEN TOKEN SHORT STORIES.

Here are the story descriptions:

Star Cruise: Stowaway: A novella of 22K words, previously in the ‘Pets In Space’ anthology.
Cargo Master Owen Embersson is shocked when the Nebula Zephyr’s ship’s cat and her alien sidekick, Midorri, alert him to the presence of a stowaway. He has no idea of the dangerous complications to come nor does he anticipate falling hard for the woman whose life he now holds in his hands. Life aboard the Nebula Zephyr has just become more interesting – and deadly.

Star Cruise: Rescue: A short story of 9K words, previously in the ‘Romancing the Stars’ anthology.
When a shore leave excursion goes terribly wrong for Mira Gage, a member of the Nebula Zephyr’s crew, Security Officer Clint Miltan races the clock to find her before the ship leaves orbit and abandons Mira to her fate. Clint’s got more than a professional interest in Mira, but will he be able to save her from the aliens holding her prisoner?

The Golden Token: A short story of 13K words, previously in the limited edition ‘Dealer’s Choice’ paperback anthology handed out at the 2016 RT Booklovers Convention Interstellar Bar & Grille event.
Sectors Special Forces operator Charlie McBrire had a few days to kill on a layover at Space Station 47. He never expected to find himself in the middle of a miners’ rebellion, fighting to save the life of a casino dancer he just met but can’t imagine living without.

Amazon iBooks B&N Kobo

Jun 21 2017

New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday June 21

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

KOL (ALIEN RAIDERS BRIDES BOOK 3) by Vi Voxley

Jackie Hooper is all out of time. An incurable illness at her side, she’s trying to make the best of the opportunities she has left. Getting abducted by a Nayanor warlord was not on that list of things to do. But then again, spending your last moments with the hottest man in the universe can’t be all bad… right?

Kol-Eresh has found what he has been looking for – the perfect mate. Or so he thought. Her death is not something that he will allow, yet options are slim for the alien lord. Good thing he’s known for making something out of any decent apocalypse.

With the Eternals on the hunt, the Nayanor elders obsessed with curing the land of the weak, Kol has more to worry about than just losing Jackie to a disease. He has too much to fight, too much to overcome, but then again, he’s always been at his best when things are impossible.

Amazon

ORION: STAR GUARDIANS BOOK 1 by Ruby Lionsdrake

Tattooed, muscled, and fierce, they look like felons, but these highly trained agents are humanity’s protectors, the only ones standing between Earth and the threats of the galaxy. They are the Star Guardians.

A born geek, Juanita has dreamed of exploring the stars for as long as she can remember. Getting kidnapped by slavers from another planet? Not so much. If she’s lucky, she might be able to convince the hot guy protecting her from the others to help her escape.

A bounty hunter allied with the Star Guardians, Orion is undercover on the slavers’ ship, plotting to end their kidnapping trips to Earth. He didn’t expect to meet someone as funny, sexy, and determined as Juanita among the victims. He wants to protect her from the thugs molesting her, but that could blow his cover and jeopardize his mission. He must choose between keeping her safe and dooming Earth to be a target for slavers forever.

Amazon

TREYJON: STAR GUARDIANS BOOK 2 by Ruby Lionsdrake

VS Note: Somehow I got behind on Ruby’s releases so I have two from her. This one was out on the 14th and Orion was the 15th, per Amazon. Hmmm. Not that I’m complaining – I LOVE her books.

Angela left her parents’ lavender farm with dreams of becoming a professional dog trainer. Getting kidnapped by slavers from outer space was not part of the plan.

Fortunately, Angela and a few dozen other women were rescued by Star Guardians. She isn’t quite sure how she’s going to get back to Earth, but these Star Guardians aren’t looking too shabby, especially a hunky one named Treyjon. He trains svenkars, four-hundred-pound predators that make pit bulls look like squeak toys. Angela is curious about the animals–and about him. The problem? He doesn’t seem to know she exists.

For Treyjon, the women staying as guests aboard the Star Guardian ship are off limits. The captain has made that clear, so he hasn’t allowed himself to admire their feminine assets. But when one of them shows an interest in the powerful predators he trains, animals that scare most women out of the room, he’s intrigued. When she proves a knack for working with one of the creatures, he’s more than intrigued. He starts wondering how he’s ever going to let her go home.

Amazon

COVER FIRE (VALIANT KNOX) by Jess Anastasi

VS Note: I interviewed Jess this week for US Today/HEA.

If the assignment is crazy, dangerous, or a little of both, Sub-Lieutenant Sebastian Rayne can’t help but take on the challenge. So when Command Intelligence tags him to fly one of their agents behind enemy lines, it seems like just another routine death-defying mission. Crash landing on the planet was a piece of cake, but the gorgeous agent he delivered safely to her meeting is now believed dead and he must return to retrieve her body.

After Agent Jenna Maxwell realizes her own people attempted to have her killed, she enlists the hot stick jockey’s help. His new mission? Sneak her back onto his ship to ferret out who wanted to get rid of her and why. But she fears her growing feelings for Seb have blinded her to his reckless insistence on helping her stay alive, and his rash behavior will cause them both to lose their lives.

Amazon iBooks

WHEN DARKNESS WHISPERS by Lisa Carlisle

Haunted by an unclear past, biologically enhanced Marine, Eva Montreaux, can’t be distracted from her mission. With American troops being brutally murdered on the island of Okinawa, it’s more than priority. It’s critical. But when her investigation brings her face to face with Marcos Delacruz, it triggers memories. Ones she lost. Memories that somehow include him.

Marcos Delacruz has tried to forget the woman who left him with nothing but empty promises…

Amazon iBooks

CYBORG SEDUCTION (INTERSTELLAR BRIDES THE COLONY BOOK 3) by Grace Goodwin

VS Note: I really enjoyed the first two books in the series so I one-clicked this.

cyborg seduction Single mother Lindsey Walters is a blogger and the love of her life is her four-year-old son, Wyatt. When a nearly fatal accident costs Wyatt dearly, Lindsey will do anything to save her son, even take the craziest assignment of her life–sneak aboard a freighter bound for the terrifying alien prison planet known as The Colony and find out the truth about what’s happening to Earth’s brave soldiers.

A Hunter from Everis, Kiel was captured and tortured by the Hive before his banishment to the Colony. When it’s discovered the Hive have a presence on his new home world, Kiel’s existence narrows to the Hunt leaving no room for hope, or love. But when his mark awakens and he shares dreams with an unknown woman, everything changes. When he finds her offered as the prize in the Colony’s brutal fighting pits, he must fight for her with every ounce of strength he possesses, or risk losing her to another.

Yet no matter how quickly Kiel claims her, seduces her and makes her his, Lindsey has secrets, and a bond in her heart that’s even stronger than her desire for him. Lindsey knows she must break Kiel’s heart or risk the life of her child. Her decision to leave will challenge everything Kiel knows about love and loss, family and forever.

Amazon iBooks

THE ALIEN’S LOVER (WARRIORS OF LUXIRIA BOOK 3) by Zoey Draven

Beks Bridgett’s mission in life is to try everything at least once. Some call her fearless. Others, reckless. While her bucket list includes things like skydiving and kissing random strangers, getting kidnapped by aliens and sold to an intergalactic fight club definitely isn’t. That is, until a fierce, intimidating, and panty-meltingly hot alien warrior springs her from her caged prison.

Ambassador Lihvan, one of the deadliest War Generals of Luxiria, is known for his unshakable drive and intense ferocity in battle. He is a warrior of few words and even fewer needs…but many, many secret, dirty desires. When he rescues a human woman who delights in teasing him to an inch of his infamous control, the powerful Luxirian fears that she will be the one to finally bring him to his knees.

After a rescue mission goes awry, Beks and Lihvan find themselves stranded on a dangerous and ever-changing planet, alone. Nestled in a small shelter, not only are they trying to survive the elements, but also the lust and desire that runs between them.

Amazon Amazon UK

ASGAR: DROGON GENERAL by T J Quinn

The Drogans search many worlds to find females as the birthrate for females of their race dwindles. Then they learn of a slave auction, hosted by the Slythonians who are known to capture the best female breeders in the galaxy.

Drogan General Asgar buys all the women the Slythonians have abducted from Earth a second time….

Amazon

FORBIDDEN ALIEN PRINCE by Miranda Martin

Drevakin Lo’ara, prince of a minor noble house, is desperate. He goes to the Celestial Mates dating agency in the hopes of fulfilling his dreams of finding his fated mate. The only problem is, unknown to everyone, the Celestial Mates agency has agreed that if a match is found, she goes to the prince of a major house. He has no idea that Clara Rivera is his match when a chance encounter leaves him begging to touch her luscious curves.

Clara Rivera lost everything when her fiance was killed in the line of duty. In a last ditch effort to escape the empty void of loneliness, Clara is convinced by her support group bestie to try out Celestial Mates….

Amazon

KOR’VEN (WARRIORS OF THE KARUVAR BOOK 2) by Alana Serra and Juno Wells

VS Note: I loved and raved about Verkiir, book 1 in the series, so of course I had to buy this one.

Addison Monroe has dedicated her life to studying the Karuvar, striving to bridge the gap between their longevity and that of her fellows humans. Work has always been her focus, and she refuses to let love come before scientific achievement the way her mother once did.

But when she’s unable to place a life-sustaining implant in the first child born to human and Karuvar, Addison is forced to rely on the expertise of the most arrogant, infuriating Karuvar she’s ever met… who also happens to be her mate.

Kor’ven is no stranger to the pitfalls of Karuvar science, and he has spent his life trying to make up for the costly mistakes of the past. Once involved in a flagship project to manipulate Karuvar genes, he’s spent every waking hour trying to prove that the Karuvar’s greatest strength–their ability to adapt–may be slowly killing them.

The last thing he needs is the passionate, driven human scientist he so desperately wants to claim as his own.

The force between them is magnetic, and collision is inevitable. But with time running out, Addison is forced to make a desperate choice between the future of Karuvar and humans… and her future with Kor’ven.

Amazon

LOVED CYBORG by Nellie C. Lind

VS Note: From May. Suggested by reader Merry.

Can’t find Mr. Right? Why not create him? MedAct is the company that can make all your dreams come true! Just give them a call and let them create the perfect man for you. But remember, you can never give him up. It will kill him, literally.

For as long as Celise has known the cyborg Wind, she’s been in love with him, but he’s bound to another. A relationship between them is impossible, and the last thing she wants is to ruin her friendship with him, or his bound one, Diane.

But there’s a problem. Diane is sick, and if she dies, Wind will die with her, or end up with the Fighters, the dangerous and unbound cyborgs who care about nothing but themselves.

Celise’s entire life is thrown into chaos when she’s propositioned in a way she never saw coming. Diane wants Celise to take her place, but if Wind can’t accept her as his new bound one, there will be more at stake than her heart.

Amazon

AN ALIEN TO DIE FOR by Sadie Carter

Desperately wanting to escape her life on Earth, Alice boards a transporter set for Zerconia. The idea of a hunky Zerconian warrior of her very own is both tempting and scary. Clumsy, sweet and slightly naïve, Alice wasn’t prepared for hunky, sexy, commanding Jaxan.
Jaxan had almost lost hope of finding his mate when he rescues Alice…

Amazon

THE ALEDAN PSION (ALEDAN SERIES BOOK 1) by Christine Myers and TJ Quinn

When Michelle Marlow, a latent telepath, first touched Hankura Narcaza’s mind when psion they were children, he barely knew what psi-mates were. But as an adult he could no longer deny their connection. When she is nearly killed in a street fight on the dystopian Earth of the distant future, Hankura knows he must go there and find her for his soul to ever know peace, no matter that it could very well cost him his life

Compelled by his family to return to Aledus, Hankura takes Michell with him. Life on Aledus is complicated by family dynamics and discriminatory laws against psions. Life on Aledus for the psi-mates is more difficult than they ever dreamed.

Amazon

BOXED IN (DECORAH SECURITY SERIES BOOK #16) by Rebecca York

Olivia Weston is sure her boss has imported a shipment of stolen antiques. And when Decorah agent Luke Garner handles one of the items, an ornate puzzle box, the spirit of a warrior, locked away for centuries, takes possession of his body. Zabastian, the guardian of the box, forces Luke to help him return the object of power to its rightful owners. As Olivia sees Luke change before her eyes, his transformation both frightens and arouses her. And both men who inhabit Luke’s body want her. But they must also learn to work together to protect the mysterious artifact from a trio of murderous thieves who will risk anything to steal the prize. And in the end, will the warrior allow Luke and Olivia their happily ever after?

Amazon

WARRIOR OF FIRE (BLOOD AND SILVER) by Shona Husk

For Leira Venn, her future is a given foretold by the oracle of the Albah, the ancient people she was born to. Which is why she knows from the moment she meets Dr. Julian Ryder that he is fated to be hers. But nothing else about the prophecy feels right. For the handsome doctor is shrouded by darkness, and intimately involved with a woman who seems intent on killing Leira . . .

Sorrow has shadowed Julian Ryder for as long as he can remember. But from the moment he meets lovely Leira, his heart is filled with hope for the future—a future that is as combustible as the powerful attraction between them. For Leira is marked for death by the very forces who killed his mother. The very darkness that stole everything he held most dear. Only this time, Julian is stronger, more in control of his powers than ever. But will it be enough to save Leira from those who would destroy her?

Amazon iBooks

LILLY DRAGON CLAN by Skye Jones

When a lonely young woman finds that she’s destined to be the mate of two ancient and battle hardened dragons, life as she knows it is about to change.
Lilly has led an opulent but lonely life with her wealthy adopted parents. She’s never really fit into their world. She finds out why when her biological sister comes looking for her, telling her she’s not quite human. When Lilly meets two huge and ancient dragon shifters who claim she is theirs, she runs scared.
Rhyndor is one of only a few warrior dragons left who have survived centuries on earth. He’s battle-scarred, and full of guilt about something he did many years ago. He’s alive but not living. Drifting through the world on autopilot; until he meets Lilly. She re-awakens the protector within, and he must have her.
Callum is about to get everything he wants. The female he craves is within their grasp, and even better, she’s brought out the warrior spirit within his bonded male, Rhyndor. But then she runs from them, and Rhyndor gets the crazy idea he needs to atone for his sins.
Instead of getting everything he wants, Callum might be about to lose it all.

Amazon iBooks

FORBIDDEN BITE by Cynthia Eden

Werewolf Griffin Romeo has new prey—a sexy female vamp named Isabella has been hunting in Sin City, and it’s Griffin’s job to stop her. Tracking Isabella is easy work for an alpha wolf, but once he gets close to gorgeous Isabella…Griffin’s careful plans go straight to hell. Because with one bite, he’s absolutely hooked on her, lost…mated.

Vamps and werewolves are supposed to be sworn enemies. They aren’t supposed to feel a white-hot attraction that burns soul deep. Now that he’s found his mate, Griffin isn’t about to let Isabella go, especially not when he learns that Isabella isn’t the killer who is attacking humans in Vegas…

Amazon

VEILED IN MOONLIGHT by C J Archer

When a young gentleman is murdered by a shape shifter, Charlie and Lincoln interrogate their contacts and uncover a plot with links to the royal family—and links to more than one member of the ministry’s committee. At the heart of the mystery is a sinister love triangle, corruption, lies, and treason.

As they close in on their suspects, the dangers close in on them, and Lincoln’s protective instincts come to the fore, setting Charlie on edge. The last time he worried this much, he sent her away from her home and the people she loved.

Amazon iBooks

THE STONE WARRIORS: KATO by D B Reynolds

VS Note: Sounds GOOD. On my To Be Read List.

It was a time when gods walked the earth, when armies fought not for bits of land, but for the very existence of humanity. On such a battlefield, five formidable warriors stood against an evil greater than any the earth had ever seen. But evil is not an honorable foe. Betrayed by someone they trusted, the warriors were cursed, one by one, tossed into the maelstrom of time, imprisoned in stone, their freedom resting on nearly impossible conditions. Until . . .

Kato Amadi . . . born of darkest sorcery, unstoppable on the battlefield, his magic is as deadly as his blade. But not even magic could save him from vicious betrayal. Trapped for millennia in darkness and silence, he is freed at last, only to find himself in the middle of a battle against the very beasts of hell he was created to destroy.

Grace Van Allen is a scholar of ancient languages who toils in the dim recesses of a museum basement with only a beautiful stone warrior to keep her company. But when Grace calls upon her silent warrior to help her translate an obscure new language, she breaks the ancient curse holding him prisoner . . . and frees three deadly demons to rampage through her city.

Tracking demons is what Kato was born to do, but he’ll need Grace’s help. And when they discover that Kato’s enemy is still alive and still plotting against him, their hunt takes a dangerous turn, one that might just prove fatal for both of them.

Amazon iBooks

DRAGON UNLEASHED (DRAGON POINT BOOK 3) by Eve Langlais

Every dragon hoard starts with something…or someone.

Tomas hates scientists, especially since they abused him in such vile ways. And yet, there is something about the doctor that calms his inner beast.

Tomas craves her, even if she’s human. A treasure for his collection, but can he convince her to stay in his secret aerie?

Chandra is frightened by the dragon keeping her prisoner in his rocky tower. After what he’s been through who can blame him for the madness within? However behind the arrogance and anger, she sees a glimmer of goodness too. Can he open his heart enough to let her in, or will he unleash his fury upon those who wronged him?

Humanity is learning dragons don’t just exist in fairytales, and a prophecy about a golden dragon rising is gaining momentum. A war is brewing and the dragons must choose sides.

Amazon iBooks

THE RED LILY by Juliette Cross

The Black Lily resistance needs a larger army if they are to defeat the vampire monarchy. In order to do so, former lieutenant and traitor to the vampire Crown, Nikolai must seek help from the red-hooded temptress he needs to avoid at all costs. The secret he carries could prove dangerous for her if she gets too close…even though keeping her close—very close—is the only thing on his mind.

Sienna will do anything for the Black Lily, and when Nikolai asks for her assistance to gain the trust of the commonwealth, it’s the last thing she wants to do. The thought of leaving her woods and her wolves behind is terrifying…not to mention the danger being with Nikolai poses.

Amazon iBooks

NEW MOON (MOON SERIES BOOK 8) by Lisa Kessler

Jaguar shifter Sebastian Severino is an enigma. He lives alone, works alone, and will die alone. But the night he’s attacked by a female werewolf, nothing will ever be the same. And when his young niece is kidnapped, Sebastian, the deadliest assassin Nero has ever produced, will be forced to choose a side…

Isabelle Wood has never taken the easy path. As a bounty hunter and now a bitten werewolf without a mate, she’s searching for answers to her father’s disappearance while helping to lead an Alphaless Pack. The night she gets the opportunity to take out their enemy, with her blade at his throat, her wolf discovers her mate in the last person she can be with.

Amazon iBooks

DEMON EMBER (RESURRECTION CHRONICLES BOOK 1) by M J Haag and Becca Vincenza

VS Note: Sounds intriguing. Put it on my TBR.

Mya’s world is falling apart. After a series of earthquakes, deadly animals with glowing red eyes begin attacking people and start the spread of a zombie-like plague. Safety is just a memory as she tries to make her way home. When a different creature attacks the people helping her reach Oklahoma City, Mya is sure she’ll never see the light of another day.

Despite his eerie yellow eyes and very sharp teeth, the grey-skinned creature is more intelligent and humanlike than he first appears. He’s determined to keep Mya by his side and protect her from the new world’s dangers. When his path starts taking her further away from home, she must choose between safety and her family.

Amazon iBooks

A TALE OF TWO WITCHES: MAGIC AND MAYHEM BOOK 5 by Robyn Peterman

Avoiding the truth has been working out just fine for most of my life.

I’m finally happy. I have friends and a kangaroo shifter who adores me. Never in my twenty-nine witchy years did I think I would have a place to call home with people who truly cared.

Now my BFF, Zelda, wants to have a chat. Can’t crappy news wait? (more…)

Amazon iBooks

VS Note: I don’t usually cover re-releases here but a few notable ones:

BREEDER by Cara Bristol – I loved this whole series, which I believe was Cara’s first foray into scifi romance although she’d written a number of other novels.

She was only meant to be the Alpha Commander’s slave…but she became his everything.

Amazon iBooks

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breeder-cara-bristol/1117315745

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/breeder-17

MAGNETISM (PLANETARY PASSIONS BOOK 1) by Kim Knox – she’ll be releasing her entire catalog of EC and Samhain books over the summer so FYI if you love her books. Amazon iBooks

And a reminder, June is Audiobook Month and I do have 5 scifi romance audiobooks available. (Plus two ancient Egypt paranormal romances Carina Press made audiobooks of.) Samples and buy links.

Love audiobooks canva

StarCruiseOutbreak_Audiobook

LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

**************************************************************

My standard Notes and Caveats:

It’s a mix of the genres in no particular order. Also the term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.

Also, I often include only the beginning of the book blurb…

Jun 17 2017

No Heartbeat Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the next snippet from Star Cruise: Stowaway (blurb below). Skipped a few sentences further describing the leaking crate. Owen has decided he’s better unseal the container. Edited a bit from the published version:

A loud click echoed in the cargo bay and the seams on the crate glowed yellow, unsealing in a smooth progression along the rim. Sure enough a deluge of liquid followed, but Embersson froze for a moment as he saw what had been inside the crate. Then he was on his knees beside the now-open container, heedless of the green cryo fluid soaking his pants, as he tried to extricate the woman who’d been illegally stored inside. She was tightly curled in the midst of the cryo tubes, and he swore again as he realized chains bound her ankles.

Carefully he disentangled her from the nonfunctioning equipment. She opened her eyes for a moment, staring straight at him with beautiful green and gold eyes before convulsing, knocking Embersson off balance. He broke the fall for both of them, holding her securely.

Midorri scrabbled across his body, gently poking the woman with her head, making mewling sounds.

Shoving the beast away with his elbow as he got to his feet, he observed the woman wasn’t breathing, “Tell Dr. Shane I need her down here now, with a crash cart,” he yelled to the AI as he laid the stowaway on the deck and checked for a clear airway. Ear to her chest, he detected no heartbeat.

The story:

Here are the story descriptions:

Amazon iBooks B&N Kobo

Jun 14 2017

New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday June 14

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

How can I start with anything other than the new release from my favorite Nalini Singh??? You may believe I’m reading this today!

SILVER SILENCE (Psy-Changeling Trinity) by Nalini Singh

Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that’s exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him.

Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence–her mind clear of all emotion–Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That’s what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious…and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.

Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed.

Amazon iBooks

EVANGELIYA (THE ENDURANCE) by Tracey Cooper-Posey

VS Note: Always exciting to have a new novelette in the Endurance Series! One clicked.

He must choose between the woman he loves and the child he’s always wanted.

Liya and Gelin have worked for ten years to find a way to live together, despite few resources and less hope. Then Gelin learns he has been selected to become a parent…and the other parent is not Liya.

Evangeliya is part of the science fiction romance series readers are calling gripping, superb and fantastic. Written by award-winning SFR author Tracy Cooper-Posey, it is set aboard the closed-system marathon-class vessel Endurance, a generation ship a thousand years from its destination. If you like the smart, romantic SF of authors like Linnea Sinclair and Anna Hackett, you will love the Endurance series.

Amazon Author’s Other Buy Links iBooks

BARBARIAN’S RESCUE (ICE PLANET BARBARIANS BOOK 15) by Ruby Dixon

Bad day? Try mine on for size.
Rogue slavers have landed on the ice planet and captured the tribe. The only ones not snatched? Me, a walking human motormouth with no skill except that of incoherent babbling, and Warrek, who’s as silent as he is attractive. Two more unlikely people have never been paired together.

And now we’re supposed to form a rescue team.

Saving the others is either going to bring us closer together – or drive us completely apart. I’m pretty sure the feelings I’m having for my alien companion are as unrequited as they are inappropriate, but since we aren’t going to make it out alive, what harm is one teeny, tiny kiss?

Who knew that one kiss could change everything?

Amazon

A HUNTER4FIRE by Cynthia A Clement

Firbin is part of the attack on an Albireon stronghold when he rescues Marissa. His expertise in weapons and explosives is needed for the continued skirmish, but he can’t abandon the woman he is starting to bond with ….

The last thing Marissa remembers is speaking with her boss, the CEO of a multi-national oil company. When a new lethal weapon is used against the Hunters, it is imperative that they track down the location of the devices before they are unleashed on the human race. Will Marissa be able to help them locate the deadly armaments?

As the pair work to stay alive, tensions flare and sparks fly. Can Firbin and his team find the weapons before it is too late? Dare Marissa believe that the bond between them is real?

Amazon iBooks

ANTON’S GRACE (DARK TALES) by Regine Abel

Grace is in trouble. Her agent and ex-boyfriend, Marcus, has fled, leaving her stranded on the Venus Hive pleasure barge. His creditors want compensation and with Marcus nowhere to be found, they’ve decided Grace will do nicely. Desperate for help, she turns to Anton Myers, the wealthy and ruthless owner of the Hive Network. He agrees to help her. The terms: anything he wants for six months.

Anton has waited a long time for this moment. Grace may not remember him, but he hasn’t forgotten her. Signing herself over to his every command will not keep her safe. A Braxian never forgets a slight to his honor. And Grace will pay… with interests.

Amazon Goodreads

SUMMER AND THE ALIEN GUARD (INTERGALACTIC BRIDES BOOK 11) by Jessica Coulter Smith

VS Note: Not a fan of the cover art.

When her family is evicted from their home, Summer knows things can’t get much worse. She blames herself. She should have done something sooner, but now it’s time for drastic measures. There’s only one thing left to do, even if it means tying her life to that of an alien. She drives straight to the Terran Station.

From the moment he first sees the young Human step out of her car, Vordro is mesmerized. He’s never seen anyone so vibrant, so beautiful… or so troubled. He wants to be the answer to her prayers, even if he knows he’s too old for her. The thought of her mating with anyone other than him leaves a sour taste in his mouth. But moving Summer into his home proves to be far more temptation than he’s able to withstand.

When things get off the charts hot between them and Summer ends up pregnant, Vordro knows he’ll do anything to protect her and their unborn child — even if it means defending her from her own family.

Amazon iBooks

DREAM ALIEN: CELESTIAL ALIEN MATES PREQUEL (NAROVIAN MATES SERIES BOOK 0) by Clarissa Lake

VS Note: Apparently this is an expansion of a previously published short story.

He comes to Alexa in her dreams, a lover whose face she never sees, in a place she has never been. Chaytok is forced to land his star ship in the secluded forest near Alexa’s home. He comes to her rescue after her horse shies and throws her. Thus their bond is forged but their new love is threatened by a man from her past… and her reluctance to leave Earth forever to be with him.

The odds seem astronomical that Chaytok would be forced to land where he would find his true mate. When Chaytok goes the repair the failing part in his star drive that forced him to land there, he begins to suspect sabotage and who is behind it.

Amazon

THE VULFAN’S DARK DESIRES (STARCROSSED DATING AGENCY BOOK 3) by Georgette St. Clair

Alien wolf shifter Treffon Thorolf has given up on finding his True Mate – after all, he’s only been searching for a century. Before the Darkness can consume him, he’ll go out his own way – in glorious battle against the cyborgs. That is the plan right up to the moment when curvy, clumsy Violet Dufresne literally stumbles into his life and spills a drink down his pants.
The awkward little Earth woman stirs strange feelings in him – but unfortunately, she’s got a price on her head, and no idea why. So what if she’s not his True Mate? He’ll fight off the entire Galactic Federation to protect Violet from the dark forces that pursue her. He’d give his life for her – too bad he can’t offer his heart.

Amazon

THE GIRL FROM MARS (A STARSTRUCK NOVEL) by Brenda Hiatt

VS Note: Teen & YA

Kira’s life in Nuath is getting better and better. She’s a rising star on a prestigious sports team and the guy she’s been crushing on has just started to notice her. When her parents decide to move to technologically backward Earth for the good of their underground Martian colony, Kira is aghast—and furious. Will life on Earth be the nightmare she anticipates or will she discover a future there beyond anything she can imagine?

Amazon iBooks

ZARUV (ALIENS OF DRAGSELIS BOOK 1) by Zara Zenia

Jennifer is a nurse that runs a free clinic on Vaxivia. She has no time for dating and fights for the health and well-being of her Vaxivian people. That is, until one day when she encounters a strange patient in her clinic.

Prince Zaruv just started his exile along with his three younger brothers, which was a common tradition in a new king’s reign. They were supposed to get to Dragselis, but were attacked and their ship and crew went crashing toward Vaxivia.

They got scattered throughout the land during the crash. Zaruv was injured while landing, but luckily he was found by the local children and brought to the free clinic.

He needs to hide the fact that he’s an alien dragon shifter from Jennifer, the beautiful human nurse taking care of him, for fear that she may not help knowing what he is. But he needs her help as he has no one else to turn to. He can’t help but start to feel attraction towards her.

Will Jennifer still help him after finding out he is an alien? What will happen to them when the locals find out that he’s not from this planet? Will they end up together or will fate and the rest of the Vaxivian society have other plans for them?

Amazon

ZORVAK’S RESCUE (THE COMPATIBLES) by Hannah Davenport

I spent my entire life training to be the Chief Pilot on the first deep space mission, but nothing could prepare me for what was to come. Hurtling through a black hole in my evac pod, landing on a hostile planet and needing to find a way home, making new friends, and eating the same god-awful soup every meal just to stay alive. I had to start over, learn everything from scratch. At least I have my Neuro-ocular Implant to help.
With two borrowed coins, I headed to the fight club. I didn’t know who to bet on, but when I spotted him, I wanted him to win. And then he started talking to me inside my head, telling me to free him and he’d take me home. His voice oozed sex but sounded like the promise of death. It both scared and excited me. Could I trust him? Could I refuse his offer to take me home? (more…)

Amazon

MOUNTAIN BEAR (TIMBER BEAR RANCH BOOK 3) by Scarlett Grove

A solitary man …
Cyrus Kincaid has been living in the woods since the Great War ended. In tune with the elements and his shifter nature, he’s content to be alone … mostly. His longing for a mate, however, won’t be silenced.

An unhappy woman …
Daisy Danes is the stepdaughter of a Mafia boss. She loves pink designer suits, her Yorkshire terrier Fifi, and shopping. What she doesn’t love is the fact that her stepfather plans to marry her off to a hyena shifter in exchange for a shipment of drugs. In a desperate act of rebellion, she signs up for a shifter-human dating site and learns that she does have a mate — a bear shifter who lives in a remote cabin on Fate Mountain.

A perilous path
When the hyena shifter tries to double-cross her stepfather, Daisy escapes with Fifi and flees through the forest — straight into Cyrus’s arms. Despite their being mates, it’s anything but love at first sight for this unlikely couple, and things get even more dangerous when a dark figure from Cyrus’s past resurfaces. Can they overcome their differences in time to defeat their enemies and find a happy ending?

Amazon

DERO’S BRIDE (NORLANIAN BRIDES BOOK 5) by R. E. Butler

Tarihn, an unmated female on the planet Norlan, has spent most of her life knowing that she’ll likely never be chosen as a mate because she’s sterile. She spends her days watching her people take soul mates from other planets and find happiness, but she knows she won’t ever be so lucky.

Dero lives on the forbidden side of the Issizlik Mountains. He’s never ventured to the other side of the mountain until now, when he and his people mount a mission to destroy the soul-walk machines used to abduct females from other planets, and the vaccinations that have caused the females to become sterile. What he doesn’t expect is to scent his own soul mate in the medical center, or for her to pass out in fear when they come face-to-face.

Dero has three days to convince Tarihn that they’re soul mates, or he’ll have to return her to her home and erase her memory. The thought of living without her for even a moment is too much for him to bear, and he’ll do everything in his power to ensure that she knows he wants to spend the rest of his life making her happy. Will she give him a chance to prove that they’re meant to be together, or will she want to go back to her own people?

Amazon iBooks

REMINGTON: STARGAZER INTERGALACTIC MAIL ORDER BRIDES BOOK 5 by Tasha Black

Addy Barnes has been living two lives. School-year Addy is all work and no play, fiercely determined to be the first doctor in a family of nurses. Summertime Addy is a party animal at the resort in the Catskills where she teaches swimming. Keeping her two lives separate has never been a problem… until this summer, when the mouthwatering Remington arrives to turn both her worlds upside down. (more…)

Amazon iBooks

THE SPACE BETWEEN THE STARS by Anne Corlett

VS Note: Not sure there’s much romance but I thought the premise was intriguing.

All Jamie Allenby ever wanted was space. Even though she wasn’t forced to emigrate from Earth, she willingly left the overpopulated, claustrophobic planet. And when a long relationship devolved into silence and suffocating sadness, she found work on a frontier world on the edges of civilization. Then the virus hit…

space between the stars Now Jamie finds herself dreadfully alone, with all that’s left of the dead. Until a garbled message from Earth gives her hope that someone from her past might still be alive.

Soon Jamie finds other survivors, and their ragtag group will travel through the vast reaches of space, drawn to the promise of a new beginning on Earth. But their dream will pit them against those desperately clinging to the old ways. And Jamie’s own journey home will help her close the distance between who she has become and who she is meant to be.

Amazon iBooks

SLAVES OF THE SWITCHBOARD OF DOOM: A NOVEL OF RETROPOLIS by Bradley W. Schenck

VS Note: OK so probably no romance but the title and the cover got to me. I read the sample, reminds me a lot of old time scifi. I put it here in case anyone wants to check it out – sounds fun if you’re in that mood.

If Fritz Lang’s Metropolis somehow mated with Futurama, their mutant offspring might well be Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom. Inspired by the future imagined in the 1939 World Fair, this hilarious, beautifully illustrated adventure by writer and artist Bradley W. Schenck is utterly unlike anything else in science fiction: a gonzo, totally bonkers, gut-busting look at the World of Tomorrow, populated with dashing, bubble-helmeted heroes, faithful robot sidekicks, mad scientists, plucky rocket engineers, sassy switchboard operators, space pirates, and much, much more—enhanced throughout by two dozen astonishing illustrations.

After a surprise efficiency review, the switchboard operators of Retropolis are replaced by a mysterious system beyond their comprehension. Dash Kent, freelance adventurer and apartment manager, is hired to get to the bottom of it, and discovers that the replacement switchboard is only one element of a plan concocted by an insane civil engineer: a plan so vast that it reaches from Retropolis to the Moon. And no one—not the Space Patrol, nor the Fraternal League of Robotic Persons, nor the mad scientists of Experimental Research District, nor even the priests of the Temple of the Spider God, will know what hit them.

Amazon iBooks

THE DARKEST PROMISE (LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD) by Gena Showalter

Possessed by the demon of Misery, Cameo isn’t allowed to experience joy. If she dares, her memory is wiped clean. With no other recourse, she sneaks into a land more fantastical than any fairy tale, determined to find the one man with the key to her redemption.

Lazarus the Cruel and Unusual rules his kingdom with a single unwavering focus: to build his army and annihilate his enemies. Nothing distracts him—until Cameo. He is relentless in his quest to make her smile…and seduce her into his bed.

As dark forces conspire against them, threatening to destroy the fragile bond they’ve forged, the once-calm Lazarus grows crazed. Every heart-stopping kiss and wicked touch causes Cameo to teeter on the brink of happiness. But if she falls, she risks forgetting him forever.

Amazon iBooks

JUMA (THE KEEPER SERIES) by Madhuri Pavamani

I work for Death; helping her cross the dead back to the living. I am the best at what I do, and I fear no one.

Then I cross paths with Dutch Mathew and all I hold sacred is turned on its head.

Dutch is an uncontrollable force of nature, and I want nothing more than to wrap myself around him for all of my lives. Our love is desperate like a sickness, blinding in its madness, suffocating in its intensity. Together we are light and laughter and all things beautiful, but we are no fools. We know darkness looms. Dutch has tried to topple an entity he cannot hope to wrangle alone. Death is ever-demanding in her quest to control and bend me to her will. And a new, darker threat has erupted and runs amok, bringing with it dread and terror and a fight like no other; one where the stakes are high and the winner takes all. In this game of lives, Dutch and I need each other to stand strong. But first we must be strong enough to stand together.

Amazon iBooks

HAREM OF FANGS (STAIRWAY TO HAREM BOOK 1) by Emma Dawn

When renowned novelist Ally Swift goes to help a friend out of a jam, she finds herself thrust into a world she previously thought only existed in the paranormal books she wrote.

A world of vampires, magic, and mind-blowing sex that she could never have dreamed was possible.

Caught between five powerful vampires, she is trapped between the strength of their hands, the fire in their touch, and the ache in her skin for the thrust of their teeth.

She is the key to their survival, and for the four she denies, their lives will be forfeit.

Can she find a way to save them all, and place her heart in the hands of the one whose soul resonates with her own, and still finish that damn book she’s got a deadline for?

Amazon

THE SNOW LEOPARD’S HEART (GLACIER LEOPARDS BOOK 4) by Zoe Chant

Curvy Nina Williams has given up on finding a family. Ever since she was kicked out of her parents’ house for being a shifter, she’s been searching for a pack that will accept her—with no success. Finally, she heads to the middle of nowhere to live out her life alone. She’s learned the hard way that she can’t trust anyone, so she’s just going to have to rely on herself.

Snow leopard shifter Joel Miller has everything he’s ever wanted in his life: his dream job of being a park ranger, and a cabin deep in the mountains to fix up and call home. He’s never wanted to let anyone get too close, not even his family, so his lonely cabin is perfect. But one day he scents a strange leopard nearby. And then the new waitress in town catches his eye.

Nina is shocked to find another snow leopard in her lonely getaway—and even more shocked to realize that Joel is her mate! Can Nina learn to put her trust in others, and accept that she’s found her pack? And can Joel open his heart to Nina after keeping it closed off for so long?

Amazon

RUNAWAY (MAX PACK BOOK 1) by Rachel Brockhart

VS Note: YA/NA

In a world of where humans coexist with werewolves and vampires, and zombie outbreaks are on the rise, a seventeen-year-old girl wakes up on a beach, lost and alone, and far away from home. It’s a perilous time to be trekking back when there are threats of a zombie outbreak.

There are gaps in her memory but she’s compelled to find a way back to the city she came from to find answers. But without water, food or clothes, she’s going to have to rely on help to get back. She needs the help of a pack of werewolves to make it through the night.

Maybe the pack needs her as much as she needs them? But can she trust them?

Amazon

THE MATING RITUAL (WEREWOLVES OF MONTANA BOOK 9) by Bonnie Vanak

Stripped of his powers and charged with stopping a growing evil among the Fae, the Crimson Wizard must join with a beautiful, curvy Fae woman who will either mend his broken heart… or assassinate him.

Long ago, Unseelie Prince Gideon lost Lady Eleanor, princess of the rival Seelie kingdom, and vowed to never love again. Now the immortal Crimson Wizard, the handsome, sexy and lethal Gideon loses his powers as punishment for sharing magick to restore a fellow wizard’s life. But there are greater dangers at risk, for a terrible darkness threatens the peace treaty that Gideon died to implement. Glamoured as an Unseelie Prince, Gideon is pledged in marriage to Lady Alia, the curvy and lovely daughter of the Seelie king. Their marriage will keep the fragile truce.

Princess Alia fights a battle of her own, for women are scorned and abused in her father’s kingdom. To spare her people from her father’s cruelty and save her little sister from slavery, she must assassinate her groom, which will start a war between the two rival kingdoms. But gentle-hearted Alia is falling in love with Gideon, who treats her with all the tenderness and concern she’s longed for her entire life. Little does she know she is the key to restoring Gideon’s broken heart, and helping him to stop the evil infiltrating both kingdoms and killing everything in its path.

Amazon iBooks

SCORCHED EMBER: A ZODIAC PARANORMAL SHIFTERS NOVEL: TAURUS by Julia Mills

The Guardians of the Zodiac are back, along with the Dragon Guard of the Sea. These mighty dragons, presumed dead for centuries, arise from watery exile to save mankind and reunite their clans.

The world is in danger…
The fabric of the Universe is unraveling…
Magic has been corrupted, tainted, polluted by a malicious force with designs on world domination…

White witches are turning to the dark arts, while the already malevolent practitioners are trying to conjure Hell on Earth.
Armed with the pure Earthen magic of her mother and the throwing stars given to her by Astraea, the Star Maiden—Goddess of Innocence and Purity—Roxane, Guardian of Taurus, has answered Poseidon’s call. Crossing the Crystal Gateway and infiltrating a coven of Elemental Witches devoted to destroying the forces of evil was easy…then she met Ladon and the piece of her soul she’d thought lost to the Fates was suddenly within her grasp. But he’s a distraction she doesn’t need. Worse than that, he’s hiding something…and secrets are just as good as a knife to the back in a war where nothing is as it seems. (more…)

Amazon iBooks

JUPITER’S SHADOW (SMOKY MOUNTAIN WOLVES BOOK 1) by T L Reeve

Jupiter “Pip” Baldwin, isn’t ready to settle down and produce heirs for the Sequatchie Pack. As the Alpha’s daughter and only child, she is destined to continue his bloodline, while allowing her mate to lead the pack—an archaic rule of the collective Smoky Mountain Wolves packs.

On her thirty-second birthday, five men will be presented to her for choosing. It’s not about love in her pack. It’s about power. When each man reveals who they are, and what they’re capable, Jupiter finds herself in over her head.

Will she be able to narrow down her choices, to the perfect “match,” or will Jupiter find she can’t let any of them go?

Change is coming to the Sequatchie pack, and Jupiter must blaze the trail.

Amazon iBooks

VS Note: I had the pleasure of receiving not one but two 5 Star reviews for DANGER IN THE STARS from the Whiskey With My Book Blog last week! I’m always happy when someone enjoys the book and I very much respect the reviewers there, so it was lovely. Happy Dance Time!

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Buy Links for Danger In The Stars:

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

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My standard Notes and Caveats:

It’s a mix of the genres in no particular order. Also the term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.

Also, I often include only the beginning of the book blurb…

Jun 10 2017

What Mischief ? Weekend Writing Warriors

If you’re here for the SFR Brigade Presents excerpt from Hostage to the Stars, go here.

Here’s the next snippet from Star Cruise: Stowaway (blurb below). Edited a bit from the published version. ‘She’ refers to Moby the cat:

Figuring she wanted to show him a recent kill, which he’d then have to dispose of, he followed.

Moby moved faster now that she’d gotten him with the program.

moby_and_midorri_pets_in-space_artwork_nyssa_juneau

Moby & Midorri by Artist Nyssa Juneau

He followed her around the corner of the pallet the ship had taken on earlier in the day and found Midorri, the Zephyr’s other pet, crouched beside a free trader container. “What mischief have the two of you gotten into now?” he asked Moby. Midorri came aboard the Zephyr originally as the pampered pet of a princess, but after the whole outbreak incident, Sector authorities refused to let the lady disembark on Sector Hub with the undocumented animal, so the ship had kept the odd green fluffball.

Midorri sneezed, as she was often wont to do, allergic to humans perhaps, and flicked her plush prehensile tail before lowering her head and extending her long green tongue to lap at something on the deck.

“Freaking flares, do not tell me we’ve got leaking cargo,” He hoped Moby hadn’t sampled whatever Midorri was drinking. The alien animal could probably handle anything up to and including nuclear fuel, who knew, but Moby was definitely a terrestrial cat, with a more delicate stomach. He tried to shoo Midorri away from the slowly growing puddle of green goo, dripping from a dented corner of the container. Musta gotten banged when the shuttle crew offloaded the final pallet too fast and had to straighten everything in a rush.

stowaway The story:

I’m really excited to release three Sectors stories that have only been available previously in anthologies, none of which are available currently. (I know many of you purchased the Pets In Space anthology, which first contained STAR CRUISE STOWAWAY and thank you so much!) Along with STOWAWAY, I’ve really been wanting to get the other two stories out there for you, especially THE GOLDEN TOKEN, which was only in the limited edition paperback we handed out at last year’s RT Booklovers Conference. So I’ve bundled them ALL into one book with the lengthy title STAR CRUISE A NOVELLA: STOWAWAY WITH RESCUE AND GOLDEN TOKEN SHORT STORIES.

Here are the story descriptions:

Amazon iBooks B&N Kobo

Jun 9 2017

SFR Brigade Presents Hostage to the Stars

SFRB Showcase Once a month the Science Fiction Romance Brigade authors showcase snippets from new work, WIPs, cover reveals or other fun things. The link is here for all the participants.

I’m sharing from my SFR Galaxy Award Winning Hostage to the Stars, which is on sale for $.99 at the moment.

The story:

He rescued her from space pirates … but can he keep them both safe from the far greater evil stalking a deserted planet?

Space travel without Kidnap & Ransom insurance? Not a good idea. University instructor and researcher Sara Bridges can’t afford it, so when pirates board her cruise liner, she’s taken captive along with the mistress of a wealthy man, and brought to a deserted planet. When a military extraction team sent to rescue the mistress refuses to take Sara too, she’s left to the mercies of a retired Special Forces soldier, along as consultant.

Reluctantly reactivated and coerced into signing up for the rescue operation to the planet Farduccir where he once was deployed, Sgt. Johnny Danver just wants to get the job done. But when the team leader leaves one captured woman behind, he breaks away to rescue her himself.

As Johnny and Sara traverse the barren landscape, heading for an abandoned base where they hope to call Sectors Command for help, they find villages destroyed by battle and stripped of all inhabitants. A lone survivor tells a horrific tale of the Sectors’ alien enemy, the Mawreg, returning after being pushed out …

Searching for evidence to give the military, Johnny is captured. He regains consciousness in a Mawreg cage–with Sara next to him. Death is preferable to what the aliens will do to them… And even if they do escape their captors, can they alert the military in time to prevent another invasion of the Sectors?

The excerpt:

One minute Sara was sound asleep in her bunk in the tiny cabin on board the Star Swan and the next moment the sound of alarms jolted her into wakefulness. Sara threw on a robe and stuck her head into the corridor. “What’s happening?” she asked a passing crewman.

“Pirates. We’re being boarded.” He looked her up and down. “You’d better get dressed, ma’am.”

Saluting, he moved toward the gravlift.

As she shut the portal to her cabin, she was puzzled by the calmness of the man’s demeanor. Was this a terrifying disaster, as the klaxons suggested? Or was it a routine situation and they’d be on their way shortly? She wasted no time in getting dressed, wishing she had a weapon, which was ridiculous of course because what would she – a Sectors university researcher – do with a weapon? Especially if the ship’s crew wasn’t putting up any fight. She had little of any value with her, but she took a moment to hide her ring and a bracelet, wrapped in a scarf under the bunk. She knew the cache wouldn’t escape even a perfunctory search but the jewelry had sentimental value. Why not at least try to outsmart the pirates, if the bastards were greedy enough to search even her closet-size cabin?

“All passengers and crew will report to the dining room at once,” The ship’s AI announced, adding, “Per protocol, no weapons allowed.”

Sara joined the small group of people moving through the corridor. She grabbed the sleeve of a crew member she recognized, the stewardess. The Star Swan wasn’t a big cruise liner like the Nebula-class ships. She could never afford that much luxury on her academic pittance of a salary. Carrying mostly cargo, this vessel only had a few cabins for passengers and the cheaper fare reflected the few amenities. This woman had been friendly and efficient about any request.

“Excuse me,” Sara said, “Was the earlier announcement about pirates on the level?”

“Yes.” The crew member didn’t stop walking but she gave Sarah an odd look. “It’s not a rare occurrence in this quadrant. Unfortunately for us, we were stopped to make minor repairs on the engines in this old bucket and the pirates were out hunting.” She stepped into the gravlift and Sara followed. “I’ve been through this before. Most of us have. These are human-descent pirates, from Farduccir, not the Shemdylann.”

“Oh.” Sara digested the information as she ascended next to the stewardess. She fought the vertigo gravlifts always gave her. Even she had heard of the alien Shemdylann. “So what happens next?”

“The pirates are mostly interested in our cargo. Probably offloading it now in fact.” Her companion shrugged. “Everything’s insured.”

Sara stepped off the landing ledge into the corridor. The longer the stewardess talked, the more calm Sara felt as her adrenaline levels subsided. This incident would make an exciting tidbit to tell people about when she got home. “So the raiders don’t bother the passengers and crew?”

“You never know with pirates.” The woman seemed ill at ease, but not afraid. “Our line pays the pre-negotiated ransom on the spot, credits transmitted to a bank on New Switzerland. Routine. Expense of doing business in this part of the Sector.”

She’d arrived at the cafeteria and Sara saw the other passengers clustered at one table in the front of the room.

“You’d better go join them. You can’t sit with the crew.” The stewardess gave her a not so gentle push. “Good luck.”

Sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach again, Sara grabbed her arm. “Why do I need luck? You said there’s a preset ransom for us. Routine.”

She received a pitying stare now, as the crew woman broke her grip. “For the ship and the crew. You’re on your own. I hope you have good K&R insurance.” She walked away.

Stumbling a little, Sara made her way to the passenger table, feeling exposed and vulnerable. She slid into a vacant chair next to the only other woman.

“Hey, it’s not so bad, relax.” The woman patted her hand. “I’m Tresha Immer. I’ve seen you in the corridors.”

Early in the cruise, Sara’d learned from the stewardess that Tresha was some kind of Sectors’ admin person, mid-level in an obscure branch of the bureaucracy. She had the single luxury suite on the ship and the crew had formerly bent over backwards to supply her slightest whim, while gossiping about her. Apparently an influential politico with a lot of gravity didn’t appreciate her receiving less than stellar service and attention, so people rushed to do her bidding. “What’s K&R?” she asked the table at large.

“Kidnap and ransom insurance. Did you bring your certificate?” asked the Tregon Inc. trader sitting across from her. “Do you have good coverage? These Farduccir are greedy bastards.”

“I-I don’t have any insurance. I’ve never even heard of it before today.”

The man shoved his chair away from the table. “The government shouldn’t allow people like you to travel in these parts. “ He shook his head. “My sympathies. Any last messages you want us to send to your family?”

Buy Links: Apple iBooks Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble

Jun 7 2017

New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday June 7

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

I have a newly released audiobook! STAR CRUISE: OUTBREAK

She saved countless soldiers in the wars…but does she have the weapons to fight an outbreak?

Dr. Emily Shane, veteran of the Sector Wars, is known as “The Angel of Fantalar” for her bravery under fire as a medic. However, the doctor has her own war wounds – severe PTSD and guilt over those she failed to save.

Persuaded to fill a seemingly frivolous berth as ship’s doctor on the huge and luxurious interstellar cruise liner Nebula Zephyr, she finds the job brings unexpected perks – a luxe beach deck with water imported from Tahumaroa II, and Security Officer Jake Dilon, a fellow veteran.

However, Emily soon learns she and Jake didn’t leave all peril behind in the war. A mysterious ailment aboard the Zephyr begins to claim victim after victim…and they must race against time and space to find the cause and a cure! Trapped on a ship no spaceport will allow to dock, their efforts are complicated by a temperamental princess and a terrorist – one who won’t hesitate to take down any being in the way of his target. If anyone’s left when the disease is through with them…

Audible iTunes Amazon

ALIEN RESISTANCE by Marie Dry

n a bleak future where government systems are breaking down and poverty and violence reign, Madison Johnson is about to qualify as a doctor, after years of study and backbreaking work, in order to keep the promise she made to her dying sister, only to have an arrogant alien take over the hospital and decree that she would no longer be allowed to practice medicine. Hassled by the resistance group that’s trying to recruit her and exhausted from working impossible hours, Madison struggles to convince the disturbingly sexy alien, who always watches her, to let her be a doctor. As she and Viglar grows closer, Madison worries that she’s falling in love with one of the aliens who caused her brother’s disappearance—an alien who does not know how to love…

iBooks Amazon

HER ROBOT WOLF: GIFT OF GAIA by Jenny Schwartz

Jaya Romanov is an independent star ship shaman. She studies the energy flows of the universe and—for a price—will harness them to her employer’s purpose. Wormholes are a whole lot safer to travel when a shaman guides the jump.

Vulf Trent is a bounty hunter. It was that or join the family business, piracy, and Vulf is too much the lone wolf to tolerate the demands of a large pirate crew. Where his family enjoys the bonds of pack, he prefers the freedom of ranging the universe, alone.

Seven generations ago, humanity evacuated Earth and the shifter clans’ ability to transform into their animal forms was one of the most terrible losses of that time. Now, the werewolves, werebears and other shifters are trapped in their human bodies and slowly losing the essence of their primal souls. Jaya is determined to heal their torn transformational abilities, but Vulf doesn’t believe her.

He didn’t kidnap her for her healing abilities.

Amazon

FATE’S MISSION by Laurel Richards

VS Note: She wrote The Colony, which I loved and even recommended on Heroes & Heartbreakers. I’ll be interested to see how this book is. It’s on my TBR List.

When a historical discovery threatens his religious Order, Brother Reinn jin Domarr is sent to investigate. What he finds is a hotbed of political intrigue, assassination attempts, and religious warfare. Someone doesn’t want him to uncover the truth, and he or she is willing to kill to protect a terrible secret. In the midst of danger, he finds his soul mate. Isibel is a woman on a mission to save her people from enslavement, and she has her own enemies. Soon their fates collide, and they face a battle that has been brewing for centuries. Will love and faith be enough to save them?

iBooks Amazon

CAUTIOUS HOPE (SHIFTING ALLIANCES BOOK 3) by Severine Wolfe

Furgo had been poleaxed the moment he’d seen Marion standing inside a rehab center, waiting to be escorted to her new home. He knew, the moment he saw her that she was his bond mate. The fact that she didn’t experience the bond like he did was troubling. He couldn’t protect himself if she didn’t want him in the same way he wanted her. Forever.

Marion had an important life back on Earth. She believed in things she could objectively observe and touch. The bond mate thing sounded too much like some scheme to her for her to trust it. He knew she was it for him, but she didn’t have that same surety and she was hauling heavy baggage that told her otherwise.

Furgo must learn not to take the bond or his mate for granted and Marion must learn to trust in something she can’t see.

iBooks Amazon

DRAGON PLANET (DRAGONS OF THEROS BOOK 1) by Rhea Walker

Crash landing on an alien planet was definitely not on the itinerary.

But while touring the Pyramids of Egypt my friends and I are sucked through a tear in reality and hurtled through space.
We’re surrounded by exploding volcanoes, killer predators, and wild alien barbarians who want to take us hostage and use us like cattle.

My only hope is a smoking-hot alpha dragon with brilliant eyes and giant claws who claims me as his treasured one. He’s powerful, possessive, and willing to fight anyone who messes with his mate.

He’s a shifter named Targon, and he’s a Dragon Lord…

Amazon

MARS HO (MARS ADVENTURE SERIES BOOK 1) by Jennifer Willis

What would you do for a one-way trip to Mars?

Lori Ridgway entered the Mars Ho reality show for the chance to be one of the first corporate-sponsored colonists on Mars. But she didn’t anticipate the chaotic, meat-market atmosphere that has candidates competing on everything from flirting to life-and-death in the airlock.

She certainly didn’t expect Mark Lauren—handsome, intelligent, one of the strongest competitors, and an infuriating stickler for the rules.

As rivals and potential partners on Mars, can Mark and Lori pull together to survive the competition? Or will mistrust, manufactured drama, and an endless supply of unpalatable protein paste keep them apart?

Amazon

ROHN (DRAGONS OF KRATAK Book 1) by Ruth Anne Scott

Rose Cooper leads a scientific team to conduct research into the Clans of remote and rugged Planet Kratak. The Clans live in massive Keeps build directly into the heart of the forbidding mountains. The Krataks don’t trust these visitors from the Allies. They suspect the scientific team represents the first survey team scouting the planet for possible domination. When one of the team turns up missing, Rose finds herself in possession of a dangerous secret that could tear her whole world apart.

Rose must balance her role as Commander of the team even as she falls head over heels for the powerful, dominant Rohn Harkniss, the rugged second son of Planet Kratak’s warlike Clans. He upsets everything she knows about her people, her mission, and herself. He takes what he wants, and when he sets his sights on Rose, nothing can change his mind.

Can she bring all the pieces of the puzzle together before it’s too late? Will she be lost forever from the world she knows, or will this magical world claim her and send her spinning into a bright future of love and belonging?

Amazon

ALIENS’ BRIBE by Yamila Abraham

Alexdrine: Sending me to return the light stone we stole from the aliens is the cruelest thing the elders could do. I already had a run-in with the two blue demi-god-looking invaders years ago. Just because they didn’t kill me before doesn’t mean I’ll survive this time. My conniving husband is trying to get rid of me and the elders are helping him. I’m going to throw myself at the aliens’ feet and beg for mercy. I’m determined to survive, no matter what I have to do.

Harolzine: My under-officer Rextin still believes our mother ship will come back for us, but we’ve been on this decimated world for eighty years with no word for them. I refuse to continue hiding in our skyscraper doing nothing while we wait. It’s time we claimed a human bride.

Rextin: It’s perfect we’ve captured Alexdrine right when we decided to take a bride. This woman enticed us enough to spare her life the last time she broke into our home. Of course she should be the one for Harolzine and me to share. She’s strong enough to handle what we have planned for her.

Amazon

DESTINY OF THE QUEEN BOOK 3 OF THE BRAJJ by Jacqueline Parks

VS Note: So I checked the reviews for the first book in this series and reviewers did mention romance along with the scifi. I have no idea about this volume of the series, as far as romance. I’m guessing the books need to be read in order LOL. Was issued in April.

Rejoin Cass, Jeamon, Lewis, and Ta’mat as they deal with the ramifications of Ta’mat’s insanity and General Neville’s betrayal. The few Brajj remaining with Cass and Jeamon are now under Dr. Saniya’s control.

Meanwhile, a world away, Captain Lewis and Ta’mat struggle with their strange bond inside his mind as they unravel the mystery of their new circumstances. Where
did Ta’mat’s wormhole transport them? Why? Is there some greater destiny unfolding? Where does freewill end and destiny begin?

iBooks Amazon

ETHEREAL LAW (ETHEREALS BOOK 2) by Gem Stone

What do you do when you realise your mate has been right under your nose all your life? And she’s a he!
In Jas and Praid’s case, they reject it. Fight it, and decide to hide it from everyone. Unfortunately, when you live in space with your best friends, keeping secrets is hard.
They have been persecuted by the G.O.D.S. and hunted almost to extinction. Now they’re crossing galaxies in search of a lost Ethereal. But with aliens of all kind chasing them and the law closing in, Jas must decide, what’s more important, his secret or his mate?
How far will Jas go to avoid their mating and what will Praid do when Jas’s rejection pushes him over the edge?

iBooks Amazon

JAKE (IMMORTALS OF NEW ORLEANS BOOK 8) by Kym Grosso

With Alpha blood coursing through his veins, charismatic wolf Jake Louvière, can no longer deny his true nature. As his beast demands his rightful place within Acadian Wolves, he’s forced to choose between killing his Alpha or leaving New Orleans forever. When a mysterious woman trespasses into the bayou, Jake is instinctively wary of the creature that is not wolf. Inexplicably drawn to her, he attempts to resist her magic as it weaves a seductive spell. As quickly as she appears, the dangerous beauty is kidnapped by a powerful New York vampire, and Jake swears retribution against an old adversary.

For centuries, Kai Beckett concealed her true identity from those who would steal her ancient powers. Risking everything to save her sister, she searches for the Alpha who’d left San Diego to return to his Cajun roots…

iBooks Amazon

PIECE OF TAIL by Milly Taiden

A female Prowl Leader? Unthinkable. It’s what Becca Duran has dealt with since the sudden, tragic death of her brother. Now, the leopard council demands she mates an alpha, whether she loves him or not. Given no choice, Becca takes a chance on Gerri Wilder’s PDA. It should be simple. Get a match and move on. Except, it’s not. It’s hard (thick and hard) with large muscles and a panty-wetting smile.

Jaylon Ross has thirty days to find a mate to help solidify his pack or face the consequences of an unhappy council. Forcing his hand, he makes an appointment with Gerri for help, but stumbles into the answer to his prayers in the heart of Manhattan. A sexy, curvy, sarcastic feline he dreams of stroking and wants to hear purr.

The two collide and more than instant sparks ignite with an attraction neither can ignore. Of course, nothing is as easy as it seems. Becca’s past and Jaylon’s present throw a monkey wrench into what should be so simple. Now they fight to find a way to stay together. Oh, and alive.

Amazon

GALLOWGLASS BOOK 1 by Jennifer Allis Probst

Karina didn’t set out to free the Seelie Queen’s gallowglass. Now she’ll do anything to keep him.

After Karina and her brother, Chris’s, lives fall apart in separate yet equally spectacular ways, they leave New York behind and head to the UK. Karina buries herself in research for her doctoral thesis, all the while studiously not thinking about the man who broke her heart, while Chris—who’d been a best-selling author before his ex-fiancée sued him for plagiarism—drinks his way across the British Isles.

In Scotland, they visit the grave of Robert Kirk, a seventeenth- century minister who was kidnapped by fairies. No one is more shocked than Karina when a handsome man with a Scottish brogue appears, claiming to be the Robert Kirk of legend…

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A DRAGON’S HEART (DRAGONS BOOK 3) by Tina Glasneck

Left at the altar, Mia DiMarco’s perfect world comes crashing down. She retreats to the only place she’s felt safe in this foreign land, the castle where she works, and a fervent wish launches her back in time to Napoleonic France.
Mia will have to face history in her present with a man she’s only ever read about, Lord Greyson Dumont– who can set her heart on fire and who she knows is destined to die.
She’ll do anything to change history, even if it means sacrificing her mortal heart to the powerful dragon.

iBooks Amazon

MEMORIES OF MAGIC (THE FAY OF SKYE BOOK 3) by Cara McKinnon

Her visions could save English magic…if he can teach her to control them.

Olivia Seward never developed the magic of her elder siblings, but now she’s plagued by visions of the past. Etta, Duchess of Fay, asks her to use those visions to discover the source of the drain on English magic. Unfortunately, the visions draw too deeply from Olivia, leaving her weak and vulnerable.

Savitendra Reilly, a half-Indian, half-Irish historian, is hired by the duchess to research the origins of the Aegis Spell, but it is the magic of his birthplace that Olivia needs to learn to control her visions…

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FROM THE SHADOWS by Various including Mandy M. Roth and Annie Bellet

Featuring stories from eleven of paranormal fiction’s top authors. This unbelievable box set has thirteen novels of urban fantasy, witches, romance, werewolves, magic, shifters, fae, demons, vampires, dark fantasy & more!

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GOLD (DATE A DRAGON BOOK 1) by Terry Bolryder

Dante Gildenstern, leader of the noble metal dragons, used to have it all. Wealth, privilege, women fawning all over his beauty. Now, newly awakened in the modern world, his powers are restrained and he’s forced to work at a dating club with the other noble metal dragons in an effort to acquaint them with humanity and hopefully help them find mates. The only problem? Dante isn’t interested in humans. That is until Ella Stanton walks in, all curves and no-nonsense, needing his help more than she may even know.

Ella Stanton needs a date and she isn’t bothered by all those bad reviews for Date-A-Dragon. They’re her last hope for a date to her sister’s wedding in her hometown, and she isn’t about to go alone. So gorgeous, golden Dante it is, despite his initial frostiness and slightly ego-maniacal behavior…

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LEGACY (SHIFTER ROYAL DYNASTY BOOK 1) by Becca Fanning

Korrin just wanted to drink whiskey and get away from his family. He didn’t want the prestige of being the Romani Traveler King’s son, to say nothing of the responsibility. But where there is power, there are people willing to go anything to keep (or steal) it. And soon he wouldn’t have any choice in the matter…

Kris couldn’t believe she had a one night stand with the tall, dark and handsome guy with those gorgeous golden eyes. They couldn’t have really been golden, right? No matter that now, all that mattered was the tiny life she was now carrying, and how that would turn her world upside down.

She had no idea how right she was.

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COUGAR BAIT by Evangeline Anderson

Samantha Becker is a busy and talented trauma surgeon with no time for nonsense. Her sister may have a special Shifter Gene, but Sammie is fairly certain she doesn’t have it, and she’s happy with her life the way it is. She doesn’t need the complicated Shifter lifestyle, and she certainly doesn’t need Liam Keller: Alpha cougar, Mayor of Cougarville and undercover billionaire. She hates him, but Liam is unable to get the curvy surgeon out of his head.

But the Shifter world isn’t ready to let Sammie go. She’s being stalked by someone who’s desperate for Shifter hormones, and Liam takes it upon himself to protect Sammie from harm. Things begin heating up between Sammie and Liam, but will they have to succumb to their inner animals in order to save Sammie’s life?

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VENUS RISING (BOOK 3 APHRODITE TRILOGY THE DAUGHTERS OF ZEUS 6) by Kaitlin Bevis

Aphrodite is in big trouble this time. She’s stranded on the island of the DAMNED–without powers and without her beloved Ares. Worse, she knows it’s only a matter of time before the demigods figure out she’s a goddess. If that happens, she’ll wish she were dead.

Help arrives in the form of an unlikely ally. But Medea has her own demands, and if Aphrodite wants to survive–not to mention find Hades and the weapons cache–she has to meet them.

But all their plans take a back seat when they find themselves in even more pressing danger. When Medea moved the island, she rendered it unstable. Now it’s breaking apart and sinking. In the chaos, the demigods have risen up, blaming the gods for their misfortune. Nobody is safe from the demigods . . . especially a Pantheon sympathizer like Aphrodite. And they’ve come up with a deadly test to uncover any imposters.

Aphrodite knows she can’t do this alone. It will take the whole Pantheon to get her out of this mess. Unfortunately, they’ll have to find her first . . .

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WOLF HUNT (SWAT BOOK 6) by Paige Tyler

Remy Boudreaux is back in his hometown, New Orleans. He’s there with three of his fellow Dallas SWAT officers for a week of training with the NOLA PD. On the eve of a tropical storm, Remy and his buddies prowl the French Quarter. One tantalizing scent captures Remy’s senses, forcing him to follow until he is face to face with Triana Bellamy—his beautiful high school crush.

After reconnecting, Remy and Triana are close—very. Remy struggles to keep things casual. Ever since his partner—and first love—was killed on the job, he’s kept women at a distance.

But when a mysterious wolf pendant ropes them both into danger, Remy’s protective instincts kick in. He may have to reveal his true self…and hope Triana accepts him.

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SOVEREIGN SILK (SILKEN MAGIC BOOK 3) by ElizaBeth Gilligan

VS Note: Not sure about the romance element but the blurb made the plot sound complex and intriguing.

The very future of Tyrrhia is endangered when assassins target Alban, the beloved king, while his wife, Queen Idala, lies on the brink of death after giving birth to quadruplets whose conception was marked by dark magic. With the king and queen’s firstborn son far too young to assume the throne should the worst befall, all five children will end up in the care of the queen’s brother, Duke Stefano, and his Romani Duchessa, Luciana, who are expecting their own fairy-blessed child.

At this uncertain time, magical and diabolical plots converge, threatening the young heirs, their guardians, and the peace and stability of the kingdom. Stefano and Luciana must walk the tightrope of political intrigues that threaten all they hold dear, and through their wits and derring-do—aided by the power and skills of the Rom—preserve their children, their peoples and their kingdom.

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

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My standard Notes and Caveats:

It’s a mix of the genres in no particular order. Also the term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.

Also, I often include only the beginning of the book blurb…

Jun 6 2017

Reblogging: Whiskey With My Book Doubleteamed DANGER IN THE STARS

DangerInTheStarsFinal Wow, my day was made this morning when I saw that the well respected Whiskey With My Book Blog had done not one but TWO reviews of Danger In The Stars! And both were 5 Stars! I hope you’ll forgive my squeeing – I’ll try not to be too loud LOL but I’m always really happy when people enjoy my books.

Here’s how one of the reviews begins:

Review of Danger in the Stars
by Riley

The decision to read Danger in the Stars was a no-brainer for me after having read Veronica Scott’s Star Cruise: Stowaway in the Pets in Space Anthology. Danger in the Stars, the follow up to Stowaway, continues to develop that crime syndicate known as the Combine, their collaboration with the Shemdylann, and their use of slaves. Specifically, slaves with psychic powers like Miriell, priestess of Thuun.

Miriell is an empath. She also seems to have a bit of a telpathic ablity, being able to sense not only emotions, but also intent. Miriell has the added ability to put thoughts into a person’s mind. And more. This makes Miriell much more dangerous than her captors believe her to be. And at the same time, very interesting.

At first glance, Conor is a thug. Second-in-command to a Combine leader, so, a bad guy. But there is more to him than meets the eye (or there would not be much of a story). It is difficult to say too much more about Conor without spoilers, so just know Conor is a character worth getting to know – good or bad….

Jump on over to the WWMB Blog to read their joint post in its entirety.…

Buy Links for Danger In The Stars:

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