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!)
May be edited a bit from published version.
Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020!
The excerpt: I’ve skipped ahead. Gianna and Trevor have arrived on the Nebula Zephyr. Trevor is speaking with his boss about the special tour of the ship Gianna is undertaking, with some difficulties and flashbacks:
“Listen, Gianna was only three when the whole tragedy happened.” Trevor hoped his boss would resonate with a reasonable, calm reassurance from him. “I can understand Gianna wanting to try to literally lay the ghosts to rest on this voyage. She’s pretty level headed and self-controlled most of the time from what I saw while I was at her estate. The only things she still wants to see are the casino, the cargo hold and the observatory. I vote we let her try it and if there are any more flashbacks, then we pull the plug on the expedition.”
“We can’t have a scene in the casino, with potentially hundreds of other passengers.” Jake was turning stubborn but Trevor understood where his boss was coming from. He had responsibility for the whole ship and all the sentients on board whereas Trevor was only looking out for Gianna this trip.
“I didn’t pay enough attention to the service animal,” he said apologetically, knowing with perfect hindsight he’d been remiss. “Verlaine tried to stop her from going into the room, whined and made a fuss. I should have pulled the plug right then, not continued. “
“Tajikka hounds are extremely sensitive and suspected of being somewhat psychically attuned to their owners,” Maeve (the Ship’s Artificial Intelligence) said. “The animal’s behavior is the best indicator of an impending episode.”
Trevor wanted to roll his eyes now because he knew or had intuited all this but refrained. “So I’ll continue to escort Gianna where she wants to go but I’ll make sure she understands if the hound is upset, we stop.”
“All right. Any other problems?” Jake asked, appearing to be mollified.
“No, nothing.” He decided not to mention the possibility of being tailed on the way to the spaceport. He had no proof and it seemed now as if he’d been hypervigilant.
Jake’s next remark startled him. “Apparently there is one conspiracy theorist on board. I’ll send you the record. We believe he chose to fly with us because we’re a sister ship—you probably encountered the space swill about insurance fraud and this being the Nebula Dream in disguise when you were doing your research. I hope he doesn’t know Gianna is on board but if he’s the nut case the file indicates, he probably knew she lives on Brumel Three.”
PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:
It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!
STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.
Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.
Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?
Sounds like another possible problem. I hope the tajikka hound keeps Gianna away from that guy. Nice snippet!
Conspiracy theorists are always a problem. Of course, occasionally they might be right.
interesting snippet, not just the tajikka hound but also the conspiracy theorist.
Wow. Jake is on it. Looks like he doesn’t miss anything–except maybe that Trevor already has an inkling about trouble having followed them on board.
Good snippet!
Well, that is an intriguing twist. I see trouble ahead.
I’m pretty sure the conspiracy theorist on board is no co-incidence!
That is an interesting conspiracy theory. Glad they’ve realized the hound knows best!
An animal’s intuition tends to be much clearer than that of most humans because they don’t struggle with doubt. They would do well to pay attention to the hound’s behavior.
~Cie from Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost~
And yet another complication rears its head. Nothing is going to be easy about this voyage, is it? 🙂 Great snippet!
Well, can’t say something now, right? Extra-vigilance in now needed.
Things are heating up. Really love how you have developed the hound as well as the story. Fun snippet.
Someone tailed him? Another problem I bet.
I sense trouble coming. Hopefully nothing Trevor and the dog can’t handle.
They probably should pay attention to the hound. I’m sure there’s trouble ahead and I’m looking forward to seeing how they deal with it.
I like how he is willing to admit he messed up, as well as willing to push for her to be able to continue her tour. The nutcase is a nice addition. Loved this snippet.