I’ve decided to change up these weekly snippets and go through my backlist, sharing the first meeting between the two main characters in each book. It’s always fun for me to revisit the books and I hope it will be for you too! Or if you’ve never happened to read a certain book, maybe I can entice you into giving it a try.

VS: STAR CRUISE SONGBIRD was my first rockstar romance – I love to read them and it had finally occurred to me I could write one. I did all kinds of research, including watching several documentaries about rock singers’ tours, which was fun. The majority of the plot takes place on the Nebula Zephyr, my interstellar luxury cruise ship.

The excerpt:

The ship’s AI spoke in his ear. “All Security Officers, I have a situation in the casino observatory level.”

Grant hastened his pace. “I’m right there, responding now. What’s up?”

“There’s an unruly crowd gathering. Passenger Karissa Dawnstar was doing an autograph signing and apparently word has spread.”

“There’s no such event on the calendar for today.” Jake Dilon, head of the ship’s security detail spoke up on the private com.

He sure sounds pissed. Grant paused at the entrance to the casino. The crowd was huge and growing, jostling for position in the line to reach the observatory. The queue snaked between the gaming tables.

“Our passenger and her entourage are alarmed,” the AI said.

“Listen, there must be a couple hundred people here,” Grant said. “I’m going in the back way and extract the lady. Then the rest of you can do crowd control and disperse these fans. It’ll be easier to persuade them to leave when Karissa isn’t here anymore.”

“Go for it,” Jake said.

Grant backed out of the casino and ran to the nearest crew-only gravlift. Once inside the system he transferred to the small tube giving access to the observatory. Emerging from the concealed door at the far end, he found himself behind the singer and her entourage, who were backed against the bulkhead by a clamoring crowd, only a small table separating them from the fans. The singer herself was easy to identify, clad in a sparkling, short blue and green dress, lavender boots to the knees and her towering pink hair ornamented with silver braids. He shouldered his way through the crowd and touched her arm. Startled, she turned to him, her blue eyes wide with fear.

“Ship’s security, Miss Dawnstar, here to get you out.” Grant took her elbow in a firm grip and towed her sideways, away from her entourage.

A cry went up from the front row of fans. A stocky individual Grant recognized from the briefing earlier in the day as Karissa’s manager, glared at him. “What the seven hells do you think you’re doing, pal?”

“Removing this lady from a bad situation before anyone gets hurt,” Grant said. “You’ll be hearing from my boss later about this unauthorized event.”

“It’s fine, Ted,” Karissa said, keeping pace with Grant. “This is out of control, we’ve got kids here and someone might get trampled. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Surprised but relieved she was so sensible; Grant got them both into the gravlift and sealed the portal in the other man’s face.

“Do you mind letting go?” Karissa raised her eyebrows and glanced at his hand on her arm. “Unless I’m under arrest?”

“Sorry.” He released her and allowed himself to drift a little away from her in the silvery antigrav stream. “Someone’s going to be in trouble for this stunt, but not you, unless it was your idea.” He keyed his com to report in. “I’ve got Karissa and we’re on the move.”

“Good work. We’re clearing the casino now,” Jake answered. “A Level is congested, can you take her to my office on level 13 until the situation clears? Then you can escort her to her suite.”

“Will do.” Raising his voice from the nearly inaudible tones the AI utilized for private communications, he addressed his companion. “We’ll have to hang out in my boss’s office for a bit.”

“So I’m in detention?” Tilting her head, she smiled.

“No, of course not, Miss Dawnstar.” Very important passenger, keep the tone congenial. He might not relish this job but it was his employment for now and he couldn’t afford to blow it off over annoyance with a pop star. “This was for your safety and the safety of the other passengers.”

“Just Karissa,” she said. Hands on her hips as she floated in the gravlift, she raised her eyebrows. “And you are?”

“Sorry, Officer Grant Barton.” He reached out to shake the hand she offered and tried not to stare at her wildly decorated fingernails and the jewel-encrusted ring big as his palm. “Should have introduced myself earlier but I was concentrating on the extraction.”

Everything he said seemed to amuse her, as she chuckled now. “Like a dentist?”

“What? No, sorry, military terminology for removing personnel when it’s considered imperative they be immediately relocated out of a hostile environment and taken to a secure area.”

“My fans certainly aren’t hostile.” Her frown was epic, her arched eyebrows punctuating her displeasure. “Over-enthusiastic sometimes maybe.”

STAR CRUISE SONGBIRD by Veronica Scott

This novella was previously released in the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 anthology. My scifi rockstar romance!

Grant Barton, a Security Officer on the Nebula Zephyr, is less than thrilled with his current assignment to guard an Interstellar singing sensation while she’s on board the ship. It doesn’t help that he and his military war bird Valkyr are dealing with their recent separation from the Sectors Special Forces and uncertainty over their future, with their own planet in ruins.

Karissa Dawnstar is on top of the charts and seemingly has it all – talent, fame, fortune and devoted fans, but behind her brave smile and upbeat lyrics she hides an aching heart. When a publicity stunt goes wrong, Karissa finds herself in the arms of the security officer assigned to protect her – and discovers a mutual attraction she can’t ignore.

Trouble continues to plague the pair, driving a wedge between them and leaving Grant certain that Karissa is in more danger than she realizes, from overzealous fans and her own management. Grant is determined to protect Karissa whether she wants his help or not. Can he discover the truth behind what’s going on before he loses Karissa or is there someone else plotting to keep them apart – permanently?

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