VS: This book grew from my fascination with how the Special Forces does, or does not, rescue people held hostage by enemy forces. I’d always had the belief they went right in and got people out but it’s not so simple at all.

I also wanted to write a sequel for Johnny Danver, one of my favorite characters of all time, who had been a supporting player in MISSION TO MAHJUNDAR. This plot seemed to fit him perfectly…

The excerpt shows what leads up to Johnny making his decision to find and rescue the FMC. He’s attached to a unit of regular soldiers sent to extract someone else from an interstellar pirate ring:

“What about Sara Bridges?” Ms. Immer whispered. “Aren’t you going to get her too?”

Captain Scortun leaned closer. “Who?”

“The other woman taken off the Star Swan with me.”

“We’re here for you, ma’am. No intel on anyone else.” Scortun’s answer was crisp and disinterested.

“Do you know where she’s being held?” Johnny asked.

Tresha shook her head. “We were separated the first day, when we got here. Nice little thing, no (kidnap and rescue) insurance. I tried to tell the warlord a lie about her being my friend but he didn’t care.”

“Forget it, Danver, we’ve got our high value package and we’re out of here.” Scortun’s voice was low and stern. “Check the corridor. We need to move.”

Johnny gave him a considering look but took point and led the team from the palace and safely into the foothills. The two squad members who’d been on overwatch joined them. There was no sign of pursuit. Once they were about a mile from the warlord’s compound, Johnny signaled for one of the others to take point and he dropped back to where Ms. Immer trudged along in the column, wearing a pair of borrowed boots and a jacket. “Tell me more about this Sara.”

“I didn’t know her, just a passenger on the Star Swan, had no idea about K&R insurance or pirates. Naïve. I heard she put up a fight when the pirates grabbed her – she was bruised pretty bad the last time I saw her, before we were separated. I wouldn’t have thought she had it in her. The stewardess on the ship said she was a teacher or librarian.” Tresha paused, bending to rub her legs for a moment. “Umarri ordered me not to mention her to the negotiation team if I wanted to stay healthy so I kept my mouth shut.”

“And you have no idea what’s happened to her since the pirates took her away?”

“I told you, no. I was kept pretty busy fending off the warlord without pissing him off, if you know what I mean.” Head tilted, she gave him a flirtatious wink.

“Drop it, Danver,” said the other soldier. “We ain’t here for incidental victims. Captain told you more than once already.”

“Cut the chatter and pick up the pace.” Scortun made his way through the column. “We’re going to miss the extraction window if we don’t hustle and I’m not staying on this hellhole planet any longer than I have to. Danver, take the rearguard and quit distracting Ms. Immer.”

Johnny faded to the end of the column and kept watch on their back trail. Once the group ascended to the plateau seeking the designated landing zone, and he heard the muted sound of the incoming shuttle, he sought out the captain, crouched in the lee of a large boulder, close to Ms. Immer.

“Just fyi, I’m goin’ for the other woman,” Johnny said. “You have a nice flight home to base. Don’t forget to tell them I’m here. Good luck to you, Ms. Immer.”

“Who the hell do you think you are, sergeant?” The captain’s voice was tense and angry. “You don’t get to change mission parameters to suit yourself. I don’t care if you’re in the goddamn Special Forces or not, I gave you a direct order. We’re not going after any other civilians this trip.”

“No, you’re not, I see that.” Johnny couldn’t keep the contempt out of his voice. “In my branch of the service, we don’t leave people behind. In case it’s escaped your notice, I’m not under your command. Special Forces operates independently.”

Holding his pulse rifle where it could conveniently be considered a threat by Captain Scortun if he was feeling paranoid, Johnny backed away. None of the other soldiers wanted to challenge him.

“We’re not waiting for you,” Scortun yelled. “When our shuttle lands, we’re gone.”

“Good riddance,” he said under his breath, as he faded into the underbrush and slipped away down the steep hillside.

HOSTAGE TO THE STARS by Veronica Scott

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?

Standalone sequel to Mission To Mahjundar (mild spoilers for Mahjundar in this story.)

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Since STAR CRUISE MAROONED has been getting a little buzz on Tiktok lately, I’m pulling my memorable moment snippet from this book. This story is still one of my all time best sellers.

Excerpt: The first signs that maybe everything is not okay on the nature preserve planetwhere the passengers are to spend a few lazy hours of fun.

“Is this place usually so deserted?”

Meg paused to take a second look. Red was right, there was only one set of charter cruise passengers already on the beach. She recognized the TDJ Lines banner flying from their gaudy turquoise pavilion. “Odd, while this isn’t peak season, we usually have to share with more neighbors than this.”

“Can we cut the chitchat?” Drewson activated the three stubby robos inside the now-open hold. One after the other they trundled down their ramp, moving smoothly onto the terrain on their antigrav. The pilot tossed the control to Meg. “All yours.”

She’d done this routine many a time. Directing the robos to the beach was simple. Once there, the biggest unfolded itself into a pavilion similar to TDJ’s, if less colorful, and the other two disgorged lounge chairs, her cooking apparatus, and more necessary equipment.

Red brought the food and drink module, parking it next to Meg. “Are you sure you don’t need help? Shouldn’t the Chief Stew have come along today?”

“Yes, ideally, but she said she had a headache.” Meg was busy unwrapping the precooked hors d’oeuvres. “It’s only a beach picnic, half the passengers didn’t come. I can deal. And she’s going to work ahead on décor for dinner, consult with the chef, all the arrangements the guests will never even notice. Will you go set up the flotation devices and the net for games, in case anyone actually wants to play?”

“Aye aye.” He gave her a mock salute and trotted closer to the lakeshore, where the guests were settling into their comfortable chairs.

Meg followed to take drinks orders. The next hour or so was busy, but she enjoyed the pace. Made the time pass.

Moments before she was ready to serve lunch, Red checked in with her again.

“Anything else you need?”

She realized her party hadn’t cleared their presence yet with the park rangers. Pushing her bangs off her forehead, she said, “Yes, can you do me a favor and run to the ranger station on the far side of the landing field? Usually, someone would have come by to check our permit, but maybe there’s a staff meeting running long or something. Tell the person at the desk our permits are in order, and I can show them after I’ve served lunch. Our line has a good reputation, so the ranger should be okay about it.”

“No problem.” Despite his cheerful answer, he hesitated. “What does Drewson do on these trips ashore?”

“As little as possible, believe me. Privilege of rank, or so he says. Actually, he’s not too good with the guests, so his absence is probably better for all of us, as far as the size of the tip at the end of the voyage.” Meg hoped she hadn’t said too much to the rookie, but her frustrations with Drewson grew every time he was assigned as the pilot bringing her ashore with passengers.

As Red walked away, she served the buffet luncheon, which met with approval from their guests. The Far Horizon featured one of the Virochol Lines’ most experienced gourmet chefs—he shipped out as a package deal with their Captain, so her ship was much sought after for charters.

Red came to report in the middle of lunch service, a puzzled frown on his face.

“What did the ranger say?” Meg asked, plating more mini sandwiches.

Shaking his head, Red said, “No one there.”

“What?” She paused in the middle of drizzling artful condiments on the individual Azrigone beef patties. Laughing, thinking perhaps he was kidding, she said, “Are they out to lunch or something?”

“Place is all closed up. I knocked, on the off chance someone was left as a caretaker, but the station shows all the signs of being abandoned.” He ran one hand through the dark maroon hair that gave him his nickname.

“Impossible. The rangers and their families live here year round. I’ll go check for myself later.” Annoyed at his failure to complete the simple task, she said, “Mr. Trever asked to go fishing, and that’s your job.”

“Any hints on the best spot?” Red surveyed the lake.

“I never paid much attention. I think there’s a sand bar off to the left. Try there.” She gestured vaguely. “The fishing gear is in the boat module, which you’ll have to bring from the shuttle.”

Red departed to handle the task and she kept serving lunch and drinks. A few minutes later, she heard the purr of the small boat’s motor and raised her head long enough to watch Red skippering three guests onto the beautifully colored lake.

Finishing the lunch service, she had a bit of free time before the mid afternoon snack. Mingling with the passengers held no appeal for her. She wasn’t working charters to try and snag a generational billionaire or intergalactic businessman. Meg sent as many of her credits as she could to her family, on their home world, to buy more land for the Antille spice farms. Scanning the beach for a moment, she considered the primary guest and the men he’d brought along on this cruise. A mix of businessmen like himself and faded celebrities to fawn over him and impress the men he wanted to do deals with. Shaking her head, she couldn’t wait to see the last of this bunch.

Taking a glass of the refreshing faquilada fruit drink, she wandered toward the TDJ pavilion, hoping she knew a few of the cruise staff or crew. A woman in the other line’s uniform came to meet her, waving cordially. Delighted, Meg recognized Sallira, a casual acquaintance in the Guild. Their circle of mutual friends was wide, so catching up on gossip took a few minutes. Then Meg said, “Hey, what’s the deal with the ranger station? My guy said it was closed. Did you see anyone official when you landed?”

Sallira shook her head. “No, he’s right, the staff is all gone.” Making a funny face of regret, lips scrunched, she sighed. “Too bad, I had a flirtation going with the senior ranger last time I was here.” One eyebrow raised suggestively, she sipped her drink. “I was anticipating more fun and games this trip, if you know what I mean.” She nudged Meg in the ribs with her elbow. “Harmless fun, but he sure was cute.”

Meg stared at the Falls and then the lake. The park gave the appearance of order, serene and beautiful as always. Maybe the Sector Thirty government had decided to cut costs by eliminating the rangers? But then why hadn’t she seen a bulletin to that effect? The captain gave her the permit token before the shuttle left the Far Horizon this morning, so he must not have known the permanent staff was gone either.

There was a shout from the TDJ pavilion. One of the crew was hustling their obviously bewildered passengers toward Meg and Sallira, while a second man ran ahead, sprinting for the landing field as if he had a major predator on his heels. The other cruise staff member was matching him stride for stride, but skidded to a stop in the sand next to Sallira, breathing hard. “We gotta go, right now.”

Eyes wide, the woman’s jaw dropped. “What are you talking about?”

“Captain called, emergency channel, said get our butts up to the ship immediately.”

Sallira twisted her hair into a knot as she prepared to return to work. “I guess gossip time is over, sorry, Meg. I’ll go pack the gear—”

But the other TDJ woman was shaking her head, pulling her by the elbow. “No, the captain said leave everything. Run before the pilot leaves us.”

“Is there something I should know?” Meg asked. No one ever abandoned the expensive robots and gear. Unease stirred in her gut.

“I don’t know, captain didn’t give any details. We’re out of here.” The staffer grabbed a dawdling child who was digging a hole in the sand, and hurried to the incline leading to the shuttles.

“Guess I better go,” Sallira said. “Maybe you should check with your captain, might be a solar flare or something.”

Her crewmates were yelling and gesturing for Sallira to hurry so she didn’t linger for any more chitchat, taking off at a fast pace, leaving Meg alone on the beach. Moments later, the TDJ shuttle lifted straight from the pad and shot into the azure sky. Meg rubbed her elbow, suddenly feeling goose bumps. The beach wasn’t as welcoming anymore, despite the bright sun and the ethereal music from the Falls. The forlorn pavilion and humming equipment bothered her.

STAR CRUISE MAROONED

Meg Antille works long hours on the interstellar cruise ship Far Horizon so she can send credits home to her family. Working hard to earn a promotion to a better post (and better pay), Meg has no time for romance.

Former Special Forces soldier Red Thomsill only took the berth on the Far Horizon in hopes of getting to know Meg better, but so far she’s kept him at a polite distance. A scheduled stopover on the idyllic beach of a nature preserve planet may be his last chance to impress the girl.

But when one of the passengers is attacked by a wild animal it becomes clear that conditions on the lushly forested Dantaralon aren’t as advertised – the ranger station is deserted, the defensive perimeter is down…and then the Far Horizon’s shuttle abruptly leaves without any of them.

Marooned on the dangerous outback world, romance is the least of their concerns, and yet Meg and Red cannot help being drawn to each other once they see how well they work together. But can they survive long enough to see their romance through? Or will the wild alien planet defeat them, ending their romance and their lives before anything can really begin?

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HAVE YOU BOOKED YOUR STAR CRUISE YET?

This week I’m going back to the beginning of the Badari Warriors series, where it all started with Jill, a human, and Aydarr, the Alpha of one pack of genetically engineered soldiers with alien predator DNA. My most recent book in the series is BADARI MEDIC, where I take Brent, one of the supporting characters in this first book and finally give him his own story and romance.

I won’t try to explain all the backstory but Jill has become separated from Aydarr and has broken into the alien scientists’s lab complex in an effort to find her two sisters who are still prisoners. She frees Gabe first (he becomes a valuable ally as the books go on)…MARL is an ancient alien Artificial Intelligence Jill has teamed up with earlier in the book.

Gabe by the way gets his own book later, as does Flo.

The excerpt:

“Couldn’t you give a guy some warning?” Voice rusty, as if he hadn’t spoken for a long time, he rasped the words out, hand over his eyes. Turning on his side, he threw up.

“You could hear me?” She sat on her heels and glanced at the nearest prisoners.

“Yeah, everyone’s fully conscious in their pods,” he said, wiping his mouth with a trembling hand. “Part of the aliens’ torture process.”

“Sorry,” she said. “I needed a test case before I tried the rifle on my sister. Figured you being Special Forces and all, you’d survive and might even come in handy.”

“There’s supposed to be a revival kit with restorative crap the Chimmer make a freed prisoner drink,” he said, sitting up with visible effort.

“I find no such item in this chamber,” MARL reported.

“Just telling you what I learned liberating a few of their diabolical labs, when I was on active duty. Are you the entire rescue force, lady? And your whatever-it-is here?”

“Tech Sergeant Jill Garrison to you, and yes, there’s only MARL and me.” She rose, bracing herself to free her sister next. “I was a Special Forces support tech—I’ll show you my unit tatt later.”

“Gabe Carter, captain, retired.” He got to his feet shakily. “We should try to catch your sister when you blast her envelope. The floor is damn unforgiving.”

Jill glanced at him. “Right now I doubt your ability to catch a fly, let alone Lily.”

“Pretty name.” He staggered to her sister’s container and braced himself. “We’re wasting time—do it.”

Taking careful aim, Jill shot out the corner of Lily’s cage, wincing as the entire container lit up with rebounding energy, before her sister fell in a limp heap. Gabe managed to break her fall, even if he hit the floor with her. Jill moved to her sister’s side, setting the pulse rifle close at hand.

Gabe grabbed the weapon and rolled away before she could stop him.

“What the hells do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

He was moving among the ever shifting lines of containers. “I need my crew. You need my crew. We’re obviously in a bad situation here.” Glancing over his shoulder, he said, “What’s our escape plan?”

“I don’t have time to explain everything to you now. We’ve got to traverse a short hallway, but MARL can provide cover. Then we have to crawl for a long time through ventilation shafts and pray we don’t get discovered, so don’t rescue anyone bigger than you are, because my guess is you’ll barely make it, with those wide shoulders. After that, it’s a day’s hike to a river valley where we can hide out and regroup.” She heard a controlled blast from the rifle and then another. Cradling the unresponsive Lily’s head in her lap, she said in a fierce whisper, “Hey, two men, maximum. We’re tight on time. We can’t rescue everyone today—we’re outnumbered and outgunned.”

“We’re also over the time limit you allotted,” MARL said. “The Khagrish will be making their late night rounds and the door to this chamber is ajar.”

“Can’t you close it?” Gabe reappeared and laid the rifle on the floor next to Jill. “The guards haven’t opened the door once since I’ve been here.”

“This chamber cannot be opened from within, except via special command to the AI system,” MARL said. “Do you want to take that chance?”

“No.” Jill was decisive. “We’ve got to move. No time to search for Megan, damn it.” Leaning over Lily again, she brushed her sister’s hair away from her face. “Come on, sis, we’ve got to get out of here. Wake up.”

“We’ll have to carry her.” Gabe leaned over.

“We can’t carry her through the ventilation shafts.”

“And there’s no other way out?”

“Not at this time, other than on foot through the complex. MARL and I didn’t anticipate the need  to withdraw through the building.” Jill glanced at the floating, imprisoned humans packed into the room. “I had this naïve idea I could set all the colonists free and we’d crawl to freedom.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening.” He squeezed her shoulder. “You did good getting this far in the situation, sergeant.”

Leaning on each other, a man and a woman in utilities staggered to a stop behind Gabe. Both were white faced and barely keeping their balance as they stared at Jill and MARL.

“What have we got going down here, sir?” the man asked, his voice hoarse.

“A selective rescue. Time to evac  and plan for another try later.” He turned to Jill. “Meet Brent and Flo. This is Jill.”

Acknowledging her with a nod, Brent asked, “Weapons?”

“We might be able to scavenge a few more from the abandoned complex on the way out,” Jill said.

Brent and Flo exchanged dubious glances and checked with Gabe. He shrugged. “It’s her party. We owe her for getting us out and she’s in charge.”

Lily moaned and curled into a ball of misery on the floor. Her eyelids fluttered, but she didn’t waken.

“We gotta go.” Gabe scooped Lily from the floor and adjusted her in his arms. “Lead the way, sergeant.”

Jill worked her way through the crowded room, pushing the envelopes holding her fellow colonists aside as gently as she could. She felt the weight of their combined gaze as a physical pressure on her shoulders. At the door she halted, facing the room. “We won’t leave you behind next time, I swear.”

“The hall is currently clear, but the guard has begun evening patrol,” MARL said. “He’ll be here in five minutes at the present rate.”

“Can you hide us with your distort shield all if we go in one tight group?”

“Probably.”

“All right, MARL can project a limited distortion field, so stay tight on my six,” she said, pushing the door open.

With the AI floating at her side, Jill led the way to the room where she’d exited the ventilation system, relaxing fractionally as the last member of her newly extended party slid past her. She shut the door and locked it, going to check on Lily, who Gabe had set leaning against the wall.

“Jill?” Her sister was conscious but groggy. “What happened to me? Where are we? Where’s Megan?”

VS: So that was the first time Brent appears in the series.

AYDARR (A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL): Sectors New Allies Series Book 1 

The blurb: 

Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers.

Aydarr, the Badari alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.

Can he continue to protect her from the experiments already underway? Will his claiming her put his pack in jeopardy from their alien masters?

As Jill searches for a way to rescue her fellow humans and get them all to safety, she finds herself falling for Aydarr, despite the secrets he’s keeping. She has a few of her own.

The situation becomes dire when Aydarr and his pack are sent offplanet on a mission, leaving Jill unprotected, prey for the senior scientist. Can she escape the experiments he has in mind for her? Will she be able to thwart the Khagrish plans and liberate humans and Badari alike? How will she and Aydarr reunite?

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TWO AGAINST THE STARS is the third book in my alien empath series (each can be read as a standalone). In this one the female main character manages to escape her handler from the interstellar mob and hides in a slum area of an alien planet. This scene between the FMC and her elderly landlady was fun to write.

This book is one of my very favorites because at one point the FMC and the MMC are in a cabin in the woods (yes, just one bed – how did you know?) and for that portion of the book, I drew on memories from my childhood, of the cabin in the woods my grandfather built and all the time I spent out on the lake and in those woods as a kid. I never met any alien empaths though…

The excerpt (Mrs. Galaganos is the landlady): 

“You certainly maintain the garden in great shape,” she said, trying to change the subject.

Pride evident on her face, Mrs. Galaganos surveyed her small domain. “Yes, all but the biggest tree. I’ll be devastated if anything happens to it but the leaves have been dropping for ten days now and this isn’t the leaf-casting season. I gave it extra water.”

Impatient as she was to be off about her own errands, Carialle felt a compulsion to react to the concern about the possibly ailing tree.  Tulavarrans and nature worked hand in hand on her planet and a priestess was never to ignore the needs of the differently-sentient. “Additional irrigation isn’t always the best tactic,” she said, walking toward the tree in question. “Let me take a look.”

Mrs Galaganos trailed behind her.  The pet yawned, rolled over in its patch of sun, and ignored them.

The tree had a beautiful shape, with a swirling trunk rising twenty feet in the air, and graceful branches currently sporting rather patchy clumps of leaves.  The older leaves were a glossy deep green but the newer ones were shriveled, mottled with red and brown. Carialle stepped across the ornamental barrier of white shells and rested her hand on the tree, reaching for the sentient with her power. A carving to the left caught her eye. “What’s this?”

“My late husband planted this tree when we moved in here, all those years ago.” Mrs. Galaganos sighed. “He was such a romantic—he carved our names into the trunk, with a heart, in honor of our love. Said it represented our promise to each other. This tree is my last link to him—he died a year ago. I’ll be devastated if it dies too. I feel close to him when I’m out here gardening in the shade of the tree.” Her voice quavered and Carialle feared the elderly lady was on the verge of tears.

She peered more closely at the inscription and could barely make out two names and several slashes resembling a date. The heart shape was distorted by the tree’s growth pattern.  “It’s lovely,” she said, repressing a shudder at the idea of defacing the living wood in this fashion. The carving was old and clearly not the cause of the tree’s current health problem.  “Bugs. Living deep within the trunk, feasting on the rising sap.”

“How—how can you tell?”

“I know a lot about plants. I’ve studied them.” Carialle improvised. The tree was attempting to tell her what course of action might help it fight off the infestation. She sent the entity a comforting thought and then used her power to push the insects.

Mrs. Galaganos screeched and retreated as a flood of tiny black and white insects came pouring from the ground between the tree’s gnarled roots, and out of every knothole. “I’ll get the watering robo and drown them!” She hobbled to take action, as the pet arrived to growl and make threatening noises at the invaders. His elderly mistress washed the horde off the sidewalk and into a drain, muttering imprecations against them and obviously taking great joy in defeating the hitherto unseen enemy. Carialle bit her lip hard to repress her urge to grin at the landlady’s enthusiasm.

She stepped away from the tree, hopping across the puddles and rivulets left behind on the sidewalk by Mrs. Galaganos’s flood.  “I believe if you sprinkle a spice which possesses a heavy concentration of capsaicin or a similar substance, around the roots once a week, work it into the ground with a trowel and then water, the tree will remain insect-free and should recover. Follow the procedure for four weeks.”

“It looks better already.”

Carialle pivoted on her heel to survey the tree. The leaves did seem healthier and the branches were less droopy.

“How—how did you do that?” Mrs. Galaganos was staring at her.

Hastily Carialle sent a thread of her power to calm the old woman, and to help her believe the lie she was about to utter. “I heard them moving and chirping under the bark and so I thumped hard on the tree. I guess I startled a bunch of them and the others followed, like larger creatures stampeding. You took care of the problem then.”

Mrs. Galaganos took a deep breath and patted the robo by her side. “I certainly did.”

With reluctance Carialle left an outsized feeling of gratitude for her efforts in her landlady’s mind. The woman made it her business to know everyone and everything in the district apparently and Carialle might need a favor or significant help at some point. Always good to have a kernel of obligation already planted. “I’ve got to be going now. I’m running out of time before I have to be at work so I must get my errands done.”

“See you later, dearie.”

She waved and left the courtyard, heading for the marketplace. She’d probably gone overboard with her assistance to the tree, but it was hard to tamp down her power once she was engaged in a task actually proper and in line with her beliefs. At the same time, leaving Mrs. Galaganos feeling so indebted to her made her feel queasy. Uncomfortably close to the type of coercion the Combine had forced her to do.

Depositphotos

Two Against the Stars

Empathic priestess Carialle has escaped the evil Amarotu Combine, but she’s hardly out of danger. Not when she risks everything to rescue a drugged man from a crooked veterans’ clinic. By lulling the clinic staff to sleep, she reveals her powers. And once again, criminals are after her and her rescuer.

Marcus Valerian, a wounded Special Forces veteran, never expected to have his life threatened by the clinic that’s supposed to help ex-soldiers like him. But when he wakes from a drugged state to find a lovely woman urging him to run–he does. In his family’s remote fishing cabin, he suffers the agony of withdrawal, soothed only by her powers.

In their idyllic hideaway, the two also discover a nova-hot attraction flaring. But can they stay alive long enough for it to become more? Not if the Combine has anything to say–they are not giving up until Marcus is dead and Carialle is their weapon

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