Jan 9 2016

A Rash Proceeding 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!)

Continuing with science fiction romance today. Here’s an excerpt from Lady of the Star Wind, an epic portal fantasy, which is undergoing a final edit and will be released after Star Cruise: Outbreak sometime early next year.

Sandy and Mark have been transported to an unknown world after breaking the Globe of Amarkana (you may remember those excerpts earlier in the year?). This snippet is from quite a bit further in the novel, after Mark and Sandy have left the mysterious mountain oasis (which wasn’t a zoo after all), in the company of some new friends… Sandy was bitten by a snake, went into the green light with a woman unknown to her and now is sitting in a room she’s never seen before, with four women who seem to think Sandy is someone else…(the Rothan mentioned here is a local, traveling with Sandy and Mark.)

“I told you she wasn’t who we believed her to be,” The diminutive redhead spoke, voice triumphant, “We’ve made a mistake.”

“She has the key,” answered the blonde, sinking into one of the empty chairs.

The first woman who’d led them into the room made a shushing gesture. Turning to Sandy, she said, “We’re the Moon Sisters who watch over this world—Amrell, Terali, Lifnid, and Tresa.” She raised her eyebrows, “And you are?”

“Alessandra of the Outlier Empire.” She thought at least one of the names in the introduction sounded familiar – hadn’t Rothan made some reference to Amrell a few days ago?

“A name we’ve never heard before and a mortal we don’t know.” Tresa, the redhead, poured herself a drink, “We’re going to regret this rash proceeding.”

I’ll keep going with this scene for a few more weeks – there’s quite a bit more. I started the search for stock photos for the cover last week.

And in other news, I’m a new contributor to Amazing Stories, with my emphasis on science fiction romance. Here was my first post: http://amazingstoriesmag.com/2016/01/veronica-scott-talks-science-fiction-romance/

I’ll be blogging there twice a month, in addition to my USA Today/HEA SciFi Encounters column.

Mar 15 2015

Opportunity To Do What? 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 writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the house of Barent Kliin, the kidnapper, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace but are now trapped…until a strange little being showed up, offering to help…having no choice, Mark and Sandy flee with the creature and fall into a tent. The owner of the tent is an extremely mysterious being, who prevented him from shooting at their pursuers. Last week she created two bubbles from thin air, one filled with bits of gold.

One golden mote separated from the rest and drifted downward, through the skin of its own bubble, across empty space to sink inside the lower bubble. A moment later, a second particle began the same journey.

“We have until the top bubble empties into the lower,” Lajollae said, “Then I’ll be gone from this place and time, and your opportunity with me.”

“Opportunity?” Mark tried to focus on the part of her declaration that made some sense. “To do what exactly?”

“To travel – come.” She beckoned for them to follow her into the tent’s second chamber.

Note from me: Next week Lajollae gives them an explanation (of sorts LOL) and probably the week after we’ll see the Globes of Kanamur. So probably another 3-4 weeks worth of snippets from this portion of the WIP.

Oh, had good news on Friday the 13th – two of my novels are Finalists in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence – WHEE!

Feb 1 2015

No Time To Waste 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 writers!

“There’s no time, travelers,” the creature said, grabbing Sandy’s skirt with its other hand, “You must make haste.”

Biting her lip, the princess took a deep breath, “I don’t think we have any choices, do you?”

“Out of options,” Mark agreed, staring into the little being’s glowing yellow eyes. “What do you have in mind, friend?”

“Come, come, come!” Maintaining its hold on Mark, releasing Sandy’s skirt as if disgusted by the silky material, the sentient backed away.

Worried about getting separated from Sandy in the crowd, Mark clasped her hand so hard she gasped. Their odd guide led the way, weaving and dodging through the crowded aisles until the two humans were hard pressed to keep up.

And in a bit of fun news, I’m proud to say Mission to Mahjundar, which I used to excerpt here, received an SFR Galaxy Award yesterday.

Jan 11 2015

Searching For Us? 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 writers!

We’re onto a new story of mine, a WIP that still needs a lot of work. Mark, an ex-Special Forces soldier in the Sectors, has been hired by the Outlier Empress to rescue a kidnap victim who’s been taken to the border planet Freemarket, where anything goes and the authorities are usually hands off. Kind of like Las Vegas…he’s broken into the kidnapper’s house, persuaded Alessandra to go with him and fled in a stolen car, pursued by the bad guys and the planetary police. They collided with a cargo hauler…Mark knocked the driver out and assisted Alessandra from their wrecked vehicle, after which the couple flee into the crowded marketplace… I skipped a bit of description. (Creative punctuation has occurred):

As they ducked under a row of baskets to cut into the next aisle, Mark stopped Sandy before she could take another step, “Cop.”

The local policeman was busy talking into a com while he kept up an unblinking surveillance of the marketplace.

“Searching for us?” she asked, bending over to rub her bruised ankle.

“Probably – and now he’s seen us.” Taking her elbow, Mark pulled her across the narrow space and into the next shop.

They ran past the vendor and his wide-eyed customers, out the rear door, Their pursuer shouted at them to stop. People flowed into the aisle behind them, blocking the lawman’s progress.

I’ll keep going with this sequence for a few more weeks. You may be surprised how it ends…I know Mark and Sandy are!

Dec 28 2014

We’re Going To Make A Run For It 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 writers!

“Local cops. Damn, I was hoping they’d stay out of this like they usually do. Kliin must have paid them one hell of a lot of money to be at his beck and call. We’re going to have to ditch the car and make a run for it.” He took his attention off the road for a moment, to assess how Alessandra was holding up.

She screamed a warning but even Mark’s reflexes weren’t fast enough to avoid a collision with the cargo hauler pulling into his lane. The groundcar rammed the side of the truck, the safety mechanisms deploying instantly and then retracting.

“Where the seven hells did you learn to drive, pal?” demanded the truck driver as he half fell from his vehicle.

There’s a lot of backstory between Mark, Kliin and Alessandra (not revealed in an info dump, I promise), a lot of adventures to come for Mark and ‘Sandy’…I might try to get this finished in 2015. I’ll probably do a few weeks of excerpts from this scene, see what you all think…

As an aside, I mention the Outlier empire and its Empress in passing in my other books, so I thought it’d be fun to bring a bit of that other galactic civilization into the mix.