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!)

I’m now taking snippets from  STAR CRUISE STAR SONG.

The excerpt – Addy ignored a message from Ryder in favor of preparing for her first day on the new job. So he came to find her. I’ve jumped ahead during their first dinner date and Addy is trying to draw a representation of how the engines ‘song’ looks.

“I’m not used to eating such rich food.” She sipped her water and for lack of anything else to fill the silence with, picked up the paper and concentrated. Trying to remember exactly what the engines had sounded like in her head, she let her hand drift across the paper and lost herself in the sensation.

Addy had no idea how long she was in the flow but slowly she became aware of Ryder watching her with an awed expression. He reached over and took the paper, studying the whorls and loops she’d drawn, some pressed deep and others fainter, or even dotted. “Amazing,” he said. “And now when I see what you drew, it speaks to me—I start to hear music.” Rotating the page this way and that, he studied her doodle. “I can see how the tune would progress. I don’t have lyrics for it yet but they’ll come. Maybe.” He let the page drift to the table and his mood changed on a dime. “Did you want dessert? Or an after dinner coffee maybe?”

She shook her head. “I hardly made a dent in my dinner. It’s been lovely but you didn’t owe me a meal, especially not here, in the top of the line restaurant. I feel guilty not eating.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was my pleasure. Let’s go for a walk maybe?”

“Sounds good to me.” Addy was curious about the passenger areas of the ship, which was an area she’d probably rarely venture into, since her job was strictly behind the scenes. She reached for the drawing but Ryder beat her to it.

“I’d like to keep this, if I may?” he said.

VS: The hasbeen rock star may have found a new Muse…more to come.

Here’s the official blurb:

Addy Tryndall is a fresh graduate from a highly respected engineering college in the Sectors, on her way to a plum job on the Nebula Zephyr cruise ship. She knows she’ll be on probation but she’s determined to succeed and nothing is going to distract her.

Ryder McRhodes is a has-been interstellar rock star, on his way to reunite with his fellow band members to see if the lightning of mega success will strike twice for them. He isn’t sure he wants to be in the spotlight again and he hasn’t been able to write music since the band broke up.

Addy has secrets. Ryder needs a muse to unblock the creative flow…could her tightly guarded past be the answer  to his problem?  When the two are thrown together in an attempt to avoid the interstellar paparazzi he’s intrigued. She’s wary.

And someone is sabotaging systems on the Nebula Zephyr. Addy unwittingly finds herself in the middle of the situation while juggling her increasing attraction to Ryder and her challenges on the new  job. Can she trust him with her secret? Or will he break her heart?

The danger on board comes ever closer to Addy as the cruise continues…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      NOOK      GooglePlay

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!)

I’m now taking snippets from  STAR CRUISE STAR SONG.

The excerpt – Addy ignored a message from Ryder in favor of preparing for her first day on the new job. So he came to find her. I’ve jumped ahead and now they’re on their first dinner date.

“So how was the first day on the job?” he asked. “Did the engines meet your expectations?”

“Oh my gosh, yes. They’re magnificent and perfectly in tune too,” she said with enthusiasm. “The energy in those chambers is off the charts.”

“So I know what it means for me to be in tune,” he said with a grin, “But what does it mean for engines?”

Trying to decide whether she could trust him with the truth, Addy decided to take the risk. “The harmonics of all four were synced and meshed and it was like standing in the eye of a hurricane with a symphony going on all around me. I loved it.” Words failed her and she focused on her appetizer.

“Wow, doesn’t sound like a technical term at all. I was expecting a complicated discussion of physics. Now I’m curious—if I went down there, could I hear it?”

She shook her head, sorry she’d mentioned her joy. “No, it’s um not something a person can hear with their ears.”

Head tilted and eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to determine whether she was joking, he  asked, “So how do you hear it then?”

“In my head.”  She swallowed hard. “I can hear the harmonics of most modern technology, especially if I concentrate. I don’t talk about it though because no one understands. Well except my Dad, he has the same ability. He taught me how to control when and where I hear it. He said it’s the star song and only the most blessed of our lineage can tap into it.” Addy smiled, missing her family and a bit embarrassed to be sharing the story. Her father could be whimsical, especially when he’d had a few too many feelgoods.

Ryder was intent, leaning forward over the table. “Truly amazing. What does it sound like?”

“I can’t describe it.” Desperate, she chewed her next bite of hors d’ouevre and considered. “I could draw it for you because it makes a pattern if I close my eyes.”

“Oh yes absolutely because I’m totally intrigued here.” He got the attention of their waiter and when the man came over, asked for a writing instrument and paper. Perplexed, brow furrowed, the server rushed off.

“But it has to be our secret,” Addy said.

VS: Can Ryder keep secrets?

Here’s the official blurb:

Addy Tryndall is a fresh graduate from a highly respected engineering college in the Sectors, on her way to a plum job on the Nebula Zephyr cruise ship. She knows she’ll be on probation but she’s determined to succeed and nothing is going to distract her.

Ryder McRhodes is a has-been interstellar rock star, on his way to reunite with his fellow band members to see if the lightning of mega success will strike twice for them. He isn’t sure he wants to be in the spotlight again and he hasn’t been able to write music since the band broke up.

Addy has secrets. Ryder needs a muse to unblock the creative flow…could her tightly guarded past be the answer  to his problem?  When the two are thrown together in an attempt to avoid the interstellar paparazzi he’s intrigued. She’s wary.

And someone is sabotaging systems on the Nebula Zephyr. Addy unwittingly finds herself in the middle of the situation while juggling her increasing attraction to Ryder and her challenges on the new  job. Can she trust him with her secret? Or will he break her heart?

The danger on board comes ever closer to Addy as the cruise continues…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      NOOK      GooglePlay

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!)

I’m now taking snippets from  STAR CRUISE STAR SONG.

The excerpt: Addy ignored a message from Ryder in favor of preparing for her first day on the new job. Jumping ahead, she’s finished the day’s work and is in the employee break room with her assigned mentor, Barbra.

“What’s he doing here?” Barbra said suddenly, rising with a frown. “Passengers aren’t allowed on this level without special permission and certainly not unescorted.”

Addy turned in her seat and saw Ryder standing at the door of the small space. When he smiled she felt warm all over, almost the same happy sensation she’d had in the engine room but for a different reason.

“Here you are,” he said, advancing to their table, ignoring the glances from a few other crew members at a far table.

“Hi,” she said, tongue tied.

Barbra wasn’t so reticent. “Sir, passengers aren’t allowed down here. I’ll need to escort you to the gravlift immediately or else we’ll have to call Security.”

Not at all abashed, he transferred his attention from Addy. With enthusiasm so infectious Barbra blinked and seemed as if she might swoon, he said, “But the Ship told me I could find my friend Addy here. I had the Ship’s permission.”

Seeing her mentor was becoming a little upset and not wanting a scene or any trouble with her new co-workers, Addy rose, tossed the remnants of her midafternoon snack into the recycler and said, “I’ll escort you to the gravlift. She’s right—you’re not in the right place for a passenger.”

“Well you never answered my message so what’s a guy to do?” He stood aside with a grin, allowing her to precede him out of the break room.

VS: Former superstar rock singers are used to getting their own way, it seems…but the Ship did tell him where to find Addy…

Here’s the official blurb:

Addy Tryndall is a fresh graduate from a highly respected engineering college in the Sectors, on her way to a plum job on the Nebula Zephyr cruise ship. She knows she’ll be on probation but she’s determined to succeed and nothing is going to distract her.

Ryder McRhodes is a has-been interstellar rock star, on his way to reunite with his fellow band members to see if the lightning of mega success will strike twice for them. He isn’t sure he wants to be in the spotlight again and he hasn’t been able to write music since the band broke up.

Addy has secrets. Ryder needs a muse to unblock the creative flow…could her tightly guarded past be the answer  to his problem?  When the two are thrown together in an attempt to avoid the interstellar paparazzi he’s intrigued. She’s wary.

And someone is sabotaging systems on the Nebula Zephyr. Addy unwittingly finds herself in the middle of the situation while juggling her increasing attraction to Ryder and her challenges on the new  job. Can she trust him with her secret? Or will he break her heart?

The danger on board comes ever closer to Addy as the cruise continues…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      NOOK      GooglePlay

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!)

I’m now taking snippets from my newly released novel STAR CRUISE STAR SONG.

The excerpt – We’re leaving Addy for the moment and getting Ryder’s perspective on his arrival on the Nebula Zephyr.

Ryder closed the portal to his Level A suite behind him and dropped his satchel to the lush carpet. Much more carefully he unslung his guitar case and set it off to the side before venturing further into the lavish accommodations. Although luxurious, the Nebula Zephyr’s top cabin reminded him of every other first class hotel he’d ever stayed at or ship he’d flown on. Nothing like where I’ve been for the last year. Strolling toward the bedroom beyond, he paused at the piano for a moment, clenching his fists. He wasn’t surprised to see the vintage instrument there, since he’d specifically requested one. And the damn candies better be in the dish beside the bed, he thought savagely. He supposed all rock stars since the original days on old Terra itself had had strange requests in their contracts. It was a tradition whose roots were lost in time.

He was pleased at this sign his management team had picked up the old threads smoothly and ensured he was getting the treatment he was used to. “Lords of Space it’d be so easy to slide right back into it all.”

Unable to force himself to step away from the piano, he rolled back the cover over the keys and touched one, without depressing it enough to make the hammer strike the strings and produce sound. “Those days are over,” he said softly as he replaced the cover. “Never to return.”

Now he did proceed to the bedroom and flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling. What in the seven hells am I doing here? Was he really going to return to the stage and sing and dance the oldies like a washed up has been fool, for presumably ecstatic audiences? Could he forgive and forget what had been done to him by his former best friend? “I haven’t agreed to anything yet.” His declaration was defiant and echoed a bit in the lonely stateroom.

But merely by being here on this ship, flying at hyperspeed toward a reunion he’d sworn would never happen, he was more than halfway to accepting the request.

Here’s the official blurb:

Addy Tryndall is a fresh graduate from a highly respected engineering college in the Sectors, on her way to a plum job on the Nebula Zephyr cruise ship. She knows she’ll be on probation but she’s determined to succeed and nothing is going to distract her.

Ryder McRhodes is a has-been interstellar rock star, on his way to reunite with his fellow band members to see if the lightning of mega success will strike twice for them. He isn’t sure he wants to be in the spotlight again and he hasn’t been able to write music since the band broke up.

Addy has secrets. Ryder needs a muse to unblock the creative flow…could her tightly guarded past be the answer  to his problem?  When the two are thrown together in an attempt to avoid the interstellar paparazzi he’s intrigued. She’s wary.

And someone is sabotaging systems on the Nebula Zephyr. Addy unwittingly finds herself in the middle of the situation while juggling her increasing attraction to Ryder and her challenges on the new  job. Can she trust him with her secret? Or will he break her heart?

The danger on board comes ever closer to Addy as the cruise continues…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      NOOK      GooglePlay

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!)

I’m now taking snippets from my newly released novel STAR CRUISE STAR SONG.

The snippet is from close to the beginning of the book. Pretty much everyone guessed what the next line would be after last week’s snippet – “He’s not my boyfriend” or words to that effect – can’t imagine how you knew that LOL – so I’ve skipped ahead a bit.

Picking up her backpack, she headed toward the landing bay exit and the crew gravlift beyond. Addy loved antigrav and the sensation of flying, so she was keenly anticipating taking the one which ran through the entire vessel. She had no fear of heights or of antigrav and stepped out into the silvery stream with confidence.

At the next level she stumbled off, shaking and sure she was probably white as a sheet. She leaned against the corridor bulkhead. What do I do? Who do I talk to? Fumbling with the chip linking her to the ship and its coms she said, “Ship? Ship? We have a bad situation developing in the main gravlift. Please—”

“There is no report of an incident, Ensign Tryndall,” said the Ship’s deep voice in her ear, making her jump.

“Something’s wrong with the mechanism,” Addy said frantically. “It’s cycling way too fast and it’ll overload in less than an hour. It’s been set to the wrong specs. Please, you have to evaluate it.”

VS: Uh oh, what next?

Here’s the official blurb:

Addy Tryndall is a fresh graduate from a highly respected engineering college in the Sectors, on her way to a plum job on the Nebula Zephyr cruise ship. She knows she’ll be on probation but she’s determined to succeed and nothing is going to distract her.

Ryder McRhodes is a has-been interstellar rock star, on his way to reunite with his fellow band members to see if the lightning of mega success will strike twice for them. He isn’t sure he wants to be in the spotlight again and he hasn’t been able to write music since the band broke up.

Addy has secrets. Ryder needs a muse to unblock the creative flow…could her tightly guarded past be the answer  to his problem?  When the two are thrown together in an attempt to avoid the interstellar paparazzi he’s intrigued. She’s wary.

And someone is sabotaging systems on the Nebula Zephyr. Addy unwittingly finds herself in the middle of the situation while juggling her increasing attraction to Ryder and her challenges on the new  job. Can she trust him with her secret? Or will he break her heart?

The danger on board comes ever closer to Addy as the cruise continues…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      NOOK      GooglePlay