Tag Archives: Weekend Writing Warriors

Sep 24 2022

What Is He To You 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!)

I’m now taking excerpts from my recently published book in the award winning Badari Warriors series, REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS. It can be read as a standalone (mild spoilers for first book, REEDE.)

The excerpt: I’ve gone a short way into the book, when Reede’s ship has been intercepted by a Sectors Border Patrol vessel. Fallyn Damara is Reede’s human mate and a Sectors Survey Scout. The not so warm welcome-to-the-Sectors continues. Reede and Walt are in a guarded conference room and Fallyn is meeting the captain of the ship they’re on. The captain has just asked how many soldiers the Badari can put into the field.

Fallyn made an instant decision and felt the underpinnings of her career shake. “I don’t know, sir. I was taken to the island where the ship was hidden and there was only a minimal force there. Four or five men and a few human techs.” Strictly speaking the statement was true but she was leaving out the entire time she’d spent in Sanctuary Valley, where she’d observed several hundred Badari.

Captain Ballard raked her up and down with a highly critical eye and Fallyn stood unflinching under the scrutiny. “What is this envoy to you?”

“He’s my mate, sir.” She and Reede had decided not to try to hide their relationship, although truthfully she’d argued to keep it quiet but Reede refused to do anything involving even a for-show denial of their mate bond.

“So you’re sleeping with him. “ Now the captain was playing with his coffee mug. “I figured as much. I’d heard the Survey Corps played it fast and loose when it came to fraternization with the natives. There’ll be none of that on my ship. And I’ll be making a note in my report so be sure your own report is full and complete.”

“Mate is their term for a formal union, sir,” she said, stung by his contemptuous attitude. “Envoy Reede and I are committed for life now.”

“Which has no bearing on your status here in the Sectors, except for showing a shocking lack of discipline on your part.” He raised his thick eyebrows. “Unless of course you undertook intimate relations to ferret out classified intel?”

“Sir, Envoy Reede and I are partners.”

VS: But things go from bad to worse all too soon…

REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL (SECTORS NEW ALLIES SERIES BOOK 15) by Veronica Scott

Reede’s people sent him to the Sectors on a desperate mission to beg for help against overwhelming odds in their battle to destroy the alien scientists who created them centuries ago. He knew the task wasn’t going to be easy but as a Badari Warrior, he vowed to do his best. When he’s arrested by the border patrol and thrown in the brig, things go from bad to worse. He faces difficult choices ahead and unimaginable obstacles to making his case to the authorities for help.

Fallyn is Reede’s human fated mate but also the active duty military scout who guided him to the Sectors from his own planet. Reede’s choices after his arrest put her in a difficult spot and his actions threaten their mate bond. Will she give up her career to help him and the Badari succeed in making a treaty with the Sectors?

The desperate attempt to find new allies takes Reede and Fallyn on a wild set of adventures across the sprawling interstellar Sectors civilization and places them, their friends and their love in harm’s way.

Amazon     Apple Books     Nook     Kobo     GooglePlay

Sep 17 2022

Forgotten How to Report 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!)

I’m now taking excerpts from my recently published book in the award winning Badari Warriors series, REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS. It can be read as a standalone (mild spoilers for first book, REEDE.)

The excerpt: I’ve gone a short way into the book, when Reede’s ship has been intercepted by a Sectors Border Patrol vessel. Fallyn Damara is Reede’s human mate and a Sectors Survey Scout. The not so warm welcome-to-the-Sectors continues. Reede and Walt are in a guarded conference room and Fallyn is meeting the captain of the ship they’re on.

“At ease.” The captain didn’t offer her a chair. He dismissed the other officer and as soon as the man was gone, Captain Ballard leaned back in his chair and eyed her. “You’re going to make my career, Lt. Damara, one way and another. Capturing a Chimmer ship is a huge win.”

“The Badari—Envoy Reede’s people—captured the ship, sir and converted it for human use. He’s prepared to donate it to the Sectors as a gesture of goodwill.” She kept her voice level. “They rescued me from the enemy.”

The captain made a dismissive gesture. “Put it all in your report. I’ll be sending notice to Sector Command shortly. I’m expecting orders to alter course and report to the nearest base. Don’t need to keep you and the other soldier on board any longer than necessary. Or this so-called envoy. Tell me about him, about his people.”

“With respect, sir, I think the envoy should be the one to explain.”

Slamming his fist on the desk, the captain said harshly, “You’re a scout, reporting on newly found sentients is part of your job, lieutenant. Tell me about these…Badari. Now. Or have you forgotten how to report properly to a senior officer?”

Fallyn and Reede had discussed what would be shared so reluctantly she launched into a bare bones summary. “The Badari are genetically engineered soldiers, created by a race of scientists known as the Khagrish, under contract to the Chimmer. My understanding is the Mawreg have taken a direct interest in the project but only Chimmer have ever been seen on the planet. The Badari escaped the labs with the help of a human woman, a retired Special Forces operator from the lost Amarcae colony actually, and are currently waging guerilla warfare against the Khagrish. They have no space going capability, aside from the ship I arrived in. They’ve rescued a large number of kidnapped Sectors citizens from the labs and are protecting them as best they can.”

The captain drummed his fingers on the desk. “How many soldiers can these guys deploy in the field?”

VS: And Fallyn is presented with a difficult choice now….more next week!

REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL (SECTORS NEW ALLIES SERIES BOOK 15) by Veronica Scott

Reede’s people sent him to the Sectors on a desperate mission to beg for help against overwhelming odds in their battle to destroy the alien scientists who created them centuries ago. He knew the task wasn’t going to be easy but as a Badari Warrior, he vowed to do his best. When he’s arrested by the border patrol and thrown in the brig, things go from bad to worse. He faces difficult choices ahead and unimaginable obstacles to making his case to the authorities for help.

Fallyn is Reede’s human fated mate but also the active duty military scout who guided him to the Sectors from his own planet. Reede’s choices after his arrest put her in a difficult spot and his actions threaten their mate bond. Will she give up her career to help him and the Badari succeed in making a treaty with the Sectors?

The desperate attempt to find new allies takes Reede and Fallyn on a wild set of adventures across the sprawling interstellar Sectors civilization and places them, their friends and their love in harm’s way.

Amazon     Apple Books     Nook     Kobo     GooglePlay

Sep 10 2022

Work With 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 authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

I’m now taking excerpts from my recently published book in the award winning Badari Warriors series, REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS. It can be read as a standalone (mild spoilers for first book, REEDE.)

The excerpt: I’ve gone a short way into the book, when Reede’s ship has been intercepted by a Sectors Border Patrol vessel. Fallyn Damara is Reede’s human mate and a Sectors Survey Scout. The not so warm welcome-to-the-Sectors continues. Reede and Walt are in a guarded conference room and Fallyn is on her way to meet the captain of the ship they’re on.

The Ariadne was a full size battleship, which surprised Fallyn. She didn’t remember ever hearing a whisper of Border Patrol maintaining its own fleet. She marched behind the other lieutenant through crowded corridors and as she went she assessed the crew and the conditions and was impressed. The captain she was going to see ran a tight ship. Fallyn approved. She hoped he’d be reasonable about Reede and his mission. This was only the first step in a long process of obtaining help for the Badari in fighting their mutual enemies. As she ascended the final gravlift to the captain’s wardroom on the bridge level, Fallyn checked the mate bond as best she could and was relieved to find Reede as centered and calm as always.

So he’s not being mistreated or in any danger. On Ushandirr when she’d been arguing with him to become claimed mates, she’d minimized his doubts about the fact she was on active duty. Now she was in the midst of her own kind, Sectors military, and about to report to a superior officer, tendrils of unease began creeping in. If only they’d made it to a regular ship of the line or even better to a base with a unit of her own service.

But she had to work with what she had.

VS Note: It’s not going to go too well for Fallyn…

REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL (SECTORS NEW ALLIES SERIES BOOK 15) by Veronica Scott

Reede’s people sent him to the Sectors on a desperate mission to beg for help against overwhelming odds in their battle to destroy the alien scientists who created them centuries ago. He knew the task wasn’t going to be easy but as a Badari Warrior, he vowed to do his best. When he’s arrested by the border patrol and thrown in the brig, things go from bad to worse. He faces difficult choices ahead and unimaginable obstacles to making his case to the authorities for help.

Fallyn is Reede’s human fated mate but also the active duty military scout who guided him to the Sectors from his own planet. Reede’s choices after his arrest put her in a difficult spot and his actions threaten their mate bond. Will she give up her career to help him and the Badari succeed in making a treaty with the Sectors?

The desperate attempt to find new allies takes Reede and Fallyn on a wild set of adventures across the sprawling interstellar Sectors civilization and places them, their friends and their love in harm’s way.

Amazon     Apple Books     Nook     Kobo     GooglePlay

Sep 3 2022

Not So Welcome 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!)

I’m now taking excerpts from my recently published book in the award winning Badari Warriors series, REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS. It can be read as a standalone (mild spoilers for first book, REEDE.)

The excerpt: I’ve gone a short way into the book, when Reede’s ship has been intercepted by a Sectors Border Patrol vessel. Fallyn Damara is Reede’s human mate and a Sectors Survey Scout. The not so warm welcome-to-the-Sectors continues. Reede has just intoduced himself and asked for the name of the officer in charge.

Straightening, the man replied, “Lt. Varezan, Chief Security Officer for the Ariadne.” He didn’t shake hands.

Not at all discomfited, Reede withdrew his hand. “I’ll need to speak with your captain as soon as possible. I have vital information about our mutual enemies and a formal request from my leader to present, asking for Sectors aid.”

“I’m sure Captain Ballard will want to speak to you too but he’s busy right now. Let me escort you to a suitable place to wait.”

Although the request was couched in a civil tone, the weapons pointed at them and the demeanor of the soldiers spoke volumes. Reede, Fallyn and Walt walked behind the officer in silence until he brought them to a large conference room one deck up from the landing bay.

“Lt. Damara, the captain wants to see you now,” the lieutenant said, preventing her from entering the conference room. “These uh gentlemen can wait for you here.”

As the door closed, Reede observed several men taking up guard positions right outside. He sat at the head of the table and took his time making a visual assessment of the chamber, noting where he guessed there were surveillance cameras. He was sure every word he spoke was going to be recorded as well. Walt went to the side table first to see if there were any refreshments.

“So much for being welcomed with open arms,” the soldier said with a grin.

REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL (SECTORS NEW ALLIES SERIES BOOK 15) by Veronica Scott

Reede’s people sent him to the Sectors on a desperate mission to beg for help against overwhelming odds in their battle to destroy the alien scientists who created them centuries ago. He knew the task wasn’t going to be easy but as a Badari Warrior, he vowed to do his best. When he’s arrested by the border patrol and thrown in the brig, things go from bad to worse. He faces difficult choices ahead and unimaginable obstacles to making his case to the authorities for help.

Fallyn is Reede’s human fated mate but also the active duty military scout who guided him to the Sectors from his own planet. Reede’s choices after his arrest put her in a difficult spot and his actions threaten their mate bond. Will she give up her career to help him and the Badari succeed in making a treaty with the Sectors?

The desperate attempt to find new allies takes Reede and Fallyn on a wild set of adventures across the sprawling interstellar Sectors civilization and places them, their friends and their love in harm’s way.

Amazon     Apple Books     Nook     Kobo     GooglePlay

Aug 27 2022

And You Are 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!)

I’m now taking excerpts from my recently published book in the award winning Badari Warriors series, REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS. It can be read as a standalone (mild spoilers for first book, REEDE.)

The excerpt: I’ve gone a short way into the book, when Reede’s ship has been intercepted by a Sectors Border Patrol vessel. Fallyn is Reede’s human mate and a Sectors Survey Scout.

The welcoming party was large and armed, with weapons hot, and he sensed the surprise and dismay among the squad at his appearance. Being seven feet tall and outweighing even the biggest humans by a hundred pounds or so tended to have that effect on most people. More than a few weapons were trained on him specifically. He was sure if he flashed his natural weaponry panic would ensue and people would be hurt. He hoped no one provoked him or endangered his mate.

Fallyn approached the person in charge and saluted. “Lt. Fallyn Damara reporting, sir.”

The other officer looked her over critically. “A bit out of uniform, aren’t you, lieutenant?” The man used a light tone as if to show he was joking, but Reede wasn’t fooled. This person had the gall to show disrespect to Fallyn and his talons pushed to deploy so he could defend his mate. This wasn’t the time or the place, however; she was still on active duty in this military.

The mate bond flashed a bit of tension as Fallyn assumed a parade rest stance and said, “My ship crashed, my partner was killed and I was taken prisoner by the Chimmer allies on the planet, sir.”

“And who are these men?”

Fallyn gestured at Reede. “This is Envoy Reede. His people rescued me and also captured this ship we arrived in.”

Reede joined her and extended his hand to the officer asking all the questions. “And you are?” He added a bit of his enforcer’s power to the courteous question because he was already done with the attitude the other human was displaying.

VS: More next week…

REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL (SECTORS NEW ALLIES SERIES BOOK 15) by Veronica Scott

Reede’s people sent him to the Sectors on a desperate mission to beg for help against overwhelming odds in their battle to destroy the alien scientists who created them centuries ago. He knew the task wasn’t going to be easy but as a Badari Warrior, he vowed to do his best. When he’s arrested by the border patrol and thrown in the brig, things go from bad to worse. He faces difficult choices ahead and unimaginable obstacles to making his case to the authorities for help.

Fallyn is Reede’s human fated mate but also the active duty military scout who guided him to the Sectors from his own planet. Reede’s choices after his arrest put her in a difficult spot and his actions threaten their mate bond. Will she give up her career to help him and the Badari succeed in making a treaty with the Sectors?

The desperate attempt to find new allies takes Reede and Fallyn on a wild set of adventures across the sprawling interstellar Sectors civilization and places them, their friends and their love in harm’s way.

Amazon     Apple Books     Nook     Kobo     GooglePlay

Aug 13 2022

Would He Have Acted Differently 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!)

I’m now taking snippets from my third scifi romance gladiator novel TALINN, which just released two weeks ago in the CLAIMED AMONG THE STARS  charity anthology.

Thanks to the readers, we hit the USA Today Best Seller list at #42 after the release week! WOOT! 

The excerpt: Continuing on from the beginning of the book – time to meet the hero.

It was Talinn’s favorite time of the day, when the two harsh suns were setting and the first evening breezes had begun. The heat on which he thrived remained, but not at the intensity of earlier. His neck frill pulsed as he stood staring off into the Ganamilia Six desert. He’d survived another day. He had no idea how many years he’d actually been a prisoner here, smuggled out of the Khagrish lab where he’d been created and sold into slavery in an alien marketplace. He rubbed his chest as he often did, even after all this time mourning the loss of his pack bond, his link to all his Badari brothers. The sheer loneliness was the hardest thing to overcome.

Much more so than the harsh life he led, the endless combat he was forced to participate in or the other distasteful things done to him. Badari endured, it was what they’d been designed to do and he started over each day determined to make the goddess proud of him even if he had no idea why he’d been singled out by her for this grim existence.

Talinn suspected the head scientist’s deputy at the lab had been in on the scheme to fake his death and sell him offworld. His last session with her had been ugly, he’d refused pointblank to do what she wanted from him and her efforts to force him had gone seriously awry, resulting in considerable embarrassment for her. He was a marked man from that instant.

If I’d known she had the ability to send me off into this dreary life of a slave, would I have acted differently?

No.

VS: I’ll do a couple more excerpts from this book but then I need to switch to my new release REEDE’S MISSION TO THE SECTORS.

The blurb for TALINN: Talinn was a genetically engineered senior soldier in his Badari Warrior pack until unscrupulous laboratory guards faked his death and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. Purchased by a nomadic warlord and forced to fight in games for the amusement of the crowds, Talinn has endured through sheer strength of will. He sees no possibility of escape but a Badari never gives up until the goddess calls him to the afterlife.

Bailey Kingsmere was a talented and ambitious entertainer on an interstellar cruise liner when her ship was destroyed in an accident. She escaped in a defective cryonic lifepod, which eventually drifted out of the Sectors entirely and crashed on a primitive planet. Superstitious locals decide to place her in the arena as a prize for a lucky gladiator.

Talinn needs only one look to know Bailey is his fated mate. He’ll do whatever it takes to rescue her from the other fighters and claim her as his prize but how can he ensure her safety thereafter? Since he’s not human and has alien reptilian predator DNA which gives him extra capabilities, will Bailey accept him as a mate? And can they ever escape their desperate situation and find a way to freedom?

The blurb for the CLAIMED AMONG THE STARS anthology:  Make contact with the hottest alien anthology in the universe! Claimed Among the Stars will rocket you to reading bliss with more action, adventure, and pleasure than one planet can contain. Curl up with this collection of wild and wonderful heavenly bodies and venture to the unknown worlds that only your favorite sci-fi romance authors could create. Hearts in zero gravity are free to fall, and destiny awaits unsuspecting heroines far across the galaxy. Whether you love a trip that’s nice and easy or dark and intense, this collaboration of more than fifty bestselling authors is guaranteed to please. Embrace the heat, the sweet, the dark, and the depraved, and grab your copy of Claimed Among the Stars today! A word of warning: this anthology is only available for a limited time, so grab your copies now before they blast off forever. The proceeds of Claimed Among the Stars will benefit The National Women’s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation, which serves women and children in the United States and abroad.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Universal Buy Link

Jul 30 2022

Did They Leave Me? 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!)

I’m now taking snippets from my third scifi romance gladiator novel TALINN, which just released last week in the CLAIMED AMONG THE STARS  charity anthology.

The excerpt: From the beginning of the book, where we meet the heroine:

Bailey Kingsmere went to sleep a happy woman. True she wasn’t sharing the bed with anyone and hadn’t been for a long time—never date co-workers was her rule—but this cruise of the Stellar Aurora luxury cruise liner was going well. The rumors had been true and a bigtime talent scout was sailing with them this trip and he’d been spotted in the audience at the review twice now. All the members of the ship’s entertainment section hoped and prayed to their deities the man would discover them.

Her dreams were no different, she suspected, than anyone else’s. To sing and dance in front of a huge crowd as the headliner, not the interchangeable chorus girl. To be the name on everyone’s lips. And not have to cruise in this quadrant ever again.

She was in the middle of a pleasant dream when a blaring siren rudely interrupted. Gasping, heart racing, she sat up in bed and stared around her cabin wildly.

“You must evacuate now,” said the ship’s Artificial Intelligence crisply over the com. “All crew and passengers are directed to the nearest lifeboat with no delay—”

The sound cut off abruptly and the entire ship shuddered. Bailey screamed and clung to the bed until the motion subsided. She got out of bed and ran barefoot to the door, which took a scarily long time to open. The corridor was empty, smoke drifting ominously from various vents. Where the seven hells is everyone? Did they leave without me?

The blurb for TALINN: Talinn was a genetically engineered senior soldier in his Badari Warrior pack until unscrupulous laboratory guards faked his death and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. Purchased by a nomadic warlord and forced to fight in games for the amusement of the crowds, Talinn has endured through sheer strength of will. He sees no possibility of escape but a Badari never gives up until the goddess calls him to the afterlife.

Bailey Kingsmere was a talented and ambitious entertainer on an interstellar cruise liner when her ship was destroyed in an accident. She escaped in a defective cryonic lifepod, which eventually drifted out of the Sectors entirely and crashed on a primitive planet. Superstitious locals decide to place her in the arena as a prize for a lucky gladiator.

Talinn needs only one look to know Bailey is his fated mate. He’ll do whatever it takes to rescue her from the other fighters and claim her as his prize but how can he ensure her safety thereafter? Since he’s not human and has alien reptilian predator DNA which gives him extra capabilities, will Bailey accept him as a mate? And can they ever escape their desperate situation and find a way to freedom?

The blurb for the CLAIMED AMONG THE STARS anthology:  Make contact with the hottest alien anthology in the universe! Claimed Among the Stars will rocket you to reading bliss with more action, adventure, and pleasure than one planet can contain. Curl up with this collection of wild and wonderful heavenly bodies and venture to the unknown worlds that only your favorite sci-fi romance authors could create. Hearts in zero gravity are free to fall, and destiny awaits unsuspecting heroines far across the galaxy. Whether you love a trip that’s nice and easy or dark and intense, this collaboration of more than fifty bestselling authors is guaranteed to please. Embrace the heat, the sweet, the dark, and the depraved, and grab your copy of Claimed Among the Stars today! A word of warning: this anthology is only available for a limited time, so grab your copies now before they blast off forever. The proceeds of Claimed Among the Stars will benefit The National Women’s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation, which serves women and children in the United States and abroad.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Universal Buy Link

The first two books in the series, although each can be read as a standalone. Available wide and also as paperbacks on Amazon.

KYDEN: Condemned to the arena for the rest of his life. Elara, a Senator’s daughter, moves among the elite of her civilization. Yet despite the odds they’re Fated Mates. How can they ever be together?

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

RENNYR:  Kidnapped, far from home, he’s been sold into the deadly arena gladiator system as a slave. Jaine is a human woman kidnapped from the Sectors to serve as arena fodder for the crowds. Fated mates, battling against the system which has them trapped, sharing one cell and one bed, fighting to survive…and to escape.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Nook     Google Play

 

Jul 23 2022

I Said I Would 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!)

This is the final excerpt from my second scifi romance gladiator novel RENNYR. Next week I’ll switch to the third book, TALINN, releasing in the CLAIMED AMONG THE STARS  anthology on July 26.

If you want the full story of what Rennyr and Jaine go through and how they battle to survive and protect each other, and their romance, with all the nuances and details, the book is available wide. 

The excerpt, continuing on with his attempt to break into the arena to rescue Jaine. Since this is the final excerpt I’ll be sharing I’m jumping to the moment he reaches her:

He cleared the last twenty five feet between himself and the men threatening Jaine with a single bound, taking out three of the enemy as he landed. He moved between Jaine and the remaining fighters.

She collapsed onto the sand and crawled toward her weapon. Rennyr approved but she wasn’t going to need it again, not with him to protect her. He made quick work of killing the first man, outflanking him in a lightning fast move. Human reflexes were no match for Badari speed. Pivoting to the last member of the group, Rennyr checked his offensive movement. The man now had Jaine in his grasp, knife at her throat.

“Is this what you’re all hot and bothered about, Beastman?” the gladiator said in a mocking tone. “This little Sectors sweetie?” He pricked her with the tip of the wicked blade and a drop of bright red blood beaded her skin.

Jaine had her hands wrapped around the man’s hand and suddenly pulled his wrist and the knife down, away from her throat, pinning it to her body. With strength born of sheer desperation, she kept her grip on the knife and turned inward, ducking away as she did so.

Her unexpected movement was all the opening Rennyr needed. Taking two steps, he sank his fangs into the neck of the distracted gladiator. The predator inside him was in full on battle rage and as he disengaged from his prey, Rennyr had to work hard to regain control.

Jaine was sprawled on the ground and his heart stopped. Rushing to her, he knelt, checked frantically for wounds but finding only a few superficial slashes. As he’d suspected, the enemy had been intending to prolong the moment of her death.

“You came? You came for me?” she said, clinging to him.

“I said I would.”

RENNYR (BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK 2) by Veronica Scott

Rennyr was a genetically engineered senior soldier in his Badari Warrior pack until one day he woke up on a strange planet naked, disoriented and about to be sold into the gladiator arena for the rest of his life. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. Kill or be killed is the rule in his new life and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death and release him from the wretched existence.

Jaine Mitchel of the Sectors was on her way to an exciting research internship until pirates seized the spaceship on which she was a passenger and took her to feature in a gladiator ‘death match’ in the galactic hinterlands. She has no hope of surviving in the arena until a man she only glimpsed in passing breaks out of his cell and saves her life, declaring her to be his fated mate. Given to Rennyr as his reward for winning the death match, Jaine must share a cell and a bed with the handsome, not human, gladiator and together they have to find a way to survive in this merciless world of violence and death. Their mutual attraction is off the charts. Falling in love is the easy part, finding a way to escape or even to remain together is the challenge. At any time their mutual owner could decide thumbs up or thumbs down on one or both of them, or sell them separately.

Their only hope is a mysterious gladiator master from offworld who may be coming to buy Rennyr. Will he take Jaine as well? Could Rennyr win freedom for them both if he does well enough in the arena? Badari Warriors claim their mates for life and Rennyr has no intention of losing Jaine…RENNYR is an 80K word novel and can be read as a standalone. KYDEN is the first book in the series.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Nook     Google Play

Releases July 26

 

Jul 9 2022

Someone I Have to Find 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!)

Sharing from my second scifi romance gladiator novel RENNYR.

If you want the full story of what they go through and how they battle to survive and protect each other, and their romance, with all the nuances and details, the book is available wide. 

The excerpt, continuing on with his attempt to break into the arena to rescue Jaine:

“How do I open this?” he said in response, redoubling his efforts. His highly sensitive Badari nose picked up the scent of fresh, hot blood from the other side now and he knew his time for protecting Jaine was running out.“I have to get to her before it’s too late—”

“Oh, to hell with this,” said a female medic. “Beastman wants in there so damn bad, I say we let him go. Make a betting pool, people, quick.”

Rennyr paused in his private war against the door as the woman sidled closer. He tried not to snarl as he said, “Please, help me. I won’t hurt you, I swear. There’s someone I have to find.”

“Your girlfriend?” she asked breathlessly, eyes wide.

He nodded.

“I wish my man was so dedicated,” the medic answered. She took three steps to the small control panel, flashed her ID at it and there was a click. The portal began to open slowly.

“I owe you,” he said but then all his attention was on forcing himself through the opening, not willing to wait even a few seconds for the door to open properly.

Angry shouts to halt announced the belated arrival of the guards. Stun rays made thudding impacts on the wall as he squeezed through unscathed, going a few feet onto the sand from his momentum. The door closed behind him.

VS: So is he in time? What do you think? We’ll see next week…

RENNYR (BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK 2) by Veronica Scott

Rennyr was a genetically engineered senior soldier in his Badari Warrior pack until one day he woke up on a strange planet naked, disoriented and about to be sold into the gladiator arena for the rest of his life. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. Kill or be killed is the rule in his new life and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death and release him from the wretched existence.

Jaine Mitchel of the Sectors was on her way to an exciting research internship until pirates seized the spaceship on which she was a passenger and took her to feature in a gladiator ‘death match’ in the galactic hinterlands. She has no hope of surviving in the arena until a man she only glimpsed in passing breaks out of his cell and saves her life, declaring her to be his fated mate. Given to Rennyr as his reward for winning the death match, Jaine must share a cell and a bed with the handsome, not human, gladiator and together they have to find a way to survive in this merciless world of violence and death. Their mutual attraction is off the charts. Falling in love is the easy part, finding a way to escape or even to remain together is the challenge. At any time their mutual owner could decide thumbs up or thumbs down on one or both of them, or sell them separately.

Their only hope is a mysterious gladiator master from offworld who may be coming to buy Rennyr. Will he take Jaine as well? Could Rennyr win freedom for them both if he does well enough in the arena? Badari Warriors claim their mates for life and Rennyr has no intention of losing Jaine…RENNYR is an 80K word novel and can be read as a standalone. KYDEN is the first book in the series.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Nook     Google Play

Jul 2 2022

You Should Be Running 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!)

Sharing from my second scifi romance gladiator novel RENNYR.

If you want the full story of what they go through and how they battle to survive and protect each other, and their romance, with all the nuances and details, the book is available wide. 

The excerpt, switching back to Rennyr’s POV as he races from his cell to try to save her:

Rennyr burst through the door of the holding chamber. As he’d hoped, there were no guards present and the security robos sat idle against the wall, apparently not programmed to consider a prisoner might break into the area rather than try to escape. The medics were setting up their portable treatment stations and watched him with their eyes wide and their mouths open as he sprinted toward the wall which was the door to the arena. A few clambered hastily over the equipment to avoid him in his headlong rush.

A timer was running in his head—he didn’t think Jaine could survive long but he prayed to his goddess to keep her safe until he could reach her. There’d been a few minutes of mass confusion at the start of the melee he’d been tossed into, probably to give the audience the opportunity to pick favorites and make bets. Jaine had to be all right. He refused to accept any other outcome.

He was brought up short by the wall, having no idea how to operate the controls which would open to the arena. Snarling, fangs and talons deployed, he stalked along the length, searching for a way in. At the other end, he found a one person-sized portal set into the larger expanse. The control panel was dark and after a quick, fruitless swipe of his claws across the tabs, he put his shoulder to the door-within-a-door and battered it relentlessly.

“What in the seven hells are you doing, man?” yelled a medic braver than the rest. “The guards’ll be here any second—you should be running.”

VS: But Rennyr’s mind is definitely not on escape for himself…will he get to Jaine in time? More next week.

RENNYR (BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK 2) by Veronica Scott

Rennyr was a genetically engineered senior soldier in his Badari Warrior pack until one day he woke up on a strange planet naked, disoriented and about to be sold into the gladiator arena for the rest of his life. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. Kill or be killed is the rule in his new life and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death and release him from the wretched existence.

Jaine Mitchel of the Sectors was on her way to an exciting research internship until pirates seized the spaceship on which she was a passenger and took her to feature in a gladiator ‘death match’ in the galactic hinterlands. She has no hope of surviving in the arena until a man she only glimpsed in passing breaks out of his cell and saves her life, declaring her to be his fated mate. Given to Rennyr as his reward for winning the death match, Jaine must share a cell and a bed with the handsome, not human, gladiator and together they have to find a way to survive in this merciless world of violence and death. Their mutual attraction is off the charts. Falling in love is the easy part, finding a way to escape or even to remain together is the challenge. At any time their mutual owner could decide thumbs up or thumbs down on one or both of them, or sell them separately.

Their only hope is a mysterious gladiator master from offworld who may be coming to buy Rennyr. Will he take Jaine as well? Could Rennyr win freedom for them both if he does well enough in the arena? Badari Warriors claim their mates for life and Rennyr has no intention of losing Jaine…RENNYR is an 80K word novel and can be read as a standalone. KYDEN is the first book in the series.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Nook     Google Play