Tag Archives: #WeWriWa

Dec 26 2020

What Is An Alpha To Do Weekend Writing Warriors

I hope your holiday season is going well and that you are warm and safe!

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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from my new release, JAMOKAN: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL. Starting right at the beginning:

When had he and Aydarr stopped being equals? When had he slipped down the dominance rank?

The day Aydarr’s human mate set Jamokan and his pack free in return for his allegiance to her and Aydarr. He’d had no choice but to agree—he had to save the lives of his men and cubs so he knelt to Jill and gave his word.

But perhaps Aydarr and I were never actually equal, no matter how it galls me to consider the idea.

Jamokan, acknowledged Alpha of the canid-descent pack of Badari Warriors, watched the man at the head of the table as he ran the meeting, not even making any particular effort to project his dominance, although the effects were felt by every Badari in the room. No one could ever forget who the unquestionable Supreme Alpha was. Even the humans sensed Aydarr’s power, or so it was said.

Jamokan had had this same debate with himself more than once since his kind gained their freedom and fled the deadly Khagrish labs, to shelter in this sanctuary valley and wage war on their old nemesis like true insurgents. No one questioned Jamokan’s status as a powerful Alpha, leader of fearsome warriors. Aydarr acknowledged him and his contributions but…he was undeniably second.

No, third. Jamokan’s attention shifted to Daegan, the newly arrived Alpha of the South Seas pack. The islander was only slightly less dominant than Aydarr. To be honest with himself, Jamokan thought the outcome would be uncertain if the two of them ever faced off.

VS Note: So what’s an Alpha to do when he feels his place in the heirarchy slipping? We’ll get to that in future excerpts…

JAMOKAN: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL (SECTORS NEW ALLIES SERIES BOOK 13) 

Badari Alpha Jamokan and his pack are growing discontented in the sanctuary valley, tired of coming in second place to the pushy new South Seas pack when it comes to assignments and everything else. On top of the discord within his pack, Jamokan is distracted by the search for the right woman to be a proper Alpha’s mate to partner with him in combat and in everyday life. Even the Badari goddess is warning him in visions that he and his pack are on the wrong path for a happy future. In desperation, he receives permission to take his entire pack north to the mountains for a two week hunting expedition, where he hopes to use the time and rugged surroundings to settle the soldiers down and restore order and discipline.

And figure out his own future.

When his men unexpectedly locate a hidden Khagrish lab, he goes to investigate and see if there are humans to be rescued. Little does he suspect he’ll be called upon to break one of the highest commandments of the Badari packs and bring a new disaster to those who look to him for leadership.

Before she became a Khagrish prisoner, Rosemari Parcher was a hydroponics technician on a gritty colony world, who unexpectedly won a planetwide contest. Tapped to receive her heart’s desire and move to a totally different life in the luxurious Inner Sectors, her life had become a happy dream. Kidnapped in space by enemy aliens and given to the Khagrish, she and other humans are the unwilling subjects of a bizarre medical experiment where a quick death seems to be her only hope. Rescued by Jamokan and his pack, she finds herself deeply attracted to the Alpha but the devious Khagrish aren’t through with Rosemari or the experiment.

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      GooglePlay       Nook coming soon, I hope!

Dec 19 2020

Capable of Anything 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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020! Last one from this book since my new release JAMOKAN is now available. I’ll switch books next week.

The excerpt: As I warned last week, the trip isn’t all fun and games and shopping. Trevor has put in a call to the Sectors Criminal Intelligence Agency (SCIA) about two passengers who are showing a lot of interest in Gianna.

“Agent O’Meara here.” The voice was gruff, no nonsense and apparently there was to be no vid. “All right, Nebula Zephyr, why the inquiry on my two persons of interest?”

Trevor spoke up. “Lt. Hanson, sir. I’m assigned to do personal protection on a high value passenger this trip and something about this couple doesn’t ring true to me. I think they arranged what was supposed to look like a chance encounter at the casino to meet my protectee and then popped up in an unexpected place the next day too. Invited the passenger for drinks. I’ve learned not to ignore my instincts.”

“I should try to hire you away from your ship, you’ve got good instincts,” O’Meara said. “The couple calling themselves Semma and Dant on your ship have more aliases than we’ve got stars in the Sectors, but they must be getting careless. Used this Provimter name before, about ten years ago, which pinged my AI to be curious when you sent in your request. Slick characters. We tried to nail them more than once but they’re detail oriented and professional. Based on persuasive evidence we believed they were dead, in fact, in a high profile murder attempt gone wrong a few years ago but my gut talks to me like your instincts do to you and I never quite bought the story, despite the DNA evidence.”

“Who exactly are these people?” Jake (Trevor’s boss) asked.

“Independent contractors, loosely affiliated with the Amarotu Combine. The two of them do assassinations, kidnappings, high end and expensive. I’d say you’ve got yourself a major problem, especially if they’re showing interest in your special passenger. Better surround the man or woman with ten guards, keep them locked in their suite and then say a prayer to the Lords of Space. These two you’re asking about are capable of anything.”

Trevor’s blood ran cold at having professional killers like these taking an interest in Gianna. He had the urge to bolt from the office to make sure she was secure and safe.

“We’ll advise our captain right away and keep you posted,” Jake said, having retained his calm facade.

“I’ll open a few inquiries on my end, put out feelers to our sources and snitches as to who might have hired them,” O’Meara said. “It would have to be a huge payday for them after going to all the trouble to stage their own ‘deaths’. I’ll be in touch if I find anything. And of course we’ll want to meet your ship once you’re in orbit, see if we can take them unawares. Capturing them would be a feather in my cap for sure. I’ll co-ordinate with you on that later.”

“If we find out anything on our end, we’ll call,” Jake said and then the connection closed. He turned to Trevor. “Could there be a mistake? Why would criminals like this focus on Gianna?”

Trevor shook his head. “It doesn’t make any sense but they singled her out all right.”

PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!

STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.

Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.

Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

Dec 12 2020

I Had Fun 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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020! My next Badari Warriors novel JAMOKAN is in edits now but with the holidays coming, not sure exactly when I’ll release it. Hopefully in the next two weeks! So probably only another one or two snippets more from this current book.

The excerpt: Gianna was harassed by a conspiracy theorist passenger. Trevor arrives after the incident is over.

“He’s not the most unbalanced conspiracy theorist I’ve ever met, let me put it that way. Verlaine was close to biting him and then I’d have been in trouble with the captain. And the jerk would have sued me no doubt. I only want him and any others like him to leave me alone,” Gianna said.

“Oh we can definitely arrange that.” Trevor sounded grim and she imagined the lieutenant carting Mr. Lanloring off to the brig. Surely the ship had a brig? “I’m not leaving you alone again, although I’m puzzled why you didn’t call me if you wanted to go out. The damn reports can wait. The queues of administrative work have waited weeks already. I was only tackling them to fill in my shift while you were supposed to be resting in your cabin.”

“I wanted to window shop and I didn’t want to bore you,” Gianna said as they proceeded toward her cabin. She raised the cream-and-blue shopping bag to show him. “There was an item I wanted to see at one of the shops we passed earlier today. Really, it was all fine. Verlaine enjoyed the outing, we had a nice chat with Juli, I spent lots of credits and had fun.”

He opened the suite portal for her and allowed her to walk past him. As he entered the room and saw the stack of shoe boxes which the ship’s robos must have delivered earlier, Trevor whistled and raised one eyebrow. “I guess you did have fun.”

PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!

STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.

Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.

Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

Dec 5 2020

Proof or Delusion 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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020!

The excerpt: I’ve skipped ahead again and Gianna has gone to do some shopping on the Level A promenade deck without Trevor. She is with Juli, the ship’s Cruise Director when she runs into a conspiracy theorist with wild ideas about the wreck she survived as a child.

Verlaine growled and pushed in front of her.

There was no other warning as an excited man rushed up to her. “It is you! Gianna Nadenoft! I can’t believe my luck—we need to talk.” He stuck his hand out, stepping back a little gingerly as Verlaine bared his fangs. “Jerrd Lanloring, at your service. You’ve probably seen my trideo documentary about the wreck? Or maybe the recent—”

Juli was doing her best to run interference and get between the other passenger and Gianna. “Sir, please, it’s obvious Ms. Nadenoft has no interest in speaking with you so if you could move along.”

Lowering his voice and stepping around Juli, although keeping what he probably assumed was a safe distance from Verlaine, Lanloring babbled on, spitting in his excitement. “Have you seen the struts in the landing bay? If those stamped serial numbers aren’t proof of everything I’ve ever said, I don’t know what is. Listen, I’ve sent you message after message—”

Gianna drew herself to her full height and held up one hand imperiously. “I have nothing to say to you. I was three, my mother died, my father almost died, I barely remember anything about the experience and I have no knowledge which could help you with your demented theories. Please don’t bother me again.” With that she walked away, Verlaine maneuvering every few steps to check whether Lanloring was following.

Juli remained behind for a moment, lecturing the man and then rushed to catch up.“I’m so sorry. We’ll make sure he doesn’t get near you for the rest of the cruise.”

VS Note: Trevor isn’t going to be happy she went out of her cabin without notifying him…

PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!

STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.

Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.

Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

Nov 28 2020

Any Other Problems 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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020!

The excerpt: I’ve skipped ahead. Gianna and Trevor have arrived on the Nebula Zephyr. Trevor is speaking with his boss about the special tour of the ship Gianna is undertaking, with some difficulties and flashbacks:

“Listen, Gianna was only three when the whole tragedy happened.” Trevor hoped his boss would resonate with a reasonable, calm reassurance from him.  “I can understand Gianna wanting to try to literally lay the ghosts to rest on this voyage. She’s pretty level headed and self-controlled most of the time from what I saw while I was at her estate. The only things she still wants to see are the casino, the cargo hold and the observatory. I vote we let her try it and if there are any more flashbacks, then we pull the plug on the expedition.”

“We can’t have a scene in the casino, with potentially  hundreds of other passengers.” Jake was turning stubborn but Trevor understood where his boss was coming from. He had responsibility for the whole ship and all the sentients on board whereas Trevor was only looking out for Gianna this trip.

“I didn’t pay enough attention to the service animal,” he said apologetically, knowing with perfect hindsight he’d been remiss. “Verlaine tried to stop her from going into the room, whined and made a fuss. I should have pulled the plug right then, not continued. “

“Tajikka hounds are extremely sensitive and suspected of being somewhat psychically attuned to their owners,” Maeve (the Ship’s Artificial Intelligence) said. “The animal’s behavior is the best indicator of an impending episode.”

Trevor wanted to roll his eyes now because he knew or had intuited all this but refrained. “So I’ll continue to escort Gianna where she wants to go but I’ll make sure she understands if the hound is upset, we stop.”

“All right. Any other problems?” Jake asked, appearing to be mollified.

“No, nothing.” He decided not to mention the possibility of being tailed on the way to the spaceport. He had no proof and it seemed now as if he’d been hypervigilant.

Jake’s next remark startled him. “Apparently there is one conspiracy theorist on board. I’ll send you the record. We believe he chose to fly with us because we’re a sister ship—you probably encountered the space swill about insurance fraud and this being the Nebula Dream in disguise when you were doing your research. I hope he doesn’t know Gianna is on board but if he’s the nut case the file indicates, he probably knew she lives on Brumel Three.”

PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!

STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.

Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.

Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

Nov 21 2020

This is Not the Nebula Dream 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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020!

The excerpt: I’ve skipped ahead. Gianna and Trevor have arrived on the Nebula Zephyr. Gianna is taking a private tour of places on the ship which are similiar to areas of the Nebula Dream (the  sister ship which wrecked when she was a child). There’s been an incident…

Dr. Shane rushed down the corridor, Trevor’s boss right behind. “What happened?”

“Ms. Nadenoft fainted,” Trevor said, deciding not to add any details while they were in an open corridor.

Jake gave him a hard look but went to work clearing the curious bystanders out of the area while the doctor checked Gianna’s vital signs with her handheld. Gianna regained consciousness, a bit disoriented while the quick exam was going on. “I’d like to check you over more thoroughly in the sick bay,” Dr. Shane said in a soothing tone. “I think you might also be a bit dehydrated, which I can remedy easily enough.”

“All right, whatever you think, doctor.” Gianna seemed quite compliant and Trevor was glad he’d told her who the doctor was, in terms of being a famous war heroine with PTSD issues of her own.

She walked to the sickbay on her own, but with Trevor bracing her on one side and the hound leaning into her on the other. Emily took her into an exam room as soon as they arrived and Jake and Trevor went into the doctor’s office to confer.

“I’m not so sure this special tour of hers is a good idea,” Jake said frankly. “That was quite an incident just now. Thank the Lords of Space it didn’t happen in full view of other passengers. We want to make Gianna happy with her voyage but not at the expense of others.”

“She handled the beach deck fine and the bridge visit fine,” Trevor said stubbornly, determined to defend Gianna. “I have no idea what was so upsetting about a storeroom but I gotta tell you something weird was going on. I felt this bone chilling cold and I couldn’t get the damn door open to get her out.”

Exasperated, Jake stared at him. “This ship is not the Nebula Dream. It’s not haunted by the ghosts of whatever went on there….”

PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!

STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.

Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.

Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

**********************************************************************

VS: If you enjoyed my STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE in the Pets in Space 5 anthology and wanted more stories set on the Nebula Zephyr…here they are!

In order:

STAR CRUISE: OUTBREAK – She saved countless soldiers in the wars … but does she have the weapons to fight an outbreak?  Apple iBooks   Amazon     Kobo      Barnes & Noble  GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: STOWAWAY – Can the cargo master save a beautiful alien empath stowaway from the interstellar crime syndicate? (Appeared in Pets in Space 1) Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: SONGBIRD – Can there be a happily ever after for an interstellar rock star singer and the ship’s security officer assigned to guard her for a special cruise? My scifi rock star romance and one of my own personal most favorites! (Appeared in Pets in Space 2)     Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     B&N      GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER – Is she a fabled princess on the run or an imposter? A desperate dancer auditions for an opening in the ship’s Comettes dance troupe. My scifi take on the Anastasia legend, set in the far future… (Appeared in Pets in Space 3)  Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: IDOL’S CURSE – Can Juli the Cruise Director return the piece of an alien idol to its home before the ship is destroyed by the cursed rock? Can Third Officer Steve Aureli get between her and the escalating bad luck? Will their second attempt to kindle a romance succeed or will the curse affect that too? (Appeared in Pets in Space 4)

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook     GooglePlay

And if you’d like to see how Red and Meg met before they joined the Nebula Zephyr:

STAR CRUISE: MAROONED:  Inexplicably left behind by their cruise ship when it suddenly leaves orbit, can Red and Meg save their passengers and themselves? Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

Nov 14 2020

You’re A Natural 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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020!

The excerpt: I’ve skipped ahead. Gianna and Trevor have arrived on the Nebula Zephyr and are about to go from the landing deck to her cabin on Level A. Gianna is speaking to Juli, the Cruise Director.

“I want to take the crew gravlifts, not the passenger stairs or any other mode of internal transport.”

“Are you sure?” Juli asked, eyes wide. “There’s a certain amount of practice involved and the crew moves rapidly.”

Laughing, Gianna said, “It’s my favorite happy memory from the wreck, riding the antigrav. Of course I was utterly fearless as a kid. I probably didn’t realize anything could go wrong.”

Juli checked with Trevor and he nodded his approval. “The captain’s orders to me were to accommodate anything Ms. Nadenoft requested, short of affecting the ship’s operations.”

“Well then, fine with me.” As soon as they left the hangar deck, Juli led the way through the corridor to the crew gravlift tube and keyed the entry, which normally would only allow crew members to access the area. She stepped into the silvery stream and held her position a few feet above the platform, waiting for them.

Verlaine the Tajikkan Hound by Adrian

Wordlessly Gianna extended one hand to Trevor, who grasped her fingers firmly, taking charge of Verlaine’s leash with the other. The hound showed no hesitation and neither did she, entering the tube and rising rapidly with an exclamation of glee. “Oh yes, every bit as much fun as I remember!”

He relished the happy expression on her face and was glad the voyage was beginning on such a positive note. When they reached Level A, she stepped out of the tube with confidence and didn’t need even a moment to regain her balance. “You’re a natural all right,” he said to her.

VS Note: Of course the rest of the trip isn’t going to go as smoothly….

PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!

STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.

Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.

Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

**********************************************************************

VS: If you enjoyed my STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE in the Pets in Space 5 anthology and wanted more stories set on the Nebula Zephyr…here they are!

In order:

STAR CRUISE: OUTBREAK – She saved countless soldiers in the wars … but does she have the weapons to fight an outbreak?  Apple iBooks   Amazon     Kobo      Barnes & Noble  GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: STOWAWAY – Can the cargo master save a beautiful alien empath stowaway from the interstellar crime syndicate? (Appeared in Pets in Space 1) Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: SONGBIRD – Can there be a happily ever after for an interstellar rock star singer and the ship’s security officer assigned to guard her for a special cruise? My scifi rock star romance and one of my own personal most favorites! (Appeared in Pets in Space 2)     Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     B&N      GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER – Is she a fabled princess on the run or an imposter? A desperate dancer auditions for an opening in the ship’s Comettes dance troupe. My scifi take on the Anastasia legend, set in the far future… (Appeared in Pets in Space 3)  Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: IDOL’S CURSE – Can Juli the Cruise Director return the piece of an alien idol to its home before the ship is destroyed by the cursed rock? Can Third Officer Steve Aureli get between her and the escalating bad luck? Will their second attempt to kindle a romance succeed or will the curse affect that too? (Appeared in Pets in Space 4)

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook     GooglePlay

And if you’d like to see how Red and Meg met before they joined the Nebula Zephyr:

STAR CRUISE: MAROONED:  Inexplicably left behind by their cruise ship when it suddenly leaves orbit, can Red and Meg save their passengers and themselves? Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

 

Nov 7 2020

What do You Think? 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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020!

The excerpt: Trevor’s first meeting with Gianna at her family home. I’ve skipped ahead a bit from last week and Gianna is showing off her paintings:

“I have more than one painting going at any given time. My muse likes variety. She changes her mind by the hour as to what we’re going to paint. I have to build a lot of time in when I accept a commission, in case I get distracted.” Going to a large easel standing alone under the skylight, she yanked the cover off and pivoted. “What do you think?”

He thought he was mesmerized. Scarcely knowing what he was doing, he walked forward until he could have touched the nearly completed canvas, although of course he didn’t. It was an amazing abstract view, a nebula in deepest space, done in dark colors with pops of bright hues here and there. The scene transported him out of himself and he felt as if he was floating peacefully.

Eventually he realized he’d been silent for a long time and turned his head, looking for his companion. Her Tajikka hound was standing at his side, pressing against his leg, which was oddly comforting.  Trevor found himself stroking one ear, allowing the long silky fur to run through his fingers. “I’m sorry—I got lost in the painting. This is astonishing.”

“You’re good for my ego,” she said. She was curled up in a huge chair, ensconced among pink-and-green floral pillows and resembling the young girl in the old records. “I’d never painted but one day after we got home, I picked up a brush and drew all over the walls in my bedroom. Rather than being punished for it, I was given my first set of real brushes and canvasses and I’ve painted every single day since. My father used a couple of my paintings in his marketing materials and those generated inquiries. He had high end clients, Inner Sectors generational billionaires, planetary royalty and the like, so I launched right into a pool of people with tons of credits to burn. And of course, the fact of who I am, helps a little, even I must admit. ”

He shook his head. “The art is phenomenal. It has nothing to do with—with—”

“The wreck,” she said helpfully. “Although since technically we didn’t crash on a planet, it shouldn’t be classified as a wreck precisely but that’s what the media called it and the term stuck.”

PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!

STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.

Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.

Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

******************************************************************************

VS: I’ve picked HOSTAGE TO THE STARS for this week’s backlist book of mine. I was inspired by the recent SEAL Team 6 rescue of an American citizen held hostage overseas and when I wrote this novel, I was also inspired by other Special Forces rescues. The hero is Sectors Special Forces Sgt. Johnny Danver, who we first meet in MISSION TO MAHJUNDAR but the book is a standalone. He deserved his own story! He’s one of my most popular characters!

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?

Amazon      Apple Books       Kobo     Barnes & Noble      GooglePlay

 

Oct 31 2020

I Never Discuss 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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020!

The excerpt I’ve skipped ahead to Trevor’s first meeting with Gianna at her family home. she’s had refreshments served.:

He selected a cup of coffee and a small sandwich and sat. This was the strangest assignment he’d ever had. The longer he sat with her, the more peaceful he felt, however. The setting was beautiful and he had no responsibilities aside from being ready to escort Ms. Nadenoft if she decided to take the trip. Trevor was at a loss for how to broach the subject of the voyage but he wasn’t here on a social call. Duty nagged at him.

“I never discuss the events of my childhood,” she said suddenly, not in a challenging way but more as a flat statement of fact.

“All right.”

There was silence for a few more moments. He knew she was staring at him but he was watching a pair of incredibly fluffy ground rodents chasing each other in a highly amusing fashion, quarreling over a nut. “I don’t discuss my past either,” he said finally, meeting her gaze, “So I’d say we’re even. Now we’ve covered that, what shall we talk about? Your home here is quite lovely.”

“Yes, we’re even as far as what events we keep off limits. I like the concept. Of course now I’m curious to know what it is you don’t discuss. My history is unfortunately searchable and legendary, whether it should be or not.”

PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!

STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.

Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.

Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

*************************************************************************************************

VS Note: If you’ve been enjoying my STAR CRUISE Sectors stories, here are the alien empath spinoff titles (shown with STAR CRUISE STOWAWAY, which features Tyrelle. Her sister Mirielle, is the heroine of the second book and two of her fellow empaths feature in books 3 and 4. All are standalone, however.

STAR CRUISE: STOWAWAY – Can the cargo master save a beautiful alien empath stowaway from the interstellar crime syndicate? (Appeared in Pets in Space 1) Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

DANGER IN THE STARS: A prisoner of the interstellar crime syndicate, can she trust the mob enforcer who loves her? He’s got secrets of his own… (There might be a scene on the Nebula Zephyr, just sayin’. No spoilers.)  Amazon      Apple Books    Kobo     Barnes & Noble     Google

TWO AGAINST THE STARS: She’s escaped the crime syndicate and is in hiding as they hunt her down. Will she risk everything to help a trapped soldier? Amazon     Apple Books    Barnes & Noble  Kobo       Google

FATED STARS: She’s a tough mercenary with no time for foolish errands. But how can she resist risking everything for the alien empath prisoner who captures her heart? Amazon      Apple Books     Kobo     B&N     Google

Oct 24 2020

I Can’t Say Any More 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!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

Sharing excerpts from STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, my full length novel in the Pets In Space 5 anthology for 2020!

The excerpt, which continues on from last week and is from the beginning of the story. Trevor and the captain are discussing his new assignment to guard a special passenger. Picks up from last week. The captain is speaking. (Nick Jameson was the soldier who saved Gianna’s life as a child.)

“We’re trying to keep Gianna’s presence here with us a secret but you know how these things go. Newshounds and fanatics will find out. My understanding is she’s likely to suffer a PTSD incident or two while on board and I want an escort with her who knows what to do.”

And I have a lot of personal experience. Trevor drained the coffee, which had become tasteless to him. “Surely the doctor—”

Fleming cut him off. “Can’t be with her all the time.”

Trevor tried again. “Cryo sleep?”

“Ms. Nadenoft ruled out the cryo option. Many of those in the cryo unit of the Nebula Dream perished or became ill and Jameson saved the rest but she was left with a phobia about ever submitting herself to cryo.”

Sitting back, he tried a different approach. “Sir, may I ask why you’re so personally invested in this?”

“Fair enough question, lieutenant.” Fleming smiled. “I have some old friends, mutual friends with Jameson, who specifically requested me to make extra accommodations for Gianna.”

The Mellureans. He means the Mellureans. A chill ran up Trevor’s spine at the thought of the mysterious, ancient race. The Sectors was desperate to keep the all-powerful Mellureans as allies and any request the reclusive aliens made was granted without question. There’d been a small chance of asking them to help with his rehabilitation after he was rescued from the prison camp, but of course the aliens held themselves aloof from the rest of the galaxy and received thousands of requests all the time, so he’d never allowed his hopes to get very high. He’d done his best to handle his own issues.

“I can’t say any more right now.” Fleming set his mug aside and it was plain the meeting was over.

VS Note: But there’s always more, right?

PETS IN SPACE® 5 ANTHOLOGY BLURB:

It’s time for an escape! Pets in Space® 5 is back for the fifth amazing year! Escape to new worlds with twelve of today’s top Science Fiction Romance authors. They have written 12 original, never-before-released stories filled with action, adventure, suspense, humor, and romance that will take you out of this world. The giving doesn’t stop there. For the fifth year, Pets in Space® will be donating a portion of the first month proceeds to Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that supports our veterans and First Responders. If you are ready to forget the world around you and make a difference while you are having fun, grab your copy before it’s gone!

STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE blurb: Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three-year-old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to attempt to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.

Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic.

Onboard the Nebula Zephyr, powerful enemies are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship, or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from her last disastrous voyage?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

*********************************************************************************************

VS: If you enjoyed my STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE in the Pets in Space 5 anthology and wanted more stories set on the Nebula Zephyr…here they are!

In order:

STAR CRUISE: OUTBREAK – She saved countless soldiers in the wars … but does she have the weapons to fight an outbreak?  Apple iBooks   Amazon     Kobo      Barnes & Noble  GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: STOWAWAY – Can the cargo master save a beautiful alien empath stowaway from the interstellar crime syndicate? (Appeared in Pets in Space 1) Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: SONGBIRD – Can there be a happily ever after for an interstellar rock star singer and the ship’s security officer assigned to guard her for a special cruise? My scifi rock star romance and one of my own personal most favorites! (Appeared in Pets in Space 2)     Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     B&N      GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY DANCER – Is she a fabled princess on the run or an imposter? A desperate dancer auditions for an opening in the ship’s Comettes dance troupe. My scifi take on the Anastasia legend, set in the far future… (Appeared in Pets in Space 3)  Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

STAR CRUISE: IDOL’S CURSE – Can Juli the Cruise Director return the piece of an alien idol to its home before the ship is destroyed by the cursed rock? Can Third Officer Steve Aureli get between her and the escalating bad luck? Will their second attempt to kindle a romance succeed or will the curse affect that too? (Appeared in Pets in Space 4)

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook     GooglePlay

And if you’d like to see how Red and Meg met before they joined the Nebula Zephyr:

STAR CRUISE: MAROONED:  Inexplicably left behind by their cruise ship when it suddenly leaves orbit, can Red and Meg save their passengers and themselves? Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay