Edward Hoornaert's Blog, page 33

Pull down my pants! #mfrwhooks

[image error]

Time for another hook from Rescuing Prince Charming. Last week the heroine , Dusty Johnson, was searching alone for a time bomb hidden in the mechanical deck of an unfinished starship prototype, designed by alien Kwadrans.

The previous snippet ended, “She rounded a bank of gauges and saw the tunnel. But a man — or rather, a man’s legs — filled it like a cork in a champagne bottle. Apparently one brave guard valued duty over death.”

Her legs wobbled with relief. “Am I ever glad to see you.”

The tunnel muffled a baritone yelp of surprise. Then: “Take my pants off.”

Dusty blinked. “As pickup lines go, that one’s really bad.”

“An American female,” the guard groaned. “Spirits save me.”

“A Kwadran male with an attitude problem. God save me.”

“My pants are hooked on something, and I can’t reach back to remove them. Pull them down, and hurry. That’s an order.”

“You’re ordering me to strip you?” If she laughed, she’d tumble head-first into hysteria. She held herself to a nervous chuckle, instead.

“I am in no mood for American truculence,” he said impatiently. “I’m staring at an Adidas shoe box jammed between wire harnesses.”

Her chuckle died a gasping death. “The bomb?”

“Pull down my pants!”

“Yes, darling.”

I gotta admit, I love this meet-cute.

Be sure to check out the hooks by other great writers in the Book Hooks blog hop.

Rescuing Prince Charming

She’s no heroine. He’s no Prince Charming.

Not exactly the pair you’d choose to defend Earth’s first starship, right?

[image error]Dusty Johnson, a self-styled ordinary, everyday woman, responds with extraordinary heroism when saboteurs try to bomb the prototype of Earth’s first starship. She wants to return to anonymity, but that burst of courage propels her ever deeper into dangers that tear the scabs off her dark past — and thrust her into the arms of the unattainable man of her dreams.

Reese Eaglesbrood, an alien prince, yearns to restore his tattered reputation by guiding the starship project to completion, but his fascination with the unassuming heroine threatens to undermine his fragile authority. Shunning Dusty is necessary, yet unthinkable — and when the saboteurs strike again, she may be his only ally against Earth’s most elusive enemies.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iTunes
Kobo Books
Smashwords

Effing Feline says Bah humbug! #wewriwa

[image error]

I, Effing Feline, hate all the many excuses humans make for humiliating cats. That’s why I say to the Easter holiday, “Bah, humbug!”

In Constellation XXI, Sienna Dukelsky captains a tugship, outer space’s answer to a tugboat. She is guiding an incoming ship captained by Crispin Hunt, her first and best lover. Last week, she flared into fury when he mentions the child they almost had. Instead of discussing it, she sends him away (thus allowing the author to streeetch out the tension).

“You stink, Hunt. Get off my bridge and take a shower.”

“I’ll go back to my ship for a shower and change of clothes, if it’s okay with you. Your ’fresher is uncomfortably small, and I don’t have any clothes here.”

“Permission denied,” she said petulantly.

“Kind of contradicting yourself, aren’t you?”

Yes, but pointing it out only made her more stubborn.

When he was gone, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and searched for balance. It was wildly, totally unfair of him to mention the short pregnancy that had been the beginning of the end of their relationship. The usual mantras had no effect — at first she couldn’t even remember all the words, though memorization was her strength — but she eventually calmed herself.

Effing Feline here again. I hate Easter because of a humiliating, horrifying photo Ed took of me last year. I know you all agree that it’s the most disgusting sight you’ve ever seen!

[image error]

Be sure to visit the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

[image error]

Constellation XXI

Rediscovering Love at the Worst Possible Time

[image error]

When her tugship inexplicably loses power while aimed straight at her space station home, Sienna Dukelsky tries frantically to get her ship working in time. But can she cooperate with Crispin Hunt, a former lover she’d once betrayed, to create a way to regain control before the ship kills thousands?

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Smashwords

Like a cork in a champagne bottle #mfrwhooks

[image error]

Time for another hook from Rescuing Prince Charming, a near-future science fiction romance. Last week we met the heroine of the piece, Dusty Johnson, as she searched alone for a time bomb hidden in the mechanical deck of an unfinished starship prototype. She is a meek technical writer who believes in the starship project so fiercely she’s willing to risk her life.

The previous snippet ended with She spied a cheap plastic lunch kit. Oh, God. The bomb?

Blood thumped in her ears. Hoping it wasn’t the last thing she ever did, she opened the lid with shaky hands.

Two empty wrappers smelled of fish and chips. No bomb.

She jerked her hand away and pressed it to her chest as though to keep her heart from leaping out to freedom. She’d been plenty brave. She could, in good conscience, leave. Right?

“No,” she moaned.

To reach the second hiding place, she zigzagged to the very back of the mechanical deck and climbed a ladder to the top of Lontreau Engine number one. The alien-designed engine would hop the ship instantaneously across the galaxy—if everything worked perfectly. Its metal casing, as big as a room, hummed and vibrated as though filled with demons impatient to claw her soul to perdition.

Ducking her head because of the low ceiling, she headed toward the engine’s far end. Unexpectedly large equipment had turned a passage into a tunnel just big enough to crawl through; the tunnel led to a closet-sized opening walled with massive wire harnesses. That was where she’d plant a bomb, if she were a saboteur.

She rounded a bank of gauges and saw the tunnel. But a man—or rather, a man’s legs—filled it like a cork in a champagne bottle. Apparently one brave guard valued duty over death.

Be sure to check out the hooks by other great writers in the Book Hooks blog hop.

Rescuing Prince Charming

She’s no heroine. He’s no Prince Charming.

Not exactly the pair you’d choose to defend Earth’s first starship, right?

[image error]Dusty Johnson, a self-styled ordinary, everyday woman, responds with extraordinary heroism when saboteurs try to bomb the prototype of Earth’s first starship. She wants to return to anonymity, but that burst of courage propels her ever deeper into dangers that tear the scabs off her dark past — and thrust her into the arms of the unattainable man of her dreams.

Reese Eaglesbrood, an alien prince, yearns to restore his tattered reputation by guiding the starship project to completion, but his fascination with the unassuming heroine threatens to undermine his fragile authority. Shunning Dusty is necessary, yet unthinkable — and when the saboteurs strike again, she may be his only ally against Earth’s most elusive enemies.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iTunes
Kobo Books
Smashwords

Effing Feline, therapy animal #wewriwa

[image error]

I, Effing Feline, am a great therapy animal. It’s not something I do all the time, of course — I’m far too busy for that, what with writing, blogging, and napping — but we cats love it when our pet humans are under the weather. Their laps remain stationary for longer than usual so we can stretch out and sleep without fear our human radiators will disturb us.

In today’s snippet, Sienna Dukelsky captains a tugship, outer space’s answer to a tugboat. She is guiding an incoming ship captained by Crispin Hunt, her first and best lover. She had parted with him years ago under circumstances that still caused insomnia and guilty tears. Skipping ahead, here’s an exchange that hints at some of their history.

When she was done, he flexed his shoulders and arms while she tried not to notice his torso, which was even more muscular than in the past. He must spend a lot of time in his ship’s gym. By accident, their gazes met. She wanted to turn away, but couldn’t.

His face softened and so did his voice. “Our kid would’ve been what now — six, seven?”

“How dare you bring that up.” Gritting her teeth, she jerked away from him. “How dare you!”

“It’s so hard to know about dates and ages when you’re in and out of hyperspace.”

Effing Feline here again. I mention my prodigious skill as a therapy animal because Mr V is a bit under the weather. I’m doing my best to get him well . . . which of course involves doing what I most love to do, and which I’m better at than every creature who has every lived.

Sleeping!

Be sure to visit the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

[image error]

Constellation XXI

Rediscovering Love at the Worst Possible Time

[image error]

When her tugship inexplicably loses power while aimed straight at her space station home, Sienna Dukelsky tries frantically to get her ship working in time. But can she cooperate with Crispin Hunt, a former lover she’d once betrayed, to create a way to regain control before the ship kills thousands?

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Smashwords

Her skirt survived unscathed #mfrwhooks

[image error]

A brief hiatus, I’m back with a hook from Rescuing Prince Charming, a near-future science fiction romance. Without further ado, I hereby present the very opening of the book for your reading delectation.

Dusty Johnson really didn’t want to do this.

She took a deep breath, trying without success to dispel the dread clogging her belly. Some women daydreamed of rescuing princes from dragons. Not her.

Yet here she was, all alone, creeping through the dark guts of the half-built starship, searching for a time bomb about to explode. If the siren ordering evacuation of the research facility had summoned the expected herd of guards, she would’ve offered advice then fled with the rest of the staff. Having come this far, though, she couldn’t leave without branding herself a coward in her own eyes.

And so Dusty wove her way timidly around machinery that smelled of oil and ozone. Nothing was neat and tidy down here; in a prototype, speed and ingenuity trumped meticulous design. Everything was makeshift, a giant kludge sprawling through three-thousand cubic yards. That meant a lot of places for saboteurs to hide a bomb, but only two where technicians wouldn’t discover it in the course of a workday.

The first hiding place was a niche behind the backup life support nexus. Staring into its shadows, she paused. A heroine wouldn’t hesitate, but an ordinary, everyday woman would think twice about squeezing into a dirty cranny while wearing a new, cream-colored chambray skirt with filigree trim.

Maybe she should just walk away.

Or run.

But there was no one else around to save the ship, and reaching the stars was her dream…

Imagining she was watching a movie heroine who’d never had a second thought in her life, Dusty slipped between a girder and the grease-streaked life support housing. When her skirt survived unscathed, she felt an instant’s relief—

Until she spied a cheap plastic lunch kit. Oh, God. The bomb?

If this were flash fiction, the lunch kit would explode — end of story and roll the credits. But it’s a novel, so be still your beating hearts.

Be sure to check out the hooks by other great writers in the Book Hooks blog hop.

Rescuing Prince Charming

She’s no heroine. He’s no Prince Charming.

Not exactly the pair you’d choose to defend Earth’s first starship, right?

[image error]Dusty Johnson, a self-styled ordinary, everyday woman, responds with extraordinary heroism when saboteurs try to bomb the prototype of Earth’s first starship. She wants to return to anonymity, but that burst of courage propels her ever deeper into dangers that tear the scabs off her dark past — and thrust her into the arms of the unattainable man of her dreams.

Reese Eaglesbrood, an alien prince, yearns to restore his tattered reputation by guiding the starship project to completion, but his fascination with the unassuming heroine threatens to undermine his fragile authority. Shunning Dusty is necessary, yet unthinkable — and when the saboteurs strike again, she may be his only ally against Earth’s most elusive enemies.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iTunes
Kobo Books
Smashwords

Effing Feline loves music #wewriwa

[image error]

I, Effing Feline, love music. I didn’t used to, because frankly Mr V’s oboe is way too loud for a sensitive cat like moi. (I love that word moi. It sounds so much like meow.)

What changed my mind? My rival, Twiggles the dog, actually takes music lessons — that what Mr V calls it when she curls up at his feet as he practices. (Dogs are weird, but then everyone knows that.) Mr and Mrs V think that is so cute that I decided I had to horn in on the attention the dog gets, so I no long shriek in terror when he plays. The oboe is fine, so long as it’s at one end of the house and I’m at the other.

Sienna Dukelsky captains a tugship, outer space’s answer to a tugboat. She has just matched speed with an incoming ship captained by Crispin Hunt, her first and best lover; she had parted with him years ago under circumstances that still caused insomnia and guilty tears — but he doesn’t know that she had betrayed him and played a part in getting him expelled from the flight academy for cheating, even though he was innocent.

Over the years, he’d tried to figure out his mysterious, compelling attraction to her, but failed. So why had he left her?

Because he hadn’t had a choice, that’s why.

But he could’ve tried to contact her. Instead, he’d waited for her to contact him in case she was willing to risk consorting with a convicted cheat. She hadn’t, so he’d shrugged and gone on to his next conquest…who was no Sienna.

After his parents bought him a ship and told him to please get the hell out of their hair, he still sometimes pondered her unique attraction. The closest he’d come to an answer was to ask if he loved her. But he had shied away from the question. It would lead to other questions, like was he worthy of being loved, or capable of loving anyone other than himself. Sienna had always disturbed him, as well as aroused him.

Effing Feline here again. I not only love music, I’m a great singer. Would you like to hear me sing?

Be sure to visit the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

[image error]

Constellation XXI

Rediscovering Love at the Worst Possible Time

[image error]

When her tugship inexplicably loses power while aimed straight at her space station home, Sienna Dukelsky tries frantically to get her ship working in time. But can she cooperate with Crispin Hunt, a former lover she’d once betrayed, to create a way to regain control before the ship kills thousands?

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Smashwords

Effing Feline “ties” one on #wewriwa

[image error]

I, Effing Feline, am no ordinary cat . . .  but then anyone with any sense must realize that immediately. How many cats are able to blog? But let me tell you, in case you didn’t already know, that my fame and glory have spread around the globe. I’ll tell you about my latest accolade after this word from our sponsor, Ed (aka Mr Valentine).

Sienna Dukelsky captains a tugship, outer space’s answer to a tugboat. She has just matched speed with an incoming ship captained by Crispin Hunt, her first and best lover; she had parted with him years ago under circumstances that still caused insomnia and guilty tears — but he doesn’t know that she had betrayed him. Here’s his POV.

The crease in Sienna’s brow brought back feelings Crispin had thought were only midnight dreams. Someone else might not recognize her expression as a frown, it was so slight a window into her emotions, but unless she’d changed — a distinct possibility; look how Fate had shoved him in unexpected directions — her guts were twisted with insecurities.

But she seemed so very calm, and her shyness was no longer the first thing a person would notice about her. Had she learned to believe in herself? He hoped so; she deserved a world of self-confidence.

But even if she’d changed, one thing hadn’t. He wanted to wrap his arms around her slender yet padded body and protect her. She was so tiny, so vulnerable, like the first flower of spring easily crushed under a boot heel. Piloting a tugship was important work, but you never got to go anywhere. He hoped the job wouldn’t stifle her soul, though he wouldn’t bet on it.

Effing Feline here again. Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for — my big reveal! Little old me, the greatest cat in the universe, have been featured by a former Weekend Writing Warrior who blogs from Thailand. The Truth about Effing Feline – #SciFi #Romance #Humor #Ailurophile

Thailand is the home of Siamese cats. I don’t know where it is, but I’m sure it’s a really really huge and important country! If you have the time, would you help me out by entering Thailand’s number in a comment?

[image error]

 

Be sure to visit the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

[image error]

Constellation XXI

Rediscovering Love at the Worst Possible Time

[image error]

When her tugship inexplicably loses power while aimed straight at her space station home, Sienna Dukelsky tries frantically to get her ship working in time. But can she cooperate with Crispin Hunt, a former lover she’d once betrayed, to create a way to regain control before the ship kills thousands?

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Smashwords

Effing Feline feels no guilt #wewriwa

[image error]

I, Effing Feline, chose this week’s snippet only because Ed, aka Mr Valentine, says it’s crucial to understanding the heroine of Constellation XXI. Personally, though, I don’t understand it at all.

Guilt? What the dogfart is that? To quote a famous cat (who really wrote those plays), guilt is “but a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the page and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot.” (If the shoe fits, Mr V . . .)

Sienna Dukelsky captains a tugship, outer space’s answer to a tugboat. She has just matched speed with an incoming ship captained by Crispin Hunt, her first and best lover; she had parted with him years ago under circumstances that still caused insomnia and guilty tears.

But when she finally sees her again, he hugs her like a long-lost love. The final lines last week were: He didn’t know what she’d done to him, then. He didn’t know!

If she’d thought about it, she would’ve guessed discovery was the worst possible thing that could happen. Even as a girl, she’d feared having her little misdeeds come to light.

Her siblings were at least ten years older and they seemed perfect. They could run faster, stay up later, think quicker, eat without spilling, get every schoolwork question right — and for a perfectionist-in-the-making, that was intolerable. They never wet the bed, or left their clothes on the floor, or hid half-chewed stringcorn under the rim of their plates.

If no one said anything about Sienna’s stringcorn, she felt as perfect as the big kids who always ate their stringcorn even it if was slimy. But if her misdeeds surfaced —

And now, if Crispin spoke of her gravest misdeed — worse than anything a decent woman would even contemplate — or if he hinted that knew she’d gotten him expelled from the academy, she might have a heart attack and die. Or at least want to.

But didn’t she wish that already, sometimes?

Effing Feline here again. Okay, now I sort of understand where this woman is coming from. Getting in trouble is something that any cat not as brave as I am can understand.

Guilt, though? Ridiculous! Do anything you can get away with, that’s the Feline Motto!

Be sure to visit the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday.

[image error]

Constellation XXI

Rediscovering Love at the Worst Possible Time

[image error]

When her tugship inexplicably loses power while aimed straight at her space station home, Sienna Dukelsky tries frantically to get her ship working in time. But can she cooperate with Crispin Hunt, a former lover she’d once betrayed, to create a way to regain control before the ship kills thousands?

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Smashwords

Don’t think about him at all #mfrwhooks

[image error]

Another hook from Constellation XXI, my latest sci-fi romance.

Sienna Dukelsky is a tugship pilot whose job is to guide incoming spaceships to a safe harbor at the space station orbiting her home world. Her first-ever incoming ship is piloted by none other than Crispin Hunt, her first and best lover from years ago. But she carries a dark secret about him. He is her deepest shame, her most powerful guilt.

But as his ship approaches hers, she tries not to think of all that. Tries to remain professional.

The star-like dot that was Crispin grew larger with scary urgency. But she wasn’t scared, surprisingly. This marvelous piece of machinery made her feel powerful enough to deal with Crispin Hunt, no matter how much he hated her.

Well, almost powerful enough.

For several hours, she ran through the steps flawlessly, anchoring Constellation XXI alongside at a distance of three-hundred yards and attaching a boarding snake to its airlock. Perfect.

“Step thirty one,” she said to herself. “Test to ensure the snake between ships is airtight.”

On Constellation XXI, Crispin — no, she should think of him as Captain Hunt; more impersonal — would be performing similar tests, unless spacing the border planets had made him forget the academy’s rigorous training.

Better yet, don’t think about him at all.

The snake was airtight, check and double-check. Think about that, instead. “Step thirty-two: populate the snake with air.” She waited, imagining the hiss of air and the smell of ozone. The timer on her visor ticked off the seconds.

Ninety.

Ninety-one.

Ninety-two.

Ninety-three.

Done.

And then there was nothing more to do. Nothing, except wait for her airlock to open for the traditional salute to the other ship’s captain.

Who happened to be Crispin. Chip. Her Chip. Her greatest guilt. Greatest regret.

No, no, no. Not Chip, Captain Hunt.

Be sure to check out the hooks by other great writers in the Book Hooks blog hop.

Constellation XXI

Rediscovering Love at the Worst Possible Time

[image error]Although Sienna Dukelsky had been the most promising student pilot at Keening AstroSpace Academy, she inexplicably settles for a routine, unglamorous job guiding incoming spaceships to safe berths at Farflung Space Station. Rumors blamed her startling decision on heartbreak after Crispin Hunt, the love of her life, got expelled.

Approaching Farflung years several later, Crispin’s freighter is met by Sienna’s tugship. Love rekindles, though dampened by old betrayals. And when her ship loses power while aimed straight at the space station, Sienna must confront astonishing secrets about Crispin and his cargo—secrets that make hers the most important job in the galaxy.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Smashwords

Effing Feline hunts #wewriwa

[image error]

I, Effing Feline, made a fascinating discovery when Ed, my pet human, moved the bed where he and Mrs Valentine sleep. There are things to hunt under there!

For a mighty hunter like me, this is a world-shaking discovery. Our house has no mice — I’ve never even seen a real mouse — so unfortunately I’ve never been able to demonstrate my world-class  hunting skills. At last, I have prey worthy of me! I will spend all my time slaying my vicious, dastardly foes!

In Ed’s latest sci fi romance, Sienna Dukelsky captains a tugship, outer space’s answer to a tugboat. She matched speed with an incoming ship captained by Crispin Hunt, her first and best lover; she had parted with him under painful circumstances. Now comes the moment she dreads: meeting him face to face.

She quickly lowered her arm and then raised it again to salute him. Bracing herself, she prepared to face her fate with dignity, because she deserved anything he might do. “Captain Hunt, despite our past differences, I must insist –”

“Sienna,” he cried as he reached her. He flung his arms around her and drew her into a full-body hug.

Yes, she deserved anything he might do — except embrace her like the long-lost love of his life. His body felt familiar, painfully so, and her flesh remembered only passion, not dread, not guilt. He swung her off her feet, sending her beret fluttering to the deck, and when he planted a hand on her bottom, her eyes went wide.

He didn’t know what she’d done to him, then.

He didn’t know!

Effing Feline here again. I simply must share with you a picture of my kills. If you have a weak stomach, look no further at the carnage that I, the mighty hunter, have wreaked!

[image error]

Be sure to check out the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday. But do it quietly so you don’t wake him!)

[image error]

Constellation XXI

Rediscovering Love at the Worst Possible Time

[image error]

Although Sienna Dukelsky had been the most promising student pilot at Keening AstroSpace Academy, she inexplicably settles for a routine, unglamorous job guiding incoming spaceships to safe berths at Farflung Space Station. Rumors blamed her startling decision on heartbreak after Crispin Hunt, the love of her life, got expelled.

Approaching Farflung years several later, Crispin’s freighter is met by Sienna’s tugship. Love rekindles, though dampened by old betrayals. And when her ship loses power while aimed straight at the space station, Sienna must confront astonishing secrets about Crispin and his cargo—secrets that make hers the most important job in the galaxy.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Smashwords