Edward Hoornaert's Blog, page 36

A cover, a blurb and a constellation #mfrwhooks

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Happy belated New Year!

I’m back after a hiatus for the holidays. All four of my children came home to Arizona for Christmas, even the ones in Toronto and Amsterdam. Great times! But now back to everyday life . . . sigh. (Nothing personal about that sigh.)

Today’s hook isn’t a snippet, but rather a cover reveal and a blurb reveal for Constellation XXI, my upcoming Valentine’s Day science fiction romance release.

First the blurb:

Rediscovering Love at the Worst Possible Time

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, never verified, blamed her surprising decision on heartbreak after the love of her life got expelled from Keening.

Fleeing enemies, Crispin Hunt encounters a tugship captained by Sienna, his former girlfriend. Love blazes again . . . until an old betrayal threatens her heart. When her ship loses power while aimed straight at the space station, Sienna must confront astonishing secrets about Crispin and his cargo — secrets that turn her routine job into one of the most important in the entire galaxy.

Edward Hoornaert’s romantic space opera, Constellation XXI, continues the saga of the Dukelsky family begun in The Guardian Angel of Farflung Station and Escapee.

Then the cover (with many thanks to Sweet ’N Spicy Designs):

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I have an aversion to naked male torsos on book covers, so this nude shoulder is the closest my fans are going to get. If you have any comments or suggestions please let me know — there’s still time to tweak, you know.

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

A cover and a blurb

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Happy belated New Year!

I’m back after a hiatus for the holidays. All four of my children came home to Arizona for Christmas, even the ones in Toronto and Amsterdam. Great times! But now back to everyday life . . . sigh. (Nothing personal about that sigh!)

Today’s hook isn’t a snippet, but rather a cover reveal and a blurb reveal for Constellation XXI, my upcoming Valentine’s Day science fiction romance release.

First the blurb:

Rediscovering love at the worst possible time

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, never verified, blamed her surprising decision on a boyfriend who got expelled from Keening.

Crispin Hunt, fleeing enemy forces, is greeted by a tugship captained by Sienna, his former girlfriend. Love rekindles — until an old betrayal boils to the surface. Her ship loses power while aimed straight at the space station, forcing Sienna to confront the terrifying truth about Crispin and his cargo . . . and her routine job suddenly becomes one of the most important in the galaxy.

Edward Hoornaert’s romantic space opera, Constellation XXI, continues the saga of the Dukelsky family begun in The Guardian Angel of Farflung Station and Escapee.

Then the cover (with many thanks to Sweet ’N Spicy Designs):

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I have an aversion to naked male torsos on book cover, so this nude shoulder is the closest my fans are going to get. If you have any comments or suggestions please let me know — there’s still time to tweak, you know.

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

Effing Feline chortles #wewriwa

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[image error]I, Effing Feline, have found the perfect painting of Twiggles the Dog, my sometimes friend and always nemesis.

For comparison purposes, at right is a photo of the dumb dog admiring one of the grandchildren. She looks sweet, right? Well, the camera lies! Below is the truth — a cat’s eye view of Twiggles the Dog!

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Today’s snippet from Ed’s upcoming sci fi romance, Constellation XXI, picks up from where last week’s left off. Sienna Dukelsky is a young starship pilot on her first solo flight on a tugship. Tugships, like tugboats, are a key part of traffic control around Farflung Space Station; they guide incoming spaceships to safe berths without  crashing into the station or other spacecraft.

But things get complicated when an incoming ship is piloted by none other than her first, best lover, Crispin Hunt — a lover she had hurt and betrayed. Here is the final line from last week: Now he was here, on this very ship, trailing rainbow memories that seduced her senses and shrouded her brain as powerfully as the shielding on the ship’s reactors.

It was no surprise, then, that Sienna’s first coherent thought, post-ship-death, was that Crispin had turned off the lights on the bridge to sneak up and throw his arms around her like old times and then —

No. The past was ashes. Love was just a cruel ghost. She had murdered it.

Her second thought when the ship died, a nanosecond after the first, forced a black scowl that banished all color.

Sergeant Vallant. The marine must be hazing her again for no better reason than she was a rookie from a rich and famous family, though a humble twig of the family tree. But how dare Vallant mess with the ship! Turning off lights and artificial gravity was surely a court-martial offense.

Effing Feline here again. It sounds to me like Sergeant Vallant will be Sienna’s antagonist, just like Twiggles is mine. And speaking of Twiggles, that painting captures the essence of dogdom but with one thing wrong. The dog has a tail. Twiggles doesn’t. Who ever heard of a dog without a tail to wag? Ha ha ha!

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

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Constellation XXI

Rediscovering love at the worst possible time

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Although Sienna Dukelsky had been the most promising pilot at the astroSpace academy, she inexplicably settles for a routine, unglamorous job guiding incoming spaceships to safe berths at Farflung Space Station. Rumors, never verified, blamed her surprising decision on trouble with a boyfriend who got expelled from the academy.

Crispin Hunt, fleeing enemy forces, is greeted by a tugship captained by his old girlfriend, Sienna. As they approach Farflung, love rekindles . . . until an old betrayal bubbles to the surface. After her ship loses power while aimed right at the space station, Sienna discovers the dangerous truth about Crispin’s cargo — making her routine job the most important in the entire galaxy.

Edward Hoornaert’s romantic space opera, Constellation XXI, continues the saga of the Dukelsky family begun in The Guardian Angel of Farflung Station and Escapee.

Effing Feline gets ripped off #wewriwa

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I, Effing Feline, have been ripped off. Taken advantage of! Lied to!

This is 2019 — a brand new year, or so they say. Yet my broken dew claw is still broken, just like last year. What the hissy growl is up with that?!? I’m supposed to be brand new and as fit as a kitten!!!

New year, new book . . . but I tell you, starting a new book is nowhere near as important as get a new dew claw! Anyway (grumble, hiss) here’s the opening of Constellation XXI, book three in Ed’s Repelling the Invasion series. As though I care — and I’m sure you feel the same way!

She didn’t do it.

Couldn’t have. There was simply no way.

The whole thing was impossible.

Nonetheless, guilt slammed Captain Sienna Dukelsky as hard as ramming her ship nose-first into an asteroid—because at the instant the ship died, she was indulging in erotic daydreams of the glorious year she’d spent with Crispin at the Keening AstroSpace Academy.

Through him, she’d learned that happiness could transcend all boundaries. Learned her life up to them had been sepia compared to the astonishing crimsons, shimmering golds, psychedelic greens, and black velvet nights that love had revealed. He was her first lover, so she’d naively assumed passion might one day deliver another such life-changing fulfillment. But there were no second chances for undeserving women, and after Crispin, sex wasn’t even sepia, but monochrome.

Now he was here, on this very ship, trailing rainbow memories that seduced her senses and shrouded her brain as powerfully as the shielding on the ship’s reactors.

Effing Feline here again. Here’s the proof of what I said about my dew claw:

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Pity  me. Oh, woe is me. Lousy new year. Absolutely lousy — and my head still throbs from New Year’s Eve.

Be sure to check out the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday. But if any of their cats still have dew claws, DON’T TELL ME!!!!

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For just a few days, Escapee, book 2 in Ed’s Repelling the Invasion series is priced at 99c as part of Patty Jansen’s monthly group promotion. Don’t worry about Escapee being book 2 — it stands alone, and is just as good an entry into the series as book 1 is.

Escapee is listed under Science Fiction Romance, right next to our own Aurora Springer’s The Lady is Blue. Weekend Warrior Amy Braun’s Crimson Sky is in there too, so really, you need to check out this promotion. Think how guilty, culpable, remorseful, and blameworthy  (yes, I used Word’s thesaurus) you’ll feel if you don’t. Not that I’m trying to lay a guilt trip on you or anything. 

Effing Feline say “woo hoo!” #wewriwa

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I, Effing Feline, look forward to leaving dusty old 2018. I’m allergic to dust and Mr Valentine, my pet human says dust makes me sneeze in the cutest little way. A majestic feline like me hates doing anything in a little way.

But there’s another reason I look forward to the new year. Stay tuned and I’ll tell you after this word from our sponsor.

Brace yourselves, folks and pull out your hankies, because this is the last snippet — the very last — from Ed’s recently released sci fi romance, Escapee. So use that hankie to wipe away your tears at that sad thought. Or blow your nose — whatever. Here is why Catt agrees to fly Hank on a suicide mission to attack the invader’s HQ. Edited to fit the guidelines.

Catt took a deep breath, the kind she used to take before skinny dipping into a cold lagoon, and spoke in a brusque voice. “I’ll take you to Norquay, or die trying. Uh, I guess I shouldn’t have tacked on those last few words. What I’m trying to say is, I’ve always responded to injustice by running away from it, but maybe I should take a stand. You know, fight a righteous war. Good against evil.”

“Or die trying?”

“Mere existence is overrated. A person has to have something to live for, and for me, it’s been keeping this tub flying and supporting my mother and sister. With no one to carry supplies to or buy fuel from, I won’t be able to do either. I’m not a hero or anything, but it’s just that . . . well, I guess I need a new goal in life.”

Effing Feline here again. I said I’d tell you the other reason I’m looking forward to 2019. You see, all year long I’ve been stashing bits of catnip when Ed wasn’t looking — and since he’s nursing a broken rib, he won’t be able to move fast enough to keep me from indulging. Come New Year’s Eve, I’m gonna get smashed. Or, as us cats say, CLAWED! Woo hoo!

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

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Escapee

Book 2 in the Repelling the Invasion series

[image error]Catt Sayer just wants to survive.  The working-class fugitive delivers military supplies on a decrepit airship, but her hard-won livelihood vanishes when invaders overrun her harsh moon. Even worse, an idealistic, upper-class officer wants her to risk her life on a hopeless trek to attack enemy headquarters – manned by 10,000 soldiers.

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Effing Feline sits on Buddha’s lap #wewriwa

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I, Effing Feline, love the extra laps that Christmas brings. Ed’s children have come home for Christmas from Toronto (2 of them) and Amsterdam, traveling over 10,000 miles one way just to let me sit on their laps. I heartily approved — and I’m a connoisseur of the very finest of human laps!

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Today is the next to last snippet from Ed’s recently released sci fi romance novel, Escapee. 

The lone army survivor of an enemy invasion, Captain Dukelsky, wants Catt to fly her airship to the far side of the moon to attack the enemy’s base. To avoid this suicide mission, she jettisons the cannon he planned to use for the attack. The man of action has no actions left, and thus no purpose. He withdraws into himself — and that affects her deeply. But during the middle of the night, he finally opens up about his deeper reason for wanting to fight the invaders. (Edited slightly from the published version.)

[image error]“I need to strike a meaningful blow against the enemy, because this is something I’ve wanted for years now without quite realizing it.”

She answered slowly, not sure she could bear to hear this: “What was it you wanted?”

“A righteous war.”

“I don’t understand.” Why’d she say that? She didn’t want to know, didn’t want to learn about him so he became more than a stick figure, a symbol of every patroon who had made her family’s life miserable.

“My parents and grandparents and great-grandparents were all soldiers, and along with my mother’s milk, I drank in the glory of duty. But the thing is, duty isn’t all glory. When you’re a soldier, the cause you serve is chosen by politicians and senior officers for reasons of policy, not morality. Until the Proxies invaded, I was supporting Banff’s big mining companies, not defending the homeland or fighting for good over evil.”

Effing Feline here again. I’ve gotta hurry away now. So many laps to purr on, so little time!

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

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Effing Feline’s holiday wishes to one and all:
“Merry Christmas and bah humbug.

Now get this stupid hat off me!” 

 

What am I reading? (December 2018)

What is this writer reading?
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Effing Feline, the author’s alter ego. Or is it the other way around?

The answer to that question is “Not nearly as much as I’d like to” because the holiday season gobbles up so much time. I’m not complaining, though, because Christmas is the one time that my whole clan gathers in Arizona. Beth and family live close by, but Chris and Brett live in Toronto and Scott lives in Amsterdam. Needless to say, Judi and I are delighted to see them all, and we appreciate the tens of thousands of air miles required for the annual reunion.

But all of this has nothing to do with what I’m reading. As usual, I’m reading more than one book at a time.

[image error] The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. This is the final book in Pullman’s wildly popular His Dark Materials Trilogy. I read them all many years ago, but I’m one of those people who rereads books that appeal to me. Last week I finished book two, The Subtle Knife, and though I didn’t remember much of the story, a couple of scenes stood out like shining beacons.

Back when I originally read the book, a friend and I agreed that it contained a chapter that was among the best we’d ever read — but we chose different chapters. Pam Keyes, author of The Jumbee (highly recommended!), felt that chapter nine, Theft, was beyond compare. My vote was for chapter fourteen, Alamo Gulch.

[image error] Damn Fine Story, by Chuck Wendig. The irrepressible Mr. Wendig tones down his habitual vulgarity in this craft book about the art of storytelling. I’m only on page 45, so I can give you only my initial impression: it’s entertaining, but so far I haven’t gleaned much to improve my ability to spin gripping tales. Maybe the next chapter will turn me into a genius? One can always hope, eh?

 

Effing Feline keeps it simple

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I, Effing Feline, am going to keep this holiday season simple — and the Simple Truth is that Christmas is for cats. Here’s proof:

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In Mr. Valentine’s recently released sci fi romance novel, Escapee, enemies have invaded the mining moon where Catt Sayer, a civilian pilot, makes her living flying supplies on a decrepit airship. A lone survivor, Captain Dukelsky, who wants her to fly her airship to the far side of the moon to attack the enemy’s base.

To avoid this suicide mission, Catt jettisons the cannon he planned to use for the attack — thus killing the last military option he had. He’s totally dependent on Catt’s hospitality and piloting skill; his only alternative is to leave the airship for the moon’s unbreathable air. The man of action has no actions left, and thus no purpose. He withdraws into himself — and that affects her deeply.

If he’d argued or ranted, the anger he roused would’ve insulated her from her own guilt, but silence . . . ah, silence was much worse. Silence gave her time to think. To realize the enormity of what she’d done. To make her wonder if she would ever grow up enough to stop rebelling against patroons. To wallow in the realization she was no longer the innocent party, put upon to do the impossible. She was now the wrongdoer.

She wanted him to speak so she could answer and explain herself, yet she dreaded what he’d say — and so she avoided him, doubling the unlikelihood of them talking out their concerns. They existed in separate bubbles of silence, sharing only the air they breathed, more isolated than if they existed on separate planets.

Night came. Darkness swathed the cabin, thanks to the howling storm. But even in the dark, she imagined his gaze boring into the vulnerable tissues of her heart.

Effing Feline here again. It’s disgraceful, really, how cats got edited out of the Christmas story. Cows, sheep . . . sure they were there — but what about the cats who kept mice from taking over the animals food? CATS WERE THERE! Furthermore, a tabby brought frankincense for the baby, a Siamese brought gold, and a manx brought gold. It’s the Simple Truth. Just ask your own cat!

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

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Escapee

Book 2 in the Repelling the Invasion series

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A Disillusioned Soldier

Hector Dukelsky, an upper-class career officer, yearns to fight a righteous war instead of defending corporate interests on Banff, an isolated mining moon torn by volcanoes. That dream seems dead when his entire command is slaughtered while he’s on leave. He returns to smoldering rubble, with no chance to survive let alone strike back at the enemy.

A Pilot with a Chip on Her Shoulder

Catt Sayer, a working-class fugitive from the law, earns a meager income carrying supplies on a decrepit airship, but her hard-won career vanishes when invaders capture Banff. While searching for survivors, she rescues Hector and flies him to safety. But he doesn’t want safety. He wants her to risk her life on a hopeless trek to attack the enemy headquarters.

A Dying Moon

Catt is sure Banff will kill them long before the enemy can, yet she agrees to Hector’s mad scheme, certain he’ll quit after experiencing one of the moon’s eruptions or ferocious storms. But he doesn’t quit, and his noble dream—and his love—conquer her heart. She pits her life and love against Banff’s lethal environment, even though the only reward for success will be the opportunity to face 10,000 enemy warriors.

Blushing again, she hid her chest #mfrwhooks

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Here’s a selection from Escapee, my recently released science fiction romance. Catt Sayer, a civilian pilot. has picked up a lone survivor of an enemy invasion. Captain Hector Dukelsky wants her to fly her airship to the far side of the moon to attack the enemy’s base. After a long, restless night filled with guilt and the kind of heart-to-heart discussion possible only in the dark from opposite sides of the cabin, she realizes that Hector’s dream of fighting a Just War is noble — and she will help him.

Dukelsky had dreamed about her?

She tingled with anticipation all the way down to her core. Yesterday she had stared into his eyes and found, to her shock, a man she trusted. Staring at them now, she distrusted that trust. He was a patroon, or close enough, and she didn’t think she could forgive him for that.

If she swam with him, she would have no idea where the shore lay.

She took a deep breath, the kind she took before jumping into a lagoon, and spoke in a brusque voice. “I’ll take you to Norquay, or die trying. Uh, I guess I shouldn’t have tacked on those last few words. What I’m trying to say is, I’ve always responded to injustice by running away from it, but maybe I should take a stand. You know, fight a righteous war. Good against evil.”

“Or die trying?”

“Mere existence is overrated.”

Still holding the cat, he stumbled to the couch and sat. He cocked his head to one side and studied her.

Her nipples were hard for some reason. Blushing again, she hid her chest by crossing her arms. She didn’t know why she felt the need to explain herself for agreeing with him, but she did. Something about this man made her dig deep inside herself.

“A person has to have something to live for,” she said. “For me, it’s been keeping this tub flying and supporting my mother and sister. With no one to carry supplies to or buy fuel from, I won’t be able to do either. I need a new goal in life.”

Be sure to check out the hooks by other great writers in the Book Hooks blog hop. Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list.

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Escapee

Book 2 in the Repelling the Invasion series

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A Disillusioned Soldier

Hector Dukelsky, an upper-class career officer, yearns to fight a righteous war instead of defending corporate interests on Banff, an isolated mining moon torn by volcanoes. That dream seems dead when his entire command is slaughtered while he’s on leave. He returns to smoldering rubble, with no chance to survive let alone strike back at the enemy.

A Pilot with a Chip on Her Shoulder

Catt Sayer, a working-class fugitive from the law, earns a meager income carrying supplies on a decrepit airship, but her hard-won career vanishes when invaders capture Banff. While searching for survivors, she rescues Hector and flies him to safety. But he doesn’t want safety. He wants her to risk her life on a hopeless trek to attack the enemy headquarters.

A Dying Moon

Catt is sure Banff will kill them long before the enemy can, yet she agrees to Hector’s mad scheme, certain he’ll quit after experiencing one of the moon’s eruptions or ferocious storms. But he doesn’t quit, and his noble dream—and his love—conquer her heart. She pits her life and love against Banff’s lethal environment, even though the only reward for success will be the opportunity to face 10,000 enemy warriors.

Effing Feline announces a sale #wewriwa

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I, Effing Feline, am getting ready for Christmas. The most important preparation is convincing the world of the crucial role cats have played this holiday season. After all, felines invented good cheer by their use of catnip. Here is my Exhibit A:

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In Mr. Valentine’s recently released sci fi romance novel, Escapee, enemies have invaded the mining moon where Catt Sayer, a civilian pilot, makes her living flying supplies on a decrepit airship. She picks up a lone survivor, Captain Dukelsky, who wants her to fly her airship to the far side of the moon to attack the enemy’s base.

To avoid this suicide mission, Catt jettisons the cannon he planned to use for the attack — thus killing the last military option he had. He’s totally dependent on Catt’s hospitality and piloting skill; his only alternative is to leave the airship for the moon’s unbreathable air. The man of action has no actions left, and thus no purpose. He withdraws into himself.

That day stretched into one of the longest and most uncomfortable in Catt’s life. Out of pure stubbornness — and to show Dukelsky who was boss — she made no plans to fly. He finally awoke, but he paid little attention to her. Instead, he studied the cargo manifests, petted the skoot, played with the kitten, slept, or stared off into space.

She made him lunch. Not only did he not thank her, his morose, swampy expression warned off all pleasantries. Her first reaction was to feel insulted, and a lot of the time first reactions told her what another person intended, what they were trying to manipulate her into feeling — but not this time. She was pretty sure he wasn’t being rude. He just didn’t care. He had withdrawn into a space where politeness didn’t exist . . . where she didn’t exist.

Effing Feline here again. Last week, some of you complained that the membership fee to join the Felinism Movement ™ was too high. I listen to my audience, so for this weekend only, I’m reducing the fee from $27,539.97 to $27,539.96.

How’s that for a bargain? Don’t wait — join now!!!!

Be sure to check out the other great writers in Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday . . . even though none of their posts are written by cats.

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Escapee

Book 2 in the Repelling the Invasion series

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A Disillusioned Soldier

Hector Dukelsky, an upper-class career officer, yearns to fight a righteous war instead of defending corporate interests on Banff, an isolated mining moon torn by volcanoes. That dream seems dead when his entire command is slaughtered while he’s on leave. He returns to smoldering rubble, with no chance to survive let alone strike back at the enemy.

A Pilot with a Chip on Her Shoulder

Catt Sayer, a working-class fugitive from the law, earns a meager income carrying supplies on a decrepit airship, but her hard-won career vanishes when invaders capture Banff. While searching for survivors, she rescues Hector and flies him to safety. But he doesn’t want safety. He wants her to risk her life on a hopeless trek to attack the enemy headquarters.

A Dying Moon

Catt is sure Banff will kill them long before the enemy can, yet she agrees to Hector’s mad scheme, certain he’ll quit after experiencing one of the moon’s eruptions or ferocious storms. But he doesn’t quit, and his noble dream—and his love—conquer her heart. She pits her life and love against Banff’s lethal environment, even though the only reward for success will be the opportunity to face 10,000 enemy warriors.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Apple iBooks
Kobo Books
Smashwords