Tracy St. John's Blog, page 23

Now on Sale - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Now on sale, the final story in the CyberServed trilogy. Read Chapter One now:

Amadis Dubois opened her eyes and wondered where the hell she was.

Maybe hell was the wrong idea. Her surroundings certainly didn’t look like a place of punishment. Everything around Amadis was stark white, as pure as resonator crystal wafers.

She stared straight ahead for several seconds as her brain oriented itself. A window slanted off toward a blameless blank wall…no, it was a ceiling. She was lying on a soft but supporting surface, on her back. Inside a padded capsule.

Another second elapsed, and she remembered. She was in a cryosleep chamber, on board the transport Golden Ray. The cargo ship headed to Space Station Nu on the frontier of the Interplanetary Trade and Commerce System, commonly referred to as the ITCS.

Amadis was in charge of a mission to bring lifesaving supplies to Nu, which had been stricken with a flesh-eating virus that was slowly but steadily overwhelming the station’s medical staff. The cryosleep chamber, as explained to her by the Golden Ray’s captain, was set to awaken her a week before they reached Nu. It was a three-month journey from Amadis’ home, Space Station Alpha.

She stretched and yawned. A voice suddenly spoke up, startling her into a yelp. “Greetings, Amadis Dubois. This is the Golden Ray’s automatic piloting system, which has been enabled on an emergency issue. Are you fully awake and functioning?”

Her first instinct was to snarl no, she wasn’t functioning. She didn’t function until at least two cups of coffee were sizzling through her veins, and she damned sure wasn’t functioning fresh out of cryosleep.

Coffee or no, the word emergency revved her out of her just-woke-up stupor.

“Emergency? What emergency?”

“Captain LaFarge has collapsed on the bridge. This system detects no life signs from its commander.”

“Shit!” Amadis clambered out of the capsule and hissed when her bare feet hit the ice-cold floor. “Shitshitshitshit!” she chanted as the room’s chill dashed past her thin underclothes. She yanked off the electrodes adhered to her bare skin, and the monitors tracking her recently hibernating functions beeped a soft complaint before shutting down. She ignored them in favor of dancing against the burn of too-cold floor.

“Apologies for the room’s temperature,” the smooth electronic voice said in its irritatingly calm manner. “The emergency protocol didn’t allow for the chamber to be warmed to comfortable levels before you were awakened.”

Peeling the last electrode from her chest, Amadis swallowed against a heave in her gut. “Or the usual anti-nausea treatment?”

“Affirmative. You will find a portable-sized bin by the door as you exit should you need to vomit. To guide you most effectively, I will light the corridors you need to join Captain LaFarge on the bridge.”

“Hell of a way to start my mission.” Which she’d lobbied her boss Tosha Cameron hard for.

She grabbed the bin the system had told her of on her way out, reflecting how funny it was to be nauseous after three months of hibernation. Nutritional needs in cryosleep were minimal, but apparently necessary enough that something in her digestive tract rebelled after being brought back to consciousness. The feeding tube had been retracted prior to her awakening and the small incision healed.

The blinding whiteness of the cryosleep chamber was left behind for the gentler illumination of the corridor beyond. If her eyes could have sighed in relief, they would have.

The rest of her was far from any respite, however. “How long ago did Captain LaFarge collapse?”

“Ten minutes.”

Amadis had been brought up faster than the usual safety regulations would allow, but ten minutes was a lengthy stretch if a life was on the line. “There’s no sign of response from her?”

“Ship’s sensors detect no respiration. Other functions, such as pulse or brain activity, are beyond my ability to measure.”

Amadis forced herself to jog despite her stomach’s complaints. Ahead of her, lights flickered on, showing her the way along the gray-paneled corridor. “Any signs of trouble before the captain…passed out?” She wasn’t willing to say died.

“Nothing out of the normal as I understand it. However, this ship has never had the pleasure of Captain LaFarge’s command before this trip, so I am unaware of what might have been unusual in her medical file.”

“You don’t have access to that?”

“Just regulation checkups. Her medical status was in proper order as of seven months prior to this mission.”

“How much farther before I get to her?”

“The hatch at the end of this corridor opens to the bridge.”

Swallowing against her rocking stomach, Amadis put on a burst of speed.

The door opened obligingly when she reached it, and she found herself in a rectangular space. There was an impression of video monitors, gauges, and lights both steady and flickering, but her attention immediately centered on the crumpled form on the floor.

“Captain LaFarge!” she leapt down from the raised floor that ran the edges of the bridge, ignoring the two steps to the lower surface. She knelt next to the still figure. The captain had fallen face down, curled into herself.

“Vital signs sensory equipment is located in the emergency medical hatch on the aft wall of the bridge.”

Amadis’ fingers pressed to the captain’s neck. She couldn’t find a pulse. She stood and looked wildly at the walls. “Where?”

She happened to be looking at the back of the bridge when a small panel slid open. She ran up and yanked a metal container with a bright red cross emblazoned on it. She carried it to the motionless figure and opened it up.

“What am I looking for?” Despite being in charge of a medical rescue mission, she had no such training. She was an executive assistant, not a doctor. The system should have activated one of the cyborgs that was part of the ship’s cargo if it had wanted to save LaFarge.

Except it has no preferences on the matter of human lives. It has a program to carry out, and as mission leader, I was the go-to.

Amadis felt anxiety that she was in over her head. Nevertheless, she picked up the chrome-sided box the system identified as the vital signs scanner and pressed the black button it told her to.

A small monitor flipped up from the scanner. A steady beep issued from it.

“Point the end of the scanner at the top of the captain’s head and slowly wave it down her body to just below the chest. It is unnecessary to shift her position,” the system advised in its polite tone. “Then press the black button again.”

Amadis obeyed. When she’d completed the task, the monitor scrolled down a list that blazed in fluorescent green lettering:

 

Heart Rate: 0%

Respiratory Rate: 0%

Systolic Blood Pressure: 0%

Brain Activity: None Detected

And finally:

Patient Status: Dead

“Shit,” Amadis groaned. “We’re too late.”

“This system records the death of Captain Theresa LaFarge at twenty-three hundred hours, seventeen minutes, three seconds, standard ITCS time. If you will transport the body to the Medical Department for an autopsy scan, the cause of death can be determined, the ITCS informed, and a valid death certificate issued.”

The body. Amadis marveled that a woman alive minutes before had already been relegated to such a remote designation.

It was then that she gave up the battle with her guts. Fortunately, the bin she’d hauled from the cryochamber was right there to catch the small amount she brought up. A few seconds later, she pushed the receptacle away. She sat on the floor and studied her deceased companion.

“Her name was Theresa?”

“Affirmative.”

“Family?”

“An elderly mother on Station Beta with whom she lived. No other family noted. Will you be transporting the body to the Medical Department now?”

“Do me a favor, okay? Continue to call her Captain LaFarge. Let’s have a little respect for an officer and somebody’s daughter.”

“No offense was intended. The system will comply with its commanding officer’s request.”

Amadis frowned. “You mean I’m in charge of the ship now?”

“Affirmative. You are the only human alive on board, which places you in command as long as your orders do not constitute an attempt to deprive the ITCS of its property, namely the Golden Ray.”

“Well, I asked to be put in charge. I guess I should have paid attention to that adage, ‘be careful what you wish for,’” Amadis muttered. For the system’s benefit, she raised her voice. “As for taking Captain LaFarge to the Medical Department, I doubt I can.” LaFarge was a large woman. Very large. Apparently, the body contouring so many spent their money on hadn’t been high on her priorities. Maybe she wasn’t paid enough to indulge in surgical maintenance…especially if she had an elderly woman to care for. Regular contouring was expensive.

“Gurneys are available in the Medical Department. Do you believe you could lift Captain LaFarge onto a collapsed gurney?”

“Depends on how low it collapses. Maybe.” Amadis’ toned frame had nothing to do with contouring. She could have afforded it, but she enjoyed tough workouts that gave her real strength instead of the mere appearance of it. “I guess I have no choice but to try.”

“Agreed. Decomposition will set in before this transport vessel can reach its destination or a return trip to Station Alpha, should that be your choice.”

Amadis frowned at the disembodied voice. It hadn’t occurred to her to wonder how early she’d been summoned from cryosleep until that moment. “Which is closer?”

“Station Nu is the nearest of docking options for offloading a deceased individual by a margin of thirty-six hours.”

Amadis had studied the route and distances to various stations before the trip. “Wait. We’re halfway there?”

“If Commander Dubois is referring to an approximate time rather than specific, that can be computed as correct. We are eighty-eight ITCS days from Station Nu, slightly less than ninety-one from Station Alpha. Would you like to select a course now? Or confer with ITCS Flight Control?”

“Give me a second.” Amadis rubbed her forehead and tried to order her thoughts.

Space Station Nu was in grave trouble. The flesh-eating virus had seemed contained until two months prior, raging despite aggressive quarantine protocols. When Amadis had left dock, it had been estimated the casualty rate would climb to fifty percent within another three months.

She was no savior galloping to the rescue, but she was in charge of what would: a cyborg medical staff impervious to the disease, antibiotics to bring it under control, and printing machines to replace limbs amputated in order to keep victims from dying,

Even with an immediate heads-up, it would take the ITCS and Life Tech, the medical company that had sent the supplies, a few weeks to put together another emergency transport. Amadis knew the issues regarding shipping the materials intimately…she’d done the research herself. Many on Nu couldn’t afford any delay. The fatalities and mutilations would be horrific if the equipment and medicine were postponed by more than a week.

“Can this ship reach Nu without a captain?” she asked the system.

“The system is programmed to pilot a set course and dock at its designated berth without human input. The captain is required only in the case of unscheduled changes and diversions in our path.”

“I have no intention of diverting course. We need to arrive at Nu as soon as possible.”

“Automatic pilot can succeed, as long as the ship encounters no anti-ITCS rebels or pirates.”

Worry tugged at Amadis. The frontier was dangerous, but Lafarge had been the only crew on the transport. The route was safeguarded. If the Golden Raycontinued on its flight plan and the ITCS did its part in guarding the established route, she should be fine.

“As soon as the autopsy’s done, send the ITCS the relevant information as to Captain Lafarge’s death. Also inform them that I’ll be continuing on to Space Station Nu.”

“Affirmative.”

Amadis eyed the unfortunate captain, noting again her heft. She might be able to roll her onto the gurney…but maybe she should accept some help.

“Light my path to the bay where the cyborgs are stored. Uh, after I put on some clothes,” she amended, realizing she was still clad in only a halter bra and panties.

Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print. 

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.  

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

Releasing Tomorrow - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

Victor's last stand

“Shields are going critical!” Caine pounded frantically on the controls.

The bridge abruptly went dark. The shouts continued for several seconds, then…

“Quiet!”

At Petrov’s order, silence fell over the black. Victor was impressed with the crew’s training. Rogue or not, they remained a unit that conceded to the chain of command.

An instant before a light switched on in front of him, blinding in its intensity, Victor realized the field holding him hostage had disappeared. His lenses compensated for the glare, and he saw Petrov, just out of reach in front of him. Then he noticed the blaster Petrov pointed at his chest.

“You. I don’t know how you did it, but I know it was you.”

Victor simply looked at him.

“Get us online and give me control of my ship, or I’ll pull the trigger.”

“No.” I love you, Amadis.

Victor sprang just as Caine lunged out of the shadows, reaching for Petrov. “Captain, wait! Without him, we can’t—”

Victor’s circuits and synapses flared as Petrov fired at point-blank range. 

On sale tomorrow

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

Releasing Friday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

He'll give up his existence for her life

“I won’t go with you,” Victor snarled. “Blast me now, because that isn’t an option.”

Petrov unholstered his own weapon as Caine hurried off with the others to scavenge. He held it on Victor. “I could destroy you without batting an eye, tin man. Bet your ass, I will, along with your ship. That’s right, make your move. But when the Assassin doesn’t hear from me in a few minutes, they’ll blast your vessel into dust.”

Amadis. Victor forced himself to ease down.

“That’s right. You come with me peacefully, or I’ll rip what I want from this ship, put some distance between it and the Cutthroat, then we and the Assassinwill erase it. With your unconscious friend on board. And the rescue you say Nu needs so desperately. Understand?”

Hatred scorched through Victor’s circuits. But he was left with no choice.

“Understood.”

On sale Friday, August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

Releasing Friday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

Rogue rebels. Amadis injured. Lives on the line. What will Victor do?

“You’re a cyborg? A SIM model, Commander Caine believes.”

The flat greed in his gaze warned Victor to proceed carefully. “The Golden Rayis en route to evacuate patients from Station Nu, which has been stricken with a flesh-eating virus. People will die if we don’t get there in time. I have no interest in your argument with the ITCS or Captain Henry. My mission must be completed.”

“You’re bringing them medical supplies, huh? Well, cyborg, between you and Gerald Henry, we’ve sustained a few injuries. Medical supplies would be most welcome, both for our own uses and to sell.”

“Did you not hear me, Petrov? Thousands of people on Nu could die if we don’t take them to a proper care facility.”

“Maybe. Or maybe your story is a cover for the ITCS sending in the troops, as they’ve been threatening they’d do if we don’t surrender. Is the ITCS using cyborgs to put us in our place, Victor?”

“System, put Amadis on the view. Look at her, Petrov. Notice the civilian clothes? See that she’s unconscious? Does she look like a cyborg or soldier to you? She’s a civilian, a member of Life Tech’s executive personnel.”

She looked like a sleeping princess. If Victor had possessed a heart, it would have been breaking to witness her so helpless.

There wasn’t a thing he could do to protect her against Petrov. Not a damned thing.

“I’ll tell you what, cyborg. Open a bay so we can board and have a look around. If I’m satisfied your peaceful mission is on the up-and-up, I’ll collect my former colleagues and let the Golden Ray go.” Petrov sneered, and his rough but good looks turned rougher and ugly. “Or I can blast you into dust particles right now. Your choice.”

On sale Friday, August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

Releasing Friday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

Under attack

Claxons blared. He whirled and stared at the star map. Two ships were practically on top of the Golden Ray.

“They must be Henry’s pals,” Amadis yelled over the alerts. “Where did they come from?”

“ITCS fighters have cloaking capabilities that hide them from sensors,” he yelled back. He initialized weapons on his console and readied to fire. “System, bring up our shields and get a lock on either of them. Captain Henry to the bridge. We have company, and they don’t look friendly.”

The fighter captain responded. “On my—”

At the same instant his voice cut off, Amadis collapsed senseless to the floor. Victor shot to her side and gathered her into his arms.

“Amadis? Amadis!”

On sale Friday, August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

 

Releasing Friday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

Cyborg vs. the competition

While Amadis regaled Gerald Henry with the story of their brush with the pirates, Victor smiled and nodded and corrected her when she tried to give him too much credit for their escape.

“It required amazing acting to pull it off. Which she handily accomplished,” he interjected when her accolades grew too effusive.

“Oh, but the makeup job. The rash was so realistic, I half-believed I was infected. You would have run if you’d seen it,” she assured Henry.

“Do you think so? I don’t scare easily.” He moved closer to her.

Victor was certain none of the ugly feelings within his circuitry managed to make it to the surface. He felt them all right: jealousy, helplessness, a shattering of his confidence.

Especially when she smiled at Henry. “I admit, I was scared. But I’ve never felt so alive. Is that how it is for you when you face off with pirates and rebels?” She touched his shoulder.

The captain looked at her with an intentness that grew by the second. He touched her too, her arm, her hand…her hair. “It’s like a drug. There’s no greater high than fighting an enemy, except winning.” Growing more familiar as they spoke.

They seemed to have forgotten Victor was there, despite him being part of the story. Amadis didn’t glance his way, though her praises for his actions were many. Otherwise, she was thoroughly distracted by the handsome, engaging Captain Henry.

Victor couldn’t help but cast about for some way to draw her attention back to him. When he did, his matrix warned him off such an action.

During sex, they played games as if she were no more than a possession for his pleasure…a game she had confided excited her. However, he didn’t need his matrix’s assertion to realize real possessiveness would set her against him. She was her own woman. Not his.

In any way.

“The ITCS should really think about adding cyborgs to their protective force,” she said, at last looking at him. “I’d be on the black market selling block right now if it weren’t for Victor.”

As he was on the selling block at that moment. Maybe Amadis hadn’t meant it that way, but she’d reduced him to a promotional tool once more. He was a demo model to sell for CyberServe.

That isn’t her intention after all we’ve shared.

But she was looking at Captain Henry again. An actual human male, strong and ready to fight not only for a woman, but for the whole ITCS. How could Victor, a manufactured being, measure up?

He was certain he couldn’t. He watched as the woman he loved and the captain bantered, sitting very, very close to each other.

On sale Friday, August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

Releasing Friday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

Careful...this is one of those excerpts you don't want to get caught reading at work

Amadis’ gorgeous mouth was hot on his cock. He licked her flavor from his fingers before settling his palm against the back of her head. He didn’t push her, content to let her feel how easily he could do so. Her quivering indicated the message had been received and appreciated. She was definitely submissive when it came to sex. If she’d admit it to herself…

Her tongue twined around his shaft as she slid up and down it. Her long, slender fingers gripped the base of him, moving opposite her mouth as she worked earnestly to please him.

She was so beautiful as she knelt before him, as she pulled hard with eagerness no one had granted him before. Did she know that though pleasure had nothing to do with whether he achieved erection, he was capable of enjoying intimate bliss? She performed as if she understood. As if his enjoyment were as important as any man’s. As if he weren’t merely a cyborg to be sold and programmed.

He let himself be drawn in for a few minutes, cherishing the attention she seemed all too determined to offer. For once, he allowed a little selfishness to creep in, comforting himself that Amadis appeared delighted to give him a moment that was all about him. Her nipples were dark and pointed, affirmation she thrilled to provide. And there was that delectable scent of arousal.

He called a halt when the urge to keep her there made him feel guilty. “Stand up. Turn your ass to me. Bend.”

He helped her to her feet, ignoring her questioning look. She presented that gorgeous round ass as demanded, which blushed from his early spanking. It wouldn’t take much to heighten its sting.

“Legs apart.”

She obeyed. He swatted each cheek and smiled at her breathless gasps and little jerks. She felt it, all right.

On sale Friday, August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

Releasing in One Week: Built to Last

 

A surprise for Victor...and an offer Amadis can't refuse?

“I love seeing you fall apart in my arms. It enthralls me to watch it happen. To give you such pleasure is…it’s magic.”

“Is that how you’ve reacted with all those you’ve been with?”

He jerked, stunned. “No. It’s only happened with…” he paused to consider, then blinked with renewed shock. “…just you.”

Amadis ignored a surge of elation. “You seem surprised about that.”

“I’ve wanted to belong with someone for a while. You might say, desperately. But you’re the first I’ve felt a genuine need to make happy, more for your sake than my own.” His voice had gone soft with wonder.

He wanted a relationship. More than a fling. He wished for the real thing.

Amadis’ senses rebelled against the idea. She had a stalled career to restart. She had accomplishments to achieve. She couldn’t tie herself up in an intense affair. “Victor—”

His tone was abruptly businesslike, his face a mask, as if he regretted speaking as he had. “Try this on for size. If we can escape the pirates, we’ll have a few weeks to explore your true instincts about sex. Just you and me, discovering if you really do respond best to being submissive to a dominant lover. No one besides us has to know you enjoy surrendering in the bedroom.”

“If I discover I do?” The question surprised her, though it came from her mouth.

“If that’s where your intimate needs lie, we can perhaps figure out how to balance it with your leadership goals. Perhaps you can separate the two, live in the best of both worlds.”

She was tempted. He made it sound so easy. It couldn’t be…could it?

On sale August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep

 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

WIP Wednesday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

Avast! There be pirates threatening our heroes

“Is the other ship still trying to reach us, system?”

“It is.”

Amadis squared her shoulders. “Answer.”

A rough, hearty voice filled the bridge. “Well, hello there, transport. This is Captain Savela. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”

“I’m Amadis Dubois, on a medical emergency mission to Space Station Nu. Are you the bastard who opened fire on me?”

A chuckle. He couldn’t be bothered to apologize or explain the attack. “A medical emergency, huh? Bringing Nu a lot of medical supplies? Must be. Your transport is pretty big.”

“Hardly. The Golden Ray will be functioning as an evacuation vehicle to ferry the sick to a hospital station. I guess you haven’t heard about the virus that’s spreading like wildfire on Nu.”

“Can’t say I have. And I doubt your story, at least the part about carrying no provisions. ITCS doesn’t let a ship travel empty one way, even for an emergency. You’ve got goods. I want them.”

“Your mother never taught you stealing is wrong?”

Savela roared laughter at that. “My momma told me to survive at all costs, and that’s what I do. Be nice, Captain. Let me board your transport and shop your supplies. Maybe add your ship to my group, if it’s in good enough shape. You can’t return to ITCS space before I overtake you, in any event.”

“Oh? Then why are we having a conversation? Why bother if you think you can steal what I have?”

“I like you. You sound smart. And pretty. Are you pretty, Captain?”

“Pretty good at kicking your ass if you don’t stay the hell out of my business.”

More laughter. Not just his. There was a crew with him, enjoying the back and forth. “There are others out here who won’t be as generous. The nearest ITCS patrol is two days distant, so no one’s going to answer your distress call.”

“Then there’s no one to save you from me blasting you to dust.” Amadis was shocked to discover she actually enjoyed threatening the thieving bastard. She just wished she had the firepower to support her bluster.

“I do like you. I’ll tell you what, Captain. Come to a stop. Let’s meet. I could use another bold fighter in my crew. Are you from Earth?”

“I’m a starkid. And loyal to the ITCS.”

“Too bad. You’d have been an excellent privateer. In that case, if you play nice, I’ll give you safe passage to the first ITCS colony, where we’ll drop you off.”

“You’re a real prince. What about the people dying on Nu? What are they supposed to do without this ship to transport them to the help they need?”

“What they’re already doing. They can keep dying. It’s a tough universe, Captain.”

“And you’re a pile of shit. Fuck off. All the way off.”

“Last chance, Dubois.”

She sneered, baring her teeth. Too bad he couldn’t see it. “You’ll have to fight me to take the Golden Ray. Good luck on that. You’ll need it.”

“I doubt it. You’ll see me in a couple of hours.”

“Then I’ll torch you in a couple of hours. End communication.”

 

On sale August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep

 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

WIP Wednesday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

A feast fit for a cyborg

He stood over her, looking at her splayed on the bed. Amadis was abruptly aware of how lascivious she must appear, and she drew her arms over herself.

“No.”

It was a single word, but the command with which he uttered it halted her at once. She blinked up at him in surprise.

“Lie still. Don’t move. Let me enjoy the view. In fact, it would be best if you gave me more of a view.”

With that, he undressed her. Quickly. So quickly, she hardly understood what was happening until the room’s coolness drifted over the bared skin of her stomach and upper chest. Sharp tugs stole her trousers, and she was clad only in bra and panties.

“Hey. Wait.” Her hands waved between them, a soft fluttering that was far from insisting he stop.

“For?” He paused. His knuckles skimmed over the thin fabric of her bra cup, right over her nipple, which poked brazenly. Her breath caught, and her protests cut off.

He took her stunned silence for assent, and the bra disappeared. Her panties vanished as well.

Again, instinct prompted her to attempt to cover herself. Again, he said, “No.” He followed that up by catching her wrists and pinning them on either side.

He looked her over slowly. He said nothing, but his gaze was hot. Scorching. A slow smile curved his lips. He enjoyed seeing her naked. On the bed. Beneath him.

He bent and nuzzled her…stomach. Not her breasts or crotch, but between, finding her sensitive enough to utter a little squeal of ticklishness before rising heat took its place and a different sensation assaulted her.

“Mmm. You smell delicious. As beautiful as you look.”

“Victor,” she gasped. She couldn’t think of anything else to say. Excitement tugged at her sex when he kissed just above her belly button.

He rose again and treated her to another long examination. His smile never faltered. It grew, in fact. “Laid out like a feast. What about this? Any thoughts on being restrained?” His grip tightened slightly on her wrists.

Restrained? A startling quiver ran between her legs. “Um…I don’t know.”

“Then let’s try it. I saw how your thighs tightened and moved against each other when I offered. You’re curious, aren’t you.” He said it as a statement rather than a question. “There are a couple of ties over here…”

He collected the silk strips normally worn around her neck and looped her wrists with them before securing one to a head post and the other to the foot post. Amadis lay crosswise on the bed, her knees dangling over the edge. He looked her over again, and she was abruptly aware of how vulnerable she’d allowed him to make her. He could do anything to her. Anything.

Another quiver shot through her womanhood. Why did she find being helpless to him so exciting?

“Almost there. Let’s see…ah, we have belts, don’t we? That should work.”

She wasn’t quite sure how he managed it, but Victor somehow secured a belt around each of her thighs. A third circled her waist, and he strapped the others to it, tilting her pelvis up.

The posture lifted her pussy in the air. She looked obscene, as if offering herself to him. She strained against her bonds.

He knelt on the floor, his shoulders framed between her splayed legs. “Easy, my pretty prisoner. Nothing to fear, unless you absolutely hate sexual pleasure. Hush and tell me how this feels.”

His head dipped down. Wet warmth traveled up her slit, stilling her struggles, freezing her in place.

His tongue traced her inner lips, stopping short of her clit. He began the journey again, this time firm fingertips spreading her labia open. Exposing her utterly. Then he licked her clit too.

Amadis sucked in gallons of air and jerked at the explosive bliss. His lips closed over the swelling nubbin. A single lash from his tongue. A sensation of sucking. Her clit throbbed, begging for more.

Instead, he released his hold on it. He licked her slit again, pausing to nip her nether lips. Spasms of excitement flashed through her. She struggled against her bonds again, but she wasn’t attempting to escape. She ached for more, and she fought to break free so she could claim it.

On sale August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep

 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.