Carol Van Natta's Blog, page 23
October 19, 2017
Maintenance Matters – Guest Post by Alexis Glynn Latner
Alexis Glynn Latner is the author of “Mascot,” one of the 12 science fiction romances in the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 anthology.
The author, doing glider maintenance
A lot of writers have had odd jobs which enriched our understanding of the world and supplied us with plot devices. I’m no exception. My checkered career includes being an apprentice electrician at Rice University, after I graduated from Rice. A research university is a fascinating place as to what can go electrically or mechanically wrong, how it can impact research, and how researchers react to maintenance problems. (Sometimes not very sensibly.)
Years later I was Maintenance Chief at Soaring Club of Houston—not because I was an aircraft mechanic myself, but because I was able to organize preventative maintenance teams and arrange for annual inspections. And I was willing to tell eager club members this glider is grounded for preventative maintenance and no it is NOT available for you to fly!
Maintenance makes the modern, mechanical world go round—or come to a screeching stop. It collides with the desire of machine users not to have to stand down for maintenance. Maintenance done wrong is a genuine breeding ground for fatal errors. And maintenance deferred too long is slow disaster—witness a house falling down around elderly homeowners who can’t keep the place up.
My story “Mascot” in the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 anthology has a version of that last scenario as a setting. Star Corner Station is slowly and inexorably falling into ruin—starved of sufficient funds and personnel to keep it in good repair. To say the least, it’s time something changed. And in “Mascot,” things change drastically.
* * * * *
Mascot (An Aeon’s Legacy Novella)
By Alexis Glynn Latner
A space station manager and an interstellar auditor must work through their antagonism and attraction to each other while the station comes under attack. Then the station mascot enters the fray!
About the Author
Alexis Glynn Latner writes science fiction and fantasy romantic adventure, teaches creative writing, and works at the Rice University Library in Houston, Texas. For fun and the romance of flight, she is a sailplane pilot. Her website is www.alexisglynnlatner.com.
Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2
The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!
SPECIAL NOTE: 10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero Dogs, a charity that supports U.S. veterans. Read all about the wonderful work they do, matching very special service dogs with very special veterans who need a helping paw.
Buy from your favorite retailer:
AMAZON iBOOKS NOOK KOBO Google Play
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The post Maintenance Matters – Guest Post by Alexis Glynn Latner appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
October 12, 2017
The Deadly Tibbar – Guest Post by Jessica E. Subject
Jessica E. Subject is the author of “Gib and the Tibbar,” one of the 12 science fiction romances in the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 anthology.
While authors write many scenes in many books, there are some scenes and even some stories that stick with us more than others. In Gib and the Tibbar, my favorite scene is the opening scene. Why? Because I had fun introducing the hero, the heroine, the pet, and a secondary character all at the same time. It is important to know that all of the bipedal characters come from different planets, and in the first scene, there are three different races. It can be hard to introduce that many characters and show their differences rather than dump info on the reader. But, I think I managed to accomplish that with the help of a tibbar. Not only did the little creature introduce the hero and heroine, but she also helped me to introduced the characters to you. Elynyn is such an awesome pet!
In the introductory scene, I also illustrate the differences in personalities between the two Defenders who are assigned watch together. They contrast each other a great deal, but even with their bickering, they make a great team. That could be why their commanding officer assigned them to work together.
I also added a bit of humor in this scene. At least, I think it is funny. Especially the way one of the Defenders reacts to seeing a tibbar for the first time. He doesn’t exactly make the Defenders look brave and fierce as is their reputation across the universe.
Plus, since it’s the first time the hero and heroine meet, I add some conflict. Because their first meeting can’t be full of sunshine and roses. That would lead to a quick story without any heart wrenching conflict, and I can’t make it that easy.
The excerpt below is from the scene I’m talking about. I hope you enjoy it.
* * * * *
Gib and the Tibbar (A Novella in the Galactic Defenders Series)
By Jessica E. Subject
A dedicated Defender to the core, Gib is willing to go to any planet the Galactic Alliance sends him. That is, until he’s sent with his squad to Hemera for their Alorama ceremony, far from any threat of Erebus invasion and with no chance for promotion.
Vilarra has lived on Hemera all her life, working hard in the kitchens of the royal palace until she achieved lead hand. But learning of the universe beyond her world reveals her insignificance and shreds her sense of accomplishment and purpose.
With the help of a furry, little tibbar, Gib is determined to win the affection of Vilarra, prove to her how significant she is to him and the people who depend on her. But will his personal mission be cut short before he has the chance to win her heart?
* * EXCERPT * *
A small, furry white creature scampered between the Defenders and the fire. Gib yanked his feet back and gasped. He tried to follow the path the animal took, and when it disappeared into the grassy field, he relaxed a little. Not that he was afraid, only startled by the sudden appearance of the critter.
But his watch partner reacted differently. The cowardly Defender stood on his bench, reaching for a low branch on the ropral tree as if to lift himself farther off the ground. “What in Gaspra was that? No one told me about any deadly creatures on this planet.”
Gib laughed and slapped his hand on his lap. “I wouldn’t call the fluffy little thing that raced by us a deadly creature.”
“Okay, Hemera is infested with vermin, then.” Zair examined the area around him before he dared put a foot on the ground.
A high-pitched squeak sounded, and Gib’s surveillance partner returned to reaching for the branches. The little creature stood on its hind legs below Zair’s bench, peeping as if telling him off
Gib couldn’t hold in his laughter. Not just at the other Defender’s reaction, but also the thoughts running through Zair’s mind, thoughts he’d failed to block in his fear.
“It’s not going to eat you.” Gib shook his head, wondering how his squad mate could see the creature as dangerous. “Would you please get down from there? Defenders are supposed to be brave and fierce. Right now, you’re neither.”
“Go to Gaspra, Mingot. And stay out of my head.” He yanked his plazer from his hip holster and aimed it at the critter. “If I don’t destroy it, it will bring death to everyone on this planet.”
Stepping into the line of fire, Gib yanked the weapon from his squad mate, thankful the safety remained on. “You’re being ridiculous. Besides, if you fire your weapon, you’ll cause a panic. The Hemera will think Erebus have arrived.”
The frightened Defender shook a foot at the creature. “Fine, then. Kick it into the fire. Or you could stomp on it.”
“Don’t you dare!” A Hemera woman burst from the bushes, storming toward Zair like a mother rehn protecting her young. She shoved him off his bench and shouldered past Gib before scooping the noisy creature into her hand. “This is my tibbar, not some kind of vermin.”
“Tibbar? Try nasty rodent that tried to eat me.” Zair smoothed out his uniform but kept his distance from the creature now perched on the woman’s shoulder.
“You’re both on nehbred.” She kicked dirt at them, her pink lips pursed and her dark eyes set in a deadly stare. “You don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to my pet or my planet.”
About the Author
Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.
When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.
Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.
Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2
The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!
SPECIAL NOTE: 10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero Dogs, a charity that supports U.S. veterans. Read all about the wonderful work they do, matching very special service dogs with very special veterans who need a helping paw.
Buy Embrace the Romance: Pets In Space 2 from your favorite retailer:
AMAZON iBOOKS NOOK KOBO Google Play
* * * * *
The post The Deadly Tibbar – Guest Post by Jessica E. Subject appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
October 9, 2017
It’s Here! Pets in Spa-a-a-a-a-ce!
Embrace the Romance: Pets In Space 2 is here!
Pets in Space Launch: 10 October
The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans.
10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.
AMAZON iBOOKS NOOK KOBO Google Play
You get twelve fabulous stories:
“Pet Trade” by Carol Van Natta: A cargo of designer pets means a damaged veterinarian and a fugitive elite forces veteran must work together to protect them all from greedy mercenaries.
“Pearl’s Dragon” by S.E. Smith: A mature human woman discovers love on an alien world and she will do whatever it takes to keep the alien dragon shifter that has captured her heart – even if it means fighting dirty.
“A Grim Pet” by M.K. Eidem: Love, faith, and kindness guide two young girls when they find an injured raptor in their garden, unaware of the far-reaching consequences their actions will have.
“The Prince, the Pilot, and the Puppy” by Susan Grant: A handsome prince gets a little help from a rescued puppy when he tries to convince a talented starfighter pilot that she is the one for him.
“Wired for Love” by Michelle Howard: A former soldier and a young woman must work together with a new four-legged friend to survive after an old enemy finds them.
“Rescued by the Cyborg” by Cara Bristol: A kitten is the key to helping a cyborg agent save the woman he loves…
“Star Cruise: Songbird” by Veronica Scott: A security officer aboard a spaceship finds his job complicated by his attraction to the interstellar singer he is assigned to protect and the bird he has inherited.
“Time Trap” by Pauline Baird Jones: Time is running out for a time-traveling rebel, her parrot partner, and the unsuspecting USAF Engineer they encounter.
“Courting Disaster: StarDog 2” by Laurie Green: A commander of a spaceship faces the toughest decision of his life when he vows to protect the woman and her StarDog that he is escorting through a dangerous section of space.
“Sensate” by Sabine Priestley: A scientist must decide if she can trust the man who once betrayed her if she is to help his sentient com unit gain a physical form.
“Gib and the Tibbar” by Jessica E. Subject: An alien warrior is determined to woo the woman who has captured his affection, with a little help from a furry friend.
“Mascot” by Alexis Glynn Latner: An interstellar auditor and the manager of a remote mining station must defend the station from attackers – with help from the station’s extraordinary mascot.
The post It’s Here! Pets in Spa-a-a-a-a-ce! appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
October 7, 2017
Counting Down to Pets In Space 2
Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 releases on 10 October 2017, and I can’t wait for you to read it. The book is ginormous, because it’s 12 science fiction romance novellas, not just short stories, by some of the best authors writing today. I’m thrilled to be in their company.
I’ve told you about “Pet Trade,” my contribution to the anthology, but I today I want to share sketches of two of the pets in my story. The artwork is by talented artist Nyssa Juneau. Each of the stories in the anthology has an accompanying illustration. Because I kind of went overboard on the number of pets (17!), because I couldn’t pick just one.
This is Shiza, the foo dog. In the Central Galactic Concordance future, the pet trade has pretty much free reign to create fantasy animals from myth and legend. Foo lions (or fu lions, if you prefer) are out of Chinese tales of magical creatures. The pet trade version is small and cute, and mostly dog underneath the curly mane and the very square jaw with lots of teeth. Shiza is one of a smuggler’s shipment of designer pets that ex-Jumper Axur Tragon ends up with when he crash lands in the frozen north of a frontier planet. For all his lazy charm, he is designed to protect children, and has the means to do so.
COUNTING DOWN TO PETS IN SPACE 2
This delightful creature is Kivo, a chimera, but not the mythological kind. The pet trade uses the term to mean any creature they’ve invented out of their fevered imaginations. Kivo is, as veterinarian and pet trade specialist Bethnee Bakonin describes him, a hodge-podge of useless features, with bat-like ears, carnivore teeth, six legs, and two tails. Kivo is sharply intelligent, and may have empathic talents, like human minders do. Bethnee is an animal-affinity healer who could ply her trade anywhere in the galaxy, but she has good reasons for hiding out. So does Axur, as it turns out, and therein begins the tale of “Pet Trade.”
Pets in Space Launch: 10 October
The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans.
10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.
Buy your copy today, and buy a gift for a friend:
AMAZON iBOOKS NOOK KOBO Google Play
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October 5, 2017
Help Us Help Vets, One Dog at a Time
Help us help vets! For the price of a cup of coffee, you get twelve great science fiction romance stories, and the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting U.S. veterans.
10% of all preorders and the first month’s profits of the sales of Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 goes to support Hero Dogs. They raise and train dogs to pair with disabled U.S. veterans to improve their quality of life and give them independence.
Modern medicine has made astonishing leaps in the last century—antibiotics, open-heart surgery, organ replacements, gene therapy, to name a few. On the battlefield, we’re now able to save many more lives, despite catastrophic injury, than we could even 25 years ago. What we’re not so good at, however, is dealing with the aftermath. Modern civilization is built assuming people can see direction signs, open doors for themselves, or get across the street in a certain time period. It’s not designed for missing limbs, chronic pain, post traumatic stress, wheelchairs, or people who need extra help.
That’s where Hero Dogs comes in. They spend years training dogs to help disabled veterans in daily activities, and customize the training for the individual’s needs. They work with both the dog and the person, training them together, and offer that support for life.
Science fiction romance authors Pauline Baird Jones and Veronica Scott came up with the original “Pets in Space” theme and invited others to play. Of course we’ll take our pets into space. Pets make us laugh, love us, help us, and sometimes, they save us. What better charity could we support than one that fits that theme so perfectly?
Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2
“Pet Trade” by Carol Van Natta: A cargo of designer pets means a damaged veterinarian and a fugitive elite forces veteran must work together to protect them all from greedy mercenaries.
“Pearl’s Dragon” by S.E. Smith: A mature human woman discovers love on an alien world and she will do whatever it takes to keep the alien dragon shifter that has captured her heart – even if it means fighting dirty.
“A Grim Pet” by M.K. Eidem: Love, faith, and kindness guide two young girls when they find an injured raptor in their garden, unaware of the far-reaching consequences their actions will have.
“The Prince, the Pilot, and the Puppy” by Susan Grant: A handsome prince gets a little help from a rescued puppy when he tries to convince a talented starfighter pilot that she is the one for him.
“Wired for Love” by Michelle Howard: A former soldier and a young woman must work together with a new four-legged friend to survive after an old enemy finds them.
“Rescued by the Cyborg” by Cara Bristol: A kitten is the key to helping a cyborg agent save the woman he loves…
“Star Cruise: Songbird” by Veronica Scott: A security officer aboard a spaceship finds his job complicated by his attraction to the interstellar singer he is assigned to protect and the bird he has inherited.
“Time Trap” by Pauline Baird Jones: Time is running out for a time-traveling rebel, her parrot partner, and the unsuspecting USAF Engineer they encounter.
“Courting Disaster: StarDog 2” by Laurie Green: A commander of a spaceship faces the toughest decision of his life when he vows to protect the woman and her StarDog that he is escorting through a dangerous section of space.
“Sensate” by Sabine Priestley: A scientist must decide if she can trust the man who once betrayed her if she is to help his sentient com unit gain a physical form.
“Gib and the Tibbar” by Jessica E. Subject: An alien warrior is determined to woo the woman who has captured his affection, with a little help from a furry friend.
“Mascot” by Alexis Glynn Latner: An interstellar auditor and the manager of a remote mining station must defend the station from attackers – with help from the station’s extraordinary mascot.
Buy Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 here:
AMAZON iBOOKS NOOK KOBO Google Play
P.S. If you’ve already preordered a copy, please consider buying one as a gift, or buying a second copy from another retailer. Help us help vets, and Hero Dogs will use every penny they get!
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September 20, 2017
Romance Is the Hope of Life
If you read (or write) romance, chances are, you’ve received subtle or overt negative commentary on your choice of genre. You’ve probably hidden the cover, or felt embarrassed, or made excuses, just to keep the peace. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
The reasons for discounting, sneering at, or the outright hostility toward romances are as varied as the critics. Romances, critics complain, are formulaic, always about honest relationships and insisting on a happy ending. Romances give readers unrealistic expectations of relationships, sex, and the prevalence of well-shaped love interests. Romance readers (code for “females”) choose romances because they don’t want to be bothered with—or can’t handle—the weightier themes of loftier literary works. And romance readers who are male are one slippery-slope away from eating quiche and wearing pearls.
These reasons have one thing in common: They’re all bullshit.
No one, and let me repeat that, no one should have to feel ashamed about what they like to read. Or what they *need* to read to get through the day. Author Barbara Devlin talked about this on a panel at the recent Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference that I wish I’d seen. She writes romance because she wants to share hope with others, because it was what she desperately needed to survive a life-changing injury.
I wrote a paranormal romance with a disabled veteran main character because very few humans are the model of perfection. Most of us have flaws that make us doubt our attractiveness, or usefulness, or ability to find or deserve love. A male reader wrote to me privately to thank me for giving him hope that the loss of a limb didn’t make him a total loser. I cherish that message.
Romance is about people, and justice, and hope. It’s about overcoming sometimes horrendous obstacles and accepting and giving love. It’s what saves us when nothing else goes as planned. It’s about finding something or someone in life worth fighting for, and doing it together. My story, “Pet Trade,” in the upcoming Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 science fiction romance anthology, reflects that. Sure, it’s about pets, too, and how marvelous they are, but the heart of the story two damaged people finding love, even in the frozen north of a frontier planet.
I get occasional complaints from readers and reviewers that I got icky romance in their science fiction-action goodness. I nod sympathetically, but ignore them. The big damn story arc in my Central Galactic Concordance space opera series is about a time of upheaval that will spread throughout the galaxy. In my books, romance is the balancing counterweight to the unavoidable devastation that comes with revolution.
Change comes to us all, and sometimes in frightening and unpleasant ways. Love is the only thing that will save us. Romance is the hope of life.
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August 25, 2017
New Release – Last Ship Off Polaris-G
Today is release day for the newest story in my Central Galactic Concordance space opera-adventure-romance series. It’s available at all the major retailers. I’d be very grateful if you’d buy a copy, read it, and tell me what you think. If you’re feeling extra frisky, please post a review on your favorite retailer.
A bureaucrat and an interstellar trader must overcome treachery and their broken past to save the last inhabitants of a dying planet.
Frontier planet Polaris-Gamma is dying, afflicted by a suspiciously-timed blight that destroys all crops. Worse, the whole system is now under military quarantine by the Central Galactic Concordance to prevent the catastrophic blight from spreading. The settlers must escape—or perish.
Caught behind the blockade, independent trader Gavril Danilovich finds his interstellar trading ship commandeered in the desperate plan to escape. He tells himself that’s the only reason he stays, and not because he’s worried about the woman he walked out on two years ago—who still lives on Pol-G.
Supply depot manager Anitra Helden races to gather the last of Pol-G’s assets. Her plan to launch a mothballed freighter off Pol-G may be crazy—but it can work, if she can talk Gavril into helping. Their precious cargo? Four thousand stranded colonists.
Can Anitra and Gavril, and their ragtag crew get past the deadly military blockade?
It’s a desperate bid for freedom in deadly deep space—get your copy of Last Ship Off Polaris-G today!
Series note: The events in Last Ship Off Polaris-G take place several years before Overload Flux (Central Galactic Concordance, Book 1). Think of it as an introduction to the series, and a foreshadowing of things—and people—to come.
– – – – – – – – – –
The Central Galactic Concordance series:
Last Ship Off Polaris-G (Novella)
Overload Flux (Book 1)
Minder Rising (Book 2)
Zero Flux (Novella 2.5)
Pico’s Crush (Book 3)
Pet Trade (Novella in Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2)
Jumper’s Hope (Book 4)
Spark Transform (Book 5 – coming soon)
New release – Last Ship Off Polaris-G
The post New Release – Last Ship Off Polaris-G appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
August 13, 2017
Excerpt from Last Ship Off Polaris-G
Last Ship Off Polaris-G
(A Central Galactic Concordance Novella)
A bureaucrat and an interstellar trader must overcome treachery and their broken past to save the last inhabitants of a dying planet.
Note: This snippet starts the first chapter of Last Ship Off Polaris-G.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
SUPPLY DEPOT MANAGER Anitra Helden counted her lucky stars that she’d stumbled across an abandoned interstellar freighter, and hoped Trader Gavril Danilovich’s evaluation would bring rare good news in a year of bad, worse, and catastrophic events. Funnily enough, she trusted him more than anyone local she’d known and worked with for the last three years. Nothing like a slow-moving apocalypse to bring out the worst in everyone.
In the final months of life on the formerly up-and-coming frontier planet of Polaris-Gamma, the settlers had become reckless, volatile, and mean. The settlement company that had organized the planet’s colonization had gotten greedy. The government’s overworked and understaffed planetary law enforcement barely kept the pot from boiling over. And between broad-daylight thefts, city infrastructure failures, and near-nightly riots, Aetheres city enforcers were at burnout.
Dust made clouds in the chilled air, creating a golden haze in the shafts of autumn sunlight that streamed in from the cavernous airdome’s open skylights. The mottled surface of the massive old freighter looked like a canvas painting. Anitra had traveled in hundreds of interstellar ships, large and small, but never stood on the top of one in a repair dock. Below her boots spanned a hundred and twenty meters by ninety meters of transit space-etched incalloy. Her mind balked at trying to imagine its true size, even if she could see it.
Gavril had every reason to tell Pol-G’s government to suck a hot flux hose. A month ago, Pol-G’s government-run spaceport had impounded his cargo and sealed off his interstellar trader ship—his sole means of livelihood—on a dubious charge of unpaid landing fees from a previous visit. He’d been losing customers every galactic standard day since then. He was only with her now, well outside the city in the defunct ship repair hangar, because they had a history.
Well, more like a chance meeting two years ago that had led to a long weekend together that became a glorious long week. Unfortunately, fantastic sex and dreams of different star lanes were no match for his scheduled trading commitments throughout the galaxy. Or for her ground-based responsibilities as a newly promoted government supply depot manager, a job she’d worked hard to get. Besides, returning to any of the Central Galactic Concordance’s five-hundred-plus member planets wasn’t an option for her. They were both well past the age when a chance for love made anything seem possible. She hadn’t known he’d gotten stuck on Pol-G until she’d run into him again two weeks ago in the same pub where she’d first met him.
He wore his life experience well, she thought. Body shops could make anyone look any age they wanted, from seventeen to one hundred seventy. However, as far as she knew, Gavril only went in for regular checkups and maintenance, so he’d won the genetics lottery. She knew him to be fifty-six, but he looked at least fifteen years younger, and delighted in whimsical hair and eye colors, and artistic skin decoration.
She didn’t look her own age of fifty-five, either, but that was thanks to a full body makeover that made her look early thirties and of deliberately vague Afro-Euro heritage. She didn’t expect to see another body shop for multiple decades, since circumstances had forced her to set fire to her former career in the Central Galactic Concordance and flee to the sanctuary of the frontier. She’d set down roots on Pol-G, hoping to age gracefully there for the next hundred years, far away from the CGC and out of reach of the Citizen Protection Service. And look how well that had turned out.
She sealed the collar of her green half-cloak against the chill of the disused hangar and walked briskly back to the stairway up to the banks of computers and large-format displays where Gavril worked. She wouldn’t even have recognized them as comps, much less that they controlled the repair dock’s cameras, scanners, and probes below, if Gavril hadn’t told her. She’d found a plausible excuse to get the dock’s power turned on and neighborhood batteries recharged without mentioning the existence of the dormant freighter in the underground repair silo. Good thing she’d remembered Gavril trained as a ship engineer and worked in a commercial shipyard for twenty years before taking up the life of an independent trader. Good thing he also liked tinkering with old ships, because the Deset Diamantov was at least ninety years old.
She stood to the side, out of his way, surreptitiously admiring the view. His imposing nose and generous mouth looked European, but the shape of his eyes and cheekbones, and his wiry strength, spoke of Asian heritage. His currently long black-, blue-, and gold-beaded braids hid the pilot’s skulljack behind his bejeweled ear. It made an intriguingly handsome combination, and was one of the qualities that had first attracted her to him. He was sexy as hell. His grumpy, sarcastic surface hid a generous nature and a lively sense of the absurd that made her laugh.
She didn’t need her empath talent to tell that he was enjoying himself now, but she dropped her shield and let herself be soothed by the uncontained flavors of it anyway. Not exactly ethical, but she needed it. They’d be back in the sulking, raging city soon enough.
He slid his hands into his jacket pockets and turned to her. “That’s the final system check.” The corner of his mouth twitched with humor. “Tell me again how the planetary government lost a freighter the size of a gravball stadium.”
Last Ship Off Polaris-G is available here:
The Central Galactic Concordance series:
Last Ship Off Polaris-G (Novella)
Overload Flux (Book 1)
Minder Rising (Book 2)
Zero Flux (Novella 2.5)
Pico’s Crush (Book 3)
Pet Trade (Novella in Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2)
Jumper’s Hope (Book 4)
Spark Transform (Book 5 – coming soon)
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August 11, 2017
Preorder Last Ship Off Polaris-G
Now you can preorder Last Ship Off Polaris-G and have it instantly delivered to your ereader on release day. You know how it is, you get busy, you forget to check your email for the author’s new release announcement, or you’re on vacation, and next thing you know, you’ve missed the release day for the book that your friends are already reading. Click one of the links below to save yourself from that awful fate!
A bureaucrat and an interstellar trader must overcome treachery and their broken past to save the last inhabitants of a dying planet.
Frontier planet Polaris-Gamma is dying, afflicted by a suspiciously-timed blight that destroys all crops. Worse, the whole system is now under military quarantine by the Central Galactic Concordance to prevent the catastrophic blight from spreading. The settlers must escape—or perish.
Caught behind the blockade, independent trader Gavril Danilovich finds his interstellar trading ship commandeered in the desperate plan to escape. He tells himself that’s the only reason he stays, and not because he’s worried about the woman he walked out on two years ago—who still lives on Pol-G.
Supply depot manager Anitra Helden races to gather the last of Pol-G’s assets. Her plan to launch a mothballed freighter off Pol-G may be crazy—but it can work, if she can talk Gavril into helping. Their precious cargo? Four thousand stranded colonists.
Can Anitra and Gavril, and their ragtag crew get past the deadly military blockade?
It’s a desperate bid for freedom in deadly deep space—get your copy of Last Ship Off Polaris-G today!
Series note: The events in Last Ship Off Polaris-G take place several years before Overload Flux (Central Galactic Concordance, Book 1). Think of it as an introduction to the series, and a foreshadowing of things—and people—to come.
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The Central Galactic Concordance series:
Last Ship Off Polaris-G (Novella)
Overload Flux (Book 1)
Minder Rising (Book 2)
Zero Flux (Novella 2.5)
Pico’s Crush (Book 3)
Pet Trade (Novella in Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2)
Jumper’s Hope (Book 4)
Spark Transform (Book 5 – coming soon)
The post Preorder Last Ship Off Polaris-G appeared first on Carol Van Natta - Author.
July 21, 2017
New Space Opera Coming Soon & Cover Reveal
Mark your calendar for 25 August 2017—that’s when my new novella, Last Ship Off Polaris-G, hits the star lanes. I’ll be putting it up for pre-order a couple of weeks before. If you want to make sure you don’t miss the space opera-adventure-romance goodness, sign up on this list to get a quick email when that happens.
Here’s the exciting cover and a teaser description — I’ll tell you more soon.
A bureaucrat and an interstellar trader must overcome treachery and their broken past to save the last inhabitants of a dying planet.
Last Ship Off Polaris-G takes place a few years before the events in Overload Flux (Book 1), which is the start of the big damn story arc I’ve been building in the series. Last Ship Off Polaris-G introduces the Central Galactic Concordance universe, with hints and portents of the things—and people—to come.
By the way, I have an “Extras for Readers” page that has, well, extra information for readers of my science fiction series. It describes the classes of minders, the capitol city of the entire Concordance, and provides a pronunciation guide for the names of characters in the books.
Speaking of new space opera coming soon, occasionally, my characters send me galactic postcards, and I publish them in my newsletters (sign up here). Previous postcards came from Luka and Mairwen from Overload Flux and from Imara and Lièrén Sòng from Minder Rising. They have mild spoilers, so you should probably read the books firs.
#SpaceOpera #NewReleaseAlert #SciFiRomance
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