Aurora Springer's Blog, page 68

Interview with Kerry Donovan, Author of #Adventure Story, On Lucky Shores

Today, I welcome Irish-born author and ex-triathlete, Kerry Donovan, on my Blog to answer questions about his books, his life and his latest release: ON LUCKY SHORES
ON LUCKY SHORESIn an action-packed tale of secrets and lies in small town America, Chet Walker is a man forced to make decisions that will affect his future and the life of the woman he loves.

Witness to a car crash and in receipt of a cryptic message from a dying man, traveling musician, Chet Walker, reaches the picturesque lakeside town of Lucky Shores. He faces hostility and suspicion from the locals and learns that the information he carries could unlock an eight-year-old mystery—it could also get him killed.
Josephine Dolan, owner of the Lucky Shores diner, wants to bury her past. When Walker arrives with a message from her father, she doesn't want to hear it. She cuts him cold.
When his life is threatened, Chet Walker learns the truth behind the saying, “no good deed goes unpunished.”Buy Links:US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AKAWIW2UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AKAWIW2

Tell us about your latest release, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?  KJD: Okay where do I start? Out today is my latest novel, ON LUCKY SHORES. It is an adventure story set in the Colorado Rockies in fictional lakeside town of Lucky Shores. On some levels, the book could be called a modern-day western. It has a lone hero, Chet Walker, a musician with a troubled past, who stumbles upon a mystery that might just get him killed. He arrives in town in search of a gig, but some of the townspeople think he’s part of an eight-year old robbery. They and decide he might tell them where the missing money is if they ask him nicely. In this instance, ‘asking nicely’ includes trying to beat information out of him. Chet doesn’t have a clue what’s really going on in town, but with the help of the owner of the local diner, the plucky and beautiful Joey Dolan, they investigate. In the book, I introduce an ensemble cast of familiar and not-so-familiar characters: the grizzled sheriff and his young deputy, vicious thugs, colorful locals, a female mayor, and a helpful doctor. Hidden among them is at least one thief and killer. If readers like ON LUCKY SHORES, I have plenty of material to turn it into a series. As for crossover, ON LUCKY SHORES has action, adventure, mystery, and romance. How’s that?
Why did you write your book (or series)? KJD: I love the stranger in a hostile town vibe. I grew up watching the old Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE and wanted to see whether I could write something similar but with less overt violence and set in the modern day. In ON LUCKY SHORES, I think I’ve managed to strike the right balance—at least I hope so.
What do you find are the best and worst parts of being an indie author? KJD: The worst part is having to do everything yourself: writing, cover designing, editing and proofreading (although I have hired help these days), and promoting. Strangely, the best part is being able to do everything yourself. What I mean here is I’m a control freak and I love having total control over the product. The buck stops with me and I’m fine with that. On top of everything else, I keep a much great percentage of the royalties, too. Tee hee.  
What do you like to do when you're not writing?KJD: I’m a sports nut. I used to be a triathlete, I was a competitive cyclist, and I have completed a number of marathons. Unfortunately, I’m getting too old to compete these days and have resorted jogging very slowly around my local area. I also make furniture and play guitar. After that, there’s very little time for anything apart from spending time video calling with my children and grandchildren. Sweet, aren’t I?
How much of your personality is in your main character? KJD: Let me see. Chet Walker is tall, handsome, a musician, and heroic. I’m tall and play the guitar. Two out of four ain’t bad, right?
What interesting aspect of your life would surprise your readers? KJD: Not sure this counts, but I used to be a furniture designer/maker and I completely restored our stone cottage here in Brittany. I did the lot, building, plumbing, electrical work, woodwork—I made most of the furniture in the house including the fitted kitchen. Also, I’m a former research scientist and studied human anatomy and physiology and pride myself on getting the medical parts of my stories right. That’s why you’ll never read a line in my books like: “The blood pumped through his veins.” Why? Blood pumps through the arteries not the veins. The veins are passive, blood flows through them, but doesn’t pump. Sorry, but that’s the truth of it. J
Are your stories driven by plot or character? KJD: Yes! Tee hee. Seriously though, I write character-based thrillers and for me, the character is everything. If I read a book with the greatest plot in the world, it means nothing if I don’t care about the characters. I don’t have to like them all, especially the villains, but I do have to care what happens to them. Without believable characters, I find it impossible to get lost in a book. In my books, I try to make the characters come alive. Readers of ON LUCKY SHORES will tell me whether I’ve succeeded.
What do you enjoy most about writing?KJD: I can lose myself in a world of my own imagination without running the risk of the men in white coats taking me away—again. J
What are your current projects and plans for the future? KJD: I’m currently in the middle of writing the fourth in my DCI JONES CASEBOOK series of British crime thrillers. (Picture attached to the email).DCI (that’s Detective Chief Inspector) David Jones is a particular favorite of mine and is based, in part, on my father. In the latest Casebook, CRYER’S VIEW, I tell the story from the perspective of David Jones’ protégé, Detective Sergeant Phil Cryer. Phil has an eidetic memory and it’s a real blast writing about someone who can’t use the “sorry, I forgot,” excuse when he doesn’t do the washing up. In CRYER’S VIEW, Phil goes undercover to find a cop killer. I hope to publish it in early summer.  
Author BioKerry J Donovan was born in Dublin. He spent most of his life in the UK, and now lives in Brittany with his wife of thirty-eight years. He has three children and four grandchildren, all of whom live in England. He is an absentee granddad and praises the development of video calling.Kerry has a PhD in Sport and Exercise Sciences, and as a former scientific advisor to The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Kerry helped UK emergency first-responders prepare for chemical attacks in the wake of 9/11. Family apart, Kerry has three loves: making furniture, sport, and writing (but not necessarily in that order). Contact him:Website: http://kerryjdonovan.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/KerryJDonovanFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KerryJDonovan

#SciFi Snippet from Grand Master's Mate for #WeWriWa

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors . Here, writers in different genres showcase their stories with 8-10 sentences. Join the fun and read our snippets.

Today, I’m continuing the scene on the ocean planet from my new release Grand Master’s Mate. By this stage, the Grand Master, Athanor, has learned not to trust entirely to his powers since their enemies can nullify them. In this scene, he and Violet wear protective underwater suits with air and jetpacks. Amarylla looks like a giant flower with three pink petals and gangling roots. Callama is a clam shell with a central membrane forming a sail. You can read last week’s snippet here – http://auroraspringer.blogspot.com/20...
Three pairs of bright yellow eyes on the tips of dark ribbons converged on Callama. The ribbon eels wriggled around the shell boat and Violet understood their vibrations, “Our homes are cracked. Our children are eaten.” “Death, slaughter, craze the sand city,” Callama’s slow hum was quickened by horror. “Dive faster by Dagda’s horn,” Athanor urged. Gripping Violet, he rotated until their heads pointed down and zoomed towards the murky bottom.  As they dived farther from the sunlight, the green water darkened to murky black. Only the blue beams of Athanor’s eyes penetrated the gloom. The sinuous bodies glistened each time they swam into Athanor’s blue beams.  A larger snake with a body as thick as a man’s paused nearby. Its amber eyes shone in the dark and it urged the smaller eels, “Gather together for a mass attack on the invaders.”   
To celebrate completion of the Trilogy, Grand Master’s Pawn is only 99c Grand Master’s Pawn: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM 
The Lady is Blue, book 1 of Atrapako on Eden, will be FREE from 15-19th. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q 

As always, your comments are welcome. Please return to www.wewriwa.com to sample the works of the other writers.

#Superhero #Mystery Snippet from WIP for SFFSaturday

Welcome to another Saturday of Science Fiction & Fantasy and read snippets exchanged by several writers. http://scififansat.blogspot.com/ Today, I’ll continue the first chapter of my WIP, a young adult, superhero romance. The story is set in the fictional city of Atalanta, a sunnier, southern version of Gotham City. (Punctuation altered to fit.) You can read last week’s snippet here - http://auroraspringer.blogspot.com/2016/01/superhero-mystery-snippet-from-wip-for.html
Inspector Parkins nodded, “I’ll wait for the report from Pathology.” He crouched on one knee to examine the corpse. Her skin was flaccid and dry; blood had gushed from her neck, leaving red streaks on her pink shirt. He did not bother to touch the body. The skin temperature would hold no clues in the sultry heat of the Atalanta summer. Parkins grimaced. The irregular gash across her throat was horribly familiar. Glancing at the officer, he noted the name on his badge, “Look at her neck, Trooper Cagle. Seen anything like it before?” With a grunt to acknowledge the Inspector’s request, Cagle leaned over the body and frowned, “It’s strange, now you mention it. I didn’t notice at first. The cut appears to have been made by a weapon with a serrated edge. I’ve never seen a knife with serrations like that.” He stared at the Inspector in alarm and whispered, “What is it?”
Please return to http://scififansat.blogspot.com/ and read the other snippets. Your comments are welcome as always.
My science fiction story, The Lady is Blue, will be FREE from 15-19th. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Qhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00K1N951Q

Intrepid scientist solves mystery of scaly aliens.
As the chief biologist in the remote human colony on Eden, Dr. Lucy Stannis leads a quiet life until an alien vessel makes first contact with the colonists. She is thrilled to meet the spaceship captain, the impressive Blue, Sa Kamizan Veedak, although the Atrapako are formidable with their tough, scaled bodies and sharp claws. Conflicts arise, threatening the whole colony as well as Lucy’s tenuous friendship with Sa Kamizan. Lucy must employ all her skills to discover their secret and save the colony.
If you like feisty heroines and mysteries where deceptions abound, then you’ll enjoy this science fiction adventure with a surprise twist at the end. Start this tale of culture clash and sweet romance today. Book 1 of Atrapako on Eden.  

Interview with Pippa Jay and her New Release, Keir's Fall, #ScienceFiction #Romance

Today, I welcome Pippa Jay for an Author Interview and an Excerpt from her New Release, Keir’s Fall. She describes her books, her writing and her life as a busy mom and author of science fiction romance stories.
Tell us about your latest release, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres?
Keir’s Fall is a science fiction romance novel, the second in my Redemption series. Like most of my works, it straddles the borders between multiple genres. In this case, Keir’s Fall is probably more sci-fantasy than science fiction (like Star Wars), with paranormal elements. It also leans more to the space opera side of SF than the first book in the series - Keir - which was very much a time travel romance.
Why did you write your book (or series)?
Writing the first book was a sanity saver and an unexpected epiphany. I’d been a stay at home mum for several years, and my youngest had just reached his first level of independence—being able to walk and play with his two older siblings—and I felt like I’d lost my identity. I was proud of being a mum and a wife, but somehow I felt that’s all I’d become, that I wasn’t really me anymore. So I grabbed an old, unfinished short story, sat at my computer with some music on, and wrote a 40K draft. That turned out to be two separate stories, so I split off the first and eventually it became Keir—my debut novel with a publisher. The other half of it went on to become Keir’s Fall, which I finally released in December 2015. At the time of starting, I had no plan to write and be published, or to be writing a series. I just wrote. Three and a half years on Keir’s Fall makes my twelfth title to be released.
What do you find are the best and worst parts of being an indie author?
The best is total artistic control (aside from relying on my excellent cover designer to interpret my crazy requests into a stunning but workable book cover). But that also brings the worst part - being totally responsible for every aspect of a book from writing the first draft right through to release and promotion, and having to do all the work and fix all the problems. You’re pretty much on your own! (I have to add having awesome friends and an editor and cover artist who are massively supportive and always ready with help and advice does make it easier).
How much of your personality is in your main character?
All of my characters have some element of my personality in them—that’s unavoidable. Usually it’s one or a handful of my traits, often emphasized sometimes to extremes in a particular character. For Keir, it’s my own insecurities, my certainty that I’m not worthy of the attention, loyalty and love that I have from friends and family. But he also has my deep sense of morality and loyalty that, despite the terrible things done to him, he refuses to respond in kind (though he’ll fight to defend himself and those he loves when necessary).
Are your stories driven by plot or character?
Character. I’m a pantser, so the plot often doesn’t appear until I’m well into writing the story, while it’s always the characters that inspire the first words.
How do you balance a life outside of writing with deadlines and writing muses?
With difficulty. It’s a constant juggling act. When my monsters were younger I’d have to get up at 5am to squeeze in writing time. Once they were all at full-time school it was easier, but now I find much of my time taken up with updating and promoting the titles I already have out, and editing the ones still unfinished from those earlier days. Real life stuff has also taken more of a priority in the last few months and will continue to do so. Right now writing is at the bottom of the pile, and I’ve barely written more than a couple of paragraphs so far this year. It’s also the reason I had to step down from my work with the SFR Brigade, which broke my heart but has spared my remaining sanity.

Do you have any pets at home?
We currently have a flock of five bantam hens (half size chickens - Scoop, Chiana, Rush, Kyru, and Eowyn), a leopard gecko called Yoshi, and a tank of fifteen tropical fish (guppies, zebra danios, cardinal tetras, kuhli loaches, pencil fish, a panda cory and a pepper cory). 

What themes and ideas do you often explore in your writing?
I love to write tortured characters, and most are often seeking redemption for the wrongs they believe they’ve committed. I also love the concept of soul mates, of luck and destiny.
What book, movie or TV show has most influenced your life or writing?
Pretty much anything scifi and some fantasy. In terms of books, mostly those by Anne McCaffrey because she wrote the same mix of SF, Fantasy and Paranormal that I prefer to read and write. I’ve watched Doctor Who all my life (both my parents were fans), and the first novel I ever completed was a DW story, and my first attempt at getting something published, so that’s been a huge, life-long inspiration. But perhaps the biggest inspiration was the first time I saw Star Wars on TV at age eight. I was hooked immediately (and Luke Skywalker was my first crush), and switched from writing fantasy stories to scifi. That’s been my main genre ever since.
What are your current projects and plans for the future?
At the moment I’m in edits for a side story in the Redemptionseries (Reunion at Kasha-Asor), due to release 21st May, plus a related novel due out in June. I’m also finishing up a novella in a shared universe series (my second in the Venus Ascendant collection and my first Rebecca finalist), before I move onto book three for Redemption. 


Book Blurb:
A seductive tyrant. A lost hero. And a galaxy about to fall...

It's been a year in paradise for Keir and Quin, but now the idyll is over. After Quin falls sick, they return to the hidden sanctuary of Lyagnius, and what she learns there will not only change their lives, but set them on a journey that could separate them forever.

When Keir falls victim to a ruthless Nercaandi Empress bent on conquering the galaxy with her cybernetic army, it will take all Quin's diminishing powers and the help of her son to find him. But what waits for her aboard the tyrant's ship will test her strength and the limits of their love, and put everything she cares about at risk. Including Keir.

With the galaxy itself about to fall, will she be able to save him?

Book Two of the Redemption series and part of the Travellers Universe. 


Buy link(s):
Amazon http://mybook.to/keirsfall
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/597197
Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/keir-s-fall
All Romance eBooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-keir039sfall-1937657-343.html
B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keirs-fall-pippa-jay/1123095162?ean=2940152694246
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1064961664
Print from CreateSpace https://www.createspace.com/5923295
Print from Amazon http://mybook.to/KFPrint
Visit the webpage at http://www.pippajay.co.uk/#!keirs-fall-redemption-2/c1ju0
Book One - Keir - is available from online retailers in print and all digital formats http://www.pippajay.co.uk/#!keir/c187d
Book Blurb:
A seductive tyrant. A lost hero. And a galaxy about to fall...

It's been a year in paradise for Keir and Quin, but now the idyll is over. After Quin falls sick, they return to the hidden sanctuary of Lyagnius, and what she learns there will not only change their lives, but set them on a journey that could separate them forever.

When Keir falls victim to a ruthless Nercaandi Empress bent on conquering the galaxy with her cybernetic army, it will take all Quin's diminishing powers and the help of her son to find him. But what waits for her aboard the tyrant's ship will test her strength and the limits of their love, and put everything she cares about at risk. Including Keir.

With the galaxy itself about to fall, will she be able to save him?

Book Two of the Redemption series and part of the Travellers Universe. 
Buy link(s):Amazon http://mybook.to/keirsfall Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/597197Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/keir-s-fallAll Romance eBooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-keir039sfall-1937657-343.htmlB&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keirs-fall-pippa-jay/1123095162?ean=2940152694246iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1064961664Print from CreateSpace https://www.createspace.com/5923295Print from Amazon http://mybook.to/KFPrintVisit the webpage at http://www.pippajay.co.uk/#!keirs-fall-redemption-2/c1ju0
Book One - Keir - is available from online retailers in print and all digital formats http://www.pippajay.co.uk/#!keir/c187d  
Excerpt
Keir woke in the night to find the bed empty and the doors to the balcony wide open, a strong, chill wind gusting into the room. Concerned, he rose and saw Quin standing outside in little more than a thin slip, arms clasped around her for either warmth or consolation. He took a blanket and went out, wrapping it around her protectively. With her hair blowing into his face as he cradled her, he rested his hands tentatively on her stomach, hoping to warm and comfort her.“What are you doing?” he asked, worry tightening his throat so that his voice rasped. “It is freezing out here!” “I couldn’t sleep,” she said blankly, shivering. “I had a nightmare.” He felt her quiver, her thoughts dark and frightened. “What was it?” She leaned against him. Lights in the home opposite sparkled like stars set in tall burnished pillars. The sky above was cloudy, the last traces of sun turning the edges dull copper. The whole landscape looked like a bronze casting, delicately sculpted and laid against a background of watered silk.“I couldn’t reach you. You were in a metal cage, locked away,” she said in a haunted voice. He could see the image in her mind, feel her desperation and terror, the sense of hopelessness at her attempts to release him. He suffused her thoughts with silent reassurances and drew his arms tighter around her.“But I am not caged,” he said, his voice soothing. “I am here, with you.” Quin was crying now, shaking so badly he thought she might be ill. He turned her, wiping the tears from her face. Once before he had seen her like this, tormented by nightmares after she had told him of losing her daughter. Perhaps being pregnant had brought back those fears to haunt her.“I couldn’t reach you!” she wailed. The anguish in her voice set his heart pounding. He held her as her trembling worsened. No. It wasn’t Quin shaking. Everything was shaking. The whole balcony vibrated and a strange whine pervaded the air, hurting his ears. Dark, seething clouds surged into the gorge, obscuring the lights of the homes opposite, as something drove them into the gap. Strong winds blasted through the spires.


Author BioA girl who writes scifi and the supernatural with a romantic soul. Whovian, Scaper, and Sith-in-training. Double SFR Galaxy Award winner, and a finalist in the 2015 EPIC eBook and the RWA LERA 2015 Rebecca awards.
Links Website – http://www.pippajay.co.ukBlogs – Adventures in Scifi - http://www.pippajay.blogspot.co.ukSpacefreighters Lounge - http://www.spacefreighters.blogspot.comRomancing the Genres - http://www.romancingthegenres.blogspot.co.uk/SFR Brigade - http://www.sfrcontests.blogspot.co.uk/Twitter - https://twitter.com/pippajaygreenGoodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_JayFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pippa-Jay-Adventures-in-Scifi/114058821953752Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/pippajaygreen/Google+ - https://plus.google.com/u/0/101080630877126516448/postsWattpad - http://www.wattpad.com/user/PippaJay Amazon page - http://author.to/PippaJayNewsletter - http://blogspot.us4.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=e5e8a4dfebcfde471a95ed3f8&id=d7764e9767 

Background to The Lady is Blue #ScienceFiction #Romance

My science fiction romance novel The Lady is Blue is set on the distant planet of Eden in a small town, which mingles aspects of Yale University, USA, and Oxford University, UK.
The Science Center housing the heroine's lab is a recreation of the Kline Biology Tower at Yale.

Its 12th floor cafeteria is the site of several scenes, including an attempt to kill the heroine. The real cafeteria was popular among science faculty and students for lunch and informal discussions. No scaly aliens have dined in the cafe to my knowledge, although I once met a famous ballet dancer who had been smuggled in under the assumed name of Mr Brown to see real research laboratories.

The park and river with bridge are transported from Oxford University Parks.

The Lady is Blue: What Color are your Scales? Book 1 in the series Atrapako on EdenDr. Lucy Stannis emigrated from Terra expecting her fiancé to follow her to a new life on the small colony on the terraformed planet of Eden. He never left home and married someone else. After a few years, Lucy is bored and her current lover is too possessive. He insists she choose between him and the aliens. How can he be jealous of a sharp clawed alien covered in hard scales? She is a scientist and thrilled by the arrival of an alien spaceship.Sa Kamizan Veedak led the Atrapako exiles on the hazardous five-year voyage from their home planet. His lover chose to abandon the space voyage and stay behind. Can he find solace in the beautiful human scientist he befriends on Eden? He must struggle to hide the Atrapako secret from Lucy while encouraging her affection until the time is right. Conflict is inevitable. The aliens are not as peaceful and logical as they pretend. Nor are the humans as weak-willed and defenseless as they appear to the aliens. Also, Lucy is a secret agent in contact with the Terran Space Agency. Can she uncover the Atrapako secret in time to prevent slaughter? Must she choose between Sa Kamizan and the freedom of the colony on Eden? 
The eBook will be FREE from January 15-19th Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q

What Reviewers say about The Lady is Blue“Really Captivating and Fun!”“This book grabbed me with sharp alien claws from the very first and would not let me go.”“I loved the twists and turns of the story.”“The ending was a good surprise.”    Main CharactersHumansThe main protagonist is Dr. Lucy Stannis, a scientist and secret Terran agent. She is aided and abetted by Dr. Colin Murti, her physician; Roger Fourno, her (soon to be ex-) lover; Dr. Trisha Duran and Dr. Jun Danzhu, her friends and scientific colleagues, and her students, especially the beautiful Sonia. The elected Governors of the independent colony on Eden are: Mossy Fairweather, Don Vargos and Bernal Mathis. Lucy is in contact with Admiral Simon Sinclair on a Terran Spaceship.
AtrapakoThe Atrapako Blue, Sa Kamizan Veedak, Captain of their spaceship is the major player. He is supported by the old Blue judge, Sa Radekis Volkin, and the Green scientists, Te Suzzaine Sukla and Te Tamarkis Varenne. He is opposed by the young Blue Sa Varasek and the other Blues, including the Honorable Lady Kamilla. The Atrapako have a rigid class system and their scales are colored according to their class. Blues are the leaders. They scheme for power and expect instant obedience from the other classes. Greens are the technologists, scientists, and mechanics. Reds are strong and massive. They are soldiers and laborers and rarely speak. They have no names as far as the other classes are concerned. Yellows are the children and anyone not included in the other three classes. For instance, an artist would be a Yellow since art is an unvalued talent, unnecessary for survival on Vkani. 
Short Conversation between the Main Characters:“Why do you talk to me anyway?” Lucy said.  He laughed and seemed to relax again. “Your questions are very direct, Dr. Stannis. I like your fearlessness. The others are nervous or afraid of me.”“I’m not surprised they are nervous,” she retorted. “You have vicious teeth and sharp claws.” He curled one set of claws in front of her face and ran them lightly down her arm. It tickled and Lucy grinned. “Oh, you are so mild mannered you wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on me!”  Sa Kamizan gripped her wrist firmly. “Call your committee and tell them they need another token female scientist. Then, you can see me at the meetings.” “I may be a disruptive influence.” Lucy grimaced, she hated restraints. Suddenly, she twisted her wrist against his thumb in a maneuver intended to free her arm. It was a mistake. Her arm slipped free, but she felt claws scrape her skin as Sa Kamizan quickly pulled his hand away. She examined her arm. Blood was welling from two shallow punctures. Immediately, she realized most humans would blame Sa Kamizan if the incident were known. She glanced up. He looked wary, waiting for her response with crest lowered. “I hope your nails are clean,” she remarked nonchalantly, while searching through her pockets with the uninjured hand.  He stared at his hand. Then, he offered her a wad of tissues from a desk drawer. “Let me help you.” He wiped off the blood.  “You should be more cautious in future when playing with Atrapako,” he said softly. 

Teaser Excerpt from The Lady is Blue

What color are your scales? Intrepid scientist solves mystery of scaly aliens.
As the chief biologist in the remote human colony on Eden, Dr. Lucy Stannis leads a quiet life until an alien vessel makes first contact with the colonists. She is thrilled to meet the spaceship captain, the impressive Blue, Sa Kamizan Veedak, although the Atrapako are formidable with their tough, scaled bodies and sharp claws. Conflicts arise, threatening the whole colony as well as Lucy’s tenuous friendship with Sa Kamizan. Lucy must employ all her skills to discover their secret and save the colony.
If you like feisty heroines and mysteries where deceptions abound, then you’ll enjoy this science fiction adventure with a surprise twist at the end. Start this tale of culture clash and sweet romance today. Book 1 of Atrapako on Eden.   
FREE January 15-19th Always FREE in KindleUnlimitedBuy Links:US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951QInternational http://authl.it/3ul?d
Language Lessons by Hypnosis
     The main entrance was guarded by two large, red scaled aliens, and two human security guards stood nearby. Lucy hesitated, wondering if it would be as easy to enter as Sa Kamizan had implied. It was certainly worth trying. She walked to the door, where the red aliens barred her way. A security guard and a sand-colored alien approached to question her.        Lucy said, “Sa Kamizan told me to come here to use the hypnotranslator.” .        “Your name, please?” The human guard asked coolly.        “Dr. Lucy Stannis.” She waited, as a short discussion took place just out of her hearing.           The doorman returned to say, “You may enter while we check your authorization with Sa Kamizan.”         She was ushered through the heavy doors and told to wait.  One of the alien guards spoke to someone on the vidicom.        The human security guard became friendlier than at first. He reassured Lucy. “Sa Kamizan is one of the top boys here. You’ll be all right if he recognizes you.”          Lucy disliked such restrictions. It was irksome that her language lessons should depend on whether an alien remembered her name. Still, she maintained a serene expression and waited.          After about ten minutes, an elevator door opened and a blue alien came into the entrance hall. Lucy recognized Sa Kamizan Veedak. She tried to keep her face calm, but felt relief.          He was more impressive than she remembered. He wore a blue tunic to match his scales and a gold patterned belt. He spoke briefly to one of the guards and then came nearer. “Good afternoon, Dr. Stannis. I shall take you to the hypnolector.”          Lucy followed him to the elevator. As they passed the security guard, Lucy noted that he was impressed too. She didn’t speak until they were alone in the elevator. “I thought they were going to throw me out, Sa Kamizan,” she said, trying to keep irritation out of her voice.          His reply was neutral, “We do not wish unauthorized people to wander about this building.”          Lucy decided to be cautious and gave a slight smile. “How long will the language lessons take?’         “Five sessions of one hour each will give you the basics of our language, Kavkani. I trust you can spare the time.” They stopped at the third floor and he stepped out. “It is the second room here.”         An icy thought glazed her mind. What if they had inserted a mind controller into the hypnolector? She stopped in sudden alarm. 
The Lady is Blue is the first Book in the Series, Atrapako on Eden
 

#ScienceFiction Snippet from Grand Master's Mate for #WeWriWa

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors . Here, writers in different genres showcase their stories with 8-10 sentences. Join the fun and read our snippets.
Today, I’m continuing the scene on the ocean planet from my new release Grand Master’s Mate. By this stage, the Grand Master, Athanor, has learned not to trust entirely to his powers since their enemies can nullify them. In this scene, he and Violet wear protective underwater suits with air and jetpacks. Amarylla looks like a giant flower with three pink petals and gangling roots. Callama is a clam shell with a central membrane forming a sail. You can read last week’s snippet here – http://auroraspringer.blogspot.com/20...
“Brightness will cling to the outer shell,” Amarylla agreed. The orange Bollerol slid to the base of the boat and the two halves of the shell closed. Amarylla’s roots coiled around the shell. Tipping on end, Callama sank below the waves, dragging the two Grand Masters and Violet under the water. Translucent green water surrounded them and lines of bubbles drifted in the wake of the great shell. Strange slow songs of the sea creatures washed against Violet’s senses. The green ocean darkened as they descended farther from the sunlit surface. As they swam deeper, the quiet waters were threaded with thin cries of terror. “I sense the attackers are below us,” Violet informed Athanor.
To celebrate completion of the Trilogy, Grand Master’s Pawn is only 99c Grand Master’s Pawn: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM 


The Lady is Blue, book 1 of Atrapako on Eden, will be FREE from 15-19th. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q    

As always, your comments are welcome. Please return to www.wewriwa.com to sample the works of the other writers. 

#Superhero #Mystery Snippet from WIP for #SFFSat

Welcome to another Saturday of Science Fiction & Fantasy and read snippets exchanged by several writers. http://scififansat.blogspot.com/ First, I wish you all a wonderful 2016!

Today, I’ll jump into my WIP, a young adult, superhero romance. The story is set in the fictional city of Atalanta, a sunnier, southern version of Gotham City. This snippet is from the first Chapter.I'm still agonizing over a cover.
“This is how we found her.” The city trooper gestured at the woman’s body sprawled on the grass behind the dumpster. “Nobody’s moved the body. We’ve taken all the photos. A purse was found eight feet from the body. No evidence anything was removed, cash, credit cards, license, phone still inside.” Frowning at the expression of terror frozen on the dead woman’s face, Inspector Parkins muttered, “Not a simple theft turned ugly.” “No, Sir.” “When was the body found?” Parkins asked. Consulting his notes out of habit rather than necessity, the policeman said, “A passerby called at 10:15am. Man toting a bag of trash to the dumpster. The dispatcher sent me here immediately and I called your office when I saw the wounds.”  His face glistening with perspiration, he offered an opinion, “Body’s stiff. She’s been dead several hours.” Looking straight ahead, the officer quoted from the forensic textbook, “Presumed cause of death is a severed carotid artery.”
Please return to http://scififansat.blogspot.com/ and read the other snippets. Your comments are welcome as always. 

Teaser Tuesday - #Superhero Awakes - #ScienceFiction Romance

Here is an excerpt from my WIP - a Young Adult Superhero Romance with Aliens and Superanimals
Estelle woke. Surreal streamers of color swirled behind her eyelids. Her head throbbed with pain and her stiff body ached. Questions crawled into her mind. What had happened? Where was she? Who was she? She cracked her eyes open. A white blur filled her field of vision. She tried to rub her eyes, but found her hand was fastened at the wrist. Wriggling each part of her body, she discovered cold metal bands pinned her forehead, her arms and legs. Fear shivered through her restrained body and her mind whirled in confusion. Fighting off panic, she forced herself into a wary calm. Gradually, her vision cleared and memories crept back. She was Estelle Wright. Seventeen years old, on her way to college. What had happened to her? More memories crowded into her foggy mind. Images flashed, a black cat pouncing at her, a white horse rearing into explosions of green and white light. Spotty, the dappled mare, had ridden into a deafening blast on the Army Firing Range. Was she in a hospital? Estelle stared up. Curved glass enclosed her body. Above the transparent cylinder, glossy lines decorated the white ceiling. Her gaze traveled along the interleaved spiral paths. Blinking, she wrenched her focus away from the hypnotic patterns. What was this creepy place? It was not a regular hospital. Estelle blinked and scrunched her eyelids closed. What hospital would have the weird, labyrinthine spirals on the ceiling? Voices drifted to her ears from an adjacent room. They seemed to be discussing her. “She is very young for the transformation.” A woman’s voice, judging by the high pitch. The gruff voice of a man said, “Can we trust a native like her? Our need is urgent. The enemy grows more intrusive.” Estelle held her breath, intent on listening to the conversation outside her room. A second man said, “She is not the first, nor the youngest. She is nearly eighteen.” The nasal twang hit a familiar chord. The image of his sullen face and black ponytail flew into her mind. Toby, the surly young man with the motorbike. What was he doing in this strange place? Curiosity dampened her fears and sharpened her hearing. The first man asked, “What do you know of this girl, Tobarian?”  “She is paired with a mare as her Farleon companion.” Toby’s twang again. Was his name really Tobarian? “Excellent! Set her free and watch for her powers to emerge. We need every recruit.” The authoritative man sounded enthusiastic. The woman said, “Sol Farleon, the girl may wake soon. We expected her to be unconscious for at least twenty four hours. But, she keeps rousing and must be dosed back to sleep. Her body requires time to adapt to the transformation. The next cycle will finish in two minutes.” “We don’t want her to eavesdrop on our conversation. Activate the block and we’ll leave her to your ministrations, Mir Celesta,” the older man ordered. “I’ll start the wake cycle,” the woman said. Their voices faded. Estelle assumed they had muted the sound in some manner. 
Final Day for 99c First in Series Bargains 

Grand Master’s Pawn 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM
International: http://authl.it/3uk ?d  

The Lady is Blue

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q
International : http://authl.it/3ul ?d  

#ScienceFiction Snippet from Ocean planet in Grand Master's Mate for #WeWriWa

First, I wish you a wonderful New Year! At the end of the post, you can check my special offers. 
Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors . Here, writers in different genres showcase their stories with 8-10 sentences. Join the fun and read our snippets.
Today, I’m continuing the scene on the ocean planet from my new release Grand Master’s Mate. By this stage, Athanor has learned not to trust entirely to his powers since their enemies can nullify them. In this scene, he and Violet wear protective underwater suits with air and jetpacks. I’m skipping a few lines from last week’s snippet, which you can read here – http://auroraspringer.blogspot.com/20...
The sun sank into the green ocean and the crescent of a moon rose into the sky before they reached their goal. At length, Callama’s shell slowed to a halt, and rocked in the gentle swell of the green, foam-flecked waves.  The great shell hummed, “Weep, deep, Callama dives.” Bollerol translated through its spout, “Callama enters the deeps. Shell sections will seal together. Ride inside or out?” “By thunder, I’ll swim outside the shell and see where I’m going,” Athanor growled, pulling down his faceplate. “Pull me with you,” Violet said, attaching her breather tube. The Grand Master could travel underwater as easily as in the air. Wrapping his arm around Violet’s waist, he vaulted into the water and grasped hold of a ridge on the exterior of Callama’s shell.

To celebrate completion of the Trilogy, Grand Master’s Pawn is only 99c this month Grand Master’s Pawn: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM  Grand Master’s Game: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0104OFJJ8 Grand Master’s Mate: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018EHAA7S
As a holiday special, The Lady is Blue, book 1 of Atrapako on Eden, is 99c for another couple of days. The Lady is Blue: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q 
And, my two Novellas, Captured by the Hawk and Rosemary’s Quest are 99c. Captured by the Hawk: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MYHSC52 Rosemary’s Quest: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N9QJRQ0/


As always, your comments are welcome. Please return to www.wewriwa.com to sample the works of the other writers.