Aurora Springer's Blog, page 80

Teaser Tuesday #sfrgtt Dragons of Vkani

For today's Teaser Tuesday, I'll give you an excerpt from Dragons of Vkani, Book 2 in the series Atrapako on Eden. The Atrapako have scales, claws and spiky crests. They come from the planet Vkani. Sa Kamizan Veedak and Dr. Lucy Stannis were married in Book 1, The Lady is Blue. Here is an early scene on the Traders' spaceship hovering over the planet Eden. Lucy's brother married a Trader woman.




Excerpt



Jamie said solemnly, “My sister and my brother, I have stood on Vkani.” Evidently, he shared his sister’s flare for the dramatic line. Lucy’s face blanched and Sa Kamizan’s crest flared in alarm. He whispered, “Ah! You were right, Lucy!” “Tell us your story,” Lucy said, cringing with an icy shiver of fear and clutching at her husband’s sturdy arm. Jamie said, “Three months ago, the Space Voyager Pegasus intercepted a faint signal whispering through real space. Its message will reach Eden in some twelve years’ time. Let me play it for you.” He switched on the com and a woman’s voice spoke in Kavkani, the native language of the Atrapako. The undulating crackle of static added a sinister overtone. A soft, urgent voice said, “Sa Kamizan Veedak, if your fortunes have led you to a safe haven amongst the stars, we beg for your help. We are besieged and desperate. Your sister, Te Kamizan Veela, Lady of Ravenak.” Sa Kamizan hissed, “It is the voice of my young sister, Veela.” He gazed wide-eyed at Lucy, announcing with a stubbornly resolute expression on his blue scaled face. “I must travel to Vkani and rescue her!” 





Buy link for Dragons of Vkani: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LS1EU6K/Buy Link for Book 1: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q  

 

Continuing from The Lady is Blue for Weekend Writing Warriors

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors. We share snippets from our stories. Here are nine lines from my first science fiction novel, The Lady is Blue. 

What you need to know: The alien Atrapako have colored scales to mark their class. Sa Kamizan is a Blue male, and Dr. Lucy Stannis is a human scientist, studying the Atrapako. She is learning about their class structure. Here, the other Atrapako are following Sa Kamizan out of the meadow. 


“I see you are at the head of your loyal troops, your Excellency,” she jested. Then she saw the distress in his eyes.  “I do not wish for it,” he said quietly. They walked on together silently, until he said, “You are not white, Lucy.” “Really! Well, goodbye.” Lucy ran off through the trampled grass. When she looked back, Sa Kamizan was staring in her direction. She flipped cartwheels out of sheer joy, hoping the Atrapako were still watching. 
This concludes the Chapter of The Lady is Blue, and next week I hope to entertain you with excerpts from my WIP. 



Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q  

The ebook is on sale for 99c this month. 
Another story (SF+Paranormal) is free 5/16

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SJE7O30

Please return to  WeWriWa and check out the other posts. 

Welcome to #SFFSat and a new Snippet from Grand Master's Pawn

Welcome to another Saturday of Science Fiction & Fantasy snippets exchanged by writers. http://scififansat.blogspot.com/ My contribution this week comes from Grand Master’s Pawn (Part 2 is Free today - 16th May).


ExcerptThe dragon swung his great head to peer at her, perplexed by her lack of fear. Violet was fascinated. At last, she stood next to one of the fabled dragon lords of Sythos. A fleeting nudge at her collar marked the Grand Master’s interest.“Your wing is injured,” she said, reaching out her hand in sympathy. His head recoiled and Ythris hissed in distaste, “You are a Vron, an ugly human!”  “Yes, I’m a human. I have permission to venture onto your lands,” Violet said firmly, refusing to be overawed by the huge dragon. “Will you permit me to examine your broken wing, Ythris?” The dragon’s luminous eyes blinked, and his head curled round to stare at the unusable wing, “I have little choice. No one else has replied to my calls for help.” His head swiveled until his long nose almost touched her face. Violet noted the curved white fangs protruding from his jaws and the flat black scales over his narrow face. He was deadly, yet she did not fear him.

Free ebook 5/15-16 Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SJE7O30


Please return to SFFSat and read the other snippets. Your comments are welcome.

Cover Reveal for Re-release of Restless in Peaceville by Pippa Jay

Restless In Peaceville, returning to retailers soon. Same cute zombie story, brand new cover!Blurb:Welcome to Peaceville, population 2067 and rising...from the grave...
Luke Chester has had enough. He’s the school geek, the girls laugh at him, he’s lost his dead-end job at the pizza place, and in the midst of the world’s messiest divorce his parents don’t even know he exists. An overdose of his mom’s tranquilizers and a stomach full of whiskey should solve all his problems...

But they don’t. Instead, Luke finds himself booted out of the afterlife for not dying a natural death, with nowhere to go but back to his recently vacated corpse and reality. How the hell is he going to pass for one of the living without someone trying to blow his brains out for being one of the undead?

And it just gets worse. He’s got to fight his own desperate craving to consume the living, evade the weird supernatural hunter who’s having a field day with the new undeads rising, and there’s this creepy black shadow following him around. Add to that the distraction of female fellow undead Annabelle burning to avenge her own murder, and clearly there’s no rest for the wicked. Jeez, all he wanted to do was R.I.P.
Buy links:Web page – http://www.pippajay.co.uk/#!restless-in-peaceville/c19isAdd it to your Goodreads TBR here –  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22062985-restless-in-peacevilleSign up to my no-spam newsletter to get updated on the latest releases, giveaways and special offers. Exclusive snippets and stories coming soon! http://eepurl.com/IKX7bBio:
After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.
Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade and Broad Universe, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include YA and adult stories crossing a multitude of subgenres from scifi to the paranormal, often with romance, and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology— Tales from the SFR Brigade . She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3rd place), the EPIC eBook awards, and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2nd place).
You can stalk her at her website, or at her blog, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.
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/PippaJayAll Romance eBooks - http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Pippa+JayNewsletter - http://eepurl.com/IKX7b

Teaser Tuesday - Excerpt from WIP

I'm introducing characters from my WIP, Grand Master's Game, Book 2 of my trilogy. Violet hunts for the evil Grand Masters who are breaking the interplanetary portal web. Her "friend" Athanor is disguised under the nom-de-guerre (as he says) of Taranis.  


Their hostess, Tessa stood by the door, beautiful in pink and gold. She held out her arms and beamed at Violet, “I am so happy you came to my party, Vi! I was worried when you were away for so long. Were you surprised to hear about my engagement?”
Violet took Tessa’s hands and stood on tiptoes to kiss her delicate cheek. “I’m happy to see you, Tessa. And, I’ve brought my friend, Taranis. He’s the reason I stayed away.” She tugged Athanor forward, and watched as Tessa’s eyes widened in alarm at the sight of his dark intense figure.
Hiding his inner amusement, Athanor elaborated on her fake story, “I rescued Violet after she was abandoned by her Grand Master.”
Horrified, Tessa gasped. “Poor Violet, what an awful experience! Abandoned on a strange planet. I know you hated your obnoxious Grand Master.” 
Violet smothered her laughter at Tessa’s earnest words of outrage. She whispered in her friend’s ear, “Isn’t he gorgeous!” and felt the tickle of Athanor’s mental laugh.
“Come and meet my fiancé, Phineas Wilmot. He’s a professor at the Academy.” Tessa said, beaming with pride. She led them to a sturdy man with straw colored hair and moustache.
Professor Wilmot greeted Violet with unusual enthusiasm. “I have looked forward to meeting you, Violet, since the day Tessa told me she was friends with two pawns. You are almost the last of the pawns on my list to interview.”
Carefully choosing her words, Violet said, “Professor Wilmot, are you interested in the secretive Grand Masters rather than their pawns?” She sensed Athanor’s instant alertness. 

You should read Book 1 to learn how Violet met Taranis/Athanor. I'm grateful to Corrine Kilgore for the cover.  
Buy Link - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM

Weekend Writing Warriors - another snippet from The Lady is Blue

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors. Today, I'm continuing the scene from my first science fiction novel, The Lady is Blue.

What you need to know: The alien Atrapako have colored scales to mark their class. Sa Kamizan is a Blue male, and Te Suzzine is a Green scientist. Dr. Lucy Stannis is a human scientist, studying the Atrapako. Here, she learns about their class structure.  


Snippet (shortened to fit)

    Sa Kamizan raised his head and strode in front. His crest was high and Lucy realized he was annoyed. She laughed, “I have an idea. White light contains all the colors.” She twirled in her white summer dress, “See, I am white.” 
    “That is a clever idea,” admitted Te Suzzaine.
    Lucy skipped ahead to walk beside Sa Kamizan. Several of the aliens were now following him. “I see you are at the head of your loyal troops, your Excellency,” she jested. Then she saw the distress in his eyes. 

The previous excerpt is at http://auroraspringernovels.blogspot.com/2015/05/weekend-writing-warriors-8-lines-from.html

My first published Science fiction Romance book will be discounted to 99c for the month of May.

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q  

BlurbThe peaceful human colonists on the remote planet of Eden welcome alien refugees in their crippled spaceship. The alien Atrapako have spiky crests, sharp claws, and scales of four colors covering massive humanoid bodies. Their rigid class system conflicts with the party-loving society of the humans. The intrepid Dr. Lucy Stannis, a scientist and undercover agent of Terra, is both curious and suspicious of the aliens. She befriends the captain of the alien spaceship, the impressive and devious Blue, Sa Kamizan Veedak, who led the escape from their hostile home planet through the hazards of space to the safety of Eden. Their tenuous friendship is threatened by assassination attempts, and sabotage by humans and aliens. They must learn to fight together to survive. Can the Atrapako overcome their cultural instincts and co-exist peacefully with humans on Eden? In the conflict, Sa Kamizan questions his allegiances, while Lucy strives to discover the secret of the aliens in a race against time before the colonists lose their independence.   
Please return to WeWriWa and read the other snippets.
Your comments are welcome.

Exoplanets in my #SciFi #Romance Stories

In celebration of my first anniversary as a published author, I’m listing the many planets in my stories. My stories are set on various planets, within our solar system and farther away on imaginary planets. Some planets are terraformed, or Earth-like, others have stranger environments.
Scientists on Mars are the protagonists in my short story set in the near future: “Lonely Hearts on Mars”. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T0TOZYO
 Series: Atrapako on Eden
The terraformed planet of Eden has a small human colony and a spaceship of desperate aliens in “The Lady is Blue”. This ebook is discounted to 99c for May. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951QThe alien Atrapacko come from the hostile planet Vkani with its devastation due to war-loving factions and radioactive Deadlands. See “Dragons of Vkani”.  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LS1EU6K
The planet Delta is the destination in “A Tale of Two Colonies”, where the erstwhile colonists battle giant arthropods in search of the lost colony. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFY8A5Q
My space operetta “Captured by the Hawk” hops to several planets and star systems: Hassam, Laos Minor, Ulberkop, Williwanga. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MYHSC52
Grand Masters’ Universe
In “Grand Master’s Pawn”, the pawn Violet teleports to five planets on her missions: the ice planet of Erebus with underground caverns, fiery Sythos home of the dragon lords, Cinerea with barbaric tribes of humans, and two unnamed planets off the galactic charts. She visits two other planets, excluding Terra, in the intervals between her missions: beautiful Avalon where her tutor Mother Tingu lives, and her home planet of Cirrus-beta. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM
The jungle on Jangalore is the setting in my short holiday story: “Gifts of Jangalore”. Jangalorians also have minor roles in “Grand Master’s Pawn”. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R0AIG36

Media links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Springer/e/B00K2C4NL8Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aurora-Springer/885945434752937Twitter: http://twitter.com/AuroraSpringerGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101087717415198221200

Weekend Writing Warriors - 8 lines from The Lady is Blue

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors. This month I'm celebrating my first anniversary as a published writer. Here are eight lines from my first science fiction novel, The Lady is Blue.The ebook is on sale for 99c this month.

What you need to know: The alien Atrapako have colored scales to mark their class. Sa Kamizan is a Blue male, and the two females are Green scientists. Dr. Lucy Stannis is a human scientist, studying the Atrapako. Here, she learns about their class structure.  


Snippet (shortened to fit)
Sa Kamizan scanned the meadow, and said, “Come!” The females followed him towards the road. A minute later, he addressed Te Suzzaine, “Do you think Dr. Stannis is a Blue?”
“I’m not sure,” she replied. “Sometimes, she is like a Green.”
“Yes, she is so friendly,” added Te Tamarkis. Lucy caught Sa Kamizan’s eye. So Blues were not friendly to Greens. 
Te Suzzaine concluded, “You know best, Sa Kamizan.” 

My first published Science fiction Romance book will be discounted to 99c for the month of May.


Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q  

BlurbThe peaceful human colonists on the remote planet of Eden welcome alien refugees in their crippled spaceship. The alien Atrapako have spiky crests, sharp claws, and scales of four colors covering massive humanoid bodies. Their rigid class system conflicts with the party-loving society of the humans. The intrepid Dr. Lucy Stannis, a scientist and undercover agent of Terra, is both curious and suspicious of the aliens. She befriends the captain of the alien spaceship, the impressive and devious Blue, Sa Kamizan Veedak, who led the escape from their hostile home planet through the hazards of space to the safety of Eden. Their tenuous friendship is threatened by assassination attempts, and sabotage by humans and aliens. They must learn to fight together to survive. Can the Atrapako overcome their cultural instincts and co-exist peacefully with humans on Eden? In the conflict, Sa Kamizan questions his allegiances, while Lucy strives to discover the secret of the aliens in a race against time before the colonists lose their independence.   
Please return to WeWriWa and read the other snippets.
Your comments are welcome.

Snippet for #SFFSat from The Lady is Blue

Welcome to another Saturday of Science Fiction & Fantasy snippets exchanged by writers: http://scififansat.blogspot.com/ My contribution this week comes from my first published science fiction romance novel The Lady is Blue. This month, I'm celebrating my first anniversary as a published author.  The ebook is only 99c for May.


SnippetShe leaped over the line with a warning yell. Sa Kamizan was alerted to the new threat and tackled the bulky Red close to him. He was still unaware of Lucy and the second assailant. Lucy jumped into the center, drawing the attention of the second attacker. The Blue rushed towards her, brandishing a wide blade like a meat cleaver. Just as she had anticipated, the young Blue swept his blade down with his whole strength. With an agile sidestep, she avoided the blow and grabbed his arm, jerking down strongly. The thin Blue slammed to the ground and slid across the floor, while the knife whirled from his grasp. Lucy straightened and looked up. Sa Kamizan was staring at her in amazement, wild-eyed and panting from exertion. Two Reds lay on the floor, and he held another sword. The crowd was deathly silent. He stepped over the red bodies to Lucy, “Do you have a weapon?” She drew out her laser. “I’ll demonstrate,” she said fiercely.


Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1N951Q  


Please return to SFFSat and read the other snippets. Your comments are always welcome.

New Release - The Curious Profession of Dr. Craven by Amelia Grace Treader

The Curious Profession of Dr. Craven is Amelia Grace Treader's latest work. Just released to Kindle on 4/26/15.
Blurb:What is a poor anatomist to do? Twenty pounds, wasted, up in smoke when the beautiful young woman his grave-robbing supplier brought awakens as he's inspecting her. If he's an ethical young doctor, there's only one choice; nurse the girl back to health and restore her to her family. That's when his troubles start. The woman can't remember anything. As his household nurses her and her memories return, their mutual attraction buds into a flowering passion. One of the things she has conveniently forgotten is her arranged engagement to the vulgar, but wealthy, son of a Northern industrialist. Even when the young man conveniently decamps with another woman, there's some deep dark secret about Dr. Craven that her father believes makes him ineligible. Resolving the resulting tangle in this sweet historical romance takes the combined efforts of the doctor's once profligate brother the Earl of Craven, a displaced French royal le Duc de Bourbon, and the visit of a mysterious French Baron to Almack's.
Excerpt: Dr. Craven meets his fate. He just doesn't know it yet. He's preparing to dissect another body when things come undone.

In the meantime, the boy undid the bandage that held the woman’s jaw shut tight. As he pulled it off her, her mouth opened and she gasped for air.He ran to his father and the doctor, shouting, “I tell you, Doctor, she’s alive!”Jonas and the doctor walked back to him, carrying a decanter of the brandy with them.Dr. Craven said, “Can’t be, Lad. That must just have been gas escaping from the body. They do that, you know, as they decompose.”The elder resurrection man nodded, “I’ve seen it before, many times.”His son replied, “So have I Dad, but this wasn’t that. She gasped for breath when I undid the bandage.”Dr. Craven said, “I’ll prove she’s dead. Put her on the table.” The resurrection men lifted the body from the floor and put it on the examining table. This cadaver was light for the two of them to lift. It having once been a delicate young female; they were gentler with it than they were usually.The doctor gave his hands a quick rinse. Something he did more for superstition than any rational basis, and then he examined the body.“She is warmer than I’d expect. The decomposition must be advancing rapidly. I’ll need that ice.” He paused. It, no not it, she breathed. It was a gasp, a weak one at that, but a breath.“Brandy!” He shouted, “and be quick about it, man. She’s alive.”The youngest resurrection man ran for the decanter and returned as fast as he could. “Here, sir.”The doctor took some and moistened the woman’s lips with it. She gasped again and stirred. “She’s cold, bring a blanket and a warm brick.” He immediately unwrapped the winding bandages from her body and untied the bindings on her legs and arms. “Come man, rub her legs. We must get the blood flowing.”Between the warmth, the brandy, and the commotion, the woman’s eyes suddenly opened, and she sat up. She saw this handsome dark-haired man looking at her. His concern for her was evident in his face.“Is this Heaven?”“No. England.”“Close enough.” Then she lay back and closed her eyes again.
Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Profession-Dr-Craven-ebook/dp/B00WQ2UGYK
Bio: Amelia Grace Treader is an author of (mostly) historical romances, with the occasional science fiction romance thrown in for good measure. Based near Atlanta, she writes a unique combination of romance and action. She enjoys reading history, science fiction, and historical romance. While a child of the American South, She's also an Anglophile and not unfamiliar with the south of England. They're more alike than you know - There's even a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in the Oracle in Reading, and they're just as good as in Kennesaw.Despite the descriptive name of romance as “bodice rippers,” Amelia tends to write more in the sweet style of "bodice unbuttoners" where the romance is there but not explicit. After all, a good quality bodice was expensive, and only a cad or puppy would damage it. It's also more consistent with the behavioral conventions that were in place at the time.
Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/AmeliaTreaderBooks
https://twitter.com/AmeliaGraceTrea
http://ameliagtreader.blogspot.com