Aurora Springer's Blog, page 86

Holiday Sale - The Lady is Blue - $0.99

The Lady is Blue is my first full-length novel, Book 1 in the series Atrapako on Eden. 
 
Blurb:


The human colonists on Eden welcome alien refugees in their crippled spaceship. The alien Atrapako sport spiky crests and scales of four colors covering massive humanoid bodies. The intrepid Dr. Lucy Stannis, a secret agent of Terra, initiates a lively friendship with the captain of the Atrapako spaceship, the charming and evasive Blue, Sa Kamizan Veedak. Their growing attraction for each other is threatened by their secrets, assassination attempts and sabotage by humans and aliens. They must learn to fight together to survive.  What strange secret are the Atrapako hiding? Can they overcome their cultural instincts and co-exist peacefully with humans on Eden? 

Review *****"I'm not familiar with this author and took a chance buying this book but I really enjoyed it! Basically, some aliens on a spaceship barely make it to land on Eden, a world colonized by humans. It was interesting to me to read about the human/alien relationships and eventual romance. It's definitely one of the better science fiction romance books I've read lately so I recommend it!"  


Background:
Kline Biology TowerMost of the story was written while I was at Yale University. The book has scenes set in the laboratories, stairs and cafeteria of the Kline Biology Tower.










Characters
Eden humans                                              AtrapakoDr. Lucy Stannis, Scientist             Sa Kamizan Veedak, BlueDr. Colin Murti, Physician              Te Suzzaine Sukla, GreenRoger Fourno, Artist                      Te Tamarkis Varenne, GreenDr. Trisha Duran, Scientist             Sa Radekis Volkin, Blue                Dr. Jun Danzhu, Scientist              Honorable Lady Kamilla, BlueMossy Fairweather, Governor       Sa Varasek, Blue Don Vargo, Governor                     Sa Marakur Zolan, YellowBernal Mathis, Governor                                                                                                            Sonia Conde, Graduate student Peter Angelino Celia Adamski, RancherSammy Lee
Terran humanAdmiral Simon Sinclair

Snippet for Science Fiction & Fantasy Saturday

Welcome to another round of SFFSat where several authors share 15 line snippets from their work. 

Today, as promised, I will continue the snippets from my short story. This story is now published as a holiday-themed romance, Gifts of Jangalore.

Excerpt: 


      A huge head with enormous jagged sucker of a mouth protruded between the trees. The sucker mouth swayed toward them.
      Violet clung to the Psi Master’s arm, gritted her teeth and aimed the blaster at the bulging maws of the monster.
      “Stay close, the monster cannot penetrate my barrier,” Taranis breathed in her ear, one arm securely round her waist and the other extended, emitting power to reinforce the shield. The long pallid body reared in a great arch over the faint glimmer of the shield. The coils slithered over the barrier like a gigantic snake, oozing slime. Grey slime dribbled over the dome, and outlined the invisible shape of a hemisphere. Underneath, its intended victims stared in awe at the enormous grey body. Violet shuddered in disgust. If the shield broke, they would be crushed by the gooey coils. She pressed against the Psi Master.
      The ugly head swung from side to side in search of its vanished prey, but sensed nothing. After an eternity, the pale length of the great monster undulated over the transparent shield and moved beyond, crashing deeper into the forest.
      Silence dropped, and Violet exhaled the breath she had held. “The beast seeks another victim,” she whispered. 

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

Released - No Angel by Pippa Jay

Blurb: 

How far would you fall for love? Centuries ago, guardian angel Lucien committed a terrible sin. He gave into his own desires and revealed himself to the mortal woman he'd been charged to protect. By kissing her, he condemned himself. Torn of his wings and his angelic powers, thrown down into the City Below, Lucien now serves Satan as an incubus who claims souls for his master from the City Above, and who feeds on the energy stolen from his mortal lovers. Dark, sexy and charming, he's been top of his league for decades uncounted. Until His Infernal Highness decides to send Lucien looking for a lost angel. Lucien has no idea what he did to deserve such a punishment, and the touch of an angel could destroy him. Yet the challenge and the potential kudos of seducing one of his former heavenly kin leads him on. But when he finds the angel, he learns he still has more to lose than his already forsaken soul. 
Please add it to your Goodreads shelf HERE, or sign up HERE for my no-spam newsletter for special previews on cover reveals, new releases, the latest giveaways and discounts, and upcoming news. 

Excerpt:

      A couple of centuries ago, Lucien mused, he would've been forced to use the treacherous spiraling staircase that led down to Hell. Stone stairs that were covered in slime, cracked and shifting underfoot, with no handrail for safety, and no chance to withdraw. No light other than the lurid red glow from beneath. For those poor mortals travelling that way, the redness would have increased in step with the temperature as they descended, to the point where both would become unbearable, leaving them desperate to retreat. But then most would tumble headlong down the stairs long before being able to turn back, to lie broken and bleeding at the bottom. That would merely be the first taste of all the torments to come.
     Instead, Lucien rode in the luxury of an elevator into the bowels of Hades, Hell, Purgatory—whatever mortals chose to name it. As one of its denizens, he had little to fear from such a trip Down Below. At least, normally he wouldn't. Tonight was different. He'd been summoned.
      Lucien hunched deeper into his leather jacket, hands thrust into his pockets and the collar turned up around his neck, though not from cold. In all his years as an incubus, the big boss had never asked to see him before. He couldn't think of anything he'd done lately to warrant such attention. Or anything he hadn't done. There were plenty of lewd and despicable acts he'd committed. Things even the darkest of human minds couldn't possibly conceive, and several times over. That was his job after all. What else did anyone expect of a demon, for Hell's sake?
Bio: 
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, 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, an EPIC finalist, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3rd place), 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.uk
Blogs – 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://www.amazon.com/Pippa-Jay/e/B0080QVWEE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1406376408&sr=8-1
Buy Links:
Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/No-Angel-Pippa-Jay-ebook/dp/B00QP7BNDA/Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Angel-Pippa-Jay-ebook/dp/B00QP7BNDA/Breathless Press -http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=13&products_id=701&zenid=0c93d0f0daf9dfbbc4232f548669a333Webpage - http://www.pippajay.co.uk/#!no-angel/c17g7 

New Stories - Science Fiction with Superpowers in the Grand Master's Universe

Sweet Holiday Romance Two New Stories in the Grand Master's Universe
On Kindle Scout

Science Fiction Romance Brigade Showcase: Preview of Grand Master's Pawn

For December's Showcase, I am sharing an excerpt from my WIP for release early in 2015. The story will be in Kindle Scout on Dec 13th. Grand Master's Pawn Concept Cover Protagonists: Newly graduated from the Space Academy, Violet Hunter is an empath, illegally trained by the White Mother Tingu. Her secret task is to discover the rogue Grand Masters who are disrupting galactic civilization. 
Antagonists: In the scornful words of Mother Tingu, “The twelve Grand Masters comprising the Council are the most powerful beings in the galaxy, or so they claim.”
Acknowledgement: My notes for this story go back several years, but I credit our Nebula Nights party for crystallizing the character of the Grand Master in my mind. Think Darth Vader with hair. Or see the concept cover showing Durer with the intense eyes of an artist in a self-portrait.
In this excerpt, Violet is a candidate for selection as the pawn of a Grand Master. As a pawn, she will travel to exotic planets on missions, following, and sometimes defying, the Grand Master’s orders. For many weeks, she only sees his avatar.
Her Grand Master's avatar

Excerpt:        An artificial voice called, “Candidates will walk onto the stage, one at a time, and stand still for evaluation by the Grand Masters.”         Violet compressed her lips, resolving to take her chance, and stepped forward. She stood erect and stared bravely at the row of lighted spheres. An uncanny vision wavered before her eyes, and she tensed, holding her breath in awe. The hazy image focused into a semicircle of twelve fantastic people seated on ornate thrones, human men and women and alien creatures. Their eyes glowed in the bright colors she had seen on the spheres. One alien was a mass of writhing tentacles, while another resembled a green gelatinous blob. One humanoid woman was dressed in red robes, and another in a green gown, and two men were clad in somber black robes.        In the midst of these amazing sights, her attention was caught by a dark man in blue robes seated at one end of the semi-circle. He had a grim saturnine face with the hooked nose of an eagle. His eyes were half lidded. While she watched, he turned toward her, his eyes opened and blue beams flashed out, piercing straight into her face. She stared boldly into those laser blue eyes. Yet in the next moment, his eyes slid slowly past, and she doubted he had even noticed her.       The eerie vision of the twelve entities vanished from sight as swiftly as it had arisen. Violet was bitterly disappointed; she wanted to inspect the Grand Masters more closely. Perhaps one or more of the strange beings in her vision was the source of the evil influence she sought to destroy.          Violet blinked, returning to the cold reality of the interview room with the lighted spheres topping each tall cylinder. The mechanical voice called, “You have been chosen.”         Violet smiled, raising her fist in triumph. She had achieved the first step in her risky task.  Cover for Kindle Scout

Comments are welcome.

If you want to read more, check
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1PP0XPW0JBQ38
  from the 13th. If you enjoy the first 2 chapters, please vote for this book. Thanks!
  Please return to read more Showcase excerpts.
 

Free eBook Dec 12-13 - Dragons of Vkani

Rescue Mission to Hostile Planet of Scaly Aliens


The peaceful planet of Eden has an independent colony of humans and a small population of Atrapako, the alien exiles from their war torn home planet of Vkani. The Atrapako are covered in scales in one of four colors, representing their traditional class system. The Blue Sa Kamizan is married to scientist Dr. Lucy Stannis. Their happy family life is interrupted when the Space Traders bring a distress signal from his sister, Veela, who is besieged in the Fortress of Ravenak. They must gather volunteers for a dangerous rescue mission to Vkani, where the exiled Atrapako risk death if they are discovered. In the search for their lost relatives, the rescuers struggle with deadly foes and the hostile environment of the barbaric planet where warlords wage battles amid ferocious sandstorms. They need all their skills and new allies to combat treachery by power-hungry Blues. How many of the rescuers will survive and escape to Eden?


Book I: The Lady is Blue describes the adventures of Lucy Stannis when Sa Kamizan's ship first arrived on Eden. 

Snippet for Science Fiction & Fantasy Saturday

Welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy Saturday and enjoy our snippets 

I will continue the short story following the quest of Psi Master Taranis for ancient artifacts. He is accompanied by his hired guard Violet, who has the lowly talent of empathy. We skip a few lines from the last post two weeks ago.

Snippet:

The trees arched overhead and the shadows deepened as they walked further into the forest. Violet shivered, the darkness oppressed her spirits. Taranis strode on, his eyes fixed ahead, and seemingly unaffected by the gathering gloom. Crash, swish, crash, crash! Violet paused. She sensed a large predator moving toward them. “It hunts us,” she whispered. “Stand behind me,” he ordered, his hand sizzled with power when he grasped her arm. “I’m your guard,” she protested, pulling away from him. The crashes became thunderous and branches swayed at the edge of their restricted view through the tree trunks. He said, “That hunter is larger than you by the noise of its passage through the forest.” Violet drew the blaster from her pack, “I have heavy weapons.” He glared, his eyes fierce beneath black eyebrows, “I am the Psi Master. Get behind me!”
 
 Maybe next week he will demonstrate his powers.
Comments are welcome. Please return to SFFSat and read the other contributions. 

Romance in History and Outer Space

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Enjoy these Science Fiction Books

Novels for the Holidays

Free Today - Space Operetta - Captured by the Hawk

Will Captain Black Hawk win Kat’s heart in a romp through the galaxy?

Follow the adventures of interstellar spy Grey Kat and space pirate Black Hawk in fast-paced action, mystery and romance. Grey Kat is an undercover agent with the dual identity of Mistress Trina Sligo, wealthy daughter of the Solarian Ambassador to the Emperor’s court. When Kat escapes with secret codes from the Emperor’s spaceship, she is captured by Black Hawk, renegade captain of the Rogue Star. What secret does he hide under the black mask over his face? Another mystery surfaces when Kat is given his wife’s cabin, with its contents untouched since her mysterious death. Black Hawk persuades Kat to assist in his next piracy attempt, which plunges them into a series of mishaps as they dodge pursuit and destroy several spaceships. Will they evade the Emperor’s troops? At the same time, Kat struggles to discover the tragic secret in Black Hawk’s past before she suffers the fate of his unfortunate ex-wife.

FREE 11/28-11/29  Excerpt:
Two armed men escorted her to a large cabin. A tall man stood by a table displaying galactic charts. Strikingly, he was clothed entirely in black. He wore black leather boots, black gloves, and even his face was wrapped in folds of black cloth, exposing only his piercing green eyes under a black turban. She stared at him curiously. Sexy outfit, she mused. But, why did he cover his face?  Was it a cultural obligation, or was he hiding some hideous deformity? He scrutinized her small figure with equal intensity. He saw a slim woman with alert tawny eyes and brown hair, wearing coveralls of a nondescript brown. He spoke in a cool, dispassionate tone, “My men say you are the cunning thief who stole secret codes from the Emperor’s Revenge. Where are the codes?” She stared back in silence, tilting her chin in defiance.  “I am the Black Hawk. You are on my ship, the Rogue Star, and utterly in my power. I recommend you tell me what you know.” His deep cold voice sent a shiver down her spine. “Ain’t got nothing!” Kat whined like a dock rat.