Operation Chimera, by Matthew Cox and Tony Healey Blog Tour

Date of Publication:October 20, 2014.
Cover Artist: Ricky Gunawan (http://ricky-gunawan.daportfolio.com/)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22590305-operation-chimera
Description:
Generations of war with the savage Draxx have left humanity desperate for a way to gain the upper hand.
A chance to turn the tide in their favor is all legendary Captain Nicholas Driscoll needs to hear to lead an expedition behind enemy lines to the Chimera Nebula - a region of space so unstable it remains largely uncharted.
Lieutenant Michael Summers sees an opportunity to matter, a chance to let future generations exist in a universe without constant war. He and other brave young cadets join the Manhattan for its first dangerous mission - to penetrate the Chimera Nebula and discover what it is the Draxx are doing in there.
But first the ship and her crew will be tested by enemies both outside and within…
Excerpt:
Chapter 2Captain Nicholas Driscoll was accustomed to the looks as he strode toward the airlock that would take him from Horizon Station to the Manhattan.He was more than familiar with the ship's design, but to see her with his own eyes―beyond the viewports, awaiting his arrival―was something else entirely. From the observation level of the station, where a half hour before he'd sat and had coffee, it had seemed impossibly large. However, the size was more a necessity than an act of showmanship on the part of the designers. The Manhattan was big because it had to be. Driscoll had never heard of a Terran Union ship carrying such a variety of starfighters before, nor in such quantity.Indeed, the Manhattan was a self-contained fleet.Driscoll approached the security desk but, as was so often the case, didn't need to introduce himself. As he pressed his palm against an ident scanner and waited for the Milsec security personnel to clear him for entrance to the Manhattan, he couldn't help but remember how he had thought his previous command―an Archon class called the Sonata―was impressively large. Next to the Manhattan, it paled in comparison. At the time, she'd been the biggest ship he had ever commanded. But now…“You're clear for entry,” the Milsec guard told him. “Welcome aboard the Manhattan, Captain Driscoll.”Driscoll nodded curtly and stepped through the decontamination jets. The torrent of ionized air buffeted him from all sides like a tingly mist till he set foot on the Manhattan's deck.Commander Robin Teague stood there waiting for him already, hands clasped behind her back.“Captain,” she said, and snapped to attention. “Welcome to the Manhattan.”Driscoll returned her salute, glanced left and right. Men and women hurried this way and that. Unlike station side, they barely noticed him there with his carryall. This was how he preferred it. Away from the pomp and protocol, he was just a man leading others. That was all. But given his exploits in the past, people outside of a ship environment treated him as something different―a celebrity.He hated it. “At ease, Commander.”“Yes, sir,” she said, almost embarrassed.“Walk with me.” He hefted his carryall and headed left. “See if I remember where they stuck my quarters.”“I believe we're headed the correct way, sir,” Commander Teague said as she fell in step with him.“Is everything on schedule, Commander?”“Yes, Captain. We're on target to depart within the hour,” Teague said. “Those were your orders, sir?”Driscoll nodded once. “Yes. Any problems I should know about? Anything come up in the last couple of hours?”“No, not at present,” Teague said. “Prep's gone well. Though I dare say there'll be a few hiccups, there always is.”Now Driscoll gave her an appreciative look. “I like that, Commander. It tells me you’re thinking ahead and know we'll have issues later. It's a given. I also like that you're not trying to blow smoke up my ass and feed me a load of bull. Keep it up. Tell me how it is. On the level.”“Yes, sir.”The Captain walked with determination, never breaking his stride. Crewmen and women swerved to avoid them as Commanding Officer and Executive Officer made their way toward the fore of the ship. Eventually they would be forced to take the elevator, but Driscoll seemed intent on covering as much deck by foot as he was able. The crew, for their part, paid little attention to who they were. They simply caught sight of the uniforms and made room.

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About Matthew Cox:
Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests: Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it. He is also fond of cats.Find Matthew Cox Online:Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 
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About Tony Healey: Tony Healey is a best-selling independent author. Born in 1985, he has lived his entire life in the city of Brighton, UK.In 2011, he found his fiction published alongside Harlan Ellison and Alan Dean Foster. A year later, his sci-fi serial FAR FROM HOME became a best-selling sensation, followed by similarly successful sequels. Since then he has collaborated with authors Bernard Schaffer, Matthew Cox and William Vitka on various projects. He has also had work published by Curiosity Quills Press. He is married and has three daughters.For the latest on Tony's various projects, visit his site www.tonyhealey.comFind Tony Healey Online:Website | Facebook  | Twitter  | Goodreads