Celebratory Snippet: Keir by Pippa Jay #scifi #romance via @pippajaygreen

Today I'm sharing something of my own from book one of my time travel romance series. Here, the party's just getting started but the heroine has been warned off remaining, a suggestion she doesn't take well.

Excerpt:

“If you think we should leave, say so now,” she told Keir, her tone challenging.

“You believe you should remain?”

“Absolutely. I don’t like it when strangers come looking for me. Last time it was a bounty hunter working for the Siah-dhu.” She shivered and made a face. “But I can send you back to Lyagnius if you’d prefer.”

“I will not leave you here alone, not if there is a chance you are in danger.” 

“Good. I wanted you to stay.” She grinned her approval and finished her drink. “Would you like to dance?” 

Keir stared at the dancers. Although the steps were unknown to him, he recognized the formality of it as akin to something that might have been performed in the Adalucien court. But it had been twenty years since he had learned that.

“I do not know how.”

“Nor do I,” she admitted. “But it looks like fun.” She extended her hand to him in a slow, deliberate movement.

His breath caught. He stared at her open palm. Of its own volition, his hand moved until his fingers hovered just above hers. Then he withdrew it.

“Quin, I—”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, a fraction too quickly. “We don’t have to hold hands for the next one.”

* * * *

Blurb:
A demon waiting to die...
An outcast reviled for his discolored skin and rumors of black magic, Keirlan de Corizi sees no hope for redemption. Imprisoned beneath the palace that was once his home, the legendary 'Blue Demon of Adalucien' waits for death to finally free him of his curse. But salvation comes in an unexpected guise.

A woman determined to save him.
Able to cross space and time with a wave of her hand, Tarquin Secker has spent eternity on a hopeless quest. Drawn by a compulsion she can't explain, she risks her apparent immortality to save Keir, and offers him sanctuary on her home-world, Lyagnius. But Quin has secrets of her own.

When Keir mistakenly unleashes the dormant alien powers within him and earns exile from Lyagnius, Quin chooses to stand by him. Can he master his newfound abilities in time to save Quin from the darkness that seeks to possess her?

Book One of the Redemption series and part of the Travellers Universe. Previously released by Lyrical Press Inc. 7th May 2012.

 Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords

Celebratory Snippet: An Earthbound Christmas by Cailin Briste #scifi #romance via @Cailin Briste

Another snippet, and another Christmas story for you to enjoy! And this one is free if you sign up to Cailin's newsletter.

An Earthbound Christmas

By Cailin Briste

Available free during the month of December: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/jyyj6x2o2p

Fate arranges the chance meeting of two strangers in need of a little kindness on Christmas Eve. Celebrity Davon Weider, with his navy-blue eyes and muscular physique, can fill the starring role in any woman’s fantasy. But Jasline, a spaceport mech, is more impressed by his five jump speed records. This will be a Christmas neither will forget.

Excerpt:

Jasline bit her lip. This was Davon Weider, the military hero who had broken the jump speed record five times and had movies made from his exploits. The man was golden. Everything he touched went platinum. Even his shit probably smelled like roses. The playboy of every girl’s fantasies, he’d broken thousands of hearts when he’d finally settled down with the perfect woman, Tanya Thoreau. Supermodel-good-looking, rich, and with the acting chops to win an Academy Award. Her star shone as bright as Davon’s.

So why did he look like life had just dumped a crushing load of defeat on him? And why should she care?

Her stride slowed. No, I shouldn’t interfere. He has people for this. The instant she decided to walk past him, he raised his head, looking straight at her. Hurt and anger shone from the depths of his dark blue eyes, overlaid by a sadness that seemed to cling to every cell in his body.

She stopped dead in her tracks. Pain thudded in the place in her heart where she nurtured her own hurt, betrayal, and isolation. And she couldn’t walk past him. Instead she slid to sit beside him, palms resting on her bent knees and…nothing. No words came. She stared straight ahead, doing the only thing she knew to do, sharing this moment with him, showing him he wasn’t alone.

Finally he said, “I’m Davon.”

“I know.” She brought her gaze to his.

He grunted.

“I’m Jasline. I’m a space mech. Glad to meet you. You okay? You got somewhere to go, someone to go to?”

His expression turned thoughtful as he considered his response.

Surely he had somewhere to be, someone who would worry if he didn’t show up, someone able to offer him comfort and advice.

“Not really.” He frowned. “I mean, there’s my staff.”

“What about all your friends? You must have hundreds.”

His laugh was tinged with bitterness. “Acquaintances. I have hundreds of acquaintances. They all want something from me. Or did until Tanya left me. You’ve probably heard the stories.”

“No. I’m not up on the latest, I guess.”

He leaned his head back against the wall. “You may want to reconsider sitting with me. I’m a known abuser. Verbal. Physical. Sexual. You name it, I’ve done it. All those sycophants who sang my praises are now singing Tanya’s tune.”

“Why would she do that to you? Unless…” What if Tanya was telling the truth and he was an abuser? Had her heart mistakenly led her to sit down next to a monster?

Fire sparked in his eyes when he brought his gaze back to her. “None of it’s true. She’s pregnant, but she doesn’t want me to be the baby’s father. There’s a new man in her life. Some producer. Steady. Family-type guy. Not winging all over the solar system. She wants him to be the father.” He pounded a fist to his knee. “Shite! She should have been sleeping with him instead of me.”

Jasline winced. Damn. The guy’s got problems. Yeah, well. You knew that when you sat down. And she believed his story. Pinups of Tanya Thoreau were stuck to the inside of many of the male employee lockers at the spaceport. It was impossible not to hear about her exploits from the lips of her coworkers or the Hollywood gossip shows playing on the vidscreens aimed at every nook and cranny of the spaceport concourses. She went through men like Jasline went through coveralls. “That’s rough.”

He brought a hand to his forehead and sighed. “I feel like shit.”

The offer was past her lips before she had time to second guess the impulse to take care of another lonely heart. “You can come to my house.”

Celebratory Snipper: Shaped by You by Debra Jess #fantasy #scifirom via @DebraJess

While today's snippet is not no much celebratory, it's from a holiday romance so perfect for the season. Enjoy!

Snippet:

A super-hot shower scalded her to consciousness without the need for coffee. She didn’t bother with makeup but used her flat iron. If this guy was perfect, he wouldn’t care what she looked like, right? She still changed in the shower room, though, pulling her best jeans and nicest sweater out of their drawers. Modesty might be pointless if her perfect man had already seen her drunk and stupid while she was sculpting him, but it mattered to her.

Had he, though? Seen her naked?

Back in the kitchenette, the sweet smell of latkes frying in the pan reminded her of the leftovers from last night. Her fear of him trying to create a gourmet meal out of her meager offerings dissipated. He’d warmed up the latkes, dabbed them with sour cream and apple sauce, added two jelly sufganiyot, and a tall glass of orange juice.

He portioned out a second dish. He eats! His Adam’s apple even bobbed up and down as he swallowed.

“This is amazing. The flavors and the textures are just incredible.” He sipped the juice. “I can’t believe how sweet orange juice is.”

It took her a second to realize he’d never eaten anything before. “I’ll let the Sisterhood know you enjoy their food.”

He eyed the rest of the latkes on the counter. She shoved them at him. A guy that big would need a big meal. He scooped some onto his plate, but also onto hers. She didn’t argue. He didn’t seem to mind if she stared.

Not only didn’t he mind, he even did the dishes. What did she do to deserve all this? The more pressing question: what should she do with him now?

Blurb:

When Miriam sculpted The Perfect Man, she intended for him to stay put. Now he's missing, putting her future as an independent artist in jeopardy. Figures that she couldn't even get her Perfect Man to stay with her, never mind her ex-boyfriend. Now she has to figure out what to do with the naked stranger who's suddenly appeared in her loft, claiming he can help her find her Perfect Man.

The buy link is: http://www.heartskiss.com/

Celebratory Snippets: Even Villains Have Interns by Liana Brooks via @lianabrooks #superhero #romance

For this Celebratory snippet, this is a scene from one of my all time favourite series - Heroes and Villains - by Liana Brooks. In this scene, the boyfriend has been subjected to the whole super family en masse...

Delilah curled her legs up on the big comfy chair and watched Alan ease into the deep waters of Smith family living. He’d lost the deer-in-the-headlights look over dinner and playing video games with the younger boys. Now all he had to do was defrost enough to talk to her sisters.

Maria collapsed in the sofa beside her. “Do you know how hard it is to find one hat in Yellowstone National Park?”

“Apropos of nothing,” Delilah murmured. “No. Is that where you’ve been?”

“My rancher lost his hat.”

“So he asked you to look for it?”

“Ha! No. That would require him to talk.” Maria scowled at the ceiling. “Sometimes I wonder if he’s mute.”

“But you still like him.”

Her sister glared. “So what? At least I’m not engaged to a boy scout! Look at him, Delilah, he’s so squeaky clean he makes my teeth hurt.”

Delilah looked over at Alan who was talking with Ty about something. He saw her staring and smiled. “I like him. And we’re not engaged. We’re dating.”

“You brought him home,” Maria said accusingly. “Let me list the guys who have been introduced to the family: Noah, Tyler, and Alan.”

“And Aaron and Travys.” She sipped her hot cider. “And Martin.”

“Dad only met him because he had to come post bail for us,” Maria said. “It’s not the same.”

“You would have brought him home eventually.”

Maria rolled her eyes and sat up. “Maybe. But I was young and stupid then.” She glared at Alan. “Do you really think he’s good enough for you?”

“Do you really think he’s not?” Delilah challenged her.

Alan stood up and walked over to them. “Do you really think his hearing’s that bad?”

Maria’s eyes narrowed. “If you hurt my sister...”

“They’ll never find my body,” Alan finished for her. “Yes. I think I caught the gist of that threat the first time.” He twined his fingers with hers. “Do you know, you have a very over protective family, Love. I swear the only person who was excited to see me was your mother.”

“He’s cute! We should keep him!” Mom chimed from across the room.

Delilah put her cup to the side. “Let’s go for a walk.” She pulled Alan away from the festivities and into the winter darkness.

Blurb:

Bootleggers, drug dealers, crooked cops, and dirty politicians... Chicago has always had a reputation for indulging in the finer vices of life. That’s why Doctor Charm’s favorite daughter found America’s Second City so appealing; criminals are never boring. As second in command for the powerful Subrosa Security group, Delilah Samson finds opportunities to use her superpowers at every turn. Whether it’s stealing a priceless French painting from a mobster or stopping a drug deal, she’s game.

In fact, the only thing she doesn’t care for is Chicago’s favorite native son, Deputy Mayor Alan Adale, the man who made Lucifer jealous. Sinfully handsome, or possibly just sinful, Adale has been pursuing Delilah since she first arrived, and she’s been dodging.

When she finds ties between the new kingpin in town and a drug The Company wants to buy so they can create more superheroes, Delilah takes the gloves off. Teaming up with the spooky Spirit of Chicago, she aims to take down the dealers, the mobsters, the kingpin, and The Company. All without falling in love with the one man capable of capturing her heart.

Inkprint Press | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Book Foundry | Scribd |

Celebratory Snippets: The Pain Season by Libby Doyle #scifi #romance via @LibbyDoyle9

Today's snippet is from The Pain Season by Libby Doyle. Enjoy!

The Pain Season, Book II of the Covalent Series

by Libby Doyle

EXCERPT

Setting: A New Year’s Eve party thrown by my main characters. Zan is human, but Rainer Barakiel, her lover, is a being from another dimension known as a Covalent. Pellus and Jeduthan are Covalent as well.

THE PARTY turned into a jam session, there were so many musicians there. They drank all Rainer’s expensive liquor.     

Around 11:00, Rainer announced the yacht was out at the dock to take them to the fireworks.

“Can we bring the keg?” Jason asked to widespread laughter.

“The yacht has a full bar and a bartender.”

“You and Zan sure know how to throw a party, Rainer,” Scott said. He slapped him on the back.

Before long, Zan, Rainer, Pellus and Jeduthan were standing at the prow of the yacht in a cold wind, waiting for the fireworks. Everyone else had opted to watch from the glass-enclosed deck above them.

“Are you warm enough, my love?” Rainer asked Zan. He tightened his arms around her.

“Nice and toasty, honey. Hey, do think Pellus and Jeduthan are having fun?”

“Are you having fun, Pellus?” Rainer called across the prow.

“Yes. Jeduthan has told me she wishes there were boats where we come from.” He paused as Jeduthan said something. “And drunken hu—er—people. She has decided she likes them.”

They all laughed. In a minute, they heard an uproar from inside that signaled midnight had come. Zan leaned to the side and hung her head back.

“You’re supposed to kiss me at midnight.”

 “Oh, right,” Rainer said. He cupped her head in his giant hand and obliged. When she heard the first booms of the fireworks, Zan wasn’t entirely sure they weren’t in her head. She opened her eyes to see shimmering gold playing across the sky.

“Do you have fireworks in the Covalent Realm?” she asked.

“No, not like this, but we have phenomena with similar beauty. The Stream fills the horizon of our city, flashing in rich blue. Imagine a thousand shooting stars, their tails filled with diamonds and sapphires.”

Zan snuggled into him. “That sounds better than fireworks.”

“The Turning is astonishing to behold as well, like the aurora borealis, but purple and silver. Its streaks forever dance and rise from the ground in a glimmering wall of light. You can see it best from the ramparts, or the high terraces.”

“The Turning. That’s where you go to fight, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“I get scared when I think about that,” she whispered.

“Your job is dangerous, too, Zan.”

“I know. It can be.”

Rainer found her hand and squeezed it. “For a Warrior of the Rising, the Turning is a feeling as well as a sight. Despite the peril we face there, few of us would trade our experiences. To feel the Turning’s power is not something I can adequately express in words.”

“I feel that way a lot myself these days.”

She leaned her head back for another kiss.

BLURB

On the night of the equinox, Zan O'Gara learns monsters are real.

When Zan can no longer deny her lover is hiding things, she confronts him. Rainer Barakiel assures her he will soon share his secrets but she dreads the day, afraid the love of her life is connected to a ritual murder. Her heart won’t allow her to believe he could harm an innocent man. The truth is worse than she could have imagined.

As Barakiel’s power as a Covalent warrior grows, so does the strength of his father’s obsession with him. Lucifer spreads his dark tendrils through the Earthly Realm using a network of depraved men, and Barakiel soon realizes his love has drawn a target on Zan’s back. Events at the autumnal equinox make this clear to Zan as well. Barakiel has lied to her.

And so begins a season of pain and rage. A season of traitors and war. And love. Like the elemental forces that made him, Barakiel’s love does not end.

"A commendable follow-up with otherworldly action, down-to-earth melodrama, and sensuality in between." — Kirkus Reviews

Warning: This book contains foul language, explicit sex, and violence. Adults only! The Pain Season is the second novel in a five-part series that is best read in order. The romantic science fantasy begins with The Passion Season, Book I of the Covalent Series. Learn more at Libby Doyle’s website.

Buy Links for The Pain Season

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Celebratory Snippets: Pet Trade by Carol Van Natta #spaceopera #scifirom

I'm kicking off a series of celebratory snippets for December with Carol Van Natta's Pet Trade, part of her Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. Enjoy!

My space opera series is set far in to the future, where humankind has expanded to 500+ colonized planets across the galaxy. Most old Earth-based holidays have been replaced by observances of birthdays and Solstice Day (winter and summer). In this scene from Pet Trade, set in the far north latitudes of a frontier planet, the hero, ex-Jumper and cyborg Axur Tragon has used his medic training and his autodoc to repair the damaged leg of the heroine, Bethnee Bakonin. The next morning, she surprises him with Solstice Day gifts. The "critters" are Axur's various inherited pets. Bethnee, a veterinarian, has some of her own. 

She levered herself up onto the crutches and made her way to the fresher, where they’d put her overnight bag to keep it safe from critters. When she returned, she put a package in front of him. “Happy Solstice Day.” She triggered her mealpack’s heater.

He blinked in surprise, darting his glance between her and the package. His smile grew as he untied the twine and opened it. “Real coffee!” He held the cloth bag to his nose and took in the scent appreciatively. He held up the other gift. “What’s on the longwire?”

“Common and relic language courses.” She pulled out the utensils from her mealpack. “You said you don’t have anyone to practice with. I only know Standard English and one city’s street slang, and Nuñez has mostly forgotten her family’s Tagalog, so I traded for the courses whenever I treated pets. You can help me expand my horizons. I need more swear words.”

He smiled as he put the longwire in his shirt pocket and patted it. “Thank you.”

Seeing how much the simple gifts pleased him, she vowed to give him as many as she could before he left for wider, warmer pastures. She must still be farked by the chems, because the thought made her want to hug him tight and cry on his broad shoulder.

Pet Trade (A Central Galactic Concordance Novella)

by Carol Van Natta

An injured veterinarian and a cyborg with unusual pets must join forces to save their town.

The vast Central Galactic Concordance strictly prohibits genetic experimentation and alteration of humans on any of its 500 member planets. Animals aren’t so lucky.

On a frontier planet, veterinarian Bethnee Bakonin made a home for herself in the frozen north. Her minder talent for healing all kinds of animals would ordinarily assure her success, but her unwilling stint in the shady pet trade industry left her damaged and scared. She works around her limitations as best she can, and rescues pet trade castoffs.

“Volunteered” for a black-box research project, elite forces Jumper Axur Tragon now has dangerous experimental tech in his cybernetic limbs. He escaped and crash-landed a stolen freighter in the northern mountains of a frontier planet, only to discover a secret shipment of designer pets was part of the cargo. Determined to do right by them, he enlists reluctant Bethnee’s aid in caring for them—a definite challenge, considering Bethnee is terrified of him.

When greedy mercenaries come raiding, can Axur and Bethnee work together to overcome their limitations, with help from their unusual pets, and save the day?

It's a deadly adventure—with pets—in the fringes of space. Grab your copy of Pet Trade today!

***

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B6D3JV9

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B6D3JV9

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iBooks ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/pet-trade/id1354975559

B&N ~ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pet-trade-carol-van-natta/1128090798?ean=2940159136459 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940159136459 

Kobo ~  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/pet-trade 

Google Play ~  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Carol_Van_Natta_Pet_Trade?id=i5hODwAAQBAJ