Sunday, June 30, 2019

Review Tour - Save the Date (Harrisburg Railers #10) by V.L. Locey & R.J. Scott





Length: 27,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell



Harrisburg Railers Series




Book #1 - Changing Lines - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #2 - First Season - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #3 - Deep Edge - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 - Poke Check - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #5 - Last Defense - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #6 - Goal Line - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #7 - Neutral Zone - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #8 - Hat Trick - Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Blurb

Ever since he first set foot in Harrisburg, Tennant’s life has been a rollercoaster. Ups and downs too numerous to mention, hard knocks and championship rings. Through all of those monumental moments, one thing has been a constant for him, Jared Madsen. Now that their wedding day is drawing nearer, Ten is seriously considering eloping. He would, if not for his mother, his father, his brothers, the wedding planner, the guests, the cake, the press, and the team. Oh, and then there’s his best friend, who is vying for the job of ringmaster of the wedding circus. Would sneaking off during the night with Jared and skipping to the honeymoon part of the festivities really be all that bad?



When Jared proposed to Ten, he imagined a quiet wedding, on a beach somewhere, with family, and maybe the team. But life gets complicated with Ten’s warring brothers, a Russian goalie with a love of sequins, and a bachelor party organized by Adler. When Trent sends them a wedding planner, every spare hour is filled with choosing invitations, cake tasting, and finding a rose in the perfect shade of green. Add in Layton organizing a press conference, and suddenly their private wedding is destined to become a media sensation. Is it wrong to think seriously about kidnapping Ten and spiriting him away to a small deserted island?




Adler organizing the bachelor party, Trent supplying the wedding planner, and Stan writing a speech. What can possibly go wrong?




REVIEW

5 star
I'm really sad that the Railers series is coming to an end. I loved these boys. They were the first M/m hockey series I fell in love with.
Oh but what a way to go out. The series started with Tennant and Jares and that's how it ends with the marriage everyone's been waiting for. These two have had their ups and down but I believe Tennants injury brought them closer together. No story containing the Railers is without drama this one included.
If you want a book that will literally make you Laugh out loud I highly recommend this book.
Can I just say I love Tennants mom :)

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.



RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.




The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.




She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:



USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.



V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.




When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.



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Thursday, June 20, 2019

BOOK BLAST- NOX BY ADRIENNE WILDER


BOOK BLAST


Book Title: NOX

Author: Adrienne Wilder

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Adrienne Wilder

Genre/s: Science fiction, M/M Romance, dark fantasy

Length: 138 000 words/514 pages

Heat Rating: 5 flames




One is a dying man. The other died to live.


Blurb

A nude man invades Luca Suarez's home and protects him from creatures who cannot exist.

Creatures hunting him.

The stranger can't tell Luca why. He can't even tell Luca his name.

He remembers nothing until the moment he sees Luca.

The only hint Luca has to the stranger's identity is a tattoo on his wrist: N o X

Nox doesn't know who he is, but he's sure of three things, his memory loss is temporary, the monsters chasing Luca are called Anubis, and his Alpha, Koda, sent Nox to protect him.

There's just one problem… Koda is Luca's brother who was murdered five years ago.

With each passing hour, Nox fills in the pieces painting an impossible truth. And with each passing hour, both men find themselves unexplainably attracted to each other.

Something Luca is willing to embrace because he has nothing left to lose.

And one Nox can't let happen because it could get Luca killed.



Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited


 


Excerpt

Fifteen minutes under a stream of hot water sounded perfect.

A basket wrapped in translucent cellophane sat on the pink countertop of the exterior vanity. Other than lubricant, Luca had no idea what the other tiny bottles could be, but the little foil squares were self-explanatory.

He stepped into the bathroom off to the right and braced as he turned on the lights. White tile, white tub, plain white toilet, pink towels with red hearts, pink shower curtain. At least they spared the room any permanent scars.

Luca closed the door and gripped the hem of his shirt.

Nox’s voice came from the other side of the door. “I called for pizza, it should be here by the time you’re out.” Then the door opened. Luca spun around.

Nox wore nothing, leaving every curve of muscle, every ripple of perfection, every inch of intimidating cock, bare.

God, that hooker had been right.

There were only so many things a guy standing around naked could mean. Would Nox expect something like that? He’d saved Luca’s life. And with that kind of debt could Luca even tell him no?

Worse, did he want to?

Did he want to know what it felt like to be touched, to be kissed, to be tasted and do all those things to another person in equal amounts?

The idea teased his insides until his balls pulled tight and his cock threatened to swell.

Luca jerked his gaze back up.

“Your clothes.” Nox held out a hand.

Luca pulled the edge of his shirt lower. “What about them?”

“Give them to me so I can lay them on the heater to dry.”

“It’s okay, they can just hang in here.”

“They won’t dry in here.” Nox was right. Luca knew he was right. And since these were the only clothes he had....

Luca gave Nox his back and peeled off his shirt. He set it on the sink and kicked off his shoes, then unbuttoned his pants. He froze with his hands on the waist of his jeans.

Nox pulled Luca around. The man’s presence, the rich musk and spice of his skin, the heat radiating from his body rushed over Luca, sucking the air from his lungs. Nox lowered his head, parted his lips and inhaled, carrying away Luca’s exhale. Nox moved to Luca’s cheek, his neck. There his breath heated Luca’s skin. Nox tilted Luca’s head back and followed the column of his neck with another deep inhale.

Luca’s heart skittered in his chest. “What...what are you doing?”

“Smelling you.”

Smelling him.

“Why?” Luca leaned away only to have Nox move closer. So close his cock brushed Luca’s hip.

Nox swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He made another lap, huffing in quick short breaths rather than long slow ones. Nox loosened his grip. He cupped the back of Luca’s head and made circles on his arm with his thumb.

For several long moments, Nox stood there, then slowly he raised his gaze. “You’re sick.”

Luca’s stomach dropped.

Nox seemed to catch himself. He let Luca go and retreated. “I’m sorry, that was...” He turned.

“Leukemia.” Luca had no idea why he said it. Nox was right, it was none of his business. Even if he could smell the disease.

Could other people smell Luca’s cancer? He’d never even considered the idea.

Nox turned back around but stayed at the door. “Are you getting treatment?”

“Not this time.”

The muscles across Nox’s shoulders tensed, and he balled up his hands.

Luca shrugged. “I’ve had it twice before. Treatment isn’t an option this time.” Luca gave Nox his back again and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He left them on the sink, climbed in the tub, and closed the curtain.

Nox was a momentary blur behind the sheet of gaudy pink plastic, then he closed the door.



About the Author


I am a writer of contemporary and speculative fiction and artist of all things monster. I live to create new worlds and the people in them. Several of my books have been best sellers both nationally and internationally. I have also been a finalist in the LAMDA awards, the "Oscars" of gay literary works.
I do my best to write original stories with powerful characters and emotion as well as a fast-paced plot. My goal isn't just to deliver a good story but to take the reader into the story and let them experience the characters as if they are right there with them.

While almost all my books have a romantic element, I will be the first to admit, they are not traditional romance. In fact, I'd like to think there is nothing traditional about them. And the stories I paint are done so way outside the lines of traditional genres.

One of my favorite things to do as a writer is push the boundaries of what makes a story and to deliver the unexpected and maybe even change the perspective of the reader.

My characters are more often than not, beautifully flawed, not always the good guy, and make mistakes. Their stories will take dark turns which, in the end, make the light at the end of the tunnel all the brighter.

If you're looking for something different, exciting, and unique, my books are for you.
Check out my website for updates and how to contact me. I love hearing from fans.
 


Author Links





Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a signed print copy of NOX.




BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE


 


➜ Sign up to become a tour host here

 






REVIEW



I wouldn't necessarily describe this book as a romance. 
While there's some kinky fuckery happening in the old "pack", none of them were technically "in love". Yes, the Alpha loved his betas, because they were a part of him, but he did not choose them and them him. 

You're probably wondering what that is all about. Well, it's some pretty wicked, messed up stuff. A fusion of shifters and Gods, per-se. 

NoX is sent to find his old Alpha's brother. He finds he reacts the same way to Luca, but it's also something "more". The 'romance' part would be that even though there's some sort of pull between the two, Luca chooses NoX. While NoX fights it because he doesn't understand, in the end, he too chooses Luca. 
Luca is not made of the same things as NoX, he too is something "more" then this substance that flows through NoX, yet of the same. 
I am super curious to find out more about what "Cana" really is and this other mysterious pack.

There's quite some violence, action and mystery throughout the story. We as an audience get to (re) learn everything happening through NoX and the Army and Special Agent assigned to the case (it rotates POV's). It's a very unique take on shifters and Alpha/Betas.This is a "man-made" pack, being studied in secret by a select few scientists. Koda wasn't  your typical Alpha, he didn't necessarily lead/command the team/pack, but he was also used as bait by the scientists. It is all very twisted and intriguing and I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind a little "darkness". 

4*






Friday, June 14, 2019

Blog Tour, Giveaway & 5* Review for- Benoit by R.J. Scott & V.L. Locey




Length: 56,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Owatonna U Hockey Series

Book #1 - Ryker - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
Book #2 - Scott - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Blurb

Senior year is here, and everything is on the line. Benoit’s time to shine in the crease is now, and he’s going to do everything he can to make sure those professional scouts take notice. He’s earned a great reputation for his skills in the net, and his laid-back demeanor is his key to maintaining his cool when things get heated in the goal crease. 

As the Eagles roar into a new season, Ben’s laser-sharp focus is shattered by his attraction to Ethan Girard, the team’s new defensive consultant. Trying his best to ignore the budding friendship that’s taking a hard, fast turn into something far more passionate, Ben is determined to keep his mind on the sport he loves and not let his feelings for the handsome older man creep into his performance. But love, like hockey, is wildly unpredictable, and soon Ben finds that he’s unable to distance himself from Ethan who is slowly and surely working himself into his heart.



Famed Boston defenseman, Ethan Girard, isn’t stupid. Celebrating his thirty-second birthday in the emergency room after breaking his leg, and with a warning that healing will be a long process, he knows he has to think about his future. He was drafted at eighteen, and he’s never known anything but hockey, but with no contract in place yet for the new season he considers that maybe it’s time for him to hang up his skates for good.

Volunteering to help out with the Owatonna Eagles fills his time, but from the moment he lays eyes on goalie Ben, he knows his world will never be the same again. Falling in lust is as easy as stealing his first kiss, but Ben refuses to engage. Has Ethan finally met his match?



When the lines between career and love blur, will Ethan and Ben find a way to create a future that will work for both of them?


USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.



RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.



The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.



She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:


USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.



V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.



When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.



5 Star

I wasnt sure what to expect out of this book. I loved Rykers story, Scott's story was meh for me, but this book I friggin loved!! I have a thing for goalies so Ben rates up there for me.

Ben and Ethans relationship makes me swoon. I love how Ethan is so understanding to Ben and is give him the encouragement and comfort that he needs. They are a solid duo together. I never would have guessed the issues they would face or the person who would be behind it. Most books are predictable but this one was not. 

I'm definitely looking forward to the next series coming out and the final book for the Railers.

Monday, June 10, 2019

Prince of Killers (Fog City #1) by Layla Rayne





Prince of Killers by Layla Reyne

Series (name + # in series): Fog City #1

Publisher: Layla Reyne (Self-Published)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): June 10, 2019

Length (Print & Ebook): 216 pages (52K words)

Subgenre: M/M Romantic Suspense

Warnings: Explicit sex including mild kink; explicit language; violence;
instances and/or discussion of homophobia; off-page instances and/or discussion
of PTSD, drug use, and abuse of minor characters.

All buy links or pre-order links: http://getbook.at/PrinceOfKillers

Book synopsis:

No indiscriminate killing. No collateral damage. No unvetted targets.

These are the rules Hawes Madigan lives by. Rules that make being Fog City’s Prince of Killers bearable. Soon, he’ll be king—of an organization of assassins—and the crown has never felt heavier. Until the mysterious Dante Perry swaggers into his life.

Dante looks like a rock god and carries himself like one too, all loose-limbed and casually confident. He also carries a concealed weapon, a private investigator’s license, and a message for the prince. Someone inside Hawes’s organization is out to kill the future king.

In the chaos that follows the timely warning, Hawes comes to depend on Dante. On his skills as an investigator, on the steadiness he offers, and on their moments alone when Hawes lets Dante take control. As alliances are tested and traitors exposed, Hawes needs Dante at his back and in his bed. But if the PI ever learns Hawes’s darkest secret, Hawes is sure to get a knife to the heart—and a bullet to the brain—instead.

There’s no shortage of twists and turns in this new romantic suspense trilogy from Layla Reyne. Prince of Killers is book one of three. Fair warning: buckle up, cliffhangers ahead!

Praise for Prince of Killers:

“Layla Reyne is an auto-buy author for me. She writes it; I devour it. Prince of Killers is an amazing start to a new series. It’s fast-paced and intriguing with the perfect balance of action, passion, and plot twists I’ve come to expect from her books. Layla never disappoints, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in her Fog City series.”  – Aimee Nicole Walker, Bestselling author of the Curl Up and Dye Mysteries

“Prince of Killers gives us everything we adore about Layla’s writing: bullets, boys, and betrayal. From the very first page, Hawes and Dante have sexual tension that sparks off the page. They don’t trust each other, but they have to work together to uncover a traitor in their midst. The result is a steamy dance of push and pull that left me itching for more. I’m excited to recommend Layla Reyne’s Prince of Killers and see what’s next in her new Fog City series!” – Lucy Lennox, Bestselling author of the Made Marian and Forever Wilde series.

"This book made me reach for the 'Oh Sh*t' handle every time I picked it up." –Erin McLellan, author of the Farm College series.

Hair and double denim. My favourite things! –Allison Temple, author of The Pick-Up and Top Shelf

“I bloody loved it!” –Lily Morton, Bestselling author of the Mixed Messages series

"Layla Reyne redefined what a family of assassins looks like with "Prince of Killers." The "Fog City" series kicks off with some mind-blowing twists and I can't wait to see what happens next." - Jeff Adams, Big Gay Fiction Podcast

"PRINCE OF KILLERS is a suspenseful ride through the streets of San Francisco, and the ins and out of a tight-knit crime family. I couldn't stop reading, and when I hit the end, I wanted the next book immediately!" - Hailey Turner, author of the bestselling Soulbound series and the Metahuman Files series.






Hawes’s mind whirled as Dante captured his lips. He still had questions—Holt’s and Helena’s lingering concerns about Dante couldn’t be disregarded—but no doubt, Hawes trusted Dante to handle himself when the shit hit the fan. He could use an ally, a partner, like that. And Hawes trusted Dante to handle him, especially tonight when other needs were so much closer to the surface.

Relaxing against the ladder, he opened wider for Dante’s kiss, inviting his tongue to tangle with his as it swept inside Hawes’s mouth. Dante tasted sweet, like the caramel candy he’d taken off Kane’s desk, on top of the Dante flavor Hawes had come to enjoy so much this week—dark, mysterious, dependable. A favorite cocktail that filled Hawes’s insides with steady warmth. That both ensnared and freed him. Dante’s thigh between his legs, the rhythmic rocking of hips, his hard chest beneath Hawes’s palms. The long, silky hair Hawes could wrap around his fist and hold on to. Or use to pull Dante back when it became clear, once shirts were shed and pants undone, that they were gonna fuck right there against the ladder if Hawes didn’t move them elsewhere. Granted, the blowjob Dante had given him there ranked among Hawes’s hottest sexual encounters, but it wasn’t what he wanted tonight. “I’m not sure this is better than the foyer pole.”

Dante fought his hold. “Picky, picky.”

Tugging Dante’s head back farther, Hawes licked a stripe from his throat to his ear. “Fuck me in my bed,” he whispered hotly, then released Dante’s hair and trailed his hands over his shoulders to his biceps. “And let me fall asleep in your arms after.”


About Layla Reyne: RITA Finalist Layla Reyne is the author of the Agents Irish and Whiskey, Trouble Brewing, and Changing Lanes series. A Carolina Tar Heel who now calls the San Francisco Bay Area home, Layla enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart-pounding romance. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. Layla is a 2019 RWA® RITA® Finalist in Contemporary Romance (Mid-Length) and 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.
Connect with Layla:
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/laylaslushes/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/laylareyne
IG: https://www.instagram.com/laylareyne/
Newsletter: https://www.laylareyne.com/signup
AMZ: https://www.amazon.com/author/LaylaReyne
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/layla-reyne

Get to know more about Layla Reyne in this fun Review Tour Q&A!

  • Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, are there any you’d recommend?


Yes! One of my day jobs is as a legal resource editor, and I always have an audiobook playing when I’m doing that work. The Tales of Verania series by TJ Klune, narrated by Michael Lesley, is an absolute treasure.

  • What are your five favorite words?


I just need one: Fuck, especially the way Tristan James says it narrating audiobooks ;)

  • Do you have a favorite cover from one of your books?


This one! Cate Ashwood who did all the Fog City covers sent me the cover concept for Prince of Killers first, and I screamed “Holy Shit!” so loudly that my dogs startled. And I kept repeating “Holy Shit” for like the next week. She deserves so much credit, as does Wander Aguiar for the gorgeous photos, and Patrick Sean (the model) for just being that damn gorgeous.





10 stars!

There is no way to give this book just  5 stars!!! 

I am now waiting on pins and needles for the next book, totally didn't see that ending coming. I may have said WTF a few times as well (out loud). 

Let just say I LOVED Layla's Trouble Brewing Series so I couldn't wait for PoK. She absolutely blew it out of the water!!  Probably by far my favorite book in a very long awhile. Dare I say,  I like it more than the Trouble Brewing series?.....


Giveaway:
Enter to win 2 sets of signed backlist paperbacks (Trouble Brewing or Changing Lanes, winner’s choice); if international, signed book plates.







***Get Phenomenal Romantic Suspense by Layla Reyne on Sale!***
Carina Press has CRAFT BREW on sale for the month of June at only $1.99!

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Cover Reveal- Shake the Stars by V.L. Locey



Pre-Order Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Length: 100,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Sloan J Designs

Publisher: Gone Writing Publishing

Blurb

Spending time in the Poconos with his family was the last thing Dane Forrester wanted to do over the summer. He had dreams of spending his last break touring Europe and gathering story ideas for his upcoming creative writing classes before heading to college. Maybe even finding that elusive first love in a small café in Paris, or along the Rhine, or even in a sultry villa in Italy. But no, he was stuck at the Silver Fir Lodge with his family where his dreams of romance and passion would wither and die a slow painful death, or so he imagined.


When all seemed lost, the budding wordsmith is saved—in more than one sense—by Khalid Novak, a lifeguard at the lodge’s pool. Khalid is two years older, a bit more sophisticated, and the most incredibly alluring thing Dane has ever seen. The two young men find themselves joyously wound in a searing romance that teaches Dane that love can be wildly intense yet fleeting so one should revel in it when the discovery is made.



Can this summer romance survive the chill of autumn as well as the winds of time?



USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.


V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.



When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.




Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions


Monday, June 3, 2019

Blog Tour Stop- “Tales from Ardulum “ by J.S. Fields


Tales from Ardulum



J.S. Fields has a new FF sci fi book out: Tales From Ardulum.


One year after saving the Neek homeworld and redefining the people’s religion, the crew of the Scarlet Lucidity returns to the Charted Systems for a much-needed break. For Nicholas and Yorden, the Systems will always be home, but for Emn and Atalant, too many memories compound with Emn’s strange new illness to provide much relaxation.


TALES FROM ARDULUM continues the journey of Atalant, Emn, Yorden, Nicholas, and Salice as they try to define their place in a galaxy that no longer needs them while battling the artifacts of Ardulan colonization. Other stories include Yorden’s acquisition of the Mercy’s Pledge (and his grudge against the galaxy), Atalant’s exile from her homeworld, Ekimet and Savath’s romance, and many others.


Series Blurb:


The ARDULUM series blends space opera and hard science into a story about two women persistently bound to their past, and a sentient planet determined to shape their future.

Get It On Amazon





Giveaway


J.S. Fields is giving away four prizes with this tour: a collectible soft enamel pin of the Mercy's Pledge (2), and a high res version of one of the interior illustrations (their choice, pick from Yorden, Nick, Emn, or Atalant) (2). Enter via Rafflecopter:









Excerpt



Tales From Ardulum meme


“She is nothing, anymore,” the president responded. “She is Exile.”


“You can’t!” Neek burst towards the door just as it slammed closed. She rebounded and fell back to the floor, her tailbone taking the brunt of the fall. The ship’s engines began to whine, and the floor jostled as the craft left the surface.


Neek ran to the controls and slammed her hands on the stuk interface. Through the viewscreen, she saw capital buildings, the Ardulan Temple, and then treetops as the skiff left the city and moved to the suburbs. She tapped command after command into the computer, but each try brought an angry beep and no change in course. The ship was on autopilot and password locked. She had no control.

Neek swallowed, trying to ease the ache in her throat. Wherever they stashed her, she would find a comm. She would smuggle out handwritten messages if she had to. She wasn’t going to give up. That she had lost the robes, lost the Guard…she could mourn that in time. Saving the forests, that was her job. Helping her people move beyond Ardulum so they could truly participate in the Charted Systems, that was why she did all this, right? That she loved piloting was just a bonus.


Right?


A low tremble went through the ship. Neek had never felt a skiff do that before. Had she lucked out? Was it malfunctioning? Neek sent another query to the computer. The ship was…

Neek blinked. It couldn’t be.


The ship was going up.


Neek frantically queried the computer. The viewscreen still showed treetops, but that silo in the distance…that had been there the first time she’d looked. It had seemed closer for a while, but now, she realized as she squinted, it was far away again. She was watching a prerecorded loop!

“No!” The skiff was clearly going up. Neek’s ears were popping, and there was a funny feeling in her gut. Her planet’s skiffs were not designed to leave even the lower atmosphere. Only settees could do that, and this was no settee. Whatever the president’s engineers had done to make it spaceworthy, it hadn’t been nearly enough.


Neek threw commands at the computer. Land. Coast. Glide. STOP.Each returned with a ping and the perpetual image of treetops. He couldn’t do this. He had no right to do this! What in Ardulum’s name was the president thinking? Neek pounded at the controls, and the recorded loop fuzzed out to reveal space. Endless space.


Text scrolled across the computer screen:


Hours of air left: 233

Gallons of water remaining: 2

Food rations available: none

Communication systems: disabled

Destination: high orbit around planet Neek

Entertainment options: one video available of Heaven Guard airshow #4194, highlighting the double barrel rolls of Guard Four; all Neek holy texts available


Neek screamed. She kicked the console, her boot denting the cheap biometal. The Neek did not leave their planet. They did not live on space stations or strange worlds. They stayed put, to wait for Ardulum’s return. And she…she was meant to rotup here, in Neek space—rot while watching a planet she could see but never again touch. Rot while the Heaven Guard executed flawless formations in Neek’s upper atmosphere, ignoring her gold coffin spinning by. Rot while reading texts she’d had shoved down her throat since she was old enough to read—texts that were slowly destroying her planet.


And…and…


She would never get her settee.


She was only nineteen years old, and she was going to die, alone, in space.


And there was nothing she could do.






Author Bio


J.S. Fields (@Galactoglucoman) is a scientist who has perhaps spent too much time around organic solvents. They enjoy roller derby, woodturning, making chainmail by hand, and cultivating fungi in the backs of minivans. Nonbinary, and yes, it matters.


Fields has lived in Thailand, Ireland, Canada, USA, and spent extensive time in many more places. Their current research takes them to the Peruvian Amazon rainforest each summer, where they traumatizes students with machetes and tangarana ants while looking for rare pigmenting fungi. They live with their partner and child, and a very fabulous lionhead rabbit named Merlin.





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TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT

RELEASE DAY BLITZ- The Queen's Starfire Throne (Infernal War Saga III) by Hailey Turner

  The Queen's Starfire Throne by Hailey Turner is now live!   Every road must come to an end. THE DEAD. Facing a war where revenants out...