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Welcome to my place in the blogosphere!
feel free to explore the Flight Deck and check out my books and website.
Then fasten your seatbelts, sip a glass of something sparkling and let's chat awhile!
I hope you'll stop by again for guest authors and spotlights from time to time.

Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.

Showing posts with label SF Adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SF Adventure. Show all posts

Sunday 11 February 2018

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 ... What are they waiting for?

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 



Here's the next snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and stayed with me xx

You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE
(The story so far - Cat Kincaid has crashlanded on an unknown and seemingly hostile planet, apparently in the middle of a gun battle in the not-too-far distance. Cat decides to even the odds a little and fires a smoke capsule.

Kerry Marchant persuades his friend and commander, John Quinlan to take their wounded comrade back to their starship, so her wound can be treated.

SNIPPET:              


The commander slung the woman’s unconscious form over his shoulder and bending low beneath the smoke, edged his way back the way they’d come, keeping close to the tree-line. Kerry kept their attackers busy with a volley of well-aimed blaster fire.


How many of them are there? He must be hopelessly outnumbered, but he might as well be killed here as on some other planet. If only he could keep them busy long enough for Jon to get Zeldra safely to the Destiny’s ferry craft. He ducked behind the boulder as another volley of blaster fire singed the surrounding undergrowth. He fired once more and heard a strangled scream as another of his assailants went down; a long silence ensued. What are they waiting for?




BLURB
Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?





Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  










For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Sunday 4 February 2018

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 ... Where did that damned smoke come from?

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 



Here's the next snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and stayed with me xx

You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE
(The story so far - Cat Kincaid has crashlanded on an unknown and seemingly hostile planet, apparently in the middle of a gun battle in the not-too-far distance. Cat decides to even the odds a little and fires a smoke capsule, as it clears, she realises there is only one person now, fighting alone. (This snippet is from the hero's p.o.v. )                         

(some very creative punctuation and slight rewording from published version to comply with sentence count

Where did that damned smoke come from -- Kerry Marchant wiped his streaming eyes and tried to focus on the area where he last saw his attackers.

There was another question—the identity of the third party who seemed to be siding with them against their assailants; he turned back to glance at Jon Quinlan, the main concern, at the moment, was Zeldra. “How is she,” he asked, indicating the unconscious woman.

The other man looked up from his ministrations, coughing and trying to waft some of the choking smoke away with his hand.  “Not good, I’ve used my bioregenerator and it’s repaired some of the damage but we need to get her back to the Destiny.”

“Then take her, at least this smoke will give you some cover, I’ll hold them off here for as long as I can.”

“What? And leave you here to fight them alone?”

“I can handle it, come back for me.”

“I don’t like the thought of leaving you down here—”

“Have you a better idea -- we can’t both go, we would just be sitting targets  if this smoke clears; I can cover you, but as the Destiny’s commander, you need to be with the ship."




BLURB
Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?





Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  










For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Saturday 27 January 2018

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 - Things heat up!

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 




Here's the next snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and stayed with me xx

I clean forgot to register for last week's 'Snippets'. apologies, but I remembered this week! You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE
(The story so far - Cat Kincaid has crashlanded on an unknown and seemingly hostile planet, apparently in the middle of a gun battle in the not-too-far distance. Cat, being Cat has to get involved.  This excerpt takes place several paragraphs after the previous snippet, after several salvos have been fired on both sides.
(some creative punctuation to comply with sentence count

She rolled to the side as far as she could, at the same time, letting loose a few more bolts from her pistol. After several seconds, she risked a peek below her. One of the three, a dark haired man dressed in black, seemed to be holding his own and covering his two companions, a second man, blond haired and of slender build, knelt beside the motionless form of their fallen comrade. 

She made an adjustment to her weapon and flicked a control; at this rate, they could go on taking pot shots at the unknown enemy until they all died of starvation, she could at least shorten the odds a little.

Another crack of blaster fire caused her to duck for cover again. The salvo lasted for what seemed an interminable time. When the firing ceased, she risked another look - there was no sign of the other man or his wounded companion. 
The man in black crouched behind a rock. Where’s the other one? Did he leave his friend to fend off the attackers by himself? 

BLURB
Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.


Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?






Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  




For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/joinry 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Sunday 14 January 2018

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 - Decision made!


Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to read and write! 



Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 



Here's the next snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and stayed with me xx


You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy LINK
(The story so far - Cat Kincaid has crashlanded on an unknown and seemingly hostile planet, apparently in the middle of a gun battle in the not-too-far distance. Cat, being Cat has to investigate...(some creative punctuation to comply with sentence count


No one could call Cat Kincaid a coward, but she wasn’t a fool either, nor about to commit suicide. However, allying herself with them might be her best hope of escape from this planet. A slight movement in the bushes just below her, to her right, and a low humming noise, warned her of another weapon firing up. A flash of light cut the air, and the shortest of the three figures gave a strangled cry, crumpling to the ground.

One of the men swung round and fired in their assailants’ direction, while the other bent to tend to their companion.Casting a quick look to her left, she took advantage of the confusion to check her surroundings - no sign of Shifter. She hoped he’d just merged into the landscape, but she couldn’t risk checking, and could only trust he would find cover. The injury, or perhaps death, of one of the combatants lengthened the odds against them even further, making the decision for her, she couldn’t just walk away from the situation. One of the antagonists fired again, raising his head above the rock as he took aim. Cat fired back, rewarded by a shrill cry as the figure fell.


BLURB

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?






THE DESTINY TRILOGY







Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  













For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Sunday 7 January 2018

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 - Things begin to heat up!


Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to read and write! 
First of all, I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy,Peaceful and productive New Year, and I hope you all had a good Christmas with family and friends.
Apologies for being away so long. It has been a fairly hectic few weeks with a visit to Wales to take the family's Christmas gifts, and visit family members,among other things, including getting snowed in. I also had a traumatic few days when I had to have one of my two beloved horses put to sleep, when his battle with arthritis became too much. I've not been on-line all very much since before Christmas so I hope you'll excuse my absence. I look forward to being part of this great group again.


Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 



Here's the second snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and stayed with me xx


You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE
(The story so far - Cat Kincaid has crashlanded on an unknown and seemingly hostile planet, apparently in the middle of a gun battle in the not-too-far distance. Cat, being Cat has to investigate...


She strained to see how many combatants were involved. The air shimmered and danced in coruscating hues of blue and green, heavy with blaster smoke. Putting her tri-dee-viewer to her eyes, she adjusted the range. Three figures crouched behind a rock to one side of her in the shallow valley below. As far as she could
make out, they were human. On the other side of the little clearing where the
vegetation took over again, a much larger group, apparently also humanoid, kept up a relentless barrage of blaster fire. From this viewpoint, it looked as if they outnumbered the three several times over.

She raised her weapon undecided as to whether she should get involved or not. This was not her fight, especially since she didn’t even know who they were.She drew in her breath, it would be cowardly just to leave.

BLURB

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?






THE DESTINY TRILOGY







Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  













For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/joinFor insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Sunday 10 December 2017

#WeWriWar, Sunday Snippets: Beloved Enemy - Cat needs to find out what's going on


Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to read and write! We've got a variety of genres and talented writers just waiting for you to come sample their work.

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 



Here's the second snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and left comments xx


You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE


Specially for Ed!
She listened for a moment to confirm the direction of the firing. It came from somewhere beyond the rim of the sandy cliff behind her. It took several minutes to scramble to the top of the slope and peer cautiously above the edge.

The battle sounded closer now, coming from the other side of several low dunes looming before her. She bent low against a scorching wind that lashed the sand around her into swirling eddies. She cursed as it snatched several long strands of her hair from the scarf that struggled to restrain it at the nape of her neck. Like a dark red mist, the unbound hair whipped across her face, blurring her vision. She brushed it back, with a few more muttered words of annoyance. As she reached the top of another low hillock, the sky lit up with a scintillating green light and the sound of the weapons almost deafened her. Her fingers tightened on her laser pistol, and throwing herself to the ground, she inched her way to a group of thorny bushes for cover.

BLURB

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?





THE DESTINY TRILOGY



Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  












For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Saturday 2 December 2017

#WeWriWar, Sunday Snippets: Beloved Enemy - At least she wasn't alone ...

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to read and write! We've got a variety of genres and talented writers just waiting for you to come sample their work.

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 



Here's the second snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and left comments xx


You can read the first snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE

“Come on Shifter,” she called, and a large animal materialized like a wraith from the shadows inside the vehicle. Two minutes later, after confirming the temperature, pressure and air composition, Cat emerged from her crippled craft. 

She gave a cautious sniff to the air, then took a deeper breath, glancing up at a sullen, pale copper coloured sky. Although the atmosphere smelled a little sulphurous, the air was perfectly breathable. She stepped to the surface, and gave an involuntary start as the silence rent asunder with the unmistakable whine and shriek of blaster fire. She drew her pistol and ducked, using the hull of the craft as cover, acting on instinct, before logic cut in. Whoever it was, they weren’t firing at her, and they were some distance away.

At least she wasn’t alone. If life on this planet had advanced to a point where the inhabitants possessed power weapons, they might also have space vehicles, and be her means of escape—if she could just keep them from killing her.

BLURB

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?




THE DESTINY TRILOGY



Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  












For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Sunday 26 November 2017

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 - Cat-landing!




Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to read and write! We've got a variety of genres and talented writers just waiting for you to come sample their work.

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 



 Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and left comments xx



This week I'm going to start sharing  snippets from the third book in the  Destiny Trilogy 'Beloved Enemy' (Each book is a 'standalone' novel)




"Hold tight, Shifter, this is going to be bumpy.”

The small vehicle careened down the incline, ploughing a deep trough and throwing up a cloud of dirt and sand.

Eventually it plunged through the tangled branches of a group of slender trees and bushes at the bottom, and shuddered to a halt. For a moment, sandy soil and a blur of green and brown severed leaves and twigs on the external scanner obscured the view. Cat Kincaid ground her teeth and activated a control.

A gust of recycled air blew away the offending sand and foliage, and the screen before her displayed the surrounding terrain. A bleak, undulating landscape, punctuated by clumps of scrubby trees and bushes, like the ones she’d crashed into, stretched into the distance. A small forest bordered most of the far side of a steep slope behind her. She grabbed her emergency pack, and slung it over her shoulder, before swiping the airlock control. Let’s hope the computer was right about the atmosphere and pressure on this planet being compatible with human requirements.


BLURB
Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?


My publisher, The Wild Rose Press is having a Thanksgiving sale - all E-books, are 40% off, and each volume of The Destiny Trilogy is now only $2.99  until Monday. Grab yourself a bargain or two or three from hundreds of great books on offer.





(While you're there, have a look at all the great books by the wonderful Wild Rose Press Authors, and maybe download my 'Free Read' fantasy short story, A Bargain With Death.)


THE DESTINY TRILOGY



Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  









For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join