#SFFSat - Game Changes

Welcome back to Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday! Make sure you check out all the other posts when you're done here!

*forget anything you saw earlier*

How's that for a Jedi mind trick?

I mixed up posts for the past two weeks and an out-of-order post showed up before I remembered to fix it. So, if you saw anything from DUNGEON CRAWL just forget about it. The real snippet for this week is from EVERY HERO NEEDS A VILLAIN, book two of the Heroes and Villains series. There are dual story lines in EHNAV, the present day which takes place just after the events of EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE where Tabitha is questioned about her absence from the superhero world, and the When We Met storyline that gives Tabitha a chance to explain why she fell in love with a villain.

In this snippet Tabitha is sent to guard a very expensive necklace and finds that Dr. Charm is already at the auction. Katrina is her handler/boss.

"Tabitha, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"No, I'm so sorry, I need to report in. Doctor Charm is here."

"What?" Katrina screeched.

"I went to dinner and I saw Doctor Charm. He was at a cafe not a mile from the hotel."

"Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be without a DNA test!"

"Did you talk to him?"

"No!" What was I supposed to say? Sorry about your arm, want to make out again? By the way, I love how you kiss, can we forget about that whole dead minion thing? Hi! Remember me? We wrecked your lab together, or I wrecked it, but we kissed afterward so that makes it okay.

#SFFSat - The After Life

Welcome back to Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday! Make sure you check out all the other posts when you're done here!

This week's post is from the opening chapters of DUNGEON CRAWL: THE FALL. Sari's last minute betrayal of her goddess leaves her forsaken and mortal in the middle of a battle at the city gate of Vondrin. Fortunetly for her Errod and Severre the Beserker are nearby. They're professional warriors, men who hunt war not as mercenaries but for the general fun of stabbing things. This scene is written from Severr's POV.

Sverre pulled on the rope. “It’s fishing for paladins.”

“Well, hurry it up. There’s a bunch of unwanteds trying to grab the line too,” Errod said.

“Whine, whine, whine. I thought you were a fighter, Errod, not a baby.” Sverre jerked the line one final time and his paladin came tumbling into his arms. “Hello.”

Crimson lips and deep tanned skin set off luminous gold-green eyes. She looked at him with her lips parted, practically begging for a kiss. And shivering. Now, how was a man supposed to say no to that sort of invitation? Sverre pulled her into his arms, holding her close while she sobbed. “Mmmm.”

“Sverre!” Errod shouted.

“What?”

“We have a battle to deal with! Let the fishy go.”

“Oh.” Sverre pouted, looking down at his delectable catch. “But she’s so edible.”

“Later!” Two demons mounted the walls, each with four arms and curling horns and long knives.

#SFFSat - Transcendence

Welcome back to Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday! Make sure you check out all the other posts when you're done here!

This week's post is from the opening chapters of DUNGEON CRAWL: THE FALL and continues last week's post.

Fourteen breathes, that was how long transcendence took. She’d counted fourteen breathes since she was a child. And now, she counted again.

Twelve.

Sari closed her eyes. If I open them again what will I see?

Eleven.

Ten. Will I die before I transcend this mortal frame?

Her breath sped up.

Nine. Eight. Seven. Six.

The goddess whispered peace to her, promises of eternal comfort.

Five.

She looked back over the war. Once the transcendence was complete her part here would be over. Annu Godeye stood on the ramparts watching Sari fall. Her face was twisted with anger. Poor Annu.

Four.

The great berserker watched her fall as well, his face a portrait of anguish. He was cheated of his toy.

Three.

The demons blow gibbered in delight. Sari smiled, thrilling in the knowledge that she would cheat them too. Her blood would not fill their tongues.

Two.

Pain.

Sari gasped and screamed.

So. Much. Pain.

#SFFSat - Silence

Welcome back to Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday! Make sure you check out all the other posts when you're done here!

This week's post is from the opening chapters of DUNGEON CRAWL: THE FALL. After some deliberation I decided to show the moment of Sari's death, and her fall from grace. As a paladin of Medea, goddess of Innocents, Sari has vowed to never harm another living soul. Still, she and the other paladins of Medea go to defend Vondrin through prayer, and by serving as living shields for the warriors.

Movement on the wall caught her attention. “The demons are climbing our wall!” she shouted, her voice echoing with divine power. Her body was below her, just above where the demons climbed.

But… I’m here…

You are with me, the goddess whispered from all around her. You are with me.

Always.

A red demon gained the upper parapet and a curved talon caught Sari’s mortal body.

“This is death,” she whispered, high above the fray. She felt a sense of loss. Sadness as she saw the body fall. But as it plummeted toward the red tide of demons thrashing against the desert gate Sari could feel herself becoming solid here, high above everything. The sounds of the war withdrew.

Silence, precious and pure, encompassed her.

#SFFSat - Just Errod?

Welcome back to Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday! Make sure you check out all the other posts when you're done here!

This week's post is from the opening chapters of DUNGEON CRAWL: THE FALL and introduces two of the supporting characters: Errod and Kith-Alyssia.

“You serve the elven archer goddess?”

“No. Kith, the elven god of war, madness and literature. I am Kith-Alyssia. And you are?”

“Errod.”

“Just Errod?”

“Yes.”

“Not even Errod of the North?”

“No.”

Kith-Alyssia’s smile grew wider. “Are you busy tonight, Just Errod?”

“No.” His grin grew to match hers.

“Would you like to be?” the priestess whispered.

A super villain at the top of his game must choose between the world he wants and the woman he loves.

Breathless Press | Amazon | 1 Place For Romance | Bookstrand | All Romance eBooks

Today is the last day to enter the EVFIL in the Wild contest. Make sure to get your entry in!

#SFFSat - What kind of good?

Welcome back to Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday! Make sure you check out all the other posts when you're done here!

My current work in progress is EVERY HERO NEEDS A VILLAIN and it's the kind of rough draft that burns retinas and makes people cry. I didn't feel you needed that kind of pain today. Instead, I pulled out another old story. This is from DUNGEON CRAWL: THE FALL and one day I will find the time to polish and publish this.

Sari Fallen is the main character, the one time paladin for the Goddess of Innocents now works freelance for the Vondrin police department. She's looking for a murderer, and she's cornered a freelance assassin in her hunt.

Sari leaned in close. "Do you remember last year? When I tracked you down and you swore on your honor and life you were leaving Vondrin for good? Do you remember that?"

"So? I have no honor! Come on, Sari. You knew that."

"I also know you have a bounty on your head that's triple my yearly salary."

"Ah... you're a fallen paladin. A cop. Not a bounty hunter. I keep track of these things."

"I cross-classed."

Ruen seemed to shrink in on himself with a whimper.

"Tell you what, if you're very good I'll give you a six hour head start out of the city."

"I'm good!" Ruen yelped. "Real good. What kind of good do you want me to be?"

"I need to know who's dealing in demon blood. Who's buying? Who's selling? And where can I get the most for cheap."

#SFFSat - Red Guard

Welcome back to Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday! Make sure you check out all the other posts when you're done here!

I agonized a bit over this week's selection. I've just wrapped up the latest draft of JANE DOE and handed it off to my beta's, EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE is on the shelf waiting for true love, and EVERY HERO NEEDS A VILLAIN is in progress, so those are my obvious choices.

Instead of going for the obvious I dug through my work-in-progress and picked out a scene from a book that's partially written, but not finished. I shoved it under the bed last year in frustration, and I'm considering pulling it back out. Set in the same universe as SEVENTY, this novel follows the life of Jesse Daylor, an infantry commander that was born to the genetically elite Red Guard and considered a contender for the throne.

He left the Red Guard to enlist in the infantry, a choice that led to his family disowning him. When the planet comes under attack from the Hurluk fleet, Jesse's team is sent to save as many civilians as they can from the firestorms. But even cut off from his family, Jesse's thoughts are with the Red Guard.

The heat was almost unbearable, he could feel his lips cracking and wondered for just a moment if that's how his brother felt when he flew toward the monstrous ship and died. As if in response to his morbid thoughts another attack launched from the Imperial Base. Jesse kissed his burning medallion. Was that his brother? Or was his brother still on the ground? Or were the rest of the Daylar clan doing their ancestral duty to the Imperial Throne and seeing the August Personage to safety?

We who die, salute you.

"Harmen." He punched the off-worlder in the shoulder. "What was it they sent you to infantry for?"

"Stealing a flyer," Harmen said. The short off-world human grinned. "If I knew this was coming I would have taken the quick execution."

Jesse smirked. "Do us a favor, Harmen, go find a flyer. This is a rich town, I'm sure some citizen won't mind helping out some local ground pounders. There's no way we can lift if that ship is full, and I'm not going to try and outrun this storm."

¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>

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SFR Brigade Library Updates

I'm updating the SFR Brigade library again! If you write SFR, please stop by and fill in the sheet so I can add your book to our recommended reading list. :o)

What is SFR? Well, it's what I write. It's science-fiction AND romance.

Science-fiction with a romantic subplot that could be removed without damaging the story is sic-fi.

Romance set in space, but that could be moved to any culture or time is romance.

An illicit liaison of the two genres results in a book that needs both the sci-fi and the romance to be complete. EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE needs the superheroes and genetic engineering, but it also needs the romance to be complete story.

Many of my favorite books are SFR (Cordelia's Honor, Price of the Stars, Finders Keepers, Downhome Zombie Blues...). The SFR Brigade is a group of sci-fi romance authors, readers, and fans who get together to share news and swap book suggestions. You can read the post on 5 Reasons You Should Join The SFR Brigade to get a better idea of who we are.

#SFFSat - Dinner Bell

Welcome to another Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday!

Today's snippet is from JANE'S SHADOW, the second book in the Jane series. After six months apart Samantha abd Mac are brought back together when he comes to town as part of an investigation. And, after six months apart, there's only one thing on his mind: food.

He followed Hoss into the tiny kitchen. There were steaks marinating on the counter in a bag. Two steaks. There would be potatoes in the cupboard, maybe some spring asparagus in the fridge. His stomach growled. “Sam?”

“Yes?” She walked out of her room, still dressed in her standard navy skirt with white blouse, holding a box with a pair of running shorts and a familiar shirt hanging out.

“What part of my soul do I need to sell to get one of those steaks for dinner?”

“Oh.” Sam slumped with fatigue. “I forgot about those. I really need to cook them, too. I got them out Sunday and fell asleep before I got around to dinner. But we need to find you a hotel.”

“I can sleep on the couch.”

Sam rolled her eyes. “You are so bad for me, MacKenzie!”

#SFFSat - Agent Petrelli

Welcome back to Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday!

After a very busy week pole dancing for the release of EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE (that sounded smuttier that it should have) I'm a little tired of EVFIL snippets, and I think everyone else is too. So I've dug something brand new out of my box of tricks!

This is from the opening chapters of JANE'S SHADOW, the second book in the Jane series. Agent Sam Rose survived a terrorist attack in book one, but in the process learned of a plot to kill her. It's a fate she'd love to avoid, and it makes her just a little paranoid. Enjoy!

“Do you want to meet around eleven thirty for lunch? We can chat before the meeting, catch up, that sort of thing.”

Sam hesitated. “Let me take a rain check on that. I’d like to have all my ducks in a row before I go to the meeting. Maybe another time, when I have less on my plate?”

“Sure thing. See you this afternoon.”

“Good bye.” She hung up, dropping the phone like a poisonous snake. Feo Petrilli wasn’t a bad man. He was a good agent, and that was her highest form of praise, but he was too much like her ex-fiancé Joseph. The same charismatic charm, the same dark good-looks, the same arrogant unthinking nature that had made her fall in love with Joseph. He was even a good Catholic boy, something that would have pleased her mother to no end if she and her mother were still on speaking terms.

Check HERE to read all the other fabulous #SFFSat posts!

Okay, okay, a little more pole dancing... go read Should I Buy EVFIL? and have a wonder filled weekend.

#SFFSat - A sneak peek at EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE

A super villain at the top of his game must choose between the world he wants and the woman he loves.

Last week I posted a deleted scene from EVFIL, this week (by popular request) I'm posting part of the actual book. Evan's wife goes back to work as Zephyr Girl, and on her first day back she runs into a serious problem.

Picking up Maria so he could claim a spot on the couch, Evan watched as Zephyr Girl whipped around a giant lizard thing, the unholy offspring of Barney the dinosaur and Godzilla. Zephyr Girl darted in, pulling a trip wire past the reptilian legs and dodging a heavy fist.

His heart skipped a beat. Right after Election Day, he was finishing the body armor he'd planned for her. It hadn't seemed necessary when she was a stay-at-home-mom, just kinky in a fun way.

A heavy green claw swiped downward, and Zephyr Girl didn't move fast enough.

EVFIL comes out on Tuesday and is available for pre-order now! Or sign up for my newsletter and enter to win a free copy (drawing on Monday).

SFF Saturday: Deleted Scene from EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE

I was torn on what to post for this weeks Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday Snippet, and then I found this in my Dropbox folder. It's a deleted scene from my debut novella EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE which comes out April 4th. This scene didn't survive to see the second draft, let alone my editor's desk.

Here it is, my first attempt at pinning down Doctor Charm's relationship with his loyal minion Hert:

Rust flakes and broken metal fell in my hand. "Bring me the wrench. The wrench you spawn of a sewage truck, not the screwdriver! The wrench!"

"Yes, Doctor Charm." Warty Hert, my ever loyal minion (gentically engineered to do exactly what you say 33% of the time!) finally found the wrench.

I wiggled my way out from under the broken machine. "We're not going to fix it in time, Hert."