Welcome.

I'm glad you stopped by. I hope you'll stop by again.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

SFR Brigade Showcase





I'm excited to participate in the monthly SFR Brigade Showcase. Here's a chance to find new authors and connect with familiar ones. (Notice I didn't say "old" ones. LOL) This is my first time. Yikes, a showcase virgin!

Waaay back (I'd say in a galaxy far away, except it was New York City) in the early 2000's Silhouette put out a call for their Bombshell series. Unfortunately (for them), they didn't like my idea for a series about strong women on the frontier of space. So what did they know! I loved this idea of books loosely linked but not sequels that I call my Outer Rim series. The first book is THE PILOT.

Blurb:



There's no place like home and he just stole hers. Cargo hauler, risk taker Celera d'Enfaden must work with rule-bound Administrator Trevarr Jovano to save her brother from a galactic gangster.

Determined to bring order to the frontier, rule-bound official Trevarr Jovano refuses to tolerate those who disrespect the law. So when an indie pilot refuses to obey, he seizes her ship and cargo. If he backs down, he’ll lose respect. If Celara can’t deliver her cargo, she’ll default on her loan and lose the only home she’s ever known—her ship.

Excerpt:


Celara pushed her chair away from the table and climbed up on it. “Quiet down, you Rimmer scum.”
The patrons laughed then quieted. Someone paused the Seinfeld vid.

She lifted her drink again. “A toast, Rimmers. Let’s hear it for the wonderful, fantabulous, yada, yada, yada, Administrator Jovano. May he live long enough to enjoy good health.”

To her surprise, silence met her toast. No one raised their glasses or mugs, even in jest. Everyone was looking at her, standing on the chair.

No, they were looking past her. Only thing behind her was the door. Kleema groaned and buried her head on her folded arms on the table. Booted footsteps rapped on the rough-hewn plank floor then stopped behind her.

“Thank you for the compliments and the good wishes for my longevity.” The baritone-and-chokiris voice sounded just over her shoulder.

If she ever needed a personal cloaking device, it was now. Or a magic ring with which to disappear. Sec Admin Trevarr Jovano stood behind her. Waiting. She swore she could feel him breathing.
Undaunted, she turned around. As the room tipped, she reached for the back of the chair. “Whoa, those mudslides sneak up on you.”

Missing the chair, she grabbed the closest thing—Trevarr Jovano’s black-clad shoulders. Beneath her fingers, the strong muscles contracted. “Hey there, Admin Man. Heard my toast, did you?” She grinned down at him.

He wasn’t smiling. “You should sit down before you fall down. Or better yet, go home and sleep it off.”

A dark fury swept away the sweet tranquility of two tall Kruferian mudslides. “I can’t go home, you snake. You stole my home.”

She swung a round-house punch at him, missed her objective and would have fallen ignominiously off the chair had he not caught her. For several long secs, he held her tightly against his chest, her feet dangling off the floor a good twenty-five centimeters. His green eyes caught hers and darkened.

The heat in the room rose ten degrees. Her heart tripped, the air leached out of her lungs. His eyes. She could drown in those green depths.
 


Buy links:

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pilot-diane-burton/1113871371?ean=2940015808575
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/259950



Right now, I'm working on the 3rd book in the series. Tavern owner Rissa appears in the two previous books. Now it's her turn. She'll do anything to prevent slavers from taking children and teens from her colony. She's not just being a concerned citizen. For her, it's personal. Complicating the situation is the re-appearance of the "kid" who had a crush on her. Only he's not a kid anymore and he loves her. She just doesn't realize it.

I just wish I had a title for this book. The other book in the series is The Chameleon. Any ideas?

To find the rest of the authors participating in the showcase, click here.



26 comments:

  1. I hope you enjoyed your first time, Diane!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am, Ed. I'm enjoying reading everyone else's posts. Yours is very interesting.

      Delete
  2. Sounds intriguing. Bombshell lost out on what sounds like a great series. Silly Bombshell.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This was a great excerpt! I love how outspoken she is :) Raising a glass to her now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, S.J. She raises her glass of Khuferian mudslide to you, too.

      Delete
  4. You certainly caught my attention with this excerpt. Sounds like a good book.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Arlee. Have fun with A to Z Challenge.

      Delete
  5. Wow, Diane, that was some blurb and quite an excerpt (and I'm not even a fan of sci-fi). Good to meet you and see what you are up to. No ideas for a title, but I am definitely going to check out 'The Pilot' (excellent play on words for the first book).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Welcome to your first SFRB showcase! Since the heroine in book 3 saves the children, what about The Guardian? The Protector? The Sentinel? The Keeper? (assuming you want to keep the titles similar). Just throwing ideas out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the welcome. I made sure to clear my blog calendar for future showcases. Thanks for the title suggestions. Yes, I want to keep them similar.

      Delete
  7. Welcome to the showcase! :) Loved the excerpt. I'm no good at titles lol, so I can't help with that

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Corinne. I used to be so good with titles. I'd have the title before writing the book. Not lately though. :(

      Delete
  8. Congrats, Diane! I enjoyed the excerpt!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love it when they get lost in each other's eyes. And welcome to the Showcase!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Awesome excerpt, I could feel the temperature rising! And I'm a sucker for green eyes too. I'd say it's definitely that publisher's loss.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Loved reading the excerpt :) x

    ReplyDelete
  12. I also enjoyed the blurb, and the excerpt! Best of luck, Diane!

    Julie

    ReplyDelete

Love getting your comments. BTW, your comment won't show up until you refresh the page. Isn't that a pain? Thanks for stopping by.