Guest: JEAN DAVIS Dreams and Stars and Lies

My friend Jean Davis is here today, sharing her latest release. Take it away, Jean.


Today is the release of Dreams and Stars and Lies. This collection features five short science fiction stories. They are all unrelated but two take place in far-flung corners of the greater Narvan universe, though also not directly related to the series. 

I

Destiny Pills and Space Wizards, my first short story collection, features more lighthearted YA-friendly stories. With Dreams of Stars and Lies, I focus on deeper plots and longer stories more intended for an adult audience. 

Why short stories?

While I enjoy writing novels, short stories are a nice break from 90,000 word plots full of characters and broad-scale world-building. They offer an alternate medium for experimenting with new worlds, exploring offshoots of existing ones, and answering thought-provoking 'what if' questions in a different ways. 

What else do you write?

My novels all fall under speculative fiction, fantasy, science fiction, science fiction romance, and dystopian. All my books can be found on Amazon in both print and ebook. The Narvan series is also available in many other online stores.

Where did the stories for this book come from?

Devolution sprang from a one line prompt. It deals with a woman's desire to have a child in a world where she doesn't qualify to procreate. 

Legacy was also born from a one line prompt. I like prompts. They get my mind spinning to figure out how to take the suggestion in an unexpected direction. A grandmother's trip to see her newborn grandson has world-changing consequences. 

Battery came to me in preparation for a local writer's meeting when I needed to bring something to critique. Deadlines make for great inspiration. A young girl has the power to change the world. It's the recharging that is concerning.

Mrs. Gilroy was written from a title prompt years ago and languished on my hard drive until comments from a critique partner inspired the spark of life it had been missing. A husband's dream becomes his wife's nightmare.

Sipper came to me one day while I was in the midst of a month-long short story challenge. A job on a far-away world is the answer to all of Tia's prayers until people start to die and she has to figure out why or join them.

What are readers saying about Dreams of Stars and Lies? 

“Davis shows us a new frontier of space discovery, but there is no rover facing the space dust. We are the guinea pigs, and that adventure is not for the meek."  

- Stellla Telleria author of Across TheWire

”Jean Davis speculates on a future that seems all too believable. Her stories will entertain, and they will make you think. Don't look in Dreams of Stars and Lies for easy solutions.”

- Joan H. Young author of Accidentally Yours

$9.99 print / $1.99 ebook. Want it free? Review any of my other books on Amazon, let me know when your review has posted, and I'll send you a free ebook of Dreams of Stars and Lies.

Where can you get a copy?

Dreams of Stars and Lies can be found in both print and ebook on Amazon and in ebook through Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / Kobo and more.

Jean Davis lives in West Michigan with her musical husband, two nerdy kids, and two attention-craving terriers. When not ruining fictional lives from the comfort of her writing chair, she can be found devouring books and sushi, enjoying the offerings of local breweries, weeding her flower garden, or picking up hundreds of sticks while attempting to avoid the abundant snake population who also shares her yard. You can find her at www.jeandavisauthor.com and on Facebook and Instagram @jeandavisauthor

#WeWriWa ~ THE SPY: I Prefer Sitting Alone #sfr

Each weekend, the Weekend Writing Warriors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

I'm sharing snippets from The Spy: An Outer Rim Novel. It's the 4th book in my series featuring strong women on the frontier of space.

Because this is a work in progress, suggestions are greatly appreciated. The chatty transport driver has brought her to a restaurant.

Unlike most Chellians, the driver was slender. In the transport, his flowered shirt had bloused out making him seem bigger. His hand on her waist contained more strength than a man who sat all day transporting people should have. 

“Is this all right for you?” He waited outside a booth near the back of the eatery for her to be seated. Behind them, a sign for san-facs hung over the entrance to a narrow hall, an exit sign beyond them. Good, a means of escape. CPIC Training Lesson #3: always sit with your back to the wall; Lesson #4: memorize all exits.

“We can put your tote on the other bench,” He easily slipped it off her shoulder.

 That's the snippet. Here's a little more.

She slid into the booth, then the Chellian slid in next to her, the corner of his mouth lifted in a small grin.

“Excuse me.” No way did she want to sit next to him. He disturbed her too much. Besides, he prevented her quick escape.

“Problem?”

“I prefer sitting alone.” She added a bit of Bricaldian hauteur to her tone.

“I prefer sitting so I face the door.”

Startled, she edged closer to the corner of the booth. “I do, too. But I can move.”

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Have a great week!

#WeWriWa ~ THE SPY: Be Inconspicuous! #sfr

Each weekend, the Weekend Writing Warriors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

I'm sharing snippets from The Spy: An Outer Rim Novel. It's the 4th book in my series featuring strong women on the frontier of space.

Because this is a work in progress, suggestions are greatly appreciated. The chatty transport driver has brought her to a restaurant.

Your comments last week brought me up short. Yeah, why didn't she demand to get out? Why stay? As I've said before, you guys always give me ideas. So, I added a little bit. After he mentions the restaurant, she thinks that's perfect. It's not spaceport (where she wants to go) but close. And, if you remember from before, she never tells her real destination. She planned to just get takeout and go to her ship. Instead of making a scene (contrary to her instructions), she acquiesces. I hope that clarifies why she stays with him.

Snippet:

As the hostess led them through the noisy eatery, he said, “Bella’s mother owns this place—wonderful food, you’ll love it.” Then, he leaned in close, “We both have to eat. No fun to eat alone.”

His breath tickled her ear, and another odd shiver zinged through her. He was too close, too brazen. Too . . . too everything. Embarrassing. Unless she wanted to draw attention to herself by marching out of the restaurant, she would have to tolerate his touch.

The commissioner had cautioned her to be inconspicuous until she reached Galeriana. She would eat quickly, ditch him, and head out the back door. She had a mission, and she needed to get started.

Blurb (tentative)

Rookie agent must rescue veteran before his cover is blown.

Genna Nogaro, new to the Coalition of Planets’ Intelligence Commission, is assigned to bring in an undercover operative in Hallart’s organization. More experienced agents died before getting him out. Were they killed by the intergalactic gangster or has the operative gone rogue?

Quintall d’Sernin, con man extraordinaire, infiltrated the mob and moved up to be the gangster’s right-hand man. Hallart has his tentacles throughout the Coalition—business, industry, and government. Quin’s finally worked himself into a valued position. All he needs is the key to the mob structure in order for Coalition forces to take down the entire organization.

Genna will pose as a new recruit to distract Hallart long enough for Quin to find the key. If they work together, they can accomplish more. But Quin and Genna’s lives are jeopardized by a mole in the Intelligence Commission. Will their true roles be revealed before they accomplish their goal?

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Have a great week!

#WeWriWa ~ THE SPY: Table For One? #sfr

Each weekend, the Weekend Writing Warriors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

I'm sharing snippets from The Spy: An Outer Rim Novel. It's the 4th book in my series featuring strong women on the frontier of space.

Because this is a work in progress, suggestions are greatly appreciated. The chatty transport driver has stopped at a restaurant, despite Genna's objections.

She didn’t hold the door behind her, but when she didn’t hear the closure, she knew he’d caught it. She told the hostess a table for one.

“Hi, Bella,” he said to the hostess. “Your mom around?”

She grinned at him. “Not today. Come back tomorrow, and she’ll be here.”

The driver slung his arm around Genna’s shoulders. Since she was taller, he let his hand slide down her back until it rested at her waist. “Table for two, Bella.”

That was ten, now here's a little more:

“I said one,” Genna snapped.

“Aw, c’mon, sweetie.” He squeezed. “Don’t be mad. I told you I was sorry.”

Bella glanced at them and hesitated.

Genna dithered. What should she do? Twist away from his hand sliding down to her hip and make a scene or acquiesce?

In her hesitation, the Chellian driver said, “Table for two, Bella.”

How was your week? Thanks to your encouraging comments, I'm back working on this project. On the homefront, I'm enjoying the lessening of the COVID quarantine. Still not going out much, but we had dinner with our DIL and the 3 little ones, whom I've missed a lot. Next week, ta da, I'm getting a haircut. Can it get much better than that?

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors.

Guest: ELAINE KAYE #NewRelease BAD FAIRY

I'm happy to welcome Elaine Kaye back to the blog. Elaine's stories for young readers are so charming and funny. Here's her latest.

Title: Bad Fairy

Series: A Bad Fairy Adventure (Book One)

Author: Elaine Kaye

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Genre: Fantasy Middle Grade

Length: 66 pages

Age Range: 8-12

BLURB: Thistle Greenbud is not a bad fairy. She simply doesn't like rules, and it's just her luck that her homework is to create a new rule for the fairy handbook. But first, she has more important things to do. Like figure out how to get back at Dusty and Moss for playing tricks on her.

Before she can carry out her plan, though, disaster strikes and she finds herself working alongside the very fairies she wanted revenge on. Can they work together and trust each other, or will things go from bad to worse?

BUY LINKS:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT:

As we watch the boys, the wind picks up, making the fern lay flat, exposing us. We gasp and make a dash for the closest tree. Behind it, we huddle together.

“Boogles! A branch just hit me,” Weedy says.

The sky turns black. Wind swirls dust and leaves, and spits pebbles at us. This is not good. We have to get going now or else our payback will get blown away.

“Let’s go!” I scream and lead the group from behind the tree, but the wind makes it hard for us to move forward.

Rose and Lilly grab hands as they run, screaming, toward the creek. Lacey stumbles over a fallen twig, landing flat and hitting her face hard on the ground. When she doesn’t move, I race to her as sand and pine needles prick my skin.

I help Lacey to her feet. Luckily, she only has a few cuts on her face. A tiny bit of blood streaks down her forehead. She looks at me. Fear is bright in her eyes. She needs help. We all need help. I peer toward the creek. The boys are still there, frantically trying to lift the bag full of stones.

Shouting a warning and waving my arms, I hurry to the creek, trying to get their attention. Finally, Dusty sees me. He looks as if he’s been caught with his hand in the pixie jar.

I point to the sky and wave them to come our way. Rain starts to fall. Dusty pulls Moss from the creek. Fat drops of water pelt my head and wings as I wait for the boys to reach me.

“It must be a twisty!” Dusty screams. “We better find shelter.”

GIVEAWAY:

3 Signed Paperback Picture Books –

Pea Soup Disaster, Doctor Mom, The Missing Alphabet

Eligibility: International

Number of Winners: One

Giveaway Ends: July 1, 2020 12:00am Eastern Standard Time

LINK: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76132e0220/?

HTML:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elaine Kaye is the author of A Gregory Green Adventure series. She first created Gregory Green after her son, who loved her homemade pea soup, thus inspiring the story Pea Soup Disaster. Bad Fairy is her middle grade debut and the first of A Bad Fairy Adventure series.

Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher’s assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home. She is a grandmother of three boys.

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