Today, I have an excerpt from
SpyDog, my Inherited Stars Series story in the USA TODAY Bestselling
Pets in Space® 4 collection.
Scene Set-Up:
Rigel, a Network deep cover agent--along his bio-engineered partner, a SpyDog named Maura--has crossed paths with someone he believed to be a legend, a warrior-class female Rathskian. Her knowledge of the Network runs deep, much
too deep for a member of the enemy alliance. She claims to be a friendly, but Rigel decides his best course of action is to reach his transport and turn her over to Network superiors. But first he has to get her there.
She may turn out to be more of a challenge than he's anticipating.
Excerpt:
They still had a long trek ahead of them, and this woman had already learned crucial information about him and Maura. If she got away from him now, it could be very bad. True, she’d been nothing but cooperative, but he still had to be wary of the potential for ambush. His SpyDog exposing a covert capability to this Rathskian had certainly upped the stakes. Reaching the safety of a Network ship and securing her onboard was crucial. He just hoped the ship had a prisoner retention cell to reduce the risk of her sabotaging his mission.
“Walk ahead of me,” Rigel directed. “A Rathskian and a Carduwan might make suspicious bedfellows.”
Sona gave him a quick glance, one eyebrow arched in surprise—or was it scorn?
“As it should be,” she retorted, and strode ahead.
“
Stay with her,” Rigel told his invisible partner then realized she was no longer at his side. Dust puffs rose where the StarDog scampered along in step with their captive. It wasn’t the first time she’d anticipated a command, but now it ramped up his annoyance a full notch or two.
“Make a right here,” Rigel instructed.
Having her walk ahead made watching her easier but calling out each turn or new direction in their path was attracting attention. They’d already snagged a few puzzled looks from passersby and he didn’t need the added scrutiny. Thankfully, there weren’t that many people moving about in the midday heat. Rigel lengthened his strides to close ground between himself and the Rathski.
“Take the left fork.”
“Get any closer and you can just whisper in my ear,” she said, without looking back.
Nonplussed, Rigel eased off a stride.
Was she trying to provoke him? Rigel shook it off. He had to stay sharp and avoid letting his mind wander down paths that might lead to distraction.
__________________________
Hope you enjoyed this snippet from my story.
Reminder: Time Is Running Out!
Okay, this is where I beg a little. Oh readers, hear my humble plea.
Pets in Space® 4 has had a phenomenal run so far, but our window to donate to
Hero Dogs is closing fast and we (the team behind the anthology) really want our donation this year to be the best ever in the four years we've contributed to this organization
.
The donation period closes at midnight on November 11th, Veterans Day, so there's still a few days to help this wonderful charity!
Please, please help us help Hero Dogs!
For $5.99 -- about the price of a cup of coffee -- you can help a veteran or first responder have a lasting impact on their life through a trained service dog donated free of charge by this wonderful organization. We'll be donating 10% of our royalties through November 11th to assist
Hero Dogs...
But the donation window ends at midnight on November 11th--Veterans' Day.
If you haven't already purchased a copy of
Pets in Space® 4, would you please consider it now?
What's in it for you?
How about some great science fiction romance reading adventures--a collection that's going to last far longer and bring more enjoyment than that single cup of coffee! This volume features 13 stories by best selling and award-winning authors. It made the USA TODAY Bestsellers list the week of release and has received over 60 rave reviews on Amazon--about 94% of them five or four stars as of this writing!
And this volume is substantial--the size of nearly FIVE full-length novels--with complete, standalone stories connected to popular ongoing series.
SpyDog (excerpt above)
is my contribution to the collection and it's a story in my Inherited Stars Series. I invite you to check out this pivotal (but standalone) episode in
Pets in Space® 4.
SpyDog is the story of Rigel Blackline, a Network agent, and Sona, a female warrior-class Rathskian as they both seek to complete crucial missions that will be monumental to the future of the known galaxy--but whose separate goals just might put them at odds. And of course being part of Pets in Space®, it involves an unique creature--a highly-trained, keenly-intelligent, and sometimes defiant StarDog upgrade known as a SpyDog. Her name is Maura and she's Rigel's partner.
Check out these
Pets in Space® 4 endorsements from reviewers:
"I love these Sci-fi pet stories!" - 5 stars
"Awesome anthology" - 5 stars
"Well-written, interesting and varied" - 5 stars
"Loved all the stories, each one is so very different but wonderful in their own way." - 5 stars
"This will not disappoint." - 5 stars
~~ and even one with a special mention of SpyDog ~~
"Full of fun stories with interesting pets...SpyDog. So far this is my favorite." - 5 stars
Also, the latest book in my series,
StarDog, just released on October 21st and is currently at a special introductory price of only .99 cents, but this special introductory price will end November 11th.
StarDog Goes Off Sale Next Monday
If you'd like a peek into my SFR universe, grab your copy before next Tuesday to get it at .99 cents.
Here's more about it:
Navigator Taro Shall's captain assigns him an unexpected mission–find a way to eradicate deadly vipers that have infested starship
Calypso. He never expects to find the solution to his problem in the hands of Adini, a charming street vendor. But the bio-engineered StarDog he acquires turns out to be a galactic hot potato, and both Taro and Adini are soon fugitives on the run.
Adini Kemm can't deny her fascination for the honor-bound navigator, though his past and her present seem to null any chance at a shared future. Until her father's capture as a spy catapults both her and Taro into a desperate bid to save him...and straight into the clutches of a brewing insurrection.
As Taro's bond with Adini grows, so does their jeopardy. Determined not to draw
Calypso or his captain into the fray, Taro must rely on his wits to keep both Adini and his secrets safe from the renegade leader who takes them prisoner.
___________________
Based on a short story in the very popular Pets in Space® 1 anthology, winner of two 2016 SFR Galaxy Awards and named by LibraryJournal.com as one of the “Best Books of 2016.”
StarDog has returned as a standalone story in The Inherited Stars Series at double the length–with expanded scenes, new chapters and a new epilogue. It's also a companion story to
SpyDog (except above). Click below to buy the ebook for .99 cents:
Thanks for stopping by Spacefreighters Lounge today. Have a great week!
