Friends in Command — excerpt 1

Mara Soladze never expected her greatest moment of triumph to feel so empty. The SMG bucked in her hand as she sprayed bullets across the starship bunkroom. Her hand was steady, her grip firm. The three Gaian Imperial officers cried out in terror as she cut them to the floor. They fell with bright red… Continue reading Friends in Command — excerpt 1

#WIP excerpts: THE SWORD KEEPER, chapter 2.1

I really like this excerpt. I wrote it while I was living in a farmhouse in rural Georgia (the country, not the state). A lot of the stuff from this scene was pulled directly from my own experience. We had chickens, cows, pigs, sheep (dumbest animals I’ve ever seen!), and grew grapes, pomegranates, persimmons, and… Continue reading #WIP excerpts: THE SWORD KEEPER, chapter 2.1

Strangers in Flight — excerpt 9

The deadbolts retracted with a clang, and the hatchway creaked open on its old, squeaky hinges. Two men stepped through: one of the strong men, wearing the same black beetle-shell skin covering as before, and the doctor’s apprentice. The young man regarded her in silence for a moment, his cheeks reddening just as before. He… Continue reading Strangers in Flight — excerpt 9

Strangers in Flight — excerpt 6

Who are these people? Reva wondered as the strong men marched her down the narrow corridor. With her cheek still stinging and the two men gripping both her arms, she felt less like she’d been rescued and more like she’d been taken prisoner. The corridor opened up to a wider hallway, with portholes on one… Continue reading Strangers in Flight — excerpt 6

Strangers in Flight — excerpt 5

At that moment, two other men entered the room. They were both tall and muscular, much more so than either the doctor or his apprentice. Like the doctor, they also wore second-skins that covered almost their entire bodies. These ones were thicker, though—hard and black like beetle shells. They looked so silly that Reva couldn’t… Continue reading Strangers in Flight — excerpt 5