by JustinSloan | Apr 6, 2018 | Snippets
UNEDITED (This is book 4 of the Valerie’s Elites books – Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited)
Swarthian Extended Detention Environment (SEDE)
Gara Grayhewn stepped out her front door at the same time she did every morning. She stood on her porch for a moment observing the house-like structures around her, many of whose residents also stood outside. Most were Skulla or Pallicons, though some had been genetically modified so drastically that it was difficult to identify their races.
A casual observer might think this was a normal neighborhood instead of a cellblock in the star system’s most secure prison.
Gara had been incarcerated on SEDE for nearly thirty years, and sometimes she forgot it was a prison too—but those moments didn’t last long. And they hadn’t come at all since her son Kalan been brought back a little over a month before.
Since then her every waking thought had been dedicated to one thing: getting Kalan out of SEDE…again. (more…)
by JustinSloan | Jan 30, 2018 | Snippets
VERY UNEDITED (Please excuse typos)
Valerie glared at the man running along the alley, the Pallicon she had told to meet at the exact spot he was running away from. Dammit, how was she supposed to make any progress when these bastards kept trying to betray her?
“Didn’t I tell him he had one hour to get back to me?” Valerie asked.
“I still say that was generous,” Robin replied. She stood next to Valerie on the rooftop under this wide dome of the moon hybrid space station on the outskirts of the Vurugu planetary system. Her body armor hid her petite but curvy frame, a fact that Valerie was glad about—less distractions always meant for better mission accomplishment.
And at times, the younger woman’s body could certainly be a distraction.
Their mission was paramount. A journey through a foreign galaxy to find a legendary Lost Fleet while also hoping to track down an evil shapeshifter and stop him from raising an army to face off against the Etheric Federation. Hell, if that wasn’t a challenge worth writing home about, Valerie wasn’t sure what was. Except that, lately they had been spending a lot of that time simply flying to reach their destination, which meant a lot of downtime. It had been a time of getting to know her team better—such as the fact that Corporal Flynn enjoyed air drying and didn’t seem bashful in the slightest, or the fact that Sergeant Garcia snored like three bears trying to kill the fourth, with loud snores. (more…)
by JustinSloan | Dec 13, 2017 | Snippets
SNIPPET 1 of Valerie’s Elites 2 – DEATH DEFIED
We put it over on PT’s site this time, so head over and check out my coauthor while you’re at it!
by JustinSloan | Nov 29, 2017 | Snippets
UNEDITED
Damu Michezo.
At the name, the aliens’ postures instantly got less aggressive and they looked at her with wide, intrigued eyes.
“You… You think you can compete in the Damu Michezo?” the lead one asked.
Valerie had to laugh. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine.”
The alien cracked his neck, pounded on his stone carapace, and said, “Show me.”
“What?”
“You beat me, I’ll point you in the right direction. In fact, there was a shuttle headed for the planet it’s held on not long ago. You might still be able to catch it, or at least chase it down and follow. Are you up to it?”
Robin smiled at Valerie, then shrugged and took a step back.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Valerie warned. “I mean it.”
He scoffed. “I’ll tell you a little secret…no one has ever hurt me. You? I won’t worry. Come.”
Valerie tossed her rifle to Robin, and then her sword. She heard pounding and she turned back to see Qwaza charging damn fast. Valerie had fought her fair share of vampires and Weres on Earth, so she was used to speed. With a quick sidestep, she brought around her leg to sweep him. What she hadn’t counted on was his next move, which involved a fast sideways roll to compensate for her new location. He came up like a boulder, unraveling as he regained his footing, and slammed his forehead right into hers. (more…)
by JustinSloan | Nov 27, 2017 | Snippets
UNEDITED
Space: The Singlaxian Grandeur
The Singlaxian Grandeur touched down on the first planet in the Vurugu system, an uncharted habitable sector at the edge of the known universe. All atmospheric tests were nominal, and with only the slightest trepidation Valerie hit the button to open the ship’s doors.
Her first breath of air on this planet brought back memories of the mountains around the fjords back on Earth—cleaner than anything she had experienced until that point, and this had it beat. It carried an interesting scent, like cinnamon.
Not that she was from the fjords. No, she had been born in Old France, before moving to what had once been America and helping to reestablish New York. She had worked hard to bring peace to her corner of Earth, and now the universe called to her. (more…)
by JustinSloan | Oct 21, 2017 | Snippets
UNDEDITED
Fires smoldered, sending a steady plume of black smoke over the town supposedly populated by water mages. The sight was enough to give Andreas doubts about their location. How could water mages have let this happen?
Still, given all the fighting he had seen—including the crazy sorcerers—it wasn’t unthinkable. Why nobody had bothered to put out the fires, though, was another question.
“Looks like we’re too late,” Lars said as they came around the bend, now better able to see the town that had been destroyed.
“Wait… There!” Kim was at the wheel of the ship, eyes narrowed, pointing.
Sure enough, someone was moving toward them, and then they saw more than one. A whole group was coming their way.
“Friend or foe?” Lars asked.
“That’s what we’re about to find out,” Andreas replied, staff gripped firmly in his hand. If there was trouble he was ready to get them out of there quickly, with a little help from the waves and wind.
“Would you look at that?” Kim exclaimed. “Horses!” (more…)
