U is for uncommon mercy.
UNCOMMON MERCY is one of the twelve tales in Hearth and Sand. The collection reflects a continuity of service from the past to the present and into the world of tomorrow and honors those who served on the battle front and the loved ones left behind who preserved the homefront.
In UNCOMMON MERCY, a future leader in an apocalyptic future where primitive club-wielding creatures co-exist alongside a highly technological society forced into an isolated exile learns the true meaning of duty. As to where the title comes from? Duty requires an unthinkable decision--to let a friend suffer or embrace the custom of final mercy.
The following snippit sets the tone and setting as well as introduces Kalindra.
It took all her control, but not even the sharp intake of a breath betrayed Kalindra’s presence. Her tight-fitting leather jacket and vest blended with the color of the tree bark. Only the glint of firelight on her gray eyes betrayed any life as she surveyed the scene below. Leaping skyward to fill the small clearing with flickering shadows, the flames from an unattended fire failed to show her lithe figure perched on the high branch. It was just an indistinguishable shadow in the canopy of vine-covered jungle trees. The sheathed sword hanging from her hip and the long bow in her hand looked like dangling vines rather than lethal weapons.
Something beyond human ken hissed a warning. Kalindra pushed her senses into the black void beyond the fire. They encountered nothing except the normal sounds of the woods and the crackle of the fire reached her straining ears.
Ruthlessly, she quashed the questions that rose. None of her training provided any answers to the silent warning. Nor had it explained the invisible lure that had enabled her to follow Railig’s trail. She had tracked him even when there was no physical sign.
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More on the stories in Hearth and Sand
Tomorrow’s post is the letter V and the topic is Ver. What is a Ver? Return tomorrow to find out. If you're interested in following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.
~ till next time, Helen
Melanie escorts an alien’s craft to a far planet. Passion flares amid the stars, but can love with an alien flourish?
Title: Amid the Stars
Author: Tricia McGill
Date of Release: Nov 2015
Genre: Sci-fi/fantasy
Publisher: Books We Love Ltd
Buy Links: Books2Read
Blurb:
Terrified, and in fear for her life after her husband, an undercover cop, is killed, Melanie Ross has nowhere to hide.
A squadron from a far planet visiting Earth on a reconnaissance survey prepares to leave, without one of their members who is dying of a virus.
Irena must remain on Earth, so seeks a replacement to take her craft back to the other side of the Universe. Seeing Melanie’s predicament she offers her an escape. Reluctantly Melanie agrees. Conquering her fears, she must learn to live among a superior race on Qindaga.
Reve, commander of the star ship circling their planet, bears an inexplicable resemblance to her dead husband. Passion flares amid the stars, but can love with an alien flourish?
Behind the Scene:
Travel with Tricia as she ventures into the mysterious world of inter-galactic travel. Have you ever wanted to travel across time and space? Do you believe there are other worlds in the universe that are populated? The inhabitants no doubt are just slightly different to us Earth people. In Amid the Stars, my heroine replaces an alien from a far planet; escorting her space craft back across the universe to Qindaga, a planet populated by aliens that bear a striking resemblance to Earth people. Could this be her imagination playing tricks on her or are these aliens really all such beautiful specimens?
Author Bio:
Award winning author Tricia McGill was born in England, and moved to Australia many years ago. The youngest in a large, loving family she was never lonely or alone. Surrounded by avid readers, who encouraged her to read from an early age, is it any wonder she became a writer? Although her published works cross sub-genres, romance is always at their heart.
Tricia’s love of animals has always shown up in her books. Tricia devotes as much time and money as she can spare to supporting worldwide conservation groups and is passionate about supporting those who do all they can to preserve our wildlife for future generations, especially elephants and orangutans who seem to be getting the raw end of the deal. She also volunteers for a local community group that helps disabled adults and children to connect to the internet with provided computer equipment. When people ask what she does in her spare time she is heard to ask, "Spare time, what is that?"
For more on Tricia and her works, find her on the web at:
Website | Blog | Facebook |
Dead or Alive, they want her back.
Title: Must Remember
Author: Colleen S. Myers
Date of Release: November 2nd, 2015
Genre: Sci Fi Romance
Publisher: Champagne Book group
Buy Links: Amazon Barnes and Noble
Blurb:
Nineteen-year-old Elizabeth ‘Beta’ Camden is a survivor.
When the E’mani—those pale alien freaks—destroy Earth with a plague of madness and scoop up the remains, Beta is one of the ‘lucky’ ones. For years, she endures their tortures, experiments and games. Then one day, she manages to escape their ship with her life, and no memory of her time with them.
Stranded on their world, Beta wanders the mountains, looking for a way home. She stumbles onto the Fost—the E’mani’s ancient enemy. Their war with the E’mani is old and rooted in magic that the Fost once had and the E’mani crave. Magic Beta soon discovers she’s developing along with strange tattoos and disturbing glimpses of her past. The Fost take her in and train her in their ways. As she spends more time with them, she falls in love with their culture and with Marin—he of the hot hands and slit eyes.
But the E’mani took her for a reason and they want her back—dead or alive. If Beta doesn’t remember that reason soon, they’re all going to die.
Author Bio:
Colleen plays many roles. Not only is she a veteran, a mother, and a practicing physician, but she is a writer of science fiction and contemporary romances. Colleen’s dreams include surviving her son’s teenage years, exploring every continent on this planet, except Antartica, cause that’s way too cold, and winning the Nobel peace prize. Dream BIG! Currently she is getting ready to publish her first novel, MUST REMEMBER in November of this year (cover reveal soon.) Until then look for her at Three Rivers Romance Writers.com, at Facebook and at @ColleenSMyers on twitter. You can also find her on her personal blog at http://www.csmyersmusings.com/.
