Liza has KG Stutts look into the future & tell us what she's got coming

I've invited KG Stutts over to tell us about her upcoming book.

KG: I am a little over a month left before the second installment in my Amethyst Chronicles sci-fi romance series launches. Anyone who is familiar with Winter's Kiss should expect some major changes this time around.

Keeping with the April Fools for Love theme, we've got Ember Wilson, the tough, kick-butt leader of Amethyst, Michael Lewis, her second-in-command, and Major Liam Ross, the charismatic military leader. The second book in the series will find Ember in a love triangle of sorts. Talk about fools. Two handsome, sexy men wanting to be with you, and you shut yourself off to the world. 
That's Ember solution. To be fair, it's not entirely her fault. The end of Winter's Kiss did put her through the paces. But she is emotionally closed off. She refuses to say the word love, even if it is regarding breakfast food. So how does one try to win the heart of this beautiful woman with a chip on her shoulder? Why, with weapons of course! At least that's Lewis's plan. Being there when she wakes up from the hospital is Liam's way. 

Who will ultimately win? You'll have to wait a while for the answer. This installment is full of new aliens, challenges, and strife. I was able to peel back the curtain a bit to get a deeper look into who the characters are. Morris and Nova really shine brightly in this book and are sure to be new fan favorites. Seeing Ember grow and change is really fulfilling and the end will shock you, setting up for the next two books. 

 Cover will be revealed soon! And here’s a special treat: a sneak peak!

She recognized the staff from the training they underwent after the Genesis Project. A Keifler Stick, named after its creator, emitted an energy pulse when it connected with human tissue. A normal person would be rendered unconscious by the outburst of energy. For Amethyst, it felt like a tickle. It would take many shots to knock one of them out.  She tapped the end of her stick twice and it glowed a dim purple before it grew brighter and crackled.

“Ah, so you remember.”

She held up the lit end close to her face, feeling the energy flow from it as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. They locked eyes as they set the sticks down and undressed down to their underwear. They always wore as little clothing as possible when they trained with the Keifler weapons.

“All right, rules,” Lewis began. “Game is over after three hits.”

“Only three?”

“This is a trial, Wilson. I’m not trying to knock you out.”

She glared. “Fine.”

“I’m letting you off easy in your fragile state. And because I’m such a nice guy, I won’t activate my staff.”

Ember pressed her lips into a thin line. “Fragile state?”

“You know.” He grinned. “Your weakened physique.”

She slashed the end of her lighted staff against his midsection. He blocked the blow, turning to bring his weapon down on her right shoulder. She moved out of the way, bringing the tip of her stick to his lower back. Lewis groaned as the purple light sparked against his skin.

“Not bad for a weakened woman.”

“No.” Lewis gritted his teeth. “Not bad at all.”

They separated, giving each other distance. Ember dropped into a defensive stance with her left arm bent level to her chest, her feet shoulder width apart, and her right arm straight out holding the staff. They circled each other, their eyes locked.

She twirled the staff before swiping at his chest. Lewis knocked her weapon away, striking her on the left shoulder before she could move.

“Gah!” Sharp pain reverberated through her arm. She winced and tried to rotate it. Her heart raced against her chest. 

Lewis smiled. “Got to be more careful.”

“That’s one,” she said.

“Yep, we’re even.”

She gripped the staff with both hands, moving to strike his wrists. At the last second, she flipped it up and struck him on the side of his head. Lewis stumbled back, cursing and sputtering. She didn’t give him any time before moving in. But he was ready for her tactics. The end of his weapon hit her mouth, busting her lip open, before swinging down and hitting the back of her knees. Ember fell on the mat, the air rushing out of her body as her staff fell out of her hands and rolled away. Lewis stood over her with his staff pointed at her face.

“And that’s three,” he said.

She looked up at him, breathing heavily. Her head pounded and sweat rolled down her face. She touched her lip and frowned at the red droplets of blood on her fingertips.

“So it is.”

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. He tossed the staff aside and extended his hand, moving so she could get up. He gently touched her chin and frowned.

“I didn’t mean to bust you open.”
“It’s a tiny cut.”

“Looks pretty deep to me.”

“Only because you’re used to me healing already.”

“It’s going to take a while to get used to you not being-” He stopped, sucking in a sharp breath as she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Me not being what? Finish your sentence.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t.”

“Finish your sentence,” she ordered.

“Not being purple,” he said, letting out a haggard breath.

She smacked his hand away and walked toward her clothes.

“Come on, Wilson. You know I’m sorry.”

She snorted as she pulled on her pants. “Of course you are. Everyone is. The doctor is sorry he didn’t catch the croceus poison before it nearly cost me my life. The nurse is sorry she aided in the blood transfusion. My father is sorry I can’t rejoin my military commission. Commander Stewart is sorry he can’t recreate the procedure. Liam is sorry he can’t understand what I’m going through.” She spun around, fire raging in her eyes. “And I’m sorry I let myself wallow in misery. But I’m not sorry anymore. Now I’m just angry!”

She stormed out of the training room, leaving her shirt on the floor and Lewis alone with his jaw hanging open. She brushed past the people in the hallway, not caring about the gawking looks she got for walking away in her bra.

Keep up tabs as Amethyst Chronicles: Croceus Poison is closer to the May 22nd launch day by visiting me at kgstutts.blogspot.com 
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Growing up in Texas and later South Carolina as the youngest in a house full of science-fiction fans, K.G. Stutts had her natural curiosity and imagination nurtured since birth by family movie nights where they would watch Star Wars, Indiana Jones and even timeless Disney favorites.
 A prolific writer of sci-fi, romance and mystery, K.G. draws much of her inspiration from those amazing works that gave her an appreciation for telling rich, compelling, character-driven stories for all audiences. She is also a contributor to http://iwassociation.com and http://thewritingnetwork.com and is a proud member of the http://www.sfrcontests.blogspot.co.uk/
She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Brad and works for a customer service call center full time. She's a lover of Star Wars, Star Trek (original, TNG, and Voyager), Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis, Muppets, Garfield, Disney, Indiana Jones and is a big football, wrestling, and hockey fan.