Liza O'Connor interviews the book Rescued by The Spy by Patricia Green

Today, we are interviewing Patricia Green’s book Rescued by the Spy.

Space Rep: Should we be announcing that to the world, because I’m pretty sure spies aren’t supposed to let those around them know what they are doing, especially if someone needs to be rescued.

Liza: Not to worry. I doubt the villains read my blog. But just to be sure, transport over the book and we’ll get its opinion on the matter.

Space Rep: Got him, but he's trying to avoid capture. He must think we are the enemy.

Liza: Nice cover! Welcome Spy. May I call you spy?

Book: You may call me Book.

Liza: Not happening. I’m calling you either The or Spy. Your choice.

Spy: Call me Spy if you must.

Liza: Tell me about yourself.

Spy: Nothing to tell, really. I’m mostly redacted.

Liza: Would you like Space Rep to transport you into the nearest black hole.

Spy: *pages tremble*  My hero works for an undisclosed Federation and gets an unexpected surprise, well two actually.

Liza: And?

Spy: Sorry that’s all I can disclose.

Liza: Humans still don’t grasp what a black hole is, but the general theory is it’s a giant composter that breaks things like redacted books down to their tiny particles so they can be remade into something more useful, like the book I expect Patricia originally wrote.

Spy: Oh, that book! Let me tell you all about it.

Michael O’ Malley works for the Solarian Federation. He is currently undercover in a sting operation against Jerold Laricon.

Liza: Much better. And who is Jerold Laricon?

Spy: He’s the man with Machiavellian social restructuring schemes and a desire for world domination.

Liza: So he’s a power hungry thug?

Spy: Yes.

Liza: So let’s get back to O’Malley. Is that his girlfriend on the cover? I hear undercover agents often take girlfriends so they fit in.

Spy: Actually, it’s a bit messier than that. Nina Stanley is an old flame of O’Malley’s.

Liza: And he said, “Hey babe. Want to tag along to a creepy new world while I try to stop a power hungry lunatic?

Spy: He said nothing of the sort. He didn’t invite Nina. She’s been kidnapped and forced to become a sex slave.

Liza: He’s going to save her, right?

Spy: Well, naturally, he’d like to. But it’s not the job he was sent to do. His orders are to crush Laricon's slave trade and the man’s vicious rise to power.

Liza: So Nina is to be sacrificed for the greater good? Well, don’t expect her to be understanding or the least bit friendly then.

Spy: If only that was the extent of her anger. To fit in, Michael  needs to partake of the succulent fruits on Laricon’s human slave tree.

Liza: Well, one particular fruit might choose to kick him in the apples instead.

Spy: I’m talking about Alyssa, a willing sex slave he must take as his own. Now he has two women counting on him to save them, and the fate of a world resting on his weary shoulders.

Liza: I cannot believe Nina is going to sit about while he makes love to another woman.

Spy: Nina's goal is to get out…No matter what it takes. She’s appalled by what she experiences in Ligeia at the hands of the evil Laricon, and she will do anything to escape.

Liza: Anything? But what if the price of her freedom is Michael's life? Can she live with herself if that happens?

Spy: That, I truly cannot tell you. But I will let you peek beneath my covers to prove my cooperation in this interview.

Michael was thinking as fast as he could. He remembered the night he'd shared with Nina in explicit detail. So much explicit detail, in fact, that he felt himself growing hard. The night had been during the Martian Conflict, a quick and dirty meeting just before he'd been called away on a new assignment. They'd both known it would likely end after their brief encounter, but a feverish need to couple had been all that was important at the time.

"She's okay, sir," he said noncommittally.

Walker snorted. "What does O'Malley know, sir? He's too busy with administrative stuff to even notice the women."

Laricon looked at Michael oddly. "Nonsense. Come on, boy, and get a good close look. I'm asking your opinion."

Michael stood, closing his jacket over the lump in his pants. "Of course, sir." It was a near disaster.

"O'Malley?" the girl said. "Michael O'Malley?"

Laricon shot quizzical glances between Michael and Nina.

"Michael, get me out of here! Help me, please!" 

Nina implored, taking a step toward him.

Knowing Laricon was watching, Michael had no choice. "Yeah, I remember you, Nina." He cupped her chin and tried to tell her with his eyes that he was sorry, sorry for what he was about to do. "A nice lay, as I recall. Very good with her mouth, sir."

Nina gasped and slapped his face. Immediately, a guard manhandled her back. "You pig! You goddamned fucker! I don't know what this is about, but you're not the man I remember."

"No, bitch," Michael ground out, rubbing his cheek. "I'm not. I got smart, wised up. If you're smart, you'll learn that things here are different. And women obey, they don't order."

Roberto was watching with more interest than he'd shown all evening. Michael squirmed under his avid demeanor.

Laricon was smiling, his yellow, crooked teeth making the expression malevolent. "Well said, Michael, my boy. You know this young lady from where?"

"Back when I was in Command Security, sir. During the Martian Conflict. She was a reservist. Had the hots for me, and so I fucked her one night. Left the next morning. That was it."

"I see." Laricon nodded. He turned to Nina. "Are you still in Command Security, girl? Don't lie because I will find out, and the consequences will be…well, draconian."

"No," she answered succinctly. And when Laricon raised an eyebrow, she glared, but said, "No, sir."

"Very well. Turn around."

"Suck rocks…sir," she replied.

***

Space Rep: She’s very polite. I really want to read more. I’m going to hunt down the buy links.

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.UK

Space Rep: Found them. Can we buy the book?

Liza: By ‘we’ you mean ‘me’.

Space Rep: You don’t pay me, so unless Spy has dollar bills from USA hiding beneath his covers, you need to foot the bill.

Liza: Okay, but it sounds really good, so I’m reading it first.

Spy: Since I don’t appear to be needed here, will someone transport me back to Patricia’s ship?

Liza: Sorry, you have to stay for three days. So let’s talk about your author.

Spy: Her name is Patricia Green and she’s a bestselling author. Nothing more to say.

Liza: While the transporter isn’t safe to use for three days, I could probably get half of you transported into the black hole.

Spy: Patricia is a full-time fiction writer specializing in erotic romance. She provides the reader with love stories that emphasize fun characters with quirky personalities. Patricia is the author of more than 20 published novels and novellas as well as an ever-growing collection of short stories.

Here’s her picture:

In her personal life, Patricia is married and the mother of twins. When she’s not being the angel of domestic harmony and a semi-crazed creator of fictional friends, she loves to read, crochet, knit and watch hockey and baseball.

You can reach Patricia Green in the following ways:

Email: pig (at) patriciagreenbooks (dot) com

Website/Blog: http://www.patriciagreenbooks.com

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Patricia.Green.Romance

Twitter: @PatriciaIGreen

Google+: http://plus.google.com/+PatriciaGreen

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Patricia-Green/e/B002RCB0IK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541511.Patricia_Green

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/patriciaigreen/

Liza: Well done. Now tell me one thing Patricia hasn’t shared with anyone before.

Spy: Patricia has two all-time favorite TV series, both really old: Firefly and Babylon 5. She's looking forward to the Firefly-based online game that's coming out early in 2015.

I'm sure she'd be grateful for the time you took interviewing me. So, thank you, on her behalf.

Liza: You're most welcome. I feel bad about threatening you with a black hole now.

Liza O'Connor interviews Mission to Mahjundar by Veronica Scott.

Today, we've another book from Veronica to interview.  Is the transport working?

Space Rep: Mostly.

Liza: What exactly does that mean?

Space Rep: We are experiencing a problem with e. As long as the book doesn't use e's, we should be fine.

Liza: Are you serious. The letter e is in almost every word in the alphabet. In fact, in the English language, it is THE most frequently used letter.

Space Rep: Guess that's why it's gone gimpy.

Liza: And what is your solution to this serious problem?

Space Rep: We'll send it out to an editor before we return it to Veronica.

Liza: That is not going to work. The editor won't know what Veronica meant to say.

Space Rep: Then we'll send it back to Veronica and let her fix it.

Liza: Or we could just tell her of our problem and wait until we can get it fixed...

Space Rep: NO WAY! My other self from a universe one hour ahead of us says this is a great book and I want to read it now!

Liza: Well, warm up the transporter...

Liza: Oh, that's nice...

Liza: Welcome...What can I call you? Miss, Mah and Jun sound way too feminine. So, it's either Ion or Dar...

Book: But I have two main characters. Why don't we let them both be represented by Miss and Ion, or to make matters easier: Mission.

Liza: Clever, and since there are NO e's in the word I will agree to it. So tell me about yourself.

Mission: An attempted assassination left Princess Shalira blind as a child.

Liza: That's terrible. Was the assassin caught and beheaded?

Mission: No. He may even appear in the current book to make more trouble.

Liza: I'm very sorry to hear that. How has life treated her otherwise?

Mission: Not so good. She’s of marriageable age, now, but her prospects are poor because of her disability. 

Liza: I see why you needed to include a bit of her in your name. Will I like her?

Mission: Most certainly. 

Liza: Then she shouldn't give up. A good man will show up, I'm sure of it!

Mission: Unfortunately, she does not believe that is true. She’s resigned herself to an arranged marriage rather than face life under the thumb of her cold stepmother. 

Liza: But I'm sure Veronica Scott will send the handsome hunk on the cover to her.

Mission: She does. His name is Mike Varone. He's a Sectors Special Forces officer sent to Mahjundar by the intergalactic government to retrieve a ship lost in her planet’s mountains. 

Liza: Then he'll see her beauty both skin deep and within her heart then fall madly in love, HEA, the end!

Mission: Not so fast. The first thing he has to do is save Shalira from another assassination attempt.

Liza: Thank God, he'd arrived in time to do that.

Mission: I agree. Thankfully, she arranges for him to escort her across the planet to her future husband. 

Liza: She's still going through with her arranged marriage?

Mission: She’s fallen hard for the deadly offworlder and would deny herself the temptation of his presence, but her sense of survival is telling her that taking Mike along to protect her is the only way she’ll live long enough to escape her ruthless stepmother.

Liza: And how does Mike take the news? 

Mission: Mike, for his part, resists his growing attraction to the princess. He has a mission on this planet and rescuing the vulnerable but brave princess isn’t it, no matter how much he wishes it could be.

Liza: But they have a long trek before them. Maybe they can rethink their current terrible plans. How long does it take to get from here to there?

Mission: What should have been an easy few days' trek through Mahjundar’s peaceful lands swiftly turns into an ambush with danger around every turn. 

Liza: Is it the step-mother, or something worse than that? 

Mission: I admit, Shalira’s marriage begins to seem less like an arranged union and more like yet another planned assassination.

Liza: But who is behind this? Is it the same person who blinded her as a child? Is it the step-mother? Is her arranged husband working with an outside force?

Mission: I cannot say. But I will tell you the more they work together to survive, the harder it becomes to stop themselves from falling in love. 

Liza: Yes!

Mission: Caught in a race against time, can they--

 Space Rep: STOP!!!! Liza hates being asked questions she doesn't know the answer to.

Mission: Oh dear...how do I proceed?

Space Rep: I don't know, your ending: 'can they escape the hostile forces hunting them and make it off the planet?' is rather a loaded gun with a hair trigger.  Do you have an excerpt to distract her with?

Mission: Liza, would you like to peek beneath my covers to know more?

Liza: Now that's a question I can answer. Yes, I would!

A little silence fell between them. Mike had the distinct impression the princess’s thoughts were elsewhere. Finally, she sighed. “At the presentation ceremony, did the minister ask if you’d be willing to ride in my caravan?”

“Ask? More of a threat.” Mike knew his frustration was showing. He sipped at the sweet drink. “Ride with you or have my own mission cancelled.”

“And you don’t sound pleased. I wish I could have made the request myself.” She nibbled on a cracker, brushing crumbs from her lap.

“Forgive me, Your Highness, but why do you want us to go with you?” He leaned forward. “I’m on an urgent mission. Your route causes me quite a delay, which I can't afford without good reason.”

“You’re searching in the mountains for a lost military ship, aren’t you? To give those who died the proper burial, set their spirits free?”

“Well, yes.” Mike was aware Command had used those terms to explain the request for access to this closed world. The Mahjundans, with their various beliefs about spirits, death, and proper conveyance to the afterlife, understood and had consented to a burial detail. Of course there’s another, more important strategic reason for me to delay my hard-earned retirement and accept this last mission. He wasn't about to explain the classified background to anyone, not even this beautiful, solemn woman whose proximity was definitely having an effect on him.

“But the dead have infinite patience, Major. Surely you can spare a few days for the living?” Leaning forward, she set her glass on the table, perilously close to the edge.

He shifted the glass to a safer location. “Your Highness—”

“You may call me Shalira, if you like.” Scooting slightly toward him, smiling, she raised her elegantly curved eyebrows. “One who has saved the life of a princess is entitled to the use of her name.”

“Thank you, I’m honored, Shalira, but—”

“Would you let the life you saved be lost so soon?” Tears shimmered in the depths of her unseeing brown eyes as she turned her face directly to him. Mike could­n't look away, even though he knew she wasn’t actually seeing him, or his reactions. He put his glass on the table too hard, cracking the base.

“There are those who don’t want me to reach my wedding. The palace rustles with rumors of plots, schemes in motion to take advantage of this final opportunity to kill me. Once I’m safe with my bridegroom-to-be, I’ll be beyond the schemers’ reach, but I have to get to him.” Shalira rubbed her elegant fingers across the pendant as if it were an amulet giving her strength. “I hope that if you ride with me, those who plan my murder will be afraid to proceed under the attention of outworlders.”

What do I say to this? He hadn’t anticipated an appeal along these dramatic lines. “Do you think the bomb yesterday was an attempt to assassinate you?”

“No, assuredly Maralika was the target.” Shalira shook her head. “The empress is pursuing a host of unpopular actions—forbidding the older forms of worship, tearing down temples, forcing the people to pay taxes to her new gods, consolidating power for herself and her son. My father is not a well man, Major. Everyone knows he doesn’t have long to live, and she plans to rule when he’s gone.”

“But there’s opposition to her?” Mike was aware there was. Planetary politics had been a prominent part of his briefing, but he was curious how much Shalira might add.

“Her son is the heir since my brother was murdered, but the throne of Mahjundar has often been claimed by bloodshed rather than by rule of law. I have to get away from here, before the emperor dies.” She laughed, the sound bitter. “Playing the Princess of Shadows won’t protect me after his death.”

“Princess of Shadows?” Nothing about that in our briefing. He remembered the empress had also used the term to refer to Shalira.

“It’s an old folktale about a girl of royal blood who hid from her enemies in the shadows of the palace walls, disguised as a beggar, until her true love rescued her.” Gesturing to her eyes, Shalira said, “It’s meant as an insult to me, since I can’t see, not even shadows, and I’ve lived the past fifteen years on the fringes of the court, out of the ‘sun’.”

Copyright Veronica Scott 2014

Space Rep: Oh that was so good. Let me find the links so we can buy it!

Amazon     Barnes & Noble   iTunes     All Romance eBooks     KOBO

Liza: For once I am in agreement. Mission, thank you for sharing yourself. Did the prior book warn you that I keep you for 3 days?

Mission: No....

Liza: Well, the transformer only works once every three days. And Space Rep, that gives you 3 days to fix the 'e' problem. And I want it fixed!

Space Rep: Will you buy me the book if I get the 'e' to behave?

Liza: Since I was going to buy it any way, the answer is YES!

Liza interviews the book Fearless by KM Fawcett

Today, we are interviewing Fearless by K.M. Fawcett.

Space Rep: Is the book truly fearless?

Liza: It's willing to be interviewed by me, and traveling here via our shoddy transporter, so I'm thinking, YES. The book is fearless.

Space Rep: Can I test it on its fearlessness?

Liza: As long as you don't damage the book. KM will expect it returned eventually and I can promise you she loves Fearless.

Space Rep: How do you know that?

Liza: Because authors always love their books. Otherwise, they would find a different occupation, because this one is long on the hours and short on the pay. Now transport Fearless over.

Liza: Welcome, Fearless. May I call you...No, 'Fear' won't work...neither will 'Less'. How odd! Your positive name is made up of two negative words.

Fearless: That's because 2 negatives equal a positive.

Space Rep: Does that mean two bad pranks equal a good one?

Liza: Space Rep, out! Well, it seems I have no choice but to call you Fearless. No matter. Let's get to the interview while Space Rep is gone.

Liza: That's a lovely cover, but they appear more in love than being fearless.

Fearless: But it takes a fearless person to open their heart to the one they see as the enemy.

Liza: That sounds good. Tell me more!

Fearless: Myia, a shaman-in-training, wants desperately to protect her peaceful village from the barbaric Highland invaders.

Liza: Hopefully she's a fast learner because barbarian invaders aren't known for slow meandering attacks.

Fearless: True. To hone her powers of prophetic visions and healing, the village elders send Myia on a quest to heal the Highland leader's heart and stop a brewing war. 

Liza: And she goes? She definitely deserves the title of Fearless. But does she have the skills to pull this off?

Fearless: Myia has mended many souls before, so this should be an effortless duty . . .until....

Liza: Oh no! Until what?

Fearless: She meets the gorgeous, stubborn Highland warlord.

Liza: You scared me to death. I feared a highlander sliced off her head or something. Of course she meets the Highland warlord. That's what she was sent to do.

Fearless: But no one mentioned how gorgeous and stubborn he was.

Liza: Well, I'm not surprised if her Shaman trainer was a guy. Men rarely refer to one another as 'gorgeous'.  However, they should have forewarned her he'd be stubborn.  So tell me more about the gorgeous warlord. Your cover has decapitated him.

Fearless: Not decapitated. Just hidden from view so readers will not swoon and faint upon sight of him.

Liza: That gorgeous, eh? Please tell me more.

Fearless: Kedric, is a former gladiator who escaped enslavement. His sole mission is to liberate the villagers from their common foe.

Liza: I hope he doesn't think Myia is his foe. Gladiators are skilled at true decapitations.

Fearless: No. The enemy is an advanced race that breeds humans for blood sport and genetic experiments. 

Liza: Really not good. 

Fearless: Fueled by his rage, Kedric is determined to take down the brutal enemy.

Liza: I'm glad Kedric is going to kick their butts...or more likely, decapitate their heads.  Hold on, didn't you say Myia wants to stop him?

Fearless: That is her assignment. So you can see why Kedric wants this raven-haired beauty, with a body made for sin, gone when she tries to sabotage his mission. 

Liza: I notice her head is partially missing in the cover. Did he express his displeasure physically? As in, good by half of head?

Fearless: You are most bloodthirsty!  As much as Kedric might wish to be rid of Myia, no woman's touch has ever left him more annoyed . . . and aroused. 

Liza: I've heard of women like that. He should stay away from her.

Fearless: He knows he should shun her soothing embrace, but he can't seem to. As their passion grows, Kedric must decide between fighting his war or surrendering his rage--and his heart--for Myia's love.

Liza: Well, this is all very well for Myia achieving her objective. But doesn't this leave an alien race making humans into lab rabbits and arena pit bulls?

Fearless: Well now, you'll have to read me to find out the answer. *sly grin*

Liza: I'm a bit concerned about my two fearless peeps. Open your covers and let me read more...please.

Fearless: Of course. Here's a fun sneak peek of the story:

Angry red streaks snaked through Kedric's aura. “What manner of trickery is this?”

“Get off of me, barbarian.” Name-calling? Really? Had her father taught her nothing?

“Barbarian? That’s funny coming from a savage.”

Myia gasped. “Savage? You’re the one on top of me.”

“As I recall, I wouldn’t be on top of you if I hadn’t needed to protect myself from your tricks.”

“I am a spiritual healer. I only wanted to repair your soul. You must release my people.”

“They’re free to go at any time. They choose to stay.”

His weight was crushing her, making breathing difficult, but she refused to let him see her discomfort. If she could calm herself enough, her spirit could reenter his, and she could try healing him again. This might be the only chance she got before he… What would he do to her?

She didn’t sense anything evil, vile, or malicious. Murder wasn’t present in his aura. The only thing she perceived was arousal. Typical male. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage.

There were three occasions when a person’s spirit was the most vulnerable: during sleep, during illness, and during sex—so she’d been told.

“You’ve invaded our peaceful village and took our people against their will. Forgive me for not believing you.” Her words were angrier than she wanted them to be. What happened to her shamanic training?

“Seems we have a lot in common, you and I.”

“We have nothing in common, barbarian.”

“Did you not invade my body against my will?”

“To heal your spirit.”

“So you say, savage.”

Would he stop calling her that? She was not a fierce, violent person. She was tranquil and at peace with the universe, dammit.

Well, at least she strove for peace.

“However,” he continued, “you needn’t concern yourself. My spirit requires no healing.”

“So say you. But our spirits have met, and yours told me it hid a deep wound. Let me back in. Let me into your body to heal you.”

His smirk surprised her. What could he possibly find so humorous?

“If anyone enters another’s body, it will be me.” His warm lips pressed against hers. As if to prove his point, his tongue coaxed hers to open for him.

She’d been kissed before, but not from a man so dangerous and commanding, or so good at it.

Well, she wasn’t about to waste the opportunity to do what she came here for, especially since nothing in his aura indicated malicious intent. His spirit simply sought to demonstrate his male dominance in a kiss. Nothing more. Ha. He’d learn who the dominant one was when she connected with his spirit again.

She opened her mouth and kissed him back. His pause indicated surprise. He’d obviously expected her to resist. When she didn’t let up, his jaw relaxed and his kiss deepened. She couldn’t deny the freedom her soul felt.

But she’d come to heal his heart, and as much as she would like to give in to the pleasure she was receiving, she needed to heal him first.

Again retreating to that tranquil place in her mind, her spirit gathered energy and flowed from her body into his. Her spirit didn’t get further than the impenetrable stone wall before it was thrown from his body again.

His lips were off hers, the weight of his body disappeared. The influx of warm night air came as a relief.

“Savage,” he boomed. “Stay out of my body.”

“If you enter my body, barbarian, rest assured I will enter yours.”

****

Liza: Oh these two fearless, determined warriors are fabulous. I'm going to take them home with me and watch the taming of...not sure which one will tame first. Can't wait to find out!

Space Rep: *drags in chains & whips* I'm back.

Liza: Where'd you get all this disturbing stuff?

Space Rep: In the lower hull of the ship. The prior owners must have left it behind.

Liza: Well, you aren't using it on Fearless. I like this book a great deal. However, if you want, I'll hang you upside down in chains and see how long it takes for your head to swell.

Space Rep: Fearless is really a good book?

Liza: Sure sounds like it.

Space Rep: Maybe we could stop by the next recycling planet and we can sell this stuff so we can buy the book.

Liza: A far better idea. Since you missed the entire interview, you may ask Fearless questions about its author.

Space Rep: Okay, I also found the links down there.  Here are the places it can be bought.

Amazon 

B&N 

Bookish

Liza: Well done! Now be nice to Fearless while I'm gone.

Space Rep: So tell me about your author, but only the interesting stuff.

Fearless: K.M. Fawcett writes sci-fi & paranormal romances and enjoys stories filled with action, adventure, and kick-butt heroes and heroines. 

Space Rep: Glad Liza is buying the book. Tell me more.

Fearless: She holds the rank of Sandan (3rd degree black belt) in both Isshinryu Karate and Ryukonkai (Okinawan weapons). K.M. and her husband own Tenchi Isshinryu Karate Dojo in NJ where they teach karate, weapons, and self-defense. 

Space Rep:  In New Jersey! That's where Liza lives when she's not in space. 

Fearless: When not writing or working out at the dojo K.M. is driving her children to drum practice and ballet classes. 

Space Rep: Your author sounds more balanced than mine. Liza is on the computer 15-18 hours a day. The only time she leaves it is to walk her dog and sleep 6-7 hours. 

Fearless: My author is very busy, but she does seem to have a better balance than yours. However, I do worry that one day she'll drop the drummer off at ballet classes. Please visit her on Facebook, Twitter, and her website at www.kmfawcett.com to be the first to hear if that ever actually happens.

Liza: Back from buying the book. Did Space Rep tell you we'll be keeping you for three days?

Fearless: No, but I don't mind. I rather like it here now that Space Rep put away the chains and whips. Thank you, Liza, for your interview and hospitality.

Liza: Come back anytime!

Liza O'Connor interviews Captured by the Hawk by Aurora Springer

Today, I'm interviewing a Space pirate book called Captured by the Hawk, sent to me by it's author Aurora Springer.

Space Rep: That sounds good. What's it about?

Liza: It's a romp through space with fast paced action, mystery, humor and romance.

Space Rep: Wow! It's got everything!

Liza: It sure seems to. So transport the book over and let's find out more.

Space Rep: Got it!

Liza: Welcome, Captured by the Hawk. Mind if I call you Cap for short.

Space: She's a terrible speller, I advise you to accept her suggestion.

Cap: OK. I'm easy going.

Liza: Great attitude. Can you tell me about your book?

Cap: That's why I'm here. Interstellar spy and expert code thief, Grey Kat, is captured by the enigmatic Black Hawk, renegade captain of the Rogue Star, who terrorizes the Emperor’s spaceships.

Liza: Oh, he sounds interesting. Tell me more.

Cap: He wears black, exposing only his fierce green eyes. 

Liza: Why?

Cap: Because he doesn't want anyone to see his face and he refuses to tell anyone why.

Liza: In that case, tell me more about Kat. Is she locked in the hull of his ship, chained to a wall and fed gruel?

Cap: Hardly. Kat is housed in the luxurious cabin of his wife, who died under mysterious circumstances. 

Liza: It doesn't sound like he means her harm.

Cap. Actually, Captain Hawk persuades Kat to assist in his next piracy attempt.

Liza: And how does that turn out?

Cap: Not too good.  

Liza: Could you be a bit more forthcoming.

Cap: I don't want to give too much. Let me say their initial attempt at piracy plunges them into a series of comic misadventures as they frantically dodge pursuit, crashing through several ships and different planets.

Liza: Sounds like one crazy occurrence after another.  

Cap: It is. I hope you will follow their adventures from Hassam port via the dock on a small planetoid to the remote planet of Ulverkop. 

Liza: And if I do this, what should I expect to learn?

Cap: How will they evade the Emperor’s troops? 

Space Rep: Stop, Cap!

Cap: Will Kat discover the secrets of the mysterious Black Hawk before she suffers the fate of his unfortunate ex-wife?

Space Rep: Cap stop! Liza hates questions she doesn't know the answer to.

Cap: Can she ever resume her true identity as the wealthy Mistress Trina Sligo and wed the Emperor’s son? 

Space Rep: Cap this is suicide!

Cap: And with the concussion she manages to acquire, will a foggy headed Kat succumb to the pirates charms?

Space Rep: *peeks out from beneath a table* Why aren't you threatening to toss Cap out into space for all those questions? You HATE questions.

Liza: I'm feeling very happy today. No desire to toss anything.

Space Rep. No...that's not it. There's only one reason you wouldn't find the questions upsetting...You already know the answers, which means you read the book without me.

Liza: Yep. And would you like to know what I thought of it?

Space Rep: Sure.

Liza: I thought it non-stop action from page one onward. My only complaint--and this is due no doubt to my preference of novels to novellas-- is that it stopped too soon. I wanted them to continue the fun. Instead, they wrapped it up faster than I could "Oh no you don't!"

Space Rep: So you gonna write a review for Amazon.

Liza: Yep.

Space Rep: What's it going to be?

Liza: Well, I was going to ding it for ending too soon and give it 4.5 stars, which I intended to round up, but then realized it's hard to find a half star, so I'm just going to call it a short 5.

Space Rep: Well, that's all fine and dandy for you, but I've yet to read it!

Liza: Cap, may Space Rep read beneath your covers.

Cap: Of course!

Finally, she had her interrogation. Two armed men escorted her through the ship’s narrow passages and into a large cabin. A tall man stood by a table displaying galactic charts. Strikingly, he was clothed entirely in black. He wore black leather boots, black gloves and a black turban covered his head. Even his face was wrapped in folds of black cloth, exposing only his piercing green eyes. She stared at him curiously. Sexy outfit, she mused, and judging by his broad shoulders, he would strip well. But, why did he have that black mask over his face?  Was it a cultural obligation, or was he hiding some hideous facial deformity?

He scrutinized her small figure with equal intensity. He saw a slim woman with alert tawny eyes, short brown hair and skin. She was dressed in coveralls of a faded, nondescript brown, almost matching the color of her skin.

He spoke in a cool, dispassionate tone, “My men say you are the cunning thief who stole the secret codes from the Emperor’s Revenge. Where are the codes?”

She stared back in silence, tilting her chin in defiance. Who was he to question her?

“I am the Black Hawk. You are on my ship, the Rogue Star, and utterly in my power. I recommend you tell me what you know.” His deep cold voice sent a shiver down her spine.

The Black Hawk, she thought. He was a renegade captain of uncertain allegiance who terrorized interstellar space. His ship raided isolated ports and boarded lone ships, especially those registered in the Emperor’s sector. She could never admit to her identity as the wealthy Mistress Sligo to such a rapacious pirate. Only her secret persona as the insidious thief, the Grey Kat, from the sleazy side of the docks was viable in this situation.

“Ain’t got nothing!” Kat whined like a wretched dock rat, as she resumed her role as the desperate thief, using the dialect of the seedier docks.  

His fierce eyes probed her. She flinched involuntarily and lowered her eyes, while stalling for time or inspiration.

“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.

Kat raised her head, gazing boldly into his green eyes, and sneered, intending to confound him, “What me? Why’d I fear a slick spacer like ye?”

“What did you steal from the Emperor’s Revenge?” he said in accusation.

“Wha’ ship? Didn’t take nothing from no ship!” she spat out, pursing her lips as if in perplexed anger.

“My men saw you creep out of the Revenge’s cargo bay.” 

Oh, no, Kat thought, I must be growing careless. I didn’t spot his men.

“Ain’t bin in no ship! Ye put me back on dock,” she pleaded, chin tipped impudently. “Ain’t done nothing wrong!”

“My ship has lifted from the spaceport. You cannot return to Hassam.” He stared at her for a minute, noting the unconscious challenge in her eyes and her defiant stance. “You intrigue me. You are not afraid, and your replies are too prompt and recalcitrant for the usual dockside thief.”  

Kat remained silent, keeping her gaze locked on his green eyes, while pondering her best approach in dealing with this coldly confident pirate.

“Are you ready to talk?” he insisted in a harsh voice, evidently unused to opposition. “What is your name, thief?”

It was time to switch her guise and confuse him with the story of her life. She spoke, enunciating carefully, “I am called Grey Kat, and I am no common thief.”

He said in a derisive tone, “Proceed with your story.”

She spoke smoothly with the hint of the unkempt underclass giving way to the educated voice of a skilled narrator, “With your permission, Sir, I shall begin my story. I was born into a wealthy family on the planet Terra in the center of the Solarian sector. My fortunate childhood did not last for many years. My family’s wealth was lost to the predations of a financial genius affiliated with the Emperor. We were forced to beg for a livelihood. My talents led me in divergent directions. I roamed the streets at night in the service of criminals, and was instructed in the skills necessary for the Solarian Intelligence Service in the daytime.” She paused, noting a gleam of interest in his shadowed eyes.

“I wish to know what you have done, not your life history,” he demanded in an attempt to forestall her digressions.

“You cannot keep me imprisoned here,” she countered in her sweetest tone, despite her fear that he had kidnapped her for profit.

His eyes scanned down her slight figure, lingering over her slender anatomy. Kat stiffened defensively. What was he thinking? But, he lowered his gaze to the table, as if he pondered some unwelcome choice.

After a moment’s silence, he raised his penetrating green eyes to her face, saying slowly, “We can provide suitable accommodations for you on the Rogue Star. I realize you are more than a scrubby dock thief.”

“Thank you, Captain Hawk,” she murmured politely, unsure what to expect as suitable accommodation.

He called the guard and spoke quietly to him. She could not hear their words, although the guard looked surprised, shaking his head and whispering as if he were raising an objection to his Captain’s command. 

Black Hawk glanced back at her, “Take her away, feed her and bring her back at the same time tomorrow.”

****

Space Rep: Oh this does sound good. Are you going to share your copy or buy me my own.

Liza: If you can find a link, I'll buy you your own.

Space Rep:  Got it! According to Amazon, it's expected out on Sept 1, 2014, but it has Pre-order available.

AMAZON

Liza: Cap, we'll be keeping you 3 days, so sit back and relax.
Cap: No problem. I could use a spot of stillness for a change.