Snippet 1: Formation (Ghost Squadron, #1)

Five Trees Bar. Trill Mining Colony, Lorialis System.

T’turk played with his drink. His four shipmates were rowdy and occasionally bumped him, so he had to be careful not to spill his alcohol.  He looked around Five Trees, the only damned bar worth visiting, in his opinion, for five systems.

That wasn’t saying much, of course, since the only people living out this far from the Etheric Empire’s territory were pirates, miners, and smugglers. Bastards, all of them.

“My kind of people,” he muttered to himself, smiling as his shipmate Fr’ling caught the eye of one of the girls.

Fr’ling wouldn’t be leaving this space station with much money. Hell, neither would the other three. By the time the night ended, they’d each spent most of their earnings.

Nursing his drink, he looked around the establishment, blinking with his yellow eyes. There were a lot of Kezzin in the bar tonight, including himself. Their red skin gave off a familiar glow in the artificial light. T’turk’s homeworld wasn’t far from here, so it was common to see his people on many of the stations in the neighboring systems. He liked it that way. The rest of the galaxy was far too crowded with non-Kezzin species, like humans and the other Etheric Empire scum. He couldn’t stand any of them.

It was unfortunate, then, that he saw a man sitting on a stool with his face planted on the table. A human male who didn’t belong here.

T’turk smirked. Perhaps he’d have a little fun today, after all.

“Hey, you,” grunted T’turk as he got up from his table and walking to where the man was sitting. “Human.”

The man had his face on the table—probably passed out from too much alcohol. “Look at this guy,” said T’turk. “Typical human. Can’t even handle his drink.”

The man moaned, shifting a little.

T’turk leaned over him and examined his equipment, hoping to find some money or possibly a key to a ship. The bastard wasn’t holding much except for a gray bag on the seat next to him. T’turk reached for it.

“Don’t,” said the human, slowly looking at him.

T’turk could never tell one human from the next. They all looked like a bunch of slugs to him, ugly and spongy. This one was no different.

“What are you trying to hide, human? Got yourself a secret stash?”

The man said nothing.

T’turk laughed. “That’s what I thought. Too bad you were stupid enough to come in here.” He reached for the bag.

A hand grabbed his wrist, surprising him. “I said don’t.”

T’turk paused, glancing at the man again. “Do you have a death wish, meat sack? Back off before I kick your ass.”

“No can do,” replied the stranger. “That’s my stuff. I need it more than you do.”

“It’s mine now, unless you want a bullet in your empty head.” T’turk shook his wrist free, then took the bag and began emptying it. A pad fell out, hitting the counter, along with a handful of unopened soda cans, one of which rolled and hit the floor, breaking and hissing.

T’turk stared at the contents of the bag, confused. “What’s all this trash?”

The stranger looked at the soda on the floor as it sprayed chaotically. “Mother fucker,” he muttered.

T’turk threw the empty bag down by his feet. “You better have something on you, human! I’ll rip you a new one right now. You know how many of your kind I’ve killed just this week? You’re all a bunch of mushy pieces of—”

“You killed humans?” interrupted the stranger, raising his brow.

“Over a dozen in four days!” bragged T’turk. “Ain’t that right, boys?”

His crew cheered. “We raided a ship on its way to Nexus Colony,” announced Fr’ling. “Killed half and saved the rest for later.”

T’turk grinned, revealing a set of razor sharp teeth. “That’s why we’re here celebrating.

The human let out a sigh. “All I wanted was a drink and some food, but you just had to go and bring that up like a fucking jackass.”

“What’s he saying, T’turk?” asked Fr’ling. “Tell him to speak up! It’s hard to hear humans. They’re too tiny.”

T’turk laughed. “He’s scared. He knows he’s about to die.”

The door to the Five Trees opened, and in walked another human. A woman, perhaps, but T’turk couldn’t be certain. They all looked the same to him, ugly and pathetic.

She took a seat at the bar beside the male, motioning to the barkeep. “Whiskey,” she requested, turning away from T’turk.

“You,” he said, puffing his chest at the female. “You’re interrupting us.”

She didn’t answer.

T’turk was about to raise his fist to the woman, when the male got to his feet. “Let’s leave the lady out of it. This is between you and me.”

“Between us?” grinned T’turk. “Finally.”

The man turned to the female. “Hey, wanna do me a favor?”

She shrugged. “Depends.”

“Just watch my drink while I take care of this idiot, would ya?” He slid his glass over to her. “I’m Eddie, by the way.”

“Whatever,” the female answered, still not bothering to look.

The human male turned back to face T’turk. “All right, then, big fella,” grinned the little man. “Let’s see what you can do.”

Formation releases November 13th.

Someone Dropped Me Off Here… Oriceran Has Been Unlocked

People keep asking me what I’ve been up to. But it’s not the casual, “How are you?” It’s the one where they stare deep into my eyes with a bit of caution. “Sarah, where have you been?”

The short answer is that I got pulled away, figuratively and literally.

Man, I loathe when people say that and I just did it.

Anyway, I’m ready to really share what I’ve been up to. It’s not a secret as much as I’ve been too busy to tell you.

Several months ago a friend recommended an author to me. He said this author, who is incredibly talented and successful, was inviting other authors to write inside of his universe.

“I don’t write real sci-fi,” I had said. “I only write the soft stuff.”

“Doesn’t matter. There’s a new universe for you. It’s called Ori-something,” my friend said.

So I arranged a call. I spoke with a stranger. He told me of his plans. I told him I wanted in… and the rest is history.

Fast forward three months.

I’ve been working relentlessly, writing books in a brand new world. It’s the world of Oriceran. It’s a different planet full of magic and the gates between our world and that one only opens every several thousand years. But what happens in between is where the stories really take place.

I never thought I’d leave the Dream Traveler universe, but I’m kind of glad I have. It’s been crazy to stroll through the Dark Forest and happen upon a gnome in my imagination. Apparently a pixie lives there too, and a whole lot of other mythological creatures.

So now to answer the question honestly. What have I been doing? I heard about an opportunity and I took it. I jumped down a rabbit hole, hoping that the stories I weave on my way through are something incredible.

Welcome to the world of Oriceran. It’s connected to Earth, and nothing like it.

Teaser 5: Lone Wolf

“What was that commotion I heard the other night?” the woman with a head of fake auburn curls said. Women in their seventies didn’t have vibrant red hair or tight skin stretched over their cheekbones. However, Mrs. Wilson wasn’t a typical elderly lady.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Orion said, his chin down, eyes on the wood floors of the brownstone apartment building.

If her face could allow such things the old woman would probably have raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him. “I think you do know what I mean. That racket always comes from your room, usually on the weekends.”

What was he supposed to say, that she was right and it was the werewolf destroying the room he rented because he wanted out of the padlocked door? The dumb beast never knew where Orion hid the key because as far as he could tell it didn’t have a memory of his life, but the reverse wasn’t true. He always remembered what happened when he changed. He remembered the destruction. The way the animal stood looking out the three-story window, thinking of breaking it and taking the jump, the one that might kill Orion Murray. The wolf terrified him, but everything did, really.

“Are you playing one of those video games? The ones with werewolves?” Mrs. Wilson said.

“No!” Orion said, backing up suddenly toward his door, where safety could be found away from the nosy woman.

“Well, the howling came from your room the other night. I would have asked you about it sooner, but you never come out of that room,” she said, disapproval heavy in her voice.

What did she expect? Was he supposed to power walk down the streets of Hartford, like she did every morning? He could tell what time it was by glancing out his window to find Mrs. Wilson bouncing down the stoop in her jogging suit. Then he would watch the regimented woman until she power walked down several blocks thanks to his telescopic vision. The power had first come on right after the breakout from the lab. It was strange to look out at the city, honing in on things miles away, seeing that the world was really as chaotic as he thought it was. Why he, an already anxious person, was given the ability to see farther eluded him.

“Yes, sorry. It’s a video game. Quite compelling, which is why I don’t leave often,” he said, glad that the antique artifact of a woman had given him an excuse for the howling.

Preorder Lone Wolf here.

Teaser 4: Lone Wolf

The paint was peeling off the walls in the break room of the Lizard Lounge. It had probably been peeling off the pale green walls for a while. And Rio Hernandez had no idea why he was even slouching in the corner of the room. It wasn’t like he needed a break. All he did was stand around, and his job as a bouncer for the shady club was easy enough. He’d never had such an easy job. Usually he just growled at a patron being rejected entry and they ran for the streets. And fights were never a problem for him to break up. He’d always been strong, with wide biceps and a barrel chest, but whatever they did to him in that lab made him incredibly powerful. He’d punched through concrete walls to escape that prison. And since the breakout from the lab he’d tested that strength. For an hour he practiced his superpower by throwing cars in a junkyard. The homeless men who watched and cheered him on had found the whole show funny. Good thing the bourbon later made them forget what they saw.

Rio’s time on the police force had educated him to the troublesome types. He could spot them from ten yards away, standing in the line for the club. And although the job as the bouncer only reminded him of why he’d quit the force, it was one of the few jobs he could find where they’d pay him under the table. He knew better than to use his old bank accounts or return to his old house, which had been inherited by his sister.

Preorder Lone Wolf here.

Teaser 3: Lone Wolf

“So what’s the goal here?” Kaleb said, watching the silver ballpoint pen as Adelaide had ordered.

“I’m trying to make you pass out,” she said, spinning the pen over her thumb and catching it in her fingers. It was a gesture her father had taught her. A seemingly simple movement, but employing the right focus, it could cause hypnosis. However, Adelaide didn’t know how to practice her mind control using this method. She had only been successful when pairing it with words, not movements.

“Oh, is that all?” Kaleb said with an undeterred laugh. He’d merely been at the Institute for a couple of days, but already his easy attitude and casual nature made him seem like a Lucidite.

“Would you shut your bloody mouth and concentrate?” Adelaide said, knowing that was actually not how this attempt at hypnosis should work. Ren’s book of secrets said that a successful hypnotic gesture should catch the attention of a distracted person and hold it. This was only Adelaide’s first attempt, though, and she’d work on perfecting it later.

“So what happens after I pass out? You write on my face and take pictures?” Kaleb said, not having heeded Adelaide’s request to be quiet.

“Actually, before you pass out, you’ll be subject to any of my requests. With a simple demand I can make you do a whole list of horrid things. I’ll also have access to your memories, thoughts, and pretty much whatever other rubbish resides in your tiny brain,” she said, spinning the pen around and around, knowing the more fluid the motion, the more compelling it was to the observer.

“Are all British people as insulting as you?” Kaleb said, blinking his eyes from the act of watching the pen.

“No, I take insults to an exemplary level. But British people aren’t as fake as Americans,” she said, hearing the interruption at her back. Someone had just entered the strategic department conference space. Two somebodies, by the sound of their footsteps.

Adelaide turned to find her two least favorite people. “Oh good, the meatheads are here,” she said as Zephyr and Rox entered the space.

“I don’t think you mean that. You’re not actually happy to see us,” Rox said, walking into the room like a trucker, wearing her cowboy boots and a short jean skirt.

Preorder Lone Wolf here.