Preview: New Short Story Released in Moonlight and Margaritas!

Hi everyone! I have a delicious little preview for you of my new short story, “Crimson Wake,” available now in the Moonlight and Margaritas anthology. Enjoy!

~*~

Star Navy Terran Interface Port, London, April 2156

Sheets of rain pelted the view portals at Star Navy Command’s central transport hub, rendering the gray day a blur. The push of protesters outside with their crimson-inked signs smeared together like an expressionist painting.

Kana Honbashi’s communicator buzzed, the telltale buzz she’d set for Zak calling. She hurriedly dug it out of her work valise.

The ident read, Lieutenant-Commander Oizys Vantage, ERSN.

Forgetting her next transport, she rushed into a private comms booth, shutting and locking the door behind her.

“Zak? Is that you? Are you—”

“Kana, stop.” Zak hesitated, voice wavering. “Oizys” had always been a mouthful, so he went by Zak, from his middle name, Zakir. “My dad says you’re on leave—that you’re on Earth. What’re you doing here?” He paused again, then spoke into Kana’s stunned and angry silence. “You better not be coming to Hawaii. I’m serious, Kana. Go back to your ship.”

Kana took a very deep breath through her nose, calming herself. “What’re you talking about? Of course I’m going to your place. You’re under investigation! Are you okay? Have they questioned you yet, or—”

“Kana, god.” He sounded like he was speaking between his teeth, tight and angry. “I’m using my last communicator access to call you. Do you understand? I’ve got an investigator from the DMJ standing a meter away, breathing down my goddamn neck, ready to put this thing into an evidence bag. Go back to your ship—I’m begging you.”

Kana practically felt her heart stop, a bolt of cold fear shuddering down her spine. “Oh, god. Okay. Do you have an advocate there? Do you need me to call someone? My mom knows people from JUDCON—”

“That’s not for you to worry about.” He sounded calmer now, level—distant and unemotional. Whatever he was feeling, he tamped it down; only the shaking of his voice revealed hidden tension.

Kana’s anger and confusion flared twin wings and lifted her voice. “Are you out of your mind?! We’ve been together for five years! Of course it’s my concern. I’m your girlfriend, aren’t—”

“No.” The firm loudness of the word made her stop dead with shock. “You’re not. We’re not, I mean.” He paused, maybe waiting for her to argue, but Kana couldn’t speak for a moment. His voice gentled. “Kana… I love you. I’ll love you straight into military prison, maybe until I’m facing execution… but I’m not putting you through this. I can’t.”

~*~

Intrigued? Want to know what happens next? You can find out in the Moonlight and Margaritas anthology, which is now OUT! It’s on Amazon (as an ebook or as a paperback), as well as on Apple, Kobo, and Nook. You can grab it here! We had a fantastic takeover event on Facebook on Monday, with lots of great contests and prizes. There will also be a Zoom release party on July 10^th, starting at 6pm PDT; you can register here. I would love to see you! It’s a great chance to meet all the authors who are in the anthology, learn more about what the collection has on offer, what else the authors have written, and ask the authors questions. It’s also going to be a great time, so I very much hope you’ll join us.

Moonlight and Margaritas Anthology, Available Now!

What’s in the anthology? It’s a very diverse collection—perfect for trying out different authors and romance subgenres, and for finding new kinds of stories you might not have realized you really liked. As our reviews already beautifully state, there’s a little something for everyone, but the authors all have further offerings… so if you adore something, go check them out! Several of them have tons of great stuff to read!

Speaking of great stuff to read, if you like “Crimson Wake,” you can get my science-fiction story “All Hands” in the Valkyrie storefront here. I’ll also be writing the major event follow-on to “Crimson Wake,” the story of Crimson Tide, and posting snippets on the site and sending them to the mailing list to get everyone excited. I’ll also have a teaser for Hybrid Vigor coming your way soon!

Lots of great stuff coming this summer, and I’m so glad you’re here! If you haven't already, please be sure to follow me on Instagram, where I have a fun book selfie contest going. You could win a signed Starship Valkyrie bookmark, designed by me!