Star-Crossed Negotiations Space Opera Science Fiction, Science Fiction Romance
November 8, 2022
Kindle
336 pages
In the Nexxus system, water is a scarce commodity. Vice Ambassador Kieran Phaetal has been given the monumental task to broker peace and heal the century's old wound between the water planet of Westran Alpha and the savage denizens of Hexaka. As he boards the first available transport vessel, his thoughts focused on the future only to have his past rise up and kick him right in the gut.
It had been six years since Vanysha Kureen had seen the man who abandoned their love and destroyed her life. Six long years of climbing up from slavery as one of the Unsought, disowned and discarded, to become navigator and owner of The Royal Janstar. When an impromptu flight through the bloodiest quadrant of the Nexxus system drops into her lap, she finds her luck turning for the worst as she discovers Kieran is their passenger moments before her ship is shot down, crashing onto Hexaka in flames. With the rest of her crew injured or dead, it’s up to Vanysha and Kieran to search for help on the hostile desert planet.
Forced together by enemy fire, they must move beyond the anger and passion swirling between them to bring an end to the hostilities. With the fate of the Nexxus system at stake as well as her own happiness, can Vanysha dare to trust Kieran with her scarred and shattered heart or will his mission destroy their chance at forever?
2022 RCA Author Interview with Tessa McFionn
Interview by Sherry Perkins
Starry-eyed dreamer and hopelessly romantic. What kind of a job description is that? If you toss in a second chance at romance, and a dash of space opera, you’d be author Tessa McFionn. Do her characters make the best of the second chance given them or do aliens get in the way? Well, of course!
I’ve always loved sci-fi. I grew up reading Heinlein, Asimov, Bradbury, you name it. But I also have always been a hopeless romantic and finding love in the stars seemed like a perfect fit. So, I decided to add a new layer and dove into a new trope for me, the infamous second chance. Tons of fun to create the tension between the pair; just makes the reunion that much sweeter.
Star-Crossed Negotiations tells a fabulous story about love, forgiveness, mystery, and a heavy dose of hot sex. What else is there in the universe? LOL! I am so bad at these things. But honestly, I love the sparks between Vanysha and Kieran. Add in a misunderstood race of people with absolutely no filter and it’s sure to have something for everyone.
AN EXCERPT FROM 2022 RCA ROMANCE/FNTASY/FUTURISTIC/SCI-FI/FANTASY/TIME TRAVEL NOMINEE STAR-CROSSED NEGOTIATIONS:
“Passengers loaded. Prepare for lift-off.”
A sensual female voice filled the air. The ship’s computer? Most likely. Kieran had charted the vessel unseen. Word of mouth pinned the ship’s captain as one who had traveled his required route on more than one occasion and that was good enough for him. Who was he to judge the man if he got off on a sexy computerized voice?
The ionic propulsion drive whirred and the ground slipped away. Once again, he nodded in approval. Most vessels still relied on thrust drives, making the journeys loud and long. Ionic drives were quiet and quick, both factors heavily influencing his choice of transport. Nothing rattled as the ship broke atmosphere and soon, nothing but the unending night was visible from his octagonal porthole window.
“Ground fall successful. Engaging propulsion.”
Kieran jolted at the slight kick as the ship shot forward. White streaks zoomed past, painting bright stripes across the void until their streaming trails formed an all-embracing tunnel. The ease at which they reached top speed shocked him. When he saw the captain, he would need to buy him a drink in thanks. Never before had he been on a smoother flight.
“Cruising velocity attained. Cabin doors unlocking.”
Damn. That was one sexy voice. A soft click met his ears and he rose to his feet.
“Destination should be reached within the hour.”
He glanced to his chronom, calculating the time before his meeting. With the fleet dexterity of his ride, he might even arrive earlier than he originally expected.
Granted, they were flying through one of the deadliest parsecs in the entire system, but he could dream.
Safely en route, he unbuttoned the collar of his confining uniform jacket as he stepped out of his cabin. With a glance up and down the corridor, he searched the nearby open doors. Two others led to berths similar to his while the last led to the common bath. The path teed, creating a choice of up or down. Judging from the clanking sounds emanating from the lower path, he surmised it led to the ship’s engines. He leaned down, craning an ear. The ionic drive was so soft, he picked out several words between the engineer and the silent apprentice he had met earlier. He allowed his gaze to travel up the second route before his feet followed.
Seems I discovered the dining hall. Several round tables dotted the large room and a second archway was cut into the far wall. Across from him, he found a series of meal generators and one battered, outdated beverage station. One quick sniff explained much. Coffee. Someone on board this vessel must be of human lineage. Another option was their burly Drekkan had developed a taste for the bitter drink. Doubtful, but stranger things had been known to happen.
He recalled his father trying to force the black sludge down his throat as a young man. “Real men don’t sweeten it. Life won’t sugarcoat the truth of itself.”
A pair of voices filtered in from the distant entryway, cracking through his reverie and he strode toward the steaming pot. He recognized the captain and the second speaker sounded a lot like the computer. Was he having a discussion with the ship?
As the two figures entered the room, he froze, grateful his fingers had not gripped the fragile glass pot filled with the steaming brew.
“Vanysha?”
* * *
All of the recycled air vanished from her lungs and Vanysha stared agape at the face she never expected to see again. Forgotten was the reason for her latest argument with Faze. She vaguely recalled it having to do with the unnamed passenger but the tendrils of her important point faded into oblivion.
Kieran Phaetal.
No way was fate that cruel to her.
ABOUT TESSA MCFIONN:
Tessa McFionn has always had a love of all things unreal. Growing up reading Tolkien, Heinlein, and comic books, playing D&D, and watching Thundarr the Barbarian on Saturday mornings, she was immersed in worlds of magic. When her mother introduced her to Dune and An Interview with a Vampire, she was hooked on romance in speculative fiction, and after discovering Sherrilyn Kenyon, she realized love can share center stage in the story. She also feeds her artistic soul through her passions for theatre, dance and music, as well as regular trips to The Happiest Place on Earth with friends and family. With both an award-winning paranormal romance and a sci-fi romance series out in the world, she continues to encourage all to believe in magic.
CONTACT TESSA MCFIONN AND ORDER STAR-CROSSED NEGOTIATIONS:
Amazon Author page: amazon.com/author/tessamcfionn
Website: http://www.tessamcfionn.com
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