I'm so thrilled to finally be able to share my romantic sci-fi adventure with everyone...and that LOTFM/TMOG came out the same day as the new Star Trek movie!!
What a great sci-fi day! I can't wait to see the movie. It looks very promising. I was supposed to take my kids to the midnight showing last night...but none of our local theaters had one.:( Now, I'll have to drag my hubby to the theater for our anniversary. lol Actually, that won't be a problem, he likes sci-fi!
So do I...and my long await release has arrived! This book is my baby. I love the story. I love the characters. I love the setting. Did I mention I love the story? lol I'm so happy to share the particulars with you. Hope you enjoy!
Legend of the Fourth Moon/The Mark of Goren
By Donna Michaels
ISBN 1-60154-452-9
384 Pages
Sci-Fi Romance-Hot
Available Now in e-Book and Print
from The Wild Rose Press
Purchase
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Blurb
In the Andromeda Galaxy, XANDRA MONOCERROS, Princess of Lacerta, dreads the coming of the Fourth Moon. Every five years it appears, drawing death to someone dear. First her mother then her husband. Will this cycle take another loved one? Even worse, Lacerta is heading for the same implosion disaster as their ancestral planet Earth.
Seeking a solution, Xandra crosses paths with DARIUS VAN LAARS—the dangerous outlaw from her visions. Will their intense attraction dissuade Darius from carrying out personal revenge on the man key to saving Xandra’s planet? Can she save Lacerta or will she fall victim to the Legend of the Fourth Moon?
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Excerpt
“All clear, Princess Xandra” The guards exited the ship and waited.
“Thank you.” She dismissed them with a nod and entered with Darius still in tow.
The moment the door whooshed close and cut off access to the outside, tension slammed her body harder than her duffle bag crashing against the far wall.
She flinched. “Hey! I have breakable items in there.”
“Sit!” He stomped to his chair.
Yeah, definitely not happy.
Strap whipped into place, he punched buttons and flip switches for pre-flight procedure. The powerful engine hummed to life, barely vibrating the craft. She ignored his tantrum and glanced around.
“Wow, this Elite-5 is beautiful and the engine is smooth like they proclaim.” Shivers ran down her arms at the site of the control panel. She rubbed her hands together. I wonder how she flies. One look at the pulse jumping in the outlaw’s temple and she knew her chances of finding a man to love her and not her throne were better than her chances of piloting this ship.
“Sit, Princess,” he repeated. “Don’t think I won’t take off with you standing.”
Her gaze shot to the seats along the back wall, but she dismissed them. They’d make her feel like…royalty. The ship lurched. Bugger. He wasn’t kidding. She hopped into the chair next to him and barely had her belt fastened when he punched the thrusters and they shot from the planet.
Once they leveled out, her fingers loosened their grip to caress the arms of her chair. She smiled. They were safely in outer space. In a half hour, she’d be on Alshain and finally able to search for answers.
She glanced sideways at Darius. “Nice take-off.”
He kept his face averted.
“Don’t tell me you’re still mad?” Silence. “Come on. All I wanted was a ride to the planet where you were already heading.” Xandra sighed. “Jeez. Whoever claimed women are moody obviously never met you.”
A string of curses assaulted her ears before a large fist pounded a switch. The sound of metal scraping metal registered in her brain a moment before cold, hard shackles clamped her wrists and ankles to her seat. Tight.
“W-what are you doing?” She tugged and then tugged again, steel restraints biting into her skin. It was no use. She was immobile.
Darius remained silent.
She tried to lift her fingers to shock the metal and short the system, but there wasn’t enough room. Her throat dried. What now?
Autopilot button flicked on, he unstrapped himself and stood. Alarm raced down her spine. Why was he standing? There was no need for him to stand. Stay calm. Don’t panic. When he stopped in front of her and folded those massive arms across his chest her pulse didn’t understand calm. She looked up and gasped. Okay, now you can panic. An icy gray gaze squeezed her heart like a royal corset to her ribs.
Her fingers sought the knives sheathed at her wrists. No good. The shackles prevented access to them, too. What about magic? She chewed her lip. No. That’d only render him unconscious and she’d still be stuck in the chair.
“Give it up, Princess.” His cold tone frosted the air and tripped her heart. “You’re at my mercy now.”
Void of all emotion, the face of an outlaw stared down at her. She swallowed.
Had she misjudged him?
“That’s right, Princess, you should fear me.” He grasped her wrist restraints and leaned in.
Heart hammering, she shrank back, but not from fright. His scent and warmth washed over her, bringing her to life with a delicious shiver. Gray eyes narrowed. He missed nothing.
Darn her body for betraying her mind. It responded to his nearness like an animal in heat. What was wrong with her? The stranger could be about to kill her and all she could think about was pressing into his hard muscles.
She closed her eyes. If she hadn’t witnessed him softening when Braedon spoke of Halo, Xandra would’ve sworn Darius only cared about Darius. But he had softened. Her eyes flew open. He won’t harm me.
Hot breath tingled her face. She gripped the arms of the chair and stared, mesmerized. He was so virile, so dangerous, so...sexy. Awareness ripped through her, peaking her nipples while her underlace dampened. Never had she experienced such a physical rush. She was losing control…fast.
She could use her magic on him, but didn’t. She wanted to break eye contact, but couldn’t. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked away. That brought no relief. Her chest warmed under his gaze and nipples hardened further. She had to end this.
But when he looked up, all thoughts of stopping flew into space like dust off the second moon. Eyes no longer frosty blazed with desire and ravaged her face. No man had ever looked at her with so much hunger. Saliva pooled in her mouth.
He was going to kiss her.
Xandra’s last coherent thought was if this was a dream—Natalia had better not wake her.
A grunt rumbled from deep in his throat as his lips came down on hers, swallowing her moan and the last of her inhibitions.
This was no vision. This was real.
Hot and demanding, his kiss rocked her core. They didn’t know each other in life or their dreams, but the second their flesh met, they knew heat. She wanted more, needed more and opened up to him. He accepted the invitation by cupping her face and deepening the kiss with a thrust of his tongue. A delicious scorching consumed her mouth and the burning flowed through her body, stinging a path to her middle. Intense sensations ravaged, and when he tipped his head for a better angle, she nearly lost it. Dark, needy sounds filled the cabin as she journeyed through unchartered erotic territory.
Xandra trembled.
Pulled in—taken over, hot liquid replaced her blood, growing hotter the longer they kissed. Her fingers curled into fists and she yanked, longing to hold his face and return his kiss with equal fervor. But steel restraints bit into her wrists. She couldn’t break free.
Darius didn’t seem to mind. His grip tightened and delicious assault continued.
Want guided her actions. Leaning forward, Xandra plundered his scalding mouth and devoured his answering groan. Empowered, she swept her tongue over his and sucked him further inside. A hot-icy tingling besieged her body as she rode the flow of stinging lava.
But something was wrong. Pleasure swiftly turned to pain.
Head aching, ears ringing, she tried to pull away but couldn’t break the flow. Intense pricking gripped her body like a swarm of bees. She clutched the chair, about to cry out when Darius tore his mouth from hers, taking away the severe prickling.
The unbearable sting remained.
“Damn it!” His faint words filtered through her foggy mind. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Small, panting breaths cooled her mouth and tender tongue.
“Here. Drink this.”
She hadn’t realized her shackles were gone until he thrust a glass into her hand. Dazed, she stared from the ash-colored liquid to his eyes, noting how similar in shade they were before he guided the cup to her lips. She drank greedily. The gray liquid neutralized her pain while cooling the fire in her veins.
“Are you all right?” He took the empty cup from her still trembling fingers.
Nodding, Xandra closed her eyes and sat with her head back, until breathing returned to normal. Never in her lifetime could she have imagined such a kiss. Extreme pleasure…and pain. She opened her eyes and noted Darius had moved further away. Not far enough to outdistance her curiosity. Her gaze narrowed. “What in the world was that?”
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Thanks for letting me share some of my sci-fi!
~Donna
Donna Michaels
Author of Romaginative Fiction
www.donnamichaelsauthor.com/
