TITLE: In Enemy Hands
AUTHOR: M.A. Church
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
COVER ARTIST: Anne Cain
LENGTH: 73006 words / 214 Pages
RELEASE DATE: December 30, 2016
BLURB
Two very different civilizations—one bathed in bright sunlight and the other veiled in shadow.
Bad decisions, declining resources, and a king on the brink of madness force Prince Varo Kutchif, third son of the royal family and a starship captain, to attempt the impossible: barter for Black Phospolrock, an energy source the mysterious Helkan Kingdom has in abundance. Varo opens a line of communication with Adlar, an intriguing Helkan who seems to reciprocate Varo’s interest. He hopes so, because if negotiations collapse, Varo has orders to attack.
The Helkans preside over a planet shrouded in perpetual darkness. Several species have tried to exploit its natural resources through trade with them, but all have failed. Adlar Mondur is the older brother to the Helkan ruler. An assassin of the highest order, he’ll do anything to protect his king and his people—including tracking down the Yesri prince who crash-lands on their planet, leaving an ugly scar across its untouched beauty.
Thus begins a journey where two men from disparate civilizations grow from enemies to lovers.
Adlar tapped the holographic helm in front of him, bringing up the distance to the crash site. As he drew nearer, he had to admit he was impressed. Whoever piloted the shuttle was talented. He’d give his enemy that. Avoiding death in such terrain took unshakeable nerve and the blessing of a goddess.
Which he could use a little of too since he was next up to land in the small, restrictive space. Adlar called in the location to Command. Their scans showed the Yesri had abandoned their starship, using the escape pods to return home.
They let them flee.
But not this one. For some unknown reason, this male targeted the planet instead of fleeing. He would find that was a mistake. Adlar maneuvered the battle shuttle, swearing under his breath as he lowered the craft not far from the crash site. Unstrapping from the pilot chair, he stood and checked the setting on his weapon. No need to kill; all that was needed was stun for this. He opened the shuttle bay’s door but paused. There was one more thing he needed before he ventured out after the intruder.
He opened a compartment, removed the shock collar inside, and slipped it into one of his pockets.
He didn’t believe the hunt would take long. The Yesri intruder was unused to the darkness that covered their planet the majority of the time. As such he hadn’t developed adaptations like elongated ears to catch the faintest of sounds, or eyes that adjusted to both low and bright levels of illumination like the Helkans’.
Due to the amount of sunlight the planet Yesri received, its inhabitants were all tanned. They were also all blond—which would draw attention in a land full of darkness. As he stepped outside, Adlar’s pupils enlarged and he removed his stunner. He scanned the area, satisfied all was as it should be. He moved steadily through the jungle, caution leading his steps.
He approached the abandoned Yesri shuttle and crouched behind a twisted lavender tree with weeping limbs. Listening carefully, he searched for any sounds that did not belong. The wildlife chirped and called in its usual song of nightfall. Outside of the normal noise, he heard nothing to indicate his enemy was nearby.
Surveying the area, he saw the enemy shuttle had left a long gorge where it slid before coming to a halt, throwing dirt everywhere.
M.A. Church is a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!
When not writing, she’s on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two grown children.
She is a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
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You can also email the author at - nomoretears00@hotmail.com
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