ALL IN
When love is the prize, the only way to win is to go all in.
The Resource Wars may have ended, but for the cyborgs created to fight in them, the battle for acceptance is far from over. Former soldiers Toro and Jaeger have been on the move since they left military service. They’re looking for more than their next payday; they want to find a place to call home.
Cynder Armas co-owns the Nova Club with her two cyborg siblings. The club is more than her business; it’s her home— filled with everyone she cares about. Life on The Drift isn’t easy, but it is profitable, and it keeps her too busy to dwell on the losses in her past.
When these three battle-scarred warriors meet, there’s no denying their attraction, but it takes more than a spark to keep a fire burning. To hold onto each other, they’ll have to find a way to let go of their old lives and embrace the future, together.
Jaeger stopped outside another locked door. “We’re here.”
He passed his hand over another scanner, and the door slid open. Warm air flowed around them, carrying the scent of green, growing things. It had been so long since he stepped foot on a planet, Toro had almost forgotten what it was like to breathe something other than recycled air.
“What in the worlds?” Cynder’s voice was tinged with wonder as she peered past the doorway to the wonderland beyond.
The door opened out onto a landing near the bottom of a sphere more than fifty feet across. The walls were lined with row after row of brackets, all of them full of plants bathed in constant light from the hundreds of lamps shining down on them from a few feet above the tallest leaves. The brackets were divided into sections by marked pathways, and a catwalk spanned the midsection of the sphere, linking to of the main paths.
Jaeger gestured for Cynder to enter the sphere. “Welcome to Astek Station’s atmospheric farm, or as I’ve decided to call it, the atrium.”
“I had no idea this place existed. I’ve seen the outside of the station plenty of times, and I’ve never seen any sign this is here at all. How did I miss it?” Cynder stepped over the threshold, then turned and beckoned them to join her inside, her face wreathed in smiles.
“I wondered about that myself, so I looked up the plans for these stations. It turns out that only half of it is visible from the outside.” He pointed over their heads. “That portion appears as a hemisphere at the bottom of the station. The part we’re standing on is inside, out of sight.”
Toro groaned. “We’re standing upside-down right now? Is that why we were walking on the wall earlier?”
“They do some funky things with the gravity down here. I get it; they can use more of the space this way, but only away from the inhabited areas.”
“I can’t believe they still use organics as part of the oxygenation process. No one does that anymore, do they?” Cynder wandered over to the edge of the landing and ran a gentle hand along the leaves of one of the plants. “I’d forgotten how pretty greenery could be.”
“This station is older than it looks. The system still works, so I guess no one’s bothered to modernize it.” Jaeger pointed to a section of plants that looked different from the others. “I think that’s a herb garden, and on the other side I found some flowering plants I suspect are what they sell at the florist shops on the station.”
“I always wondered how they managed to get fresh flowers this far out. My brothers will cry when I tell them they’ve been spending a fortune on posies that were grown under their feet instead of on a planet.”
“I doubt it. If flowers make Zura happy, I bet Luke and Kit would pay any price. They clearly love their wife and would do whatever it took to please her,” Toro said.
“You got that right. She could probably ask for a moon of her own, and they’d try to get it for her. Lucky for all of us, Zura’s not that kind of woman. If she was, the club might be bankrupt by now.”
Toro crossed the landing to stand behind her, trapping her between himself and the plants she was caressing. “What would it take to please you, Cyn? What would make you happy?”
She glanced back over her shoulder and smiled at him. “I’m a simple girl. I don’t need flowers, or moons, or presents of any kind. I don’t take time for myself very often. My brothers would say I don’t take it at all. Spending time with the two of you is making me happy. No club. No worries about unlicensed pharma, or security, or balancing the books. More of this would make me very happy.”
“We can do that. All I need for you to make me happy right now is for you to tell me I can kiss you again.”
“Yes.”
SUSAN HAYES lives out on the Canadian west coast surrounded by open water, dear family, and good friends. She’s jumped out of perfectly good airplanes on purpose and accidently swum with sharks on the Great Barrier Reef.
If the world ends, she plans to survive as the spunky, comedic sidekick to the heroes of the new world, because she’s too short and out of shape to make it on her own for long.
To contact her about her books or to arrange end of the world team-ups, you can find Susan … Website Facebook Amazon Twitter: @SHayesRomance Facebook Reader Group Newsletter Signup
THE OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD Q&A
ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?
SUSAN: I love that feeling of getting lost in the words and not coming back to reality until the book ends. I try to read every day.
ANGI: Hugh Jackman or Chris Pine?
SUSAN: Tough call, but Hugh Jackman wins.
ANGI: What's your most favorite thing to do in your state?
SUSAN: Watching the winter storms whip up the Pacific Ocean. Storm watching is amazing.
ANGI: What’s your favorite meal?
SUSAN: I love food (more than I should) My current favourite is duck confit poutine. (For you non-Canadians, that’s fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds with crispy duck on top.)
ANGI: What do you like about the hero of your book?
SUSAN: Toro and Jaeger are far from perfect, but they want to be better and keep working toward that goal. I think that’s someone everyone can relate to.
ANGI: Sand or Snow?
SUSAN: Sand.
ANGI: What might we find in your heroine's purse?
SUSAN: Cynder prefers pants with pockets and a couple of knife scabbards over carrying a purse.
ANGI: Superman or Batman?
SUSAN: Superman
ANGI: Would you rather be in a Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?
SUSAN: I’m a sucker for Prince Charming in any incarnation. Sign me up for the Fairy Tale!
ANGI: What’s your favorite rerun on television?
SUSAN: M.A.S.H I still watch it whenever I can.
ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
SUSAN: The Princess Bride
ANGI: What drinks or snacks are always on your desk when you’re writing?
SUSAN: Drink: Coffee Snack: Roasted chick peas.
ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?
SUSAN: Prince Humperdinck (Princess Bride)
ANGI: Hiking Boots or Dancing Heels?
SUSAN: Heels
ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: What’s one thing from your bucket list?
SUSAN’S GOTTA ANSWER: Fly somewhere in the first class section (it looks so comfy up there! A great place to catch up on my reading.)
PREVIOUS RELEASES by SUSAN
DOUBLE DOWN
The Drift, Book 1
When it comes to love, sometimes the best bet is to double down.
Kit and Luke Armas are cyborgs created for one purpose, battle. Now that the war is over, they must fight to carve out a place for themselves in a universe they were intended to die for but never be a part of.
Cargo pilot Zura Watson came to the edge of civilized space to start over. The Drift is a haven for the hunted, the lost, and those seeking second chances. It was also the last place in the cosmos Zura expected to find love.
When the shadows of the past threaten to eclipse this trio’s future, they’ll have to fight for their chance at love and the life they’ve always dreamed of.
Kit and Luke Armas are cyborgs created for one purpose, battle. Now that the war is over, they must fight to carve out a place for themselves in a universe they were intended to die for but never be a part of.
Cargo pilot Zura Watson came to the edge of civilized space to start over. The Drift is a haven for the hunted, the lost, and those seeking second chances. It was also the last place in the cosmos Zura expected to find love.
When the shadows of the past threaten to eclipse this trio’s future, they’ll have to fight for their chance at love and the life they’ve always dreamed of.
CARNAGE
Hell Hounds MC 1
Hell’s best bounty hunter is about to meet his match…
After five centuries of service to the Devil, Carnage must decide if he will renew his contract or retire as the leader of the Hell Hounds. Before his time is up, the Devil has one more assignment for the hellhound shifter: track down a woman named Leta and deliver her to Hell.
Leta Fury should never have been born. Half angel, half demon, and all attitude, she can hold her own against anything the supernatural world can throw at her…until she meets an arrogant bounty hunter named Carnage.
It should have been a simple retrieval mission, but nothing is ever easy when you work for the King of Hell.
After five centuries of service to the Devil, Carnage must decide if he will renew his contract or retire as the leader of the Hell Hounds. Before his time is up, the Devil has one more assignment for the hellhound shifter: track down a woman named Leta and deliver her to Hell.
Leta Fury should never have been born. Half angel, half demon, and all attitude, she can hold her own against anything the supernatural world can throw at her…until she meets an arrogant bounty hunter named Carnage.
It should have been a simple retrieval mission, but nothing is ever easy when you work for the King of Hell.
SUMMONED AND SOLD
Summoned Series, Book 1
Torn from her world and enslaved by magic, Vela’s life is shattered in the name of greed. Born of a fae race of shifters, her exotic beauty and unique powers have damned her to a life of slavery. But as a true Feral, she will never allow anyone to enslave her spirit or claim her soul.
Torin is the Prince of Stryx, forced to watch as his father’s madness pushes the kingdom closer to the brink of destruction. Strong and true, Torin’s flaw keeps him from being the leader he is meant to be. Upon learning of his father’s plans to breed Vela’s fae abilities into the family bloodline, Torin agrees to marry her rather than subject her to the cruel perversions of his father’s bed.
Worlds collide under the king’s dark reign, but when Torin sets eyes on his bride, her beauty and courage ignite his passions. He knows that he will do anything to keep her at his side and in his bed, but how can Vela ever learn to love a man she is forced to call her master?
Torin is the Prince of Stryx, forced to watch as his father’s madness pushes the kingdom closer to the brink of destruction. Strong and true, Torin’s flaw keeps him from being the leader he is meant to be. Upon learning of his father’s plans to breed Vela’s fae abilities into the family bloodline, Torin agrees to marry her rather than subject her to the cruel perversions of his father’s bed.
Worlds collide under the king’s dark reign, but when Torin sets eyes on his bride, her beauty and courage ignite his passions. He knows that he will do anything to keep her at his side and in his bed, but how can Vela ever learn to love a man she is forced to call her master?
SUSAN is giving away a digital copy of her new paranormal short story, CARNAGE. International giveaway
ANGI'S back next Friday
For the 6th BLOG BIRTHDAY of GLIAS
or @GetLostInAStory #GetLostStories
UP NEXT for SUSAN
Wild Card
Series title & book # The Drift, Book #3
SUSAN WANTS TO KNOW: If you were given a chance to become any kind of shapeshifter, what would you want to be? A classic creature, like a werewolf? Or something exotic, like an eagle or a tiger?
