$20 GC – Stellar Heir by Scott Killian @goddessfish @authorsekillian

STELLAR HEIR by Scott Killian

GENRE:  Science Fiction

MY REVIEW

Stellar Heir by Scott Killian is an action packed space opera. The more I read, the more involved I became as Jael Ked’Korhva traveled the galaxy, running from those who want what he has, an alien artifact.

“Others had the artifact, had the chance to become the Stellar Heir, but none took the simple step of putting it on.”

I loved the descriptions and the alien world Scott Killian has created. The author’s imagination amazes me. The mismatched group of characters that end up helping Jael grow with each stop along the way. We even manage to find a little romance, that spices up the novel.

I was disappointed that the story didn’t end with Stella Heir, but I would love to know what happens next.

I’d like to thank Scott Killian for the opportunity to read and review Stellar Heir.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

Jael Ked’Korhva hadn’t anticipated becoming the galaxy’s most wanted.

He hadn’t planned on picking up a strange alien artifact, either, but once it was clasped around his wrist, Jael was granted extraordinary abilities. His senses were heightened, his reflexes faster, and he could now regenerate from damage that would spell the end for others, which was a boon, considering he was just a derelict scavenger.

That was until forces from every corner of the stars wanted Jael’s artifact for themselves, and they’ll stop at nothing to take it back. What initially appears as a boon swiftly transforms into a weighty charge. Yet, it’s a charge Jael accepts without hesitation, understanding the catastrophic potential should the relic fall into the wrong hands.

Prodded onward by visions of an ancient ally and a mysterious enemy, Jael becomes a pivotal piece in a vast interstellar play of power and dominion.

An action-packed space opera, perfect for science fiction fans of Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio or The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey.

EXCERPT

Jael’s world shifted, reality melting away as the woman’s touch transported his consciousness across the vastness of space. The galaxy unfurled before him, countless stars and vibrant worlds.

A creeping darkness emerged from the fringes, seeping into the cosmic fabric like spilled ink. Jael watched in horror as the void engulfed entire star systems, extinguishing their light with terrifying efficiency.

Planets that once teemed with life withered under the encroaching shadow. Lush forests crumbled to ash, oceans boiled away, and sprawling cities crumbled into dust. The screams of billions echoed across the vacuum, abruptly silenced as the darkness consumed them.

Stars flickered and died, snuffed out like candles in a gale. Nebulae collapsed, their swirling colors fading to a dull, lifeless gray. The galaxy’s spiral arms now resembled dark skeletal fingers reaching into nothingness.

As the last remnants of light faded, Jael found himself suspended in an endless, inky void. The darkness was not still, but writhed and pulsated. Shapeless entities, darker than the blackness surrounding them, twisted and coiled through the emptiness.

The woman’s voice echoed in his mind, “This is the future that awaits if you fail. The enemy comes, and with it, the end of all things.” She moved in close and placed a hand on his cheek. “Find me on Dusrist before it is too late.”

As the woman began to fade, behind her, another figure began to materialize. A shadow Jael hadn’t thought about in years.

Jael’s breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding against his chest. The figure’s face slowly came into focus—a sharp jawline, weathered by time and countless wars, gray, ashen skin, a tell-tale sign of genetic alteration and eyes that Jael would never forget. Those predatory, multi-pupiled eyes that had haunted Jael’s nightmares since he was a child.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Scott Killian grew up in California where he consumed every bit of sci-fi and horror media he could find. Delving deep into the works of Thomas Harris, Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft to name a few, those dark portals in his mind were opened and his obsession with the macabre began. Story telling, in any form, is his greatest passion.

  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scott.E.killian
  • Twitter: https://x.com/authorsekillian
  • Email: saltnsulfurpublishing@gmail.com
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  • Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DF1RLYLB
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The Spotlight Is On On This Christmas, I Thee Wed by Virginia Barlow @pumpupyourbook

 


Easy to read happy ever after holiday romance.

 



Title: On This Christmas, I Thee Wed

Author: Virginia Barlow

Publication Date: December 18, 2024

Pages: 280

Genre: Historical Holiday Romance

Bartered to Viscount Hudson Becker by her father, Lady Lavinia Holbrook escapes her arranged marriage and travels to her Godmother, the Duchess of Chauncy to seek asylum. Determined to put men and marriage behind her, she is unprepared for the duke’s interest or his heated kisses. 

The Duke of Chauncy believes love is a weakness and refuses to take a bride despite his mother’s scheming. When the duchess makes a wager he will marry by Christmas, he considers the matter a lark. Until Lavinia gets under his skin, and he rethinks his position on love and happy ever afters.

 On This Christmas I Thee Wed is available through these fine retailers…

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GUEST POST

The Inspiration Behind On This Christmas, I Thee Wed

On This Christmas I Thee Wed is my sixteenth story.  In a previous story, the groom left the bride at the altar, and I thought a Regency Romance where the bride left a very eligible groom at the altar would be a fun story to write. 

 I enjoyed creating this story a great deal. 

The relationship between a man and his wife was so different back then. Women were treated as possessions and had no rights. They could not own property or voice their opinion in politics. 

I mention an incident in the book where a man put a collar around his wife’s neck and auctioned her off because he was displeased with her. This custom is referred to as wife-selling and originated around the end of 17th century in England.

My heroine abhors the idea of being subjected to the whims of a man and runs away, hoping to make a different life.

I am a romantic at heart and believe true love finds a way. The duke has just as much reason to avoid marriage as my heroine but for different reasons. He has seen the devastation losing the love of your life can cause and avoids the situation at all costs because he believes love is a weakness.

The Wild Rose Press, who published this story, had a series named Christmas in the Castle. I wrote this story for the series and once I submitted the manuscript I received a contract.

When I wrote my first book, I purchased The Guide to Literary  Agents and submitted to every press who accepted romance submissions until I received an offer.

There is a lot of perseverance and soul searching involved, but my journey to being an author has been both fulfilling and exciting. 

I look forward to many more contracts and release days. I want to thank all my readers for their support. I couldn’t do it without you.

Happy Reading!


Book Excerpt

His mother planned his downfall into marriage with meticulous care or she wouldn’t have goaded him with her bet. And he didn’t believe her innocent of sending Lavinia to the wrong chamber last night, despite her feigned innocence.

Nay. His mother had nothing to do but plot his matrimonial demise and design a nursery for his progeny.

God. Though he loved her with all his heart, why wouldn’t she accept his decision to remain a bachelor?

Lavinia’s voice played in his head.

There, neither Papa nor the viscount can order me

to do anything I don’t want to do.

He understood her frustration, but even Scotland wouldn’t save him from his mother. The woman had a tenacious streak to rival Satan’s.

And who the hell was the viscount? He knew of no scandal involving Lavinia. Her voice continued.

I refuse to be some man’s broodmare, impregnated and discarded…

Snorting, he wanted to add his discontent to being a…What would a man forced to sire a child be called, anyway? A brood sire?

He chuckled. Discarded like a settee in the parlor.

Forgotten until the lord required someplace to sit. The girl used amusing analogies, he thought. But if she were his, he wouldn’t be sitting on her. Nay, she would be atop

him. The memory of her soft body in his arms made him rigid.

Shifting in his seat to ease his ardor, he remembered her mentioning being abducted by a Scot and taken to the highlands to ravish. Then her voice went all dreamy and soft as if ravishment by a highlander were every girl’s fantasy.

His lips tightened as he swung his chair around to stare out the window, steepling his fingers in thought.

English lords were much better lovers and far superior in every other avenue. What the devil did she have against them?

Perhaps her parents were the answer. The Earl of Holbrook and his wife were the epitome of a marriage of convenience, and with their history, he could understand her reluctance to join the marital throng. He avoided the marriage noose for much the same reason. Thoughts of being tied to some of the ladies his mother paraded through the castle made him shudder with revulsion.

Good god, what a dreadful thought.

– Excerpted from On This Christmas, I Thee Wed by Virginia Barlow, The Wild Rose Press, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author
 

Virginia Barlow has been a dreamer her whole life. She loves reading, traveling, and roses. She will dive headfirst into any romance she can get her hands on in any genre. Although her first love is Regency Romance and always will be.  Something about the era calls to her soul like a siren’s song rising from the depths.

She loves to write steamy romances whether fantasy, historical, or contemporary, all are liberally spiced with adventure and sensual, seductive heroes. Her heroines are just as compelling with equal parts intelligence, sass, and backbone. They give as good as they get whether saving their man’s life or responding to his heated kisses, they’re all in.

The most important thing in Virginia’s life is her family, and spending time with them. When she is not bouncing a grandbaby in her arms or handing out popsicles, she is writing and dreaming up her next love story.  Virginia has published fifteen romance novels with another two on the way and has half a dozen more circling around inside her head eager to make their debut.

Website & Social Media:

Website  https://www.virginia-barlow.com/ 

X  https://x.com/Virgini35142126 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/3046288755596817 

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19838312.Virginia_Barlow 

 


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