BLURB:
Clark Jackson’s travels, for the first time, put him in touch with
an intriguing species remarkably human-like. He becomes instantly fascinated
with the Fronents and envious of their advanced technology. Striving to
befriend them and learn more, his uncontrolled enthusiasm forsakes the use of
appropriate caution and suspicion. Could their cold reception be a byproduct of
their war with a vile species in this corner of the universe, or something else?
The magnificent splendor of an unexplored galaxy, new species to
encounter and the adrenalin rush of space battle feed Clark’s awestruck hunger
for exploration and adventure. Unfortunately, the more he learns the more he
questions; including the wisdom of his entangled involvement in their war.
Meanwhile, back home in Des Moines, Iowa, Clark attempts to
maintain an inconspicuous lifestyle to avoid attracting the attention of a
certain relentless federal agency. His girlfriend’s own secret, however, could
unravel it all.
**Even though the book is the second book in the series, it IS
standalone
EXCERPT:
The
entire bridge quaked with greater and greater intensity. Standing upright became increasingly
difficult with each passing moment, even with the help of safety bars. A ship of this size was not meant to traverse
a planet’s atmosphere.
“There
she is!” A cadet pointed at a screen.
The
enemy ship itself still wasn’t visible.
However, flames burst up out of nowhere, surrounding a small blank area
on the screen. Something was definitely
breaking the atmosphere of the planet.
“Now! Pull out.
Full speed ahead.”
The
shaking quickly diminished. Two seconds
later, the bridge was perfectly level and moving forward smoothly again.
“Now! Target those flames. Fire aft lasers. All engines stop.”
Clark
concentrated on the view screens. Lasers
connected twice as two explosions erupted amidst the flames. Crew members cheered. Captain Trind quickly put a stop to the
celebration as he continued to stare at the screens and rattle off
commands. The enemy vessel followed suit
and broke out of the atmosphere back into orbit. It came out firing. Lasers once again impacted the ship in
several locations.
“Fire! Keep firing!
Target the smoke! We can see
exactly where she is now. Hit her!”
The
camera view displayed her approach. The
smoking ship passed directly overhead, both ships trading fire, both taking
hits. Clark could feel the deck tremble
every time they were assaulted.
“All
ahead one-half. Follow that smoke
trail. Fire forward lasers.”
The
entire ship jumped three feet as an explosion emanated from below decks,
causing those standing to lose their footing.
A few seconds passed. Several
crew members shook their heads and struggled to stand. It took a few more seconds to regain
composure. Clark felt the ship slow
down.
“Sir
. . . the engine room . . . the engine room is gone. Completely.”
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
David Englund is a storyteller (science fiction
author) and teaches economics at North Dakota State University. His first two titles, Upsetting the Tides and
UNSEASONAL WAR are available on Amazon.
Camouflaged Encounters is due out in late 2014 and the fourth and fifth
books are in progress.
David will be awarding a digital copy of Unseasonal War to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Thank you so much for promoting my latest novel! I will check in several times today to see if your readers have any questions. I hope they have fun.
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