There’s only one week to go before Shattered Earth releases. I’ve been wanting to share Kohia’s story with you for so long that the tension, now, on how you’ll receive it is MASSIVE. I hope you’ll love her and Nairo. I hope the future for Earth that I describe in the novella never happens!

Book releases don’t really get easier, emotionally. There is so much hope wrapped up in each one. I used to describe how I felt as nervous or stressed or overwhelmed, but you know, anticipation is a much better word – and not just for book releases.

Anticipation catches that positive and negative excitement. Like when you were a kid and you’d practically get sick with excitement when a big event loomed. It’s not simply dread. I think that waiting for something huge and happy imposes its own kind of stress. Which isn’t to say I don’t want huge, happy things to happen every day (I’m greedy, that way).

Anticipation is also the emotion that a good novel should evoke with every page. Good or bad, wonderful or scary, when a reader has to read on, that’s the power of anticipation. We’re hooked on the feeling 😉

There’s an excerpt from Shattered Earth, below, but first I’d like to say a quick “thank you” to Arcadia Shield for helping get the news out about Cosmic Catalyst‘s release a couple of weeks ago. She has the wonderful Ember Quest science fiction romance series in Kindle Unlimited at the moment – a free read for us KU subscribers. Yay!

Even if you’re not a KU subscriber, Heath is only 99c! Woohoo!

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075WX61C9

Excerpt

“My tiger,” Kohia said, too accustomed to being with other shifters to censor her words. “She wants a cuddle, from you.”

“Uh.” His mouth opened, but no coherent words came out. He closed it. Then he very carefully laid aside his tablet and stylus, his gaze remaining locked on Kohia.

The intensity of his focus puzzled her. Nor did a subdued snicker from those at the table help matters. “What?”

“If your tiger needs a cuddle, from me…”

Now, why did he have to add that “from me” in his deliciously low voice?

“Then come here.” He actually patted his knee.

Kohia would have ignored him on principle, just for that patronizing knee pat, except that her tiger had other ideas. Kohia’s powerful leg muscles launched her up, and the next instant she was falling into Nairo’s lap.

He caught her with surprising deftness. Even more surprising was how the blank remoteness had vanished from his face. His eyes positively blazed with emotion.

Shocked to see such raw need in him, Kohia failed to protest his brazen arrangement of her body until she rested comfortably within his embrace. And by then it was too late. Her tiger had been right, the hussy. Cuddling with Nairo soothed the tension that had been making Kohia scratchy. For the sake of the mission and its smooth running, she snuggled closer. Yeah, that was her excuse, and she’d fight anyone who called her on it.

You can pre-order Shattered Earth today! Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076PW4S19