Passion, commitment and struggle across the centuries – #Historical #ActionAdventure #Giveaway

Blurb

Across centuries—power and peril—one fire endures.

Two eras. One relentless quest for truth amid desires and temptation. Across the centuries, two men are bound by parallel destinies that echo through time. Book 3 of this dual-time odyssey delves deep into the passions and struggles that connect their worlds.

In 2022 Hong Kong, Jason Guan, after losing his job as an assistant supervisor for wetland conservation, joins his uncle’s real-estate business. A chance meeting with his high school classmate, Vivian Jiang, draws him into a web of secrecy, seduction, and moral compromise. Amid the chaos, he and his wife, Debra, read an unpublished manuscript by her father, a celebrated writer, about the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864) and a man’s futile pursuit of justice and peace on earth.

In nineteenth-century China, Zhang Xin, an orphan saved from the streets by Missionary Issachar Jacox Roberts, is swept into the fiery rebellion of the Taiping movement. Torn between the dream of a just kingdom, his forbidden love for Miao Lan, and his loyalty to his ruthless brother, Xin reckons with doubt, conscience, and the cost of faith.

When greed and exploitation eclipse justice, both men must navigate their respective perils. Will they prevail or be consumed?

At once a political thriller and a historical epic, this novel tracks the embers that survive every age.

Excerpt

Heavy footsteps rustled in the thicket. Four Qing soldiers appeared. Their gazes fixed on Miao Lan.

“Ho!” The tallest bared yellow teeth. “What fine catch do we spy? A rebel and his pretty whore. Lay down those herbs, girl. Come oblige your betters!”

Xin sprang to his feet. “This lady is no one’s spoil. Go your way.”

A silent glance passed between him and Lan. He widened his stance. Miao Lan set the basket down and crouched to pick up a thick fallen branch.

The rogue jeered. “Move aside or die where you stand. Today, we take what’s owed to us.”

Lan snapped the stick in two, passing half to Xin. They fell in step, backs pressed together. She whispered, “Aim the jagged end toward their acupoints.”

In Xin’s peripheral vision, a stout foe lunged at Lan. She raised her stick and stabbed the man’s wrist. He howled, dropping his sword. Using her momentum, she spun and crushed her elbow into his jaw.

A soldier charged Xin. He ducked and followed the footwork from Master Miao’s demonstrations. The tip of his branch struck the attacker’s ankle. The man collapsed.

Two more assailants rushed toward them together. One slashed at Xin with a dagger, while the other seized Lan’s sleeve.

She targeted the man’s shoulder acupoint with her branch and numbed his grip before flipping him overhead into the reeds.

About the Author

From a young age, I cultivated a profound love of reading and writing. I would spend hours at the library, devouring every book on a single shelf before moving on to the next. It seems I have a longing that can’t be satisfied by reality. Immersing myself in literature allows me to escape into worlds where I could become someone graceful, witty, and popular.

Currently, I work for a small biotech company and have published 120+ scientific books and papers. As a latecomer to the world of creative writing, I’ve released several books under different pen names. R. F. Whong is the pen name used for publishing fiction titles, whereas Ruth Wuwong is the chosen name for non-fiction books. I’m delighted to share that I’ve been named a Featured Author by the Minnesota Anoka County Library in 2025 and by the Suffolk Virginia Authors Festival in 2026. One of my books, Echoes over Stormy Sea, won a few awards, including being chosen by readers as a winner in the 2025 HOLT Medallion Contest.

I’m married to my wonderful husband, a retired pastor who encourages me to pursue my dreams. We served together at three different churches from 1987 to 2020. Our adult son works in a nearby city.

Social Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/love.respect.grace

(https://www.amazon.com/stores/R-F-Whong/author/B0B3TXBKWP)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42632055.R_F_Whong

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/r-f-whong

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/RWuwong

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthwuwong

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ruth.wuwong

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-wu-wong

Website: https://ruthforchrist.com/blog-free-gifts-books/

Tiktok: @rfwhong

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ruthwuwong6618

 

Titles by RF Whong

Blazing China (family saga): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD9P49HW

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD983BKY

Detour to Agape (contemporary romance): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD9P29GJ

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD91MPYFY

The Way We Forgive (women’s fiction): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ5LNLNB

(audio: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CY3PJBDV) Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ4WDNCP

Prestige of Hearts (contemporary romance): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CV4FL3CH

(Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CV4ZMP5R

Center of Enigma (Paradise PA Mystery Book 1; mystery/suspense/thriller): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9R2M134

(Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D98S2Y1C)

Essence of Illusion (Paradise PA Mystery Book 2; mystery/suspense/thriller): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFVPKW3N

(audio: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DG3T7Y51)

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFW7J1HX

Allure of Elegance (Paradise PA Mystery Book 3; mystery/suspense/thriller): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FCP1BV32

(audio: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CY2QBBVY )

Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/bWwxAG

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FD7P99X3

Series Page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFNXPSGW

Love Under Holy Skies (contemporary romance): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F362Q7T8

Audio: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYCQHNVB

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3CX8SKD

Echoes over Stormy Sea (Action/Adventure; Dual-time Odyssey Book 1): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPGQ6TZP

(Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPHTQXHC)

(Audio: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQLS74JP)

Thunders over Idle Land (Action/Adventure; Dual-time Odyssey Book 2): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F49GFHW6

(Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4DSRHDX)

(Audio: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBK2XZJ1 )

Fire Between Two Skies (Action/Adventure; Dual-time Odyssey Book 3): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2YZZ8LG

Series Page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4LKXS2W

R. F. Whong will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. 

 

Just for fun... #Quiz #LesbianFiction #SciFi

Got a few minutes? Looking for something a bit more interesting and uplifting than doom-scrolling through this week’s crises? Why not take my Author Quiz at IHeartSapphFic?

https://iheartsapphfic.com/2026/01/28/the-lisabet-sarai-challenge/

Even if you have been reading my books for a long time, I’ll bet you will find out something new about me.

Meanwhile, here is a bit from my latest LGBTQ romance, Free Fall: Escape from Xanadu.

 

Mariel

She arrives at the cafeteria at 1245. It’s bustling. She scans the rows of tables and locates Rain in the far corner, in a less crowded area. Using her wristband, she orders a soy-cheese sandwich and reconstituted orange juice, then takes her tray over to Rain’s table. Her heart slams against her ribs as she approaches her lover.

Rain is dressed for work, in a pale, lace-trimmed lingerie that highlights her tawny skin. She’s so desirable that she steals Mariel’s breath and makes it hard to speak.

“Uh—do you mind if I sit here?” Mariel feels shy and flustered, despite their history.

Rain’s mouth quirks in the hint of a grin. “Of course not. I’m happy to have company.”

Mariel takes a chair across from Rain. She is dying to tell Rain how much she has missed her, how she dreams about holding the other woman close, how she wakes with the memory of Rain’s taste in her mouth.

Does Rain feel the same overwhelming longing? Her beautiful, exotic face gives nothing away.

 

Find all the buy links on my website: https://www.lisabetsarai.com/freefallbook.html

Birthday Bash! #Giveaway #Survey

Image by Dorothe Wouters from Pixabay

Greetings! I’m in a great mood since today is my birthday. Made it through another year! In fact I’m off at the beach relaxing right now, but I wanted to include you, my readers, in my special day.

Want to be part of my birthday bash? I am giving away a $10 bookstore gift certificate. To enter, do one of the following (or both):

• Leave a comment on this post, telling me what book of mine you would most like to read. Be sure to include your email address. Otherwise I won’t be able to contact you if you win.

• Send an email to contest [at] lisabetsarai [dot] com with the same information.

But wait a minute! I’ve published close to 100 titles in the 26 years I’ve been an author. How can you choose, especially since I write in so many different sub-genres?

As it happens, my website has a cool feature that lets you see all my books that fit into different categories. Just go to https://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html

Select your preference from the Genres and Categories drop-down list. The site will display the covers from all matching books; click on a cover to read the blurb and excerpt and see the buy links.

For instance, here’s what you get if you choose Paranormal. (They won’t all fit on one screen.)

Here are my Sci Fi, Speculative and Steampunk titles. 

 

Lots of my books have LGBTQ content.

 

The category list also includes different book lengths and entries for my series.

And if you really have no idea what you’re interested in – click on Surprise Me! for a random recommendation!

So – join me in celebrating another year of writing by telling me what you’d like to read. You could win a birthday present, from me.

Remember: if you leave a comment, you must include your email (obfuscated is fine).

Let me take you out for coffee – #EroticRomance #Taboo #MFRWBookHooks

Welcome to this week’s edition of MFRW Book Hooks! Today I am featuring a bit from one of my oldest books. Incognito was the second novel I wrote, originally published (by Blue Moon Books, in print) in 2002. It has been through four editions since then, improving (I believe...) with each one. I’ve made the dialogue smoother and the emotions more believable. What hasn’t changed is the heat.

Incognito is definitely a romance. It follows the development of a serious, committed, loving relationship and ends with honeymoon. At the same time, it also fits the definition of erotica, chronicling one woman’s journey as she tries to come to terms with her own desires. In fact, there are two journeys here, since my heroine Miranda finds her own experiences mirrored in the secret diary of a Victorian gentlewoman in Boston.

I seem to have a lot of difficulty writing books that fit neatly into genre pigeonholes.

Anyway, here’s a short blurb and a PG excerpt. Hope you enjoy it.

Blurb

Shy and serious by day—insatiable by night.

During the day, Miranda Cahill works diligently on her doctoral thesis. At night, she has sex with strangers. Her secret life explodes when she realizes her masked partner at a kink club and the charismatic colleague courting her are in fact the same person – the one man who can teach her to accept her diverse desires, as well as to trust her heart.

The Hook

The grizzled head of Harold Scofield poked through the door. “Hello, Miranda. I am sorry to intrude, but I have someone to whom I would like to introduce you.” Miranda smiled to herself; her genial thesis advisor always sounded like a grammar textbook. The gray-bearded figure in suspenders bustled in, followed by an attractive young man in dark-framed eyeglasses.

“Miranda, I would like to present Mark Anderson, our new lecturer. Mark will be handling the Dickens course for the summer session.”

“Mark, this is Miranda Cahill, my most promising graduate student.” Miranda blushed, and Dr. Scofield’s eyes twinkled. “Miranda has chosen a rather controversial topic for her thesis, a new interpretation of the corpus of Victorian erotica.”

The newcomer’s polite smile expanded to a grin. “Really. That’s fascinating. Sounds far more—stimulating—than my dissertation on the metaphorical significance of orphans in Dickens and his contemporaries.”

Miranda’s blush deepened as she noted the double entendre. She met his teasing gaze, almost defiantly. “Yes, it is an intriguing topic, and I believe one of considerable literary and social significance, as well.” He had thick, dark hair, slightly tousled. His eyes behind the glasses were velvety brown with glints of gold. In his face, she saw intelligence, energy, and humor.

“Miranda has championed an unusual theory, that the explosion of sexually-oriented writing during the latter half of the nineteenth century was a reflection of actual practices, rather than a reaction against repressive public morals.” Her advisor appeared to be enjoying the role of agent provocateur. “She believes that the detailed accounts of sexual adventure and aberration published during the era chronicled real experiences, not merely fantasies.”

“Hmm.” Their bespectacled companion looked both amused and interested. “What evidence do you have to support this proposition?”

“Well, to begin with,” said Miranda, automatically adopting an academic tone, “a significant fraction of these writings are first person accounts. And a surprising number are related from a woman’s perspective. If this were primarily a literature of fantasy and titillation, I would expect a male point-of-view to dominate, as it does in modern pornography.” Miranda was encouraged to see that her audience listened attentively and gave due consideration to her points.

“Secondly, these tales are full of real-world details and commentary that would be superfluous and even distracting in fictional erotica. The protagonists discuss social issues such as poverty, child abuse, oppression of the lower classes, things that can only detract from a work intended as escapist fantasy. Even a hack pornographer knows better than to mention the unpleasant or the mundane, illegitimate pregnancies, unpaid bills, rising damp. Yet references to such items are common in the corpus.

“Finally, I find in many of these writings a thoughtfulness that conflicts with the conventions of the pornographic genre. The narrators are engaged in a wide variety of sexual activities, which are described in vivid and provocative detail. At the same time, in many cases, they reflect on their own desires and behaviors, sometimes justifying themselves in the face of the official morality, sometimes castigating themselves for weakness and sinfulness. Either way, there is a psychological depth that would be redundant in fictional erotica.”

“So, what you are saying,” interposed Mark with a grin, “is that a fictional character would simply go ahead and bugger his maid, whereas an individual writing a clandestine diary would spend some time and effort wondering why he wanted to bugger his maid, before he got around to actually doing it?”

“No, no, that’s not it at all!” Miranda, embarrassed and flustered, wondered if the new instructor had been reading her manuscript over her shoulder. Her eyes flashed. “You’re not willing to take me seriously, any more than the submission review committee for the Association for Modern Literature!”

“Now, Miranda,” soothed her advisor. “Mark was just teasing you.” Looking again at the attractive stranger, Miranda saw that Scofield was telling the truth.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Mark held out his hand like a peace offering. “I really am delighted to meet you. Your theory is unconventional and provocative, but who knows, it might actually be true.”

His skin was cool and dry, the pressure of his fingers firm and confident.

“Let me take you out for coffee, and you can tell me more about what your research has turned up thus far.” As he released her hand, he brushed his fingers lightly against her palm.

The secret, sensual gesture terrified her. Miranda found herself reacting as she so often did in the presence of a man who desired her. She felt herself tense, contract, her fears and uncertainties condensing into a dense, cold knot under her solar plexus. Her face was stiff and wooden as she tried to smile. “Thank you, but I can’t right now. I have an incredible amount of work to get done.”

“Diligent, industrious Miranda,” her advisor scolded her lightly. “You need to take more time for yourself. It is Saturday, after all.”

“Thanks, but I need to work harder. I need more evidence to support my theory. Deeper study, of a larger number of texts.”

“Please…” Mark began, disappointment plain in his voice. Then he saw clearly that she would not be swayed. “Well, maybe another time.” He smiled so warmly that the icy knot thawed slightly. “I’d definitely like to get to know you better, Miranda.”

After they left, Miranda sank back into her chair and put her face in her hands. Her reactions were crazy and inconsistent. On the one hand, she nervously rejected the attentions of an attractive, educated, appealing man like Anderson. And on the other—she could not bring herself to review the events of the previous night, but she was acutely and uncomfortably aware that she had acted outrageously.

Buy Links

Ebook

Kinky Literature: https://kinkyliterature.com/book/362-incognito-secret-lives-forbidden-loves

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1N7CTMQ

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B1N7CTMQ

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1147874

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/incognito-secret-lives-forbidden-loves

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61138791-incognito

Audio - Narrated by Freya Victoria

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Incognito-Secret-Lives-Forbidden-Loves/dp/B0BMWG2XQK

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Incognito-Audiobook/B0BMWDKQH2

Paperback (Amazon) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D57SFNSF

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks!

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Charity Sunday: For the Wild World – #Conservation #Wildlife #CharitySunday

Welcome to the first Charity Sunday of 2026!

I got some good news today. In my inbox I found an e-newsletter from the World Wildlife Fund (now known as the World Wide Fund for Nature outside of the U.S. and Canada). Headlining the newsletter was a link to this incredible video of a mother tiger and her litter of five tiger cubs.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/an-astonishing-five-tiger-cubs-captured-on-video-in-northeast-china/

This is more than just entertainment. Tigers usually give birth to only two or three cubs. The size of this litter is testimony to the health of the environment in which they were born. China has been very active in conserving its natural resources; the video was captured by scientists’ camera traps designed to monitor wildlife. Their efforts are paying off.

For more than sixty years, WWF had been working to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. They’re the largest conservation organization in the world, operating in more than 100 countries. They’re also quite wealthy. One might ask whether my small contribution will make any difference at all. Those of you who frequent my Charity Sunday events will know my answer to that: if each of us gave a little, the total would be substantial.

In any case, I wanted to share the tigers with you. They are enough to cheer anyone up! (So pass the link on to your friends!)

For today’s Charity Sunday, I’ll donate two dollars to WWF for every comment I receive.

Surprisingly, given my ailurophilic tendencies, I don’t have any books featuring tigers. I have written one story which includes a were-jaguar, though. Unfortunately he is the villain! But I thought I’d share part of the apocalyptic conclusion of my Mayan-themed paranormal romance Serpent’s Kiss with you anyway!

Excerpt

“So,” the old woman murmured, “it has come at last. In my lifetime. The end of the great cycle.”

“Yes.” A terrible fear swept like storm through Elena’s heart. “He is there now, at the summit of the volcano, struggling against the one who would destroy us all.”

The priestess was still for a moment, looking inward. “You must go to him, then. Now.”

“But how? He took his feather away from me.”

The crone laughed. “You need no power object. I told you, you have his soul. Picture him clearly. Reach for him with your mind.”

Panic rose like bile in Elena’s throat. “I tried…”

“Calm yourself, child. Call him with your faith, not your fear. Imagine him as you love him, not in the midst of a deadly struggle, but full of strength and power.” The old woman took Elena’s hand in both her own. Her skin was soft as the petals of a flower.

The touch soothed Elena’s shaking, slowed her hurtling heartbeat.

“Breathe,” murmured the shaman. “Breathe deeply, and reach for what you desire.”

Elena closed her eyes. An image took shape behind her lids—Jorge, nude, magnificent, calling down the rains the night of the fire. She remembered the jet locks tumbling over his powerful shoulders, the ripeness of his mouth as he sang his entreaties to his gods. In her mind, she knelt before him, reaching out, eager to caress his firm, smooth body.

The ground lurched under her feet, throwing her down on all fours. A deafening roar welled up from the earth. Thunder answered. Lightning shot through the cloudbank, painting the grey walls a lurid white before plunging everything into blackness. I’m too late, Elena thought, her body tossed about like a rag doll by the unsteady ground. It’s already the end.

Her knees and palms stung, lacerated by the coarse surface beneath her. She opened her eyes. A cloud of sparks exploded into the night sky. Hot ash rained down on her bare arms. The earth shook itself and bellowed like a wounded beast. Red and yellow tongues flared up, hissing, silhouetting the black edge of a ridge in front of her. The air reeked of sulphur.

Volcán de Fuego. She had made it.

She tried to stand, but the frenzied earth kept casting her down. She finally had to crawl to the lip of the crater, ignoring the sharp pumice that abraded her skin. An explosion tore at her eardrums. Flames snapped above her head. New sparks pelted down. Burning embers landed in her hair, but were smothered by her thick mane. Blisters rose on her skin.

Warily, she peered over the edge into the broad, shallow bowl of the caldera.

This depression, perhaps fifty meters across, was the remnant of an old eruption that had blown off the top of the mountain. At its center, a cinder cone belched sparks and flame from the active vent. Clouds of steam and ash swirled above the basin, stained a dirty orange by the seething fires below. The sulphurous stink clung to her nostrils.

The concave space was paved with grey pumice and black ash, interrupted by basalt boulders meters high that had been ejected in past ages. It reminded Elena of a Roman amphitheatre. Within its confines, gladiators fought to the death.

They wore their beast forms. The enormous jaguar, orange as the volcanic flames, circled the winged snake. Quetzlcoatl hovered above the ground, his wing-beats sending sparks circling around them. The were-cat’s roar of challenge echoed across the basin; the earth growled in answer. He lashed out at the serpent with a vicious paw. Even from her distant vantage point, Elena saw the claws flash.

Jorge darted out of the way. The cat’s talons sliced through smoky air. Remorros roared again, this time in frustration. Meanwhile, Jorge drew back his massive head, then struck like lightning. The jaguar tried to evade the strike, but the snake’s fangs raked a pair of deep grooves across his flank. Blood gathered in an opaque pool on the glittering black sand.

Remorros backed away, not taking his eyes off his opponent. Jorge stilled his wings and settled to the ground, awaiting the next assault. The cat limped slightly. He bent to lick at his wounds. Suddenly, he gathered himself into a crouch and launched himself into the air, toward his opponent. His jaws closed on the serpent’s throat.

Elena struggled desperately not to cry out. She knew that distracting Jorge now could be fatal. The snake did not seem badly hurt, however, perhaps due to his scaly armour. He unfolded one of his bird-limbs and ripped into the jaguar’s belly with a dagger-like talon.

Remorros bellowed in agony. Jorge shook him off and whirled away to a safer distance. His wings beat slowly as he watched his antagonist. Elena did not see any wound, but it seemed from Jorge’s tentative movements that he too was in pain.

The jaguar lay on its side, panting. Had Jorge won?As she watched, hardly daring to hope, the cat-form blurred and shrank. The naked body of Teodoro Remorros stretched out on the floor of the caldera, a gaping hole in his abdomen.

He can’t possibly survive such an injury, thought Elena, rising to her knees in order to get a better view. This must be the end. But even as she watched, the man pushed himself to a sitting position, then to a hunched stand. He placed his hands over the terrible wound. Elena could see the blood seeping between his fingers. Then he began to chant in some alien tongue.

The volcano rumbled and belched cinders. The flow of blood slowed, then stopped. Remorros stood tall. He took his hands away from his belly. The wound was gone.

Remorros’ laugh rang out in the sulphurous air. “Kulkulcan! See my power! My god-flesh is indestructible. You cannot defeat me.”

Jorge still wore his serpent-form. As she watched, though, the towering column of scales and feathers began to whirl, coiling faster than the eye could follow. The wings faded into mist that swirled away. The green blur slowed and dwindled. Jorge’s tawny, muscled form emerged, apparently unscathed.

His long hair streamed behind him, carried by the hot winds from the vent. His eyes reflected the volcano’s fire. He held aloft the gleaming black sword. “Tezcatlipoca! You always were a braggart. Come meet your fate.”

Please don’t forget to leave a comment! We need a world with more healthy tigers—and other creatures, including human beings.

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The Alien Commander and the Delivery Girl – #SciFi #Comedy #Giveaway

Blurb

I was sixteen when I found out not only am I an alien hybrid, but monsters called the Tai-Kok were getting ready to invade our world. Guess who gets to stop them? Me! How?

My uncle, the mad scientist, created a machine called the portal that instantaneously sends a test subject from one location to another by converting them into energy. His idea is to port me onto a Tai-Kok ship. All I have to do is leave a bomb, hit the retrieval button on my spiffy traveler’s belt and poof! I’m back on Earth before the Tai-Kok ship goes kaboom. Sounds simple, right?

Wrong. Uncle Ben doesn’t have a clue where I’ll actually appear on the ship. It could be the engine room, the crew quarters, or even the bridge. It’s like playing Russian roulette. The Tai-Kok don’t like surprises or uninvited guests.

To make things even more fun, I have an alien battle commander stuck in my head and I’m related to a powerful Coletti warlord. Yippee. The chances of me living to see eighteen aren’t good.

Excerpt

“Give ‘em hell.” A wild look in his eyes, Uncle Ben tapped on the console.

The circles of light surrounded me, but this time it felt like a zillion fire ants were crawling over my body. Holy hell! Something had gone wrong! I appeared in midair and dropped like a rock. Smack! I slammed into someone, and my Glock went flying.

My eyes bugged. I was on the bridge of a futuristic warship, and the viewscreen showed one hell of a space battle going on. To make things even more fun, I was lying across the lap of a huge, muscle-bound male wearing black battle armor. Since he was sitting in the captain’s chair, I was assuming he was the boss.

A very angry-looking boss. I blinked. Holy cow was he good-looking, if you were into the whole merciless predator thing. Huh? The red chains woven into his black warrior’s braids matched the communication device on his left wrist. Who knew aliens accessorized and why did I care? I took a deep breath trying to control the panic streaking through me.

A low growl rumbled in his chest.

One look into his disturbingly hostile amber eyes and I knew I was in big trouble. I reached for my retrieval button.

His arms clamped around me painfully, and he spat a bunch of gobbledygook.

"Sorry, I don’t speak that language,” I replied mentally. Somehow, I knew he was psychic.

A harsh voice sounded in my head, “How did you get through our shields.”

“Dunno. My uncle is the scientific genius, not me. I’m just the delivery girl.”

“What do you deliver?”

Did I look stupid? The minute I told him bombs; he’d kill me. I pasted a friendly smile on my face. “Stuff. I’m Lexi and you are?”

“Battle Commander Kaelen. I serve Zarek the Coletti Overlord.”

About the Author

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale Police Department and to keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no idea what a real emergency is. Take this for example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency, what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in a tree.” Sometimes I really couldn’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have a tendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. My pet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not a clue. “I’m sorry ma’am but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman then cried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to deal with? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone I took up writing.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1598719.Gail_Koger

https://twitter.com/Askole

https://www.facebook.com/Colettiwarlordbooks/

https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Koger/e/B001K838BY

https://www.gailkoger.com

Gail Koger will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

Join us for Charity Saturday, 25 January 2026 #CharitySundaySignup #Altruism #Marketing

Since 2017, I’ve been devoting the last Sunday in each month to a post which features some worthy cause. Often, other bloggers join me in this effort, turning the event into a blog hop. This Sunday, January 25^th, is the first Charity Sunday of 2026.

In honor of the new year, I’ve created a new banner, which you can download here: https://www.lisabetsarai.com/2026CharitySundayBanner.jpg

Charity Sunday is a meme designed to give authors and bloggers a chance to give back to the world, as well as to attract new readers.

How does it work? Each participant selects a favorite charity. Before the date, you should prepare a blog post that: 1) talks about the charity and why you support it; 2) provides a link to the charity; 3) includes an excerpt from one of your books; 4) includes the code to show links to other participating blogs.

It’s fun if you can make the excerpt relate somehow to your chosen charity, but this isn’t required.

For every comment left on your post, you commit to giving some amount to the relevant charity. The specific charity and the amount to donate are up to you. You can set an upper limit to your donation if you want.

If you’d like to participate in the next Charity Sunday on January 25^th, sign up using the Linky List below. Please be sure that the link you enter will lead directly to your Charity Sunday post, not just to the home page of your blog.

Be sure to use the new Charity Sunday banner!

For an example post, check out this link from my last Charity Sunday:

https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2025/12/charity-sunday-shelter-for-all.html

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