Another Bit from Galaxy Rand

Here's another of my favorite scenes from my new space opera Galaxy Rand:

   "Rand, have you considered that your past might very well provide the motive behind the recent attempts upon your life?"
   "I don't follow you, Tin Man. You saying some bastard wants me dead because my past isn't exactly flawless?" I had to shake my head. The whole idea was fleggin crazy! "Naw, I can't buy that load of bilge."
   "Do not dismiss my theory quite so hastily, Rand. Let us hypothesize that someone from your past does indeed intend to kill you or to have you killed. The motive would most likely be one of two: either fear or hatred, or perhaps a combination of the two."
   I got a real chuckle outta that one. "Lots of people in this solar system hate my bloody guts, Tin Man! But fear? Hell, nobody's afraid of me--'cept the jackers and smugglers operating in this sector. I do my job. I recoup, period! Otherwise, I make it a firm policy never to stick my nose into other people's business, whether it's legal or illegal. Too damned dangerous!"
   "But as a recoup agent, you are paid to recover hijacked goods, are you not!" Blackie demanded, as if he thought I needed reminding about my own profession.
   "Yeah, and I'm damned good at it, pal."
   "Have you recovered any stolen property of late?"
   My pride was stung; felt my face go flame-red, so I turned away from the bot's nosey stare. "Uh, well, I have to admit the job's been a helluva lot tougher than usual lately. Besides, I never claimed I recouped one hundred percent," I grumbled.
   "As rumors would have it, Rand, the ISF suspects that a criminal mastermind is responsible for the most recent hijackings plaguing this sector of the galaxy. You would not be at all familiar with the subject of these rumors, now would you?"
   I growled, "Wouldn't give you two damn credits for any unsubstantiated rumors, pal"
   The bot pounced. "A six-syllable word! Absolutely astounding! That must be a new verbal record for you, Rand!"
   I glared daggers at him, not appreciating the snarky remark one damn bit. "Look here, you smart-ass--!" I started to snarl, then checked myself. "Why in the name of Unholy Hell am I sitting here arguing with a fleggin piece of machinery? Especially one that thinks it's God's greatest gift to the whole damn Universe!"

copyright@2014

That's it for now, folks. Hope you enjoyed reading.

Keep reading and keep on writing!

MRTighe

A Scene From Judgment on Tartarus

So here's a bit of Chapter 6: "A Fist to the Jaw"---literally!

   Rona Scott's next encounter with the infuriating Tartarian proved even more puzzling than the last.

   After her daily workout, she left the rec-deck and went down to her quarters to change for fourth-watch Bridge duty. She doffed her sweat-soaked exercise outfit, showered, and dressed in a fresh blue jumpsuit.

   Bound for the Bridge, Rona started down the length of Deck Five's Alpha Corridor, headed for the forward lift-complex. Ahead, she heard angry voices. The words were indistinguishable, but she recognized the Tartarian's voice--deep, precise, and obviously furious. A barked laugh answered him.

   Rona came within clear sight of the lift-complex just in time to witness a scene she never would've believed possible.

   Standing in the middle of Beta Corridor, port, Malkis faced a belligerant Lieutenant Klasner. Rona instantly recognized the big man from the recent Commissary incident. Upon seeing Rona Scott approaching, without  warning the Exec drew back his right arm and drove a knotted fist straight into Klasner's jaw. His fist connected with an audible crack, slamming the burly crewman against the bulkhead behind him. Klasner slid to the deck, unconscious.

   Malkis calmly flexed his pale, blue-veined hand, pivoted on his heel, and approached Rona, who stood rooted to the spot in horror. His pale-gray eyes impaled her with such frightening intensity that she let out a gasp.

   "Ensign Scott, did you overhear any of that conversation?" he demanded in an urgent tone.

   Rona shook her head before finding her voice and replying weakly, "No--no, Sir--not at all!"

   "You are quite certain?"

   "Yes, Sir--I'm certain. Not a single word."

@copyright 2011

A mystifying incident, a serious breach of regs, with an intriguing explanation! For more, go to amazon.com and see the  "Look Inside" feature.I think you'll enjoy reading more; at least I hope you do.

Keep on writing, and keep on reading!

MRTighe

Another Little Peek at Galaxy Rand

Here's a bit of a scene from my space opera Galaxy Rand. I have a soft spot for Galaxy, even though she's "one tough fem":

   I raised my glass in a polite salute to my snitch, then leaned across the table toward her and muttered, "J'neen, some bastard's trying his damnedest to kill me!"
  Her delicate, dark eyebrows made sharp arches. "Again?"
   I scowled at the unwelcome reminder. "This time it's different!"
   "Really? How 'different'?"
   "This's nothing to do with any two-bit beef. Whoever the fleggin bastard is, he really has it out for me--two tries within a planet-hour! What's worse, I've got no idea in the Cosmos who the hell's behind these damn attacks."
   "That does present you with a bit of a problem, Galaxy."
   I got impatient and prodded, "Dammit, J'neen! Have you heard anything?"
   She gave one quick shake of her dark head. "Not so much as a whisper. Sorry I can't help you, Galaxy."
  "That's bad news, real bad news. Means whoever the hell's after me can afford to make damned-sure mouths stay shut. So that lets out the usual riff-raff I deal with."
   J'neen's bright eyes widened. "How in hell did you manage to make an enemy that powerful? And who in blazes copuld it be?"

@copyright 2014

That's all for now. More to come later. Or if you can't wait, go to amazon.com and check out their "Look Inside" feature. I promise you a fun, easy read and a couple chuckles.
Thanks for reading!

MRTighe

A Sneak Peek...

Here's a scene from my latest novel, Galaxy Rand, which is a space opera and my homage to pulp fiction:

   I was sunk so damned deep in those grim thoughts that I let my guard down for a fraction of a microsecond. As I stepped into the one-man lift, someone else slid in right behind me. The door closed.

   I whirled to face my unexpected and unwelcome company. From force of habit, my right hand reached for my blaster. My holster was empty. I let out a colorful cussword, flattened my back against the lift's far wall, and got ready to kick the bloody bastard's lights out. But a one-man lift's damned close quarters for hand to hand combat!

   My whole body tense, I waited for my new "friend" to make the first move. The guy just stood there, grinning like an idiot. "Hello, Rand. Heard a lot about you. Now we finally get to meet, face to face."

   "Who the bloody hell are you?" I demanded, giving him my worst glare, still on guard and prepared to fight for my life if need be.

   He raised both hands to show me they were empty. Moving with care, so I wouldn't misinterpret his actions, his right hand went to the breast pocket of his shirt. He gave it a sharp tap with his index finger. Where the pocket'd been, a holo-badge appeared.

   I groaned in disgust. "ISF! Are you fleggin kidding me?"

   Should've known! Who but a dumb-ass ISF 'gent would be stupid enough to follow somebody like me into a one-man lift? Nobody, unless they were bloody crazy!

@copyright 2014

   Hope you enjoyed this little tidbit. Keep on reading and keep on writing!

MRTighe

Authors Night at the Vineyard

What a lovely night we had! Our second book signing at Zorvino's Vineyard in Sandown, New Hampshire,could hardly have been better. The weather cooperated nicely--temps in the 40s and no snow, rain, or ice. The vineyard is a bit out in the boondocks, but it's lovely. Besides the vineyard itself, the grounds include a barn, a pond, and a gazebo.
 
The interior of the venue is rustic, but absolutely beautiful, featuring a real wood fireplace, a cozy corner with couches, a bar, and a balcony surrounding the entire room. The lighting is romantic, if a bit dim. They actually brought in a floor lamp to brighten our corner!

Downstairs, we visited the winery and the store, where you can taste their wines and purchase a few bottles, which we cheerfully did.

As for Authors Night, it was well-attended by authors, publishers, and visitors alike. Live guitar music throughout the night added to the ambience. I sold and signed a few books. Hubby and I posed for a photo with a bottle of wine--a first for me! I signed a pic for the event organizer's files and traded books to be reviewed with another scifi author. Lastly, I donated a signed copy of my fourth novel, Galaxy Rand---a space opera which is an homage to pulp fiction--to a parents' group for educational purposes. They offer to promote local authors who donate their books. I thought that was a good idea and a cost-effective way for authors to advertise their work.

Of course, we also bought several books, reconnected with some old friends, and made several new ones. I got to talk science fiction, including favorite books, movies, and TV shows. It's always fun to introduce new readers to my Tartarus Trilogy, especially to those who are fans of SF, space adventure, and mixed-genre novels.

We left looking forward to the next book event, which will take place on July 30, 2014. Each event is an adventure, as we never know who we will meet, what's going to happen next, and what connections we'll make. It's all part of the fun of being a published author!

Keep on reading; keep on writing!

MRTighe

Meet Galaxy Rand

Here is the final, published version of the back cover blurb for my space opera Galaxy Rand:

     Galaxy Rand is one tough fem...a hard-drinking, two-fisted recoup agent, she's used to dealing with space-scum like hijackers and smugglers. But when she stumbles across a discarded robot, she's thrown for a loop. Not only is Tin Man obnoxious, but he's denser than a ton of spectromium!

     Rand's unsavory past comes back to haunt her; she finds a price on her head and a target on her back. As for Tin Man, he has secrets of his own.

     To save her life and her job, and to earn the five-million credit reward offered by multi-billionaire Roman Aguilar, Rand is forced to do the one thing she always swore she'd never do: go back to Esperance---the Death Planet!

Hope you enjoyed. The book is available at most online booksellers and on Kindle and paperback at amazon.com. ( which also has a Look Inside feature. )

Keep reading and keep on writing!

MRTighe

Step Into Rona's Boots

Try putting yourself into my heroine's boots. All her life, Rona Scott has dreamed of having a career in the Interstellar Space Service. She's worked hard, studied hard, and endured five long years of a dead-boring job at Earth Base One.

At last the Brass assign her to a deep-space job: DataComm tech aboard the retired space cruiser Astrella II. Now, twelve years after the end of the Gorgonian Wars, Astrella has been reduced to conducting diplomatic and scientific missions throughout the known-Galaxy.

Imagine boarding your first ship with Rona, only to discover it's a hot-bed of gossip, bigotry, and outright hatred. Discouraging, to say the least! But the situation rapidly goes downhill. The CO, Richard Hughes ( the legendary "Hero of the Gorgonian Wars") has a volatile temper and no sympathy for green ensigns.

Even worse, his ExO, Malkis of Tartarus, is an alien who has an obvious grudge against Terrans, females in particular. He's out to make Rona's life a living Hell! Your heart would probably sink to boot-level, as Rona's does. Her long-dreamed-of career in space seems doomed. Her dream is becoming a nightmare.

Rona struggles to remain open-minded, to maintain her high ideals, to be tolerant, and to tell the unvarnished truth, no matter the cost. She does her best to bite her tongue and concentrate on doing her duty. Just when the situation seems to be at its absolute worst---she has lied to her CO; a crewman has been found murdered; they've been attacked by an old enemy--Astrella is diverted to the mysterious planet Tartarus for unknown reasons.

There, Rona is shocked to discover that all she encountered aboard Astrella was mere child's play compared to what she's now up against.

Intrigued? Discover Rona's ultimate destiny in Judgment on Tartarus, Book One of the Tartarus Trilogy. Each novel is capable of standing on its own. You can read one or all three if you like. ( available on amazon.com in paperback or Kindle as well as other online booksellers.)

Thanks for reading! Keep writing; keep reading,

MRTighe