a cover reveal and excerpt from the next Settler's Chronicles book
The next Settler's Chronicles book, Far Side of the Moon, is in it's final stages and I'm quite excited about how the novel is shaping up. The book description and an excerpt from Chapter 1 are below, but first, check out the awesome book cover (below) from Dark Matter Book Covers.
Margo Murphy is running out of time in a borrowed body.
Last night, Margo and her fellow colonists survived The Conglomerate's efforts to destroy them. Now all she wants is to build a peaceful life away from the corporate monopoly dominating Earth. But a virus has infected the colony's AI, threatening their life support.
The virus is only a symptom of a deeper evil, the culmination of a cold war conducted in secrecy for almost two centuries reaches its zenith in an enigmatic boy, abandoned to die on their world.
To purge the virus, save the boy and protect the colony, Margo needs information from The Conglomerate's headquarters orbiting Earth, but she's in another solar system without a spaceship. Her only option is an experimental technology to project her mind across the galaxy.
Will Margo gain access The Conglomerate’s secrets to save her world, or will her mind be lost forever in the cold void of space?
As promised, here's an excerpt from the first chapter:
Nigel Maximillian West slumped in his chair. The rhythmic sound of his fingers tapping against his desk’s polished wooden surface reverberated through his spacious office. The three people in the room with him remained absolutely silent. He knew they feared him and he liked it that way.
Ignoring the bodyguard stationed beside him—of no more importance than the half-drunk coffee mug growing cold on his desk—Nigel looked out the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows that ran along the wall to his left. The planet below rotated past, first revealing Africa then the Atlantic Ocean. He yawned at the boring view, not bothering to cover his mouth, before turning to the snarling tiger before him.
“You sure that’s the one?” Nigel had already forgotten both antiquities dealer’s names.
The animal’s snarl wasn’t exactly as he remembered it. Plus its face didn’t look natural—as though the taxidermist wanted to make the animal even scarier that it had been in life.
“Yes. Peggy Plum donated it to the British Museum in 1936,” said the antiquities dealer on the left.
She wasn’t quite pretty enough to bother looking at, so Nigel continued staring at the tiger. It’s head rested on one of the leather chairs facing his desk almost as though it was attending a meeting. He smirked at the thought.
She continued, “this is the animal her husband shot in South Africa in spring of 1887.” Her voice was beginning to waver, betraying her nerves—the woman knew he was a descendent of one of the founding families of The Conglomerate, and appropriately intimidated.
“The museum must have immediately boxed it up,” the other dealer volunteered. His jiggling jowls made Nigel cringe. “It’s no wonder. This feline is a terrifying sight. I wouldn’t want to look at it for any length of time.”
Before Nigel could respond they were interrupted by his assistant Fran barging into the room, her hand-held scroll computer in one hand and an electronic cube in the other. Her high heels clicked loudly as she strode across the polished marble floor drowning out the sound from his fingers.
Nigel’s fingers froze and he frowned when he saw the dour faced Ben Snow following behind her. If Ben hadn’t been descended from one of the founders like he was, Nigel would’ve banished him long ago. Looking at Fran and Ben, he let out an audible sigh.
“Fine, fine, I’ll see that you are paid,” said Nigel, waving the antique dealers away. The two backed away as though uncertain if they needed to bow before leaving his presence.
“Speak to the receptionist out front,” said Fran as she passed the pair, her eyes on the tiger. “He’ll arrange payment and transportation back to Earth.”
Stopping directly in front of his desk, Fran levelled her gaze on him. She had never been susceptible to his efforts to intimidate, which drove him nuts. But, unlike anyone else in his acquaintance, Nigel knew that he would be lost without her. She’d been his late father’s assistant and knew the ins and outs of The Conglomerate to a level he’d never comprehend.
Fran waited to speak until the antiquities dealers were out of the room. “We just intercepted a portion of the first message to the Colonizing Counsel from Thesan,” she announced in a neutral tone, her face giving nothing away. It never did.
“Very good,” said Nigel, his tone practically a purr. His eyes lingered on the tiger as he resumed drumming the fingers of his left hand on the desk.
He’d sent one of his best agents to oversee sabotage efforts aimed at demoralizing the colonists on Thesan and leaving them with no option but to call for evacuation. His ship had been on hand for the ‘rescue.’ Then he would claim the planet and its riches. Years of scheming had gone into ensuring that planet fell into Conglomerate hands—his hands. Just thinking of his brilliant plan put a smile on his face.
If you haven't read book 1 in the series, Day 115 on an Alien World, yet it's available here.