Meet Joss Ravid: security goon, Galactic citizen, chaser of men, and reluctant hero…
The redhead with the smirk is Joss; the tall, dark, handsome one is Zeke.
This week we’re celebrating the launch of Queen’s Man by KD Sarge, a science fiction novel from Turtleduck Press.
Full disclosure: Turtleduck Press is an indie publisher running on a co-op model. All the members are both authors and part of the business — I’m the editor, KD is the webmistress, Kit Campbell runs the business end, and Erin Zarro is the marketing guru.
So I’m not exactly unbiased. But I’m a member because I believe in the quality of what we publish. KD’s strength is her characters — to say her writing is character-driven is a serious understatement. They’re people, plain and simple. But she’s also kick-ass at dialogue, humour, and action, and her writing has made me cry more than once (and that’s not easy). And…well, rather than continuing to tell you about her writing, I’ll just show you instead. Here’s what Queen’s Man is all about…
Joss Ravid works security for a major tribe on Kari’s Star, but he’ll tell anyone that he doesn’t actually care if the ruling families kill each other off. He’s not interested in politics; he just likes getting paid to hit jerks, and also the many opportunities for hitting on straight men. The Galactic-imposed Interdiction may keep Kari citizens stuck on their war-torn world, but Joss has connections. If the situation gets too messy, he can leave whenever he wants.
He’ll also tell anyone he doesn’t care about girls, but that doesn’t stop him from rescuing 12-year-old Paige Carlyle, newly arrived on the planet and newly orphaned by tribe violence.
If Joss were making a “don’t care” list, though, at the very top would be Zeke Cayden, Heir to powerful Tribe Cayden. Never mind that he and Joss were lovers; that’s long gone. Saving Zeke’s life when the shooting starts is just business. Some tribes don’t want peace, and killing a Galactic citizen like Paige—or controlling Cayden through the Heir—would serve them well.
So Joss is on the run, risking his life, his pretty face, and his precious liberty to keep Paige and Zeke alive and the peace plan that can lift the Interdiction on track. Why? Because…how often does a guy get to piss off half a planet while displaying his talents for woodcraft, cross-dressing, and scaring straight men?
When Paige is kidnapped, though, the lives of Paige and Zeke, the leadership of Cayden and the future of Kari’s Star all ride on the wrinkled shoulders of Joss’ work suit and he has to decide—does he care, or not?
You can read the first three chapters for free here, and buy it at Amazon.com for your Kindle or at Smashwords in your e-format of choice. Read more about KD on her Turtleduck Press author page, or check out her previous novels, Knight Errant and His Faithful Squire.
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