Sci fi stories with a side of humor. Return to general Sci Fi
Note: these books are currently sorted by release date, with newest first.
Word Count: 41000
Summary: A yuletide wedding brings tidings of comfort, joy… and peril. Eighteen months ago, Tarik Jaso, Duke of Arles, would have been thrilled if Sander Fiala, Duke of Roses, sank beneath the waves along with his stupid boat. That was then. Now, Tarik can’t wait to head out on a private sail with Sander—a sail that will culminate in a highly public, politically significant wedding. Their union will be the first one between North and South Abarran royalty in centuries. If all goes to plan, it will usher in a new era of peace and cooperation between their countries. But as the big day approaches, their meticulous arrangements begin to fall apart. Can Sander and Tarik weather the storm of political opposition, familial objection, and outright betrayal to reach the altar at last? Duke the Hall is a 41,000-word M/M superhero rom-com featuring two dukes determined to tie the knot, relatives both helpful and annoying, spiteful thunderstorms, superhero sabotage, and hints that things are not all they seem. Note: Duke the Hall is not a stand-alone story. It’s the sequel to Duking It Out and as such contains spoilers for the earlier book.
Word Count: 36,000
Summary: True love only happens once in a lifetime, right? Nixy Vogel found wedded bliss, only to be widowed soon after. Her job of matching others with their forever-loves gives her focus, and joy. And now some smoking hot alien wants to put Silverstar out of business? She should be furious; instead, her shuttered heart burns for him. Waiting several lifetimes for “the one.” The ancient mate-matching tradition of Kai Firewing’s clan could end unless the Silverstar Agency is exposed as a fraud. Simple enough to do…until his rival lights a fire in his heart as only the soul mate of an immortal phoenix can. Will Nixy embrace her second chance before it—and Kai—goes up in flames? Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.
Word Count: 31,300
Summary: Happily ever after didn’t work out. If Meryl Faulkner learned anything from her divorce, it’s that promises aren’t always forever. But life goes on, and she’s not defined by any man, or alien. Especially not that annoying, self-serving…all right, fine…sexy winged alien who’s divebombed into her orderly life. And she’s not his mate either, dammit! Deemed un-mateable from birth. Years ago, Rol Raptorclaw came to terms with the solitary life society thrust upon him. Serving his monarchs keeps him too busy to be lonely—or at least it did. Now one beautiful and maddening human female, who challenges him at every turn, has somehow inserted herself into his unworthy heart. Rol is determined to prove to Meryl he is not a flight risk, but can he do so before the trade negotiations with Earth wrap up and he must return home? Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.
Word Count: 34,300
Summary: It all started with a dare. The best thing Robyn Martin Donahue did was give her controlling ex the boot. It only took thirty-five years, but hey, she’s finally living life on her own terms. Now her bestie wants her to believe the Silverstar Agency can hook her up with a guy who will love and respect her, and not try to rule her? As if. By law, a monarch cannot govern alone. Recently widowed, Kyzel Raptorclaw will honor his vow to remate for love. Although, things would be far less complicated if his potential match was not from another planet. Breaking with his peoples’ ancient mating tradition is nothing compared to the personal sacrifice expected of her, if she is to stand at his side as his equal. What could go wrong? Can Kyzel convince Robyn they are better together, or will their happily ever after crash and burn before it has a chance to soar? Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.
Word Count: 26000
Summary: Being an OIL (Onsite Inter-species Liaison) for the Interplanetary Multispecies Pact has never been an easy job. In fact it's a crap job when stuck on a backwater nowhere planet like Earth. But cobra Yervath Sissal Naganos manages. The demotion was swift and heavy-handed, but he'll climb back out of this hell eventually. Humans don't meet his social needs, so, yes, it's been lonely and he tells himself he likes the solitude. That is, until IMP sends him an irritating new assistant he never asked for. Now his peace is well and truly disturbed and his paranoid diplomatic reflexes have reawakened. The worst part is the kid didn't have to be so cute.
Word Count: 80000
Summary: Beware the demon prince who's sick and tired of running. Federico Duomo is dead, to begin with. But this is only the first bit of Shax's problems resolved. Powerful crime lords and an obscenely wealthy oligarch are still determined to destroy him and his crew, and Fluffy's original owner may be coming after the Brimstone now, too. It would be splendid to be able to take on one thing at a time. Adding to the external conflicts, life on board the Brimstone has only grown increasingly stranger. Shax has no idea what to do with the seven partly human children that Heckle rescued from slavers. Heckle himself has grown short-tempered, even with Mac. Someone from Julian's past catches up to them on Barbary. It's enough to put a demon off his cinnamon buns. Shax isn't panicking, though. In fact he's had it up to his handsome royal nose with the people he loves having to live in constant fear. The fox has turned at bay and the Brimstone's enemies are in for a shock. The demon prince of thieves is coming for them.
Word Count: 46000
Summary: Royal dukes from rival countries, shipwrecked on a deserted island. The grudge match of the century—or a love story of super-heroic proportions? Sander Fiala, Duke of Roses, is fourth in line to the South Abarran throne, even though his rogue power earned him the nickname “The Monster of Roses” and got him banished from the Castle. But right before he’s about to set off on his annual birthday sailing trip, the Queen asks him to meet with the notoriously volatile North Abarran Duke of Arles. Tarik Jaso, Duke of Arles, expects the worst from people because—let’s face it—people are the worst. His superpower bombards him with any and all electronic transmissions, which…yeah, people suck. So when he’s attacked and wakes up in the cabin of a stranded boat, he knows he’s royally screwed. Because the man looming over him—the man he’d gone toe-to-toe with right before the attack—is the infamous Monster of Roses. Tarik is positive the Monster is behind his kidnapping. Sander is sure the whole thing is Tarik’s fault. As they work toward rescue, Tarik realizes that the disturbingly hot Sander is no monster, and Sander discovers that Tarik’s temper masks a caring soul wrapped in a cantankerous (though undeniably sexy) body. tt For their burgeoning connection to endure, they’ll have to duke it out with political factions, dark conspiracies, and centuries of traditions that keep them on opposite sides of the border. But first? They have to get off this damn island. Duking It Out is a 46,000-word M/M enemies to lovers, opposites attract, superhero rom-com, featuring Only One Bed, a grumpy duke who should know better than to jump to conclusions, a self-doubting duke who’s good with his hands (heh), gossipy seagulls, competent assistants, a guaranteed HEA, and (unfortunately) capes.
Word Count: 24000
Summary: Chief Engineer Shandi Leavenworth has been crushing on Major Tyra Sur ever since she joined station staff, though the laconic customs officer doesn't give up personal information easily. A few scraps of information lead Shandi to the perfect Solstice present, until of course everything goes horribly wrong. Major Sur took the job on Onwa Station for the stability, the quiet, and out of a need to be useful. It's been all of those things up until the moment the woman she's been quietly flirting with at the bar puts in a desperate call for help. There's no question they need to save the station, but Tyra's not so sure about saving their budding relationship.
Word Count: 127121
Summary: What would you do if you let slip information that could start a war? What if the person you divulged said information to is a rebel queen with a thirst for blood? In a world where metal is rare, you probably wouldn’t make matters worse by revealing a map showing the location of the hoard of steel you just told her about. Steel she could turn into swords, spears, and axes. Steel that will destroy her foes with their pathetic hardened glass weapons and leather armour. Unfortunately, Drome isn’t the most gifted of people when it comes to discretion. Or thinking things through. The consequences hurl him down a path riddled with folk keen to boil him alive, stick pointy objects in his tender flesh or blow him into tiny pieces. With the real queen gunning for him too, Drome reluctantly embarks on a secret mission to fix the mess he started. The civilised world depends on him. All he has to do is end a savage war. With a princess and a sorcerer on his side, what could possibly go wrong? If you like Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, and Joe Abercrombie, you won't be able to put down the addictive Hollow series.
Word Count: 43000
Summary: Shax can't walk away from an abandoned, hungry kitty. The fact that she can eat him in three bites is irrelevant. Someone abandons a pedigree hellcat right where Shax can conveniently claim her and sets off a cataclysmic domino line of events. It's time for the other shoe to drop since the Brimstone has a shadow cabal after them—partly due to Shax's own, er, interesting decisions and partly due to the presence of Agent Julian Parallax onboard. As ship security officer, Ness has a lot on his mind—a dangerous new pet, even more dangerous criminals tracking the Brimstone, and yet another unexpected rescued guest. The last thing he needs is a distraction and Julian, who confuses and confounds him more every moment, is exactly the distraction he doesn't need. Between Shax's reckless gambits and Julian's disregard for his own safety, how is Ness supposed to keep anyone safe? The Brimstone and her intrepid crew do all they can to stay one step ahead, but this time the hunters are closing in.
Word Count: 60000
Summary: Planet H Man has toppled under the coup of the century and Mex must choose. Will she settled for her retirement fund or politicians too young to take seriously? Planet Hyman is at a loss as their new and callous leader takes a sabbatical, she has found her "pleasure dome" and while she learns there is more to life than a new manifesto, a coup rises to the occasion. With Mex hungover in Scotland there is little to stand in their way apart from a hippy colony too chilled to care, a reporter with no scruples, and a missing set of batteries. The coup has plans to runs things the “proletarian way” they are young, idealistic, and haven’t tasted luxury yet. They almost make it, grab the operations room, when their new and callous leader arises from her pleasure dome and grabs back her throne. Will Mex pick up her leathers and defend the coupe, or return to her planet to recuperate from a Scottish “good night out”? Rebel Without A Crew is the quirky third book in the Planet Hy Man science fiction comedy series. If you like high-mileage heroines, fast-paced satire, and meticulously crafted universes, then you’ll love Kerrie Noor’s otherworldly farce.
Word Count: 60000
Summary: Planet Hy Man is in turmoil. Its’ leader lost on earth. Will Mex rise to the challenge or fade faster than her hair dye? Mex is heading for the Edinburgh Festival in search of planet Hy Man’s lost energy. A feat made near impossible considering her arch-rival has taken over Planet Hy man’s “operations room” along with every high- tech spying equipment going. Led down the road of false leads by her `arch rival” Mex hooks up with a troupe of performing transvestites, delves into the seedier side of the festival and discovers gin. Saving Planet Hy Man could not be further from her mind if she was comatose until that is her personnel robot Pete finds her. Will Pete convince Mex to sober up and save their planet or will Mex stick with the padded bras and all who wear them? Rebel Without A Bra is the quirky second book in the Planet Hy Man science fiction comedy series. If you like high-mileage heroines, fast-paced satire, and meticulously crafted universes, then you’ll love Kerrie Noor’s otherworldly farce.
Word Count: 29000
Summary: Sofia Cancino is tired of her mundane life, her artificial environment and her large, boisterous family descending every holiday season. She's promised herself this year will be different and books a stay on the exclusive—and expensive--holiday-themed resort, Yule Planet. She looks forward to being pampered while reconnecting with Old Earth traditions steeped in the magic and mysticism of nature. Everything will be perfect and she'll leave as a more authentic human, better connected to her roots. Naturally, things go horribly wrong. Sofia's landing pod goes off course and instead of stepping out on the landing pad at the resort, she finds herself in the snow-swept perpetual winter of the planet's hinterlands. If that wasn't bad enough, she's "rescued" by a band of criminals on work release who run deliveries to the resort from far-flung shuttle delivery sites. They refuse to take her, a paying customer, to the resort and insist on dragging her along on their parcel run. Riding giant monsters. In frigid weather. Not to mention, Marta, who handles the monsters, obviously hates her. If Sofia survives her vacation, she's definitely yelling at someone's supervisor until she gets a refund.
Word Count: 60,000
Summary: What happens when you die, but the universe isn’t done with you? You might end up as the pet of a giant worm-a-pede alien and…if you survive your evolved descendants and rogue aliens of 1 million A.D…discover you have more in common with intelligent worms than you ever thought possible. Yes, all this might happen if you are Albert Rudyard Goldstein—the discoverer of the Biomic Network Algorithm—who thought his time had come. He had done his part to make the world a better place. Now he deserved—even looked forward to—a peaceful and mercifully succinct death. But the universe had other plans...
Word Count: 59337
Summary: The Brimstone. Demon owned and—mostly—demon operated. Shax, an exiled prince of Hell, has gathered only the best misfits for his motley crew. You've been with us from the rescue of a runaway angel in a psychedelic nightmare jungle to the house that Poe built. Now share some in-between moments with the Brimstone crew – flash fiction snippets plucked from various spots in each personal timeline, from Shax and Verin's youth in Hell to after the events of Beside a Black Tarn. The Brimstone Journals, Collection Two also includes an exclusive short story, never published as part of the blog series. Leopold meets his formidable grandmama, much to his father's dismay.
Word Count: 69000
Summary:
Word Count: 14000
Summary: As a security officer on an interspecies ship, Growlan Raskli's experienced in heading off species-specific aberrant behaviors in order to keep the peace. But when her captain asks her to find out what's bothering their sole human crew member, Raskli's out of her depths. She hardly knows anything about humans and she's not a psych doctor. Something's definitely upset Human Jen, something to do with human holidays. The more time Raskli spends studying humans and interacting with the intriguing Human Jen, the more personal the assignment becomes. Determined to lift the dark cloud from Human Jen, Raskli will do whatever it takes—within safe parameters, of course.
Word Count: 44366
Summary: The Brimstone. Cargo ship, hive of thievery and profiteering. Captained by a demon prince and manned by a crew that puts any batch of misfits to shame. You've come along with a cargo of anti-gravity cows and one of jeweled-toned potatoes. You've shared the horrors of frogs and nightmares. Now share some, more or less, quieter moments with the Brimstone crew—small snippets plucked from various spots in each personal timeline, from Shax and Verin's childhood in Hell to after the events of Beside a Black Tarn. The Brimstone Journals, Collection One also includes an exclusive holiday short story, never published as part of the blog series. Shax would probably like to keep it that way, but too bad.
Word Count: 8768
Summary: It isn’t easy to survive in a weird hollow world, riddled with magic and stuffed with hostiles. Drome should know. In the days since he was kidnapped, he’s come close to death a little too often for comfort. Luckily, the common sense and skills of Nev, his fleshless fellow fugitive, have got him out of difficulty every time up til now. But there’s something bothering him about his feelings for Nev… And he can’t admit that to anyone, least of all himself. When he stalks off alone in a huff and walks wide-eyed into yet another sticky situation, he only has his own wits to rely on. Shackled to a wall and about to be put to death in the most horrible way imaginable, he’s beginning to wish he hadn’t alienated his only friend. Then there’s the warning he’s supposed to give to his fellow villagers. With him dead, they’ll be sitting ducks for the deathly force heading their way. Dammit! He needs a plan. And maybe a bit of help. But definitely not from a certain living skeleton with an attitude problem. If you like Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, and Joe Abercrombie, you won't be able to put down the addictive Hollow series.
Word Count: 102651
Summary: It isn’t easy when you find yourself lost and alone in a strange place. It’s even trickier when that place is a different world, and you have no idea how you got there. Drome’s top priority isn’t to figure that out. It’s to avoid getting himself killed. But his talent for making enemies as he flees the villainous courtiers who took him hostage, really isn’t helping. He’s in an unfamiliar city, in a bizarre hollow world, and he only has one friend. Well, that’s if he can call a snarky living skeleton with a penchant for stealing royal jewels a friend. What with every palace guard and a crazed assassin after the pair, the odds are stacked against them. Running out of time, luck, and options, it’s touch-and-go whether they’ll make it to Drome’s village and warn them of the horror coming their way. And then there’s the wizard. If only Drome hadn’t angered him too… So, is Drome in trouble? Yup. He’s screwed.
