My special guest today is fellow SFR author Aurora Springer.
Aurora is here to introduce her fantastic new book Grand Master’s Game, second
in the Grand Master’s Trilogy, which releases today.
You won’t want to miss reading this one!
Welcome Aurora.
Aurora Springer’s latest release is GRAND
MASTER’S GAME.
Blurb
Spin
across the galaxy as Violet and her Grand Master hunt their enemies.
Cracks
in the portal web threaten galactic civilization, and suspicions fall on the
mysterious Grand Masters with their immense psychic powers. Once, there were
twelve Grand Masters, humans and aliens, on the Council. Now there are eleven.
One was killed when the young pawn, Violet, rescued her Grand Master, Athanor,
from the Red Queen’s dungeon. The Red Queen fled the fight and now she lurks
out of sight, regenerating her energies.
Athanor
devises a risky plan to expose his enemies on the Council and force the Red
Queen into the open. His strategy will employ Violet’s empathic skills as his
secret weapon. Meanwhile, she wrestles with her erratic talents and doubts
about their unequal partnership. In their search for revenge, they contend with
the portal crisis, psychic traps and hostile aliens. In the inevitable battle
of Grand Masters, Violet and Athanor each will face their worst nightmares.
What is the sacrifice for victory?
Excerpt:
The Professor’s office was large,
furnished with a desk, side table, couch and several chairs. Leather-bound
books filled the shelves on one wall, while a landscape on the opposite wall
attracted Violet’s interest.
Phineas stood up politely when
they entered, and Violet hid her amusement at the contrast between the two men.
Even disguised and shielded, Athanor exuded an air of authority tinged with
menace, while the Professor was a bright-eyed academic brimming with curiosity.
Phineas straightened and stared at his visitors. Usually, he was the authority
in his office. He was both disgruntled and curious about the grim man examining
his books. He noticed Violet gazing at the picture, and waved a hand at the
landscape, saying, “It is a scene from my home planet of Phylox alpha.”
Violet was admiring the picture,
while Athanor ran his finger over the spines of the books to read their titles,
when they heard quick footsteps in the corridor.
Tessa stepped into the office and
cried in her nervous high-pitched voice, “Oh, Phineas, I didn’t realize you had
visitors.” Her beautiful face brightened on recognizing her friend, Violet, and
Tessa ran to hug her.
Athanor frowned at the
interruption and the door slammed shut, leaving an unnatural silence.
Tessa stared intently at his
saturnine face, which radiated confident pride despite his disguise. Her eyes
widened in shocked insight and she yelped, “Violet, he’s your Grand Master!”
They all stared at Athanor. His
figure appeared to grow taller and darker. The room filled with psi pressure
and blue rays flared from his unveiled eyes. Simultaneously, the clicks from
the box sped up until their volume reached a shattering crescendo. Athanor’s
gaze flicked to the box and the clicks halted abruptly.
Tessa gasped and clutched at her
chest.
Violet called, “Stop! Mute your
power or Tessa will faint!” The psi pressure lessened and his eyes dimmed to a
faint blue glow.
The Professor paled beneath his
tan. Tessa squeaked and fled to the comforting arms of her fiancé.
“It is all right, Tessa,” Phineas
said in a shaky voice. “He does not mean to harm us.”
“You’d be dead!” The Grand Master’s mental snarl reached Violet, and
she restrained the urge to give him a mental kick. In her opinion, a friendly
approach would serve him better. The two people trembling behind the desk were
not the enemies he wished to crush in a blast of power.
The Grand Master pointed a finger
at the metal box on the desk and demanded, “What is the purpose of that noisy
contraption?”
Phineas gulped, “It’s my
invention. An instrument for detecting psychic power.” He patted the shiny top
of the box. “Did you break it?”
“You are fortunate. I merely
located the off switch,” Athanor said. The blue beams from his eyes played over
the box.
“How could you touch the switch
from the other side of the office?” Tessa’s voice was shrill.
The Professor gulped again and
muttered, “My dear Tessa, he is a Grand Master.”
“Just so. I suggest you keep your
detector well away from Council Hall.” The room vibrated with the ominous
undertone.
Violet giggled. She caught
Athanor’s blue gaze and sent, “Show off!”
He tossed her an image of the box
exploding on exposure to the full power of twelve Grand Masters.
Bio:
Aurora Springer is a scientist morphing into a
novelist. She has a PhD in molecular biophysics and discovers science facts in
her day job. She has invented adventures in weird worlds for as long as she can
remember. In 2014, Aurora achieved her life-long ambition to publish her
stories. Her works are character-driven romances set in weird worlds described
with a sprinkle of humor. Some of the stories were composed thirty years ago. She
was born in the UK and lives in Atlanta with her husband, a dog and two cats to
sit on the keyboard. Her hobbies, besides reading and writing, include outdoor
activities like gardening, watching wildlife, hiking and canoeing.
Aurora has published science fiction romances in two
series, two novellas and short stories. Her first series, Atrapako on Eden,
describes the interactions of humans on the terraformed planet of Eden with
scaled aliens from the hostile planet of Vkani. She has published two books in
this series: The Lady is Blue and Dragons of Vkani. Her second series is Grand
Master’s Trilogy. Book 1, Grand Master’s Pawn, was published in March 2015.
Book 2, Grand Master’s Game, is available for pre-order and release on July
17th. Her short story, Gifts of Jangalore, is set in the Grand Masters’
Universe. Her standalone novellas are: A Tale of Two Colonies and Captured by
the Hawk.
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