Title: The Chalice
Author: P. L. Parker
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Book Blurb:
Decimated by the savage Deg’Nara and teetering on the brink of extinction, the last surviving males of the once great Chiagan-Se embark on a quest to salvage what is left of their civilization. They send their remaining seeker ships into the void, searching for genetically compatible females. Time is running out, but in the far reaches of the universe, on an obscure and primitive planet, a match is discovered. One thousand panic-stricken women awaken two hundred years in the future, captives aboard an unmanned alien spacecraft bound for parts unknown! How had they gotten there and why? The males thought they came willingly. The females believed they’d been kidnapped. Full of hopeful expectation, the Chiagan-Se prepare for the arrival of their new mates. Terrified and furious at the inexplicable abduction, the women prepare for combat! And when the two sides meet, the battle commences.
Excerpt:
Ume stiffened, all five feet of her. “They’re here,” she whispered, winged brows arched over almond shaped eyes.
Kara’s heart jumped from her chest. “How do you know?” she hissed.
The Japanese girl cocked her dark head, listening. “It just feels different and I can hear metal grinding like something’s moving or opening. I…I sense it—like the calm before the storm.”
Her bladder reacted. “I need to pee.”
“You just went,” Dread snapped. “You want to be caught in the john when the fighting starts?”
“I told you,” Anne admonished, her face pale and drawn. “No one—and that means you Dread—fights unless it’s absolutely necessary. And then only as a last resort.”
Anne’s haunted gaze stimulated Kara’s overactive imagination. Not that it needed any help. She’d imagined just about every possible scenario, even dreaming up a mélange of hideous features the breeders might have or those they wouldn’t. Wasn’t much else to imagine.
“It’s time to get into position.” Anne’s worried voice broke her reverie.
“I still think this is a bunch of crap,” Dread grumbled. “We should just nail ‘em while the nailing’s good.”
Kara climbed on a stool, sucking in large drafts of air to ease the sudden lightheadedness. Her knees buckled, knocking together. Dizzy, she clutched Hanna’s shoulder for support.
“We need to get into position,” she croaked.
“What’d you say,” a voice called from the back.
“I said,” she choked the words out as forcibly as she could, “we need to get into position.”
Dead silence.
“Are they here?” a voice squeaked.
“Ume says they are. She said she heard something.”
Moans and soft cries ringed the circle.
Anne clapped her elegant hands. “We need to get into position, like we planned. This will only work if we all do our part.”
“Ain’t gonna work anyway.” Dread spun around, twisted locks flying out as she stomped to the rear of the room and sat down. “Just a waste of time.”
Following close behind, the rest followed and settled in, facing away from the entrance.
“I still say ve should fight.” Hanna steadied Kara as she leapt to the ground. “Ve haf no idea vat dees…dees creatures vill do.”
“I know. But we have to give Anne’s plan a chance. Never know. It just might work.” Although she doubted it! A sit-in. The best Anne could come up with? Might as well be smoking crack and singing Are You Going to San Francisco for all the good it’d do.
Along with Anne, Hanna and Ume, she took her place at the back edge of the crowd, sitting down cross-legged, facing away from the door. She clasped her hands together, rubbing her left thumb with her right, a soothing gesture remembered from childhood. Probably wear the skin off before this is over.
The floor felt cool beneath her butt, cool and uncomfortable. The skimpy bits of material posing as clothing did little to add warmth. Rolling her hips, she tried for a better position. She hated this—didn’t feel right. Like waiting for the firing squad to take aim at her exposed back. Wouldn’t even see them when they came in. But maybe that’s a good thing. Give her time to adjust to their extraterrestrial weirdness.
Muttering oaths, Dread huffed and she slid closer. “Might as well meet my maker sitting next to you,” she grumbled.
“Thanks. We’ve missed your tranquil presence.”
Dread snorted, rocking back and forth. “Still say it’s a bunch of crap.”
A whooshing sound behind them and then the sounds of many feet slapping against the floor as the breeders entered the room. At least it sounded like feet.
“Don’t turn around,” Anne cautioned. “Stay the course.”
Someone, perhaps Moira began keening, a long drawn out monotonous whimpering. Kara couldn’t blame her, she felt like bawling herself. The room vibrated, energized by the waves of terror emanating from the women. Her mouth tasted like sand, heart drumming fast and erratic. I’m so scared! Fainting right now sounded like a good idea. She fought the urge to peek over her shoulder, nudging Dread as the black woman’s head started to turn.
“Stay calm,” Anne whispered. “Stay calm.”
Buy Links:
New Concepts Publishing: https://www.newconceptspublishing.com/product-page/chalice-the-1
What’s the first binge-worthy book you read and why was it a must-read?
Okay, I’ll admit! My first binge-worthy book and then series was the Angelique series by Sergeanne Golon. I was too young to be reading these but I would sneak them from my older sister’s room and hide while I read them. Not exactly reading for a 14-year-old but I loved those stories, not so much because of the sex, but because of Angelique’s adventures, the historical background, and, of course, her lifelong love.
What makes your featured book a binge-worthy read?
The Chalice, my first novel in my Star Brides (Deg’Nara) series, is a scifi adventure wherein one thousand women are kidnapped, put into stasis and when they awake, it is 200 years in the future. They’re aboard an alien craft and heading for parts unknown. What makes it binge-worthy? I think the first-encounter interaction between the human females and the alien males creates a world most women only fantasize about. Hunky males who are willing to do anything to please their human brides.
Giveaway:
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Open internationally.
Runs August 1 – 31.
Drawing will be held on September 1.
Author Biography:
I write stories with alpha males and strong, determined women. I am a dreamer, an avid reader of fiction, a sometimes gardener and an inept crafter. I live in Idaho. I have a husband, three sons, two daughters-in-law, a granddaughter and new little grandson. Over the years, I taught dance but as time passed, I decided to try my hand at a new endeavor - writing. I enjoy life and all its promises.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.plparker.net/
Blogspot: http://plparker.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PLParker