NAVIGATING THE STARS Digital
Assets
Title: NAVIGATING THE STARS (Sentinels of the Galaxy #1)
Author: Maria
V. Snyder
Pub.
Date: December 1, 2018 (US Publication Date)
Publisher: Maria
V. Snyder
Formats: Paperback,
eBook
Pages: 464
Navigating the Stars is the first book in a new science fiction series.
Terra Cotta Warriors have been discovered on other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. And Lyra Daniels' parents are the archaeological Experts (yes with a capital E) on the Warriors and have dragged her to the various planets to study them despite the time dilation causing havoc with her social life.
When one of the many Warrior planets goes silent, and looters attack her research base, Lyra becomes involved in discovering why the Warriors were placed on these planets. And, more importantly, by who.
Some background info - Niall and Lyra are illegally worming into the Q-net to find out what happened to the people on Planet Xinji (it went silent). They're in Lyra's bedroom with the door closed and are sort of friends at this point in the story.
Excerpt:
A knock on my door sends me a meter into the air.
“Li-Li,” my father says. “We need to talk to you. Got some time?”
“Uh, just a minute, Dad,” I call, while working to hide the evidence. Then I realize I have more to hide than files. I lower my voice. “Um…I don’t suppose you can fit under my bed.”
“I’m not hiding.” Niall stands.
“But…” I gesture to the terminal. “They’ll suspect.”
“Suspect what?” He pockets his tangs.
Is he purposely being obtuse? “That we’re worming despite the captain’s orders.”
“We can use the Officer Radcliff loophole.”
“Niall,” I hiss.
“Is something wrong?” my dad asks. “I hear voices.”
“Uh…be right out,” I say.
Then Niall gets this evil little grin on his face. “Let’s give them something else to suspect.” He scrubs his hands through his hair, creating little spikes. He reaches for me.
I step back. But he’s quick and grabs my shoulders, pulling me close.
“Oh no you—”
His lips press against mine, cutting off the rest of my protest. They’re firm and warm and sparks of electricity shoot through my body. He’s had some experience with this and…damn…all coherent thoughts dissolve as his fingers weave through my hair. His clean scent of sage grass fills my senses and he tastes like mint. Wait… when did our lips part? When did I start kissing him back?
“Lyra, what’s going on?” my mother demands.
We jerk apart.
“What the hell?” I ask Niall.
“You needed to look like you’ve just been kissed, Mouse.”
An angry heat flushes my face. “You—”
“Mission accomplished,” he says and opens the door. Both my parents are standing there. “Hello, Dr. Daniels. Mr. Daniels.”
My father steps back to let Niall pass, but my mother blocks his path to the exit. A coldness emanates from her that makes absolute zero feel warm. “Hello, Mr. Radcliff. I didn’t know you were visiting us tonight,” she says.
“I just stopped by to see Lyra.” He sidesteps my mom as if unaware of her disapproval. “Later.” He gives us all a jaunty wave and is out the door before anyone can respond.
I’m gonna kill him. But first, I brace for the lecture. And they don’t disappoint. Did you know an unwanted pregnancy can ruin a person’s future? And that these space boys—my mother’s term, not mine—have sex with girls all over the Galaxy because they know they won’t ever see them again? I try to remind my parents that I’m a reasonably intelligent person, that I already know all this and they should trust me. But they remind me about my teenage hormones, and that reason, intelligence, and logic are all trumped by the chemical cocktail that is raging in my body. Yes, they used the word raging.
And, thinking back to Niall’s kiss…they sort of have a point.
Maria V. Snyder changed from being a meteorologist to a
novelist in 1995, when she began writing to keep her sanity while raising two
children. Since then, she has published numerous freelance articles in
magazines and newspapers, and teaches fiction-writing classes at the local
college and area libraries. The classes give her the wonderful opportunity to
encourage fellow writers, and to keep improving her craft.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maria always
had a fascination with big storms. Dreaming of chasing tornados, Maria earned a
bachelors of science degree in meteorology at Penn State University. But she
discovered, much to her chagrin, that forecasting the weather wasn't one of her
skills. In order to chase tornados you had to predict where they might form.
Creating fantasy worlds where she has complete control of the weather was more
agreeable to her.
Maria's research on food-tasting methods with an expert
chocolate taster, her husband, turned out to be a delicious bonus while writing
Poison Study.
Maria has a brown belt in Isshinryu Karate, and enjoys
playing volleyball and the cello. Traveling in general and via cruise ship in
particular are her biggest distractions from writing. Maria has traveled to
Belize, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean and through
the Panama Canal.
Maria lives with her husband, son, daughter and yellow lab,
Hazelnut, in Pennsylvania where she is at work on more LUNA novels. She is also
pursuing a master's degree in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill
University.
Readers are welcome to contact Maria at the following email
address: maria@mariavsnyder.com.
Where you can find
Maria:
Giveaway Details:
3 Winners will receive finished copies of NAVIGATING THE
STARS, US Only.
2 Winners will receive finished copies of NAVIGATING THE
STARS International.
The book sounds so amazing! I'm so excited to read it.
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