FRELICK'S TROUBLE IN MIND LAUNCHES TODAY!

Read for some alien-busting-hot-loving-SFR-suspense goodness?  Trouble in Mind, Book Two of the Interstellar Rescue Series, launches today from INK’d Press. This science fiction/suspense romance has earned FOUR STARS from RT Book Reviews and rave reviews from Publishers’ Weekly, Smart Girls Love Sci Fi, Nerd Girl Official and Crystal’s Many Reviewers. Get your copy NOW from Amazon!

Here’s the blurb:

She couldn’t get him out of her mind—

and that’s when the trouble started.

FBI Special Agent Alana Matheson is good at her job, despite a past that would make even a seasoned agent cringe. She has no time for the outside help the victim’s family has brought in on a kidnapping case, no matter how good-looking he is.

But galactic tracker Gabriel Cruz is no ordinary private investigator, and the skills he brings to the job will save both their lives. Because Lana and Gabriel are not the only ones seeking an unusual little boy and his mother. Their rivals in the chase are not of this world, and only an alliance built on the bonds of love can ensure that Lana and Gabriel beat the alien hunters to their prey.

And, just for all you SF geeks, here’s a special peek at a secret heroine of Trouble in Mind, an alien female named Ardis.

     No matter what their “legal” status, humans were no longer free in the Minertsan Consortium.  They were slaves, whether anyone currently owned them or not.  It was already common practice to take them into custody on the slimmest of pretenses.  Curfews and segregation laws set them apart.  Ardis knew that it was only a matter of time before the sweeps began, arresting and deporting whoever was left to the labor camps or the mining planets.  It was all part of Sennik’s plan. 

     The only question was how long Sennik would wait before he implemented it.  The hunt for the one who was the key to his plan had dragged on too long.  He was growing impatient; Ardis could sense it in him.  She shuddered despite the swampy warmth of the Venue’s sensory backdrop. 

     The house lights went down.  The music went up.  The spectral vibrations began.  Ardis waited, and within seconds a human male slipped into the seat beside her.

     She turned to him, but before she could speak, hands like steel claws gripped her arms, lights blinded her and she was pulled from her seat.  The man next to her was snatched up, too, but with brutal efficiency.  The Thranes in the uniform of Consortium Military Security snarled and beat him, even though he offered little resistance.  Those that surrounded her merely maintained an unbreakable hold on her elbows as they escorted her out of the great hall.

     Ardis couldn’t help herself.  Her aura flashed the greens and yellows of her fear as they led her out, the sickly brown of her embarrassment as all turned to look at her.  She was terrified, but that she dared not show.  It was reasonable that she would be confused.  But her true emotion—her horror at the thought that they had been discovered—could not be betrayed.  She fought for control, knowing her reaction would mean life or death, not only for herself, but for dozens of others.

     Soon enough they reached the outer atrium of the Venue, and as the doors sighed shut behind her, Ardis’s courage drained from her like the tide from the shore.  For waiting in the lobby was the Director Prime of Consortium Military Security herself.  The First General’s aura was the bright gold of satisfaction.

     Ardis did what she could to show the proper respect with her aura and her body language. 

     The First General nodded to her.  Then she turned to the Thranes holding her.  Idiots!  Release her!  Her colors warmed.  I apologize for their . . . ardor . . . Director Second Ardis.  They were instructed to ensure your safety during our operation.

     Ardis threw a tight net of control over her burgeoning emotions.  She allowed her aura to drift back toward its neutral lavender, though she left it streaked with the colors of fear, curiosity, and a more than healthy respect for the First General.  Of course, Director Prime.  I admit I was rather . . . taken aback.  May I ask what operation I was unwittingly a part of?

     The woman who had practically built the security ministry from the mud up showed an aura full of sunny indulgence.  Ardis had heard she had a sense of humor. 

     Our intelligence has led us to believe human operatives have been meeting here at the Venue for some time to exchange information and so on.  We have been following this man for several solar cycles.  We believe he made contact with someone here tonight to receive sensitive information from inside the government.

     No!  Ardis made certain her aura reflected her shock.  Were you also able to catch his contact?

     The First General’s aura darkened with smug certainty.  That information will be forthcoming.  Never fear.

     Ardis inclined her head and deepened her aura with the magenta of respect.  She studied the crumpled figure of the human awaiting the final attention of the Thranes.  He lifted his head a fraction to glance at her.  She met his eyes for a tiny slice of time and looked away.  No one noticed.  But Ardis knew.  They would learn nothing from this man.  He would be dead before they returned to the CMS headquarters less than a kilometer from the Venue.  He had been trained to break open a blister inserted in his skin and release a deadly poison in the event he was taken.  From the look he had given her, he had already done his duty. 

     Her life—and the conspiracy—were safe.

Donna S. Frelick is a founding member of the SFR Brigade. She was an RWA® Golden Heart® Double Finalist in 2012 for the first two novels in her SFR Interstellar Rescue series. She lives on 43 beautiful mountain acres in North Carolina with her husband and two talkative cats. Find her at http://donnasfrelick.com; blogging at http://spacefreighters.blogspot.com; on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DonnaSFrelickAuthor and on Twitter @DonnaSFrelick.