STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY
DANCER
from Pets In Space 3:
Embrace the Passion
Embrace the Passion
by Veronica Scott
Thanks for having me as your guest to talk about my story
for this year’s Pets In Space 3: Embrace
the Passion anthology!
I love going back to revisit my interstellar cruise liner,
the Nebula Zephyr, for these PISA
stories, as the ship cruises through the futuristic human civilization known as
The Sectors. I’ve written a number of
books and novellas centered on events aboard the ship now and find the whole
cruise setup lends itself to telling a good scifi romance adventure tale.
Readers new to my world don’t need to know a lot of backstory to enjoy the
events, and for those who have read others in the series, it’s a nice return to
see some favorite characters (I hope!).
I’ve always been fascinated by dancers and dancing,
including (but not limited to) the Rockettes, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,
“A Chorus Line”, Dancing with the Stars, old movie musicals, “Center Stage” – if
it has dancing, I’ll be there! (I have two left feet so it’s wish fulfillment
for me LOL.) When I established my interstellar cruise line, I put a theater
and a resident troupe of dancers on board, naming them the Comettes.
Unfortunately in the first scifi romance novel I published, Wreck of the Nebula Dream, the ship gets
destroyed, so I never had a chance to tell a story featuring my dancers. I put
a theater and more Comettes on board my next cruise liner, the Nebula Zephyr, and now finally the right
heroine has come along.
The dancing makes for a bit of a lighter element to the
story to contrast with many of the suspenseful events relating to the heroine’s
tragic past.
Tassia, the lead in this year’s story, is a long lost
princess and I asked myself how such a person would get on board the ship and
what she could do there to fit in. It occurred to me a princess, even one
raised on the run, would probably know how to dance. I set up my auditions at
the spaceport of the planet in question and after a long, grueling day, Tassia
gets hired to fill an opening in the troupe. See the excerpt below for a taste
of the audition process!
Anthology Blurb:
Pets in Space™ is back! Join us as we unveil eleven
original, never-before-published action-filled romances that will heat your
blood and warm your heart! New York Times, USA Today and Award-winning authors
S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Ruby Lionsdrake, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones,
Carol Van Natta, Tiffany Roberts, Alexis Glynn Latner, E D Walker, JC Hay, and
Kyndra Hatch combine their love for Science Fiction Romance and pets to bring
readers sexy, action-packed romances while helping our favorite charity. Proud
supporters of Hero-Dogs.org, Pets in Space™ authors have donated over $4,400 in
the past two years to help place specially trained dogs with veterans. Open
your hearts and grab your limited release copy of Embrace the Romance: Pets in
Space™ 3 today!
STAR CRUISE: MYSTERY
DANCER blurb: Tassia Megg is a woman
on the run after the death of her elderly guardian. Her search to get off the
planet in a hurry comes when chance directs her to an open dance audition for
the luxury cruise liner Nebula Zephyr’s resident troupe. If there is one thing
Tassia can do, it is dance!
Security Officer Liam Austin is suspicious of the newest
performer to join the Comettes. She shows all the signs of being a woman on the
run and seems to fit the Sectors-wide broadcast description of a missing thief,
accused of stealing priceless artifacts. As he gets to know Tassia during the cruise,
he starts to wonder if she’s something more – a long vanished princess in
hiding from deadly political enemies of her family perhaps? And what’s the
story with the three-eyed feline companion other crew members swear Tassia
brought aboard the ship? Does the animal even exist?
As the ship approaches its next port of call, all the issues
come to a boil and Liam must decide if he’ll step in to help Tassia or betray
her. Life is about to get very interesting aboard the Nebula Zephyr as Liam
tries to uncover the truth. Could F’rrh, the peculiar alien cat he has been
hearing about, be the key to the mystery and Tassia’s fate?
The excerpt – the
Director of the Comettes is speaking and has outlined the process and her
needs. Micki is another dancer who’s kindly befriend Tassia at the auditon.:
“I need five dancers and possibly an alternate or two, but I
won’t hire anyone today if the fit
isn’t there. Questions?”
There were no questions. Tassia hung onto her backpack
tightly, a bit intimidated at the way the women surrounding her seemed so
comfortable with the audition process. One probably didn’t start a career as a
professional dancer in the Sectors by auditioning for a premiere troupe. She
felt her muscles tightening the more she considered the daunting odds of her
making it all the way to selection. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself
sternly there were no other options for her so she’d simply have to be good
enough to force the Comettes to want her in their ranks.
Tassia wanted to inquire who the other judges were—several
women and one man, but she decided it didn’t matter. The director was the one
who did the hiring and who had to be impressed.
As the first ten girls lined up on the specified area of the
floor, Tassia was suddenly glad her number placed her in the tenth group. She’d
have time to see what other people did for their freestyle to attempt to
impress Ms. Cartajj. And a solo, if she got that far.
What she realized as she watched the dancers take the floor
was people were highlighting what they did best. For some it was leaps or
turns. For others apparently it was gymnastic moves, although for many the
skill being showcased involved a lot of precise steps accented with shimmying
and hip swivels. A number of the women had obviously pre-choreographed sets of
steps they repeated as long as the music was on.
By the time her turn came, Tassia decided to do a sequential
series of rapid steps, pirouettes and showy poses requiring supremely good
balance, which she could fit to the music being provided. It was her
observation from watching the judges that dancers who showed technical skills
appeared to make more of a favorable impression than the ones who did flashy,
sexy moves. She walked confidently to her designated spot on the temporary
wooden dance floor, assumed the opening pose and launched into her routine as
the first notes sounded. Remembering to smile as if her audience was composed
of her best friends, she had no clear memory of the two minutes when she
finished with a graceful final pose. As she walked from the space, she believed
she’d done well.
“Wow, you’re something else,” Micki grabbed her by the
elbow. Micki had been one of the candidates demonstrating spins and beautiful
extensions, combined with sexy shimmies. “Where the seven hells did you train?”
“Private tutors when I was a kid,” Tassia said vaguely. “Did
I look all right, compared to the others?”
Micki laughed. “Miss High and Mighty Director never took her
eyes off you. I’d say you’re clear to the semifinals at least.”
“Who are the other people sitting with her?”
“Her assistant, Syadana, also the Cruise Director for the
ship, the dance captains from the two casts, and I heard someone say the cute
guy is ship’s security, here to do the paperwork for anyone she hires, so the
person can ship out today. The ship leaves orbit tonight.” Micki nudged her in
the ribs. “Whoever he is, he was pretty riveted by your performance too.”
Pacing, rising onto her toes to keep her muscles from
cooling off too much, Tassia shook her head. “If he’s not a decider, he’s
irrelevant.”
Seeming to be at a loss for words, Micki gave her a
wide-eyed look. “Well, he’s damn cute anyway. I hope the director lets him vote
because I know he paid attention to me.”
BUY LINKS
Website: https://www.petsinspaceantho.com
Pets in Space™ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PetsInSpace/
Author Bio and Links:
USA Today Best Selling Author
“SciFi Encounters” columnist for the USA Today Happy Ever
After blog
Veronica Scott grew
up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved
ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in
everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own
stories.
Seven time winner of the SFR Galaxy Award, as well as a
National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, Veronica is also the proud
recipient of a NASA Exceptional Service Medal relating to her former day job,
not her romances!
She read the part of
Star Trek Crew Member in the audiobook production of Harlan Ellison’s “The City
On the Edge of Forever.”
