I wrote Lion's Crossing after being asked again to be part of the Love Sync Mates shared world again. It is part of their Season Two collection of books as well as the eighth book in my Shifter Towers series. And Lion's Crossing releases February 16, 2025! Here's the blurb: Small town omegas shouldn't travel to the big city on their own. Or so my parents tell me. But that doesn't stop me from taking the train to Saramto for a week's vacation. Ever since I became an adult, my parents have urged me to find a good alpha to settle down with and tried many times to set me up with one. But there aren't any “good alphas” in Shifter Crossing. So, I live in a tiny apartment on my own and clean at the local high school to pay for my expenses. When my vacation time comes, I take the train to the metropolis of Saramto to visit museums I've only heard about, eat foods not available in a small town, and see what it's like to live in a big city. My holidays are quickly derailed when the train breaks down on the way, leaving all the passengers stranded for hours. That's just the beginning of the ruination of my meticulously planned vacation. If not for a kind (and very famous) alpha who comes to my rescue, I doubt I would survive my first night in the big city. But I wonder if his good will comes with a cost, and will it be too much for me to repay? Lion's Crossing is the eighth book in USA Today bestselling author Jessica E. Subject’s sweet with building heat Shifter Towers series and the seventh book in the Love Sync Mates Season Two shared world series. Lion's Crossing is a MM MPreg Shifter Romance that features a small town deer shifter omega anxious to visit the metropolis of Saramto for the first time, a lion shifter alpha and former boy band member ready to return to the big city for work after taking some time off to help his father after surgery, a broken down train, and Fate doing what they do best in bringing these two together. If you like fated mates, true love, slow burn romance, and an unpredicted heat to fire things up a notch, Lion's Crossing is the book for you. While each book in the Shifter Towers series is set in the same world, they can be read as standalones. Attention book reviewers! If you like MM MPreg Shifter Romances with a surprise heat and an unexpected pregnancy, Lion’s Crossing eARCs are available at Booksprout!
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Today's First Chapter Friday is from the first book in my Romance Tales from the Quadrants series, 4 United. I didn't want to leave behind the universe I created for my Kaddim Brothers series, so I decided to write more love stories that take place in that distant world. While the stories in Romance Tales from the Quadrants involve many different pairings/groupings, they are all about finding true love. And in 4 United, Eta is reunited with her three childhood friends when an assignment sends her back to the planet where she was born. There are many reasons why she does not want to return, but she does and finds far more than she expected. Below is an excerpt from the beginning of chapter one. I've skipped the two prologues which take place at two time periods before Eta is assigned to return to Ma'an. Enjoy the beginning of chapter 1 from 4 United...I jumped awake, the buzz of a message rattling me from sleep. It came through my private USRA channel, my in-ear instead of on my handheld comm unit. Someone from the Universal Space Racer Association wanted to talk to me right away. Probably my supervisor. But why so early? Slipping out from under the covers, I tried not to disturb the sleeping space racer beside me. I had no recollection of his name or what team he raced for. But he had been a good ride. In the dim glow of light from his comm-charging pad, I collected my clothing from various corners of his sleeping pod and dressed. Yeah, it had been a wild night. But it didn’t matter. I had no connection with him. No spark of longing. No desire for something more. I had to leave before he woke. After gathering the few belongings I’d brought with me for the hookup, I headed for the door. Once it slid open, I sneaked out, hoping not to run into any of the sleeping guy’s roommates. I cleared the dorm without any awkward encounters then headed toward the closest tube shuttle port. On my way, I pressed my comm sensor behind my ear to receive the message. Eta, this is Skyranked Rayne. Please come to my office at 0900. I want to review your last assignment and discuss your next one. Closing my eyes for a moment, I shook my head in disbelief. Real, or had someone hacked into my comm? I’d just returned from my assignment on Oloria. And already the USRA had a new planet to send me to? I rested a hand against the wall and sighed, glad I’d spent the night having fun. If the message came from my supervisor, I didn’t know when I would get another chance. Stepping into the tube, I entered my building and floor number. I barely had enough time to wash up before my meeting with my supervisor, but I couldn’t go to her office smelling like sex. Once the contraption dinged, I braced for the ride. The tube rocketed quickly up, down, and around corners. Closing in on my destination, I grabbed the bar along the edge. If I didn’t hold on, I would fall on my ass when it stopped. As past experience had taught me. In less than a minute, I reached my destination, thankful to no longer feel the dizzying effects of the ride as I had when I first used one. Leaving the tube behind, I walked down the hall to my apartment. I scanned my wrist in front of the sensor to unlock the door then went inside, unsure if my roommate had made it home. They had gone out last night, too, and without any message from Rumi, I didn’t know if they had returned or spent the night elsewhere as I had. Listening closely, I heard the faint music from their home planet, Kalpier, they always played while sleeping. Good, at least they’d made it home. But I had to be quiet not to wake them. If any noise interrupted the music, they would wake at once. I tiptoed through our common area, all the way to my side of the apartment, taking the few stairs down to my closet space. My sleep pod was installed above, a place I hadn’t been in several lunar cycles. And if another assignment already waited for me, I didn’t know how many nights I would spend there before I traveled off planet again. With Rumi sleeping, I couldn’t turn on the clothes steamer. It made too much noise starting up. So, after finding a fresh uniform, I took it with me into the bathroom. It would get steamed in there with me as I washed up. Clean and in a fresh uniform, I left the apartment with very little time before my meeting with Skyranked Rayne. Another tube ride transported me away from the racer and employee dorms to deep into the metropolis where the USRA headquarters stood tall. I found it amazing how Eurebly grew every time I left. More teams meant more offices and training facilities. And teams needed a dorm, too, even if the members didn’t live on the planet full-time. Each team still had to train for a prescribed amount of time on Eurebly. So, I approved a team if they met all of the qualifications, only after their facilities had been built and reserved. The tube system wasn’t that old, the final stage of it having been completed shortly after I received my promotion from Runner to the Team Development Department. At my stop, I raced out of the tube and down the hall. Skyranked Rayne wasn’t mean, but she didn’t like tardiness. She preferred when her staff were early, but with my last-minute call, I could only hope to make it on time. I stumbled into her office, her assistant glancing up from zir comm unit as I tried to right myself. “Oh good. You got her message.” Ze gestured toward the inner door. “You can go right in.” Real message. Not a fake. But another assignment already? The metal door slid open, and I headed inside the office. Every time I entered the room, the view behind my supervisor’s desk captivated me. Most buildings only had small UV protected windows to let in a minimal amount of light. Probably to protect light-sensitive beings. Yet, Skyranked Rayne had an entire outer wall of windows, revealing an amazing view of the metropolis. Especially from fifty stories up. Masses of buildings gave way to a clear, blue sky, dotted with various spacecraft. Cargo ships, pleasure craft, interplanetary shuttles, and more carried passengers and freight from Eurebly to spaceports all across the universe. “Eta, thank you for meeting me on such short notice.” My supervisor gestured to one of the faux phalagump-hyde covered loungers on the other side of her desk. “Please, make yourself comfortable.” She activated the shutters for the windows, allowing the artificial lights to illuminate the space instead. Though tempted to lean into the lounger, I sat on the edge of the cushion. I didn’t want to doze off after my late night and early morning. Focusing on my supervisor, I tried to figure out her mood based on the current color of her skin. Most Derinjians I’d met had green skin, except when experiencing extreme emotions. But Skyranked Rayne never seemed to hide her feelings. Strangely, she appeared a bit yellow. Perhaps a little gray, too. Did that mean she was nervous? Then, very quickly, her skin turned bluish-green. Stars, what was she hiding? Had I gotten a complaint at my last assignment? She sat cross-legged on the bench behind her desk. “I know I usually give you a couple days upon your return to complete your files and turn in your final report. But, seeing how you seemed to keep all your findings up to date in your files while on Oloria, and a pressing matter we need to discuss, I thought we could make a decision now regarding the planet’s racing status.” I sat there, unsure how to respond. She’d said so much and I hadn’t fully woken. “Um, sure.” I wasn’t prepared for the meeting, hadn’t thought to buy a koobee on my way there, but I didn’t think I had any choice. And what pressing matter concerned either me or my supervisor? I thought I had another assignment already. Oh no, was she getting promoted and someone else would take her place? I hoped it wasn’t Skyranked Egdoe. I didn’t get along with them. They had been my supervisor when I first started as a runner for the USRA. Expected me to do things for the teams that weren’t part of my duties. When some other runners and I complained, they’d been reassigned to another department. But, last I heard from my roommate, they constantly begged to be transferred to the Team Development Department. Skyranked Rayne loaded up my files from Oloria on her comm screen. As she flipped through them, a smile spread across her face. “Always so organized. That’s why I know you’re the ideal candidate for this next assignment.” So, she wasn’t leaving. A relief for me. But I still didn’t know why I had another assignment already. The ideal candidate? Inspectors always received their assignments in order. I should be put into the queue the same as the others. Complaints would be filed when my colleagues learned about the change in protocol. With a faint smile—she did compliment my work after all—I waited for her to continue. Skyranked Rayne closed the files. “So, what is your overall assessment of the team from Oloria? Are they ready to join the USRA? Does the planet have the necessary facilities to support a team and the subsequent events?” I nodded. They’d met all of the qualifications before I’d arrived. My three-lunar cycle stay had been nothing more than a formality. “Everything there meets or exceeds our standards. I have no doubts that the team from Oloria will make a great addition to the circuit. And the government is anxious to learn when they will get a chance to host their first official race.” Several teams had already practiced on Oloria to get a feel for their course and to give the rookies a chance to race alongside more experienced racers. But the team and the planet couldn’t participate in any official events until the USRA approved their application. “Okay, with your current reports, I will get their application sent for final approval. No need to write up a final report, as I need you to focus on your next assignment.” Yaflats suddenly sprung to life in my stomach. The way the new assignment didn’t follow normal procedures made me nervous. Were they sending me beyond the quadrants? I didn’t think we knew much about the planets beyond the quadrants’ borders. But maybe things had changed since I’d been away. Though I probably would have heard about it, even on Oloria. “Now…” She adjusted her sitting position, swinging her legs to her side. “For your next assignment, we’re sending you to your home planet, Ma’an.” “No.” The word blurted out before I could stop it. I had never said no to an assignment before, but I couldn’t return to Ma’an. I had escaped from that planet for a reason. And while I had sneaked there once, that wasn’t a mistake I planned to make ever again. Why couldn’t someone else go? Skyranked Rayne wrinkled her large forehead as her skin turned yellow then gray. “I thought you would be ecstatic at the chance to return. Don’t you have a cousin there?” Gripping the edge of the cushion, I tried to withhold the urges to run, scream, and cry. While I certainly did not want to return to Ma’an, I had to show respect to my supervisor. Somehow, I had to make Skyranked Rayne understand my objections in a respectful manner. Even with my l’sida still on the planet. I took a deep breath. “While I appreciate the confidence you have in me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to complete this mission. You see, my moema—mom—and I escaped from the planet when I was young. If I return, they won’t let me leave again.” “Ah, so that’s what Chairman Lo’an referenced when he specifically asked for you to be assigned to his planet.” Her skin turned back to a blueish-green as she rested her forearms on her desk and leaned forward. “He assured me you will not be forced to marry anyone and will be assigned a shagard, someone to keep you safe while you complete your assignment. He also said, he’s working to change the laws regarding appointed marriages.” I’m sure that would go well with the rest of the High Council, especially since they were the only ones on the planet who benefitted from the laws. “I don’t know.” I sighed. So many doubts from the assignment churned through my mind. “As much as I would love to see my remaining family and my friends again, I don’t believe the planet has changed enough to assure my safe return at the end of the assignment.” If no one had concerns for my safety, why did I need a shagard? “Eta.” Skyranked Rayne tapped away on her personal comm unit. “You are an employee of the USRA and thereby automatically protected by the Council of the Quadrants, of which Ma’an is a member of. I don’t think Chairman Lo’an is willing to break the many treaties he has signed, to keep you on the planet.” When she finished typing, she pointed to my comm unit. “I’ve sent you all the necessary files pertaining to your assignment, including a personal video message from Chairman Lo’an. Please review them before you leave. Your shuttle is set to depart in two days.” So, my objection meant nothing. I had to return to my home planet for an assignment with the likelihood of never returning. No one from the USRA bothered to check to ensure the planet had safety protocols in place. They simply took the word of Chairman Lo’an. And it was my responsibility to go there and ensure it proved safe to host events there, and for tourists to visit. Even if it meant sacrificing my own freedoms to prove the opposite. I pocketed my comm unit and stood. “Okay.” Not waiting to be dismissed, I left my supervisor’s office. Somehow, I had to find a way out of the assignment. Maybe I could find a rule about not being allowed to evaluate your home planet. Or maybe some piece of information the chairman hadn’t provided. I wasn’t leaving right away. I still had time to find a loophole. 4 UNITED (Romance Tales from the Quadrants #1) by Jessica E. Subject
Today's First Chapter Friday is from the first book in my Kaddim Brothers series. It's the story of the youngest brother in the family. In VAWN, the youngest is widowed and preparing to visit his space racer brothers on Eurebly, his first time leaving his daughter since she was born. He didn't mean to catch feelings for one of the space racers on their team, and somehow, fate keeps bringing them back together. Enjoy the first chapter of VAWN in Vawn's point of view...Shit, I almost forgot my suppressants! I lunged toward my nightstand and grabbed them out of my top drawer before tossing the package into my travel case. Going into heat was the last thing I needed to do around a bunch of horny space racers. While I was going to the “Family and Friends” weekend event to visit my brothers, I wasn’t going to say no to a hot space racer looking for a good time. It had been forever since I’d had any of that kind of fun. “Daddy, are you gonna fwy in one of dese?” Enif, my daughter, came racing into my room, flying the toy solo jet my brothers had gifted her the first chance they’d had to see their niece. That was two years ago, for Enif’s first birthday. We hadn’t seen Genj and Ret since then, at least not in person. Only on screen. Therefore, I was excited for this opportunity. “I don’t think so.” I ruffled her sandy-blonde hair, the same color as mine, before clutching the handle of my case and heading out of my room. “I think your uncles may let me sit in theirs, but they would never let me fly them.” “What ’bout me?” She stuck her arms out and raced up and down the hallway. “Do you sink de’ll let me fwy?” “Uncle Ret told you he’d give you lessons as soon as you get your license to fly.” Originally, I’d planned to take Enif with me, but my best friend, Utahn, whom I shared a house with, insisted I needed to get away on my own for once. He said he’d take care of my daughter and already had my parents on standby in case of emergency. “But dat’s….” She haphazardly counted on her fingers. “Firteen years from now. I wanna fwy now!” “I’ll help you fly.” Utahn came up behind my daughter and flipped her up until her stomach rested on his shoulder. Then he ran down the hallway. My daughter giggled and squeed until Utahn put her down and stared at me with his hands on his hips. “You ready to go?” “I think so.” I scrolled through my mental checklist and hoped I wasn’t forgetting anything. “I’ve got my tickets, my communicator and charging pad, suppressants, and enough clothes for two people. I hope that’s enough.” “A can of mesodenka?” Utahn wiggled his brows at me. “You need other protection. Suppressants aren’t enough. You never know who else these space racers have been with.” “Po-tec-shun? Fwom what?” Enif stared up at me with her bottom lip sticking out. “I sought space racers were good guys.” “They are.” I crouched down in front of her, wishing my best friend had kept his mouth shut. “But don’t worry. If there are any bad racers, your uncles will protect me from them.” I hugged my daughter while glaring over her shoulder at Utahn. “I love you, Ennie. And I’m going to miss you so much while I’m gone.” “Don’t wowwie, Daddy.” She squeezed me tight. “I be good for Utahn.” “I know you will.” I brushed her bangs from her face. “’Cause you’re the best kid ever. Now, give me a kiss and hug before I go.” After the hug from my daughter, I got one from Utahn before I headed out the door. With a deep breath, I tried to push down the worry about leaving Enif for the first time. I’d lost her father in a mining accident on Dynam only one month after we’d become parents. And that made me extra weary about leaving Enif anywhere I wasn’t. Even when I had to submit my designs to the biggest fashion labels in this part of the universe. My parents, or Utahn when he wasn’t at his bakery, usually kept her occupied in another room while I used holograms to accentuate my digital presentation. Enif was also the reason no label ever revealed any pictures of me. But I could handle one weekend away from her. At least, that’s what I’d been telling myself for the past two weeks. At the corner of the block, I took the lift up to the sky platform just in time to catch the hoverbus to the spaceport. Yep, I was going to have fun. No matter what my brothers said. That’s how I’d keep myself from worrying too much. It was only a fifteen-minute ride to the spaceport, and I’d already done my pre-flight check-in before I left, allowing me to head straight to security when I arrived. My baggage and I were both scanned before I was permitted to advance to the waiting room. It literally was a single room, the spaceport on Orez not that big compared to others on nearby planets. As the last descendants of Trid, a planet that had become unlivable a few decades before I was born, our population here wasn’t that big. And our new planet had only one major land mass, the rest occupied by water. Usually only small ships landed and departed from here. The flight I was catching to Eurebly would probably be one of the biggest crafts to arrive here in some time. And it would likely be almost full by the time I boarded, only one more stop between here and the planet where space racers’ headquarters was situated. I sent a quick message to Utahn, and to both my brothers, to let them know I was waiting for my flight. Utahn replied with a picture of him and Enif waving, while I didn’t hear anything from my brothers. And didn’t really expect to. Between their crazy practice schedule, sleeping at odd times, and the time difference, they usually didn’t reply for a couple of days. Though I hoped they’d be waiting for me when I arrived. Or, at least, one of them. I caught my flight shortly after, and, as expected, I had to search the cabin for a place to sit. “Is this seat taken?” I asked a man who had probably boarded on Retem. His skin had a green tinge with darker spots along his forehead and the sides of his face. And his green, straight hair ended crisply just above his shoulders, barely covering the gills in his neck. His home planet was much like Orez, but his species had evolved to live in the water as well as on land. “No, not at all.” He moved the strap of his bag off the arm of the empty chair. “Go ahead.” His smile was sweet, and, I had to admit, he was kind of hot. He wore a basic blue T-shirt and slightly darker denim pants that accentuated how muscular he was. I took the empty seat. “So, do you know one of the space racers, or are you a fan visiting for the weekend?” Dimples formed in his cheeks as his smile widened. “Well, I am a fan, but I’m going to Eurebly as a guest of my best friend, who is the center for Team Storm. How about you?” Oh, I’d heard of that team. My brothers cursed their pilots quite often because they were their biggest competition. “I don’t really follow the circuit much, but my brothers are both guards for ORIXA.” He chuckled. “Ah, the Kaddim Brothers. I imagine they’d be upset to learn we sat together for the flight.” “Probably, but they don’t have to know.” I lightly touched his arm, waiting to see how he’d react. Another grin. This flight was going to be fun. “I’m Vawn.” “Trog.” He shifted in his seat to face me better. “So, have you been there before?” “No, this is my first time. I always had something else going on during these events.” We chatted the entire flight, making the time pass remarkably fast. I hadn’t realized we’d landed on Eurebly until other passengers started getting up from their seats. Trog walked with me to the baggage claim, where he saw his friend. “I’m going to go now, but maybe we can meet up again sometime this weekend. I think there’s a dinner and dance tomorrow night. Will you save me a dance?” “Definitely.” I rubbed his arm, casually feeling his biceps. “Maybe a couple.” He nodded with a smile. “I look forward to it.” He kept his gaze on me as he started to walk away. When he finally turned, I searched for my luggage. This was already turning out to be a great weekend. I had wonderful company during my flight and already had a dance partner lined up for tomorrow night. Now, I needed to locate my travel case and search for my brothers. VAWN (Kaddim Brothers #1) by Jessica E. Subject
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AuthorJessica E. Subject is a USA Today bestselling author of Sci-Fi and Paranormal Romance. Please note: Some links contain affiliate links.
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