Suspended in the Stars
Book 1: Suspended in the Stars (out now)
I'm a double Award-Winning Author!
I am beyond excited to announce that Suspended in the Stars won TWO Realm Awards at this year's Realm Makers Conference! I took home the Debut and Young Adult awards and came in second place for the Science Fiction category! I am honored and so excited. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, grab a copy below!
Purchase Suspended in the Stars
Get a *signed* paperback + bookmark, ebook, or audiobook copy of Suspended in the Stars!
Praise for Suspended in the Stars
Suspended in the Stars Book Trailer
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A girl in hiding. A boy on the run. The fate of the galaxy between them.
When Talie Zarna is forced to hide rogue soldier, Renner Cartha, her life isn’t the only thing threatened. Living as the famed Soaring Staress on the circus spaceship Midway masks her true identity, but Renner’s very presence threatens to draw unwanted attention.
As a former royal guard, Renner holds secrets of his own. Like evidence of a political assassination he is on a mission to deliver to the Xerus Galaxy’s governing council. Renner's flirtatious confidence is at odds with the seriousness of his mission, but when his former guard captain, Jas Uli-Tai, discovers him hiding among the circus performers, Talie risks everything she's come to cherish—going so far as to leave the safety of the Phenomena circus—to do what is right.
With Jas closing in at every turn, Talie and Renner come close to finding the High Council only to discover corruption at its core. Their only option for escape is a cocky smuggler who’s not quite what he seems and an underground resistance group called The Rising that’s fighting for change in the galaxy.
Faced with the weight of her true identity and the cost of embracing it, Talie must decide if she is willing to give up everything for the sake of saving the Galaxy, even if that means giving up the boy she loves.
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Suspended in the Stars is the first book in the Xerus Galaxy Saga. It is a no spice romantic space opera perfect for fans of The Lunar Chronicles, The Starboard Trilogy, and The Illuminae Files.
Bookish Images of Suspended in the Stars
Inspiration images of the cast of the Phenomena Circus on the spaceship Midway
The story behind the story...
I started Suspended in the Stars on a bit of a dare. My friend and podcast co-host, Christen Krumm, challenged me to write a book on my blog in the month of August, 2020. That first chapter is still live on the blog and you can check it out here.
I planned out what I would write and was faithful to post 1 chapter every day for 30 days. At the end I was left with 50,000 words, 30 chapters, half a story, and a whole lot of people who kept asking me for more.
Fast forward, I'm now contracted fro 3 book as a romantic suspense and cozy mystery author (more about that on this website), and while I submitted SITS out to some really amazing publishers and it got great responses, no one made the move to buy it. So here I am, launching it on Kickstarter!
Why Kickstarter?
I decided on Kickstarter for a few reasons, but the main one being *beautiful* hardcover books! As a cover designer I've had the chance to work with publishers putting out beautiful hardcover editions of their books and I've always wanted that for SITS.
With Kickstarter, I am able to know up front a) if the project will fund b) how many copies of each book I'll need and c) I'll be able to reach a wider network of people who love to support Kickstarter projects!
How does Kickstarter work?
Kickstarter is awesome and I've enjoyed backing many projects in the past. For those who aren't familiar with it I'll break it down:
- A creator puts up a project with levels (tiers) to offer those who will "back" their project
- Usually, each tier offers something different (or a grouping of things)
- The creator sets a date for the project to run AND they choose a funding goal minimum
- When the Kickstarter goes live everyone can hop in and back the project at whatever level they feel most comfortable at (For example: if you love audiobooks but also want a copy of the paperback book, you back a level that has those combined)
- *IF* the project funds at or above their funding goal, it means the project has been successful and everyone who backed it will be charged for their pledge (at the end of the Kickstarter)
- What happens next depends on each creator - they will move into the "fulfillment" stage of their project where they will either finish creating, or create, the product(s) and get them sent out to those backers.
When will I get the book if I back the SITS Kickstarter?
I'm somewhat a head of the game for this Kickstarter in that I've already written the book and hired a professional editor to do a developmental edit on it. I'm currently going through those edits and then will be hiring a copy/line editor and proofreaders to go through it before it will go to print.
What this means is that, once the Kickstarter goes live, I'll be working toward finishing my edits and passing it on to my next editor. I estimate that I'll be able to fulfill all of the tiers (aside from a special one I haven't announced yet) by summertime!
NOTE: This is going to be around 4 months before anyone else can purchase the book!
NOTE 2: Some items that will be for sale during the Kickstarter (like the limited edition dust jacket hardcovers for one) will not be for sale again. They will ONLY be available during the Kickstarter event.
How can I help spread the word?
I'm so glad you asked ;-)
First off, you can fill out the form below to help me spread the word about the Kickstarter. Secondly, tell people about it! If they like YA scifi & fantasy this book may be right up their alley. Plus, I'd be so grateful if you shared!