Hi everyone. Today I am giving the blog over to Susanna Eastman. She is one of our authors from our "Beyond Starlight" box set. If you haven't purchased your copy of "Beyond Starlight," don't miss out. This limited edition box set gets taken down on February 19, 2025. Grab it Here! While you can.
Getting to Know the HEART BOND Series
by: Susanna Eastman
I write both sci-fi alien and contemporary romances and love telling stories about out-of-this-world heroes and the females who capture their hearts.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the Beyond Starlight anthology and my story in it, Captive Heat.
In Captive Heat, the first book in my HEAT series, you meet the Zomas, a family from the planet Vanta who live in a dangerous world 3000 years in the future.
Coming soon: In my second sci-fi alien series, HEART BOND, I introduce the Crain and the Azani to modern-day Earth. In this series, the Crain attack the Earth and annihilation is eminent until the Azani arrive to save the day—and remain on Earth. (But we later learn that not all the Crain are bad and not all the Azani are good.)
My first Heart Bond book, Her Secret Alien, takes place right before the Crain attack the Earth. We meet Abby, an Earth woman about to start graduate school, and Moss, a Crain on a secret mission to obtain geological samples on Earth. Moss rents a basement apartment in a large home owned by Abby’s missing great aunt. They don’t hit it off right away.
HER SECRET ALIEN
Heart Bond Book 1
by: Susanna Eastman
~ EXCERPT ~
Moss had to focus.
Ordinarily, he had excellent concentration and needed little help attending to his research, but tonight, she—Abby—made that impossible. And his meds weren’t helping.
He’d blocked her out during his conversation with Ronal, but now all he could think about was the quiet, and sometimes not so quiet, sobs from the young woman who lived on the floor above him.
His shoulders clenched. How long could she do this? The human body was about 60 percent water. She’d shrivel up into nothing if she kept going.
She’d cried uncontrollably when her aunt Prudence, his landlady, had gone missing, and now she wept again. He’d understood her concern for the older female as he was concerned too. He liked Prudence, and she kept out of his way. But tonight, Abby wept about a young man who was in no danger. A male who didn’t deserve her heated emotions.
Why did she do this?
Why did Moss care?
His exceptional hearing made her bawling louder and more distracting than it would be to an Earthling. His cock stirred again, and he shifted in his seat. Argh! This female took away his ability to think.
Thankfully, she’d turned on the energetic music that made working through her rants and sobs possible, and the hard beat rattling the building helped him focus.
But he could only focus so much.
He sat back in his seat and grumbled, adjusting himself again. Maybe if he talked to Abby, it would help.
I can’t wait to get off this planet.
His basement apartment had two entryways—a side outdoor entrance only for him and then a door that led to the main part of the house via a long stairway. He’d never used that one before, but now he had no choice. He mounted the stairs and knocked. Then knocked again—harder.
A minute later, he started to turn away, but the door flung open and Abby, her eyes red and nose even redder, glared at him. “Why are you pummeling my door?”
Moss stared at his tight fist then frowned. “I wasn’t pummeling.”
Abby’s face pinched as she shook back her long mane of dark hair. “Well, it sounded like pummeling. It’s after 9 p.m. Unless it’s a real emergency, and there’s blood involved”—she raised her head and looked at him from head to toe—“send me a text, and I’ll deal with it in the morning.”
Blood? His frown deepened. What was she suggesting? “There is no blood.”
“Good to know.” Her brows shot up as she reached for the glass doorknob. “So tomorrow…”
He placed an open palm on the panel, preventing her from shutting it. “I heard you crying.”
“What?” Her mouth dropped open, and her cheeks paled.
“Your music is loud, but your sobs remain audible.”
For a long moment, she stilled, then sniffled loudly and lifted her chin. “Oh, sorry to bother you. I’ll try to cry quieter and be less audible.”
Moss didn’t know how to respond. Navigating the rules of social discourse on this world was not simple, and her tone suggested sarcasm. “No, I didn’t mean you were bothering me.” Bothering was not the right word—at least not the way she said it. “I know you are anxious about your aunt. Now, your boyfriend…”
“How do you know about that?”
“You were yelling you hated him.”
“You could hear me?” Her eyes widened, and he nodded.
She turned away and then faced him again, her cheeks going from pale to pink. “How embarrassing.”
“He’s not a nice person.” The assessment came easily because it was true. Moss spent little time observing the activities of others in this residence, but this male—whiny and bossy at the same time—was a lowly being. And he visited far too frequently.
She blinked. Goddess, please no more tears. “No, he’s not.”
“And you are a nice person,” he replied, and those words came easily as well.
He admired her patience and attention to the old woman.
“You think I’m nice?” She sniffled again, blotting the tip of her nose with the back of her hand. “You always look like you’re about to growl at me.”
Moss narrowed his eyes. What was the line he’d read in that Earth psychology material?
“I’m not a people person.” Yes, that was a good way to explain it.
“Aunt Pru speaks fondly of you.” Her lips turned up slightly at the corners. “I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I figured it had to be more than you just paying your rent on time.” She paused, then her gaze met his. “Would you like to come in for some tea?”
He wanted to say no. The simple two-letter word was on the tip of his tongue. He had things to do, important work to get back to. He didn’t have the time to waste with her. “I—” he began but saw her eyes still damp and her nose red and puffy. Shit. He didn’t even like tea. “I’d like that.”
AVAILABLE NOW FOR FREE:
His (Im)perfect Alien
A Heart Bond Novella just in time for Valentine's Day!
by: Susanna Eastman
She never expected to find love—especially with an Earthling
Newlywed Sia knows little about the world she now calls home. As an alien from a distant planet, she’s struggling to fit in and understand how to be a good Earth wife. And that’s all she wants—to be the best wife to her new husband, Jake.
When Valentine’s Day arrives—her first—she has no idea what to do to make the day truly special for Jake. After a number of blunders, she worries she’ll never get it right. And she fears everyone, including her sweet husband, will always consider her an outsider.
Will love help her find the answers she needs on Valentine’s Day?
****
~ EXECERPT ~
Grocery stores were amazing. The neat little aisles. The carefully stacked cans and boxes. Even the cut-up dead animal products, called deli meat, looked appealing.
These types of foods would never be available via the Azani portal.
Sia gripped the handle of her cart with both hands and wheeled it down one aisle and up another. The eggs and milk were in chilled cases, nestled side by side, and the flour, sugar and other ingredients sat on a shelf in an area called baking supplies. How smart and appropriate to have them all together. While not as easy as procuring food through the Azani portal, which brought food items directly to her home, shopping in a grocery store was kind of fun. And so many interesting foods. Later she’d have to check out the chocolate hazelnut spread—advertised to be good on “everything”—and marshmallow fluff.
She turned down another aisle and smiled to herself. Maybe she’d use these Earth resources more frequently in the future. There was likely more to discover here.
With a bounce in her step, she gathered the baking supplies, tripling the amounts noted on Marielle’s recipe papers. More was better, wasn’t it? If all went well—and why shouldn’t it go well—Sia would have enough to make plenty for the bake sale and for Jake. She smiled. Maybe he’d love these cookies and want a large quantity to enjoy.
The whole dead animal case, with products plastic-wrapped and sanitized, wasn’t as awful as she’d imagined. Amazing what a bit of low-density polyethylene and polyvinylidene chloride could do to make something more palatable. She grabbed a packaged chicken—poor bird—and placed it beside the baking products in her shopping basket. While Jake enjoyed the meals she provided via portal—at least he said he did—he likely missed foods he’d eaten in the past, including this dead bird. She was a vegetarian like all Azanis, and would never consume former living creatures, but she was happy to make this for him.
“Are you an Azani?”
Sia turned to find a little Earth child, a female about eight or nine, staring up at her with big blue eyes focused on her dark ones. Only a thin ring of silver around Sia’s irises, barely noticeable to most, proclaimed her an Azani. How interesting this little one was so observant.
And thankfully, the girl didn’t shrink away. Many Earthlings still felt threatened by the Azani and wished Sia and her people gone. Even in this lovely neighborhood, some avoided her on the sidewalks, crossing the streets or turning around when they saw her coming.
“Yes, I am.” She offered a big smile.
“I’ve never seen a girl Azani before.”
“Well, there aren’t many of us here.”
The child pressed her lips together, looking but not talking. Finally she said, “I’ve always wondered what a girl Azani would look like. I thought you’d look like a guy, but you’re very pretty.”
“Thank you.” Sia leaned toward her and smiled again. “You’re very pretty too.”
“Kristy! Don’t bother…” A woman strode up to them and grabbed the girl by the hand. “I’m sorry…” She lifted her head from the child and froze when she met Sia’s gaze. “Oh! She really didn’t mean to bother you.”
I hope you enjoy both my Heart Bond and Heat Books!
Read more of Susanna Eastman’s books: https://books2read.com/b/38PgQd
And please sign up for Susanna Eastman’s newsletter for information on new releases, sales and other book news: http://bit.ly/3Y2kLPO
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susanna Eastman
I was a public relations writer before I turned to romantic fiction. While I enjoyed working in the corporate world, it was more fun to write about the sexy characters in my head.
I was fortunate to meet my personal romance hero during college. We met at a fraternity party my freshman year at school and became fast friends. One night I was eating dinner at his fraternity, and my future husband suavely sat on an empty table beside me to chat. Unfortunately, that table was missing a leg and it collapsed on my arm. When he called the next day to check on me, I had to tell him my arm was broken. (It was!) Devastated but still gallant, he asked me out on a date. We’ve now been married more than a few decades and have two teenage sons.
Please sign up for my newsletter for information on new releases, sales and other book news
Read more of the books in my steamy Heat series:
ABOUT THE BOOK
"Captive Heat"
Featured in: "Beyond Starlight" Box Set
by: Susanna Eastman
She was captured by sex slave traders, and he was her only hope.
When intergalactic trader Jaden Zoma rescues beautiful teacher Mia Townes from sex slave traders, she thinks her problems are over. Being kidnapped was awful, and Mia can’t wait to get back to the family that means everything to her.
Jaden is dedicated to helping those in need and never expects to need anyone else. He has few roots, and he likes it that way. Their paths should never have crossed.
But when their bodies are sabotaged—first by the slavers and then by nature—they must put aside honor and virtue to save each other.
What happens when their crazed journey ends, and it’s time to move on?
*****
Beyond Starlight
An Alien Fated Mate Box Set
To the deepest reaches of the galaxy these warriors will fight to find their fated mates. When their females are at the lowest in their lives they will twist the fabrics of existence and change everything in a blink of an eye. They will face slavers, hunters, computer matching systems, and so many obstacles that they will fight to the death to be together. Fated mates happen once in a lifetime, but will their bond be strong enough to stay together until the end. Find out by reading this limited edition box set filled with space, adventure, and fated mates between species never seen before on earth.
Featured Authors:
Diana Dawn
Susanna Eastman
Demelza Carlton
Katrina S. Karter
Danielle Forrest
Clare Dugmore
Purchase your Copy Today!
コメント