Breeding Stations is a m/m science fiction romance story. Now,
nothing of this is really new or different, but I think my take on the sci-fi
part is a bit different. The Tash’Ba, the alien race the humans fear and fight,
have created war beasts. They combined dinosaur genes with genetic material of
their own world’s worst predators, thereby creating almost indestructible beasts.
I’ve based most of the war beasts on well-known dinosaurs, but still gave them
new attributes—a different appearance or behavior, for example. I also created
completely new beasts, like the mandrox, who resemble meerkats, but really are
dangerous little critters.
The
characters are chased, fear for their lives—some lose their lives—and still try
everything to end the beasts’ control on the planet Ligador.
There’s a
lot of danger and adventure included in the story, but it’s not a dark-themed
book. Despite everything, there’s an undercurrent of hope, loyalty, and love
that gets them through the dark times.
The
Nadisc, the humanoid alien race that help Berit and his team, were also
fascinating to create. They look like humans, but they’re larger and much
stronger. They wear their hair in dreadlocks, and all of them have long tails
that help them during fights, but also enrich their sex life greatly. Tom’s
tail is one of his features that Berit adores. ;-) Some of the Nadisc also have
frills. Under normal circumstances, they’re folded up, but in dangerous
situations or when their emotions get the better out of them, they swish into
life. I don’t think I’ve read about a character with a frill before, but it was
a blast to write about.
Another
aspect of Breeding Stations is my
take on gender roles. I didn’t follow traditional rules for gender roles and
relationships, especially not when it comes to the heterosexual relationships.
Niyara, for example, is a strong, dominant woman, who desires Carson, Berit’s
best friend. Even though Carson fights his attraction to her (he’s usually
interested in petite women), he gives in after all. It takes a lot of time, and
a bit of prodding from Berit, for Carson to accept Niyara’s dominance and admit
to himself that he craves it, that it makes him happy.
Blurb:
Spunky commander Berit Turner is known for two things: his huge libido and
his lack of a filter—he says what he thinks. Berit sets
his mind on being part of the mission to
Ligador, to make sure the planet is habitable for humans. He’s ecstatic when
his team is assigned to the task force. A delegation of Nadisc, a humanoid
alien race, accompanies them, and passion ignites between Berit and their
commanding officer, Tom. But Berit is determined that Tom is just another notch
on his bedpost, as he doesn’t do relationships.
The excursion to Ligador goes wrong
from the beginning, when they discover Ligador has been established as a
breeding station by their worst enemy: the Tash’Ba. Dinosaur-like creatures
become the team’s worst nightmare, and staying alive is going to take
everything they’ve got… and then some.
Pages or Words: 204 pages or about
65,000 words
Categories: M/M Romance, Science Fiction
Excerpt:
Excerpt from Chapter Two
Several alarmed
shouts warned me of something going on, but I had no time to process what
happened. Something roped around my waist and yanked me over to the side. I
crashed into Tom’s chest as a harsh growling sound erupted from his throat.
I tried jerking
myself free, but he held onto my wrists with one hand, while his tail kept me
tethered to his body. “What the hell?”
Niyara squared off
in front of Tom, her dark eyes gleaming with an eerie, demonic red glint where
her pupils should’ve been. Her long tail swished from one side to the other and
her arm muscles flexed.
“What the
ever-loving fuck is going on?” I asked.
“Quiet!” Tom hissed.
My mouth fell open,
and I gaped at him. Okay. Enough was enough. I caught the tip of his tail in my
hand and pinched it—hard. He roared, but I used the chance to slip free. A
Nadisc’s tail tip was the most sensitive part, which came in handy during sex
but was a real disadvantage in a fight. Or maybe not. I’d never heard of
someone winning a fight against a Nadisc when—
Niyara’s fist
closing around my shirt stopped all my pondering. She lifted me off my feet,
hissing and boring her eerie gaze into mine. Maybe I should’ve stayed with Tom.
He’d felt slightly less dangerous than she did.
Carson appeared next
to Niyara’s side, eyes as large as saucers but an equally determined look on
his face. He reached out. As soon as he touched her arm, her head whirled
around. I held my breath. Would he be able to save me from Niyara’s wrath?
She’d seemed rather taken with him earlier. What the hell had I done, anyway,
to agitate her?
As I wracked my
brain, Carson and Niyara gazed at each other. The next instant he rose on
tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
She let go of my
shirt, and I would’ve landed flat on my ass if Tom hadn’t snatched me around
the waist. Niyara rested her head on Carson’s shoulder, which meant she had to
stoop because of her height. No one said anything, and no one moved for what
seemed like a long time. When she lifted her head, several people—including
me—hissed, afraid of what she’d do next.
Niyara bowed her
head toward Tom. “I apologize for my outburst. I’ve never encountered a
jealousy spell before.”
“Jealousy spell?” I
echoed.
She gazed at me,
suddenly looking sheepish. “Feeling such a strong connection is new to me, and
I didn’t like Carson using an endearment toward you.”
I blinked, then
looked over at Carson. He gawked, and his eyes were the same size as before.
Would they stay like that forever?
Niyara swept an arm
around to include everyone in her proclamation, which resulted in startled
jerks and coughs. “I’m claiming Carson as my mate. Anyone who’d like to object
has to fight me.”
No one objected.
Everyone seemed busy inspecting their boots or the ceiling. I never noticed
before how very ugly the hatch’s ceiling was.
“Berit!” Carson
wheezed out.
I sighed and
transferred my gaze from the ceiling to Carson. “Congrats?”
Someone cheered and
the others followed suit, clapping their hands to add to the noise. Carson was
so pale I feared he’d faint, but Niyara cupped his face in both hands and
kissed him. After that, he didn’t seem to mind that much, not anymore.
Chuckling, I told
the others to open the hatch and take up their position. The hatch opened with
the usual buzz, but when I started to walk, Tom’s arms around my waist
tightened to an almost painful level.
“Tell them to secure
the area and wait for further instructions,” he whispered into my ear.
“Dream on. I won’t
do—” My words ended abruptly when the steel bands around my waist left me no
room for breathing.
“Now.”
Tom allowed me more
breathing room, and I gave the desired order. No one looked twice or questioned
my instruction, for which I’d have been grateful on any other day, just not
today. Ticking off a Nadisc was a bad idea. One of the worst, really.
We waited until
everyone had cleared the hatch’s area. Tom spun me around in his arms and
lifted me up until we were face-to-face.
“You accepted me as
your leader on this mission, remember? That means no punching me,” I said, “or
doing anything that would harm me.”
Tom’s gaze
intensified, and my mouth went dry when he spread out a red and orange speckled
frill around his neck. I’d read about this display, but had never seen it
before. Only a few Nadisc still had those frills—most opted for surgery because
it gave away their emotions too easily—and those that did had a very tight
control over it.
“But it’s okay for
you to hurt me?” he rasped.
I tried to reason
with him. “I… look, I’m the commander here. You can’t just order me around or
hold me captive, okay?”
“Niyara could’ve
killed you.”
I shrugged. “She
didn’t, and she’ll just have to get used to the way Carson and I talk to each
other.”
The frill around his
neck unfolded even more. He said, “I’m not fond of the way you talk to each
other.”
I had an inkling
where this conversation was headed. I had an even bigger inkling that I’d panic
if Tom said anything, so I closed my eyes, wrapped my arms around his neck—over
the frill, which was kind of awkward—and sought his mouth with mine.
He opened up
immediately, and I dipped my tongue into his mouth, licking along his teeth and
eliciting an approving hum from him. Somehow I ended up with my legs wound
around him and one of his hands steadying my ass.
When we broke apart
for air, he said, “I won’t forget what you did.”
“I’ll make it up to
you,” I replied. His eyes lit up with interest, so I added, “Deal?”
“Deal.”
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About the
author:
Chris
T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband
of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck
and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her
family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge
instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as
mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she
happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.
Where to find the author:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat
Other: GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover
Artist: Anne Cain
Tour Dates & Stops: July 28, - August 10, 2015
Tour Dates & Stops: July 28, - August 10, 2015
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