When
a lunar quake sets off partial destruction of the Moon and an international
laboratory, all lives on Earth are immediately at stake.
A
group of veteran soldiers have volunteered for the Lunar Civil Defense
Detachment (LCDD) on the Moon’s Joint International Lunar Laboratory (JILL),
but during training, a terrible accident changes all their lives in ways they
couldn’t imagine.
Though
the call for help has been dispatched and part of JILL secured for the
treatment of the injured, a saboteur seizes the moment to try to finish the
destruction the quake has caused. Terrorists, a familiar enemy on Earth, have
also intercepted the call for help and invade JILL, seeing this as their
opportunity to take over both fronts—Earth and the Moon.
With
the war in Oceania now contaminating the Moon, will the complete destruction of
JILL—and Earth itself—be far behind? How can a handful of soldiers hold off the
hostile forces in this unforgiving realm that seek to destroy civilization?
EXCERPT:
"That is such Bravo
Sierra," I said, grinning broadly.
"It sells better
than the truth," she responded, somewhat subdued. "My family was from
New York. I joined up as soon as I was old enough."
"Revenge,
then?"
"That, and
patriotism."
"Really?"
She looked at me a
moment. "Yeah, really." There was some degree of anger in her voice.
"I can trace my family's history all the way back through World War
One."
"So because you had
relatives in the military going back to the Stone Age you think you—"
"Shut up, Matt. I
want you to understand something. I am
truly a patriot. My grandfather died in the War for the Constitution during
the defense of Helena, Montana. That kind of patriotism still runs strong in my
family. The quickest way in the world to piss me off is to talk shit about
being a patriot or this country. Got it?"
"Yeah, Susan, I got
it," I replied calmly. "Now, I want you to understand something. I may be an adrenaline junkie, but
I've not watched my friends die, and killed people for the thrill. I love my
country, too, and I lost people on the side of freedom in the War for the
Constitution as well. Anyone who's in this
fight for reasons other than to defend the US is in it for the wrong reason,
and I don't want to share a foxhole with 'em. If I said anything to make you
think I felt otherwise, it was certainly not my intention."
"Okay, Matt. We've
cleared that up. I just want to ensure any man I might look at twice is using
the same ammo I am."
"Wait, what?"
She stood up and turned
to look at me over her shoulder. "Keep your temper, Matt. I want to see
you on the Moon," and she started to walk away. For the first time, I
noticed her as she walked. Oh, I knew she was exaggerating that walk, but I watched, anyway.
"Great!" I
shouted after her. "Just how am I to concentrate on my studies now?"
Be sure an leave a comment for a chance to win a free ebook!
Mike, I really am loving these stories of yours! Thanks so much for sending them my way at FIRE STAR PRESS! I'm always anxious to see how you get your next group of characters "out of the frying pan and into the fire"--and sometimes, back into the frying pan again!
ReplyDeleteCheryl, were I to thank you the same number of times as there are stars in the universe, it would still be insufficient.
DeleteThank you, thank you, thank you...
Best of luck. Sounds like an exciting story. I like the title: Battle of Broken Moon. Sounds like the title of a Western.
ReplyDeleteWell, JILL in located on the moons western half.
DeleteMichael, your new science-fiction books looks so exciting. I'm already wondering what went on in The War of the Constitution. I can relate to Matt's adrenaline junkie problem.
ReplyDeleteI want to wish you great success with Battle of Broken Moon. Great cover, too, BTW.
Thank you Sarah. I hope people will find this story thrilling and intriguing.
DeleteAnd the cover, that all Livia Reasoner work. I took one look at it and realized, "That's it!"
Your second story appears to be another winner. Congratulations on finding a great publisher who likes yours stories...that is worth its weight in gold. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteEveryone I have worked with at Fire Star has been so encouraging, They add icing to the incredible cake of publication.
DeleteThank you Celia.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGordo--congratulations, you have won the contest.
ReplyDeleteEmail me at: gonzales-scribbler@cox.net
I want to thank all of you who left those wonderful, encouraging, posts. I hope you'll all enjoy "The Battle of Broken Moon"!
congrats on the release, Michael!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Deborah!
Delete