Her Instruments Trilogy :Science Fiction Adventure, Space Opera by M.C.A. Hogarth Book Tour with Guest Post and Giveaway
Dive into a universe of friendly aliens, glamorous space elves, insane pirates... and the gutsy human merchant who's just trying to hold it all together...
Earthrise
Her Instruments Book 1
by M.C.A. Hogarth
Genre: Science Fiction Adventure, Space Opera
"The thrills are nonstop,
the alien cultures and races are well developed and fascinating, and
there’s just the right amount of humor to keep the whole thing
fizzing." — Analog Science Fiction and
Fact
Reese Eddings has enough to do keeping
her rattletrap merchant vessel, the TMS Earthrise, profitable
enough to feed herself and her crew. So when a mysterious benefactor
from her past shows up demanding she rescue a man from slavers, her
first reaction is to run for the hills. Unfortunately, she did
promise to repay the loan. But she didn't think it would involve
tangling with pirates over a space elf prince...
Book 1 of
the Her Instruments trilogy is a rollicking adventure set in the
expansive Pelted universe, and kicks off an epic space opera series
where the fate of worlds hangs in the balance. Fans who enjoyed
Firefly or Andromeda will like this series.
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads
Rose Point
Her Instruments Book 2
Reese is only just getting used to
running the Earthrise in the black—and with an Eldritch in her
crew—when a trip to a colony world gives rise to a whole new
problem: Hirianthial is showing powers that even the Eldritch rarely
have, and that only in legend. He badly needs training, support and
advice, and the only place he can find them is... at home.
To
see the world of the Eldritch is a once in a lifetime opportunity, a
thing of fantasies and rumor. And to finally meet the Eldritch Queen,
the author of so many of Reese's windfalls! You'd have to twist her
arm to get her to admit it, but Reese can't wait to go. But a court
out of fantasy and a breathtaking land aren't enough compensation
when they come packaged with a rabidly xenophobic species whose world
is falling apart. The last thing they want any part of is some mortal
interloper.
Is Reese ready for the Eldritch world? Better
to ask: are they ready for her?
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads
Laisrathera
Her Instruments Book 3
The Queen of the Eldritch has
offered Reese Eddings a life out of a fairy tale, one beyond the
imagination of a poor girl from Mars who’d expected to spend her
life eking out a living with a rattletrap merchant vessel.
Unfortunately, the day Reese reached out to accept Liolesa’s offer,
Hirianthial’s enemies betrayed him--and his entire planet--to a
race of sociopathic shapeshifters with dreams of conquest. Now the
only thing between Reese and a castle of her very own is a maniacal
alien despot, his native quisling and all the Eldritch dead-set on
preventing the incursion of aliens at any cost, including the ousting
of their current usurper, who happens to be an alien
himself...
Reese, Hirianthial and the crew of the
Earthrise have been battling these pirates since Hirianthial’s
capture inspired their fateful meeting, but to beat them Reese will
have to own the power she’s always denied herself, and Hirianthial
must make peace with his bloody past and uncertain future.
The
stakes have never been higher, and this last time will count for all.
The final battlefield awaits.
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads
A Rose Point Holiday
Her Instruments Book 4
With the Eldritch civil war over, a
castle to renovate, and a wedding to prepare for, the last thing
Reese is thinking about is taking a break. But the new year is coming
and the Eldritch take their holidays very seriously, so Reese decides
it can’t hurt to observe the local proprieties. Who knows? Maybe
it’ll make good practice for what Felith is calling the wedding of
the century. Of course, that was before Reese realized it was going
to involve gifts. And decorating. And a town full of recalcitrant
Eldritch tenants who have no reason to trust her...
"A
Rose Point Holiday" is a short, pastoral novel set during the
last days before Reese becomes Theresa Laisrathera Eddings, lady of
Rose Point Castle and the surrounding lands of Firilith. The Eldritch
have never seen a holiday quite like this one!
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads
“We’re doing what?” Irine exclaimed, striped
hands twitching on the mess hall table.
Reese leaned back against her chair, letting
her silence speak for her. As she expected, Bryer, the Phoenix, had nothing to
say; the giant birdlike creature rested against the front of the chair,
straddling it so as to give the full length of his metallic plumage
unrestricted space.
Kis’eh’t, while obviously perturbed, did
nothing beyond wrinkle her dark, furry brow and lay back her feathered ears.
She had more limbs than all of them: two black arms, four black and white legs,
and two stunted leathery wings protruding from her second, horizontal back. And
a tail, black with two white stripes running down it, which currently flicked
against the cool floor.
The round ball of fluff on the table between
the Phoenix and the Glaseahn only ruffled part of its neural fur, turning from
ivory to rosy peach in places.
Irine, in her socks and little else, was
pouting. “So what... we have to ride in like champions and rescue some random
spy? For nothing?”
“Not for nothing,” Reese said. “In return for
the money that this person gave me to save me from bankruptcy before you people
came aboard.”
“Who is this person, anyway?” Sascha asked.
“Which one?” Reese asked. “The spy or the one
with the money?”
“Both,” Sascha said.
Reese smothered a small grin. “The spy’s an
Eldritch.”
“A what!”
That came from so many places at once she
couldn’t tell which of them said it first. Kis’eh’t got the first words after:
“I hear they can start fires with their minds.”
“And read your thoughts,” Irine said.
Kis’eh’t said, “And sense your feelings. They
always know when you’re lying.”
“That’s the last thing we need,” Irine
muttered.
“I hear they bathe in honey,” Sascha said.
Reese stared at him. So did everyone else
with eyes—even Bryer. The tigraine shrugged. “Something to do with keeping
their skin white.”
“Honey won’t bleach skin,” Kis’eh’t said.
“Moisturize it, maybe. But bleach? Not unless Eldritch honey is actually some
other substance entirely...”
“What do I know about Eldritch honey?” Sascha
said. “They’re supposedly all rich, too. And they’re all princes or princesses.
And they all require servants, because none of them know how to take care of
themselves.”
Irine shook her head.“Is this guy in for a
slap from the universe!”
“He’s in jail,” Reese said dryly. “I think
the slap’s been delivered.”
“This is troublesome.” Kis’eh’t drummed her
fingers on the table. “An Eldritch... this being may have specialized needs,
Reese. No one knows what they eat, what their normal medical profile is like,
how to treat one that’s sick... no one even knows how properly to address them
or what social or cultural mores they hold to. How are we supposed to save one
of these creatures and make him comfortable?”
“I’m not sure,” Reese admitted. “And since
the packet I received wasn’t exactly forthcoming with any of that kind of
material, I’m not sure we’ll be expected to do this perfectly.” She pushed her
data tablet to the center of the table with its gleaming pale picture of their
charge. “That’s him. Hirianthial Sarel Jisiensire.”
“Say again?” Sascha said.
Reese repeated it.
Kis’eh’t shook her head. “We’ll let you
address him.”
“At least he’s handsome for a human,” Irine
said.
“He’s not human,” Reese said. “He’s Eldritch.
And don’t forget it, if you don’t want him snooping around the inside of your
brain. Anyway, there’s only one thing I think we can take for certainty...
you’re not supposed to touch an Eldritch. So if all possible, let’s try to keep
bodily contact to a minimum.”
“Awww,” Irine said.
Sascha studied the picture. “Angels, boss, I
have to agree with her.”
“Yeah, well, if you want to come on to him,
be my guest,” Reese said. “Just don’t expect me to put your furry behinds back
together if it turns out he can blow things up by looking at them funny. And if
we break him, I think our benefactor’s going to be very grumpy.”
“Speaking of, who’s the person with the
money?” Sascha asked.
“I don’t know,” Reese said. “I’ve never seen
her face.”
“Her face?” That was Irine.
Reese shrugged. “Just a guess.”
“A trap?” Bryer said into the following
silence.
“I don’t know why she’d bother,” Reese said.
“Obviously the woman is bleeding rich. If she’d really wanted to sell me, you
and the rest of us into slavery, she could have just hired someone to do it
long before now.”
“I wonder who she is,” Kis’eh’t murmured.
“Who would know an Eldritch? One who left his world? It’s most peculiar.”
“Maybe we could meet her,” Sascha said.
Irine sniffed. “And get her to pay us.”
“For all I know she’s the Faerie Queen of
Eldritches and he’s her errant prince,” Reese said. “Wondering about the
assignment is pointless. I owe this person a debt and I’m going to pay it. If
you don’t want to come along, I can… I can give you your severance pay in
rooderberries. Since that’s all I’ve got left. Anyone want to leave?”
The silence was refreshing. And, though she
didn’t want to admit it, a relief. She didn’t want to do this alone.
“Now,” Reese continued, “If you twins would
be kind enough to set a course for Inu-Case, I would be obliged.”
***
While standing next to the fountain leading
into the restaurant and waiting for a table, Hirianthial sensed a muted yellow
aura gliding against his. A moment later, Sascha stepped up beside him.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Only if I’m buying,” Hirianthial said.
“Deal.”
“And if you tell me how long you’ve been
following me.”
The tigraine folded his hands behind his
back. “Since you left the medplex.” He glanced up at Hirianthial. “I was
sitting outside the comm station long enough to read half a magazine. Did that
go well?”
“You are curious,” Hirianthial said.
The maitre’d noted his party’s addition without so much as a change in
expression and brought them to a table outside in the patio. The yellow stone
tiles and the plain wooden beams had been shrouded with blooming tropical flowers.
Hirianthial had passed through enough starbases not to be surprised by the
simulation of nightfall, but the candles on the table were still a welcome
touch.
“It’s not curiosity,” Sascha said, once
they’d unfolded their napkins and requested something to drink. “I was hoping
you weren’t about to get sent off somewhere else.”
“Why does this worry you?” Hirianthial asked.
“Your mistress has made it clear that my business isn’t of any concern to her
or her people any longer.”
“Well, that’s where she’s wrong and you’re
wrong.” Sascha set his menu down with a wrinkled nose. “I hate menus without
prices. You order for me.”
Hirianthial cocked a brow at him, but did as
requested. With no more distractions, he folded his hands on the table and
waited for the tigraine to elaborate.
“Look, we’re no challenge for Reese.”
“And she needs a challenge,” Hirianthial
said.
Sascha nodded, curving his hands around his
cup of kerinne. Hirianthial had never developed a taste for the hot cinnamon
drink, though he suspected it would be favorably received on his homeworld.
“Because...?” Hirianthial prompted.
“She’s not happy,” Sascha said simply.
“She’s not happy.”
“No,” the tigraine said. “She’s been doing
this freighter thing for a while, and she’ll have you believe that she’s doing
it for the money. And it’s true that she’s easier to be around when we’re not
in debt... but then, who isn’t? But this thing with the Earthrise... it
doesn’t make her happy. And we aren’t enough of a distraction from that.”
“And this role you want me to fill? Wouldn’t
it be easier to suggest that she find another line of work?”
Sascha laughed. “You’ve known her long
enough. You tell me if that would fly.”
Hirianthial considered it and smiled. “I
suppose not. I’m still not certain where I come into this picture. My arrival
wasn’t exactly auspicious.”
WHY NOT BOTH
M.C.A. Hogarth
I drink coffee in
the morning, and love picking between different varietals and different styles
of drinking it. I will drink straight espresso, Cuban coffee, Turkish coffee,
black coffee… I’ll add cream and sugar and honey and molasses and maple syrup.
I have yet to meet a coffee I didn’t like. But I drink teas of all kinds, and
will happily hold forth on the various medicinal benefits of dozens of herbs.
I’ll drink green tea straight, and whisk away at my matcha, and I’ll take my
black tea strong with a side of pastries, and then spend an hour sorting my
tisane cabinet: chamomile for calm, ginger for digestion, skullcap to sleep,
turmeric pepper to wake up. People ask me: are you a coffee or a tea person,
and I say, “Yes?”
For years I owned
and loved dogs until I reached the apex achievement of dog ownership by finding
the Dog of My Heart, a gawky, haphazardly furred rescue from Montserrat. After
her passing, I couldn’t bear the thought of replacing her… so of course, God sent
a starving kitten to my door. I didn’t think I would like cats, but a year
later, that cat was sleeping on my bed next to me and I was smiling and shaking
my head while lint-rollering cat fur off everything, including my toothbrush. I
still love dogs, but cats have a place in my heart too, so when people ask: are
you a dog or a cat person, I say, “Absolutely.”
This is a pattern
with me. Foodie food or normal food? Can’t I have both? I love a peanut butter
sandwich as much as I like braised duck with raspberry coulis. Ballroom dress
princess, or armored up valkryie? How about yes? Pastels or bold colors? Paint one
wall sky blue in the bedroom and give me a deep orange wall for the kitchen.
Imagine my delight when I visited the California coast: turn to the right,
beach. Turn to the left, mountain!
My fiction is like
this too. If you give me a dichotomous choice, I wonder why I have to pick. Why
do I have to choose between magic and starships? Why can’t I have aliens and
engineered cat people? (And dog people!) Why can’t the same universe contain cozy
and terrifying, humor and romance, philosophy and action? The real one does.
Earthrise is the first book in one of my starter
series leading into the vast Peltedverse setting. It’s got over 35 books in it,
but they’re grouped into sets that share a vibe (because as much as I like
peanut butter and raspberry duck, I’m not sure about eating them at the same
time). Earthrise and her sequels are all space adventure with a dash of
romance. But if you liked that cup of coffee, and wonder if you can also have
tea… I’m your author, and this is your passport. Come love all the things. I
do!
Daughter of two Cuban political
exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting
pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the
bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things—-web
database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage
therapist—-but is currently a full-time parent, artist, writer and
anthropologist to aliens, both human and otherwise.
Her
fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for
the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen
for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines
and on book covers.
Website * Linktree * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Signed and Doodled copy of Earthrise,
$20 Amazon giftcard
– 1 winner each!
Sounds like an interesting trilogy. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete