GENREALITY

I got an e-mail from a writer friend who picked up one of my books over the weekend. Evidently she couldn’t resist reading the last page while standing in line to pay for it. Her reaction was, well, classic. It went something like this:

How could you . . . ! I can’t believe . . . ! Arrrrrrrrrgh!

I didn’t resent that my pal read the last page first. I can’t do that myself (to me it’s like opening Christmas presents in July) but I know there are lots of people who do. Since I’m already notorious for often waiting until the very last page to offer a final twist, the temptation is even understandable (in this case the twist is delivered in the final two words of the novel, and it’s a whopper.) Nor did I mind the subsequent wheedling and pleading for an early copy of the next book in the series.

What made me run for the ibuprofen is that I didn’t know that this particular novel was already being sold. It’s not scheduled for release until August 6th, I donated the single early copy my editor sent to me for a charity drive, my author copies haven’t arrived yet, and I haven’t finished putting together the promo I was going to do for it on my author blog in August. That and Mom is going to be calling me any minute to say, “I saw your book at the store today, Lynn. What does a mother have to do? Go and buy a copy so she can read it?”

Fortunately Genreality had some extra post room this week, and Sasha was kind enough to let me use today’s space for some hurried, blantant self-promo, so without further whining, here’s an excerpt from my upcoming, I mean, current release, Crystal Healer:

(To set up the scene: Jarn, a bioengineered immortal physician, and her husband Duncan Reever have traveled with their alien friends to the remote planet of oKiaf to investigate why the primitive world has never been attacked by the malignant black crystal infecting the other inhabited worlds in the galaxy. While on planet, Jarn meets for the first time an alien female who is an old friend of Reever’s — a very good friend, as it turns out . . .)

As soon as we were alone, the Takgiba began stripping out of her clothing, revealing more black-and-white fur and a long, thin tail that moved as languidly as Uorwlan did.

“Secure the inside of the entry hide, will you, Jarn?” the Takgiba asked. “The natives won’t intrude on us, but they’ve been known to peek.”

I saw she intended to remove all of her garments, and turned to Reever. “You never let me sleep naked.”

He shook his head at me slightly before addressing the Takgiba. “Uorwlan, my wife and I are exclusive to each other. We will not have sex with you.”

“What?” The feline gave him a look almost as astonished as my own.

“She thinks she can couple with us?” I said, almost at the same time.

“How else am I to get warm?” Uorwlan gave me a hateful look. “So this is what you’ve done to him? Turned him into a Jorenian?”

I didn’t like that, especially as being exclusive had been Reever’s idea from the beginning. “Terrans are usually monogamous,” I informed her. “When I agreed to become his wife, I also accepted his ways.”

“That Terran” —Uorwlan pointed to Reever— “was never monogamous. Even when he shared my bed. In fact, he went through females almost as quickly as he did blades.”

I had forced myself to accept that Reever had given his love to Cherijo before me. Now it would seem a small army of females had had him even before her.

She studied my expression. “He didn’t mention that, did he? Ah, well, they never do. All males are seeders, you know, and they’re never truly happy unless they can spread it around. Did he ever tell you about the slave harem we liberated from the pleasure colony on Anigfel? I ended up putting guards on our cabin so he could get a few hours’ sleep. You wouldn’t believe what I had to do to have him to myself once a week.”

“What my husband did with you or anyone else in his past is irrelevant to me.” Anger made my voice cold. “All you need to know is that you can’t have him now.”

“Is that what you think, little sister?” She bared her teeth and tugged a blade out of her belt. “Duncan saved my life, and I’m in his debt. He can ask anything of me, and I will give it to him.” She tossed the dagger from one set of claws to the other. “So if he wants a place in my bed, on my ship, or anywhere else, it’s his.”

I pulled one of my own blades and held it ready. “Not anymore.”

“Perhaps I should go and sleep with Qonja and Hawk,” Reever said as he stepped between us and with two blurred motions took the blades from our hands. He looked at Uorwlan. “You are my friend, but Jarn is my wife, and I love her. You will respect that and our bond.” He turned to me. “And you, Wife. You will calm down and not provoke Uorwlan any further.”

“Provoke her?” I echoed, outraged. “She drew the first blade. You wish me to stand by the next time she loses her temper and let her stab me?”

Reever’s eyes darkened. “I wish you to leave her alone, Jarn.”

“If you are finished arguing,” Jylyj said from outside the side entry to the shelter, “we have been summoned to meet with the master hunter.”

If you’d like to read more, Crystal Healer, StarDoc book nine, can be ordered from B&N.com (who are also shipping it out early) here.

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