(Aldebarian Alliance #3)
by Dianne Duvall
Release Date: January 18th, 2022
In no time at all, she is speeding across the galaxy aboard a Lasaran warship manned by two amazing alien races. It's the dream of a lifetime... until a vicious attack by a mutual enemy of Lasara and Earth lands her alone in an escape pod with no habitable planet in sight and only one ship within range: one that carries the enemy who wants to know why the bioengineered virus they released on Earth long ago didn't exterminate humanity and leave the planet ripe for their claiming.
Jak'ri doesn't know how long he has been a prisoner aboard the Cebaun, but he fears the enemy's twisted experiments will soon lead them to a virus that will eradicate the Purveli people. Despair grips him until a female from Earth is taken captive and reaches out to him telepathically. The gift that Ava said caused her such misery in the past soon becomes his salvation as the two of them form a fast friendship. Determined to distract each other from the horrors of their existence, they immerse themselves in telepathic communion during the day, then seek solace and adventure together in shared dreams. As their friendship deepens into love, the two hatch a daring plot to escape their captors. But the enemy will not let them go without a fight.
Jak’ri nodded toward
the cliff’s edge. “Shall we?”
“Not if you give me
time to think about it.”
He flashed his teeth
in a boyish grin. “One-two-three, jump!” he called and took off running,
pulling her after him.
Ava’s eyes widened and
her heart thudded hard in her chest as she ran alongside him.
Their feet hit the
edge at the same time, and together they leapt off.
Jak’ri whooped as they
plummeted toward the ocean, the sound so wonderfully carefree and appealing
that Ava found herself grinning big even as she shrieked and squeezed the hell
out of his hand.
He hit the water a
split second before her. Cool liquid closed over their heads. Bubbles
surrounded them as if they’d just jumped into a vat of club soda. Then he
looped an arm around her waist and propelled them both to the surface.
“That was crazy!” she
blurted, unable to stop smiling as she swiped water from her face.
“Crazy but fun?” he
quipped, eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Maybe,” she hedged.
“But not as fun at this.” Propelling her upper body out of the water, she
planted her hands atop his head and dunked him. As soon as she released him,
she began a lazy backstroke.
Jak’ri surfaced with a
sputter and a laugh. When his silver eyes found her a few yards away, they
acquired a devilish glint. “Oh, you’re going to regret that, little Earthling.”
Ava shrieked when he
dove for her. Rolling onto her stomach, she took off, swimming in earnest.
Jak’ri’s fingers
closed around one of her ankles. “Caught you!” She swam harder, getting
absolutely nowhere, breaking into giggles as he issued dire threats in a
villainous voice.
When was the last time
she had honest-to-goodness giggled?
She yelped when he
gave her ankle a yank.
Then she was in his
arms and he was grinning wickedly at her.
“Think you can get the
best of me, do you?” he taunted. Tucking his hands under her arms, he kicked
his feet.
Ava laughed as he tossed
her up out of the water. Through the air she flew, landing on her back several
yards away. The water again closed over her head. When she surfaced, she
quickly bent her head to hide her smile and rubbed her eyes. “Hang on a sec,”
she mumbled.
Jak’ri immediately
stopped laughing and swam toward her. “I’m sorry. Did you get something in your
eye?”
“No.” She grinned at
him. “I just needed to lure you closer.” Then she swept her arm through the
water in front of him, sending a cascade over his head.
Sputtering, Jak’ri
dove for her.
Laughter abounded as
they played, even more so when he started sharing tales of his exploits with
his brother.
Clunk.
Ava jerked awake. Damn it! She really hated to wake up. She
and Jak’ri had been romping and playing like children. Having to come back to
the reality of this cell and the assholes who’d put her in it sucked.
Don't miss the first two books in the Aldebarian Alliance series!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dianne's books have all appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and/or Kobo Bestseller lists. The first book in Dianne's The Gifted Ones series, A Sorceress of His Own, is a prequel of sorts to Darkness Dawns. A USA Today bestseller, A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that was awarded the AudioFile Earphones Award for Excellence and was an Audie Finalist. The second book in the series, Rendezvous With Yesterday, is a time travel romance that won the GraveTells Readers' Choice Award for Best Historical Romance.
In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play (comedy) and teamed up with an award-winning screenwriter to write a spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also been published in anthologies.
When she isn't writing, Dianne is very active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the psychotic vampires she creates in her books.
For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com or sign up for her Newsletter. You can also find Dianne online . . .
Such an amazing book!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I hope that your readers enjoyed this peak into THE PURVELI, available now! > https://amzn.to/3Kj2LI0 ~ Crystal @ Author's Taproom
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to start this book! 😍
ReplyDeleteI loved that excerpt!!
ReplyDeleteSo excited
ReplyDeleteWoop! That's some amazing excerpt! I love Jak'ri and Ava. They're so cute together.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this.
Love the quote!!!! I can't wait to listen to The Purveli!
ReplyDelete💜💜💜
ReplyDeleteI just finished re-listening to the first two books to ready myself for this book. I love all of her books.
ReplyDelete