Raiders: The Secret War by Simon Haynes

Release date: May 20, 2019

Subgenre: Space opera, Military science fiction

About Raiders: The Secret War: 

 

Everyone has been scarred by the war, and Sam Willet is no exception.Sam is convinced she has what it takes to become a fighter pilot... to hunt down and destroy the enemy in deep space.

Instead she's assigned to Tactical Operations training. It's vital work, but it's still a desk job, far from the front line.

Then, terrible news: Sam's older brother is killed in combat.

Sam is given leave to attend his memorial service, but she's barely boarded the transport when the enemy launches a surprise attack, striking far behind friendly lines to take the entire sector.

Desperately short of pilots, the transport's captain asks Sam to step up.

Now, at last, she has the chance to prove herself.

But will that chance end in death... or glory?

 

The Secret War: Raiders is a complete, standalone novel. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

 

Excerpt:

 

Sam was in a state of shock as the lift carried her down to the lower levels. Her brother Lim had been her guiding light for as long as she could remember. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't be!
The lift opened on a lower deck, where the sleeping quarters were. Sam took the familiar passage in a daze, barely able to process the sudden turn of events. The war claimed fresh victims daily, she knew that well enough. But not her brother! When she joined the navy she intended to follow in his footsteps, hoping to become an elite fighter pilot and perhaps one day command a squadron of her own. Instead, her psych profile led her to TacOps. At first she'd been bitterly disappointed, especially since fighter pilots saw TacOps as a cushy posting. Lim and his friends joked about the 'back room boffins' all the time... when they weren't cursing them.
Eventually Sam had come to accept her role in the war, but she'd always held out hope that one day she'd be able to transfer to fighter ops. All recruits got to fly trainers, and during flight lessons she'd tried to shine so brightly that the instructors would be forced to recommend their star pupil transfer to fighters. Unfortunately, she was far better at tactics than piloting. In that, the psych profile had been spot on.
These thoughts and more raced through Sam's mind as she made her way to the dorm. Above all was the realisation that she'd never fly in a combat wing with her brother.
Sam didn't meet anyone else on her way to shared quarters, and she was grateful for that. She didn't feel like explaining, she didn't want to be treated with pity, and she knew the first kindly word or expression of sympathy would have her bursting into tears.
Sam stumbled into the sleeping quarters, barely noticing where she was going. Luckily her bunk wasn't far from the door, and she propped the mattress up to get at her things. She packed her kit automatically, stuffing in everything she thought she'd need over the next couple of days. When she was done she lowered the mattress, and then she laid down and buried her face in the pillow.
Only then did the tears finally come.

 

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About Simon Haynes:

Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock series, the Hal Junior series, and the upcoming Harriet Walsh series, as well as several dozen short stories. He is also the programmer and designer behind Spacejock Software, and is responsible for popular programs like yWriter and yBook.

 

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A Portion of Dragon and Chips (Robot vs. Dragon, Book 1) by Simon Haynes

Release date: August 20, 2018

Subgenre: Humor, Funny Fantasy

About A Portion of Dragon and Chips:

 

When a battered old robot washes up on the shores of the Old Kingdom, it signals the end of a fragile alliance amongst the four ancient Houses. It turns out dragons are really tasty, and having filleted, boned and baked their scaly allies to the very brink of extinction, no single House can hope to win out against the other three.
Into this shaky impasse steps the mechanical man, impervious to crude weapons, magic, suspicious wedding feasts, poisoned wine, and fire of any colour, be it wild, angry or just slightly annoyed.
Each House stakes their claim to the mechanical marvel, convinced the mysterious creature will lead them to a crushing victory against the others once they teach it to fly. And breathe fire. And, you know, ignore the Three Laws.
It's just a pity none of them thought to ask the robot what it wants.

Featuring Clunk - the beloved robot from the Hal Spacejock series - as well as the oddball protagonists from The Desolator and Thonn!, this novel promises to bring you the biggest laughs of the year.

 

Excerpt:

 

Hurm gathered the drinks and took them back to the table, where the reception was less than enthusiastic. Runt sniffed his beer, tossed the mint spring away, and took a tiny sip with his tiny mouth. "I've drunk better ale from the bottom of a toilet bowl," he remarked, after pursing his tiny lips.
Meanwhile, Father M fished a brownish slice of banana from his 'brandy' and held the glass to the light. He'd never seen brandy with a full head on it, but every land had their own local variety, and perhaps this fizzy brew would be the most memorable beverage he'd ever tasted.
It was.
Father M spluttered as the banana-flavoured ale hog-tied his tongue and administered two dozen lashes to his taste buds. They weren't the wishy-washy lashes you got from a lover with a whip fetish, these were the kind of lay-open-the-flesh and expose-the-bone lashes you got from a bosun with a bad temper and a thick right arm. To scour the awful taste from his soul, Father M fished around on the sawdust-strewn floor until he located Runt's sprig of mint, then chewed on the herb like fury.
He was so intent on cleansing his palate, he barely looked round as a group of men entered the tavern. Vaguely, he noticed one of the men was of generous proportions, to put it mildly, and was squeezed into a set of bronze armour which made him look like a metal-plated egg. The armour was immaculate, without so much as a scratch or a dent, and Father M knew instantly this man had never seen combat.
The men accompanying him were another matter. They were hard-faced veterans, with an impressive collection of scars, and they wore battered armour which was in complete contrast to that of their master.
"Make way for Sur Cumfrence!" shouted one of the men. He had a stern face, bisected by an ancient scar which ran from temple to chin, and his tone brooked no argument. His armour was of better quality than the others, his sword longer and more pointy, and it was clear he was the leader of the bodyguards. The tavern patrons obliged by clearing a path. A very wide path. "Barkeep, a keg of ale and twelve of your best pies."
"And what are the rest of you having?" called some wag from the shadowy depths of the tavern.
There was a sudden hush.
"Who said that?" demanded Sur Cumfrence. He spoke with a breathless, high-pitched tone, and he sounded like a petulant child. "Step forward this instant!"
Nobody moved.
"Half a crown!" shouted Sur Cumfrence. He delved into his generous purse and came up with a silver coin. "Half a crown to the man who identifies the trouble maker."
Still nobody moved. The bodyguards were growing restless, their hands on the hilts of their swords, their gazes roving the tavern as they sought out the wag ... or a scapegoat. One of them studied Hurm's huge muscled torso and gigantic two-handed sword, quickly moved on to Father M, then ... stopped on Runt. "There, sir. The tousle-headed imp sitting beside the circus performer. He has the look of a troublemaker, and no doubt about it."
Runt lowered his minty beer. "Me?" he said, aggrieved. "How could it be me? The voice came from the back of the tavern!"
Father M would have leapt to his defence, but he was still in shock at being called a circus performer, and the sprig of mint was making his tongue tingle in a most peculiar fashion.

 

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About Simon Haynes:

Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock series, the Hal Junior series, and the upcoming Harriet Walsh series, as well as several dozen short stories. He is also the programmer and designer behind Spacejock Software, and is responsible for popular programs like yWriter and yBook.

 

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Double Trouble (Hal Spacejock, Book 8) by Simon Haynes

Release date: March 15, 2018

Subgenre: Humorous science fiction 

About Double Trouble:

 

Hal Spacejock dons a flash suit, hypershades and a curly earpiece for a stint as a secret agent, while Clunk is invited to a ‘unique business opportunity’ by a pair of rusted friends.
Inevitably, things turn sour, and it’s all hands to the pumps as the good ship Spacejock springs leaks from stem to stern.

Excerpt:

 

There was a split second and then the doors opened. Matt dived out, executing a graceful half-roll and bringing his weapon to bear. Hal tripped over his dressing gown and fell on his face with a thud. His knives slid across the marble floor, the blast rifle knocked him in the back of the head and something rolled past his nose with a beeping sound.
Around the lobby, conversations ceased and guests lowered their newspapers to observe the disturbance.
"Grenade!" shouted Hal. "Incoming! Fire in the hole! Run!"
Pandemonium reigned as guests leapt up and ran to and fro, shrieking wildly. In the confusion Hal kicked the grenade into the lift, reached inside and pressed the UP button. He withdrew his arm just before the doors closed, and then he loosed off several shots at the roof for good measure.
BOOM!
Dust rained down, and the elevator doors bulged. Hal saw Matt gesturing towards the exit, and they left on the tail of the fleeing crowd. They ran past the doorman and straight into the road, where there was a savage whine of airbrakes as a groundcar came to an emergency stop. The window went down and the driver leaned out. "This is a road, you maniac! You ever hear of sidewalks?"
Hal plucked a grenade from his belt and held it up between thumb and forefinger. "How'd you like an ornament for your dashboard?"
The driver ducked back inside and the car roared away. Hal grinned to himself as he went to put the grenade back, then stopped grinning when he realised the pin was hanging from his belt. He held the grenade to his ear and his heart stopped as he heard a frantic beeping over the noise of the crowd. It was live!
"Grenade! Everyone down!" he shouted, then rolled it under a black van parked nearby. The doors opened and three men tumbled out, running headlong down the road, shedding curly earpieces, sunglasses and guns. The vehicle erupted in a giant ball of fire, sailing several meters into the air before landing on its side, a blackened crumpled wreck. Fortunately, the vehicle had absorbed and deadened the blast, but even so it had been a lucky escape, and Hal vowed to treat his remaining grenades more carefully.
He ran to the pavement, where Matt was waiting for him, his back to the wall and his weapon drawn. "Did you get a look at them?"
Hal shook his head. "Came out of nowhere."
"They seem to be targeting you. You'll have to be careful."
Silently, Hal agreed.

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About Simon Haynes:

Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock series, the Hal Junior series, and the upcoming Harriet Walsh series, as well as several dozen short stories. He is also the programmer and designer behind Spacejock Software, and is responsible for popular programs like yWriter and yBook.

 

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