LUMINOUS (Book
Smugglers Publishing) by A.E. Ash is
a short sci-fi romance story featuring an older heroine and a fallen star hero.
I'm going to provide a few
non-spoiler tags so you can decide if this story is up your alley.
As the post title indicates, I'm also hosting a
giveaway! You can enter to win a digital copy of LUMINOUS simply by leaving a
comment for this post. The Book Smugglers have provided two copies, so there'll
be two lucky winners!
To get things started, here's the cover and blurb:
 |
Cover art by Yasmin
Khudari
|
Entry
number 3333. Vanguard Station Reckoning. All systems stable. Nothing new to
report.
It’s been
nine years since the war started; nine years since she has received
acknowledgement or contact from anyone. Marooned alone on proto-colony planet
Hestia, aging xeno-geologist Jyothi Agarwal still continues her routine
transmissions in the hopes that someone, somewhere, is listening.
Then one
day, out of nowhere, a brilliant light illuminates Hestia and something falls
from the sky.
In the west,
he wakes up in pain and alone. There is light everywhere. A new sense of
weight. A broken body. Words. Knowing. And he realizes that against all odds,
he is inexplicably alive.
On a planet
far removed from everything, the last human and a fallen star find
companionship in each other–and perhaps something more. Something beautiful,
shining, lasting. Something luminous.
***
And now for
a few tags:
* setting: a
lonely scientific outpost on a distant planet
* heroine
Jyothi Agarwal is an older, scientist WoC who took on a thankless job during a time of
intergalactic strife (the strife is strictly a background element)
* features a
nurturing, "good guy" hero—he's a total gentleman in all respects
* strong
emphasis on descriptive/philosophical/contemplative prose
* story
features detailed, accessible, and well-integrated worldbuilding
* explores
themes like finding one's purpose in life and issues related to aging
* romance
has a destined soul mates flavor and offers a female-centric fantasy of being
rewarded for making an extreme sacrifice
* in terms
of pacing, the romance is accelerated (it's a short story, after all), which
may leave some readers wanting, but will probably work just fine for readers who
don't mind filling in the blanks and/or who enjoy romantic SF
* "sweet"
heat level
* given the
story's low-key tone, it makes for a relaxing bedtime read
Giveaway details
To enter for
a chance to win a digital copy of A.E. Ash's LUMINOUS, simply leave a comment
for this post and tell me about your favorite object that gives off light!
Two winners will be picked at random. Winner's choice
of format. The deadline to enter is 12 midnight EST on Tuesday, August 4, 2015. Check back here to see if you've won!
Joyfully yours,
Heather