A young bodyguard finds her special abilities are no match for a flirtatious delegate willing to gamble everything on the galaxy trade talks.
Assigned to guard a diplomat at the galaxy trade talks, Security Officer Anais wants to shine during her first solo mission for the Chezeray Palace Conglomerate. An Elusive with the ability to make herself invisible, Anais knows her modified genes designate her servant class, but she yearns to be more than simply a protector to the beautiful delegate.
Savea Blackmun arrives alone to the trade talks with the weight of her planet’s future resting on her slim shoulders. Flirting with her pretty bodyguard reveals Anais’ knowledge of the colony markets and Savea realizes there’s much more to her protector than meets the eye.
As their attraction grows, will the diplomat and the bodyguard reject society’s rules to give in to desire instead?
About Aidee Ladnier
Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.
Lis Review
I must admit, I’m not a big fan of science fiction. Too much effort is needed to picture the world and I really have to read the details, sometimes over and over, to get that picture to form. I’m sure you know what I mean.. there’s satellites, and spaceships with weird names and all the jargon for ordinary items that if they just called a gun a gun it would be so much easier. Yes.. I guess that means I’m a lazy reader.
However, Elusive Radiance was such an easy read and the characters’ personalities jumped right out that I didn’t mind reading all the details of the world in which they live. Aidee Ladnier made the terminology fade into the background and in my opinion that makes this a good story.
We meet Security Officer Anais and Delegate Savea Blackmum as they first meet, just before Savea has to represent her planet for the first time at a major trade conference. Savea needs to make a good impression, and fortunately for her Anais is not only well trained to be a bodyguard but has studied the business of the different delegates at this conference so is able to help Savea navigate the negotiation process to get to the best contacts. The attraction between them is instantaneous and neither one lets the difference in their status or class keep them apart. Anais is smart as well as skillful. Savea is more than just a delegate and does what she feels is right at the end to enable Anais to gain her freedom and travel wherever she wants to go. Their time together is short but they make the most of it in order to be able to even consider a future together.
The story was compact as one would expect for a story of only 41 pages, but there was a lot of detail that brought all the scenes to life. This story was like the tip of the iceberg of the relationship between Anais and Savea. I wish we had more of a chance to explore their relationship. Perhaps this author will expand on their story in a future book.
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Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.
When his memories begin endangering his happily-ever after on Celos, Jimenez is forced to choose between forgetting his lover Teo, or accepting the sometimes painful gifts of Spindrift.
Scars and a tattoo may be the only physical reminders from his years as a slave, but when Jimenez suffers a setback in his medical treatment, the only option is a therapy that will wipe away all his memories of the past including his time with Teo. Teo, torn between supporting his lover’s decisions and the good intentions of his family, sets out to teach Jimenez about Spindrift Gifts and how memories are celebrated on Celos even when they are painful. Can Teo and Jimenez weather the storm to find their happily-ever-after on Celos?
Teo set it on the table with a clack. “Same principle. It’s our Spindrift gift for the rev. We each put a memory in one to add to the family collection. And then at the gala they all glow on the lighted tree.”
“Tree? Do you grow trees on Celos?”
Teo chuckled. “Not really. It’s a light-painted representation of a tree, like one of those from old Earth. It’s a family tree. Each branch holds the most important memories for the rev from that branch of the family.”
“A shared memory?” Jimenez ran a finger along the smooth top of the tiny cube. It blushed a delicate pink at his touch.
“No. It’s personal, a gift, a painful or a pleasant one. One you share because it hurts, and you smooth the edges by giving it away, or one of your favorites you want others to experience. But you give one from the past rev.”
Their conversation grew hushed. Teo attempted to lighten the mood. He grabbed the leftover paper from his package and folded it into the shape of a little boat.
“I’ve been trying to think of one that would be suitable for family viewing.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Jimenez glared at him. “That’s not the all we’ve done this rev.”
He picked up the cube and activated it. Teo stared transfixed as Jimenez pulled it close to his mouth and breathed a puff of air over it, his fingers whitening at the tips as he remembered.
Teo wondered which memory put that serene smile on his lover’s face, smoothing the furrows lining his brow. Was it onboard his ship in the Nothing? Or maybe one with Teo on Switchpoint?
“What did you record? Can I see it?” He whispered, unwilling to break the spell of Jimenez’s memory.
Jimenez opened his eyes, and his fingers clutched the small cube. But he smiled at it like it held a secret.
“I’m not sure this is one to give away. Do you have extra cubes?”
Kevin Rettinger is the visual model for the Pod, Teo, the bartender of the Klockwerk Kracken who falls for a spacer and then takes him home to meet his family and celebrate the Celosian holiday of Spindrift. Teo, like most people on Celos has four tentacles in addition to his human standard body. These extra arms are a result of his ancestors undergoing genetic modification in order to give them advantages when settling the planet of Celos. He left home after finishing school and bummed around the galaxy before settling on the Switchpoint Waystation where he opened his bar, The Klockwerk Kraken. Although most people on Celos rarely leave planet, Teo yearned for a little adventure. Some of that was a result of the stories his godfather told him—Teo’s godfather is a two-armed human who came to Celos as a visiting scientist but stayed when he fell in love, marrying into Teo’s extended family. Teo has a smattering of his mother’s talent for painting, all the kraken paintings on his old bar were painted by him personally. When he bought The Klockwerk Kraken, it was an old warehouse on the edge of the port. He fixed it up and made it a safe place for customers to have a drink near the docks. He offered food because he learned to cook from his Dad who’s an amateur foodie on Celos. Teo grew up playing several instruments (although he’s no professional like his sister Carlsa) and has a very nice baritone singing voice. One of the things he loves to do on Celos is go swimming. There were several bacteria outbreaks in the pools on the Switchpoint Waystation so he was afraid to swim there. He is one of only four children in his family (considered an extremely small family on Celos). He is also the only one of his siblings that is not married with children. But since meeting Jimenez, that might change in the future…
Jimenez
Iker Casillas Fernández is my visual model for the spacer Jimenez, a man tortured by his past and trying to make a brighter future for himself. Jimenez was born a slave in a crèche where children are bred from anonymous germ cells. Slave behaviors were grown into his brain and taught during his childhood. At adolescence the pleasure centers of his brain were connected to a tattoo above his ankle, designating him a body slave. He was sold to a miner on a distant outpost and used not only for sex but also as a laborer. He was freed after a takeover of the colony company by an abolitionist corporation. The new company cleaned out the slave population. At this point, Jimenez was so injured by his master that he was sent to Celos both for reprogramming and for rehabilitation. He’d been mutilated and nearly died. During his treatment, a nurse asked him what he wanted to do as a free man and he said he wanted something as far away from people as he could get. As a Celosian loneliest thing she could think of was away from family and friends, hauling cargo through the Nothing, a blank part of space near the galaxy arm. He liked the idea of the solitude, so he asked for navigation ports to be placed in his brainstem. He then spent several revs as navigation crew on various cargo ships until he’d saved enough money to get his captain’s port and buy his own ship, The Freedom’s Wing. He learned to fight during his time as a nav operator for a small fleet. Hand to hand martial arts were a hobby of one of his shipmates who taught him so that he’d have a sparring partner. The first time Jimenez ported into a ship’s navigation system was the first time he could envision the future. Space was so wide and he was able to go anywhere. He learned to read as an adult via download, however, it’s still not his most proficient skill. As a result, he’s a poetry lover because poems use small words with big meanings and the cadence of the words is calming.
When the right space pilot walks into his bar, a desperate bartender uses all his wiles (and tentacles) to talk the man into business and his bed–but the spacer is still enslaved by his past and isn’t sure he can deal with a two-handed lover, much less one with six.
As the supply shipments stop coming, Teo Houdin needs all his tentacles to keep his waystation bar open. Facing a riot by thirsty miners stranded in the backwater of the galaxy, Teo helps a greenie space pilot buy a ship in return for a regular haul of liquor. But he longs for the courage to invite the enigmatic spacer to fill his lonely bed as well.
Still smarting from his newly implanted navigational ports, Jimenez knows owning his own ship will prevent him from ever being bought and sold again. For a former slave, transporting cargo through the emptiness of space sounds like paradise, but after meeting the compassionate and sexy Teo, his heart feels empty, too.
At the edge of the galaxy’s spiral arm, can Teo convince Jimenez that the heart has its own tentacles and theirs should be entwined forever?
About the Author
Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.
When the right space pilot walks into his bar, a desperate bartender uses all his wiles (and tentacles) to talk the man into business and his bed–but the spacer is still enslaved by his past and isn’t sure he can deal with a two-handed lover, much less one with six.
As the supply shipments stop coming, Teo Houdin needs all his tentacles to keep his waystation bar open. Facing a riot by thirsty miners stranded in the backwater of the galaxy, Teo helps a greenie space pilot buy a ship in return for a regular haul of liquor. But he longs for the courage to invite the enigmatic spacer to fill his lonely bed as well.
Still smarting from his newly implanted navigational ports, Jimenez knows owning his own ship will prevent him from ever being bought and sold again. For a former slave, transporting cargo through the emptiness of space sounds like paradise, but after meeting the compassionate and sexy Teo, his heart feels empty, too.
At the edge of the galaxy’s spiral arm, can Teo convince Jimenez that the heart has its own tentacles and theirs should be entwined forever?
Excerpt
Jimenez opened the bar’s airlock and the urge to run out again washed over him like a splash of cold water. He commanded his frozen legs to shuffle forward and inside. This could turn ugly if he lost his concentration for even a moment. But he wouldn’t. He’d been practicing, becoming accustomed to groups larger than this for revs now.
He could be just like everyone else.
None of them would see the scars on his back or the brand of his tattoo that had marked him since puberty.
Men and women filled half the tables and booths, some laughing and drinking, a few puffing blue smoke. The gaming tables on the side were empty, while a lone player at the billiard table opposite pocketed ball after ball. The room rang with loud voices, clinking glasses, and raucous music.
Jimenez slid into an empty spot at the pale stone bar and caught sight of the clearest, happiest eyes he’d ever seen, a shade lighter than the man’s tousled brown mop above. A dimple quirked at the side of his full lips, mesmerizing Jimenez. The loud voices behind him slid away and for a moment, it was quiet in his mind. Jimenez flinched when his shoulder was jostled and the spell broke.
“Hey, you okay, buddy? First time? What can I pour for you?”
Jimenez blinked, realizing the tall bartender was speaking to him. The man’s smiling eyes crinkled at the corners of his bronzed face. Jimenez swallowed, and he ducked his chin, trying not to stare again, trying to hide his hot cheeks. He’d never been so close to such a handsome man.
“Did you want a drink?” The bartender quirked an eyebrow.
“Yeah… I mean yes. Whiskey neat.” His voice came out gruffer than he expected.
“Bourbon, Scotch, Rye…?”
“Surprise me.” It was a game Jimenez played. He’d order whiskey and discover what the bartender served. If he reached for the rail bottle closest to hand, it meant he would pour either the cheapest or the local favorite. If he pulled something from the top shelf, the bartender angled for a bigger tip. But if he grabbed a decanter off to the side or behind another bottle, he’d score the bartender’s personal pick.
“Coming right up.”
The bartender raised a tentacle in greeting, calling out to another patron.
Oh, God. The man was a Pod.
Of course he was.
In a joint named the Klockwerk Kraken, who better to tend the bar than a tentacled man?
About the Author
Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.
Aidee is holding a Coloring Contest!! Visit the link below and download one of her coloring sheets and upload it once you have finished coloring for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card plus a signed LIMITED EDITION of the Klockwerk Kraken. So get some crayons and grab the kids because the more you enter the more chances you have to win.
For a chance to win one of 10 signed limited edition paperbacks simply comment with what kind of cocktail you would have Teo make you at the Klockwerk Kraken.
The Break-in by Aidee Ladnier
Busted Labs: Book Two
Synopsis
Ten years ago, roboticist Forbes Pohle received a visit from time-traveler Oliver Lennox. “Wait for me,” Oliver said. Now a decade has come and gone, and Oliver has returned. However, Forbes never dreamed Oliver would reappear as the point man for a gang of technology thieves breaking into his lab. He finds the younger Oliver just as sexy and even more annoying; still, he must convince him their happily-ever-after is meant to be—but he only has the time it takes his robotic cat Jeepers to thwart the thieves to do it. After waiting so long, he could lose everything in the span of seconds.
I write about quirky characters because that’s what I know. I’m a pretty quirky individual myself. Here are a few things you might not know about me.
I’ve designed my own shoes
I really, really like shoes–not high heels—flats. A friend made the mistake of telling me about a company that lets you design your own shoes. Sure enough, they had lots of heels and one template for flats. I immediately started tinkering and then ordered my “author” shoes. Here they are! Words are so pretty, aren’t they?
I’ve sent a ping pong ball into space.
JP Aerospace, a volunteer DIY space program was raising funds to send ping pong ball sized science projects by elementary school children up to the edge of space in 2012. As a lover of all things science and science fiction,I gave money to the cause. In thanks, they let me put a ping pong ball in with those of the children. I ran my own ping pong ball sized experiment and got the thrill of seeing the video that included my experiment coasting in space among the stars. Here’s a picture of my ping pong ball before it went up to space. Which leads to my next quirky fact…
I fold so many origami cranes that I use them as packing material when I mail boxes
It all started when my computer began running slow at work. I would have to reboot often and I found I could make two origami cranes in the time it took my computer to restart. Then I began folding cranes in meetings to keep my hands busy so my brain could stay engaged (think of it like doodling with folded paper). Now it’s a crutch. Whenever I’m stressed, I fold a bird.
Whenever I’m worried, another crane appears. I have to say, my Christmas gifts to my family are enjoyed as much for the crane packing material as they are for the gifts.
One of my poems inspired an indie pop song by the band Correatown
As a thank you for supporting her album on Kickstarter, Angela Correa offered to write a song for me. She asked whatI’d like to provide as inspiration and I gave her a love poem that I wrote for my husband. The song that resulted was beautiful and I gave it to him as an anniversary gift that year. If you’d like to hear Distillery by Correatown, you can do so by going here: http://aideemoi.tumblr.com/post/26007891265/you-know-several-years-ago-i-was-divorced-over-a
I have an extensive collection of silly socks
There’s really no excuse for the socks I own. They are all colors of the rainbow, some have animals on them, some have strange shapes, all are fun. It’s wonderful to wake up not sure you’re ready to face the day and then put on some goofy socks. It changes everything around.
Of course there are other quirky things about me that didn’t make it into this list–several of them are listed in my bio, in fact. I’m of the opinion that adventures are everywhere. You just have to recognize them. So may the quirk be with you and remember, have fun today.
Aidee’s Love of Robots 10 Minute Video (she really loves robots)
The Forbes and Oliver Playlist for The Break-in
I have to admit when I’m looking for songs to fill a playlist for a story, they have to meet one of two criteria:
The lyrics have to match what a character is feeling
I think this song captures Forbes at the start of the story. He’s waiting for his lover to reappear when their stars align but is contemplating moving on. It encompasses that kind of sad but inevitable feeling that you might be waiting for nothing.
Mission Impossible Theme
Okay, I know this is a pretty cheesy pick, but I am dead certain that Wilson, the self-appointed leader of the technology thieves, insisted that this music be played in the van on the way over to Forbes’s lab. Oliver was lucky he drove his own motorcycle to the scene, because they would have come to blows over the endless repetition of this song.
99 Problems by Hugo
I know the Jay-z version is more famous, but I love the almost folky sound of this song. This is Oliver’s song as things start to go south. He’s suddenly on the wrong side of both Forbes and the gang of thieves he’s working for.
Take On Me by A-ha
Shameless 80s guilty pleasure music. THE BREAK-IN is set in the near future, so I’m going to say Forbes has it in his music library because his parents listened to it.
Ruler of My Heart by Irma Thomas
I love the soulful sound of Irma Thomas. This is definitely a Forbes song. He’s waited so long for his lover to return and when he does, it’s not at all in the way he expects.
Jeepers Creepers by Frank Sinatra
I had to include this song. It’sJeepers’s song! The little cat robot embodies this quirky little ditty. He probably plays it in the house whenever Forbes leaves—which could explain why he was so grumpy that Forbes blew off the blind date at the beginning of the story.
Do It Alone by Sugarcult
Forbes would understand this song. He doesn’t want to be alone anymore. He’s willing to beg Oliver to stay.
With you by Natalie Walker
The lyric “Love takes time and time is on our side” is perfect for THE BREAK-IN. Forbes definitely found his life changed by Oliver and as a result his love didn’t fade despite time and circumstance. It’s a sappy song but those are okay sometimes.
Life Less Ordinary by Carbon Leaf
This song embodies Forbes and Oliver’s relationship. They are somehow a lot less ordinary together and together they will have an extraordinary life.
Little Wonders by Rob Thomas
This song is for the end of the story. The hardest part is over for both Forbes and Oliver. The twist and turns of fatehave left them exhausted and time has fallen away. It’s definitely the heart that really matters in the end.
All Will Be Well by Gabe Dixon
This song is my song. As the author, I want to tell my characters that“all will be well”but only time will tell.There are a few more Forbes and Oliver stories to come.
Kelley’s Review
Aidee Ladnier captured my heart with this little novella. The love that Forbes shows for Oliver is breathtakingly beautiful.
Forbes met Oliver once upon a time and fell in love. When Oliver left him it would have destroyed him except that, Oliver promised to return to him in the future. Forbes knew that when Oliver returned he would be a younger version of the man he fell in love with, but never in his wildest dreams would he have expected the young man who broke into his lab.
“I’ve got to make a living. I’ve got other people who depend on me, and a part-time job at the Quickie Mart isn’t gonna cut it.” – Oliver
Oliver is young and scared but he has a job to do. His mission is to steal Forbes’s most recent invention and he has to complete his mission no matter what the cost so he can get paid. He desperately needs the money to keep him and those that rely on him alive. When Forbes starts talking about meeting him in the past Oliver does not believe him.
This is the point in the story when I cried. Oliver just had to believe Forbes. He could not just walk away could he?
I am really looking forward to the next book in this series. Great job Aidee. You had me at m2.
Author Bio
Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.
Visit her at http://aideeladnier.com or on some of her favorite social media sites:
The Break-in by Aidee Ladnier
Busted Labs: Book Two
Synopsis
Ten years ago, roboticist Forbes Pohle received a visit from time-traveler Oliver Lennox. “Wait for me,” Oliver said. Now a decade has come and gone, and Oliver has returned. However, Forbes never dreamed Oliver would reappear as the point man for a gang of technology thieves breaking into his lab. He finds the younger Oliver just as sexy and even more annoying; still, he must convince him their happily-ever-after is meant to be—but he only has the time it takes his robotic cat Jeepers to thwart the thieves to do it. After waiting so long, he could lose everything in the span of seconds.
Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.
Visit her at http://aideeladnier.com or on some of her favorite social media sites:
Lis Review
Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.
Teo
Jimenez
![Breakin[The]LG](https://saucysouthernreaders.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/breakinthelg.jpg)
Saucy Southern Readers 