Master Sergeant Gant Maker was a highly-decorated and well-respected Marine – until his last mission left him as the sole survivor of an encounter with a vicious race called the Vacra. Served up as a scapegoat and drummed out of the military, he has since lived a life of seclusion with only an adopted alien as a companion.
Now the Vacra have returned. As the only person to have ever faced them and survived, Maker is reinstated in the Corps and given the onerous task of finding this enemy on a world located at the edge of known space. Assisting him is an unlikely band of military rejects, including a blind sharpshooter, an unstable psychic, and a genetically-engineered killing machine who refuses to fight.
Given that the Vacra have superior weapons and technology, Maker recognizes that his team is at a distinct disadvantage. But Marines are nothing if not resourceful, and Maker has an audacious plan that just may level the playing field – if it doesn’t get them all killed.
Targeted Age Group:: All Ages
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
It was a novel that had been bouncing around in my head for a while. Finally, the noise it was making was blotting out everything else, so I had to write it.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
I’m a former military officer myself, so the idea of a story involving soldiers appealed to me. And again, this is a novel that – mentally – I’ve been fleshing out for years.
Book Sample
A harsh scream sounded behind him, causing Maker to spin around in alarm. The first thing he noticed was that the railing a few feet away from him had given way, and a portion of it now swung out ominously over the arena. The next thing he noticed was that Wayne was missing.
Glancing down, Maker saw the young Marine stretched out in a prone position on the arena floor, slowly trying to rise but obviously stunned. Not far away, the monstrous jwaedin – ten feet tall and with a scorpion-like tail – growled in anger. Its meal interrupted by Wayne’s yell, the jwaedin looked around to locate the source of the commotion. Almost immediately, it spied Wayne lying helplessly on the ground. The creature howled, then dropped the tentacle it had been munching on and turned its attention to its new visitor.
Maker barely hesitated – he never did when one of his people was in trouble. Placing a hand on the top of the rail, he jumped – going up and over the barrier. A second later he landed on the dirt floor of the arena.
Maker bent his knees on contact to help absorb some of the impact. At the same time, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd. Having two humans face off against a jwaedin was more than they had expected, and Maker could only imagine the bets – and the accompanying odds – now being made.
About the Author:
The sixth of seven children, Kevin Hardman grew up with a love of all things fantastical: comics, sci-fi, fantasy, etc. If it was unreal or imaginary, he could relate to it. Over the years, he has found employment in a wide variety of professions, including – among other things – a stint in the military, working for UPS, in a research lab, as a waiter, and as a telephone survey taker. Somewhere in between all that, he found time to earn 3 degrees and foster his love of reading and writing.
He has always been a voracious reader, but recently crossed trade lines to become an author. Since then, he has published the Kid Sensation novels, the Warden books, and the Fringe Worlds series. He is currently hard at work on the next book in each series.
Links to Purchase Print Books
Link to Buy Terminus (Fringe Worlds #1) Print Edition at Amazon
Links to Purchase eBooks
Link To Buy Terminus (Fringe Worlds #1) On Amazon
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