We Have Liftoff!

Yesterday saw the launch of a new continuity series at Ellora's Cave/Cerridwen Press. With the publishing of L.A. Day's novella "Savage" we are now official. The Hunters for Hire series has been almost a year in the formation and I am honored to be one of the founders of our little universe. My book, "Danger on Xy-One" is the third in the series and will come out January 10, 2008. Because it spans both CP and EC, the heat levels vary from warm to extremely steamy so there is something for everyone. Length varies too, from quickies to full length novels.

For those who don't know, a continuity series is a group of books that all take place in the same universe. They may or may not have crossover characters and each book stands alone. But they all fit under the umbrella of the universe we created for them. We have that universe described in what we call our bible. It started out as twenty pages but has grown to over 200. We have 21 systems in our universe with approximately 161 planets. We've got heroes, heroines, and villains. There are robots and fancy holograms and imaginative weapons. You'd be surprised what you can come up with when science fiction writers start brainstorming.

Below is the prologue from the series. I hope you enjoy. And while you're at it, take a look at the H4H website: www.huntersforhire.net - most of it is still under construction, but if you peek at the book shelf and the coming soon pages, you'll see what we have and what's coming.

Prologue:

Welcome to the Devil’s Pit. Home sweet home. My name is Ulrich Vonner and I run the Web, the base of operations for Bounty Hunters, Inc. You need a criminal found? We will find them. The crime doesn’t matter. Remember that we don’t work for free—our fees are high, but we always catch our man, woman, or whatever species it is that you’re after. Of course, catching them and bringing them in are two different things. We may be scoundrels but we aren’t without conscience.

I started this business fifteen years ago. Hunters come and hunters go, but that’s life. No one lasts forever, not in this business. Each of my bounty hunters has his or her reasons for turning hunter. I don’t ask what they are and I don’t care. They war with their inner demons, carve out a living for themselves, and then they move on—provided they survive their stint as a hunter. I don’t get attached, and I don’t mourn their loss. I learned long ago not to depend on anyone but myself. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, which is the primary reason I deal with the Amalgamation.

Behind every great power is corruption, and the Amalgamation is no exception. However, they do pay well, and I’m not without my own agenda. I fight to survive and to hold on to what little I have left. Bounty Hunters, Inc. gives me a purpose and a damned good excuse to move in the circles I do. It’s said a man is judged by the company he keeps, so what does that say about me? In a galaxy fraught with danger, Bounty Hunters, Inc. will strive to satisfy all our customers—if it’s in our best interests to do so. Though we may wear a veneer of legal process, we are bounty hunters and we hunt those we are paid to hunt. If in the process we bring down those who would do harm to others—so much the better.

What is a bounty hunter? We’re just glorified rogues trying to make the best out of what life tossed our way. The galaxy is not without its flaws or its bad seeds, and that’s what we’re here for—to do the jobs no one else wants.

The best way to learn about Bounty Hunters, Inc. and me is to get to know the people who work for me first. They are good people in their own ways, but if you cross them, be prepared to face the consequences.

Let the hunting begin…