To survive, humans need air, water, a place to stand, a place to sleep, and sustenance. Bread is a good start for sustenance. Don Eyr and Serana were survivors who came to Low Port - it gave them air, water, a place to stand and a place to make bread. The place to sleep meant they needed a certain amount of safety and to get that they founded a bakery at the corner of Crakle and Toom, brought in others seeking to survive in the midst of the poverty and ignorance, and built a tiny bastion of a self-sufficient community dedicated to raising competent, alert children who understood decency. Low Port toughs tried to break the bakery and a planet-shaking blast from the skies nearly did it in, but the bakery was hope, and people who have hope will fight to keep it. This chapbook collects four stories about sustenance, all about the bakery, its people, and its influence. ″Degrees of Separation,″ ″Fortune's Favors,″ and "Block Party" are reprints. The novelette ″Our Lady of Benevolence″ appears here for the first time.
"LEE AND MILLER STRIKE SPACE OPERA GOLD." ¾Robin Wayne Bailey Once a brilliant First-in Scout, Val Con yos'Phelium was "recruited" by the mysterious Liaden Department of Interior and brainwashed into an Agent of Change¾a ruthless covert operative who kills without remorse. Fleeing the scene of his latest murderous mission, he finds himself saving the life of ex-mercenary Miri Robertson, a tough Terran on the run from a team of interplanetary assassins. Thrown together by circumstances, Val Con and Miri struggle to elude their enemies and stay alive without slaying each other¾or surrendering to the unexpected passion that flares between them. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). "I was mesmerized, auued, and totally entertained. I am hooked by the Liaden world. Brauo!" ¾Mary Balogh "Full of action, exotic characters, plenty of plot, and even a touch of romance. OUTSTANDING." ¾Booklist "You may never care about a cast of characters more or await their return with more anticipation." ¾SF Site
NEW ENTRY IN THE LANDMARK LIADEN UNIVERSE® SERIES The only bridge between past and future is a leap of faith. Pursued by enemies, exiled Liaden clan Korval is settling into a new base on backworld Surebleak. Moving is expensive, as is war, and Korval is strapped for cash. Delm Korval has therefore instructed Master Trader Shan yos'Galan to design and implement new trade routes, quickly. But this is no easy task. Dutiful Passage is targeted by Korval's enemies, denied docking at respectable ports, and cheated at those less respectable. Struggling to recuperate from an attack on his life, while managing daughter Padi’s emerging psychic talents, Shan is running out of options—and time. His quest to establish the all-important trade route puts him at odds with his lifemate, while doubting crew desert the ship. Facing the prospect of failure, Shan accepts the assistance of chancy allies and turns the Passage toward a port only just emerging from Rostov's Dust and awash with strange energies. Without trade, Clan Korval will starve. Will a trader's leap of faith save everything—or doom all? About Dragon in Exile: “[S]prawling and satisfying. . . . Space opera mixes with social engineering, influenced by Regency-era manners and delicate notions of honor. . . . [I]t’s like spending time with old friends . . .”—Publishers Weekly About Necessity's Child: “Compelling and wondrous, as sharp and graceful as Damascus steel, Necessity's Child is a terrific addition to Lee & Miller's addictive series.”—Patricia Briggs About the Liaden Universe® series: "I have every Liaden Universe novel ever written on my bookshelf. You should, too."—David Weber “Every now and then you come across an author, or in this case, a pair, who write exactly what you want to read, the characters and personalities that make you enjoy meeting them. . . . I rarely rave on and on about stories, but I am devoted to Lee and Miller novels and stories.”—Anne McCaffrey “These authors consistently deliver stories with a rich, textured setting, intricate plotting, and vivid, interesting characters from fully-realized cultures, both human and alien, and each book gets better.”—Elizabeth Moon “[D]elightful stories of adventure and romance set in a far future . . . space opera milieu. It’s all a rather heady mix of Gordon R. Dickson, the Forsythe Saga, and Victoria Holt, with Lee and Miller’s own unique touches making it all sparkle and sizzle. Anyone whose taste runs toward SF in the true romantic tradition can’t help but like the Liaden Universe.”—Analog “[T]he many fans of the Liaden universe will welcome the latest . . . continuing young pilot Theo Waitley’s adventures.”—Booklist on Saltation “[A]ficionados of intelligent space opera will be thoroughly entertained . . . [T]he authors' craftsmanship is top-notch.”—Publishers Weekly on Lee and Miller’s popular Liaden Universe® thriller, I Dare Maine-based writers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller teamed up in the late 1980s to bring the world the story of Kinzel, an inept wizard with a love of cats, a thirst for justice, and a staff of true power. Since then, the husband and wife have written dozens of short stories and twenty plus novels, most set in their star-spanning Liaden Universe®. Before settling down to the serene and stable life of a science fiction and fantasy writer, Steve was a traveling poet, rock-band reviewer, reporter, and editor of a string of community newspapers. Sharon, less adventurous, has been an advertising copywriter, copy editor on night-side news at a small city newspaper, reporter, photographer, and book reviewer. Both credit their newspaper experiences with teaching them the finer points of collaboration. Sharon and Steve passionately believe that reading fiction ought to be fun, and that stories are entertainment. They maintain a web presence at korval.com.
A new novel in the popular and exciting science fiction Liaden Universe® series. Over a half million Liaden Universe® books sold with an audience that keeps growing! Beset by the angry remnants of the Department of the Interior, challenged at every turn by opportunists on their new homeworld of Surebleak, and somewhat low on funds, Clan Korval desperately needs to reestablish its position as one of the top trading clans in known space. To this end, Master Trader Shan yos'Galan, aboard Korval's premier trade ship, Dutiful Passage, is on a mission to establish new business associations and to build a strong primary route that links well with existing Loops and secondary routes. But reestablishing trade and preserving the lives of the few remaining members of the clan aren't all of Korval's problems. Matters come to a head as Dutiful Passage, accustomed to being welcomed and feted at those ports on its call-list, finds itself denied docking, and blacklisted, while agents of the DOI mount armed attacks on others of Korval's traders, under the very eyes of port security systems. Traveling with Dutiful Passage on this unsettling journey is Padi yos'Galan, the master trader's heir and his apprentice. Padi is eager to make up for time lost due to Korval's unpleasantness with the Department of the Interior. She is also keeping a secret so intense that her coming of age, and perhaps her very life, is threatened by it. About Alliance of Equals: " . . . continues to delight with genteel interactions between mild-spoken characters who are capable of great passions and swift actions, and its immense scope encompasses a well-realized and comfortable universe."—Publishers Weekly About series prequel Dragon in Exile: “[S]prawling and satisfying. . . . Space opera mixes with social engineering, influenced by Regency-era manners and delicate notions of honor. . . . [I]t’s like spending time with old friends . . .”—Publishers Weekly About Necessity's Child: “Compelling and wondrous, as sharp and graceful as Damascus steel, Necessity's Child is a terrific addition to Lee & Miller's addictive series.”—#1 New York Times best seller, Patricia Briggs About the Liaden Universe® series: “Every now and then you come across an author, or in this case, a pair, who write exactly what you want to read, the characters and personalities that make you enjoy meeting them. . . . I rarely rave on and on about stories, but I am devoted to Lee and Miller novels and stories.”—Anne McCaffrey “These authors consistently deliver stories with a rich, textured setting, intricate plotting, and vivid, interesting characters from fully-realized cultures, both human and alien, and each book gets better.”—Elizabeth Moon “[D]elightful stories of adventure and romance set in a far future. . .space opera milieu. It’s all a rather heady mix of Gordon R. Dickson, the Forsythe Saga, and Victoria Holt, with Lee and Miller’s own unique touches making it all sparkle and sizzle. Anyone whose taste runs toward SF in the true romantic tradition can’t help but like the Liaden Universe.”—Analog “[T]he many fans of the Liaden universe will welcome the latest…continuing young pilot Theo Waitley’s adventures.”—Booklist on Saltation “[A]ficionados of intelligent space opera will be thoroughly entertained. . .[T]he authors' craftsmanship is top-notch.”—Publishers Weekly on Lee and Miller’s popular Liaden Universe® thriller, I Dare
Includes two stories set in far corners of the Liaden Universe(R).Short story "Command Decision," which first appeared in the anthology Release the Virgins, features Bjarni, a man with a nose for 'shroom, improbably standing at the intersection of change and tradition.Novella "Dead Men Dream," is original to this chapbook, and harks back to the time of Lee and Miller's novel Trade Secret. What is life after death, after all, if not an adventure?
Kate Archer left home years ago, swearing that she would die before she returned to Maine. As plans go, it was a pretty good one ¾ simple and straightforward. Not quite fast enough, though. Before she can quite manage the dying part, Kate gets notice that her grandmother is missing, leaving the carousel that is the family business untended. And in Archers Beach, that means way more trouble than just a foreclosure. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). Advanced Praise for Carousel Tides: _Carousel Tides pulls you into the chill foggy reality of peeling-paint sand-grit coastal Maine outside of tourist season and then hands you something else ¾ the hidden world lurking in shadows or under the lands surface or just offshore, where Black Dogs hunt the night and selkies toss unpleasant truths over their shoulders before diving into the next wave. In the center of this, Kate Archer tends and guards one of the spookiest carousels this side of Ray Bradbury and wonders what has happened to her grandmother. The old woman sent her a letter, left papers deeding over the carousel and old house and the Land (meaning much more than property), and vanished, telling the spirits of the land and sea that she expected to be back before the turning of the year. _Now March has come and gone and Kate must return from self-exile to take up powers and responsibilities she has renounced, or dying will be the least of her problems... _Sharon Lee weaves fantasy into reality so deftly that you scarcely notice when you slip across the edge. And once youre there, the storys own magic wont let you turn back from the strong characters, deep mysteries, and even deeper danger.Ó ¾James A. Hetley, author of Dragons Eye, Dragons Teeth, and Dragons Bones * * * _Proof that contemporary fantasy is alive and well and living beyond the big city limits ¾ Carousel Tides is a worthy inheritor to Charles DeLints Newford series, and magical in its own right. Delightful.Ó ¾ Laura Anne Gilman, author of Hard Magic * * * _Sharon Lee is one of my all-time favorite authors, a gifted storyteller whose work never fails to enchant. With Carousel Tides she gives her fans another opportunity to spend time with fascinating characters, bringing them to life in a place that becomes so real you can smell the salt air around you. Her fine hand with detail never lets the suspense falter, as mystery, folklore, and magic are artfully interwoven into a thoroughly engaging tale. Carousel Tides will leave you eagerly awaiting the next novel by this master.Ó ¾Jan Burke, author of The Messenger, Bones, and Bloodlines * * * _Sharon Lees finely observed detail evokes magic in Maine and gives conviction to six alternate, richly-inhabited universes.Ó ¾ Rob Weisbrot, author of Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules, the Legendary Journeys: The Official Companion * * * _Carousel Tides is a gripping, enthralling read that I didnt want to put down for any reason. From its beautifully detailed small-town Maine setting to a cosmology that manages to be unique and familiar at the same time, this book demonstrates the best of what urban fantasy can be. Its rare that I find a book I can recommend without any reservations; Carousel Tides is one of those books.Ó ¾ Seanan McGuire, author of Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, and An Artificial Night
Tales of the Liaden Universe® brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans. STORYTELLING ON AN EPIC SCALE For more than thirty years, the Liaden Universe® novels by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have captivated readers with their unique blend of action adventure, science fiction, and interpersonal relationships. In addition to twenty-one novels (and counting), Lee and Miller have written dozens of shorter works based in the Liaden Universe®, featuring the strong characterization, detailed worldbuilding, wit, and derring-do that readers of the series adore. Sure to delight longtime fans and newcomers alike, these tales highlight why the nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados, with amazing settings, strong characterizations, compelling romance, and edge-of-the-chair action in stories that range from cosmic to comic. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). Praise for A Liaden Constellation, Volume 1: “This series [is] . . . the premier place to find good romantic SF adventure. . . . strong characters finding their own way (and, often, each other) in an action-packed galaxy of worlds. . . . Every story stands on its own; readers don’t have to be familiar with the Liaden universe. Those who have had the pleasure, though, will find many connections to existing tales.” —Analog
A cat may look at a tree This is especially true when the winds of change blow through the universe, leaving eddies of luck, uncertainty, and necessity in the strangest places - and surely Surebleak qualifies as a strange place, as Korval's Tree qualifies as a strange attractor.In the rough and tumble aftermath of Clan Korval's arrival, Surebleak attracts rude mercenaries, pilots galore, Scouts, grifters, and, from time to time, those who have lived under the promise of Korval's Tree, elsewhere. Chaotic change is in progress, daily. Bring together legitimate cabbies and fare-jumpers, a sudden Surebleak blizzard, a pregnant cat, and odd young woman with a mission; add the heat of promises made light years away, and you find the winds of change rocking the very roots of the Korval's house, blown against the very gate that locks the tree. It may be that not even the Tree knows what happens next.This is a brand-new novella set in the bestselling Liaden Universe(R) created by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller!
Mar Tyn eys'Ornstahl is a lucky man. His very presence can determine the fall of a card, the spin of a wheel, or whether the bread will rise or fall. In fact, Mar Tyn eys'Ornstahl isn't merely lucky. Mar Tyn is a Luck; a focal point for the elemental force of random event. While most people think that there is good luck and bad, Mar Tyn knows better. Luck is Luck; only the aftermath of Luck's presence can be found to be good or bad.
