The Star Rider series is an exciting space opera series that takes place in a distant galaxy during an intergalactic war. The first three books are about two undercover operatives, Toemeka and Erling, and their friends, lovers, and enemies as they fight for the freedom of their world.
The next three books are about Toemeka and Erling’s young adult children as the war continues and a new generation is pulled into the struggle for peace.
You'll love this thrilling series if you like stories that take place in other worlds with feisty heroines, brave heroes, space battles, and starships.
by: Heidi Skarie
Series: Star Rider
Genre: YA SciFi/Fantasy Romance
Release Date: June 17, 2023
When darkness descends can a few courageous heroes save their planet?
Princess Morisa’s world is turned upside down. She planned to be a priestess living at a monastery for the rest of her life. But now she’s being sent to a foreign country and is expected to use her special powers to entice the prince to marry her. How can she seduce him when it goes against everything she’s been taught?
Prince Everette is embroiled in the world of politics and rebellion. With his father leaving for war and his mother ill, he’s the regent ruler and head of the military. As if that isn’t enough, he’s expected to be polite to the feisty Princess Morisa, who is staying at the palace for the summer.
Everette and Morisa’s stormy relationship intensifies as the warring world around them erupts. Can they put aside their differences long enough to keep the most dangerous sorcerer in the galaxy from destroying their planet? Or will the galaxy plunge into darkness?
Creating worlds takes a lot of imagination, creativity, and research. I’ve researched things such as what living in space would be like, as well as modern technology like AI and robots. I’ve also researched unusual animals and creatures here on earth to give me ideas for my own beings.
My worlds vary in how advanced they are. Some planets are very advanced with space travel and communication systems that allow them to communicate with other planets. They have air cars and modern cities, computers, and androids.
The first book in the series, Star Rider on the Razor’s Edge, takes place on planet Borko. A small team of Coalition undercover operatives are sent to the country of Jaipar to aid the local resistance in overthrowing the evil tyrant who seized hold of the government years earlier.
The team is from the planet Alandra where the Coalition of free nations has its headquarters. It’s a futuristic planet where space travel is common. In my world, spaceships can fly from one planet or solar system to another by a series of space jumps.
Planet Saroka is at the edge of the galaxy. It has little technology and hasn’t developed cars or planes. They’ve had little contact with other planets and are in danger of being conquered by more advanced, unscrupulous aliens from other planets.
Besides different planets, some refugees live in a dome on a moon that doesn’t have a livable atmosphere.
My main characters are human because that is how I envisioned them when I originally wrote the story, which evolved from a dream. I’ve since read that readers relate more to humans than alien beings or animals. Since I write sci-fi, I also include some androids in minor roles such as a server at a restaurant.
On Saroka, Baymond is helped by people of the Starlean race who have skin that is various shades of green. They also have gills and can breathe underwater. Many live in the sea, but most live on land because of dangerous sea creatures. Baymond is also aided by a desert tribe. The people are similar to humans but have vastly different traditions.
The main villain in the series is of another race. Samrat Condor is an intergalactic world conqueror who lives on planet Ordga. I wanted to give this character great power, so I created a race that lives over two hundred years and whose men are eight feet tall.
Unearthly plants and animals are another important part of the sci-fi setting. On planet Borko, the main character, Toemeka, encounters beautiful blazedales that look like large butterflies only they bite. She’s also terrorized by a plant called a shrieking vine. In one scene the plant’s long vines wrap around her ankle and begin to draw her into its center to devour her. The idea for shrieking vines was inspired by Venus fly traps, which eats flies. Toemeka also encounters Tawkus, flying dragon-like creatures that attack her and her team members.
One of my favorite creatures on planet Saroka is a sand tiger, an intelligent wild animal that can communicate in thought pictures. Baymond must gain its trust so he ride one through the desert to safety.
The uniqueness of the different planets set in a different solar system with space travel is part of what I enjoy in writing sci-fi. The world itself is an important part of the story.
A beeping noise caused Baymond to glance down at the instrument panel of his starfighter. Everette’s Tornado was bearing in on his tail, trying to lock on a missile. He grinned and soared upward, curving away from the Tornado before Everette was successful. The g-force pushed him into his seat and he tensed as his anti-gravity flight suit squeezed his legs to prevent a black-out.
“Candle, want to test the Liberator in a dogfight?” Everette said over the radio.
“You’re on, Hunter,” Baymond said into his helmet mike. He shot by Everette’s starfighter, then looped around and headed back. The Tornado was now too far away to see and he relied on his air combat instrumentation to locate it. On the screen, he spotted it over the ocean and flew in that direction.
Approaching rapidly, he tried to get a lock on the Tornado as his helmet sensors pressed against precise points on his head so he could control the weapons by thought. The Tornado shot off so fast, he couldn’t target it. Baymond soared after it, pleased with how quickly the Liberator could accelerate and how it handled at high speeds. The dot on his screen showed that Everette had reduced his speed and was returning to engage.
The mock dogfight continued as the two starfighters tore back and forth across the sky.
Baymond finally succeeded in locking onto Everette’s Tornado. Across the display came MOCK KILL. “Got ya!” he yelled.
“I’m dying!” Everette flew the Tornado into a nosedive. He pulled up at the last minute, climbing back into the air. “I’ve been reborn.”
Baymond chuckled. “Only to die again.” A flashing red light caught his attention. He glanced at his display. The words ENGINE OVERHEATING appeared. His laughter faded. “Hunter, I’m having trouble with my engines.” Baymond switched them off. “I’m going to let them cool off.”
“You’re dropping too fast!” Everette yelled. His ship was directly above Baymond’s. The ocean loomed up quickly in the viewport. Baymond switched on two of the four engines. He skimmed the surface of the ocean and rose into the sky.
The words ENGINE OVERHEATING appeared on the screen again.
Another voice crackled in Baymond’s ear. “Ground control to Candle. Gain altitude and eject.”
“I’m going to try to bring her in.”
“Negative. Eject Immediately. The engines could catch on fire and she could explode.”
Ignoring orders, Baymond switched on the other two engines and switched off the two that were overheating. His heart raced as he soared toward the airstrip. Warning lights flashed. The two remaining engines were dangerously hot.
I can’t die! I can’t do that to Fawn, he thought. He turned off all the engines, dropped the landing gear, and glided in for a landing. The Liberator hit the concrete and rolled forward. One of the engines burst into flames. Baymond pulled a lever and discharged a fire extinguisher agent on the engine, then threw open the canopy top and leaped out. Adrenaline pumped through him as he sprinted away from the ship.
“Candle, want to test the Liberator in a dogfight?” Everette said over the radio.
“You’re on, Hunter,” Baymond said into his helmet mike. He shot by Everette’s starfighter, then looped around and headed back. The Tornado was now too far away to see and he relied on his air combat instrumentation to locate it. On the screen, he spotted it over the ocean and flew in that direction.
Approaching rapidly, he tried to get a lock on the Tornado as his helmet sensors pressed against precise points on his head so he could control the weapons by thought. The Tornado shot off so fast, he couldn’t target it. Baymond soared after it, pleased with how quickly the Liberator could accelerate and how it handled at high speeds. The dot on his screen showed that Everette had reduced his speed and was returning to engage.
The mock dogfight continued as the two starfighters tore back and forth across the sky.
Baymond finally succeeded in locking onto Everette’s Tornado. Across the display came MOCK KILL. “Got ya!” he yelled.
“I’m dying!” Everette flew the Tornado into a nosedive. He pulled up at the last minute, climbing back into the air. “I’ve been reborn.”
Baymond chuckled. “Only to die again.” A flashing red light caught his attention. He glanced at his display. The words ENGINE OVERHEATING appeared. His laughter faded. “Hunter, I’m having trouble with my engines.” Baymond switched them off. “I’m going to let them cool off.”
“You’re dropping too fast!” Everette yelled. His ship was directly above Baymond’s. The ocean loomed up quickly in the viewport. Baymond switched on two of the four engines. He skimmed the surface of the ocean and rose into the sky.
The words ENGINE OVERHEATING appeared on the screen again.
Another voice crackled in Baymond’s ear. “Ground control to Candle. Gain altitude and eject.”
“I’m going to try to bring her in.”
“Negative. Eject Immediately. The engines could catch on fire and she could explode.”
Ignoring orders, Baymond switched on the other two engines and switched off the two that were overheating. His heart raced as he soared toward the airstrip. Warning lights flashed. The two remaining engines were dangerously hot.
I can’t die! I can’t do that to Fawn, he thought. He turned off all the engines, dropped the landing gear, and glided in for a landing. The Liberator hit the concrete and rolled forward. One of the engines burst into flames. Baymond pulled a lever and discharged a fire extinguisher agent on the engine, then threw open the canopy top and leaped out. Adrenaline pumped through him as he sprinted away from the ship.
Purchase Golden Cord of Light from:
(Affiliate Links Used)
The Star Rider Universe Series:
Heidi Skarie is the author of the Sci-Fi, Space Opera series The Star Rider Universe. The sixth book in the series, Golden Cord of Light is a new release and the seventh is coming out in 2024. She was inspired to write Star Rider on the Razor’s Edge after having a series of six dreams that was like watching a movie.
Heidi Skarie loves writing and creating stories. She especially enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy because it allows for creativity, imagination, and freedom of ideas. All inventions come from a feeling or dream of possibilities that can later manifest like computers, cell phones, zoom calls, and self-driving cars. She vividly remembers the amazing day when Neil Armstrong took his first step on the moon and the possibility of space travel became a reality.
Skarie teaches classes on writing and has spoken on podcasts, radio, and television.
She lives in Minnetonka, MN with her husband, Jim, and their cat, Lucky. To find out more about her journey as a writer visit her website and blog.
Places to find Heidi Skarie:
Thank you for hosting.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteI enjoyed the post. Sounds like a good story.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great series
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good series.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a book I will enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteI like the cover, synopsis and excerpt, Golden Cord of Light sounds like a great story and I am looking forward to reading the book and series. Thank you for sharing your guest post, bio and the book details and for offering a giveaway
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me on Read Your Writes Book Review. Thank you to everyone who read and commented.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteHi Marcy, I'm glad you enjoyed the post.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele, It's been a fun series to write. I'm working on the seventh right now.
ReplyDeleteHi Rita, Thanks for your comment. It's always good to hear from people.
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry, I hope you enjoy Morisa and Everette's adventures.
ReplyDeleteHi Bea, Great to hear from you. I hope you love the series.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt and giveaway. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Cali, thanks for reading the excerpt. Heidi
ReplyDeleteAmazing cover
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy, I am glad you like the cover. It was fun finding models that fit the characters
ReplyDeleteWhat is your go to snack and beverage when writing?
ReplyDelete