Genre: Science Fiction

Age category: New adult

Release Date: 11 October, 2017

Elizabeth Wright has yearned to serve on the space merchant ship Shooting Star for as long as she can remember – until one rash act changes everything…

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Guest Post by the Author, S. J. Higbee

Running Out of Space – the world…

Thank you, Ashley, for inviting me along to talk more about the world in which Running Out of Space takes place – it’s a pleasure!
The year is 2357 when Elizabeth, Jessica, Alisha and Sonja embark on their ill-fated jaunt to Basement Level on Space Station Hawking. They live and work on the English merchanting ship Shooting Star as humanity have been out in space since the invention of Pavel Philby’s matter transfer in 2081 made transporting goods and people safe and instantaneous from the mid-2090s. Just as well, for life on Earth has been getting increasingly difficult since the runaway melting of the icecaps triggered by the release of the layer of methane in the oceans in the mid-2050s which has created massive climate change and catastrophic rises in sea levels.
Elizabeth is hazily aware of this history, though she isn’t very well educated. What she does know is that her ancestors, eking out a miserable existence in a muddy refugee camp on the edges of Lake London, where the old capital of the United Kingdom used to be, jumped at a U.N. scheme to train willing families prepared to leave Earth and try their luck transporting heavy goods to and from the new colonies springing up on the Moon and Mars. After an exhaustive selection process and rigorous training period, they left Earth and took possession of their first ship London Calling in 2118 and didn’t look back…
Now, after a successful period of growth where humanity has spread rapidly through a number of star systems, all is now in turmoil again. The matter transfer system was compromised in 2335 so that now only goods in small quantities can be delivered – people are unable to use it safety. Fortunately, the breakthrough that allowed it to work in the first place also facilitated the invention of faster-than-lightspeed travel on ships, which means that at least trade and supplies can continue to get through to most of the planets and space station to ensure their survival. 
In 2331, the Eaoughts were discovered on the planet Mowgli in the Wolf system on the edge of Sector Two. The first contact encounter didn’t go well, though the details are shrouded in secrecy, rumours persist that most of the initial team were eaten. They are a tall, shaggy bi-pedal species, very strong with a warrior culture. After establishing trade links with the mysterious eco-cult, the Gaians, for all forms of vegetation for their devastated planet, the Eaoughts, or Eaties as they are often called, professed no interest in further interaction with humanity – apart from the new Homo Darwinii species bred illegally by Philbycorp as slave workers specifically to cope with living and working in reduced gravity and cool conditions. 
Elizabeth has heard the rumours about the Dars and, of course, the Eaties. Why she is so very hostile towards them is that ten years earlier – 2347 – the Eaoughts announced they were going to impose an exclusion zone. It included the secret space station where the Homo Darwinii were being bred and trained, as well as a thoroughly inconvenient slice of space that included of the major shipping routes cris-crossing Sector Two. Philbycorp were furious and leaned heavily on the Interplanetary Government to protest. Negotiations moved forward slowly, with humanity essentially throwing all their efforts to subvert the aliens’ demands. Until in 2352 the Eaoughts lost patience and blew up Mercury, giving all humans living and working within the exclusion zone three more years to leave their exclusion zone, or face being executed as illegal trespassers.
The shockwaves of those two events are still being felt throughout Humanspace. Earth immediately capitulated and Philbycorp pulled all their personnel and resources out of Sector Two back into Homespace – Earth’s solar system. 
That is the political landscape of Sector Two, where Elizabeth lives and works. Like many others, she doesn’t know all the wider ramifications – but like most merchanter families, she hates the Eaoughts – Eaties – and is roundly contemptuous of Earth and Philbycorp’s reaction to the destruction of Mercury.
I have to say that writing this has been a joy. While I like writing the books featuring Elizabeth in first person viewpoint, the big snag is that the reader can only know what she knows. And right now she doesn’t know all that much about the politics or events as the merchanters tend to be an insular bunch. But as there are two more books in this series – Dying for Space and Breathing Space, followed by at least another four in the same world featuring Elizabeth as a private investigator, I am going to have plenty of time and opportunity to explore the various corners of this world I have created – including the aliens and those Gaian eco-priests.
Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity and I’ll be happy to answer any questions in the comment section below.
About the Author
Born the same year as the Russians launched Sputnik, I confidently expected that by the time I reached adulthood, the human race would have a pioneer colony on the Moon and be heading off towards Mars. So I was at a loss to know what to do once I realised the Final Frontier wasn’t an option and rather lost my head - I tried a lot of jobs I didn’t like and married a totally unsuitable man.

Now I've finally come to terms with the fact that I’ll never leave Earth, I have a lovely time writing science fiction and fantasy novels while teaching Creative Writing at Northbrook College in Worthing. I’ve had a number of short stories, articles and poems published – the most recent being my story ‘Miranda’s Tempest’ which appeared last year in Fox Spirit’s anthology Eve of War. I recently signed a publishing contract with Grimbold Publishing for my science fiction novel Netted, which is due to be released in 2019.

I live in Littlehampton on the English south coast with a wonderful husband and a ridiculous number of books. I can be found online chatting about books at my book review blog and you’re very welcome to pop onto my website and my Facebook page .

You can find and contact S.J. Higbee here:
- Website
- Blog
- Facebook
- Twitter 
- Goodreads

  


I would recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy, futuristic, or sci-fi. It really is a fun read that kept me enthralled. I look forward to the character growth and discovering more about Elizabeth Wright's surroundings. 

 Can two star-crossed lovers come together―until death do they part? 

Viscount Hart Highgate has decided to put his rakish ways behind him and finally get married. He may adore a good brandy or a high-speed carriage race, but he takes his duties as heir to the earldom seriously. Now all he has to do is find the right kind of woman to be his bride―ideally, one who’s also well-connected and well-funded. . .

3.5/5

The Right Kind of Rogue by Valerie Bowman ended up being such an enchanting read. It was fast paced and kept me enthralled from the beginning to the end.  The overall feeling is very light heart from the banter to the women's scheming.

Meg Timmons wants one thing in life and that is Hart Highgate, but she has everything against her to get him. I really like Meg as o ur main lady. She has everything against her, but she remains strong and fights for what she wants. She is loving and kind even to those who don't deserve it. She is loyal, fierce, and intelligent.

Hart is my favorite type of leading gents. He is witty, a bit arrogant, and oh so charming. It takes him a while to get his head out of his a** where Meg is concern. Hart is also fiercely protective of those loves, and will do anything to see them safe and happy. Overall, he is what I would call "a great guy."

The only thing that bothered me and I felt was missing was more interaction and growth between Meg and Hart. I feel like all the feeling came and there really wasn't any pivotal talking, and realizing I love you.  There is some, don't get me wrong, I just like there to be more to make it feel little more real. I find that I have this complaint with  a lot of books actually, so it might just be a "me" thing. 

Overall, this was a great, easy, and light read that I was able to conquer in a very short amount of time. I was entertain and enjoyed, and I only have a very small and minor complaint. It is definitely worth checking out!

As his alter-ego Mister Romance, Max is a drop-dead gorgeous escort who makes romantic fantasies come to life. No sex, just swoon-worthy dates to die for, and the cream of New York's socialites can't get enough.  Whether they want a dominating billionaire, bad boy with a heart of gold, hot geek, sexy biker, or best friend who loves them from afar, Max can make it all happen, but he's careful to keep his real identity a secret.
Enter investigative journalist Eden Tate. Having caught wind of the urban legend of Mister Romance from a lovestruck client, Eden is determined to publish a scathing expose on Max and his ability to swindle lonely society women out of their fortunes. Desperate to protect his anonymity and his clients, Max challenges Eden to give him three dates. If she doesn't fall in love with him, she can run her story with his blessing. If she succumbs to his charms, the story dies.
Cynical Eden has no doubt she can resist his fake romance personas, but when the real Max admits he’s falling for her, she has to decide if the professional liar is telling the truth, or if the passionate man with the mysterious past is just one more character designed to con her out of her career-making story.