What If Your Life Was a Lie?

What if everything you thought you knew about yourself was a lie? 

All the things you take for granted, your name, your family, your home, what if none of it was true? What if the people you trusted the most were lying to you? 

As I was sitting here writing this blog post I started to wonder what I’d do if I found out this wasn’t my real life. Now I would probably cry because I like my life, but what if the missing life was better? Sometimes I’ll have a nightmare that I’m married to the wrong person and wake up with this feeling of so much wrong! Sometimes it takes me half a day to shake it off. 

I’d like to think that no one could make me completely forget my hubs and my kids and grandkids (and I’d fight them if they tried!). 

When I first introduced Jane Jones, my Special Forces Temporal Agent, I didn’t know that much about her—other than that she could travel through time, of course, and that she had a temporal time problem to solve. Of course, things happen, lots of things happen, but through it all, her sense that something is wrong with her is growing. 

From Nebula Nine:

Jane didn’t remember leaving the casino. One minute she was there staring at the man, the next she was back in the corridor. She got bumped again and managed to move to the edge of the flow, finding a blank wall to lean against. Her knees felt gone and her heart thumped in her chest. Inside her head, her brain felt like glass with cracks spreading across the surface, leaking pain from some hidden place that she hadn’t known was there. 

She stared straight ahead, feeling again the moment when she saw him. That was the blow that had cracked her memories. She’d been clinging to the handle, frozen as evil crept closer and closer to sensing her and then—the breath of clean and crisp had blown past her, sending malice back to its owner. 

Her breathing shallowed. She made herself take deeper breaths, as fear of what lay hidden deep inside her own head dried her throat. 

Who was that man? Why did it feel like he mattered? She’d never seen him before—at least, he hadn’t been in the security footage she’d seen. Was he a time deviation? But even if he was, the sight of him shouldn’t put her into shock. Her skin was clammy and she clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering. She saw a few glances cast her direction and straightened. Forcing herself upright, she made herself saunter, at least she hoped that was how her walk looked. She still felt unsteady. 

She saw the museum gift shop, almost empty, and turned toward it. Wove through the aisles until she was at the back, standing in front of a model of the space station. She reached out, lightly touching one of the arms sticking out from the ungainly thing. 

“You’re not supposed to touch the model,” a deep voice said, off to her right. 

She jerked around and there he was again. Broad, pulsing with leashed power, his blond hair brushed back from a high, proud brow. His eyes were impossibly blue and shattered the barrier inside her head. Time pulsed around him. He wavered in, out, then back into view.

He flashed something badge-like. “I need you to come with me,” he said.

The words echoed inside her head. She felt her knees losing integrity as a black hole formed at his back. His hand gripped her elbow, but he couldn’t save her as the hole sucked her in.

* * * * *

What Jane learns about herself and Ryder sends her life spinning in a new direction—one filled with danger, but also with love. And this story ends up connecting—lightly—to my Project Enterprise series via Time Trap, a short story I wrote for Pets in Space®.

And speaking of Pets in Space®, there’s going to be the fourth anthology, releasing October 8, 2019! That’s right, we’re less than a month out! 

For a limited time only! Pets in Space® 4 is proud to present 13 amazing, original new stories! Join the adventures as today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors take you on a journey to another world. Pets in Space® proudly supports Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that provides service animals to veterans and first responders in need. Join New York Times, USA TODAY and Award-winning Bestselling authors S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Tiffany Roberts, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Donna McDonald, Regine Abel, Alexis Glynn Latner, JC Hay, E.D. Walker, Kyndra Hatch, and Cassandra Chandler for another exciting Pets in Space® anthology. Get the stories before they are gone!

Proud supporters of Hero-Dogs.org, Pets in Space® authors have donated over $7,100 in the past three years to help place specially trained dogs with veterans and first responders. 10% of all pre-orders and the first month’s royalties of Pets in Space® 4 will again go to Hero-Dogs.org. Open your hearts and grab your limited release copy of Pets in Space® 4 today so together we can continue to assist this worthy charity! 

And while you’re waiting, make sure you don’t miss Pets in Space® Sampler! It’s going away forever on Oct 7, 2019! 

A must have collection! Only available here!

Pets in Space® 4 Sampler: Stories & Art from some of today’s best known and award-winning Science Fiction Romance authors!

NEW & EXCLUSIVE short stories from

* S.E. Smith, Lords of Kassis series

* Anna Hackett, Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone

* Tiffany Roberts, The Kraken series

* Veronica Scott, Star Cruise series

* Pauline Baird Jones, Project Enterprise series

* Donna McDonald, My Crazy Alien Romance series

* Alexis Glynn Latner

* Cassandra Chandler, The Department of Homeworld Security series

Not enough? Check out the preview chapters of their upcoming Pets in Space 4 stories from:

Laurie A. Green, Regine Abel, JC Hay, E. D. Walker, and Kyndra Hatch! 

Finish off this fabulous Sampler with gorgeous alien artwork from Tiffany Roberts.

Download your FREE Sampler now!

So, what would do you if you found out that everything you thought you know wasn’t true? I know I’m mulling it!

Perilously yours,

Pauline