About Imposition
by Juniper Gray
215 pages / 57000 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-262-0
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html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub
Therse Bodan is a Navy Lieutenant of exceptional caliber, approached
with an offer of his dream position in the upper echelons of Navy Command.
Therse is on a transport cruise ship, returning from a far-flung region of
space with only his best friend and chronic under-achiever Genham Drisjic
for company when he realizes that if he accepts the offer, he and Genham may
never see one another again. Therse wants to confess his long-held feelings
for Genham but is afraid he might be pushed away.
The arrival of Meitou, a member of the military's secretive elite, aboard
their quiet ship throws them into turmoil, forcing Therse to confront events
in his past, and making Genham face up to feelings of his own. And the ship
itself is no stranger to dark secrets...
In space, no one can hear you weep.
Review
Alexa Snow, author of Sleeping Stone, writes: Therse Bodan and Genham
Drisjic are the only two Navy Lieutenant on a military transport through
space, headed for the Carbera system. They've known each other for years and
been getting on each other's nerves just as long -- in fact, Gen seems
determined to irritate Therse as much as possible during their seven week
shuttle trip, accusing him of being an over-achiever and pestering him
unmercifully. It isn't until the circumstances of their voyage change that
their relationship begins to move in a new direction...
Breathing new life into the world of science fiction, Juniper Gray's book
captures the best of both sci fi and gay erotica. Her characters are
interesting and just imperfect enough to have the reader rooting for them to
overcome their challenges and stop hiding behind their fears. Therse and
Genham are fantastic men, all ego and tough exterior but with enough
self-awareness to be able to grow and learn more about themselves. The
interactions between them, full of sarcasm and prickly disagreement, are
endlessly entertaining and would be reason enough on their own to read this
book! The military mission gives the story depth and moves it along at a
good pace, creating conflict in addition to the character conflict and
creating situations that really give Therse and Gen a chance to shine.
Complete with a slick ending and a sense of humor throughout, this novel is
sure to please readers.
Sample
He was running. Pounding through the dark jungle,
slipping on the dense vegetation beneath his boots, grabbing at anything his
hands could reach. The rain soaked him to his skin, torrential and endless,
turning the ground into a twisted mass of black, slicked mud. He caught his
foot on a root and it brought him crashing down, sprawling over and over in
the undergrowth. The mud stuck to him like engine lubricant, dragging on
him, holding him as he reached desperately for safety.
He realized in his panicked struggle that the mud was alive; swarming
creatures writhing around him, crawling across his body, pushing him under.
He opened his mouth to scream and the mud rushed inside.
Therse awoke with a start, lurching forward, hand immediately to his mouth.
But there was no mud. No jungle, no rain, no mud-creatures. Only the empty
room and the bed, sheets tangled around his legs. He was still breathing
heavily from the shock of it, putting a hand against his bare chest to feel
his heart racing.
He swung his legs off the bed and shielded his eyes when the room lights
came on automatically, reminding himself to change the lighting program
later. He sat for a moment until the sweating and the shakes died down.
He'd dreamed about it for the second night in a row.
Kicking the sheets off, he got up, pulled on his clothes and went for a run,
just like he always did.
***
“Did you miss me this morning?”
Therse had been deep in thought, and started a little at the sound of Gen’s
voice in the quiet mess hall. It brought him back to reality. He slid his
cup under the dispenser and selected coffee, wondering how long he’d been
standing there before Gen’s interruption.
The recurring nightmare wasn’t the only thing on his mind. Therse had also
been thinking about the little pocket-screen stowed in his bedside drawer.
He'd received a letter that morning -- an important letter that could change
everything.
He needed to talk to Gen about it, but didn't know how or where to begin. So
he avoided beginning altogether. “No, but I appreciate you not being a dick
today. Wait, that's not like you, what's wrong?” he replied.
“Ass.” Gen folded his arms and was silent for a moment. “Don't you think
you're taking this whole thing a little too seriously?”
“What?”
“I dunno, life, in general. You never take any time to just...relax. We've
got the perfect opportunity here, and all you seem to want to do is work.”
Therse shrugged and leant back against the counter. “Look, I like to keep my
mind busy, okay?”
“No one's going to judge you if you take a little 'r and r'.”
“I don't give a shit about people judging me,” Therse snorted, taking a sip
of too-hot coffee.
“That's bullshit,” Gen said, making a lopsided grin and shaking his head.
“You've always been the same. You never stop. You're always doing something,
some project or other.” He wagged a finger at Therse. “You know, Mal and
Byrn always had you down as the one most likely to burn out through
over-work.”
Two of their closest friends from the military academy. Nice to know what
they’d really thought of him. “So I like to be productive. All I'm doing is
getting back into shape.”
“You're in shape anyway.” Gen's eyes drifted over him from foot to head.
Therse raised his cup to take another sip and hide the spreading blush on
his cheeks. “You're such an over-achiever.”
Therse scowled. It was like they were back in the academy again. He wanted
to point out that that wasn't true, and that he probably only seemed like an
over-achiever to Gen because Gen was pretty much the antithesis, but he bit
his tongue. “Oh, and what do you suggest I do with my time instead?”
“I have an idea,” Gen replied, grinning mischievously.