Tag: Military

Editing Rant: Military Draft Trope

Erin Penn Leave a comment

Photo by Diego González on Unsplash

Anyone else getting tired of the science-fiction trope where the underclass of society are tricked or drafted into serving the military to protect corporate interests? Even using the best of the best equipment, the debt-ridden and the poor are tapped to populate the military for the interstellar wars while the rich stay back on the core worlds.

Science fiction is used to explore concepts of real life – to take a concept and play out it long-term progression on society.

So as much as I look forward to the day when this trope may be retired – as long as our present-day culture continues to use this concept, our sci-fi writers will keep shining the glaring light of self-reflection through speculative fiction.

Flash: Different Horizons

Erin Penn

Photo by Thomas Despeyroux on Unsplash

I woke to the ground shaking, well, the tree shaking. Per my standard operating procedure since transporting to this fucking fantasy shithole. Not sure if it is a planet, the ships masts don’t disappear over the horizon, at least they didn’t the one time I made it to a sea town which, let me tell you, freaked me the hell out.

Don’t know what this crazy place is gonna throw at me next, house brownies aiding the guesthouses and the requirements of their magical union twisted my stomach in knots after nearly two hours of explanation of what “everyone just knows, are you sure you never learned this, how slow are you?” from a well-meaning but angry by the end cutie-pie, so I returned to my sniper days and sleep in trees. Not as comfortable at fifty-two as at twenty-two, but liveable, in that I have survived so far. Those house brownies have a fucking shit-ton of teeth of the meat-eater variety. Survived for fourteen days and counting.

Word of advice. If a glowing blue circle appears, do NOT touch it just because anything has got to be better than a COVID hellscape.

The shaking was a dragon. An honest-to-god orange-skinned dragon, sparkling in the early morning sun. The meadow I bivouacked beside and above had deer during last night’s, and now this morning’s, twilight hours. Now, it has one less. The crunch of large bones made me want to press my back against the tree trunk.

Dragons are vision hunters. Like raptors in flight. Movement is their focus.

Don’t move. Don’t breathe. Don’t blink.

…. And after eating the fucker likes to take a nap. Of course, it does. Yep. That is my luck now. I need my morning piss urgently.

(Words 292, first published 9/14/2022 – from a picture prompt for a Facebook writing group. Aim is about 50 words)

Book Review (SERIES): Immortal Ops

Erin Penn

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Immortal Ops (series) by Mandy M. Roth

  1. Immortal Ops
  2. Critical Intelligence
  3. Radar Deception
  4. Strategic Vulnerability
  5. Tactical Magik
  6. Administrative Control
  7. Separation Zone
  8. Area of Influence

I picked up the first four books of the series through a Book Bud special offer.

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for IMMORTAL OPS 

Immortal Ops Team Captain Lukian Vlakhusha is having issues with his newest target, Peren Matthews. His higher-ups want her eliminated. He simply wants her. The alpha side of him demands he claim her–that is, if she’ll have him. After all, he’s what she fears most–a wolf shifter. But there is more to Peren than even she’s aware of and the enemy is closer than anyone imagined.

MY REVIEW for IMMORTAL OPS (of the New & Lengthened 2016 Version)
King of the American Lycans, as old as dirt, and sent with his team of shapeshifters to take out a target with extreme prejudice, Lukian has one problem and killing things ain’t it. The target is his soulmate.

Part of Ms. Roth’s complicated Immortal Series World, the book is her normal solid. Humorous interaction between strong alpha military males, and between the strong close-knit friendship group of women who love them. Insta-love of soulmates WITH challenges of figuring out how the relationship between individuals should work, because just because fate demands it, doesn’t mean human free will goes out the window.

A lot is happening in this book as it is the first of a series and needs to introduce a lot of characters.

 

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for CRITICAL INTELLIGENCE

When loyalties are questioned, the Immortal Ops find themselves fighting a war to guard not only their secrets but their lives as well.

Roi Majors, wolf-shifter and second in command of the I-Ops, is having a hard time believing that Intel can only get half the information needed to bring down an underground ring of vampires with big-spending backers who are hell-bent on creating a race of supernaturals with multiple strands of DNA in them. When he finds himself paired with the one woman in the world who seems immune to his self-proclaimed charms, he can’t wait to see her to safety and then bid her good riddance. He never counted on falling in love with her. And he sure in the hell never counted on her claiming to be an agent with a branch of the government no human should know about.

MY REVIEW for CRITICAL INTELLIGENCE (of the New & Lengthened 2016 Version)

Roi is your typical maxed out Lycan Alpha, second to the king of the American Lycans on an elite military force. And I mean Alpha Male to nearly testosterone toxicity – he pushes every limit he can, bucking authority. He is the type to flip a tank while driving just to see if he could – and everyone around him would be laughing and placing bets, while he walks off with a girl on each arm afterwards.

Then he meets his match in a little 5 foot three-ish system analyst. The woman who constantly berates him. Asks if he thinks before acting. And calls him all kinds of unflattering things, with a half-smile and a wink.

The answer is he does think, but not with the big head. But right now the big head and the little head were in agreement that this woman is one of the most frustrating in the world.

A fun romp with all the troupes of the genre brought out and played with in the loving hands of Ms. Roth. A great read.

 

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for RADAR DECEPTION

Dr. Thaddeus Green survived a werepanther attack long ago, leaving him immortal and a member of the I-Ops team. He’s dedicated his life to genetics and to serving his country. After his mutated DNA led to the death of his loved one, he vowed to never let anyone close to his heart again. Try as he might, Green is unable to stop the mystical pull to the tall, leggy blonde with a sharp tongue and an even worse bite. Thinking Melanie is suffering from mating withdrawal, Green is prepared to do what he must to assure her survival, even if it means claiming her for himself, regardless of his need to protect his heart. Little does Green know that fate has been preparing him for Melanie Daly all his unnaturally long life.

When ghosts from the past resurface, in ways he never dreamt possible, the normally mild-mannered scientist finds himself drawing on his inner beast and rage to assure his mate and their future are protected. But even Green can’t fight all of Melanie’s battles for her. Some she has no choice but to face on her own. Can their bond stand the test of time?

MY REVIEW for RADAR DECEPTION (of the New & Lengthened 2016 Version)

I’ve been hoping for Green to get his day and damsel. What can I say? I love strong and brainy with a touch of tragic. I wasn’t sure about him hooking up with the bubbly playgirl Melanie, but the book delivers on all fronts for brainy, strong, and a touch of tragic.

 

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for STRATEGIC VULNERABILITY

Held in a remote testing facility in the middle of the Brazilian rain forest, shape-shifter and alpha male Wilson Rousseau has long since given up hope of being rescued. Days blend together until he can’t help but long for death. Saved from his isolated hell by a female’s distress call, he feels an instant connection to her.

Kimberly thought she was taking a trip to South America to study indigenous plant life. She had no idea she was playing into the hands of a madman whose goal is to create a genetically altered army of super-soldiers. When she finds her path connecting with Wilson, a man who would give his life to save hers, there is an instant attraction. But dark secrets may change their lives forever. Can they find a way to beat the odds and be together, or will the madman win?

MY REVIEW for STRATEGIC VULNERABILITY (of the New & Lengthened 2016 Version)

Wil keeps getting the short-end of the stick, all the while riding the sharp end of the spear. First he volunteers for his military duty, signing up to become super solider shifter. Lab mixup means he becomes a wererat. Everyone else on his team is cool things like werewolves and weretigers.

Now he has been captured. His captors hate him and shoot him daily, forcing him to use his low reserves to regenerated again and again. And that doesn’t count the drugging and torture.

Upside he found his soulmate. Who is also captured. And pregnant.

The book is at its best when the two of them are together against all odds.

Author Spotlight: Janine Spendlove

Erin Penn

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Ever meet a person that inspires – really inspires, Janine K. Spendlove is one of those. She writes. She publishes other people work when she has time. But that isn’t all. I mean, that stuff is cool. But there is more; sky’s the limit for her.

Janine K. Spendlove is a KC-130 pilot in the United States Marines. More than that, she is an officer. She has been a liaison in Washington DC and overseen squadrons. Some of her story is shared on Whattpad in Earning My Wings: A Mormon Woman’s Journey to a Marine Corps Aviator. 

And should you think that the hardening to be Marine Pilot and Officer would stop her from having fun, she also loves knitting, making costumes, and playing guitar.

With most of her time consumed by the Corps and random stationing for her and her husband around the world, her few times at a keyboard are focused on short stories; her published works have appeared in Time Traveled Tales, Athena’s Daughters, and Dogs of War – to name a few. She even managed to kick out a four-book YA fantasy series – War of the Seasons. Many of her stories focus on the military or military thinking (go figure), but they also hold a lot of diverse characters.

Some of my friends shared a Facebook post she made after viewing Captain Marvel. In it, she opened up her heart about being a female military pilot. She shared about her geek love of all things Marvel from the Avengers to the Black Panther. She told us about how some of her experiences paralleled Carol Davners, including being told to leave the Man’s Branch, as well as called out scenes she loved in the movie.

What hit home the hardest for me though is the following:

“But Captain Marvel gave me something no other film has truly managed to before now: I felt represented on screen as the big movie hero.

I look at Carol and take away all her superhero powers and what is she? A woman who volunteered to serve her nation…”

“I sat back afterward and was like ‘is this how every single male peer of mine feels after watching war movies with prominent heroic military characters?’ Because, y’all, it was an amazing feeling.”

Think about picking up some of her works – the shorts stories, novels, or non-fiction. The full list can be found on her website: https://www.ailionora.com/works/ 

Flash: Stone Circle Clearing

Erin Penn

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Rating: Mature

Another rustle a little further from camp drew Lucius attention. The small Roman scouting party was deep in the unknown lands of this island and he had drawn the second night shift. He squinted through the fog trying to make out the forms deeper in the woods. They had camped on the edge of a forest in the younger trees. Evidentially, the village did not need as much farming land as it did about nine years ago, based on the size of the trees.

The hamlet had made no notice of their arrival, and likely would be a quick conquest once his group reported all they found to the Ferrata Legate. But the woods disturb him. He moved closer to investigate and winced as the armor straps bit into him and the plates clanked together. The rustle moved rapidly away.

Enough.

He grew up herding goats and knew how to move quietly to get in position to kill predators.  He unbuckled the compressing leather. The straps had stretched out in the warmth of the day during their swift march; nightfall had brought the cold and the weird fog. He had seen fog drift across water before, but never rise from the forest floor.

He quietly laid the cold iron aside just outside of camp and muttered a prayer to Mars to keep the Decanus asleep until he had finished his investigation. Being out of armor while awake included many punishments, the least being a reduction in salt. Laying a hand on his broadsword’s sheath to control its movement, Lucius melted into the older growth.

The full moon acted as daylight in the area the forest was reclaiming, but the full branches in this area blocked all but the most persistent light. Even so Lucius was able to place his sandals silently as he followed where he thought the rustle lead. A curious child from the village, or finally a warrior in this timid realm? A silver flash reflected off of cloth passing between the shadows to his right.

Within moments, the solider came into a clearing made by a fallen ancient. He walked around the exposed boulders surrounding the moonlight area. The moss-covered deadwood was taller than his short stature and blocked his view from the other side, but for the first time he heard music. A lute perhaps.

Staying in shadows he made his way around until he saw the two most shapely women he had ever seen. Stunned, he forgot to watch his step and last year’s leaves gave him away. They turned as one towards him. Somehow the haze cleared from his eyes and he clearly saw their faces matched their beautiful shapes and they were wearing traditional Egyptian outfits. Their full breasts fully exposed above flowing gauze.

“Come.” The black haired one invited. Then modesty made her bite her bottom lips for so bold a request. The blonde quickly glanced at the other and then nodded.  Turning her emerald eyes back to him, the blonde offered out a hand. “Yes, please come.”

Lucius didn’t even remember crossing to them. He just grasped the pale hand and pulled the blonde against his body and erection. His leather skirt was left with the armor, so the woman should easily feel his lust through the linen shirt and subligaculum.  As the woman pressed herself more firmly against him, the Roman gave silent thanks to Bacchus and crushed her centurion scarlet mouth with in a ravaging kiss.

Behind him the raven hair beauty stroked his back and commented in Latin accented from his home village. “Do I not get a turn?”

Somewhere his mind whimpered warning as he twisted his head around. The second set of lips met his as his thumbs traced the first female’s nipples. The two drew him down to the forest floor.

His ears felt the sweet female breath. “You must be hungry. Would you like something to eat?”

Lucius blinked and saw the women had come into the woods to have a picnic. But not just a simple country meal … before him was spread delicacies that rivaled Ceasar’s table.

“In a moment my lovely” he said as he lifted the gauze from the brunette’s ass. Her sapphire eyes glanced over her shoulders as he mounted her. Her hiss of pleasure was all he could ask for. As he felt cock get squeezed by the pale ass he was penetrating, the blonde kneeled in front of her companion and laid a lark’s tongue across each of her nipples.

Sex and food, what more could a solider want? He leaned forward, going deeper into the woman underneath him and sucked the morsels from blonde’s breasts.

The Ferrata Legio never found what happened to their scouting party in Hibernia. And somehow they never managed to conquer the Isle. It was as if the very spirits of the land worked against them.

 (814 words – originally appearing in Sunday Fun for Breathless Press on 11/11/12; republished new blog format 8/27/2017)

Related story: Captivated