Book excerpt: We are not alone in the universe…and the aliens have a list of humans they want to meet Ashley V, a disgraced actress, has a list too. 1. Masquerade as one of the scientists invited to the first ever alien/human summit 2. Dazzle everyone at alien cocktail hour (or equivalent) 3. Come home to publicity buzz and get my career back Except once the humans arrive on the distant planet, the alien in charge is unsympathetic, unemotional, and uninterested in an actress. He sentences Ashley to die for the crime of not being a genius. But when his own people turn on him, he winds up in the cell next door and before Ashley can blink, they’ve accidentally linked their minds together. That was not on her list. Being able to read the mind of her fellow inmate, whom she dubs Sam (because his alien name is ridiculous), means they can work together to escape. Sure it’s icky to be forced to let an alien read her mind in kind. Only he’s not quite who she thought he was…or who he thought he was. No secret is safe, especially not their growing attraction to each other. But some secrets are too big to be kept, and when the mysterious origins of Sam’s people come to light, the alien king will stop at nothing to silence them. Mindlinking with an alien is suddenly not the worst thing that can happen on a planet far from home, and trusting a male of any species is not in Ashley’s skill set. Too bad their survival depends on it. keywords: futuristic romance, genetic engineering, alien romance, alien first contact, alien planet, SFR, alpha hero, forced proximity, adventure romance