Heart of the Spider's Web Read online

  For all the authors who’ve helped me through this year – Kit Rocha, Bec McMasters, Anna Hackett, Olivia Waite and all the others—Thank you. I needed you all a lot this year, so thanks for being there to keep shouting Love Wins into the hurricane.

  For Sasha – you do all the hard work. Edits, suggestions, and pep talks to help keep me on track and make each story the best it can be. You catch my problems and logic gaps like no one else, and you seem to inherently know the best way to drag a compelling story from the rough-hewn clay I often start with. Thank you for your patience, your skill, and above all, your friendship.

  To my darling partner, none of this would be possible without you. You are the happily ever after in my life, and your support, your belief, and your love help make everything else possible. Thank you for continually being my shoulder, my support, and when I need it, my taskmaster. Most of all, thank you for continuing to say yes every day.

  To the double-L team—even though I know you can’t read this—you are the old guard and the new freshness, and it’s been a year where I’ve missed having an extra set of paws pit-patting about. And to A, my long departed iguana, the Goanna are all based on your silliness. As Nick Cave perfectly wrote “grief is the terrible reminder of the depths of our love, and like love, grief is non-negotiable.” The joys, love, and also the grief that you’ve taught me have made my life immensely richer. This has been a hard year to get through, but I learned from you both that nothing is so bad that it can’t be healed by cuddling a fluff, chasing a ball, having a good meal, or sleeping at the seaside. Even with the new L in the house, I’ll miss you forever, F.

  Thank you to Shannan who told me I should, and Kim who made me look good, and my sisters and brothers in romance who keep me honest and inspired. Thanks to Veronica and Pauline and all my Pets in Space fellows – what great fun we’ve had, for such good cause.

  And lastly, thank you dear reader, and all the readers. Science Fiction Romance is a niche inside another niche, and it is your belief that they aren’t strange bedfellows, your voracious appetite for more great stories, and your dedication that keep me going. You are collectively the reason I sit down in front of the keyboard every day, and the payout that makes all the low times worthwhile.

  About the Author

  JC Hay is an SFR Galaxy Award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of Science Fiction Romance, an inveterate dog lover, and dreamer. His tales of heroic hearts and fantastic futures reflect his heartfelt belief that sci-fi and romance go hand-in-hand, because the coolest gadgets in the world are useless without someone to share them.

  Bookshelf! http://jchay.com/bibliography/

  Website: http://jchay.com

  Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jc-hay

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJCHay/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_c_hay

  Also by JC Hay

  Corporate Services

  Dubai Double-Cross

  Mumbai Manhunt

  South Seas Salvation

  Corporate Services Bundle

  Great Space Race

  Flare: Team Corona

  TriSystems: Rangers

  Inouye

  Grenville

  Chen

  Penzak

  TriSystems: Smugglers

  Heart of the Spider's Web (Coming Soon)

  Standalone

  Hearts and Minds

  Watch for more at JC Hay’s site.