Robert Jeschonek is an envelope-pushing, USA TODAY bestselling author whose fiction, and comics have been published around the world. His stories have appeared in CLARKESWORLD, PULPHOUSE FICTION MAGAZINE, METASTELLAR, ESCAPE POD, TALES FROM THE CANYONS OF THE DAMNED, and many other publications. He has written official STAR TREK and DOCTOR WHO fiction and has scripted comics for DC, AHOY, and others. He also edits fiction anthologies, including SPACE: 1975: SPACE OPERA STORIES, 1970S STYLE and LEGENDS OF INDIE COMICS: WORDS ONLY. In addition to all that, he writes articles for RETRO-FAN and BACK ISSUE magazines and essays on literature and entertainment for BenBella Smart Pop, Sequart, and other publishers.

Annie Reed has been called "one of the best writers of her generation" and for good reason. She writes in multiple genres, including mystery, suspense, science fiction, urban and contemporary fantasy, romance, and thrillers, along with the occasional story that doesn't fall into any one specific category. She's a founding member of the innovative UNCOLLECTED ANTHOLOGY, and her short fiction appears regularly in PULPHOUSE FICTION MAGAZINE; MYSTERY, CRIME & MAYHEM; and THRILL RIDE MAGAZINE. She's written official STAR TREK fiction and admits that she's an unabashed MCU fangirl. She currently writes and edits fulltime.

The Ultimate Gray Lady Bundle by Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed

Buckle your seatbelts and get ready to blast off in this bundle of adventures in the Gray Lady series from best-selling and award-winning writers Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed!

This four-book collection starts with GRAY LADY RISING, the first book in the series. In GRAY LADY RISING, retired military armor jock Augusta "Gus" Light, the Alliance's heroic Gray Lady, roars into deep space on a desperate mission that's as personal as it gets.

Thirty years ago, young Gus Light led a last-ditch battle to save the people of Shepard's Moon from a bloody guerilla uprising. She earned a medal for her heroism but lost everything she held dear, including the newborn son she was forced to leave behind.

Now, an army of guerilla fighters led by a megalomaniacal warlord are staging a bloody takeover of Shepard's Moon, and this time the guerillas are winning. When the Alliance refuses to send troops to defend the planet against this new menace, the take-no-prisoners Gray Lady comes out of retirement for one last battle. Partnered with charming smuggler Mephistopheles Drake, Gus hurtles into the middle of a civil war and goes toe-to-toe with the rebel forces attempting to seize control of Shepard's Moon.

In book 2, GRAY LADY'S REVENGE, Gus and Drake follow the battle of Shepard's Moon with a mission to bring down the corrupt politician who sparked it.

Disgraced ambassador Jorritz Tor used his position with the Alliance to provide the moon's rebels with the weapons that nearly killed not only Gus and Drake, but her son, the governor of Shepard's Moon. Tor fled into the Frontier instead of facing justice for his actions.

Nobody but nobody threatens the Gray Lady's son and gets away with it. Not while there's breath left in her body and ammo in her guns.

If there's one thing Mephistopheles Drake knows, it's the Frontier. And if there's one woman he'll do anything for, it's the Gray Lady. Even if that means putting himself and his ship at risk to help her take revenge against the one man underhanded and powerful enough to build his own empire in the Frontier.

This exciting series continues with book 3, GRAY LADY'S GAMBIT. This time, Gus and Drake face their toughest challenge yet: to amass a ragtag army to wage a last-ditch effort to stop Tor before he completes building his empire. If they fail, billions will die in the inevitable war between the Alliance and Tor and the pirate factions who've sworn to fight for him in return for untold wealth and power.

In a no-holds-barred battle for the future of the Frontier and Alliance, Gus and Drake reunite with old friends, enter into uneasy truces with old enemies, and discover that the most heartbreaking gambit of all is the one you never saw coming.

In the next book in the series, POWER PLAY, a long-buried secret from Gus's past rears its ugly head, a secret that could spell the end of her relationship with Drake. For deep within the heart of the Alliance, an unscrupulous man has set in motion the final steps in a lifelong quest for power, a long game that requires one last object to make it happen.

It's an object of immense size and power thought lost forever in the far reaches of the Frontier, an object a ruthless alien species will do anything to seize for themselves. An object Gus must retrieve or face the destruction of everyone and everything she holds dear.

Against a deadly backdrop of political gamesmanship, Gus and Drake find themselves fighting not only a powerful new alien enemy but also the most unprincipled power brokers in their own Alliance.

CURATOR'S NOTE

Annie Reed is a longtime friend and one of the best in the business—a real "writer's writer." There's nothing she can't do…including co-authoring this mecha-meets-Firefly space opera series. Four books in the series ran in past Space Opera Sisterhood bundles —and we had so much fun writing them that we decided to launch an omnibus edition of the full series so far for this year's bundle. The result brings together our individual strengths as writers—Annie's uncanny ability to create multidimensional characters with rich back stories and powerful motivations, plus my love of writing offbeat, surprising tales that bring new life and surprises to well-worn genre tropes. In each of Gus and Drake's adventures on the interstellar frontier, they set out to save the deep space frontier and Alliance from would-be conquerors and apocalyptic menaces. They have their work cut out for them…but the Gray Lady and Space Cowboy have a history of beating the odds on the field of battle. – Robert Jeschonek

 

REVIEWS

  • "Annie…and Bob? Writing together? Folks, this is epic!" – Dean Wesley Smith, Editor, PULPHOUSE FICTION MAGAZINE
  • "By the brilliant hands of Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed, GRAY LADY'S REVENGE rejects any trace of the flattened scifi woman. Stature doesn't hold over the skill of this weathered, whirlwind protagonist, whose level of trust in her own ass-kicking ability never bows to the strident influences of intergalactic law enforcement or arrogant old flames, much less to towering, shrouded foes. Space frontierism is subverted in this sharp-staked story that makes way for sensitive and authentic relationships and tender sacrifice, while still never forgetting to leave room for brawling badassery throughout." – L. Daniel, Reviewer
  • "GRAY LADY'S REVENGE sweeps readers into a captivating intergalactic odyssey led by the charismatic pair of Augusta Light and Mephistopheles Drake. At the core of this adventure is Augusta Light, a formidable female protagonist radiating strength, dynamism, and determination. Penned by Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed, the novel intricately constructs a universe teeming with complexity, heartwarming bonds, and spirited exchanges. For any fan of science fiction, this novel will prove not only entertaining, but deeply thought provoking." – Bill Baker, Reviewer
  • "GRAY LADY RISING explores relevant themes of companionship, family, and self-reliance against the backdrop of elaborate intergalactic politics and action-packed conflicts. The captivating storyline builds suspense and urgency; my eyes were glued to the page the whole time. A paragon of feminine power, the protagonist possesses a vitality that both stuns and inspires readers, making us feel that we too are capable of anything. If you enjoy military sci-fi thrillers and non-traditional characters, you might enjoy reading this as much as I did!" – Alicia Chen, Reviewer
  • "Taking the most foundational tropes of every quality sci-fi novel, Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed twist a typical tale about found-family relationships and corrupt governments into a refreshing story about an unorthodox female protagonist who is unapologetic in both her power and capacity to love. While the novel is so deeply guided by its cast of characters—who readers cannot help but root for— GRAY LADY RISING is simultaneously riddled with political intrigue and intergalactic action scenes you can't look away from, effectively twisting the most classic aspects of sci-fi novels in the most delightfully unconventional way." – Alex Nadirashvilli, Reviewer
  • "A great read for those who are always wishing that FIREFLY hadn't been abruptly canceled, this definitely fills that void quite nicely. Intense, meaningful, and thrilling, GRAY LADY RISING is a fun and powerful read." – Nicole Mautone, Reviewer
  • "Annie Reed and Robert Jeschonek's GRAY LADY RISING flips the science fiction genre on its head by giving the readers Augusta Light, who is old and sardonic but no less a badass. Pairing Gus with smuggler Mephistopheles Drake, who counters her cynicism with some of his own, creates an atmosphere that is quite unlike anything I've ever read before. GRAY LADY RISING effortlessly balances lighthearted humor and emotional themes of familial struggles and recognizing who you are outside of what is familiar, creating an amazing story that any science fiction fan will devour." – Laura Temples, Reviewer
 

BOOK PREVIEW

The Golden Void was getting one hell of a workout.

The über Dragon, though damaged and leaking blobs of obsidian ichor, kept blasting away, unleashing volleys of missiles and waves of energy beams one after another. With help from Bruce, the Void dodged most of them and got in plenty of licks of her own—but not yet enough to disable the monstrous black vessel roaring after her.

Then a second slaver ship broke away from the ring ship's orbit and joined the action, flanking the Void with guns blazing. This smaller ship, which Drake dubbed the Under Dragon, was faster and more agile than the über, less heavily armed but still able to get in more hits than the bigger ship.

Together, the pair were giving the Void a run for her money…even as the clock counted down to the complete darkening of the ring ship.

"Ongoni coating now eighty-seven percent complete, Captain," said Bruce. "Eclipse process continues to accelerate geometrically."

Drake grunted as the Void took another solid strike amidships. Even the combined power of the singularium plating and the shields generated by the high-tech boxy gadget hooked into the Void's systems couldn't stave off the accumulated impact of many more destructive blows from the slavers' weaponry.

If only Gus were free to lend a hand, or the Alliance ship that had just dropped out of a nearby flume would join the fray on the side of the angels. Sadly, though, for now, it was clear the Void would have to hold the line on her own, without any cavalry.

To do that, she would have to step up her game.

Mind racing, Drake hammered a button on the weapons console, launching a torpedo just as the Under Dragon veered off. The weapon detonated wide of the target, so the best that came of the shot was a shockwave that kicked it into an off-kilter spin.

Swinging the Void around, Drake intended to catch the Under before she zoomed out of range…but he failed.

The Under had one advantage that no pilot—no matter whoever or whatever he/it was—could match. The Under was a living being who actually lived in space. It understood how to navigate space better than anyone.

Drake had spent his entire life thinking that ships that looked like ships were ships. Ships were controlled by pilots. No matter how good a pilot was, there was always a lag time between a pilot's thoughts and the ship's response. Even when he'd been "piloting" the Scintilla by thinking at it, there'd been a split second lag time between his thoughts and the Scintilla's response.

The Ongoni Dragons didn't have pilots. They didn't need pilots. There'd be no split second delay between what the Under thought it needed to do to avoid his shots and what it actually did. No more than he needed a split second to think about moving his feet before he took a step. He just stepped.

He needed to keep that in mind. He couldn't fight the Ongoni like he would any other ship. He had to fight them like he would another living being.

A being that had ridden out the blast wave and turned it into an unexpected looping course to evade the Void's guns.

The über Dragon, meanwhile, moved in to exploit the confusion with a barrage of mixed projectiles and energy beams. The Void shook with the force of the attack, unable to get clear fast enough.

The bridge lights flickered and dimmed, and the engines cut out.

"Bruce?"

The AI didn't respond. For precious seconds, nothing did.

It could be worse. Drake flicked a fingertip against the dead gray screen of a viewer on the console before him. At least I can't see the bastards coming.

Suddenly, the power came back on, and the bridge returned to life. Viewers at the various consoles flared with video…just in time for Drake to see the Under Dragon hurtling headlong toward the Void with weapons charged, crackling with energy.

Fingers dancing over the weapons controls, he swung the energy guns around and pummeled the onrushing slaver with punishing fire. This time, he caught the Under dead-on, pounding its nose with the unrelenting assault.

"Great shooting, Captain!" cheered Bruce. "Way to go!"

Drake was too busy keeping up the pressure to say anything in reply. Even as the Under Dragon fell back, rapid-fire explosions consuming its prow—head—whatever, he refused to stop lashing it with beams of golden force.

"Incoming!" said Bruce. "Brace for impact!"