First published 2021
Ardith Moran thrills at the possibility of meeting extraterrestrial life. She believes so deeply that aliens exist that she risks her life when expedition leaders abandon their search. Her conviction pays off when she encounters an alien civilization, but she never expected to fall in love with one of them. Her alien lover belongs to the Anthropological Service of a newly discovered interstellar federation. He tells her that only her return to Earth can prevent tyranny and destruction there. He demands she sacrifice her dreams of staying in his world to save her own planet. Back on Earth, Ardith faces a deadly challenge. She must convince people who refuse alien contact that humanity cannot hide from the universe. Earth's authorities want to kill her and suppress the evidence she carries. Separated from her lover, she grieves their forced parting. She does not know that their love will become the key to Earth's acceptance of alien contact.
Genres: science-fiction, romance, adventure, aliens
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, sacrifice
Setting: Earth
358 pages · Paperback · Independently published