The Trouble with Trifflz: Far Stars Universe

By Melisse Aires

THE TROUBLE with TRIFFLZ. 

Such a fun book to write. I hope readers enjoy my Far Stars Universe Prequel. Hero was in WWII! Plus, a recipe from my Montana childhood.

 Melisse

 

Join Wil on a journey from bombs to stars! A mathematical genius turned rocket builder, he embarks on a one-way trip to space. But waking up surrounded by blue-skinned beings and a lovely woman named Shalar turns his adventure into an unexpected romance. Together, they uncover a plot risking the ship's leaders and adorable alien children. Experience an older couple's love story in the Far Stars Universe—no gore, a sprinkle of space lasers, a dash of naughty words, and hot times guaranteed.

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pure Escapism
• Release date: Jan 4, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224925605

Melisse Aires

Take a shy Catholic school bookworm from Montana. Hand her a stack of her much older brother’s sci-fi and fantasy novels, James Bond books and horror comics. Later, introduce Barbara Cartland and the world of romance fiction.Get her a teaching job or two in authentic, one room Montana schools, ala Laura Ingels Wilder.Marry her off to a great guy, move her to a big city in Tornado Alley, then pop three daughters out of her in twenty-two months (one set of identical twins).Then, make her a jinx. Every great genre TV show she loves gets the ax: Beauty and the Beast, Dark Angel—and Buffy and Spike NEVER have a happy ending! She gets upset about no romance in the world and fires up to write her own stories with happy endings.Throw this all together into a small house in Wyoming, along with a small bouncy dog named Baxter and too many cats, shake constantly and pour it out onto a computer keyboard.There! You have me, Melisse Aires.

Book preview

Acknowledgements

Cover Art:

Melisse Aires

Pixabay stock photos

Editor: Reba Sheridan

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Blurb

THE TROUBLE with TRIFFLZ .

Such a fun book to write. I hope readers enjoy my Far Stars Universe Prequel. Hero was in WWII!

Melisse

Wil dreams of seeing the stars. Not building deadlier bombs. A mathematical genius forced to work on bombs, he deserts the German Army. After many years, he finishes his rocket. Wil enters space, his dream. A one-way trip, but he’ll be in the stars.

He awakes in a hospital room, surrounded by blue-skinned people, tubes everywhere. His cat, her kittens, and his hens—he couldn’t leave them behind—are in their cages in the room. All alive. A lovely blue woman with rainbow hair takes his animals. Before she leaves, she gives him her name, Shalar. 

He and Shalar, the ship’s widowed Flora and Fauna Specialist, stumble upon a dastardly plot endangering the ship’s leaders. They must fight it together. The lives of small alien children are at stake.

*Older couple romance

*No gore

*A few space lasers

*Naughty words

*Hot times

*Adorable alien children.

*Stand alone romance in the Far Stars Universe

Chapter 1

Germany

Wil was a cautious man, quiet, detailed in his work. He stayed in the background as much as possible, barely speaking to anyone. These were dangerous times and had been for a long time. His talents in mathematics had made him stand out at university, which had landed him in the army, to use his considerable talents to help the Führer . He had little choice about what he did with his abilities, thanks to the military and the goal of Lebensraum, to expand Germany’s borders. He was swept up in this maelstrom and could work for the military developing weapons, or be imprisoned, or die.

Maybe cause Grandmama’s death too. These men were ruthless.

How he missed his sweet Grandmama, with her crown of white braids, dimples, and sparkling blue eyes. He missed her cooking and her kindness, which was a rare thing here.

Here, it was best to be a well-oiled cog in the machine, to work and cause no commotion whatsoever.

He hated using his talent for destruction.

Wil was astonished when, after many years of isolation in a research facility, he was given leave to visit his grandmama. After his visit, he would move to a secret arms munition base in the far north. He would work on rockets and deadly missiles.

He loved rockets. To make rockets go to the moon or even farther was his dream. In his spare time he made plans on how to do it.

But Goering wanted rockets with huge bombs, bombs big enough to take out all of London. Or any other city. Wil was given—forced— into this new area of research. The young genius would build a super rocket for the Führer, and ensure the victory of the Third Reich, they told him.

He agreed, like the puppet he was, and tried to look pleased.

Except he couldn’t be pleased about it. He wasn’t a killer— he hated this war. It brought darkness to the land. Unspeakable atrocities.

When he finally set foot on the dirt lane leading to Grandmama’s, with the orchard of ancient apple trees, he wept. Grandmama’s dog Kikka, now old, recognized him with joy, while her new dog stood back but waved his tail.

Then Grandmama was there. Wilhelm! Dodo, this is Wilhelm. She patted the nervous black dog.

"Come here, my boy. Got im Himmel, I thought I might not see you again in this life." Her hug was tight, and he imagined he could feel actual goodness seep into him, shoving out some of the rottenness that filled him.

My dear boy!

Not a boy anymore, and so full of darkness. He nearly wept.

I have chamomile tea from the garden and honey apple cakes.

Wil smiled, knowing her presence and her food would shove away the darkness for a while.

On his third day there, three being a special number with Grandmama, she gave him a look that made her soft blue eyes sharp. Now you will tell me what evil has befallen you.

He told her about the top secret death project he’d been ‘honored’ with. I will be moving far north, to a secret location.

She was silent for a long time, with her bright eyes closed. Wil knew she was Seeing. Grandmama believed the dead turned into angels and told her things.

You cannot go there at all, my son. Once there, you will be in a fortress with no way out. You will die there.

She sipped her tea. Instead, we will get you ready for a journey. You will go south and east.

Desert? I’ll be hung.

No, I see it. You will get away. She sent him to his small bedroom in the loft to bring down his old geography school book, the one with the maps.

A day later, they ate cabbage soup with sausage and bread at the wooden table. Suddenly, she put down her spoon and closed her eyes.

Tomorrow night is the dark moon. You will leave then.

But I have seven more days, he protested.

No. It is the right time. She picked up her spoon again. I know my death, my love. It is a gift to know when your last breath will be, so we can prepare for the last journey. I will join the Christmas Angels on the old Yule, a magical time, and look down on you from the stars.

He wanted to object, but she was a very old woman. He didn’t want to upset her. She closed her eyes for another Seeing, and he poured them a mug of homemade beer.

She opened her eyes as the mugs were placed on the table. You, too, will be in the stars, Wil, but long before you are dead. I see you there. She frowned in thought. But not with the ancestors, as I will be. You will be with new people. Different, but also the same.

He smiled gently at her flight of fancy.

She seemed feebler as he prepared to leave on his escape journey.

Get Louisa, your cousin, to move here tonight. I will leave the farm to her, since you will need to be so far away, she said. Take the goat cart.

He helped her make apple tarts, then slipped through the dark to Louisa’s home.

His cousin, six years older than him, was so thin. Her children were also thin and big-eyed. The tarts brought smiles. They were so happy to see him.

Johann is in the army. We have not heard from him since spring, Louisa said, a tear dripping down her face.

Come to Grandmama’s. She wants you to live there. Let me help you pack. She will leave you the farm. There will be plenty of food.

But, Wil, it should be yours.

I am not a free man, Louisa. The military will never let me go. I was lucky to even get a visit home before Grandmama passes on. Soon I must move to a facility for building weapons, far to the north and may never make it back here again. The war, you know.

She knew.

Grandmama gave him a few small things to remember home. Packets of seeds in paper and oilcloth: Geranium seeds, poppy seeds, chamomile, linden, apple. A photograph of his parents, younger than he was now, on their wedding day with his mother wearing lace and flowers. An old homemade rosary, even though he had ceased believing in such things years ago.

As she kissed him goodbye in the late night, he cried, knowing he would never see her again, never see her little cottage with the garden, the goats and geese, her two sweet dogs and cat. But Louisa would take care of her.

I see you with star children. You will go so far. Grandmama patted his cheeks like he was a small boy. Don’t forget the cat.

Wil did not know what that meant, but it was a lovely thought. That someday he would live in safety, and have children. Star children. Maybe they would be named after stars. And a cat, like old Mitzi, who followed him out the back door in the night, and watched him head east through the fields.

Stars. Maybe he would build his rocket and fly away.

India was good to him. He lived there until the awful war ended. It was easy, even for a German, to get lost in the vast cities, and he was clever with languages. After several years of saving money, he was able to get identity papers that would allow him to travel far away. He moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, and soon found a job in a small-town mechanic shop. With frugal living, he bought a few acres with a run-down hut and a barn.

His new lab. It