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Expedition 63 #1
Dusk
When contact is lost with Mission Control, Commander John Dennington isn’t overly concerned. Such hiccups in communication are common. The first inkling of the larger problem occurs when he sees the very shape of the world change before his eyes.
John must ease his crew into a new mission and keep the Station together by any means necessary. The crew jeopardizes their chances by fighting his orders, but Jason Weiss, his mission specialist and the light of his life, makes John’s situation more bearable.
The smallest malfunction to Station or crew would spell the end for six astronauts trapped high above a ruined Earth. It’s their mission to carry on. Random chance of the universe hasn’t operated in their favor so far, but John is determined to see them all safely home.
LENGTH: 42,690 words.
John must ease his crew into a new mission and keep the Station together by any means necessary. The crew jeopardizes their chances by fighting his orders, but Jason Weiss, his mission specialist and the light of his life, makes John’s situation more bearable.
The smallest malfunction to Station or crew would spell the end for six astronauts trapped high above a ruined Earth. It’s their mission to carry on. Random chance of the universe hasn’t operated in their favor so far, but John is determined to see them all safely home.
LENGTH: 42,690 words.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2018
1 person is currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
T.A. Creech
23 books5 followersI am a house-parent to a rambunctious small child and happily mated to an equally rambunctious military spouse. My adventures in writing began with fanfiction, and once I was hooked I never looked back.
What I enjoy most about creating original work is the ability to delve into my stranger ideas without worrying about how I might apply them to someone else's world and characters. With my own creations, I take pride in twisting familiar tropes into something new and unexpected.
When I write, it is with the intention that my stories will leave a lasting impression. I hope you enjoy the characters and the worlds I create, and that they help you to find a place to exist, for a while, outside of your own.
--T.A. Creech
What I enjoy most about creating original work is the ability to delve into my stranger ideas without worrying about how I might apply them to someone else's world and characters. With my own creations, I take pride in twisting familiar tropes into something new and unexpected.
When I write, it is with the intention that my stories will leave a lasting impression. I hope you enjoy the characters and the worlds I create, and that they help you to find a place to exist, for a while, outside of your own.
--T.A. Creech
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 28, 2018
This book was provided for free by the author and Love Bytes in exchange for an honest review.
This review was first posted to Love Bytes: LGBTQ Book Reviews. It has been slightly edited here for content.
Sometimes, sex is not the answer. And when you’re potentially stranded in space for five years due to Earth’s nuclear apocalypse, sex really isn’t the answer. When romance and sci-fi mix, I tend to focus more on the science, so this book felt very off-kilter right from the start.
Since John and Jason start out as a couple, I feel like we’re missing important elements to their relationship right away. We don’t get to see their chemistry or what draws them together before disaster strikes. I find it very hard to believe that kept their romance a secret from their crew, since they’re very obvious around each other, and I also doubt anyone would even care. The secrecy aspect adds a layer of useless drama to the first half of the story.
Despite issues I had with the romance end of things, I like that this book recalls some of the conventions of well-loved modern sci-fi works. As the crew tries to figure out how to sustain a food source for five years, they mention the Watney Protocol—an obvious homage to Mark Watney’s potato farming in Andy Wier’s The Martian. I had my issues with this book, but I really did enjoy the feeling of be immersed in that classic sci-fi environment. And I will admit, all of the peril in the second half did make me more invested in John and Jason’s relationship—and it kept me right on the edge of my seat!
I think the author has the best of intentions, but some of the characters, especially Saito, are drawn very broadly in racial and cultural stereotypes. This kind of well-meaning insensitivity isn’t a new thing in sci-fi works—in fact, way back in 1966, George Takei had to convince the Star Trek writers that his character should use a rapier instead of a samurai sword to avoid Asian stereotypes. If that conversation could take place over 50 years ago, I think we need to work harder to abolish that mindset in science fiction today. The second book in this series, Dark, will focus on Saito and the extremely Irish Turloch, and I’m a little nervous to read it due to those cultural issues. I have faith in the author, but they definitely need a sensitivity reader or two to make more dynamic diverse characters.
There were a lot of missteps with this book, but there were also a lot of things I really enjoyed as both an LGBT lit fan and a sci-fi fan. A decent start to a series.
This review was first posted to Love Bytes: LGBTQ Book Reviews. It has been slightly edited here for content.
Sometimes, sex is not the answer. And when you’re potentially stranded in space for five years due to Earth’s nuclear apocalypse, sex really isn’t the answer. When romance and sci-fi mix, I tend to focus more on the science, so this book felt very off-kilter right from the start.
Since John and Jason start out as a couple, I feel like we’re missing important elements to their relationship right away. We don’t get to see their chemistry or what draws them together before disaster strikes. I find it very hard to believe that kept their romance a secret from their crew, since they’re very obvious around each other, and I also doubt anyone would even care. The secrecy aspect adds a layer of useless drama to the first half of the story.
Despite issues I had with the romance end of things, I like that this book recalls some of the conventions of well-loved modern sci-fi works. As the crew tries to figure out how to sustain a food source for five years, they mention the Watney Protocol—an obvious homage to Mark Watney’s potato farming in Andy Wier’s The Martian. I had my issues with this book, but I really did enjoy the feeling of be immersed in that classic sci-fi environment. And I will admit, all of the peril in the second half did make me more invested in John and Jason’s relationship—and it kept me right on the edge of my seat!
I think the author has the best of intentions, but some of the characters, especially Saito, are drawn very broadly in racial and cultural stereotypes. This kind of well-meaning insensitivity isn’t a new thing in sci-fi works—in fact, way back in 1966, George Takei had to convince the Star Trek writers that his character should use a rapier instead of a samurai sword to avoid Asian stereotypes. If that conversation could take place over 50 years ago, I think we need to work harder to abolish that mindset in science fiction today. The second book in this series, Dark, will focus on Saito and the extremely Irish Turloch, and I’m a little nervous to read it due to those cultural issues. I have faith in the author, but they definitely need a sensitivity reader or two to make more dynamic diverse characters.
There were a lot of missteps with this book, but there were also a lot of things I really enjoyed as both an LGBT lit fan and a sci-fi fan. A decent start to a series.
March 16, 2018
John is the commander on the space station. The crew has been in space for 9 months with another 6 months scheduled. The crew work well together. Not knowing that John has the person that means the most in the world to him by his side. Jason and John have been together for five years. Deeply in love and happy to be on the same mission. Even though the confines they live in have not allowed them to have much sexy alone time.
When they lose contact with mission control it's just another day in space. Working through the problem occupies their time. They realize that the earth below them is changing, becoming pockmarked with dark holes. Initial conflicts threaten their safety, but they soon realize their survival is dependent on working together.
My love for science fiction/fact, apocalyptic survival and all things m/m made this a perfect read for me. I liked the ingenuity that was used to extend their survival in space. The energy of the story, while at times tense, was well done. Really looking forward to more in the series
Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
When they lose contact with mission control it's just another day in space. Working through the problem occupies their time. They realize that the earth below them is changing, becoming pockmarked with dark holes. Initial conflicts threaten their safety, but they soon realize their survival is dependent on working together.
My love for science fiction/fact, apocalyptic survival and all things m/m made this a perfect read for me. I liked the ingenuity that was used to extend their survival in space. The energy of the story, while at times tense, was well done. Really looking forward to more in the series
Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
March 28, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
2 stars
This book didn’t work for me as a romance, and it didn’t work for me as science fiction, and it just didn’t work for me at all. It’s set about ten years in the future, but that is only known through a casual reference and the year has no impact on the story. The book opens with the crew on the Space Station. We see John look longingly at Jason, so we know there is interest. It’s not until well into the first quarter of the book, however, that we are told that they have been together for five years. We are told almost nothing about their relationship, we are shown almost nothing of their years together, and their chemistry was almost non-existent.
John then sees something happen to Earth and a lot of assumptions are made about what may have transpired. But, we see nothing of Earth so there is no connection built there either. The crew then spends time planning, they make a repair, and there was an incident that was supposed to draw tension but didn’t. A good portion of the book was as dry as reading an instruction manual and while I try to avoid the word boring in reviews since it doesn’t tell you much—whoa was this boring. Then, when John and Jason come out to the crew, it was lackluster and fell into a predictable pattern with this trope with everyone already being clued in.
There is no sense of emergency even though their circumstances are described as dire. There is also a second storyline running parallel with two other crew members starting a relationship and it didn’t flow into the rest of the story well and those characters weren’t any more interesting to me.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
2 stars
This book didn’t work for me as a romance, and it didn’t work for me as science fiction, and it just didn’t work for me at all. It’s set about ten years in the future, but that is only known through a casual reference and the year has no impact on the story. The book opens with the crew on the Space Station. We see John look longingly at Jason, so we know there is interest. It’s not until well into the first quarter of the book, however, that we are told that they have been together for five years. We are told almost nothing about their relationship, we are shown almost nothing of their years together, and their chemistry was almost non-existent.
John then sees something happen to Earth and a lot of assumptions are made about what may have transpired. But, we see nothing of Earth so there is no connection built there either. The crew then spends time planning, they make a repair, and there was an incident that was supposed to draw tension but didn’t. A good portion of the book was as dry as reading an instruction manual and while I try to avoid the word boring in reviews since it doesn’t tell you much—whoa was this boring. Then, when John and Jason come out to the crew, it was lackluster and fell into a predictable pattern with this trope with everyone already being clued in.
There is no sense of emergency even though their circumstances are described as dire. There is also a second storyline running parallel with two other crew members starting a relationship and it didn’t flow into the rest of the story well and those characters weren’t any more interesting to me.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
May 4, 2018
A few years into the future, it is 2026 and a space station made up of various nations’ modules is a pretty permanent thing. Crew number 63 is the one running into major trouble in this story, and while the exact cause of what happens is a mystery, the consequences for the crew is what this story focuses on. The way that the astronauts suggest idea after idea and use what facts they can glean to figure out what to do makes everything feel very real. There is a lot of technical detail throughout the story, but most of it is futuristic rather than way-out-there science fiction. I liked the mix of a technological challenge for the crew combined with the emotional turmoil they go through, and the cliff-hanger at the end definitely has me wanting more.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
April 12, 2018
3.5 stars
A Scattered Thoughts and Roguew Words review
I’ve read plenty of books set in space but I’ve never read one that’s set on a space station in this day. I think it makes for a very interesting setting.
The blurb made me expect lots of action and suspense. It’s the end of the world, after all! But the plot is very slow to unfold and not all that much actually happens. There was one suspense-filled scene toward the end, but that’s about it.
I really enjoyed that scene but I did wish for some more action and a little more detail. We never really get to see how the six of them make this mess work. There’s quite a big time skip, so we are presented with the final solution very soon.
I didn’t expect a lot of romance from this book. And there wasn’t. That was mostly fine by me, though I would have liked a little more detail again. How John and Jason met, how they came to love each other, how they spent their lives before they went to the space station.
Having said all that, “Dusk” did have a certain kind of pull. It was quietly addicting and I found it very hard to put down. It was a very fast read and I quite enjoyed it. I was sad that it ended so soon.
If you find yourself between two books and need a quick read, “Dusk” might just be the book for you. If, however, you want an action-packed romance with lots of world building, you will probably be disappointed.
Usually, I don’t read sequels of a book that I’ve given less than 4 stars. There are too many potentially brilliant books out there to spend time on a book I’m pretty sure will only be average. However, I do want to find out how this whole mess ends, so I’m definitely interested in the next part. I think this has potential to be really awesome.
The cover is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I do like the general look of it and the colours are really pretty, but I’m not so fond of that man in the stars hovering behind the space station. I think it would look better without him.
A Scattered Thoughts and Roguew Words review
I’ve read plenty of books set in space but I’ve never read one that’s set on a space station in this day. I think it makes for a very interesting setting.
The blurb made me expect lots of action and suspense. It’s the end of the world, after all! But the plot is very slow to unfold and not all that much actually happens. There was one suspense-filled scene toward the end, but that’s about it.
I really enjoyed that scene but I did wish for some more action and a little more detail. We never really get to see how the six of them make this mess work. There’s quite a big time skip, so we are presented with the final solution very soon.
I didn’t expect a lot of romance from this book. And there wasn’t. That was mostly fine by me, though I would have liked a little more detail again. How John and Jason met, how they came to love each other, how they spent their lives before they went to the space station.
Having said all that, “Dusk” did have a certain kind of pull. It was quietly addicting and I found it very hard to put down. It was a very fast read and I quite enjoyed it. I was sad that it ended so soon.
If you find yourself between two books and need a quick read, “Dusk” might just be the book for you. If, however, you want an action-packed romance with lots of world building, you will probably be disappointed.
Usually, I don’t read sequels of a book that I’ve given less than 4 stars. There are too many potentially brilliant books out there to spend time on a book I’m pretty sure will only be average. However, I do want to find out how this whole mess ends, so I’m definitely interested in the next part. I think this has potential to be really awesome.
The cover is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I do like the general look of it and the colours are really pretty, but I’m not so fond of that man in the stars hovering behind the space station. I think it would look better without him.
February 27, 2021
3.5, rounding up. This story was fun. Sweet and romantic, as well as convincing in the world building. The space station setting was realistic, and the challenges the crew faced were very convincing, such as keeping dirt and other foreign objects out of the air system. Not to mention the tasks that they undertake to make sure that they will survive.
I really bought John and Jason as commander and subordinate forced to keep their relationship secret from the rest of the crew. The crew members were all distinct and engaging, real characters and not just a supporting cast to the romantic drama. Saito and 'Lach got plenty of page time and had lots to do, keeping the focus on the survival of everyone on board.
Oh, and suspenseful! Did I mention how palpable the tension was during the external repair action? Because, yeah. Sweaty palms during that part. I understood John's reaction, and how the crew was desperate to check him and make sure no harm came to them, but ngl I'd do the same thing if my man was in danger.
Very good first book, I will have to continue with this series.
I really bought John and Jason as commander and subordinate forced to keep their relationship secret from the rest of the crew. The crew members were all distinct and engaging, real characters and not just a supporting cast to the romantic drama. Saito and 'Lach got plenty of page time and had lots to do, keeping the focus on the survival of everyone on board.
Oh, and suspenseful! Did I mention how palpable the tension was during the external repair action? Because, yeah. Sweaty palms during that part. I understood John's reaction, and how the crew was desperate to check him and make sure no harm came to them, but ngl I'd do the same thing if my man was in danger.
Very good first book, I will have to continue with this series.
May 2, 2020
This story has two main elements; science fiction and erotica. For me the science fiction/dystopian part was spot on and had me immediately engrossed in the story. My mind is spinning with all the possible reasons why Earth has come to be in the shape that it is. Exciting. While the erotica is sexy, it stole away more from the story, rather than making it more rich. I found John and Jason's intimacy difficult to be believed. It's mentioned in the story that one of the experiments that the scientists are conducting is how humans from different cultures will work together or not when spending years in space. This got lost once John and Jason decide to not hide their relationship. What I freaking loved was the nod she gives to Andy Weir's The Martian. For me, Dusk is a fun adventure with plenty of suspense and danger, but it's not a series I want to read more of. I'm glad I gave it a chance and it entertained me for several hours.
May 26, 2018
As a lover of the Science Fiction Genre, I found this book very intriguing. I read it cover to cover, non stop. This is my first book from this author and I must say, Ms Creech will do very well in this genre. The events take place within the next decade. Everything that happens in this book is a very real possibility. What happens when the commander of the space station that is floating thousands of miles in space witnesses what could very well be the total devastation of earth by nuclear war? The mission the 6 member crew is on was only to last another 6 months when this event happens. Add to that the issues and malfunctions on the space station itself, and you have an emotional ride from cover to cover of this book.
April 1, 2018
This is a terrific story. John and Jason are an established couple forced to hide their relationship in their job as astronauts. When tragedy strikes Earth, these men and their friends/co-workers have to deal with their horror and heartbreak and figure out how to handle it from their space station. I love the friendships, I am impressed with the descriptive way the author tells this story, and I couldn't love Jason and John more than I do. I hope to read much more about this group of brave and kind men, and I'm anxious to find out more about their survival efforts. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good love story. These guys will burrow into your heart.
April 1, 2018
2.5 stars
The over all writing was good.
Not one of the most exciting sci-fi books I've ever read. And not a super exciting romance either as the couple involved were already in an established long term relationship and this book was more about the disaster itself and how this couple would tell the others about their relationship. Hopefully the next book will be out soon or I may lose interest in the series.
received a free ARC for review purposes
The over all writing was good.
Not one of the most exciting sci-fi books I've ever read. And not a super exciting romance either as the couple involved were already in an established long term relationship and this book was more about the disaster itself and how this couple would tell the others about their relationship. Hopefully the next book will be out soon or I may lose interest in the series.
received a free ARC for review purposes
March 19, 2018
John and Jason make me so happy! what a loving couple. throw in outer space and pretty much anything sci-fy and i'm over the moon. pun intended. i can't wait for more, great start to an awesome series! would def recommend.
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September 19, 2018thinks I'm a "loony toon"
hard pass
hard pass
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews