A Protector's Heart

A Protector's Heart launches an ordinary sixteen-year-old boy, Carl, yearning for adventure beyond his books into a more dangerous and thrilling reality than he ever imagined.  When a mechanical failure leaves Carl temporarily stranded at a spaceport in a lonely section of space, he discovers he is a professional hitman's target. Danger lurks around every corner as Carl tries to stay one step ahead of deadly assassins.  Why would someone be so desperate to see him dead?  There seems to be no motive, yet unknowingly, Carl carries a secret that could lead to intergalactic war.  From his once secure life, Carl is thrust into a world where quick decisions and fast actions mean the difference between life and death. Carl's only hope of survival is a mysterious feline humanoid, Purr, whose gun dispenses death without much apparent thought.  But can Purr be trusted, or will betrayal once again rear its ugly head? This fast-action story will keep readers in suspense as it moves toward a shocking conclusion.  It will challenge your ideas of justice and make you decide if Carl and Purr crossed the line. Also included is the short story Escape From Earth.  This is the origin story of how the Lost Planet, from which all intelligent life sprang, became lost. [The Original Title of A Protector's Heart was Codename: Dragonslayer.] A Protector's Heart is about 175 pages.