Welcome Guest: D.L. Cross with Astral Conspiracy Series #AlienInvasion #AlienEncounters @stacitroilo

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red quill pen on a piece of old parchment paper, with an ink well with words Welcome Guest in scriptIt’s my pleasure to host Staci Troilo today. Staci is a Story Empire colleague, one of the best writers I know, and a close friend. Her books never disappoint. Her Astral Conspiracy series (written under the pen name D.L. Cross) is pure gold. These aren’t just science fiction stories, but combine elements of thrillers, suspense, mysteries and fast-paced adventure—with character development that pings in the stratosphere.

And now, here’s Staci to tell you more!

Ciao, Mae. Thanks for having me here today. I’m really glad to visit with you and your readers again. Hi, everyone!

file folder marked top secret with name of agent Halpern, Natasha

I’m here today to talk about my Astral Conspiracy series. It’s technically science fiction, as it’s part of the acclaimed Platt and Truant Invasion Universe, but my saga is as much thriller as it is sci-fi, so I thought I’d have a little fun with my marketing and include pages from the top-secret government files on my main characters. Today, I’m sharing info on Tasha Halpern.

DOSSIER

Name: Natasha (Tasha) Halpern

Occupation: Special Agent for US Government AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program)

Of Note: A modern-day Mata Hari, her expertise is in asset recruitment

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW BETWEEN AUTHOR (Staci Troilo a.k.a. D.L. Cross) AND CHARACTER (Special Agent Natasha Halpern) ON ASTRAL DAY (the day the world is alerted to the approach of alien ships) via video conference. (Video is eyes-only, file #7161998-V, director’s approval required.)

Subject photo available, file #7161998-G

Staci: Tasha. How are you?

Tasha: Well, the cat’s out of the bag now. Should make life easier once things calm down. But who knows when that’ll happen, so we’re in Chicken Little mode.

Staci: Even people in the upper echelon of the government are panicking?

Tasha: Maybe more than the general public. We’re responsible for keeping everyone safe. It’s a big responsibility. (looks around, ducks her head, whispers into the mic) And between you and me, the people at the top never like to think their positions are going to be compromised.

Staci: You’re telling me we’re about to meet aliens for the first time, and our elected officials are more worried about power than protecting us?

Tasha: Who says this is the first time?

Staci: (gasping) They’ve been here before?

Tasha: Before? Or still?

Staci: You’re kidding?

Tasha: You didn’t hear that from me.

Staci: So, can’t you talk to the… visitors… and ask them for help? They could be a mediator, bridging the gap.

Tasha: That’s assuming they aren’t hostile toward us.

Staci: Are they?

Tasha: If our… guests were here as friends, don’t you think we’d have announced their presence years ago?

Staci: Years? How long have they been here?

Tasha: A while. A very, very long while.

Staci: Is that how you met Landon? You never told me the meet-cute story.

Tasha: I’m sure I did.

Staci: No. You didn’t.

Tasha: Well, I can’t tell you now. Beck’s bellowing. Gotta run. Stay safe, Stace.

Staci: You, too. (gives a half-wave to an empty screen)

Tasha makes her debut in the Astral Conspiracy series in book one, The Gate. You can read a brief synopsis of all five books below, and each one has links to its product page and a purchase link.

Book covers of all five novels in Astral Conspiracy series by D.L. Crossa

The Gate: When the hypotheses of disgraced ancient alien theorist Landon Thorne prove to be true, he travels across the globe in search of a way to communicate with—and perhaps stop—the approaching alien armada.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Stones: The invasion couldn’t be prevented, but there is a chance the Astrals can be driven away… if Landon Thorne can reach the Georgia Guidestones, unearth its secrets, and decode the mystery before the aliens stop him.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Nine: Landon Thorne and his team of resistance fighters seek a cipher to decode the message accompanying a cache of alien artifacts they’ve unearthed, but the government, a clandestine cabal, and the Astrals themselves stand in their way and might not only put an end to their plans—they might put an end to their lives.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Twins: When all factions converge for a human-versus-alien showdown, resistance fighter Reverie Sterling gets help from the least likely source. But even then, it may be too late for everyone she loves to make it out alive.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Lab: In the final showdown between Earthlings and Astrals, twins Asha and Vonn insist their long-lost grandfather has a plan to save humanity. It’s a long-shot, but the resistance takes it—and no one is prepared for the consequences.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

Author, Staci TroiloAbout Staci Troilo/D.L. Cross

D.L. Cross has loved science fiction ever since she was a young girl and fell for Major Don West on television’s Lost in Space. To this day, she still quotes the show, though her favorite lines were spoken by the robot and the antagonist. Parallel universes or alternate realities, aliens or dinosaurs, superpowers or super viruses, time travel or AI… no sci-fi theme is off limits and all of them fascinate her. D.L. Cross also writes other genre fiction under the name Staci Troilo, and you can find more information about all her identities and all her work at her website: https://stacitroilo.com.

Connect online:

Website | Blog | Troilo Amazon |  Cross Amazon | Troilo BookBub | Cross BookBubTroilo Goodreads | Cross Goodreads | Social Media

Thanks again for having me here today, Mae. And thanks to all of your fans for indulging me. This post was as fun to write as the stories were, and I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Grazie!

What a great post! If you’ve been following this blog tour, you know each stop has provided a behind-the-scenes look at key players in the Astral Conspiracy series. I’ve been enjoying the heck out of it, and hope you are too. Please use the sharing buttons below to help spread the word about Astral, then drop Staci a few lines in the comments. I gave each of these phenomenal books 5-Stars and count them among my top reads of 2020!

66 thoughts on “Welcome Guest: D.L. Cross with Astral Conspiracy Series #AlienInvasion #AlienEncounters @stacitroilo”

  5. Tasha was one of those characters that I liked at first, then was certain about. (Probably because I liked Landon and wasn’t sure about how she really felt about him.) But in the end, she turned out to be another favorite.

    I’m enjoying these interviews so much!

    Liked by 2 people

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    • I like to keep people guessing. There are those you know you love, those you know you like, those you know you hate, and those you’re on the fence about. And then there are those surprise characters you were certain you had figured out… Those are the most fun. It keeps things exciting.

      Thanks, Joan.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply ↓

    • Joan, I agree. She was one of the characters I kept changing my opinion about. Staci was good at showing diverse sides of so many characters. I definitely liked the way Tasha’s storyline wrapped up.

      Liked by 2 people

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  7. Just finished The Gate, Staci, and reacquainted myself with some of the characters. It was well worth the time spent on the re-read, too. It reminded me of which characters I do not like AT ALL, especially by the end of this book, though I won’t give away her name. 😉 And which characters I definitely like. And even one character I mostly like, though I’m not sure her decisions are always the best ones. This is such a great set-up for the story ahead, and has so much happening. There’s never a dull moment, and I think you’ve handled it brilliantly. Can’t wait to start Book 2, hopefully tonight. 🙂

    Great interview again. Totally clever and so much fun! 🙂 Sharing!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

    • The one you hate is the one everyone hates, I’m sure. If you want to talk about it privately, I’m happy to hear your thoughts. Or at the end. Or not. I have so much I want to say right now, but I’m biting my tongue so I don’t influence your reading experience. I’m glad you enjoyed book one, Marcia. Thanks.

      Liked by 2 people

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      • Not to worry. I try to keep an open mind, as characters morph over the course of long stories, some for the better, and some for worse. And I can easily see any and all of these doing surprising things or changing directions in the midst of all this drama and uncertainty. Thanks for not giving too much away, as I quite like the peeling back of layers to see who’s lurking underneath when the chips are down–who steps up and who turns out to be a lesser person than might have seemed the case in the beginning. That happens in good stories, even without the influence of possibly hostile aliens in the mix, so no telling what this crew will do when the action really takes off.

        Liked by 2 people

    • I’m so glad you’re immersed in the series, Marcia, There are so many amazing things yet to happen, and book 2, The Stones is one of my favorite of the series. I can’t wait until you meet Titans and Reptars. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply ↓

      • I’m already enjoying it, Mae. I know it’s going to be a favorite, and right now it’s anybody’s guess as to who’s going to do what. One person has not surprised me (yet), and one person definitely has, so I’m looking forward to all the shifts and developments ahead. SO good! 😀

        Liked by 2 people

    • I think you’d probably like Tasha best of all the characters. Probably even more than Reverie. Glad you’re enjoying the tour, sci-fi aside. (I really consider it more a thriller. There just happen to be aliens in the story.) Thanks, Sue.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

    • Hi, Sue! *waving back from PA*
      Isn’t this tour a blast? Staci always comes up with something unique and clever for her marketing. Just reading these character interviews makes me want to re-read the series, and I just finished it, LOL!

      Liked by 2 people

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  9. Natasha is one of your really interesting characters in the books. I’ve finished book 4 and still can’t make up my mind about her. She has SO many flaws, but for some reason, I still want her to survive and be happy. I’m going to start book 5 soon, and I hope she and Beck make it. You keep surprising me, though, so fingers crossed.

    Liked by 2 people

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  19. Another terrific interview! Thank you, Staci. I’m looking forward to jumping into this series. And Mae, thank you for spotlighting Staci today. Wonderful. 😊

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

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