The Princess Key

In a galaxy held in a state of uneasy peace, two girls from opposite worlds must join forces to escape their dark pasts and fight for a brighter future.

Thirteen-year-old Lisa Allen thought her life of luxury was perfect until a brutal Varnian, so feared that no one dares utter his name, shattered her world. Kidnapped and orphaned, she is thrown into a deadly game of survival against her sadistic captor. As Lisa grapples with her new reality, hope arrives in the form of eighteen-year-old Za'cijimaa, known as Ciji, a Dholamite slave who has spent her life enduring unspeakable horrors. When their paths collide, they seize a chance for freedom, leaving the clutches of their merciless captor behind in a bloody escape.

Now aboard the bustling Hague Space Station, seeking refuge and a fresh start, the two fugitives discover that the galaxy is a treacherous place, and the shadows of their past still loom large. As they adapt to life among a diverse array of alien cultures, they quickly realize that the reach of their former captor extends far into the stars.

With warring factions vying for control and knowledge of a secret that could alter the balance of power within the galaxy, Lisa and Ciji find themselves at the center of a brewing storm while being hunted by a powerful alliance of enemies.

As they confront their pasts and the looming threat of recapture, will they find the courage to defy the oppressive forces that seek to control them, or will they be dragged back into the darkness they fought so hard to escape?

Rick Clogston was once an operative at a secluded high-security government facility.

Well ... okay, he was a letter carrier and then a Postmaster in rural New Hampshire. He still lives there with his wife, Lynn. They have four children. He's also been a radio DJ, a Methodist lay-preacher, the announcer at a stock car track, a local newspaper reporter, and a long-time member of the Frontier Fleet role-play-by-email game. He is a US Navy veteran and holds an Associate of Arts degree from Sacramento (CA) City College. He plays guitar, sings, and writes songs for The Red Hat Band. He's a busy boy! Some of his friends were surprised that he'd written a book. They couldn't believe he'd ever read one.

"The Princess Key" is his first novel. It's inspired by Farscape, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Star Trek, and the works of Anne McCaffrey, Poul Anderson, Stephen R. Lawhead, David Eddings, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and others.