In one of Earth's long abandoned colonies, Rusty Buckley seeks to join the Third Rifles Regiment, a pledge he made to the medics who saved his life during the last great plague. His meeting with Queen Arrabella turns into disaster when assassins attack. In spite of Rusty's inexperience, which results in several missteps along the way, he saves his queen. While he sees Arrabella as the woman of his dreams, she sees in him a troubleshooter to throw at every problem blocking her path. Consequently, six months later Rusty finds himself knee-deep in a swamp, beset with the effects of foul water, contaminated food and incompetent leaders. If that isn't eugh to ruin his day, he's hounded by ten-foot lizards determined to have him for lunch. These are the first of the many challenges Rusty will face in Her Majesty's service, but while he's saving the queen from her enemies, who'll save him from her?
Ted holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, and Master's Degrees in Communication Arts and Human Relations. As a career army officer, Ted contributed several training articles and doctrine chapters to military publications, but since retiring, he has concentrated on writing Science Fiction. He lives in Oregon with his wife, Karen, and a Pointer named Elvis, both of whom claim he hogs the covers. When not writing, Ted works on developing his skills through participation in Willamette Writers in Portland, The Beaverton Evening Writers' Group and The Oregon Writer's Colony.