Tom Shepherd

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About Tom Shepherd

Tom Shepherd flew medical evacuation helicopters in Vietnam, where he received two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart. He has worked as a Japanese linguist, public school teacher, and graduate school instructor. Shepherd is originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, but lived in Alaska, Germany, Indochina, and the Republic of Korea. He spent the balance of of his professional career working with churches in the Deep South, California, and the Midwest and serving as Professor of Religious Studies at Unity Institute near Kansas City, Missouri. Author of a wide array of

articles and nonfiction books, plus more than twenty plays and two novels for the middle grades, Dr. Shepherd “retired” in 2016 to write novels full time.

Star Lawyers is his new series, which readers have described as “Star Trek meets Law&Order.” Tom Shepherd lives with his wife, Carol-Jean, and their genial pit bull, Riley, in Tucson, Arizona.

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Star Lawyers Origins: Trilogy Mar 7, 2022

by Tom Shepherd

( 50 )

$0.99

Can humans develop Faster Than Light technologies and survive in a multi-species galaxy? The Origins trilogy follows humanity on its first steps into the stars, beginning with alien abduction in the 21st century.

In this 3-volume series you’ll meet the young genius-prodigy Tanella Jennings-Blake, who is destined to discover Faster-Than-Light travel when she becomes an adult. But first, Tanella and friends face death on Earth during a Category 5 hurricane on Georgia’s Barrier Island. And later, in deep space, she must avoid falling into the hands of the deadly Lutzak Horde, a predatory star nation. The Lutzak have received a time-window transmission from their descendants, who warn the Horde to stop H-sapiens from developing FTL at all costs. That meant only one thing. Kill Tanella Jennings-Blake before she designs the prototype Faster Than Light engine.

“Fun, clever, fast paced read from beginning to end. Nothing is straight-forward, and some of the twists will keep you guessing to the end.”

[Amazon Review]

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

First Class to the Stars (Star Lawyers Book 7) Feb 1, 2021

by Tom Shepherd

( 81 )

$4.99

Tyler Matthews and his team must defend Allura Pacheco—registered courtesan, JPT dispatcher and friend to Rosalie Matthews—who is charged with murdering a diplomat on the Portuguese-speaking planet Segerius.The Patrick Henry crew dives deep undercover to expose a Dark Market slave auction linked to the crime.

When their covert op goes awry, Tyler’s wife Suzie and sister Rosalie face instant death by explosive slave collar, or a life of concubine slavery on distant worlds.

Murder, mayhem, starships and aliens. Typical day at the office of Star Lawyers Corporation.

“Like a fine wine, Tom Shepherd’s storytelling improves with every book in the Star Lawyer series.”
“Smart and sexy, with a splash of humor. Believable characters in serious jeopardy.”
“African-American Star Lawyer Lovey Frost falls kicks serious butt in the trial scenes.”

Other Formats: Paperback

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The Wind Among the Stars (First Voyages Book 1) Sep 6, 2021

by Tom Shepherd

( 175 )

$4.95

Overcrowded Earth awaits. Expand or go extinct.
A heroic crew roames the stars alone. The first human starship has just launched.

The Wind Among the Stars opens the First Voyages series with hurricane force. Book 1 introduces legendary explorer Aurelio Lupetti, Captain of the Victoria, humanity’s first Faster-Than-Light starship. When Lupetti departs the Terran system in 2402 TCE, no life has been discovered elsewhere in the Cosmos. Not yet, anyway.

“Earth Alone” politicians fight the FTL project as a waste of money badly needed for the teeming masses on the homeworld. After the anti-FTL party maneuvers Indonesian Senator Ndari Nurcahya aboard as Lupetti’s astrometrics officer, it’s nose-to-nose conflict from day one.

Ndari is brilliant, beautiful and wealthy. A media superstar with a powerful, golden voice. She's the youngest member of the Commonwealth Senate and holds a degree in astronomical sciences. From the moment she reports for bridge duty in the wrong uniform, the diva from Jakarta battles Aurelio Lupetti every parsec along the way.

Until extraterrestrial life is discovered—Lutzak pirates—forcing Lupetti and Ndari to work together and rescue her fellow East Indians from alien slavers. And to explore new worlds. Forward together, like The Wind Among the Stars.

“Set in the Star Lawyers Universe way before Tyler Matthews.”
“I love the characters! Hawaiian ‘Chief of the Boat’ and a sexy alien babe who considers humans puritanical primitives.”
“Great world-building. Exploration and First Contact. Trekkies will love it.”
“Nicely flawed characters, clashing galactic civilizations. Splendid space opera.”
“Pure adventure. With the right mix of conflict, humor and romance that makes a Tom Shepherd book such fun to read.”

Other Formats: Paperback

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Capital Murder (Star Lawyers Book 6) Jul 6, 2020

by Tom Shepherd

( 38 )

$3.99

When hauntingly beautiful clone Matriarch Kalei Kyte-Dezion is charged with murder at the ancient Galactic capital, Tyler Matthews and the Star Lawyers must defend her before the oldest court in known space. Meanwhile, Suzie flies to the Quirt-Thyme Empire to represent purple Queen Leola, the serial killer who claims to be carrying Tyler’s unborn child. Throw in an epic standoff between two fleets, power politics on a galactic scale, and a clock ticking to doomsday for the Terran Commonwealth. Just another day at the offices of Star Lawyers Corp.

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Alienable Rights Dec 14, 2021

by Tom Shepherd

( 20 )

$0.99

Arrested on a distant world. Charged with crimes you did not commit.
Or especially if you did...

Who you gonna call?

Alienable Rights, Tom Shepherd's new, stand-alone Star Lawyers novella, packs a fast-moving story with romance, intrigue, galactic politics and courtroom clashes. (Think: Trek meets Law & Order.)

Tyler Matthews and his Star Lawyers defend a Terran Academy Cadet charged with sexual abuse of a fourteen-year-old minor. Except the "minor" is a fully developed member of a humanoid species that matures twice as fast as H-sapiens--physically, emotionally and intellectually.

A promising young officer faces twenty years hard labor on faraway, airless moons. And because the young woman has fallen in love with the Cadet, she runs the risk of execution by her tribal society.

If you're already a Star Lawyers fan, you'll love the action and suspense in this futuristic courtroom drama.

If this is your first voyage into the 32nd century world of Tyler and his crew, Alienable Rights welcomes you aboard a great sci-fi series.

Other Formats: Paperback

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Stellar Light Conspiracy (Star Lawyers Book 5) Jul 4, 2019

by Tom Shepherd

( 53 )

$3.99

Tyler Matthews and brother J.B. face their greatest challenge, battling murder charges against an innocent human in the bizarre, game-like legal system of the Ounta-Kadiis League. Meanwhile, the Terran Commonwealth is locked in mortal combat with the New Galactic Empire.

The outcome of Bertie Winther’s trial will determine which side gets access to vast new asteroid fields chock full of exotic ores. Assassins and spies lurk everywhere, and now sister Rosalie—the sweet-smiling, professional killer of the Family—has been apprehended for murder, too.

Soon Tyler, J.B., Suzie, and Mr. Blue are wrestling four capital cases while trying to prevent Hideki Tsuchiya's New Galactic Empire from bribing the government and seizing the vitally needed mineral rights.

Throw in a beautiful alien High Priestess, a population where most of the women are clones with brains but no rights, and Stellar Light. The glow-in-the-dark metal that Ounta-Kadiis men must have to tempt the few fertile females to marry them.

Oh, and Tyler’s mom, Admiral Bianca Matthews, must exit the Universe to rescue the Quirt-Thymean Blue Fleet, pushed into a white space, anti-matter Cosmos by Sakura House combatants during a pitched battle for Adao-2.

With conspiracies worthy of talk radio and the usual Star Lawyers deep bench of quirky characters, Stellar Light Conspiracy takes the space opera/legal thriller adventure to new heights.

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Star Lawyers Complete First Season : Books 1-6 and Bonus 6.1 Novella Jan 11, 2021

by Tom Shepherd

( 164 )

$5.99

Star Lawyers: >The Complete First Season Box Set - Books 1-6 plus Bonus 6.1 Novella.

Follow the exploits of Tyler Matthews and his Star Lawyers Corporation in the bestselling Star Lawyers series by Tom Shepherd. from their first case at the Galactic Rim world Suryadivan Prime (Jump Gate Omega) to the climactic courtroom brawl at the old Imperial center on Rahjen (Capital Murder).

Throw in a couple of fleet clashes for total control of known space, a dangerous but lovable shapeshifter cat who adopts the Matthews Family, Latina assassins sworn to bring justice for all, and a base ship crewed by holographic females originally programmed as pleasure providers. And Suzie. Tyler's AI computer program who acquires a personality, free will, and finally full independence as a bio-energetic humanoid woman.

Courtroom dramas and starship clashes, bursting with action, humor, romance, alien civilizations and great characters—Star Lawyers: The Complete First Season Box Set delivers all the nail-biting adventure that makes Star Lawyers one of the best sci-fi series available today.

Special Box Set Bonus: Star Lawyers 6.1 – Alienable Rights, brand new novella available only with the Complete First Season collection.

Plus: Patrick Henry Deck Plan and extensive Star Lawyers Glossary

Arrested on an alien world. Who you gonna call?"

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House of the Silent Moons (Star Lawyers Book 4) Dec 20, 2018

by Tom Shepherd

( 43 )

$3.99

"Take your Star Lawyers, go to Pirate Space, and defend that rogue who betrayed your family," Admiral Bianca Matthews told her son, Tyler.

Star Lawyers Corporation must defend a known criminal in Pirate Court to prevent ancient technologies from falling into the hands of expansionist star nations, which will lead to a new era of galactic war. Only pirate Captain Flavio Tavares, who faces terrible judgment by his peers, can lead Tyler Matthews to a derelict starbase abandoned by the collapsing Galactic Empire long ago. The HOUSE OF THE SILENT MOONS orbits a remote gas giant amid hundreds of planetoids and asteroids. Aboard this massive structure, where defenders expected to return victorious from an apocalyptic struggle with ruthless enemies, the doomed Imperial forces stockpiled powerful weapons and tech modules more advanced than anything available in Tyler's 32nd century civilization. Star Lawyers must locate the starbase quickly, because the clock is ticking. Aggressive forces hostile to the Terran Commonwealth also seek the lost trove of technology. To spring the guilty pirate captain from trial by his own people, Tyler faces a court where the judge blasts convicted defendants on the spot in trials that last a few hours at most. And the court appointed prosecutor, Kaito, is the middle son of the Matthews Family's greatest foe, Hideki Tsuchiya. You can expect action in deep space, fighting in the streets of the pirate city of Port Royal, and courtroom knock-down-drag out legal battles in the Pirate courtroom.

Who will claim the ancient, awesome arsenal awaiting aboard the HOUSE OF THE SILENT MOONS?

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

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Stardate (Star Lawyers Origins Book 1) Oct 8, 2018

by Tom Shepherd

( 60 )

$0.99

“Mark, I’m telling you. She’s an alien!”

Mark Bricchetti is an ordinary, 21st century teenager attending Spirit Creek Middle School in Augusta, Georgia. Excitement means playing MMOs, reading about dinosaurs and munching pizza. That’s about to change. It starts when best friend, Aaron Hooper, warns him about Keshikka Grant, the new hottie in school. “Mark, I’m telling you. She’s an alien!”

Well, she did have red-golden hair and yellow eyes. But when Keshikka whispers her phone number to him, Mark has no idea their date will take him to worlds he could not imagine, where the fate of planet Earth lands in his hands. Of course, he will encounter a vast array of aliens, starships, rampaging dinosaurs, and holographic MMOs where you can actually die. And eat pizza with a Miyosian princess.

Stardate shanghaies readers from ordinary life into an action-driven, deep space adventure, punctuated with humor. For anyone who loves a good tale, middle school to retirement complex.

"If that girl is an alien, beam me aboard.”

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Forbidden Sanctuary (Star Lawyers Book 2) Jul 1, 2018

by Tom Shepherd

( 56 )

$2.99

What terrible secrets will Tyler Matthews and his Star Lawyers discover within the Forbidden Sanctuary on the mysterious, sacred planet Adao-2?

Can the legal team from Matthews Interstellar Industries learn the truth in time to save M-double-I’s century-long quest to open Jump Gate Omega, bridge the 2.5 million light years to the Andromeda galaxy, and prevent economic ruin and war in the Milky Way?

While Tyler, J.B., Rosalie and Lucy (her shapeshifter cat) battle pirates and religious fanatics, Suzie and her holographic A.I. colleagues—former ladies of the night, re-purposed as legal assistants and starship crew-- face an even deadlier foe. This unknown enemy threatens to delete all the starship Patrick Henry’s programs and terminate their existence forever.

To make matters worse, Cousin Esteban languishes in prison on Suryadivan Prime, where the former Catholic monk faces a death sentence for crimes he did not commit.

The Star Lawyers adventure continues in Book 2, Forbidden Sanctuary.

What terrible secrets will Tyler Matthews and his Star Lawyers discover within the Forbidden Sanctuary on the mysterious, sacred planet Adao-2?

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

The Blue King Murders (Star Lawyers Book 3) Jul 22, 2018

by Tom Shepherd

( 53 )

$2.99

Some places, it’s a crime to be human...

Star Lawyers Book 3 – The Blue King Murders picks up right after Book 2 – Forbidden Sanctuary. Tyler Matthews divides the legal team in half to wage courtroom battles on worlds half a galaxy apart. The Star Lawyers must defend Mr. Blue, their Quirt-Thymean friend and fellow attorney, for the murder of his King. But defending a regicide carries a penalty of death—for his lawyer! Meanwhile, J.B., Rosalie, and Suzie fly to a Mek colonial world to defend their mischievous Uncle Charlie, who’s charged with seduction and sedition among the matriarchal Meklavites. With Tyler’s penchant for attracting enemies, he’s soon dodging killer robots, fending off insurrectionists, and evading professional assassins, while J.B.’s team fights to escape the clutches of binary black holes that were not supposed to be in their flight path. Add to the mix a pair of beautiful, seductive alien queens with pheromonic powers and a conspiracy at the highest level of Quirt-Thymean society to launch wars of conquest like the old days of the Empire. The Star Lawyers adventure continues.

Some places, it’s a crime to be human...

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Star Lawyers Omnibus : Main Series - Books 1-3 May 25, 2021

by Tom Shepherd

( 15 )

$3.99

Contains books one, two, and three of the bestselling Star Lawyers series, an action-packed deep space adventure filled with humor, romance, adventure, and the occasional clash of massive fleets.

Jump Gate Omega, Book 1

Without Jump Gate Omega, the Terran Commonwealth may not survive. If the new Matthews Corporation Jump Gate fails to span 2.5 million light years to the Andromeda galaxy, the heavily invested star-faring civilization of the Milky Way will face economic ruin and brutal war. The Star Lawyers must run a gauntlet to the Rim, dodging pirates, politicians, prelates, and predatory star nations intent on seizing Matthews Corp's new Jump Gate to Andromeda.

Forbidden Sanctuary, Book 2

What terrible secrets will Tyler Matthews and his star lawyers discover within the forbidden sanctuary on the mysterious, sacred planet Adao-2? Can the legal team from Matthews Interstellar Industries learn the truth in time to save M-double-I’s century-long quest to open Jump Gate Omega, bridge the 2.5 million light-years to the Andromeda galaxy, and prevent economic ruin and war in the Milky Way?

While Tyler, J. B., Rosalie, and Lucy (her shapeshifter cat) battle pirates and religious fanatics, Suzie and her holographic AI colleagues - former ladies of the night, repurposed as legal assistants and starship crew - face an even deadlier foe. This unknown enemy threatens to delete all the starship Patrick Henry’s programs and terminate their existence forever. To make matters worse, Cousin Esteban languishes in prison on Suryadivan Prime, where the former Catholic monk faces a death sentence for crimes he did not commit.

The Blue King Murders, Book 3

Some places, it’s a crime to be human.... Tyler Matthews divides the legal team in half to wage courtroom battles on worlds half a galaxy apart. The Star Lawyers must defend Mr. Blue, their Quirt-Thymean friend and fellow attorney, for the murder of his king. But defending a regicide carries a penalty of death - for his lawyer!

Meanwhile, J. B., Rosalie, and Suzie fly to a Mek colonial world to defend their mischievous Uncle Charlie, who’s charged with seduction and sedition among the matriarchal Meklavites. With Tyler’s penchant for attracting enemies, he’s soon dodging killer robots, fending off insurrectionists, and evading professional assassins, while J. B.’s team fights to escape the clutches of binary black holes that were not supposed to be in their flight path.

Add to the mix, two beautiful, seductive alien queens with pheromonic powers, plus a conspiracy at the highest level of Quirt-Thymean society to launch wars of conquest like the old days of the empire. The action is breathless, relieved only by the humor and romance of classical space opera.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

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Arrested on a distant world. Charged with crimes you did not commit.
Or especially if you did...

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Arrested on a distant world. Charged with crimes you did not commit. Or especially if you did...

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Arrested on a distant world. Charged with crimes you did not commit.
Or especially if you did...