Charleston, SC, June 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Palmetto Publishing has released Cajun Moon, a new science fiction novel by debut author Michael Duke Ross. The book drops readers into a lawless, far-future galaxy where a resourceful smuggler's first attempt at bounty hunting leads her into a harrowing fight for freedom and survival.
In the year 5789 A.D., the woman known as Cajun Moon docks her battered cruiser, The Man's Bane, in Malpressor City, a sprawling metropolis built from stolen shipping containers on the planet Semettja. Armed with Qua Lasers and a sharp instinct for trouble, she arrives to collect an enormous bounty on a fugitive named Pellinore Fromp. Malpressor is a multispecies haven for criminals, smugglers, and outlaws, and Cajun believes she has the grit to navigate its dangers. The payday she is chasing could change her life forever.
The job goes catastrophically wrong. Cajun Moon is stripped of her ship, her weapons, and her autonomy. She is sold into the galaxy's sexual slavery trade aboard a pleasure cruiser, where a compliance chip embedded in the nape of her neck forces her obedience. Every trace of the fierce, quick-witted woman she was is locked behind the device. Then, during a violent encounter with a client, the chip breaks. Cajun Moon remembers exactly who she is. Hiding her freedom behind a mask of compliance, she begins plotting an escape, not just for herself but for every captive on board. Discovery means death, and the clock is ticking.
Michael Duke Ross stated, "I have an odd style of writing. I never know what I’m going to write until I put it down on paper. I had no idea what Cajun Moon would become, but I just followed the inspirations that Jesus and The Lord gave me as I went along. It’s a gritty tale full of sex, and mischief, but I enjoy it. Read it if you dare!"
The novel occupies a distinct space in adult science fiction, blending the rough-edged tone of series like Killjoys and Firefly with unflinching subject matter rarely explored at this intensity in the genre. Readers drawn to morally gray protagonists, survival narratives, and scrappy heroines in the tradition of authors like Rachel Bach and Mike Shepherd will find familiar ground here. Cajun Moon is positioned for an audience that values action-driven space opera willing to confront dark themes with dramatic conviction. The book is intended for adult readers comfortable with mature situations and content.
Cajun Moon is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. For more information about the author, please visit any of their social media platforms.
About the Author: Michael Duke Ross is a science fiction author with a fearless approach to storytelling, unafraid to venture into the genre's darkest and most provocative territory. His debut novel, Cajun Moon, announces a bold new voice in adult science fiction, one willing to confront difficult subject matter with dramatic intensity and narrative conviction.
Ross is drawn to stories of survival under extreme duress, where characters must summon extraordinary resilience to reclaim their autonomy. In Cajun Moon, he channels that fascination into a suspenseful, high-stakes tale set in the distant future. The novel follows a would-be bounty hunter who, after a job goes catastrophically wrong, must endure captivity aboard a galactic pleasure cruiser before engineering a daring escape and leading a rebellion among her fellow captives. The story blends the propulsive pacing of a thriller with the world-building ambitions of space opera, never shying away from the harsh realities its heroine faces.
When not writing, Ross is at work on his next project, continuing to explore the boundaries of science fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy fiction for adult readers who crave stories with real dramatic weight. Follow Michael Duke Ross for updates on new releases.
About the Book:
Smuggler Cajun Moon takes a bounty job that goes catastrophically wrong, landing her in chains aboard a pleasure cruiser as a slave. When a brutal encounter accidentally frees her from the chip controlling her mind, she must fake compliance long enough to engineer an escape, not just for herself, but for every captive on board.
Title: Cajun Moon
Author: Michael Duke Ross
Media Contact: publicity@palmettopublishing.com
Available for interviews: Author, Michael Duke Ross
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Leah Joseph Palmetto Publishing publicity@palmettopublishing.com
