Once upon a time in the not so distant future… or past… well, one of those… there lived a mighty mob of emus….
Yes, I can hear your brain screeching to a stop as you reread the introduction. The answer to your question is yes, large groups of emus are called mobs. Of course, that brings up all kinds of wonderful images in your head: The Boss emu ordering the unlikely demise of a poacher intent on capturing them, an army ready to do battle against the huge mob of emus (BTW, this really happened in 1932 in Australia – the winner: the emus!), or the emus coming to the rescue. Oh, just think of all the lovely stories that can be written for the mysterious and mighty bird that hatch from the eggs a little Dragonling carried home.
It is funny how some things just come to you. They often say right about something you know. Well, I’m no expert on emus, but it helps that we pass by a friend’s house that raises them. The stories Tom has told us about his attempts to raise emus for meat which quickly turned to them all having names and being pets has amused me for years. When I wrote The Dragonlings’ Very Special Valentine and The Great Easter Bunny Hunt, I knew I had to write Pearl’s story – and include the very unusual eggs that were brought back from Earth.
In Pearl’s Dragon, we get to meet the unlikely heroes who are as protective of their dragon friends as the dragons are of them. A clutch of eggs from Earth, a misunderstanding, love between an old dragon and his true mate, a couple of mischievous younglings, poachers, and a lesson in how to be the perfect mate come together in Pearl’s Dragon: Dragon Lords of Valdier.
“Embrace the Romance is no longer available for sale. Take a look at my other books for a new read.”
I am thrilled to again be part of the Pets in Space Anthology and team up with eleven other amazing science fiction romance authors. My story is about……Grandma Pearl and Asim and I can’t wait to share.
One of the reasons I love being part of this anthology is that we donate 10% of the first month’s profits to Hero-Dogs.org, an organization dedicated to assisting our veterans. Last’s year Pet in Space anthology raised over $2,000 for Hero-Dog.org and I would love to see us raise even more this year for such a worthy cause.
The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors, brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard Award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr, to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share action-packed SFR stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!
PEARL’S DRAGON
A Novella in the Dragon Lords of Valdier Series By S.E. Smith (New York Times/USA TODAY Bestselling Author)
Asim Kemark has lived a long, lonely life. It is only his pledge to his former king and to Mandra Reykill that keeps him, his dragon, and his symbiot from going crazy. He has given up on ever finding his true mate and devotes himself to caring for the wide assortment of creatures on Mandra and Ariel’s mountain retreat. The last thing he expects when he visits the palace is to lose control of his dragon and his symbiot when they sense their true mate. Before he knows it, he has kidnapped her!
Pearl St. Claire is enjoying a new adventure – learning to live on an alien planet. As a mature woman in her sixties, she thought she had experienced just about everything life could throw at her – only to discover she really hasn’t experienced anything yet! She is both amused and exasperated when one of the dragon-shifting aliens kidnaps her, believing she is his true mate.
Life is no longer boring or lonely as Asim courts the spirited human woman who has enchanted him, but he isn’t the only one who has noticed Pearl or the unusual animals under his care. When poachers attack, determined to steal the exotic creatures under his protection – including Pearl and a new clutch of alien eggs from Earth – he will do everything he can to protect them. Can one dragon keep the most precious creatures under his care safe, or will he lose the biggest battle of his life?
A GRIM PET
A Novella in the Tornian Series By M.K. Eidem (USA TODAY Bestselling Author)
The Great Raptor is a fearsome and deadly creature; and while the raptor is no one’s pet, he is fiercely protective and loving of his family…
Carly and Miki have never forgotten the story that Grim told them of the Great Raptor, the symbol of their new home world Luda. Yet, it is the comparison their mother once told them of the Great Raptor to Grim that gives them the courage to help the injured bird they find in the garden.
Find out what happens when their single act of love, faith, and kindness creates far-reaching consequences that no one, including their mother and Grim, could ever have predicted.
THE PRINCE, THE PILOT AND THE PUPPY
A Novella in the Star Series By Susan Grant (New York Times/USA TODAY Bestselling, and RITA Award Winning Author)
Trysh joined the Space Forces with the secret hope that her absentee father might notice her accomplishments and acknowledge her. At the top of her game as a starfighter pilot, the last thing she needs is a way too charming prince to get in her way. Trysh had learned at a young age what happened when a person lost their heart to someone above their social class – it led to heartache.
Prince Rornn feels fortunate he can pursue his passion both in the air and on the ground. He decides being third in line for the throne definitely has its advantages – it allowed him to join the Space Forces as a top-gun starfighter pilot. What he doesn’t expect is to find a woman there who not only competes with him – she completes him!
Everything Rornn tries appears to push Trysh further away – that is until they rescue a tiny, starving yipwag pup on the surface of an alien world. It turns out that “Puppy” is as good at sniffing out terrorists as she is at helping her two clueless humans figure out that they need each other as much as they do her.
Can Rornn convince Trysh that he is nothing like her father and that she is just the right woman for him before the terrorists discover their furry little companion?
Hunter Gils has put his past in the military behind him. Now his focus is on his bar and the less than savory clientele. Life is perfect – except for a gray-eyed beauty who refuses his advances.
Narelle Bindu wasn’t immune to the tall, dark stranger working at The Zone. He wanted her – and she wanted him. The only drawback was she didn’t have room in her life for a man, not even one as tempting as Hunter.
When a deadly attack creates the perfect opening for an old enemy, the two lovers must work together to survive. What they never expect is to find an ally willing to help them – even if that help has four legs. Can their four-legged friend keep Hunter and Narelle alive long enough to find out that one night would never be enough?
RESCUED BY THE CYBORG
A Novella in the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance Series By Cara Bristol (USA TODAY Bestselling Author)
A cyborg’s haunted past and a Faria’s clouded future entwine…
Hostage and sole survivor Solia waits for death at the hands of vicious predatory aliens when Cy-Ops agent Guy Roarke disobeys orders and charges in. A former medic, he initiates emergency medical procedures before rushing her to Cybermed.
Guy is taken with Solia, but the guilt of a past mistake won’t allow him to plan for a future with the delicate, brave beauty. Life is so uncertain, he can’t even keep Mittzi, the kitten his niece gave him. What he can do is see to it Solia gets the help she needs for a full recovery. But when best intentions place her in greater danger, it’s up to a little kitten to make everything all right again.
SONG CRUISE: SONGBIRD
A Novella in the The Sectors SF Romance Series By Veronica Scott
Grant Barton, a Security Officer on the Nebula Zephyr, is less than thrilled with his current assignment to guard an Interstellar singing sensation while she’s on board the ship. It doesn’t help that he is also dealing with a recent inheritance – of the feathered kind! The alien bird that his great-grandfather so kindly left him was now sharing his quarters and making his life miserable. It wasn’t helping that his assignment wasn’t making his job any easier either – at least until he had to save her life.
Karissa is on her way up the charts and seemingly has it all – talent, fame, fortune and devoted fans, but behind her brave smile and upbeat lyrics she hides an aching heart. When a publicity stunt goes wrong, Karissa finds herself in the arms of the security officer assigned to protect her – and discovers a mutual attraction she can’t ignore.
Trouble continues to plague the pair, driving a wedge between them and leaving Grant certain that Karissa is in more danger than she realizes. When a deranged fan issues a death threat, Grant is determined to protect Karissa whether she wants his help or not. Can he discover the truth behind what is going on before he loses Karissa, or is there someone else plotting to keep them apart – permanently?
Madison lives by the rules of a time travel rebel – never tell anyone your real name, not if you want to remain alive. On the track of a traitor, Madison and her parrot partner, Sir Rupert, time travel into a trap. Their only way out sends them back in time and into the arms of a man that ignites a fire inside her.
USAF Master Sergeant Briggs is in trouble – not the kind he’d like to be, but still in trouble. He is bored out of his mind! Ordered to recuperate on a quiet bay away from the Garradian outpost, he’s ready to mutiny and go back to his beloved engines. When his friends send him a gift from Area 51, he figures it will relieve his boredom for an hour or so – until he turns it on and he gets his second present of the day.
Madison would love to get to know Briggs better, but it is just too dangerous. Unfortunately, she might not have much choice. With a Time Service Interdiction Force on their heels, can the three craft a plan that will save a base full of geniuses and technology and discover a happy-ever-after forged through time?
COURTING DISASTER: STARDOG 2
A Novella in the Inherited Stars Universe Series By Laurie A. Green
From monk to married…
Captain Navene Jagger’s certainty he will be promoted to command a new battleship is doused when the admiral instead assigns him on what appears to be a suicide mission. If that wasn’t bad enough, he finds his self-imposed decision to be a military monk is thrown to the far reaches of the galaxy when he is ordered to escort Ketsia Tayah and her StarDog through the treacherous, rogue-infested Bradley’s Rift in a battered derelict of a vessel – a task that also makes him have to confront his painful past.
Ketsia’s past had taught her a lot. The universe was not only a very dangerous place, it turns out that it is also a lot smaller than she would have liked! Ketsia is rattled when she discovers that she and her StarDog are to be escorted by the man she formerly had a crush on. She swears life couldn’t get any more complicated until they are thrown into jeopardy and have to pretend they are married!
Jag soon realizes there is more at stake than his pride when dangerous rogues threaten their spaceship. After he learns the ship, the mission, and the StarDog are all much more than they seem will he be able to save Ketsia, his career, and the day? Or will self-sacrifice be the only way to save those under his protection?
Marco Dar’s position as an Earth Protector means he spends an incredible amount of time alone in space. His only company is with the talkative com unit. It isn’t until he stops at the Galaxy Spinner restaurant that he discovers his com has become sentient – and it wants a physical form!
Dr. Zara Mancini hasn’t seen Marco Dar in over eleven years. As far as she is concerned, that still isn’t long enough. When Marco approaches her with an unusual request, she is torn between her fascination with the project, and wanting to leave him eating her space dust.
Marco is quickly falling all over again for Zara’s beautiful smile and gorgeous lips. Young and foolish, he sabotaged their relationship years ago. Now he has a second chance. Can he convince Zara to help his AI, and prove to her that he is a different man?
A dedicated Defender to the core, Gib is willing to go to any planet the Galactic Alliance sends him. That is, until he’s sent with his squad to Hemera for their Alorama ceremony, far from any threat of Erebus invasion and with no chance for promotion.
Vilarra has lived on Hemera all her life, working hard in the kitchens of the royal palace until she achieved lead hand. But learning of the universe beyond her world reveals her insignificance and shreds her sense of accomplishment and purpose.
With the help of a furry, little tibbar, Gib is determined to win the affection of Vilarra, prove to her how significant she is to him and the people who depend on her. But will his personal mission be cut short before he has the chance to win her heart?
PET TRADE
A Novella in the Central Galactic Concordance Series By Carol Van Natta
The vast Central Galactic Concordance strictly prohibits genetic experimentation and alteration of humans on any of its 500 member planets. Unfortunately, animals are not included in those regulations…
Veterinarian Bethnee Bakonin has made a home for herself on a frontier planet in the frozen north. Her minder talent for healing all kinds of animals would ordinarily assure her success, but her unwilling stint in the shady pet trade industry left her damaged and scared.
“Volunteered” for a black-box research project, elite forces Jumper Axur Tragon now has dangerous experimental tech in his cybernetic limbs. He escapes the project and steals a freighter, but ship damage forces him to crash-land in the northern mountains of a frontier planet. He’s surprised to discover the freighter’s cargo contains a secret shipment of designer pets. Determined to do right by them, he enlists reluctant Bethnee’s aid in caring for them—a definite challenge, considering Bethnee is terrified of him.
They will need all the help they can get from their unusual pets to save the day when ruthless mercenaries pose a threat. Can Axur and Bethnee work together to overcome their limitations, or will they lose everything they have vowed to protect – including each other?
Daya Tattujayan is the manager of a remote and nearly derelict space mining station. She has plenty of problems to deal with even before the interstellar syndicate that owns the station sends an auditor to check up on her work.
Rik Gole is a nomadic interstellar auditor with no roots to tie him down. He is ruthless when he has to be and very good at what he does, but Rik would be the first to admit that a woman like Daya and a place like this station are way outside of his previous experience.
Before Daya and Rik can decide whether they are antagonists, allies, or something more, an unexpected enemy attacks the station. To save their lives, they must dare to trust each other. And they need help from a very unconventional defender—Daya’s mysterious alien pet, the mascot of Star Corner Station.
Watch our book trailer for Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2
I am thrilled to be one of nine authors in the anthology, Pets in Space, combining two of my big loves, space and pets. A portion of proceeds are being donated to hero-dogs.org who raise and train service dogs for US veterans.
I am delighted that each author in Pets in Space has agreed to share with us an insight into their story in the anthology and a little bit about why they decided to write for the anthology. Today’s guest is Veronica Scott:
I never had much experience with dogs as pets growing up. I liked the idea of dogs just fine but for some reason my family went more toward cats.
I think it may have had something to do with the fact that my mother’s mother raised and showed Boston Terriers – all of whom she named Christopher! – and my mother just wasn’t too fond of dogs after that. My grandfather had a wonderful, cuddly mutt rescue dog named Spooky, who he’d adopted after finding her lost near their summer cabin in the woods. I really liked her. She’d take my dolls for rides and was good to curl up with when I wanted to read. The terriers were just too full of energy for me.
I still have the little Wonder Book my grandmother gave me, hoping I’d be more in love with Boston Terriers after I read it. Nope, cats still ruled in my heart!
We have a saying in our family, which must be uttered with heavy sarcasm, “Pets are no trouble at all.” It was grandfather’s favorite remark whenever the various Christophers had gotten into mischief, which was often of course, being high energy canines. I should have used it in my story for Pets In Space, but the right moment didn’t arise. Maybe in a future book!
But whether you have a dog or a cat or an otherworldly creature, there’s nothing quite like a pet to keep you company…
The blurb for Pets In Space:
Even an alien needs a pet…
Join the adventure as nine pet loving sci-fi romance authors take you out of this world and pull you into their action-packed stories filled with suspense, laughter, and romance. The alien pets have an agenda that will capture the hearts of those they touch. Follow along as they work side by side to help stop a genetically-engineered creature from destroying the Earth to finding a lost dragon; life is never the same after their pets decide to get involved. Can the animals win the day or will the stars shine just a little less brightly?
New York Times, USA TODAY, Award Winning, and Best selling authors have eight original, never-released stories and one expanded story giving readers nine amazing adventures that will capture your imagination and help a worthy charity. Come join us as we take you on nine amazing adventures that will change the way you look at your pet!
10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.
And the blurb for Star Cruise: Stowaway:
Cargo Master Owen Embersson is shocked when the Nebula Zephyr’s ship’s cat and her alien sidekick, Midorri, alert him to the presence of a stowaway. He has no idea of the dangerous complications to come – nor does he anticipate falling hard for the woman whose life he now holds in his hands. Life aboard the Nebula Zephyr has just become more interesting – and deadly.
A short excerpt from my story. The stowaway has been found, thanks to the two pets, and now Fleming, the captain of the ship and Jake, his security chief are being briefed on the situation.
Fleming frowned. “So this sentient female could be a kidnap victim, or someone who tried to rip off the wrong people or worse. I want this kept as quiet as possible. I’ll break out of hyperspace long enough to transmit to the authorities, see if the Sectors Criminal Investigation Agency wants to board us to take her and the mystery off our hands, or meet us at the next port.”
“Care to share what you’re thinking, sir?” Jake asked.
“Probably the same as you – this has the hallmarks of a Combine operation. I don’t want the Zephyr mixed up in an organized crime problem, not if we can help it.” Fleming glared at the container as if the box offended him. “All right. Unless there’s anything to add, I’ll stop engines and transmit a report to the authorities. Plays hell with the schedule, but I’m going to wait for instructions. If the Combine is involved, we can’t go it alone. I’m not taking on the Amarotu gang with a ship full of passengers to protect. ” He turned to Jake. “Come sit in on the conversation. I want the girl under constant guard, assuming she survives. And Owen, the same goes for the crate. I don’t want it touched till the SCIA arrives. Can you shut down all activity on this deck until we know more?”
Surprised at the request, he nodded. “Of course. I’ll have to shift cargo in a day or two, though, to offload what’s due at our next stop. You want my guys standing guard duty?”
Fleming gave him a level stare. “Jake’s force is stretched pretty thin, so yes, but only the men and women you’d trust with your life. No one else gets access to this deck.”
About Veronica Scott:
Best Selling Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance author and “SciFi Encounters” columnist for the USA Today Happily Ever After blog, Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own stories.
Three time winner of the SFR Galaxy Award, as well as a National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, Veronica is also the proud recipient of a NASA Exceptional Service Medal relating to her former day job, not her romances! She recently was honored to read the part of Star Trek Crew Member in the audiobook production of Harlan Ellison’s “City On the Edge of Forever.”
I’d like to welcome all you critters and critter lovers to Pets Are People, Too. I’m Clawdia Kitty. And I’m Nose-4-News Hound. As you know, we like to dish out the secrets on our human pets, because, hello, they are sharing us everywhere and with everyone! And we have some pets with SECRETS to share, Clawdia. I have to say, we’ve had pets on YouTube, pets on skates, pets on the wall of shame, pets on Twitter, pets on Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, grumpy pets, happy pets, slightly dysfunctional pets—we’ve have even had pets who have pets, but we have never had pets from space! [Long howl from News] Let’s bring it, then, Clawdia. First up, we have K-Nine, coming to us from A Mate For Matrix. K-Nine, can you tell us a little bit about this human author, known as S.E. Smith?
K-Nine knows the inside scoop on S.E. Smith’s fascination with squirrels. It is so bad, that she often sits in the car for an hour or more just watching them. It is like she is addicted to knowing what they are doing! She takes pictures of them, talks to them, and has even been known to offer them tidbits of mulberries, bananas, and pineapples from the garden. Of course, only the ones they have already been eating on. K-Nine has even caught S.E. Smith singing the Gray Squirrel song. “Gray Squirrel, gray squirrel, bush your bushy tail. Hold a nut between your toes, wrinkle up your little nose. Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, bush your bushy tail.” Man, she loves that song! Personally, I think she is totally nutty.
Ms. Kitty loves squirrels, too. I think S.E. and I would get along, girlfriend. Next we have Bang Bang, who is just panting to tell us about Susan Grant…
Bang-Bang here. I’ve battled monsters on remote planets, raided with the Interplanetary Marines, and witnessed emergency drills onboard Bezos Station, but never have I seen the kind of action that explodes at the Grant household each day at dinnertime. See, Susan Grant is “lost in space” in front of her computer, writing, until precisely 5:07 pm when my little friend Skye begins her dinner vigil next to her human’s desk. “Oh, geez, look at the time. Skye, you want dinner? You want dinner?” Susan Grant asks (silly question if you ask me, as dumb as “Who’s a good boy?”). Susan Grant races to the fridge, stirs a scoop of canned dog food with Skye’s kibble, feeds her, then runs back to the fridge and grabs random ingredients that no sane human would dream of combining. Then she and Skye dash out to the garden to find more edibles to add to the crazy mix. When Mr. Susan Grant asks what’s for dinner, she laughs and replies, “A magic mix, never to be repeated.” “I love your magic mixes,” he says truthfully, and considers her the “MacGyver of cooking”. After watching all this, I’m ready for a nap–after crumb patrol, that is…
If I wasn’t a kitty, I’d be in love with the oh-so-cute, Sparky, who is ready to dish some stuff about Cara Bristol…
I was shocked when I found out not all humans can dance. Though it’s not mentioned in Spark of Attraction, my owner Miranda Lowell is a naturally gifted dancer and loves the Xenian Whirl, the Arcanian Scramble, and the Solar Breeze. Author Cara Bristol? The woman has two left feet and no rhythm. She and her husband took something called “Ballroom dancing,” lessons – still don’t know a step. Then they enrolled in a beginning “Swing” class. When the other students advanced to intermediate—they had to repeat beginning again. And still can’t dance. Worse, Cara Bristol almost crippled a man once. She was “dancing” in a nightclub, and accidentally stomped on his foot with her four-inch heels. The poor guy doubled over and hobbled off the dance floor. No one else asked to her dance that night.
This cute duo is, respectively Moby and Midorri, and what they don’t know about Veronica Scott, is not worth knowing….
Veronica likes to belt out show tunes, country music and old rock n roll songs at the top of her lungs. She might even dance, which confuses us pets and we take refuge under the chair until the concert is over. Last night it was “Meet Me in St. Louis”, “The Trolley Song” and various really old Beatles tunes, plus a bit of Shania Twain.
Miss Kitty would like visiting that house. She loves meeting hip cats in St. Louis…
Pets bravely go where no-one has gone before! Pets spill the beans on their authors in #PetsInSpace
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And from down under—the solar system—we have Peddrenth, the bearded dragon. I can’t even imagine what you could tell us about Pauline Baird Jones….
My experience with humans is somewhat limited, but really, I have two complaints. She does not like the heat. Right there we are incompatible. I live to be warm. My species comes from Australia! And just try to find a good, big, live bug to eat in her house. If you like chocolate, you’re golden. You can’t turn over a piece of paper without finding chocolate, but trust me. There are no bugs in her house. Her chilly house. Her really chilly house.
I feel your pain, dragon. We cats like to be warm, too. But here’s a guest for you, Nose-4-News… And from far far away, so far, they can’t hear me howl, we’ve got StarDog, Katrina, who looks like she’s more than a dog—and well equipped to spill the goods on Laurie A. Green…
Ohhhh, yes, yes! I know many sekrits. My author? She’s forced to write. No kidding! I’m a StarDog, I don’t lie about such things. There’s this big, menacing dude in her office that always has his blaster trained on her to keep her motivated. What, you want proof? *digs around in sekrit photo stash* You’ve got it.
Ooh, this little bundle of energy — literally — is buzzing to spill the beans on Alexis Glynn Latner…
The question is meaningless to me, because I consist of energy. I am very interested in electricity and electrical circuits. I am indifferent to what you protoplasmic beings do with your bodies. I do know what secrets are – something surprising that is unknown to others. I have secrets of my own. As to Alexis’ secrets, I can tell you this: for a generally orderly being, who has her physical belongings and computer files alike neatly organized, it is most surprising what a mess of power cords exists in her office behind her desk. A nest of electric eels would be more orderly than that.
Miss Kitty believes the only purpose for cords is for her to play with… Woof, woof, introduce our next guest, Miss Kitty… Oh fine…oh, you are fine, Ranger, you rangy beast, you, do tell us about Lea Kirk…
[thumping her tail and batting her eyes at Nose] I have three humans to deal with. My book humans, Simone and Graig, and my author human, Lea Kirk. All of them have juicy secrets, but since we’re only focusing on our author humans I will tell you about Lea. As a teenager, the first romances Lea discovered were by Bertrice Small, and she used to sneak them home in her school book bag. Believe me, if her mother only knew, I might not be here today.
Mother knows best, and what mama doesn’t know…. [a howl from Nose-4-News] What, oh, our last guest is a fox. Try to control yourself, Nose-4-News. Ember maybe be a little fox, but she’s also our guest! And she is dying to tell us all about Carysa Locke….
Of course I know secrets! I am kith. I know the most secret thoughts of all the humans around me…not that they are usually all that interesting. Truly, humans worry about the strangest things. But those fortunate enough to be bonded to kith benefit from our help. Without us, I’m sure they would all have died in the early days of the colony. Oh, but you asked about secrets. Well, it’s an open secret that the one who calls herself Carysa Locke is actually a team of two – one writer, and the one who originally made our universe. I know everything about both of them. They both rely far too much on a drink called coffee – a stimulant. Though the writer claims she just loves the taste and warmth of a cup every morning, I believe she is more reliant on it than she realizes. She has a gleaming silver contraption that makes all manner of strange noises while preparing her drink, a version of the substance called espresso. It is highly impractical. She cannot travel with the machine, so whenever she is forced away from home, she is much grumpier than usual waking up without her usual beverage. She says none of the shops which provide this espresso make it as well as she does. I worry that this obsession she has will interfere with the words she types into the machine, building our society and stories. If she had a kith, I’m sure this sort of dependence would never have happened. We kith are known to reliably wake our humans in the morning, with no need of shrill alarms or special cups of stimulant to get them moving.
I don’t know about you, Nose-4-News, but I think this might be my favorite interview yet. I’d like to thank the pets of Pets in Space for dishing out the secrets of the authors of Pets in Space, because wow, they sure had some. We still love them, though, because PETS! SPACE! [HOWLING that fades gradually away….]
#PetsInSpace spill the beans on their authors! Who would have known their deep dark secrets like this?! #SciFiRom
Join the adventure as nine pet loving sci-fi romance authors take you out of this world and pull you into their action-packed stories filled with suspense, laughter, and romance. The alien pets have an agenda that will capture the hearts of those they touch. Follow along as they work side by side to help stop a genetically-engineered creature from destroying the Earth to finding a lost dragon; life is never the same after their pets decide to get involved. Can the animals win the day or will the stars shine just a little less brightly?
New York Times, USA TODAY, Award Winning, and Bestselling authors have nine original, never-released stories that will capture your imagination and help a worthy charity. Come join us as we take you on nine amazing adventures that will change the way you look at your pet!
10% of profits from the first month go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.
I am thrilled to be one of nine authors in the anthology, Pets in Space, combining two of my big loves, space and pets. A portion of proceeds are being donated to hero-dogs.org who raise and train service dogs for US veterans.
I am delighted that each author in Pets in Space has agreed to share with us an insight into their story in the anthology and a little bit about why they decided to write for the anthology. Today’s guest is Susan Grant:
For me, writing a story about pets in support of a charity that pairs pets with military veterans was a purr-fect match. I’m a military vet, and I have loved dogs and cats since I was born.
“Doggie” was one of my first words. “Kitty” soon followed. (I’m sure “airplane” wasn’t long after). As soon as I could string together a sentence, I asked my parents for a pet dog. My mom assumed a toy dog on a leash would satisfy me. Ha. The look on my face says it all.
Next came a stray cat named Alice when I was in second grade. I would leave out food and water for her every day, but she wasn’t allowed to set one paw in the house. I had allergies, and my allergist told my parents that if I got a cat, I would die. Or, at least this was the reason everyone gave me. Not wanting to die, I accepted this, and loved Alice with all my heart until she disappreared one day after about a year. My mom told me that a band of hippies stole her and drove off with her in their car. (Actually, I always pictured Alice’s little face in the window of a baby blue VW bus as she and the hippies sped off to a Grateful Dead concert.) Recently, I learned that Mom actually dropped Alice off at the pound. It took four decades for the truth to come out. I hope from there Alice found her forever home, hippies or no.
It wasn’t until after I graduated from the US Air Force Academy and became a second lieutenant in the Air Force that I was finally able to get my first real pet—a cat. My moving boxes had barely hit the floor in my rental house in Del Rio, Texas when I brought home a kitten born on a nearby ranch. You may have heard the term “soul mate”. Well, the furry bundle of joy was my soul kitty. I named her Foxbat after the infamous Russian MiG-25 fighter jet. The Cold War was in full swing. Is there any better way to neutralize a threat than by making it seem cute and cuddly? Here she is, not much bigger than my car keys:
Foxbat was so little when I brought her home that she slept in my slipper. I had a few sniffles at first, but they passed, thus proving my childhood allergist wrong—cat ownership did not in fact kill me. Foxbat attended all the student-pilot parties at our house, was partial to Cheetos, was known to lick the mouths of empty beer bottles, and she stayed up until all hours—just like us. With aplomb, she made many a military move to new duty stations, traveling to cities in Texas and eventually to California. She was the only cat I’ve ever known who loved road trips.
Foxbat used up every last one of her nine lives, even surviving a rattlesnake bite, somehow making it home before she collapsed and, somehow, making it to the vet before she stopped breathing. In true incredi-cat fashion she went on to live nineteen full-throttle years, passing away only when a ravaging disease called FIV took her down. Even then, she fought hard, until her strong, sweet little spirit could fight no more. (There is a vaccination for FIV now, but there wasn’t then.)
Since then, many other pets have padded into my life and burrowed into my heart. My home has contained as many as seven dogs and cats at once. But I still miss Foxbat. I always will. She was and will forever be my soul kitty.
Stray, my novella in Pets in Space, highlights the amazing and unique human-pet bond many of us know and value. In this excerpt, Interplanetary Marine Lt. Lukas Frank has just received the worst news imaginable about his fiancée, Captain Carlynn Riga. In times like these, even a tough warrior could use the support of a good dog:
“Bang-Bang waited by the doors, holding a sitting position where Lukas had left him during the briefing. The white tip of the dog’s tail batted against the floor, slowing as his yellowish, old-soul eyes zeroed in on the turmoil inside Lukas that the station’s staff could not see.
Lukas halted, his breath stuttering. The only other living thing capable of breaching his defenses and rendering him so transparent was Carlynn. Her eyes, the color of black coffee, had brought him to his knees more than once, turned him inside out, and showed him what love looked like when viewed in someone’s gaze.
He bent down on one knee, and Bang-Bang’s paw hooked over his forearm. “She’s missing.” He managed to get the words out. Inconceivable words. It seemed surreal that he might never see Carlynn again. Might never hold her…
The softest of sorrowful, high-pitched whines exited Bang-Bang’s throat, and Lukas almost lost it. He pressed his cheek to Bang-Bang’s. Kindred spirits. Their bond had been there from the moment they crashed into each other on the streets of Barésh, the filthy, overpopulated domed mining world around which Bezos Station orbited.
BANG BANG—two loud booms diverted his attention that night on patrol about a year ago. He had swung his weapon around, sweeping for threats, his heart racing way too fast, before he backed off and let out a shaky breath. Not Glenn-Musk. Not the attack. Not dozens of bodies tumbling into the vacuum of space, Lukas helpless to save them. No, the double bang was only a backfire from one of the rattletrap mining vehicles the Baréshtis drove. Then a street dog flew out from under a parked vehicle, headed right for him, two freakishly intelligent eyes broadcasting sheer terror. Lukas opened his hands like a pair of catcher’s mitts and caught him. The way the dog pressed close, trusting that Lukas would protect him even as his skinny body shivered and revealed his panic, got to him. Yeah, got to him good. A brush of coarse whiskers, a wet nose, and that was that. They were a team from then on.”
Thanks a million for having me at your blog! I love chatting about pets and books. Susan Grant
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