Oct 15 2016

What’s In The Crate? Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

One more excerpt from my story ‘Star Cruise: Stowaway’ in the PETS IN SPACE anthology, which released this past week. Edited a bit from the published version. Picking up from where I stopped last week:

He hoped Moby hadn’t sampled whatever Midorri was drinking. The alien animal could probably handle anything up to and including nuclear fuel, who knew, but Moby was definitely a terrestrial cat, with a more delicate stomach. He tried to shoo Midorri away from the slowly growing puddle of green goo, dripping from a dented corner of the container. Musta gotten banged when the shuttle crew offloaded the final pallet too fast and had to straighten everything in a rush. “I better see what’s in there,” he said to the interested animals.

Moby yowled, startling him as her voice echoed, and Midorri emitted a high-pitched chirping that grated on his ears like a physical assault.

Midorri tried to climb over his boot to return to the growing puddle.

A loud click echoed in the cargo bay and the seams on the crate glowed yellow, unsealing in a smooth progression along the rim. Sure enough a deluge of liquid followed, but Embersson froze for a moment as he saw what had been inside the crate. Then he was on his knees beside the now-open container, heedless of the green cryo fluid soaking his pants, as he tried to extricate the woman who’d been illegally stored inside.

Here’s the blurb for the anthology, followed by the blurb for my story:

The blurb for Pets In Space:

Even an alien needs a pet…

PETS_In_Space_cover_art 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 eight amazing new adventures and one expanded story 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.

Buy Links:

iBooks Amazon ARe Nook GooglePlay Kobo

Oct 15 2016

Nine Adorable Pets In Space Illustrated

I thought it’d be fun to share the individual pet illustrations that artist Nyssa Juneau did for us to include in the Pets in Space anthology!

A MATE FOR MATRIX: CYBORG PROTECTION UNIT

By S.E. Smith (New York Times/USA TODAY Bestselling Author)

Matrix Roma is a member of the elite Zion military Cyborg Protection Unit. Matrix gets more than he bargains for when his cyborg partner, a hybrid Wolfhound named K-Nine, goes missing and ends up finding a mate for Matrix in the middle of a deadly mission on an unknown planet called Earth.

STRAY

By Susan Grant (New York Times/USA TODAY Bestselling, and RITA Award Winning Author)

Interplanetary Marine Lt. Lukas Frank has a lot in common with a street dog named Bang-Bang; they both started off as scrappy orphans fighting to survive—and beat the odds. Things change when Bang-Bang leads Lukas to starpilot Capt. Carlynn Riga. The tough war hero learns what it means to surrender — his heart. Lukas’s struggles with PTSD threaten to tear the three of them apart, but nothing threatens them more than when Carlynn goes missing on a mission. Can a scarred marine and his unlikely canine partner find Carlynn and bring her home, or will he lose everything he’s finally found worth fighting for?

SPARK OF ATTRACTION

By Cara Bristol (USA TODAY Bestselling Author)

Memory: intact. Cognitive function: enhanced. Emotion: erased. After becoming a cyborg, Captain Dante Stone didn’t think he’d ever feel again, until a traumatized young woman and a ball of synthetic fur named Sparky helped him to love.

THE REAL DRAGON

By Pauline Baird Jones

Emma Standish didn’t think her day could get any worse. pauline2 Her dad is marrying his boss, her dragon suddenly came back talking and typing, and it’s her fault the Earth, or at least ten square miles of Texas, is going to be destroyed. That’s what happens when you forget something very, very important. Luckily for her, she’s got the love of her life that she can’t remember and her dragon by her side. Who needs to worry when you’re having a day like this?

STAR CRUISE: STOWAWAY

By Veronica Scott

moby_and_midorri_pets_in-space_artwork_nyssa_juneau 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.

STARDOG

By Laurie A. Green

Navigator Taro Shall has a mission no one wants – find a way to eradicate snakes on a starship. He never expects to find the answer to his problem in a charming street vendor named Adini. His already unusual mission becomes more complicated when he suddenly acquires an adorable StarDog that soon sweeps him and Adini into the maw of a brewing insurrection. laurie2

SPIKE

By Alexis Glynn Latner

Young Roboticist Ten Jaxdown has to deploy, and possibly sacrifice, the swarm of investigative robots that he has invented and cares about more than anything else in the star system. It may be the only hope for those depending on him and his robots to save them. Yet, even as frantic preparations for the unprecedented deep-space rescue mission are set in motion, it could all be threatened by sabotage.

alexis Anastasia Steed is an intrepid young mission designer. She steps forward with an idea that can improve the odds of the mission. Neither she nor Ten expect the assistance they receive from a very unusual pet. A pet that will bring together two alienated human beings who didn’t realize they needed each other. Can Ten and Anastasia discover who is behind the sabotage, save the mission, and discover what is evolving between them? With a little bit of unusual help, anything is possible.

ESCAPE RUN

By Carysa Locke

Teegan’s job as a hunter is to track down the Talented, those driven insane by their gifts. She and Ember, her psychically gifted fox, have tracked dozens of people for Cole, the man who works to rehabilitate and recover these troubled souls. When one of Cole’s most dangerous patients escapes, Teegan and Ember are on a hunt that could prove fatal if she doesn’t keep her focus on her mission. Unfortunately, Cole is proving one distraction that might make this her last hunt if she can’t do that.

Can Teegan keep her heart and mind in the game long enough to save an entire planet’s population, or will her distraction lead to heartache – and possibly death for everyone?

SPACE RANGER

By Lea Kirk

Graig Roble is the Senior Commander of security for the Guardian Fleet. His expertise as a weapons specialist and combat master is his world, what he was born to do – or so he thought until he finds his resolve and focus inexplicably wavering. Even returning to his lea2 position aboard the Atlantis can’t save him; if anything, it has left him questioning his own motives. He never thought that could happen until he met Simone Campbell.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon iBooks ARe Barnes & Noble GooglePlay Kobo

And don’t forget we’re donating 10% of the first month’s royalties to Hero Dogs, Inc., which trains and provides service dogs to veterans!

Oct 14 2016

Guest Author Laurie Green Shares a Favorite Scene From StarDog

Veronica sez: I met Laurie in the Science Fiction Romance Brigade and we’ve shared all kinds of fun times as SFR authors. Pauline B. Jones and I were so pleased that Laurie wanted to ‘play’ with our concept of Pets In Space, and here she is today to share a favorite scene from her story:

Laurie: Choosing an excerpt from StarDog was something that took a lot of thought. What snippet might provide a tempting taste of the tale…yet only hint at what’s in store?

I decided on this passage, which I think gives a glimpse into the heart and mind of my star navigator hero, yet clearly honors the non-spoilery clause.

Excerpt from StarDog:

Taro made his way to the nearest street just off the spaceport exit and glanced down an endless row of brightly-colored vendor tents. Where to start?

Young handsome macho man

He ducked his head into the entrance of the first two pavilions with a questioning, “Exterminator?” The answer on both counts was a brisk shake of a keeper’s head. Somewhere around vendor twelve, he got a lead.

“No exterminator, but you wanna see Dini Kemm. Red and yellow striper. Tiharra Lane. Three streets west.”

Taro plucked a citrus drink tube from the vendor’s laboring chiller, tossing the elderly man five replas. “Many thanks.”

A couple of streetgirls gave him the eye as he reached an intersection and made his way west.

“You wanna give it a go, Tectolie?” the taller of the two women purred as he passed their corner.

Taro gave the woman a crooked smile and a friendly “I’ll pass” wave of his hand. Nav work was a lonely occupation, but he’d never been keen on paying for female companionship by the hour. Besides, Cap Jordan would have his hide if he got waylaid from his mission.

“Pity that,” the second woman teased. “We give a nice discount to pretty nav-boys.”

Taro threw a grin over his shoulder and lengthened his stride. They had his origins and occupation nailed—probably not a surprise considering they worked a spaceport and saw hundreds of crewmen daily. His Tectolian subspecies had a penchant for navigating the stars, and women in their line of work could probably zero in on a lonely crewie in a nanosecond. It’d been a long time since he and Lyra had called it quits, and he needed to put some quick distance between himself and the twin sirens before he got all weak-minded and hard-bodied.

Circus tent red orange and yellow stripped pattern

Tucking those thoughts away, Taro paused as he hit the intersection with Tiharra Lane and glanced in both directions, looking for a red and yellow tent. It wasn’t easy to pick out in the colorful riot of chevroned, crested, and flowered vendor stalls, but his gaze soon settled on a larger pavilion with broad stripes in the correct colors half a square to his right. He nodded to himself and headed in that direction.

The tent was sheltered from the Carduwan sun by a graceful, long-limbed Tiharra Angel Willow, probably the very tree that gave the street its name. When Taro was just a few strides away, the vendor appeared in the entrance, reaching up to unroll the tent’s flap. She was tall, trim, and her shining black-chestnut hair caught the sunlight like a Purmian oil ruby.

“Hang on,” Taro called out. “I was hoping to do some business.”

She turned to him with a soft smile, and his breath locked in his throat when he was met by intelligent, aquamarine eyes.

“You said the magic words.” She laughed. “I’ll extend my hours today, just for you.” She gave him a friendly wink and pushed the tent flap back into its keep.

Blurb for StarDog:

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 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.

Buy Links:

iBooks Amazon ARe GooglePlay Kobo Barnes & Noble

Author Bio

Laurie A. Green is a three-time RWA Golden Heart® finalist, an award-winning author, and a science fiction romance enthusiast who founded the SFR Brigade community of writers, which is now nearly 900 members strong.

She confesses to being an Andromeda Galaxy groupie and would someday love to own a vacation home on Mars or Titan. She’s enthused to be a part of this wonderful anthology mash-up of two of her favorite things–pets and space.

Her family includes her husband, David, four dogs, three cats and several horses, all who reside on a ranch in beautiful New Mexico. A former military budget director and reserve state trooper, she now spends her time writing, networking, researching, enjoying the Southwestern lifestyle and, naturally, stargazing and daydreaming about other worlds.

Website: http://www.laurieagreen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Laurie-A-Green-139849829386292/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SFRLaurie

Twitter Handle: @SFRLaurie

Oct 13 2016

Guest Author Pauline B Jones on The Super Power of Pets

Veronica sez: About a year ago Pauline and I were tossing around the fun idea of creating an anthology combining stories of science fiction romance and pets. We invited seven of our author friends to ‘play’ with the writing prompt with us and the Pets In Space anthology was born. It’s been so exciting this week to have the book go live and see the reviews and hear from people enjoying the adventures! We’d like to thank everyone for their support and hope even more readers discover the book, especially since we’re donating 10% of the first month’s royalties to a charity, as Pauline discusses below.

Pauline: The Super Power of Pets (Or Cats & Dogs)

According to family legend, we used to have a dog. My mom says I was so little that I’d walk beside this dog with my hand on it’s back and it growled whenever anyone approached me. Sometimes it growled at her, which is why it quit being a town dog and became a farm dog. And this is also why I don’t remember a dog.

All I remember are cats. A positive procession of cats—one even had kittens in the closet of my bedroom. These cats were ushered into our family by my mom (who is currently ruled over by a cat).

So it was quite the shock to watch old family videos of my mom growing up and see…

Dogs.

There is a cat in there, but it was owned by the neighbors. Otherwise, just dogs. My mom claims that her mom was the dog person (when I knew her she was a bird person, i.e. she had a budgie bird) and that she (my mom) was always a cat person in a dog house.

These discoveries mess with my very scientific theory that we imprint on “our” pet or pets early in life. (It was a really great theory with lots of scientific sounding words. Most of them were made up, which I feel fine about because scientists make up words all the time. I mean, science terms had to start somewhere. We didn’t arrive in this life speaking science. And seriously, don’t science words sound made up?)

According to my own theory, I should be a dog person. But I’m a cat person. Mostly. Right now my yard is overrun with bunnies, so I might be a bunny person. A friend was visiting and said, “You need to do something about your rabbit problem.”

I told him, “I don’t have a rabbit problem. I have bunnies and they aren’t a problem. So don’t mess with my bunnies.”

Okay, there are forces out of my control that are probably messing with my bunnies, but I try not to think about that. [Repeats to self, “Circle of Life. Circle of Life.]

I guess if I have to reframe my theory, it would be [important science stuff incoming] that pets are an important part of our lives. Like Emma in “The Real Dragon,” I used to tell our various cats things that I couldn’t tell anyone else.

Pets keep our secrets.

Pets also provide comfort in troubled times.

Even cats, who can be notoriously distant, seem to know when to snuggle up and purr. Our Felix used to curl up on Our Son’s chest after his chemo treatments. This same Felix—who gave me guilt-inducing looks of disdain when I came back from a weekend away (during which he was coddled by a cat sitter)—would crawl up in my lap and lick away my tears.

This healing super power of pets is one reason we chose HeroDogs.org as our charity for Pets in Space. Hero-Dogs.org trains dogs to become service and therapy dogs for our Veterans.

When we first conceived the idea for this anthology, the first item on our list, even before compiling our awesome line-up of authors, was our desire to contribute a portion of our profits to a worthy charity. And we were thrilled to discover Hero-Dogs.org and that they were happy to work with us.

The good news is, you can benefit Hero-Dogs.org two ways: first by buying Pets in Space and, second, by direct contribution.

If you are looking for a fun-filled, exciting and romantic read—and you want to help our veterans—then I hope you’ll check out Pets in Space.

In almost slow motion, the secretary in the front pew glanced down and saw Peddrenth’s snout sticking out between her ankles. Her shriek rose, traveling up and up, increasing in intensity and coming back in waves as echo met echo. She jumped up and then up onto the pew. I couldn’t see Peddrenth anymore, but I could track his movement as person after person leapt up on the pews.

One guy, a physicist, added fuel to the panic by yelling, “That’s not a mouse! It’s too big!” From “The Real Dragon,” Pets in Space

The Author:

Pauline never liked reality, so she writes books. She likes to wander among the genres, rampaging like Godzilla, because she does love peril mixed in her romance. You can find out more about her books (and get a free story for subscribing to her newsletter) at: http://www.paulinebjones.com

pjbsuper-healing

Oct 12 2016

Wednesday New Releases in SciFi and Fantasy Romance for October 12

I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL) and as always I recommend sampling before you buy!

I put them in the order in which they come to me from authors or I find them myself in the previous week, so it’s a mix of the genres…(usually giving priority to the books brought to my attention by the authors.) Also the term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. And I catch up on ones I missed in recent months.

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon and iBooks.)

Also, I usually include only the beginning of the book blurb…

OK, this week I have one! PETS IN SPACE, with eight other authors (S. E. Smith, Susan Grant, Cara Bristol and more)! WE made it all the way to #2 in Hot New SciFi Romance Releases and #218 in Kindle overall on the release day 🙂

New York Times, USA TODAY, Award Winning, and Best selling authors have eight original, never-released stories and one expanded story….

Amazon iBooks ARe Barnes & Noble GooglePlay Kobo

phoenix-rising PHOENIX RISING by Bethany Shaw

The invasion has begun, and he’s the only one who can stop them.

Zephyr Cree has made it his mission to stop the aliens that have been terrorizing the galaxy. He takes his warship to the planet Earth to rescue what he can of the human race. But when he meets a human, Addison Montgomery, he is inspired by her tenacity, and maybe just a little bit smitten with the gorgeous human. The last thing he needs is a distraction, but fate has other things in mind for him.

Stranded in a remote location during an alien invasion was the last thing Addison Montgomery expected when she ventured out on a fieldtrip with a bus full of second graders….

Amazon

SPARK (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Michelle M Pillow

Mining ash on a remote planet where temperatures reach hellish degrees doesn’t leave Kal (aka Spark) much room for dating. Lucky for this hard-working man, a new corporation Galaxy Alien Mail Order Brides is ready to help him find the girl of his dreams. Does it really matter that he lied on his application and really isn’t looking for long term, but rather some fast action? Earth women better watch out. Things are about to heat up….

Amazon iBooks

ACROSS OUR STARS: HAMISH by A. Payne and N. D. Taylor

VS NOTE: This came out in August but sounds really intriguing and there’s another book in the series, released last year but these seem to be standalones.

Two years after awakening on a surgical table, Hamish Lockhart returns to the military with a host of cybernetic upgrades implanted by his captors. While he desperately seeks a normal life, some members of United Command view him as a weapon, a construct to use. Others aboard the HMS Jemison see him as a friend, comrade, and even brother.

When the Empress personally assigns him to investigate his own abduction, he’s eager to bring his butchers to justice. But Hamish won’t be alone. A Royal Navy intelligence officer is assigned to accompany him on his mission, a woman with keen wit and even greater psychic power…

Amazon

bond BOND:STARGAZER ALIEN MAIL ORDER BRIDES (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Tasha Black

Posey Quinn has always believed there was more to the world than what she can see. So when she arrives in Stargazer with her head full of conspiracies and high-end hairspray, she isn’t entirely surprised to learn that instead of donating eggs for tuition money, she is being asked to make an alien fall in love with her, and become an ambassador for humankind. What she doesn’t expect is how irresistible Bond is, and how hard it will be not to lose her own heart to the man who plays her body like a violin.

Bond is on Earth to fill one human female with as much pleasure as she can bear, a mission he’s finding very agreeable….

Amazon iBooks

BURNED BY FIRE (BLOOD AND MAGIC BOOK 3) by Danielle Annett

Aria’s pyrokinetic ability has always been hard to control, and being pulled in so many directions, isn’t making it any easier. Now she has to help Inarus, a foe turned friend who is being targeted by the Human Alliance Corporation—the very organization he once worked for.

But the HAC has more than just Inarus in their sights. Aria finds herself going deep into enemy territory to save a witchling child with never before seen powers, that the HAC has kidnapped to further their own ends….

Amazon iBooks

FORGED IN FIRE (MOONLIGHT DRAGON BOOK 4) by Tricia Owens

VS NOTE: When I saw this one, it sounded so good I went back and bought Book 1 and read it, loved it, now have Book 2 on my kindle. Really a fun series. Romance elements not too heavy but there! And a dragon….always a plus in my book! Book 4 is an August release.

As the most hated magickal being in Las Vegas, Anne is on edge and nervous about what’s on the horizon. Sure, she has her boyfriend Vale by her side along with her quirky friends, but the magickal community is large, and the target on her back is even larger. When she and her friends find a dead shapeshifter in the streets who’s carrying a piece of paper with her name on it, she just knows things are about to get hairy…and she’s not wrong….

Amazon

THE DRUID GENE by Jennifer Foehner Wells

VS NOTE: The first two books by her were scifi with romantic elements so this may be as well, but I really enjoyed her other books.

Darcy has a ten-thousand-year-old secret buried in her genetic code.

As a second year medical student, her life revolves around classes, studying, and her boyfriend Adam—until she treks through the desert, touches some mysterious stacked stones, and a network of glowing blue lines radiates under her skin.

Then she saw the spaceship. And it was coming for her.

She faces impossibly bad choices and a missing boyfriend….

Amazon

LICENSE TO SHIFT (GRIZZLIES GONE WILD) by Kathy Lyons

Julie Simon returns to Saginaw, Michigan, to find her ailing father’s missing research on license-to-shift local shapeshifter lore. Unlucky for her, the only person who can help her is the darkly sexy Mark Robertson, the guy who spent an entire summer giving her the cold shoulder-and one white-hot night of pleasure…

Mark is a hair’s breadth away from going feral….

Amazon iBooks

WOLF’S CLOTHING (LEGEND TRIPPING BOOK 2) by E. J. Russell

For Trent Pielmeyer, the answer is run like hell — away from his hostile family, away from the disbelieving cops, and far, far, far away from anything that smacks of the supernatural. After seven years’ captivity in a whacked-out alternate dimension, he is so over legend tripping.

wolfs-clothing When Christophe Clavret spots Trent in a Portland bar, he detects a kindred spirit — another man attempting to outrun the darkness of his own soul. But despite their sizzling chemistry, Trent’s hatred of the uncanny makes Christophe hesitant to confide the truth: he’s a werewolf, one of a dwindling line, the victim of a genetic curse extending back to feudal Europe.

But dark forces are at work, threatening more than their growing love. If Christophe can’t win Trent’s trust, and if Trent can’t overcome his fear of the paranormal, the cost could be Trent’s freedom and Christophe’s humanity. Or it might be both their lives.

Amazon iBooks

WOLF BETRAYED (TALON PACK BOOK 4) by Carrie Ann Ryan

The Talon Pack continues with the daughter of a traitor, the man who can never be her wolf-betrayed lover, and another man she should never want…her enemy.

Charlotte Jamenson was born to the Pack that threatened the world, but grew up in the one that saved it. She’s spent her entire life repenting for lies and faults that were never hers to bear. When she falls for her best friend, Bram Devlin, she thinks she’s finally found forgiveness for the blood in her veins; only a mating bond never came.

Bram knows there’s something missing within his mating with Charlotte, but there’s nothing he can do about it….

Amazon iBooks

VENTURI PART FOUR by Annie Nicholas

venturi-part-4 FINAL PART!
Castaways on an alien world, where everything is trying to kill me from dragon-like creatures, to torrential storms, to the radiation that is slowly cooking me from the inside out.
The only thing keeping me alive is Venturi, my mate.
His people have something that can save my crew but we must brave the jungle once more to reach them.
I only hope that some of them are still alive.

Amazon

ALIEN ROMANCE: KALAZARON KORIN by Maia Starr

After escaping a forced marriage on her home planet of Merton Loy, Silver Brooks
longs to see Earth and be with her own human kind. However, she ends up on a
strange cold blue planet inhabited by a dominant alien warrior race, the Kalazaron. kalazaron-korin

She expected to become a slave captive. Yet, she didn’t expect to find passion.

The Kalazaron warrior Korin Hafa is on a mission to rise to the ranks of General and
will let nothing stand in his way….

Amazon

A VERY JAGUAR CHRISTMAS (HEART OF THE JAGUAR BOOK 5) by Terry Spear

a-very-jaguar-christmas As a protector of all jaguar-kind, Guardian agent Demetria MacFarlane isn’t surprised to get a call near Christmas-but when she’s sent to protect a cub whose species she didn’t even know existed, her holiday season gets complicated. And it doesn’t help that her partner is a distraction of the hottest kind.

Hotshot JAG agent Everett Anderson can handle dangerous poachers and wildlife traffickers, no problem…but kids? Everett fears he’ll be stuck cub-sitting under the Christmas tree, but working with one sexy Guardian she-cat may be the best present he’s ever gotten….

Amazon iBooks

CREATUS ANIMUS by Carmen DeSousa

If we allow enmity in our hearts, war is inevitable…

For four thousand years, creatus have concealed themselves from the humans who hunted creatus-animus them almost to extinction. Now, one rogue faction plans to retaliate by ridding the world of humankind.

Only one division of creatus, with the strength and numbers to fight the sinister sect, stands between humanity and a new world order….

Amazon iBooks

DUBAI DOUBLE CROSS (CORPORATE SERVICES BOOK 1) by J. C. Hay

On the run. Out of Control.

From the underworld of corporate infighting…

dubai-doublecross Heavily modified and highly skilled, “acquisitions expert” Elsie Briggs worked behind the scenes of the corporate world’s espionage wars. Or she had, until her most recent target turns up murdered and she’s forced to go on the run with the only person who can exonerate her, the victim’s lover and personal assistant.

…To the city’s glittering towers…

Plucked off the street to be the plaything of one of the richest women in the world, Na’im thought his life was finally complete; his obedience and the suite of cybernetic modifications he carried were a small price to pay for life at the top of society. Until his boss is murdered and his only ally is the professional thief hired to rob them….

Amazon Author supplied Univeral Buy Link

TEETH LONG AND SHARP: A COLLECTION OF TALES SHARP AND POINTED by Jeffe Kennedy, Grace Draven and more

VS NOTE: Five spooky stories from some Mistresses of Fantasy…I don’t believe there’s much romance at all but I’m including it because I always enjoy these authors!

Amazon iBooks

BAD BETA by Susan Bliler

Emma is in serious trouble! Shifters are after her land and she’s forced to approach the wolves she knows live on a neighboring mountain in hopes of getting their assistance.

bad-beta Hayes Morrow is the bad Beta of the Voshall pack. When Emma waltzes into his territory seeking help from his pack, he’s the first to shoot her down. His Alpha has other ideas…

Amazon iBooks

COURTED BY THE MOUNTAIN PRINCE by Frankie Love

Prince Hunter: An arranged marriage is the last f*cking thing I want.
But this country is my home, and there’s no way in hell I’m leaving.
Which means I’m marrying this straight-laced princess who seems to think resisting my royal c*ck is going to work.
Every time she pulls away, I want her more.
I’ve got a reputation that scares her.
But what scares me more is the fact that I’m actually falling for this girl. courted-by-the-mountain-prince

Princess Violet: Leaving my bankrupt island for this frigid mountain is the last thing I want.When my father sends me off to marry a wild prince in exchange for a dowry that can save the country, I do my duty….

Amazon

Oct 11 2016

PETS IN SPACE Release Day!

PETS_In_Space_cover_art I’m so thrilled and happy to announce that the Pets In Space scifi romance anthology is now available as an ebook! This has been such a fun project ever since my friend author Pauline B. Jones and I came up with the idea late last year and invited some of our friends to ‘play’ with the writing prompt, in order to create a set of stories.

The blurb for Pets In Space:

Even an alien needs a pet…

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 my story in the volume, Star Cruise: Stowaway:

moby_and_midorri_pets_in-space_artwork_nyssa_juneau

Moby and Midorri by Artist Nyssa Juneau

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.

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Oct 10 2016

Guest Author SE Smith Shares Her Personal Story

Veronica: My guest today is New York Times and USA Today Best Selling Author S. E. (Susan) Smith, one of my favorite people in the science fiction romance world – or any world! She was my first interview guest when I started writing for USA Today Happily Ever After, and we did a fun panel together at the last RT Booklovers’ Conference. I was so excited when she agreed to join us in writing stories for the Pets In Space anthology! She’s been very generous with her time and wise counsel as Pauline B. Jones and I put the collection together and worked on all the details of getting the book off to a successful release this week, on October 11^th.

I’ve already read S.E.’s story in the book three times – it’s so much fun!

SE: My Personal Story

My personal story re: service men and women.

I come from a long history of family that has served our country. I am an Air Force brat, born and bred on a military base. I think the best thing about growing up in a family of veterans is the breakdown of the different barriers that you find outside of the service. The families were very supportive of each other regardless of race, religion, or other beliefs/preferences. I firmly believe that is why my stories reflect acceptance of others and are rooted in the relationships between friends and family, loyalty and doing the right thing.

se-blog Here you can see a picture of my grandson and I at the Air Force base where I was born. It has since closed, but it will always be home. My sister and I traveled there a few years ago on a road trip, before I traveled there with my husband and grandson. They both wanted to see where I was born.

It was a fun trip, but the biggest thing is it was wonderful to share a little bit of my life with my grandson. I loved listening to the stories my mom and dad used to tell about their childhoods. My mom told me how she and my grandmother were part of the Civil Air Patrol and would sit up on the mountain and search for enemy planes during the war. My dad shared how his father was a welder and worked in the Navy shipyards on the huge battleships. These are stories that ignite my imagination. Their stories are part of who I am.

I would like to say thank you to my sister, brother, dad, husband, son, brother-in-laws, uncles, and nephew who have served and are currently serving in the military. There are many ways we can support our service people, writing a story to benefit the Hero-dog project is just one of them.

Here is a teaser from “A Mate for Matrix” from Pets in Space:

“K-Nine is securing the area,” Matrix said between mouthfuls of the delicious food. “Sometimes it is very annoying that he can talk, but it is necessary. All Cyborg Protection Unit team members have that capability. We need to be able to communicate with each other. Their advanced systems give us valuable data. It was more cost effective to combine the natural talents of the animals with the technology of cybernetics. To answer your other question, I have not thought much about traveling through space. It has always been a part of my life. It can become very cool if the environmental system is not functioning correctly.”

Jana laughed and shook her head. “I didn’t mean cool as in being cold. It is a slang term for being neat, awesome, different, fun,” she explained. “You really are an alien, aren’t you?” She asked in a somber tone.

Click here for your copy of Pets in Space via Susan’s website

Author Bio:

S.E. Smith, New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling author of Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance brings another action, adventure, and suspense- filled story to transport readers out of this world. Readers can check out her website at http://sesmithfl.com and chat with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/se.smith.5.

The blurb for the Pets In Space Anthology:

Even an alien needs a pet…

Oct 8 2016

The Alien Pet Gets Into Mischief Weekend Writing Warriors

If you’re here for the SFRB Presents, that post is here. (It’s longer version of this same scene…)

I’m very excited about my new story Star Cruise: Stowaway, which is releasing in the PETS IN SPACE anthology on October 11th. Continuing on with the story from last week, Moby the cat won’t let him leave the cargo deck and nearly trips him. A little creative punctuation:

Moby and Midorri by Artist Nyssa Juneau

Swearing, he caught himself with a hand to the bulkhead, “What in the seven hells is wrong with you tonight? Giving me a concussion won’t get you fed.”

Moby yowled at him and ran toward the stacked cargo again.

Figuring she wanted to show him a recent kill, which he’d then have to dispose of, he followed.

Moby moved faster now that she’d gotten him with the program.

He followed her around the corner of the pallet the ship had taken on earlier in the day and found Midorri, the Zephyr’s other pet, crouched beside a free trader container. “What mischief have the two of you gotten into now?” he asked Moby. Midorri came aboard the Zephyr originally as the pampered pet of a princess, but after the whole outbreak incident, Sector authorities refused to let the lady disembark on Sector Hub with the undocumented animal, so the ship had kept the odd green fluffball.

Midorri sneezed, as she was often wont to do, allergic to humans perhaps, and flicked her plush prehensile tail before lowering her head and extending her long green tongue to lap at something on the deck.

“Freaking flares, do not tell me we’ve got leaking cargo.”

Here’s the blurb for the anthology, followed by the blurb for my story:

The blurb for Pets In Space:

Even an alien needs a 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.

Buy Links:

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Oct 7 2016

What Did The Cat Find? STAR CRUISE STOWAWAY Snippet

From the beginning of my story “Star Cruise: Stowaway.” We’re in Owen, the Cargo Master’s POV:

This was the time of day he enjoyed most, when all his crew had gone off duty and the Nebula Zephyr’s top cargo deck was quiet. Sure, more work remained tomorrow to get the cargo squared away properly and ready for the next stop, but there was no rush, being several weeks out. Cargo Master Owen Embersson surveyed his desk in the tiny office on Deck 18. Time to leave the place to the ship’s AI, go have his dinner in his cabin and then resume work on the scale model of a long-vanished temple he was building. This one was incredibly intricate, and he’d charge the customer triple the usual price.

Stepping onto the echoing deck, he called for Moby. She spent most of her evenings hunting vermin lurking among the monstrous crates and containers, but she usually passed the first part of the evening in his cabin, eating the incredibly expensive cat food he had the ship’s AI keep in stock. Not much else to spend his salary on. “Come on, cat, I want my dinner even if you don’t,” he said to the elegant vision in white fur who trotted from the murky recesses of the deck. How she stayed clean when she spent her days prowling the cargo deck, he’d never know.

Purring, she came to his steel-tipped work shoes but evaded his effort to pick her up, moving just out of range the way felines did, as if cats could teleport. Moby scampered toward the towering stacks of cargo then turned. Seeing he’d failed to chase her, she sat, tail twitching, head tilted, eyeing him.

“What‘s the matter with you? I’m not in the mood to throw cat toys and retrieve them right now.” Embersson headed toward the gravlift. Moby regarded the entire ship as her territory and could find his cabin for her dinner when she was hungry.

In the next minute, he nearly tripped as she rubbed his ankles, nipping at one in passing. Swearing, he caught himself with a hand to the bulkhead. “What in the seven hells is wrong with you tonight? Giving me a concussion won’t get you fed.”

Moby yowled at him and ran toward the stacked cargo again.

Figuring she wanted to show him a recent kill, which he’d then have to dispose of, he followed.

Moby moved faster now that she’d gotten him with the program.

Moby and Midorri by Artist Nyssa Juneau

“Freaking flares, do not tell me we’ve got leaking cargo. Damn free traders and their beat-up equipment.” He hoped Moby hadn’t sampled whatever Midorri was drinking. The alien animal could probably handle anything up to and including nuclear fuel, who knew, but Moby was definitely a terrestrial cat, with a more delicate stomach. He tried to shoo Midorri away from the slowly growing puddle of green goo, dripping from a dented corner of the container. Musta gotten banged when the shuttle crew offloaded the final pallet too fast and had to straighten everything in a rush. Funny, he’d never have picked this box—well constructed, made from high-quality materials—to be a problem. “I better see what’s in there,” he said to the interested animals.

Moby yowled, startling him as her voice echoed, and Midorri emitted a high-pitched chirping that grated on his ears like a physical assault.

Spurred on by the animals’ distress, which confirmed his own suspicion he faced a genuine problem, Embersson used his cargo master key, which was supposed to open any container on his ship. Nothing happened. Swearing, he tried again. “This free trader’s never shipping anything with us again, idiot forgot to set the damn code for my access….”

STAR CRUISE A NOVELLA: STOWAWAY with Star Cruise Rescue and Golden Token Short Stories.

In this volume I’ve gathered three stories set in the Sectors which have previously only been available in anthologies (which are no longer on sale), plus a bonus Sectors short holiday story that I originally wrote for my blog.

Star Cruise: Stowaway: A novella of 22K words, previously in the first Pets in Space™ anthology.

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.

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Have you booked your Star Cruise yet? 14 Voyages to choose from!

Oct 6 2016

What Do Pets In Space Authors Have On Their To Be Read Lists?

PETS_In_Space_cover_art Ever wish you could get a peek at your favorite scifi romance author’s To Be Read List?

I’m interviewing my eight fellow authors in the Pets In Space scifi romance anthology over at USA today Happily Ever After, and we ran out of room for the final question on books they have queued up to read. So I’m presenting the fun answers here!

S.E. Smith, author of “A Mate for Matrix”:

A genetically-engineered creature’s escape leads an elite Zion military warrior and his cyborg wolfhound partner to Earth, and to the warrior’s surprisingly feisty life-mate.

S.E.’s To Be Read List: My reading list mostly consists of trade journals and articles anymore. There is so much to learn. I am also helping my grandson build a VEX Robotics model of the solar system. At the moment, my biggest way to relax is to go to the movies. It seems the only time my brain can shut down. There are some awesome summer line ups that I can’t wait to go see.

Susan Grant, author of “Stray”:

An Interplanetary Marine must overcome his demons if he and the scrappy street dog he has trained hope to find the woman he loves.

Susan’s To Be Read List: The Dark Series by Michelle Diener.

Cara Bristol, author of “Spark of Attraction”:

When his emotions are erased, a cyborg military captain doesn’t think he’ll ever feel again – until he meets a traumatized young woman and a ball of synthetic fur named Sparky.

Cara’s To Be Read List: So many books! My TBR list is quite dynamic. I just finished reading the Zyrgin Warriors series, books 1-3 by Marie Dry and Future Love by Ed Hoorneart. A few books in my Kindle are: Die for You (Catastrophe Series) by Michele Mills, Tupelo Gold by Gem Sivad, Mercenary Instinct by Ruby Lionsdrake, and Barbarian’s Prize by Ruby Dixon.

Pauline Baird Jones, author of “The Real Dragon”:

The fate of the Earth, or at least ten square miles of Texas, depend on a woman, her talking dragon, and the man she loves – if only she could remember who he was.

Pauline’s To Be Read List: There were tons of sales this summer, so I grabbed a bunch of books:

Reckless Rescue by Rinelle Gray

Aliens in the Barn by Kyndra Hatch

Switched by Diane Burton

Peyton’s Myth by S. M. Schmitz

The Cannibal Hunter by Linda Marr & Genie Davis

The Daydreamer Detective by S. J. Pajonas

Star Crossing by Alexis Glynn Latner

And this is just the first page of awesomeness awaiting my attention!

Laurie Green, author of “StarDog”:

A complicated mission depends on the unlikely alliance between a navigator, a charming street vendor and an adorable StarDog.

Laurie’s To Be Read List: My TBR backlog is pretty massive, but Michelle Diener’s Dark Horse (space opera, 2016 PRISM Award winner), Angela Quarles’ Must Love Chainmail (time travel, 2016 RITA Award winner), and sci-fi romances by Susan Grant, Lea Kirk, K.M. Fawcett and Greta van der Rol are high on my list. In the non-SFR bracket, Barbara Elsborg’s Crossing the Line and Kimberly Kincaid’s Fearless (Rescue Squad Series) will provide a little non-SFR variety.

Carysa Locke, author of “Escape Run”:

The fate of an entire population rests on a hunter and her psychically gifted fox, unfortunately the man who hired her might prove a fatal distraction if she can’t keep her focus.

Carysa’s To Be Read List: My to be read pile just keeps growing. I think I have something like a dozen books on my kindle right now that I want to read. Of course, the new Ilona Andrews, Rachel Aaron’s Nice Dragons Finish Last, Lindsay Buroker’s newest space opera, and Lea Kirk’s next book, Salvation, are just a few on my list.

Alexis Glynn Latner, author of “Spike”:

An urgent mission, sabotage, and an unusual alien pet change the lives of two young people in space that discover anything is possible with a little bit of help.

Alexis’s To Be Read list: On my Kindle, the e-book edition of Wreck of the Nebula Dream by Veronica Scott. Also, I recently ran across the new Charlaine Harris fantasy series set in Midnight, Texas, so Midnight Crossroad is on my physical To Be Read shelf. And on the bedside table there’s a nonfiction book I’m meandering through: The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Riso and Hudson – a good read for understanding real people and imaginary characters!

Lea Kirk, author of “Space Ranger”:

A hardened commander and a botanist discover that love can blossom from the smallest, furriest ties.

Lea’s To Be Read list: If you asked me what’s not on my TBR list, my answer might be shorter. LOL. Since you didn’t, I’ll pick three random books from my list. 1) Before My World Turned Blue, the second book in Tess Rider’s Haunted Hollow Series. 2) Maggie Toussaint’s Dreamwalker Series. 3) Gethyon, by Pippa Jay.

My Moby and Midorri from Star Cruise: Stowaway. Art by Nyssa Juneau

Veronica: And my own story in the anthology is “Star Cruise: Stowaway”:

Danger surrounds the stowaway that a Cargo Master discovers with the help of the ship’s cat and her alien sidekick.

I just got the Advance Review Copy for Edge of the Blade by Jeffe Kennedy.and I have Cassandra’s Challenge by M. K. Eidem ready on my kindle.

The blurb for Pets In Space:

Even an alien needs a 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.

Buy Links:

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/pets-in-space/id1160010182…

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-petsinspace-212756…

GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/…/…/details/S_E_Smith_Pets_in_Space…

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/pets-in-space

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pets-in-space-p…/1124712730…

Amazon TBD on Release