Oct 13 2017

Carol Van Natta on Lions, Tigers and Cybernetic Snow Leopards PETS IN SPACE 2

pets2Large I have cats. More accurately, I’m owned by cats who find me useful because I have opposable thumbs and know how to open doors and work the can opener. I’ve always thought it would be fabulous to legitimately have one of the big cats for a pet, but that’s fraught with difficulties, not the least of which is the ethics. They’re wild animals, not pets, and would be miserable, regardless of how well I cared for them.

In “Pet Trade,” my novella in the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 anthology, I took the opportunity to explore a hidden facet of the civilization in my Central Galactic Concordance space opera-action-romance series. Whereas CGC has strict laws and harsh penalties against tinkering with human genetics and DNA, animals aren’t so lucky. Even reputable pet trade researchers, genetic designers, bio-engineers, and dealers put profit over compassion. Shadier, cut-throat companies operate in hidden facilities and smuggle their wares past customs inspectors. Think of the worst of pet traders as a cross between negligent backyard breeders and the ruthless smugglers who sell endangered wild animals to wealthy collectors.

In the CGC, foundation and cornerstone animal species are protected by laws and enforcement. Ordinary companion and domesticated animals—cats, dogs, foxes, birds, cattle, sheep, buffalo, etc.—are protected against pet-trade intellectual property claims. The real money in the pet trade industry is in recreations of extinct species, genetically engineered creatures from imagination and mythology, and enhanced versions of domestic animals. The pet trade likes to take credit as the saviors of endangered species, but the truth is murkier. For example, snow leopards, a protected foundation species, were extinct long before the first successful interstellar flight. So-called “natural” snow leopards on any settled planet in the Concordance trace their lineage to a genetic line recreated in the lab.

carol snow leopard

This is the backdrop for “Pet Trade,” where Bethnee Bakonin, a veterinarian who escaped the worst of the industry, must confront her dark past if she’s to help Axur Tragon, an ex-elite forces Jumper with cybernetic limbs and secrets of his own, fend off greedy mercenaries who are raiding the town. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Pets in Space story without pets. Bethnee, with a high-level mental talent that allows her to connect with and heal mammals and birds, loves all her companions, but her snow leopard, Jynx, holds a special place in her heart. Jynx has a cybernetic front leg, making her a magnet for thieves who recognize her worth to the right researchers. When Jynx gets injured, Bethnee asks Axur, with his training in cybernetic repair, to help fix the problem.

The excerpt:

Axur would bet hard credit that he and Bethnee were the only two people in the galaxy who had ever seen a cybernetic snow leopard and a formidable dire wolf play tag in the deep snow.

Bethnee laughed when Jynx made an astonishing six-meter leap onto a boulder to avoid Serena’s lunge. He snuck a glance at Bethnee, enjoying her happiness. “Are you helping them get along?” He tapped his temple, to indicate her enviable minder talent.

“A little. Mostly Jynx, because this isn’t her territory.”

He checked his internal chrono. “We better start collecting your gear. I’ll send Trouble out to keep an eye on these two.” Axur had yet to be able to crack the encryption on the e-dog’s command processor that Bethnee had told him about, but he kept trying.

Inside, he found Bethnee leaning against the kitchen counter, holding her small veterinary surgical suite . “I’d like to try removing your tracers.”

He blinked in surprise. “Now? Are you sure?”

“Hell, no, but it’ll be worse if I give myself time to think about it.” She searched his face. “Unless you don’t trust me?”

************************************************

Read more in “Pet Trade,” one of twelve stories in the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 anthology, out NOW! http://author.carolvannatta.com/news/its-pets-pets-in-spa-a-a-a-a-ce/

Carol Van Natta is a science fiction and fantasy author who is owned by multiple cats in Fort Collins, CO.

Pets In Space website: http://www.petsinspaceantho.com/

Author website: http://Author.CarolVanNatta.com

Carol on Facebook: https://facebook.com/CarolVanNattaAuthor

Blurb for Embrace the Romance: Pets In Space 2:

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 stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!

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:

Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon UK Amazon AU Amazon FR

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Jun 3 2017

Not In The Mood 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!)

Here’s the next snippet from Star Cruise: Stowaway (blurb below). ‘She’ refers to Moby the cat:

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.

stowaway The story:

I’m really excited to release three Sectors stories that have only been available previously in anthologies, none of which are available currently. (I know many of you purchased the Pets In Space anthology, which first contained STAR CRUISE STOWAWAY and thank you so much!) Along with STOWAWAY, I’ve really been wanting to get the other two stories out there for you, especially THE GOLDEN TOKEN, which was only in the limited edition paperback we handed out at last year’s RT Booklovers Conference. So I’ve bundled them ALL into one book with the lengthy title STAR CRUISE A NOVELLA: STOWAWAY WITH RESCUE AND GOLDEN TOKEN SHORT STORIES.

Here are the story descriptions:

Star Cruise: Stowaway: A novella of 22K words, previously in the ‘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.

Star Cruise: Rescue: A short story of 9K words, previously in the ‘Romancing the Stars’ anthology.
When a shore leave excursion goes terribly wrong for Mira Gage, a member of the Nebula Zephyr’s crew, Security Officer Clint Miltan races the clock to find her before the ship leaves orbit and abandons Mira to her fate. Clint’s got more than a professional interest in Mira, but will he be able to save her from the aliens holding her prisoner?

The Golden Token: A short story of 13K words, previously in the limited edition ‘Dealer’s Choice’ paperback anthology handed out at the 2016 RT Booklovers Convention Interstellar Bar & Grille event.
Sectors Special Forces operator Charlie McBrire had a few days to kill on a layover at Space Station 47. He never expected to find himself in the middle of a miners’ rebellion, fighting to save the life of a casino dancer he just met but can’t imagine living without.

Amazon iBooks B&N Kobo

Feb 25 2015

Cats As Victorian Era People for Wednesday Whimsy

Last week I did a post on Victorian trade cards featuring dogs as people so it’s only fair that this week we look at the cats. This demure lady to the left could be in a Jane Austen novel, I think – love her hat.

“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

“The way to get on with a cat is to treat it as an equal – or even better, as the superior it knows itself to be.” ― Elizabeth Peters, The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog (I love her books, by the way!)

But I am a cat, and no cat anywhere ever gave anyone a straight answer.” ― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn

“I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.” ― Rudyard Kipling, The Cat That Walked by Himself: And Other Stories

“No matter how much the cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens. ” ― Abraham Lincoln

The Victorians seemed to enjoy putting three nearly identical animals on trade cards. I’ve seen frogs on bicycles, dogs running…but I liked these three industriously sewing cat-ladies best.

“That’s the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.” ― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

“There are no ordinary cats.” ― Colette

These two at the bottom left and right are my personal favorites among the vintage cards! But of course we mustn’t forget my own Jake….

Jul 30 2014

Wednesday Whimsy Cat Romance Doesn’t Run Smoothly

Continuing on with my current weekly series of fun 1800’s Victorian “trade cards,” from my collection, here’s one from Brummel’s Fine Candies that I found amusing:

“Well, sir, what are you going to do about it?” the caption across the top reads (sorry, it photographs a bit darkly). Sounds like a cat duel will soon ensue! I love the expression on the lady cat’s face. Not too sure what this had to do with candy….I think my money is on the marmalade tomcat….

Nov 28 2012

Of Cats and Books and Christmas

We have some favorite Christmas books in this house, going back to when my daughters were pretty young and while my grandson was over for the Thanksgiving holidays recently, we got those books out and took turns reading them. It seems that cats, Christmas and books are something of a theme in our family.

I’d have to say one of my favorites is The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett. It’s a nice take on the Santa Claus/North Pole story and her illustrations are amazing. I could sit and study the pages for a long time, admiring all the tiny details she put in at the side margins. My nine year old grandson was not as patient, although he liked the story. He particularly liked the part where the reindeer got their antlers entangled and poor Teeka the Elf has to figure out how to fix the problem. (NOTE: the cat isn’t a main player in this story but there Is a cat…)

Then we read Tosca’s Christmas with Anne Mortimer’s beautiful cat illustrations (story by Matthew Sturgis). You have to feel for poor Tosca, tossed outside in the snow and ~ SPOILERS AHEAD ~ rescued by Santa, ending up by the fire with her very own mouse-shaped gift. (Hmmm, wonder what that might be LOL? No, it was a windup mousie…)

There’s the somewhat similar A Pussycat’s Christmas, by Margaret Wise Brown, again with illustrations by the incomparable Anne Mortimer.

And in the back of the bookcase we discovered The Kitten’s Secret, a VERY old, held-together-with-scotch-tape book from my childhood, which isn’t about Christmas…but now we think we know why I always said I’d never own an orange tabby cat. (Please don’t tell my adorable Jake, who everyone insists IS orange, not “cameo”!) The kitten of the title, Butter, was extremely mischievous throughout the entire book. I’m pretty sure my mother probably read all her adventures in a suitably disapproving tone, leaving me with the indelible impression that orange cats were quite a handful and to be avoided.

Our housecats were usually gray striped tabbies.

We didn’t even try reading Angelina’s Christmas to my grandson – he was anxious to return to watching “Brave” and “Dragon Riders of Berk” on his dvd player. But later I went back through the book by myself and savored the illustrations. We used to have a huge stack of Angelina Ballerina’s adventures but the Christmas story was our first…

I have a feeling my kittens will be fascinated by the Christmas tree and the ornaments and everything to do with the holiday. Fun times ahead! They may need Santa to intervene for them if they get too rambunctious LOL!

Does your family have favorite children’s books to read out loud together for this season?

Oct 3 2012

Wednesday Whimsy – The Ying & Yang of Kittens

So here are the first photos of my new kittens – Jake and Keanu, who are somewhere around eight months old. I adopted them from the local animal shelter about three weeks ago and they are so different!

Jake is all soft fur, purring, butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-his-mouth sweetness. The shelter dubbed him an interesting color they called “Cameo.” Everyone else tells me he’s an orange tabby, which is only significant because for years I’ve sworn I’d never have an orange tabby. (Even my grandson, when asked, said Jake was the same color as his cat Carrot, who is – you guessed it! – orange.) He’s Jake because he seemed so laid back…which he IS…when he’s not being WILDLY mischevious.
As you can see, Keanu is more of a long drink of water, his own cat, reserved, cool, with a kink in his tail……he’d been at the shelter so long his time was about up. “Waiting for me,” I said!

All my cats since I was age 5 have been brown or gray tabbies. In fact, here’s a little kitten statue I bought on vacation in Brattleboro, VT, at age 7, to remind me of my cat at home: