Bad Girls, Bad Dogs: Guest Post by Susan Grant

I'm beyond enthused to be one of nine authors contributing to the Pets in Space anthology, a wonderful collection of novellas and novelettes. After all, pets + space. What could be more fun than that? But along with the fun comes adventure, aliens, intrigue, excitement and compelling romantic mayhem. We're also very proud that part of the proceeds will be donated to Hero-dogs.org who provide trained service dogs and companion animals free of charge for our veterans. For the next several weeks, the Pets in Space authors will be guest blogging to share insights into their stories, pets, experiences and favorite things.

Today, I'm super excited to have Susan Grant here as a guest blogger. She's the author of Stray, one of the stories in the Pets in Space Anthology. 

_______________________________________

 

I love heroines who are “bad girls”. The outliers, the sassy ones, the rebels and fighters, the ones who carve their own, deep, unique paths. But what about when that bad girl is not a human but a dog? I have a fun story to share with you.

In 2007, I received an email from Erin, one of my readers, who wrote to say she planned to name a newborn Collie puppy “Banzai” after the heroine in my action romance The Legend of Banzai Maguire. This story featuring a funny, strong, confident woman fighter pilot was one of her favorite books. I was so excited to hear this. But, wait, it gets even better...

It seems Banzai was born knowing she had a great name to live up to. She was always a big personality, self-assured—and she didn’t like following the rules!
 

Roly poly baby Banzai

As the months and soon the years passed, I loved hearing about the wins Banzai racked up. She was like an undefeated athlete, making the winning look easy. She eventually won the Westminster Dog Show in her category, which is like getting a gold medal in the Olympics.

Top Dog!

But, Erin nicknamed her “Banzai-Bad-Dog-Girlfriend” for a reason. From puppyhood she was a naughty girl—a rebel. I think Banzai was destined for a dual-career track—one was dog shows and the other was hellraising. Along with eating the decorative candles on Erin’s hutch (along with any other candles she could find) over the years Banzai has consumed a collector’s edition of “Old Bones: The Wonder Horse,” several treasured novels and cookbooks (I guess this is what you call sinking your teeth into a good read!), and a $300 statue of a mustang Erin kept on display on her landing. While never letting go of her wild-child ways, Banzai kept on winning shows. I love it. Work hard, play hard—in canine form!



How the judges see her.

How she really is.

A few naughty moments caught on film:

When the opportunity arises--take action!

Love these human snacks!

Now, something tells me that if Banzai only had opposable thumbs, she would have given two of them to Bang-Bang, from Stray in the anthology Pets in Space. He is an alien street dog who also has a mind of his own. In this scene he makes sure his two favorite humans will meet:

Bang-Bang swung around to look up at me, making that grumbling noise he does that makes it sound like he’s trying to speak. Apparently telling him to “heel” wasn’t the reaction he wanted. He took my pants leg in his teeth and tugged. Come on, he seemed to say. I jerked on the lead to get him to cut it out, although I always feel a little guilty about applying Earth-based K-9 training techniques to a creature as bright as Bang-Bang. And still he pulled on the lead, clearly intent on dragging me through a throng of partiers toward the nearest drinking hole! Then my platoon sergeant, Staff Sergeant Vu, spoke up. “Those starpilots. Sweet.” He pointed across the street, and Bang-Bang wagged his tail hard, like he’d been waiting for one of us to figure it out.

Thanks a million for having me at your blog! I love chatting about pets and books.

About the Author
Susan Grant is a New York Times/USA Today bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of science fiction, time travel, and paranormal romance. As a jet pilot and global traveler, she finds plenty of inspiration to create action-packed stories featuring strong women and honorable men.

Love to arm-chair travel? Sit down, strap in, and visit Susan's Come Fly With Me! blog.

You can also find her here:
Susan Grant Website
Facebook
Twitter  @flyerdreamer

Want to see Susan Grant talking about Stray and Pets in Space? 

Go here: Susan Grant - FB Live
 

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?
 

Pets in Space Anthology
Release Date: October 11 2016
ISBN: 978-1-942583-40-0

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.