JUGGERNAUT Excerpt: Man Troubles

Welcome to today's excerpt from new release Juggernaut, a book in the Inherited Stars series. The story is an expanded, revised version of a shorter story originally published in Pets in Space 5 (no longer available).

This comes with a quick reminder the Amazon Kindle book will only be on sale at .99 cents for a few more days. If you're reading this on February 6th, this is a great time -- and  possibly the last time -- to grab it at a bargain price. (Click this link to visit Amazon.)

Scene Set-Up

Lieutenant Commander Dekessa "Dek" Garr is having man problems. No, not the romantic kind. (At least, not yet.) As second in command, she's been left in charge of the ultra-secure Site D, located in an underground lava tube. But her fellow security team members aren't quite sure how to deal with her as their new boss, and the mysterious stranger -- and his StarDog partner -- who has suddenly been dumped in her lap isn't being very cooperative either.

Excerpt from Juggernaut:

Satisfied Telon’s creature posed no threat to her personnel, Dek left Major Remm in charge of getting the man and his pet settled in quarters.

She directed the major to have the quartermaster assign a vacant berth in Block A. Having the mystery guest and his pointy-eared partner quartered on her level would help her keep a closer watch on their activities.

As she made her way to the mess to grab a morning meal, she met Sergeant Garr on the path.

“Congrats…Boss,” he grumbled, clearly not happy with her in-charge status.

Dek ignored his jibe. “Those kids on the beach. They okay?”

“Yeah. Staggered away from the perimeter shortly after you left, shaken, but under their own power. But since when have you been sentimental about interlopers?”

“It could become a security issue,” she clarified. “They might be back. Possibly with friends.”

“Maybe we should just blast them next time.”

Again, she let his insolent response slide off. “We need to consider placing a secondary deterrent at some distance beyond the barrier.”

“What would you suggest?” Garr gave her a scathing look.

“Why don’t you come up with a plan. Put some thought into it and report back.”

“Yes, sir.” Garr performed an exaggerated salute.

“Carry on.” She passed him, continuing her trek to the mess hall, but the cold burn of Garr’s gaze drilled into her back.

Countering his challenge with a tasking was a subtle form of discipline she hoped might temper the junior officer’s streak of insolence. Pulling rank on him on her first day as acting commander would only heighten his belligerence. Better to give him the time to work through his issues on his own. Patience could win wars before they even started.

When she reached her destination, the boisterous din of the breakfast crowd fell to a sudden hush. Ignoring their scrutiny, she grabbed a tray. Conversations picked back up as she went down the line, selecting im-eggs and pancs from the offerings, before turning to make her way to a table with a couple of other members of the task force. Their conversation stopped as she drew near, and they exchanged glances.

“Acting Commander,” they muttered in stereo.

“Sergeant Caffron. Officer Bell.”

She settled and thumbed quickly through the StatCon messages scrolling on her wristcom. While her companions focused on wolfing down their meals, she switched on the surv-cam video to zero in on the site’s visitor. She locked on the feed of Telon milling beneath the ceiling breach, smiling as his little beastie scampered along the fallen jumble of basalt, her fluffy, cream-colored tail a stark contrast to the mottled black rocks. The little critter’s enthusiasm made Dek crack a tiny smile, too.

At the abrupt sound of scraping chair legs, she glanced up. Her two companions gave her stiff nods and walked single file to deposit their trays in the receptacle. She now had an eight-topper to herself in spite of the growing crowd. Obviously, command was going to be a lonely job.

Dek took a couple of bites of her meal and washed it down with a long swig of weak kinna before checking the surv-cam footage again.

Telon—and his little prototype—had vanished.

Dek straightened in her chair, scowled, and flipped through the various surveillance feeds. Quarters block. Zip. Command offices. Nothing. Secure lift entrance—she held her breath—nope. Her guest and his pet had seemingly disappeared into thin air.

______________________________________________

Enjoy this excerpt and want to read another snippet? Check out last week's excerpt from Juggernaut here.

Thanks for visiting The Firebird today! 

Juggernaut Snippet

My new release, Juggernaut, is being offered at the very special price of .99 cents for a limited time only. The story was originally published as a shorter version in Pets in Space 5 (no longer available). It's a book in my Inherited Stars series, and yes, this one has a StarDog as a character.

In fact, she's one of the very first StarDogs!

Here's a scene from the story. (Edited for length and context.)

Scene Set-Up

Lieutenant Commander Dekessa "Dek" Garr is dropped into the hot seat by her commanding officer when he announces he is making a mysterious departure and leaving her in command of a security team at a top secret dig site tagged as Site D. 

Even more unsettling, a stranger has just arrived at the highly secure site and she has been provided with no intel about him or his purpose at Site D. 

She intends to turn their first introduction into an opportunity to learn more about the man and his reason for being there.

Snippet

Dek waited until the graying major finished giving his safety and protocol rundown to the visitor, before stating crisply, “Thank you, Major. I’ll take it from here.”

Remm looked up. “He’s all yours, Acting Commander.”

She strode to the table directly across from the stranger but didn’t take a seat. The visitor gave her a frowning once-over and also got to his feet before glancing back at Major Remm.

“This is Lieutenant Commander Garr,” the major said. “Currently our acting commander in charge of security operations.”

The visitor gave her a stony nod. “Acting Commander.”

Dek took considerable time with her assessment of the interloper. Keen black eyes, and not shy about holding eye contact. His features were angular and a shade darker even than her bronze skin, but his hair was black. It was also a bit on the short side for her tastes, but completely professional, nevertheless. The light shadow on his chin told her he hadn’t shaved for a day or so, but even so, he didn’t look scruffy.

On second thought, maybe he wasn’t Rathskian. At least not entirely. He had that intense look about him, yes, but his face was more refined—almost as pretty as a gigadam Tectolian—and lacked the scarring kensmarcs the Rathskian subspecies wore as badges of honor. He had their stature, though, maybe a mark or two taller than her…and he wore sand-camo field gear.

Didn’t anybody tell this guy that Site D is subsurface?

He had a hard set to his jaw and looked about as pleased to be on site as she was to have him here.

“This is Telon,” Renn explained. “His partner goes by a code name. CaSandra.”

“Partner?” Dek angled her head. “I wasn’t briefed about this.”

“She’s classified,” Telon answered. “As is her presence here.”

Dek narrowed her eyes. “And where is your partner?”

Telon exchanged glances with the major. “She’s here.”

He reached down beside his chair and lifted an object onto the table by a handle set into the top. The rectangular box appeared to be made of punched polymer with wire mesh on the side facing her.

“Say hello to the commander, CaSandra.”

Two little golden paws pressed against the mesh from the inside. The creature attached to them gave a high-pitched bark, followed by quiet chattering.

Startled, Dek backed off a step. The animal’s soft amber eyes studied her from behind the mesh with its shiny nose molded tight to the thin bars.

“What in Empora’s Hades is this?” she demanded.

“There isn’t a name for what she is,” Telon answered quietly. “She’s a bio-construct, a first-generation prototype with canine, feline, weasel, and mongoose DNA.”

Dek raised her gaze to the stranger. “Bio-constructed for what purpose?”

His eyes went dark and deep, like the ocean just before a storm. “I’m not at liberty to discuss that, Acting Commander.”

He reached for the wire mesh screen—

“What are you—”

—and flipped it open.

Dek backed off another step and gripped the stunpulse secreted in a pocket of her field uniform. The golden creature exited its crate, eyeing her cautiously, and sniffed the air. Its pointed ears twitched before it bolted up Telon’s sleeve and perched on his shoulder, chattering quietly in his ear.

The man nodded and met Dek’s eyes. “Cassie says she’s on your side. And she’d like you to release the weapon you have hidden in your uniform.”

The little beastie squeaked again.

“Please,” he added.

Dek dropped her chin, squinting. “Is this creature telepathic?”

“Not exactly,” he replied.

The bio-construct leaned toward Telon, nuzzling the side of his face…and purred. Huh. Just like the kitten she’d had as a kid. The man reached up to stroke the animal’s head. Cassie craned her neck and closed her eyes, emitting a happy gruff-gruff.

Dek’s heart warmed a degree or two.

Gigadam thing’s adorable.

She displayed her empty hand. “Tell her if she behaves, she has nothing to fear from me.”

Telon grinned. “You just told her yourself, Acting Commander. She understands you perfectly.”

BLURB:

Lieutenant Commander Dekessa “Dek” Garr is second-in-command of a security force that protects a discovery buried deep inside an ancient lava tube. The implications of the find are staggering, and the stakes are high if their enemy—the Alliance—ever learns the truth about Site D. When her commander suddenly departs with zero warning and a mysterious visitor arrives, her job becomes a whole new level of complicated.

Sno Telon has an exercise to perform, and he isn’t about to let anyone stop him--including the dedicated acting commander known as Dek. But when his partner, CaSandra, a bioengineered dog-cat-weasel-mongoose, takes an immediate liking to the team leader, Sno realizes there’s much more to the woman than harsh words and hard scowls.

When Dek is attacked by an invisible foe who infiltrates the off-limits excavation, she immediately suspects Telon as the obvious culprit. But her interrogations of the man don’t go as planned and an unlikely bond forms between them as they reach a startling conclusion. Could the invisible perpetrator actually be an Alliance spy who’s about to blow open the secrets of Site D?

Can Dek trust Telon and his StarDog partner to help root out a possible Alliance operative, even if it means breaking every security protocol in the process? If her instincts about Telon are wrong, Site D’s secret could be lost forever…and her life along with it.

_______________________________

Juggernaut is available on Amazon as an e-book.

Amazon Link

QR Code 

(If using a cell phone, use your camera to scan this code to go to Amazon) 

My New Release has an Unusual Setting

My latest release in the Inherited Stars series, Juggernaut, involves a very unusual setting for a space adventure romance. It’s underground! Most of the story takes place inside an ancient lava tube. 

Lava tubes are a natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. They can drain magma from a volcano during an eruption, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased, and the rock has cooled and left a long tubular, and often very twisted, cave. They can have large chambers where the lava pooled, or cliffs and drop-offs, or they can take the form of multiple tubes that split and then re-fuse. When the lava tube forms near the surface, parts of the roof can cave in over time allowing sunlight -- and curious people -- to access the underground labyrinth.

For a quick tour of a lava tube, here's a 55 second virtual fly-through of the Cueva de los Verdes lava tube in Lanzarote, Spain, done by the European Space Agency (ESA). It’s a little spooky, which is great for setting the mood of the story. 

While doing the research, I learned that a lava tube can be a cave but not a cavern. All caverns are caves, but all caves aren't necessarily caverns. Lava tubes have different properties than some of the better known caves in our country--like Carlsbad Caverns and its neighbor, the fairyland-like Lechuguilla Cave (both in New Mexico), or Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. 

Caverns are specifically natural caves that are big enough for access by humans and formed by soluble rock (usually limestone) that form speleothems--or stalactites and stalagmites. These formations are caused by water with dissolved minerals dripping from the roof of a cave that, over eons of time, form structures within the cave. These structures, stalactites and stalagmites, sometimes fuse together and form large pillar structures. Other times they flow in great curtains or weird, goblin-like formations.

I referenced a  "speleothem" in the story, even though it takes place inside a lava tube, because this particular lava tube has a secret. Something completely unexpected and incredibly important is hidden there, a finding so monumental it has it's own security team to ensure this "treasure" is kept secret. But they're about to uncover an even darker mystery.

Get your spelunking gear ready for a different kind of space adventure! 

Juggernaut is at the special price of .99 for a limited time. 

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Pets in Space® 7 Releases Today!

Yes, it's back! 

Pets in Space is back for the seventh straight year and it's better than ever! Featuring 13 original, never-before-released stories from some of today's bestselling science fiction romance authors, starring your favorite sci-fi pets. These furry, feathered, and slightly alien friends are always ready for a new adventure with their two-legged human and alien companions. From dogs to cats to sea creatures and unicorns, these romantic tales show that pets are more than just animals – they’re family. 

This limited-edition anthology includes novellas by some of the biggest names in science fiction romance. New York Times Bestseller S.E. Smith and USA Today Bestsellers R.J. Blain, Grace Goodwin, Skye MacKinnon, Carol Van Natta, Honey Phillips, Carysa Locke, S.J. Pajonas, JC Hay, and Kyndra Hatch, plus Leslie Chase, Winnie Winkle, and Candace Colt. 

The Pets in Space® 7 authors continue their vital support of Hero-Dogs.org, the non-profit charity that improves quality of life for veterans of the U.S. military and first-responders with disabilities.

Exclusively in Pets in Space® 7: 

◆“Wynter and the Stone Dragon” by S.E. Smith: 

Love blossoms between a human king and an alien princess when a portal between their worlds opens.

◆“Life-Debt” by R.J. Blain: 

Hybrid human Viva and her pet fox have two rules: no names and no attachments. Why does the handsome man she rescued makes her want to break both? 

◆“Marked Mate” by Grace Goodwin: 

An elite hunter pursues a dangerous criminal on an unsuspecting Earth, only to be distracted by a mysterious woman and her furry pet. 

◆“Alien Abduction for Unicorns” by Skye MacKinnon: 

Unicorns are real, and alien Bruin is sexy as the stars. Can Scottish tour guide Tara forgive them for kidnapping her in the name of science? 

◆“An Entanglement of Griffins” by Carol Van Natta: 

A space pirate and a pet sanctuary owner suspected of grand larceny get help from genetically-engineered griffins to recover the goods and find love. 

◆“Cyborg Rider” by Honey Phillips: 

Can a bioengineered mole named Eglantine find a way to rescue the scientist and the cyborg who are depending on her? 

◆“Healer Heart” by Carysa Locke: 

A telekinetic healer on a mission and a telepathic killer who is afraid to feel must trust an intelligent cat to help them save a group of children from death. 

◆“Myra’s Big Mistake” by S. J. Pajonas: 

She’s burdened by a lifetime of disappointment. He’s been her secret admirer for years. Will a roll of the dice lead to a cosmic courtship? 

◆“Desert Flame” by JC Hay: 

Dr. Cerridwen Lewis is prickly, foul mouthed, and quick to anger; in other words, she’s everything Captain Kal and his pet scythewing ever wanted. 

◆“Death Angel” by Kyndra Hatch: 

How do you choose between your people and your mate? Especially when you're a Korthan cyborg captain and your human mate unknowingly holds the key to lasting peace or unending war? 

◆“Written in the Stars” by Leslie Chase: 

Megan isn’t looking for love, especially not from an alien mercenary just passing through. But love, and her winged cat Nebula, have other plans. 

◆“Liquid Courage” by Winnie Winkle: 

Powerful sea witch Morgan is determined to save her beloved ocean creatures from thieving aliens. Tony offers to help, but he's got secrets. 

◆“Rhea’s Conundrum: A Witch in Space” by Candace Colt: 

Eccentric witch Rhea only dreamed of the stars. So how did she and her snarky cat end up in a junk-picker spaceship with sexy alien captain C'tloc?

 

As with the previous editions, PETS IN SPACE® 7 has a LIMITED RUN!

Don't miss out — grab the anthology before it's too late!

Get your PETS IN SPACE® 7 at these retailers:

AMAZON

APPLE

BARNES & NOBLE

GOOGLEPLAY

KOBO BOOKS

BOOKS2READ

New(ish) Release - The Thunder Egg

 Pets in Space 6 had its last hurrah at the end of January and thanks to everyone who bought the anthology. You helped support a good cause (Hero Dogs) as well as the pleasure of reading eleven great stories.

That doesn't mean those stories are gone forever, of course. I have published my own contribution, The Thunder Egg, as a stand alone novella, and I know other authors have done that, or will be doing it soonish.

No ordinary rock…

History Professor Drew Torson’s purchase of a thunder egg at a market leads to an astonishing discovery when what should have been just a rock… hatches. He isn’t the only one who wants the unusual creature that emerges. When thieves attempt to capture his new friend, Neyru, Drew is left stunned and bleeding in an alley. Freighter captain Afra Abrussen is shocked when a strange, but beautiful creature named Neyru seeks her help. She’s no heroine. She has cargo to haul and debts to pay. The last thing she needs to do right now is get drawn into Drew and Neyru’s plight.

Drew insists that all they need to do is find out what Neyru is, where she comes from, and get her home without being caught by pursuers who will stop at nothing to get hold of the little creature. Afra thinks Drew forgot one important clause: They need to do all that without falling in love. Can a freighter captain and an academic stay one step ahead of the thieves determined to capture Neyru, and if they do, what will happen when they discover they broke the all too important clause about not falling in love?

This story first appeared in Pets in Space 6 in 2021. It is a novella-length space opera.

Here's a snippet to give you some idea.

"Thunder eggs are just rocks. They're formed in volcanoes and often contain beautiful crystal formations that you can see if you split them. This one was not much different to others in the pile but the colors almost seemed to move as I tilted it. Can you see that?"

She nodded. "Iridescence flickering here and there as it turns."

"That's right. I didn't think too much about that — a trick of the light. But it was interesting, so I bought it. It wasn't any more expensive than the other rocks.  A few days into my next trip, it hatched."

Neyru stopped cleaning her paws and cooed.

"It fell off the shelf where I'd put it, which was odd. I suppose she must have rocked it. When it hit the floor, it started to split and I realized there was something inside. I recall wondering if it would turn out to be some nasty, dangerous, alien creature. Until I saw her.

"She was half the size she is now, a little damp bundle. I'll admit I was startled and felt useless. What did I know about little alien hatchlings? But as it happened, I'd arranged to eat in my cabin and she dived on my dinner, steak with a salad. She ate steak till she was full, then sort of looked at me with those wonderful eyes like black holes and I was lost."

 You can buy the book from the retailer of your choice 

I'm also working on a new story with the working title of The President's Daughter. It's set in the Ptorix Empire series, a place I haven't been to for a while. I'm sure you'll hear more about it in the coming months.

 

A new year and a new book

 

Hello everybody and welcome to 2022, the year of Getting Back to Normal. Maybe? I'm sure we're all living in hope.

It's wonderful news for all us astronomy buffs that the James Webb space telescope was launched on 25^th December. It will be a while before we know if all the intricate parts that deploy the telescope's dish have all worked as they should and I guess I won't be the only one with my fingers firmly crossed. If James Webb gives us results comparable to the stunning achievements of the ageing Hubble device, we're in for decades of stunning photos and spectacular science. I can't wait!

On the writing front, after a long hiatus I have finally published a new book.

One hundred years ago the pirate ship Crimson Lady terrorized the space lanes, then she disappeared without a trace, leaving behind nothing but tall tales and legends. Until Tara Wyndham finds an artefact from the lost ship

Rys Kovas made a mistake when he left Fleet to take over his uncle’s tourist business. He jumps at the chance to hire out his luxury yacht to go hunting for a ghost ship with the lovely Tara and her grandfather. But murder, sabotage, and accidents mar their journey.  It’s clear somebody doesn’t want them following the trail. As the danger ramps up Rys suspects there’s more to the mystery of the Crimson Lady than a long-lost spacefarer’s story.

Can Rys, Tara, and her indomitable grandfather unravel the mystery and escape with their lives?

The Search for the Crimson Lady is available at a retail store near you. Select your favorite retailer.

Here's a short taste of what it's all about. Tara is attending a deceased estate sale.

Tara glanced inside one of the boxes and caught a hint of red. She picked up a cracked mug with a picture of a woman in a flowing red dress wrapped around the outside.

Her hands trembled. She knew that design. This was the Crimson Lady, mascot of the famous ship. It was good quality porcelain, with a fine texture, basically white, with a red and gold rim. The handle had broken off and it was cracked, the line running down through the woman's head almost to the base but even so, if it was genuine, if it came from the legendary Crimson Lady, it would be worth… she sucked in a breath… thousands. She turned it over, reading the words on the base. 'Beecher Designs, Kendon.' She didn't know what the symbols meant, but Archimedes, Grandfather's house IS, would be able to find out.

Tara took a couple of deep breaths and tried to look blasé, then went back to Miz Jepson and held up the mug. "How much do you want for this?"

She stared at Tara. "You know it's broken?"

"Yes. But I like the design. We might be able to get it fixed."

She pulled an 'if you say so' face. "Take it. You can have it. I was going to throw it out."

The woman obviously had no idea. Tara smiled, thanked the woman, and forced herself not to hurry out of the house.

This is a brand new Dryden Universe story with new characters, although there is a cameo appearance from Admiral Ul-Mellor. It’s a mystery and a puzzle with a romance thrown in.

I hope you enjoy it.

On another note, I'll be publishing a monthly newsletter. It will be filled with book news, reviews, progress on my latest WIP and similar. Needless to say, you will not be spammed, I won't sell your email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time. If you're interested, here's the sign-up page

 While you're here, if you wish to add to your TBR pile, and you like stories featuring pets, you can't go wrong with this bundle. Here's the link.

As you can see, the bundle offers paranormal, science fiction, and fantasy romances. You just might find something that excites you.

 

 

WILDE CHRISTMAS RELEASE!

I’m thrilled to share with you Dean and Lacey’s story. They both battled illness and injury in the past and must learn to trust as they open their hearts and their wounds to each other.

WILDE CHRISTMAS is a part of the Candlewood Falls shared-world series, a unique world of connected stories by three different authors whose characters, business, and events appear in each other’s stories. How fun is that? It’s like a literary soap opera. The Candlewood Falls books can be read in any order, as every book features a new couple who finds true love.

Christmas is about to get Wilde!

All Lacey Wilde wants for Christmas is to open her long-awaited bed & breakfast. When her only guest is a sexy stranger who claims her adopted Military Working Dog is his, Lacey isn’t about to lose her fur baby—or her heart—to charming Marine veteran Dean Hunter.

But the K-9 controversy is the least of their troubles. Danger lurks in the shadows of Candlelight Inn, and someone will stop at nothing to steal Lacey’s heirloom ornaments. Can Dean protect the woman he’s fallen for against a deadly threat, or will this Christmas be their last?

Wilde Christmas is available now at these stores

Amazon     Apple     B&N     Kobo     Books2Read

~

To celebrate WILDE CHRISTMAS’ release, WILDE TEMPTATION (book 1) is available for 99c until 12/12/21.  

 

A plant geneticist and a palm reader cook up a love potion after mixing his new apples into her old-world recipe. Now folks in their small town are hungry for love!

Will Sam and Faith be tempted by their simmering desire or will they reverse their accidental aphrodisiac before stirring up more trouble in Candlewood Falls?

Add into the mix the only investor who can save Sam’s orchard from foreclosure—Faith’s jealous ex-boyfriend—and Wilde Orchards is about to live up to its name.

Are you tempted?

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  Apple

 

ENJOY A WILDE ROMANCE!

K.M. Fawcett

Romance with a rebel heart

 

 

It's release day!

 

Yes, Pets in Space 6 LIVE! If you pre-ordered your copy, it should already be in your inbox ready for you to enjoy. If you didn't, find your favourite vendor and pick it up. Here's the link. 

Here’s the blurb.

Join the incredible authors in this year’s Pets in Space 6 for another out-of-this-world adventure. This award-winning, USA TODAY Bestselling anthology is packed full of your favorite Pets in Space®. Featuring 11 original, never-before-released stories from some of today’s bestselling science fiction romance and fantasy authors, Pets in Space 6 continues their vital support of Hero-Dogs.org, the non-profit charity that improves quality of life for veterans of the U.S. military and first-responders with disabilities. Don’t miss out on this limited-edition anthology before it’s too late!

Pets in Space 6 is edited by Carol Van Natta. Contributing authors: S.E. Smith (NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author), Veronica Scott (USA TODAY bestselling author), Honey Phillips, Carol Van Natta (USA TODAY bestselling author), Cassandra Chandler (USA TODAY bestselling author), J.C. Hay (USA TODAY bestselling author), S.J. Pajonas (USA TODAY bestselling author), Greta van der Rol, Deborah A. Bailey, Melisse Aires, and Kyndra Hatch.

You’ll find eleven terrific stories with a range of pets from the familiar to the fantastic, all working with their humans to solve a crisis and cement a relationship. All the stories are novella length, perfect for a read at the beach (if you’re on my side of the world) or on a cosy couch in front of the fire.

As usual, 10% of the profits from pre-orders and the first month of sales will go to Hero Dogs to help them continue their great work.

Remember, Pets in Space 6 is a limited edition anthology. Like all the other Pets in Space (R) books, it will disappear from book stores at the end of January next year.

Here's the line-up.

BEHR’S REBEL
Marastin Dow Book 2
by S.E. Smith
Chummy and Pi are cute and fluffy alien pets. They’re pretty sure they rescued Raia, the human woman they travel with, not the other way around. In any case, it’s going to take all three of them to rescue a Marastin Dow General who is slated for execution.

STAR CRUISE: TIME LOOP
Sectors Romance series
by Veronica Scott
Eyn, a three-eyed lizard, has a multi-layered shell, but likes to spend time with his owner, Raelyn. Good thing, too, since she’s reliving the same terrible day. If she can’t get out of the time loop, everyone on the interstellar cruise ship she’s on will die, including the man she’s falling in love with.

THE CYBORG WITH NO NAME
by Honey Phillips
A robot dog is Rose’s only companion in the Martian outback. He’s a quirky collection of mismatched parts, but he’s hers. Despite what her former employer thinks, the outcast scientist knows the robots she developed to help with the terraforming process are more than machines. Especially when a robot horse she created shows up at her doorstep and leads her to an injured cyborg ranger.

ESCAPE FROM NOVA NINE
A Central Galactic Concordance Novella
by Carol Van Natta
Griffins in space… They’re small, birdlike creatures that were genetically engineered to look like miniature griffins from mythology. Against all odds, they’re thriving in the harsh environment of a rogue asteroid mine. They could be the key to survival and escape for prisoners Julke and Zade.

TRADE SECRETS
The Department of Homeworld Security series
by Cassandra Chandler
When is a cat more than a cat? When he’s a space kitten, of course. The kitten has already adopted alien Xan, who’s only trying to keep his friends out of trouble. Earth at large isn’t ready to learn that aliens exist. Then the kitten decides that human Gwen, who’s stumbled across their secrets, would be the perfect pet…, er, mate for Xan.

SEE HOW THEY RUN
TriSystems: Smugglers
by JC Hay
Positive, Negative, and Monocle are three ordinary-looking lab mice who are inexplicably accustomed to low-gravity. When engineer Baker steals them, she discovers they’re more than they seem. She hopes so, because it could save the life of her coworker, who means so much more to Baker than she’s willing to admit.

SURI’S SURE THING
Kimura Sisters Series
by S.J. Pajonas
Finn is a gorgeous, goofy golden retriever with a heart the size of the galaxy. He is pair-bonded with workaholic Suri, who would rather be in space than deal with her complicated family life. Finn knows Suri would be happier if she’d only notice her best friend Eric, so they could stay together. Maybe a trip to space would help her see the light…

THE THUNDER EGG
Dryden Universe Series
by Greta van der Rol
Neyru is a… well, no one really knows. She looks sort of like a tiny, winged dinosaur, and she might be psychic. All vacationing professor Drew knows is she’s beautiful and clever, and growing fast. If only he can convince sexy freighter captain Afra to help him get the little alien foundling back where she belongs.

WORLDS OF FIRE: METAMORPHOSIS
by Deborah A. Bailey
In the Worlds of Fire, people with magical abilities sometimes have familiars, animal companions they can talk to. Gargoyle shifter Jaydon has a gold-bodied, black-winged bird named Delphy. Student Asira has never met a familiar, and isn’t sure what to think when Jaydon says the only reason he agreed to teach her is because Delphy recommended her.

STRANDED ON GRZBT
by Melisse Aires
Mimi and her companions are stuck in an alien spaceport, trying to find their way back home to Earth. Mimi befriends and feeds a tiny alien creature the size of a mouse, with three eyes, six paws, and a trunk. Her new pet returns the favor by helping her meet handsome alien Kyre, who might be their best chance for survival.

ESCAPING KORTH
Before The Fall series
by Kyndra Hatch
Agronomist Liana Walker is a casualty of the Human-Korth war. Held captive and interrogated as an enemy combatant, her only friend is Rainbow, an eight-legged spider-like creature with a crab-like shell and large, soft antennae. Plus twelve eyes that allow Rainbow to see the truth when Liana can’t. Such as, her interrogator is the same Korth male she grew up with, before the war separated them.

You'll finally be able to find out what my pet, Neyru, is – and where she comes from.

Why don't you pick up your copy now? 

https://books2read.com/PISA6