During my July 24th post, I unveiled the new cover for my novella, StarDog, which was originally part of the popular Pets in Space collection that is no longer available.
At that time, I mentioned StarDog would be offered as a standalone freebie for readers via a link in the upcoming Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 collection. Since the story is a prequel to both Inherit the Stars and my new story--Courting Disaster: StarDog2--I think it will make a great bonus.
But you can get it now!
StarDog is live on InstaFreebie and I've offered it to my newsletter subscribers, so I'm now going to extend the same offer to my blog readers.
If you'd like to grab a copy, it's available in .mobi, .epub, and PDF. Click the caption at right to open the InstaFreebie link.
It'll make a wonderful refresher for those who've already read the story, plus Courting Disaster is a sequel to StarDog with references to that adventure, as well as being a great introduction for those who are new to the Inherited Stars Universe.
My Farewell Andromeda giveaway has now ended and nearly 900 copies were claimed. That's wonderful, but my goal for StarDog is to break that record by having 1,000 or more copies snapped up. With nearly 200 copies claimed in just the first couple of days, it's well on the way. Go, StarDog, go!
The Outer Planets Lives!
My edits are back on my second novel and I'm hoping to get this one sewn up and available for sale as soon as possible. This book is a whopper--roughly 20% longer than my full-length 110,000-word Inherit the Stars, so final edits will take some time.
Though I'd love to get it out before my cut-off date of September 10th, it's probably more realistic that it will launch sometime before Christmas.
I'm excited about this next novel, because it's the first in a brand new, Near Future timeline in the saga. This story takes place in the early 2040s, just a few decades from now.
Because of this, The Outer Planets can be read before, during or after previous books released, which in story-chronological order are--StarDog, Inherit the Stars, and Courting Disaster: StarDog 2 (releases October 10th) with Farewell Andromeda being a book in a future timeline of the series.
Here's the blurb for The Outer Planets:
What Lissa Bruce knows could kill her.
A female video reporter with an altered identity and a damning secret joins the crew of a research mission bound for Jupiter, only to find the past she wants to escape is already onboard.
Lieutenant Mitchell Coe, the loyal aide de camp to a murdered general–and Lissa’s late spouse–is the one man with the power to blow her cover…or salvage her heart. But after a series of mishaps threatens the mission, Lissa suspects she’s not the only one aboard with a dangerous secret.
The Outer Planets is an action/adventure/suspense sci-fi romance with a military hero, set on a planetary research vessel with a combined military and civilian crew.
Awards: The Outer Planets was a 2011 RWA Golden Heart finalist, and won First Place in the 2013 Launching a Star, 2011 The Write Stuff, 2010 Heart of the West, 2010 Ignite the Flame, 2010 First and Ten, and placed in the 2010 RWA FF&P On the Far Side, 2010 Great Expectations, and 2010 Toronto Gold competitions.
My Vocabulary is most like...
I regularly sharpen my skills with the online Lumosity training games, and the site recently introduced a new insight into my vocabulary skills. By analyzing the words I use in some of the vocabulary drills, it developed a list of six famous people my vocabulary is most like.
Here's the list: PersonScore
Agatha Christie.............199
Stephen Covey..............196
Martin Luther King, Jr..196
J.K. Rowling.................186
William Shakespeare....177
Stephen Hawking..........168
Though all the names raised my eyebrows, two really jumped out at me.
The comparison to the amazing and brilliant Stephen Hawking was a bit humbling. It's probably because I tend to use a lot of science fiction-y words like trajectory, quantum, plasma, exosphere, holograph, radius, micron, electromagnetic, etc. in my vocabulary tests.
And Martin Luther King, Jr.! If you've followed my blogs you know how much I admire and respect the late social activist. I love that he's also very high (tied for the #2 score) on the list.
I was also delighted to see three influential and diverse authors in the mix. (Or four if you consider MLK Jr. an influential author, which I do.) Agatha Christine? J.K. Rowling? William Shakespeare? What author wouldn't want to be compared to any of them, vocabulary-wise!
But Stephen Covey is up there, too. Hmmm. I've certainly scouted The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, but I seem to have some real issues putting those habits to good use. Maybe I should brush up on the plan. After all, we seem to share the same vocabulary.
I don't know how useful these comparisons truly are, but they were certainly fun and inspiring.
Patio Garden Update--Hail Yes!
It's been over a month now since my patio garden was nearly annihilated by a monster hail storm on June 26th. Though I was heartbroken at the time, some of you commented to take heart, because many of the plants would recover. And you wise peeps were right, because many have, much to my delight. Though some will never be the same as they were before the hail-hammer fell, I thought I'd share a few photos of the then-and-now success stories.
Unfortunately, the flower we deemed "Sloth Flower" (Allium) was a total loss.
That one couldn't recover after being severed in two by hail.
Pansy planter after the June 26th hail storm
Pansy planter yesterday
White Petunias after hail storm
White Petunias yesterday
Various potted plants after hail storm.
The Deep Pinks (Calibrachoa) in nearest pot yesterday.
Garden Sage and Rosemary herbs after hail storm.
Garden Sage and Rosemary (with a random Marigold) yesterday.
The fancy Petunias in the hanging baskets have recovered quite well.
The white Alyssum and Lavender Pink Nemesia are now flourishing.
Not only did the Violas recover, but a Black Locust tree sprung up in their pot.
The tree will be moved to a new location in the yard this week.
Black Locusts grow very fast and it will be tree height in about 5-7 years.
So yes, Mother Nature has a way of bouncing back even after the worst pummeling. Though some of the flowers never recovered, many came back even better than they were before the storm.
There may be a lesson for writers in that. *grin*
That's it for this week. Hope you have a great one!
I have a lot of fun and exciting news to share with you today, but before we dive into this week's pet-centric Monday blog, I've got a *newsflash* for you about a popular writing contest.
LERA Reinvents the Rebecca Contest -- Bigtime!
Exciting news from the Land of Enchantment Romance Authors (RWA New Mexico chapter)! The Rebecca has been a very popular contest with science fiction romance writers and authors (et al), but LERA may have just taken things up several notches with this year's makeover. Here's the deets...
You’ve Seen The Voice!
Do you want to be THE WRITER??
The Rebecca is making changes – and offering you “celebrity” judge support! The top three finalists in each category will go to an author well known in that genre. That author will pick a winner and give them a month of mentoring. At the end of the month, the chapter will vote on those five revised entries and pick The Writer. All five winners will be lovingly promoted by their author mentor, and The Writer will receive social media support from the entire LERA chapter!
Here's a link to the LERA Contest 2017 rules and information. If you're interested, you'll have to act fast. The deadline is JULY 31ST!(One week from today.)
The Rebecca is one of the rare contests that is open to both published and unpublished writers, but the entry itself must be unpublished and can't be contracted for publication in any form at the time of entry.
And the celebrity judges? Darynda Jones! Jeffe Kennedy (Paranormal/Speculative category which includes SFR)! Robin Perini! Katie Lane! Tamra Baumann!
For an opportunity like this, it might be worth turning on those afterburners to get 'er done!
In case you missed the round of pet introductions from the authors of Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 last week. I've put together a quick recap of the intros below, with links.
Each blog includes an adorable sketch of the pet and more about the story in the upcoming Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2.
Ready to meet some dynamic non-human heroes and heroines?
A time traveling parrot? Anything can happen (and usually does) in a story by Pauline Baird Jones. Meet Sir Rupert, the feathered Time Rebellion Operative from Time Trap, a story in the Project Enterprise series.
Guy Roark, a cyborg field agent, is gifted with an unexpected going away present by his little niece, Jessamine.
Meet Mitzi from Cara Bristol's Rescued by a Cyborg, part of the Cy-Ops Sci-Fi Romance series.
“I’m little but I’m loud.” —Puppy
Meet Puppy, a little brown and black puff of fur featured in The Prince, the Pilot, and the Puppy, a story by Susan Grant. On a space station 43 light years away from Earth, two best friends who are fighter pilots just need a little help to see that they are in love. This novella is otherwise known as Star Puppy in the Star Series.
In the future, the pet-trade industry has a pleasant front, selling designer pets to the wealthy, but with much shadier underpinnings. Meet Shiza the foo dog from Carol Van Natta's Pet Trade, a story in the Central Galactic Concordance universe.
Jessica Subject created a pet called a tibbar--similar to a baby rabbit, but with hamster-like claws and ears and the intelligence of a cat, which can get her into all kinds of trouble. Meet Elynyn from Gib and the Tibbar, a Galactic Defenders story.
S.E. Smith begins her pet introduction with: "Once upon a time in the not so distant future… or past… well, one of those… there lived a mighty mob of emus…." Yes, you read that right. Emus! And one particular emu has a dragon. Want to read the rest? (I know you do!) Meet Pearl, the heroine of Pearl's Dragon, a Dragon Lords of Valdier story.
And in case you missed my blog last week, I had the pleasure of introducing my adorable trouble-inspiring pet along with a lovely rendering by sketch artist Nyssa Juneau. Meet Luna,the StarDog in my story, which is a sequel to both my original Pets in Space story, StarDog, and my full-length novel, Inherit the Stars. My story is titled Courting Disaster: StarDog2 and it's part of the Inherited Stars Universe.
Here's a special treat for you from the authors of Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2. We're having a contest (except everyone's a winner!) for a coloring book featuring all the pets in the collection. Just go to the Pets in Space website to download your copy!
Bestselling Author Cara Bristol is hosting a series on her blog about authors and their writing areas, and I was first up on her list. Stop by to get a few glimpses into my creative surroundings and a peek at some of the characters I share it with, both friendly and not-so!
I'm thrilled today to be able to share with you the unveiling of a brand new cover in my Inherited Stars series. This story was part of the original Pets in Space collection, so although it was first published nine months ago, it's never had its own cover. Until now.
Friends -- [whips off the veil] -- feast your eyes on the amazing new art for StarDog.
This brilliant design was created by my fabulous cover artist, Danielle Fine, and I absolutely love it! Yup, she just hit another one out of the park. I'm so proud of all of my covers.
For StarDog, I gave Danielle some ideas, and told her she could take a shot at creating a StarDog for the cover--if she so chose to tackle a creature that doesn't even exist. I left it totally up to her. And wow! Did she ever nail Katrina!
Of course, she does have an advantage as my cover artist, because she's also my editor so she knows the heart and soul of each story so well.
She did a fantastic job "re-dressing" Taro and Adini to look the parts of starship navigator and charming Carduwan tent vendor. And if the good ship Calypso looks eerily familiar...yeah, there's a reason for that. (But no spoilers!)
I'm so proud to be adding this cover to my Inherited Stars Universe. My banner will be updated soon!
In The Works
So what are the plans for StarDog?
I'm working to have it ready for the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 release as a *FREEBIE*. The link will be included at the conclusion of my story Courting Disaster: StarDog 2 as a special bonus for those who didn't get a chance to read the original story or who did and simply want to have a copy of the individual book.
Plus since Courting Disaster is a sequel to StarDog (as well as a sequel to the full-length novel, Inherit the Stars) I wanted to be ensure the story was available. (Pets in Space is no longer for sale and will never be offered as a collection again).
If you're curious about the status of other stories from the original Pets in Space, be sure to check the Pets in Space Website and look under the Pets in Space 1 tab for info and links to some of your other favorites.
And here's something new that might be in the works...
Will There be Another StarDog Story?
All this Pets in Space excitement has got me thinking about yet a third StarDog story to enhance my Inherited Stars series. This will be Maura's story. When I promised my own little Maura she'd get her own namesake someday, I thought "someday" would be more like "someyear." Surprise! My muse has other ideas.
Because StarDog takes place about six months before Operation Reset (a pivotal point in the series) and Courting Disaster: StarDog2 takes place about three years after, I thought it might be fun to have a StarDog story that happens simultaneously with the novel, Inherit the Stars. There may be cameos by some of the characters from the main book and it will most likely involve a mission that will run concurrently with the story arc in the novel. It'll be a bit Rogue One-esque in that aspect, except I promise a much happier ending. After all, this is SFR!
Since both the first two stories allude to rumors of StarDogs who served as spies on Alliance ships, I decided the series needs a story about a StarDog who is just that. Tentative title: SpyDog. How and when SpyDog will be released is undecided at this stage. I'll be posting updates in later blogs.
My Three Little Inspirations
Meet the canines behind the fictional StarDogs--Katrina, Luna and Maura.
Collectively called "The Triplets" these three miniature longhaired dachshunds all hail from the same respected breeder in Texas. All were acquired after their breeding careers concluded, when they joined us in their new forever home.
As mentioned above, the two StarDogs in my first two stories are named for my real-life writing buddies, Katrina and Luna. Both of whom, purely by serendipity, have names that clicked beautifully with my series story arc. How cool is that?
As mentioned above, my third little buddy will lend her name to my StarDog-heroine-in-waiting, Maura.
In the stories, Katrina and Luna are genetically related, but Maura will be a slightly different genetic code. I just realized that, once again, life is imitating art (or is it vice versa?), in that Katrina and Luna are, in human terms, aunt and niece--so are indeed genetically related, where Maura is not.
Here's a quick profile on each so you can get to know the real-dogs-behind-the-fictional-pet-heroines better.
Katrina, the old hat (with Luna behind her).
Katrina
Registered name: Katty Katrina (born about the same time as the hurricane)
Black and tan
12 years old, 11 pounds
Katrina's the old hand of the bunch. She's been with us since 2009 and has taught the other two the "Let's go write!" routine and showed them how to scamper to my office and curl up under my desk when they hear those special words. She's the shyest of the three, and prefers snuggling up in her crate by herself at night. She's not a fan of thunderstorms, but she's much less traumatized now that she has two sisses to hang with. She's the only one who has the ability to jump up on the bed or the furniture without assistance. She loves to snuggle up on the couch and watch TV, movies or news with us. Preferably with popcorn!
Luna -- "Hi!"
Luna
Registered name: Engel's Lolapalooza Lulu
Black and tan piebald
6 years old, 12 pounds
Luna's our big cuddly lug. She's the largest of the three, and she's absolutely terrified of thunderstorms. I always know when a storm's coming, because she'll whine and crawl into my lap long before we hear the first rumble. Luna is a real people-pleaser who always wants to be the center of attention and strives to be the "good dog!" but gets her feelings hurt very easily when she isn't Ms. Perfect.
Our introductory photo of Maura taken by her breeder.
Maura
Registered name: Engel's Miraculous Maura
English Cream
5 years old, 9.8 pounds
Maura's the little heart-warmer of the trio. She's the tiniest and cuddliest, especially when its time to go into her kennel (she's perfected the technique to delay that) but yet is the boldest of the three, personality-wise. Thunderstorms don't phase her--not much does--and she can get a little vocal when the big dogs are out cavorting across the property, because she believes herself to be a much larger dog who should be out running with the pack. She loves belly rubs and giving kisses.
So there are my own little StarDogs. Hope you enjoyed learning more about them.
Unveiling Our Sofie and Echo Mini-Me's
And speaking of pets. Well, okay, technically I suppose they aren't really pets, but they definitely fall into the four-legged family member category, so close enough for jazz.
We've now received the two recently completed model sculptures of our Thoroughbreds--Soulful and her 2014 foal, Echo Eight. We were delighted with how these turned out. The artist totally nailed them. With Sue Kern Thompson's (artist) permission, I'll share a few of the Sakori Customs shots of these two lovelies.
Soulful is one of our Thoroughbred broodmares.
In addition to Echo Eight, she produced Inherit the Stars,
a three-year-old filly now in race training.
Soulful was sired by Lion Heart (2nd in the Kentucky Derby to Smarty Jones)
and her dam is a stakes-producing daughter of Seattle Slew.
Soulful's nickname is Sofie.
The real Sofie with (a slightly older than the model portrait) Echo Eight.
And here's Echo's portrait...
Echo Eight (yes, he's named for Sharon's novel).
Echo was sired by Diabolical, a leading sire in the Southwest
who earned over a million dollars in his racing career.
The artist perfectly captured Echo's "falling asteroid" star,
his tiny nose snip and white rear pastern.
Echo Eight in November 2016. :)
That's it for this week. Hope you all have a good one!
I'm sad to announce that Pets in Space is no longer available for sale. The collection is now history.
It was sure a fun and successful run, with 95 reviews averaging 4.6 stars, having the book named by LibraryJournal.com as one of the Best Books of 2016 in E-Originals Fiction...and being able to give Hero Dogs a big donation, too! But...
I've been keeping a huge secret and now I can finally share it with you all.
Coming in 2017--more fun, adventure and romance...in spaaaaaace!
Round two of the coolest science fiction romances...with pets...ever to grace the galaxy, Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 is coming!
Embrace the Romance:
Pets in Space 2 Anthology
Coming October 10, 2017
The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors, brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard Award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr, to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share action-packed SFR stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!
PEARL’S DRAGON
A Novella in the Dragon Lords of Valdier Series
By S.E. Smith (New York Times/USA TODAY Bestselling Author)
Asim Kemark has lived a long, lonely life. It is only his pledge to his former king and to Mandra Reykill that keeps him, his dragon, and his symbiot from going crazy. He has given up on ever finding his true mate and devotes himself to caring for the wide assortment of creatures on Mandra and Ariel’s mountain retreat. The last thing he expects when he visits the palace is to lose control of his dragon and his symbiot when they sense their true mate. Before he knows it, he has kidnapped her!
Pearl St. Claire is enjoying a new adventure – learning to live on an alien planet. As a mature woman in her sixties, she thought she had experienced just about everything life could throw at her – only to discover she really hasn’t experienced anything yet! She is both amused and exasperated when one of the dragon-shifting aliens kidnaps her, believing she is his true mate.
Life is no longer boring or lonely as Asim courts the spirited human woman who has enchanted him, but he isn’t the only one who has noticed Pearl or the unusual animals under his care. When poachers attack, determined to steal the exotic creatures under his protection – including Pearl and a new clutch of alien eggs from Earth - he will do everything he can to protect them. Can one dragon keep the most precious creatures under his care safe, or will he lose the biggest battle of his life?
A GRIM PET
A Novella in the Tornian Series
By M.K. Eidem (USA TODAY Bestselling Author)
The Great Raptor is a fearsome and deadly creature; and while the raptor is no one’s pet, he is fiercely protective and loving of his family…
Carly and Miki have never forgotten the story that Grim told them of the Great Raptor, the symbol of their new home world Luda. Yet, it is the comparison their mother once told them of the Great Raptor to Grim that gives them the courage to help the injured bird they find in the garden.
Find out what happens when their single act of love, faith, and kindness creates far-reaching consequences that no one, including their mother and Grim, could ever have predicted.
THE PRINCE, THE PILOT AND THE PUPPY
A Novella in the Star Series Series
By Susan Grant (New York Times/USA TODAY Bestselling, and RITA Award Winning Author)
Trysh joined the Space Forces with the secret hope that her absentee father might notice her accomplishments and acknowledge her. At the top of her game as a starfighter pilot, the last thing she needs is a way too charming prince to get in her way. Trysh had learned at a young age what happened when a person lost their heart to someone above their social class – it led to heartache.
Prince Rornn feels fortunate he can pursue his passion both in the air and on the ground. He decides being third in line for the throne definitely has its advantages – it allowed him to join the Space Forces as a top-gun starfighter pilot. What he doesn’t expect is to find a woman there who not only competes with him – she completes him!
Everything Rornn tries appears to push Trysh further away – that is until they rescue a tiny, starving yipwag pup on the surface of an alien world. It turns out that “Puppy” is as good at sniffing out terrorists as she is at helping her two clueless humans figure out that they need each other as much as they do her.
Can Rornn convince Trysh that he is nothing like her father and that she is just the right woman for him before the terrorists discover their furry little companion?
Hunter Gils has put his past in the military behind him. Now his focus is on his bar and the less than savory clientele. Life is perfect – except for a gray-eyed beauty who refuses his advances.
Narelle Bindu wasn’t immune to the tall, dark stranger working at The Zone. He wanted her – and she wanted him. The only drawback was she didn’t have room in her life for a man, not even one as tempting as Hunter.
When a deadly attack creates the perfect opening for an old enemy, the two lovers must work together to survive. What they never expect is to find an ally willing to help them – even if that help has four legs. Can their four-legged friend keep Hunter and Narelle alive long enough to find out that one night would never be enough?
RESCUED BY THE CYBORG
A Novella in the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance Series
By Cara Bristol (USA TODAY Bestselling Author)
A cyborg’s haunted past and a Faria’s clouded future entwine…
Hostage and sole survivor Solia waits for death at the hands of vicious predatory aliens when Cy-Ops agent Guy Roarke disobeys orders and charges in. A former medic, he initiates emergency medical procedures before rushing her to Cybermed.
Guy is taken with Solia, but the guilt of a past mistake won’t allow him to plan for a future with the delicate, brave beauty. Life is so uncertain, he can’t even keep Mittzi, the kitten his niece gave him. What he can do is see to it Solia gets the help she needs for a full recovery. But when best intentions place her in greater danger, it’s up to a little kitten to make everything all right again.
SONG CRUISE: SONGBIRD
A Novella in the The Sectors SF Romance Series
By Veronica Scott
Grant Barton, a Security Officer on the Nebula Zephyr, is less than thrilled with his current assignment to guard an Interstellar singing sensation while she’s on board the ship. It doesn’t help that he is also dealing with a recent inheritance – of the feathered kind! The alien bird that his great-grandfather so kindly left him was now sharing his quarters and making his life miserable. It wasn’t helping that his assignment wasn’t making his job any easier either – at least until he had to save her life.
Karissa is on her way up the charts and seemingly has it all – talent, fame, fortune and devoted fans, but behind her brave smile and upbeat lyrics she hides an aching heart. When a publicity stunt goes wrong, Karissa finds herself in the arms of the security officer assigned to protect her – and discovers a mutual attraction she can’t ignore.
Trouble continues to plague the pair, driving a wedge between them and leaving Grant certain that Karissa is in more danger than she realizes. When a deranged fan issues a death threat, Grant is determined to protect Karissa whether she wants his help or not. Can he discover the truth behind what is going on before he loses Karissa, or is there someone else plotting to keep them apart - permanently?
Madison lives by the rules of a time travel rebel – never tell anyone your real name, not if you want to remain alive. On the track of a traitor, Madison and her parrot partner, Sir Rupert, time travel into a trap. Their only way out sends them back in time and into the arms of a man that ignites a fire inside her.
USAF Master Sergeant Briggs is in trouble – not the kind he’d like to be, but still in trouble. He is bored out of his mind! Ordered to recuperate on a quiet bay away from the Garradian outpost, he’s ready to mutiny and go back to his beloved engines. When his friends send him a gift from Area 51, he figures it will relieve his boredom for an hour or so – until he turns it on and he gets his second present of the day.
Madison would love to get to know Briggs better, but it is just too dangerous. Unfortunately, she might not have much choice. With a Time Service Interdiction Force on their heels, can the three craft a plan that will save a base full of geniuses and technology and discover a happy-ever-after forged through time?
COURTING DISASTER: STARDOG 2
A Novella in the Inherited Stars Universe Series
By Laurie A. Green
From monk to married…
Captain Navene Jagger’s certainty he will be promoted to command a new battleship is doused when the admiral instead assigns him on what appears to be a suicide mission. If that wasn’t bad enough, he finds his self-imposed decision to be a military monk is thrown to the far reaches of the galaxy when he is ordered to escort Ketsia Tayah and her StarDog through the treacherous, rogue-infested Bradley’s Rift in a battered derelict of a vessel – a task that also makes him have to confront his painful past.
Ketsia’s past had taught her a lot. The universe was not only a very dangerous place, it turns out that it is also a lot smaller than she would have liked! Ketsia is rattled when she discovers that she and her StarDog are to be escorted by the man she formerly had a crush on. She swears life couldn’t get any more complicated until they are thrown into jeopardy and have to pretend they are married!
Jag soon realizes there is more at stake than his pride when dangerous rogues threaten their spaceship. After he learns the ship, the mission, and the StarDog are all much more than they seem will he be able to save Ketsia, his career, and the day? Or will self-sacrifice be the only way to save those under his protection?
Marco Dar’s position as an Earth Protector means he spends an incredible amount of time alone in space. His only company is with the talkative com unit. It isn’t until he stops at the Galaxy Spinner restaurant that he discovers his com has become sentient – and it wants a physical form!
Dr. Zara Mancini hasn’t seen Marco Dar in over eleven years. As far as she is concerned, that still isn’t long enough. When Marco approaches her with an unusual request, she is torn between her fascination with the project, and wanting to leave him eating her space dust.
Marco is quickly falling all over again for Zara’s beautiful smile and gorgeous lips. Young and foolish, he sabotaged their relationship years ago. Now he has a second chance. Can he convince Zara to help his AI, and prove to her that he is a different man?
A dedicated Defender to the core, Gib is willing to go to any planet the Galactic Alliance sends him. That is, until he’s sent with his squad to Hemera for their Alorama ceremony, far from any threat of Erebus invasion and with no chance for promotion.
Vilarra has lived on Hemera all her life, working hard in the kitchens of the royal palace until she achieved lead hand. But learning of the universe beyond her world reveals her insignificance and shreds her sense of accomplishment and purpose.
With the help of a furry, little tibbar, Gib is determined to win the affection of Vilarra, prove to her how significant she is to him and the people who depend on her. But will his personal mission be cut short before he has the chance to win her heart?
PET TRADE
A Novella in the Central Galactic Concordance Series
By Carol Van Natta
The vast Central Galactic Concordance strictly prohibits genetic experimentation and alteration of humans on any of its 500 member planets. Unfortunately, animals are not included in those regulations...
Veterinarian Bethnee Bakonin has made a home for herself on a frontier planet in the frozen north. Her minder talent for healing all kinds of animals would ordinarily assure her success, but her unwilling stint in the shady pet trade industry left her damaged and scared.
"Volunteered" for a black-box research project, elite forces Jumper Axur Tragon now has dangerous experimental tech in his cybernetic limbs. He escapes the project and steals a freighter, but ship damage forces him to crash-land in the northern mountains of a frontier planet. He's surprised to discover the freighter's cargo contains a secret shipment of designer pets. Determined to do right by them, he enlists reluctant Bethnee's aid in caring for them—a definite challenge, considering Bethnee is terrified of him.
They will need all the help they can get from their unusual pets to save the day when ruthless mercenaries pose a threat. Can Axur and Bethnee work together to overcome their limitations, or will they lose everything they have vowed to protect – including each other?
Daya Tattujayan is the manager of a remote and nearly derelict space mining station. She has plenty of problems to deal with even before the interstellar syndicate that owns the station sends an auditor to check up on her work.
Rik Gole is a nomadic interstellar auditor with no roots to tie him down. He is ruthless when he has to be and very good at what he does, but Rik would be the first to admit that a woman like Daya and a place like this station are way outside of his previous experience.
Before Daya and Rik can decide whether they are antagonists, allies, or something more, an unexpected enemy attacks the station. To save their lives, they must dare to trust each other. And they need help from a very unconventional defender—Daya’s mysterious alien pet, the mascot of Star Corner Station.
Watch our book trailer for Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2
Are you as excited as we are? Well, check this out.
We have all sorts of fun in store including a great gift for everyone who signs up for the PISA2 newsletter. It’s gorgeous! So make sure you visit the Pets in Space website to sign up:
And Martin Luther King, Jr.! If you've followed my blogs you know how much I admire and respect the late social activist. I love that he's also very high (tied for the #2 score) on the list. 
