Exclusive Excerpt: Emergency Cupid

An excerpt from Emergency Cupid
by R.L. Naquin
(a Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle Worlds/Mt. Olympus Employment Agency crossover story coming to Amazon on October 13th!)

Chapter 1

Love was in the air. Literally. And it was a gods-awful mess.

Somebody—no telling who—had acquired or concocted a love bomb and set it off in the middle of Dallas, Texas. Spells like that were usually scams off the Internet, and they rarely worked. Or they worked too well, like this one.

The head office detected the higher-than-average number of bad matches being made in the area and sent a manager to check on the situation. The manager’s report sent the entire office into a tizzy.

So, there I was, the Cupid department’s number one Cupid. My record for making love matches exceeded Devon Yorkshire’s record by thirty-five percent. Devon was the number two Cupid. Not to toot my own flugelhorn, but sending me to fix this problem was an obvious choice.

The affected area was a nine city-block area—a three-by-three section. Right in the center, where the loose magic was thickest, sat Station 58, a firehouse filled with heroic and extremely fit men and women who saved lives every day.

So much potential for matches, both good and bad. If I could clean up the stray magic and disconnect the bad matches the love bomb had caused, I could potentially make an unprecedented number of matches in record-breaking time.

There had to be a gold watch or a trophy or something for that, right? Maybe a party in my honor?

As I moved down the sidewalk—invisible since I was wearing my Cupid wings—love magic floated around me in the form of small, fluffy feathers. Each time I came close to one, I flipped the switch on my handheld Magic-Vac 5000 and sucked it into the attached bag.

At the first corner, I came across a couple wrapped in an embrace and leaning against a blue Volkswagen. The two were oblivious of anything but each other, and their hands wandered each other’s bodies in a way that was highly inappropriate for the middle of the street.

The woman’s hand snaked into the man’s hair as they explored each other’s lips. “Oh, Gary,” the woman murmured.

“Steve.” He nibbled her ear. “My name is Steve.”

As a certified Cupid with a high success rate of instigating true love, I was appalled. This was unnatural. This was a travesty.

I stepped off the curb and drew closer to them. Magical feathers clung to the back of Steve’s neck and poked out of his companion’s dark hair. I fired up the Magic-Vac and ran it over both of them until they were free of fluff. While I was at it, I went ahead and took care of the white dog hair on the man’s pant legs.

“You’re welcome,” I said. I wasn’t concerned about them hearing me. With the wings on, I was as silent as I was invisible. They felt nothing, either, as I ran a hand down first his arm, then hers, removing the self-made match and any residual magic.

They both came up for air and blinked at each other.

Steve stepped back, hands in the air. “I am so sorry, miss. I have no idea what happened.”

The woman’s expression was confused, and her face turned pink. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I don’t know either. Steve, you said?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Megan.” She gave him a shy smile. “I think…I think I’m late for work.” She climbed into her VW and drove around the corner, leaving Steve standing in the street rubbing the back of his neck. After a moment, he crossed the street and strode past a storefront under heavy renovations, then ducked into a pet shop.

Rachel writes stories that drop average people into magical situations filled with heart and quirky humor.

She believes in pixie dust, the power of love, good cheese, lucky socks and putting things off until the last minute. Her home is Disneyland, despite her current location in Kansas. Rachel has one husband, two grown kids and a crazy-catlady starter kit.

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Buy her books here:  Amazon B&N Carina Press

What Pet Should A Big Tough Spacer Own? Pets In Space

We're about ten days away from the release of the Pets In Space anthology, which also contains a new Sectors story from yours truly, entitled "Star Cruise: Stowaway." I thought it’d be fun to put my hero through a quiz on pets and see which one he ought to have, versus the two in the story. Results at the end!

Here's 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.

I went online and found a variety of quizzes that claim to help a person determine which kind of pet he should own, so I asked my character Owen an amalgamation  of the typical questions:

Why do you want a pet? I don’t but I couldn’t leave a helpless kitten being tormented by a crowd of bullies at a backwater spaceport, so I waded in, handed those idiots their asses and took her back to the ship with me. She was a cute little thing when she got cleaned up! Not hurt bad, just scared. We’re just talking about the cat here, right? We’re not discussing the Ship’s alien pet? Although she kind of became mine too, somehow.

How much time do you intend to spend with your pet? I work fulltime on the Nebula Zephyr as the cargo master, making sure we take on freight, get it to its destination and offload it safely. I arrange contracts for shipping, inspect the containers – well, you get the picture. I work long hours. So I need an independent pet, which cats are. She keeps me company in my office sometimes and in my quarters after my shift ends.

Do you want your pet to ‘talk’ to you? Tell me how to get her to shut up?! She has a loud yowl when she wants something and feels ignored. Of course her purr is nice.

Do you care what gender your pet is? No. My cat is a lady, through and through.

What kind of a name did you give your pet? She’s pure white, so I named her Moby, after Moby Dick the whale in that old book from Earth. Not that I’ve read it, too long and antiquated. I figured she’d enjoy eating a whale and she was going into the ocean of space. I don’t know, seemed good at the time.

Where do you live? In the Cargo Master’s assigned quarters on the Nebula Zephyr. But Moby has the run of the ship. Maeve, the ship’s Artificial Intelligence, keeps a ganglion or two on her activities.

So no big yard? (Owen laughs.) Don’t worry, she’s happy, chasing space rats in the hold. And the Hydroponics crew grows grass for her to roll in, and catnip for her leisure time.

Do you have a lot of knickknacks in your quarters? I travel light. I do build scale models in my spare time – of spacecraft, famous buildings, things like that. Moby knows to leave them alone. She’s dainty.

Veronica sez: OK, so I took the BuzzFeed website’s quiz on what animal a person should own, answering all the questions the way a big, tough, ex-military guy like Owen would and the recommendation was  -----drum roll------a ferret! Actually that’s pretty darn close to how Midorri, the alien pet in the story, acts at times during the adventure so I thought the result was amazingly accurate.

You can download a free sampler at Instafreebie:  https://www.instafreebie.com/free/dNtPD

Buy Links:

iBooks    Amazon    ARe     Nook      GooglePlay     Kobo

10% of the first month’s royalties from the book will be donated to the Hero Dogs Charity (service animals for veterans). http://www.hero-dogs.org/

What kind of a pet would you take into space?

Caerlaverock Castle: Why the Maxwell Family Fought to Hold It - Why Their Enemies Had to Destroy It.

“It pulls at my heart with its beauty and purpose. It represents all I hold dear in a person, if that’s possible, heart, soul and strength.”    Laura Reynolds, The Maxwell Ghost

I knew I found the right setting for my medieval ghost story when I saw a picture of Caerlaverock Castle.

Reading Caerlaverock’s history I understood why the Maxwell family fought to hold it and why their enemies had to destroy it.

Caerlaverock Castle is a moated castle on the southern coast of Scotland in the Dumfries.  The unique equilateral triangular design and beauty of the castle, from the way it’s sited to its rich history, made Caerlaverock the perfect setting for my stories, The Maxwell Ghost and The Highlander’s English Woman.

There were several original fortifications that preceded the current castle, a Roman fort on Ward Law Hill and a British hill fort that was used until 950.

The earliest mention of Caerlaverock is the 1160s, when the lands were granted to the monks of Holm Cultram Abbey. Sixty years later, in 1220 the lands were granted to Sir John Maxwell by Alexander II of Scotland.

The Maxwell family has owned the Caerlaverock Castle ever since, but not without some intrigue and adventure. The clan leader changed allegiances from Scotland to England several times which resulted in sieges, destruction and rebuilding.

John Maxwell began construction of the first castle at Caerlaverock. A traditional square design with a moat and a north facing bridge, the building was one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland. Archaeologists believe that this castle was never completed when it was abandoned. This castle was built close to the Solway Firth. Built on clay the wood pilings were not able to bear the weight of the structure. In addition, the structure couldn’t be kept dry or comfortable.  Today, the foundations and part of a wooden enclosure around it is all that remains.

Work began on the new castle, six hundred feet south of the abandoned structure in 1260.  

Construction on the new (present) castle, on a solid rock outcropping and was completed in the 1270s. The castle’s first occupant was Herbert Maxwell, nephew of Sir John Maxwell.

Caerlaverock was the Maxwell family’s stronghold from the 13^th to the 17^th centuries. It underwent several sieges over the centuries and was finally abandoned in 1640. The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, but retained its triangular plan.

In 1299, Maxwell forces from Caerlaverock Castle attached the English-held Lochmaben Castle. Edward I retaliated in July 1300 and attacked Caerlaverock with 87 knights and 3,000 men. Eustace Maxwell, the clan chief repelled the English several times. In the end, the garrison surrendered. King Edward was astounded that only sixty men held his army off.

Caerlaverock Castle remained in English hands until 1312 when the castle was returned to Sir Eustace Maxwell who pledged allegiance to the English king, Edward II. Later, Eustace switched his support to Robert the Bruce and the castle was unsuccessfully attacked by the English.

Because of Caerlaverock’s prime position on the England-Scottish border and the fear it could fall into the hands of the English who would have a strong command of the district, Sir Eustace dismantled the fortress, a sacrifice rewarded by Robert the Bruce.

In 1337 the castle was once again inhabited and once again the Eustace changed sides. About 1355 the castle was captured by the Scots.

The Maxwells regained Caerlaverock after the Wars of Independence in the mid-14^th century. Between 1373 and 1410, Robert Maxwell rebuilt much of the castle. His efforts were continued by Robert II in the mid-15^th century.

In 1567, the Maxwells supported Mary, Queen of Scots and Caerlaverock was once again under siege by the English in 1570. The Earl of Sussex led the English forces and demolished part of the castle.

In 1593, Lord John Maxwell repaired the castle for defense against the Johnstones of Annandale with whom he was feuding.

The Wars for Independence were replaced by wars of religion. In 1634, religious turmoil turned against the Catholic Maxwells. In 1640 the Protestant Covenanter army attacked Caerlaverock for thirteen weeks forcing the castle to surrender. The south wall and tower were demolished and the castle was never repaired or reoccupied.

The castle passed by inheritance to the Herries family and to the Duke of Norforlk. While currently owned by Lady Mary Mumford’s sister Baroness Herries, since 1946 the castle has been operated and managed by Historic Scotland. The castle remains the ancestral home of the Maxwell family. 

RELEASED TODAY! 

The Maxwell Ghost – featured in the collection Once Upon a Haunted Castle

Caerlaverock Castle, on the Scottish border is in an uproar. Traitors, deception, murder and ghosts run riot. The food stores have been tainted and the granaries set ablaze. Rumors fly when servants Evan and his bride-to-be, Angel are found murdered. They believe that in the heat of an argument Evan killed Angel when she threatened to expose him. Distraught over his impulsive actions, he took his own life. Now his ghost haunts the castle. A young cook, Sonia is sure everyone has it wrong and the ghost haunts the castle to seek justice. She will move heaven and earth to get to the truth, but she is helpless.

Laura Reynolds travels from England to her cousin, The Maxwell’s castle to put Evan’s ghost to rest. They have one week to complete the task or Evan’s ghost is doomed to haunt the castle forever. The Maxwell, while he loves his cousin, doesn’t believe in her sorceress ways. With the unsettled times, he cannot send her back to England right away, rather he lets her pursue her investigation.

Jamie Maxwell Collins has finished his service to The Maxwell and eager for his promised farm. While longtime friends with Laura, he has little patience for her hocus pocus, but in order to get his farm The Maxwell requires Jamie protect and help her. Will Sonia’s information tip the scales and help them find justice for Evan and Angel? With Sonia’s insight, will Laura and Jamie see that the depths of their relationship goes way beyond friendship or are they doomed to deny it forever?

Buy Links: Amazon, B&N, iBook, KOBO

Guest Author Sela Carsen Talks Creative Process and Shares an Excerpt from SILVER WOLF RISING

Veronica Scott: Our guest today talks about the creative process of how her book evolved and shares an excerpt:

Sela: My latest release, SILVER WOLF RISING, is part of my Wolves of Fenrir series.

This series started on a lark. The first story, A WOLF TO WATCH OVER ME, is a short that I wrote for an anthology. It was my ice-breaker after having been away from writing for several years, and I never intended it to be more than just one story.

Well, one thing led to another, and then I had A MOST WANTED WOLF.

After that, I knew I had one story left to write and then I'd close out the series and move on to something fresh and new.

Ha! Another anthology call went out, this time for something that caught my attention. Why aren't there more stories with characters who are middle aged, or even older than that? So many of our readers are over 40. Wasn't it time to give them stories that reflected their reality?

I write Sci-Fi Romance, so reality may be a stretch, but the idea held merit. I'm over 40. I've been married for twenty-plus years. My children are teens, flapping hard to leave the nest. Yet I spend a lot of my time reading romances about characters who are just beginning their lives.

What about me? Aren't I sexy anymore? Couldn't I still make a splash in the dating pool, should it come to that? (Ok, it would be a bigger splash than I made twenty years ago, but still.)

Meshing those thoughts with the characters I had already introduced in my Wolves of Fenrir series, the cogs started to turn. My most recent heroine had discussed her widowed mother.

Heroine. Check.

Dagny sprang, fully formed, from the head of Freya. I knew what she looked like, I knew what she was going through with her newly empty nest, I knew the sound of that unsettling silence in her house and the encroaching, irresistible itch to break away from what she'd always known.

But who would be a good match? What else happens in that same timeline in other lives?

Retirement. And since this is a military culture, a soldier's retirement. How can I make that worse? Forced retirement.

Ouch. Way to have a collective "Get out, you're too old" kick in the pants for Niall, who had dedicated his life to service. Now what's he going to do? That void of purpose resonated in him, too, and he needed to find a new way to know himself.

So with those two characters battling the changes in their lives, I started writing SILVER WOLF RISING. I hope you enjoy it!

Excerpt:

Niall slammed his prosthetic leg into the soldier’s knee from the side. The metal-reinforced leg powered by the strength of a Fenris in battle form was one of the few things that could snap the exoskeleton’s structure. But the strike caused a bolt of white-hot agony to lance through his thigh and hip, and he sucked back a scream.

Before the creature could make the squealing sound that passed for speech, Niall was on it, channeling his pain into fury. Since the Strathori had no bones, he couldn’t snap its neck. Instead, he held one arm over its vocal emitter, and used the other to tear through the armor plating. He ripped the living center out of the creature, crushing its soft parts in his claws.

The soldier jerked once, then died. He must not have made much noise killing it, because no other soldiers came charging through the door. He dragged the body further under cover, making sure no one would be able to see it unless they came looking, and dropped it at his female’s feet.

He loomed over her, and pushed his kill closer. Pure satisfaction rolled through his body. He had protected her and slaughtered their enemy. It was all he could do to hold back the howl that begged for release in his chest.

She stared at him, wide-eyed, and it began to occur to him that he was dripping dark blue goo from the hand that had just ripped the heart and guts out of another being, before gifting her with the slimy corpse. The conflict between his civilized Fenrir mind and his more primitive vargulf instincts did quick and dirty battle inside him until she spoke softly.

“I can’t decide if that’s the most disgusting or the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me. Er…thank you.”

Author Bio:

Sela Carsen was born into a traveling family, then married a military man to continue her gypsy lifestyle. With her husband of 20 years, their two teens, her mother, the dog, and the cat, she’s finally (temporarily) settled in the Midwest. Between bouts of packing and unpacking, she writes paranormal romances, with or without dead bodies. Your pick.

Blurb:

Fate couldn't have picked a worse moment to bring two lonely souls together.

Berserker warrior and drill sergeant Niall is being forced to retire from the Fenrir Army he's faithfully served for most of his life. Miserable and bitter, he's on the pack ship, waiting for a transport back to his home planet to be a farmer. Until trouble steps right on his prosthetic foot just as all Hel breaks loose.

Widowed Dagny is on the pack ship waiting for a transport down to Earth, searching for a new purpose in this next phase of her life -- one that isn't centered around her grown children. But her new plans definitely don't involve following a cranky old soldier into the dark to survive.

When enemy Axis powers invade the ship, blasting up the heat on a cold war, Niall and Dagny have to team up to save themselves and their shipmates, and to explore the lifescent that is drawing them together.

Together for now, but will fate be enough to keep them that way after the battle is over?

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2caB7kk

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2cEEYW0

Apple: http://apple.co/2cHNAwk

BN: http://bit.ly/2cndFMJ

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cEGDLs

Here Be News

From Veronica Scott: Book Trailer and Instafreebie sample released for PETS IN SPACE

The anthology is coming October 11th... here's the link for the new Instafreebie sampler: 

https://www.instafreebie.com/free/dNtPD

And the new book trailer:

The book blurb:

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 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 Veronica Scott's 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.


Cover Reveal

To Catch a Stolen Soul, Djinn Haven stories #1
(A spinoff series from the Monster Haven stories)
by R.L. Naquin

Coming January 9th!

Now available for pre-order from Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks and Kobo

Guest Author KG Stutts Shares An Excerpt From WINTER'S KISS SciFi Romance

Our guest today shares some details and an excerpt from Winter’s Kiss, the second book in her Amethyst Chronicles series.

The story:

Amethyst is a secret team of genetically enhanced humans which is Earth’s greatest defensive weapon. Leading the team of super soldiers is Ember Wilson, a tough woman with a huge chip on her shoulder. The team gets their name from the after effect of the Genesis Project which turned their eyes and even their blood purple.

For decades, Earth has been ravaged by unpredictable weather which began to cause crops to fail. Most of the planet’s food sources have deteriorated. Dr. Clayton Rudo has proclaimed he has the means to save the soil. He has created a weather machine to regulate and help replenish. But Ember knew the truth. He didn’t want to save the planet. He wanted to control it. Amethyst destroyed the machine, but was placed in stasis. Two years later, Rudo recreated the device and has frozen Washington, DC and the west coast of the United States.

General Tom Blanchard brought Amethyst out of stasis to work with an elite Air Force team, led by Major Liam Ross. Tensions between Ember and Liam rise as they butt heads. Can they work together before Earth is completely under ice?

Excerpt

"General Blanchard, sir." Major Ross saluted.

"At ease, Major." The General offered his hand.

"Thank you, sir." Ross shook it.

"You're probably wondering why you're here," Blanchard said.

"Yes, sir."

“Walk with me.”

General Blanchard pulled a large painting of him and his daughter, Laura, from a wall and revealed a security key pad. He punched in a security code and motioned Ross over. A portion of the wall gave way to reveal a secret room. The room looked like a lab with white walls, a gray marble floor, and various computers and equipment he didn't recognize. Against the back wall were four pods with people asleep in stasis.

The General stood in front of the first pod, stroking his unkempt bearded chin. The sleeping man had extremely short black hair and was the shortest and skinniest of the four in the tubes. As they approached, a holographic image appeared on the glass next to the man’s face. The picture was of a smiling man with wire-rimmed glasses on his thin nose, brown eyes, and longer hair.

"This is Bryan Morris," the General introduced. "Best tech man I've ever seen. Smart, quick on his feet, and crafty."

Liam looked at the General curiously, but he didn't elaborate further. Blanchard moved down to the next pod. The man inside was slightly taller than Morris and had curly red hair. The holographic picture displayed another smiling man with light blue eyes and hair sticking out everywhere.

"Alexander Nova. He was the best pilot Earth had to offer. And this," the General pointed to the third tube, "is Michael Lewis. Brilliant military mind. He was second-in-command."

Ross wrinkled up his nose as he gazed upon the strong specimen of a man. Lewis was tall and clearly well-built with brown hair that stopped just above his eyebrows. The image displayed was of a serious man with brown eyes.

"Command?" Ross questioned, but the General didn't address it.

He moved down to the last pod which had a woman in it. Ross looked at the tall woman with jet black hair who was somehow scowling even though she was asleep. The picture showed a strikingly beautiful blonde woman with blue eyes.

"Ember Wilson," General Blanchard softly said. "She's the leader of this team known as Amethyst."

His voice pulled Liam’s attention away from her. "Amethyst, sir?"

"A group of genetically enhanced super soldiers. They were Earth's greatest defense."

"I've never heard of Amethyst."

"Nor would you. The gene program was top secret. They were named after a side effect of the genetic manipulation causing the quartet's eye color to change to a brilliant shade of dark purple."

"Gene program? Purple eyes? Sir, this is a little unbelievable."

"They had it all," General Blanchard continued, still not answering the Major's questions. "Super strength, speed, endurance, skill, stamina, healing, and intelligence. They could withstand several kill blaster shots before they even felt a twinge to their central nervous system. Their natural talents increased tenfold."

Liam let out a low whistle. "What happened? What led them here?"

"You remember two years ago when the weather computer designed by Clayton Rudo was destroyed?"

Liam nodded. Of course he remembered. Rudo was proclaimed a hero when he introduced a super computer that could control Earth's climate.

"Ember came to me and said Rudo had plans to control Earth, but I didn't believe her. As a result, Amethyst attacked Rudo’s lab in Abilene and destroyed the system.”

“They were the ones behind the assault? Sir, I helped designed the security protocol for Dr. Rudo’s base myself.”

 “I’m aware, Major. I haven’t met a security platform which Amethyst couldn’t disable. Because of their actions, they were on trial for treason and convicted. Due to the team's enhanced abilities, it was decreed they would remain in stasis until they could be rehabilitated."

"But we later found out she was right."

"Yes. Of course it would take us two years to realize. It took, but Rudo rebuilt his machine. I even assigned several top scientists to help speed the process along after Amethyst thoroughly destroyed all of his work. And now ..."

And now Rudo used his weather system to bring the world to its knees. Washington, D.C., New Mexico, and Texas were now completely under ice. Everything was frozen solid.

Buy links:

Get the first book in the Amethyst Chronicles series for just $.99! Third installment will be available this winter.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Winters-Kiss-Amethyst-Chronicles-Stutts-ebook/dp/B01FRPN16W

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amethyst-chronicles-kg-stutts/1120687312?ean=2940046383669

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/winter-s-kiss-3

Or get books one and two together in one paperback!

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amethyst-chronicles-kg-stutts/1123564878?ean=9781633100329

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amethyst-Chronicles-1-KG-Stutts/dp/1633100324/

Social media:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KGStutts
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KGStutts
Blog: http://kgstutts.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.kgstutts.com

Author bio:

K.G. Stutts is the author of several sci-fi romance series as well as a few romance stories. She has a degree in massage therapy. When she's not weaving words, she enjoys reading, playing RPGs, hockey, wrestling, and football, and is a big sci-fi and Disney nerd. Currently she resides in North Carolina, USA with her husband, Brad.

Pets In Space Trailer and Excerpt!

I’m counting down the days until Pets In Space is released on October 11th. This anthology features a new Star Cruise novella from me!

Here's the book blurb:

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 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.

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.

The excerpt:

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.”

And the book video teaser: