Pets in Space 6: A Science Fiction Romance Anthology
by S.E. Smith, Veronica Scott, Honey Phillips, Carol Van Natta, Cassandra Chandler, JC Hay, S.J. Pajonas, Greta van der Rol, Deborah A. Bailey, Melisse Aires, Kyndra Hatch

Pets in Space® is back for a new year of adventures! 

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!

BEHR’S REBEL

Marastin Dow Book 2

by S.E. Smith

Two battles: One fights for a cause; the other fights for survival…

General Behr De’Mar, leader of the Marastin Dow rebel forces, knows that it is only a matter of time before he is caught and executed. It doesn’t matter to him. The cause he is fighting for is much larger than any one person—or so he thought.

Raia Glossman doesn’t know what to think when she is hired by the strange, purple-skinned aliens. After all, the Marastin Dow are known for their cutthroat, kill anything-that-moves mentality. Why would they need a lone human woman to rescue their General? But credits are credits, and Raia never turns down a chance to earn a tidy sum. Besides, it seems like an easy job for her and her two innovative pets, Chummy and Pi. They’ll get in, rescue the guy, collect their credits, and disappear again. The three of them perfected that little trick years ago. Now she is on the run with an army of Marastin Dow warriors on her tail! Not to mention that she is stuck with a tantalizing General, and she discovers she is the new poster-girl for the Marastin Dow Revolution. So much for anonymity!

Behr knows the moment he meets Raia and her two pets that they are special. Can he keep them alive and safe against the massive army threatening to end their hope of a new way of life, or will the history of the Marastin Dow’s savagery doom them all?

STAR CRUISE: TIME LOOP

Sectors Romance series

by Veronica Scott

Raelyn Cantorini, senior stewardess on the interstellar cruise ship Nebula Zephyr thinks the alien artifact she bought on the last planet the ship visited was just a pretty glass orb…until her pet Eyn knocked the ornament off a table, shattering it and sending her into an infinitely repeating time loop.

Stuck reliving the same day over and over, Raelyn has only hours to try to save the ship and everyone on board from dying in a terrible catastrophe. As she tries to solve the mystery of what happens to the ship right before midnight each time the day repeats, Raelyn meets Kev Gordonn, the former Special Forces soldier turned actor and finds herself falling in love with him. Each time the day repeats, she learns more about him while he has no memory of her. Can she persuade him they’ve met before? Will he trust her enough to help stop the Nebula Zephyr’s destruction?

And if they do save the ship, will that reset time for Raelyn?

THE CYBORG WITH NO NAME

by Honey Phillips

Dr. Rose Abbott is the scientist who pioneered the technology behind the robot horses used in the attempt to terraform Mars. Disgusted by the way her creations are treated by the GenCon Corporation, she chooses to leave her work behind and live in isolation.

Then one of her horses finds her and leads her to an injured cyborg ranger – one with no memory. She reluctantly decides to take the big male, who she nicknames Roy, back to her home to heal.

All Roy can remember is cold and pain. But the prickly little scientist taking care of him begins to thaw his frozen heart, awakening feelings he never thought to have. He is determined to protect her – even from his unknown past.

With the help of a robot horse and a cybernetic dog, can two wounded souls find peace in each other’s arms? And what will happen when the source of Roy’s injuries comes looking for him?

ESCAPE FROM NOVA NINE

A Central Galactic Concordance Novella

by Carol Van Natta

She’s a space pirate with vital information. He’s a wanted fugitive with enemies hot on his afterburner. Will their unexpected attraction survive escaping a dangerous asteroid mine in time to avert disaster?

Trouble is arising across the galaxy, and space pirate Julke Defayensdytr has vital information for her clan. She’s almost given up trying to escape the hidden rogue asteroid mine she’s been imprisoned in for over a year. But a new batch of prisoners brings hope in the form of kind and sexy Zade.

Starship crewman and wanted fugitive Zade Lunaso always runs from conflict. Unfortunately, this time it landed him with a one-way ticket to toil in the dangerous mine for the rest of his soon-to-be short life.  He’ll need all his considerable skills to escape. Not to mention help from the intriguing Julke, and a flock of curious space griffins with secrets of their own.

Their bid to steal the cruel Warden’s yacht goes off course when they take a wrong turn and discover a motherload of forgotten ships. But even if they somehow free every prisoner to fly them, the Warden will kill them all to protect the secret of his claim.

The arrival of bigger enemies means trouble has found Zade once again. Can Julke and Zade pull off the unlikeliest escape of a lifetime, or will their luck play out and leave them stranded in the void?

TRADE SECRETS

The Department of Homeworld Security series

by Cassandra Chandler

Gwen Williams wants nothing more than to explore the vast possibilities of outer space, but Earth’s technology isn’t going to get her there. Her solution? Make contact with aliens. The only problem is, her plan works a little too well—landing her on the radar of a group of aliens with plans of their own that involve her homeworld.

Xan was just trying to help his Vegan friends avoid getting into trouble for messing with human things they should have left alone. He didn’t expect to run up against Gwen, a brilliant, beautiful Earthling who stirs a depth of emotion in him that he didn’t know he possessed—and who also has evidence of his friends’ transgression. Adding in the fact that the super-smart “space cat” who’s adopted him has plans to bring Gwen into their little family and this Coalition pilot has some tricky space to navigate.

As if that wasn’t complicated enough, the trio discovers a plot on Xan’s ship that could compromise the security of all of their people—and the newly forged bonds between the sentients working toward peace in the galaxy. Will they be able to work together to secure a more peaceful future, or will their secrets drive them apart?

SEE HOW THEY RUN

TriSystems: Smugglers

by JC Hay

Jesusa Baker loves three things: big powerful engines, open space, and not getting attached. That last one has been under constant assault since she joined the crew of the Sentinel of Gems, as the quiet chief engineer inspires both friendship and desire in equal measure. But there’s no room for love in Baker’s too-messy life, especially when she knows how much of a lie happily-ever-after is.

April Rambova has pined after their fellow engineer almost since Baker’s first day, but life as one of the inhabitants of the Far Reach colonies means a body adapted for microgravity, and a life apart from the people who can walk the surface of the TriSystems’ worlds. Worse, it means a potentially shortened lifespan, and no one should be saddled with a partner who can’t promise forever.

When a trio of mice bring a potentially deadly disease onto the Sentinel, Baker and April are quarantined together. Close quarters mean fewer secrets, for April, Baker and the mice. Now, someone wants the mice back, and is willing to kill to find them. And April has a choice: run toward the chance of happiness, or protect the people they love…

SURI’S SURE THING

Kimura Sisters Series

by S.J. Pajonas

All work and no play…

Suri Kimura has decided not to go to the Hikoboshi Farewell Ball. She’d rather work in orbit and earn more cash, even though her overbearing father insists she should attend. When she meets up with her dog, Finn, and her best friend, Erik, for a short planet-side rest, they’re met with a surprise. Her ex-boyfriend is back and he insists on taking her to the ball.

Suri doesn’t know what to do. Finn’s doggy instincts don’t trust the ex, and neither does Erik. Something strange is amiss, but Suri has to give it a fair shot. After a disastrous attempt to rekindle the romance, Suri realizes Erik means a whole lot more to her than just a friend — but, does he feel the same?

Quiet and reliable project manager Erik has always taken care of Suri, but it’s never felt romantic before. When he rushes to her side to help her handle her ex and her work troubles, Suri suspects that the dynamic between them has changed… or has it?

Will Suri and Erik breach the boundaries between them? Or will Suri just return to space and leave her feelings for Erik far behind?

THE THUNDER EGG

by Greta van der Rol

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?

WORLDS OF FIRE: METAMORPHOSIS

by Deborah A. Bailey

On a Floating World…

Asira is a member of a high-ranking family of Alchemists who exert control over the libraries that store magical texts. She never believed her acceptance into the coveted position was in doubt. Yet, when she becomes the apprentice of a gargoyle shifter Alchemist who insists on keeping his pet bird with him, she has her doubts that he was the right choice for her final class.

Jaydon is from a gargoyle shifter group known as the Gigun. As an unconventional but powerful teacher of transmutation at the university, he could have his pick of mentees. It isn’t hard to tell that the last thing he wants to do is mentor a student from a powerful family. He only accepts her after he says his pet bird and advisor, Delphy, recommends that he choose her.

Asira finds Jaydon frustrating but too fascinating for her own good. But she needs his knowledge and guidance when she becomes the target of a classmate’s deception. With Jaydon’s assistance, the two of them begin to uncover those behind the criminal activities threatening not just the students, but the whole Floating World. Can she convince Jaydon that she still has a lot to learn from him—both in the matter of magic and her heart—or has she betrayed his trust forever?

STRANDED ON GRZBT

by Melisse Aires

Splat! The unlikely sound of freedom…

Mimi Stevens considers the out-of-control packing container that squishes the stinky spaceworm kidnappers a brilliant stroke of luck. She and her companions take advantage of the unfortunate event to escape into the maze of the busy space dock and plan a strategy on how to survive. With the help of a tiny elephant-mouse and her theater skills, she just might be able to make it.  

Kyre Valryssian, First Officer of the Red Haven, is shocked to hear Earth women singing in an ancient language from a planet that has not yet entered the space trade lanes. Concerned for their safety, he is determined to escort them to his clan’s ship—especially the woman with the short hair and big eyes.

Mimi doesn’t know if she and her friends can trust the handsome alien with flashing eyes or not, but she is running out of options. With the bad guys closing in, she’ll have to trust her gut—and her tiny pet—that Kyre wants to help them. Can Kyre convince Mimi that he has her and her companions’ best interests at heart, or will her distrust threaten them all?

ESCAPING KORTH

Before The Fall series

by Kyndra Hatch

As if the threat of torture and interrogation isn’t enough…

K’urt Knox, a Korthan cyborg warrior assigned to interrogate human combatants alongside his mogha companion, W’ard, is complicated by the fact that when they enter the prison cell this time, he can’t speak. He knows this prisoner from his childhood, from a time when Korthans and humans lived together in peace. Now, he recognizes the fully mature human female combatant he is supposed to interrogate as his mate.

Liana Walker is an agronomist for the Human Colony Alliance. Studying newly terraformed soil on a neutral world, she is pleased to find the terraforming process worked. Her pleasure soon turns to fear when she is captured by Korthan warriors. With no end of war between their peoples in sight, the Korthans declare her a combatant and imprison her on Korth—with a deadly creature hiding in Liana’s dark cell.

Attraction and longing build between Liana and K’urt, but there is something else lurking in the shadows, something W’ard is determined to dispatch once and for all. Meanwhile, K’urt must try to find a way to convince the Korthans that Liana isn’t a combatant and deal with the fact that his fated mate is a sworn enemy. If their love is to stand a chance, they need to find a way to escape Korth. Will Liana recognize K’urt from their childhood, and if she does, will she trust him and the feelings growing between them before it is too late?

5 out of 5 fairies

This was an excellent anthology. Each author had their own unique style, and sci-fi romance lovers of all kinds will find something to enjoy in this collection. I loved the underlying theme of pets in space – and how each author put their own twist on it. Prisoners, cyborgs, rebels, and more populate the engaging stories contained within this book. Don’t let this limited edition anthology pass you by!

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About the Charity
Proud supporters of Hero-Dogs.org, Pets in Space® authors have donated over $15,300 in the past five years to help place specially trained dogs with veterans and first responders. 10% of all pre-orders and the first month’s royalties of Pets in Space 6 will again go to Hero-Dogs.org. Open your hearts and grab your limited release copy of Pets in Space 6 today so together we can continue helping this worthy charity! https://www.hero-dogs.org/

S.E. Smith

S.E. Smith is a New York Times, USA TODAY, International and Award-winning Bestselling author of Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Western Time Travel, Paranormal Romance, and Young Adult. Her addictive story lines bring action, adventure, and suspense-filled tales mixed with humor and romance to readers around the world.

She has also written emotionally charged, action-packed stories for Young Adults and children that will take them on a journey they will never forget. Her stories cross a variety of genres and she is proud to share these amazing adventures with readers.

Veronica Scott

Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own stories.

Always more stories to tell, new adventures to experience–Veronica’s personal motto is, “Never boring.”

Honey Phillips

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of 5. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne – not necessarily in that order.

Her steamy science fiction stories focus on hot alien warriors and the Earth women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Carol Van Natta

Carol Van Natta is a USA TODAY bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy. Series include the award-winning Central Galactic Concordance space opera series that starts with OVERLOAD FLUX and MINDER RISING, and the Ice Age Shifters™ paranormal romance series that starts with SHIFTER MATE MAGIC and SHIFT OF DESTINY. Standalone works include the paranormal romance IN GRAVES BELOW (Magic, NM), and HOORAY FOR HOLOPTICON, a retro science fiction comedy. She shares her Fort Collins, CO home with a sometime mad scientist and just the right number of equally mad cats.

Cassandra Chandler

USA Today Bestselling author Cassandra Chandler uses her vivid imagination to make the world more interesting, spawning the ideas she turns into her enthralling Science Fiction Romances and darkly evocative Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romances. Fast-paced and funny, lighthearted or dark, her stories will introduce you to characters you’ll fall in love with and worlds you long to explore.

JC Hay

JC Hay is an SFR Galaxy Award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of Science Fiction Romance, an inveterate dog lover, and dreamer. His tales of heroic hearts and fantastic futures reflect his heartfelt belief that sci-fi and romance go hand-in-hand, because the coolest gadgets in the world are useless without someone to share them.

S.J. Pajonas

Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, Capricorn, Japanophile, and USA Today Best Selling author. She loves summer, downtempo beats, yoga pants, foxes, owls, dogs, sushi, pasta, and black tea. She lives outside NYC with her husband, two great kids, and her dog who always wants to play. When it comes to her work, she writes about everyday women and uncommon worlds. 

Greta van der Rol

Hi, I’m Greta van der Rol. I’m a writer, photographer, animal lover, and space nut. Most of my books are space opera with a dollop of romance – but I’ve written two paranormal novels featuring weretigers, and one historical fiction.

I live with my husband not far from the beach in Queensland, Australia. When I’m not writing I take photographs of nature and animals, and now and then I do some cooking. I also blog about my travels.

Deborah A. Bailey

Deborah A Bailey’s Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance  stories include suspense, a bit of mystery and a lot of romantic heat.

She’s the author of the “Hathor Legacy” Science Fiction Romance series. and Paranormal Romances including “Family Pride” lion shapeshifter series and the Once Upon A Princess Duet. Her short stories have won awards from the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference and have been published in US1 Magazine and the Sun. They’re included in her short story collection, “Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales.”

In addition to her fiction work, she’s published three non-fiction books, “Think Like an Entrepreneur: Transforming Your Career and Taking Charge of Your Life,” “Think Like an Entrepreneur: What You Need to Consider Before You Write a Business Plan,” and “Secrets of a Great Resume.” Her articles have appeared in publications including Baseline magazine, Working World Magazine, More.com and CNN.com. She’s host of Women Entrepreneurs Radio™, a weekly podcast available on iTunes.

Melisse Aires

Take a shy bookworm from Montana. Hand her a stack of her much older brother’s sci fi and fantasy novels, James Bond books and horror comics. Later, introduce Barbara Cartland and the world of romance fiction.

Get her a teaching job or two in authentic, one room Montana schools, ala Laura Ingels Wilder.

Marry her off to a great guy, move her to a big city in Tornado Alley, then pop three daughters out of her in twenty two months(one set of identical twins).

Then, make her a jinx-every great genre TV show she loves gets the ax- Beauty and the Beast, Dark Angel-and Buffy and Spike NEVER have a happy ending! She gets upset about no romance in the world, and fires up to write her own stories with happy endings.

Throw this all together into a small house in Wyoming, along with a small bouncy dog named Baxter and too many cats, shake constantly and pour it out onto a computer keyboard.

Kyndra Hatch

Kyndra Hatch grew up with a fascination for science fiction and a deep interest in ancient civilizations, a combination which fuels her active imagination. After twelve exciting years as an archaeologist, Kyndra pursues a passion for writing and has discovered her works have a decidedly science fiction romantic flair. She is a USA Today bestselling author and an active member of the SFR Brigade.

Kyndra also writes science fiction, horror, and dark humor short stories as L.K. Hatchett.