Pets in Space 6: 11 More SciFi Romances in Space!

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

About the Collection

Pets in Space 6
With stories by…
S.E. Smith, Veronica Scott, Honey Phillips, Carol Van Natta, Cassandra Chandler, J.C. Hay, S.J. Pajonas, Greta van der Rol, Deborah A. Bailey, Melisse Aires, and Kyndra Hatch

Published 5 October 2021
Pets in Space Books for Chavanch Press

Genre: Short Fiction, SciFi Romance
Page Count: 1,316
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

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!

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OUR CHARITY: HERO-DOGS.ORG

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/

Author Links

S.E. Smith: https://sesmithfl.com
Veronica Scott: https://veronicascott.wordpress.com
Honey Phillips https://www.honeyphillips.com
Carol Van Natta: https://author.carolvannatta.com
Cassandra Chandler: https://cassandra-chandler.com
JC Hay: https://jchay.com
S.J. Pajonas https://www.spajonas.com
Greta van der Rol https://gretavanderrol.net
Deborah A. Bailey dbaileycoach.com/brightbooks
Melisse Aires https://www.melisseairesbooks.com
Kyndra Hatch: https://kyndrahatch.blogspot.com/

Pets in Space 6 STORIES

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?

Loglines:

• With the help of her two innovative pets, a human woman rescues an alien General and becomes part of the revolution he is leading.
• An alien General meets a human woman who captures not only his heart, but the heart of his people.
• A human woman saves an alien General and finds herself his partner in a revolution.
• Two rebels—one alien, one human—discover love among the stars.
• The last thing a human woman expects to find is love when she is hired to rescue an imprisoned alien General.

Bonus novella: Raia’s Pets (everyone who buys Pets in Space 6 can claim a free never-released-before Marastin Dow novella, Raia’s Pets)

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?

Loglines:

• Reliving the same terrible day, Raelyn and her pet are in a race to save the interstellar cruise ship…
• Caught in a repeating time loop, stewardess Raelyn fights to save her own life and the lives of everyone aboard the interstellar cruise ship…
• No one will believe Raelyn when she insists she’s lived through this day before, not even the man she loves. She only has a few hours to find the mad bomber intent on destroying the interstellar cruise ship, before the day repeats again…and again…

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?

Loglines:

• An isolated scientist. A wounded cyborg ranger. An unexpected enemy.
• Can a wounded cyborg help an isolated scientist remember her own humanity?
• Can a rogue robotic horse and a misfit mechanical dog protect a wounded cyborg and a lonely scientist from a vicious new enemy?
• With the help of a robot horse and a cybernetic dog, can two wounded souls find peace in each other’s arms?)

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?

Loglines:

• A wanted fugitive with enemies on his afterburner and a pirate clanswoman with vital information must escape a lethal asteroid mine.
• A space pirate clanswoman with vital information must ally with a wanted fugitive working his own agenda to escape a dangerous asteroid mine.
• 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 a war?
• A wanted fugitive and a space pirate must pull off an impossible escape from a dangerous asteroid mine in time to change the course of a galactic war.
• In a dangerous asteroid mine, space griffins may be the key to escape for a pirate clanswoman with vital secrets and a wanted fugitive with enemies hot on his tail.
• With a galaxy on the brink of war, can a wanted fugitive and a space pirate escape a dangerous asteroid mine in time to make a difference?

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?

Loglines:

• She wanted to learn about aliens—and ended up uncovering their secrets!
•  The secrets they carry could destroy any hope for peace.
•  She didn’t just find aliens—she found their secrets!
•  She wanted to find aliens—and discovered much more than she bargained for!
•  These aliens are hiding a lot more than their existence.

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…

Loglines:

• The past can weigh down a heart, but in microgravity, even it can fly
• In microgravity, even the heaviest heart can fly
• Love blossoms in space, but can it survive being dragged back down to ground?
• Quarantines, deadly diseases, and vicious hunters – just another day in Engineering.

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?

Loglines:

• In this best-friends-to-lover romance, workaholic Suri would rather be in space than deal with her ex-boyfriend. Will she be able to leave him behind and find love with her best friend instead?
• When Suri’s meddling father tries to reunite her with her ex-boyfriend, she realizes her feelings are stronger for her best friend.
• Suri and her dog, Finn, are an inseparable pair, and they both suspect her ex-boyfriend is up to no good in this best-friends-to-lovers romance.
• When Suri’s ex-boyfriend returns after a two-year absence, she and her dog, Finn, must prove that her romance with him is dead and find love with her best friend instead.
• QA Mission Specialist Suri Kimura wants to skip the ball and work instead, but her meddling father has brought her ex-boyfriend in to woo her back to dating again. Too bad she’s secretly in love with her best friend.
• Suri would rather be in space working than dealing with her meddling father and her long forgotten ex-boyfriend. Her dog, Finn, thinks her best friend Erik would be a better match.

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?

Loglines:

• All they need to do is find out what Neyru is, where she comes from, and get her home.
• When an alien foundling becomes a target for thieves, a freighter captain and an academic join forces to get her back where she belongs.
• A freighter captain and an academic join forces to save an alien foundling and get her home.
• Can a freighter captain and an academic outwit their pursuers and get a little alien foundling back where she belongs?

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?

Loglines:

• When an alchemy student is deceived into using her transmutation skills to assist a smuggling ring, will her gargoyle shifter mentor help her expose the criminals or turn her in?
• A student from a family of prominent alchemists discovers that her gargoyle shifter mentor has a lot to teach her about matters of magic and the heart.
• An alchemy apprentice doesn’t think much of her gargoyle shifter mentor – and his pet – until she finds he’s just the person to help her when a transmutation spell goes wrong.
• An alchemy apprentice doesn’t think much of her gargoyle shifter mentor until he becomes an unlikely ally when she discovers illegal activities happening at the university.

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?

Loglines:

• Can a resourceful human trust the alien determined to help her and her companions?
• A human woman and her companions escape from one disaster and find hope in the form of an alien officer.

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?

Loglines:

• An alien interrogator recognizes the human prisoner as his fated mate, leading to danger for both of them.
• With only one chance to find a true mate, the call of a mating bond demands a higher loyalty, even if it’s to his sworn enemy.

Pets in Space 6 STORIES

BEHR’S REBEL 
Marastin Dow Book 2
by S.E. Smith

• With the help of her two innovative pets, a human woman rescues an alien General and becomes part of the revolution he is leading.
• The last thing a human woman expects to find is love when she is hired to rescue an imprisoned alien General.
• An alien General meets a human woman who captures not only his heart, but the heart of his people.
• A human woman saves an alien General and finds herself his partner in a revolution.
• Two rebels—one alien, one human—discover love among the stars.

STAR CRUISE: TIME LOOP
Sectors Romance series
by Veronica Scott

• Reliving the same terrible day, Raelyn and her pet are in a race to save the interstellar cruise ship…
• Caught in a repeating time loop, stewardess Raelyn fights to save her own life and the lives of everyone aboard the interstellar cruise ship…
• No one will believe Raelyn when she insists she’s lived through this day before, not even the man she loves. She only has a few hours to find the mad bomber intent on destroying the interstellar cruise ship, before the day repeats again…and again…

THE CYBORG WITH NO NAME
by Honey Phillips

• An isolated scientist. A wounded cyborg ranger. An unexpected enemy.
• Can a wounded cyborg help an isolated scientist remember her own humanity?
• Can a rogue robotic horse and a misfit mechanical dog protect a wounded cyborg and a lonely scientist from a vicious new enemy?
• With the help of a robot horse and a cybernetic dog, can two wounded souls find peace in each other’s arms?)

ESCAPE FROM NOVA NINE
A Central Galactic Concordance Novella
by Carol Van Natta

• A wanted fugitive with enemies on his afterburner and a pirate clanswoman with vital information must escape a lethal asteroid mine.
• A space pirate clanswoman with vital information must ally with a wanted fugitive working his own agenda to escape a dangerous asteroid mine.
• 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 a war?
• A wanted fugitive and a space pirate must pull off an impossible escape from a dangerous asteroid mine in time to change the course of a galactic war.
• In a dangerous asteroid mine, space griffins may be the key to escape for a pirate clanswoman with vital secrets and a wanted fugitive with enemies hot on his tail.
• With a galaxy on the brink of war, can a wanted fugitive and a space pirate escape a dangerous asteroid mine in time to make a difference?

TRADE SECRETS
The Department of Homeworld Security series
by Cassandra Chandler

• She wanted to learn about aliens—and ended up uncovering their secrets!
•  The secrets they carry could destroy any hope for peace.
•  She didn’t just find aliens—she found their secrets!
•  She wanted to find aliens—and discovered much more than she bargained for!
•  These aliens are hiding a lot more than their existence.

SEE HOW THEY RUN
TriSystems: Smugglers
by JC Hay

• The past can weigh down a heart, but in microgravity, even it can fly
• In microgravity, even the heaviest heart can fly
• Love blossoms in space, but can it survive being dragged back down to ground?
• Quarantines, deadly diseases, and vicious hunters – just another day in Engineering.

SURI’S SURE THING
Kimura Sisters Series
by S.J. Pajonas

• In this best-friends-to-lover romance, workaholic Suri would rather be in space than deal with her ex-boyfriend. Will she be able to leave him behind and find love with her best friend instead?
• When Suri’s meddling father tries to reunite her with her ex-boyfriend, she realizes her feelings are stronger for her best friend.
• Suri and her dog, Finn, are an inseparable pair, and they both suspect her ex-boyfriend is up to no good in this best-friends-to-lovers romance.
• When Suri’s ex-boyfriend returns after a two-year absence, she and her dog, Finn, must prove that her romance with him is dead and find love with her best friend instead.
• QA Mission Specialist Suri Kimura wants to skip the ball and work instead, but her meddling father has brought her ex-boyfriend in to woo her back to dating again. Too bad she’s secretly in love with her best friend.
• Suri would rather be in space working than dealing with her meddling father and her long forgotten ex-boyfriend. Her dog, Finn, thinks her best friend Erik would be a better match.

THE THUNDER EGG
by Greta van der Rol

• All they need to do is find out what Neyru is, where she comes from, and get her home.
• When an alien foundling becomes a target for thieves, a freighter captain and an academic join forces to get her back where she belongs.
• A freighter captain and an academic join forces to save an alien foundling and get her home.
• Can a freighter captain and an academic outwit their pursuers and get a little alien foundling back where she belongs?

WORLDS OF FIRE: METAMORPHOSIS
by Deborah A. Bailey

• When an alchemy student is deceived into using her transmutation skills to assist a smuggling ring, will her gargoyle shifter mentor help her expose the criminals or turn her in?
• A student from a family of prominent alchemists discovers that her gargoyle shifter mentor has a lot to teach her about matters of magic and the heart.
• An alchemy apprentice doesn’t think much of her gargoyle shifter mentor – and his pet – until she finds he’s just the person to help her when a transmutation spell goes wrong.
• An alchemy apprentice doesn’t think much of her gargoyle shifter mentor until he becomes an unlikely ally when she discovers illegal activities happening at the university.

STRANDED ON GRZBT
by Melisse Aires

• Can a resourceful human trust the alien determined to help her and her companions?
• A human woman and her companions escape from one disaster and find hope in the form of an alien officer.

ESCAPING KORTH
Before The Fall series
by Kyndra Hatch

• An alien interrogator recognizes the human prisoner as his fated mate, leading to danger for both of them.
• With only one chance to find a true mate, the call of a mating bond demands a higher loyalty, even if it’s to his sworn enemy.

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