In the anthology Pets in Space, there is a lovely little story called Stray. It was one of my favorites as it really zinged my heart (made me cry). The author, Susan Grant, has expanded the story to novella length and with a new title plus its own cover page, Star Hero is being released today.
About Star Hero
First he had to rescue her. Then he’d try to win her back.
A Marine serving in the galactic frontier, Lieutenant Lukas Frank has a lot in common with a street dog named Bang-Bang; they both started off as scrappy orphans fighting to survive–and beat the odds. Things change when Bang-Bang leads Lukas to starpilot Captain Carlynn Riga. The tough war hero learns what it means to surrender–his heart. Lukas’s struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, threaten to tear the three of them apart, but nothing threatens them more than when Carlynn goes missing in action. Now the rugged, emotionally scarred Marine and his K-9 partner must find Carlynn and bring her home, or risk losing everything he has finally found worth fighting for.
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Susan Grant is one of 12 leading scifi romance authors contributing to Embrace the Romance, Pets in Space 2. The second anthology features pets, people, and romance in a scifi setting. It will be released on October 10, but you can pre-order now if you like.
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.
Last year’s Pets In Space, the anthology of stories that included, not only scifi and romance, but those wonderful, adorable, amazing, otherworldly pets, was a favorite of many scifi romance readers, including yours truly. So, I am very excited to share this wonderful news with you today. Pets in Space is back with another amazing selection of pet-centric stories.
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?
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?
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.
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?
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
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
One year ago today, Whiskey With My Book was born. It has been quite a year, not only from a blogging standpoint, but also from a personal perspective. While many looked back a 2016 at the end of last year, I thought the WWMB birthday was just as good a day to do that.
A year ago, I nervously clicked on the ‘Publish” button and my very first post went live. It was a review of The Viper and the Urchin by Celine Jeanjean. It was also the start of a lovely reviewer/author relationship with Ms. Jeanjean. The title of the book was later changed to The Bloodless Assassin and the series became know as The Viper and the Urchin. Since then I have read and reviewed two more additions to the series, The Black Orchid and The Pickpocket.
At the end of January came the 2015 SFR Galaxy Awards. I was thrilled to be asked to be a judge for these awards. There are so many books that I truly enjoy for one reason or another. The SFR Galaxy Awards is just another way to bring these books to the attention of those who enjoy reading SciFi Romance. The awards themselves might be a bit quirky (for example, I gave Echo 8 by Sharon Lynn Fisher the award for Best Physics Lesson) but all the books I selected are great stories written by the best storytellers. The 2016 SFR Galaxy Awards are coming soon. I’ll have a post about them here, or you can follow the SFR Galaxy Awards blog by e-mail.
In February, I added art to the blog. I have always been a very visual person, so adding art seemed natural. Plus, Alana McCarthy of Geeky Pet created a Doctor Who cat. Art. SciFi. Doctor Who. Cat.
To celebrate St. Patrick’s day, I featured more art. You may have seen some of the Jameson Irish Whiskey ads on TV. The ads and the art are very entertaining.
The end of June also saw the final post of the blog Smart Girls Love SciFi Romance. I had been a contributor to this awesome blog since May of 2015 and because of everything I learned working with founder Charlee Allden, SGLSFR was indirectly responsible for my creation of Whiskey With My Book.
KJ Van Houten joined WWMB as a review contributor in August. I am absolutely delighted to have her fresh view of books on this blog.
Also in August, Lee Koven joined me in a joint interview of Bec McMaster. Lee and I share some very similar taste in fiction, with Ms. McMaster being a favorite. It was a really fun interview!
Star Trek turned 50 years old this year. Star Trek had a huge impact on my scifi tastes in books, TV and movies. What a remarkable series, in all its iterations.
I also met an author/blogger who enjoys Whiskey as much as me, though Sorchia Dubois spells it W-H-I-S-K-Y. She stopped by for a guest post and discussed the merits of single malt scotch.
And as much as I love to discover new authors, WWMB loves repeat visitors! Several authors were featured more and once in once way or another (book feature, author interview, or guest post: Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Juliette Cross, Laurie A. Green, Liza O’Connor, Susan Grant, Sharon Lynn Fisher, Michelle Diener, Cecilia Dominic, Celine Jeajean.
On the personal side, 2016 led to a couple of major changes. At the end of January, I retired from a long career in IT and Banking. Happy to be free of the demands of a constantly and quickly changing environment, I eventually found myself looking for something else to do. More of part-time, low stress job to keep my mind occupied.
In June, I found that job. I call it my dream job actually. The local city library needed a new Library Director. It’s a part-time job with very few benefits, but… It. Is. A. Library! Plus I work with book-lovers and books. This year, I will be going through the State Library of Iowa Public Library Management program, so it’s back to school for me. I am really looking forward to it!
This past year, WWMB has had:
185 posts including:
80 book reviews
44 art features
3 cover reveals
56 features – including 12 guest posts and 13 interviews
5,242 views
2,312 visitors
596 comments
Cats were mentioned in at least 20 posts, probably more. Even my cats got to visit once.
On 9/23/2016 I had the most views on a single day ever (it was my birthday – how did you know?)
Friday is my most popular day for visits. The weekly ‘What Are You Reading This Weekend’ features art and the current book(s) I am reading. I’m not sure if the popularity is because of all the art lovers out there, or there are many folks looking for something to read.
To all the authors that have been a part of my blog this year. I would not be here if it weren’t for you and all those wonderful stories you tell. I have truly enjoyed working with all of you, whether it was a book review, feature, interview or guest post! I hope we can work together again.
And to WWMB’s followers: as of the draft of this post, we have 230 followers. Whatever your reason for following – art, books, whiskey, cats….. – I truly appreciate it when you stop by and read what I have written. Thanks for reading!
About Star Hero
Susan Grant is one of 12 leading scifi romance authors contributing to Embrace the Romance, Pets in Space 2. The second anthology features pets, people, and romance in a scifi setting. It will be released on October 10, but you can pre-order now if you like.
At the end of 
In February, I added art to the blog. I have always been a very visual person, so adding art seemed natural. Plus, 
Several Prism Award finalists where featured on Whiskey With My Book in May and June: 
