I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! While the leaves are late to change colour in Southwestern Ontario, they have started already, and I enjoy crunching them under my feet every time I'm out walking.
But, today's post isn't about the colours of fall. It's about PETS. Now, on Earth we are used to pets like dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, fish, and even more exotic reptiles. But just like we don't know what life is like on other planets, we also don't know what their pets would be like. So, those of us who write fiction that is set in space get to create our own. In the newly released Sci-Fi Romance anthology, EMBRACE THE ROMANCE: Pets in Space 2, you will find some of the pets you already know, and many new ones straight from the imagination of the authors involved.
The pet I've included in my anthology story is a tibbar, which is similar to a baby rabbit, but with hamster-like claws and ears. Plus, they have the intelligence of a cat, which means they can and do get into all kinds of trouble. I’ve had all three of those types of pets at some point in my life, but never all at the same time. It was fun to combine their physical characteristics and personalities into one pet for the purpose of this story.
Here's an excerpt from GIB AND THE TIBBAR, my Galactic Defenders story that is included in the new Pets in Space anthology, EMBRACE THE ROMANCE...
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| Illustration by Nyssa Juneau |
A small, furry white creature scampered between the Defenders and the fire. Gib yanked his feet back and gasped. He tried to follow the path the animal took, and when it disappeared into the grassy field, he relaxed a little. Not that he was afraid, only startled by the sudden appearance of the critter.
But his watch partner reacted differently. The cowardly Defender stood on his bench, reaching for a low branch on the ropral tree as if to lift himself farther off the ground. “What in Gaspra was that? No one told me about any deadly creatures on this planet.”
Gib laughed and slapped his hand on his lap. “I wouldn’t call the fluffy little thing that raced by us a deadly creature.”
“Okay, Hemera is infested with vermin, then.” Zair examined the area around him before he dared put a foot on the ground.
A high-pitched squeak sounded, and Gib’s surveillance partner returned to reaching for the branches. The little creature stood on its hind legs below Zair’s bench, peeping as if telling him off.
Gib couldn’t hold in his laughter. Not just at the other Defender’s reaction, but also the thoughts running through Zair’s mind, thoughts he’d failed to block in his fear.
“It’s not going to eat you.” Gib shook his head, wondering how his squad mate could see the creature as dangerous. “Would you please get down from there? Defenders are supposed to be brave and fierce. Right now, you’re neither.”
“Go to Gaspra, Mingot. And stay out of my head.” He yanked his plazer from his hip holster and aimed it at the critter. “If I don’t destroy it, it will bring death to everyone on this planet.”
Stepping into the line of fire, Gib yanked the weapon from his squad mate, thankful the safety remained on. “You’re being ridiculous. Besides, if you fire your weapon, you’ll cause a panic. The Hemera will think Erebus have arrived.”
The frightened Defender shook a foot at the creature. “Fine, then. Kick it into the fire. Or you could stomp on it.”
“Don’t you dare!” A Hemera woman burst from the bushes, storming toward Zair like a mother rehn protecting her young. She shoved him off his bench and shouldered past Gib before scooping the noisy creature into her hand. “This is my tibbar, not some kind of vermin.”
“Tibbar? Try nasty rodent that tried to eat me.” Zair smoothed out his uniform but kept his distance from the creature now perched on the woman’s shoulder.
“You’re both on nehbred.” She kicked dirt at them, her pink lips pursed and her dark eyes set in a deadly stare. “You don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to my pet or my planet.”
Embrace the Romance
Twelve leading Science Fiction Romance authors team up to deliver a dozen original never released stories that will take you to new worlds! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2! Get your copy today!
Happy reading!
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