Nine of today’s leading SFR authors combine their love of Science Fiction Romance and animals to show that sometimes even an alien needs a pet.

Pets in Space combines two of my big loves, science fiction and pets. I also love that a portion of proceeds are being donated to hero-dogs.org who raise and train service dogs for US veterans.

I am delighted that each author in Pets in Space has agreed to share with us an insight into their story in the anthology and a little bit about why they decided to write for the anthology. Today’s guest is Pauline Baird Jones:

For a long time, the Hubs and I have lived in cities, even though both of us grew up in small towns. The big city was where the job was, so we went where the job sent us.
I’ve recently come home, both physically and in my heart. I find myself remembering so many things I hadn’t thought about for years.

When I was little, on hot summer nights, we could throw sleeping bags out on the front lawn. As cool stole slowly in to replace the heat, the stars would come out, one, two, then in a burst—like a party in the sky.

We’d lay on our backs and look up at stars and moon and wonder and dream.

Did anyone live on the moon?
What was beyond the moon?
Were there others like us?
Would we ever meet them?

I know. Roswell. But I wouldn’t call crashing a space ship and some alien autopsies a “meeting.” But as a writer, as a dreamer, I still wonder what THE meeting will be like (yes, I still believe).

My hopes for first contact include (but are not limited to):
1. That they don’t come to eat us.
2. That they don’t come to shoot us and take our resources.
3. That they want to know us.
4. That they want us to live long and prosper.
5. That I won’t say something that will start an intergalactic war.

Which got me wondering, if it happened, what would I say? Yeah, I’d probably say the wrong thing, but is there anyone “out there” figuring out the correct protocol for first contact? And who would that be? Are people who have been abducted by aliens considered experts to be consulted?

I’m pretty sure I should say, “Did you come to eat us?”

So, if you were The One who meets the first alien, what would you say or ask? (Assuming, of course, the aliens have a Universal Translator because otherwise there will just be a lot of staring.)

In “The Real Dragon,” Emma thinks she is having first contact with an alien. She doesn’t know that what she believes, and what actually is, are far enough apart to put all of Earth at risk.

Or ten square miles of Texas.

It all depends on how that meeting goes. And if her dragon can save the day.

If you like stories of romance, action, adventure and PETS, I hope you’ll check out Pets in Space. Not only will you get EIGHT original, never-before-published stories, and ONE expanded story, 10% of the first month’s proceeds will be donated to Hero-Dogs.org, an organization dedicated to training dogs to help Veterans.

It shouldn’t be that hard to wrap my brain around making first contact with an alien. It’s what all of us geeks dreamed of and hoped for. Perhaps we didn’t hope for first contact by dragon, but still, I should have been ready.
I didn’t feel ready. From “The Real Dragon,” Pets in Space

Pauline never liked reality, so she writes books. She likes to wander among the genres, rampaging like Godzilla, because she does love peril mixed in her romance. You can find out more about her books (and get a free story for subscribing to her newsletter) at: http:///www.paulinebjones.com