Book Spotlight & Author Interview: PETS IN SPACE® 4

September 5, 2019 - book promotions

Pets in Space 4 cover For a limited time only! Pets in Space® 4 is proud to present 13 amazing, original new stories! Join the adventures as today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors take you on a journey to another world. Pets in Space® proudly supports Hero-Dogs.org, a non-profit charity that provides service animals to veterans and first responders in need.

Join New York Times, USA TODAY and Award-winning Bestselling authors S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Tiffany Roberts, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Donna McDonald, Regine Abel, Alexis Glynn Latner, JC Hay, E.D. Walker, Kyndra Hatch, and Cassandra Chandler for another exciting Pets in Space® anthology. Get the stories before they are gone!

Proud supporters of Hero-Dogs.org, Pets in Space® authors have donated over $7,100 in the past three 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® 4 will again go to Hero-Dogs.org. Open your hearts and grab your limited release copy of Pets in Space® 4 today so together we can continue to assist this worthy charity!

Interview with Author Cassandra Chandler

What inspired you to come up with the idea for your book?

The story arc that threaded through the first nine books in The Department of Homeworld Security series focused on Sadirians (and other aliens) adapting to Earthlings. It was so fun exploring all the shenanigans that can involve. My readers have been wanting to know more about the Coalition of Planets, though, and I’ve been working on a way to keep the series Earth-centric while also giving this “view behind the curtain”. Sadirian twin brothers Dane and Marq appeared in my mind a while back, and I knew they’d be a perfect bridge to the next set of stories, which will involve more time on secret space stations and bases in our solar system.

Do you have a favorite scene? If so, what was it?

The “fish out of water” moments are my favorite to write in this series. It’s great fun to take something we’re familiar with and turn it on its head. In my Pets in Space® 4 piece, Import Quarantine, Marq has spent most of his life on space stations or the warship Reckoning, and hasn’t interacted with animals before being stationed near Earth. At one point, he thinks his translator is malfunctioning and tries to have a conversation with a donkey. I laughed the whole time I was writing that scene.

Any challenges in writing this book?

I want people to feel uplifted and happy while reading books from The Department of Homeworld Security series, and do my best to keep things as light-hearted and optimistic as possible (this is actually a Solarpunk series!). What happened to Marq and Dane, though, is pretty darn grim — especially Marq. It was tough to balance sharing just enough of his backstory to let readers understand him without shifting the focus away from the Happy-Ever-After he’s heading for in his book.

When you’re not writing, what are you up to?

I have so many hobbies—drawing, knitting, gaming, hiking, to name a few. The most unusual one I think is puppet-making. My latest creation is Craig, the four-armed space-Sasquatch from several Department of Homeworld Security books. I was absolutely thrilled to hear that readers recognized him as I posted my pictures-in-progress online.

Do you have a favorite writing environment?

I have a writing desk set into a small bay window in my bedroom. There’s a lovely oak tree right outside that fills my view, and I can often hear frogs singing in the creek near our house. When it rains, and the patter of water on the leaves joins their chorus, it is absolutely magical. Add a cup of tea, and there’s no better environment to write in.

What other books have you written?

There are ten other stories in The Department of Homeworld Security so far, and many more to come. This optimistic Solarpunk series is a blast to write, and I’m thrilled with the direction it’s heading! I also have a paranormal romance trilogy out called The Summer Park Psychics, and am just starting the Forbidden Knights series, which features werewolves, vampires, and lots of different fairies. And I’m indulging my love of fairies and sci-fi at the same time with The Blades of Janus — my dark sci-fi/Urban Fantasy romance series set in a world where fairies are actually aliens. I have a deep love for science fiction and a degree specializing in Irish Folklore, which definitely comes across in my books!

Do you have a favorite book (out of the ones you’ve written)?

My favorite book is always the most recent one I’ve written. I fall in love with my characters every time. Marq is so earnest and has the biggest heart — once he unlocks the emotions the Coalition suppressed in him. And Caitlin is just a hoot. She says whatever’s on her mind, and doesn’t let fear stop her from helping those in need, whether it’s an Earth cat on a spaceship, or the hunky alien trying to be a responsible pet owner.

ENJOY AN EXCERPT

“Why are we walking into the desert?” she asked.

“My skimmer is nearby,” he said.

“What’s a skimmer?”

“A small transport vessel. Your dwelling is far removed from other settlements, which is fortunate. We also have a bit of darkness left to cover our departure.”

“O…kay,” Caitlin said. “So, are you with the military?”

“Yes.”

“Are they going to let me on board your ship? I mean, don’t I need a security clearance?”

“They will do as I say.”

“That’s very alpha of you,” she murmured.

“I don’t know what alpha means.”

“It means in charge, I guess.”

“That is apt. I’m their Commander.”

“Wow. Cool.” They walked a bit farther in silence, then Caitlin said, “And Brigid is working with you?”

“She is. She’s now part of the Department of Homeworld Security.”

“No wonder she’s been so secretive. Wait, did you say Homeworld?”

“I did.”

“Homeworld.”

“Yes.”

Caitlin halted. “If this is some kind of joke, I am not amused.”

AUTHOR BIO AND LINKS

Cassandra Chandler uses her vivid imagination to make the world more interesting, spawning the ideas she turns into her whimsical Science Fiction romcoms and darkly evocative Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romances. Fast-paced and funny, lighthearted or dark, her stories will introduce you to characters you want to be friends with and worlds where you’d like to build a vacation home.

Website: https://cassandra-chandler.com/

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Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Cassandra-Chandler/e/B00V5713T4