A collection of eight sci-fi romance novels and novellas.Spanning the universe, from futuristic Earth to unique alien worlds, these stories combine the realms of science fiction with heartfelt romance and tantalizing sizzle. Adventure, mystery, space exploration, technology, betrayal, and love, these eight stories sing the songs of the stars - igniting the imagination, arousing the spirit, and uplifting the heart.Laurie A. Green - Farewell Andromeda (The Inherited Stars #0.5)Fresh off a painful jilting, the last thing deep space pilot Tiharra Bell needs is another romantic entanglement. Certainly not with the galaxy's most famous astronomer-who also happens to be single, inconveniently handsome, and a resident of the remote Andromeda Station. But Tiharra soon discovers two terrible truths about Dr. Dante "Donner" Dane:1) he's not the man he appears to beand2) he doesn't have long to live...Before her fourteen day layover is complete, she'll put her life and career on the line to protect his heartbreaking secret.Rinelle Grey - Reckless Rescue (Barren Planet #1)Stranded on the dying planet of Zerris, Marlee longs for the one thing she can't have... a family. Due to the noxious gas covering the planet, she can't conceive a child, and the Council, determined to repopulate the planet, have ended her third - and most precious - relationship. They insist she pick a new mate and try again, but she's sworn off love and the possibility of ever having a real family...When a ship from the thriving planet of Urslat crashes on Zerris, Marlee rescues the ship's daring captain, Tyris. His ship is grounded, winter is setting in, and he won't survive without help. She offers him a deal... he can live with her if he pretends to be her mate so the Council will leave her alone...Tyris agrees and a hungry desire sparks between them as they battle the harsh winter and primitive conditions. Their attraction grows, and soon, keeping their distance becomes impossible, even more challenging than the snow, the Council, and, for Marlee, the risks of a real relationship.Will she risk her heart one last time for a chance at her dream? Or will Tyris be her undoing?Sandy James - The SeekerThroughout the horrifying months since the alien Vymalns conquered Earth, Kara Michaels has managed to elude capture. Until now!She is about to lose hope when she is rescued by Seeker Aiodhan Reil, an elite warrior of Tirios sent to Earth by the Praemons; precognizant children who can predict which Vymalns will threaten their homeworld...Although intimidated by his strength, Kara is drawn to Aiodhan's air of mystery. Upon discovering that he is also an alien, she fears that his race will pose an additional threat to Earth's freedom!Aiodan's mission doesn't include falling in love with a human female or liberating her father from an internment camp. He must find a way to keep his vows and still protect Kara, just as she must put aside her hatred of aliens to allow Aiodhan into her heart. Only then can they work together to rescue humankind from cruel enslavement...C.E. Kilgore - Unbound Instinct (Corwint Central Agent Files Side Stories #4)Vex was born into servitude, just one of the thousands of Trexen who had been collared and trained into submission by the Xen'dari Empire. An unexpected turn of events offers him the chance for freedom, but freedom comes with its own challenges. Trexen were taught to fear it and fear themselves. Without the Xen'dari collar around his neck or a Master to tell him what to do and how to do it, Vex is faced with having to make his own choices, while fighting against the instinctual carnal nature of his Trexen heritage.Cris is the last of her kind, enslaved by a man who uses her charms to subdue the crowds of his tavern and heal the wounds of his gang who attack the territories surrounding their outpost. When Vex steps into her world and kidnaps her into freedom, she must decide if she will accept it or if she will run from it and him!Together, they will search for a grasp of freedom, an acceptance of themselves and an understanding of each other.Shelley Munro - Janaya (Alien Encounter #1)Janaya is a bodyguard on a mission. She must protect her Aunt Hinekiri from mercenaries and return to Dalcon in time to take her captain's exam. A simple assignment for an officer of her calibre - except nothing goes as planned. Their spaceship crash-lands on Earth. No spare parts available. Big problem!Janaya is stuck on a tiny outpost called New Zealand. She's going to bungle her promotion chances. And because she neglected to have her travel inoculations in her urgent hurry to protect her aunt, Janaya has bonded with an Earthman...Police officer Luke Morgan seeks a quiet life. No press. No nosy reporters. No women. Just lots of fishing and fresh country air. He doesn't count on meeting a pair of aliens and a talking dog, or participating in a shootout with purple-suited aliens. Nor does he expect the surge of lust he experiences for Janaya. Suddenly a routine callout turns into a huge problem, that Luke suspects might only be the tip of the iceberg...Greta van der Rol - A Matter of Trust (Dryden Universe #1)Princess Amira is ready to start a new life after the death of her husband, but that doesn't include marrying the man her father picks out for her. Pursued by his agents, she races across the galaxy in a desperate search for a safe haven. Amid simmering tensions at the edge of the Empire, Amira renews her acquaintance with Imperial Admiral Ul-Mellor. Although his detractors call him the Demon Admiral, Amira finds him intelligent, articulate, and very attractive.But Ul-Mellor is not human and Amira is a princess - far above Ul-Mellor's status on his home world. He and Amira will have to overcome a gulf of cultural and class differences if they're to turn their mutual attraction into a relationship. And what will Ul-Mellor do when faced with a choice - Amira or his hard-won commission?Rachel Leigh Smith - My Name Is A'yen (A'yen's Legacy #1)They've taken everything from him. Except his name!The Loks Me have been slaves for so long, freedom is a distant myth A'yen Mesu no longer believes. A year in holding, because of his master's murder, has sucked the life from him. Archaeologist Farran Hart buys him to protect her on an expedition to the Rim, the last unexplored quadrant...Farran believes the Loks Me once lived on the Rim and is determined to prove it. And win A'yen's trust. But she's a breeder's daughter and can't be trusted!Hidden rooms, information caches and messages from a long-dead king change A'yen's mind about her importance. When she's threatened he offers himself in exchange, and lands on the Breeder's Association's radar. The truth must be told. Even if it costs him his heart!Aurora Springer - Captured By The HawkThe intrepid spy, Grey Kat, is escaping with key codes from the Emperor's Revenge when she is trapped by the notorious pirate, Black Hawk. He persuades her to assist in his next piracy attempt, and they are thrust into a series of mishaps while dodging pursuit by the Emperor's ships. At the same time, Kat strives to discover the secret hidden behind Black Hawk's mask before she suffers the fate of his unfortunate wife!