Carol Van Natta

When an earthquake shakes up a nearby world, can two star-crossed rescuers save an entire community… and each other? Experienced rescuer Subcaptain Taz Correa hides her wounded heart. A telekinetic tech-whiz recently transferred to the worst Galactic Search and Rescue unit in the galaxy, she’d hoped after her string of epically bad breakups she’d have a fresh start. But when she can’t fight her feelings for her new teammate, she’s terrified her secret affection will show and cost both their careers. Subcaptain Rylando Dalroinn’s telepathic connection to animals used to be everything. But he has no idea how to admit his growing attraction to Taz, especially as it’s completely against the rules. And when they’re sent as a team of two to help a devastated town, he knows he can’t afford to let his heart’s desire distract him from their dangerous mission. As Taz works with Rylando and his unusual squad of trained animal helpers to free a desperate group of citizens, she puts her life on the line to protect her partner’s beloved creatures. But when Rylando realizes the people he’s rescuing are more than just innocent victims, he’ll have to throw out the rulebook to save them both. Can love—and a clever crew of animals—guide the couple out of the rubble and into a future together? Galactic Search and Rescue is a pulse-pounding story in the Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. If you like lovers in denial, edge-of-your-seat twists and turns, and intriguing psychic powers, then you’ll adore Carol Van Natta’s thrilling tale. Buy Galactic Search and Rescue to shake up the world today! Note: Galactic Search and Rescue first appeared in the limited-edition Pets in Space 5 science fiction romance anthology. The standalone version has been expanded from the original.

She's a space pirate with vital information. He's a wanted fugitive with enemies hot on his afterburner. Will their unexpected attraction survive escaping a dangerous asteroid mine in time to avert disaster? Trouble is arising across the galaxy, and space pirate Julke Defjensdytr has vital information for her clan. She's almost given up trying to escape the hidden rogue asteroid mine she's been imprisoned in for over a year. But a new batch of prisoners brings hope in the form of kind and sexy Zade. Starship crewman and wanted fugitive Zade Lunaso always runs from conflict. Unfortunately, this time it landed him with a one-way ticket to toil in the dangerous mine for the rest of his soon-to-be short life. He'll need all his considerable skills to escape. Not to mention help from the intriguing Julke, and a flock of curious space griffins with secrets of their own. Their bid to steal the cruel Warden's yacht goes off course when they take a wrong turn and discover a motherload of forgotten ships. But even if they somehow free every prisoner to fly them, the Warden will kill them all to protect the secret of his claim. The arrival of bigger enemies means trouble has found Zade once again. Can Julke and Zade pull off the unlikeliest escape off a lifetime, or will their luck play out and leave them stranded in the void? Escape from Nova Nine is an intriguing tale in Carol Van Natta's Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. If you like mysterious psychic powers, unexpected heroes, long-shot chances, then you'll hit pay dirt with this thrilling story. Buy Escape from Nova Nine today and strike it rich! Note: Escape from Nova Nine first appeared in the limited-edition Pets in Space 6 science fiction romance anthology. This new standalone version has been expanded from the original.

A lonely bear shifter meets his mate. She’s running for her life and doesn’t have time for romance. Pregnant Jackie Breton just escaped from a corrupt feline pack intent on selling her half-shifter baby to the highest bidder. She’s smart, independent, and has a desperate plan to keep her baby Get away from the pride as fast and far as possible. Trevor Hammond, prehistoric bear shifter, has been rejected by everyone in his life for… being born, basically. Well, except for the beloved aunt who raised him. He’s built a career as an independent trucker, but life would be much better with someone he can hold in his arms and claim as his own. When Jackie meets Trevor at a truck stop, his bear demands he help her. His aunt even calls with a dire Get Jackie to the magical sanctuary town in Wyoming before she’s killed. Jackie thinks he’s sexy as hell, but too good to be true. She doesn’t trust shifters. With the feline pride hot on her trail, however, Trevor and the quirky town of Kotoyeesinay might be her only chance for survival. Even Trevor’s indomitable bear may be no match for the dangerous enemy seeking retribution. If you love hot alphas, magic, and thrilling chase scenes, you'll love Shifter Mate Magic, the first book in USA TODAY bestselling author Carol Van Natta's fun, action-filled, steamy-hot Ice Age Shifters™ series.

ASIN B00OHNCCYI moved to newer edition found here. The Central Galactic Concordance has been stable for two centuries, but trouble is brewing. A pandemic is affecting hundreds of civilized planets, and someone is stealing the vaccine... Brilliant investigator Luka Foxe's hidden mental talent is out of control, making him barely able to function in the aftermath of violence, and the body count is rising. The convoluted trail leads to a corrupt pharma industry and the possibility of an illegal, planet-sized laboratory. In the face of increasing threats, he must rely on an enigmatic, lethal woman he just met, but she has deep secrets of her own. Mairwen Morganthur hides extraordinary skills under the guise of a dull night-shift guard. The last thing she wants is to provide personal security for a hot-shot investigator, or to be plunged into a murky case involving sabotage, treachery, and the military covert operations division that would love to discover she’s still alive. Two more lives in a rising death count won’t bother their enemies one bit. Their only hope for survival lies in revealing their dark secrets and learning to trust one another.

A paradise planet turns deadly. Can a professor and a sniper save his daughter and her friends from mercenaries and a serial killer? When ex-military sniper and current personal security specialist Jerzi Adams visits his daughter Pico's quiet college on the paradise-like planet of Nila Marbela, he doesn’t expect emergency evacuations and rogue robots. Nor does he expect to renew a friendship with former squad-mate. And the last person Pico expects to see is the unrequited love she crossed half a galaxy to avoid. Explosions, sabotage, and assaults used to be Andra De Luna's daily routine, but she gave it up for a professorship at a prestigious university. Now she's flung back into that world, with an entire floating campus of students to protect. When the hunt for a cunning serial killer leads Jerzi's old friends Luka and Mairwen (Overload Flux) to town, there's trouble in paradise as the body count starts to rise. Either the world of academia has gone from merely cutthroat to downright deadly, or more sinister forces are in conflict, with the campus as a battleground. Without an improvised miracle or two, no one’s going to make it out alive. Buy Pico's Crush today and come along for the next wild ride in the Central Galactic Concordance series!

One’s a loner, the other lonely. When a mystery throws them together, will they lose their freedom and hearts to a galactic larceny? Lark Sutrio has always followed her own path. Despite her so-called “broken brain,” the experienced space trader has forged a living using her telepathic connection to animals to raise genetically engineered griffins. But she’s left traumatized when thieves steal all but five of the priceless creatures, nearly killing her in the raid. Pim Okaansson is craving a change. But the member of an infamous pirate clan didn’t expect his new venture to include helping a prickly friend-of-a-friend recover her poached flock. And despite his dysfunctional family’s assurances no partner would ever want him, he can’t help but be drawn to the resourceful woman. Thrilled when the dashing newcomer has the talent to track down the raiders, Lark feels her strange bond with him might just be love. And Pim yearns to keep their partnership together, even as dark forces rise to threaten their lives. With a vicious gang standing in their way, can two outcasts and clever space griffins build a future in the stars? An Entanglement of Griffins is a page-turning novella in the Central Galactic Concordance space opera romance series. If you like determined heroines, ruthless villains, and plenty of intrigue, then you’ll adore Carol Van Natta’s galaxy-class heist. Buy An Entanglement of Griffins to warp-speed into adventure today! Originally published in Pets in Space 7

Reunited lovers must outwit a ruthless government agent, or their rumored deaths will be real this time. Kerzanna Nevarr's elite special forces days of wearing Jumper mech suits and piloting Citizen Protection Services' ships are long gone. The dark legacy of her service forced her to learn to live a quiet life. And she had to do so alone, without the lover who died before her eyes. Jess Orowitz, veteran of CPS's secret spy organization, Kameleon Corps, made the mistake of trusting his superiors. He's paid a horrific price—fractured memories, constant headaches, and the death of the only woman he ever loved. Retirement on a quiet farming planet has kept him in an emotional deep freeze, but safe. But now, Kerzanna is being hunted for reasons she can’t guess, and even more stunning, the man who helps her escape is Jess, her supposedly dead lover. For Jess, discovering Kerzanna is still alive is only the first of the lies and betrayal he uncovers. Worst of all, their hunter is someone with CPS intel and lethal resources. Someone who believes the only obstacles standing in the way of success are one broken-down ex-Jumper and a fractured Kameleon. Together, are they strong enough to escape death one more time? If you like intrigue, psychics, and cyborgs, you'll love Carol Van Natta's thrilling entry in the Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. Buy Jumper's Hope today and hang on for a desperate race for survival in the far reaches of deep space!

A tarnished military Subcaptain, a repair technician hiding from her past, and two genetically engineered cats join must forces to save an important factory. Military Subcaptain Kedron Tauceti counts the days until he can leave the rare metals factory and his current duty station as the liaison to the galactic government’s Criminal Restitution and Indenture Obligation system. The post was protection—and punishment—for exposing a theft ring during his previous assignment. He's more than ready to get his career back on track on a new base halfway across the galaxy, even if it means leaving behind the one person who makes him want to stay. Not that he's told her, because technically, he's her warden. Former financial specialist and current indenturee Ferra Barray, hiding from her past, only has three months to go on her restitution sentence. She's lucked into a tech repair job. If she keeps her head down, she'll soon be free to figure out her future. Unfortunately, the local shark behind every illegal scheme in the facility wants her to steal for him, and she's running out of excuses. And now the heroically handsome Tauceti, who she hoped could help, is transferring out. Everything changes when Ferra discovers two genetically modified cats. Saving them takes incredible risks. She doesn't know what she'll do if she can't convince Tauceti to rescue the cats and keep them until she's free to come for them. But when trouble erupts at the factory, it might just be the cats who save them. Find out what happens in this exciting standalone novella from Carol Van Natta's award-winning Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NOTE TO READERS: Cats of War debuted in the limited edition Embrace the Passion: Pets in Space 3 anthology. It has been edited for clarity, but is substantially unchanged from the original. If you already have the anthology, you don't need to buy this story again (unless you like your books standalone).

When 4,000 colonists are stranded on a dying planet, two ex-lovers and an ancient freighter are their only hope for survival. Independent trader Gavril Danilovich is trapped on Polaris-G, a frontier planet in the midst of an ecological disaster. The galactic military is blockading the system to contain the mysteriously virulent blight. The planetary government impounded his ship. Even worse, his uncontrolled mental talent for empathy means the colonists' fear and anger are threatening his sanity. When government supply depot manager Anitra Helden finds a mothballed interstellar freighter in an abandoned repair dock, she hopes to use it carry supplies the colonists will need when they finally get to leave. Given the planet-wide turmoil, the only person she trusts to repair the ship is Gavril, her ex-lover. Gavril seizes the opportunity to get his ship back and repair their broken past. Anitra will have to trust him with more than her heart, she'll have to trust him with secret plans to break the blockade. Everything changes when they learn 4,000 colonists are stranded. Can Gavril and Anitra pull off the rescue, outmaneuver the military fleet, and win their second chance at love? Last Ship Off Polaris-G starts the sweeping saga of the Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. If you like characters trying to do the right thing, interstellar intrigue, and second-chance romance, you'll enjoy Carol Van Natta's fast-paced adventure. ★ Buy Last Ship Off Polaris-G and escape with Gavril and Anitra today! ★

An injured veterinarian and a cyborg with unusual pets must join forces to save their town. The vast Central Galactic Concordance strictly prohibits genetic experimentation and alteration of humans on any of its 500 member planets. Animals aren’t so lucky. On a frontier planet, veterinarian Bethnee Bakonin made a home for herself 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. She works around her limitations as best she can, and rescues pet trade castoffs. “Volunteered” for a black-box research project, elite forces Jumper Axur Tragon now has dangerous experimental tech in his cybernetic limbs. He escaped and crash-landed a stolen freighter in the northern mountains of a frontier planet, only to discover a secret shipment of designer pets was part of the cargo. 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. When greedy mercenaries come raiding, can Axur and Bethnee work together to overcome their limitations, with help from their unusual pets, and save the day? It's a deadly adventure—with pets—in the fringes of space. Grab your copy of Pet Trade today! - - - - - Series note: Pet Trade takes place between Pico's Crush and Jumper's Hope in the Central Galactic Concordance series, but is a standalone story. Originally appeared in the USA TODAY bestselling anthology Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2. * * * * * * * * * * "...a poignant romance… I loved watching as these two individuals start to heal, and find love together.” -- Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

Come along, a millennium into the future… if you dare. The Central Galactic Concordance government boasts 500 member planets and 200 years of prosperity, thanks to the sprawling Citizen Protection Service. The agency uses any means necessary to keep the peace, from allying with giant pharma corporations and political maneuvering, to secret black-box projects with darker purposes. The CPS also employs minders—people with telepathic and telekinetic talents—for service and security, and covert operations. Being a minder isn't easy—they are followed by fear and prejudice. But being a "person of interest," or of use to the CPS is even worse. Throw in corruption, hidden agendas, planet-sized secrets, and space battles… Your only hope for survival is to know who your friends are… and keep them close. Jump on board for the interstellar ride of a lifetime—read the first three books of this award-winning series today. The Central Galactic Concordance collection includes three full-length novels of space opera, adventure, mystery, and romance: • Overload Flux - Two loners fighting to stay alive discover they must now save the galaxy. • Minder Rising - A covert agent asked to train a prodigy telepath discovers he must first keep the boy and his mother alive in a gleaming city full of danger. • Pico's Crush - Trouble comes to paradise when a serial killer chooses a galaxy-famous college campus for his hunting ground. "Space opera packed with diverse characters, intricate world-building, and plenty of intrigue" ~ Anna Hackett, USA TODAY Bestselling Author of the Hell Squad series More books in the CGC series: — Zero Flux (novella, Book 2.5) — Jumper's Hope (Book 4)

A couple investigating murder on a cold planet discovers their first challenge is staying alive. Forensic investigator Luka Foxe has begun a new life with Mairwen Morganthur (Overload Flux), and left his troubled past far behind. Only a plea from his old friend and mentor can lure him back to investigate a violent crime scene frozen in an ice cave. Unfortunately, Luka's old friend knows far more than he's telling, which could get them all killed, even with security specialist Mairwen on their side. An unexpected ice fall reveals a hidden lab buried deep in a mountain and the find of a lifetime. Now someone is trying to make sure those secrets stay frozen in time, even if it means more deaths … Hang on for a space opera murder mystery in the far reaches of deep space—get your copy of Zero Flux today! Zero Flux is a complete story. It can be enjoyed without having read the series, but your experience will be enhanced if you've read Overload Flux.

A covert agent asked to train a prodigy telepath discovers he must first keep the boy and his mother alive in a gleaming city full of danger. An injured agent on the galactic capital planet must evade whoever is killing off his covert interrogations unit and make an impossible choice--save his own skin, or save an innocent woman and her prodigy son. Can he discover who is subverting the mission of the Citizen Protection Service, before they fulfill their dark plans? A millennium into the future, the Citizen Protection Service tests all children for minder talents, and recruits the best. Injured agent Lièrén Sòng is recovering from a near-fatal crash in Spires, the gleaming capital city of the galaxy. He should be preparing to return to interrogating criminals for the Citizen Protection Service, but he's made unexpected friends with a woman and her son. The boy has strong telepathic talents similar to Lièrén's, and his attractive mother makes Lièrén long for the stability of family. Imara Sesay works hard as a road crew chief in Spires and part-time bartender to provide for her son Derrit. For him, she even breaks her ironclad rule never to get close to a customer, when she trusts Lièrén to teach her son how to control his growing telepathic talents. However, new fatalities in his covert unit make Lièrén suspect he isn't a lucky survivor, he's a loose end. He should pull away from Imara and Derrit to keep them safe. But when the local CPS Testing Center shows a more than usual interest in the boy, Lièrén must make an impossible choice--protect the boy, or run for his own life. Can he stay alive long enough to save Imara and her prodigy son?