As the Torrian Alliance continues its age-old mission of hunting down Star Children, King Gregorio Derry reluctantly agrees to send his only son, William, to planet Earth on a mission to bring honor back to the royal family name. The target: Sydney, a teenage girl unaware of her alien heritage. When an accident delays the assassination, William begins to realize he is forming a connection with Sydney, and he struggles to follow through with his orders. William must make the ultimate choice between his irrevocable duty and love, sacrificing everything he believes.

A detective who refuses to modify her body teams up with her cyborg rival to track down a burglar who is putting toys into homes. A solitary ice miner finds love and friendship while stranded on the surface of Galileo. And two hardheaded negotiators put their differences aside to evade an assassin and save their planets. Enjoy these visions of Christmases yet to come with three science-fiction novellas from Carina Press.

NASA discovered the alien ship lurking in the asteroid belt in the 1960's. They kept the Target under intense surveillance for decades, letting the public believe they were exploring the solar system, while they worked feverishly to refine the technology needed to reach it. Dr. Jane Holloway is content documenting nearly-extinct languages and had never contemplated becoming an astronaut. But when NASA recruits her to join a team of military scientists for an expedition to the Target, it's an adventure she can't refuse.

Posey Quinn has always believed there was more to the world than what she could see. So when she arrives in Stargazer with her head full of conspiracies and high-end hairspray, she isn't entirely surprised to learn that instead of donating eggs for tuition money, she is being asked to make an alien fall in love with her and become an ambassador for humankind. What she doesn't expect is how irresistible Bond is, and how hard it will be not to lose her own heart to the man who plays her body like a violin.

Rennek is an honor-bound male whose very existence in life is tarnished by the sins of his father. When he and his crew stumble onto a trafficking ring his immediate instinct is to rescue the females. He finds himself drawn to one of them, setting in motion a dangerous course of events propelling him towards his destiny. Can Rennek be the leader his people need him to be as the secrets of the past are uncovered?

Abby Tanner is content to live on her mountain while she creates beautiful works of art and enjoys the peace and quiet. All that changes when a strange golden spaceship crash lands on it. Now Abby has to deal with a golden ship, a tortured alien, and an insane local sheriff.

Calista is happy with her life of scientific research. She doesn't need love, she has her books, her friends, and her work. Things are fine until her ship is attacked by space pirates and crash lands on a desert planet with heat so intense she and her friends can't survive without help. Ladon is a Zmaj warrior resigned to a life alone, who only desires to protect his treasures. His hopes for a mate faded long ago, yet when he meets Calista something stirs. It takes only one look to know that she belongs to him.

Jewel is a tomboy who was eventually discharged from the military because she struggled to get along with others and couldn’t adjust to the military's restricted lifestyle. After a scandal that disrupted the social order back home, Kay is banished to a zoological research vessel, where he acts as curator. He struggles to prove himself, trying to earn his place in the order again so that he can end his exile and return to his normal life. But when it turns out that Jewel was abducted from home and placed in an alien zoo, with Kay as the only other being around, she questions his intentions.

I'm stumbling around with no memory, no idea who I am, or how I came into existence. I mean, I know my life didn't just start. The pain in my ankle and arm tells me something happened, perhaps something terrible. If only I could remember. This planet is magical or cursed. I'm not sure which. Things appear and disappear before my eyes, terrifying monsters trying to devour me. I'm alone and frightened. And then I stumble upon them: three delicious-looking guys with hard bodies. They strip naked, transforming into powerful animals like prehistoric wolves.

Drago, King of the Isle of Dragons, is the last of the magnificent dragons of the Seven Kingdoms. Bitter and alone, he abandons the emptiness of his realm and retreats to the caverns beneath the palace. In the form of his dragon, he remains hidden from the world, protecting the Dragon's Heart, the last legacy of his people - until he is disturbed by a most unlikely thief.

From New York Times best-selling author Vivian Arend, books one to four in the Takhini Shifters series: Copper King, Laird Wolf, A Lady's Heart, and Wild Prince.

It is the day after Aimee Patterson's high school graduation. College beckons, as does her dream of becoming an engineer. On an early evening walk, her cocker spaniel charges into the woods on the other side of the pond. Aimee trails after him, and in the stillness of that forest the unthinkable happens. She becomes paralyzed and watches in horror as her hands vanish before her eyes.

Off to Maui for a relaxing vacation? Surfer Jenna Monroe can only wish now that she’s on the run from a stalker who lusts after her blood. Instead of combing the beach for lost treasures, she’s forced to venture deep into the terrifying world of shapeshifters. There, even the good guys are hard to trust - all except for one hot rebel she can’t get out of her head. Connor Hoving and his band of Special Forces shifters were planning to leave trouble behind by moving to Maui, but destiny has other ideas.

Agent Ulyssa Payne is on a mission. It's her job to make sure the Medical Mafia leader doesn't leave the planet of Qurilixen. But, when her target is killed by his own daughter, her mission is over. Now, she's stuck on a barbarian planet for three months until the Agency comes to get her. Getting kidnapped by King Attor, she's left in the Var harem to await his return. But, when the King dies in battle and doesn't come for her, she's stuck dealing with his son, the new savage King of the Var.

Captured in space. Imprisoned. Sold to the highest bidder. But my biggest problem is the bossy, aggravating, impossible, alien who’s supposed to rescue me. The bossy alien I kissed. That might have been a mistake. Kadir is dangerous. I’ve seen him fight and his body is littered with scars. He’s a soldier. A warrior. And when he loses control, he turns into a big scary dragon and breathes fire. Everyone’s terrified of him. I’m not. No, call me the biggest fool in the galaxy, because I’m attracted to the big jerk.