Amazon      Barnes & Noble      Smashwords      Xin Xii

A short story sampler of ten tales.  Not every story has a critter, and not every critter is a cat (or tiger or xivaar)—there is a dog, and some gargantuan spiders.

Catastrophe
How will he survive his world literally crashing down around his furry ears?

Quarry
Ten-ton spiders already call the planet home.  The incoming colonists discover the arachnids, with deadly consequences.  Can the humans communicate before the natives eat all of them?

All Kinds of Ghosts
On the run.  Off the grid.  Not typical vagabonds, a pair of multimillionaires roam the country in a drivable palace:  a two-story rv.  They stay invisible by staying out of trouble and away from people.  But they can’t turn a blind eye when they see a girl in trouble.  Next thing they know, they end up dodging not just the police…but the marines!

Xivaari
Fleetfoot:  four-legged feline friend, traveling companion and sometimes method of transport.  At two thousand pounds, he normally protects his human without the slightest difficulty.  Until a pack of ravenous canines attempt to eat them both for dinner.  Injured in the attack, now Fleetfoot needs the help.

The Lure of Cats
Rainbow tribes, their physical coloring reflecting they myriad hues and shades of the natural world surrounding them.  But one tribe fears and hates magic, not believing it sustains their world.  That rogue tribe fights to eliminate all enchantment, no matter what the cost.

Himmel
A woman leaves her isolated home planet to make her fortune, thinking her telepathy gives her the edge in diplomacy and negotiations.  Instead, a killer targets her.  She senses him stalking her—and that he knows he cornered her.

A Dog’s Life
The crew sticks together, down to the very last crewmember:  the captain’s dog.  Now the captain’s kidnapped dog, snatched by ungrateful aliens the ship aided.

The Bluff
At the weekly poker game, who’s telling the truth?

A Tiger’s Tale of Two Sisters
Wizard and warrior.  No respect for each other and certainly no common ground.  Except for the same parents.  Then a miscast spell forces the pair to work together to rescue a beloved royal tiger.

Guardian Angel
She woke up in a burning apartment—not alone, luckily.