Men of Mettle

Series · 9 books · 2015-2018

By Michelle Howard, Veronica Scott, Cara Bristol, and more

Books in series

Stranded with the Cyborg

2015

Penelope Aaron, the former Terran president’s daughter, regrets how she got Agent Brock Mann booted from the security force. But now that she’s an interplanetary ambassador about to embark on her first diplomatic mission, she still doesn’t want him tagging along. Especially since he seems to be stronger, faster, more muscled, and sexier than she remembers. And pretending to be her husband? This mission couldn’t get more impossible! Ten years ago Penelope Isabella Aaron had been a pain in Brock Mann’s you-know-what. Much has changed in a decade: “PIA” as he code-named her, has grown up and is about to attend her first Alliance of Planets summit conference, and Brock has been transformed into a cyborg after a near-fatal attack. Now a secret agent with Cyber Operations, a covert paramilitary organization, Brock gets called in, not when the going gets tough, but when the going gets impossible. So when he’s unexpectedly assigned to escort Penelope to the summit meeting, he balks at babysitting a prissy ambassador. But after a terrorist bombing, a crash landing on a hostile planet, and a growing attraction to his protectee, Operation: PIA may become his most impossible assignment yet.

#1.5

Married to the Cyborg

2016

Glitz. Glamour. Kidnapping. Anyone who is anyone attends the annual Association of Planets gala, the largest, fanciest soiree in the galaxy. Escorted by her husband Brock, Penelope “Pia” Aaron attends the event to mix and mingle with the galaxy’s power elite to further her career as an AOP ambassador. Brock Mann isn’t there to serve as his wife’s plus-one. A cyborg and a field agent with the covert force Cyber Operations, Brock knows the glitzy, glamorous evening isn’t going to end happily for one individual. An intercepted partial communique has revealed that one gala attendee will kidnapped. Who the intended victim is, why the person is being taken and by whom—that’s what Cy-Ops must find out to stop the abduction And then Pia is taken. Without knowing who or why she was targeted, Brock must race against the clock to find his wife before she’s killed. Saving the girl and the galaxy just got personal. Married to the Cyborg is an exclusive Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance, available only to subscribers of Cara Bristol's author newsletter. To subscribe, visit the author's website: carabristol.com.

Mated with the Cyborg

2016

Kai Andros’s orders were simple. Get in. Gather the intel on the terrorist organization. Get out. Then he met her. Mariska. Beautiful. Innocent. Ignorant of her father’s atrocities. And marked for death. His orders said nothing about saving her. But he did. He went off-mission. Can a rogue cyborg outrun both Cyber Operations and the terrorists to save the woman he loves? Mated with the Cyborg is an action-packed erotic sci-fi romance between a man with a mission and a woman with a secret that jeopardizes their lives and the fate of the galaxy.

Captured by the Cyborg

2016

Sometimes the biggest risk is to one’s heart…. A science fiction romance by USA Today Bestselling Author Cara Bristol An ex-Cyber Operations field agent, Dale Homme has kissed danger and betrayal more times than he cares to count. Now he runs a clandestine factory beneath the surface of the moon Deceptio, where confidentiality and security matter more than anything. When a beautiful young woman arrives seeking a job, Dale knows within minutes she’s lying. Everything about her is false: her past, the people she claims to know, her reason for being on Deceptio. Illumina Smith? Even her name is an alias. Logic says send her packing. His gut says she’s in trouble. She needs him. So he’ll do anything to keep her safe…. even if it means keeping her captive. Captured by the Cyborg is third in the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series but is written to be read as a stand-alone novella.

Trapped with the Cyborg

2016

The only thing more dangerous than a suicide mission is falling in love… Amanda Mansfield has faced challenges in her life including the disapproval of her critical father and the near-fatal accident that ended a promising military career and resulted in her transformation to cyborg. Now a Cyber Operations field agent, she volunteers to lead the most dangerous Cy-Ops mission ever: infiltrating enemy territory to find the secret hideaway of a terrorist mastermind. The last thing she needs is an added complication. Like him. Sonny Masters. Her partner. A streetwise former thug turned cyber operative with a lethal grin who doesn’t understand she’s in charge and does not require his protection. He’s everything she dislikes—and everything her body wants. If they can keep their hands off each other long enough to complete the mission, they might just get out alive… Trapped with the Cyborg (Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance 4) is a standalone read.

Claimed by the Cyborg

2017

March Fellows assumed he had all the time in the galaxy to pursue a relationship with Jules, an alien exchange student from Xenia, until she vanished without a trace. After years of searching, he finds his lost love on the eve of her arranged marriage. The daughter of the Xenian emperor, Julietta never meant to fall in love with a Terran man while visiting Earth. Leaving to fulfill her responsibilities on her home planet opened up a hole in her heart that could never be filled. When March, now a cyborg, unexpectedly shows up just before she is to be bonded, she struggles to find the courage to turn him away a second time and follow through with her duty. Before she can act, the lovers are thrust into a political conspiracy that threatens the Xenian empire and their lives.

#5.5

Rescued by the Cyborg

2018

A cyborg with a haunted past, a woman with a clouded future… Battered and broken, hostage and sole survivor Solia waits for death at the hands of vicious predatory aliens when Cy-Ops agent Guy Roarke disobeys orders, charges in, and rescues her. A former medic, he initiates emergency medical procedures before rushing her to Cybermed, in hopes of saving her wing so she can fly again. He’s taken with the delicate, brave Faria, but his best intentions result in unfortunate consequences that place her in greater jeopardy. Can he overcome the guilt of past mistakes in time to save her life? Publisher's note: Rescued by the Cyborg was originally published in the anthology Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2. It has been re-released as a single title novella. Rescued by the Cyborg is Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance #5.5 and fits between Book 5 (Claimed by the Cyborg) and Book 6 (Hunted by the Cyborg). However, all the series books are standalones with an HEA and no cliffhanger. You can read them in any order.

Hunted by the Cyborg

2018

Billionaire Carter Aymes, director of Cyber Operations, a covert cyborg force, devotes his wealth and life to saving others, rescuing hostages and other victims from desperate situations. His ultimate mission is to hunt down and eliminate Lamani, the alien terrorist mastermind, before he conquers the galaxy. When Carter hires Beth O’Shea, a vulnerable but courageous woman with connections to his past, their attraction is immediate and strong, but he knows getting involved with her is a bad idea. He’s her boss, and he has way too many classified projects to protect to risk letting someone get close. Rejected by the progenitors who cloned her, Beth is determined to live a normal human life, beginning by getting an ordinary job with a security firm. But, from the start, she questions the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the organization. She can’t help but wonder about the tall, muscled, larger-than-life director who gave her a chance when she desperately needed one. Could he ever be romantically interested in a woman like her, in a clone? When Beth is attacked, they both realize how short and tenuous life is, and their mutual attractions becomes too powerful to resist. As their relationship heats up, so does the urgency to capture Lamani before he can unleash a stealth weapon at a critical planetary Summit meeting. With time running out, Carter discovers that stopping Lamani may require sacrificing Beth’s life. Will Carter be able to rescue her, or will his new love be the one person he can’t save?

#10

Embrace the Romance

2017

The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans! 10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence. PEARL’S DRAGON A Novella in the Dragon Lords of Valdier Series By S.E. Smith (New York Times/USA TODAY Bestselling Author) Asim Kemark has lived a long, lonely life. It is only his pledge to his former king and to Mandra Reykill that keeps him, his dragon, and his symbiot from going crazy. He has given up on ever finding his true mate and devotes himself to caring for the wide assortment of creatures on Mandra and Ariel’s mountain retreat. The last thing he expects when he visits the palace is to lose control of his dragon and his symbiot when they sense their true mate. Before he knows it, he has kidnapped her! Pearl St. Claire is enjoying a new adventure – learning to live on an alien planet. As a mature woman in her sixties, she thought she had experienced just about everything life could throw at her – only to discover she really hasn’t experienced anything yet! She is both amused and exasperated when one of the dragon-shifting aliens kidnaps her, believing she is his true mate. Life is no longer boring or lonely as Asim courts the spirited human woman who has enchanted him, but he isn’t the only one who has noticed Pearl or the unusual animals under his care. When poachers attack, determined to steal the exotic creatures under his protection – including Pearl and a new clutch of alien eggs from Earth – he will do everything he can to protect them. Can one dragon keep the most precious creatures under his care safe, or will he lose the biggest battle of his life? A GRIM PET A Novella in the Tornian Series By M.K. Eidem (USA TODAY Bestselling Author) The Great Raptor is a fearsome and deadly creature; and while the raptor is no one’s pet, he is fiercely protective and loving of his family… Carly and Miki have never forgotten the story that Grim told them of the Great Raptor, the symbol of their new home world Luda. Yet, it is the comparison their mother once told them of the Great Raptor to Grim that gives them the courage to help the injured bird they find in the garden. Find out what happens when their single act of love, faith, and kindness creates far-reaching consequences that no one, including their mother and Grim, could ever have predicted. THE PRINCE, THE PILOT, AND THE PUPPY A Novella in The Star Series By Susan Grant (New York Times/USA TODAY Bestselling, and RITA Award Winning Author) Trysh joined the Space Forces with the secret hope that her absentee father might notice her accomplishments and acknowledge her. At the top of her game as a starfighter pilot, the last thing she needs is a way too charming prince to get in her way. Trysh had learned at a young age what happened when a person lost their heart to someone above their social class – it led to heartache. Prince Rornn feels fortunate he can pursue his passion both in the air and on the ground. He decides being third in line for the throne definitely has its advantages – it allowed him to join the Space Forces as a top-gun starfighter pilot. What he doesn’t expect is to find a woman there who not only competes with him – she completes him! Everything Rornn tries appears to push Trysh further away – that is until they rescue a tiny, starving yipwag pup on the surface of an alien world. It turns out that “Puppy” is as good at sniffing out terrorists as she is at helping her two clueless humans figure out that they need each other as much as they do her. Can Rornn convince Trysh that he is nothing like her father and that she is just the right woman for him before the terrorists discover their furry little companion? WIRED FOR LOVE By Michelle Howard Hunter Gils has put his past in the military behind him. Now his focus is on his bar and the less than savory clientele. Life is perfect – except for a gray-eyed beauty who refuses his advances. Narelle Bindu wasn’t immune to the tall, dark stranger working at The Zone. He wanted her – and she wanted him. The only drawback was she didn’t have room in her life for a man, no...

Authors

USA Today Best Selling Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance author. Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own stories. MISC FACTS ABOUT VERONICA Seven time winner ~ SFR Galaxy Award Proud recipient ~ NASA Exceptional Service Medal but must hasten to add the honor was not for her romantic fiction! Lean Six Sigma Black Belt – I’ll improve your process (mwahahahaa)! Elvis Presley’s best friend once serenaded Veronica on a local TV telethon…now that could be a novel…

Cara Bristol

Author · 61 books

USA Today bestselling author Cara Bristol writes science fiction romance about tough alien and cyborg heroes who fall hard for sassy heroines. Cara is a homebody who married a wanderer. When she’s not writing or being distracted by squirrels cavorting outside her office window, she enjoys reading and traveling the world with her husband. Topping her bucket list is visiting all seven continents and petting a squirrel. Visit her website to get a free sci-fi romance.

Carol Van Natta

Author · 18 books

Carol Van Natta writes science fiction and fantasy, including Overload Flux, Minder Rising, Zero Flux, Pico's Crush, and Jumper's Hope, the first five books in a space opera series; In Graves Below (Magic, NM) , a paranormal romance; and Hooray for Holopticon , a retro science fiction comedy. She shares her Fort Collins, CO home with a sometime mad scientist and various cats. Any violations of the laws of physics in her books is the fault of the cats, not the mad scientist. Be the first to know about new releases by signing up for her newsletter at bit.ly/CVN-news or read her blog at Author.CarolVanNatta.com, or find her on Facebook at CarolVanNattaAuthor.

Alexis Glynn Latner

Author · 6 books

Alexis Glynn Latner's science fiction novel Hurricane Moon was published by Pyr in 2007 and again by Avendis Press in 2014. There are now two sequels: Downfall Tide (2015) and Star Crossing (2016). Her science fiction, fantasy, horror and mystery stories have appeared in the magazines Analog and Amazing and various print and online anthologies. Some of those stories are now e-books. She lives in Houston, Texas, where she works in the Rice University library and teaches creative writing. For fun and real-life adventure she is a sailplane pilot.

A lifelong lover of books, Sabine grew up on Science Fiction, Fantasy and Romance novels. As a child she wanted to be an astronaut and travel the stars looking for aliens. As an adult she’s seriously disappointed we’ve yet to establish so much as a moon base (although she gives a hearty nod to the ISS) and is pretty sure Humans aren’t ready to meet ET. A Spiritual Catalyst, Electrical Engineer and Cultural Anthropologist by training, she's a geek with heart. She’s lived in more states than she cares to admit and loves to travel. When not in far off lands, you can frequently find her walking the local beaches and plotting her next adventure. Find her on FaceBook or check out her online home here. Sabine Priestley

Laurie A. Green

Author · 7 books

Laurie A. Green is an award-winning, USA TODAY bestselling author and science fiction romance enthusiast who founded the SFR Brigade community of writers. She is a former military budget director and reserve state trooper. While she'd love to have a vacation home on Mars or Titan, for now she's living happily ever after on a ranch in New Mexico with her spouse, David, assorted horses, and several spoiled little StarDogs. Laurie is currently releasing novels and novellas in The Inherited Stars Series and Universe (Space Adventure Romance), beginning with Inherit the Stars, Farewell Andromeda, and StarDog. SpyDog was released on September 10, 2020. Juggernaut was released on January 19, 2023. Courting Disaster is due out with a projected publishing date of Summer 2023. An omnibus edition of the four StarDog stories—Juggernaut, StarDog, SpyDog, and Courting Disaster plus an all new, never before released story (working title: StarDog Reunion) is in the works.

Susan Grant

Author · 25 books

Susan’s childhood dreams of becoming a space explorer fizzled when she found out calculus was involved. Luckily, she didn’t need math skills to fly jets—or to create sky-high stories in her head, first for herself, then for friends, and now for readers everywhere. A New York Times/USA Today bestselling author and a military veteran, Susan won the prestigious RITA® Award for her book Contact, a sci-fi aviation-thriller romance.

S.E. Smith

Author · 92 books

S.E. Smith is an internationally acclaimed, New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling author of science fiction, romance, fantasy, paranormal, and contemporary works for adults, young adults, and children. She enjoys writing a wide variety of genres that pull her readers into worlds that take them away. Readers can check out her website at https://sesmithfl.com and chat with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/se.smith.5

Pauline Baird Jones

Author · 36 books

Hello everyone, I’m Pauline Baird Jones, a USA TODAY Bestselling Author affectionately known as Perilous Pauline. I adopted the name after I found out on Twitter that Goodreads says that I died in 1999. Since I was already dead, I went ahead and embraced my quirky sense of humor and channeled it into my stories, my Facebook Pages, and my YouTube Channel where I love to write and perform as the Dead Author Live. As you may have guessed from both my Perilous Pauline and Dead Author Live, I never cared for reality all that much. When I’m not sharing the beautiful photographs that my husband has taken, chasing after my grandchildren, or expanding my Lego city, I’m off wandering among the genres, rampaging like Godzilla (we were born the same year!) and mixing peril and humor into my romances. For motivation, I devour chocolate, bacon and collect flamingoes and mid-century modern anything. Readers can follow me on my website at https://paulinebjones.com/ and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPaulin....

Jessica E. Subject

Author · 34 books

Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction and paranormal romances, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or a pop star tiger shifter, but also unsuspecting clones and feisty omegas. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to an alternate reality where shifters live among humans. When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class, listen to BTS, and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter. Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two not-so-little children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.