The Anonymous Letters of C Forestier by Felicia Davin

Paris, 1825. Isabelle de Tourzin cannot afford to fall in love with a mortal. Not again. Ageless and nearly invulnerable, she spends her days in private grief and plots to end Malbosc, the powerful, secretive man who seduced her only to leech her magic for more than a century. She was rescued before she had the chance to kill him, and he’s eluded her ever since. At last, Isabelle has in her hands a magic compass that will point her toward her quarry. Infuriatingly, a cunning stranger keeps disrupting her search. The interloper claims to be hunting Malbosc as well. Trust is impossible, but the stranger proves to have useful information. Isabelle reluctantly agrees to an alliance. The stranger—a shameless liar who appears to be a man named Forestier—accompanies Isabelle across France. He’s charming and unexpectedly kind. It’s been a lifetime since she enjoyed anyone’s company so much, which makes Forestier an even greater danger than Malbosc. Forever is too long to live with a broken heart.

The Mischievous Letters of the Marquise de Q by Felicia Davin

Paris, 1825. Losing her husband is the best thing to happen to Delphine in ages. After he used magic to control her, Delphine’s only regret is that she didn’t kill that petty tyrant herself. Widowed, Delphine can pursue her dashing rescuer, the androgynous novelist Camille Dupin—and solve the mystery of her first love, a man called Ari who disappeared before Delphine could tell him she was pregnant with his child. Ari isn’t dead. Three years ago, he stole a magical weapon from a powerful man and was exiled to a distant prison. When a stroke of luck allows him to escape, he sets out to confront the man who ruined his life and reunite with Delphine. He never expected to find her in bed with Camille, or to find himself falling in love with both of them. Camille loves Delphine and was almost ready to let her guard down. Ari’s reappearance stirs up old hurts and threatens them all—Ari’s enemy will stop at nothing to get his stolen artifact back. Camille’s conscience won’t let her abandon Delphine and Ari in danger, but she won’t stay to have her heart broken once they’re safe. Before Delphine, Camille, and Ari can imagine a happy future, they’ll have to reckon with the past.

The Scandalous Letters of V and J by Felicia Davin

Paris, 1823. Victor Beauchêne has led a stifling existence, unrecognized for both his cleverness and his gender, except in the pages of his meticulous diary. Abruptly cut off from his family’s fortune, he takes the opportunity to start a new life in a shabby boarding house with his beloved spinster aunt Sophie. There, he stumbles upon two kinds of magic: a pen with eerie powers of persuasion and a reserved, alluring art student named Julien. Brilliant, unconventional Julien is also Julie, a person whose magical paintings can transform their body or enchant viewers. Haunted by a terrible episode in their past, they’ve come to Paris for artistic success—the ordinary, non-magical kind. Victor, too handsome and far too inquisitive, is a dangerous distraction from their ambitions. Drawn to each other, Victor and Julie strike up a cautious correspondence of notes slid under doors. It soon unfolds into a passionate romance. Outside the bedroom, their desires clash: Julie wants to distance herself from the world of magic and Victor wants to delve deeper. When the ruthless abuser from Julie’s past resurfaces, he aims to take control of her powers and ruin more lives. Victor and Julie are the only ones who can stop him. Do they trust each other enough to survive the threat to their love and their lives? The Scandalous Letters of V and J is a historical fantasy romance with two nonbinary main characters, told primarily in letters and diary entries. It is approximately 100,000 words long and sexually explicit.

Nowhere Else by Felicia Davin

Solomon Lange was a brilliant, ambitious physicist until a catastrophe in his lab trapped him in the void between worlds. Newly rescued but traumatized and uncontrollably telekinetic, Lange no longer feels at home in the world or in his body. All he wants is to return to the Nowhere. But one crew member—the intolerable, imperturbable, incredibly patient, unbearably gentle Jacob McCreery—refuses to let him. Jake insists that Lange is the only one who can fix the damage in his lab, a breach to the Nowhere that’s simultaneously devouring and distorting the space around it. Left open, the growing breach threatens all of humanity. Jake’s not ready to give up on saving the world just yet—and he’s willing to dodge whatever Lange throws at him. Working together brings Lange and Jake closer than they’ve ever allowed themselves to be with anyone else. Can two wounded, lonely people repair each other in time to repair the world?

Out of Nowhere by Felicia Davin

Aidan Blackwood barely survived an unethical experiment by Quint Services. Researchers there robbed him of his ability to access the Nowhere, a void between worlds that allows him to teleport. Aidan plans to destroy the company and the man behind it, trillionaire Oswin Lewis Quint. The problem? Aidan’s childhood best friend Caleb is the one who rescued him. Aidan’s spent years distancing himself from Caleb. It’s the only way to protect him from the dangers of Aidan’s life as a Nowhere runner—and the only way for Aidan to protect his fragile heart from unrequited love. Now Caleb is inextricably involved in Aidan’s most dangerous plan yet. Aidan’s already lost his power. He can’t lose the person he cares about the most. Caleb lied his way into a secret Quint Services facility to rescue his best friend. He won’t be shut out of Aidan’s life now, even if it means risking his own life in Aidan’s wild scheme for revenge. As they pit themselves against a ruthless, corrupt trillionaire, Caleb worries that his unexplored feelings for Aidan might be love—and that he might not live long enough to find out.

Edge of Nowhere by Felicia Davin

Kit Jackson has two talents in life. He can navigate the void known as the Nowhere to teleport himself across long distances and he can keep his mouth shut. These talents have earned him a reputation as a discreet, reliable Nowhere runner—he’ll smuggle anything for the right price—and that’s how Kit likes it. Morals don’t earn money, and neither do friends. When the private research firm Quint Services makes Kit an astounding offer for a mystery delivery, he says yes. The parcel turns out to be an unconscious man, and even for Kit, that raises questions. When something monstrous attacks them in the Nowhere and throws them into an unknown wilderness, Kit and this stranger, a man named Emil, have to rely on each other. Kit just wants to make his delivery and get paid, but he finds himself increasingly entangled in Quint Services’ dangerous research—and his own attraction to Emil. Emil Singh left his career in the Orbit Guard to work at Quint Services Facility 17, a base hidden in an asteroid, to prepare a team to cross the Nowhere into other worlds. It’s the chance of a lifetime and he can’t wait to explore the universe. But then Emil witnesses a terrible accident in a Facility 17 lab and gets sent to Earth for questioning. Something isn’t right, but before Emil can investigate, he and the Nowhere runner hired to transport him are knocked off course. Is the monster that attacks them a creation of Quint Services? What else is the corporation hiding? He has to get back to Facility 17 to protect his team and he needs Kit’s help. Can he trust the cynical young smuggler?

The Heart Thief by Rose Grey

Interim Marshal Poe Lancaster tries to maintain peace between factions in his small frontier town, but when a group of unattached women arrives in Sector 1065 all bets are off. Dilara Elian knows all about plans. She planned to marry until she learned she was being played. She planned to flee the galaxy, but now, thanks to the marshal’s interference, she is stranded in Sector 1065. The new plan is to keep a low profile until she earns enough money to buy a ticket on the next spaceship out. She didn’t plan to incite a riot. As far as Poe is concerned, women and trouble go together. He married one once and the best part was when she left. Still, there is no law against friendship and keeping his eye on Dilara seems prudent given her secretive nature. But when a bounty hunter arrives, Poe will have to choose between the law and the women who stole his heart.

Saints and Monsters by Ellen McGinty

With her crooked spine and reckless heart, Princess Meera always knew she wasn't meant to become queen of Ezo. But when her sister, the rightful heir, is cursed on the eve of her coronation, Meera must defend her kingdom from ruthless invaders by taking the throne. Yet, while some countries have simple coronations, in Ezo . . . The princess must first claim a sea dragon. Only the dragon is vicious, perfect, and whole-everything Meera is not. And if the dragon doesn't deem her worthy, it will devour her. Turning to the Saints for help, she doesn't anticipate that her actions will transform the dragon into a mortal, or that she'll steal his heart . . . literally. Now, as two hearts beat inside Meera's chest, she's reminded that her life is entwined with a dragon, who despises her weaknesses. Despite their differences, they must work together to reverse the curse and save the kingdom before more is lost than their stolen hearts.

Passenger Princess by Morgan Elizabeth

A sexy, Bodyguard, Grumpy/Sunshine, Celebrity romance from best-selling author, Morgan Elizabeth. Who knew applying to be the next Miss Americana while you’re drunk on tequila would actually get anywhere? But that’s exactly what happened to Ava when she wanted an excuse to promote her best friends’ new businesses. She never even expected to get past the first round of auditions, much less win the beauty pageant, and now here she is, wearing a silk sash and a crown on her head, trying to picture what the next three months is going to look like. As the newly crowned Miss Americana, she’s off on a three-month press tour, visiting all 50 states as part of her contract. For a girl who loves adventure, it’s a dream come true, except for two hiccups. The first one being the morality clause and long list of rules the organization is forcing her to live by while wearing the crown. And second, and probably the worst one, is the deliciously sexy, yet grumpy driver-slash-bodyguard assigned to keep her in line. Jaime normally spends his days as head of security for the world-famous rock band Atlas Oaks, but when they take a break from touring, he’s excited for a change of pace. Until he learns his new assignment is the gorgeous and ever-frustrating pageant princess who gets under his skin in more ways than one. When he learns Ava has made it her mission to drive him crazy—by constantly looking for a new hit of endorphins by toeing the line as well as by flirting with him endlessly—he realizes what he thought would be a simple assignment is anything but. Now if only he can survive the next ninety days keeping his hands to himself and off the woman he can’t get out of his head.

The Kiss of Death by Shanen Ricci

It was hate at first sight from the day I met her. Now she is enrolled at Pantheon, the world's most elitist university, and my playground. With one keystroke, I can discover everyone's secrets except for hers. I won’t stop until I dissect her soul. A tormented psycho. A genius hacker. A freak. That’s what they call me. A good church girl. A sweet violinist. A pretty doll. That’s what she has all of them believing. The violin student of my deceased mother thinks she can save my soul, but I’ll take everything from her. She made me feel powerless. Her melody cursed me. I won’t stop until it’s checkmate. Welcome to Pantheon, Dalia Mercier; you seek to honor the promise you made to your mother, but it’s just another golden cage – where you’ll be all mine.

Napkins & Other Distractions by M.A. Wardell

On paper, they're a disaster. In the sheets, they're a perfect match. ​ Kent Lester is proud of the joyful, thriving learning community he's created as principal of Lear Elementary School. But six years after his divorce, he's ready to focus on his personal life and spread his bisexual wings. Things get off to a rocky start when Kent's first date is an uptight control freak — although that doesn't stop them tangling some sheets. Vincent Manda never seems able to move past the friend zone, and besides, he's not sure anyone can handle his OCD. But that night with the bearded, older Kent revealed a side of Vincent he'd never experienced before. And he's equal parts scared of and desperate for a repeat. When Lear's test scores take a nosedive, Kent finds himself under the microscope. Forced to implement new software to monitor and collect school data, he's horrified to discover that Vincent is working on the project. With his last install ending less than ideally, Vincent's job depends on this one succeeding — and butting heads with the principal won't help. Vincent and Kent need to view each other in a new light, but that could change their futures forever.

More Bugs by Em Reed

Dumped, broke and stranded at her mother’s house, Amy has few options for escape. Hanging out with her ex comes with getting to know his new girlfriend, someone who looks suspiciously like Amy’s younger, straighter doppelgänger. Strapped for cash and desperate to be out of her mother’s home, she ends up babysitting the UFO-obsessed kids of the hot working mom down the street. Over a dull, torrid summer in the Pennsylvania suburbs, strange lights linger on the horizon, and subterranean connections reach out their tendrils in the dark, signalling another, otherworldly possibility…

The Baron by H. A, Ferdinand

Wanted for quiet end-of-summer period: one housekeeper and two general staff to help run this charming Kentish manor house. Must be prepared to cook, clean, see to guests' needs...oh and help bring about popular revolution. A decadent and bourgeois comedy from the author of Mrs Tempest's Marriage Bureau.

Intelligent People by H. A. Ferdinand

“I know we can do this. I believe in us. We are intelligent people. Between us, we can put together an issue that’s so hot that you’ll need asbestos gloves to turn the pages.” Once they were the thoroughbreds of Fleet Street, a close-knit gang of young investigative reporters at the sharp end of their profession. Twenty-five years later, single and burnt out, they come together for one last glorious stand on the local paper of a bustling Yorkshire seaside town. At their heart is Vita, newly abandoned by her husband, eternally wrong-footed by her teenage children. She thought she’d left it all behind her but here she is, sparring with the police again and finding herself the office object of desire. Just when she thinks she’s back in her stride, a suspected attempted murder in a local tourist spot drags her into a plot that is too close to home for comfort. Suddenly Vita and her lovelorn band of colleagues risk ending up on the front page themselves. A warm-hearted, fast-paced, comic, seaside romp from the writer of Mrs Tempest’s Marriage Bureau.

An Evening with the Dymond Sisters by H. A. Ferdinand

It's the summer of 1933 and four English college girls, who have formed their own cabaret act and who should have known better, are about to release their puerile humour on the genteel German spa town of Baden-Baden. Before long, Glossie, Cressida, Josefa and Amy have acquired a following, including ageing British screen legend Gareth Palamon who promises them a future of fame and glamour and handsome charlatan Hector Bedingfield who dabbles in psychoanalysis and financial advice. But it soon becomes clear that there are other shadowy forces guiding the fate of the Dymond Sisters and they find themselves knee-deep in the kind of trouble that threatens to unravel their showbusiness ambitions and, worse still, a friendship that they assumed would last for ever. Comedy, romance and mystery come together in this endearing story set in a pre-war world of nightclubs and casinos and starring a cast of four heroines who stumble well-meaningly from one misadventure to another.

Mrs Tempest's Marriage Bureau by H. A. Ferdinand

Just when she thought there was nothing left to live for, middle-aged underachiever Phyl is handed £65,000 and told to go out and turn her life around. Inspired by a 1920s book on relationships by the bewitching Mrs Natalia Tempest, she sets her heart on opening an old-fashioned marriage bureau and bringing together lost souls just like herself. But the lost souls who come to her door are about to embroil her in the strangest adventure of her life. Comic, heart-warming and as eccentric as its heroine, Mrs Tempest’s Marriage Bureau is part romantic comedy, part mystery and a big part farce. For fans of PG Wodehouse and Helen Fielding, HA Ferdinand’s books combine sharp wit with a fondness for the oddballs, misfits and cynics of this world.

for love and blood and fury by J.J Arias

A ruthless vampire. A powerful witch. A healer with a hidden legacy. A searing paranormal romance that proves three hearts can beat as one.Elena, the head of Miami’s vampire cartel, never expected her ex-girlfriend Zuri—a powerful witch—to storm back into her life demanding help with a rival coven. Seeing Zuri again, Elena knows she would do anything for the woman she once shared scorching nights and dark secrets with. But before Elena can act, betrayal strikes, leaving her wounded and trapped in a human hospital with no memory of her attack. Desperate and vulnerable, Elena clings to Marisol—a nurse with potent healing abilities she barely understands. Even as mortal danger looms, the sensual tension between Elena, Zuri, and Marisol becomes irresistible. Their lives intertwine in a throuple romance that burns with desire while peril mounts. Together, they confront Elena’s vampire enemies, the danger to Zuri’s coven, and uncover Marisol's hidden lineage. For Love and Blood and Fury is a heart-pounding, steamy sapphic paranormal romance where the ultimate power lies in the fierce bond of three women who will fight—and love—till the end.

Some Rise by Sin by Sion Scott-Wilson

1829 is a tough year to be a body snatcher. Burke and Hare have just been convicted of killing people to sell their bodies, to widespread outrage—but despite the bad press, doctors still need fresh corpses for medical research. Sammy and Facey are a couple of so-called ‘resurrection men’, making a living among society's fringe-dwellers by hoisting the newly departed from the churchyards of London whilst masquerading as late-night bakers. Operating on tip-offs and rumours in the capital’s drinking dens and fighting pits, the pair find themselves in receipt of some valuable intelligence: an unusual cadaver has popped up on the market, that of a hermaphrodite. For any medic worth his salt it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—a medical curiosity and rara avis—and famous anatomist Joshua Brookes commissions the two men to obtain the body, at any cost. But some corpses hold secrets, and before long the enterprise becomes a deadlier and more complex undertaking than either man could ever have imagined. Some Rise by Sin is a rich, authentic and absorbing historical narrative with a darker edge, a story of surviving on the outskirts of respectability. With echoes of Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White, it is meticulously researched and suffused with the dark and grimy atmosphere of Regency London, and explores what ambition can mean for poor people in a society that conspires to grind them down at every turn

Shadebloom by Felicia Davin

Separated from her companions and abducted, Alizhan is delivered back to Laalvur, right into Iriyat’s clutches. Iriyat has tightened her hold on the city in Alizhan’s absence, magically manipulating the other Council members and further charming the public. No one believes her capable of plotting an experiment that could destroy cities. All alone, what hope does Alizhan have to convince Laalvur of the truth? Half a world away, Ev and Thiyo are adrift at sea. In the wake of their monstrous encounter, they receive an unlikely rescue, but neither of them emerges from the water unharmed. They must survive to warn the world of what Iriyat is planning—and to find Alizhan before it’s too late. As Iriyat’s plans come to fruition, how far will Alizhan, Ev, and Thiyo go to defeat her?

Nightvine by Felicia Davin

Alizhan spent her life in service to Iriyat ha-Varensi as a mind-reading thief of secrets—until she uncovered Iriyat’s crimes. Possessed of both political and magical influence, Iriyat is almost untouchable. Alizhan has stolen a book that might prove Iriyat’s guilt, if only someone could read its encoded text. Alizhan and her companion Ev leave the constant sun of their homeland to sail for the Nightward coast. They pin their hopes on His Highness Prince Ilyr of Nalitzva, a man rumored to understand any language, even one he’s never encountered. But Ilyr is not who he claims to be, and danger lurks in the long shadows of the glittering court. Nalitzvan palace guards confiscate the book and throw Ev and Alizhan into prison. Their cellmate, a prickly and mysterious islander, offers to help them break free and steal it back. They reluctantly join forces and set off on a journey that will test their budding romance and take them farther into the Night as they race to stop Iriyat.

The Birth of Ida by Rachel Grosvenor

'You believe in ghost stories? You afraid of ghosts when there's snakes and men tryin' to kill you?' Ousted from her homestead, Ida Vale quickly learns that the only way to survive as a lone traveller is to disguise herself as a man. Unsuspecting farmer Colt is the perfect target, who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, looking roughly the right size. On the run as 'Colton John' the bounty hunter, Ida ventures into the unforgiving wilderness of The Nameless Stretch. Drawn towards a witch's house by the whisperings of the Derelict Woods, she discovers that the land is here, the murdered return to haunt their assailants. And to her shock, Ida is being haunted by someone she loves. She's not a murderer, like her brother. So who is it watching her every move? Meanwhile, Colt sets into motion a series of events that he hopes will end in one of two Ida Vale at his door, dead or alive. But in The Nameless Stretch, you can't escape your demons — and Ida soon learns she has far more to fear from the living than the dead.

The Finery by Rachel Grosvenor

Tyranny is in the air in the city of Finer Bay, and Professor Wendowleen Cripcot would like to be left alone, thank you very much. The memories of the last one hundred years are quite enough to be getting on with, if only these young upstarts from the government body, The Finery, would stop trying to control her every move. With the eyes of a dictator upon her, there are not many places to hide… but Wendowleen has never been one to back down from a fight (just ask her pet wolf), and insurrection is brewing underground.

Chai and Cat-tales by Lynn Strong

Bask in a sunbeam with three cozy fantasy novellas of the Catsprowl, a busy neighborhood brimming with cats and cat-goddesses, book-keepers and bath-houses, piping hot chai, and pouncing kittens' mischief. The Prince of Her Dreams Najra has three dreams in her life: First, catch the attention of a prince. (Specifically, the God-Emperor’s bookish youngest brother.) Next, get him to hire her to assist with his research in the marvelous Archives in Tel-Bastet. And then, at last, read ALL the books. Marrying the prince has never been in the plan. Najra has never lusted for anything but knowledge. Unfortunately, the prince has dreams as well. Because he's also a prophet who foresees trouble coming. Between her heretical geometries and her cursed spellbook, Najra has to admit that his dreams of trouble have her pegged. Now what is she supposed to do with a matchmaking busybody of an Archivist pushing them together, an angry catfolk bodyguard pulling them apart, and a sweet, anxious prophet-prince who won't even tell her what he wants? Priye For a small alley-kitten, human words make a tricky tangle of misunderstandings that bite back. Purring and hissing and yowling are much more clear. A human named her Priye, though, and he taught her that it means someone who is darling, someone who is treasured. Growing up in the nooks between three cultures is hard, but Priye wants to make her own way. And she wants to repay the kind people who feed small hungry kittens. But it's not always easy to hunt when everyone else is bigger and stronger and faster. The humans who named her like soap and water entirely too much. But maybe they have a point about sharing things instead of hunting things? The Potter's Dream Usually, the Temple of Bastet teems with cats and catfolk and cat-priestesses and cat-goddesses. It is not supposed to teem with mice. But kind-hearted priest Shai Madhur isn't very good at denying a nourishing meal to anybody… not even the mice. He needs a better mouse-catcher. But first, he needs to know where the shrine's cauldrons have gone. Because a potter has come to Shai Madhur's temple shrine, and the poor man looks hungry. What kind of priest can Shai Madhur be if he can't feed someone a nourishing meal? When he's sworn his life to serving others, and suddenly he has nothing at all to give, what does he have left? Sermons of acceptance are all well and good, but they don't fill an empty stomach. And there's something very strange about the potter. This book sets out to be cozy representation for folks who have been othered: brown folks, disabled folks, neurodiverse folks, ace and questioning folks, fat folks, diversely faithful, anyone who's wanted to see their othered selves welcomed and celebrated.

On Silver Shores by V.T. Hoang

Sirens are known for their beauty and grace. Everything from their lithe figures to their perfectly symmetrical faces to the cadence of their voices is designed to charm. Pleasure of the flesh is how they sustain themselves. So, of course, Detective Carver would be the one siren lucky enough to hate sex. Ever since his husband died, Carver has resented the defining feature of his race, but when his boss calls in someone to assist with his investigation, he finds himself confronted with a problem he never expected—attraction. Jian is supposed to be just an analyst, buttoned-up and stiff and unassuming. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, he can put on a nice smile and act polite enough, but there's something behind his eyes that's decidedly not professional. That hunger for carnal satisfaction Carver thought long dead starts to come back to life as they work together. And he has to wonder if he's just starving or if this is a craving.

Tomorrow Was Beautiful Once by Amy Orrell

Tomorrow was beautiful once, and it could be again. But Jack can only choose one future… England, 2150. Time travel has accelerated climate change and set humanity on the brink of destruction. As a Person of Mixed Era Origin with the ability to recall parallel versions of time, British historian, Jack Elliot, seems the perfect candidate to travel to the past and prevent the advent of time travel. The catch? Success means Jack will cease to exist. Critically injured when he arrives in the past, Jack’s life is saved by Maddie, a second-generation immigrant and resistance fighter, who mistakenly believes he’s connected to the disappearance of her sister, Suraya. Jack’s denial soon unravels with the discovery that Suraya can lead him to his father — the man who robbed him of his mother — and the inventor of time technology. What begins as a fragile alliance soon puts their feelings and their missions to the test. Jack’s won’t be the only life affected by his sacrifice, but does he have the right to decide who should live and who should die — and will it be worth it for the futures he and Maddie hope to create?

From Within, A Darkness by Ray Adams

A mining operation deep in space. A crew of five, a security team of four. It's drudge work; routine, repetitive. Until it isn't. For some of the crew, there comes a growing sensation that they're not alone on the asteroid. Something is out there, waiting to be found, in the darkness. But does the biggest threat come from outside? Or from within? In the meantime, an ailing ship limps toward them, its own crew oblivious to the horror that awaits them. They come seeking help, but who are the rescuers and who, if anyone, will be the rescued?

Eschatonus by Ray Adams

Two ecology students monitoring illegal loggers on the planet Netaris stumble across a secret military operation that represents a threat to the lives of thousands. Cut off from civilisation, a dangerous trek through the forest is the only hope of getting the word out. The crew of a crashed spaceship offer their help but it soon becomes obvious that there is more to fear in amongst the trees than the soldiers hunting them... Ray Adams' new novel is a tense, suspenseful drama about those who would pervert nature to their own ends and those who refuse to stand by and let them. When it comes to the crunch, though, all anyone wants to do is to escape the forest with their lives.

The Last Sanctuary by Ray Adams

Roo Raka's body lies dead, his consciousness downloaded into a hard drive through a revolutionary and dangerous procedure. Though with no way of reuniting his body and his mind, and the Galactic government set on retrieving the mysterious entity known as the Memm, the crew of the Lady Julian are fast running out of options.

The Jollet Procedure by Ray Adams

After the events of The Forcek Assignment, Poonsar is left devastated by the fate of his captain, Roo Raka, and retreats to his homeworld under a dark cloud of depression. Bo Dans and the rest of the crew of the Lady Julian meanwhile go in search of a new strategy to combat the Memm. Does the answer lie outside the Federation with a rogue scientist? How will they extract this scientist from the clutches of the Committee? And will Poonsar be able to fight through his mental anguish and rejoin them in their mission?

The Forcek Assignment by Ray Adams

A quiet life on the fringes of society is all Roo Raka wants. Regular work, enough to keep his crew happy, and if it strays into grey areas of legality then, well, a little bending of the law never hurt anyone. Not anyone who didn't deserve it, at least. There's always a bigger picture to consider though, and after he runs into trouble on what should have been a routine cargo pick-up, Roo Raka finds himself drawn into a web of conspiracy, a plot that's aimed at the heart of Galactic government. As those in power tighten their grip, and law enforcement cracks down on an increasingly unhappy populace, plans are drawn up and there's a decision to be made. Can Roo Raka stand by and ignore everything he sees around him? Is it really nothing to do with him? Or does there come a time when a good man no longer has the luxury of doing nothing?

Greyskin by James Kinsley

It’s the Wild West, but it's wilder than you think... Discover uncharted territories in this powerful collection of western adventure stories, where settlers who flood into a new continent in search of a better life must confront the indigenous population who call it home. Follow the journey of a determined young widow who is struggling to keep her farm going, as she must deal not only with the harsh realities of the frontier but also injustices brought by her fellow settlers. Meet a newlywed couple struggling to understand each other and their new life together. Watch the small town lawman fighting to keep the peace in a land filled with tension and violence. Read the perspective of an academic looking to make his name by documenting the indigenous peoples. And follow the orc wanderer, watching his people being swept aside by the human settlers, and facing the difficult decision of whether to fight or to assimilate. Through these disparate but interwoven stories, we see a new mythology of settlement born, old stories told in new ways, a fresh focus on the legends we write for ourselves.

The Cartoon Life and Loves of a Stupid Man by Marc Joan

As an independent comic book store owner and the heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, Philippe Favrier lives a life that straddles the real world and the realm of fiction. Struggling with mental illness, Philippe relies on his wife, Marilyne — a successful surgeon with her own haunting secrets — and a groundbreaking drug his father developed. Bound by their shared pain, they navigate their haunted lives, forever shadowed by the heart-rending loss of their baby, Antoine. Their fragile world begins to crumble when Philippe catches a disturbing glimpse of an unfamiliar profile in the mirror. And his uneasiness is further fuelled by an anonymous comic strip that arrives at his store, featuring a character bearing an eerie resemblance to him. Is Marilyne hiding an affair? Is she connected to the comic strip that’s tormenting him? As he probes deeper, Philippe is drawn into a web of deception, where the lines between reality and imagination blur — until his investigations into Marilyne and the malicious comic artist at last reveal the tragic truth.

Playtime's Over by James Kinsley

In the seconds before death, Will finds himself transported from the depths of the North Sea to the end of a deserted pier. Deserted, until Viktor appears… Together they journey across time and place, bearing witness to the beauty of the life Will has turned his back on. Scrutinizing the interminable balancing act of being alive, which ultimately led Will to make his final, fatal move, Playtime’s Over is a story about resilience and surrender, told with darkly absurd humour. It is both a powerful meditation on mental health in a world with little refuge, and a touching portrait of a friendship forged in the most bizarre circumstances.

Hangdog Souls by Marc Joan

Kingdom of Mysore, 1799. A guilt-racked British Army deserter tries to win safety for those he loves – but his reckless bargaining only leaves him trapped between destinies, condemned to facilitate centuries of suicide and murder. Death after death, and each death diminishes him, until — a quarter of a millennium later — a Keralan astrophysicist has the chance to annul the soldier’s Faustian bargain. But Chandy John is weakened by his own burden of grief — will this twenty-first century scientist only become another helpless nexus between undeserved death and undeserved life? Hangdog Souls is set in the Dravidian heartlands of South India — and in a blurred edgeland where alternative realities elide. Through linked narratives of guilt, shame and the search for absolution, this book takes readers from the arid Tamil plains to the highest peaks of the Nilgiris, and from occult horrors in Tipu Sultan’s kingdom to creeping madness in the world of particle physics. Spanning three hundred years, the stories in Hangdog Souls weave together the fates and fortunes of multiple characters – individuals that echo through the generations, asking always the same question: What weight can balance the death of an innocent?

Kate the Earthling by Kate Shooltz

Kate just moved and is feeling a little sad and lonely. This new town is unfamiliar - she misses her friends and her old house. But a walk through the woods turns into a nature adventure, where she takes in the smell of pine trees, listens to birds singing and streams trickling, meets new animal friends, and experiences the natural beauty around her. She learns that though all creatures may have different houses and lives, they all share the same home: Earth. Through rich illustrations and a warm and peaceful text, Kate Shooltz tells the story of one little girl's discovery that we are all Earthlings. An important lesson that we should not only care for our home, the Earth, but for all of those who share it.

Monsters, Mayhem & Wild Magic by Noah Bodie

In the harsh, forgotten village of Eyrei, Cerci Rivera, a determined intelligence operative with a troubled past, seeks the help of Ridge Thorne, a haunted monster hunter with a mysterious ability to hear the cries of the damned. As they navigate a world of magic, betrayal, and hidden truths, their growing bond is tested by their own secrets and the looming threat of a powerful enemy. Together, they must confront their deepest fears and uncover the dark forces that threaten to tear their world apart, all while discovering that, sometimes, the most unexpected alliances can lead to redemption and love.

Bring Out Your Dead by Heather Murphy

Secrets from the past cannot be ignored forever. After her mother’s untimely death, Lucy Fray discovers the existence of family she never knew she had. But Adeline and Edmund Fray have been living with a tragedy of their own - three murders that have gone unsolved for 40 years. When Lucy and her six-year-old son are invited to visit Fray House, they discover that secrets often long to be revealed… and ghosts can haunt us whether or not we believe in them.

Bonds of Blood & Silver by Sandy Butchers

The Gods are Dead. All of them but Skjall. Haunted by dark magic, poor choices, and a lifetime of bad luck, Skjall spends his days hiding from heathens who wish to complete the deicide he survived centuries ago. When an ambush set by a member of the royal court reveals his identity, he finds himself thrown down a rabbit hole of kill-or-be-killed decisions. Without the vigilance of the gods, two remaining kings harvest their people in pursuit of immortality, and a twisted wish to ascend the divine throne. However, being the only deity left alive, Skjall’s blood is the key to said throne, and he stands powerless as divinity balances on the brink of extinction. With the war between the mad monarchs reaching a boiling point, the victims of their power struggle pile up. Skjall’s desperation leads him to a group of local, shape-shifting warriors and witches. But with the arrival of alchemically enhanced monster-soldiers, he finds himself on the losing end. Skjall must do everything he can to keep his blood from enemy hands, lest they use it to bend him to their will, reshaping the world into a breeding ground for monsters and false gods.

The Early Girls by Yvette Joy Liebesman

The reunion of six women who bonded in nursery school is interrupted when one of them is kidnapped, and the friends plot a daring rescue. The ransom: access to the priceless invention two of the Early Girls created. There is a deeper mystery, though—for years, women in the area have gone missing, and the Early Girls inadvertently discover how and why. The Early Girls: -Hannah-- even at age three she was the natural leader; -Isha-- the most confident of the group; at first glance she appeared shy, but her smile betrayed that; -Mina-- she was petrified of being abandoned; -Francie -- her parents realized too late that a second child required a lifestyle change; -Vicky-- by far the brightest of the girls, much to the disappointment of her parents; -Amber-- her parents kept having children that they didn’t want…. Together they are unstoppable.

Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch

An entrapped lord and a magician whose sex life melts windows; will love destroy them, or set them free? Lord Thornby has been trapped on his father’s isolated Yorkshire estate for a year. There are no bars or chains; he simply can’t leave. His sanity is starting to fray. When industrial magician John Blake arrives to investigate a case of witchcraft, he finds the peculiar, arrogant Thornby as alarming as he is attractive. John soon finds himself caught up in a dark fairytale, where all the rules of magic—and love—are changed. To set Thornby free, both men must face life-changing truths—and John must accept that the brave, witty man who’s winning his heart may also be about to break it. Can they escape a web of magic that’s as perilous as love? Genre: Fantasy historical m/m romance Novel-length standalone book, approx 80,000 words

Falling Into Oblivion by Aaron M. Payne

MODIFICATIONS COME AT A PRICE. Detective Sol Harkones is tangled in the wires of a deadly conspiracy involving defective body modifications causing permanent brain damage. A suspect is known, but something more dangerous may be lurking in the shadows. A city plagued by waste. Violence fills the streets. Oblivion is within reach. Falling Into Oblivion is the electrifying first book in the Tendrils of Chrome cyberpunk sci-fi series. If you're a fan of William Gibson's Neuromancer, HBO's True Detective, or Philip K. Dick’s Blade Runner, you will love Aaron M. Payne’s rapid-fire saga.

Let Them Float by Katy Wimhurst

In these short stories, Katy Wimhurst creates off-kilter worlds that illuminate our own. Apocalyptic rabbits invade a town. People overwhelmed by their lives float above an urban park. A woman turns transparent after a virus. The playful lens of magical realism is used to explore physical and mental illness and our fragile environment. Thought-provoking fiction with a good dose of whimsy.

Snapshots of the Apocalypse by Katy Wimhurst

In these dark, witty short stories, Katy Wimhurst creates off-kilter worlds which illuminate our own. Here, knitting might cancel Armageddon. A winged being yearns to be an archaeologist. Readers are sucked into a post-apocalyptic London where the different rains are named after former politicians. An enchanted garden grows in a rented flat. Magical realism meets dystopia, with a refreshing twist.

An Orchid in My Belly Button by Katy Wimhurst

Offbeat short stories that explore our fragile world These stories savour the surreal, flirt with magical realism, dabble with dystopia. A boy sees the ghosts of dead crabs. A girl with a fox tail is bullied. A disenchanted woman sprouts orchids from her belly button. Fashion models pursue the trend of having plants as hair. Electronic goods amassing all over London herald an apocalypse. Darkness and wonder, the strange and the ordinary, interweave to offer an environmental and social portrait of our times. Guaranteed to evoke a response, whether a giggle, a gasp, or a nervous gulp, these stories will stay with you, enriching your perception of the world. Surreal, absurdist, magical realist; Katy Wimhurst writes speculative fiction that meditates on our reality. Although bleak themes are examined – dystopian futures, the climate crisis, bullying – a quirky imagination and wry humour lift the tales above the ‘realm of grim’.

The Hidden by D. Ann Hall

How will she survive… Kidnapped, tortured, amnesiac and on the brink of death. This will not be pretty!

Elysian Iris by Thanos Papathanassiou

¨T h e c h a l l e n g e a n d t h e b e t¨ Contents: 6 large-scale historical dramata of olden times; 3 petite stories, 1 petite theatrical play; 20 laconical miniatures, 8 poetical creations; 1 paraphilosophical portrait upon certain concepts; 1 quite extensive gnomicologion. Language-character: Language strikingly sophisticated [miles away from standard English]: of the so many peculiar and diversifying elements, the core- and leader-component being constituting the blatant presency of the participle [in various verb-tenses, statical (punctual, etc.), progressive (durative, continuative, iterative, etc.), primary, secondary (accessory, complementary, satellitary, subsidiary, etc.)]; apart from the current language, another 9 being encountered along the way [author's own artificial language, Latin, French, German, Spanish, Ancient Greek, old Modern Greek, Modern Greek, Italian]. Readers's rating: 5-stars and 10/10 [read. rat. of former indiv. books]. Film-making potentiality: most of the works well suited to filming. Elysian Iris by Thanos Papathanassiou is a masterpiece that will captivate readers who crave a rich, immersive experience that weaves together the threads of history, romance, and philosophy, transporting them to a world of timeless beauty and profound introspection.

Reverting Scales by The Illogic

Naydrus is a dragon born to immense parents who live with and serve humans. When the dragonling hatches, it is revealed that she doesn't look anything like her family and she has a passion for fighting. However, she also carries a deep hatred for the hominid 'caretakers'. This inspires her escape from the city through the sewer system and her search for other dragons that share her mindset. However, the world is a big place and very old. Much has happened and continues to happen without Naydrus being aware of it, causing her to cross paths with dangerous individuals and end up in hazardous locations.

The Elf Witch by Jacquelyn Gilmore

For fans of One Dark Window and From Blood and Ash comes a haunting, slow-burn fantasy romance about villains. It follows a formerly magicless elf as she suddenly comes into powers that her kingdom has never seen and the duplicitous prince she must bargain with to save them at whatever cost—even her soul. After her grandmother's execution, a formerly magicless elf is suddenly the most powerful witch in her village. Magic is disappearing, though, and Imani is thrust into the treacherous court of her kingdom, forced into trials against the most lethal witches in the world. As she unravels the perilous plan her grandmother plotted before her death to save magic, Imani unwittingly dives deeper into a web of magical and political intrigue that puts her on a collision course with dangers beyond anything she imagined. But Imani is harboring illicit knowledge of her own—a forbidden dark magic that’s getting more difficult to hide by the day. Now, she must decide whether to make herself a threat and an enemy to her country or risk becoming a pawn and the realm losing magic forever. Stuck in this predicament, Imani sees only one path forward: a dangerous deal with the duplicitous prince—one she might be falling for.

2033: The Year Things Fell Apart by Rebecca Doll & James Gordon

"A hyperreal tapestry of the death of a nation!" A disputed election…a terrifying future! Em, with her partner Ava and stepdaughter Sophia, left a tiny East Coast apartment for a lucrative IT job in Louisville that could fund their future. A disputed 2032 U.S. election and the rise of a powerful neo-fascist demagogue lays waste to her dreams while Em struggles to survive in the belly of the beast itself. Her government contract job turns out to place her in direct proximity to the most hated media figures of the new regime. She can hurt them, but at what risk in a place where her family’s queer identity makes them a target? In the rising fire of a Civil War, Em must struggle to survive and preserve something of her hopes, her family, or even herself. 2033: THE YEAR THINGS FELL APART Presents a realistic and chilling look at a dystopian world that may lie just around the corner. Beltway insider and political wonk James Gordon is writing again with Alternative Sexuality Educator Rebecca Doll to present a sobering look at a future that may be too close to our own for comfort.

The Warm Machine by Aimee Cozza

When a robot built for construction work first sees an angular, sleek prototype military robot slink onto the base he’s working outside of, he immediately falls in love. The problem is, only anomalous bots understand the concept of love, and the lowly laborbot has not deviated from his default programming once. So he thinks, anyway. When the laborbot is scheduled for decommission, the military bot cannot possibly live without him, and the two bots set out on a path to find the fabled anomalous robot utopia Root.