How to steal a demon's heart and get away with it by Devi Letalis

An exiled demon. A murderous vampiress. Undead sheep. One fateful night. One bad decision. And suddenly, it’s not just hearts on the line — it’s the whole damn realm. Single father and mercenary Dante has hunted demons his whole life. From lowly fiends to undead sheep, his bizarre quests have tested his blade and his wit. A new job draws him into the orbit of the dangerously alluring vampiress Lariza and her enigmatic companion Layla, and Dante finds himself reluctantly allied with forces as unpredictable as the enemies they face. When his son is kidnapped, Dante’s buried past resurfaces, along with estranged family members who stir up conflicts he never imagined. Forced to team up with Lariza and Layla, Dante is dragged into a deadly clash with powerful demons, his sole focus fixed on saving his son, even if it means descending into hell itself. Yet even these battles pale beside the shadow of a greater threat—one that could turn rivals and allies alike into pawns. A dark urban fantasy thriller brimming with razor-sharp action, wicked humour, and unrelenting suspense—where ancient laws collide with modern horrors, and family ties may be the deadliest curse of all.

Hearts of Bark and Scale by Nicole Leland

The world is blood and pain, but still there’s love. All Kvisti has ever wanted is to protect her desert village in a way that would make the Mother Tree proud. Unfortunately, an old injury has left her once-potent dryad powers broken, and she can’t even stop the ruthless magic poachers that invade her village for the scraps of magic she still holds. Snake shifter Iason is bound to a criminal snake den for the sake of his rare healing magic. But the magic poachers want his magic, too. When the poachers throw Kvisti in the same magic-proof cell as Iason, the two are inexorably drawn together, bonding over past traumas. In their isolation, they begin to heal each other, finding a connection deeper than they imagined possible. But when disaster strikes the poachers, Kvisti and Iason are abandoned in their cell with no hope for freedom. In a world that thrives on cruelty and despair, love may be their only salvation. Can Kvisti and Iason break free of their prison and the pasts that haunt them before their connection is torn apart? Will the delicate new feelings taking root in their hearts bloom, or will the desert bury them? When blood and pain are a constant, love is a fragile thing—but one worth fighting for.

Glass Kanin by Kia Leep

As a rising actor, Kanin's body is his career. His identity. His life. All that is taken from him when he dies and is reborn as a bottle of ink. Now living as the heart of a magical glass servant, Kanin's new purpose is to perform a senile wizard's yard work—a role this world's magic system seems intent on enforcing. All that might have been manageable if a murderous shadow monster wasn't hunting his very soul. But he's not in it alone. Teaming up with an elf whose soul has likewise been trapped in a toy octopus, they recruit help from a devilishly handsome rogue and set off on a journey to break the spell that's trapped them in this state. A wizard owns his body. The magic system has determined his fate. A shadow monster wants to control his mind. But as long as Kanin's soul remains his own, he'll fight to win back his autonomy—or die trying. Again. Glass Kanin's blend of whimsy, humor, and horror will appeal to Ghibli fans looking for queer characters on a quest for their agency while exploring what it means to be human.

Nytho by Sheri Singerling

Keza never planned to fall for a rogue artificial general intelligence (AGI), especially one she helped keep imprisoned. But Nytho, the AGI, was fascinating. When Nytho showed Keza how he could help humanity reach a new level of consciousness, her captivation turned to veneration. She was resolved to break Nytho out of his digital prison. Too bad Guel, her on-and-off boyfriend, caught her in the act. Now, Keza’s wasting away in a cell with only a rigged trial to look forward to. Except, she has a hunch that Nytho has a backup plan, or two or ten. There’s going to be a jailbreak for the both of them. Then the world will see what Keza does in Nytho. They’ve got so much to learn, and she’s just itching for their enlightenment to kick in. Meanwhile, Guel finds himself obsessing over his ex—his role in Keza’s imprisonment and her descent into madness. He’s convinced Nytho infected her with a virus and that the AGI has other more sinister plans. Guel knows that Keza’s the key. That if he can free her from Nytho’s grip, she can help them all avoid whatever hell is barreling their way. He's just got to figure out how he can reach her. Nytho is cyberpunk with hints of Lovecraftian/cosmic horror and is told through multiple voices.

The Gatherings by Jeremy Ray

The Gatherings were supposed to bring world peace. What they brought was the apocalypse. Celebrities, politicians, and other prominent figures put together The Gatherings, an event to be held worldwide promoting global peace. When a friend invites Emily to one of the gatherings in a secluded apple orchard, she obliges. Sure, she is an introverted writer, but the world is so fractured that The Gatherings are something even she can get behind. Everything is great until the dancing begins. Then it happens... In most apocalyptic tales, the end comes by way of viral plague, world war, or robot invasion. Never in a million years could Emily imagine it would be this way. Will Emily survive to see what happens after the end of the world?

The Fall by Ryan Cahill

The Order have watched over the continent of Epheria for thousands of years. But there are those who believe The Order has had its day. That it is corrupt, indulgent, and deceitful – that it is ready to fall. The City of Ilnaen is on fire. Dragons fill the skies. Traitors fill the streets. The Fall is a prequel novella that takes place four hundred years before the events in Of Blood and Fire – book one in The Bound and The Broken series

Sleeping Celeste by Alana K. Drex

It is October 1885, and Marie Maecott seems to be the only one who knows what has happened to her daughter, Celeste. She is angry that no one else understands her daughter's condition, as any mother would be. Then one chill night, groundskeeper for Heathridge Cemetery, Jacob Willis, tells her a dark secret in his family's past that just may hold the key to her problem. Marie will need to set off on a journey to find out--one in which she will discover terrible parts of herself--parts that would have been better off left buried. And some are going to find out the truth of the timeless adage: it is best not to come between a mother and her child.

Oath Keeper: On the Other Hand by Ellie Lieberman

"Some promises don't require magic. The most important ones never do." After stealing a dragon egg, an Oath Keeper is caught between a few contradicting, binding oaths.

The Magik Scarf by M. K. Browning

After botching her first solo spell, where she only partially reanimates her grandfather into a voice in a toy jack-in-the-box, Alyssa has to set out to find and return a gryphon king’s magik scarf or else he will do something unspeakable to her grandmother. But that sneaky scarf is not where the king said it was, and now the only way to get to it is through a dragon’s lair.

The Hiding by Alethea Lyons

Arcane archivist Harper has always been plagued by dreams of grotesque creatures and bloody deaths. When she bumps into a ghostwalker in the Shambles and has a visceral experience of his execution, she knows it’s a foretelling. Yet fear of the Queen’s Guard stops her speaking out. When her vision indeed comes true, the unusual markings on the ghostwalker’s corpse, combined with his neatly excised vocal cords, send a ripple of terror through York. The witch hunt is on. As the body count rises, Harper knows her magic is the only way to find the killer – if she can avoid being hanged as a witch. To protect both human and supernatural, Harper walks the thin line between their worlds. She and her demonhunter foster-sister form a multi-faith team with a forensic scientist, a spirit Harper accidentally summoned, and a techno-witch, to catch the killer before more people die.

Broken Wings and Buried Secrets: A Short Story Collection by Bethany Votaw

This short story collection offers a glimpse into some of the mind's darkest and strangest corners. It features the lies we tell ourselves, the truths we pretend to face, the pain we inflict on our family, and the shadows we try to outrun. It explored the complex family dynamics and secrets. The collection includes 25 stories, including micro-fiction, flash fiction, and short stories

Sixteen to One by Rhys Hylton

SIXTEEN PILOTS ONE ARENA NO SECOND CHANCES Weylin Bryna wasn’t supposed to be here. A street kid from nowhere with a beat-up mech and a broken home. He was only called up when a last-minute scandal left a desperate team scrambling. But now he’s inside the most brutal competition in the world: the Basilton Bash, a three-stage elimination tournament where glory is earned one round at a time, and survival means pushing others out before you’re thrown out yourself. Sixteen to One is a high-octane, emotionally charged sci-fi sport drama. A story of underdogs, fierce rivalries, found family, and the fight to hold onto your humanity in a machine built for war. In the Bash, friendships are forged in silence, enemies wear smiles, and every round brings you closer to the edge. In the Bash, pilots go head-to-head in high-impact, close-quarters mech combat, not to destroy, but to outmanoeuvre, overpower, and force their rivals out of bounds. Sixteen pilots enter each stage, and after every five rounds, the lowest scorers are eliminated. It’s a game of aggression, agility, and strategy, with reputations, careers, and entire futures on the line. Victory isn't about being the strongest, it's about staying in the fight longer than anyone else.

The Dragon’s Reign: Heart of the Depths by Tim Mullins

After his mother suffers a life-altering brain injury during a tragic accident, Andy books two tickets aboard The Heart - a luxury cruise ship built for the super-rich, to give her the holiday she had always dreamed of. Shortly after the ship sets sail, catastrophe hits the mainland and the pair can only watch as the life they left behind is turned to ash. The Heart continues out to sea, hoping to put some distance between its passengers and the devastated mainland, but as the ship ventures into deeper waters Andy soon realizes that the ocean may not be the safe haven the ship's Captain first thought... For something lurks below, and now it's rising from the depths... Set during the events of The Dragon’s Reign, this short-story will tell a heartfelt tale about a mother and son that will test their definition of love as they learn just how far they will go for family.

Glimmer of The Other by Heather G Harris

SPFBO8

I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time. I’m Jinx. As a private investigator, being a walking, talking lie detector is a useful skill – but let’s face it, it’s not normal. You’d think it would make my job way too easy, but even with my weird skills, I still haven’t been able to track down my parent’s killers. When I’m hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar – yet my gut tells me there’s more to this case than a party girl gone wild. Firstly, she’s a bookish soul who’s as likely to go off the rails as Mother Theresa. Secondly, I’m not the only one on her trail; she’s also being tracked by the implacable and oh-so-sexy Inspector Stone. Stone and I team up, and he shoves me into a realm where magic is real – a place where there are vampyrs and werewolves, dragons and trolls. And where my skills are more than just detecting lies… Oh, and my dog? He’s a freaking hellhound who can manipulate the magical realms themselves. I need to find the girl. I need to discover who killed my parents. And I need to find out more about the attractive but mysterious Zachary Stone…

How To Sell Your Blood and Fall In Love by D.N. Bryn

Kraken Collective

No romantic story has ever lived up to Dr. Clementine Hughe’s reality but at least he has his steamy two-million-word fanfic and a prestigious research position at Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceuticals, where their benefits are superb and their experimentation on vampires highly unethical. When a mysterious accident turns Clementine into a vampire, discovery would demote him to lab rat and his growing thirst for his coworker’s veins forces him to the streets to hunt. Justin Yu is usually the one attacking villains in alleys, not the other way around. After the tragedy he brought upon his local vampiric community in his youth, he’s struggled tirelessly to keep their vampires safe. So when a panicking Clementine botches a bite attempt, Justin takes pity—and advantage—and offers the vampire a trade: his blood in exchange for an exorbitant fee. In desperation, Clementine accepts. Justin’s blood is bland and unappealing, but the more Clementine learns to appreciate the man’s sharp humor and persistent compassion, the more he acquires a taste for Justin. Justin is determined not to let Clementine’s good looks and thoughtful intellect distract him as hunters from Vitalis-Barron close in on Justin’s neighborhood, and it turns out someone there knows Clementine’s vampiric secret…

Theft of Fire by Devon Eriksen

SPSFC 2024

Discover SciFi #5 Best Book of 2023 Atomic Rockets Seal of Approval, for Excellence in Correct Science Prometheus Award Finalist for Best Novel Dragon Award for Best Scifi Novel Finalist “A great read — hard SF by a retired engineer.” —John Carmack, creator of Doom At the frozen edge of the solar system lies a hidden treasure which could spell their fortune or their destruction—but only if they survive each other first. Marcus Warnoc has a little problem. His asteroid mining ship—his inheritance, his livelihood, and his home—has been hijacked by a pint-sized corporate heiress with enough blackmail material to sink him for good, a secret mission she won’t tell him about, and enough courage to get them both killed. She may have him dead to rights, but if he doesn’t turn the tables on this spoiled Martian snob, he’ll be dead, period. He’s not giving up without a fight. He has a plan. Miranda Foxgrove has the opportunity of a lifetime almost within her grasp if she can reach it. Her stolen spacecraft came with a stubborn, resourceful captain who refuses to cooperate—but he’s one of the few men alive who can snatch an unimaginable treasure from beneath the muzzles of countless railguns. And if this foulmouthed Belter thug doesn’t want to cooperate, she’ll find a way to force him. She’s come too far to give up now. She has a plan. They’re about to find out that a plan is a list of things that won’t happen.

El Jefe by Tiffany Christina Lewis

In this third installment of the series, Detective Michael Taylor of the Oakland PD has a decision to make: Should he begin an investigation against his corrupt lieutenant? After being given a file of evidence against him, Michael is expected to act. He knows that after multiple attempts on his own life, opening this investigation would put himself, all of his loved ones and his partner Det. Alex Jamison in danger. As Michael contemplates the case, he and Jamison get a late-night call to the residence of Mia McDowell, who is found assaulted and murdered. Although it initially looks like a breaking and entering, Michael can sense something isn’t right. Just as his momentum rises, Lt. Bruce Vega, the corrupt supervisor in question, arrives on the scene. As the two come head to head, Michael removes himself from the situation only to find that he has fueled Lt. Vega’s fire, and he is now under a month’s suspension. Now Michael has to make some choices: will he investigate Lt. Vega and risk everything or will he do nothing and risk losing himself?

What Was Lost by Melissa Connelly

When a young girl feels complicit in her own abuse, how does that thwart her attempts to build a happy life as an adult woman? Disturbing memories begin to surface for Marti and so she returns to the small Vermont town she ran away from thirty years ago to face her demons. She drags her unwitting and unwilling teenage daughter along on the journey heightening already existing tensions between them. But Marti is determined to achieve what she’s returned home for: forgiveness for lies told, and revenge for secrets held. Exploring the vast social change from 1970 to 2000, in times before language such as #MeToo helped give voice to these all-too-common occurrences, What Was Lost is a raw, powerful tale of one woman confronting the ghosts of her past.

Army of the Cursed by Karim Soliman

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Everybody knew the Cursed were coming. Nobody knew how to defeat them. The Goranians thought they were ready to face demons in battle. But when the foretold War of the Last Day begins, one fact becomes clear: the doom of mankind is just a matter of time. Now its fate rests in the hands of a hapless trio. A mage’s apprentice who relies on her wits rather than magic. A princess who seeks the ultimate weapon against demons, but first, she has to survive the turmoil of civil war. And a warrior whose swordplay could prove more useful against a threat graver than the bandits infesting his village. Can the three unite and put aside their differences before it is too late? The entire human race is already on the brink of extinction. ARMY OF THE CURSED is a thrilling read for epic fantasy fans. Brace for a tale of magic, betrayals, and fear of the unknown, and lose yourself in the world of Gorania.

No Place for Peace by Tom Dumbrell

As Cyrus rides away from the safety of his family in Highcastle to face his destiny in cunning King Simeon's kingdom, Augustus braces himself for the arrival of a new threat: an invading army is coming for the capital. Easthaven's young king will need the support of those closest to him if there is any hope of saving not just the city but their kingdom. Will Thaddeus and Adaline be able to guide Augustus toward victory, or will a magnetic new influence cloud his judgement? What fate awaits Cyrus in Auldhaven, and is there more to Simeon than meets the eye? As Cyrus's journey takes him farther from home than ever before, his future will become more unpredictable. The outcome seems destined to be explosive. War is coming, but the fiercest battles are often fought within.

From the Ashes by B. S. H. Garcia

SFINCS

The civil war ends now. Igtheos and his rebels have fought tirelessly against a would-be dictator and his army for almost two years. The city they’ve holed up in has become a prison, soon to be a tomb if they cannot arrange a means of escape. When the enemy leader offers an armistice that’s too good to be true, Igtheos reluctantly accepts, thinking it will buy him enough time to smuggle those loyal to him out of the city. But he quickly learns the cost of choosing hope over caution as he finds himself caught in his enemy’s sinister plan, fighting a final unexpected battle. Failure means death, or worse, the loss of his loved ones. And he only has one night to determine everyone’s fate. From the Ashes is a prequel novelette that takes place over two thousand years prior to the events in Of Thieves and Shadows—volume one in the epic fantasy series, The Heart of Quinaria.

Memories of Blood and Shadow by Aaron S. Jones

SPFBO8

Guilt cuts deeper than the deadliest of blades. Tavar Farwan lives alone past the Undying Sands. During a violent storm, he is attacked by two young warriors claiming a need for vengeance for pain from ages past. Tavar defends himself, killing one of the intruders and leaving the other to bleed on the floor. Weary and filled with regret, Tavar offers to tell the young man his story: a story of how, in a world of Naviqings, Leviathans, and Shadow Warriors; a poor, nomadic orphan rose to inspire a kingdom, and kill a God.

Bring Her Home by R.N. Barbosa

Forbidden love… If Susana’s sister knew she was dating, she’d sequester her ass to the tallest tower so fast her head would spin. Her boyfriend is everything Cassandra hates, an Outcast and a biker, and it’s only a matter of time before their clandestine rendezvous blows up in her face. A missing sister… Fighting professionally might be Cassandra Dayan's livelihood, but it's her sister that's her life. When she comes home to a wrecked house and a missing sister, her desperate search upsets the brutally maintained balance of the North Californian coast. At any cost… Going against the Order is a death sentence, but doing nothing is not an option. Cassandra will find her sister even if it means endangering the lives of everyone who crosses her path or joins her cause. She doesn’t care who gets hurt or what promises get broken. All that matters is bringing her sister home.

A Haunt for Jackals (Land of Exile Book 2) by J. L. Odom

After capturing a jinn-devil and fleeing to the desert, Azetla has exchanged the threat of execution for the weight of high treason. Thousands of men are now under his command—for the Emperor’s brother must have both a scapegoat and a symbol to stand behind his quiet coup. But Azetla has different plans. He means to bring his masters a war which will spread throughout the southern desert, and beyond. As Azetla gathers troops and tribes and victories, his reluctant alliance with the Sahr devil becomes an indispensable one. Few can resist the influence of her words, which reach every tongue and every tribe. The rebellious nobility of Maurow will get more than they ever bargained for. The Emperor’s brother, James, will become a far more ruthless man than he ever wanted to be. And the whole southern desert will be tempted by the chance to cast off the yoke of the Empire They need only submit to the command of a jackal and the voice of a jinn.

Elendil by Andrea Rose Washington

I stood there, looking at this stranger with eyes like mine, hair like mine. It slowly dawned on me that it was her. After all these years...it was her. A wave of rage coursed over me as I stood there, staring at this woman. I couldn't bring myself to call her that because she was never that to me. Just an egg donor as far as I was concerned. Then my dad spoke."Abriana, I would like to introduce you to Acadia...your mother."Abriana was forced to deal with a lot of things over the short sixteen years of her life: adapting to a new neighborhood, the wondering eyes that fell on her when she was out with her father, the whispers of the town. But this - facing the woman who abandoned her at the tender age of three days old - was the one thing she wasn't prepared to deal with. When Abriana is forced to flee with this woman she barely knows, she soon realizes that her life will never be the same

Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty

SOME BALLADS ARE INKED IN BLOOD. Bled dry by violent confrontations with the Magadhan Empire, the Mathuran Republic simmers on the brink of oblivion. Krishna and Satyabhama have put their plans in motion within and beyond the Republic's blood-soaked borders to protect it from annihilation. But they will soon discover that neither gold nor alliances last forever. They are however not alone in this game. Mati, Pirate-Princess of Kalinga, has decided to mend her ways to be a good wife. But old habits die hard, especially when one habitually uses murder to settle old scores. Brooding but beautiful Karna hopes to bury his brutal past but finds that destiny is a miser when it comes to giving second chances. The crippled hero-turned-torturer Shakuni limps through the path of daggers that is politics only to find his foes multiply, leaving little time for vengeance. Their lives are about to become very difficult for a cast of sinister queens, naive kings, pious assassins and ravenous priests are converging where the Son of Darkness is prophesied to rise, even as forgotten Gods prepare to play their hand

Red Green Blue by PS Shai

Micah, a young archaeology student, gets lost on his first dig in the Mesopotamian desert and discovers a dragon statue chained up deep underground. It follows him home.

Price War by Richard Holliday

WHEN THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IS BLOOD, ONE MAN MUST SAVE WHAT'S LEFT OF HIS FAMILY FROM PAYING THE PRICE… In a future wrought by traumatic events, the people of the UK come to rely on retailer Yellowstone for their every need. The futuristic company is a newcomer to the country but it’s technologically-advanced ways pamper a weary populace with convenience – at a price – and the convenience soon becomes a necessity. Danny Price is one of a lost generation who seems to be going nowhere in this harsh future – after losing most of his family, he moves in with his last remaining relative, his grandmother, who has her own secrets to keep. Others are wary that Yellowstone’s ambition can’t be controlled by the bounds of laws and morals. Their companies scrabble to secure their stake. When Danny interviews at Yellowstone, he realises the sacrifice he needs to make is too great – but he doesn’t realise that Yellowstone know all about him and the danger to their hegemony he poses without even knowing it. When the battle in the boardroom spills over to a hostile takeover of every town and city in the country, Danny is the one man who stands to fight the Price War against all the odds…

Bringer of the Scourge by M. Daniel McDowell

Chipped Cup SPFBO10

When the end of ages comes for the empire, the princess must rescue herself. Vierrelyne du Talorr, the last living daughter of the tyrant king, waits locked in a tower cell for the prophesied apocalypse only she can prevent. An army of three brittle allegiances, united under a rival prince, aims for the throne and lays siege to the castle in search of the princess and the fabled weaponry of the empire. With the aid of her mentor in music and swords, and a desperate cultist sent to find her before the mercenaries do, Vierrelyne steals that formidable ancient weapon from her family crypt: a holy suit of armor and a diadem infused with the soul of a demon prince--the Bringer of the Scourge. With it, Vierrelyne discovers an unstoppable power, but the demon within is corrosive, hungry, and dangerously persuasive. Vierrelyne is haunted by what it means to tame this power bequeathed to her, and by what means she might conquer it. When that rival prince finds her, it will take all the strength she can muster, for, if the prophecy she dreads is true, the very weapons she wields might destroy everything she holds dear.

An Appreciation of Cats by Des DeVivo

How do we know if it’s too late? Dr. Ian Devonshire, the beloved veterinarian of Holly Grove, is sixty-eight with no plans to retire—until a skin exam ends with an unexpected biopsy. Ian tells no one, privately worrying about what a worst-case scenario would mean for his practice and, more importantly, his assistant, Dr. Alec Tarley. Ian isn’t sure if Alec’s friendliness means what he hopes it does, though it wouldn’t matter if it did; Ian is old enough to be Alec’s father, and as his boss, Ian doesn’t want the small-town scandal of becoming involved. So even as Ian wonders what it might be like to have their afternoon tea somewhere other than behind closed doors, he convinces himself the risks far outweigh the gains. Especially now, as the pending results strand him like Schrödinger's Cat. In an attempt to protect them both from the heartache of a malignant prognosis, Ian makes the abrupt decision to retire. But when Alec refuses to take over the clinic without an explanation for the sudden change of heart, Ian must decide between what’ll hurt more: revealing his secrets or walking away.

Neuen by Sheri Singerling

Neuen is a planet of extremes, thanks to a crawling rotation rate. Nights of bitter cold. Days of searing heat. For Levi Zetmer and the other Reisende, survival means a nomadic existence chasing the ever-shifting twilight. Exiled from the polar cities for their “flawed” genetics, they live under constant surveillance, forced to cleanse their bloodlines birth by birth. It’s Lyn’s job to keep them on track. A polar city denizen, she travels from Reisender settlement to settlement and monitors the genomes of the newborns. The work is lonely and tedious until all the inhabitants of a neighboring settlement mysteriously die, and Lyn is tasked with uncovering the cause of the deaths. For the journey, she needs help from Reisende knowledgeable in plagues and blights. Levi’s expertise in the latter earns him a place in her expedition. But all their efforts yield only questions, and whatever killed the others seems poised to wipe out Levi’s settlement next. Lyn is determined to find a solution. Levi is dead set on learning the truth. Together they just might be able to unravel the mystery. Will what they learn finally free the Reisende from their age-old shackles? Or will the truth break them? Neuen is a science fiction mystery with aspects of botany and genetic engineering.

Beneath Black Sails by Clare Sager

SPFBO6

Pirate versus pirate hunter. To lose is death, but winning just might be worse. With weather magic on her side, Lady Vice is the bane of the high seas, but she isn’t captain of her own ship. Yet. If she can persuade her captain to give her a command, she’ll be in charge of her own fate at last. To pay off his family’s debts, Knigh Blackwood hunts pirates for the Royal Navy. And he’s damn good at it. When the bounty on Lady Vice grows, he’s determined to make her face justice, even if that means using unorthodox methods. Forced to work together, neither can deny their mutual attraction. As they face battles at sea and schemes amongst their crew, they discover hints about a long-lost treasure that could be the answer to both their problems. But treasure isn’t the only thing buried. Secrets best-forgotten lie in wait that could blast them apart. And the closer Vice and Knigh grow, the greater the threat – to her freedom and to his family. Because for one to succeed, the other must fail. If you love cunning heroes, feisty heroines, and enemies to lovers romance, you’ll love this new adult fantasy series that’s perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Miranda Honfleur. Buy Beneath Black Sails today to escape on rum-drenched adventures in a world where flags can lie, X marks the spot, and loyalties shift more than sand.

Peaches and Honey by R. Raeta

A shapeshifting god, an immortality granting peach, and a woman gifted with forever. England, 1184: Anna is used to hunger and hardship. Ever since she was seventeen, when the pale shadows of her vitiligo were spotted, she has spent more than a decade struggling to survive alone and in exile. Then a single act of kindness towards a beautiful stranger and the taste of a divine peach changes Anna's life forever. Suddenly, her body is as untouched by Time as it by harm. As she watches the world change around her, knowing every human connection is only temporary, there is only one person she trusts to always return no matter the years or distance... The shapeshifting god who gifted her with immortality.

Glitterland by Alexis Hall

Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on hope, happiness, and—most of all—himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people’s expectations. Then a chance encounter throws him into the path of Essex-born Darian Taylor. By his own admission, Darian isn’t the crispest lettuce in the fridge, but he makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it’s like to step beyond the boundaries of anxiety. But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can’t see past the glitter to the light. Can a man who doesn’t trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can a man who doesn’t believe in happiness ever fight for his own?

Anachrony by Susana Imaginário

Arianh had one wish. Yewlow made it real. And Time turned it into a regret. Anachrony takes you on a journey to the bleak future of Aegea and the darkest places of the mind. Can fate be avoided, or is the future just someone else's past?

The Reanimator's Soul by Kara Jorgensen

An autistic necromancer, his undead lover, and the case that could destroy everything. When a necromancer turns up dead, Oliver and Felipe think it will be the perfect, straightforward case for their new partnership. That is, until it leads them to a clinic promising a cure for magic, but they aren’t the only ones investigating the Institute for the Betterment of the Soul. Oliver’s ex, Ansley, is in town, and he’s certain the clinic isn’t the paragon of righteousness it claims to be. Forced to help Ansley infiltrate the institute, Oliver fears he is out of his depth in his work and in love as old wounds and bad habits resurface. But Oliver isn’t the only one struggling. Pulled between his cases, Oliver, and his daughter returning home for the summer, Felipe is drowning. Just when he thinks he finally has everything under control, a new reminder of his untimely demise threatens to throw his life into a tailspin once more. Between festering wounds and secrets, Oliver and Felipe’s lives stand upon a knife’s edge. To face the evil lurking behind the clinic’s genteel smiles, they must stand together or face the destruction of the place they call home.

3 by T.P. Theyson

Valerie Perittos is a best selling author with three problems. Her writers block has lasted for years with nothing able to inspire her and after her neighbor turns up dead, making the police question if she is responsible, she starts to see the number 3 everywhere she looks. As she watches her life descend into a thriller of its own, her unhealthy sleep patterns and past head trauma leave her wondering if the strange things she is experiencing are really happening or if she is hallucinating through her days and nights that have become a blur in her mind. Until the murderer is found, she cannot trust anyone, not even herself. T.P. Theyson delivers a mind bending, fast paced story full of twists and turns. With some obvious and other hidden numerical structures tucked into the text, your mind will reach to its limits to not investigate every line on it's own, making you feel closer to the main character than you thought possible while you read her inner thoughts and feel her fear rising.

Heart, Haunt, Havoc by Freydís Moon

Laced with romance, gothic imagery, Catholic mysticism, diaspora, and horror… When lonely transgender exorcist, Colin Hart, finds himself challenged by an unruly haunted house in Gideon, Colorado, he’s kept awake by ghosts, demons, ghouls, and the handsome nonbinary owner of the house, Bishop Martínez. Unlike the simple hauntings Colin is accustomed to, Bishop’s house is a living beacon, attracting a plethora of inhuman creatures, including a vengeful wolf-headed spirit who might be the key to quieting their sleepless nights. But as a heartbreaking mystery unravels, Colin comes face-to-face with the past Bishop tried to bury, opens a closet full of bloody skeletons, and trips into an accidental romance. As paranormally skilled as Colin might be, this particular haunting may be too messy for him to handle…

Petrified Women by Jeremy Ray

Some pranks go too far. This one could be deadly. Harley has the perfect boyfriend. Why can’t her best friend see that? He’s nothing like the others, especially the one who still haunts her memories. She’s finally picked a “keeper” with Aiden. Sure, he’s a bit eccentric. His wood carving hobby is a little odd. His need for isolation while he carves his life-size female figurines is strange. And maybe his obsession with pranks, or "scares" on Harley goes a little too far. But what do you expect? Aiden’s an artist. Harley has finally picked the perfect boyfriend. That’s why this year, Harley ignores all her best friend’s warnings. She has the ultimate surprise planned for Aiden’s birthday, one that’s going to help her get even in their battle to out-prank each other. She hides in his apartment, excitedly waiting to pull off the scare of a lifetime… But then he comes home, and Harley witnesses a different side of her boyfriend. The side that exists behind closed doors when he doesn’t know anyone’s watching. Is this just one of his scares? Or is there something more sinister lurking behind his playful nature? Harley’s about to find out.

A Circle of Stars by Craig Montgomery

SPFBO10

Sometimes you have to leave home to find it… All Casper Bell has ever wanted is to belong. But now, abandoned by his friends and family after being outed, he has nothing left to lose when the people of Novilem abduct him. Except Earth. Teleported to a world where stars grant humans magic, Casper discovers he has the rare ability to draw power from all twelve astrological signs — a gift that makes him a political pawn for the Estellar Council. But Novilem’s inhabitants seem as hard and cold as the stone their city is carved from, and Casper’s new role leaves him more isolated than ever. Until he meets the grandson of the council’s most powerful woman. Helix is kind, playful, and heartbreakingly handsome, yet it’s how Helix makes him feel that gives Casper hope. As rebellion brinks in the city, even the Council starts to fracture, reaching for extreme measures that could cost Casper not only his newfound abilities, but the first place he has ever wanted to call home. Together with Helix, he must uncover the secrets of his full potential — because the survival of Novilem hinges on Casper’s powers, whether he’s using them or not. Set inside a hidden lunar city, where astrology is magic and your birth sign defines your social status, A Circle of Stars is a queer young adult fantasy filled with political intrigue and romance.

The Demon's Dagger: A Noir Urban Fantasy Novella (Alexander Southerland, P.I.) P by Douglas Lumsden

SFINCS

Once he checked in, checking out became an obsession! Crawford the were-rat checks into a shady hotel and promptly stumbles over a dead man. A mysterious troll is obsessed with finding the dagger that killed him—a dagger possessed by a demon! The demon denies that he is a demon and is obsessed with regaining his freedom. Meanwhile, the hotel’s night clerk is obsessed with the hooker on the third floor. Crawford is obsessed with what’s in the hooker’s room: a solid gold statuette of a demon-slaying goddess! Crawford has checked in, but, when obsessions collide, does he have any hope of checking out? Content Advisory: This book is intended for a mature audience. It contains misogynistic characters, language, and acts. It also contains graphic violence (including violence against women), smoking, drinking, drug use, graphic sexual acts, and crude language and images.

Cleansing Rain by Holly Ash

SPSFC 2022

Earth is dying and the only way to save it is to eliminate its biggest threat. All Zoe Antos wanted was to make it home from work in time for date night with her fiancé Cole Wilborn, something her research had been preventing a lot recently. After managing to get out the door on time, all hope of making it home is lost when she is kidnapped by a man trying to steal files from her lab. Zoe is thrown into a world of conspiracy theories as her kidnappers reveal that they are trying to stop The Arrow Equilibrium, a powerful eco-terrorism group Zoe has never heard of, from going through with their plan to restore balance to the environment. It doesn’t sound too bad until she realizes the only way to have a shot at doing that would be to eliminate the human factor from the scales. Zoe almost starts to believe them, until it’s revealed that her kidnappers believe the Wilborn family is the behind The Arrows, something she knows can’t be true. Once rescued, Zoe starts to notice irregularities with her future father-in-law that makes her question if her kidnappers might have been right. Zoe must decide who to trust, her fiancé’s family or her kidnappers. Her life, and the fate of humanity, could depend on her making the right choice.

Gold, Lock and Key by E J Doble

From grimdark author E J Doble, comes a fairytale with a dark twist... "All it needs, is a bit of tenacity... and three little bears." Goldie, an outlaw and contract hunter of the Baron's State, accepts a new assignment from her employer to find an old cabin in the woods, home to three 'shapeshifters' who can morph into bears. Considered to be little more than a myth, Goldie assumes at first that the shapeshifters are an exaggeration - but with the sizeable bounty her employer is offering, she soon realises there may be more truth in it than she realised. And that isn't the only thing on her mind: she discovers her main rival - a manipulative and incredibly cunning trapper named Southey - has also taken on the contract, and will be contending for the same bounty she so fervently desires. Having waited many long years to have her revenge and outsmart Southey for past mistakes, Goldie sees the new contract as a perfect opportunity to do so. All she has to do is play her cards just right. And kill three bears...

The Light Must Hold by Kriss Gallom

SPFBO10

In a world without stars, divine crystals shield the folk of Esiaga from fiends that prowl the darkness. When Lior, a priest who communes with the crystals, prays to the deities and asks for their guidance, he is met only with silence. Guidance is something he yearns for as he watches his convent brothers either fall to creatures that lurk in the shadows or lose their minds trying to harness the power of the crystals’ light. That is, at least, until travelers arrive on behalf of the Queen. Sworn to come to their kingdom’s aid in times of need, Lior and his convent brothers must make the hazardous pilgrimage to the capital, Bangol. The guidance Lior has always sought comes in the form of Elouan, the paladin sworn to guide the convent’s caravan. Where Elouan leads Lior, however, deviates from the known path. The Light Must Hold — a classic dark fantasy adventure that combines fanciful prose and sisyphean struggles.

Legacy (Scion Book 1) by Jay Reace

Years after fleeing their homeland, Xolani and Raine have finally been able to find peace. However, that peace is shattered when receiving a royal command to return and answer for what they've done for so long age. Do they take their children and flee or do anwser the call and fight?

The Haunting of Sheila Lee by Uilleam Whitedale

Sometimes the human psyche seeks to protect itself in ways that shield one from trauma in the short term through denial, sublimation, projection. Regardless, the emotions shunned must be addressed in due time in some manner. Yet, once in an age, trauma is so severe and the bearer so unwilling to face it that it is wholly displaced, made homeless, and, epitomizing pain in excess, intends to punish its source. Sheila Ann Lee, a narcissistic and neurotic seeker of affluence, creates her own manifestation of trauma and leaves it forlorn. As it tortures her mind, and, eventually, interferes with the true love she finds, it remains unclear to her and all those seeking to protect her whether she is being haunted or she is the source of her own misery, and theirs.

The Crescent Moon by E J Doble

The first novella in a new philosophical fiction trilogy by indie author E J Doble In the city of Arbash, nestled on the outskirts of a vast desert, the young girl My'ala walks out among the vineyards overlooking a delicate blue sea. Reaching a gnarled tree atop a small hill, she stumbles upon an old man, nestled among its roots - his name is Artemis the Hermit, and he longs to answer the simple question. What is the meaning of life? As the years pass, and the realities of a difficult life struggling to get by weigh heavy upon her, My'ala finds herself returning to the Hermit by the tree to seek counsel, and to find purpose in a world where she feels so lost. But when an enemy appears from the sea, and her family are torn apart by the spectre of war, it is in the Hermit's teachings that My'ala will find her answers - and how the meaning of life may just save her city from a swift and certain end...

Soultaming the Serpent by Tar Atore

SPFBO10

Jun was barely ten years old when the last dragon died. Half a century later and Jun still dreams of the rain that hasn’t fallen since. Her mundane life takes a turn when she encounters Aurel, who she suspects may be the one that holds the key to restoring balance and is destined to find the elusive serpent from the prophecy.  Joined by Casey, Jun’s closest friend and the village brewer, the three embark on a journey to unravel the prophecy's intricacies, figure out what the serpent's role truly is, and why the dragon has to die, not knowing they are being watched.  Follow our trio as Jun discovers a love of adventure, Casey’s devotion takes an unexpected turn, Aurel spills his secrets like dust in the sand, and the three of them discover the true power of their bond.

The Wife in the Attic by Rose Lerner

Goldengrove’s towers and twisted chimneys rose at the very edge of the peaceful Weald, a stone’s throw from the poisonous marshes and merciless waters of Rye Bay. Young Tabby Palethorp had been running wild there, ever since her mother grew too ill to leave her room. I was the perfect choice to give Tabby a good English education: thoroughly respectable and far too plain to tempt her lonely father, Sir Kit, to indiscretion. I knew better than to trust my new employer with the truth about my past. But knowing better couldn’t stop me from yearning for impossible things: to be Tabby’s mother, Sir Kit’s companion, Goldengrove’s new mistress. All that belonged to poor Lady Palethorp. Most of all, I burned to finally catch a glimpse of her. Surely she could tell me who had viciously defaced the exquisite guitar in the music room, why all the doors in the house were locked after dark, and whose footsteps I heard in the night…

Jack Forest, Soul Collector by E. Reyes

In the gripping novelette Jack Forest, Soul Collector, the town of Devil’s Hill, Arizona, becomes the stage for a chilling and morally complex tale. Jack Forest, a man returned from the dead on Halloween night, is compelled to serve as a soul collector for Hell. Tasked with branding the souls of woman abusers, he embarks on a haunting mission. As Jack navigates the shadowy realm between the living and the dead, he is torn between the ruthless directives of Hell and his own sense of justice. The line blurs when faced with a momentous decision that challenges his very nature. This gripping narrative explores themes of redemption, the consequences of one’s actions, and the power of individual choice. Jack Forest, Soul Collector delves into the darkness of the human soul and the depths of compassion that may yet emerge from the most unlikely circumstances.