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Jack of Thorns (Inheritance, 1) by AK Faulkner Youâd think seeing the future would make life easy, but Laurence Riley knows better. No matter how hard he tries to master the chaos, everything slips out of control. His violent ex-boyfriend, his supernatural talents, his drug addictionâseeing whatâs coming doesnât help with any of them. He needs help and he knows it. Help that only a god can provide. The answer to his prayers is Jack, who offers aid with reining in his powers and mastering his life. In exchange, all Jack asks is regular offerings of sexual energy from Laurence's conquests. A month ago, that would have been just fine with Laurence. If not for Quentin, it still would be. Devastatingly handsome, incredibly desirable, and so far out of Laurenceâs league itâs not even funny, Quentin is the flame to Laurenceâs moth. Laurence doesnât want anyone else, he canât think of anyone else, and neither Quentinâs frustratingly chaste behavior nor his uncontrollable telekinesis are enough to put him off. Not even if his focus on Quentin means breaking his bargain with Jack and facing the consequences of disappointing a god. Laurence doesnât need to see the future to know thatâs a bad idea, but he has no clue how dangerous Jack really is⊠|
Jiao Tuâs Endeavour, Episode 1: The Kidnapped Mousling by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt On a multigenerational colony ship five hundred years off course, a lagomorph warrior must survive using only his wits and his sword. Jiao Tu has been hired to rescue a young kidnapped mousling. A tip leads him to the Below, home to the engines that keep the world in motion. His mission has hardly begun when an encounter with a monstrous being plunges him into the midst of a struggle not only for control of the Below but for the world itself. Teamed with an untested ratling warrior and the ratling leader of a gang of thugs, Jiao Tu must stop the monster and save the mouslingâand the worldâbefore it is too late. Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as Leigh Brackettâs planetary romances, Gene Wolfeâs Book of the Long Sun, Robert E. Howardâs Solomon Kane stories, Hideyuki Kikuchiâs Vampire Hunter D, Stan Sakaiâs Usagi Yojimbo, and the wuxia tradition starting with Water Margins and Journey to the West, Uitvlugt has created a world all his own that promises a far-future adventure unlike any other. |
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. |
The Feast of the Innocents by Colin Harker In the spirit of Mary Shelley and Thomas Ligotti, a new novel that unites the charismatic, scheming villains and chilling atmosphere of classic Gothic horror with visceral, supernatural terrors and historical intrigue... Winter 1665. Cyrus flees England to escape the human monster who murdered his father, but the horrors of Laughlin Priory are as inescapable. Pursued by a mysterious killer from France â haunted by a one-eyed chimney sweeper with sinister motives and an insatiable curiosity â in the Priory, Cyrus learns some secrets are worse than death. |
The Swordsman's Lament (The Royal Champion Book 1) by G.M. White When a prince is murdered, a legendary swordsman stands accused. The King wants blood . . . and loyalty counts for nothing. Belasko thought he was beyond intrigues and machinations. But when the grief-stricken King demands vengeance, Belasko discovers he is expendable. His options are clear... find the real killer or satisfy the royal bloodlust. With the forces of the palace mobilised against him he is thrust into the cityâs bleak underbelly and must fight to discover the truth. With betrayal around every corner he must form unlikely alliances. Can the veteran warrior survive long enough to protect his friends and prove his innocence? Join Belasko on a fast-paced fantasy adventure as he hunts the real killer, from courtly intrigue to the depths of the cityâs criminal underworld, and learns the true meaning of The Swordsmanâs Lament. |
In Solitude's Shadow by David Green Named #1 Book of 2021 - Magic Book Corner Review The tides of fate are shifting. The Banished have returned, and they have set their eyes on the walls of Solitude. Zanna Alpenwood, a powerful mage, and two hundred aged and forgotten Sparkers are all that stand between the Banished and the nation of Haltveldt. With time running out and the world at stake, Zanna is forced to reach out to her estranged daughter, Calene, and set her on an impossible quest. Calene quickly learns that enemies make unlikely allies as she teams up with both friend and foe on her journey to save her mother and Haltveldt. Forging their way over land and sea, uncovering dark plots and secret societies, Calene is forced to decide between her masters and her own conscience. Will they arrive in time to save the fortress of Solitude from destruction? Only one thing is certain; Ruin is assured if Solitude falls. |
Heart, Haunt, Havoc by FreydĂs 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, heâs kept awake by ghosts, demons, ghouls, and the handsome nonbinary owner of the house, Bishop MartĂnez. Unlike the simple hauntings Colin is accustomed to, Bishopâs 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⊠|
Cthulhu Armageddon by C.T. Phipps âUnder an alien sky where gods of eldritch matter rule, the only truth is revenge.â CTHULHU ARMAGEDDON is the story of a world 100 years past the rise of the Old Ones which has been reduced to a giant monster-filled desert and pockets of human survivors (along with Deep Ones, ghouls, and other âtalkingâ monsters). John Henry Booth is a ranger of one of the largest remaining city-states when heâs exiled for his groupâs massacre and suspicion heâs âtainted.â Escaping with a doctor who killed her husband, John travels across the Earthâs blasted alien ruins to seek the life of the man who killed his friends. Itâs the one thing he has left. |
The Gifts of Pandora by Matt Larkin The winding road of fate unfolds ⊠In the last days of the Silver Age, the tyrant god Zeus takes whatever and whomever he wants with impunity. He has already torn Pandora from one home and now he threatens to destroy another. When he turns his wrath upon Atlantis, Pandora flees with the Titan Prometheus. Despite her bitterness, Pandora finds a friendship she never imagined possible. But Zeus is not done with Prometheus, and what Pandora will face next will make all she has endured pale in comparison. But Pandora has considerable gifts of her own, not least her cunning mind. When Zeus binds Prometheus, Pandora swears to turn all those gifts toward bringing Zeus down and saving her one true companion. |
Scribbles and Scrawls: A Short Story Collection by Bethany Votaw Bethany Votaw gives you sixteen short stories featuring the darkness and the monsters surrounding us. Experience the uncomfortable realities lurking beneath the surface. Meet a devil at a coffee shop, discover what the Night Man is really after, and stumble upon strange creatures and events lurking just beneath the surface. If you like supernatural horror, psychological thrills, and mind-bending twists, then youâll love this debut short story collection by Bethany Votaw. Unlock Scribbles and Scrawls and begin the journey into madness. |
Devilâs Hill: Stories by E. Reyes Stephen King has Castle Rock. R. L. Stine has Fear Street. E. Reyes has Devilâs Hill. Welcome to Devilâs Hill, Arizona; a place that runs rampant with the occult, paranormal, and supernatural. As Halloween approaches and a group of teenage witches inadvertently summon an ancient deity into a scarecrow, they set off a chain of events that unleashes true evil upon the town. In these interconnected stories, youâll encounter ghostly spirits, killers, malevolent deities, and other unexplainable horrors as the town of Devilâs Hill is plunged into darkness. Donât miss out on the terror that awaits in Devilâs Hill! Praise for Devilâs Hill: âWhere do fans of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps go when we grow up? There's plenty of room in Devil's Hill, Arizona...if you dare.ââJulia DeBarrioz, author of Cazadora âAbsolutely worth reading.ââHeather Miller, author of One Night Stand at the End of the World âI would FOR SURE recommend this book to horror lovers and horror newbies alike, and I will certainly be looking for more E. Reyes in the future!ââSpooky Octopus Reads |
A Night at The King's Inn by Alec Arbogast FIRST PLACE WINNER - 2021 ROYAL DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARDS: HISTORICAL FICTION CATEGORY AWARD-WINNING FINALIST - 2021 AMERICAN FICTION AWARDS Theodore is an introvert. Friends are a bother and being put in social situations is cruel and unusual punishment. Avoidance is the name of the game when it comes to relationships and he's adamant he wouldn't have it any other way. But deep inside he yearns for something...more. When his vivacious, thrill-seeking sister Alice invites him on another one at her atypical adventures, Theodore finds that his life predicated upon comfort is about to be turned on its head. They venture to an ultra-exclusive speakeasy in Manhattan's West Village, where he happens upon a vintage gramophone that does more than play a simple tune. He cranks the lever and a portal to another world snaps open. Before he can react, Theodore finds himself in a posh hotel, navigating a mysterious and menacing masquerade ball in 20th century London. In the maze-like halls of the hotel, he brushes shoulders with a coquettish young woman who, coupled with the mysterious allure of the masquerade, ensures he'll return to this foreign world to uncover more. But as he delves deeper, he finds himself in the middle of a socioeconomic conflict across a mercurial and hostile landscape where cocktails and charisma are more dangerous than loaded guns. If he wants to lead the substantive life a part of him has always known he deserves, he must not only outgrow his circumspect ways and face the dangers of a socially adept furtive society, he must also face the demons of his own past which crawl to the surface as he unravels the mysteries of a bygone world. |
Fogbound: Empire in Flames by Gareth Clegg London 1899, a ruined city under martial law. It was just another bounty job for Simmons - recover a killer escaping beyond the massive walled city, while avoiding the toxic red fog and the tainted creatures who make their home Fogside since the failed Martian Invasion of '94. When he stumbles across a dastardly plot to overthrow Empress Victoria, the hunter becomes the hunted. With the brutal military police on his trail, he needs to gather others to his cause, learn who is responsible for this treason and keep the Empire he loves from plunging into eternal darkness. But in the darkest and most fogbound areas of the flooded London streets, a sinister intelligence watches, biding its time until the hour of reckoning is at hand⊠|
A Case of Madness by Yvonne Knop Andrew Thomas just got sacked. He's permanently drunk. He's got cancer. Is inescapably gay. Was hit by a bus. And he's fallen in love with a stranger whose life he saved. As a newly-unemployed Sherlock Holmes scholar, Andrew knows only Holmes can help him untangle the madness his life has become, but Holmes isn't real. Except he absolutely appeared in Andrew's house, told him he's in love with a man he just metâŠand then in a fit of pique Andrew sent him away. Sure Holmes is probably a hallucination or a specter or a ghost, but now Andrew desperately needs his help. So to find the answer to his case and the man of his dreams, Andrew takes to chasing a fictional character through London with his very own Watson. |
Consequences: A Wilders Finale by Cass Kim The exciting conclusion to the captivating Wilders Series. The virus is morphing and moving fast. Wilders aren't following the three rules anymore. Nobody is safe. Running low on supplies while waiting for a response from their plea for help, the camp in the Adirondak forest can't wait any longer. Emerson is selected to lead a supply run on what should be a short trip into town. With the world sliding dangerously close to a full apocalypse, his team will have to make hazardous decisions. Back in the camp, help arrives. But the form it takes is unexpected. Renna doesn't know who to trust. Or how she'll survive. Bold choices always have consequences. Now it's time to face them. |
Lipstick Covered Magnet by Amber Herbert Sheâs running from her past. Heâs hoping to become her present. Skylar has avoided the past for three years. She canât be plagued by guilt and regret if she never has time to process what happened. When a song triggers the memories sheâs tried so hard to bury, she knows she canât run anymore. Despite her ex being gone, heâs hiding in the quiet and stillness. Thereâs no escape. Connor has always been passionate. If heâs into you, he will follow you to the ends of the earth. Sure, his fixation once ended in a restraining order, but that was just one girl. When he meets Skylar, he feels that same itch. Despite her attempts to brush him off, he increases his effortsâeven if that means tracking her movements and stalking her online. He knows heâll win her over if heâs persistent. As Skylar does her best to heal, Connor sinks further into obsession. Lipstick Covered Magnet is a genre-bending debut that weaves the intricacies of healing with delusion and suspense. For fans of You and I May Destroy You *Content warning: contains sexual assault, mentions of suicide, and stalking. |
The Yuletide Butcher by Mike Duke For 20 years the Yuletide Butcher has left police a body the morning after Christmas. Once and only once a year the killer strikes. Heâs never been caught. Not even close. Detective Allen and FBI Agent Hawks have a possible lead. The first in years. Together, theyâre on the killerâs trail and scrambling to stop the Butcher from striking again. Meanwhile, Jack Randal, a pillar of the community, secretly dreads Christmas time. He hates his in-laws and canât stand his wife and kids. This year itâs finally too much. Heâs about to have a public meltdown. Somewhere in their city, the Yuletide Butcher is checking his list twice, with plans to be naughty, not nice, and no one knows who his next victim might be. |
Let Loose the Fallen: Book Two of Children of the Nexus by S. Kaeth The priestess searches for her faith. The fire-wielder wrestles with her past. The psion dreams of peace. And the hero is torn between his heart and his duty. While grief scatters the four protectors to the winds, outside forces write history according to their own whims. The fate of the Rinaryns lies twined with that of the boy, Eian, caught in a tug of war the heroes are unaware of. But the evidence lies waiting for Taunos and the others to see, if only they can move past their betrayal. |
The Wild Court by E. G. Radcliff What perils await on the other side of the veil? In the seventh year of Ăed's reign, night descends on the autumn festival. But a time of revelry turns into one of fiery destructionâas fae pour across the veil and the Gut becomes a battlefield in an otherworldly war. Determined to protect his kingdom and the people he loves, Ăed finds himself catapulted into a realm as unfamiliar as it is dangerous, where magic is king and wild courts vie for supremacy. While the faerie Queen's missing consort holds the key to life and death, tenuous alliances raise questions about Ăedâs connection to the mysterious Bone Court. His survival hinges on cunning as much as illusion. On a mission like no other, only one thing is certain: no one will survive unscathed. |
Keeper of the Fallen by Alyssa Lauseng "The spirits have placed a very important task in your hands." A massacre. An escape. Sonika could have been a warrior and a leader if she hadn't been ripped from her homeland as a child. As the last of the Okami, she will never stop fighting for her right to live. Stalking the shadows is the only world Kulako knows. Heart filled with hatred, death by his blade is inevitable, but who he is beneath that darkness longs for something else. When a twist of fate forces their lives to collide, their choices may be enough to hold back the merciless coils of the Giahatio. But not even the will of the Gods can stop the will of the Emperor. |
Teacher of the Year by M.A. Wardell Love: Not as easy as ABC. They were supposed to keep things casual. Whoâd expect theyâd be schooled in love? Those who can, teach. Marvin Block is one of the best kindergarten teachers out there. And despite his anxiety, Marvinâs life is sweet. He knows what he wants. And what he wants is the Teacher of the Year Award. Not just for himself â his school needs him to win. Returning from break, the New Year finds Marvin all set to welcome a new pupil to his class. But when Illona walks in with her cute-as-hell single dad beside her, Marvinâs focus starts to slide. Sure, his students always come first, but he deserves to have a life outside the classroom, too, right? As their friendship starts to deepen, Marvin realizes Olan has the potential to teach him things about love he never thought possible. But with the Teacher of the Year award and his schoolâs future on the line, nowâs not the time for anything complicated. Education has always been Marvinâs world. And he needs to keep a cool head if he wants to win the award and save his school. But will it be worth it if he loses Olan in the process? With Olanâs past and Marvinâs present colliding, their experiment in love hangs in the balance. Marvin knows what he wants out of life. But now heâs forced to consider what he wants out of love. Will Marvin chalk the relationship up to experience? Or can they revise their story into a textbook romance? |
The Girl in White by Shannon Reber Two years before, Madison Meyerâs best friend killed herself . . . or thatâs what they all believed. The truth about Emmaâs death was something only Emma and her killer knew. Now, Emmaâs spirit has returned to try and show Maddie what really happened to her. Seventeen-year-old Madisonâs life has just begun to go back to something that resembles normal for a genius level girl with a special proclivity for anything electronic. Computers were the world she immersed herself in after the death of her friend. Now, Maddie has to figure out what really happened to Emma, using the intelligence that is her stock and trade. The trouble is, lives are being lost. Can Maddie and her friend Ian figure out the mystery of Emmaâs death before itâs too late? Find out in this gripping mystery which is the first book in the exciting series to come! |
Anachrony by Susana ImaginĂĄrio 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 Misadventures of Myndil Plodostirr by Michelle Franklin "Life happened to most people, but Myndil Plodostirr happened to everybody else." When the abbot of the newly made Rogha an dĂĄ DhĂogha abbey meets Myndil Plodostirr, an orphan who thinks God speaks to him, he quickly decides that a talkative young man like Myndil is best left to himself. In the hopes of ridding the abbey of Myndil's company forever, the abbot sends him out on an impossible mission: to make himself a missionary and unite all the surrounding kingdoms under the banner of one god. What begins as a jape ends in infamy as Myndil's cheerfulness and goodwill accidentally bring about the Great War of the Dark Age. Will Myndil heed the abbot's will and convert the warring kings, or will he listen to the mysterious voice that plagues him and cause chaos across the British Isles? |
Elevated Inferno by Carlotta Ardell Monet Parker wasn't a sucker for a man in uniform. Even if he was a firefighter with dimples deep enough to swim in and ebony skin painted by the gods. She was just trying to get her dream internship and prepare herself for a career in social robotics. She had no idea how her life would change with the simple push of a button. When the elevator taking her to her interview at Real World Robotics stops, Monet isn't sure if she will live, let alone make her interview. She's rescued by Rhys Banks: the gorgeous hunk of a fireman. As much as their magnetism is palpable, Monet is trying to ignore her feelings. Focusing on her career and navigating her chaotic family drama is more than enough excitement for her. Still, it's hard to ignore #FiremanBae when her sister is hosting an Instagram Live video of the rescue and getting the whole internet buzzing. What happens when the internet becomes a third wheel in Monet's love life? What happens when past hurts, career goals, and family baggage are in conflict with their desires? Will these distractions win out and quash the elevated inferno? Can Monet have it all, including love? |
The Trials of Ashmount by John Palladino Cedain is destined to collapse. Across a world rife with blood, betrayal, and brutality, five people wade through unexpected tragedies. An egotistical student, a fleeing refugee, a nomadic warrior, a fallen noble, and a criminal in hiding navigate the sinister dealings of politicians, two sudden wars, and nefarious lies that surface at Ashmountâa university dedicated to teaching the five branches of magic. Survival means adapting or dying. Fans of Joe Abercrombie and hard magic systems will enjoy navigating a morally gray cast of characters in a world on the brink of collapse. |
Obsidian: Awakening by Sienna Frost An epic tale of humanity that survives its ugliest and most admirable moments, one that will change your perception on love, life, and what it means to be human forever. When Hasheem, a legendary male-escort-turned-assassin finally escapes the city that enslaved him as a child, he finds himself trapped in the centuries-long war between his nomadic race of desert warriors and an empire that seeks to rule them. There, a new set of shackles awaits him in the form of a fifteen-year-old girl and her oracle brother whose agenda plunges him into the blood sport of power and politics. As warfare exacts its price and the line between good and evil gets put to the test, the men and women from both sides are forced to fight a common enemy that remains the greatest threat to mankind: humanity and all its flaws. |
Scarlett and the Dark Woods by Mary Mecham She is one of the protected elect. He is a shunned shapeshifter. Can Scarlett rescue her grandmother before her own heart is stolen? When her grandmother is cast out as unworthy after facing Hamelinâs annual Shunning, Scarlett knows she must brave the dangers of Darkwood Forest if sheâs to have any chance of saving her. Her perilous adventure becomes a race against time; she needs to find Gran before the previously shunned get to her first. Scarlettâs efforts come too late. As her magic dwindles the farther into the forest she ventures, she becomes hopelessly lost and is forced to accept help from Greyson, the shapeshifting wolf who is stalking her every footstepâand who Scarlett suspects of knowing Granâs location. If she manages to save her grandmother, Scarlett will be faced with an impossible choice: join Gran and live her life as an outcast or return to the rest of the elect, safe but alone. As she struggles to find the right path forward, Scarlett realizes that more than her grandmotherâs future is at stake. Her heart is too. Can Scarlett resist her inexplicable attraction to the shunned wolf she despises long enough to protect the woman who raised her? |
Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill Born in fire. Tempered in blood. Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving â a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calenâs world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries. There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold. He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will. |
The Demon's Dagger: A Noir Urban Fantasy Novella (Alexander Southerland, P.I.) P by Douglas Lumsden 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 himâa dagger possessed by a demon! The demon denies that he is a demon and is obsessed with regaining his freedom. Meanwhile, the hotelâs night clerk is obsessed with the hooker on the third floor. Crawford is obsessed with whatâs in the hookerâs 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. |
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 |
The Call for Finis: Pride by A.J. Torres Seven sins. Seven hosts. One city purged. After everything youâve learned, can you still stand with your faith, or finally rise up against it? Salvia VerdaderaFe has signed a pact with Ultor, a demon of Infernos, to enact the end of all and purge the world of sin. Ultor and six others were granted permission to enter the middle world of Eldara, bound to mortals by the Seraphim of Hevellum. Upon his arrival a messenger of Hevellum should have been waiting to assign him his task, unfortunately the messenger did not appear and thus his mission is a mystery. Along their journey through the country of Marlela, they are set upon by a group of Templar Equitums, bearers of virtue and enforcers of the Cirine faith. From their encounter their destination is revealed. Their journey to Lumen Magnum begins. |
Publishable By Death by A.C.F. Bookens A bookstore, a grumpy newspaper woman, and a murder. Quiet St. Marinâs has just gotten a little more lively . . . and a little less alive. All Harvey Beckett wants to do is read books, help the residents of St. Marinâs find the perfect book for that moment, and snuggle with her hound dog Mayhem. But when the small, waterside townâs newest resident discovers the body of the communityâs persnickety reporter in her bookshop storeroom on opening day, Harvey finds herself bound and determined to figure out the crime. Her task wonât be easy, though, since the town is flooded with visitors for the first annual Harriet Tubman Festival to honor the communityâs most famous resident. Plus, a quiet but charming mechanic named Daniel isnât helping with her concentration at all. |
Head Like a Hole by Andrew Van Wey When you bury your past, make sure that itâs dead. Itâs the mid-nineties. Grunge and flannel are fading as the Spice Girls and Hot Topic conquer the malls. Cherry gloss glistens on the lips of the youth. Modems hiss as America comes online. And in a fog-drenched cove at the edge of New England, something terrible awakens when a fisherman reels in a gruesome catch: the remains of a young woman. Remains still pulsing with furious life. For Megan Monroe and her friends, this is how their nightmare begins: a wet whisper over their shoulder, a dark hand reaching out from the edge of their sight, and a name clawing at the back of their minds. A young woman scratched from their memory. To stop this devouring terror, Megan will need to mend broken friendships and reassemble her fractured past, for what stalks them hungers to remake itself in their image⊠piece by bloody piece. Dig into the haunted past with Head Like a Hole, a novel of malignant secrets, shattered friendships, and twisted bodily horror. â â â â â "This is a brilliant read. A wonderful well-written plot and a story line that had me engaged from the start." â â â â â "A quick, fun read that will be enjoyed by true crime, horror, and sci-fi fans." â â â â â "A beautiful, gritty tale that engages you to piece it all together while being deliciously entertained at the same time." |
The Hidden King (The Coming of Ăed #1) by E.G. Radcliff SPFBO6 Indie Recs Indie SFFOasis Hidden truths. Hidden power. Hidden destiny. On the shores of a rusty sea, in the streets of a starving city, a young man named Ăed scraps to build a life for himself and the makeshift family he loves. Scarred by a trauma he cannot remember, and haunted by the brutal damage it left behind, he has no idea of the courage his future will demand. When tragedy strikes, a desperate Ăed risks a treacherous, life-changing journey in his last chance to save the only family he has left - but an ancient legacy smoldering within him is about to turn deadly. Neither he - nor a kingdom - will ever be the same. |
Family Binds (The Journey Missions Book 2) by Holly Ash It should have been a routine rescue mission Lieutenant Commander Crystal Wolf could lead in her sleep: go in, restore life support, and evacuate the colonists of Stapleton Farms if things went south. But when the true identity of Stapleton Farmsâ leader is revealed, it changes everything. And for the first time in her career, Crystal is emotionally compromised. With the Commander gone, Lieutenant Desiree Flint must put her own prejudices aside and lead an investigation into the sabotage against Stapleton Farmsâ computers; but she soon realizes thereâs more at stake here than one colony or Neophia's food supply. War is in the air, even if no one else can see it yet. And Desi canât stop it on her own. In over her head, Desi only has one person she can turn to for help. But can Crystal set aside the betrayal, pain, and chaos of a compromised past in time to stop Stapleton Farms from being destroyed â and prevent war? |
The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan Being Naughty Has Never Been So Nice! When Lyla's father retired as CEO of the toy company which has been in their family for generations, she was meant to receive his shares. Instead, she discovers the company is bankrupt and her father has given her shares to Mason Klaus, an investor known in the corporate world for his cold and callous nature. Much to Lyla's frustration, her only option is to run the company with him, despite their evident loathing for one another. When Mason cancels the annual Christmas party, Lyla throws it anyway - only for the event of the season to result in a terrible fire. With the offices and Lyla's credibility ruined, Mason offers her a deal: he'll forget her part in the disaster, but she must join his family for the twelve days of their Christmas holidays. Taken to a fantastical winter wonderland, Lyla hopes that she might discover some of the secrets Mr Klaus is hiding, and maybe even a way to get her company back. However, when Mason introduces her to the secret village as his fiancĂ©e, she is horrified to realise she has no choice but to go along with the pretence - because the cost of bringing an outsider to their magical land is far too high. Can Lyla resist the devilishly handsome Mr Klaus and the enchanting village to win back her company, or will she give into temptation? Readers who fell in love with Yule: 'Definitely a must-read for anyone who likes Christmas books with a beautiful touch of fantasy.' âââââ 'Magical. Felt like stepping into a snow globe Christmas village.' âââââ 'I'm a sucker for cheesy hallmark Christmas movies, so if you're like me you'll love this book!' âââââ 'Adventure, romance, a bit of spice, and a sprinkle of gold dust to put you in the holiday spirit!' âââââ 'Workplace rivals featuring Santa's hot son and forced proximity in the North Pole? Count me in.' âââââ Tropes & Themes: Low-Fantasy Romance Workplace, Enemies to Lovers Fake Engagement Forced Proximity Cosy, Christmas feels |
Ordinary World by Jack T Canis 'Life often boils down to simple questions with complex answers. Olivia Buchanan's question was simple, if twofold: 'Was sixteen year old Olivia Buchanan truly the culmination of a secret 30 year genome project, by a clandestine research organisation, to create the ultimate human in order to save humanity from itself? Or: Has she merely inherited her mother's delusional schizophrenia, spiralling her into a nightmarish hell created by a diseased and fractured mind?' Simple. |
Hotel Fen by Meri Benson, Marie Sinadjan The Shining meets Norse mythology in this tale of star-crossed romances, ancient prophecies, and revenge. Are you ready for the vacation of a lifetime? Victor has always had a passion for Norse history and mythology, but after hitting a dead end with his book on valkyries, not even that passion is enough to move him forward. Just when he's ready to abandon the project, he receives an email: he's won a free trip to Hotel Fen, a remote vintage resort in the Scandinavian Mountains. Silje has always felt that her life was fairly unremarkable. She cares deeply about people and that has led her to find her purpose at a nursing home in Oslo. When a resident dies and leaves her an all-expense paid vacation package to Hotel Fen, however, she takes the opportunity to experience something different. It all starts innocently enough, with a little meet-cute in the hotel elevator that takes forever to arrive on their floor. But the longer Victor and Silje remain together, the more dangerous the hotel becomes, and the more they question where reality ends and the impossible begins. |
The Ghosts of Thorwald Place by Helen Power A Mystery Scene Magazine 2021 Editor's Pick Trust No One. Especially Your Neighbors. Rachel Drake is on the run from the man who killed her husband. She never leaves her safe haven in an anonymous doorman building, until one night a phone call sends her running. On her way to the garage, she is murdered in the elevator. But her story doesnât end there. She finds herself in the afterlife, tethered to her death spot, her reach tied to the adjacent apartments. As she rides the elevator up and down, the lives of the residents intertwine. Every one of them has a dark secret. An aging trophy wife whose husband strays. A surgeon guarding a locked room. A TV medium who may be a fraud. An ordinary man with a mysterious hobby. Compelled to spend eternity observing her neighbors, she realizes that any one of them could be her killer. |
The Fear of Moncroix by Bryan Asher All the Waywards have Fallen⊠After a mission against the Royal Vampiric Court goes horribly wrong, all of the Waywards are slaughtered. All except one. Davion, the last surviving member, must consume potions to mask himself and hide amongst the very people who killed his brethren. After a decade of living this double-life, Davion has resigned himself to his new purgatory. But all will not remain calm for him or the Court. An unknown swordsman arrives, and after killing several Royal Vampires, rumor spreads that heâs searching for anyone still belonging to The Wayward order. Davion decides he must track down this mysterious swordsman. But will finding him bring freedom or his own demise. |
The Hunt of the Pumpkin King by Rowena Andrews Legend speaks of the Pumpkin King, a tale steeped in superstition and fear. But all legends carry a grain of truth, and autumn is coming. CW: Mild body horror, decapitation. |