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Worth His Salt by Dr. Joel Anthony Hamilton Where is salt? It pumps through your veins, dusts your fingertips in the drive-thru, and has seeped into that comforting bite of your favorite childhood meal. Surprisingly, salt is not in the earthâs crust, not anymore. Centuries of overharvesting, spurred by human gluttony and the food industry, have depleted every source of salt beneath the surface. To make matters worse, global pollution has become so severe that other sources of salt, like seawater, have become too toxic to ingest. The Armageddon that ensued would convince you the world was at war or a zombie apocalypse had begun. This lasted until Pillars, mysterious human-like creatures made entirely of salt, suddenly appeared in one country. The government seized this opportunity to reignite their economy, spurred by powerful food companies, and gathered them into salt farms. The countryâs profits and standing in the world blossomed with this newfound resource. In order to keep this momentum, it became law to turn every Pillar into the government. However, one small restaurant defied this order when they agreed to hide a water-bottle-sized Pillar named Geo. They risk their careers, families, and very lives keeping him hidden from random inspections, salt hounds, and Inspector Hans. To save their future, all it takes is a phone call to turn him in and obtain their monetary reward. To keep him concealed takes a sacrifice few are willing to make anymore. They weigh these choices each day and must decide if he is truly worth his salt. |
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Briefly Buddies by Chase Connor Being a gay teen can be difficult, but for Dustin Blanchard, itâs been pretty boring, actually. In less than twenty-four hours heâs going to graduate from high school. His parents and friends have always given him their full support and unconditional love. Heâs always had plenty of friends in school, heâs attractive, always gotten good grades, and heâs headed into a new chapter of lifeâuniversity after his last summer of working at a local ice cream joint. His life has beenâŚblessed. Thereâs just one thing. Heâs never had a boyfriend. Never gotten laid. Never even been kissed. Well, not like that, anyway. So, life has been good, but itâs been boring. When he came out, Dustin imagined his own rom-com, teenage, coming-of-age scenario playing out, finding a boyfriend in high school, and being crowned dual Kings of the Prom. Nothing ever works out the way he imagines, though, and heâs getting pretty tired of it. On the night of his graduation, Dustin and his friend, Miguel, come up with a plan while sharing a few beers swiped from the neighborhood barbecue. If you canât get laid through skill and swagger of your own, you can always turn to a professional. All you need is the internet and a device. So, buzzed from the beers, Dustin logs onto Briefly Buddies to find the perfect guy to help him achieve his first real gay experience. And thatâs where everything really started to go wrong⌠|
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Wingspan of Treason by L N Bayen Invelmar. A great kingdom boasting unrivalled peace and a brutal grip over the known world. A kingdom built with blood. Former Invelmari prince Klaus surrendered everything to it. Now heâs fleeing a shattering betrayal and wondering why his parents want to kill him. Neighbouring Derinda â a once-magnificent realm devastated by Invelmarâs damming of its mighty river â may offer Klaus a new life mapping distant roads. But feuding Derinda makes poor refuge for a fugitive mapmaker, and thereâs no peace from his questions here. Questions about who his real family are. Questions about the sentient particles awakening in Derindaâs desert, intent on unearthing the devastating secret buried in its sands⌠Because this desert wind is thick with poets and pirates, shamans and spaewives, and the answers are far worse than Klaus could have imagined. His loyalties to his beloved home are fast unravelling, and the desert clamours for a trial of Invelmarâs crimes. But can he separate vengeance from justice? Does he even want to? TRUTH IS A KNIFE. LOYALTYâS A CAGE. NO ONE IS INNOCENT. |
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Tyranny of the Fey by Terry Bartley A famed Elven researcher is worried about her home. When she discovers a new realm with massive magic potential, she believes she has found the answer. Will the Seasonal Fey Courts allow her to continue her research without interference, or do they have more nefarious plans? An Elven princess runs away from her arranged marriage to a parallel world. Will she be able to find the adventure she seeks? While she is in search of battles with dragons and quests to obtain sacred artifacts, she finds that what she was looking for may have been a true connection with someone that understands her. Two childhood friends, an orc and a goblin, have long dreamed of adventure. When a magic school dropout stumbles into their lives, they jump at the chance to realize their ambitions. This found family realizes the world of Galevyn is a much bigger place than the jungle they grew up in. |
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The Pastel Grand Prix by Skyler Krenn Together, they'll paint the town.When thirteen-year-old Alec learns about the annual bike race that combines racing with art, he's expecting a fun new experience. What he isn't expecting is Damian, the lanky, curly-haired boy who helps him out of his shell and becomes his first real friend. With Damian's help, Alec aims for first prize -- and learns some surprising things about himself along the way. |
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The Tome of Haren by Damien Francis The Tome of Haren, a powerful book, made from magic, with vast stores of knowledge, that could shift the balance of a war brewing at the edge of Nareanâs bordersâŚand one young man will become the Keeper for all to survive⌠The nation of Narean is vulnerable. There hasnât been a Keeper to protect and defend its people for over 150 years. As rumours of war grow, Narean needs a Keeper more than ever. Orphaned since birth, Aeidor has no expectations for life except surviving day to day, so when a legend from old stories claims that he is to be the next Keeper, the powerful champions entrusted with defending Narean, Aeidor must journey farther than he ever imagined in search of an artefact long thought lost, the Tome of Haren. Now Aeidor must contend with elite mercenaries, called Blooders, hired to retrieve the Tome for their mysterious dark master. As the challenges mount and time draws nearer to the war to come, Aeidor questions whether he can live up to the legacy of the Keepers and save the nation of Narean⌠|
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My Heart is Hurting by S.E. Reed Jinny Buffett is lonely... She's never had the comfort of a white picket fence with a loving family. Her subsidized apartment in Hollywood Florida echoes with the void of her dead Daddy, and the nights drag long into twilight while her Mama works the block outside the Margaritaville resort. It's idealistic Ms. Fleming, who's brave enough to come knocking first. She wants to see Jinny rise up and use her ace scores to escape the wheel of poverty, convincing Jinny to start a school book club, where she finds the friends and boyfriend she never knew she needed. But when her Mama spirals out of control and threatens her entire existence, it's Jinny's Everglade ancestors who arrive in a mist of magic, bringing the swamp and hope with them. |
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Bonkpocalypse by L. A. Guettler Bonk isnât a normal cat. Itâs glitchy, rusty, its eyes donât matchâand itâs only getting worse. Red Darkling, its owner and all-around space babe, is determined to find out whatâs wrong. Redâs investigation takes her across the galaxy, from Chuckâs Tap to the Whoreâs Knuckles, from Dr. Mnâs Vet Clinic and Oil Change Emporium to The Meaty Noodle. Along the way, sheâs joined by a lounge lizard, a government assassin and her busty wife, and some suspiciously hospitable monks. Will Red uncover Bonkâs secret? Who is Todhunter Balzac? And will she ever get that damn FlinkBar jingle out of her head? Advance praise for Bonkpocalypse âItâs just the book I was looking for." ~The Serendipitous Teh âA powerful exploration of a young womanâs struggle to find her place in the galaxy.â ~Fritzi Giggler âMore fun than a Câlongi bachelor party.â ~Dirk Largo |
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Curse of the Fallen (Fallen Light Book One) by H.C Newell This Child is not the chosen one. She is a demon to be destroyed. Born of magic, Nerana is labeled a demon and forced into hiding by the Order of Saro. Living with a curse that binds her to their leader, Nerana seeks to free herself from their hold and soon learns that the path to redemption may prove more fatal than the Order itself. But for Nerana, this is more than a quest for survival... Itâs a promise of revenge. |
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The Golden Rose of Valenul by Enna Hawthorn Gold can tarnish, roses can wilt, but love can last forever. Ariadne Harlow didnât want to be the Golden Rose. With the prestigious title comes too much attention. But when the courting Season begins, she has eyes for only one the Valenul General. He cares for her, helped her recover after being abducted, and holds the power to keep the horrible monsters of her past at bay. A perfect match. Azriel Tenebra didnât want to be the personal guard of the Golden Rose. Yet despite his misgivings, he ends up at her estate at the start of the Season. Before long, his struggles, and the real reason for his avoidance, a fae bond connecting him to Ariadne. Sheâs all he can think of, and it risks the safety of himself and everyone who gets between them. Night after night, Ariadne canât help but be drawn to her quiet new guard, and Azrielâs resolve to leave her slowly cracks. For when the Generalâs intentions become evident, she must uphold her reputation, and that of her family, by accepting his hand. Anything less and the truth would be exposed, putting Azrielâs life on the line and opening her to the scandal of the ages. |
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Black Widow's Bite by Bella Reves Addison has resigned herself to the fact that sheâll be alone forever, thanks to an unfortunate âgiftâ that drives anyone who touches her to the brink of insanity. When a vicious attack sends her tumbling down a staircase, Addison stumbles upon four reclusive men who are just as troubled as she is. Wyatt, whose tortured soul screams for relief as he takes pain from everyone around him. Austin, whose affinity with snakes has left him stuck inside for fear of cruelty. Piper, whose ability to see the future comes at a terrible cost, leaving his mind fractured and his clarity waning with each passing day. Cain, the terrifying protector of this group of misfits, would gladly burn the world - Addison included - to keep them safe. Addisonâs world is turned upside down as fate keeps pushing her towards these four men, and she begins to wonder if maybe this den of monsters is exactly where she belongs. On the heels of her arrival, the group receives a terrifying warning, and Addisonâs dreams begin to look more like dark omens as they prepare to fight an unknown threat. What could be so evil that it would scare the monsters lurking in the dark? |
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Tails of Battle: the Fox, the Jaguar, and the Mysterious Island by Timothy Robare In a world of humans, elves, and animal humanoids; the fox and jaguar are at war. The two are at odds as another powerful enemy arises and begins a journey for the Mysterious Island for help. The Tournament of Kings is taking place across the sea. One queen destroys peace in the kingdoms with one choice. |
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Kissed By The Gods by Caty Rogan Leina has spent a lifetime submitting. Kneeling. Enduring. Then soldiers came for her brother, and divine fury surged through her veins. She expects execution for the bodies she left in her wake. Her people have met bloody ends for far, far less. Instead, Ryot, a godsworn warrior born to privilege and raised in order, drags her into a world that was never meant for her. One of divine armies and death demons, winged war horses and monsters, sacred power and royal secrets. A kiss from a goddess changes everything. No longer a criminal, Leina is a prize. The kingdom's most powerful men want what the goddess touched. Leina wants only one thing, though: freedom for her people. And she'll trade herself for the strength to destroy the kingdom that broke them. Conscripted into a war she never asked for, fighting for gods she doesn't believe in, Leina must decide how far she's willing to go and what she's willing to lose. Because her power is more than a threat to the kingdom's buried secrets. It's a death sentence. |
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The Secrets That They Keep by T.M. Lore The Secrets That They Keep is a gritty and dark thriller with morally complex characters. Alyx Beck is caught in a nasty web. Driven by her determination to care for her neurodivergent twin brother she navigates a treacherous world where sex and money intertwine. As events spiral, both their lives hang in the balance and survival becomes the ultimate goal. Sometimes for the fly to survive it must kill the spider. Alyx has to fake it several times a day. Fake the desire, the lust, and the orgasms. What she doesn't have to fake is her love for her neurodivergent twin brother or her allegiance to her employer. She'll do whatever her handler requires of her. They've taken care of her since her parents died tragically, and they've never steered her wrong. They pay her well so she can care for her brother's needs, too. However, when Alyx's driver/bodyguard-and only friend- Sasha, goes missing with $100K, her devotion can no longer shield her from her handler's wrath. As events spiral Alyx realizes-a little too late-that she has been backing the wrong people. She's caught in a sticky web and there is only one way out-but she may have to get a little blood on her hands.It's Promising Young Woman meets Filthy Rich, with a touch of Haunting Adeline, Gone Girl, and Luckiest Girl Alive.This dark thriller has a female protagonist, neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ characters |
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Two cops are sent to man a space station prison for a year. One is going with a vendetta the other is in for the ride of his life. |
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When Wildflowers Bloom by Ashley Manley How would you live your life if you believed any day could be your last? Having the same genetic mutation that took both her mother and grandmother, Birdie Rose Hawkins meets her thirty-seventh birthday with the grim belief that this year will also be her last. While she normally spends her days living by lists, rules, and routinesâaloneâshe starts her final year doing something she never does: having a one-night stand. When the stranger fatefully reappears in her life, this time carrying baggage of his own, itâs with an offer of friendship. Rather than doing what she thinks will keep her safe, he, along with the few people she has in her life, teach her how to lean into the things that scare her. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for them to ignore the connection theyâve had since that very first night. When a secret is exposed and threatens to destroy everything theyâve built, Birdie has to decide if she wants to survive like she always has or trust in the unknown that comes with truly living. |
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Foreign to You by Jeremy Martin The harmony between humans and fianna, a species of shapeshifting deer, begins to wither as racial tensions and deeply rooted resentment turns violent. Ruthless hunter Finn Hail and prophesied liberator Adelaide may be heroes to their own species, but they are enemies to each other. With war on the horizon, the reluctant pair must team up to find the most elusive of prey: the god of the Forest. As enemies press in from all sides, true intentions begin to show. For Finn to save the boy he cares for most, he might need to aim his gun at the very god he seeks. And Adelaide, with her festering hatred for mankind, will have to determine if peace holds true salvation for her people |
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Embers We Struck by Jeremy Martin A year after Finn Hail stabbed a god, Marshall Luth is plagued with visions of a future bathed in blood and fire. Haunted by hallucinations, Marshall is thrust into the battle to save Norsewood. Adelaide, vowing to cull humanity and save the Forest, marches the fianna to war. Yet the Maiden herself is slowly unraveling as the feralâs curse consumes her. As the Foreign to You duology comes to an end, humans and fianna will clash, death will rule, and a familiar devil will ascend a throne once made for a god |
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Tropical Punch (Bubbles in Space Book 1) by S.C. Jensen HoloCityâs only cyborg detective really sucks at her job. Bubbles Marlowe is broke, newly sober, and hating her life. All she wants to do is find a girl and deliver a message. Itâs supposed to be an easy gig. Itâs supposed to pay her bills. Itâs supposed to be exactly what she needs. Instead, the easy job devolves into a gruesome murder. Bubbles has to solve the case or take the fall, and a HoloCity prison sentence might be the only thing worse than her current apartment. But when she uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the entire city Bubbles has to get her act together quickly, or there will be more than one personâs blood on her hands⌠|
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Winterâs Myths by Gage Greenwood When the world ends, who will tell the story? After a disease ravages his underground community, Winter escapes with his daughters to the dangerous surface of Earth. Believing the planet is largely abandoned, he struggles to make sense of this strange new world while trying to keep his family alive... But the surface is not all complicated artifacts and relics of a deserted universe. Winter is certain somethingâor someoneâis hunting them. He weaves wild tales to entertain and teach his daughters, turning celebrities into demigods and Abe Lincoln into an ice giant. As the journey grows darker and more dangerous, his mythologies keep not only his children from confusion and despair, but him as well. With tensions rising and danger at every corner, will Winter keep his family alive long enough to finish his tales? Winter's Myths is a multi-season serial currently publishing on Amazon's Kindle Vella. This book covers the first season. Each season will be available in book form upon completion. |
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A Dagger in the Winds by Brendan Noble A warrior shrouded in darkness. A witch sworn to revenge. A winter unbounded. WacĹaw is an outcast. Born with a curse he doesnât understand, heâs hidden his power his entire life. But when the goddess of winter unleashes the darkness within him, his only hope for answers is the girl heâs forbidden to see. Otylia is a witch. Thereâs no one she hates more than the winter goddessâexcept her once best friend WacĹaw. But when she receives visions of endless blizzards and WacĹaw fighting by her side, she realizes heâs the key to uncovering the goddessâs plot. Facing monsters and magic at every turn, the pair must journey with friends and rivals alike to confront the cult of winter, but WacĹawâs awakened darkness grows as death consumes the living realm. To contain it, theyâll have to mend their broken relationship and delve into the mysteries of their past. Mysteries that could destroy the winter goddess . . . or themselves. In this first book of an epic fantasy series rooted in Slavic mythology, dive into a new world with menacing magic and beasts, scheming gods, a group of allied misfits, and plenty of secrets to uncover. |
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Every Beautiful Mile by Ashley Manley A widowed bartender, a summer road trip, the detour she never expected. Penelope âNelâ Crawford is stuck. At least thatâs what her family tells her. A year after losing her husband of seventeen years, sheâs still so deep in her grief that sheâs barely hanging on, let alone living. She hardly recognizes her teenage kids and finds no joy in doing the things she once loved. Her solution? An attempt to heal herself and the relationship with her kids with a summer road trip. From one destination to the next, Nel not only has to navigate life on the road, but the trials and tribulations of motherhood after loss. When a detour leads her to a flirtatious restaurant owner sheâs been emailing off and on for months, she starts to remember that lifeâno matter how unpredictableâis made for living. And the heart, even if broken, finds ways to love again. Every Beautiful Mile will make readers laugh, cry, and remind them of the healing powers of nature, family, and love itself. |
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The Lies That They Tell by TM Lore The Lies That They Tell is the tantalizing sequel to the gritty and dark award winning thriller novel The Secrets That They Keep. Alyx Beck has been crowned Queen and must now become everything she hates. To survive-while surrounded by the spiders that want to eat her alive-she'll have to perform her role within the hierarchy; which means she must be bred by her King. Kept from her neurodivergent twin brother, Alyx has no idea how he's doing and worries if she doesn't fulfill her role as child-bearer her brother will be found and killed for her shortcomings. She'll have to use every weapon at her disposal, including her mouth, to keep him safe. That is if the spiders don't kill her first. It's Blink Twice meets Filthy Rich. This dark thriller has a female protagonist, neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ characters. Content warnings can be found at the beginning of the novel. |
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Epilogues for Lost Gods by Cat Rector Sigyn: We survived Ragnarok and tried to usher in a new era. Now the realms consist of two minuscule factions encamped in the remnants of Asgard and Vanaheim. But the gods are greedy. Anyone not under Asgard's control must fall. When they come, they're going to win. The realms are empty. There's no one left to help us. No one except the dead in Helheim. _________ Loki: When I died, I took everyone with me. Almost everyone. I've waited for Sigyn every day, but she never comes. Never dies. Everyone down here knows what I did. Who I am. And I must live-exist-with the weight of that guilt, those scars. She's going to come back someday, and I'm going to be alright. Be better. I'd do anything for her. I'd do anything to be with her. If only she'd ask. _________ Epilogues for Lost Gods is a story about grief and healing, and is the final chapter of The Goddess of Nothing At All |
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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 kingâs 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 dragonâs lair. |
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Theft of Fire by Devon Eriksen 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 âA great read â hard SF by a retired engineer.â âJohn Carmack, creator of Doom At the frozen edge of the solar system lies a hidden treasure which could spell their fortune or their destructionâbut only if they survive each other first. Marcus Warnoc has a little problem. His asteroid mining shipâhis inheritance, his livelihood, and his homeâhas been hijacked by a pint-sized corporate heiress with enough blackmail material to sink him for good, a secret mission she wonât tell him about, and enough courage to get them both killed. She may have him dead to rights, but if he doesnât turn the tables on this spoiled Martian snob, heâll be dead, period. Heâs 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 cooperateâbut heâs 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 doesnât want to cooperate, sheâll find a way to force him. Sheâs come too far to give up now. She has a plan. Theyâre about to find out that a plan is a list of things that wonât happen. |
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The Pirates of Pepper Pot Point by Michele Schultz The Pirates of Pepper Pot Point is the story of a little boy named Peter that has a scary adventure with a pirate who circles the waters of a town called Pepper Pot Point. During this adventure, Peter befriends this pirate and teaches him a valuable lesson, friends are worth more than their weight in gold. |
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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. |
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Wistful Ascending by JCM Berne A superhero space opera for grownups. For fans of Invincible and Marvel Cinematic Universe films who like a little hard science fiction in their superheroes.â¨If Thor and Harry Dresden combined in a transporter accident. |
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10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall Sam Becker lovesâor, okay, likesâhis job. Sure, managing a bed-and-bath retailer isn't exactly glamorous, but it's good work, and he gets on well with the band of misfits who keep the store running. He could see himself being content here for the long haul. Too bad, then, that the owner is an infuriating git. Jonathan Forest should never have hired Sam. It was a sentimental decision, and Jonathan didn't get where he is by following his heart. Determined to set things right, Jonathan orders Sam down to London for a difficult talkâŚonly for a panicking Sam to trip, bump his head, and maybe accidentally imply he doesn't remember anything? Faking amnesia seemed like a good idea when Sam was afraid he was getting sacked, but now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan's guiltâas well as the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side to him. There's an unexpected freedom in getting a second shot at a first impressionâŚbut as Sam and Jonathan grow closer, can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie? |
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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... |