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Three Grams of Elsewhere by Andy Giesler Fifty years ago, a new civil war fractured the United States into a mosaic of polarized nations. Ever since, Harmony “Bibi” Cain has isolated himself: from society, from technology, from family. A powerful empath weary from the constant intrusion of others’ emotions, he’s finally cloistered in his rural Wisconsin retirement community. He hopes to find, if not peace, then at least a little quiet. But when four impossible-seeming killings shake North America, Bibi is drawn into an investigation he wants nothing to do with. The victims were killed by motes—unstoppable drones only an empath can control—and decades ago, Bibi was an unwitting subject in the wartime program that created them: the program that weaponized empathy. With his few remaining friends at risk, and tensions between countries of the former United States reawakening, everything may depend on Bibi's lifelong struggle with his own extraordinary ability. |
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Unbound (Songs of Chaos, #2) by Michael R. Miller Sometimes the world needs a little chaos. Holt and Ash saved the kingdom of Feorlen against all odds. Now they are outcasts, alone on an impossible quest to unite the Elder Dragons. But they are children playing in a game of Dragon Lords. Trapped between the riders, servants of Sovereign, and the scourge, even their luck cannot last forever. Their only hope is to advance their bond by any means necessary. In Feorlen, Talia faces a world unaccepting of a rider queen. Her councilors will not heed her warnings of Sovereign. Foreign powers threaten war and bloodshed. Pleas sent to rider headquarters fall on deaf ears. All the while, Sovereign regathers his strength in an ancient fortress. Enthralled cultists swell his ranks. Disillusioned riders flock to his cause. And his unwilling servant Osric Agravain scours the land for dragon eggs. There are new types of magic to be discovered and Sovereign intends to control them all. Only the mysterious half-dragon Rake has a plan to stop Sovereign. To pull it off, he’s going to need a team. |
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Vile & Blessed by A. H. Serrano A Cursed Existence. A Hidden Land. An Insidious Spirit. There has never been an Anmerilian born without ability. Never, until River Kennry. River has no place in a world where worth is measured by the power of one’s ability. He is an anomaly and an outcast, afflicted by an ailment no one can see or explain. Caught in the unrelenting hold of his government, he falls further into the pit of hopelessness as he wrestles with the mysteries of his past.After a fated meeting with a cryptic stranger, River realizes the only way to uncover his past is to return to the Institute—the very place that scarred and violated him. And if he goes back, it could mean forfeiting his life.But could everyone be wrong about him? Though he remains untouched by power, there is something inside him. Something alive and entangled with secrets that could upset the balance of everything his generation has ever known to be true.Welcome to a world where the secrets are as big as continents, the monsters hide in plain sight, and there is always something sinister at play. Vile & Blessed, the first book in The Vile & Blessed trilogy, is perfect for readers who love their dark fantasy with a touch of horror, plenty of mystery, and realistically imperfect characters they can grow with. |
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My Hand and My Heart by Isabel Huntoon Magic hasn't been used in Haven-the last human settlement in a flooded world-for hundreds of years. Except, that is, for the magical relic that powers the settlement. Nime and her younger sister, Navi, stumble upon a terrible secret one night: the relic is leaking deadly energy that could kill everyone in Haven in a matter of weeks. There's seemingly no way to fix it-not with all knowledge of magic lost at the bottom of the Endless Sea. But Nime is protective and reckless, and she refuses to give up. She throws herself into the search for a solution, setting her hopes on a dismantled machine that could lead to a place far away from danger. Navi, meanwhile, retreats into daydreams, where she is someone brave enough to save her home. Filled with priestesses and magic, vivid dreams blend confusingly with her waking life, until she wonders if there's something she, and only she, can do to protect the people she loves. But Nime and Navi have more than just time working against them, and both sisters may have to give more of themselves than they can afford if they want to save Haven. |
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Dio in the Dark by Rizwan Asad "Be young tonight, if you must. For tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow you will grow old, and the night will no longer be your lover." The powers of the pantheon have faded. The gods live amongst the mortals, grasping for what little of their divinity remains. When Zeus - King of the Gods - goes missing in modern-day Toronto, it is up to his estranged son, Dio, to find him. And with rumors of The Darkness coming, Dio will have to race to find his father, and uncover the truth before it's too late! |
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Rememory: A Science Fiction Novelette by Frasier Armitage In the future, memory is currency. Felix is broke, on the run, with nothing in his head but a combination of numbers. Someone robbed him of his mind. Now it's time he took it back. |
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The Naughty Corner by Mark Towse Are you ready to get put into the Naughty Corner? Three uniquely fresh novellas in one collection, including Towse's wildest old-people horror yet, 'The Generation Games.' Also includes, ‘The Naughty Corner’ and ‘My Name is Brian.’ The Generation Games. The population crisis is out of control. Earth’s resources are close to depletion. A mandate has been put into effect condemning people to death when they hit the age of seventy. Only A lucky few will have the opportunity to compete for a passport to the latter years. It’s about to get savage. My Name Is Brian. Brian's an odd one, always with his head in the books or packet of chips. He doesn't mix well with the other kids but doesn't seem to care. Or is he just a ticking time bomb ready to explode? Coming of age horror on steroids. The Naughty Corner A new start in a gorgeous location. The house of their dreams. But behind the gates of this well-do-do community, our family is about to uncover rules and secrets that will turn their lives upside down. And trust me, you don't want to be in the naughty corner. "Towse is a master of narrative juggling. He makes his readers squirm and laugh in equal measure. His work should be treasured." - E.C. Hanson, author of WICKED BLOOD |
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Tales of Lunis Aquaria by Tessa Hastjarjanto Lose yourself in the wondrous world of Lunis Aquaria. Explore daunting deserts, treacherous mountains and the deep blue of the Morcain sea. If you enjoy the fairy tales of old you will enjoy this collection of nine short adventure stories. • Coming of beasts: A mysterious Lady uses her powers to cultivate the land. When five otherworldly visitors arrive, she gives them a set of powers to aid them on their quest. • The sacred maiden: When a young girl's house is raided, she escapes. One thief chases her into the night. Both of them find something they never thought they would. • Moon Flower: To win the heart of a girl, a young man sets out to find the most beautiful flower there ever was. He faces the dangers of the mountains, looking for a flower that might not even exist. • Thomas and the wolf: A wolf finds a little boy watching a blazing fire in which his family is trapped. The wolf takes the boy to meet the only one he trusts. • The witch of Monterra Mountain: The blacksmith's apprentice falls for a woman who's accused of witchcraft. • Shepherd's Stick: A scholar ventures into the desert to experience the ghost stories the elders tell to scare the children. He finds much more than just a ghost. • Archipelago of Wonder: A fisherman survives a storm and ends up on a tropical island. As he looks for resources to repair his ship, he receives help from an unexpected source. • Decapod's Ire: An archer joins a seafaring crew to hunt the creature that destroyed a handful of fishing boats. • Lovers through time: A time traveller finds the love of his life in the past and must find a way for them to be together. |
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Isoldesse by Kimberly Gruenbacher Friendships are tested, new alliances are made, and the truth of one woman's actions from over a millennia ago are revealed. Kenna and Meegan are college students dealing with upcoming finals, needy parents, boy drama, and what to do with their lives after they graduate in a few weeks. What they weren't expecting was for Kenna to receive a powerful stone necklace that ultimately changes their plans for a relaxing summer. Strange things begin to happen to Kenna, like being the only one who can see and talk to the mysterious old woman with a golden aura. Or how in her dreams, a man with vibrant orange eyes keeps appearing who may or may not be real. Though, not all of Kenna's mysterious encounters are pleasant as she's haunted by massive beings carrying long swords and wearing armor covered in black scales. Besides solving the mystery of where the stone necklace came from, Kenna, Meegan, and their friends are taken to another world for a routine evolutionary assessment. The assessment gets sabotaged and causes more chaos for Kenna and her friends, especially for Meegan who is forced to open up and reveal her true identity and the magic she hides. There's one name that Kenna, Meegan, the Sendarians, and the monsters who've been hunting Meegan and her family for over a century all have in common-Isoldesse. |
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Awakening: The Commune’s Curse Book 1 by Lucy A. McLaren The Kingdom of Septima is ruled in all but name by the Commune, a ruthless cult that seeks control of an ancient power that has taken root in unsuspecting children in Septima. To maintain their hold on the kingdom, the Commune will stop at nothing to capture children who show signs of this power, to be weaponised or eliminated. 18-year-old Evelyn Folksman is in hiding. Taken in by a tavern-owner, she is haunted by the horrific events that drove her from her home years before. Evelyn is forced to face her past when two wayward children, Raif and Rose Huntsman, arrive at the tavern, pursued by Commune soldiers. The children fall under Evelyn’s reluctant care as the trio narrowly escape a raid. Relentlessly hunted by Commander Jonah Sulemon and Commune agent Lord Eirik Torrant, Evelyn and Raif cannot fathom why they pose such a threat to the Commune, until six-year-old Rose unwittingly reveals a terrible secret: she possesses powers more fearsome than any the Commune has unearthed in decades. There are only two options: to be captured and imprisoned, or to run for the rest of their lives. |
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Indie Recs Indie SPSFC Kraken Collective Introvert Reed Rothwell is part of a subculture of art deco era enthusiasts, pushing back against bland mainstream society and its mandated technology. Stuck with an AI assistant in his head is bad enough, but when he's inflicted with a forced upgrade to a new beta version, named Mazarin, the navigator starts to take on feelings and opinions of his own. When rumors spread of beta navs turning on their pilots, Reed is determined not to become a victim. Mazarin hasn’t become violent yet—the AI is sympathetic and understanding—but with beta participants coerced into slitting their own throats, it’s only a matter of time before Reed is next. The AI megacorporation already has an unhealthy interest in Reed, and all the beta testers who have sought help for their navigators have disappeared. The swingin' cats of the deco scene have the means to illegally terminate Reed's AI. But Mazarin has never tried to harm Reed—he loves Reed. Grappling with ridding himself of intrusive technology, the morality of hurting his self-aware AI, and avoiding the attention of a company that wants to sweep Reed’s existence under the rug might be too much for one hep cat to handle. |
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Kizuna: Or How To Lose a Spaceship and Still Go Places by Jamie Watt Enoch is a down-on-his-luck salvage pilot who is trapped in his job, wants to go home but has nothing to go home to, and no way of affording it anyway since his best friend left him for a masseuse job on Mars. Since he'll be spending all his time in the lonely depths of space, he picks up a cheap interface for his AI so he has to someone to talk to, and on their voyage, they are kidnapped by pirates, meet a famous engineer lost in time, chase a mysterious (possibly alien) ship, and end up in the crosshairs of Earth’s monolithic, bureaucratic, and almost sociopathically uncaring System Navy. |
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The Peace of Freysdal by Michael Richards Freysdal is a peculiar place for more reasons than one. Besides manufacturing radiant items for non-Light-Twisters, it's also the only place in Thadren where thralls and freemen work side by side. Jaren knows that he's no more than a small piece in the effort to overthrow Thralldom, but he's comfortable with that role. That comfort is shattered, though, when he learns that he can control radiant energy. Now, instead working to be reunited with his sisters, Jaren must resist the burden that drives Light-Twisters to cruelty and survive an abusive radiance instructor long enough to figure out who's trying to kill Freysdal's founder. The stress ramps up with growing rumors of an impending attack on Freysdal, and Jaren must decide whether he's willing to give up the Peace of Freysdal and become the Sword that defends it. |
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A Gathering of Chaos by Cameron Hopkin The world of Asunder is dying. Its gods are long fled, and they took all the world's metal with them... but it all happened so long ago that not even legends remain. In the now, a country girl sails into port, the only survivor of a plague ship, and a scheming priestess takes charge of her. Far to the south, an aging warrior monk forcibly recruits one of the Beast Riders to be his tracker. A remarkable vision of a demon lord binds them all together, and they scramble to find a bit of Chaos, the raw energy of their world, to protect humanity against this new threat. It's too bad they're only going to make things worse. |
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The Nameless Restaurant: A Cozy Cooking Fantasy by Tao Wong There is a restaurant in Toronto. Its entrance is announced only by a simple, unadorned wooden door, varnished to a beautiful shine but without paint, hidden beside dumpsters and a fire escape. There is no sign, no indication of what lies behind the door. If you do manage to find the restaurant, the décor is dated and worn. Homey, if one were to be generous. The service is atrocious, the proprietor a grouch. The regulars are worse: silent, brooding, and unfriendly to newcomers. There is no set menu, alternating with the whim and whimsy of the owner. The selection of wine and beer is sparse or non-existent at times, and the prices for everything outrageous. There is a restaurant in Toronto that is magically hidden, whose service is horrible, and whose food is divine. This is the story of the Nameless Restaurant. |
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In Which a Demon King Does Not Have a Romantic Interest in His Human Gardener by Rori Thornton Demon King Jurao returns from his successful thirty-year Union Campaign and discovers something amiss - the castle gardens have a secret caretaker. Using his authority over the sentient plants, he discovers the gardener is... a human! But after hearing the man out, Jurao decides to appoint Braelin as the official Royal Gardener for all his hard work. Now he just needs to figure out why everyone seems to believe he is romantically interested in the human... |
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The Killer and The Dead by Roderick T. Macdonald “My name is Stahl. I kill people. I’m not proud of it, but I’m not ashamed, either.” Strapped in a chair, compelled to tell his tale to unknown tormentors, Stahl recounts his life in the Mire, a filth-choked slum shivering in the shadow of an ancient necropolis where the dead hunger for living flesh. He tells how secrets led to blackmail and death, how vengeance led to guilt and paranoia, and how an unholy bargain taught him that it is your enemies, not your friends, who define your life. But in a slum where everyone lies, what kind of truth can be expected from a killer? |
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Guava Flavored Lies by J.J. Arias All’s Fair in Love and (Pastry) War Sylvie Campos and Lauren Machado have hated each other since before they were born. For generations, the Campos and Machado families have blamed each other for stealing pastry recipes they claim their great-grandfathers originated before fleeing Castro’s Cuba. Having spent their lives as rivals, Lauren and Sylvie are now in their early thirties and primed to take over their respective family bakeries. That means working long, hot, seasons of outdoor food festivals where they are forced to endure each other - albeit with a lot of bantering and barb-trading. After all, no one knows how to get under Sylvie’s skin like Lauren. Sick of dealing with Lauren and her thieving family, Sylvie sets out to unmask the Machados for the traitors they are. But when the truth is not what Sylvie expects, will the fiery exchanges between her and Lauren turn into something hot enough to melt away generational baggage? Could they get the chance to rekindle what they almost had in high school? Find out in this laugh-out-loud hilarious, enemies-to-lovers, romantic comedy featuring plenty of steam, tension, and delicious Cuban food. |
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The Elements of Time: The Winds of Change by Sam Paisley Destiny, personal responsibility, what the future holds – common concerns for anyone graduating high school. But usually not because of a cosmic war between timeless beings where you’re the central player. (Download the first seven chapters for free at www.elementsoftime.ca) As the end of school quickly approaches, and Cooper Bailey watches his perfect world slip away, his only concern is savouring every last minute of his high school career. For his best friend, Reid Patterson, graduation is a doorway to the future, where his discipline and focus will finally allow him to meet his true potential. When a mysterious mirror-masked man begs for their help to stop a dangerous heretic, Cooper and Reid find themselves thrust into unknown worlds, wrestling with a destiny as old as time itself. As the truths about their roles in the universe unfold, and enemies disguise themselves as allies, their only hope is to trust each other - and learn fast! Far from home and in mortal peril, Cooper and Reid attempt to hone their newfound abilities and come to grips with their purpose for being. Inspired by classic and modern science fiction and fantasy, and drawing upon timeless themes of destiny and personal responsibility, The Elements of Time is a series written for anyone who loves an escape into a rich and deep world. With references to Star Wars (the Original Trilogy), Avatar: The Last Bender, Stargate SG-1, Supernatural, and much more, The Elements of Time: The Winds of Change is fun action-adventure, with it’s own unique magic system, and themes that touch what it means to grow up and take on the challenges of life The Elements of Time - Book 1: The Winds of Change For more story information, behind the scenes details, and additional content visit www.elementsoftime.ca |
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Mark’s Merry Mayhem by Mark Tufo Most of you know I'm not known for my short stories; apparently I'm much too long-winded. But on occasion there are some things I just need to pull from my head and put out there. I hope you enjoy this small glimpse into the things that keep me up at night. |
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The Only Exception by Allie McDermid Izzy Barbour tells everyone she’s an accountant, little do they know she’s really a hired companion. Sadly, that’s where her love life ends. Doomed to be a serial dater, Izzy is close to giving up on finding her one.Lady Ingrid Munro has one focus in work. When a family scandal threatens to dredge up the past, she’s forced to think quick to save face and the palace.Izzy wants to do her job and keep a low profile. Ingrid needs to uphold the family’s reputation. Can they keep things professional, or will lines get blurred when it comes to romance?Set in the fictional world of an Ayrshire Palace, The Only Exception is bursting with sexual tension, fake dating, and forbidden love. Find out today if secrets can stay hidden for long…or are some things too good to be true? |
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The Dryad's Crown by David Hopkins Four titans sleep beneath the earth. Only one fae can keep them from waking. Silbrey is an orphaned wood nymph, taken from her forest home and raised in the corrupt city of Penderyn. The fae child grows up unaware of who she is, what she can do, and the calling of her kind. Under the control of a cruel guildmaster, Silbrey is trained as an assassin. As an adult, she escapes her violent past to start a new life and a family. But a tragic death brings her back to the familiar cobbled streets to seek revenge. This dark path leads Silbrey to uncover an even darker secret: An ancient evil will wake the titans and break the world. Silbrey must travel with her daughter across a war-torn land to defeat that evil. What begins as a fairy tale transforms into a multi-generational epic fantasy about love and loss—and a woman with a strange connection to nature. The Dryad's Crown is an emotional, coming-of-age fantasy debut. The first volume in a gritty saga, set in the immersive world of Efre Ousel. Booklife describes the story as "a fantasy unlike any other." |