Stranger Back Home by E.L. Haines

SPFBO7

One day, your father is a renowned diplomat. The next day, he's an infamous terrorist. When Sparrow is summoned to the reading of his father's last will and testament, the most he hoped for was a minor bequest. Instead, he inherited suspicion and accusations from the Empire that his father helped unite. Locked away in a vault are the secrets that will reveal Xavier DuMont's mysterious past and shine a light on Sparrow's future. Perhaps even the future of the entire realm. Of course, these secrets won't be obtained easily. Especially when everyone in this magical world seems so casually racist. Social dynamics in this world were already pretty strange. Somehow, Sparrow makes everything stranger.

Use of Emergency by Kate Kyle

SPSFC 2024

A newbie pilot with a secret, broken comms, alien artifact, viral code, empty space. What can go wrong? Jax, a freshly minted spaceship pilot had a simple job: taking a group of sick people to Rebels’ Republic space station to have their brain implants fixed while keeping her secret – secret. She had a smart plan to get it done: just some tweaking of the comms to make it look like an accident. But her ship had some surprises aboard: two healthy passengers, who weren’t who they claimed to be, a real emergency, and a piece of virally spreading rogue code. Then… came some more problems… Can a loner learn teamwork to survive and save the solar system from collapse?

Dragon Latitudes by Amy Campbell

s a dragon-hunter, he never imagined he’d be the one hunted – until a recruit tossed him overboard to prove that he was no different from the dragons they were after. And just like that, Elazar’s life changed forever. Not for the better, by the way. Now, Elazar grapples with his new dragon identity while his former crewmates, led by his aunt, the airship captain, are hot on his tail. They’re ready to avenge him by taking down the beast they believe is responsible. You know, Elazar. Lucky for him, his best friend and the jerk who threw him overboard are ready to help navigate this mess. Together, they’re on a quest to discover the truth about Elazar’s past and the dragon world’s secrets. But it’s not that simple. They’re facing betrayal, treachery, and the Jade Empress’s wrath. And there’s a prophecy hanging over their heads. No pressure, right? It’s just a fate that could change history forever and kill everyone Elazar cares about. So if you’re up for an adventure that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, join Elazar as he embraces his inner dragon and fights to protect those he loves. Because with the stakes this high, death isn’t just a possibility; it’s a looming threat.

KJK Presents: Vampires by Kevin J. Kennedy, Graham Masterton, Greg F. Gifune, Lee Mountford, Nick Roberts, Richard Chizmar, Michael Bray, Simon Clark

A collection of vampire tales from some of horrors best. You will find no friendly vampires between these pages. In these stories, vampires are once again a source of evil, coming from the darkness. If you like your vampire stories with bite, this is for you

Into The Dark by Robert Hookey

Watchmen meets The Good Place in this (relatively) original, (kind of) groundbreaking, and reasonably-priced novel of good, evil, and everything in-between, overloaded with enough pop culture references to make your grandmother's head explode. In an all-too-familiar world controlled by ancient beings known as The Dark, heroes of every origin must assemble (yeah, I said it, sue me) to pull humanity back from the edge of annihilation – if they don’t kill each other first. They may not be the Avengers, the Suicide Squad, hell, they may not even be the Great Lakes Avengers… but they’ve been brought together by a hero in a Green Hornet mask and leather jacket to match named Nemesis to face every form of evil imaginable. From seemingly-invincible masked killers who stalk teen camp counselors to clones of Nazi super soldiers to monsters of the human variety, Nemesis and his team of unlikely heroes will traverse the globe to dismantle The Dark’s vast power structure once and for all. If you took The Umbrella Academy, The Boys and The Cabin In The Woods and gave them a hearty stir you’d get Into The Dark: Book One of the Infinite Crossover Crisis, a clever, electrifying, genre-busting adventure that pits the most unconventional superheroes in the Multiverse against the embodiment of mankind's capacity for evil itself.

The Knight of the Moon by Gregory Kontaxis

John, the Long Arm, leads a life as a bounty hunter at the Three Heads. His name has spread far and wide across the north while plenty of gold weighs down his pockets. Just when everything seems to be going well for him, a group of soldiers order him to take on a new mission. This time, his task is to track down a very dangerous man—a knight who rejected his oaths, turning his back on Gaeldeath and its ruler. Will John choose the way of honour and devotion or will be succumb to his unquenchable thirst for wealth? As part of “The Dance of Light” series, “The Knight of the Moon” is a novella which takes place seventeen years preceding the events of “The Return of the Knights.”

What Remains by Various

Victory at all costs. Even at the price of our own life, the desire to survive transcends all rational thought. What Remains brings together fifteen tales of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. From sacrificing loved ones or oneself, to doing what it takes to keep them alive, these stories shake the soul, rip out its insecurities and flay them on the page. Careful who you trust. Some quandaries have no right answer when we cannot save what we love most—or when isolation, desperation, and betrayal leave you no choice. Take the journey with us to see What Remains when civility, decency, and sanity have all but fled. Edited by Dakota Rayne & San G Crow Contributing Authors: David-Christopher Harris, Andy Dibble, DL Shirey, Damir Salkovic, LT Ward, Maxwell I Gold, R.A. Busby, Thomas Canfield, Ben Armstrong, Lawrence West, Nicholas Barner, Sharon Frame Gay, Valerie Hunter, Dan Eveloff, Timothy Johnson

Tall Tales: Volume One by Tim McLaughlin

Father Benedict de Monte has been assigned to gather information on a small cult in America. He quickly learns, however, that the scope of the cult has been greatly underestimated. John Matteson's vacation to Chicago takes a turn when he meets Jackie Veracruz and a ghost woman who has been waiting for him. Will they be able to help her find peace before she endangers everyone they know?

The Devil Wears Tartan by Katia Rose

Some couples are a match made in heaven. Moira and Kenzie are convinced the only place they’re a match is in hell. Raised as the shining prodigies of warring highland dance schools, the two grew up with blaring bagpipes as the backing track for a feud that took them all the way to the world championships. Moira could never keep Kenzie’s icy glares from getting under her skin, and Kenzie could never hold back an eye-roll as she watched the crowds fawn over her rival’s happy-go-lucky charm. Starting college has forced both women to hang up their kilts, but when their local highland dance association announces a scholarship for a life-changing amount of money, they find themselves back onstage for one last season. The stakes are higher than ever, but between shooting daggers at each other’s backs and insults at each other’s faces, their eyes start lingering, their hearts start pounding, and the sparks begin to build into a fire neither of them can control. Hell could freeze before either woman would admit their attraction, but that won’t stop them from using it to play dirty—and getting caught in the crossfire of their feelings along the way. After all, sometimes the devil wears tartan. The Devil Wears Tartan is a New Adult, F/F dramedy from Katia Rose featuring more bagpipes than anyone asked for and two fiercely competitive heroines caught in a sizzling shift from enemies to lovers

Love At Second Sight by Ayoka B.

Shane's life is full...of poetry, motherhood and friends. She is a Single Mom who is pensive, passionate and generous and loves her family. Having experienced loss and heartache, her trust must be earned. Enter Mike. He is talented, complicated and guarded. Their powerful connection changes their hearts and lives. A beautiful and layered story of artistry, relationships and love, this novel spans generations. Love At Second Sight will make you laugh, cry, and cheer and inspire you to rethink what it means to love.

Bound by Legend by A.D. Trosper

At nineteen Morgan has already faced more loss than she can handle and has more experience living on the street than she wants. Unable to do anything other than keep on the move in order to hide from the demons that hunt her, she guards her heart and emotions carefully. But when the demons start talking to her and calling her by a name from another life, things spiral beyond her control. Lucian, an ancient dark angel who has seen his fair share of lives, is happy being a free agent until he’s assigned to Morgan. Determined to do everything on her own, she’s unlike any channel he’s ever met. As the danger mounts and a demon prepares to open a gateway to the underworld, Morgan must find a way to overcome her past in order stop him. Offered what her heart desperately wants, and holding a key that will close the gate but open another, Morgan struggles find the strength to make the right choice. *Though this is book two of the series, it can be read as a stand alone*

Summoning and Sacrifice by Nathan Hartle

SPFBO9

A hunted woman. A missing god. The adventure of a lifetime. All that Shada desires is peace and freedom. What she has is fear and hunger. She’s a servant on the run from her cruel master, who is determined to lock her away. Then comes a chance at a new life. Alone in the vast, cruel city of Ronia, she meets the Lady. This enigmatic spirit makes her an offer: Shada can accept her dismal lot… or undertake a quest to find Ronia’s vanished god. For the gods disappeared without a trace in the long-ago age of legend, leaving the worlds of humans to chaos and war. Without its god, Ronia’s once-mighty empire is crumbling toward an abyss. To save their people, Shada and her ragtag companions will journey to the ends of the universe. But first, they must escape Ronia alive. Many in this city of blades, poison, and shadow mean to stop them at all costs. If they fail, slavery or death await them... and their world will fall into darkness. Summoning and Sacrifice is the opening book of the Liturgy of Worlds epic fantasy series.

How We End by LM Juniper

A deadly infection. Seven Strangers. The fight for survival begins... Jake didn’t think his night could get worse, but that was before his train stops deep underground and zombies attack and things go from worst-day-ever to run-for-your-life terror. Liv is good at running, mostly from other people straight into a bottle of vodka. But as chaos erupts on the city streets, depending on others may be her only chance at survival. London is gone. The world has ended. In the chaos that remains, seven strangers fight to escape the city. But as they navigate this new and dangerous world, they soon discover that surviving the apocalypse means confronting their deepest fears and making impossible choices. How We End is a heart-pounding diverse story with a character driven plot that explores how societal collapse forces ordinary people into extreme situations and reveals the lengths they’ll go to survive in a world gone mad. Will they make it out alive, or will they become just another casualty?

The World-Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian

SFINCS

Guilt will always call you back... Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jémoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all. You are a lie... Varésh Lúm-talé is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems.

Non-Conscious by Andi van Houten

SPSFC 2024

In a post-cybernetic world where most have abandoned their neural enhancements, seventy-year-old Herbert Ferris clings to his outdated tech—and the troubled legacy it carries. Once a rogue hacker, Ferris now clocks in at Re/Live Corporation as a digital ecologist, crafting biomes for the popular fantasy game world, New Europa. But when a glitch starts turning players’ avatars pink, triggering an online uproar, Ferris is thrust into the heart of a spiraling corporate crisis. Ferris is ordered to clean up the mess alone. Fed up, he decides to go non-con, using his neuromod to become the perfect corporate zombie until the storm blows over. But when he reawakens, the chaos has only escalated: protesters are picketing Re/Live’s head office, his job is on the line, and, to make matters worse, an innocent schoolgirl has gone missing. Gripped by a paranoia he hasn’t felt in decades, Ferris races to uncover the truth, clashing with police, protesters, ruthless rivals, and—worst of all—his vindictive ex. Non-conscious is a darkly humorous journey of one man’s battle to reclaim his dignity and sanity in a world where the line between fantasy and reality has blurred beyond recognition.

Of Blood, Bones, and Truth by T.M. Ledvina

For fans of genre-bending science fiction and fantasy, Of Blood Bones and Truth is a modern take on classic epic fantasy stories featuring murder mystery, front-and-center queer representation, MM romance, and unique magical technology. Kellan Manchester, an indentured political assassin, wants to lead a life of his own choosing. But as one of the Fallen - celestial descendants who are still paying for their ancestor’s mistakes - he has no choice but to do as he’s commanded. All Cassian Evermore wants is to pay off his father’s debts and ensure his mother’s safety. Being forced to work for someone he hates is soul-crushing, but when he meets Legion assassin Kellan in the garden of a target’s home, he can’t help but wonder if he’s finally found something interesting. Thanks to a fortuitous reunion in a nightclub, the two men form a tentative agreement to work together to solve a brutal string of murders in Spiral City. Kellan finds himself struggling to connect the dots, while Cassian juggles the emotional toll of targeting someone he’s come to see as a friend. And neither of them can ignore their budding feelings for one another, even while the bodies continue to pile up. Kellan and Cassian are two men with no control over their own fates - but this case could spell the same for the entire world.

Merry Fuckin’ Christmas: And Other Yuletide Shit by Kevin J. Kennedy

Kevin J. Kennedy has brought the horror world three bestselling Christmas horror anthologies. Now, for the first time ever he collects his own tales of Christmas madness between these pages. You will find a mix of extreme, comedy, gross and bizarro Christmas horror, and there is even a few drabbles thrown in. WARNING: This book isn't for everyone. If you are easily offended, it's not going to be for you. “As gritty as Irvine Welsh and as horrific as anything King has put out. Christmas has never been so dark. This is a collection horror fans do not want to miss.” Lee Mountford, Author of The Demonic. "Kennedy is one of the modern greats of seasonal horror. Sit by the fireplace, pour yourself a drink and get this read." Lex H. Jones, author of The Old One and The Sea. “Superb! Stylistic! Downright terrifying! Kennedy does not pull any punches.” Christopher Motz, author of Pine Lakes, and Tenants. "Freaky, disturbing, unpleasant... These stories could ruin your Christmas!" Mark Cassell, author of The Shadow Fabric. “Everything Kennedy touches turns to gold. And for good reason. A gruesome, rock 'n' roll, festive feast.” Kyle M. Scott, author of The Club.