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The Wolf and the Water by Josie Jaffrey Some secrets are worth killing for The ancient city of Kepos sits in an isolated valley, cut off from the outside world by a towering wall. Behind it, the souls of the dead clamour for release. Or so the priesthood says. Kala has never had any reason to doubt their word - until her father dies in suspicious circumstances that implicate the city's high priest. She's determined to investigate, but she has a more immediate problem: the laws of the city require her mother to remarry straight away. Kala's new stepfather is a monster, but his son Leon is something altogether more dangerous: kind. With her family fractured and the investigation putting her life in danger, the last thing Kala needs is romance. She would rather ignore Leon entirely, however difficult he makes it. But when she learns the truth of what really clamours behind the wall at the end of the valley, she faces a choice: share what she knows and jeopardise her escape, or abandon him to his fate along with the rest of the city. If she doesn't move fast, then no one will make it out of the valley alive. |
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Golden Threads: Collection of Poetry by Stjepan Varesevac Cobets The fifth collection of poetry in which I have incorporated my thoughts, about life, the world, sorrow, love, and dreams. |
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Scarlet Shadows by Scylla Grand Scarlet Shadows is a chapbook of meticulously polished poetry describing a journey: from ignorance and pain to insight and hope. The poems use a combination of rhyme, meter, alliteration, assonance, and other literary techniques. |
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There was Histrionic Laughter at the Clown's Cadaver by N. Alexsander Sidirov Oscillating between lyrical poetry, dramatic, confessional, and abstract the only thing that seems consistent is the amount of surprise experienced every page. Calling this book a modern poetry collection feels somewhat of a misnomer considering the novel and avant-garde imagery, its ominous and often omnipresent eye, and ultimately the transcendental climax that is difficult to compare to other works in the genre. Each poem in this book has a specific place along an emotional odyssey that blisters with novelty and an almost lynchian flare for the surreal and absurd. Whether you ultimately enjoy his words you will decide, but one certainly can never forget them. This is the matter that dreams are made of... |
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The Gift Of Life II: Darkness Follows by Sean Stevens Following up to the Gift Of Life - Peaks with Valleys. This collection resumes life's challenges as darkness always follows light. The balance of all life is at hand. Journey with the writer to a place we call home. At every corner we see the shadows of the past. What will it reveal to you? |
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A Town Called Potato by Gary Blaine Randolph A hard-boiled computer professional is plucked from the mean streets of Indianapolis. Well okay, Indianapolis streets arenât really that mean. They can be rough, though. Especially during pothole season, which lasts about six months from mid-winter to whenever the cityâs new budget year kicks in. Anyway, this guy is plucked and swept up into a web of interstellar crime when he is recruited into the Galactic Detective Agency. Can a mere Earthling track a killer across the stars before more lives are lost? Can he negotiate his way around other worlds and understand the ways of extra-terrestrial cultures? Can he even figure out how to use a bathroom designed for aliens? And can he uncover the mystery of A Town Called Potato? |
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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. |
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(Not) In This Lifetime by Rebecca Ouellette Time Travel! 1980s! Rock 'n' Roll! Charlie North doesn't want to be a rock star, that was his overbearing father's dream. It is only out of a sense of parental loyalty that Charlie drags himself into seedy clubs and dive bars night after night, when he would rather be anywhere else. For years, he does this without hesitation, until a devastating nightclub fire forces him to question everything he thought he knew about his father, and himself. In the days following the fire, Charlie begins to dream about another band, long ago, and the tragic death of a beautiful girl heâs never met. Soon, they are all he can think about. He struggles to grasp onto any kind of logical explanation as he spirals out of control, consumed by feelings and memories not his own. It isnât until he awakens one morning, in another time, 21 years in the past, that everything finally makes sense. |
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Second Chance Option by Elizabeth Spaur He was looking for a fresh start. She was looking for a new path. Love is what happens when they least expect it. At loose ends after a medical discharge from the Navy, a call from Cade Maguireâs college coach gives him a new objective. Help save his alma materâs football program. A gut-wrenching betrayal drove him from the game once. Can he finally stop running long enough to let go of the past and find his future? Veterinarian and genius Tess Gallagher has an abiding love for home and family, sheâs spent her life taking care of everyone else. Doing what was right always came before doing what she wanted. When her younger brothers enter her in the American Ninja Warrior competition, can she finally stop hiding her true self from the world? Sparks ignite between Tess and Cade when she saves his injured dog and love is on the horizon when Cadeâs new job is put in jeopardy before it even begins. Will Cade realize Tess is the second chance he really wants? Will Tess realize that Cade has always seen her for who she truly is? Will they realize that love is the only option that matters? Welcome to Second Chance Option, the first book in the Gridiron Knights series where football is king in Kingâs Folly, South Carolina and the locals have something to say about everything. When you come for a visit, youâll never want to leave. |
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Louisiana Longshot by Jana Deleon It was a hell of a long shot.... CIA assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission everâin Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price placed on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off-grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element. Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play. Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard. Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation might blow her cover and get her killed. Armed with her considerable skills and a group of elderly ladies the locals dub The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late. |
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A History Of Murder by Brook Peterson Once a booming gold town, now a quiet tourist spot with a history of murder! When Chloe Martin makes the long overdue trip to Jericho Falls, Nevada, to check on her grandma, she doesnât plan to stay long. In fact, she has every intention of hightailing it right back to Idaho and leaving the historic mining town she loves to hate, for good. But then, a man turns up dead in the flower bed and memories about lost loves and lost lives begin to surface. To complicate matters, Chloe finds herself in a love triangle almost as tricky as the mystery she has to solve. Will Chloe be able to solve the murder and get them all out of trouble? Just as important--will she finally find peace in Jericho Falls? |
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Autumn Nights: 10 Stories to Skitter Up Your Spine by Various Hot summer days fade, and the chills of autumn begin. Leaves wither and fall, trees lay barren, and darkness descends earlier each evening. While people seek shelter in warm, cozy confines, the hair-raising denizens of the night come out to play. The hollow winds carry more than the skittering sounds of dead leaves⊠Ten creepy tales that will leave you checking your windows and tucking yourself safely under the covers await in this book. Perfect for lingering evenings around the campfire, or golden afternoons with a blanket and warm apple cider, the third installment of the Autumn Nights Charity Anthologies is brimming with creepy crawlies. Not only are the stories low on gore and safe for readers 16 and up, but your purchase will help your fellow humans. All royalties from this anthology will be donated to RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit that purchases bulk medical debt and pays it off for those most in need. No family should have to choose between medical care and a home. The Skittering by Mallory Kelly Dreamweaver by Jaecyn BonĂ© Deathbed Confessions Are Not Beholden to NDAs by Frank L Tybush V New Life by Helen Whistberry The Sublime Desdemona Scarlet by Jacob Klop Prey by Brendon Pohner The Nest by Fay Lane The Bitten Rush by L.T. Ward Pandoraâs Attic by Jerusha RenĂ© The Protectors by A.W. Wang *These stories are intended to be safe reading for Young Adults and Adults alike, with no graphic/explicit violence or sexual situations. In this book, The Bitten Rush does have the trigger warning of addiction. Each book in the series can be read in any order, as there is no relationship between the stories from one book to the next. Want to start with this one and help relieve crushing medical debt? Go for it! |
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Remember the Dawn by A. M. Macdonald Starlight. Steel. Ahryn and Ezai must unite. Ten years ago, the Starsingers--tyrannical magicians who draw their power from the stars--suffered a brutal defeat at the hands of an ancient order of magic-resistant peacekeepers. Their rebellion quelled, their magic controlled, the five families of starlight magicians have been forced to live in a fragile truce with the starless commoners...until now. When an assassin begins killing Starsingers, the defiant peacekeepers are blamed, for who else could slay a magician? EZAI is a storied peacekeeper. He has been tasked with finding the true killer, and he must do so before the balance of power is disrupted. But the Starsingers plot against him. AHRYN is the eldest child of an Astral House, and she alone survives the murder of her family. She seeks justice, but the other families wish to use her fury, and her family's legacy. As another war approaches, Ezai and Ahryn form an unlikely alliance. Together, they must unlock a secret of the past and find the assassin before it's too late, for a greater evil looms. |
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By the Light of Embers by Shaylin Gandhi It's 1954, and twenty-two-year-old Lucia Lafleur has always dreamed of following in her fatherâs footsteps. While sock hops and poodle skirts occupy her classmates, she dreams of bacteria and broken bonesâand the day sheâll finally fix them. â After graduation, a letter arrives, and Lucia reads the words sheâs labored a lifetime to earnâ"we are pleased to offer you a position at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine." But in the midst of her triumph, her fiancĂ© delivers a crushing ultimatum: forego medical school, or forego marriage. â With fractured hopes, she returns home to Louisiana, expecting nothing of the summer of '54 but sweet tea and gumbo while she agonizes over her impending choice. There, she unexpectedly befriends Nicholas, a dark-skinned poet whose dignity and intellect are a salve to her aching heart. Their bond, initially forged from a shared love of literature, soon blossoms into something as bewitching as it is forbidden. â Yet her predicament deepens when a trivial misunderstanding between a local white woman and a black man results in a brutal lynching, and the peril of love across the color lines becomes chillingly real. Now, fulfilling her lifelong dream means relinquishing her heartâand escaping Louisiana alive. |
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Starkiller: The Merry Maids Book Three by Stefanie Contreras Alyvia Tippin is not a fan of big changes, and yet that's all her life has been since leaving the Academy. Now that she's discovered more about her abilities, the Council seems determined to add even bigger changes to her life. Despite The Merry Maids' protests, the Council wants Alyvia to train with the Shadows, to figure out how her Amplifier skills could be useful to their team. At least she can stop worrying about her best friend now that she knows he is one of the Shadows. As The Merry Maids' quest to find the Starkiller pieces nears completion, their course is set to collide again with Maks, and all of the horrors Lyv thought she left behind when she escaped Cayberra. Change is inevitable. Alyvia just hopes her team can survive. |
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Piecefinder: The Merry Maids Book Two by Stefanie Contreras Alyvia Tippin is slowly finding her way as the Courier for The Merry Maids but their last mission on Jubilee broke open something in her memories that couldn't stay buried. It's time to tell her team where their Courier came from, and the truth isn't pretty. She isn't the only one with stories to tell. For The Merry Maids, the past can't seem to stay in the past as the team is targeted by people they know. Their deadly scavenger hunt in search of the disassembled Starkiller pieces is being haunted by people The Merry Maids used to trust. When Alyvia left behind the safety of the Academy, she didn't realize how risky it would be to follow her dream of flying among the stars. Now that The Merry Maids are becoming the family she always wanted, there is nothing she wouldn't risk for them. Even if the risk is to herself. |
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Two years ago, Jayde Holloway discovered that she had the power to erase memories in the worst way possible: by accidentally wiping her best friend Jennyâs at the end of their senior year. Now, shut off from the world, Jayde exists solely for her role as the Sin Eater, an entity who can take away a personâs every bad memory if they so wish⊠for a price. Jayde hates the lonely life that sheâs dealt, especially under her strict boss Jak, who consistently keeps her under his watchful eye through blackmail: a constant reminder of all of her mistakes. When she must travel back to her hometown, Jayde secretly befriends two siblings with a haunted past of their own. As her own painful memories begin to overwhelm, Jayde must make a choice: remain chained to a familiar but hurtful past, or reveal all of her darkest secrets for what could be a better future. |
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A Broken Kind of Love by Colleen Young âŁâŁAfter Deliaâs parents abandoned her and her sister at a young age she spent her childhood dreaming of a better future. As an adult, Delia finally has everything sheâs ever dreamed of - a husband, three great kids, surrounded by the love and stability that she craved as a child. âŁâŁâŁ âŁâŁ Mitch has retired from the Army nursing mental and physical battle wounds from his time spent overseas. In his second career as an EMT, he takes solace in saving lives and running from the regrets in his past. âŁâŁâŁ âŁâŁ One fateful night Mitch and Deliaâs pathâs cross, changing the course of their lives forever. âŁâŁâŁ âŁâŁ Will these two be able to find their way to A Broken Kind of Love? |
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Ellie and her mom were going to leave their small-town Kansas life behind and hit the road, trek over the black asphalt of Route 66, and head north when they reached the Pacific. They were going to experience all of the zany roadside attractions along the way. They were going to surf every break between Santa Monica and Rockaway Beach. Ellie promised they would climb into her momâs â87 VW and do all of those things. She promised. But it was too late. Ellieâs mom was already dying of cancer when she made Ellie promise and she died before their journey could even begin. Now, five months later, Ellie is haunted by the promise she made. But she is determined to get to the Oregon Coast on the route they planned, even though sheâll have to do it on her own, even though her dad forbid it. She will do anything to ensure the promise be fulfilled.Ellie isnât the only setting out on the road.Enter Luke, the tall, handsome, basketball stud who runs in Ellie's crew. He's had a crush on Ellie since he moved to tiny Wheat Hill in the ninth grade, but when he finally gets the guts to try and tell her how he feels, she's already started her journey. Luke quickly enlists the help of his and Ellie's three kooky friends and they all hit the highway in the hopes of catching up to Ellie. Will Ellie fulfill her promise? Will Luke tell her how he feels? Or will they just keep chasing the asphalt of the road into oblivion, never reaching its end? |
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The Pink Jackalope by Luna Dunn âToday I sang my own song, and the words that echoed back were not your own.â Luna Dunnâs poetry debut is comprised of 51 poems perfect for those struggling to understand the grief of loss. Lulling the reader into a soft lullaby that is a roller coaster of emotion, the reader is pulled into a story that spans nearly a decade of complicated relationships bordered by the constant pressure surrounding mental illness and all that comes with it. |
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Lorden Awakening by Krislee Ellsworth Magic has not existed for three centuries, and the world is dying because of it. Anaver has never seen the sun through the foggy dome that surrounds the island of Tamrose. She's heard tales of other lands and magic, but no one can prove that such things ever existed. When fate pulls her from her home and places her in a land of sun and starlight, she discovers that she harbors a power that can awaken the earth's dormant magic. Rothrin has watched as the world around him fades away. The elements have long lost their state of Lorden, or harmony, which has caused a decades-long famine to sweep over the continent. All seems lost until he meets Anaver, and the elements begin to awaken. They set out on a quest in a land on the brink of collapse and starvation to unleash the earth's power before time runs out. |
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The Forest Witch by Britt Laux A warrior, her witch, and the spark that ignites a war. Lanira na Caliri never expected to find a human in the North Forest of Unara, let alone a witch. When she discovers Siobhan unconscious by the portal that leads to her world, she soon learns of a prophecy that foretold her coming. A warning that a daughter of Unara will bring destruction upon the realm. The reign of blood will come again unless Lanira can stop it. With the little witch by her side, Lanira embarks on a journey across the clans of Unara to unite the people and save her realm from the Dark Karikaâs return at all costs. Even if she must risk losing herself to the mysterious Minra na Goran in the process. |
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Daros by Dave Dobson High above Daros, sixteen-year-old Brecca Vereen prepares to unload a cargo of trade goods aboard her father's ship, the Envy's Price. Nellen Vereen shows her a mysterious artifact bound for a contact below, one that will earn them a lot of credits, and one that they definitely won't be declaring to customs. Materializing out of nowhere, alien invaders fire upon all ships, destroy the jump gate, and knock out communications. The Envy's Price is crippled, and as her father tries to guide it down from orbit, Brecca rescues the illicit artifact and jettisons in a life pod to an uncertain fate below. On the flagship of the invading fleet, Navigator Frim tries to persist within the cruel autocracy of the Zeelin Hegemony, under constant threat of death, but wishing for something better. And then she notices a whisper of radiation above Daros â the trail of a cloaked Vonar ship. What are they doing in the midst of all this? And will the captain kill her just for revealing this disagreeable news? |
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A Twist in the Rift (Rift Runners #1) by Meg Radiant If you could travel to different worlds, would you ever come back to this one? Lyrica is the usual final year university student, except that she has the ability to see Rifts â portals to other worlds in this Universe. When her acquaintance Basil, a time-travelling archaeologist from the future shows up and needs her help, well, why would she resist the call of adventure? But what of these new aliens that have joined their group â will they draw Lyrica out of her self-justified, self-imposed loneliness? What will happen when the adventure turns more dangerous than anticipated? In this first story of the Rift Runners Saga, find out what life is like when you can travel almost anywhere, and almost anything can happen! |
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The Century Blade by Rob J. Hayes Orochi, the king of the dragons, has ordered his brothers and sisters to destroy humanity. It falls to a young hero to assemble a team and stop the dragons' rampage. It falls to the Century Blade. This is a short story set in the world of the award-winning Mortal Techniques. It is designed to be read as a standalone story, completely independent from the full length novels set in the same world. |
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I Love You Sâmore by Wendy Dalrymple Freshly divorced and worn out from years of single-handedly running her marketing company, Samantha Slater couldn't be more excited to drag her moody teenage son to a parent-and-kid weekend at Palmetto Pines Campground. The camp is a little more run-down than it had been twenty years ago, when she spent those happy summers between college as a camp counselor, but it still brings back memories of the best time in her life. And it's about to bring back a whole lot more than memories, she realizes when she finds that one of the parents attending is none other than her former camp flame, Julian Wells. Julian has spent the last two decades on the road as a wilderness survival expert, never settling in one place for long. But seeing Samantha again makes him wonder if he's been searching for something all along â for the intense connection they had together. With his own moody teenage son in tow, Julian is actually here for a fresh start. He might be ready to settle down near his son, and near the only place that ever really felt like home: Palmetto Pines. But his abrupt departure all those years ago weighs heavily on both of them. Can he convince her that this time, summer camp doesn't have to end? |
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Eternal Huntress: Shadows of Otherside Book 5 by Whitney Hill The gods are ready to ride. As Arden Finch races to fulfill the prophecy that will enable her to stop the Wild Hunt, a new clue leads her down a desperate path. Her search for answers takes her somewhere no mortal should go: the godsâ plane, where more than one danger awaits. With treacherous gods on one side and rioting mundanes on the other, thereâs plenty to deal with already. But old enemies and new have plans that will test the fragile alliance, and this time itâs not just Arden in their sights. Itâs Troy and the Wild Hunt too. As her options narrow by the day and time runs out, Arden must make the ultimate choice about what sheâs willing to do to save the world. Don't miss the conclusion of the Shadows of Otherside series! |
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Ebon Rebellion: Shadows of Otherside Book 4 by Whitney Hill Power always has a price. Arden Finch has claimed her place in North Carolina's Otherside community, but not everyone is happy about it. The elves can't allow an elemental to rule as Arbiter and they'll stop at nothing to take Arden down. To make matters worse, an old flame is back in town with big ambitions and bigger demands. The mundane police departments are reviewing unusual cases in light of the Reveal, adding even more problems. And with the Darkwatch after her as well, Arden must make tough choices about whoâand whatâshe is now. Survival will have her pushing her powers and relationships to the brink, with the gods watching for any weakness ahead of the Wild Hunt. Success will carry a price Arden never reckoned on. |
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Kotov Syndrome by S. Morgan Burbank WriteHive Book Club SPSFC 2022 The 2021 Queer Indie Awards winner for Best Dystopian Novel Erika Edens is panicking. Behind on her bills and stuck in a crappy job, she's blindsided when ex-love-of-her-life Abby shows up needing a place to stay. This is the perfect situation for a second chance... ...except that Abby is a computer simulation in the body of an android. Battling the rising hostility of her world and the demons in her head, Erika struggles to come to terms with living in a country increasingly hostile to non-human entities. Can Erika adapt to life with her new roommate? Or will her troubles end any chance at reconciliation before it gets started? |
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A Wizardâs Sacrifice by A.M. Justice Victoria of Ourtown believes that destiny is nonsenseâand that wandering star people think is a god, she knows it's nothing but an old, abandoned spacecraft. She used to scoff at stories of magic too, until she acquired the power to move things with her mind. Once a warrior, now a secret wizard, she just wants to live an ordinary life and atone for the suffering she caused. Ashel of Narath knows the wandering star is the god who watches over humanity, but Vic's heretical views aren't keeping them apart. Instead, a thousand miles and a tragic loss stand between them. Lornk Korng needs Vic and Ashel to execute his plans for conquest. The fact both want him dead is but a trifling snag in his schemes. A bigger problem are the worldâs indigenous aliens and an ancient enemy whose victory could wipe out humankind. As plots and counterplots clash across time, Vic and Ashel must choose their allies carefully, or risk losing not only each other but everything they know. A gripping tale of wizardry, warfare, and moral dilemmas unspools in a breathtaking blend of fantasy and science fiction. |
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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! |
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The Razorblades in My Head by Donnie Goodman Scars are not a sign of where we have healed, they are a reminder of what we have buried beneath the skin: A talking toaster. A crabbing voyage that descends into chaos. Malevolent snowmen. The debut of a mysterious indie wrestler. A sacrifice in need of an hourglass. A paranormal cremator in search of a friend...and other choice cuts from the mind of Donnie Goodman. The razorblades have emerged. It is time to dig. |
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On the Edge of Salt by Dixon Reuel On the Edge of Salt covers the early onslaught of the zombie apocalypse, when firebombs are first used to take out whole cities that are bruteâinfested. With a hidden home and smallholding shielded from the world, Rise is confident that his coven is safe behind the red brick walls of Owl Court. But as the night sky burns, a stranger with a terrible secret approaches his walls⊠|
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Boyfriends For Now by Imogen Markwell-Tweed Anthony Astorâs no nonsense attitude serves him well as CEO of his tech company, but it withers his love life. So when a miscommunication has his mother tearfully ecstatic about Anthony bringing someone home, he has no choice but to go along with the ruse. The solution comes in the form of the kind, clumsy intern, Ben McRobbie. Ben isnât sure the CEO is for real when he asks him to be his âfake boyfriend for Christmas,â especially after Ben spilled coffee all over him. Nevertheless, Ben is sure that the gorgeous Anthony is serious about giving him a full-time job if he can politely sit through a dinner with the Astors. But as Ben grows closer to his rich, handsome boss, he struggles to remain professional behind the scenes of their fake relationship. Imogen Markwell-Tweedâs Boyfriends for Now is a charming and endearing romance about embracing love, wherever you find it. |
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No Love Lost by Rachel Bowdler Six years ago, Tarynâs best friend moved to London without so much as a goodbye, and she hasnât spoken to him since. Now, after a failed marriage and career, Will is back in St. Agnes, a Cornish coastal town rife with memories of their childhood together â and Taryn, stubborn and jilted, no longer wants anything to do with him. Desperate to get close to her again and give her the explanation she deserves, Will isnât prepared to stay away from her, so after he manages to get his old job back at the St. Agnes Gazette, he chooses to report on the local environment â and in doing so, seeks help from the best conservationist he knows: Taryn. With their lives and loved ones still connected by past and present, they soon remember just how strong their friendship had once been, and Taryn finds herself unable to resist falling back into old habits with the man who broke her heart. However, finally confronted with the truth, she realises that there was more to Willâs abandonment than she ever knew: he was in love with her and still is. Afraid of complicating their once steadfast friendship and losing Taryn for good, he made the mistake of running away â a mistake that he ever refuses to repeat. Whether as friends or more, Will is desperate to rekindle a connection with the woman he loves, but with Tarynâs new relationship, a fiercely disapproving sister, and a job opportunity in Spain, will they ever find the right time to finally give into their feelings, or are they destined always to be separated by their careers and fears? This best friends to lovers romance tells the story of unbreakable lifelong connections and the unwavering hope of second chances. |
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METANOIA The Fifth Yanai: Book One by Juniper Lake Fitzgerald The Fifth Yanai is a story of the value of free will, the triumph of love, and the fight to live life on one's own terms. Metanoia is the first installment. In a world ravaged by famine, kindhearted Cultist Ohkai lives in the wilderness serving his Gods, when he is sent from his Sect on a Calling of divine origin. He travels into the heart of a society that opposes the very existence of his kind. But what he expected to be a simple test of his devotion will bring him face to face with his greatest rival - a Temple assassin. When the life of a friend is in danger, Ohkai must risk not only discovery, but his life, to save his friend and fulfill his Calling. Velyr is a ruthless Temple assassin trained for one thing - to fulfill the will of the Gods. Sent to eliminate a target in the township of Obeaon, he encounters an unexpected obstacle in the form of a Cultist who claims to serve his same Gods - blasphemy on the lips of his enemy. When he nearly loses his life only to be saved by the embodiment of what he hates most, Velyr begins to question everything he's been taught to believe. An unlikely connection forms between cultist and assassin, and little do they know their meeting was fated, meant to be something more than they - or even their all-knowing Gods - could have ever foreseen. |
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Skellyâs Square by Stephen Black They want him to save the world. But, first, he must save himself. Kirkwood Scott is having a bad day. Languishing in a dead end job and recently dumped by his girlfriend he struggles with a crippling form of OCD which manifests itself in the form of Colonel Augustus Skelly, a phantom voice from Kirkwoodâs childhood who controls his every waking moment via a series of tortuous routines, âThe 49â. Kirkwood has little to look forward to, bar a weekend of drunken oblivion in Belfast with his equally deadbeat friends. All that changes when he meets Meredith Starc, a young homeless woman struggling to survive on the streets and come to terms with her own troubled past. Kirkwood realises Meredith may hold the answer to him finally being free of his mental demons. But what if Skelly is more than just a voice? Kirkwood and Meredith join forces to unearth a supernatural battle raging on the cityâs back streets between ancient forces of good or evil, the outcome of which will decide the fate of the planet. Between them, they hold the key to saving mankind from a new Dark Age but can they survive long enough to do so as Skelly unleashes a legion of vicious ghost soldiers upon the unsuspecting city? âThe Kirkwood Scott Chronicles: Skellyâs Squareâ is a fast paced and darkly humorous supernatural fantasy guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. |
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J.G. MacLeodâs provocative first novel explores the topic of relationship violence with honesty and grit. Controversial and insightful, Ms. MacLeod delves into the complexity of abuse and describes its impact on the characters in her story. Eighteen-year-old Liz is in her final year of high school when she meets James Macewan, an older student who is struggling academically and wrestling with his own demons. What begins as a simple tutoring assignment soon grows into her first dating relationship. Liz initially enjoys the excitement of being with James, but it does not take long before she cannot recognize who she is as an individual anymore. As James's own life begins to unravel, he compensates by attempting to control every aspect of Liz's existence. The situation eventually dissolves into a tale of violence and dehumanization that affects the characters' lives forever. J.G. MacLeod describes the fear and uncertainty that often come with the cycle of violence and allows readers to journey alongside Liz as she attempts to confront her abuser and heal from trauma. The author understands that the description of abuse can be triggering for some people, so she wishes to inform potential readers that the content in Abalone can be graphic at times. Please be aware of this before ordering your copy. |
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Angel Eyes: The Haunting of January House by A.N. Willis Everyone in Ashton, Colorado, knows that January House is haunted. Tucked away on an isolated hillside, the place has seen grisly murders and unsolved disappearances. An artistsâ commune took up residence there in the 1970s, creating a controversy that still divides the town. Now, a reclusive painter has died in the crumbling house. The police say itâs natural causes. But they donât know why she fired a gun before she collapsed. Or why she called Bryce Wright, a man she hardly knew, and left a voicemail filled with her screams. Bryce turns to his sister, Penny Wright. Sheâs seen ghosts all her life, but sheâs reluctant to get involved with the mysteries of January House. But everything changes when Bryce meets Eliza Daviesâa young attorney whoâs just arrived to ready the old house for sale. Bryce is convinced that Eliza is in danger. When Penny agrees to help, she soon discovers that her hometown harbors more dark secrets than she ever imagined. And this time, it might be the living who pose the greatest threat of all. |
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Helpless: A Short Story Collection by Tiffany Christina Lewis A Short Story Collection Women are powerful and can be rational thinkers under pressure. They can also be devious and vengeful. A woman is not just a ball of emotion. Women can fight, they can protect, and they can win. These eight stories of women kicking ass, standing tall, and refusing to be victims are Tiffanyâs opposition to the tropes of true crime. With stories from five genres including Paranormal, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Romance, and Crime Fiction, you are sure to find a story you love. Content warnings: https://tiffanychristinalewis.com/2021/02/25/helpless-warnings/ |
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Oil and Dust by Jami Fairleigh Politics, Money, Power, Religion, and Greed. These are the things we never again need. Artist Matthew Sugiyama can alter the physical world with his art. As the top student graduating from the prestigious Popham Abbey, Matthew Sugiyamaâs future is secure⊠until he bucks convention and begins a journey to find answers about his birth family. The trouble is, he doesnât know who or where they are. Determined to find answers, but without a clear destination, Matthew sets out on horseback across a post-technology world, guided only by random flashes of a vision or long-buried memory. Using his skills as an artist to barter for hospitality and supplies, Matthew soon learns his sheltered upbringing has left him wholly unprepared to face the obstacles on the road or his unexpected yearning to join the communities he encounters. When he uncovers a mysterious adversaryâs plan to harm the people heâs come to care for, Matthew must decide whatâs more important; the adopted family he has created, or his need for answers about his past. |
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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. â When rumors spread of beta navs turning on their pilots, Reed is determined not to become a victim. Mazarin hasnât become violent yetâthe AI is sympathetic and understandingâbut with beta participants coerced into slitting their own throats, itâs 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 Reedâhe 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 Reedâs existence under the rug might be too much for one hep cat to handle. |
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Finding Fae Artifacts by Isa Medina Tricky Fae magic. Bloodthirsty creatures. One scrappy Artifact Hunter to-be. Joining the Magical Artifacts Institute as an artifact hunter has always been my dream job. Problem is, they keep rejecting my applications. So when I find a dangerous Fae artifact stashed in my temp jobâs basement, I know Iâm about to prove them wrong. Unfortunately, the arrogant stranger who interrupts my find doesnât agree with my good fortune. Aidan belongs to the Institute and insists on following procedure and confiscating my artifact. Heâs welcome to try, but thereâs one small problem. Oops, make that two: heâs triggered a binding spell that wonât allow more than a few feet between us, and someone has unleashed a nightmarish Fae hound thatâs trying to turn us into lunch. Now I must break the bond, escape the hound, convince Aidan that Iâd be the best Institute worker ever, and figure out whoâs willing to kill to get to my artifact. Sounds hard? Thatâs okayâI might be only one-sixteenth Fae, but Iâve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve. |
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UNFURLING: A Tale of Friendship, Love, Mystery, and Mayhem by Tia Ray Dhar Can an unexpected turn of events, including a mystery, guide you towards a sense of purpose in life? Dr. Mandira Sharma (Mandy), a recent medical school graduate from Mumbai, doesn't feel passionate about her residency in internal medicine and feels devoid of a general sense of purpose in life. Currently, her happiness revolves around making new friends and spending time with them at work or outdoor venues. Her general feeling of isolation and disinterest in her medicine residency accentuates when her two close friends go overseas, and someone she loves and cares deeply about decides to part ways. She navigates through her daily routine devoid of zest or enthusiasm, trying to cope with the current painful scenario. However, tragedy strikes again when two meeting attendees find Mandy's friend and graduate student Latika's body floating in a pool on the premises during a blackout at a psychology workshop venue. An investigative team launches a detailed probe into the crime's motive and modus operandi, and the cohort of meeting attendees, including Mandy, come under the lens of suspicion. Can Mandy help solve the case? Will she find a sense of purpose? Any reader who enjoys a university campus-themed friendship and romance-based novel with a suspenseful murder mystery will enjoy reading this story. |
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The FATOFF Conspiracy by Olga Werby Transdimensional Industries gave the world a technical solution to the obesity epidemicâeat more than you want, and store all that you want in their fat storage tanks conveniently located outside of our set of dimensions. Complete gluttony without sacrificing beauty or health...for a price. You can be rich and buy a thin body. You can be poor and lucky enough to get government assistance with your personal fat storageâFederal Assistance with Transdimensional Offloading of Fat and Flab. Or you can win the tits lotteryâa lifetime of free blubber storage in the Transdimensional Industries' tanks where all the humanityâs fat is stored. Thin people live well, have high paying jobs, and wield all of the social and political power and prestige while consuming unlimited quantities of food as mandated by the government. Fat people? They don't do so well. Cindy Rella is a low-level bureaucrat at the Civil Office of Fat Excision. And while her job is to tell people "no" when they apply for government assistance, Cindy has been secretly saving for a set of gray-market papers that would guarantee her a zero dress size and a healthy lifespan of over 30 years. Because being fat is not only a life-time of being a second-class citizen in a society that worships physical beauty, it is also a death sentence. Cindy's plan doesn't work spectacularly and her life spins out of control into a dangerous world of revolutionary fat freedom fighters. Sucking off fat into another dimension is not the only way to get thin. Cindy Rella is a coming of age story in the world that is a cross between dystopian Brazil and Fast Food Nation with a sprinkling of sci fi. |
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Almost a century after Keres Triplets asteroid impact and subsequent nuclear exchange nearly ended all human life on Earth, a strange artifact is discovered on one of the moons of Saturn. Who should be sent to the outer reaches of the solar system to initiate the first contact with an alien culture? Dr. Varsaad Volhard, an evolutionary-socio-historian, is chosen to help the world understand the alien civilization that left an artifact some thirty thousand years ago, before humans even learned to farm, at the time when other human species still walked the earth. While Vars prepares for the mission, her father, Dr. Matteo Volhard, discovers nanobots among the microplastics he studies. The bots are everywhere and seem to have been created to bond with human cyber implants. Why? Matteo is made to keep his discovery a secret...as well as his and his daughter's true origins. Both were donated to a Human DNA Vault as babies. Matteo was raised as a Seed before leaving with his young daughter to study ecology around the world. Who knows what? Who is in control? How does one communicate with non-human intelligence? People seem to die in gruesome ways as their cyberhumatics go haywire on Earth and on Luna and Mars colonies. Is Earth under attack or is it all just a cosmic misunderstanding? Vars needs to use all she knows to solve the mystery of the ancient civilization on Mimas, as her dad battles the alien nanobots at home. |
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Invisible: Personal Essays on Representation in SF/F by Edited by Jim C. Hines 13 essays on the importance of representation in science fiction and fantasy, with an introduction by author Alex Dally MacFarlane. Proceeds from the sale of this collection go to support the Carl Brandon Society. |