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Solace of Memory by Allegra Pescatore Midwinter is a time for Remembrance. When the candles are lit, the dead walk among the living. Devotions are renewed, vigils are held, and forgotten souls find their peace. But for Gabriel, who has never believed in the Gods, there is little peace to be had. Gabeâs last year at the Academy of Tirit Mindel promised to be a great one: good friends, a chance at a coveted spot in the College of Science, and work that he loved at the school clinic. All that was changed by the call for volunteer medical students to assist in an outbreak of wasting fever. Working with the dying in the sweltering heat of southern Miriel was hard, but coming back from the front lines of the epidemic might prove even harder. Haunted by what he saw and faced with unexpected personal loss, for Gabe, this Midwinter would be different than all those before it. For the first time in his life, Gabe needs a little faith, and what the Gods wonât provide, his friends and found family might be able to help with. |
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A Wild Heritance prequel novella from a time before Duplicity of Power. An impossible theft, a dangerous duel, and a scheme that could too easily fail⌠all for a place among the Shadowers, guild of rogues⌠Just shy of her eighteenth year, Namid has been preparing for this moment for two years. Her chance to become a Shadower! Before she can take her place in this select guild of rogues in Rhadanthus, city of thieves and thugs, she faces her Trial: a demanding ordeal designed to test the limits of her skills with weapons and thievery. All Namid must do is overcome this final test â survive and succeed at it â to earn acceptance within the Shadowers as one of their own. With challenges facing her both in the city and from within the guild itself, Namid is determined that nothing will keep her from her goal. She only hopes that sheâs not outmatched⌠|
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Sunset on Maior Pales by Benjamin X Wretlind CYN-4329-2316-ACBS-092134853a--known to itself as Cletus and assigned a male gender in one of its first acts as an AI consciousness--has a bug in its programming. Against all logic, the ghost of a young man has muddled its circuits and promised to give it a soul...provided one small thing that only a self-aware robot with a yearning to self-actualize can do. After centuries of exploration, humans are finally on the move to settle new worlds. To better facilitate settlement, advance teams of sentient robots have been sent ahead to build new towns and roll out the red carpet for the arrival of their masters. Now, just one month before the big event known as Arrival, Cletus is about to mess it all up. The ghost of Boone Richards claims his family was murdered hundreds of years ago, and on board the shuttle that will deliver the humans to the western-themed town of Free Point, the direct descendant of that murderer has put together a gang of other outlaws to wreak havoc on the newly dubbed planet Maior Pales. When the ghost of Booneâs sister, Delphine, speaks up, Cletus finds himself faced with a dilemma for which its programming is incapable of processing. How do you follow orders when doing so would break one law but not doing so would break another? And just how does a robot gain a soul? |
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Roxy Buckles and the Flight of the Sparrow by Nicole Little Exterminator ROXY BUCKLES, a bounty hunter-cum-mercenary, lives on Aurora, a highly advanced Earth-2 planet in a solar system on the flip side of the Milky Way. At the helm of Buckles & Associates, Roxy takes down space thugs and alien lawbreakers with relish. Her longsuffering best friend, SUKI KWAN, runs the office with an iron fist. She desperately wants Roxy to let go of the past. But Roxy is consumed by a need for revenge⌠Ten years ago, Roxyâs fiancĂŠ, SAM SPARROW, a high-ranking fly-guy at The Academy for Intergalactic Law Enforcement, stood accused of a heinous crime â setting a bomb that destroyed The Academy, killing hundreds of innocent people and leaving Suki Kwan with near fatal injuries. Sparrow insisted his innocence but then he escaped custody, disappearing from the authoritiesâ eyes⌠That day, Roxy swore she would bring him to justice, one way or another. Perhaps her time has finally come. |
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One miniature girl leads her human and fairy people to decolonize Venus in this speculative, queer-inclusive reimagining of Thumbelina. A Dutch company known as The Bedrijf commences colonizing Venus via the construction of a dome filled with plants that convert its natural air into something breathable by humans. Since all workers are granted permission to bear a child, a woman and her spouse join the crew. But the woman soon discovers she is plagued with infertility. When her spouse illegally brings home a tulip from the garden, they discover a miniature baby inside who they name Bloemetje - little bloom. As the baby grows in mere days into a teenager, pushing her boundaries, she illuminates the true horrors of colonization and leads them all on a journey to decolonize. This retelling takes the original Thumbelinaâs focus on marriage and flips it on its head, granting the miniature girl a strong voice of her own and questioning her removal from the fairy world. Exploring themes of childlessness, adoption, being childfree by choice, colonization, decolonization, negative impacts of capitalism, and what LGBTQIA+ inclusive societies can look like, this novelette comes in 17 bite-sized episodes perfect for reading in the small snippets of time available to modern individuals and families. Early readers called this âtransportingâ and âintriguing.â The âjourney is beautiful,â and the ending is âdeeply satisfying.â âA great escape read that also made me think, and itâs both quick and engrossing.â *A portion of proceeds will be donated to the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness, a Native American-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit. |
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Serenissima by Orazia Moritmer Would you risk knowing the future? Venice, 1470. The city is filled with rumours of a Turkish fleet sailing the Mediterranean. Isabetta Zorzi, who walks the fine line of being a respectable courtesan, worries about the for-now distant threat. That threat seems even more distant to her twin, Catarina, living a quiet scholar's life in a convent. But a chance encounter with a sailor changes that. They now possess a magic glass gem that Catarina can use to see the future. It's a future no one wants to see: a future where Venice's colonies fall to Ottoman armies, while the Venetian fleet does nothing. The women can't tell anyone what they know, though, because they would be denounce for witchcraft. They need a man, but the only one who knows about the glass gem is a runaway slave from an enemy city. Can a courtesan, a nun, and a (former?) slave save Venice? |
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The Darkest Curse by Rachel Rowlands Annice's hair is cursed. It kills every other living thing it touches. And no one knows the cure. Locked away in a tower ever since she can remember, Annice longs to be free to travel and live a normal life. But she knows the outside world must be protected from her, as her mother Gothel always reminds her. She's even tried cutting her hair off, but the dark magic means it always grows back with a vengeance. Annice passes her days playing music, with only limited visits from her mother. When the handsome, well-travelled bard Cyrus passes her tower and hears her playing her lyre, Annice knows she shouldn't get involved with him. But his lifestyle and adventure stories draw her in, and she soon finds herself longing more fiercely for a life outside. When she begins a fresh search for answers about her curse, she unravels a web of deceit that will change everything she thought she knew about love and family. This novella introduces a series of standalone fairytale retellings set in the world of Nethervale. The Darkest Curse is a Rapunzel retelling with a sweet love story, cosy vibes, and a splash of darkness and adventure. |
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A disgraced warrior seeks an honorable death on the battlefield, but an eldritch god has other plans for her. |
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Hot Button Issue: A Roller Derby Witches Romance by Catrina Bell After a surprising, new law passes restricting reproductive rights, a roller derby witch and the shifter she has a crush on must work together to plan a last minute protest. ~~~~ Good Blanca is a high-profile lawyer with a brilliant legal mind. She's everything her parents hoped she would be - impressive and successful. Bad Blanca is a beautiful mess. She dresses in fishnet tights, flirts with sexy werewolves, and just made the Hel Stars roller derby team. Oh, and sheâs secretly a witch. Thorin is her opposite in every way. The happy-go-lucky flirt struggles with supernatural aggression he canât quite control. His attraction to Blanca makes things even more complicated. When Blancaâs powerful client, a state senator, proposes new legislation restricting reproductive rights, the line separating the good and bad in her life becomes blurry. Derby is chaos, and soon everything goes off the rails. How far will she go to defend her values and the people she loves? ~~~~ This steamy, cozy, paranormal romance has a strong pro-choice (bodily autonomy) theme. Please be aware and read accordingly. |
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Of a Strange World Made by Anthony W Eichenlaub Scientist Ash Morgan doesn't mind breaking rules, but this is ridiculous. The colony of Edge is a bastion on the frontier of space and science, governed only by laws designed to bring humanity to the stars. Successful laws. Outdated laws, if Ash has anything to say about it. But when a child is born strange, Ash must decide which of the colony's rules must be followed, which ones can be broken, and which ones will inevitably lead to Edge's ultimate destruction. |
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The Strange Task Before Me by Sean Gibson Decades before the events of The Camelot Shadow, a young William Upton is intent on ensuring that his late fatherâs bookstore continues to thrive, even if that means taking a commission from a mysterious client who tasks him with finding an arcaneâand possibly magicalâtome. With time running out and a large reward hanging in the balance, Will chases down every possible lead, braving the macabre underground laboratory of a sadistic nobleman before embarking on a daring, late-night library break-in. Told through Willâs own diary and with his characteristic wit, âThe Strange Task Before Meâ is an intense race against the clock that mixes action, humor, and a bit of magicâall while laying the groundwork for momentous events to come, expanding on the mythology of The Camelot Shadow, and introducing a key new character in the unpredictable Baron Frederickson. |
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Far From Normal by Karen Eisenbray and LeeAnn McLennan The band St. Rage is on tour from Seattle, and they bump into the supernormal Brighthall family in Portland, just when the city is being overrun by monsters. Eisenbrey's Rage Brigade books smash into McLennan's Supernormal Legacy trilogy just in time to save the day. Truth. Justice. Rock'n'roll. And lots of superheroes! |
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Astra Idari and The Drift Divoon by Darby Harn Astra Idari is out of fuel and out of luck. Astra Idari is a Stargun Messenger out of fuel and out of work. She's aboard The Drift Divoon, a starplane tender, to seek work in a faraway star system. When a passenger is murdered aboard the tender, Idari finds the work she's looking for. Only it's far from what she expected. Idari's investigation leads to a powerful shipping magnate whose own presence aboard the tender raises major questions. The deeper she looks into the crime, the more dangerous it becomes for Idari, desperate to find some fuel to light ahead of the shadows chasing her. Discover Idari's past in this intriguing prequel novella to STARGUN MESSENGER! |
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Seeds of Truer Natures by LS Johnson In 15th-century Florence, two vampires plot against Lorenzo deâ Medici in this prequel novella to the forthcoming Prima Materia series. A year ago Adrian and Magnus walked out of the dungeons of their king, Gabriel, but his renewed favor is tenuous. Now they have an opportunity to make amends for good: to steal a book Gabriel desires from Lorenzo deâ Medici, the most powerful man in Florence, on the condition that they do so without being detected. To secure their prize, they decide to talk their way into Lorenzoâs homeâsave that Adrian and Magnus are not men, but what later centuries will call vampires. Unable to walk in sunlight without burning, fearing discovery by the Florentines, they find themselves relying on an unlikely intercessor: a young monk named Girolamo Savonarola, already famous for his visions. Soon, however, Adrian and Magnus realize that nothing about their task is what they expected, and their success could have catastrophic repercussions. To survive Gabrielâs dark agenda, they will have to confront their shared pastâor risk sacrificing their future. |
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Honorable Mention: L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest ⢠2024 International Firebird Book Award Winner An outcast loner survives the impossible. How can he survive becoming the proof that no one can deny? Hector Whitehorse did not belong â not here, not anywhere. Born on a New Mexico reservation, but educated in the white-manâs school, Hector was part of two worlds, but at home in neither. It only got worse when his entrapment went from a feeling to a reality: trapped between Earth and someplace else. Hectorâs close encounter nearly cost him his life. The repercussions could make him wish that he had not been so lucky. Pale Face is "pretty darned good. I like it. I love how [Hector] sees the aliens and the white men in the same light. A nice, brutal, ironic twist ... this is good stuff." â Dave Wolverton, International Best-Selling Author Pale Face is "absolutely fascinating! The book gives whole new meaning to the phrase 'pale face.' Pale Face is, in part, sci-fi. But I found it to be so much more. It's a deep-diving character study of Hector that borders on Navajo mysticism. Kilpack's writing style was mesmerizing in the depth to which he presented Hector." â Jeff Bailey, author of Not On My Watch Pale Face is "a clever story! Well written ... juicy lines such as â 'he turned his attention upward toward the stars. It was cool, the breeze barely rustling the sparse grass, but still managing to carry along the aromatic scent of sage.' Loved the settings, well crafted characters, nicely plotted. Leaned on the metaphysical to add intrigue. A lot of research went into this story. Enjoyed the originality!" â Vine Voice, Amazon.com Pale Face is a "masterful blending of fiction with historical and contemporary issues. Vivid characters and scenes play out in this intriguing and suspenseful story. Multiple characters come to life and evoke sympathy, empathy, admiration and disdain as we come to know them. Interracial, social and quasi legal issues are intertwined. Overall a suspenseful, perfectly paced, thought provoking story you will not want to put down until the end, which will catch you off guard." â Will Davis, author of Artificial Intelligence "Pale Face pulled me in immediately. I loved the descriptive writing and the original plot. Hector grew up on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico, where UFO sitings are common, although not readily believed. But his experience changes his life in ways one wouldn't imagine. I enjoyed the fast pace and believable struggle as he deals with trying to make sense of his life-changing experience. Close encounters of an original kind!" â V.J. Garske, author of The Raven Moonstone Pale Face is "a fast-paced combo of sci-fi, intrigue, mysticism, conspiracy thriller, and inevitable romance. The author's writing is addictive and richly layered. Highly recommended!" â Jack King, author of Beyond Blood |
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The Book of a Thousand and One Destinies by Gareth Lewis A paranoid Sultan, an Assassin found only in stories, and a Storyteller caught up in their battle. Once upon a time, a great Sultan was plagued by an Assassin who struck at him with stories and lies. A young Storyteller is gathered with her colleagues, and forced to share her stories with the Sultan before their voices are stilled forever. In a war of destinies, enslaved jinn, and comparative truths, the Storyteller must tread dangerous ground in what may be her final recital. A fantasy novella. |
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Fleeting Word by Andrew D Meredith War ends. Secrets hide. Faith beckons Nethendel Unteel is comfortable in his life at the father monastery of Pariantur. But when the long-raging Protectorate Wars suddenly end, and life threatens to return to normal, Nethendel learns of a woman the dark gods wish to bind to their schemes. He must decide what to do with the secrets he uncovers. Fleeting Word is a Kallattian Legacy novella, and acts as both the Prelude to the Kallattian Saga and Postlude to the Protectorate Wars by Andrew D Meredith. |
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The Dinosaur Hunters by Patrick Samphire Mystery, murder, and adventure on Mars⌠Mars in 1815 is a world of wonders, from the hanging ballrooms of Tharsis City to the air forests of Patagonian Mars, and from the ice caves of Noachis Terra to the Great Wall of Cyclopia, beyond which dinosaurs still roam. Sixteen-year-old Harriet George has never had the chance for an adventure. Now her older sister is determined to marry her off. Harriet canât think of anything worse. Meanwhile, her brother-in-law, Bertrand, has a problem. Heâs never been much of a police inspector. As far as Harriet knows, Bertrand has never caught a criminal in his life. But now the famous jewel thief, the Glass Phantom, has come to Mars, and Bertrand has been given the job of tracking him down. If he fails, Bertrand will lose his job and the whole family will be ruined. Harriet will not let that happen. So she comes up with a plan: she will capture the Glass Phantom herself. Even if that mean that she and Bertrand have to follow the thiefâs intended victim, the Countess von Krakendorff, on a dinosaur hunt in the perilous Martian wilderness. But there is far more going on in this expedition than mere robbery, and the dinosaurs are not the greatest danger. If Harriet cannot solve the mystery, her family won't just be ruined. She and Bertrand may not make it out of the wilderness alive. The Dinosaur Hunters is a thrilling adventure set in the world of Secrets of the Dragon Tomb. |
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Sometimes even in the middle of nowhere, trouble finds you. When you're a librarian working the night shift, it's even more likely, but Ava has a few tricks up her sleeve for dealing with the shifters, visitors and creatures who roam in the dark. If she's very lucky, the new stranger in town will prove to be a boon rather than a hindrance. A cozy, romantic fantasy.â¨â¨If you enjoyed Ghost Town, check out Witch Way and Null Witch.â¨â¨Ghost Town was originally released at my blog one chapter at a time. Check the blog for new stories or follow me here on Amazon for the latest updates! |
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The Choice of Weapons by Alex Valdiers Ren is an officer on the rise, going from planetary conquest to conquest, until he crosses path with a senior female officer from his native Japan. His meeting with Izuna ends in a bloody duel â the first of many. As the war against other species progresses, Renâs obsession for Izuna grows and his discontentment for army life along with it. When Izuna gets isolated on an icy hell, Ren volunteers to rescue her for what may be his ultimate mission. The Raoke Gang series is prime entertainment with heart and brains, humor and sex (occasionally, when the story commands it), and, most of all, incredible characters running wild in the most exciting of settings: the Far West in space! |
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Reparations USA by Philip Wyeth America, 2028. The War for Equity has begun! A new bureaucracy called the Historical Reparations Administration oversees enforcement of restitution for colonialism and slavery. This is the story of everyday people caught in the crossfire between idealism and technology. Supercomputers scan old documents while drones monitor both Debtors and Beneficiaries from coast to coast. Reality TV shows and religious cults help the nation atone for its sins. Reparations USA is the frantically inventive future history that creates an entire world, complete with its own slang and a diverse cast of sympathetic characters. Philip Wyethâs exuberant debut novel sets the stage for this timely series which is full of heart... humor... and total surveillance! This is Book One of the Reparations series. 36,500 words. |
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Spellswept by Stephanie Burgis In the world of the Harwood Spellbook, 19th-century Angland is ruled by a powerful group of women known as the Boudiccate - but in order to become a member of that elite group, any ambitious young politician must satisfy tradition by taking a gentleman mage for her husband. Amy Standish is a born politician...but Jonathan Harwood is her greatest temptation. On the night of the Harwoods' Spring Solstice Ball, in an underwater ballroom full of sparkling fey lights and danger, Amy will have to fight the greatest political battle of her life to win a family and a future that she could never have imagined. It will take an entirely unexpected kind of magic to keep everything from crashing down around her. Warning: this novella contains forbidden romance, dangerous magic, and political intrigue in an underwater ballroom. What could possibly go wrong? |
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The Ballad of Alchemy and Steel by AJ Calvin In the Murkor culture, it is customary for the individuals bound during the unity ceremony of ujarâhavel to compose a book of memories detailing the events that led to their first meeting and subsequent desire to be joined. As a Murkor without a mother to guide him, Salâzar is afforded unusual freedoms in his path to ujarâhavel and the selection of a caste. In their strongly matriarchal society, his fatherâs voice holds little weight. He must forge his own destiny, though he struggles to find the proper way. Salâzar knows he is unsuited to the soldierâs caste, but is running out of options. One fateful day, he journeys to the sparring ring to test his mettle, where he meets Jalâden. Jalâden is the same age, but has already proven himself a better fighter than most of the older children. Noting Salâzar is without a sparring partner, Jalâden offers to pair with him, and so begins a long friendship that may ultimately become something more. |
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Dark Heart of Ilmoure by Cara N Delaney Years ago, all she wanted was to leave. Now, a web of secrets might ensnare her forever. When Iris Grey returns to her hometown of Ilmoure years after a bitter parting, she hopes for reconciliation in the face of a tragedy. Instead, she arrives to a town changed for the worse, a cold welcome from people she once loved, and a family that seems to be keeping secrets from her at every turn. When those secrets become too heavy to ignore, Iris starts to dig deeper. What she finds leads her to question her very perception of reality. Faced with old wounds and new revelations, Iris finds herself mired in a plot that threatens to swallow herself, the town, and the people she once loved. |
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Some lies cut deeper than any sword. War has come to the fragile city-state of Carenos. A self-proclaimed âKing of the Southâ sows destruction among its outlying villages, cutting a bloody swathe towards the capital. As smoke from the burning wheat fields blackens the sky, Carenos beseeches its northern allies for aid. Dexios, general of the Thenean phalanx, is one of those chosen to answer the call. After braving the tumultuous Sea of Scales, he arrives in Carenos at the head of three hundred hoplites, determined to put an end to the enemy incursion. One threat, however, can often hide another. Something is stirring in the shadows of the sun-drenched lowlands, an age-old legend, abandoned and forgotten. Drawn from its den by the need to satiate its ravenous hunger. And the enticing scent of blood. |
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The Haunting of Bardane Manor by AKM Beach An unnatural snow covers desolate vineyards. A beloved nobleman's ghost torments his family. The mystic sent to save them is at death's door. Now a lowborn novitiate must work alone to unearth the secrets of Bardane Manor before the corrupt spirit brings everything to frozen ruin. This creepy novella is set in the same gothic fantasy world of the Banshee's Curse Duology. It is a standalone ghost story featuring Ysoldette, one of the main protagonists of Lady Vago's Absolution. |
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Dragonmeat is poison. But what if youâre starving? Peri will do anything to keep her chronically ill father alive in their starving city. Using her now useless scholarly talents to research thievery, sheâs become a highly successful food thiefâsmall, ordinaryâinvisible. In Medeas, gripped in the iron fist of its mad governor, ravaged by dragons, hiding is a way of life. Then her stealing triggers a riot, and a mysterious stranger steps in to save her. Frost has food and heâs willing to share his secret...but talking to him might be the most dangerous thing Periâs ever done. How can she find the courage to leave her safe shadows and take a stand when her fatherâs life hangs in the balance? Dragonmeat is a fast-paced novella set in award-winning author Angela Boordâs Eterean Empire universe--a lush, dangerous world of empire and resistance inspired by Rome and Renaissance Italy. |
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A Sorrow Named Joy by Sarah Chorn Joy desires nothing more than her husband's happiness. She spends her days creating the perfect life for him in their idyllic suburban home. Everything is neat, predictable, and in its place. When Joy finds a picture that hints at a past she cannot remember, the facade cracks. As secrets are revealed, Joy realizes her blissful life is crumbling and to find herself, she must first lose herself. Perfect, after all, is only an illusion. Winner of the Bronze Quill for Best Novella from the League of Utah Writers in 2022. |
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Dante Alighieri, amateur grifter and recent college graduate, has no plans for the Summer after his senior year, except to finally have sometime off and relax. After several months in New York City, he strikes up a deal with Virgilio âVirgilâ Eco Olivares, carefree and semi-well known writer on a visa always almost expiring : a two-week trip to Italy together to find their old bodies to beat those reincarnation blues. A journey that was meant to be about reconnecting with past lives and recovering what was lost in ancient times suddenly turns to peril. With danger at every corner and turbulent emotions running high, relaxation is quickly thrown out the window. In this satirical work of verse-novel, the trip of a lifetime leads to daunting revelations about Italian-American culture and the Western canonâs perspective of literature, fraught with raising important questions about cultural collectivism and the complicated intersection between race, sexuality, disability, age, and gender identity under Capitalism. While in transit, the important personal questions revolving around both Dante and Virgilâs present lives still persistâ a truth that neither is ready to confront: What does it mean to love someone too late? What does it mean to be you when you donât live in your own body anymore? |
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The Records of Zaiza Moon: The Last Delivery by Tim Bahr Meet Zaz, a scrappy space trader with a knack for trouble. On her final delivery of Tycho-sheen nanites to Taric Donstan, one of the system's most well-known doctors, Zaz can't resist a quick side job to sell some Helix tech for a quick profit. But when she unknowingly accepts a job offer from a vagabond drifter named Zavon Dash, she finds herself at the mercy of a ruthless defacto leader who leaves her stranded on a remote planet. Forced to rely on old friends and new allies, Zaz sets out on a thrilling space adventure to take back what's rightfully hers. But when she uncovers the dark secret behind the nanites she's delivering for Taric, Zaz realizes that her mission is bigger than just getting revenge on her enemies. With the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, Zaz must risk everything to stop a powerful weapon from being unleashed on innocent worlds. Chasing down Zavon Dash, Zaz embarks on an epic journey filled with unexpected twists, epic battles, and a fierce heroine who will stop at nothing to save the day. |
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The Sorceress Transcendent by Casey Blair Once mortal enemies on the battlefield, what can they become supporting each other instead? When Varius, the greatest general of the Aurelian Empire, is forced to flee his homeland, there's only one person he can turn to. A powerful sorceress and once his most deadly enemy, Theira is the only combatant who's ever escaped the war between their peoples. But with the memories of how they kept each other going from opposite sides of a battlefield, when a bleeding Varius knocks on her door, she lets him in, even knowing what will follow. Theira may have gotten away, but as long as the war goes on, she'll never really be free. Now with both their peoples actively hunting them, the two most dangerous fighters in a never-ending war will have to join forces to do the end it once and for all, on their terms. And if they can dare to dream boldly enough, maybe find happiness for themselves, too. The Sorceress Transcendent is a stand-alone enemies-to-lovers epic fantasy romance novella about badasses who enjoy a cozy cup of tea after a long day wreaking epic destruction, because why choose? This story is for everyone who knows what's coming when your former mortal enemy and best rival knocks on the door in the middle of the night and says, "I had nowhere else to go." |
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Rat City: Book One in The Rat City Chronicles by Laurie Silvers In the walled city of Aman Kala, the grisly murder of a sacred Rat Keeper pulls Detective Derya Mack into an investigation that threatens to expose the power struggles that guarantee the very safety the fortress offers from the plague world. The year is 986H/1578CE and Derya Mack lives and works in Aman-Kala, a plague fortress located between Arab, Persian, and Turkic lands. The rebel Zanj have toppled the Abbasid Caliphate, outlawed slavery, and turned regions and cities into client states. The Zanj Caliphate governs from Baghdad backed up by the force of their empire-wide army. Regional militaries are outlawed and cities are left to govern themselves without police or jails. In Aman-Kala, private detectives solve crimes, large and small. Derya Mack is one of those detectives. Rat City is a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo OUT NOW IN REVENGE IN THREE, a collection of novellas based on the classic novel entitled Revenge in Three. |
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A Prelude to Ashes by Thiago Abdalla Prince Adrian has a secret. He has been meeting with Myrra, the princess of Dakhra. They love each other, but their fathers are mortal enemies, and Dakhra is not a part of the Domain. The rulers of the Domain nations have been granted hundreds of years by the blessings of the Seraph, and their borders are kept safe by the Churchâs elite griffin riders. But the enemies of the Domain are gathering. A foreign threat may be the chance Adrian and Myrra need to bring their nations closer... if they can convince their fathers to work together. Will new enemies be enough for rivals to overcome old grievances, or will they bring them closer to war? A Prelude to Ashes is a prequel novella that takes place one hundred years before the events of A Touch of Light, the first book in the Ashes of Avarin series. |
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Long distance travel has always been challenging. From Columbus to Magellan to Rasinovsky and Chen Shan, each captain and crew had to face unknowns. The sponsors, planners, designers and forecasters could not anticipate everything. On this, the first trip to Tau Ceti, 11.7 light years from Sol, the challenges for the four members of the crew did not only come from outside the starship. They came from Henry's guts. Memories of things he'd never experienced plagued him. He, and he alone, had to wake from stasis.â¨There seemed to be nothing he or the others could do to suppress the memories. They ate at him, stole his sleep, drove him almost mad, and Titan was too far away to help. What kind of crisis loomed in the future: the brig, mutiny, suicide?â¨It would be a long flight. |
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The Werewolf Asylum by Gareth Barsby A novelette of lycanthropy and insanity. In Victorian England, there is a special institution where two men intend to help lycanthropes suppress their nocturnal transformations, while searching for a more permanent cure. One evening, they discover a rare type of werewolf - one trapped eternally in a half-human, half-wolf form - that they believe could be beneficial to their research. 'Martha', however, believing her shape is due to her being a Messiah to her brethren, wishes to see the other werewolves embrace their curse. Can she be treated and cured? Or will her 'Lord' have his way? |
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In this extended tale of sci-fi-meets-historical fiction, Xenia, a woman with an integrated artificial intelligence, embarks on a mission to repair a malfunctioning relay at the edge of the wilderness now called the Flood Zone. As the mission turns to disaster, Xenia and her security contractor find themselves confronting a greater mystery, one that eventually leads them to a strange town in the middle of nowhere, where nothing is quite as it seems. The town, called Harmonie, has a long utopian history. Half-abandoned for years, it has been revived by a group of secretive scientists and artists, who are still dealing with the echoes of a long and complex American past. Its traces appear in a set of peculiar 19th-century documents that chronicle the life of a free-spirited woman, the long forgotten reformer and troublemaker Camilla Wright, which only deepens riddles lurking in the heart of the forest. Starfall II will be released in early 2024. |
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Horrific Tales for a Horrific Year by Jack T Canis Horrific Tales for a Horrific Year: A short story collection â ten dark tales by Jack T Canis. A collection of gruesome & deeply disturbing short stories about obsession, lust, sociopathy, murder & the darkness that lies in our souls. |
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#Rehashed: A short story collection, contains twenty short stories from the deviant mind of Jack T. Canis. They range from the humorous to the bizarre, dark to enlightening. Fourteen rehashed stories have been previously published in journals, magazines and anthologies from the USA, UK & France and collected together into a single volume. There are also six new tales for your delectation: The Doldrums of Bidmouth Bay; Oliver's Island; The Waiting Room; Bolivia; Chutzpah & Fly Spray. |
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In Sekhmet's Shadow by JD Rhodes The year is 2061, and the world has ended. In the city of Asclepion, Sabra Kasembe dreams of a superheroic future yet wakes to the taste of blood and ash. When her father is shot six times in a heist gone wrong, she resolves to bring those responsible to justiceâno matter where the trail might lead. To do this, she'll need to team up with a washed-up superhero, a brooding robotic woman, and the very man who shot her father. Because he is her only link to a conspiracy that threatens to shake the Functioning World to its core. But it may be impossible to save a world on the brink of apocalypse without pushing it over the edge. As her reckoning approaches, Sabra realizes that her future may not be filled not with the cries of those she's saved, but the screams of her victims. IN SEKHMET'S SHADOW is a complete anticapitalist "post-superhero" sci-fi thriller, and first of a trilogy (IN SEKHMET'S WAKE, IN SEKHMET'S HANDS.) It is intended for mature audiences and features violence, swearing, and ideas that may be considered traumatic or provocative. But remember this: everyone finds love in the end. |
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Vigil: Knight in Cyber Armor: A Havenworld Novel by Lewis Knight In a city where criminals rule ... a former soldier rises from the shadows to make a stand. Jett scrapes out a living in the oppressive city of Neo York: a crumbling ruin of violence and vice ruled by gangs and crime lords. When a masked vigilante called Vigil dies saving Jett's life, he adopts Vigil's mantle and uses his veteran combat skills to wage a one-man war on the city's criminal elements. Along the way, he'll partner up with a mysterious man named Incognito, and find a reluctant ally in Ronnie, a tough and ambitious police officer. But Vigil's enemies won't go away without a fight, and every one of them wants to be the first to kill the city's new hero. Knight in Cyber Armor takes the best elements of Batman, mixes it with the tech of Iron Man, and delivers it with a dystopian twist. Pick up your copy today and join the battle! |
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Siren's Call by T.J.J. Klamvik In the Doomsday Cycle there are no heroes. The future could have looked different, but the path has been corrupted and only the inevitable awaits. Something lurks in the darkness of space, and it cares little for humanityâs petty squabbles. The apocalypse is here, but will anyone hear its call? Councilor Justynia Freid â an ambitious politician of Earthâs most prominent colony â never saw it coming. A scheme by her own Chancellor to restart a war that they themselves had a hand in ending? All without her knowledge? Tossed into a harsh world of intrigue and backstabbing, Justynia has to discover what led to the drastic decision that is going to send humanity into chaos. Only with all the answers can she decide whether to listen to her own conscience or follow the path to power. Detective Adelia Duarte does not care for politics â it only ever made her job harder. Tasked with investigating a series of murders that plague Capital City, Adelia has to confront her own past in order to understand the methods and motivations of the serial killer that seems impervious to the security systems that track each citizen down to the centimeter. As the bodies keep piling up, it is difficult to maintain faith. Would someone with a less troubled history be a better fit for the investigation? For now, all the city has is Adelia, and the bodies keep coming. Sergeant Jones is also haunted by his past â decisions taken in a war he never truly understood. His only refuge is more fighting. Recruited to join Special Operations, and reunited with old comrades to escort a scientist to an abandoned colony, he quickly learns all is not what it seems. Surrounded by mystery and an unknown enemy, he needs to warn mankind of what is coming. But will they truly listen? Sirenâs Call is the first novel in the Doomsday Cycle. It weaves complex interpersonal journeys with a backdrop of an overarching threat. It is never about the destination â only the journey to get there. |
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Falling Stars by Justin Lucero There are those who fight for change, and others whoâd rather suppress it. Outcasts come from all sides of the spectrum. Someâcan be willful allies. In the end, âWhat goes around, comes aroundâ. The year is 2084, the future is bleak. Within a compound called Hangar sixty-eight, deep underneath an Arizona desertâproblems have risen. Venturing through its many sub-levels, James, an escaped experiment is met with harsh realities and deadly encounters he's never endured; guided by two, mysterious characters to witness an underworld of total terror and knowledge of a threat that's almost unimaginable. As he fights on, so does his girlfriend, Alice. Whoâs led to battle through the realm of dreams. Journeying an outer land, she meets a few allies and enemies along the way. Take a ride into this sci-fi, action-packed horror and fantasy experience, as these two rebellious souls make their way through a dark and puzzling chain of events. |
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Hot Ash and the Oasis Defect (Ashley Westgard, #1) by Philip Wyeth âRobots and exowombs and hemp, oh my!â Welcome to 2045. Automation has freed humanity from the drudgery and limitations of blue-collar labor. For twenty years, a remarkable group of female bureaucrats has overseen an ambitious construction program that is spreading equity, prosperity, and peace worldwide. But Detective Ashley Westgard of the Jacksonville Police Corps senses that beneath all the glimmer and shine, a new malaise has taken root in society. From brazen acts of criminality and rampant party pill abuse, to her own insatiable desires... All is not well on the road to paradise. Ash is beautiful, vain, headstrong, and erratic. A symbol of her time as she careens from impulsive shopping sprees to drunken fights to escapades of sin. But now that a methodical killer is on the loose, she must rise above apathy and doubt in order to forge her raging inner fire into a fearsome weapon of justice. Philip Wyethâs crazy fifth novel is imaginative, hilarious, sexy, and poignant. It will dazzle fans of Rich Larson, Neal Stephenson's âSnow Crash,â âThe Tomorrow Fileâ by Lawrence Sanders, and women who kick ass! Note to Readers: This book contains adult language and sexual themes. (45,500 words) âOnce you get that nano crawling through you... You feel alive!â |
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Explorer's End by H.W. Portland Itâs up to an unlikely hero to find the origin of the galaxy and protect it at all costs in this new sci-fi adventure from author H.W. Portland. Dr. Alan spent his life searching for the origin of those who seeded the galaxy with intelligence. After years of dead ends, he is shown an extraordinary new clue with the promise that on a distant planet, covered in exotic jungles and teeming with life, lies the answer. The only problem: the planet is about to be obliterated in a galactic cataclysm. Faced with little time and few resources, Alan must team up with a headstrong adventurer to get to the remote planet and recover the forgotten knowledge before itâs too late. But Alan isnât the only one who has seen the clue. An old nemesis is already on his way to steal the evidence â and the credit. And if he beats Alan, he will use what he finds to rewrite history and undo civilization as we know it. In Explorerâs End, a science fiction adventure, friend and foe race to capture the last evidence of a lost, life-giving civilization. Whoever wins will control the history of a million planets⌠|
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âFirst called, final star, they hold the line.â Years of war have taken their toll on the crew of Gold 1, but thereâs no rest to be had. Even as forty years of war seem to be ending, a new threat lurks in the shadows which could tip the balance of power against The United Systems Republic. As the danger grows and battle lines are drawn, Major Jason Harlem, and his fox like Holdren crew, will lead their veteran fighter group back into the fires of war. But with a fragile peace hanging in the balance, forces working behind the scenes of both governments, and an outside threat that may not be ânewâ at all, Gold 1, and perhaps others, will be tested in ways they never could have expected. Can the Gold Group hold the line one more time, or will the cost of fighting become too great to bear? |
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Gabriel's Watch (The Scrapman Trilogy, #1) by Noah Fregger It is the darkest chapter of our civilization. Ten years after the global fallout, teetering on the edge of extinction, a man is fighting for survival. As the threat of inner-city violence spans outward, Miles Stone is left to his own ingenuity, along with the gifts of his unique partner, Alice. Together they begin to construct a weapon designed by the genius of old. But what horrors might await them upon its completion? This is his personal account of the events that will forever alter the fate of humanity |
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Lume (Lume Duology #1) by T.M. Ghent The capital city of Lume is on the brink of chaos. A newly formed underground city begins a rebellion, threatening Lume's complacent king. A Prince, content with a warm bed and a full glass, must choose between his family and his honor. A Girl, buried beneath her past, must decide whether to risk everything she has for her dreams. A Lawless, forged to be a leader among the rebels, must find a way to remain in control. They never wanted to be heroes. Ruled by old traditions, Lume is plagued with new technology it isn't ready for. In a world filled with betrayal, hard truths, and broken pasts, can Lume be saved or will it succumb to its eventual destruction? In TM Ghent's debut novel, Lume blurs the expectations of fantasy and science fiction into a creative blend featuring a new and exciting world. |
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Medusa Falling (Cosmic Shores #1; Amaranthe #20) by G.S. Jennsen * A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe * âCan I ask where weâre going?â âSomeplace safeâŚas safe as anywhere on this broken, fallen world can be.â A first contact encounter isn't supposed to kick off with a dead body. Ambassador Marlee Marano has been dispatched to Belarria as part of a Concord initiative to meet new species and build alliances. But when an assassin murders her counterpart in front of her eyes and takes her hostage, she is plunged into an alien world on the brink of collapse. With no way to contact Concord or get offworld, Marleeâs only allies may be a shadowy band of rebels with a questionable agenda steeped in government conspiracies, mysterious genetic experiments and bloody historical grievances that threaten to boil over. The rightness of their cause is the least of her concerns, though, for she finds herself wanted for murder and hunted by all sides. Medusa Falling is a heart-pumping sci-fi adventure that will take you on a roller-coaster ride of twists and turns as Marlee races to uncover the secrets and lies of a captivating but deadly alien culture and find a way home. |