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The Gunrunner and Her Hound by Maria Ying Viveca Hua, arms-dealer ...is driven by three things: the certainty of steel, the need to win, and the compulsion to possess. Yves, bodyguard ...hunts for the place she belongs, and she might just have found it in the captivating Viveca, who offers her a new organization, an answerâand a collar. But their world is violent. It is unpredictable. Luck alone will not shield them. Together they must survive assassins, rival gunrunners, and their own lethal attraction. The Gunrunner and Her Hound is an F/F/F mosaic novella (40,000 words) built from short stories connected by an overarching plot. Part romance (happy ever after included), part thriller, this is a high-heat love story set in contemporary Hong Kong, where passion burns between a ruthless ice queen and an ex-soldier who fled a ruined empire. |
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Wish Lists Lead to This by Kay Claire Whenever Seb wants to get something done, he makes a list, and he sets deadlines. He's been in Cape Town for 2 years and has yet to do all the touristy things the city has to offer, so he's set his 24th birthday as his deadline to do 100 things on the list heâs come up with. JJâs in a rut. He has no friends hates his job (working at a shirtless waiter at a gay bar isn't all it's cracked up to be), and is sick of one-night stands. After an awkward encounter with a former crush, JJ finds himself roped into helping Seb accomplish an item on his list â but plans change after he finds a box of abandoned kittens the day heâs suppose to meet up with Seb. When the two decide to foster the kittens together, theyâre both surprised at how well they get along, since on paper theyâre exact opposites â especially after their new budding friendship turns into something more complicated after JJ finds a secondary, secret list in the back of Sebâs notebook... |
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All Roads Lead to This by Kay Claire Cedric and Rueben have been best friends since sixth grade, and cannot imagine life without each other - Cedric was there for Rueben when he came out to his family, and Rueben was there for Cedric through every step of his transition. Now, both twenty-four and working at the same plant shop, their boss gets an opportunity to receive some extremely rare plants she's wanted for years, except there's a problem: the plants need to be collected in person from across the country, and she cannot make the journey herself. Rueben, ever helpful, is quick to volunteer him and Cedric to travel across the country in her place. Cedric is apprehensive about the trip, both because he hates sudden changes to his routine, and because he may or may not have a few secrets he hasn't told Rueben about. Secrets like the fact that he might be in love with his best friend... All Roads Lead to This is a low angst HEA m/m romance that involves a road trip across South Africa, sharing a bed, heavy pinning, and childhood friends to lovers tropes. Roughly 85,000 words long. |
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The Full Moon Problem by Kay Claire Felix was raised by a family who upheld traditional medicine over all modern medicine â so when he turned 18 and started transitioning, Felix had to run away from home if he wanted to live his authentic life. Now, ten years later, heâs surprised when his aunt passes away and leaves him a house, far from the place he left. Leaving an unfulfilling life in London to give country living a try, Felix is soon overwhelmed by the amount of books on folk medicine and gardening his aunt left to him. Wanting to reconnect with her memory, Felix decides to give the family craft heâs always shunned a try, and soon the locals are asking him for the remedies they had relied on when his aunt was alive. One of those locals is Declan, the handsome deliveryman who immediately catches Felixâs eye. Declan is shy and reclusive, but Felix manages to chip away at Declanâs walls and soon discovers his secret: Declan is a werewolf who loses control on full moons, and only a potion Felixâs aunt used to make can help him gain back that control. Felix is determined to make this potion correctly and help Declan⊠and maybe fall in love in the process? |
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Unholy with eyes like wolves by Morgan Dante NoĂ©mie, a dishonored and widowed noblewoman in early 17th century Hungary, finds herself in an unenviable position: After grievous trauma and loss, her last chance to regain her honor comes when she must serve as Lady ErzsĂ©bet BĂĄthoryâs handmaiden. BĂĄthory is stoic and imperious, and as NoĂ©mie struggles to acclimate and accept her present and future, she begins to have dreams about a mysterious woman. Worse, there are stories of disappearance and deaths in the castle, and NoĂ©mie might be next. |
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Whispers of Apple Blossoms by Brett Mitchell Kent A love story spanning decades. A Lonely widow mourning her husband and daughter. A tail of missing people all leading to one unpredictable source. Edna Mann, a lonely widow longing for the family she's lost, finds companionship in an unlikely source when her late husband begins communicating with her through her houseplant. As those around her begin to disappear, Edna must confront the reality that something mich worse may be at play...and has been for longer than she could have ever expected. An atmospheric and hainting tale of love, heartache, fear and obsession. The warped reality of an elderly woman filled with regret interlaces with the story of the past she desperately longs to relive. Whispers of Apple Blossoms is as romantic as it is heartbreakingly sinister and, as each petal falls, pulls you further into the darkness and toward the unforgettable finale. |
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Mother of Pearl: A Sapphic Sugar Baby Romance by A.A. Fairview The summer has never been so sweet. Lydia hadnât planned to spend the summer poolside. She was supposed to get an internship in the city and spend nights with her girlfriend. Instead sheâs single and making minimum wage as a country club lifeguard. Chlorine might dry out her scales, but itâs not all bad. At least she can flirt on company time. Stephanie is a bombshell mom with a fortune five-hundred job but without a wedding ring. She might have baggage, but itâs designerâand sheâs happy to share the wealth with Lydia in exchange for some lessons in fishfolk biology. Lydia isnât sure sheâs ready to navigate exes, kids, or even a proper relationship. But summers never last forever. Will this situationship be any different? |
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Greed is a curse. Diego Gregorio de Bimini needs a vacation. After his roommate stirs up trouble with the Enforcers of Witch Law, he leaps at the chance to head down to Key West, lounge in the sun, and cruise the Conch Republic for reliable cell service. When a run-in with a rogue chicken lands him in the care of a handsome pawnbroker, Diego thinks this forced vacation might be just what the witch doctor ordered ⊠until he stumbles upon evidence of an occult artifact housing a curse. The same curse that killed him in the 16th century. Calling on all he knows of the Ways and his own Stitch Witch magick, Diego must race against the clock to spare the mortal world from an ancient threat. Return to the World of C.R.O.W. with Stitching Palms, an M/M Paranormal Romance. |
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Welcome to Camp Cryptid As the new Assistant Director of Elkwater Music Camp, Avery Payne has sixteen weeks between her and her Carnegie Mellon dream. Sixteen weeks working at the only human-inhuman band camp in the nation. Just enough time to have her world turned upside down by a curly-haired faun. Cricket is ready to fight for her woodland home against the Georgia Men who would buy it out from under her. In search of her cousinâthe only faun to have integrated with the broader human worldâCricket finds herself stranded at Elkwater Music Camp. The roads are closed, her cousin is gone, and the red-headed Assistant Director canât seem to leave her alone. When a mysterious and violent monster threatens the camp, Cricket and Avery band together, discovering the truth behind the land grabs in Green Bank and their undeniable attraction to each other. Faun Over Me is book one in the Camp Cryptid series. Each book will take place in and around Elkwater Music Camp and feature different relationships among the staff of the camp and the surrounding hills. |
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Bump in the Night by Lily Mayne, Nik Knight You never know whatâs hiding in your closet...At twenty-six, Ivy has their life figured out. They have a decent paying job at the London office of Somnus Entertainment--the gaming company behind the wildly popular game Black Oasis--a draughty flat they inherited from their wild great aunt, and a few select friends to pass the time. Theyâre a responsible adult, thank you very much, and while they might get lonely at times, they know better than to put too much stock into that fanciful notion known as love. But when a skeevy encounter during a fun night at the pub devolves into a violent hate crime, their life changes forever. Waking up in a demon dimension, beaten within an inch of their life, is bad enough. But add a snarky, haughty healer with the universe's worst bedside manner, and Ivy knows theyâre in for a long, excruciating recovery. Lau the Dreamwraith is prickly, arrogant, and entirely infuriating, but for some strange reason, he seems hellbent on nursing Ivy back to health. Despite Lauâs whinging over their âinferior human qualities,â there is a heat building between them that neither are able to fight. Like a match meeting kerosine, their chemistry ignites, but Ivyâs stay in the demon world is temporary and fire always burns out eventually. Love is a dream, after all; it has no business in nightmares. Right? Join Ivy and Lau as they nurture the sparks between them until they explode into an unexpected passion that crosses dimensions in Bump in the Night, the second book in Knight and Mayneâs co-authored queer, monster romance series, Black Oasis. Bump in the Night is an M/X monster romance full of hurt/comfort, angst, humor, and a sweet, spicy love between a fiery Brit and their arrogant sleep demon. This love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. Be sure to check the Trigger Warnings at the beginning of the book for more details |
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A Bone in His Teeth by Kellen Graves When a fall from the mast leaves Alba Marsh unable to sail, he finally has the chance to run away from his family debts in search of a better life. He hopes to reunite with his mother, Edythe, where they always promised to meet if things went awry, but finding the small, secluded, secretive town of Moon Harbor proves a greater challenge than Alba ever expected. Worse, upon arriving, no one seems to know anyone by the name Edythe Marsh at all. Taking a job as the local lighthouse keeper while waiting for her to come, Alba attempts to find peace in his stolen freedom--but the sea has other plans. First come the shadows, then the voices, then watery trails left on the floor while he sleeps. He's inundated with erotic dreams of sirens calling out to him, and distant singing haunts his waking hours, all while the townspeople claim to hear nothing. After a debtor catches up with him and he's forced to dispose of their body in the harbor, Alba is interrupted by Eridanys, the last merrow of Moon Harbor, who curses him from leaving until he can find out what happened to the other merrow that once filled those waters. Eridanys' demands, both mental and physical, are exhausting and endless--but as their relationship deepens, and Moon Harborâs long-kept secrets are butterflied open to see, it becomes clear they may both be prey to the town in ways neither of them ever anticipated |
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Shelter Dean Golinskiâs recently deceased father, Marek, believed âtheyâ would come for everyone at some point in time, so heâd made some very serious preparations, fracturing his family in the process. Marek believed âtheyâ would seize any opportunity to test the mettle of the nation; a chisel strike here, a chisel strike there, and then the final blow to render freedom and liberty to slivers and dust. Being estranged from his sister, Jacqueline, for the most part of fifteen years, Dean couldnât convince her not to go to the Comerica Park refuge shelter when a coronal mass ejection, 1,000 times larger than the Carrington Event of 1859, was reported to be enroute to Earth. Played down by official sources, Dean was convinced of the eventâs anticipated severity after watching a video blog posted by Professor Martin Monroe, a discredited Astrophysicist from Ireland; yet everything he said, Dean found, was corroborated through other reliable sources. It was enough to convince the majority of Americaâs citizens into an exodus to the many shelters set up around the country. Dean, however, moved swiftly to occupy a location his late father had prepared for whatever flavor the End Times would take. As if ordained by fate, an assassination attempt is made on the POTUS at a Seattle golf club dinner the day before the CME event, and an opportunity is seized to initiate a game-changing strategy across the U.S., and refuge shelters to protect the countryâs greatest asset forms a key component of that strategy. Dean soon discovers that the sins of the father are indeed paid by the son, as he finds himself and his sister somehow linked to Russian interference within the U.S. political system, in addition to becoming prime targets in a hunt to keep the countryâs over-haul mission on track. Deanâs late father wasnât crazy at all; he was right! |
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A Wrecking of Salt and Fire by E.K. Condos Plagued by fear. Haunted by the sins of her past. Approaching twenty-five, Katrin Drakos should only be concerned with two thingsâbeing crowned Queen of Alentus and marrying her Fated, Kohl. For five years, she focused on falling in love, on living, on becoming whole again. For five years, she was able to forget what the vile King Nikolaos of Nexos had done to her. For five years, her nightmares did not return. But then the whispers started. A rumbling of rebellion poised to strike. The King of Nexos had never attacked before. Until now. Until right before the Acknowledgement. So when a notorious pirate captures her, claiming to have saved her from the lies the leaders have woven into history, Katrin must decide if the enemy from her past has really been her ally this whole time. Decide before the world around her crumbles and not only her power, but the power of all the gods, is lost forever. Because sometimes the Fates have other plans. |
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Whatsoever is Just by Augusta Ren 21-year-old Wes Blake was set to graduate university as the best swordsman in her class, but when her friend and secret lover dies, her world is turned upside down. Now, she must do one last thing for the deceased and get his journal into trusted hands. But when your government has more secrets than you can count, trusted hands become few and far between. With suspicion growing as the days pass, Wes gathers the help of her friends and newcomer Rhyatt to assist in turning over the journal. If she fails, it means more than not honoring the deadâs wishes. She risks allowing kidnappers and human experiments to continue in the shadows. Every step Wes takes puts her or her loved ones in danger. Even worse, she is beginning to care for Rhyatt. Mindless soldiers. Rotten politicians. Shady businessmen. Everyone is playing a part, and itâs up to Wes to find out who is innocent before they capture â or silence her for good. |
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Book one of the Starhawk trilogy Niko has only ever wanted to protect people. Once a bounty hunter renowned for bringing in the most dangerous criminals the galaxy had to offer, Niko's life was forever altered after a job gone wrong left him with a devastating injury. Resigned to a languishing existence, he now believes his bounty hunting days are officially over. But when an elusive assassin known only as the Kestrel sets his aim on galactic leaders and celebrities, Niko is called back into the fight. Caught in a deadly hunting game of cat and mouse, Niko soon discovers that nothing he's been told about the Kestrel is what it seems, exposing a web of lies as vast and entangled as the galaxy itself. Niko is forced to make a choice: work alongside the only family he has left to stop the Kestrel from ever killing again, or save the life of the very assassin he's been sent to take down⊠And Niko might just be falling in love with him. |
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Kanin did not get your standard reincarnation. First, his soul gets stuck in a bottle of ink. Then, a senile wizard accidentally conscripts him into doing his yardwork. And as if that wasn't enough, a parasitic shadow has decided to use Kanin's soul as its personal battery pack. What begins as a quest for freedomâand then to recover his human bodyâbecomes an adventure of ever growing scope, attracting the attention of friends, foes, and gods alike. What you can expect from this story: - 1st person PoV, male MC - Zero to Hero (he's got some growth ahead of himâemotionally and literally) - Isekai LitRPG with slow but steady progression - Non-human underdog MC (I mean, he's a glass bottle) - An equal mixture of humor and horror - Venom-like symbiote - Queer Characters (gay main character, lesbian, ace, and enby side characters) |
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Etched In Ink by Jessica Salina In the quest for love and power, you canât have it all. Sterling Harrison finally achieved his dreams. As the powerful leader of Riverpeak, Coloradoâs crime ring, heâs acquired multiple superpowers, including the same immortality granted to his nemesis, the vigilante Hematite. But when he meets Jolene Gautier, he must balance his quest for love and power. Tattoo artist Jolene Gautier canât sleep thanks to a strange, secret power she canât uncover. When she reaches out to Hematite, the superhero doesnât answer â but Sterling does with promises to help. As Jolene falls for Sterling, who teaches her how to use her tattoo manipulation, she slowly learns his secrets. But as Sterling unravels, trying to find a way to keep everything heâs worked so hard for, the final fight with Hematite looms ahead. |
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Play With Fire by Jessica Salina If you play with fire, youâre gonna get burned. After escaping an abusive relationship with a self-proclaimed superhero, Amy Brewer feels powerless. Brick Beastâan associate of the more famous vigilante Hematiteâis far from the hero he wants their town to believe he is. But with his super strength, Amy isnât in any position to get revenge. Further complicating matters, all of her friends are connected to the vigilante duo, so she has no one to turn to. After years of experiments and faking his death, Noah Sato has abilities that could rival Hematiteâs immortality. Tired of his townâs reliance on vigilantes, Noah wants to level the playing field. When he meets Amy and learns that her ex-boyfriend is Brick Beast, he earns her trust through nights of passion and the promise to help her get her retribution. Their partnership becomes complicated when Amy goes down a dark path, and Noah unintentionally develops romantic feelings for her. This supervillain romance contains violence, drug use, and strong language. |
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To Be Normal by Jessica Salina When youâre a superheroâs sidekick, kiss your normal life goodbye. Elijah Baron isnât thrilled that his vigilante superhero best friend Kaneâbetter known as Hematiteâsigned him up for a dating app, even though heâs single and in need of a date for a wedding. Heâs even less thrilled that the dating app is so Kane can spy on the mysterious new girl in town, Hannah. Women are going missing in Riverpeak, and Kane suspects Hannahâs sudden arrival may be to blame. When fantasy author and video game streamer Hannah Cohen moves to Riverpeak, she hopes a change of scenery will help her conquer writerâs block and escape her troubled past. But the more she falls for Elijah Baron, the more her past catches up to her. As Elijah dates Hannah, he suspects she may have superpowers of her own. Will Hannah and Elijah end up on opposing sides of a superhero showdown, or will they get to live a normal life happily ever after? |
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Fall to Shadow by Jac-Ann Marie Ravaged by twenty years of war, the Riphean Realm is cleaved in two; the bleak and broken Kingdom of Kveld and the wild northern Land of Ellyl. In the ancient fortress of Braach Querie, Rieave finds a sliver of hope and friendship in Jace and Marie, orphaned trainees in the kingâs elite force of warriors. Upon the ashes of his brother's death, Rieave is crowned the Dark Prince. His dreams of a different life shatter as he is swept up in a storm of betrayal, manipulation, anxiety, and Shadow magic. Poised to become the mightiest warrior in the King's Army and paired Luhkaela to the prince, Marie is dragged away and held hostage by their mortal enemies, the brutal Light Fae. As she uncovers the truths of her heritage and fae history, she realizes that not everything is as it seems. On opposite sides of Light and Dark, Rieave traverses more than mythological creatures and magic in his determination to save Marie. While the specter of peace looms on the horizon, she endeavors to bridge the chasm between the species and end the war by saving Rieave from himself. Rescue turns rampage and hope fades to oblivion in the face of a depthless darkness. |
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What would you do if you were a superhero? Rory Miller has dreamed of reuniting with the vigilante superhero Hematite ever since he saved her from a stalker. After nearly a decade of wishing, news of Hematiteâs murder shakes her small town in Colorado to its coreâbut Rory gets a second chance at finding her hero when he reveals heâs not actually dead. Kane Kelly is hiding two things from his best friend Rory: his secret identity as Hematite and his romantic feelings for her. As Kane seeks the truth about his superpowers, an anonymous YouTuber named Stone Breaker tries to stop him to protect the local crime ring responsible. When Rory learns who is behind the YouTube channel and teams up with her hero, she becomes Stone Breakerâs next target and blurs the line between Kaneâs double lives. Rory must face her past traumas headfirst to save Kaneâs identity and her own life. |
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What Manner of Man by St John Starling What would tempt you to sin? A sweet and naĂŻve priest at war with his desires, tormented by nightly dreams of a wicked demon. A vampire lord forced to do the unthinkable, battling needs he can scarcely control. Father Ardelian has been summoned to a distant, secluded island to perform an exorcism. What will happen when he begins to suspect his host â the mysterious, nocturnal lord of the manor â of wanting him for another reason entirely? Will the piously celibate priest be able to resist his monstrous hostâs diabolically seductive charms? What Manner of Man is a blasphemous queer horror romance about a priest and a vampire, inspired by Bram Stokerâs Dracula. A tale of forbidden love with themes of devil worship, demonic possession, and human sacrifice â this is the long-awaited completed version of the widely beloved story which rose to fame and fortune in the form of a newsletter! |
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"I am Don Alessandro: thirty-six, crinkled around the eyes, tall but soft in body. Who I am boils down to very little because I am meant to be a vessel of the lord, and long ago, I gave up any chance of knowing myself. Which is why I want to ruin my life, you see. I am older. I am jaded. And I no longer think God is merciful." Alessandro senses his devotion to the monastery slipping away, haunted by regret over the years he believes he's squandered. Torn between duty and desire, he takes a daring step to confront his suppressed lust. Seeking a solution, he summons a supernatural being to assist him. But can he withstand the shame of abandoning his position and his faith to satiate his long-neglected desires? |
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The Teras Tactics by Lucien Burr Following their success in the trials, Cassius Jones and his companions secure coveted spots as students in London's prestigious University. But the University's promise of security falls short. Reeling from resource shortages, the University is no longer content with siloed expertise, demanding versatility if its students are to survive in a world plagued by catastrophe. As hybrid terrors continue to rise and the landscape grows increasingly hostile, Cassius must remain adaptable, guarding against fear's corrosive grip. Juggling a fragile relationship with Leo Shaw, navigating the fracture of his friend group, and confronting the remnants of his own ruthlessness, Cassius faces his greatest challenge yet. In the face of adversity, can Cassius harness his resilience to not only endure but thrive in a world on the brink of collapse? |
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Catâs Got Your Heart by Jem Zero Who knew two men could form such a bitter rivalry over adopting a cat? Jericho Adams is in need of a cat. Doesnât sound too difficult, even for a reclusive artist like him. People adopt cats all the time. Those people clearly never met Harlan Vardanyan, the worldâs surliest pet shop employee. Harlanâs love for animals is matched only by his disdain for customers. Too much experience tells him they canât be trusted. When Jericho sets his sights on Dumpling, an aloof-but-lovely young cat, Harlan vows the man will never have her. However, he canât outright refuse without risking his job. What he can do is fabricate a series of absurd adoption requirements that Jericho canât possibly meet. Unfortunately for Harlan, the more his demands escalate, the more determined Jericho becomes to free Dumpling from her short, fire-breathing gatekeeper. Then Harlan is unexpectedly evicted from his apartment, and Jericho ends up rescuing him instead. Now Jericho and Harlan are forced to continue their battle of wills in tight quarters. Except living together unveils vulnerability on both sides, and soon trading verbal jabs begins to feel⊠wrong. The weeks-long rivalry sputters, and in its place, a fragile intimacy begins to grow. But the secret deadline for Jerichoâs cat acquisition is rapidly approaching. He canât let his feelings for Harlan get in the way of his ultimate goal, even if the betrayal will destroy whatever theyâve been building. |
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The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic My name is Jean Moreau. My place is at Evermore. I belong to the Moriyamas. It is a truth Jean has built his life around, a reminder this is the best he can hope for and all he deserves. But when he is stolen from Edgar Allan University and sold to a more dangerous master, Jean is forced to contend with a life outside of the Nest for the first time in five years. The Foxes call his transfer to California a fresh start; Jean knows it is little more than a golden cage. Captain Jeremy Knox is facing his final year with the USC Trojans and fifth straight year falling short of the championships trophy he desperately craves. Taking in the nationâs best defenseman is a no-brainer, even if that man is a Raven. But Jean is no monster, just a man with no hope or desire for a future, and when Evermore's collapse starts dragging Jean's hideous secrets to light, Jeremy is forced to contend with the cost of victory. |
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Magic is a rare gift, one only made possible by an invaluable stone: magiline. After he was tasked with his first official assignment, Dominai and his fellow wizards must now travel to the Cruxâs sister tower in Immenbach to deliver a shipment of it. But the road is full of trials and dangers, and not just because Thaddiusâ bullying has escalated into something worse. Dominai is having strange dreams, hearing a mysterious voice that passes on a dire warning. A shadow lays over the Eastern Tower, and it will be up to Dominai and his fellow wizards to shed light on the situation and escape to tell the tale. Left behind at the Crux, Olbric is facing his own battles. His father has threatened to disown him for being who he is. Fearing for his mother and sisterâs safety, Olbric must work with Arlon to create a spell that can get them to safety if the worst happens. Yet confidential and personal information about Olbric continues to leak out of the Crux and into the Cairish ambassadorâs ear. And Ambassador Feisal seems willing to stop at nothing to force Olbric home. A storm is building, one that has the potential to destroy the balance of peace across the entire continent. |
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Abandoned on the Lonely Mountain Highway, foster sisters Elisa and Stella escape a dire situation only to find themselves on opposing sides of a brutal war. In "Ashes to Embers," their journey through a world ravaged by dark magic and ancient feuds leads them to uncover shocking truths about their lineage. As Elisa allies with a mysterious warrior and Stella fights to protect her loved ones, their paths are fraught with romance and tension. Each sister must navigate a treacherous journey where love and betrayal are intertwined. With strong female protagonists, a gripping plot, and an exploration of sisterhood and self-discovery, this novel delivers a captivating blend of suspense and emotional depth. Prepare for a tale of fierce loyalty, heart-stopping action, and a touch of forbidden romance in this gripping first installment of the Legacy of Blood and Moonlight series. |
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Unnatural Selection by Robert P. Edwards At the end of the 21st Century, humanity is enjoying a renaissanceâor so it seems. For the wealthy, a quantum biotechnology called Stem has eliminated disease and seamlessly integrates with The Web. So why are people dying? Amongst us live the Quants, a meld of robotics, AI, and quantum computing. They carry out vital work in a world dependent on technology. Personal Quants can be built to order for the privileged few. Sophie and her marine biologist father, Chris, live in one of the few habitable zones left in the southern hemisphere. Kazumi is the son and heir of Mashimoto Corporation, a leading manufacturer of quantum technology. Mackenzie is the gifted daughter of technology billionaire Alistair âAceâ Abernathy. Love and loss will drive them together. Across a world scarred and divided by climate change. Only together will they discover the terrifying truth about who is really behind the death of their loved ones. |
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Your Service is Required by Jeff Walker From the author of space opera novella The Long Lost War and the sci fi/fantasy series Outer Red. Jeff Walker brings you his vision of a dystopian society in Earthâs distant future, where robots rule over whatâs left of humanity. A science fiction drama centred on one man trying to survive in a machine dominated world. Earth is now under the control of two artificially intelligent rulers. Angela and Malcolm; they govern the planet and use humanity to service their needs. David 00472 is one of those daily service attendants that must obey the commands of the two AI overlords. David becomes a person of interest to Angela as she helps him to improve the quality of his life. David, suspicious and fearful of her sudden concern for him, is cautious about her true intent. Malcom, ever watchful of all humans, is unsure why David 00472 has become Angelaâs pet project. Is this part of their cruelty? Do they delight in using humans for their amusement somehow? David meets a man, another Human Service Attendant, that will change and challenge his notion of freedom, and what it truly means to be free. |
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Wilderness Five by C. R. Walton Extinction is only the beginning . . . Accelerated evolution âManifoldâ technology has changed everything â dead worlds and asteroids bloom with strange new life. People flocked to colonise the new wilderness only barely to survive obliteration by a Manifold experiment gone wrong. Like so many others, Bryn watched his people burn that day. Unlike the rest, Bryn finds himself hailed as the lone hero who saved his species. Only he knows better. Brynâs grim new life of solitude in the depths of the wilderness is shattered when the past comes calling. His presence is requested on the ringworld Wilderness Five. There, at the edge of inhabited space, the oldest and richest man in the System has expended every drop of his money and influence to launch the most daring Manifold experiment ever attempted. Brynâs moment has come. Plunged back into a world of faceless corporations, hell-bent scientists, and terrifying engineered species, he must learn to finally live up to his reputation. Otherwise, nature will take its course with humanity once and for all. On Wilderness Five, the fate of the species comes down to one question: whom to trust and whom to kill? |
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Whiskey and Warfare by E. M. Hamill Running on caffeine and spite with nothing left to prove. GOLDEN GIRLS meets FIREFLY in this rollicking space opera adventure. Maryn Alessi retired from mercenary service after her last assignment went horribly sideways and settled down on a quiet planet with the love of her life. Unexpectedly widowed, Maryn must fulfill a promise to return her mateâs ashes to zer home planet for funeral rites, but a brutal civil war has destabilized space travel. Former Artemis Corps sisters-in-arms and their sassy ship, the Golden Girl, are up to the task, counting on luck and their rather sketchy cargo business to get Maryn passage through the contested star lanes. But when the crew of the Girl rescues survivors of a ruthless war crime, Maryn and her ride-or-die friends must take up their old profession to save the lives of innocents from a genocidal dictator. |
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What Swims On Uncharted World 550 by R. B. Lovitt Meet Dr. Elora Stephenson, a biologist joining a team on a small outpost on an alien world. As soon as she arrives, strange occurrences and unexplained deaths throw the outpost into chaos. Who can be trusted? Who is hiding who they are? Elora must navigate the treacherous web of suspicions and sabotage, racing against time to unmask the culprit before the outpost is completely wiped out. The fate of the team on uncharted world 550 rests in Eloraâs hands in this thrilling tale of mystery and deception. |
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Wakers of the Cryocrypt by Nathan Kuzack The future. The human race is extinct. Earth is ruled by âeltecsâ, descendants of the AIs humans created before their demise. While searching for prehistoric cave paintings, two eltec explorers discover a hidden cryogenic crypt containing 23 perfectly preserved human bodies frozen inside crystal columns. As eltec society argues over who might have built the crypt and what to do with it, one of its occupants is restored to life. Human beings are no longer extinct, but, for reasons of their own, not every eltec wants to see them come back. The only living man on Earth is in terrible danger. |
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Vermilion Flames by Adam Fernandez In the shadow of a ruined Earth, the Republic and its church claim to offer safety and security while burning ideas and people alike. No moon or planet is free of flames and bloodshed, even as the rebel organization, the Vermilion Coalition, seeks to dismantle the Republicâs oppressive regime. On a terraformed Mercury, Kaya al Vardan hopes to find the truth behind her motherâs murder; a difficult task when everyone insists it was a tragic accident. When Kayaâs adventurous spirit leads her into the forbidden Great Desert, sheâs sent to the Republicâs capital on Mars to study under the watchful eye of the all-powerful church she despises. There she unravels mysteries about her motherâs life and faces a choice: fall in line or risk everything to take up her motherâs mantle. Silas Beckett, High Commander of the Pandora Fleet and hero of the Republic, can feel his time running out. Fighting terrorists has been his lifeâs mission, but his nemesis Hexâleader of the Vermilion Coalitionâstill eludes him. As his failures mount and his allies abandon him, he has few chances left to bring Hex to justice. Can Silas secure peace for his family and for the entire solar system? Vermilion Flames is the first book in the Midnight War series, an action-filled epic set long after the destruction of Earth. |
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A newbie pilot with a secret, broken comms, alien artifact, viral code, empty space. What can go wrong? Jax, a freshly minted spaceship pilot had a simple job: taking a group of sick people to Rebelsâ Republic space station to have their brain implants fixed while keeping her secret â secret. She had a smart plan to get it done: just some tweaking of the comms to make it look like an accident. But her ship had some surprises aboard: two healthy passengers, who werenât who they claimed to be, a real emergency, and a piece of virally spreading rogue code. Then⊠came some more problems⊠Can a loner learn teamwork to survive and save the solar system from collapse? |
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Twilight Divide by Melanie Bokstad Horev In a world where hope has been scorched by fire and forgotten gods, Nour fights to survive. Sheâs a warrior, a sister, and a survivor in the brutal wasteland of Aridex. But when she discovers a long-hidden truth about her family, her life becomes a race against time. A prophecy, whispered through time, binds her to a destiny she never wanted. She must choose: protect her brother, the only family she has left, or embrace a fate that could save or destroy them all. The Day Blazers, a ruthless force with blades thirsty for blood, hunt her across the desert. And from the ruins of the old world, monstrous night creatures rise, their hunger as ancient as the wasteland itself. Can Nour find the strength to stand against the darkness and save her people, or will the desert bury their dreams beneath the sand and grit they were born in? |
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Turn Left at the Mooncrow Skeleton by Linda Raedisch âWelcome to Planet 5372, a uniquely dystopian world where the unlikely heroes include a handful of shambolic university students and their taciturn landlord. Raedischâs layered writing and photographic attention to detail make this slice-of-life archaeological adventure entirely believable.â âClarissa Simmens, author of Parallel Universe Cafe and Other Poems For the past two hundred years, the colonists marooned on Planet 5372 have been confined to a volcanic basin the size of New Jersey. Outside the Basin lie the uninhabitable (some say haunted) ruins known as the Outer Cities. Bored with campus life at the colonyâs only university, twenty-year-old Numi rents a room from Kelda, an uneducated, thirty-something carpenter whose movements are closely monitored by the âshinglesâ or neighborhood deputies. Numi doesnât mind running interference between the reserved Kelda and his rambunctious tenants, but the two can never be more than friends. Numiâs an up-and-coming academic, and Keldaâs a Tyrrhenian, a descendant of the manual laborers who cleared the toxic vegetation from the Basin. As Halloween approaches, Numi is still summoning the courage to confront Kelda with her suspicion that heâs mixed up in the black market trade in âmagical paraphernalia,â mysterious carved objects left behind by the planetâs indigenous, supposedly extinct inhabitants. Time runs out on Mischief Night when Kelda disappears, leaving a trail of blood behind him. Numi faces a decision. She can report her suspicions to the shingles, or she can follow her landlord to the one place she thought she could never go: the Outer Cities. |
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Trouble Wore Red by Chris Lewis Robert âRockyâ Mountain, a private investigator from Mars, got the kind of job he loved: taking down a crooked politician. It was back on Commerce Station, his old haunt, but he thought he could slip in and out. Nice and clean. But then his ex, Penny, shows up offering the kind of job he hated: personal. He wouldâve turned her down. He shouldâve, but that was before he saw what theyâd done to her apartment. Her life. Her. And he found that he could not help but mix pleasure with business, all into one explosive cocktail. So Rocky calls in his team from Mars to help. Kershaw, his security expert, who thought a good weekend was hanging off the side of a building. Kim, his hard-nosed assistant, whoâll make sure he charges Penny expenses and overtime. However, the more Rocky investigates, the more everything is just a little too perfect, and he starts to worry if heâs been playing with trouble. |
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Tomorrowâs Child by D. G. Barnes It should have been easy money: deliver the cargo to the Proxima Colony via the Jump Gate, donât ask questions, collect the pay cheque. But a freak accident, one that shouldnât even be possible, sends the tramp freighter Calypso to an uncharted star system. After a forced landing on the systemâs only habitable world, Captain Jax Hunter and the crew of Calypso find themselves questioning everything they thought they knew about time and space. Join Jax as she unravels the secrets of this alien world and explores a burgeoning romance, all while struggling to get her ship and crew home. |
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A theme park worker can travel back in time to walk the decks of the Titanic. But can he save one of her heroes from a watery grave? Ever since he graduated from high school, Liam Peterson has worked at the Titanic Voyage ride in Historytown, a struggling amusement park in Eloy, Arizona. Heâs enchanted by the journal of Clara Jones, a hero of the Titanic who saved several fellow Third Class passengers before she perished in the sinking. He never dreamed heâd meet her. One night, the teenage son of Historytownâs founder tricks Liam into thinking that a 3D projection of Clara is a theme park guest. As Liam spends time with Claraâs âholoactorâ on the sets of Titanic Voyage, the past starts to change, and he realizes heâs been visiting the real Clara Jones. When tragedy strikes Liamâs life outside the ride, his only escape from the grief is the hope of saving Clara and giving her a long, happy life. But if he rewrites her history, he might erase his own. |
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Timeâs Ellipse by Frasier Armitage No solution saves everyone. Only one keeps us human. The hope of a dying Earth rests on a crew of astronauts. Their mission: find a new home. But when they touch down on a distant planet, a time-bending anomaly traps them in a situation that no one couldâve predicted, causing them to question the nature of humanity, the snare of destiny, and the shape of time itself. Timeâs Ellipse spans generations, orbiting the lives of the scientists and astronauts involved in this historic mission as they discover that escaping the planet is simpler than evading its legacy. |
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Time Travel Rescue: Escape from the 21st Century by Tom Kranz âWE LIVE IN A WASTELANDââRick Twenty third century Earth is barely hanging on. Climate ignorance and environmental abuse have diminished the population by 48%. Land masses are a toxic sprawl. Five companies run whatâs left. WHAT TO DO? A world class hacker and an altruistic citizen go back in time to stop the Earthâs destruction by the forces of 21st century evil. |
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Time of the Cat by Tansy Rayner Roberts Itâs time to take history seriously. The cats and humans of Chronos College know that time travel is the best job in the world, and nothing bad can ever happen to them in the past⊠except that one time they lost a traveller. And that other time they lost a cat. Now they have a chance to make up for past mistakes by rescuing a long lost legend. If only they could convince Professor Boswell, the grumpiest marmalade tabby of all time, to join their mission to the Swinging Sixties, and save one of their own. (Plus pick up a missing piece or two of lost media along the way.) Join Ruthven, Boswell, Monterey and Lovelace on the most chaotic time travel adventure of their lives. Featuring special appearances by Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn, famous actress Fleur Shropshire, and the even more famous house where they filmed TV show Cramberleigh between 1964-1986. Time of the Cat is a cozy sci-fi romp through the centuries, featuring academic endnotes, epic friendships, and far more cat hair than is strictly necessary. If youâd rather use time travel to steal the pens of famous writers of history than stop to fill in the proper paperwork, then this is the novel for you. |
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Thrill Kings: Fragmented Sky by Rik Ty Youâre an interdimensional rescue worker. Actually, youâre a young test driver, but in hard times, you aim higher. One night in early summer, a Bleed Zone erupts along a California parkway. Strange creatures from other worlds rip through to ours. Your team has the means to set things right, and you get to work. As you are completing the mission, a shadow branch of the Army arrives, once again trying to capture your team and seize control of your technology. Itâs crazy. You hang back. Maybe you can make the soldiers see reason. Every one of them is roughly your age. It shouldnât be too hard⊠Itâs crazy hard. Youâre lucky to escape with your life. But in the encounter, you inadvertently supply the soldiers with information their commanding officer has been seeking. Now he has everything he needs to launch his end game. Heâs going to finish you quickly. Heâs going to play rough. And playing rough â with interdimensional technology â is not a good idea. The following 24 hours will steer us all âŠbetween a promised age of discovery⊠and the frantic collapse of traditional reality. |
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Theft of Fire by Devon Eriksen Discover SciFi #5 Best Book of 2023 Atomic Rockets Seal of Approval, for Excellence in Correct Science Prometheus Award Finalist for Best Novel Dragon Award for Best Scifi Novel Finalist âA great read â hard SF by a retired engineer.â âJohn Carmack, creator of Doom At the frozen edge of the solar system lies a hidden treasure which could spell their fortune or their destructionâbut only if they survive each other first. Marcus Warnoc has a little problem. His asteroid mining shipâhis inheritance, his livelihood, and his homeâhas been hijacked by a pint-sized corporate heiress with enough blackmail material to sink him for good, a secret mission she wonât tell him about, and enough courage to get them both killed. She may have him dead to rights, but if he doesnât turn the tables on this spoiled Martian snob, heâll be dead, period. Heâs not giving up without a fight. He has a plan. Miranda Foxgrove has the opportunity of a lifetime almost within her grasp if she can reach it. Her stolen spacecraft came with a stubborn, resourceful captain who refuses to cooperateâbut heâs one of the few men alive who can snatch an unimaginable treasure from beneath the muzzles of countless railguns. And if this foulmouthed Belter thug doesnât want to cooperate, sheâll find a way to force him. Sheâs come too far to give up now. She has a plan. Theyâre about to find out that a plan is a list of things that wonât happen. |
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The Unceasing Mistress by Casey White In the sprawling, decrepit world-city of Cascartia, youâre only as strong as the people you surround yourself with. When Niall Torson passed through the enclave of Lorellan looking to freelance, he found an oasis of calm, a safe haven from the scavengers and enterprising murderers of the outside world. All thanks to Lorellanâs enigmatic leader â the White Lady. While her bold reign keeps the enclave safe, the Lady is erratic, her judgements swift and brutal. When she pushes her last aide off a cliff for wasting resources, a replacement is the next order of business â and Niall finds his diligent efforts rewarded with an unexpected, very much unwanted promotion. Refusing the dictator is usually a good way to wind up at the bottom of the cliff yourself, though, so Niall sets himself to the impossible task of keeping his mistress happy while plotting his escape. With his peek behind the curtain comes the realization thereâs more to the White Lady than he ever knew â and that the world threatens Lorellan more than its citizens suspect. But is the cure worse than the poison? |
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* A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe * The Hesgyr are thieves. âScavengers,â to hear their victims tell it; ârepurposersâ by their own reckoning. As Chief of Intelligence for Non-Anaden Affairs, Eren Savitasâ job is to protect the Advocacy from all manner of alien threats: sabotage, assassination, insurgency and, way down the list, theft. So when he spots a Hesgyr running off with valuable technology, he follows the alien homeâand discovers a civilization unlike any heâs ever encountered. Yes, the Hesgyr are thieves. But they are also being hunted. Systematically exterminated by an insidious enemy they canât see, touch or find. Eren finds himself drawn ever deeper into the Hesgyrâs fascinating yet labyrinthine world as he races against time to solve the mystery of the deadly attacks. What he discovers is a complex web of loyalties and betrayals, of grudges and grievances millennia oldâand beneath it all, a secret that may hold the key to the survival of more than one civilization. THE THIEF is a humorous, pulse-pounding sci-fi adventure about alien culture clashes, the flaws and foibles that transcend species, and the satisfaction that comes from breaking all the rules to save the day. |
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The Scotty! by Eric J. Hildeman The Scotty is a device which transforms matter into energy and then energy back into matter, just like Scotty used to do on Star Trek, hence its name. But the harsh reality is that this is no mere transportation device. Taken to its logical conclusion, it is a technology which gives its user the powers of an absolute god! And as the old saying goes, power corrupts. |