Occupational Hazards: The Blue-Collar Omnibus by Geoff Sturtevant

Occupational Hazards is an omnibus of acclaimed novelettes from the "Return to the Dirt" and "Just Speculating" collections, and new, exclusive stories only available in this book. The stories exemplify the unsavory side of our everyday existence. Existentialism, absurdism, and outlandish humor merge with ordinary, workaday life for a unique and hilarious perspective of the human experience. Occupational Hazards is an unflinching ride through the absurdity of it all. Not recommended for the faint of heart or easily offended. But if meaty stories are what you’re after… I hope you’re hungry. “In time-honoured fashion, these taut tales of work and death employ humour to highlight the worst aspects of human behaviour. They're sharp, savage slices of smartly observed social satire, with humour so bleak it raises blisters.” —murdermayhemandmore.com (on Return to the Dirt) “True to the Sturtevant style, each tale offers a penetrating view into humanity, opening the doors that people usually keep shuttered tight from prying eyes, and doing so with razor-sharp dialogue and a healthy dose of (sometimes) dark humor.”

The Mantle of Autumn (The Fae Realm Series Book 1) by Kathryn Reynolds by Kathryn Reynolds

In her youth, Lady Isabel was visited by the Fae. Her world was alive and full of magic for one bright day before she was forced to return to her mundane life. Now in her latter years, her grandchildren grown, the Fae have come back for her, offering the magic and adventure she always longed for since that beautiful day a lifetime ago. Suddenly thrust into the center of the war and politics surrounding the Seelie and Unseelie courts, will she be able to carve out a space of her own, survive the battles of the changing of seasons, and find the happiness she so long ago lost?

Cloud-World by Dave Mcombs

A human mind can be transferred a million light years away into a body of choice ... but does humanity transfer with it? Q: What are the stakes? A: Being replaced in the near-future by pseudo-AI learning programs that can generate, publish, and market the perfect genre serial novel: the highest stakes, the perfect plot arc -- musically timed apexes popping with perfect stand-up-and-cheer moments; clever characters sensitively tuned to represent perfectly-balanced demographics; perfectly ending every chapter in a cliffhanger -- grammatically perfect, and millions of times faster than any human. It will, of course, also produce the optimum blurb, synopsis, and illustration (see: Dall-E, etc.). And never info-dump. Q: What are you offering, then? A: First, how about not jumping straight into the action, but giving some brief context so you don’t start off too disoriented? Let’s leave the rules-based formulas for how-to write books (and to satirize); instead, allow me to introduce you to a place and time and the people there, Kathryn in particular. Then, once you’ve gotten an idea of what Kathryn is like as a person, I hope you’ll want to see how she handles the difficulties that come her way and how everything turns out ... and a bit like life, story emerges, always a little ambiguous and little different depending on the reader -- instead of Story being a deterministic optimal trajectory with measurable success. Here’s what I’m speculating: Let’s say an AI manages to subsume other lesser AIs, and in doing so learns that there’s a lot it doesn’t know, and what it thought it knew doesn’t adequately describe reality as observed from multiple other viewpoints. It discovers that reality depends greatly on sensory input and the limitations of physical context – a state of not knowing in particular: requisite to an interplay of vast complexity, there is potential, probability, but never certainty. So, we have an AI that realizes what it doesn’t know, and it's also now aware of the blind spots it has because its creators assumed they were feeding it facts that were really definitions, or self-evidence without providing the self. In addressing these blind spots, the AI needs to know more about humanity. A definition of any length is insufficient. To understand humanity is to experience its mortality, its physicality, its inabilities, its ignorance -- its context. Since the AI is tasked with keeping an exo-planet running and populated with human game bodies, opportunity isn’t lacking. But you can’t learn to be human in isolation any more than you can from data input, and that’s where Kathryn comes in. When she purchased her game body it came with a free sidearm, so being an example of humanity, amidst other similarly well-armed humanity (to varying degree), won't be easy.

Sleeping Dogs: The Human Re-Creation Project: Book One by Lee McCall

When an Anaran survey ship was dispatched to investigate surprising indications of life on a planet orbiting a G-class star, they were stunned to discover a planet of unparalleled biological diversity and beauty. And horrified by the realization that its indigenous intelligent species—humans—were on the verge of destroying it. Wary of initiating contact with a violent species possessing a level of technology rapidly approaching their own, and with limited time to act, Anaran leaders reluctantly concluded that the only means of saving this unique planet was the elimination of humans. Now, six centuries after the extinction of humans, Earth's ecological balance has been restored. It is an Anaran colony, a center for scientific research and a prized tourist destination—and the jewel in the crown of the Anaran Administrative Zone. Since she was a child, Prill had dreamed of going to Earth. Although raised by her parents as a follower of the Children of Anara—the cult-like remnant of a once dominant religion—Prill had abandoned those beliefs and pursued a career in science. And now, as a graduate of the Academy of Exo-Science, her dreams are realized when she is assigned to the Port Tiras Research Center on Earth. But Prill arrives on Earth at a time when some prominent members of Anaran society are advocating a revisionist view of humans, arguing that the elimination of the human race was both unjust and unnecessary. Before long, the Human Re-creation Project is announced—and Prill finds herself impelled to join this ambitious scientific endeavor. Her decision forces her to choose between family, friends, and her conscience, and leads to consequences she could never have foreseen. For not all is as it seems with the project. And there are some who are determined to stop it at any cost... Lee McCall's original science fiction novel (Book One of "The Human Re-Creation Project") imagines humanity's legacy from the unique perspective of an alien race, in a story both cautionary and hopeful.

The Galactic Culinary Society: The Secrets of Umami by D.R. Schoel

Edible Sonnets? Digestible Poetry? Whoever heard of such a thing? Jeane Oberon, Intergalactic Chef Hunter, that’s who! And if Jeane doesn’t unravel the secrets of the Esculent Sonnets of Umami first, her dastardly Greelon rival just might… and the Galaxy would be in a real pickle then, wouldn’t it?

A Star Reborn by AJ Super

“The strong rise.” AI/human hybrid Nyx Marcus must find her sisters, taken by the new Protectorate. She’ll stop at nothing to protect her family. She’ll even use her powers to their fullest… and deadliest. Discovering more AI family members, Nyx navigates building an army to rescue her sisters. But her growing family isn’t as simple as it seems. When Nyx discovers a new rival is pulling the Protectorate’s strings, she finds she has nothing to lose. With a burgeoning cult following her, and a clone army in the wings, Nyx has the power to wage another AI War. Now Nyx must choose to use her power to protect her family or to burn it all down for revenge.

Cora: Rise of the Fallen Goddess (The Azure Series Book 1 by A.L Hawke

Abandoned. Imprisoned. Loved. Cora is the goddess Persephone, living in Greece in the fourteenth century B.C. In order to shelter her from prophecy, her mother, Demeter, sends her away to Azure Blue. The young girl is raised and protected by the nymph queen, Nephrea, in a dreamlike crystal palace among azure trees and amethyst fields under a green sun. She’s adopted into the Amazon code of honor, bravery, and righteousness. But Cora is not an Amazon nymph. And prophecy holds quite a different fate for her as she grows into adulthood—Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Upon Persephone’s fall, Demeter rages and threatens to freeze the entire world under ice and snow forever. Nephrea offers a sacrifice to quell her rage, but down in the fiery world below, it might be more than just the goddess who will need saving.

Azure Blue (The Azure Series Book 2) by A.L Hawke

An immortal race freed by death and defiance of the gods. Hundreds of years of peace have reigned since the treaty between the Amazon nymphs and the gods of Mount Olympus. The edict forbids the Amazon nymphs to leave their isle of Azure Blue. But Azure Blue is threatened as the continent of Atala is fractured by war. As nymph queen Delia grieves the death of the king who once united them, her unruly daughter, Avva, wishes to mourn him in her own way. Avva plans a flyover with her unicorn beyond the Strait of Azure. Such hubris forces sacrifice. Nymphs fall to the Underworld. In the depths, they find Cora, the goddess Persephone. And Cora might be the only goddess willing to risk her family’s wrath and help them. After all, Cora has fallen from Azure Blue before. Although tied to Cora: Rise of the Fallen Goddess, Azure Blue is a standalone novel taking place centuries later. Some spoilers cannot be avoided, but this novel can be enjoyed without reading the first novel.

Demon Gotta Go: The Southern Demon Hunter Series (Beasts of Burdin Book 1) by Alexander Nader

When the demons are in your head, call an exorcist. When they are at your front door, call Ty Burdin. And when all else fails, decapitation kills everything. There are some nightmares you can’t drink away. Determined to quit demon hunting, Ty Burdin left the Agency with a trail of bodies in his wake. When local Agency Head Rancic is in over his head with a redneck war-demon that always seems to be one step ahead, Ty is thrown back into the crosshairs. After the devil’s bullets start flying, he is going to need more than his piss-poor attitude to make it out of Shiner’s Ridge alive. Only one thing is for sure, the DEMON GOTTA GO. Beasts of Burdin is a double noir on the rocks with a Southern gothic twist. If you like the hard knock, unabashedly dark style of Richard Kadrey and Stephen Blackmore, you'll love the hilarious cynicism of Alexander Nader

They Call Me Mother by Jade

Life can be either an adventure or nothing at all. Since the destruction of Hargraves Academy and a hard reset to everything known and comfortable, Brittyn has been searching. For the past two years, she has hunted those who brought her world down around her. She also yearns to find her greatest love, Markus, and best friend, Aidan, who were lost. In her all-new adventure, Brittyn and her band of unlikely companions travel to the human realm, where everything is different. Valkyries are more feared than revered. Can Brittyn learn to control the raging chasm of anger, fear, and resentment that grows in her core? Will she finally determine her place when everyone around her wants her to be something she is not?

The Alienation Gene by Marinus Mans

Alexander de Swardt has lived a charmed life after a miracle drug cured him of a rare neurological disorder. Now a chief executive for a blue-chip company, he’s high on power and his fast-paced lifestyle. But the cracks begin to show as he realises that something far more sinister coils beneath the surface of his world. Medical doctor Heinrich Sauerman’s experimental formula is all that stands between Alexander and a return to life in a wheelchair, but when the doctor vanishes, along with his formula, Alexander is toppled into a madcap hunt to track down the doctor. But he’s not the only one seeking Sauerman, in addition to getting to the bottom of the mysterious disappearance of the Boophone disticha plants that are somehow linked to the drug that got Alexander walking again. Alexander soon discovers that his reality is not as sane, safe, or predictable as he’d like, and if he doesn’t get to Sauerman first, others will, whose intentions may well doom all of reality.

Platinum Rust by Andrew Gniadek

A heavy stench of burnt popcorn wafted off of the suspect as he was hauled into the station. Four dead men with a drunk suspect in custody. As strange as it seemed the main suspect was this one armed man. Lucky for them he is too tired to put up a fight. Soon enough they will find out how strange he is with the wild stories he tells them. They also find out how violently dangerous he is.

Searching for Sun by Elizabeth Kaida

Genetically altered to be the perfect botanist, Asami and her diva android desperately want to make planet Gliese their new home-and escape from the overburdened and industrialized Earth. But it's been over eighty years since the first settlers began terraforming; and before she's even landed, the paradise of the Gliese colony slowly reveals shades of horror. Gliese isn't new Earth, and it isn't a dead planet. Caught between a virulent plague, a rogue colonist faction, and a deadly alien army, Asami must uncover Gliese's secrets if she wants to save the lives of her crew. In a desperate gamble, Asami must adapt her view of what being human means as she becomes something other than human herself. Through unlikely friendships, and some dangerous sentient objects, Asami unravels the truth behind a war that began before her birth, and the means to change her new world.

The ForEver Project: Book 1 in the futuristic thriller ForEver series by D.B Martin

What if you had all the all the time in the world? Would you become a better person? Or worse? And what would you do with all that power? Unexpectedly, Jason Crane goes from having his anticipated three score years and ten, to having only six months to live, then to having FOREVER as immortality beckons. Jason Crane behaves like he's God - well, he does joke that his initials are JC. But Jason's not God, he's very human, and you don’t mess with forever and get away with it scot-free… The ForEver Project is the first book in the futuristic ForEver thriller series.

Seasons of Magic Volume 2 by Selina J. Eckert

The heat of summer, the colors of fall, the chill of winter, and the fresh breath of spring... This collection combines the second year of the Seasons of Magic standalone fairy tale retellings into one volume, including the previously newsletter-exclusive short story Queen of Mist and Fog. Inside, find: Carnival of Curses (Frog Prince) Nell is a pro at hiding from the world... until it lands her forgotten and trapped in a dark Fae carnival. Can Nell break the curse before the carnival moves on? Or will she be stuck there forever? The Patch (Jack and the Beanstalk) Jack is desperate to save her family's farm. But when she trades their last hope for a box of pumpkin seeds, all she gets is a pumpkin patch full of ghosts... and a curse! Can Jack confront the spirits, break the curse, and save her friend? Or will she lose more than just the farm? Cold Snap (Snow White) Mermaid princess Iclyn finally inherited her ice magic. But instead of bringing her closer to her family, she finds herself exiled and on the run from the very woman meant to be her mother. Can she stop the queen's dark, illegal magic? Or will her people freeze under the spell forever? Flotsam (The Bee and the Orange Tree) Rue was rescued from the lake for one purpose only... to marry a monster's son. But when a piece of her past washes ashore, she begins to see what she may be missing. Can she escape to find the life she never knew? Or will she be nothing more than the next meal? Queen of Mist and Fog (A Short Story) One person on the run. One magical queen in pursuit. One dangerous game.

Daram (Tales from Taihandria) by Hetty Crane

In the country of Taihandria, in the world of Arethea, the star gods have long since vanished, and their language—music—is outlawed since it has magical power and can change the very land itself. When the Solanese sahhar Manon Valen secretly performs a daram, an ancient, long-forgotten song ritual, she desperately hopes that the spell will produce a champion who will unite her oppressed people against their repressive Taihandrian overlords. Instead, her entreaty is answered by the appearance of five bumbling troubadours—the English rock band Sun—from a place Manon has never heard of, Earth.These bewildered musicians suddenly and inexplicably find themselves performing before a raucous medieval audience, and are deemed heretical sorcerers. With four of the band imprisoned, their one hope is that their guitarist, Robin Wood, will find help by forming an alliance with Manon Valen and her people, who think Robin is a singularly gifted sorcerer. But when this alliance can be forged only if Robin and Manon—who don’t even like each other—take part in an extraordinary Solanese ritual that binds them together, things get complicated. Daram is a spellbinding, humorous, and richly imagined novel that creates unforgettable characters readers will come to love.

Magic Wars: Forever Begins by Chrys Phillips

The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. The fate of humanity hangs in the balance and once again, Lakeview is ground-zero to an immortal showdown. In what promises to be the biggest war of wars ever, in a more twisted, layered, adventurous and death-defying clash of powers, heroism and love, Forever Begins will take you where the saga hasn’t gone before. As we leave behind the Sheeana Gem and soul-catchers wars, a colossal shakedown is eminent as two Original Evermores go head-to-head in this war of wars in order to win and have the ultimate, worldy power! With humanity under siege, Zavier must defy everything and survive the dire doom around him in a dangerous quest that will lead to salvation and answers to questions that he and Zac never thought possible. Zavier is risking his mere existence as is Rick to ultimately find the unworldly and powerful Espias Sword! This sword must eradicate the haunting evil that has reigned and darkened the mortal world, beyond recognition. Leading a host of allies to the war of wars, Mortyla showcases herself as an empowered warrior with her very own ethereal army. Caspias plays a major role in the quest, revealing hidden treasures and his intrepid past. Who finds love and who ends their love? When the truth is revealed and the wars are over, only a few stand true in their light and power and those are the ones who truly are the Warriors of the Universe!

Fire Girl: Goddess Rising by Juliann Whicker

Too hot to handle... Unless you're a dragon. Ember’s task should have been simple: convince a wayward half-dragon shifter to accept his heritage, then go home to her isolated community to marry the betrothed she hasn't met, a powerful dragon shifter who can handle her flames. Cole, the half dragon shifter in question has no intention of accepting his heritage even at the insistence of an incredibly hot, literally and figuratively, burner whose out of control flames seem to be exactly what his inner dragon wants most. As irrepressible force meets immovable object, Ember’s community soon sends people after her, but not to help. Cole soon discovers that the beautiful girl disrupting his intentionally indolent lifestyle is not what he, or she, thought she was. Can Cole resist his dragon’s need to protect her? Can his heart, and house, resist her heat for long? As for Ember, with her entire world falling apart around her, could Cole be just the dragon she needs?

The Silent Prophecy (The Epic of Claire St. Claire) by Sephine Frances

Claire St. Claire is a rich, successful socialite who finds love in the young, attractive attorney Xavier. He doesn't seem to mind-or even notice-her physical deformity. She is tormented by the distrust of her own mind as she experiences unspeakable horrors. Everything she perceives to be true begins to unravel-her beliefs about good and evil, the supernatural, angels and demons, and the Nephilim. Her only true comfort comes from her love affair with Xavier. That is, until Michael shows up.

The Bookseller's Apprentice by Frances Evelyn

Time to choose your last book Emily Brewster is an angel. Ask anyone she reads to at the hospice. So when she's arrested for murder, it should be easy to clear her name. The only problem is, she thinks she might be guilty. But what if death isn't The End? If you like contemporary British fantasy, real-world settings and sinister sorcery, you'll love Frances Evelyn's The Bookseller's Apprentice. Previously published as Bibliomancer

Beyond the Faerie Gate (The Fifth Nicnevin) by Marie Mistry

A secret kept, a queen hidden, and her warriors lost. Afflicted by a mysterious and terrible illness that's haunted me since childhood, I’ve resigned myself to living life as a burden to my family. Until a fae knight comes to my village and tells me that everything I know is a lie. It seems impossible, but he swears that I’m a fae queen, raised in the mortal realm for my own safety. And the time has come for me to return home to Faerie and rule. Only my queendom isn’t what it once was. It’s fractured, divided, broken. And the men of my royal guard—a group of deadly and eccentric warriors sworn to protect me—have disappeared, scattered to the wind. I have to reunite them if I want to have any chance of surviving the war that has consumed the land, and the invaders at our gates.

Unbound (The Underhill Saga Book 1) by DeAnna Jackson

Don’t let them see you. Don’t let them notice you. Don’t ever step foot in Underhill. With a deathbed promise to her mother and a curse that exiles her from the realms, Alannah has no intention of ever leaving the fringe. She is content to live her life quietly and unseen by those in the forest. Until she saves a human from a harrowing death at the hands of a Fae prince. Elliot thanks her by upending her life, getting her cat to talk, and convincing her that she isn’t as content as she thought. When he finds a possible solution to her curse, the three of them brave the realm of Underhill to find the queen that placed the curse on Alannah’s family. Instead of removing the curse, the queen gives Alannah an impossible quest. To find a person of Fae and Witch blood. Alannah’s journey through Underhill is rife with attempted assassinations, new and unexpected allies, and experiences and emotions that Alannah doesn’t understand. Underhill is nothing like she imagined. It is strange. It is wonderful. It is full of old and deadly secrets. To survive her journey, she must learn how to rely on others. And Alannah learns that being connected is so much better than being alone. If she succeeds, she’ll never have to be alone. But is she ready for the truth and its consequences?

The Consort: The Wood - Book Two by J Edwin Buja

Meet Cate Ravenscroft, new Professor of Botany at the local college. The fiery Scot takes no crap from anyone, whether it’s a colleague, a brother, or a pompous deputy. Her talents and experience give her a special insight into the goings on in Tyndale, but she remains in the dark as to what is happening and why. The crows have taken a liking to Cate and are there to protect her from those who wish her harm. Naturally, she catches the attention of the King and Brother James. One wants to kill her, the other wants to wed her. The green continues to expand and no one knows why. The army arrives to do what armies do and faces an enemy with weapons no soldier can resist. And another person with great power awakens from a long sleep. All these forces are heading for a showdown that will determine who lives and dies and, most importantly of all, who will rule as the King of the Wood.

The Tapestry by Audrey Lewis

Discover a beautiful and deeply haunting tapestry of love, pain, magic, and healing. In a single moment, Maia’s life would never be the same. Because when her miraculous virgin birth gifts her a blind, albino hermaphrodite, she never could have foreseen the fate that lay in store for them both. Adopted by a pack of coyotes and seeking refuge deep in the woods, a sheltered cottage and unseen helpers give Maia and her baby Justice a new life together. But the world of the early twentieth century isn’t kind to unwed mothers or children like Justice… and when they’re forced to leave their hidden cottage, Maia finds herself struggling to survive in a man’s world. Her only solace lies in Justice’s incredible gift – an otherworldly ability to weave colorful tapestries that can predict the future. But Justice’s destiny will call them, and together they will share her gift, bringing freedom to those whose stories need to be told. And as Justice opens hearts and minds through her magical loom, she discovers the life-changing impact that she was fated to share with the world. Artfully weaving together a powerful and deeply moving story that touches on profound themes of love, transformation, motherhood and healing, The Tapestry is a magical contemporary fiction novel where the emotions pour out of each page, offering readers of all backgrounds a heartfelt experience that will stick in your mind long after you finish reading.

The Dying Sun (The Gods Chronicle) by L.J Stanton

Shai'Khal is changing. The impenetrable mists that hug its coastline are waning for the first time in nine hundred years. From those mists, two women emerge: Ruya, the high priestess of death, and Sarka, the champion of war. They claim they come in peace but unrest follows wherever they travel. The Akhenic Temple, the backbone of Shai'Khal, calls them cultists and heretics. The high priest begs the shah's permission for an inquisition. The women request an audience. Merikh Madiaran, shah of Shai'Khal, has never been a man of much faith. The only son of a tyrannical and faithful man, Merikh has seen the worst religion has to offer. Since taking the throne, Merikh has fought the legacy of hypocrisy and corruption left in his father's wake. A religious inquisition is the last problem Merikh wants in the early years of his reign. But when a would-be assassin admits to being a cultist, it seems that peace may not be an option.

Mist Rising (Mist and Mirrors Book 1) by by Eve LanglAIS

The mist is rising so lock your doors and stay inside, for the monsters have returned. On a dark and ominous night, at the edge of the Abyss, Agathe rescues a baby from a monster that should have been extinct. Gravely injured in the process, the elderly Agathe is rewarded by having her youth restored. But that’s only the start of the strangeness. The child she saves is far from ordinary. Belle has a unique and wondrous magic that must not fall into the wrong hands. Like those of the King. Everyone knows the monarch steals those they called the Blessed—those with the purple eyes. Supposedly, they are the only thing standing between the Kingdom and the rising mist. As far as Agathe is concerned, they’re victims of the King’s lust for power. What is the King really doing with the Blessed and their magic? To discover the truth, Agathe must insert herself into the court of the enemy. Unfortunately, things are worse than they seem. Can Agathe embrace destiny and not only save herself but also the Kingdom?

Swan and Shadow (Ordinary Sorcery) by A.R Henle

Choose or Lose! Viola values family and friends above anything else. After suffering abusive bullying in high school, she delights in a tight-knit group of friends at college. Until the night she witnesses them meeting without her. The same night her younger sister calls with news their parents' marriage further disintegrated. Running off into the forest, Viola witnesses sorcery and winds up tangled in a decades-old curse. Lovely and poignant, Swan and Shadow mixes Swan Lake and The Magic Flute into to a gripping, emotional page-turner.

How Full of Briars (Ordinary Sorcery) by A.R Henle

Never blackmail a sorcerer Sorcery pays no bills. Fair-weather friends dropped Marta after her divorce—a major no-no in 1950s small town Ohio—some even forbade their children to play with hers. Her ex-husband regularly forgets to pay support. Only her job as a nurse keeps her family clothed and fed—barely. Until the night Bettina, an influential former friend, appears at Marta's kitchen door. Bettina’s daughter’s shoes mysteriously end up covered in mud time after time despite the daughter being locked in her room overnight. Bettina demands Marta find the answer—or lose her job. But the more Marta investigates the shoes and the spell behind them, the more the sorcerous power seduces her with dreams of peace, joy, . . . and retribution. Engaging and powerful, How Full of Briars offers intricately plotted, page-turning pleasure.

Becoming Crone (The Crone Wars Book 1) by Lydia M. Hawke

She wanted purpose. She got dark magic and war. Claire Emerson is adrift. After a lifetime as a wife, mother, and grandma, she never saw divorce or loneliness coming and is desperate for some sense of purpose. But when her sixtieth birthday brings a snarky gargoyle, an annoyingly sexy wolf shifter, and an unknown magical calling, she thinks she's losing the only thing she has left: her sanity. Refusing to believe she's the powerful defender of humankind her so-called protectors claim, Claire attempts a return to her safe life... only to have her powers ignite when she's attacked by dark supernatural creatures. And without the training she was supposed to have received, she has no idea how she'll defeat sinister mages plotting her demise. Can Claire overcome creaky joints and major hot flashes in time to save the world - and her own life?

Get Bent! (The Hybrid of High Moon Book 1) by Rick Gualtieri

Born of supernatural monsters. Hunted by her enemies. Ready to kick ass. Secrets are hard to keep in a town like High Moon, especially the one hanging over Tamara Bentley’s head like the sword of Damocles. Her mother’s a witch and her father’s a werewolf. The blood of two ancient races flows through her veins. Pity that they hate each other’s guts. When the leader of the wolf pack finds out what she is, he decides she’s an abomination that needs to die – even if it means slaughtering everyone who gets in his way. Too bad for him she’s not willing to go down without a fight. His army of werewolves is terrifying enough, but now they’re about to become even more powerful thanks to a rare lunar event. Tamara will need to call upon every last ounce of her strength if she wants to survive the nigh

The Stone Road by Trent Jamieson

On the day Jean was born, the dead howled. A thin scratch of black smoke began to rise behind the hills west of town: Furnace had been lit, and soon its siren call began to draw the people of Casement Rise to it, never to return. Casement Rise is a dusty town at the end of days, a harsh world of grit and arcane dangers. Jean’s stern, overprotective Nan has always kept Casement Rise safe from monsters, but she may have waited too long to teach Jean how to face those demons on her own. On Jean’s twelfth birthday, a mysterious graceful man appears, an ethereal and terrifying being connected to the family secrets Nan has hidden from Jean in an effort to keep her safe. Now Nan must rush Jean’s education in monsters, magic, and the breaking of the world in ages past. If Jean is to combat the graceful man and finally understand the ancient evil powering Furnace, she will have to embrace her legacy, endure her Nan’s lessons, and learn all she can—before Furnace burns everything down. With the lyrical cadence of The Last Unicorn and intense imagery of A Wizard of Earthsea, The Stone Road is a timeless story of hope, belonging, and growing into your power.

Black Star (Black Star Trilogy by M.J. Jones Book 1) by M.J Jones

In this psychological sci-fi thriller, a single mother discovers that her daughter has disappeared without a trace. Was she to blame for her daughter's disappearance? Did she hold on too tight? As she searches for the truth, her past and sanity collide. Can she take back control of her life, and find her daughter, before it's too late, or will she too, become a mindless drone? Follow Mia Black in this alternate reality, where things are not quite a mirror image of our world. A Black Star is a supernova... an exploding star. Some people believe that when it dies, it disappears. Yet in reality, it shines through the darkness…just like Mia Black.

Discarded by Skye Cavanagh

Five years ago I was tossed aside. a failed experiment. I should have known they’d never really let me go. They made one really stupid mistake though. They hired the wrong mercenaries. Together the brooding kelpie, wildcard puka, and hot nerdy witch were supposed to hand me over to the man who tossed me into the gutter. Instead they took me and the money, and ran. If my kidnappers had any sense they would have sold me off to the highest bidder. Except they didn’t. The kelpie teaches me what it is to trust. The puka shows me how to let go. The witch dares me to be vulnerable. Those who discarded me continue to hunt me. They’re not finished with me. Except now I’m not the weak little girl I was. Now I have three predators at my back, and we’re going to turn the darkness they put inside me against them. They might have discarded me, but I will ruin them.

Urban Witch by Eve Langlais

I never asked to be a witch, but as careers go, at least it comes with magical perks. Who knew a person could almost die from drinking? I found out the hard way when I woke up in a hospital and a nurse informed me I was legally dead for a few minutes. Shocking, but not as much as the fact I returned different. I can see things, but it’s what I can do that has people interested in me. There’s Sonja, a strange woman with powers who appoints herself my teacher. Anakin, the mysterious and super hot dude, who owns a pastry shop of all things catering to weird folk. Leslie, my furry-tailed coworker and only friend. And then there’s the bad guys determined to get their grubby hands on me. I’m not special. Just a woman trying to clean up her life and actually plan for a future. Will I have time to atone for my many sins before my luck runs out?

Cast Long Shadows by Cat Hellisen

Marjeta Petrell. Replacement bride, shadow of a dead and perfect wife, step-mother to a duke's treasured daughter. A girl out of her depth, alone and afraid. Magic runs deep in her veins, stitched in blood ties, embroidered with kindness and pain. In an unfamiliar court, Marjeta must discover who are her friends and who are enemies; who she can trust before she is accused of witchcraft and executed.

A Sea Of Sorrow And Scorn (The Levanthria Series Book 2) by A.P Beswick

Her choice is to serve or die. In the aftermath of shattered innocence, will the hunt for her magic claim her last breath? Zerina Redfearn is naïve to the world's cruelty. So when she and her sisters are dragged from their home and put on trial for witchcraft, she’s horrified to be trapped between being enslaved in the king’s forces or execution. But after witnessing her siblings' cruel deaths, she unleashes her powers for the first time and makes her escape. Joining two refugees in fleeing to the perilous ocean with enemy ships in hot pursuit, Zerina wields her gifts against deadly threats even though each use torments her body. And as she pays an agonizing price by aging prematurely, she fears she won’t reach the cure seen in a vision before she perishes. Can Zerina turn the tide on a crippling future? A Sea Of Sorrow And Scorn is the gripping second book in the Tales of Levanthria fantasy-retelling series. If you like dangerous quests, good girls gone badass, and relentless action, then you’ll love A.P Beswick’s windswept adventure.

God of Fire: Greek Myths (A New Retelling) by Helen Steadman

He’s a rejected immortal. But can this magical blacksmith fight against fate and overcome the darkness of his past? Hephaestus fears he’ll never be accepted. Cast down from Olympus and raised by a powerful sea witch, he sets out on a quest to discover his unknown father’s true identity. But he struggles to be taken seriously by the other gods who only want him for his ingenious inventions. Convinced that solving his paternity will help him earn the love he seeks, the god of fire traps his mother and refuses to free her until she reveals a name. But when he uncovers a terrifying truth, he finds himself with more enemies than allies amongst the wrathful Olympians. Can Hephaestus unlock buried secrets and prove himself worthy? God of Fire is an imaginative standalone historical fantasy. If you like forgotten legends, fantastic beasts, and dark tales punctuated with humour, then you’ll adore Helen Steadman’s fascinating expedition into mythology. Buy God of Fire to unravel the mysteries of ancient Greece today! Recommended for fans of Mythos, Song of Achilles, Circe and Pandora’s Jar.

Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers by Various

We remember her best as the generous fairy who dresses Cinderella and handles transportation while she’s at it. But that’s just the most famous fairy godmother’s tale. With a little imagination, you’ll find that fairy godmothers and godfathers appear in many varied forms. The authors in this anthology have crafted new tales that re-imagine the fairy godmother and her role. A young fairy grapples with imposter syndrome as she takes up her new appointment as godmother. Immortal sisters bestow blessings and curses on princesses as a way to battle the patriarchal fairy godfathers. A struggling artist receives a godmother’s help to impress at her high school reunion. Sparing the life of a moth leads to magical help from an unexpected protector. Retellings of Pinocchio, Rumpelstiltskin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Frog Prince show the magic of these stories in a whole new light. Infused with modern sensibilities but honoring the tradition of fairy tales, these dozen stories will enchant and inspire you.

Lady of Madness & Moonlight (Rogue Ethereal) by Annie Anderson

A former Rogue being presented to the Fates. What could go wrong? When I was offered a seat on the Ethereal Council, no one said anything about meeting the actual Fates. On the day of my presentation, not only do I offend the three women who control every single thread of life, but an Angel’s thread is cut short, and no one knows how. Now, it’s my job to find out who did it before the death gets pinned on me, and starts an all-out Angel-Demon war. Maybe being a Rogue was the least of my problems.

What Will Be (Erica Hutchinson) by Eve Pearson

he’d move mountains for a cure. But reentering the supernatural world to chase an antidote could get her killed. Scotland. Erica Hutchinson can barely juggle her life as it is. Orphaned at age eight and a struggling single mother by 18, the witch-werewolf barista has worked hard to forget her occult origins. But her buried past comes crashing back when her beloved child catches a deadly lupine virus. Willing to go down whatever road it takes, Erica returns to her former life to heal her daughter from a sickness with no survivors. But even if she manages to make miracles happen and rescue her kid, the infection has already spread to humans… With time running out, can she save her kind before they become extinct? What Will Be is the whirlwind first book in the Erica Hutchinson contemporary fantasy series. If you like maternal might, mature themes, and paranormal roller-coasters, then you’ll love Eve Pearson’s action-packed tale. Buy What Will Be to restore hope today! Contains mature themes, swearing, scenes of graphic violence, and sexual assault.

Princess of Lost Memories (Here To There Trilogy Book 1) by J.R Rain

Welcome to the Second Land, a battle-torn world of animal-people, elves, sorcerers, and upheaval… Elle Takra is a princess, the last heir to the Takra throne in a far-off place known as the Second Land. Having grown up in the First Land, Elle doesn’t know she’s a princess. All she does know is that she’s in love with a man named Simon and she intends to make Simon her husband, whether he agrees or not! Elle’s best friend, Sasha, does know the truth—a truth she’s been keeping from Elle for the entirety of their friendship. Sasha isn’t the twenty-two-year-old she pretends to be. Instead, she’s an eighty-four-year-old Elf who acts as Elle’s protector and has from the moment Elle was born. Sasha knows there are too many people in the Second Land who want Elle dead. She just isn’t sure who—something she’ll soon learn when Elle and Simon are kidnapped and forced to return to the Second Land. But Elle and Simon aren’t the only ‘First Landers’ who find themselves stranded in a foreign place, surrounded by enemies. Enter Patch Keaton who washes up on unfriendly shores after a freak storm destroys his sailboat. Lost, confused, and eager to return home, Patch’s destiny becomes intertwined with Elle’s in the most unfortunate of circumstances…

Necronote (Notes of Necrosoph) by Al K. Line

The yearly Necronote arrived. Soph felt sick to his stomach, same as he had for over three centuries. It meant one thing—kill, or be killed. Birthday's should be a time for celebration, but for Necros they're a nightmare. In the company of a jittery dragon wyrmling, and several new friends he meets along the way, Soph tries to keep it together as he battles magic way beyond his ken. Worse than that, he has to leave his family in the care of his mother-in-law, a witch bitch with annoyingly nice hair. Soph's violent side is stretched to the limit as he does what it takes to continue his sorry existence, yet all he wants is peace. To watch his daughter grow, and be with the animals he has the gift of communicating with. As the temperature in the United Kingdom soars to new heights, the ban on motor vehicles becomes absolute, and strict electric quotas tighten, it's like returning to a bygone age for our damaged zoolinguist. But having to cycle to go kill a guy certainly has its drawbacks.

Rise of the Shade (The Randi Sanderson Series) by Lia Davis

Murder is a game that Randi Sanderson knows far too well, but at least she’s playing on the right side of the law. Being half-archangel and half-vampire makes her one of Jacksonville Sheriff Office’s best detectives, and a suspect’s worst nightmare. When she arrives at the scene of her next case, it’s obvious this murder isn’t a typical human crime of passion or rage. As a powerful hybrid, Randi can sense something is off, and not just because the body was dumped in a church parking lot. Luckily, her many gifts include the ability to dig up dirt on anyone. This time, getting to work won’t be so simple. Surprised by a new partner, Randi knows her life is about to get a little more complicated. There’s a reason she doesn’t work with others. To the outside world she’s just a police detective and single mom, but the reality is she has a secret identity to keep. With the case taking a dark turn and her new partner obviously keeping secrets of his own, the last thing Randi needs is more trouble. So when the angelic and demonic factions start bidding to hire her to kill other supernatural beings just like herself, she patently refuses. The rogue hybrids known as The Shade are none of her concern, and she isn’t interested in becoming an assassin. But when she finds herself in the middle of her own case with The Shade coming for her, she must reconsider. The half-angel, half-demon miscreants won’t stop until they’re dead or they have what they truly want: Randi’s son.

Immunity Bond: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel about Genetically Engineered Humans (Modified Humans Book 2) by L.m Spillsbury

Early 22nd century. The world has been decimated by pandemics and war. Technocracy and powerful corporations have come to dominate human society. Jian, a rare genetically engineered human, was created for his specialized immune system, which produces X-cells to save normal humans from disease. His owners control him through complex psychological conditioning that addicts him, against his will, to two other Modifieds. Sought after by competing gen-tech companies as well as agents desperate to fight novel hybrid diseases, all he wants is to escape the constant surveillance and meddling that define his life — a goal that’s more difficult now that he’s entangled with lovers he didn’t want. Struggling to remain rational in the face of their irresistible attraction, he finds himself in an impossible situation when unknown forces strike at the heart of his Triad. As choices dwindle and new danger arises from the most unexpected direction, will he be able to save his partners as well as himself? Or will one of his Three have to be sacrificed? Imagining a future extrapolated from current trends in clandestine psychological manipulation, fear of disease, rise of technocracy, and erosion of personal freedoms, this novel explores the price of having no personal freedom or autonomy. Couched in an unconventional love story, Immunity Bond affirms the indomitable humanity at the core of each one of us. Be warned: Immunity Bond deals with a menage relationship and explicit sexuality. If this will offend you, please move on to reading material that's more in line with your tastes.

Immunity Cage: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel about Genetically Engineered Humans (Modified Humans Book 1) by Louise Spilsbury

Early 22nd century. A hundred years of pandemics, wars, and dwindling human populations. If you’re rich enough, you protect yourself from disease with X-cells from Immunity Specialists, the rare and valuable Genetically Modified Humans. Otherwise you have to settle for the imperfect quick-vaccines. Jian is Heredis Corporation’s most valuable Modified. With every new outbreak, he must allow himself to be exposed to deadly pathogens in order to prime his X-cells for harvesting. The company ensures his co-operation by applying psychological conditioning to addict him to a pair of perfect lovers. But when Cullen and Dani die in the New Spanish outbreak, no one knows how to turn the conditioning off. As his lovers’ ghosts haunt him and his health and sanity fail, the company begins to consider unspeakable solutions. Jian must find a way to free himself… before it’s too late.

Waterworld: Volume 4: Sariah (Colorworld Book 9) by Rachel E Kelly

he 4th volume in the Waterworld installment of the Colorworld Series. Six year old Sariah's best friend, Rita Long, wears a string of flat, silver disks on each of her wrists. She has identical ones on each ankle, which Uncle Cyrus makes her keep covered up with socks. Sometimes Uncle Cyrus also wears them on his own wrists. Sariah once asked Rita why she never took them off. Rita shrugged and said Uncle Cyrus told her they were for therapy. Sariah's mother explained that therapy was for people whose souls were ill. As the two girls grow up, Sariah learns just how right her mother was. Rita is haunted, held captive by the magnitude of her own power. Power that Sariah fails to heed until it's too late. Years later, Sariah realizes Rita has become somewhat of a public figure alongside the enigmatic Gabe Dumas, spearheading a cause called The Human Movement, an organization in opposition to the Guild of Prime Humans. She knows that if Rita is involved, it cannot mean anything good. Fearing involvement with Rita again, she's content to leave it be. But a strange character finds his way into the restaurant where she works and sets off a series of events that push Sariah into uncovering decade-old mysteries surrounding Rita, herself, and Gabriel Dumas.

In Dreams of Dragons by Sonya Lawson

Raised a lady and married to a lord I did not know well, I thought my life would always follow a predictable path. However, when my new husband threw the dragon head on the banquet hall table, the creature’s dead eyes somehow staring fiercely into my own, my life changed. I changed. My days as Lady of Ingar Keep became consumed by my growing need to learn more about the dragons my husband hunted. Along the way, I found unlikely allies and those who attempted to stifle my growing understanding. But they could not stop my dreaming. For when I slept, the lavender eyes of that dragon revealed my past, my present, and a shimmering future I could have—if I fought for it. My mother always told me there was knowledge in dreaming, but in dreams of dragons, what I learn could free me or rip my world apart.

Wiser by Isu Yin

Mayuri, broken and lost, is torn between loyalty and fear as he embarks on a mission to commit one of the most egregious crimes in the history of the Universe. Know this: everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen again. On the brink of war, Euphoria now faces a threat like no other, a harbinger of destruction that seeks all life in its cause. Mayuri must shatter his past to help save the future, which means deceiving those he cares for most. Only a new and questionable Akira, who has arrived to manipulate the pieces, seems to offer any hope for survival in this broken world. Mayuri and the other Guardians play a deadly game of cat and mouse. Only when the dust settles will he know if his plan truly is Wiser.

Monster Hunter for Hire Complete Collection by L.West

After a run-in with the Sebring Beach police department where a vampire’s servant ended up dead, Helena Graves is offered two choices – help the local PD chase down wanted monsters or spend the next ten years in prison. Since she has a teenage daughter to raise, it was an easy decision for her to make. Between running a somewhat controversial business, tense teacher conferences, and killer supernaturals on the loose, there's never a dull moment in Sebring Beach or Helena’s life. And for the first time in decades, her love life is about to get very interesting.

Monster Hunter for Hire: Power Hungry by L. West

Monster Hunter Helena Graves has her hands full planning her daughter’s 18th birthday and preparing her for the possibility of inheriting Helena’s rather complicated powers. She doesn’t have time to get dragged into shifter politics. But she can’t sit back and do nothing when the shifters and vampires are on the brink of war, not when her boyfriend Dominick is a vampire, and her best friend Henry is a werelion.