Here be Ghosts by Various

Who are they? What are they? The souls of the long departed, or wicked manifestations of sin? Tales of ghosts and spectres have enthralled us since time began. From ghostly servants, spectral possession, a space-going ghostbuster, to Halloween horrors, wicked toads and missing children these tales bring chills and thrills. Ancient horrors, long-dead rockers, family secrets and helpful murder victims join them in providing the shivers and the quivers. Dare you venture with the dead-walking. 13 tales of spooks, lost souls, and weird adventures. Table of Contents 1. "Communication Breakdown" by Dayle A. Dermatis 2. "Alfred Lets Loose" by Linda Jordan 3. "Seventh" by Debbie Mumford 4. "Crossing the Naiad" by J.M. Ney-Grimm 5. "Full Circle" by Kate MacLeod 6. "Roadside Ghosts: A Collection of Horror and Dark Fantasy" by Steve Vernon 7. "The Palace" by Leah Cutter 8. "A Burning Rainbow Man" by Ann Stratton 9. "The Whole World for Each" by Kate MacLeod 10. "The Queen of Toads" by Joe Bonadonna 11. "Ghosts and Ghoulies" by Deb Logan 12. "The Secret of Blossom Rise: A Ghost Story" by A. L. Butcher 13. "The Popcorn Thief" by Leah Cutter

The Seeds of Dissolution: A Science Fantasy Space Opera Novel (The Dissolution Cycle Book 1) by William C. Tracy

Music and magic. Steampunky science. The Dissolution is coming. Eighteen year old recluse Sam van Oen lives with his aunt, takes online college courses, works in technical support, and tries not to remember the freak storm that killed his parents ten years ago. But anxiety and reclusion bring up memories he doesn’t want. Just as Sam gathers courage to send in his application for college away from home, the temperature drops and the sun goes dim. Ice forms in August, and a portal opens in his fireplace. This time, Sam can't run. This time he's sucked in. Now Sam must survive in the flourishing capital of ten alien species, home to thousands who can change the Symphony underlying the universe and alter reality. Sam’s anxiety attacks and fear of crowds transforms the Nether into a frightening, expansive city. To find his home again, Sam must learn to control the music inside him, while devastating voids threaten to destroy the Nether and everyone he has grown to love. "Simply Put, This is a Brilliant Book. Read it Now." -Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Blog If you're looking for an awesome ride across multiple homeworlds filled with magic, science, music, and diverse alien species, don't miss the first book in William C. Tracy's Dissolution Cycle!

Beneath the Waves: A Twenty Ebook Box Set by Various

Water has always intrigued humanity. We walk along the shores and banks of oceans and waterways, take boats across the surface, or swim in the waters. But water hides secrets - including those of the creatures that live in its depths... - What if mermaids really do exist, and they lure men to their deaths? - Why might bodies suddenly start washing up on shores all around the world? - What if you discovered a lost girl is the daughter of a water spirit? This collection contains stories about water creatures - sirens, kelpies, Hawaiian man-sharks, selkies, kraken, shapeshifters, and more - by twenty different authors. Table of Contents 1. "The Women of Whale Rock" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch 2. "Kelpie Christmas: A Paranormal Romantic Adventure" by Steve Vernon 3. "Radioactive Magic" by Bonnie Elizabeth 4. "Salt Water" by Deb Logan 5. "To Each Her Own" by Rebecca M. Senese 6. "Water Horses" by Lisa Silverthorne 7. "Vale of Semūin" by Eric Kent Edstrom 8. "The Jaws of the Mano" by Chuck Heintzelman 9. "Skydiving to the Gods" by Stefon Mears 10. "The Black Marker at the End of Time" by Ron Collins 11. "Monkey Sea, Monkey Do" by Robert Jeschonek 12. "Like At Loch Ness" by Karen L. Abrahamson 13. "Contact" by Marcelle Dube 14. "Abby Crumb: Bad Luck, Good Fortune" by Louisa Swann 15. "The Rusalka" by DeAnna Knippling 16. "An Idol for Emiko" by Travis Heermann 17. "Mother of the Waters" by Leigh Saunders 18. "We, the Ocean" by Alexandra Brandt 19. "And the Sea Shall Give Up Its Dead" by P.D. Cacek 20. "To Be a Monster" by Jamie Ferguson

Centaur of the Crime: Book One of Fantasy & Forensics by Michael Angel

Kidnapped to a world of magic, can Dayna Chrissie use forensic science to solve a royal murder…before centaurs and humans plunge headlong to war? C.S. Lewis meets CSI when Dayna Chrissie, the LAPD’s best crime scene analyst, finds a golden medallion on a body that's been unceremoniously dumped at a construction site. At first, she doesn't think the find’s that unusual. Until that medallion’s enchantment transports her to the magical world of Andeluvia. Dayna's been summoned out of desperation: Someone’s murdered the king, and if she can’t solve the mystery, human and centaur realms plunge headlong into war! But nobody wants peace when war offers chances for riches and glory. So Dayna ends up with a team of cast-offs: a centaur wizard with father issues, a brash griffin warrior, and the world's unluckiest magical deer. And the trail leads where she least expects it...back home! When the evidence brings Dayna and her new friends back to Los Angeles, she must use all of her knowledge of forensics in order to solve the case. The price of failure? A war that will kill millions and devastate Andeluvia.

Her Blood Belongs to Him by Brittany Stowe

Being normal is all she ever wanted. Adrianna de Soto is an esne: a human indentured into servitude to a vampire family. Her mother is an esne and so were her grandparents. It’s the only way of life she’s ever known. At eighteen, she should be worried about college or boys. Instead, she’s worried about her esne bonding ceremony. Just a bite on the arm, a little blood swap, and a nice new pair of scars. No big deal. Only things don’t go according plan. The minute she feels fangs pierce her skin, she knows things will never be the same. A bite on the neck marks her as a vampire's servus sanguinis. Now instead of servitude, she faces one of two outcomes: death or transformation into a vampire herself. There’s no going back now. Adrianna is thrust into a world of vampire politics, where one wrong turn could spell death. It’s not all blood, glitz and glamour. Can she fake it until she makes it? Trigger Warnings: Blood, Violence, Domestic Abuse

The Mystery of the Adopted Son: A novel (Her Beauty and Evilness Book 1) by Elizabeth Noble

London 1803 In the cold weather of London, Alice, a young woman who ran from her past, coincidentally meets her lover, Mackenzie, an old friend from years ago and a dutiful soldier. She tells him how she got married in secret on the advice of the marchioness, Lady Fitz-Arthur, to a gentleman superior to her and who died prior to the birth of his son. However, according to Alice, her husband’s family would not countenance their union on account of their superiority. Alice stating that there is a secret attached to her poor boy, wanted her whereabouts to be unknown to the marchioness and to her previous connexions. The marchioness was described by people as always being so proud and overbearing, so haughty towards her inferiors, and so bold and forward towards her equals, that not a servant in the house liked her except Alice. She certainly had the beauty of an angel, but people used to say that she had a devil’s heart. Eventually, Mackenzie asks Alice to be his wife so he can be her protector and vows to be a father to her son, Edward, in the strictest sense of the word. Alice, appearing to love her daughters more than her son, felt the necessity of separating him from so formidable a rival to them. As a result, Edward was then sent to live with his grandmother, Margret, in a village, far away from his real parents and oblivious to his origin.

Water to Water by Karen A. Wyle

Two young Vushla questioned what everyone knew about death. What should they do with the answer? When the time comes for Vushla to die, they go into the ocean and are dissolved away. Or so Terrill has always believed, and still believes after taking part in his father's final journey. But when he meets a young Vushlu who lives by the sea, Terrill must confront information that calls this fundamental belief into question. Will the two of them discover the truth? And what should they do with what they find?

The Whimsy Witch Who Wasn't (Tales of Xest Book 1) by Donna Augustine

When they kidnapped me to Xest, they thought I was a nobody, another lowly whimsy witch to work in their wish factory. They couldn’t have been more wrong. I thought I imagined the wind calling my name, that I was losing my mind when a ghost at a sham seance spoke to me. That was all before two men appeared out of nowhere and dragged me through a puddle to a place that shouldn’t exist. Now I’m being forced to work at a factory of wishes and magic. I’m hated by all because of my lowly status and this is where they say I’ll die once they deplete everything I have. There doesn’t seem to be a way out until Hawk shows up. They whisper that joining with him is a fate worse than death, but I’m willing to try anything to get out of this place of frigid cold and crazy magic. Author's Note: This is a completed fantasy series, with a slow-burn romance, lots of mystery and a few laughs in between

Seeds of Light (The Chaos Rises Saga) by Kevin Nichols

An ancient hatred stirs in the hearts of elves and men as the old gods prepare to wage war. The significant pieces on the board begin to fall as the champion of the darkness advances into his end game. The final battlefield awaits within the soul of Nahwei’Ko, a thirteen-year-old girl fostered at the frozen edge of Prima’Tol, the dying sphere of elves. Her hidden power may hold the weight necessary to balance the scales of Chaos once more. As agents of both the light and darkness are drawn into the preamble to the coming Chaos Wars, those that seek to uphold the dying light find themselves behind in a race to aid Nahwei’Ko, the girl capable of restoring her decaying world. Time is running out.

Skadi by Steven Grier Williams

There is no end in sight. In Midgard, towns are meant to be sanctuaries for humans, and the outskirts are roaming grounds for powerful Norse creatures. But in Fensalir, a centuries-old jötunn has been killing children—a parade of death that has lasted for years. That is—until a witch named Frija steps forward. She knows even with seidr magic, she cannot do it alone, so she recruits a newcomer named Skadi Hervor to go on a quest for the power of the World Tree—that which connects the nine realms. Though Skadi is reluctant at first, wishing only to protect her son from the violence of Midgard, she relents and ventures into the world that exists between towns. Skadi is a skilled warrior, but to be successful, she must overcome beasts large and small; must travel the length of the realms; must learn to care for people beyond herself; and most importantly, must mend her tattered relationship with her young son Bjorn, along for the ride. With a rich cast of characters whose struggles are rooted in real-world issues, intense action, and page-turning adventure, Skadi plunges the reader into a world of Norse Mythology to tell a story of overcoming extreme challenges while dealing with loss.

To Renew the Bond: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Mind-Melded) by Carol Buhler

Two mind-linked species, one side dying out. Will the human colonists help or will fear of the unknown cause them to attack? Joedon’s rescue of his best friend from a colonist prison gets him charged with treason and threatened with execution by his own people. Appalled, he finally recognizes that his civilization is sliding toward extinction. Lacking the leadership he’d inherited but rejected, the Council has ignored drastic changes in their world. Determined to turn things around, he sets out to win back his people’s trust. Can he convince them to seek colonist help to keep them from devastation? To Renew the Bond is book one of the dramatic Mind-Melded Epic Fantasy set on a faraway, far-future Earth-like world. If you like intelligent, telepathic beings confronting overwhelming dilemmas with wit and guile to save their families, then you’ll love To Renew the Bond.

A Troll Walks into a Bar: A Noir Urban Fantasy Novel (Alexander Southerland, P.I. Book 1) by Douglas Lumsden

When a troll speaks--listen up! Hardboiled P.I. Alexander Southerland just wants to enjoy a quiet drink when a 500-pound troll walks into the bar. Next thing he knows, Southerland is navigating his way through rogue cops, a gang war, beautiful nymphs from the ocean depths, a were-rat, the mayor's corrupt fixer, the sleaziest (and cleverest) gnome in Yerba City, and creatures right out of legend. At the center of it all is a mysterious locked box. Can Southerland discover its explosive secret--and survive long enough to pay his rent on time?

A Night Owl Slips into a Diner: A Noir Urban Fantasy Novel (Alexander Southerland, P.I.) by Douglas Lumsden

He’s up to his eyeballs in hot water, and he thinks he’s taking a bubble bath! A routine case of industrial espionage pitches hardboiled P.I. Alexander Southerland headlong into a maelstrom of shadowy political intrigue and deadly supernatural mayhem—not to mention some malevolent owls and the mysterious 'boy who talks backwards'! After his exposure of a white-collar thief has harrowing consequences, a guilt-ridden and disconsolate Southerland roams the mean streets and dark alleys of Yerba City seeking to uncover a secret so stunning—so staggering—that just knowing it could unravel the bonds that keep the social order from dissolving into chaos!

Nyx and Jaz (The Infinity Project; Infinity: Prime Book 1) by Saje Williams

Nikki Sanchez is desperate. Her father has been framed and is scheduled for execution by a rogue government. She can hear agents banging on her door, eager to tie up loose ends. Utterly out of options, she's pulled back into a memory of an urban legend from her childhood. In the bathroom mirror she speaks the words. "Lady of Blades." As the third repetition tumbles from her lips, she hears the agents burst through the door. She steps out to meet them, certain she's about to die. Fate has other ideas. As does the Lady of Blades.

The Ogre's Wife: Fairy Tales for Grownups by Richard Parks.

Should a nice human girl marry a real ogre? Who sits in judgment when the defendant is a god? And why is there always one old shoe lying beside the road? Mere hints of the questions explored—and usually answered—in fifteen stories of wit and wonder in The Ogre’s Wife: Fairy Tales for Grownups. Throw in a perceptive and entertaining introduction by master fantasist Parke Godwin and what more do you need? Get your copy and join the fun! Praise for The Ogre’s Wife: "… an absolute treasure of a collection, one that I know I will return to again and again." Charles de Lint, F&SF “Deceptively simple, earnest, and tragicomic, Parks’ tales convey deep truths beneath narratives that tumble along like limpid streams.” Paul Di Filippo, Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine “…like discovering an ancient, wise Zen master gassing up at a service station… transcendence in the midst of the ordinary and down-to-earth…” Terry McGarry, Author of the Illumination Trilogy

Silencing The Siren by Sara Reynolds

FOR CALLIOPE, OPENING NIGHT AT HER TRICKSTER FRIEND'S NEW NIGHTCLUB WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO HEAR THE SIREN SING. SHE HAD HER BEST FRIEND THERE WITH HER-THE GORGON EVEN STARTED TO LOOSEN UP. BUT THE NIGHT QUICKLY TAKES A TURN FOR THE WORSE WHEN CALLIOPE STARTS FEELING THAT THE TRICKSTER IS HIDING SOMETHING FROM HER. SHE DISCOVERS SOME NEW POWERS THAT SIREN'S AREN'T CAPABLE OF HAVING. THEY MUST HAVE COME FROM HER DAD'S SIDE BUT SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO HER DAD IS. WORSE THAN ALL THAT-HER CAMBION EX BOYFRIEND SHOWS UP AT THE CLUB AND KIDNAPS HER AND TRICKSTER FRIEND KNEW AND DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO STOP IT. SO HOW DOES THE SIREN GO FROM PARTYING TO BEING KIDNAPPED BY HER EX TO FLYING TO NEW ORLEANS WITH HER HALF-DEMON EX, HER GORGON BEST FRIEND, AND HER TRICKSTER FRIEND TO FIND OUT WHO'S TRYING TO KILL HER AND STOP THEM? IT'S BEEN A FEW CRAZY WEEKS FOR CALLIOPE, BUT THIS IS THE MOST ADVENTURE SHE'S EVER HAD. MEET THE SIREN, THE GORGON, THE TRICKSTER, AND THE CAMBION AS THEY SET OUT TO STOP A SINISTER PLOT TO STRIP CALLIOPE OF HER POWERS AND KILL HER. JOIN THEM IN THE CRESCENT CITY WHERE THEY'LL MEET THE WEREWOLF, THE HUNTER, THE SHADOW WOMAN, AND THE ELF... NOT TO MENTION, THE MULTIPLE GODS AND DEITIES THEY ENCOUNTER.

Marvels and Misfits (Trixie Towers) by Scarlett Dawn

Death this way comes to souls who break Fae law. So it is written. So carved in blood. Mighty are the Fae who watch us all. I’m screwed. Royally screwed. Of all the ways to mess up, I picked a real gem this time—of the hot shifter sort. Especially because I’m the crowned elven princess.A forbidden soul mating with the cruel King Athon was not why I attended the royal summit of magical races. Our kinds do not mix, as is written in death-blood. And I’ll be damned before I let some arrogant alpha tell me what to do, and for once I’m not talking about my father.Now, I’m on the quest of a lifetime.My crew of accomplices—sworn enemies. Including King Athon and my father. Our mission—retrieve ancient artifacts lost forever. Good luck there. And if we fail? No worries. The giants will crush the realm.Between all the secrets and lies, my name is Trixie Towers; and that’s the only truth that won’t get me dead.

Elysium by Nora Sakavic

Evelyn Notte's had sixteen years to make Elysium her home, but not by choice: she only survived her husband's betrayal by fusing with the ley line beneath the asylum's foundation. Now rumor has it Adam is back to his old tricks, and if Adam's alive maybe there's still a chance for the newborn daughter he stole from Evelyn so many years ago. The only way out of Elysium is the Nightmare buried at its core. Waking him means reigniting a long-stalled war and giving up what little is left of her humanity, but Evelyn's not going to lose her daughter again - and she's sure as hell not going to let Adam walk away a second time.

Karda: Adalta Vol. I by Sherrill Nilson

Karda rule the skies over Adalta.The powerful hawk-headed flying horses have been the protectors of their world for millennia. Now they are called to do battle again to save Adalta from an ancient enemy. On Adalta for her first solo undercover mission, Marta Rowan is awed by the sight of these beautiful, fierce creatures. When she is chosen to ride one, she must decide: Join the fight to save Adalta, or keep her dark secret hidden? Her choice becomes even more difficult when she is assigned to guard the Quadrant of handsome nobleman Altan. What about her iron-clad rules—no relationships, no friends, no lovers? Will she be able to resist her feelings for Altan, the love she feels for this magical world on the brink of war, and the majestic flying Karda, because she knows, when her mission is over, she must leave? From award-winning author Sherrill Nilson, Karda is the first in the Adalta series - a fantasy adventure for anyone who ever wanted to fly away to a new world filled with magic and romance.

Metaworld Chronicles: Vol.1 by David J Wuto

Everyone dreams of reliving oneʼs life, starting over, but when Gwen Song awoke in her fifteen-year-old body, she found herself in a world of urban sorcery. Though her troubled child- hood remained, the familiar society she had once lived in had all but disappeared, replaced by a parallel reality.Back in her teenage body, she must navigate her new world, once again forging friendships, filial bonds, and gain mastery over the skills necessary to survive in a 21st century Earth ruled by Mages and Magic, where humanity lives in enclaves shielded from Magical Beasts, Demi-humans, and otherworldly beings in a meta-world made unreal by a sorcerous apartheid

The Last Temptations of Iago Wick by Jennifer Rainey

he city of Marlowe, Massachusetts is a lovely place to settle down…just ask its two resident demons. For centuries, Iago Wick and his partner, Dante Lovelace, have meddled in the affairs of Man for the benefit of Hell—and had a damnably good time doing it. Everything changes when a peculiar demon hunter with a murky past comes to Marlowe and sets his sights on Iago. Mr. Wick is all too happy to grant him a game of cat and mouse. After all, a little distraction from his Hellish duties does an old demon good. But soon, Iago and Dante find themselves entangled in the mystery surrounding the strange hunter, and the line between danger and excitement becomes a blurry one. What happens when Iago gets a little too close? Is working for Hell really all it’s cracked up to be? And why is the idea of free will suddenly so appealing?Join a diverse and eccentric cast of demons and the hunters who hunt them in this wickedly witty tale of Victorian adventure and infernal mayhem.

Shade: A Re-Imagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (The Frankenstein Saga) by Merrie Destefano

A dangerous holiday. A deadly curse brought to life. When Mary Wollstonecroft Godwin accepted an invitation to Lord Byron’s house party deep in the Swiss Alps, she hoped it would serve as a welcome distraction from her broken heart. Instead, she finds herself surrounded by enigmatic guests with their own dangerous secrets to hide. From the moment of her arrival, the party is more than it seems, as Mary and the others are strictly forbidden from leaving the villa after dark. But tales of feral beasts aren’t the only rumors whispering through the halls. Doctor John Polidori, a handsome and mysterious party guest, fervently pursues local legends that the dead can rise, ruled by their own barbaric king. When the group plays a game of storytelling to pass the time, they weave together tales of nightmarish ghouls and horrible villains inspired by the myths—and Mary soon realizes their harmless stories have the power to conjure. Twisted creatures will come to call. The dead will stalk the villa. And their royal master will stop at nothing to claim Mary as his own…

Talara II by Liana Laskin

Talarans, a race of advanced and deceptively angelic aliens, invade and claim Earth as their new home. A handful of human uprisings and a short but violent period known as "The Flaming Purge" are followed by several decades of an uneasy peace.When a human rebel named Eric Matterson attempts to assassinate a Talaran senator, tensions between humans and Talarans are thrown back into high gear.This, in turn, forces Addison, a captain in the Talaran army, to face long buried memories surrounding Eric.When she tries to save him from the barbaric torture of a mind-wipe, the senator forces her to take full responsibility for Eric’s “rehabilitation”. Addison soon finds herself developing forbidden feelings for the rebel. She must keep her assignment a secret from both humans and Talarans, but most of all she cannot let Eric learn the truth behind their tragic past connection

There Are No Countries (Lucid Machines) by Marashall Smith

SPSFC 2023

Scouting crews arrive on newly discovered Dandros to find it ripe with life and fresh for colonization. There are no people and no vertebrate animals. But there is one castle, and one statue of a man known as the anomaly. Energy resonates from the head of this monument of times past where instruments and machinery probe the anomaly’s head and its empty keep, the only signs of civilization. It mourns for its love, speaks of its demise, and tells the humble beginnings of Dandros. It is kept under lock and key for the stories it tells.They learn that his name is Doug, a traveler from long ago, and he had prayed to a being known as the Goddess. Doug’s energy mentions her endlessly just before he had turned to stone. He had been making plans for her physical arrival on Dandros.

The Crystal Eye (The Crystalline Chronicles Saga) by Blake R Wolfe

A bloodthirsty sorcerer seeks the power of the dragon lord’s crystal to rule the world. Can an escaped slave stop the evil that threatens to destroy all of humanity? A thousand years ago the dragon lords ruled alongside humanity and guided them through the weave of magic. When greed tore humanity apart, a powerful mage rose up to fight the dragons for their claim. In a single battle, the dragons were slain, the mage disappeared, and magic was removed from the world forever.

Code of Rainbow: Soaring Flame and the Dragon-transcending Magimal (Book 1) by Dr. Weiqi Wang

This is the first book of a teen fantasy book series that nurtures the bloom of MAGIC in the soil of SCIENCE. The magic in this world is different from the "traditional" concept, because it's backed up by realistic, physical scientific theories. As the story goes on, you'll enjoy the unique charm of science and magic merging into each other - something that has rarely been attempted before. The transition from magic to science will be bit by bit, so the early books do read like a "mainstream" magic fantasy. Soarame has a pair of special eyes. He can see magic elements in this world, which are supposed to be invisible. This enviable gift of his could reveal the truth of the world, but it also puts him in danger. Many animals in this world possess magic power, so they are called “magimals” - dragons as examples. Soarame fortunately got a baby magimal as his best friend, but they got into troubles together - troubles that were a lot bigger than dragons.

The Queen's Blade by T.C Southwell

A doomed kingdom, a young queen’s sacrifice and a killer who will bring an empire to its knees... In a world where men share kindred with beasts, the Idol of the Beasts predicts a child who will end the Endless War after centuries of strife, but first the enemy king must die and his son be brought to the Jashimari Queen in chains… After numerous failed attempts, killing King Shandor seems impossible, until an assassin offers to do the deed. His success places the Crown Prince at Queen Minna-Satu’s mercy, and Blade becomes the instrument of her wrath. Forged in the fires of fury, his heart died long ago in the desert kingdom. His glance is as icy as his smile is disarming, and the fires of passion will never stir his blood. He is the Master of the Dance in Jondar, the best to ever hold the title. Driven by hatred and with the skills of his trade, he will usher in a time of strife and pain that will live in legend, and forever bear his name. He is the instrument who can change fate. He is the Queen’s Blade.

Defending Jessica by Benna Bos

From the author of the Lesfic Bard Award winning novel “Investigating Helen” comes another stand-alone installation in the Murder by the Bay Mystery Series… Few people accused of murder are as unlikable as Veronica Turner’s client, Jessica French. So to give the haughty heiress the best defense possible Veronica needs help from her favorite true crime podcast. But when she meets the newest sound tech for “Murder by the Bay”, she is instantly enthralled. She wants nothing more than to get close to the stunning, shy woman. Focused on her new job, Kaia Kent pays little attention to the pushy attorney defending their latest podcast subject. But Veronica just keeps coming around, and every time she does, Kaia finds herself slipping a little further away from dislike and toward serious attraction. With an innocent woman to defend, a murderer on the loose, and opposites that are smashed together in a whirlwind of fear, intrigue, and passion, defending Jessica will prove to be anything but easy.

Investigating Helen by Benna Bos

Dr. Helen Nims is hauled into the police station when her new girlfriend is found murdered. Terrified and confused, she finds comfort from a stranger. But when that stranger turns out to be a crime reporter, Helen has to decide if she can be trusted or if confiding in the stunning podcaster will pull Helen deeper into suspicion. Agnes Coates loves reporting on true crime. But it hits a little close to home when her first crush from high school is found dead in a bathtub. A gorgeous surgeon is tangled up in the police dragnet as they search for the killer, and Agnes must navigate her own feelings as she digs into the mystery and seeks out the truth. With so much to lose, Agnes and Helen will walk the line between kisses and crime.

O'Donovan's Travels: A Healer’s Potion by John Tuttle

Only a few mortals have the gift to draw back the veil separating the worlds to hear the voice of the uncreated Silence. In ancient times the stability of the worlds was a struggle for balance between the determined will of the gods and goddesses and the free will of mortals. The Druids interpreted and communicated this relationship from signs and symbols hidden from the casual observer in the mist and shadows of the Green World. O’Donovan is a shaman of the First Order of Airmid, Goddess of herbal medicine. The aging queen of Teamhair in Eire has failed to become pregnant, and there is an emerging urgency for an heir to assure a bloodless transition of power in the kingdom. Following the Archdruids’ invoked seeing, O’Donovan and twelve others sail into the uncharted western sea to the Isle of Fire and Ice to save Eire from a tribal war. No mortal had ventured that far west, and they must sail by faith in a cauldron forged by the smith god and a pointing stone created by the thunder god to find the Fertility Goddess Boann’s daughter, a white calf with red ears, who has wandered from the night sky into the Green World. The treacherous odyssey is fraught with sea monsters, bottomless waterfalls, tribal bickering, mutiny, disease and illness, and natural disasters threatening the quest seekers’ every turn. A storm sweeps O’Donovan into the raging sea, where despair sucks all under the green wave. As a castaway, O’Donovan cries for his lost brothers, questions abandonment by his Goddess protector and his role as a healer. Through entangled visions and answers blowing in the dreams of the winds, the Silence visits O’Donovan to stress the edicts of humanity and a glimpse of the suffering and illness caused by wealth exclusion and inequality.

Meeting Idana: 1 (The Gem Series) by Mors Deum

Destiny is not decided, but discovered, as Idana will learn in her newest adventure. Learning new things is her favorite pastime, but nothing could have prepared her for legends coming to life. After being sabotaged and kidnapped while helping her father with an archoelogical discovery in Egypt, she awakes to the world of dragons, gryhpons, and more. Now, she must fight for her freedom, and step into her calling to free them and give them a chance to live once more.

Halayda (Star-Fae Trilogy Book 1) by Sarah Delena White

A mortal alchemist. A faerie king. A bond that transcends death. Betrayed by a trusted mentor, Sylvie Imanthiya hides on the fringes of society, caring for half-fae orphans and trading her alchemical creations on the black market. She lives for the one night each season when she can see her dearest friend—a man whose destiny is far above hers. King Taylan Ashkalabek knows better than to exchange halayda vows with a mortal. Even their friendship is a risk; love is an impossible dream. Then a brutal alchemical attack poisons his realm, unearthing a dark power within him—and leaving Sylvie with the ancient mark of Faerie’s savior. Manifesting unpredictable abilities and aided by allies with their own secrets, Sylvie and Taylan journey into the wilds of Faerie to heal the damage and confront Casimir, an invincible star-fae determined to claim the realm as his own. But only their enemy knows Sylvie’s true capabilities—and Taylan’s weaknesses—and how to use them in his vicious schemes. Her fate is life. His fate

Beautiful Machine: The Orbs: Book 1 by K. D. Morey

Humanity was saved. The Orbs opened ushering in the Light Era of Earth. Trade flourished, new worlds settled and the ravaged landscape healed. Mankind had finally taken their place in the galactic community. All eras end. A century ago the Orbs slammed shut. Stranding millions of alien refugees and plunging the world into a new dark age. Still, countless eyes search the skies praying the silver paths open once more. Echoes live on. Alexis scavenges the remains of the last age, until valuable starfall draws her to the barrens. She finds not debris, but an escape pod and the promise of change. However, not all want to see the world saved. Some want to control the future at all costs. Some secrets are better left buried.Beautiful Machine is the first novel in the series, set in the compelling world of the Orbs.

The Axeboy's Blues by Andy Reynolds

New Orleans: A city with one foot in the past and the other ankle-deep in chartreuse-flavored dreams. Creatures and spirits of every ilk saunter down the jazz-filled streets day and night, struggling to find purpose amidst the ivy-drenched balconies and colorful shotgun houses.The Axeboy's Blues follows a centuries-old agency tasked with protecting New Orleans from forces that would see her destroyed. Unfortunately, the agency was nearly wiped out and is virtually nonexistent. In a city where mosquitoes wear vests and spectacles, where the Mississippi is teeming with monstrous beasts, and where Wonder sprouts from peoples' heads like plants, can this agency fill its ranks once more to take on an adversary from its past – an adversary that has jumped through time?

The Dragon Librarian (Scrolls of Fire) by Marc Secchia

Blind. Outcast. Accursed. From the meanest of beginnings, greatness will rise. Abandoned at birth by her parents, Auli-Ambar is seen as a child blighted by a callous talon-stroke of fate. A worthless burden. She is blind, severely disfigured, and fit only for the most menial tasks. Then, a simple act of kindness changes her life. Flown to the Halls of the Dragons, the painfully shy girl becomes a cleaner of Dragon roosts, and a helpless wanderer of the Dragon Library. Here, Auli is able to walk amidst the lore she is drawn to so profoundly. Touch it. Imagine worlds within scrolls. She thrills to the hallowed scents of knowledge, but aches for what blindness has forever denied her. In the cruellest of ironies, Auli discovers she possesses a magic that makes people and Dragons forget her very existence. This is disremembrance, the accursed power of loneliness. She can only despair. One will not forget. Deep amidst the forbidden racks of draconic scroll lore, where Auli-Ambar has unwittingly breached the protective wards, the young Dragon scholar, Arkurion the Mercury Blue, will discover her true gift and ignite its flame. Now, in the environs of a magical library overseen by the mighty Dragon Librarian Sazutharr, the extraordinary courage and integrity of a blind girl will finally be given the chance to blossom. Little did they suspect that the fate of all Dragonkind would rest in her hands.

Space Junk by Andrew Bixler

The debut novel from author Andrew Bixler, Space Junk is a sprawling sci-fi adventure full of space, scrap, and videotapes. If you're a fan of Ready Player One, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or Cowboy Bebop, Space Junk might be just the book you've been waiting for. Then again, what the fish do I know? Adam Jones is just another broke scrapper combing his little slice of space for the semi-valuable trash that litters its dark corners. He spends most of his days inside his junker, the Asteroid Jones II, drinking beer, watching ancient horror movies, and evading debt collectors. But life for Adam gets a lot more complicated when he discovers a mysterious object that attracts the attention of powerful and bumbling forces from around the universe. With the help of his wily grandfather and a mysterious feline stranger, Adam risks life and love in pursuit of financial freedom, even as the rest of the universe threatens to reduce him to space dust.

Twixt by Sarah Diemer

You wake upon the cold ground. As you struggle to rise, as your breath exhales like a ghost, you know only two things: You can’t remember who you are. And you’re being hunted. No one sleeps in Abeo City. The lost souls gather indoors at night as Snatchers tear through the sky on black-feathered wings, stalking them. But inside the rotting walls of the Safe Houses comes a quieter, creeping danger. The people of Abeo City have forgotten their pasts, and they can trade locks of their hair to sinister women known only as the Sixers for an addictive drug. Nox will give you back a single memory–for a price. Like the other lost souls, Lottie wakens in this harsh landscape and runs in terror from the Snatchers. But she soon comes to realize that she is not at all like the people of Abeo City. When she takes Nox, her memories remain a mystery, and the monsters who fill the sky at night refuse to snatch her. Trying to understand who she is, and how she ended up in such a hopeless place, Lottie bands together with other outcasts, including a brave and lovely girl named Charlie. In the darkness, and despite the threat of a monstrous end, love begins to grow. But as Lottie and Charlie plot their escape from Abeo City, Lottie’s dark secrets begin to surface, along with the disturbing truth about Twixt: a truth that could cost her everything. TWIXT is a stunning, page-turning adventure, part YA paranormal romance, part thrilling horror, from award-winning YA author Sarah Diemer.

Love Devours: Tales of Monstrous Adoration by Sarah Diemer

We're all afraid of monsters. They coil in our subconscious, slither along the edges of thought. Still we creep to the crackling fire to whisper their stories. Love Devours is a collection of new fables for queer women, extracted from the bones of the dark: ominous fairy tales, sinister myths, dystopias rife with nightmares. But in the midst of monsters, love still struggles to find the light. A witch traps a beast of the sea; a corpse is reanimated out of love; a muse drains her supplicant; a priestess worships in a church of wolves. Six monster stories lurk within these pages. Six heroines, sometimes monsters themselves, unearth romance, rebuild worlds, shatter spells. Their courage unveils the secret faces of humankind's greatest compulsions: fear and love. Come into the dark and be devoured. Love Devours: Tales of Monstrous Adoration is S.E. Diemer's first anthology, a collection of queer dark fantasy and science fiction

Call of Kythshire: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (Keepers of the Wellsprings Book 1) by Missy Sheldrake

A peaceful kingdom under threat. Can one girl find the courage to save her family and two worlds? Sixteen-year-old Azi Hammerfel has finally achieved her dream. Inducted into her parents’ honored guild of knights, she’s excited to set out on her first quest for the king. But when she isn’t chosen and her father returns nearly destroyed without her mother, the young squire is shocked to discover herself struck by a curse. Unable to even raise a sword without experiencing excruciating pain, Azi despairs at her mum’s disappearance. When a fairy appears with a dire warning for the realm and offers a mysterious bargain, the courageous teen journeys forth toward a destiny that will put her in the path of wicked magic. Can Azi stop two lands from falling to a deadly darkness? Call of Kythshire is the enchanting first book in the Keepers of the Wellsprings YA fantasy series. If you like strong female characters, immersive world-building, and electrifying adventures, then you’ll love Missy Sheldrake’s award-winning tale.

Fae Hunter (Tangled Fae) by Sarah K.L Wilson

Our lives are nursery rhymes and faerie stories now, Allie. When Allie Hunter's twin sister steps through a magic circle into the Faerie realm, she opens the door to deadly fae, bent on causing havoc and harm to Allie's village. Rendered blind to all but the spirit world, Allie is frustrated and angry but determined to bring the fae down. No matter what that might cost her. But in a world where lies are truth, power is sustenance, and every action ripples into violence, how can one mortal stop all of Faerieland? For lovers of The Cruel Prince and An Enchantment of Ravens comes a world of violent fae royals, trickery, and magic. Grab the first book of this hot new series today!

The Teeth in the Tide (Savage Seas Book 1) by Rebecca F. Kenney

Pitched as Attack on Titan with mermaids, this savage gender-swapped retelling of “The Little Mermaid” is perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Alexandra Christo, and Holly Black. Trapped on a walled island with her people, Kestra aches for vengeance against the swarms of ravenous mermaids that ate her father fifteen years ago. The swarms threaten her town’s last supply ship--and the life of the brave young captain who smiles so charmingly at her whenever he makes port. With the help of her scientist cousin and the handsome captain, Kestra takes her future and her people's fate into her hands, determined to find a way to destroy all the mermaids for good. Abused and miserable, Rake serves in the harem of the three mermaid Queens. When he is given one of his spawn to raise, Rake resolves that his little son will have a better life. With the help of a monstrous creature that deals in memories, he discovers an ancient secret—one that could lead to freedom. This fantasy novel blends a dark, brutal setting with romance and humor. New Adult. (Co

The Shrike and the Shadows: A Dark Retelling of Hansel & Gretel (The Witch of Krume Book 1 by A. M. Wrigh, Chantal Gadoury

The village of Krume is plagued by a haunted wood and a hungry witch. It’s been that way for as long as Hans and Greta can remember, though they have never seen the witch themselves; no one has. When men start to disappear once again in the cover of night - their bloody hearts turning up on doorsteps - the village falls into frenzied madness. Hans and Greta, two outcast orphans, find themselves facing accusations of witchcraft and are met with an ultimatum: burn at the stake, or leave the village forever. With nowhere else to go, they abandon their only home. As they venture into the strange forest, their path is fraught with horrific creatures, wild and vivid hallucinations, and a mysterious man tied to the witch's past. The Shrike is watching, just beyond the deep darkness of the woods.

Butcher of Banshees by Michael W. Huard

There are 4 dark souls in the realm. The Wicked Banshees of the North, East, West, and South. Yet, there is only one amazing, brave young woman, who must defeat them. This is her tale! Bodana is a young woman beaten down to nothing. Yet soon, she rises from her sorrow; for it is the only way to silence the voices in her head. ___________________________________________ DARK SOULS exist in this world, this she learns firsthand. Those that are responsible for much of her grief. ___________________________________________ It soon becomes her life's mission to seek out these crones, these monster’s that prey on the innocent. Her only salvation is to be a glimmer of hope to those in need. ___________________________________________ She’s a DARK ANGEL who sings her song in the moonlight!*This is her tale, one filled with swords' and sorcery, gothic monsters, love, death, and so much more.*

Suboptimized by S.A Palmer

It's an obscene amount of money for a global tournament, and player Jay2517 is on the cusp of securing the top prize. Although he's an expert at simulated combat, a separate server will test Jay like never before. When he discovers digital bioforms in his class project, the line between bot and life gets blurry, as they're less than agreeable to many of his commands. Despite his efforts, a faction looks to destroy themselves, along with the rest of their sapient brethren. Jay and his team will need an elite performance against the fanatics, but it might not be enough to save one of them, let alone billions.

Lair of Thieves and Foxes: A Reynard the Fox Retelling by Rebecca F. Kenney

Angelique is on her way to marry the evil Lord Ysengrim when a handsome silver-eyed man leaps into her carriage and proposes a trick that could set her free. Once she makes a deal with the trickster Reynard, Angelique realizes that the world is full of magic, monsters, and temptations beyond the quiet rural life she knew. For fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer Armentrout, this romantic adventure blends the French legend of Reynard the Fox with elements of Celtic folklore. Medium-heat romantic scenes, Happy-for-Now ending. You can stop at the HFN, or read the epilogue which might make you cry. Fair warning. :)

Violet Flames: Primordial Gods Book 1 by P.S Nail

UNTIL DEATH, DISMISSAL, OR DISHONOR. Ember Lavaris is a Fire Caster. She is a descendant of the God of Fire, which gives her the ability to cast fire magic from her palms. She is one of nine distinct species born from the ten Primordial Gods. A Vampire killed her mother two years ago, and her father is always off on business trips, so her sister is all she has. Born with a tattoo that makes her destined to be a King’s Guard, she is summoned away to fulfill her duty. She will now live with other members of the King’s Guard, away from her sister, and train to be a warrior. Unfortunately, her new trainer, Valarian Grey, is a Vampire. She must learn to trust him while training to defend her world from Demons and other malevolent creatures. Ember is caught up in a world of lust, danger, excitement, and love, all while adapting to her new life and becoming the warrior she is destined to be.

Magpie's Song (IronHeart Chronicles Book 1) by Alisson Pang

In the slums of BrightStone, Moon Children are worth less than the scrap they collect to survive. It doesn't matter that these abandoned half-breeds are part-Meridian with their ancestors hailing from the technologically advanced wonder that floats above the once-thriving, now plague-ridden city. Instead they are rejected by both societies and forced to live on the outskirts of civilization, joining clans simply to stay alive. Not to mention their role as Tithe, leading the city's infected citizens deep into the Pits where their disease can be controlled.Nineteen-year-old Raggy Maggy is no different, despite the mysterious heart-shaped panel welded to her chest. Or she wasn't, until her chance discovery of a Meridian-built clockwork dragon—and its murdered owner. When the Inquestors policing the city find Maggy at the scene of the crime, she becomes their prime suspect. An exiled doctor and a clanless Moon Child named Ghost keep her hidden; all she has to do is help them find a cure to the plague they believe was not accidental. Doing so might risk more than her life—but it might be the key to uncovering the truth about the parents, and the past, she knows nothing about.

Woods of Silver and Light (The Storyteller's Series) by ‎ Victoria McCombs

There is a dark magic in those woods. Banished. Outlawed. Then one day a man enters the fold who can set the magic free in exchange for his son brought back to life. The dark magic soon finds there's nothing Ronin Hood wouldn't do for his son. The magic is awakening. But then the trees lure a girl inside who challenges Ronin. She finds that the truth changes depending on which side of the arrow you're on, and that the hearts of good men are easily blackened. For only the wicked can raise the dead. Anika races to uncover Ronin's plan and hide her association with him from the other nobles before he crossed a line they can't return from. The magic of the Woods should never have been disturbed. McCombs has created a lush world inside the Woods that pays homage to the original Robin Hood story while weaving a unique story overtop. This tale is set in the same world as The Storyteller's Daughter with a standalone plot.

The Storyteller's Daughter by Victoria McCombs

His shadowed face lit by flames, Rumpelstiltskin is my name... For as long as anyone can remember, every child in Westfallen has been born with a Gift, and these Gifts defined them. Then Cosette is born, Giftless. An attempt to hide her misfortune brings her before the King, who entraps her to use her Gift as a pawn in his war. Caught in a lie, Cosette desperately searches for a power strong enough to free her. Intrigued by whispers of an old king and a dark curse, she calls upon Rumpelstiltskin and finds him trapped in a magic deeper than she bargained for. Now, Cosette must fight to reclaim her freedom from the King and break Rumpel's curse. When time runs out, she'll lose more than her heart. She'll lose her life. THE STORYTELLER'S DAUGHTER is the perfect introduction to YA that will satisfy fans of Gail Carson Levine's ELLA ENCHANTED, as well as Jessica Day George's DRAGON SLIPPERS and PRINCESS OF GLASS, and Cameron Dokey's THE WORLD ABOVE.

Illustrated Gnome News (The Gryphon Clerks) by Mike Reeves-McMillan

They may be putting out a newspaper, but there are some things they don't want becoming news. The Illustrated Gnome News is the only newspaper serving the newly emancipated gnome community, but there are days when Ladle, the paper's overworked editor, thinks that's because nobody else is stupid enough to try to run one. She has to balance not scaring off all their advertisers with putting out a paper that stands for a better future for all gnomes. Including those gnomes who don't match up to traditional ideas of what's proper. One of these is her friend Loom, the first gnome woman to qualify as an engineer. But Loom has a secret that would shock conventional gnomes even more than that, and must somehow find a way to pursue her own happiness amidst the wider struggle to turn gnome emancipation into true freedom. (Advisory: contains non-explicit scenes of a romantic and sexual relationship between two women. The book itself is not illustrated; the title refers to the newspaper at the center of the story.)