stories in and

Earthweeds

Earthweeds by Rod Little

SPSFC

At the end of the world - it's the start of something new, with puzzling and terrifying origins. A green fog descends over every major city in the world, and the populations disappear one by one. By nightfall, every living soul in every metropolis is gone. Earth grinds to a halt. Only a few stragglers are alive in the rural countryside. When Sam and his brother return from a mountain camping trip, they find only empty city streets. Alone, they look for any survivors to give them answers. The next day, lizards the size of Komodo dragons flood the city and attack the remaining humans. When these creatures are confronted by giant spiders, the two species fight each other for the remaining food supply.... with the humans caught in the middle. A teenage boy with electric powers - stemming from his DNA.  His brother with a strong iron will.  A college student who can understand and communicate with animals.  A scientist with a secret.  And a band of psychopaths with an agenda of their own.  Defending each other from the evils of men and creatures alike, the last humans must race to unravel the mystery of the empty cities, the swarming creatures, and the disappearance of humankind.


Blackcoats: Dead Man Walking

Blackcoats: Dead Man Walking by Michael Lachman

SPSFC 2022

ZOMBIES. CRYPTIDS. SECRET GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AND ADAM THOUGHT HIGH SCHOOL WAS TOUGH. When Adam arrives home to find his house swarming with government agents, he quickly discovers that his father was a secret government scientist specializing in fringe science and the paranormal. An agent reveals that Adam’s father was caught performing illegal experiments, including genetically modifying Adam’s DNA. Now, with his father missing and the genetic tampering beginning to take effect, Adam’s only chance to find a cure is to help the agency track down his father. The mystery deepens as agents go missing, and all the evidence points to a man long dead. With the clock ticking and hints of a mole within the agency, Adam must uncover the traitor, find his father, and secure a cure—before it’s too late. Blackcoats: Dead Man Walking is the first book in the Blackcoats series.


Stars of Destiny: Light

Stars of Destiny: Light by Melissa Stone

SPFBO8

Dionne Archer is a regular high school girl. For her sixteenth birthday, though, she was gifted a strange mirror and a family secret that would change her life. Faced with new magical powers, Dionne must now team up with other slike her to fight the organization known as the Lords of Chaos and keep them from achieving their goals. All while dealing with homework. As if being a teenager wasn’t hard enough already.


Wistful Ascending

Wistful Ascending by JCM Berne

SPFBO8 SPSFC 2022 SPSFC 2023

A superhero space opera for grownups. For fans of Invincible and Marvel Cinematic Universe films who like a little hard science fiction in their superheroes.
If Thor and Harry Dresden combined in a transporter accident.


Baker Thief

Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault

SPFBO8 Kraken Collective

Adèle has only one goal: catch the purple-haired thief who broke into her home and stole her exocore, thus proving herself to her new police team. Little does she know, her thief is also the local baker. Claire owns the Croissant-toi, but while her days are filled with pastries and customers, her nights are dedicated to stealing exocores. These new red gems are heralded as the energy of the future, but she knows the truth: they are made of witches’ souls. When her twin—a powerful witch and prime exocore material—disappears, Claire redoubles in her efforts to investigate. She keeps running into Adèle, however, and whether or not she can save her sister might depend on their conflicted, unstable, but deepening relationship. --------------- BAKER THIEF is the first in a fantasy series meant to reframe romance tropes within non-romantic relationship and centering aromantic characters. Those who love enemies-to-lovers and superheroes should enjoy the story!


Bystanders

Bystanders by Phillip Murrell

SPFBO8

"Intrepid reporters end up dead." That's what Claire Kennedy's boss told her. Claire doesn't care. She's prepared to risk her life to land an interview with her city's superhero. The mysterious vigilante is a demolition force against the criminal empire operating inside Colberton. He won't identify himself to the public, so Claire will assign him a name herself. She's willing to create other "facts" as necessary, anything to get a promotion at Data to Information News. The hero, Votary, cares not for her goals. Nor does Votary worry about the actions of the police or criminals. The city must be protected from itself and outside threats. Votary is the only person capable of this, though the methods used will lead to death and trauma for many citizens of Colberton. Most will debate the methods of this crusader. Some support Votary, others fear the vigilante, but none will know the person beneath the armor, despite trying.


Aya and the Alphas

Aya and the Alphas by Berneta L. Haynes

SPFBO8

When a young girl, Aya Wright, develops extraordinary abilities and becomes a target of the world’s most powerful fader, Eve must protect her. But at what price? In the twenty-five years since she exposed the existence of faders, Eve Cooper has survived the collapse of her country and the loss of her closest friends. Now she lives a mostly solitary life in rural Indiana, where she runs a secret network and safe house for faders—individuals like her with extraordinary abilities. In nearby Chicago, a young girl named Aya Wright becomes a target of the world’s most powerful fader because of her unparalleled abilities. When she arrives at the safe house after an attack, Aya soon sets in motion a series of events that threaten not only to upend Eve’s settled life but potentially change the world. As Eve struggles to reconcile her past with the choices in front of her, she must decide whether to leave her recluse life to protect Aya or allow the headstrong girl to find her own way in the world…

Aya and the Alphas is an action-packed and expansive sequel to Eve and the Faders that will thrill readers!


Any Minor World

Any Minor World by Craig Schaefer

SPFBO8 SPSFC 2023

For Roy Mackey -- a recovering addict who makes his living as an unlicensed PI and occasional muscle for hire -- tracking down a dead writer's final manuscript should be a walk in the park. Too bad his client is a phony, the dead writer is a thief, and shadowy men are watching his every move. All clues lead to a canceled pulp-adventure comic, The Midnight Jury, and its mousy, reclusive author. Lucy Langenkamp is living a quiet life as an art restorer in Las Vegas; when Roy helps her escape from a crew of armed kidnappers, she's as baffled as he is. Then one of her own characters, a flamethrower-wielding "human exterminator," steps out of the pages of her comic book and into the real world. He's intent on hunting her down, and he isn't alone. The pulp villains spawned from Lucy's childhood imagination are coming to life, searching for their long-lost author. Her most sinister creation, the Illustrated Duke, has a dark plan in motion. This is a job for Lucy's two-fisted vigilante, the Midnight Jury. But the Jury is missing. To save the day, Lucy and Roy must descend into a noir-drenched nightmare city on a rescue mission. The walls between fiction and reality are shattered, there's wild magic in the air, and it's up to two unlikely heroes to risk it all and save the day.


Missy the Werecat

Missy the Werecat by P. G. Allison

SPFBO8

Missy the Werecat: Book I When puberty brings on her first Shift, Missy goes into the mountains for two years until finally learning to Change back. She can Change from fully human in one instant to a mountain lion in the next. Everyone assumes her two year disappearance was because she’d been kidnapped by a sexual predator that she managed to kill. She keeps her werecat nature a secret. There is no pack, no pride of other werecats and no alpha. She’s a girl with fantastic abilities growing up and learning to do great things in today’s world, amongst humans. She only has her instincts to guide her and those drive her to train herself to extremes. She must control those instincts; dampening the wild predator is often necessary. Her raging hormones and enhanced senses require very strong controls; she explores what happens when those controls are relaxed.


Burning Bright

Burning Bright by Melissa McShane

SPFBO8

In 1812, Elinor Pembroke wakes to find her bedchamber in flames—and extinguishes them with a thought. At 21, she is old to manifest magical talent, but the evidence is unmistakable: she not only has the ability to start fires, but the far more powerful ability to control and extinguish them. She is an Extraordinary, and the only one in England capable of wielding fire in over one hundred years. As an Extraordinary, she is respected and feared, but to her father, she represents power and prestige for himself. Mr. Pembroke, having spent his life studying magic, is determined to control Elinor and her talent by forcing her to marry where he chooses, a marriage that will produce even more powerful offspring. Trapped between the choices of a loveless marriage or living penniless and dependent on her parents, Elinor takes a third path: she defies tradition and society to join the Royal Navy. Assigned to serve under Captain Miles Ramsay aboard the frigate Athena, she turns her fiery talent on England’s enemies, French privateers and vicious pirates preying on English ships in the Caribbean. At first feared by her shipmates, a growing number of victories make her truly part of Athena’s crew and bring her joy in her fire. But as her power grows and changes in unexpected ways, Elinor’s ability to control it is challenged. She may have the power to destroy her enemies utterly—but could it be at the cost of her own life?


The Skeleton Key

The Skeleton Key by Justine Manzano

Sword and Silk Books Teacup Dragon Coop

Sequel to the award-winning Order of the Key Kyp Franklin can't move on. One year after his mother officially declared war against him, Kyp is still struggling to find his feet as the Order of the Key's new leader. He's far too concerned about tracking her down before she causes even more damage than she already has. In fact, that's all he's been doing. Until one day, after a particularly reckless mission, he returns to find a surprising visitor on his doorstep... Jacklyn Madison can't move on. One year after she left the Order, she has a new team, and a new mission. She's determined to close all the interdimensional rifts between our world and the Dusk, before more people die trying to stop the creatures that pass through them. But a vision she had while on the edge of death leads her to the one place she never intended to return … Forced to work together, Jacklyn, Kyp, and their respective teams uncover Lavinia's next plan: an alarming mix of magic and science the likes of which has never been seen before. Jacklyn and Kyp must learn to work together again and confront the demons of their past if they're going to stop Lavinia and those assisting her before their larger plan is put into action--a plan that could bring the monsters of the Dusk to our world...forever.


Ever the Hero

Ever the Hero by Darby Harn

SPSFC 2022

Superheroes are big business. Imagine not being able to afford them. Kit Baldwin just wants to make rent. The only work she can find in the ruins of her devastated city is scavenging for alien technology. When she finds a powerful alien weapon, her discovery pays off more than she could have hoped: it draws the attention of the most powerful of the superhuman Empowered, Valene. Valene hears everything, everywhere. She suffers for it, and as they begin a precipitous romance, Kit believes she can use the weapon she’s scavenged to mitigate Valene’s pain. If she can’t, Valene will retreat to the soundlessness of space. Without Valene’s compassion, the stricken city is left to the mercy of Valene’s ruthless father, who denies the assistance the city needs unless it can pay for it. As Valene’s condition worsens, Kit becomes more desperate and unleashes the full power of the alien weapon. In an instant, she is transformed into a being of cosmic power. She can acquire the knowledge and energy of anything – or anyone – she touches.


The Flameweaver Saga

The Flameweaver Saga by Casey White

In times of trouble, heroes are called to serve. Some rise to the occasion - and others are dragged along kicking and screaming. Secluded in the sleepy village of Goldenvale, Jas expected life to continue in the same peaceful track it always had. The days would come and go, settling into a comfortable routine. The mountain changed everything. When it rumbled to life, filling the world with hastily-awoken legends of old monsters and ancient evils, Jas knew better than to be afraid. Their nation had a secret of its own: a hero, in the form of his best friend Darren. Whatever threatened Goldenvale, they’d face it together But when the day came, Darren turned - and ran. Forced to take up the mantle of hero in his place, Jas begins his journey up the mountain. But the road is long, with enemies around every corner and answers waiting at the summit that threaten to shake his world to its very foundation. And in the end, Jas realizes his enemies were closer than he ever suspected.


Pigeon

Pigeon by Olga Werby

SPFBO8

Pigeon is eleven, homeless, and now an orphan. Alone and scared, he seeks to find a new family. But the past he barely remembers comes back to haunt him, endangering his newly-found friends, the Kikkert Family. Fortunately, the Kikkerts want to adopt Pigeon even if he is wanted by strange para-military DNA warriors. As they race through San Francisco to save each other, the true nature of Pigeon's birth is revealed as well as the secret identity of Madam Toad—the matriarch of the Kikkert Family. What does is mean to be human? What does it take to be a family? Pigeon is willing to risk his life to learn and to love.


The Paragon: A Powers, Masks and Capes Universe Novelette

The Paragon: A Powers, Masks and Capes Universe Novelette by Tao Wong

Shocking Revelations by the Paragon! Centuries old secrets revealed! Hidden identities! Learn why the Paragon was missing during the Bareyes-Masgani War. Listen to the Paragon as he relates his full thoughts on the Powers Defense Act. Get his full thoughts of the penultimate superhero on anti-Capes like the Enforcer. You won't want to miss the first ever recorded interview by the Cape of capes!


The Technopath: A Powers, Masks and Capes Universe Novelette

The Technopath: A Powers, Masks and Capes Universe Novelette by Tao Wong

Breaking News: Confessions of the Supervillain Mask the Technopath! In an exclusive scoop, the Daily Messenger has acquired the transcript of the infamous Technopath’s interview with the Power Defense Authority upon her initial capture after the August 19th terrorist incident in downtown Mayson. Among the shocking revelations in the transcript is allusions to the PDA knowing of her villainous sire, on-going abuse of the children of Masks and accusations of terrorism and collusion against Mordant Technologies. For full details, just subscribe to the Daily Messenger within!


Fear and Fury

Fear and Fury by Jamie Jackson

SPFBO8 SPSFC 2023

Meet Megaera, Meg for short. She’s like Deadpool, except for funner. For a girl with the power of fear the recruitment attempts from both sides are never-ending. A self-described not-a-hero, villain-leaning humanoid, Meg just wants to live her life, work her dead-end job and have everyone else (especially the heroes) leave her alone. But when a bigger fish who can turn superpowers back on their users enters the picture and threatens the person Meg loves the most (herself), she must turn to the last group of people she would admit she needs help from. Forced to team up with the heroes she despises (but won’t murder, because let’s face it, orange is not the new black), Meg will have to face the choices from her past that she won’t get therapy for. Self-centered, snarky, sarcastic and a little bit dramatic, she’s going to have to save the world, even if that wasn’t her intention. And try not to get shot in the process. Because that shit hurts.


Moonlight Crusade

Moonlight Crusade by Scott Kinkade

College student Kyle Falconer's trip to New York City gets a bloody extension when his Christian group is brutally murdered by vampires. Now undead himself, Kyle is taken in by a sympathetic woman with the ability to see the future, and she begins training him to defend himself against the madman who slaughtered his friends. With a holy war looming on the horizon, Kyle must gather allies to save the world while also dealing with Vatican vampire hunters and the undead Yakuza.


One Nation Under Gods

One Nation Under Gods by Reeshi Ray

SPFBO7 Indie Recs Indie

The war raged for five years. When the smoke cleared the United States was a memory, conquered by a race unlike the world had ever seen. They are the Specials—a godlike race gifted with powers so cataclysmic that the human survivors of the war had no choice but to surrender to their invincible overlords. But Houston Holt doesn't surrender. A war veteran turned underworld fixer, Houston spends his nights evading the regime's secret police, building his criminal empire brick by brick in his relentless quest to escape the human slums. But one night, Houston steals a truck from the wrong people and sets off a chain reaction of mayhem that engulfs the empire. Because the truck contains a shocking secret—a secret of such fabled power that the Specials will unleash their most savage killers to hunt it down. Enter a world of immortals, assassins, and rogues in One Nation Under Gods—an epic adventure that combines the best of science fiction, superhero lore, and fantasy into a non-stop thrill ride.


Return of the King

Return of the King by David Reynolds

What if … Gravely wounded at the Battle of Camlann and preserved by ancient spells, Arthur is waiting to be discovered by modern men and women? What if … Merlin, imprisoned by the witch Nimue, is freed after 1,500 years by a random bullet fired during a drunken college party? What if … The awakening of Merlin causes Morgan Le Fay and Mordred, the nemeses of Merlin and Arthur, to also return from their own enchantments? The world is about to find when a reawakened Merlin, with help from his computerized familiar Archimedes, modern human guide Nicole and pet cat Rex seek out Arthur before rebuilding the Knights of the Round table. Return of the King, Book One in The One True King series, is available now at Amazon.com


Witch's Sorrow (Alice Skye #1)

Witch's Sorrow (Alice Skye #1) by Taylor Aston White

SPFBO6

An amateur witch. A dark past. A fierce deceit. Paladin Agent Alice Skye didn’t think much of the contract forced upon her by Rexley Wild, Alpha of one of the largest packs in Europe. He hired her for one job. Find the missing wolf. Unfortunately for Alice, she might already be too late. She's in way over her head, an inexperienced witch who has to use all her instincts to help the secretive and detached Alpha find his missing pack mate. But it isn’t long before she realises something’s not quite right. It's not simply a missing person, it was something a lot closer to home, something that reignites nightmares that make her question her own, horrific past. Alice is in a race against time that forces her to face against vampires, daemons and anything that gets in the way, for she only has one thing to do, find the wolf before he turns up like the others. Dead.


Pawn (Night of the Dark Fae #1)

Pawn (Night of the Dark Fae #1) by Angela J. Ford

SPFBO6

A day will come, when curses will be broken, the lost shall be found, the found shall be lost, and the rift between mortal and celestial will cease to exist. - Prophecy of Erinyes Maeve of Carn is a warrior of warriors, but she’s no hero. Born with superhuman strength she sells her abilities to mercenaries and warlords in exchange for wealth. Until the night of the full moon. . . In the midst of a raid, led by the warlord she just might be falling in love with, Maeve is taken by the Dark Fae. After leaving her to rot in the dungeon of the damned they offer her a deal. Freedom. If she finds a divine relic rumored to have the power to break all curses. Left with no other choice, Maeve sets off on a perilous quest, guided by the Scholar. Set in an expansive fantasy world with monsters, magic and mysteries, the Night of the Dark Fae series is an epic fantasy trilogy birthed from the mind of International Best Selling Author, Angela J. Ford. Readers who love action, adventure, romance, sword and sorcery will be held captive by this series.


Night Latch (The Locksmith #1)

Night Latch (The Locksmith #1) by Anela Deen

SPFBO6

Sam Alvarez doesn’t just open locks. He’s the key. Living in Bellemer, Iowa, Sam leads a typical small-town life. When he’s not looking after his Nana or dealing with his mother’s expectations, he runs a one-man locksmith company. Unlike regular locksmiths, he can open anything with a touch and a wish, but Sam keeps that secret to himself. No reason to alarm the neighbors, after all. And if he sometimes feels an indefinable pull to do more with his life, well, that's probably just indigestion. Then one day, an unsettlingly beautiful out-of-towner asks for Sam’s help to open a door. Only one problem: The job’s in a graveyard. And the client? Turns out she’s Death. Maybe that’s two problems. When Sam unlocks more than he intended and demons come out to play, he discovers he’s far more than a locksmith with a hidden quirk. Now, he needs to figure out who he is and what he’s been called to do before darker forces close the door on him for good.


The Five Trials (Tsun-Tsun TzimTzum #1)

The Five Trials (Tsun-Tsun TzimTzum #1) by Mike Truk

SPFBO6

My name's Noah Kilmartin. I'm from Ruddock, Ohio, and I'm absolutely, 100% unqualified to save the universe from the slavering demonic hordes of the super evil bitch queen Lilith. Too bad nobody asked my opinion. All I've got to do is pass five lethal trials that'll prove I'm the universe's last chance at salvation. To do so I'll have to lean hard on those three years of Okinawan jiu-jutsu classes I took in highschool, learn to wield my new magic sword, and oh yeah - select five women to flesh out my team, bonding with each one for arcane purposes and desperately trying to stay alive in the process. Piece of cake. Right? Warning and minor spoilers: "The Five Trials" is an 18+ book intended for mature readers. It contains graphic sex, medieval violence, and nudity. People curse, piss their pants, hack off heads, get a little dizzy, tortured, seduce each other, try to seduce each other, and scared witless by horrors from the darkest dimensions. Most importantly, you'll meet gorgeous, powerful women, some capable for hurling lightning, others of swinging battle-axes, and one that's Noah's unrequited crush from highschool. All of them are willing to enter unconventional, polyamorous, harem relationships if it means saving the universe, and luckily for Noah, this time it actually does. Read at your own risk.


First Steps (Meandering Paths #1)

First Steps (Meandering Paths #1) by Luke Daher

SPFBO6

Not all roads lead to desired destinations... A swordsman struggles beneath the burdens of lost friends, survival in the lawless Wilds and a fate he wishes to outrun. An artist stands on the fringes of her society, derided by her peers while striving to impress the Divine her people worship. An uncaring world shifts around them, leading their feet onto greater paths unknowingly.


Birth of the Dawnhawk

Birth of the Dawnhawk by Z. Apollo, M. J. Northwood

SPFBO6

Energy binds everyone in the great continent of Amasia. That’s what the most religious would have people believe. Energy can be shaped. Energy can be destroyed. Many in the world have the ability to energy shape, controlling the elements around them in any way they see fit. However, only five are Blessed with unique power. The power to defeat Insanity. For over a 1000 years the Mother’s Blessing has watched over Amasia, entrapping the Insanity, as it’s passed down from generation to generation in the form of the Blessed. They’re powerful. They’re impossible, and they’re the world’s only hope. It was said that there would be five at one time with remarkable powers that would one day come together and save the world from Insanity. Throughout history there had been many famous individuals all over the continent with the marking to show their Blessing, whether they were an immortal of the High Vilmar or a Drakonian on the Birthing Isles. These Blessings passed down from generation to generation, never truly being used for their purpose, until now.


Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride

Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride by SJ Whitby

My name is Dylan Taylor, human incarnation of the burning dumpster gif, and this is my life. I always wanted to be an X-Man. Except people and me never got along, and apparently you need social skills to run a successful team. Cue Emma Hall’s party. One hot make out session with the host herself, and I can talk to objects like my pillow (who’s far too invested in my love life) and my baseball bat (who was a pacifist before I got hold of him). Now there’s a whole group of us with strange abilities, including super hot ice queen Dani Kim who doesn’t approve of how reckless I can be. The bigger problem is a mysterious mutant causing unnatural disasters, and we’re the ones who have to stop him. Except trying to make a difference makes things blow up in my face and the team’s on the verge of falling apart. Can I bring them back together in time to stop the villain from taking revenge? Have I mentioned I’m not a people person? Magneto help us.


The Order of the Key

The Order of the Key by Justine Manzano

WriteHive Book Club Teacup Dragon Coop

Jacklyn Madison never expected to be attacked by a beast on an evening snack run. Add a rescue mission enacted by a trained regiment of teenaged warriors, and her night officially becomes just like a scene from one of her beloved comic books. Turns out, her parents were once members of the Order of the Key, gifted humans that protect humanity from creatures spilling through inter-dimensional rifts. Unable to control her newfound abilities, Jacklyn and her family rejoin the Order. After an attack on their headquarters leaves Jacklyn questioning their leadership, Kyp—the boy who led her initial rescue—reveals a darker secret. The Order’s leader may be corrupt, and Jacklyn’s questions could put her family in danger. Drawn into the search for proof, Jacklyn must use her guts and magical brawn to protect her family, her friends, and herself from the monsters spilling from rifts, and those hiding within the Order.


Silvertongue

Silvertongue by Casey White

After another long day at work, all Jon Christensen wanted was a cheap burger and some peace and quiet. When he pulled into the McDonald’s, Jon only had the usual cares on his mind. His sister. The bills. A career with seemingly nowhere to go. But after a confusing encounter at the cash register triggers a violent episode in the parking lot, he’s quickly pulled into a world he doesn’t understand. His few careless sentences - and the odd gift of languages he’s kept hidden for years - wind up thrusting him right into the middle of a chaotic magical free-for-all, a battle taking place in the shadows of society. Entangled in an increasingly complex web of violence and lies, he's left with a choice: adapt, or die. Surrounded by strangers, Jon must struggle to survive, searching out friends amidst a sea of foes. If he can get his group of strays and rejects to work together, there’s a chance they might just make it out alive. Should he fail, the consequences will be dire - not only for Jon, but also for those he loves.


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