Heir to The Sun by Karen Lykkebo

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After a volatile relationship, all Aura wanted was to start a new life far from her ex-boyfriend, Dave. A sleepy café in a small town seemed the perfect place to reinvent herself, and when a mysterious woman befriends her, enchanting her with fairytales and offering an escape to another world, Aura could have got into more than she bargained for. But when Dave unexpectedly shows up, angry and determined, Aura’s left with little choice but to run. This time, she runs far, far away, across an invisible border to another world; a world of magic where everything is possible. A world, where Aura is known to everyone but her, as The Princess of Light. And although her new title comes with the daunting responsibility of saving the world, the prize of doing so could give her what she’s always wanted: A family. As Aura engages on a magical journey of discovery, her hopes to break free from Dave once and for all soon start to fade as she realizes that breaking up with The Angel of Darkness is easier said than done. And even the light needs darkness to cast shadows... Will Aura have the courage to embrace her new world, or will the shadows of her old life keep her in darkness forever?

Now, and the Hour of Death by Karen Lykkebo

Five short tales of the eerie, tragic, and macabre. Three friends venture into an abandoned church, unaware the foundation is haunted. An expert in the occult is asked to remove a presence from the beach. Two survivors of the zombie apocalypse watch a final sunset together. Two lovers will do anything to keep their home and love safe. A serial killer is on the loose, but his step is watched by more than his victims.

Together is a Distant Star by A.J. Calvin, V. Carvajal Leiva, Nancy Foster, Andrea Marie Johnson, Natalie Kelda, C.B. Lansdell, Karen Lykkebo, Erika McCorkle, Branwen OShea, Alyse N. Steves, Delilah Waan, Isabelle Wagner

How far would you go to find where you belong? A shapeshifting alien changeling raised by humans. The “wicked” child selected as the village sacrifice. People trapped in rigid belief systems, oppressive regimes, well-intentioned families, complicated relationships, and their very own bodies. Is it better to succumb and survive, or escape by staking everything on a slender hope? What triumphs in the end, love or vengeance? And if all that remains is ashes, is it still worth it? Grapple with these questions by diving into twelve new science fiction and fantasy stories. Together is a Distant Star is a collaborative anthology that encompasses authors hailing from Europe to Australia, South Africa to South America, and celebrates a kaleidoscope of perspectives—female, nonbinary, BIPOC, queer, and more. Featuring stories from: A.J. Calvin, C.B. Lansdell, Nancy Foster, V. Carvajal Leiva, Karen Lykkebo, Erika McCorkle, Branwen OShea, Alyse Steves, Delilah Waan, and Isabelle Wagner.