Their Village, Their Fortress by Dylan Madeley

"A heroic death is not the goal. Survival is. Our survival, that of this community, and that of everything which matters most to us." When a calamitous new weapon fells a fortress once considered invincible, one soldier rides home to deliver the terrible news. This journey is against orders, but he insists no village is too small to be warned of what's coming, even if he's not sure what they can do. He delivers an impassioned call to action, daring them to try. Reconnecting with his community involves reconsidering why he left it, and what he might regret having left behind; but he soon faces scrutiny when they realize something about his appeal doesn't add up. Join the struggle of eclectic villagers as each decides their answer. Each confronts what's happening however they must, journeying through their emotions and sometimes delving into their personal histories to reconcile themselves. Each resister's specialties enrich their efforts to scrape together a victory from what's on hand. The events to follow reveal not just how they will fight, but why. Their truth, their skills, and their efforts enable them to resist—but even if they believe, can a hastily-prepared volunteer militia of farmers defeat a battalion of trained soldiers?

The Redemption of Jarek by Dylan Madeley

But this day… Jarek knows of none in his life yet worse than this one. Much of Jarek’s youth revolved around making him fit for the throne, but one terrible day in adulthood finds him defeated, humiliated, and banned from the capital. He may only return upon complete surrender. Once home, he faces a trial by his commanders, though they are also fugitives by decree. Their land is a former province cut off from royal support, only kept free by the number of soldiers loyal to Jarek; but he swore to uphold the terms of his defeat, never to attack the capital. As every illusion Jarek lived under is falling apart, he receives a visitor who tells him how people have suffered under his oblivious leadership. He faces a choice: drink himself to death while everything falls apart or change his land for the better. The latter might be impossible. Just as he makes his choice, strangers arrive from a part of the world unknown to him, seeking a free and peaceful life, warning of a tyrant who pursues them. The story of their homeland is also told. What is Jarek willing to do? And will anything ever be enough?

The Fate of Lenn by Dylan Madeley

"Like a book already written, turn a page forward or back, read a line or a page, yet all the words in that book exist at once, unchanging; is this how you see it? Like fate? Do we fall no matter what I do?" Future generations will mythologize Duke Lenn Wancyek, but he is a person like any other. He feels hope, worry, loss, pain, and the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders. When his responsibilities place him in a catastrophic situation from which he may not escape, his values will resonate through his actions more thoroughly than any speech he could ever make. You will meet everyone who looks to him and you will see their struggles which run concurrent with his: a friend and adviser who wishes to steer him right; three musicians who think they have landed the greatest job in the kingdom; a gardener who does so much yet asks so little; a woman who works to free her people. The list goes on, but time grows short. You will meet the man who becomes the legend. You will know the fate of Lenn. Cover by Jenn St-Onge

Prince Ewald the Brave by Dylan Madeley

"No, father. You have gotten your way for too long. This ends here." Meet the Kenderleys, the wealthiest and most powerful family in the world. The youngest, Prince Bonifaz, takes his lessons and trusts no one. The middle child, Princess Isabel, sneaks away to a secret regency of her own making. Their mother, Queen Dulcibella, watches out for her children just as readily as she watches over them. Their father, King Jonnecht, is a capricious tyrant who hopes to control his family as strictly as he does the largest empire, and his violent rage threatens all under his rule. Then there’s Prince Ewald, eldest and heir to the throne. No one is more aware of the threat his father poses to everyone. No one has better legal standing to do anything about it. How can he save everyone he loves while upholding his mother’s kind values? He must learn the lessons required to be the best regent, choose allies wisely and earn their trust, and enact a thoughtful and detailed plan. And even if he succeeds in all that, can one who draws the line and conducts a plan with honour defeat one whose rage, selfishness, and deceit know no bounds? Can Prince Ewald stop his father? A standalone prequel to the Gift-Knight Trilogy. Cover by Jenn St-Onge.

Sense & Irritability by Emma Lee Jayne

A few months ago, I was the star chef at one of Austin's hottest restaurants. Then it all came crashing down. Now, I’ve lost my job and my living situation is … questionable. Oh, and I owe my mother money. Don’t ask. When I get offered a job as a live-in, personal chef for a man I think is a rich, elderly, shut-in, I jump on it. Except, he’s not elderly. In fact he’s young, brilliant, and stupidly hot. I can't walk away from this job. What’s a down-on-her-luck girl supposed to do? Fall in love?

Code Red (Side Hustle) by Lilah Hart

She lost a cat. He found his forever. I've been a good girl my whole life. Followed the rules. Obeyed my father. Kept my head down and my heart locked up tight. One day in Wildwood Valley changed everything. It started with a cat. A diabetic escape artist named Snowball who bolted from my clinic on my very first day flying solo. Desperate and panicking, I ran to the fire station next door for help. I didn't expect to find a man in nothing but black boxer briefs, singing into a spatula like he owned the world. Devon Carlisle was grumpy, gorgeous, and completely off-limits. A rugged construction foreman with callused hands and a volunteer firefighter's heart. He had no business looking at me the way he did—like I was trouble he wanted to get into. I had no business letting him. But somewhere between chasing that cat through the woods and sharing drinks at the new honky-tonk in town, I stopped being the pastor's dutiful daughter. I stopped playing it safe. I started playing with fire. Code Red is a short and steamy instalove romance set in the small mountain town of Wildwood Valley, North Carolina. This 1-hour read is part of the Side Hustle series. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Side Hustle series! About the Series: From broke beginnings to business dreams, the real hustle begins after hours. Whether it’s garage startups or late-night gigs, these blue-collar heroes and heroines are chasing goals bigger than the next bill. When love throws them a curveball, they learn that building a future means risking their hearts. Side Hustle is a multi-author series of short, steamy instalove stories with guaranteed happily-ever-afters. Each one delivers open-door heat, real-world grit, and chemistry that burns hotter after midnight.

Mountain Man's Winter Darling: A Steamy Instalove Romance (Wildwood Valley Firehouse #02) by Lilah Hart

Snowed in. Guarded heart. One firefighter who stays. I’d spent years building walls. As the manager of Wildwood Ridge Roadhouse, I was the woman with the clipboard and the answers—the one who handled every crisis, solved every problem, and never let anyone see me crack. I’d watched charming men try to get past my defenses before, and I’d shut every single one of them down. Then the blizzard hit. Conner was everything I’d trained myself to avoid—a firefighter with a sharp tongue, an easy smile, and a reputation for never taking anything seriously. The jokester. The flirt. The last man I should have trusted with my secrets. But the storm stranded us together. And somewhere between the snow piling against the windows and the hours slipping quietly by, he stopped joking. He looked at me like he saw past the role I played for everyone else. He didn’t see the manager. He didn’t see the woman in control. He saw me. I’d never let anyone that close before. Never wanted to. But Conner made me want things I’d convinced myself weren’t real—the kind of connection that happened in one impossible night and changed everything. He said he wasn’t going anywhere. I wanted to believe him. But I’d been the responsible one my whole life—and responsible women didn’t fall for strangers during snowstorms. They didn’t risk everything on a single night. …Did they? Tropes: ❄️ Snowed-In Romance 🔥 Firefighter Hero 🏔️ Small-Town Mountain Setting 🧊 Forced Proximity 😏 Jokester Hero Who Falls Hard 🛡️ Guarded Heroine ❤️ One-Night-to-Forever Love 💋 Steamy Instalove Chemistry 🥰 He Falls First 🏡 Standalone Romance with HEA Mountain Man's Winter Darling is an OTT age-gap romance featuring an alpha hero and V-card heroine. It's a forced proximity ex-military, lumberjack romance with lots of steam that's designed to be read in only 1 hour. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Wildwood Valley Firehouse series!

Mountain Man's Winter Beauty: A Steamy Instalove Romance (Wildwood Valley Firehouse #1) by Lilah Hart

Trapped by winter. Claimed by a mountain firefighter. I noticed Mason the moment he walked into the roadhouse. Hard not to. He was built like the mountains surrounding Wildwood Valley—broad shoulders, powerful arms, hands that looked like they could either break you in half or hold you like you mattered. One of the new firefighters in town. The kind of man every woman noticed. Except he didn’t notice me. Or so I thought. For weeks, Mason came in with his crew. He talked to everyone—the bartender, the cook, the manager. Everyone except me. When I refilled his sweet tea, he couldn’t meet my eyes. When I asked for his order, he answered in single words, like speaking to me was harder than running into a burning building. I told myself it didn’t matter. I was just the server. The small-town girl nobody really saw. Then the snowstorm hit. The roads closed. My car couldn’t make it up the mountain. And suddenly I was stranded in a ditch—in the cab of Mason’s truck—with nowhere to go and no way out. That’s when everything changed. That’s when the quiet firefighter finally told me the truth. He hadn’t been avoiding me because he wasn’t interested. He’d been avoiding me because he was terrified of how much he wanted me. We had one hour before his crew reached us. One hour to decide if this was real—or just the storm talking. One hour that could change everything. Sometimes the best things happen when you’re trapped in the cold… with the one man who can keep you warm. Tropes: 🔥 Firefighter Romance 🏔️ Mountain Man Alpha Hero ❄️ Snowstorm Forced Proximity 🛻 Stranded Together 💪 Protective Age-Gap Hero 😳 Shy Alpha, Hidden Desire 🌸 Virgin Heroine / First Time ⚡ Fast-Burn Instalove ❤️ Small-Town Romance 🌡️ High-Heat OTT Novella Mountain Man's Winter Beauty is an OTT age-gap romance featuring an alpha hero and V-card heroine. It's a forced proximity firefighter romance with lots of steam that's designed to be read in only 1 hour. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Wildwood Valley Firehouse series!

The Curse of Dragon Tail Island (A Pirate Fantasy Adventure) by Jonathan Nevair

Dragonlance meets Pirates of the Caribbean in this swashbuckling pirate fantasy... a revenge-fueled tale of clashing cutlasses, monsters and magic, second-chance romance, and salty sea adventure. A once-legendary pirate and his loyal crew out to retake the high seas… Captain James R. Hawk, aka Trusty Jack, and his Salty Scoundrels are do-gooder buccaneers leaving a trail of merry mayhem in their wake. Their credo: ignore the corrupt laws of the Jewel Island’s greedy regent and sail the tropical seas in search of treasure, freedom, and adventure. But when the royal navy teams up with a powerful mage, Trusty Jack’s sordid past catches up with him. Lost love, lost lives, and a lost ship haunt the legendary pirate, none more than Marian, his once-betrothed. That’s when a cunning gnome arrives from the mainland with a daring proposal. Will Jack muster the salty courage to sail through the illusion-filled mists to reach a forbidden island? The ghostly horrors and powerful curse at his destination will test more than his pirate mettle. He’ll have to weigh the price of gold against the risk of peril to himself, his crew, and those he loves… and face down a haunting past trailing in his wake. The Curse of Dragon Tail Island: a standalone pirate fantasy adventure.

Hot Wolf in the Country - A Cozy Monster Romance (Monster Mate Mayhem) by Honey Phillips

Working late has never been this dangerous! Tech genius Harper moves to Monster Island for a fresh start, hoping to escape her workaholic tendencies. She doesn’t expect to fall even deeper into her old patterns, or to accidentally run into the most infuriatingly attractive man she's ever met. Adrian Moonstone isn't just the Alpha of the Moonstone Pack; he's a growly, dominant force of nature. Adrian wants nothing to do with big city girls, but Harper, with her pink hair, defiant attitude, and tantalizing scent, proves impossible to resist. He knows a tiny human female can't be his Luna. He knows she'll never truly belong in his world. Yet, his wolf’s need to claim her grows with every encounter. When a vicious cyber-attack threatens his pack, Adrian needs Harper's genius more than ever. But as they fight together to defeat this new threat, their undeniable passion ignites. Can Harper find her happily ever after, or will love prove to be a code that even she can’t break? smart heroine, possessive hero, fated mates, forced proximity, shifter romance A sweet and spicy monster romance! Each book can be read as a standalone romance. Intended for mature readers.

Forged in Ruin & Turmoil by Kiana I. Alexandria

Fans of Powerless by Lauren Robert’s, Throne of Glass by Sarah j Maas & Crave by Tracey Wolf will love this thought provoking, fast paced romantasy novel. Strength. Heartache. Betrayal. Reyna was born a drudge—voiceless and invisible in the ruthless Blood Kingdom, where power is everything, and love is a dangerous weakness. Where she’s spent her life enduring cruelty, but when the High Council commits an unforgivable act, Reyna finally breaks. Escaping with nothing but her pain and determination, she flees into the unknown. Welcome to Ellyshia—a land full with power, danger, and fractured alliances. Reyna struggles to survive in a land that feels just as cruel as the one she left behind. But fate isn’t done with her. Captured by a cold, duty-bound fae prince with emerald eyes and a brooding temper, Reyna finds herself torn between fury and something far more dangerous—hope. While her heart still carries the scars from a love ripped from her grasp, new feelings begin to spark where she least expects them. As war brews and ancient enemies rise, Reyna must confront the truth about who she is and what she’s willing to fight for. Loyalties will be tested, blood will be spilled, and secrets buried in the shadows will come to light. Will she rise and answer fates call—or be consumed by the vengeance she’s carried for too long?

Found and Fated by Alyssa Rose

Alliances forged…  Secrets abound… A new power is on the rise. Secrets and loyalties are tested. A union to save them all.  Nestled in the manor after captivity, Aironell contends with decisions that will change her life forever. Bound to Drefan, she is protected and loved, but feels like a captive in a gilded prison. With the voice of the Darkness in her mind, a surge of power in her veins, and unanswered questions burning within; Aironell must decide where her loyalties align.  Faced with the growing darkness, Drefan remains vigilant while maintaining his control. Amidst the chaos, concerns about Aironell’s safety rise when he feels an unusual lull in his power. Can he protect her from what's coming? Will fulfilling the ultimate act of the Fates’ prophecy give him relief? Found and Fated is the perfect blend of fantasy and romantic tension in a fast-paced NA Romantasy. For fans of political intrigue, power struggles, sword and sorcery, prophecies, secrets, and spice.

Dark and Defiant by Alyssa Rose

A darkness beckons… A yearning intensifies…   Ageless prophecies. An ancient evil that looms. A love put to the test.   Captured and hurt, Aironell is stuck underground in a magical prison where she wants nothing more than to escape, but does she want Drefan to find her? A war rages within, as she struggles with her desire and disappointment over Drefan, the secrets she learns, and a mysterious voice that calls to her with promises of safety. But can the dark voice be trusted?   Drefan wants to maintain order in the DarkFlower Jungle, but his growing concern for Aironell intrudes on his mind and heart more than he thought possible. He journeys to the Fates in search of a magical object to keep his people assured and even save Aironell from the scheming plot of those who wish to throw the jungle into chaos. Will Drefan and Aironell survive the secrets and dangers set before them? Will success keep the ancient Darkness at bay?   Dark and Defiant is the deliciously dark second novella in The DarkFlower Jungle Saga for 18+. If you love danger, fated mates, headstrong characters, magical quests, riddles that could kill, who did this to you, and spice; then you’ll be begging for more.

Lost and Lonely by Alyssa Rose

Driven by desire… Bound by fate… 

A magical jungle. A controlling mentor. An ancient feud that threatens it all.   Saved from near-death, Aironell is stuck in the DarkFlower Jungle for over a year with a band of people who serve a ruler, the Dark Sovereign. Desperate to escape and struggling to find her purpose, everything changes when she runs into Drefan, who is arrogant, confident, and frustratingly attractive. Accepting him as her mentor challenges Aironell to prove her worth against his impossible standards.   Drefan wants nothing more than to assert his control and maintain order, but the Fates have other plans. Will he be able to keep his guard against Aironell’s charms? Can the two put aside the rising tension between them and protect the DarkFlower Jungle from ancient evil?   Lost and Lonely is the fast paced first novella in a magical Romantasy series for 18+.  If you like mentor/student to lovers, tension, tons of banter, headstrong characters, training scenes, and tending wounds, then you’ll love Alyssa Rose’s captivating saga.

Love Mediation by D.C. Emerson

Love. Four seemingly innocuous letters that have caused James a lot of grief. Growing up, he thought he had his mom and dad’s love, and his first boyfriend had said lots of pretty words—“love" included. But when push came to shove, the only one whose love stuck around was his mom. And yes, he knows how pathetic that sounds, especially given that his mom is now busier than ever, happily planning Valentine’s Day for her two partners. Things are changing, though. James also has a beloved partner. A man he’s ready to introduce to his mom, and maybe even say those terrifying three words to… He just has to make it perfect. Leon, on the other hand, is far from perfect, and has no plans to try and be anything other than what he is: the office bad boy who is finally facing his ADHD head on…while also reckoning with the fact that he's head over heels for his ridiculous, adorable boyfriend. With the help of new friends and his loveable cat Yarmen, he’s sure everything will work out just fine. Love Mediation is the third novella in the Conflict Mediation series. The series is MM romance novella with trans rep and follows James and Leon as they explore their relationship, form new, long-lasting friendships, and dote on everyone’s favorite cat, Yarmen.

Conflict Resolution by D.C. Emerson

James: James really thought he and Leon left all their struggles behind at the haunted house. His mom is healthy and happy, dating not one but two wonderful people, and James’ own relationship is off to a great start. Unfortunately, as the year draws to a close, James comes face-to-face with a new obstacle: intimacy. While James is by no means a stranger to physical intimacy, it’s been a long time since he had to introduce someone to his parts and preferences. Taking this next step in their relationship comes with lots of conversations…and James wouldn’t call himself an expert conversationalist. Leon: Well, it’s been quite a year. Going from enemies to friends to soon-to-be lovers with James has been a journey, but Leon wouldn’t trade a second of it. What he could do without is the dual diagnosis of anxiety, which he discovered in the middle of a haunted house, and ADHD, which James’ office subordinates noticed before any of Leon’s therapists did. He really thought he’d gotten all his self-discovery out of the way as a teen, but it seems there’s always room to grow. At least this time he won’t be doing it alone. Conflict Resolution is a steamy MM romance novella with trans rep about self-discovery, growth, New Year’s resolutions, and, of course, lots of snuggles with a very needy cat. This is the second novella in a series of novellas following the same couple through various stages of their journey toward a happy-ever-after. This book focuses primarily on the exploring intimacy stage, so if that’s not your vibe, skip to the next novella, Love Mediation, for more James and Leon. The Conflict Mediation novella series should be read in order and is a spinoff from the Not So Normative series, but can be read separately from the other Not So Normative books. The reading order is: Conflict Mediation, Haunted Mediation, Conflict Resolutions, Love Mediation, and a finale.

Haunted Mediation by D.C. Emerson

It’s been six months since workplace rivals James and Leon were sent to conflict mediation, only to end up in couple's counseling. Since then, they’ve become friends, and James would even go so far as to call them best friends. Which is great. Truly. James is so grateful for their lunch dates and weekend hangouts...even if his feelings for Leon moved way past platonic months ago. What matters is his mom is doing better now. She’s been in remission for almost a full year and is becoming increasingly independent—right in time for her all-time favorite holiday: Halloween. All James has wanted for years is for her to be healthy enough to enjoy the small things in life, like having her new “friends” over for scary movies and pumpkin flavored treats. So why does he feel so lost and aimless now? He knows he should talk to Leon about it. Halloween night doesn’t seem like the right time, though, especially not when they get tricked into visiting a house of horrors. If James can get through it, maybe then they can talk, even if doing so feels scarier than anything they’ll face in the haunted house. Haunted Mediation is an MM novella with trans rep, featuring a troublesome neighbor, a needy cat, and a Haunted House. The Conflict Mediation novella series should be read in order and is a spinoff from the Not So Normative series, but can be read separately from the other Not So Normative books. The reading order is: Conflict Mediation, Haunted Mediation, Conflict Resolutions, Love Mediation, and a finale.

Conflict Mediation by D.C. Emerson

James was doing just fine at work, minding his own business and avoiding his long-time nemesis, Leon, at all costs. Unfortunately, upper management has other plans for them, and that’s how James finds himself spending a miserable evening at conflict mediation with Leon. Leon has worked hard to get where he is today, and he doesn’t need his annoying coworker James ruining that for him. He’s ready to grit his teeth through conflict mediation if that means he gets to keep his job and go about his life. Unfortunately, there must have been a mix-up in the office because James and Leon find themselves in a couples counseling session instead. Will they be able to get through the session with their jobs, and their grudges for each other, intact? Community Reviews

Coldharbour: A Gothic Tale of Love and Death by Laura Clarke Walker

Three generations preyed upon by pure evil. Two lost souls drawn to each other in the darkness. One compelling story of love, loyalty, and betrayal. Decades of death and deceit come to a head in a desolate Essex seaside town in October 1999. While everyone else is worrying about the millennium bug, Alex Wilde is staring into a sea she hasn’t seen for a month. She’s finally home and it’s time to resurrect her life: get a job, get somewhere to live that isn’t her uncle’s old haunted house, and get her teenage daughter back. But Coldharbour is a town of shadows and Power, the hereditary magic running through the veins of the blessed (or cursed) few, including Alex. When she meets Elizabeth, the intriguing new owner of the run-down café on the promenade, she knows she is no ordinary woman. However, Alex has no idea how dangerous her new acquaintance really is. Together, they stumble straight into a paranormal murder mystery that even the police can’t solve and, as Alex digs deeper, she starts to unravel the sinister family secrets that have stalked her since she was a child. Battling demons and burying ghosts, Alex will need all of her Power, courage, and Wilde ingenuity to survive.

Alphabet Play by Νίκα Мавроди

Alphabet Play scrutinizes Google's automated voices for what meaning got cryptogrammed via their aggregation of 21 personas ultimately defining my Character List for a hour-long drama voiced by humans. It's the final installment in a print series labeled with ISBN (International Standard Book Number) since the works intended for 2026 will be distributed without registration. Prior titles in ISBN ¾ were "Being Continued..." which is a live-written mafia drama set in Chicago (Illinois), a postmodern scientific essay Replicate This, and «Мол» which elliptically addresses the language politics of my birthplace. The ISBN numbers are, respectively, 979-8-2186-1683-0 | 978-0-983-38679-7 | 979-8-218-82066-4 though some platforms use their own combinations.

A Gun Is The Thing With Feathers by Adorne Sibley

Emma Taumata just cooked her last bounty alive. It was an accident. Emma's a washed-up bounty hunter working for Earth's colonialist alien overlords, the Qhixs'is, who so generously turned off the power, factories, & banned toilets nearly two decades ago. Despite her hatred of them, Emma loves her job, but she's just had another shitty Thursday, & lost the last of her points. So, she's forced to hunt her childhood best friend, Davis Jake. The once serialized A Gun Is The Thing With Feathers is now here, in full novel form, featuring bonus content! For fans of Science Fiction Dystopia and post apocalypse vibes. AGITTWF features a strong female ace protagonist and an LGBTQIA+POC cast, full of found family, platonic love and adventure.

Falling For the Trickster: A Villainous Twist on Rumpelstiltskin & The Goose Girl by Lucy Tempest

Rumpelstiltskin meets The Goose Girl. An opportunistic maid. A manipulative faerie. A gilded deal that binds them both. Ottoline has had enough. After years of enduring Princess Gertrude’s cruelty, the maid’s patience snaps during their voyage to the foreign kingdom of Orcage, where the princess is to marry the crown prince to settle a royal debt. There, she crosses paths with a silver-haired, silver-tongued man with a penchant for deals and deception. Cunning and Ambitious, fae nobleman Lord Roderick von Ravenstock offers Ottoline the opportunity of a to switch places with her tormentor and claim the life of a princess. With a snap of his fingers, she is set to live the life she had dreamed of at the glimmering court of Orcage...until its superstitious king demands she fulfill her kingdom's debt by turning everything into gold. Trapped by her own masquerade, Ottoline turns to Roderick again, and he offers to save her, in exchange for a kiss. One kiss. One favor. One step closer to ruin. As the king’s demands escalate, so do Roderick’s bargains, each adding another layer to his plot against the royal family, and drawing her deeper into a deadly game of magic and court intrigue. But when the king’s greed spirals beyond control, Ottoline has no choice but to escape into Faerie where she falls from one monster’s grasp into the next. Risking his plans, Roderick saves her and, as she recovers under his watchful gaze, the forced proximity begins to crack their defenses, revealing who they are underneath their roles as the trickster and the fraud. Villains in the lives of others, but heroes of their own stories. Together, they plot one last con to bring the king to his knees. But nothing ever goes to plan, especially when hearts are on the line.Falling For the Trickster is the first book in the To Win a Dark Heart series which retells fairytales as old as time, but this time it’s the villain’s turn to get a happy ending.

The Forgotten Five: Levelling up Together by Anka B. Troitsky

Fantasy novella inspired by games and their players In a world fractured by magic and time, I, the humble storyteller, find myself piecing together a tale I can scarcely believe. It begins with a halfling bard named Digram, whose discovery of a forgotten melody sets him and his companions on a dangerous quest. The dwarf Beryl, the human noble Minelira, and the elven warrior Lord Vaelior all carry their secrets, scars, and simmering tensions into this perilous journey. Together, they brave forests alive with menace, tunnels steeped in shadow, and caves where trolls plot their next meal. The magic rings promise a wish fulfilled, but as I uncover their history, I see how much more dangerous it is to seek what lies within one’s deepest heart. Perhaps I am no more than a scribe to their adventure—but if you’re reading this, you too are caught in its spell.

When Platinum Rusts by Anka B Troitsky

When Platinum Rusts is a tale of choices—and the first sparks of a possible future. It invites readers of the Who is Vist series fifty years into the past, to a forgotten place now buried in cold and secrecy. This is the story of Doctor Selest Dvali, and the beginnings of a legacy that would one day change humanity. The story lets us glimpse how the mysterious figure known as Vist came to be.

Signals + Sentiments: A Heartstrings & Coffee Beans Novel by Noah Bodie

When Max Alexander’s best friend moves overseas, the last thing he expects is to open his apartment door to Lucas Campbell—the boy who made his teenage years a living hell. Now, adults and unexpected roommates, Max and Lucas, are trapped in close quarters by a signed lease and a history neither of them has healed from. Max is an art student who survives on rigid routines, sensory control, and silence. Lucas is a writer carrying family obligations, guilt, and a past he’s never been able to explain. As the days pass, old wounds resurface alongside unexpected tenderness, and both are forced to face who they were and who they've become. Healing isn’t loud, forgiveness isn’t clean, and love ... doesn’t always arrive the way you expect it to.

In the Name of Pride by Courtney & Clarke Collins

In the Name of Pride is the second book in the award-winning Vows & Valor series. After a lifetime of separation, Kaleela reconnects with her family inside the Sun’Din Forest as a beloved member of the royal family. But not everyone supports a greater union between the elven and human lands, and a fission cleaves the great forest. Dimitar now serves as a knight in Blackburn, his lifelong dream come true. Everyone he cares about thrives, yet when he closes his eyes, phantom claws of past failures squeeze his throat. Only Kaleela’s nearness keeps the torment at bay, their growing love a beacon. When extremist exiles overtake the elven kingdom, Kaleela must ensure her family’s safety, and Dimitar insists on protecting her. As unthinkable magic descends upon the forest, a power-hungry exile sets his sights on Kaleela’s birthright, her desirability—and her unacceptable human-sympathizing ideals. Not only must Dimitar free Kaleela and her people from the grip of a rising evil, but also confront the shadows within himself, or they’ll lose each other forever.

Fight For Me by JJ Clapton

Alec spends his life travelling the world, teleporting between slopes, cities, and beaches to fill his time. As an immortal warlock he has plenty of it. Nothing ties him down, apart from the warded warehouse he calls home and a weekly appointment with his only friend at a local bar. Trading insults with Euan is the one part of his life that fills the loneliness. Not that he'd ever admit that to the damn fey. But when Alec returns from his latest trip to find the local fairies out in numbers hunting a vampire - their most hated enemy - Euan leaves early to help his fellow fey in the hunt. Rather than stay alone, Alec gives in and follows. But before Alec can find him, Euan gets attacked and turned. Now, the fairies Euan was hunting alongside want him dead too. With Euan hurt and in danger, Alec quickly realises exactly how, and with who, he wants to spend the rest of his very long life. Now all he has to do is risk his own, but what are friends for? Fight for me is a 12,000 word short story about an Aro/Ace warlock and his immortal best friend.

A Stage Over Ruthless Stars by JJ Clapton

Aznan is a chronically ill high school drop out living on a space station with an illness that hates gravity. But he's going to be a famous inventor… That's if he can win the biggest tech competition in the system. Held at his space station's circus, and judged by titans of industry, it's one massive showcase to demonstrate his homemade tech in front of a live audience. To win, he'll need his ex-best friend's help. Kairo hasn't spoken to him in three years, not since he left school to join the circus as an aerialist, but Aznan can handle that. Oh, and the local favourites just turned up dead. That, not so much. Everyone's saying sabotage. Murder and riches. A competition worth killing for. And when a second team dies right in front of Aznan's eyes, the official reassurances of glitches and accidents no longer hold. The body count is rising. The Grand Showcase is blasting closer. With nobody willing to stop the show, Aznan and Kairo must unearth the truth or risk their lives with one final act.

Small Magics for the Traveling Wizard by S.A. McKenzie

Pax never asked to be the assistant to a forgetful old wizard who barely remembers her name—let alone get dragged across Asturia on a wild hunt for a mythical magic door. But when a charming foreign bard shows up at just the wrong moment, and talking corpses start pushing her toward adventure, it’s clear she doesn’t have much of a choice. Maybe this ridiculous journey will help Pax figure out why her magic is so weak she can barely light a candle—or why she remembers a family no one else believes existed. Answers might be out there, but so are reanimated farm animals, man-eating furniture, and an unsettling number of sarcastic magical creatures. Worst of all? The wizard she’s stuck with is growing more powerful—and less stable—by the day. If Pax can’t figure things out fast, he might just start blowing people up for fun.

Warmed Up by the Firefighter: A Second Chance Instalove OTT Steamy Short Romance by Julia Stone

One bad breakup. One unexpected firefighter. One second chance she never planned to take. Reese: They say I’m crazy. That’s the story my ex told after our breakup—loud enough that the whole town believed him. So maybe breaking into his house to get my things back doesn’t help my case, but I refuse to let him keep pieces of my life hostage. I don’t expect to be caught. I definitely don’t expect his new roommate—naked, broad-shouldered, and devastatingly calm about finding me trespassing in the middle of the day. Jaxon isn’t what I’m ready for. He’s heat and safety and everything I swore I was done believing in. One look at him makes me want to risk my heart all over again. But I’ve already loved once and paid for it. No matter how much my body betrays me, I can’t cave. Not again. Jaxon: I step out of the shower and find a woman breaking into my house—and just like every fire I’ve ever run into, I know I won’t walk away unchanged. Reese is sharp-tongued and wound tight, carrying scars no one ever taught her how to heal. The second our eyes meet, something in me locks into place. I don’t question it. I never do. I’m a firefighter. I run toward danger for a living. And Reese is danger in the most tempting form. She doesn’t fall into my arms the way women usually do. She fights it. Pushes back. Keeps her distance. That only makes me want her more. She’s running from something, and I’m not the kind of man who lets someone burn alone. She thinks love is a mistake she can’t afford to make again. I think she just hasn’t met a man willing to fight for her. Mature Novella Romance Short Story Short Romance Second Chance Steamy Quick Read Small Town Instalove Note from the Author: This short read will take 1-2 hours to read.

The Spacer (Galatean Saga #0.5) by Jasmine P. Antwoine

When the enemy isn't considered human, proving you have a soul becomes treason. Lieutenant Lucian Aris captures Commander Gordon Monihan alive, breaking the sacred rule of a decades-long war. Beneath the armor, he doesn't find the bioengineered monster from the propaganda reels. He finds a man. Severed from The Verse, the neural network connecting all Spacers, Monihan is plunged into a deafening isolation that threatens his sanity. But Dr. Hayden, a xenopsychologist, offers something far worse: a tribunal designed to prove Monihan has no soul. Every act of compassion will be dissected as programming. Every human gesture, evidence of sophisticated mimicry. Fifty years later, on Surinam Station, Monihan's trial has become legend. But Sergeant Yaniv knows what the stories don't tell: in a system built to deny personhood, the truth is the most subversive weapon of all. A tense psychological thriller exploring consciousness, identity, and the stories we tell about who deserves to be called human. For readers who want their science fiction thoughtful, unsettling, and morally complex.

Visionary Investigations: Dead And Back Again #1.5 by C. Rae D'Arc

Three Teammates, Three Cases, and a Touch of Magic In the Noir city of Shigaqua, Truth Locke solves crime with her magical ability to Read into people's lives through their palms. After making a name for herself as a private investigator, she now heads her own agency, Visionary Investigations. Her rag-tag teammates include Nita Incog—an amnesiac with the personality and skills of a fighter robot, and Aeron Spade—a young investigator who visits the dead in his sleep. Truth must keep Nita and Aeron from bringing out the worst in each other while making sense of her own relationship with her best friend, Michael (Micro) Johnson. Maneuvering between mob bosses and drug dealers, Truth and her team must solve the Cases of a serial killer who steals victims' shoes, the murder of a close friend with a twisted crime scene, and an undead victim who had a seemingly impossible heart attack.

Vanilla Hour by Neer Ya

Can the heart forgive what memory cannot? Between dusk and dawn lies the Vanilla Hour, that fragile moment when memory and reality blur, and the past comes knocking in the scent of rain and old love. Dr. Nandini Yadav has rebuilt her life from the ruins of trauma: a brilliant geochemist, a devoted mother, a woman who has survived what should have broken her. But when an unexpected reunion draws her back to the storm-swept coast of Goa and the man whose shadow lives in her daughter’s smile, she must finally confront the truth she has buried for decades. Spanning continents and generations, Vanilla Hour is a haunting and luminous story of love, loss, and consequence, where the heart’s geology is mapped in golden seams but riven with fault lines. From the rain-soaked streets of Delhi to the neon quiet of Tokyo, it explores what it means to survive, to forgive, and to rediscover the courage to live without armor. Equal parts romantic suspense and literary thriller, this is a deeply human tale of mothers and daughters, of memory and mercy, and of the fragile beauty that emerges when we stop running from our past and choose, instead, to step back into the light. Find out what happens when the ghosts of love refuse to fade.

What Lies Beneath by Matthew Nation

Everything comes at a price. What's yours? In 1895 Massachusetts, Andrew Dawson uncovers a dark secret his family has kept from him his entire life. When a mysterious stranger, Cornelius Phenton, comes to rescue the family from its crippling debt, everything comes to a head, and the truth is revealed. Andrew makes the deal of a lifetime. The only price to be paid is his beating heart. He takes on the identity of the confident yet arrogant, Derrick. When the moon eclipses the sun, the transformation will be permanent, and Andrew will be gone forever. However, Derrick quickly realizes that leaving his past behind isn’t as easy as it seems. Even without his heart, he somehow still loves the life he has left behind.

The Game Continues After Your Death by Jean-Daniel Magnin

The secret notebooks of Thout' Nielsporte, prince of the Metaverse "Jean-Daniel Magnin has achieved the incredible feat of writing a story where all the sliders of video game culture are pushed to the max." SELL - French syndicate of leisure publishers Here are three intimate notebooks discovered on the body of the young Thout' Nielsporte, the most defiant of online gamers-this same Thout' who had chosen to live in the Metaverse since the age of thirteen. He quickly became an eccentric leader who sparked the hardcore gamers' rebellion and hacked the biggest online role-playing games, merging them into one. This is how Free Pangea was born, a prosperous libertarian digital galaxy, affectionately called "Big Pizza" by its millions of inhabitants. Thout' was its prince. And it could have lasted forever, but strange comas began to affect certain players, and a massive bug suddenly forced millions of Nolifers back into the real world. Sheltering in an old warehouse as endless rain drummed against the roof, Thout' scribbled in his notebooks to ensure the memory of these crazy worlds and their glory would live on. As he wrote, memories erased by his own coma began to resurface, and he slowly recalled a patch released by the former game publishers to reestablish their control over the Metaverse-a patch that promised the impossible: to transfer both his soul and body into his avatar, and keep playing the Game even after death...

That Which Devours - Survive: A LitRPG Adventure by Jer Patch

Alex’s hunger for power cannot be sated. Alex thought a colony ship crashing into a dinosaur-infested jungle was bad enough. Everyone else received a class from the mysterious System ruling this brutal universe, but Alex's Class Selection never arrives. To top it off a meteor shower forces down the supply shuttle leaving her and her brother stranded with food running out. Just when all hope seems lost, it finally happens: Class Selection. And with it, a Legendary Class: Devourer. But what the heck is a Devourer, and why does this power feel so… ravenous? It makes her brother smell less like family and more like a tasty meal? Alex embarks on a perilous trek deep through the wilderness to the compound for supplies to repair their wrecked shuttle. As the dinosaurs close in with her brother's life hanging in the balance, Alex must master abilities she barely understands or succumb to a world that feeds on the weak. Readers who love kick-butt heroines like Under the Dragoneye Moons and legendary classes like Ultimate Level One will consume That Which Devours. Get your copy of this thrilling LitRPG Adventure today

The Gestalt in the Machine by Andy Dornan

SAN FRANCISCO, the near future — When clickbait journalist Adam Arrowman witnesses a murder, he’s forced to become a real investigative reporter. He might just have an exclusive on the apocalypse. His detective work takes him into the world of Kelvin Clipper, an imperious CEO who promises that ever-accelerating artificial intelligence will let him outrun death. Thousands of protesters disagree. Their warning: Infinite growth is an illusion and Big Tech is actually racing toward the extinction of humanity. Caught in the middle, a band of hackers searches desperately for a way to align algorithms with human needs. More violence hints at a connection to a president threatening World War III, lobbyists trying to free corporations from their stockholders, and an app that claims to resurrect the dead. Can Adam find the killer before the killer finds him? What secrets did the victim die to protect? And will Clipper’s Singularity deliver immortality in our time, or damnation for us all?

Time Traitors by Eli Donovan

She came to study dinosaurs—not fall for the time agent babysitting her. Dr. Grace Carson is finally reclaiming her career. Two years after blowing the whistle on her scumbag ex-husband for illegal dino-poaching, she’s ready to return to what she loves most: researching dinosaurs in their natural habitat: 65 million years in the past. But her comeback mission includes one infuriating complication: time agent Ben Nakamura. He’s charming, obnoxiously perceptive, and clearly watching her. The question is, why? Before Grace can find out, everything blows up. Literally. The poacher crew are back and, when Grace refuses to stay quiet, her research station is attacked. She and Ben are forced to flee into the Cretaceous wilds with a busted time machine and no backup. Fixing the machine means a dangerous trek through a predator-infested jungle, but survival might be the easy part. Falling for Ben? That could ruin everything. Adventure, danger, and slow-burn romance in the dinosaur age. Perfect for fans of Romancing the Stone and Jurassic Park!

Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided: An Epic Progression Fantasy Series by Joeing

When two worlds collide, magic meets mechanised giants. For decades, the Osten Empire, wielders of arcane sorcery, has waged war against the Dunkelheit Empire, masters of advanced mechs and mobile suits. Their conflict stretches across the stars, but everything changes when a forbidden spell, the Light of Punishment, is unleashed, shattering the balance of power and plunging both empires into chaos. Jack Squire was never a soldier. A veteran debris collector, he has spent years drifting through space, scavenging wreckage for a paycheck with only one goal in mind: reuniting with his family on Earth. He has no interest in the war and no stake in the empires’ struggle. But fate has other plans. Caught in the escalating conflict, Jack isn't fighting for a cause. He's fighting to stay alive and find the people he loves before it's too late. As alliances shift and war machines clash with sorcery, a hidden force emerges — one that could rewrite the fate of both empires and change the course of history forever. Over 140,000 reads on RoyalRoad About The Series: Machina Arcanis is an epic science fantasy and progression series perfect for fans of space opera, anime, mecha, and sorcery. Follow Jack Squire's journey through a multi-POV narrative filled with high-stakes war, compelling romance, and a tragic clash of ideologies.

The Dark Without by T.K. Toppin

You cannot change what has already happened, just as what will happen cannot be altered. Lies. Nothing but lies! “Humankind is always doomed to fail. It has fallen many times before, and many times we have intervened to ensure it stays on the correct course. Earth is salvageable, but if you had continued along the path you were on, it would not have been. You have billions of years more to exist before your planet’s final destruction. We are only making certain it survives that long, and ensuring your survival until the ultimate end. At times you progress too fast, but such is humankind’s way. So we had to accelerate this current failure sooner in order to restart. As we have done before, a guide with a better objective and understanding of how to protect your world, will be inserted…” But why did they care what humans did with their lives? They were aliens—beings from another dimension! Earth wasn’t their home. Esme Serrano’s predestined encounter with the trans-dimensional anthropomorphic Aakehollats sends her on a multi-pathed journey spanning ten thousand years. A journey riddled with lies, manipulations and untold layers of deception. She guides Earth as the Sibyl, a powerful and mystical leader, and brings the dying world back from the brink of death. She helps the Aakehollats, and ensures that Earth survives until its ultimate destruction in the cosmos. But her one true goal is, and always will be, to kill the Aakehollats.

We Don't Start Fights: Theseus Protocol by A. Stargazer

He just wanted to see the stars - not end a war. When a routine diplomatic mission turns sour, the Theseus is forced to play peacemaker in a genocidal conflict. Nathan Sawyer is one of the only humans on board the ship, reluctantly taking command when the captain betrays the mission. Nathan and his team of uplifted misfits must work together to solve a humanitarian crisis on a scale nobody has ever faced. If they succeed, then a lasting peace may spread across the galaxy. Should they fail, then the planet Horthus will be destroyed. Nathan might be in charge, but he has no clue what he's doing. He needs to quickly learn to navigate a labyrinth of intrigue and red tape - and if that wasn't bad enough? One side is eating the other.

Memento Moreau by Conrad Altmann

HoloBionTech Unlimited has a broad portfolio of interests. From rumors of aggressive plant-life to pushing the boundaries of brain-circuit connections and beyond; they send their field agents globally to collect data on what may become the next big technological advance. Sometimes those forays into the unknown go awry. These seven accounts—recently declassified from the HBT archives—share some of the misadventures of their field agents, shine a light on product development, and reveal the truth behind the last days of installation HBT003. They contain depictions of out-of-body experiences, fungal infections, genetic sabotage, evolutionary revenge and sexual deception. All are based in truth, though are yet unproven.

Moral Laundry by Conrad Altmann

This collection of seven short stories stems from a dire outlook on the future of humanity, though there are rays of hope interspersed. Figures of authority are faced with profit or morality, the lonely find companionship in an unlikely space, a young boy learns that what was once beautiful to him holds a deeper and more somber meaning that he alone must carry, and a young actor reconciles to a normality that may leave him without an identity.

Metanoeia by Conrad Altmann

Alvaro Hernandez has just detected an interstellar object with an irregular trajectory just beyond Jupiter, throwing off his research. Advised to check and recheck obviously faulty data by his mentor, he enlists the aid of his close friend to help him resolve his mistake, if there is one. Komozoi has been sleeping for most of his life, waking only to perform the simple task that has been assigned him; to maintain the course. But when he discovers that his journey is nearly at an end, the destination is not what was promised. The courses of both of their lives are rapidly approaching a world shattering intersection. Can they convince those around them of a civilized solution before less rational heads prevail?

This Little Piggy by J.G. Brin

Mac makes a living where he can, playing fast and loose with the laws of the Porcine Republic. He’s faced every kind of danger possible in both known and unknown quadrants. Luck and skill have served him well enough until he unwittingly unleashes the fury of a beast the likes of which he's never seen. Cal is a doctor, left alone to safeguard a deserted medical outpost. She bitterly opposes the military expansion of the Republic and regrets the part she has played in aiding the marines. Her world is about to be rocked to its core. Zok is a marine, living in self-imposed exile on Planet V3. Half-patriot, half-visionary and completely bananas, he is the third and final piece required to defeat the beast that arrives on the planet he now calls home. Join these three unlikely heroes as they form an alliance on the frontier of space to defeat the most powerful opponent the galaxy has ever known.

The Seven Muses of Harry Salcedo by Vincent Ternida

Disgruntled Vancouverite Harry Salcedo has three vices—caffeine, overthinking, and dead-end relationships. Ten years after migrating to Vancouver, this former third culture kid has grown sick of the West Coast and seeks solace in his dream to move to Toronto. He vacillates between his on-and-off paramours, overbearing parents, and exhausted confidants. As he slowly approaches forty and his personal window for escaping the coast closes, Harry rushes the novel he’s always wanted to write while there’s still time. Vincent Ternida’s humorous, poignant, and heartbreaking book contrasts the uncertainties of migration, ambition, and love with the beauty of the Lower Mainland. It is an exciting new take on the classic Asian Canadian narrative.

The Variant War by Les Abernathy

Life is difficult enough as it is without someone traveling back in time to kill you. Now imagine an entire army of people dedicating themselves to erasing your existence. Because you were born in another time, another history, forsaken by what was meant to be. Where no means are too horrific and no weapons are too inhumane to bring about your annihilation. Now imagine, that instead of hiding, you chose to fight back. This is the life of a Variant. Jonathan Snyder was the ideal example of a Variant who chose to resist others' interpretation of destiny. Disciplined, focused, uncompromising. Combined with his ruthless demeanor with a gun, he also made for an excellent assassin. That is until his past literally catches up with him, and he is forced to escape into the multiverse. Snyder must tear spacetime apart in order to find out who is hunting him before he is erased from time itself.

A Cloud of Unknowing by Andrew Gillsmith

"The universe requires sacrifice. It always has, and it always will, because the universe is sacramental." Broken and scattered, the survivors of the strange events in the Taklamakan Desert are trying to make sense of what happened while the rest of the world tries to recover its balance by scapegoating the artilects. The Process--an ancient, alchemical plan to transform human consciousness--goes far deeper than anyone thought, and only the artificial magnetic shield developed by astrophysicist Sarah Baumgartner is preventing the newly transhuman Ralph Channing from fulfilling it. The Lucifer Particles, a mysterious high-energy flux that seems to originate from beyond spacetime itself, may hold the answers, but the path to understanding leads through the strange, sub-quantum world of the Holomovement, guarded by the secretive scientific cult known as the Divers. And the price of understanding might be Sarah's soul itself. In Rome, the Princes of the Church converge to elect a new Pope. Cardinal Marco Leone does everything in his power to stop the rise of his rival, the worldly and cunning Leo Pensabene, while Father Gabriel Serafian, an exorcist and former neuroscientist, is drawn even deeper into a conspiracy of global--and possibly supernatural--dimensions. Confusion reigns. New discoveries threaten the very foundations of both science and faith. A cloud of unknowing has descended upon the world. Meanwhile, visions of a young Chinese girl who died in the concentration camps decades ago point to a way forward...

The Final Season by Andrew Gillsmith

For fans of Douglas Adams and PG Wodehouse. It’s one thing to know that the End is coming, quite another to know the exact date and time right down to the nanosecond. Such is the unhappy fate of the inhabitants of Rexos-4, a once-thriving planet that has lived under the doom of an inevitable apocalypse for millenia. Their entire philosophy of life may be summed up by the phrase “Mxtlpicam’ bnak ooligapn,” which in most languages translates to something along the lines of “What’s the bloody point?” Unbeknownst to the poor Rexans, their predicament has also been the subject of the longest-running and most successful reality television series in galactic history, now translated into over 200 million languages, with closed captioning. With the end of the world just around the corner, the show is entering its all-important final season. Everyone knows how difficult it is to pull off a satisfying finale–such stakes fill even the most hard-boiled Gallywood executives with fear and trembling. Join Gumpilos Tfliximop, Elvie Renfro, Rufus Camford and a cast of colorful characters as they battle the notorious showrunner (and subverter of expectations) Betty Neezquaff, all while tackling the big questions of life’s meaning and purpose with wit, warmth, and–dare I say–optimism. The Final Season is The Truman Show meets the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, with just a dash of PG Wodehouse.

Points of Origin by E.S. Fein

Embark on a cosmic mystery spanning all of spacetime and beyond and delve into the nature of the cosmos, time travel, quantum physics, religion, deep time, transhumanism, metaphysics, and more. Amero wakes from an eerily familiar dream in an unfamiliar bed. Within hours, he is forced onto an experimental craft and jettisoned across the galaxy alongside a mysterious, potentially homicidal man named Hann. Finding themselves in a strange yet familiar spacetime, the men are told by suspicious entities to hunt for Points, strange objects no larger than one's thumb, which are spread across the cosmos by unknown means. The purpose of the hunt is unknown. The purpose of the Points is unknown. All Amero wants is to return to his dead-end life. All Hann wants is to hunt down and destroy those responsible for his predicament. It will take a journey to the end of time itself and beyond the boundaries of every universe to know the truth--to witness the light behind the veil...for better or worse.