Queen of Poison (The Venatrix Chronicles Book 6) by Sylvia Mercedes

Betrayal surrounds her. Doom beckons her. Yet she will hunt one last time. Captured, heartbroken, shackled in torturous iron mittens that keep her shade deeply suppressed, Ayleth knows Fendrel keeps her alive for one purpose: She is his only remaining weapon against the resurrected Dread Odile. Once her task is complete, she will be executed. It’s as simple as that. But Ayleth isn’t about to give in that easily. Meanwhile, Gerard is held prisoner in his own castle by his uncle's orders--Fendrel must keep his nephew alive in order to force the ancient prophecy into completion. However, Gerard sees a different path before him, and he is resolved to follow it to the end. As the forces of the Witch Queen wreak havoc across the land, can Ayleth and Gerard come to terms with the truth of their pasts . . . and face their destinies with courage? Don’t miss the penultimate adventure in the breathtaking Venatrix Chronicles!

SOLD by Blair Denholm

Gary Braswell just made the biggest mistake of his life. He trusted the Russian mafia. The Gold Coast swelters in record temperatures, and Gary's hot under the collar. With his career at rock-bottom, he's up to his neck in debt to loan shark Jocko Mackenzie. If the loan's not repaid, there's more than Gary's kneecaps at stake - his long-suffering wife is also in peril. Desperate, Gary turns to a charismatic client for help, and he's soon embroiled in the murky world of money laundering. With the federal police sniffing around and Jocko on his tail, Gary concocts an audacious scam. Success means money - lots of it. Failure means death. Can Gary pull it off? Dodgy entrepreneurs, nouveau riche Russian émigrés, corrupt federal cops and femme fatales, SOLD’s characters jump off the page. PRAISE FOR SOLD "Few can master the art of humor and tension as well as Blair Denholm" "A neatly executed work of comic grunge" "Action packed and fast paced" "Numerous storylines converge in a brilliantly constructed ending" Are you ready for a whole new brand of thriller? Grab your copy of SOLD today and find out why fans of crime fiction can't get enough of this groundbreaking author. Perfect for fans of gritty, fast-paced noir thrillers and vigilante justice novels If you enjoy the gripping prose of Irvine Welsh and James Ellroy, the absurd humor of Tom Sharpe and Joseph Heller, and the story-telling power of Elmore Leonard, you’re going to get a huge kick out of SOLD • This is the first book in Game Changer series

Thicker Than Blood (The Journey Missions Book 3) by Holly Ash

Teacup Dragon Coop

Lieutenant Commander Crystal Wolf's hatred of politics has never been a secret through her spotless military career. So why is she being sent to Earth to speak at a military hearing on behalf of The Lands and Waters of Neophia Organization? When Crystal's team is tasked with convincing the US military to continue the officer exchange program that first brought Lieutenant Desiree Flint and Ensign Justin Anderson to Neophia to serve on Journey’s first tour, the stakes are already high: if they fail their mission, Flint and Anderson won’t be able to return for the second tour. And to make matters worse, they arrive on Earth to find relations between the two planets are far worse than anyone let on. Things escalate when a terrorist group attacks a string of hospitals, demanding the US government acknowledge Neophia’s superiority. Divided from their team in the wake of a retaliatory order that detains anyone with Neophian blood, Flint and Anderson, the only two pure humans, must find a way to complete their mission--and get the rest of their team home in one piece.

Dance of Souls (The Venatrix Chronicles Book 4) by Sylvia Mercedes

Venatrix Ayleth made a vow of loyalty to her Holy Order. But is the Order loyal to Ayleth? Still recovering from her deadly encounter with the Phantomwitch, Ayleth finds herself the unwilling guest of the Golden Prince, forced to enjoy his hospitality . . . and the not-so-gentle ministrations of Venator Fendrel du Glaive. There’s something strange about Fendrel. The way he stares at her is unsettling—as though she’s a monster, as though she’s guilty of some great sin. But didn’t she just defeat one of the worst enemies the kingdom has ever known? Hasn’t she proven her worth? And then there’s Terryn, who may be lying to her, who may not be the loyal venator everyone believes him to be. He also looks at her strangely . . . but his gaze makes her heart stop and her pulse race in ways she’s never felt before. As the night of Prince Gerard’s wedding approaches and the kingdom gathers to celebrate new beginnings, dark forces close in on all sides. Certain secrets, long buried deep, are bound to emerge at last. When they do, will Ayleth have the strength to stand and fight?

Awakening: The Commune’s Curse Book 1 by Lucy A. McLaren

The Kingdom of Septima is ruled in all but name by the Commune, a ruthless cult that seeks control of an ancient power that has taken root in unsuspecting children in Septima. To maintain their hold on the kingdom, the Commune will stop at nothing to capture children who show signs of this power, to be weaponised or eliminated. 18-year-old Evelyn Folksman is in hiding. Taken in by a tavern-owner, she is haunted by the horrific events that drove her from her home years before. Evelyn is forced to face her past when two wayward children, Raif and Rose Huntsman, arrive at the tavern, pursued by Commune soldiers. The children fall under Evelyn’s reluctant care as the trio narrowly escape a raid. Relentlessly hunted by Commander Jonah Sulemon and Commune agent Lord Eirik Torrant, Evelyn and Raif cannot fathom why they pose such a threat to the Commune, until six-year-old Rose unwittingly reveals a terrible secret: she possesses powers more fearsome than any the Commune has unearthed in decades. There are only two options: to be captured and imprisoned, or to run for the rest of their lives.

The Edge of the Abyss by Blake Shimshock and Sherry Shimshock

Lana has been gone for almost a standard galactic year, and Senior Agent Derek Fade is still tormented by her murder and his own failure to capture the killer. He’d been so close…but just as the gangster had predicted in that final moment before Derek let Valdune slip beyond his grasp, vengeance has become the agent’s gnawing obsession. Now his wife haunts him, his boss questions his sanity, and forget about working alone! With his life on the edge of a dark crossroads, Derek Fade must decide which way to go. The only thing he knows for sure is that he won’t rest until he brings an end to the hunt for Valdune.

Birth of the Storm by Valerie Storm

A bolt of lightning. And a dream of vengeance. For wolf-demon Kari, these define her every waking moment. Her parents are dead, slaughtered by human hands, forcing their only daughter to masquerade among their killers to save her own skin. Now she dwells among them, hiding her lightning-based abilities and plotting a terrible revenge, believing her schemes are all she's good for now. But when she discovers unexpected solace among a group of humans who look past her monstrous nature, Kari finds herself questioning everything. Her mission. Her dreams. Even the hatred festering in her heart. Is it possible for a creature like Kari to find happiness in a world that despises her? Or will the specters of her past force her down the path of vengeance in the end?

Crown of Nightmares (The Venatrix Chronicles Book 7) by Sylvia Mercedes

Who will live? Who will die? Who will be changed . . . forever? Separated from the Evanderians, Ayleth finds herself alone in the malevolent Witchwood. Or perhaps not entirely alone . . . Confronted with the reality of her living grandmother, Ayleth soon learns that the horrors once ascribed to Dread Odile’s name and legend may not be entirely true. But what is the truth? Could the infamous Witch Queen be a freedom fighter providing hope for those oppressed under Saint Evander’s law? Is she the loving family Ayleth thought she’d lost forever? Or is she the greatest threat the world has ever known? While battling to save their loved ones, Ayleth, Terryn, and Gerard must each face the lies that have influenced their lives since childhood. The final battle is upon them, and the decisions they make will shape the course of destiny. Don’t miss the explosive finale of the acclaimed Venatrix Chronicles!

Downhome Little Planet Vol. 2 by Joey Daiba

A glimmer of dubious hope flickers in the distance for the backwater planet of Acies Gemma. A powerful race known as the J’sarri is on route to save the dying world and ensure the safety of their runaway princess. But even with the political marriage of Twitch and Leuki promising an alliance, things aren’t getting much better for the planet’s abandoned populace. If anything, you’d think nobody had even noticed the events of the last couple of months! What the hell is wrong with everyone?! To make matters worse, things have only gotten more problematic for our favorite cyborg degenerate! His blushing bride has a knack for attracting enough trouble to bring entire government branches crashing down. And don’t think Twitch’s girlfriend Scarlet has given up on the man of her dreams. Her schemes are adding even more thorium to the fire! Behind all this chaos, a mystery is slowly unraveling. There’s something more to the Fyx family than meets the eye. Even more, the planet itself holds secrets, haunting just beneath its surface. Can Fix hold his life together before all hell breaks loose? Can Leuki win him over and finally have the simple life of her dreams?

Mistletoe & Mishigas by M.A. Wardell

Beauty and the Bear: Can these opposites fake their way into something real? Sheldon Soleskin should be having a horrible day. Even though he’s been unexpectedly transferred to a new school right before the holidays, has only one day to set up his new classroom, and just discovered his twin sister's been hiding an invitation to his ex-boyfriend’s Christmas Eve wedding, he’s still ready to take on the world with a smile on his face and a skip in his step. Theo Berenson just wants to be left alone to his custodial duties. But when the chipper new first-grade teacher needs help moving furniture the Sunday after Thanksgiving, he's forced to do something he detests. Help. To make matters worse, Theo's overbearing parents are coming for Hanukah in a few weeks, and he's told them he has a boyfriend. Except he doesn't. Because who would want to date an oaf like Theo? Working together, these opposites discover they might be able to help each other out. Agreeing to be each other’s dates, they become friends as they practice for their upcoming events. But when all the rehearsing starts feeling a little too real, and both men's pasts come roaring back to haunt them, will they be able to pull off the ultimate holiday masquerade?