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Kingdom of Essence by Holly Karlsson To survive here, you either grow wings or claws Elitsa Serlov only cares about two things ā earning enough money to start a new life and finding the rogue mage who murdered her mother. But years without leads have left her jaded, and she wonāt let anyone ā friend or foe ā get in her way. In Casekraia, anyone can use magic if theyāre desperate enough to rent relics from the Tower, a corrupt guild of mages more concerned with their own wealth than the welfare of the people. Elitsa has spent the last three years as a reclamation agent for the guild, hunting down her own people for precious coin and the hope of uncovering what happened to her mother. Just one week before her contract with the Tower is set to expire, Elitsa is coerced into a dangerous conspiracy by a gang of rebellious thieves. With her loyalty to the Tower in question, Elitsa must decide between her quest for revenge and charting a new course for her life. With captivating characters, daring heists, and dangerous magic, this enchanting fantasy adventure spins a tale about the power of hope and friendship and our connection to the world around us. |
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The Broken Oath by Pablo Suarez FIRST, YOU SHALL NEVER DO HARM Doctor Damyra Pynarios has achieved what no woman has before in the history of the Noktanian League. Ruthlessly climbing through the ranks, battling fiercely to become Guild-certified Physician and Head of the School of Medicine of the Guilds Association University, everything seems to be going well for herā¦ ā¦ exceptĀ somethingĀ is brewing in Noktanos, Capital of the League. Damyra receives an unexpected visit from a lawyer with shady motives, and shadier allegiances. A past she thought long forgotten, is used to leverage her into signing a mysterious Binding Agreement. Will she sign a contract that could change the rest of her life? Meanwhile, young Nymor Strethos has ended his travels across the continent of Helados. No longer searching for incantations to add to his Codex, he has changed the company of an estranged father for an apprenticeship with strict Doctor Romos. His harsh tutelage will clash with Nymās lifestyle and make him confront a very easy decisionā¦ ā¦or it would be, had he not fallen victim to something he has learned to fear. Love. Which one will Nym choose, heart or duty? |
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The Spider and the Scribe by Morgan Stang As far as Harriette Cooke is concerned, a little lie or two never hurt anyone. A down-on-her-luck scribe and the sole provider for her family, she struggles to get by in a city that turns a blind eye to the poor. Her finances are squeezed to the breaking point when she stumbles across the impossible on the side of the road: a chest full of gold coins. The fortune could completely change Harriette's life. The problem? It's a lost provincial tax payment meant for the King. Throughout the city, the search is on for the missing money, and everyone is closing in on Harriette. On one side is the lord of the city, Count Gainsbury, and the cruel City Watch at his disposal. On the other side is the Cobbler's Guild, a band of ruthless cutthroats led by a madwoman who will stop at nothing to claim her prize. And complicating things is the arrival of Royal Inquisitor Samara Adia, an investigator sent straight from the King to put his affairs in order with the help of her infamous bodyguard, the Misfit of Kantor. Trapped in a web of deceit, all clues lead to Harriette and her friends. If they want to get out of the city aliveāand richāthey have only their wits to rely on...and perhaps a little lie or two. |
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They Call Me Princess Cayce: new body, new universe, deadly problems by P D Ball As if waking up in the body of a young teenage girl wasnāt bad enough, I couldnāt remember my own name. It turns out Iām the princess, second heir to the throne. I have to get back to my own life, but donāt know who to trust or how to do that. Ask the wizard for help? Clearly, magic was involved in my transformation, but if I tell him, Iād be confessing to stealing his princessās body. And if I tell the prince, well, whereās his dear sister? Worse, I woke up tied to a tree in the enemy army. The army that just killed the king and wants to take over the kingdom. This new life is not going well. Was I stuck inside a game on some sort of quest? Maybe, I always play cute girl characters because, well, I want to watch them beat up monsters. But if this was real, then I was in serious trouble. Real or simulation, there was only one thing to do: survive. --- In a gritty, realistic medieval world that doesn't pull punches, Princess Cayce struggles to adjust. A land of terrifying magic, ever-present warfare, deeply rooted patriarchy and, well, a lot of limitations on how a princess can behave. This is not erotica and not a harem novel. Thereās no romance. At least, so far. Inspired by litrpg, but it has no obvious gaming system. |
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The Lowest Healer and the Highest Mage by Hiyodori āI never forgot the sound of you calling for me. Not for a second.ā The Lowest Healer and the Highest MageĀ is a slow-burn f/f romance set in an original modern-era fantasy world, featuring a magical tower with countless curious rooms. Itās a story of friends to enemies to reluctant allies, guilty secrets, love mixed inextricably with hate, fragile second chances, and the true price of boundless magical power. In a country where mages have all the power and healers supposedly only exist to support them, Clematisāa talented healerāis despised for her past attempts to defy the mageocracy. In her early thirties, sheās already on year seven of a life sentence for treason. But when the most powerful mage in the nation suddenly loses all her magic, the government wants unconventional Clematis to help get it back. The mage is a tall, distant woman called Wist, and Clematis knows her all too well. They used to be classmates. Best friends. Perhaps more. Wist is also the person who reported Clematis for leaking state secrets. Sheās the reason Clematis spent the last seven years in prison. Clematis wants revenge for her betrayal, but she wants freedom even more. Sheās got thirty days to recover Wistās magic: miss the deadline, and sheāll be shunted back to prison for the rest of her life. Yet attempting to resurrect Wistās lost magic will force her to face the real reason why Wist betrayed herāand to face her unresolved, unspoken feelings for the mage who stabbed her in the back and walked away. |
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Liches Get Stitches by HJ Tolson Evil stirs in the forest of Downing, spreading blight across the ancient boughs. Busy with troubles of her own, Maud the village witch just wants to be left alone. Peace and quiet should be easy enough when you're dead, right? Wrong. Reborn as a powerful lich, Maud is suddenly faced with the attentions of all the righteous heroes, holy clerics, and nosy neighbours of the realm. Now instead of whiling away the days in her garden with her cat and her knitting, Maud must figure out how much force is required to crush a man's spine, the proper storage solution to keep a spoiling cadaver, and how best to display the remains of the fallen for maximum scare. Featuring people mulch, head bouquets, revenant geese, and some very deadly embroidery, undead paradise never looked so good. A very grisly slice-of-life progression fantasy. Trigger warning for gore and violence. |
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Yellow Tape and Coffee by Pat Luther Four intertwining stories. Four points of view of a single large event. Four people from different backgrounds with different ideals. And a secret society of werewolves is unveiled in Portland, Oregon. For four hundred years, they have kept their secret. Some will do anything to reveal it. Others will sacrifice everything to keep it. Alliances will be forged and shattered. Friendships will be made and betrayed. Conspiracies within conspiracies will unravel as conflicting agendas clash across the city. And by the end, nothing will be the same. |
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The Reborn Prince by Julianne Munich Book 1 of theĀ Mages in the MundaneĀ historical fantasy series. He was a prince, forced into a new life as a pauper. Luc, a poor but vain young man in 1775 Paris, is confused by his dreams of gilded ballrooms and unknown people in lace and jewels. What's more, everything before the past two years is a hazy fog in his mind, and Aunt Mathilde gives him few answers. What he doesn't know is that 'Aunt Mathilde' is in fact his motherāa Sorceress. She keeps him captive under her magical veil, desperate to both protect him and to punish him for the evil deeds of his royal past. When disease leaves Luc scarred and weakened, he feels his life is over. He pushes away his humble friends, including Emilie, a young housemaid with inner beauty.āØāØEmilie, scarred from smallpox, is resigned to life as a spinster. Yet, she sees beauty and joy in life and understands Luc's despair beneath his bitter, beastly attitude.āØāØUnless Luc can embrace his inner strength, care about others, and love unselfishly, he risks destroying himself once more. An adult twist onĀ Beauty and the Beast,Ā with family drama, a secret underground society of Mages, and a sweet love story. āØNote: This novel contains sensitive themes including violence and suicidal ideation. Romantic scenes are sweet and no-steam. Contains lead-ins to the sequel. |
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The Girl of Precinct Five by Jonatan HĆ„kansson If scars tell stories, then Lynnās arms read like books. A failed augmentation thatād once burnt the skin from her knuckles; that time a Bane-scale got too close, nearly costing her three fingers; and an explosive thatād misfired, robbing her of all mobility in her left shoulder for weeks. Rift Diving was a restless pastime, but it did bring a penny for a dream. One to afford living another day, two to protect what little she has left, three to maybe earn herself a future in a city not her own - to escape the fate of all rats of Precinct Five. Then again, things have seldom worked out for Lynn. Not since the day the Third Rupture stole most of whatever she once cared about. Not since the day she was born. |
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Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon One stormy May night, just as Tom Olsen is about to leave with his Native American friends to visit his grandfather's grave deep in Washington State's Olympic Peninsula wilderness, he answers a knock at his door to find an abandoned thirteen year old girl. The girl announces her name is Sarah Cooley and that Tom is her grandfather. She tells Tom he lives at the end of the earth. All she sees is dripping forest, tall trees, rain and wind. Astonished, all Tom sees is trouble. He knows he should cancel the trip and deal with Sarah, but when his friends suggest bringing Sarah along, Tom reluctantly agrees, hoping a backpacking trip might teach Sarah some sorely needed lessons about character, responsibility and grit. All too soon, Tom and his friends have reason to wonder - are they taking Sarah Cooley on this journey, or is she taking them? Adventure, scientific inquiry, a tinge of mystery, and a hint of the unexplainable infuse this meticulously-imagined tale. In a story matching the breathtaking scope of its Pacific Northwest and North Pacific setting, Sheldon's tale startles, yet challenges us to think. |
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Coloring Life by Vicki Alexander Looking at Julie, you would think she has it all. Beauty, a big house, and a successful husband, but everything is not as it seems. Julie's lifelong search for love and acceptance has led her on a journey of self-destruction. What started as a little girl's dream to live behind a picket fence has become the beginning of her undoing. "She steps out of her car; her long, lean legs precede her. Her dark hair is perfectly coiffed, and her designer sunglasses hide her bloodshot eyes. She waves at her neighbors while unstrapping her children from the backseat. Leading them by the hands, she whispers to herself, God, I hate them. " |
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Cerebral Fossil by Shaye Baker A fossil is any trace or remains of any once-living thing. This collection reflects desperation. Its tone is set by the unshakeable bond between an international musician who died in a car crash and the aftermath experienced by his little brother. The author kept a journal and, using his love of writing and poetry, created this moving collection. Keep this fossil for centuries to come. |
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Good Brave People by Nicholas Trahdal Whenever acclaimed author Jasper Augustine needs to get inspired for his next book, he goes traveling. Thatās what he seeks when he books a flight to San SebastiĆ”n for a month in the summerājust a little inspiration. In Spainās Basque Country, what Jasper discovers is a life-changing exploration of culture, food, drink, human connection, and love that causes him to question the meaning of the word āhomeā. The culinary and cultural descriptions in Good Brave People will leave you ready to travel. |
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Loved Mars, Hated The Food by Willie Handler Dix Jenner, a self-proclaimed slacker, is the first chef to liveāand maybe dieāon Mars. After an explosion kills his colony companions and leaves him with nothing but his spacesuit, his time on the faraway planet is about to expireā¦ until heās rescued by friendly Martians Bleeker and Seepa, who smuggle him into their vast underground civilization. Despite an unfamiliar world of telepathy, strange class dynamics, and really bad food, Dix sets out to make his mark. After opening a cafeāwho knew Martians loved espresso?āhe starts to notice that responsibility can feel good. Not only that, but heās got a new romance, and for the first time he actually cares. Unfortunately, his success attracts the attention of the corrupt and narcissistic Martian Grand Leader. Forced to run to avoid being imprisoned, Dix gets lucky: a NASA rescue mission lands on Mars. But seeing it brings back the dark secret heās been keeping from himself about the colonyās explosion, and now Dix must choose between returning to Earth or spending the rest of his life in a cell on the dusty red planet where he belongs. |
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Sticks and Stones: Full Story Edition by Chelsea DeVries In Sticks and Stones, DeVries paints a poetic picture of rising above toxicity, love found and love lost, and delves into what it means to find strength in the human spirit. Through poetry, the reader finds a voice of strength and the rebuilding of one's heart a home with all the sticks and stones thrown upon it. Newly expanded with more full color photos, 41 new poems, and a rewrite of Drowning in An Ocean of No Tomorrows, DeVries shows a full poetic picture of turning pain into poetry in order so you can rise above whatever is pulling you under. |
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Air is not free. On this planet, the workers must pay for shelter, food, water, and even the air they breathe. They pay with a lifetime of meaningless labor to sustain the basic necessities of living. But there are other planets with other systems. Great empires of technology dominate the stars as they search for the meaning of life. In the outer worlds, an ancient culture discovered the purpose of our existence and thrived for many generations until they went into hiding. What did they find? What was their solution? It all begins with air ... How much can you afford to breathe? |
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The Soul's Aspect by Mark Holloway A healer forced to become a killer for an empire that would grind his country to dust. Kehlem, the sickly son of a widowed physician, has devoted his life to learning his fatherās craft. Wanting to finally step out of his fatherās shadow, he embarks on a project of his own, seeking out the help of Themia, the town's newly arrived Alchemist and a rare wielder of magic. But Themia has secrets of her own, secrets carried from the heart of the empire itself, secrets that would steal Kehlem away from his home and into the empireās Academy for magic users. The Isale Academy beckons, but can Kehlem survive the academy and its brutal regime? And if so, what would he have to become? |
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A Bargain of Blood and Gold by Kristin Jacques A novice hunter with a mission. A five-hundred-year-old vampire with a strong sense of irony. A town plagued by creatures in need of saving. When Johnathan Newman arrives in Cress Haven, the last thing he expects is for his life to be irrevocably changed. Sent by a clandestine league of vampire hunters to investigate a string of murders, signs point to a vampire lurking amid the townsfolk. Johnathanās attempt to enlist the locals leads him to an unlikely partnership with Vic, the town's most eligible, enigmatic bachelor. As the pair work to solve the mystery, Vicās secrets come back to bite him. Revealed, the vampire fights his attraction to a man trained to destroy him, while Johnathanās emotions land him in the middle of forbidden desires. Even if Vic isnāt the murderer, how can Johnathan yearn for his natural enemy? As Vic leads Johnathan into encounters with terrifying beings straight from childrenās nightmares, Johnathan learns that not only is the world stranger than he knew, but that those he once trusted have far darker intentions that will place hunter and vampire at the center of a conflict between realms. Cress Haven holds more sinister secrets than its resident vampire, a secret so great, it could unleash Hell itself. For fans of Gail Carrigerās Supernatural Society, The Charm of Magpies series by KJ Charles, Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee. |
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Winterās Myths by Gage Greenwood When the world ends, who will tell the story? After a disease ravages his underground community, Winter escapes with his daughters to the dangerous surface of Earth. Believing the planet is largely abandoned, he struggles to make sense of this strange new world while trying to keep his family alive... But the surface is not all complicated artifacts and relics of a deserted universe. Winter is certain somethingāor someoneāis hunting them. He weaves wild tales to entertain and teach his daughters, turning celebrities into demigods and Abe Lincoln into an ice giant. As the journey grows darker and more dangerous, his mythologies keep not only his children from confusion and despair, but him as well. With tensions rising and danger at every corner, will Winter keep his family alive long enough to finish his tales? Winter's Myths is a multi-season serial currently publishing on Amazon's Kindle Vella. This book covers the first season. Each season will be available in book form upon completion. |
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Italian Bones in the Snow by Elaina Batista-Parsons Italian women don't always speak with their hands and cook with cheese. They use their eyes, legs, and fresh parsley too. They race around the kitchen, work a bunch of tasks at once, and get up after being knocked down. Then thereās the penchant for silent energies, colors, and music of all genres being played through large living room speakers in 1984. But growing up as an Italian-American girl is not always baked ziti and the loud yelling dramatized on the big screen. In Italian Bones in the Snow, Elaina Battista-Parsons shines light on a palpable spirituality, a quiet adoration of nature, and a habit of speaking upāparticularly when itās modeled and deemed a survival skill. She explores the people and places in her life that stuck to her soul like candle wax. She celebrates pop culture, cemeteries, her boots, and 1980s nostalgia. Switching between prose and verse, she offers up real life stories about her relationship with Catholicism, winter weather, mental health, and men throughout her life. Lyrical, poignant, and raw, these memoir shorts are all adorned in the unstoppable forces of nature called grandmothers, mother, and aunts. By the time you turn the last page, not only will you know Elaina better, but you'll also know yourself. |
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No Land For Heroes by Cal Black Mildred Berry is down to her last four bulletsā¦ In a wild west where the only things more dangerous than outlaws are dragons, Deputy Berry is struggling to protect her town and keep her family fed. As a last resort, she robs a train for ammunition only to find that the cargo she needs so badly was owned by war hero Frederic Rousseau. The same Frederic Rousseau whom she served during the Amelior Civil War. The same Frederic Rousseau sheās been hiding from for the last five years. Millie knows a secret that could ruin Rousseauās life, and heāll stop at nothing to keep her from telling the truth. With her violent past bearing down on the life sheās built for herself, Millie has to decide how far sheāll be willing to go to keep her town safe. |
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Ascension: Wolves of Goose Creek (Tales from the DarkWorld Book 3) by Ronnie Massey In a world where vampires, werewolves, witches, and all other manners of beings not only live their lives freely and out in the open but are some of the mediaās biggest celebutantes, werewolf Still Waters is an anomaly. Although she is an honorary member of the Eastern Seaboardās largest pack, Still lives her life as a lone wolf. But when a freak accident claims the life of a loved one, the delicate faƧade that is Still's life comes crashing down. Not only is Still forced to out herself, but she also becomes first in line to assume the position of alpha of her birth packā¦a pack whose members make it clear they want nothing to do with her. But with the chaos, there comes calm in the form of Dee Stratton, the one that got away. Where Still was taught to hide, Dee was raised to embrace her status as a werewolf. Those differences ultimately drove the two apart. But when Dee returns to offer Still support, the two quickly fall back into their relationship. Their joy, however, is short-lived when family skeletons from Stillās past creep from the closet and threaten their bond. Now Still must fight for the very things she once thought she could live without, Dee and the Goose Creek wolves. Still will either rise to the occasion and become the alpha and mate that Dee believes she can be or walk away from her pack and her relationshipā¦this time for good. |
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Forever Love by Abigail Taylor Leia's a bright-eyed dreamer, believing in destiny. Blake's an ambitious skeptic who thinks true love doesn't exist. Will these two very different women find a spark between them, or will it be a passing glance? Leia is creative and thoughtful, and when a chance encounter with Blake, a stranger, stirs something deep inside her, she believes it is the universe speaking to her soul. Blake, despite her success, feels something is missing from her life but disguises her discontentment with a tough faƧade, which keeps her from opening her heart. Will Blake and Leia be each other's missing piece, or will it turn out to just be a dream? Join Blake and Leia as they are swept into a journey of self-analysis and soul-searching that could change their perception of love forever. This is lesbian author Abigail Taylor's debut novel and part of the Looking for Love lesfic series. |
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Growth & Change Are Highly Overrated by Tom Starita Growth and Change Are Highly Overrated is a twist on the classic coming-of-age story that takes a unique and comic look at what we all fearā having to grow up and abandon our dreams. For a charismatic man like Lucas James, life is a breeze because everyone else provides the wind. This adolescent front man for a mediocre cover band has been mooching off of his fiancĆ©e, Jackie, for years until she finally decides she's had enough. Faced with reality and having no income to support his carefree lifestyle, Lucas James abandons his principles and gets a job working in the stockroom at āThat Store.ā How does he cope with this newfound sense of responsibility? He casually steals... After a life spent bucking authority, how will Lucas James deal with his manager, 'Victor the Dictator'? How long can he tolerate Ralph, a starry-eyed coworker who desires nothing more than to be best friends? Will Lori, a twenty-something cashier, be like everyone else and fall for his charms? Will he ever find a place to live? And is āgrowing upā just another way of saying āselling outā? |
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delta by Tom Starita Jason Carico is a grieving father, desperately trying to come to grips with the loss of his eight-year-old stepdaughter, Delta, who drowned two months ago. But if she's dead, then why is there a little girl claiming to be Delta locked up in his basement? Desperately wanting to believe her, Jason attempts to live a normal life while hiding his nightmare below. His anxiety explodes when his late wife's sister appears on his doorstep. Can he trust her? Would she believe him? And what will the police think if they ever find out the only African American man in town has a white girl trapped in his basement? The haunting motto of Mother's death cult tolls throughout the book, "The Universe has a plan, independent from the wants of man." |
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The Seal of Sulayman by Kyro Dean and Laya V Smith A half-human living in Qaf, the world of djinn and magic fire, General Bakr has always felt like an outsider with everyone but his first love. After two grueling years fighting a war that tore him away from his true love, Bakr is anxious to return to Earth and bask in the sunlight among his own kind. But when he is reunited with his young love, Sheikha Sezan, he realizes his feelings for her still burn hot. But Bakr returned from the war with more than scars. A lilith demon has made him her pet and the last thing she wants is to see him rekindle romance with his old flame. Sheikha Sezan, dis-enamored by her first loveās abrupt departure and equally sudden return, is forced to come to terms with the terrible deal she made with the demon to keep him alive while at war. The demon, having kept up her side of the bargain, comes for Sezanās magic djinn fire as payment, but soon makes it clear she had no intention of giving up her love affair with Bakr. Determined to save herself and Bakr from torment, Sezan sets out to find the Seal of Sulayman, a magical talisman that controls all magic in both the human and djinn worlds. The demon torments Bakr and Sezan in the meantime, weaving a web of deception to keep their wild love apart. With rival courtiers, love triangles, mystical monsters, a clever sphinx, the flaming Rukh bird of legend, and both of Allahās worlds working against them, only trust can rescue Bakr and Sezan from the demonās caprice. But communicating enough to trust each other is a difficult task when words ruin everything. |
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Love Is a Mental Illness by Franco Cardiello A therapist analyzes his toxic relationships. True stories explore mental health, abuse, breakups, and death. Narrative poems tell a linear story that reads like a novella. Cathartic writing is an honest attempt to heal and grow. This intimate collection is full of blunt and passionate self-reflection. Confessional poetry infused with psychology will educate and resonate. |
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The Flaws of Gravity by Stephanie Caye The existence of tequila is at stake. Oh, and humanity too. Jude Waldron's playing both sides of a supernatural cold war. She collects a paycheck from the Consilium for fighting against the Faerie Court while also helping her friend Aubrie search for illicit magic. But when her partnerās true scheme pits her violently against her human colleagues on his behalf, the half-Faerie renegade finds herself taking the fallāliterally. With enemies everywhere, Judeās ready to cut and run to a warm beach somewhere in the vicinity of āThe Hell Away from This Mess.ā Before she can flee, a shady group of Faeries traps her. To win her freedom along with safe, anonymous passage to her chosen sandy paradise, she reluctantly dives back into the fray to steal a spellbook for themāthe same book Aubrie wants. Winning means facing off with vicious pixies, sirens, and even a dragon in pursuit of a prize that could merge the worlds into a chaotic nightmare, but Judeās got her heart set on umbrella drinksāand revenge. |
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Testament of An Archangel by Kat Loveland I am Remiel, one of nine archangels created by the universe to fill it with creatures and plants, but only one if us, my brother, Elohim, could actually bring things to life. The rest of us created the designs, which were simply statues until Elohim chose to give them the ability to breathe, grow and live. Over time Elohim's hubris grew, the fact the he is the true creator of life looms ever larger in his mind. He decided to create something that would worship him, thank him for it's existence. That creation became humans. The first of their kind, an entirely new creature unlike any we had ever made before. My other brother Lucifer at first liked the challenge, but disagreed with the idea of any creation fearing them. The first human they made was Lilith, but in an attempt to spare humans from being forced to worship Elohim, Lucifer gives Lilith a gift of her own, which starts the spiral that ripped our family apart and plunged the universe into eternal conflict. |
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The Universal Good Deal by Cleophas Foy Alien white people from outer-space invade Earth armed with amazing deals and low, low prices. They're selling lava lamps, fanny packs, water beds, and more and everyone's buying it. Wouldn't you? It's from outer-space! Made by Aliens! And everything's on sale. It's a steal. But the Aliens only take cash. It's up to a marketing genius, a bosomy politician, and a genuinely nice guy to figure out what the Aliens want before we all become the product. Can humanity survive the most effective advertising campaign ever created or will the Aliens make a real killing? The Universal Good Deal is a satire about colonialism that explores all the horrible ways people fail to understand those who are different from them. |
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Novak's Mission by James H Lewis When Karol Novak takes over a scandal-ridden police force, he has two murders to solve and years of corruption to clean up. The last thing he needs is to reopen a closed murder case.But thatās the birthday wish of a nine-year-old girl, making it difficult for him to refuse. Since the request comes through Novakās wife, itās impossible. When Novak grudgingly peeks into the case, he doesnāt like what he finds. The borough council resists his spending another minute on the case, but donāt try telling a veteran Pittsburgh cop he canāt do his job. Whoever wants the case dropped wants Novak out and is using a secret from his past against him. When one of his officers disappears while investigating the old case, Karol Novak has only hours to bring her back, solve all three murders, and save his job and reputation. The gritty detail of police work is reminiscent of Ed McBainās police procedurals, while the relationship between Karol and Barbara Novak recalls Donna Leonās Venetian mysteries. Will Novak answer the nine-year-oldās plea before the council forces him out? Find out for yourself by buying this engaging novel of small-town policing. |
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Novak's Quest by James H Lewis Former Pittsburgh police detective Karol Novak came out of retirement to lead his boroughās scandal-ridden police department. Having instituted sweeping reforms, Novak is ready to walk away. He hates small-town politics and wants to resume his search for the predator priest who preyed on him and his closest friend years before. A dying manās wish derails his plan, drawing him into the unsolved murder of a young woman two decades earlier. As the investigation unfolds, Novak and his team discover a similar unsolved murder. Are the two deaths related? Are they the work of a serial killer? While they work to answer these questions, Novak must also locate a three-year-old child who has disappeared without a trace. This is the second Chief Novak novel by the author of Novakās Mission, praised by Reedsy Discovery as āan entertaining and intriguing police mystery that will draw readers along a misty trail that reveals a hidden crime.ā |
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Little Drummer Boy: A Darkly Humorous Paranormal Holiday Short (Hemlock Connal Book 2) by Joel Spriggs A darkly humorous paranormal Christmas short! Bostonās strangest private investigator, Hemlock Connal, is back! Along with her longest surviving intern, Morgan Burns. When a demonic drummer boy walks down their road leading a small team of zombies, the detective duo take a much needed break from a boring financial case. As they follow the horned drummer from Boston to the middle of nowhere, they find the zombie squad has more secrets than just marching through the night. Hemlock and Morgan get led through a dark journey of black market organ theft, drug sorting undead, all leading up to meeting the big man himself. Confronted with the ultimate arbiter of the holiday season, will Hemlock and Morgan survive the test of naughty or nice? Find out, in Little Drummer Boy! |
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Over a God's Dead Body: A Supernatural Comedy (Wrong Gods Book 1) by Joel Spriggs "It's an offbeat comedy in the vein of American Gods" In the same style of humor as Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, you'll find the Norse gods and characters hilarious. If you are looking for a humorous adult version of the Magnus Chase series, you'll be laughing at how Esmy and Jake deal with Loki. Esmy is frustrated by a lack of pockets on women's pants. Living with her librarian brother Jake in a small Indiana town and working at a private college, Esmy feels like she is is stuck in a rut. Meeting Loki ignites their lives like a powder-keg. This simple, seemingly innocuous encounter leads Esmy and Jake to discover the campus's mysterious depths, involving sasquatches, vampires, and much more with the supernatural, magical and paranormal. In a crudely comedic high-stakes game of maneuvering, Loki's freedom and Esmy's survival come down to a fight over a God's dead body. Will Esmy become a reluctant hero? Is Jake a lucky novice necromancer? Will Loki actually become a half-decent mentor? If you like insane action, hilarious dialogue, and gods behaving badly, then you'll love the first installment in Joel Spriggs's series of magical realism and whimsical mythology. |
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The Violet Flamberge by Craig A. Price Jr. An immortal is dyingā¦ the dead are rising ā¦ With one friend dead, and the other captured, Searon has a difficult choice to make. Save his friend or save all of Calthoria. More than the draeyks and daerions threaten Calthoria now. Even though theyāve defeated the warlock, Searon still has to oppose the undead kheshlar, who is relentless to cast her vengeance upon the kheshlars, and she has found a new alliance in a group of women who are adamant to abolish the male-led government. Searonās brother is now king. His life is now wrapped up in politics, which means he cannot confess his love to an immortal, especially one who is dying. He does everything in his power to find a way to heal her, but a dagger gets thrown into his plans when she disappears, and now he has to do anything he can to find her and save the heir to the throne that she carries. If you love epic fantasy full of action and snarky dialog, youāll want to grab The Violet Flamberge today, because itās an adventure that suck you into a world that you will never want to leave! |
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The Obsidian Arrow by Craig A. Price Jr. A new enemy rises from the graveā¦ a loved one kidnapped ā¦ Seeking for a cure, an immortalās strength is failing. The draeyks have been defeated thanks to the new alliance between humans and the immortal kheshlars. But now, the draeyks have allied themselves with the blue-skinned daerions, and the undead human-sized scorpions, the nacropi. The last battle was won, but the war has just started. An undead kheshlar is seeking revenge, and sheās raising as many allies as she can. Her desire? To destroy the kheshlars who sheās condemned because of their betrayal of her. She will stop at nothing and let no one get in her way. Searon must do everything in his power to hold the alliance between humans and kheshlars intact. The fate of Calthoria depends on it. But this time, he has less allies than before. With Starlyn missing, and his closest companion kidnapped, Searon struggles to lead his men to victory. If he fails, all life is in danger of becoming part of the undead. Will Searonās strength be enough? If you love epic fantasy full of action with snarky dialog, youāll want to grab The Obsidian Arrow today, because itās an adventure you wonāt want to miss! |
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The Crimson Claymore by Craig A. Price Jr. A warrior seeking vengeance ā¦ A snarky wizard searching for a leader ā¦ The entire realm of Calthoria is at stake if no one can stop the reptilian draeyks ā¦ When Searon loses everything he once holds dear, he begins a quest for revenge, leaving behind everything except his Crimson Claymore. He runs into something he doesnāt expect ā¦ a snarky wizard, one who wonāt leave him alone unless he forms an army, an army that could fulfill his revenge, and save all of humanity in Calthoria. If you love R. A. Salvatoreās action and Terry Goodkindās humor, then you wonāt want to pass up on this action packed epic fantasy that combines humor and action with a fast-paced, captivating, magic-infused adventure. Buy The Crimson Claymore now, because you wonāt want to miss out on this Sword and Sorcery filled with magic and sarcastic wit! |
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The Rosetta Man by Claire McCague Wanted: Translator for first contact. Immediate opening. Danger pay allowance Estlin Hume lives in Twin Butte, Alberta surrounded by a horde of affectionate squirrels. His involuntary squirrel-attracting talent leaves him evicted, expelled, fired and near penniless until two aliens arrive and adopt him as their translator. Yanked around the world at the center of the first contact crisis, Estlin finds his new employers incomprehensible. As he faces the ultimate language barrier, unsympathetic military forces converging in the South Pacific keep threatening to shoot the messenger. The question on everyoneās mind is why are the aliens here? But Estlinās starting to think weāll happily blow ourselves up in the process of finding that out. |
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Of Metal and Earth by Jennifer M. Lane Seven ordinary lives are changed by their extraordinary relationships with a little green Jeep in Of Metal and Earth, a tale of restoration and redemption. James survives a fierce Vietnam battle by hiding beneath his Jeep. He loses his friends and returns home alone, surviving the town's pity by hiding in the bar. Emotionally scarred, he only finds the determination to lift himself up when he realizes what remains to be lost. He buys a little green Jeep, like the one that gave him shelter in the war, and hopes it will lead to salvation again. But the fortune it brings tarnishes, and James is left to sacrifice the thing that gave him hope for the people who need him most. Over the next thirty years, the Jeep changes hands, passing between friends, family, strangers, and lovers. A single mother who buys a car for her reckless son nearly destroys a friendship with a man who silently loved her for two decades. An insecure youth at the start of his career learns that the most important lessons are the ones you never set out to learn. A family torn apart by their differences finds that love can be the hardest road to take. And a city architect must choose between the easy way to restoration or a difficult path that could save more than a rusty old Jeep. Readers of Mitch Albom, Nicholas Sparks, Jeep owners everywhere, and viewers of This is Us will enjoy this heart-warming tale of restoration and redemption, a must read book for anyone inspired by the resiliency of the human spirit. Winner of the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel. Finalist in the 2018 IAN Book of the Year Awards in the category of Literary / General Fiction! |
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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 sheās scavenged to mitigate Valeneās pain. If she canāt, Valene will retreat to the soundlessness of space. Without Valeneās compassion, the stricken city is left to the mercy of Valeneās ruthless father, who denies the assistance the city needs unless it can pay for it. As Valeneās 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 ā or anyone ā she touches. |
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The Patch Project by Brittni Brinn When most of the world inexplicably disappears overnight, only small patches of civilization remain. May and Isak live on what used to be Holly Street. Since the Event, however, they have found themselves totally isolated, surviving day to day on what they can find in their pantry and their memories. May thinks that everything is going fine: apart from Isakās weird disappearances and the humming only she can hear, they maintain a safe and secure existence surrounded by wasteland. Until one day, the phone ringsā¦ After the Event, the convenience store became Edās home. Used to the busy life of a video game designer, the sudden lack of people and landscape around him is hard to deal with. Then, one day, he discovers that he can manipulate electronics using only his mindā¦ Pinot and Miller are on the run. They wander through the wasteland looking for supplies or anything smashable. Driven by Millerās fear of retribution, they head west. Everything changes for Pinot when they come across an abandoned power stationā¦ An introspective story about survival, identity, and memory, The Patch Project explores the need for connection and purpose in a sterile post-apocalyptic world. |
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Voice of the Banished by Shelly Campbell Betrayed, broken, and banished, Akrist is left to wander the wilderness in search of his lost love, Yara. But heās not alone. Against all odds, he has bonded with Nardiri, one of the worldās last dragons. In a cruel, unforgiving world, Akrist must navigate what it means to be marked as both a Speakerāa leader chosen by Nasheira herselfāand an outcast. Haunted by the sacrifices of first-born sons, he fears the world cannot be changed, even with a dragonās help. If he does nothing, the cycle of sacrifice will begin again when the moons touch. |
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And by the Sea She Came to Me by Naomi Piper By the sea, she found her. And by the sea, she'll come to her. Anna is a mopey college student who struggles to find things she genuinely enjoys outside of tentacle hentai. She expects a calm, quiet Thanksgiving break with her dad in their island lighthouse. Echo is a tentacle mermaid living in her big sister's shadow. She plans to hunt Anna's dad to bring home for her family to finally score some Good Kid points. Until she spots Anna through a window, taking a moonlight bath. Now Echo has a lot of feelings and interesting new sensations to figure out. Is a week of the best and weirdest sex of Anna's life enough to pull her from her rut? What happens to her tentacle mermaid girlfriend when she has to travel hundreds of miles away to go back to college? Is she bothered by Echo killing people in front of her, or is it kinda hot? Will Echo finally make her family proud? Is she a foot girl? (Yes.) How will she cope with Anna leaving her? Are ten limbs enough to satisfy a woman? Featuring fated mates, tentacles, DP, TP (etc...), foot stuff, innocent monster virgin, sexually repressed but very eager virgin, affectionate dynamics. Content warnings: adult situations (the whole book is an adult situation) brief allusion to SA murder |
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The Woeling Lass by Dave Dobson An assassin hunts Inspector Gueran Declais through the streets of Frosthelm, and she is not acting alone. Just as he learns that his family may have been attacked and slain, Gueran is struck down as well. Despite the odds, he lives. Barely. Whisked away from the city for his safety, he struggles to recover from his injuries, learn his family's fate, and uncover the identity of those who want him dead. Far from Frosthelm, he becomes caught up in investigating another bloody attack, one that may or may not have been perpetrated by vengeful spirit of a woman wronged long ago, and one that threatens to expose him to his enemies. The locals are certain, though: the killer had to be the Woeling Lass, her hands cold as the grave and her feet aflame. Back in Frosthelm, Urret Milton is an apprentice in some difficulty at the Guild. She receives a mysterious note for Gueran, a man everyone thinks is dead. Rapidly embroiled in the effort to unravel the reason for the killings and bring the assassins to justice, Urret struggles to shed her troubles and show that she has what it takes to be an inspector. But all this leads her into far more peril than she bargained for, for which she can't possibly be ready. Her position at the Guild, the security of the city, and her life itself are all at stake. This tale from the Inquisitors' Guild of Frosthelm is a fresh mystery full of swordplay, deceit, ancient magic, scheming nobles, and a healthy dose of humor. Combining the clues and hidden mysteries of detective stories with all the grand adventure of epic fantasy, The Woeling Lass is a wondrous journey through betrayal, murder, ancient legend, loss, courage, and redemption. And, it has really silly chapter titles. |
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The Skin (Black Hind's Wake Book 1) by J.E. Hannaford You cannot fix this world alone, Selkie.ā āI know. But, when we die, all that is left are shadows of our lives preserved in the memories of those who remain. I plan on leaving an exceptionally long shadow, filled with ripples of moonlight for those I helped, and darker than the worst of nightmares for those who wronged us.ā How far would you go to save your skin? Iām a selkie, trapped above the waves until I can recover my skin. Humans used to call us seal-wives many years ago ā before they broke the planet. I thought that less humans, after the warming, would mean less danger. My kind believed our world was finally recovering. We were wrong. Up here, the magic is fading and Old Ones like me are being traded as trophies for rich and powerful humans to display in collections. Without the Old Ones, the magic fades, without magic, the planet dies. Humankind has gone too far and someone has to put a stop to it. I just wasnāt expecting it to be me. Far to the south on his enormous pleasure ship, Barge, Lord Sal hunts for missing Old Ones ā with a grand plan to leave his own mark on the world. But, Icidro and Prince Ulises are searching for them too, and this is a world where money talks louder than morals. |
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Untitled Spy Story: A Novel by Aaron C Cross Sometimes you're in the right place at the right time. Sometimes someone ends up getting shot and you're on the run with your brother, the girl you want to sleep with, the girl your brother wants to sleep with, and the guy that slept with your girlfriend. Sometimes that ends up with a whole lot of mescal being consumed and hallucinating dance sequences. Sometimes that ends up with the Secretary of State wanting you dead. For Will Texas, sometime is now. |
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Spells of Summer (Inheritance, 8) by AK Faulkner Learning magic doesnāt come cheap, and the bill is long overdue. Rufus needs his studentās help to solve his parents' murder, and after a year of tuition, Laurence has run out of excuses to put off witnessing the gruesome secrets buried in the past. But his vision only raises more questions. The mystery isnāt how they died, but how Rufus survived. The only clue is a teddy bear nobody remembers, and it holds magic powerful enough to hospitalize Freddy, entangle a god, and hide a murderer. Maybe some secrets are better left buried. |
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Sigils of Spring (Inheritance, 7) by AK Faulkner We all fall down. When Quentin is accosted by YouTube ghost-hunters with a crackpot theory about his mother, he writes it off as nonsense ā until they kidnap him right off the street in broad daylight. Not even his psychokinesis can save him, but Laurence will. He must. Except Laurence can't find Quentin. His powers have never failed him like this before. There's only one hope left: a stranger called Angela is willing to teach him more magic than he currently knows. Normally he'd write her off as bad news, but Quentin is running out of time, and Laurence is all out of options. He has less than 48 hours to save Quentin's life, and no price is too high. The clock is ticking. |