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Achilles: Origin of Heroes by Chad Retterath Jimmy Dale, an average middle-aged man, undergoes a life-altering transformation when he participates in an experiment that grants him super strength. Embracing his newfound abilities, he joins the secret government organization known as Olympus. In the Twin Cities, individuals with various powers begin to surface, turning Minneapolis into a focal point for powered criminals. |
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Strains is a research project, to find 1 solution to 2 problems: 1) Save thâEarth from humanity. 2) Save humanity from humanity. Not as easy as it sounds. We can solve the 1st one by destroying humanity â working on it. We can solve the 2nd one by destroying thâEarth. Actually, no, that wonât work, yet itâs been our consistent approach thus¡far. Also, thatâs 2 solutions, and we need to solve both with just 1, so as to avoid thâadded burden of deconfliction, which would any¡way fail. Not easy, yet the solution is simple, even obvious, to an outsider. No¡one can believe it, because no¡one will even consider it. So the 1st step is to trick us all into thinking thâunthinkable. No problem, we do that all the time. Just present it as fiction. After all, so much fiction already gets presented as research results, and turn¡about is fair¡play, so . . . Actually, better make it sci¡fi. Just as well â saves having to apologize for all thâunorthodoxies. Non¡standard fiction vs accepted reality . . . Faites vos jeux. |
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A Quiet Universe by Kay F. Atkinson CERHA is a fabricant, and her job is simple: keep Annalise Fletcher safe, a role she performs dutifully and without fail, as she was designed to. Neither she nor her charge expected that this routine assignment could lead to love, but when feelings begin to bloom, neither see fit to stand in their way, and the two find themselves leading a shared life where both must walk a tightrope, precariously balancing between duty, and what domestic bliss is woven into the spaces remaining. For a time, they are as close to happy as they can manage. Then Annalise vanishes away to the embattled starship âUpon Silver Tidesâ, leaving a cryptic warning in her wake, and CERHA finds herself frantically in pursuit, on an illegal mission to save her objective-turned-lover and bring her home alive. She isnât sure what sheâll find. But what awaits is a web ensnaring both wayward lovers, far more tangled than either could possibly know, and lurking upon this forsaken vessel is a descent into insanity that will force CERHA to confront the bleak truth at the heart of her function. |
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In the Valley, A Shadow by Samantha Tano An action-packed sci-fi western tale of revenge, love, and identity. The frontier planet Celestine, millennia from now. It was supposed to be the furthest Alix could get from the Xypha Corporation, that all-consuming entity at the heart of humanityâs interstellar expansion. After the Xypha forward station arrives in orbit, Alix, a transgender pilot, finds herself out of work and her ship grounded. Sheâll do anything to pay off her mounting debts so she can fly againâeven if it means killing for the meanest crime boss in the Isidis Valley. As Xyphaâs influence grows, Alix is trapped in a web of betrayal and politics that threatens more than just her life. Armed with a pair of Plasveld-7s, a sharp wit, and with the love of her life by her side, Alix embarks on a deadly path across the valley. Can she flee Xyphaâs creeping shadow, or is it time to stop running and stand her ground? |
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âEarthâs time has run out. You must leave this decaying cradle.â With only a few words, Orinious Xaivâs deliberately small world is altered forever when heâs named Exim, the leader-elect of the Imitari. A theocratic group of genetically altered beings presiding over the dying Earth. As a âNamed,â Orinious receives an impossible task: to recover the lost seeds of mankind. Without them, all is destined for failure, resulting in not only his death â but that of all. Setting out with him on this mission is Veyra, one of the rare Chimaera with an elevated position among the Imitari. An elite personal enforcer, infamous for her ruthlessness and violent nature. Sheâs ordered to leave her masterâs side to protect Orinious â no matter the cost. Forced to work together to survive, theyâre confronted by gut-wrenching realizations about themselves, their world, and the true purpose of their mission. Unlikely friendships emerge and a forbidden romance dares to gasp, all while brutal attacks, unrelenting chaos, and bitter deception challenge them at every turn. Tracking down the seeds is only the beginning. Imitari is the first book in the exhilarating dystopian sci-fi ALTERA DOMI Series. |
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Hounds of Gaia by Sean M. Tirman Foxhound doesnât care about the gaps in her memory. Being a Contractor, a kind of spacefaring mercenary, keeps her occupied enough. Rather than dwelling, she rockets around the farthest reaches of the solar system, earning a steady paycheck hunting down neâer-do-wells and enjoying a semblance of freedom most folks in the outer colonies canât dream of. So when she receives an urgent prisoner transfer request from a cult starship, she accepts the gig. She figures that transporting a bone marrow-eating serial killer from the cultâs colony back to Earth is just another well-paying job thatâll keep her mind off things. Upon discovering that the suspect in custody is an orphan girlâone that could pass for her much younger doppelgängerâshe decides itâs time to get some answers. Before she can piece together who the girl is and how their lives intertwine, a group of violent prisoners aboard Foxhoundâs starship breaks free. As the once-peaceful cultists take up arms in response, the Contractor teams up with her mechanized AI assistant and two of the cultâs wayward members to stop the barbaric escapees and elude the grasp of the cultâs radicalized leader. And when thatâs done, she can focus on figuring out the secret behind the mysterious, potentially dangerous girlâbut will she even want to know the truth? |
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Historian of Future Past by Revis Grey Alaina is a 26th-century data linguist and a historian specializing in 15th-century Turkey. Working with a quantum computer called Nexus, a machine able to record history in real time, she longs to be like the woman she observes, a red-head warrior temptress. But when an anomaly appears, and a peasant from the past is teleported into the future, anyone involved begins to be reassigned or disappear. Alaina finds herself thrust into the history sheâs been studying when her godfather, the Director of Operations, chooses to lose her in time rather than eliminate her. Alaina transports from a culture of peace and abundance to a world of scarcity and violence. She will have to navigate 15th-century strife with the aid of a holographic cohort and a 26th-century mirage of life rapidly fading. Betrayed and wrongly accused of murder, her last hope rests in a crooked dwarf merchant. When a mysterious reflection brings her closer to understanding the futureâs past. |
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Hi De Ho, Infecterino! by Andrew Marc Rowe Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out Larry Evans never asked for this, dude. As the front man for a rock band with the brand spankingest new deal with a major record label, the Irish-born Londoner was on the up and up. Finally, he could cease slinging pot to make ends meet and maybe â just maybe â make his father proud of him. One little âaccidentalâ fire and a faceful of sporulating destiny had another idea⌠Subject #30452 never really asked for it either. Not the injections from the strange men, not the development of sapience and self-awareness out of his easy-going life as a crow. Not to mention the fact that he was the sole one of his murdermates to have some kind of Cartesian epiphany in the California section of Parasol Industries. Escape â and revenge, served hot â might prove to be the first orders of business as brilliant bird of⌠opportunism. And what about Willy, the adult book shop worker who is trying to get clean from sex addiction? Or Hester, the brilliant scientist with the aesthetic challenges? Or Hector, the black ops Zen master? Or Constable Sheri Allston, the bobby who just happened to be thrust into a world of⌠Flesh-eating zombies that may or may not be tripping balls as they feast. There, I said it. Thanks to Parasol Industries, your friendly neighbourhood nefarious corporation on the government teat, some brand-new strain of fungus that is definitely not a derivative of jock itch and Albert Hoffmannâs beloved ergot is bringing humanity to the brink. But the brink of what? Will the monsters destroy us all? Will we use the nuclear option? Or is this all about⌠Evolution? |
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Gospel of the Cuckoo by Sirius Dallasâ entire life changed when the Church of New Lazarus opened its doors. The small town of Wicker, Alabama has been taken over by a glamorous, fast-talking reverend with a charismatic smile as bright as his Rolex watch. This new reverend, who calls himself Blue, has declared himself a âmodern day Lazarusâ and has set the whole town on fire with religious fervor. Yet, Dallas doesnât trust him. There is something sinister about the new church and its cult-like following. And when Dallas, who has spent five years caring for his ailing grandfather, is suddenly thrust into the world behind the pulpit; he finds that his expectations of salvation may lie in more infernal hands. |
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Death and Sweet Temptations by Kristen Coar Kristen Coar launches her brand-new ALEX BAIN series with Death and Sweet Temptations, a tale of half-vampire, half-human Alex Bain, where the veil between the mundane and the monstrous thins to a nearly imperceptible shroud, and within its folds lurks a desire as perilous as any fiend. Set in a contemporary fantasy world brimming with magic, danger, and searing romance, this story is perfect for fans of series like Anita Blake, The Hollows, Crescent City, or the Night Huntress. Alex's tenure at Sweet Temptations is marked with success, her ascent up the corporate ladder as smooth as molten cocoa. But as Chicago's shadowed alleys echo with the cries of supernaturally murdered women, her dark heritage calls her to a far greater task. Joining forces with her wisecracking roommate Argo, a gourmet-loving corgi from Hell, and Sergeant Isabella "Izzie" Bliss of the CPD, they race against time to thwart this diabolical terror. However, before they can find those responsible, her two carefully curated identities collide in an office romance that quickly threatens to pull her under. As she falls deeper, the lines between sanity and chaos blur, and Lucas, the steamy consultant, becomes more than just a delicious distraction. As more women die and ancient powers awaken whispering of a long-forgotten prophecy, can her burgeoning love for a man with shady secrets and a wicked past craft a new destiny? One thing becomes clear: the price of temptation could be her very soul. Death and Sweet Temptations is a story of deep bonds, what makes a monster, and a love that transcends the darkness within each of us. Don't miss this gripping adventure, your next sexy supernatural obsession awaits! |
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Long have the Rangers of Eshana patrolled the land. When danger presents itself, in distance cities and towns, they answer the call of the King Crow. Ranger of the north, Michel Danage, after a life of service and protection, has retired, passing the torch to his son Eraden. Now, with his years of training complete, Eraden finally steps into the wild, ready to take up the mantle of his familyâs lineage and protect the lands from evil. Hemavale is in trouble, the young Ranger must travel many miles to unravel its mystery, a journey, that sets in place a chain reaction of events, taking Eraden and Eshana to the very edge of darkness. |
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The Weight of Darkness by John A. McColley Silver Hill, Nevada - 1874 The 1870's offered a peaceful, simple, life after the strife of the Civil War. Its mine promised steady work. Abigail and Martin Beckett's parents owned and ran the mine, often away for days at a time, leaving the twins to... find their own fun. Tales of strange creatures, eerie cries, men and women gone missing in a blink... Folktales flow like whiskey amongst the miners. When curiosity gets the better of Abigail, she ropes her brother into an expedition, finding far more than they bargained for. With their parents and miners acting strangely and unseen influence beginning to take hold of her faculties, Abigail reaches out to her correspondence course professors for aid. Even when they arrive, though, these wise men can hardly believe what has become of the town and its people. Amid fires and armies of the undead and other monsters, how will they survive, let alone save their parents or the town? |
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The Faerie Guild Trials by G. L. Preston Step into the deadly world of the faerie realm, where alliances are fragile, and shadows hold the key to survival. Efia Mathonwy, the last Gwri, is thrust into the treacherous trials of the Seelie and Unseelie courts, wielding the rare power to control shadows. As she faces ruthless foes and navigates the cutthroat faerie politics, Efia discovers an unexpected ally in Ansel, a mysterious fae with secrets of his own. In a contest where every decision could be her last, Efia's journey unfolds in a dance of danger and intrigue. Shadows cling to her every move, revealing hidden dangers whilst unlocking the secrets of her family. As the realm teeters on the edge of chaos, Efia must choose her path wisely. Will she conquer the trials and emerge triumphant, or will the enemies that surround her become her undoing? In a world where survival is a deadly game, alliances will crumble, and the realms destiny hangs in the balance. |
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Two tales of sinister influence, two trans protagonists struggling to come to terms with the consequences of relying on the supernatural to fix their problems. Trick or Treat. THE SOUL LOTTERY primal play || knife & blood play || CNC Tate played the soul lottery and won a single wish ten years ago, but now his years of fortune are up, and the demon who owns his soul has come to collect. On the run from Hellhounds, and with only one person to turn to, he's out of options. But what awaits him isn't what he expects. SILVERTONGUED DREAMS somno || dubcon || praise & degradation Kiran is an insomniac and college student who dreams of more than what he has. After finding a rare spell book, he brings an egregore into being, and feeds it his ideas and dreams in hopes that it can be his equal and help him become great. But what happens when his dreams outpace him and take on their own life? UNHOLY FAVORS is a dark, mature 21k word book and is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. Please read CWs before purchasing. |
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Skin in the Game: The Hooded Warrior Spy by Sam Carnes The year is 1942. Alex is a young American soldier off to war. Noticing his foreskin and his ability to speak German flawlessly, his superiors believe he can effectively infiltrate the German army. But Alex has a secret his superiors donât know - he is gay. Will Alex be able to survive this web of secrets? Forced to keep this part of himself a secret from the American military while simultaneously keeping his cover as a spy, Alex must live life, never showing his true self. During all of this, Alex falls in love with a young German soldier. Will they find themselves on the same side or will the chaos of war tear them apart? Will they be able to find happiness? |
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A Pocket of Lies by R A Sandpiper BLOOD BOUND AND PENNILESS. EXILED INTO CURSED LANDS. HUNTED BY DEATH. When the thief Suri suffers a humiliating robbery, she has one day to pay off an ugly debt. Her solution: abduct and impersonate a foreign princess at the royal ball. But the wickedly handsome fae lord of the wasteland, Kol, has gatecrashed the party to find the princess sheâs pretending to be. And worse, his bodyguards are the same ones who robbed her the night before. With Suriâs knife lodged in Kolâs right-hand man, stolen trinkets in her pockets, and now her kidnapped princess missing, she can't outrun the law. The King exiles her with one condition: assassinate Kol, and all is forgiven. But Kol has promised his own brutal revenge against herâif his wastelands donât kill her first. In this fast-paced fantasy debut, expect a powerful adventure, lots of twists and turns, and the start of a slow-burn romance. |
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The Sea Spirit Festival by Claudie Arseneault Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumiâs sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyahâs dream, hoping for answers about the elfâs past and unique abilitiesâbut first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers. Their journey has brought them to Alleaze, a coastal city from which they hope to book passage across the ocean. But Alleazeâs regular life has stopped, giving way to the excitement of the Sea Spirit Festival, a weeks-long event. Forcefully grounded, the Wagon crew is more than happy to partake in the local festivities, brimming with games, seaside delicacies, and legends about the Bay. But the Festival is more than one big celebration: it is a crucial time during which the Bayâs Spirit guides its residents to their new life path and chooses a Storm Catcher, a divine hero meant to revitalize the Spiritâs strength. When the Festival winds down and no Storm Catcher has been chosen, panic washes over Alleaze and the Wagon crew finds itself embroiled in the subsequent chaos. In order to help Alleaze find its local hero and be allowed to sail out, they will need to confront the truth behind the legend of the Sea Spiritâand survive it. |
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Guns & Scones by Darcia G. Laucerica In a city ruled by magic wielding families, Arawn Stant is thrust into power when his father´s abilities run dry. Taking care of his neighbours and their businesses is challenge enough. But his main concern is the school´s upcoming bake sale. He promised his niece he would bring something homemade. The problem is... Arawn could burn water. He must learn to bake before the weekend arrives. It´s a good thing a little bakery just opened in his territory. And that the owner, Alejandra, is terribly cute. |
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Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms by Sarah Wallace & S.O. Callahan Roger not only had to prove himself to the Council, he also had to prove himself to Wyndham Wrenwhistle. Fae and humans alike are returning to London for the Season, but the excitement is marred by the growing poverty rate among humans with low magical scores. Tenacious Roger Barnes proposes a new rubric for testing magic to the Council, hoping to resolve the predicament for his fellow humans. But when he is paired with Wyndham Wrenwhistle, a dashing fae who has disliked him since childhood, the project seems destined to fail. Even after reaching a tentative truce, their fragile partnership crumbles due to malicious lies. Adding to the disarray, a popular gossip column unexpectedly announces that Roger and Wyn are engaged. Obliged to go along with the falsehood to save their families from scandal, they are forced to reconcile their differences for the sake of the rubric â and for their impending marriage. As the project bleeds into their wedding plans, the pressure to flawlessly execute both mounts even higher. Together, they have the chance to solve a crisis decades in the making â but they'll need more than magic to succeed. |
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Tale of Three Ships by Darcia G. Laucerica In a world under the thumb of an empire, pirates sail away searching for a breath of freedom. But even the ocean is tainted by the powerful nation that has spread lies about women being bad luck at sea. Glenlivet has never cared about the fear-mongering. Her ship welcomes those who are rejected and need a home. For all the sailor´s superstitions and âcodesâ of piracy the captain mocks every day, not leaving the docks when itâs dark is a personal boundary she swears by ever since acquiring The Outsider about eight years ago. She just might have to break her own rules to protect her crew, escape the claws of a king who wants her dead, and murder the man who raised her. |
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The Spellmaster of Tutting-on-Cress by Sarah Wallace You canât orchestrate true loveâŚcan you? Spellmaster Geraldine Hartford has everything she could want â a successful spell shop and close friends and family â but sheâs still waiting on her own swoon-worthy romance. Her friends think their matchmaking efforts are helping, but itâs the tall, handsome stranger in town who immediately catches Gerryâs eye. Basil Thorneâs life has turned upside down. After his fatherâs death, heâs found himself uprooted from Bath to become the head of a family he barely knows. Overwhelmed by responsibilities, not to mention the clamor of Tutting-on-Cress locals wishing to befriend him â only the lovely spellmaster with a twinkling smile seems to soothe Basilâs heart. And heâs not the only one whoâs noticed⌠Soon it seems as though everyone in Gerry and Basilâs lives is determined to match them up. But Gerry is waiting for the surefire spark of romance and Basil is waiting until his life settles down. They may be perfect for each other, but it will take some meddling â and a bit of magic â to bring them together. This book is the fifth installment in the series Meddle & Mend. It can be read after Dear Bartleby or as a standalone. |
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Sentence for Life by Maxime Jaz âSometimes, we are in a place where we donât want to be. And maybe, that place is the only place we should be after all.â Theo knows he will become a star lawyer, like the one his Dad paid to keep him out of prison... he's wrong on both counts. He thinks the first day of jail is brutal; meeting his new cellmate redefines the word. Theo's world not only falls apart; it shrinks to the size smaller than a dorm bathroom he has to share with a man who doesnât belong in his world. Ryker is as strong as a fortress, one that he had to rebuild from the ruins of his own self. Serving the last year of his long sentence, he is terrified of having his freedom at arm's reach. Ryker is everything Theo fears; Theo is everything Ryker loathes. But being locked up together in a tiny space is a powerful force sparking the fires of love, and neither of the men are prepared for the turmoil this raging inferno will unleash. Are Ryker and Theo who they think they are? Or will new lives be born, like the phoenix etched in Ryker's skin, out of the fire of their love? |
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Dance with the Devil by Madison Chase She lost everything she built, he was built to lose everything, and the Heavens themselves are duty-bound to keep them apart. Charlotte Brant, former detective and present-day pariah, has been rebuilding her life following the attack that cost her a job, a marriage, and possibly her sanity. When the King of Hell inserts himself into her life--all dark, handsome, and aggravating--it does her no favors in her efforts to regain some normalcy. Especially when an Archangel is sent on a holy mission to keep them apart by any means necessary--even offering her what she thought she lost forever. |
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The Lies of the Eternals (The Realm Weaver Trilogy) by B.B. Aspen Threads will be frayed. Hearts will be broken. Lies will be exposed. The Woodlands Wisteria left behind swiftly became the Deadlands. The nation of Numaal rotted with corruption from the inside out, only now humans no longer accept the blindfold of ignorance and lies. Lies that have pervaded across the Thalren Mountains where the Weaver of Fates continues to intertwine Wisteria, Zander and Fennick's threads. As well as the threads of ancient mythical creatures, Eternals and rebels leaders... Each woven's resolve is tested, their character tried, their weaknesses made vulnerable for sacrifices that must be made. The runegate to the beyond threatens to shatter, leaving the Dreamer Realm, and whole of Kinlyra, susceptible to the all consuming plague. Our wovens' future is daunting and indeterminable, but as the War of Worlds commences, light is shed on their pasts and what is revealed is profound enough to rattle even the White Tower. |
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Death and Loves Confession by Kristen Coar With her vampire side more or less under control, Alex Bain had finally found some happiness, especially with Finn, the charming half-fae bartender, heating things up things in the romance department. But when a desperate letter from her ex, Lucasâa warlock with a shadowy pastâarrives, her fragile peace is shattered. Unable to abandon him, Alex sets off for Brazil with her bonded mated and the snarky demon Corgi, Argo, to rescue Lucas's sister from the clutches of a ruthless vampire Master. Through the wild and colorful streets of Sao Paolo and the lush jungles of the Brazilian countryside, the group gains new allies and faces nightmarish monsters at every twist and turn. With every step, they all grow closer; even Argo stops giving Lucas a hard time, and Alex finds herself torn between her unresolved feelings for the fire-wielder and her deepening love for Finn. Then, when a desperate escape uncovers a sinister prophecy binding the three of them, Alex must confront the true source of her growing power and passionâone darker than she ever imagined. As unforeseen betrayals and revelations cloud the path and threaten those she loves, will Alexâs heart guide her to a new destiny, or will it lead to catastrophic consequences? Can she master the darkness within, or will it consume them all? And does a girl really have to choose? |
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In "Bloody Fantasia," Aubri Harlow and her friends believe that their days of investigating murders are over. However, when Aubri's sister, Aria, moves into her new music school, the Da Capo Institution, the school's acting president suddenly dies during the welcoming ceremonies. However, the acting president's death is far from the first murder committed on campus. A string of past murders haunt the school's reputation and its students. It doesn't take long before new corpses start piling up, and Aubri, Aria, and their friends realize they must take up the mystery-solving mantle once more and find out who the murderer is. Will they figure out the person responsible for causing these new tragedies, or will they become part of its bloody history? Find out by reading "Bloody Fantasia!" |
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As the Sun Comes Up by Olive J. Kelley When competent, capable, and drop-dead gorgeous bed & breakfast owner Cricket Sterling asks friend-of-a-friend Moriah Becker if she can crash on her couch for a night, Moriah doesnât hesitate to say yes, even despite her secret crush on the other woman. But, when the awards ceremony Cricket is being honored at gets pushed three days, Moriah starts to panic. With her post-pandemic agoraphobia, OCD, and odd hours, she knows sheâs difficult to live with, and the idea of having someone in her space for that long nearly sends her into a tailspin. However, Cricket is considerate and accommodating, excitable and passionate, and Moriah finds herself oddly at peaceâand falling deeper than ever. It feels inevitable when they crash into each other, spending one sizzling night togetherâand then anotherâand Moriah has to reconsider her own mental walls. Were they built to keep people out, or only ever to keep herself inside? |
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A Spectre in the Stream by Simon Tull In a world gone mad with bloodlust, can a girl with a fragmented past use her inner monster to save a boy from undying predators? Earth, post-Apocalypse. Prisma longs to understand herself. Two centuries after humanity died, the claustrophobic immortal is grateful sheâs not driven by the thirst for blood plaguing every other enslaved survivor. But when she encounters a strange boy with a cryptic message about her origins, she fears his existence has made them both a deadly target. As Prismaâs violently protective alter-ego gives her remarkable abilities, she and her curious companion track his mysterious origins through their decaying city and its virtual twin. But sheâs horrified to learn of a vicious truth that sends her split personality into dangerous denial when a psychotic assassin and a desperate bounty hunter close in for the kill. Can she unearth the secret that will renew their stricken planetâs hope? A Spectre in the Stream is the edge-of-your-seat first book in The Slip Saga science fiction fantasy series. If you like gritty characters, violent action, and dark-edged humour, then youâll love Simon Tullâs fast-paced adventure. |
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Ghosts of Colossus by Peter J. Foote Asa Kleve craved a life of intergalactic adventure. Instead, sheâs tasked with babysitting a group of demanding scientists on the dead planet Cozore. But all of that changes when a rival galactic power attacks and kidnaps the scientists, leaving her for dead. Rescued from the rubble by an alienâone long thought to be extinctâAsa makes a pact with her unexpected new ally to save both their peoples before itâs too late. This dead planet may not be so dead after all, and Asa is about to find more adventure than she ever bargained for. |
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Pretty Average by Arini Vlotman Society should agree that growing up was a scam. One giant experiment that failed.. Esha More is celebrating her 35th birthday and her quick fix of hair dye and champagne only leaves her with a hangover and more problems. When she asks for excitement, getting thrown in the deep end of a corporate scandal is not what she meant. Kane Mittal has been called in as a consultant to manage yet another crisis. Kane has enough women making demands, but after Esha tumbles into his life he can't stop thinking about her. On a mission to save Esha's career and Kane's family business, together they navigate an inept flock of managers while faced with a mounting deadline, their powerful attraction, and a pandora's box of secrets. Join Esha and Kane in their adventurous meet-cute, a workplace romance filled with laughter, and a hefty dose of intrigue. |
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Coal Gets in your Veins by Cat Rector In a small corner of Atlantic Canada, Laurel is doing her best to live a decent life in what's left of a former coal mining village. Deep down, she wants more, but it's hard to reach for anything with her husband's boot on her neck. Change is hard, but after two decades of surviving, she's running out of reasons to stay. Just up the hill, right under Laurelâs nose, lives a vampire who is mourning the great loves of his life. Penny Harbour is the perfect little purgatory for Spencer. Itâs remote, quiet, and everyone's blood tastes wrong. What better way to punish himself than with a town full of people he canât eat? Change is hard, but after years of isolation, heâs almost ready to start living again. But sometimes trauma stays in the blood. Sometimes it flows in the water and contaminates the earth. Passing from one heart to the next, slowly blackening everything it touches. In Penny Harbour, pain refuses to let go. |
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The Valkyrie Covenant by J. A. Townsend Lost and alone, Lena longs for two things: a place to call home and friends to call her own. After discovering a mysterious family heirloom, Lena is transported to Idirhallaâa realm created by Odin and ruled by the Valkyrie Queen. But Idirhalla, once a paradise for Odinâs immortal warriors, is on the brink of ruin, plagued by catastrophes that threaten to destroy all realms, both human and magical. As Lena uncovers the secrets her parents left behind and grows closer to the man of her dreams, she learns that her new friends and her new world depend on her to claim her birthright. To save Idirhalla, Lena must embrace her powers and lead a rebellion against those who put her on the throne. In a world where only the strongest Valkyrie rules, Lena must find her inner strengthâor risk losing everything sheâs come to love. |
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Garner for Gold by Catherine Labadie Bettina has wealth, freedom, and power as Goddess Marzannaâs favored Saint. Divine influence has grown over the years as Goddess and Her consorts rebuild what Silverâs vanquished order destroyed with each of their fertile joys. The early years of Bettinaâs immortality should be equally exalted, but there is a fly in the ointment: her daughter Cosima has been granted Godling status and eternal life. Her firstborn son Cristoval has not. As the Bright Age luxuriates in its golden afternoon, unhallowed forces conspire to challenge Marzannaâs audacious regime. Bettina returns from self-imposed exile to find Aebbenary more perilous than she remembered and her children grown almost beyond recognition. Old wonders and interest in a curiously constructed Grand Archivist both help and hinder Bettina in her plan to ensure neither of her beloved, wayward children will be lost to the grim march of timeâŚor Goddessâs gluttony. |
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He Who Bleeds by Dorian Valentine London. 1874. Religious devotion was a learned skill, and even the most pious of men have felt the tug of The Devilâs influence. Lord AurĂŠlien Saint-Orlant found he was no exception, always toeing the line between being a true god-fearing man and a barbaric sinner who reveled in hedonism. This monotonous life of his changes when his world crashes down around him and wolves in sheep's clothing are revealed, leading AurĂŠlien to discover his true origins. As one of many devilspawns, he is locked in a contract with a greedy human who uses him to commit unorthodox killings among the upper echelon. When his contract is partially broken, AurĂŠlien finds himself whole again, and his desire to create his macabre art only grows. The spawn seeks retribution and craves the freedom to create his art in utter peace. With the help of his incubus lover, Lord AurĂŠlien Saint-Orlant will paint the streets red with that humanâs gore. |
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Spark and Tether by Lilian Zenzi Working odd jobs across the Outer Ring gets a little lonely sometimesânot everyone loves having a synchronist with supraliminal perception around. But all Sacheri wants, he tells himself, is to wander the stars. Then he takes a salvage run to an abandoned moon where he meets the wry, reserved, strictly-by-the-rules archivist Jin. Mesmerized by their confidence and charm, Sacheri canât resist showing off his abilitiesâand instead of the damaged ai he was tracking, he stumbles onto a signal left by a synchronist who went missing decades earlier. Sacheri knows from previous experience that pursuing the truthânever mind justiceâcould destroy everything he loves. He would defy his employers, the institution responsible for the myconeural networks that make him a synchronist, and the leadership of several worlds. And it would complicate his new, passionate, and impossibly sweet relationship with Jin. They might be the best thing thatâs ever happened to him, but they work for the very entities that ended Sacheriâs last investigation. He knows better than to risk it. But heâs never been able to turn away from someone in need, and thereâs a voice in the void calling for aid⌠|
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Loyalty and love can ruin you. But hope is the deadliest of all. For ten years Demitria Collins has fought the creatures of nightmares to protect the one person she has left. With a rising string of demon attacks on the forefront, she knows itâs only a matter of time until theyâre next. But when a routine patrol goes awry, and Demitria has a fated encounter with the legendary Horsemen known as War, everything she fought for is threatened. Including her life. Kellan, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, has been sent to Earth by the High Council of Eden to restore the balance with his siblings. Dispatched on their newest assignment, he expected the task to be simple. Not for his charge to be human. When a split second decision leaves even more blood on his hands, Kellan has questions for the councilâ Ones they won't answer. The warrior should embody everything Demitria hates, but a growing darkness forces them into an unlikely allegiance to uncover a deadly truth. When an inexplicable pull complicates matters even worse, and that unyielding hostility turns into something beautiful and fiery that breaks through every belief theyâve ever had, both know the consequences will be deadly. But together, they might stand a chance to restore order before the ultimate destruction of a planet that she, and the High Council, hold dear. |
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A Song for Mary is a period piece set in Tudor England about two gay musicians in the court of Mary Tudor prior to her ascension as queen. Mary Tudor is looking for a new court musician. Henry plays the viola da gamba well enough but has the voice of an angel. Thomas doesn't sing very well but is a brilliant lutist. After the auditions, in a surprising move, Mary hires them both. Thomas and Henry are not pleased with this and find themselves rivals. But Mary has ordered them to work together. After weeks of tension, Mary commands them to drink a cask together and either work it out or else she might have to look for a new musician. Well into the evening, (and more than a little drunk) Henry and Thomas finally start talking. Will they be able to resolve their differences or will they be sent packing? And how will they navigate being gay in such a time and place? |
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The Silent Hand by K.C. McIntosh Gwald is a world of infinite magic, its many lands nourished by a mysterious power deep beneath its surface. Dwellings of extraordinary and ancient magic were built where the veins intersect, and where the magic seeps its inhabitants thrive. The Silent Hand, an ancient order dedicated to the destruction of all power but its own, rule the city of Belmouth with an iron fist. They will stop at nothing to eradicate the Seren Telu, an immortal race of sorcerers with a veiled past, who threaten the Church's dominance with ancient might. The Seren named Canthorn is their greatest threat, a man broken by loss and addiction, whose hatred for the Silent Hand is dwarfed only by the need to forget his past. He is joined by an unusual trio of misfits and outcasts. The former Templar, Daese and the drunken apprentice, Alrix accompany Canthorn on a daring mission to rescue a young clairvoyant, Lunelle, a girl of vast necromantic powers who has been captured by the Silent Hand. |
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The Grandmaster's Gamble by Paul G. Zareith An unparalleled academic genius of his generation - Norman has a bright future ahead. While he may be the rising star of the famed Illustrious Academy, in the brutally competitive Irvanian socio-political landscape, opportunist vultures lurk at every corner and no tactic is too low. The biggest obstacle in the way of his grand ambitions though, is an ancient alien parasite that has made his body its nest. Oh, and there is also the problem of a high profile murder investigation that is likely to destroy his career. Will Norman be able to reassert control over his life? Or will he succumb in his pursuit of the forgotten arts of soul harvesting and become something else... Find out in this grimdark cyberpunk fantasy. Sometimes being the best among the best is still not good enough. |
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A Country of Eternal Light by Darby Harn A rogue black hole tears apart the solar system. Maireadâs life is already in pieces. The Earth has less than a year to survive. Asteroids rain hell; earthquakes rattle cities; manic tides swamp coasts. Mairead intends to give herself to the erratic waves that erode her remote Irish island, the same that claimed her child. When Gavin, an American, arrives to scatter his fatherâs ashes, she becomes torn between wanting for life and death. Despite the tides, fuel shortages, and closing borders that threaten to trap him on the island, Gavin canât seem to scatter the ashes. He doesnât know how to let go any more than Mairead does and they find a strange comfort in their confusion. Their affair draws Mairead back to the world of the living, but the longer Gavin stays, the more it seems there might be a future for them. There is no future. Life closes down around them. The world they know shreds. Life drains into an inescapable abyss. And yet Mairead fights, both the gravity of her grief and the restless, dissonant desire to find some kind of peace no matter how brief. |
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One womb, one soul, two fates. One will rise. One will fall. Shura and Jin are the last of a divine bloodline, operating at the bloodiest fringes of society where they wield might and magic against the demons they are sworn to destroy. For Shura, itâs the only way to restore honor to her lineage and claim her rightful place in the world. For Jin, itâs a matter of begrudging dutyâand escaping the influence of the three kings vying for control of the continent. In their pursuit of the sadistic cult behind the demonsâ resurgence, the twins find themselves hunted by an ancient demon harboring a blood vendetta, and are forced to set aside past grudges and seek the kingsâ alliance. When Shura discovers a chilling prophecy, she fears that even her newfound allies may not be enough to stem the rising tide of shadow. Even the palest chance of victory will come at a brutal price. But the prophecy never foretold whose fate would settle the debt: Shura's or her brother's. |
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Echoes (Entanglement Book 1) by Phil Oddy Who can you trust if you can't trust yourself? Estrel Beck doesnât want to be a software salesman. Yet here he is, newly arrived in the city-state of Trinity, for a make-or-break meeting with the local Administration department. Under-prepared, under-motivated and over-sensitive, every little thing about this strange place seems to stress Estrel out. When he discovers a message scrawled on the back of a napkin, in his own handwriting, telling him heâs trapped in a time loop, he knows for sure that heâs in over his head. Then the Administration building explodes. As Estrel struggles to make sense of his situation and find an escape, he is drawn into Trinityâs bizarre underworld and the struggles for power against Trinityâs corrupt Mayor Chaguartay. Echoes is a story about being trapped by your past choices and what it takes to break free. |
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Talio's Codex by J. Alexander Cohen Is LOVE WORTH DESTROYING HIS REPUTATION? Ten years ago, the theft of his codex destroyed Talio Rossa's career as a magistrate in the four cities. But when his ex-wifeâfinally willing to forgive finding him in bed with a manâpresents him a long-shot legal case, he has the chance to get his career back on track. While fighting to rejoin the legal community, Talio uncovers a conspiracy so big it threatens the origins of the four cities themselves. Their prosperity is only thanks to their connection by magical floating waterways and the brilliance of their legal system, now regarded as near scripture. To save his career, Talio must work with both the one who doomed his marriage and the hooded, heretical man who sets his heart aflame but is determined to plead guilty to a murder he didn't commit. To stand a chance of winning the case. saving his career and the man of his dreams, Talio will have to uncover an explosive secret destined to blow the legal system apart. |
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Through Legend They Fall by Rachel Pendley As Ferrin Grey returned home from the horrors of war, his people hailed him a hero while the ghosts of his sins screamed monster. Now he is dying, infected with an unknown disease that eats him away little by little, piece by piece. When the ruler of a foreign nation unleashes a terrifying beast in Ferrinâs homeland, he finds himself thrust back into a world he was so desperate to leave behind. To end this nightmare, he must kill both creature and king, but ill omens warn him of the future as demons resurface from his past, turning the hunter into the hunted. And if these monsters were to catch this rotting soldier, then death will be the least of his troubles. |
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The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn He accidentally cursed himself... When the consequences get him exiled to the land he helped terrorize, can this evil wizard find redemption... and love? Orpheus can't believe it's come to this. After helping his childhood friend conquer the realm by raising an army of hell-beasts, the befuddled dark sorcerer finds himself banished when the price of his magic endangers the palace. Isolated and betrayed, Orpheus isn't exactly thrilled when his irritating and handsome rival keeps stepping between him and certain doom. Ill at ease in the barren wasteland his powers created, Orpheus slowly warms to the charismatic ex-general's relentless overtures. But as his feelings grow more intense, the former villain struggles with an inconvenient calling towards heroism. Will dabbling in good deeds get him killed or open the doors to happily ever after? The Crack at the Heart of Everything is the charmingly swoon-worthy first book in an epic LGBTQ+ fantasy series. If you like character-driven stories, snarky humor, and well-earned redemption arcs, then you'll adore Fiona Fenn's unexpected hero's journey. |
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Every oath holds power. In a land where the Earth spawns terrible beasts capable of moving through all but stone, the Sky bestows power to those bound by Oaths. As earthbound creatures invade, bringing with them chaos and whispers of a coming war, protector and Overseer Tehran fights to keep his people safe. After losing his best friend to the beasts and with the stability of the region deteriorating, Tehran heads to the Capital to plead for support from the Order of the Sky. When his friendâs widow stows aboard the transport, determined to hold the Order accountable for the death of her husband, Tehranâs plans are derailed. Torn between upholding his responsibility as an Overseer or honouring his friendâs memory, Tehran must either choose the Oaths that have forged him or trust new bonds to guard the fate of the Mercurial. |
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âIâm gonna take that gold right from under them and disappear with what I have always deserved â the fortune we have always deservedâŚâ Itâs the turn of the 20th century and times are getting harder for aging gunslinger John Arthur and his adopted daughter Bethany âThe Bladeâ Mason. After reuniting with an old friend they are offered an opportunity promising the haul of a lifetime but the unexpected is waiting in the small, strange town of Haddington. Heist turns to horror as a battle for survival blurs the lines between law and outlaw. |
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Cursed & Treat by Miriam Yvette Ivan no longer celebrates Halloween, until his attitude unintentionally summons a dangerous vampire. While she feasts on his food and entertains herself with movies, he must break his curse before she turns on him. |
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Excalibur's King by Miriam Yvette Nestled in the hot mountain regions of a dying god lies the kingdom of Excalibur. Tungsten was born with one purpose: to become an unyielding stronghold and fulfill his duty to Excalibur alone. But when The Affliction War claimed his brother's life, and caused his father's early demise, Tungsten became not a servant, but Excaliburâs new king. On a mission to reunite with his sister, Tungsten and his best knight Lancelot find themselves arriving not at a homecoming, but a murder scene. Arthurian-inspired Gigachad MC with a sunshine personality Single POV Mythical creatures Arthurian references |