The Invisible Tether by JP McDonald

Cooper Belrose and his friends gear up for a sporting tournament in tropical North Queensland (Australia) for a week of carefree fun. In an unnerving twist of fate, a cryptic flight attendant hijacks the plane, altering their lives forever. After surviving the plane crash, Cooper and his friends learn the flight attendant was part of a much larger threat, not only to their existence but to the entire human race. In their desperation to return home and find answers, they discover abnormal abilities within themselves activated by the crash and the threat of an opposing force. Will these newfound abilities wield an edge over their enemies? As they strive to combat each twist and turn, Cooper and his friends learn the value of teamwork by navigating the space between life and death. If faced with an imminent threat to the human race, would you and your friends take up the fight? "The Invisible Tether," is a story of love, adventure and the pursuit of truth.

The Cavern by Alister Hodge

When a sink hole opens up near the Australian outback town of Pintalba, it uncovers a pristine cave system. Sam joins an expedition to explore the subterranean passages as paramedic support, hoping to remain unneeded at base camp. But, when one of the cavers is injured, he must overcome paralysing claustrophobia to dive pitch-black waters and squeeze through the bowels of the earth. Soon he will find there are fates worse than being buried alive, for in the abandoned mines and caves beneath Pintalba, there are ravenous teeth in the dark. As a savage predator targets the group with hideous ferocity, Sam and his friends must fight for their lives if they are ever to see the sun again. "The Cavern is a tense and compelling descent into subterranean horror, with characters you will care about in a setting unlike most fiction these days. I've never been a fan of caving, but having read this book, I'm staying above ground in the sunlight forever." - Alan Baxter, author of DEVOURING DARK and the ALEX CAINE SERIES

The Headsman by Christina Mîrzoi

Take a glimpse into the world of a headsman, a gloomy village in which each dweller has a secret: an evil witch, a shrewd florist, a naive young man, a foreign merchant, a dreadful husband, a mischievous maid, and a lustful duke. These stories are intertwined, weaving a dark narrative of love, trickery, brutality, and loss. Under the bleak aesthetic, raw human emotions unravel themselves in a gripping story about moral decay. In a world that belongs to the wicked, how far can one walk this path while keeping a clean conscience? The Headsman is a collection of short stories that focus on interconnected characters, sometimes looking at the same event from a different perspective. As a genre, it falls somewhere under dark fiction territory.

Duckett & Dyer: St. Nicks For Hire by G.M. Nair

In the midst of a historic blizzard, Michael and Stephanie have to beat the crap out of Santa Claus. That's it. That's the story. But, unlike some other Christmas Specials, this one is 100% canon. This case and others are included in Duckett & Dyer: The Mystery Of The Murdered Guy.

Envoy by Andr Moș

SFINCS

When two descendants of a formerly lost people suddenly reappear in Sol System, Kep, an inexperienced guide with few aspirations, is handed the task of showing them around… and figuring out their true motives. But convoluted bureaucracies, hungry corporations and corrupt guilds conspire to acquire any advantage in a technologically stagnant system. So when a secret is revealed, it’s up to Kep to make sure that it doesn’t land in the wrong hands.

The Long Lost War by Jeff Walker

SFINCS

Far from Earth, in a distant solar system, clone soldiers are stuck in an on-going battle against colonial separatists. John 999801 must battle against an enemy that refuses to give up, and dreams of a woman he feels he's seen before. The life of this low ranking clone soldier is about to take a turn for the worst. Or is it going to open his eyes to the truth? Can one clone soldier make a difference? And who is the woman in his dream? Answers and horrors await him as he joins his fellow replicas to the surface of a planet called... Hell.

The Jungle Planet: A Science Fiction Thriller Novel by Jeff Walker

SPSFC 2023

The Jungle Planet is a sci fi triller—The crew of the harvesting space vessel Skyward Seven, are bound for Dreganon V—a jungle world with a rich, and highly concentrated oxygen atmosphere. As they extract the planet’s dense O2 supply, Katelan Driscoll (Astrobiologist/interplanetary botanist) and crew being to discover that this world is more than what they bargained for. Not only is the air thick with an overabundance of pollen and spore that continually clog their collectors., but strange things occur with the surrounding plant life The jungle isn’t all that it seems. Katelan will discover something else is waiting for them in the depths of this deep, dark jungle planet of Dreganon V. If you love exploration science fiction thrillers and unexpected horrors on alien worlds, then The Jungle Planet is the book you’ll want to read till the very end. Author Jeff Walker (The Long Lost War, The Massive Planet: The Adventures of Deep Contact, and Outer Red) takes you to a world full of beauty and wonder. It is also one that brings out our fears and even—our deaths!

Tales from the Borun-Ma by Ruth Miranda

The Borun-Ma. A world rife with magic and dangers, threatened as it is by the haunting of demons and creatures that take the bodies and lives of the common people and feed on their souls. Or so it is, in the head of David Lau, travel photographer turned novelist, who created this imaginary world for his soon-to-be-published first book, where he tells the story of Liòng Dashià, Hawkeye and Zephyr, Reapers of the Borun-Ma who destroy Infestations in the form of creatures and demons. But his characters bear far too many resemblances to himself, and the girl who spills his drink at a crowded nightclub in Xhiangzhei, or the young man who sits beside him through a long flight to Europe. When Ivy Falconnieri and Bodie Yung's lives collide with David's, a spell is cast and a curse will break. But to what ends?

Insta Family by Ruth Miranda

Song Jaesun knew what he was getting into, when he married Jok OnMi and became her child’s legal guardian. He knew the challenges he’d face, raising a trans pre-teen alone, after his wife's death. He’s known all this well in advance, and believes himself ready, eager, even, for it provides him with the one thing he’s longed for but is beyond his his own family. He believes himself man enough to stand up to the hurdles and face every trial. What he didn’t count on, though - and sure wasn’t ready for - is the father of his late wife’s child. Now that Kai HaoTian’s decided to make up for all his past mistakes and work hard on regaining his kid’s affection, the two men find themselves forced to share living arrangements for the sake of a child both love immensely. And it’s not gonna be easy, when all they feel for each other is resentment...

That Girl by Ruth Miranda

I don't believe in love at first sight, not with my track record. But the night I met Yvette has come close to changing my mind - I couldn't have kept away from her even if I tried, she was all I had eyes and ears for, and since that day, this hasn't changed. I want to be around her all the time, spend time getting to know her, take her out on endless dates. Problem is, Yvette is unlike any of the women I tend to date - and I tend to date a lot, to the point I've acquired something of a reputation. You just have to Google my name, to see what I mean, I'm not the most reliable of men, where relationships are concerned. In fact, I just don't do them. I have no space in my life for that kind of thing, I have businesses to run and a daughter to raise, who happens to be my priority. And I fear that, with Yvette being who she is, my friends and family will have an issue with us being together - my mother would surely never approve of it, and what of my daughter? What repercussions would it have on her? And yet, despite all this, I still can't keep her out of my head...

Emma's Dragon by M. Verant

The award-winning Regency fantasy continues. Emma Woodhouse needs a dragon. Her life depends on it. But Emma’s dragon is claimed… by Elizabeth Darcy. When Emma Woodhouse meets newly wed Elizabeth, a brush of their gloved hands unmasks the Darcys’ fantastic secret. Emma has discovered Yuánchi, the deadly dragon coveted by both Emperor Napoleon and England’s Secretary of War. Secrets are nothing new for Emma. She has her own: a deathbed promise, and a clever plan to achieve it. The Darcys’ power, forbidden to her, might even help. But clever plans go astray. As treason stalks a royal ball, an avenging queen rises to ravage England. Survival rests on a fabled alliance: Emma and her secrets, Elizabeth and her dragon, and the magical music of Mary Bennet and Georgiana Darcy. Will Emma, Elizabeth, and Mary unravel the mystery of the great wyves in time to save England and themselves? Emma’s Dragon is the second book in the award-winning Jane Austen Fantasy series. This boldly original story is filled with magical dragons, strong heroines, and a brilliantly reimagined Regency that challenges barriers of class, race, and love.

The World As It Should Be by Lee Ann Kostempski

Charity Olmstead wants to die. Despite being raised by two of Salem's most beloved psychics, she isn’t cut out for life in the new magic-ravaged world. When she meets a kelpie on a riverbank, she believes she’s found her exit. But the monster is hungry for more than a meal. Sensing Charity’s unawakened magic, he enlists her help in a quest for revenge against the hunters who slaughtered his mate. In return he promises to grant Charity a swift, painless death once their job is done. But as Charity and the kelpie track the hunters to their base, they uncover a terrifying truth: Salem’s deadly history might be about to repeat itself.

Mastery: Sex Wizards, Book 2 by Alethea Faust

Magic is a rare gift, and it's been six months since Dominai of Airedale first left home to study it. After solidifying his place at the legendary Crux as a skilled conduit, he now faces his next challenge: casting. When every spell he attempts fails to hit the mark, he finally turns to the Grandmaster of the Crux, Arlon Kalisson, for guidance. The unyielding lessons that follow strip Dom down to his very foundation, rebuilding him to confront his own worst enemy: himself. But while Dom grows more confident inside the Crux, a threat gathers outside of it. One that will rock the kingdom of Straetham to its core, capable of destroying the Crux from the inside out. The second book of Alethea Faust’s epic Sex Wizards series, Mastery delivers risk-aware consensual kink, hard BDSM, an ever-escalating epic plot, and a lot of butt stuff. The Sex Wizards series is set in a sex-positive, magical world. This novel has a kink-based magic system which crosses a wide range of play with varying degrees of intensity. The wizards of the Crux include pansexual, polyamorous, fantasy race, nonbinary, gender non-conforming and intersex characters. Please see book preview for full CW.

The Crow's Quill - Dark Epistolaries by Edited By Damon Barret Roe

1. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH Tyler Battaglia 2. MICE IN THE WALLS Kay Hanifen 3. THE HUSK Jared Schmitz 4. THE ARCHIVES ASSISTANT S.C. Williams Poetry by Susan L. Lin & Carla Sarett

Greater Than His Nature by Edited by Eirik Gumeny

In every laboratory, every experiment, there are two diametrical energies at play: chaos and control. The raw pandemonium of what is, and the diamond-sheen of what could be. And in between? Blood, bones, and broken hearts. Because no equation, no solution, will ever be able to contain the wild entropy of the human soul. Within these pages, you'll find reverse mermaids and murder-spiders and bloated flesh-monsters tearing down the Golden Gate Bridge. A nurse waving a patient into a haunted MRI machine. A reimagined Mary Shelley obsessing about her galvanic guy. The dead will come back, organs will grow where you least expect them, and "healthy" will be outed as a disease all its own, the most damning by a long mile. Because, like the highest-born hopes of bodies sacrificed to progress, like the darkest dreams of the brains behind the beakers, mad science truly knows no bounds. Featuring new fiction from Katharine Duckett, A.T. Greenblatt, Ally Malinenko, Tyler Battaglia, Samantha H. Chung, Jonathan Fortin, Brianna Nicole Frentzko, Josh Hanson, Wade Hunter, M.W. Irving, Pooja Joshi, Andrew Kozma, K.L. Mill, Lena Ng, Robert Perez, Zachary Rosenberg, Jennifer Lee Rossman, Violet Schwegler, and Nicole M. Wolverton. Edited by Eirik Gumeny.

The Cosy Cosmic by Edited by Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito

Some argue existence is an exercise in futility. They claim there are no winners in life. Ultimately, we are insignificant in the face of vast cosmic intelligences that were old when the Universe began. The best minds gibber at the incomprehensibility of it all. Other minds lose themselves in strange geometries because they can't comprehend any alternative. Whatever. The rest of us have to get up in the morning, feed the cat, and go to work. The Cozy Cosmic contains 33 stories of the horrors hidden within the micro-aggressions, the horrors trapped beneath the floorboards, and the horrors waiting patiently on the windowsill. This is the horror that forgets to turn off the light at night. This is the horror of waiting for the tea to boil, knowing full well who you just buried-for the second time-in the yard less than a hour ago. This is the horror of knowing where the dark wool comes from, but you wear the sweater anyway because it was a gift—an expression of love—and, well, being alone is worse than the horror of the unknowable, isn't it? The full table of contents for The Cozy Cosmic is as follows: John Shirley “Death, in Two” Tais Teng “On Hearing the First Shoggoth in Spring” Tyler Battaglia “What the Sea Provides” Ellis Bray “My Grandmother's Sacristy” E. E. Marshall “Right and Bright” Devan Barlow “Dinner, Overlooking the Sea” Scotty Milder “A Little God in Their Hands” Maxwell I. Gold “Great Cosmic Itch” Remy Nakamura “Wet Dreams in R'lyeh” Andrew S. Fuller “A Perfectly Fine Hobby” Kiera Lesley “Obsolescent” Kurt Newton “A Mournful Melancholia of Things Forever Lost” J. B. Kish “Lo-Fi Chocolate Cake” Rajiv Moté “Carrisa and Kevin Gaze into the Abyss” Daniel David Froid “In Another Distant Land, in a Luminescent Land” Kate Ristau “Shine” Erik Grove “Fuzzy Fuzzy Kitty Kitties” William J. Connell “Poe's Guys Respond to Their Significant Others” Paul Jessup “The Museum of Endless Summer” Ngo Binh Anh Khoa “Through Life and Death, Forevermore” Jonathan Wood “Javapocalypse” L. E. Daniels “Final Cycle” Ken Hueler “The Unknowable Ones” Tania Chen “A Study of Metamorphosis Calamity” Eric Shanower “The Purple Emperor” Kevin Wetmore “A Child's Christmas in Innsmouth” Megan Lee Beals “Splinterbone” Corinne Hughes “The Sheep Rancher's Husband” Shanna Germain “A Napkin Upon Your Glass” Simone Cooper “Gnocchi” Jessie Kwak “Blood and Glitter” Cody T Luff “Den Mother” R. Ostermeier “The Dark Young”

MOUTHFEEL FICTION 1 by Edited by Taliesin Neith

Welcome to the inaugrual issue of MOUTHFEEL FICTION, a feast for the horrible and horrendous. Within these pages you will find short stories and poetry from 30 different authors, all ready to disgust and delight, arousal and afear you - they are ready to break your heart and turn your stomach. Issue 1 features work by: JULIAN RENAUD // BITTER KARELLA // AMI J. SANGHVI // BRIAR RIPLEY PAGE // WEST AMBROSE // S.T. // OLIVE BURNS // LOR GISLASON // CALEB BETHEA // REGAN GRAY // SAMIR SIRK MORATÓ // SAM LOGAN // TANG SUMI // SAPPHIRE LAZULI // LAVERN SPENCER MCCARTHY // DJP // CASSANDRA DAUCUS // TYLER BATTAGLIA // AJ CASTLE // NM WHITLEY // JOSEPH BOUTHIETTE JR. // RAIN CORBYN // MOUSE LARISHEVA // KURT NEWTON // J.R. SANTOS // STANLEY B. WEBB // BDYER // ANN LEBLANC // SHAUN HATHAWAY // VIOLA BOLEMAN MY LOVE AND THANKS TO THEM. AND TO YOU, DEAR READER.

The Summer Gothic by Edited by K.M. Miller

K.M. Miller (Editor), Tyler Battaglia, B.A. O'Connell, Laura Marie Bailey, Venus Parkes, Quinton Li, Enda Mulholland, Abby Moeller, Lucia Larsen, Freydís Moon, Cas Trudeau, Lotte van der Krol, Alba Sarria, Billy Don Loper, Angela Sun, Dean Shepherd, Corey Bryan, Cinnamone Winchester, Sebastián Ungco (Illustrator), Chrys Marr The Summer Gothic is a collection of works that make up Panorame Press' first anthological edition, highlighting the spooky, lonely, and sweltering parts of the summertime. We asked indie, young, and debuting authors in the modern writing community to give us their grim looks into the season of summer, through hot days, lonely lighthouses, racing Mississippi nights, and soft whispering in humid forests. Panorame Press strives to give our authors and artists a place to share their works and build their portfolios free of submission costs, strict guidelines about what's considered marketable media, and other modern publishing barriers.

Of Death and Divination by Cassandra Diviak

Percy and Cordelia must prepare for the unthinkable. After Oberon's attempt to invade Kaira, many hearts clamor for vengeance. Cordelia stands as the symbol of resistance against Oberon's "great plan", even if playing hero is the last thing on her heart. She struggles to find the balance between rising to the challenge and seeking more personal retribution against the monster of a man. Percy finds himself on the warpath alongside his lover, and somehow he doesn't seem to mind the anger. Many things have changed since he vowed to be a peaceful man. But cryptic messages from the spirit inside of him leave him wondering whether he will make it out of this war alive. Regardless of the demons gathered in the shadows around them, they must return to where the battle first began and make their final stand before Oberon can conquer the Seven Continents for his twisted delusions of power. It ends here.

Of Wild and Witchcraft by Cassandra Diviak

Cordelia Hale's world hangs by a precarious thread. While she and her loved ones flee from the Ambrose Palace and all the horrors hidden inside its ruined walls, a ghost from the distant past disrupts her already uncertain future. She can't go home, not yet. Revealed secrets and betrayals leave Cordelia stuck walking the thin line between her once unwavering optimism and the rage that threatens to tear her heart asunder. Percival Ashford remains her only tether to the girl she used to be, grounded in her humanity and innocent belief in the goodness of the world. However, when he receives the offer of a lifetime from an untrustworthy source, they must decide if the conditions and traps attached to the promise are worth their trouble. Armed with the support of their family and allies, welcomed and unexpected alike, Percy and Cordelia must piece together the unseemly and broken parts within their hearts and prepare for the danger that lurks outside Kaira's magical wards.

Soul of the Sorceress by Cassandra Diviak

Cordelia Hale's life finally changed for the better. With newfound freedom, she lived in peace alongside her new family and loving boyfriend until a letter arrived at Brierwell bearing an invitation too tempting to ignore. A world of magic awaited her outside the woodsy borers of her hometown, far beyond her wildest imagination. Cordelia and Percy travel to a land across the sea and find a hidden city filled with wonders, led by a king sympathetic to the plight of magical beings across the Seven Continents. Life in the Ambrose Palace isn't anything like home, though, especially when Cordelia and Percy find themselves pitted against everything they once trusted, including one another. To survive, they must determine their few allies from a sea of enemies.

Shadow of the Beast by Cassandra Diviak

Percival Ashford wants nothing more than a fresh start. He finds his chance in Runswick, a sleepy town situated along the Andervael's southern coast. It's a perfect place for a werewolf to blend in and spend his better days with his newly awarded Lordship. However, his hopes for a new beginning fall apart when disaster strikes in the gruesome murders of several townspeople. Percy must discover who is committing these heinous acts and ensure justice for the deceased, but his investigations are hindered by the haunting suspicion that he, or at least his wolf-self, might be the very culprit he is hunting.

Ritual Income by B.L. Brown

SPFBO10

Every witch has her Way. Milla is a witch who wants to hide. Grieving the loss of her mentor, she retreats to St. Augustine where her only goals are to run her antique store and tend her demesne into obscurity. But C.R.O.W. has other plans for the formerly wicked witch. As if being saddled with a new apprentice and trying to get rid of the Aural Insurance Adjuster sent to observe her isn’t enough to deal with, a pack of multi-level marketing huns sets their sights on Milla, intent on burning her store to the ground. When a threat to the demesne, and the witches and mortals under Milla’s care, raises its ugly head it is up to her to decide: Is living out her days as a nothing witch in a nowhere demesne what she truly wants, or is the formerly wicked witch ready to rejoin the witchy world of C.R.O.W.?

Daughter of Sorrow by Abigail Silver

Gracie has come a long way from the state-run orphanage she spent a year in at age 6. Now a highly trained member of the Overwatch and one of the most powerful elder children on Cybele, she is trying to keep the peace between her psychic kin and the planet's mortal population. When her father's dark past— something she thought she knew and had come to terms with— comes to light with a new and devastating twist, Gracie must decide what is real before everything she loves burns to ashes.

Visions of Fire by Abigail Silver

Visions of Fire follows Gracie Usuriel, a young pyrokinetic, as she leaves the safety of her father's farm to find her calling at Landing University. Eager to learn the truth about her father's past, which he always carefully curated when she was living under his roof, Gracie is unprepared for the brutal reality that awaits her. Will her strange and growing powers be enough to protect her from the darkness her father held at bay or will they be her undoing?

Lost Cargo by P.A. Cornell

SFINCS

When Parker signed up for the new colony world, they said the journey would be easy; just a nice, long stasis nap, followed by a smooth descent in landing pods. But when an asteroid impact damages their pod, Parker and her fellow passengers are prematurely launched and left stranded on a wild, uninhabited moon – the remnant of a failed terraforming experiment. With no way to call for help, the group must race against a rapidly-closing window of time to reach an abandoned camp before their slim chance at rescue is gone forever. This journey will be far from easy as the dangers of this alien landscape reveal themselves at every turn, and the only one who can lead them through it is Parker – but she has her own priorities, and survival may not be one of them.

Accursed Son by Eric Avedissian

Armand Tarkanian is trapped in the ultimate dead-end job: embalming decedents under his abusive uncle’s watchful eye. Every day he goes through the motions, making death look beautiful while his life is anything but. A car accident leaves him indebted to Berj, a mysterious man with rune-carved gold teeth and a penchant for worshipping old gods. Blackmailed and desperate, Armand feels more trapped than he was under his uncle’s thumb. But the embalmer harbors his own dark secret, a bloodline curse that allows him to communicate with the dead. When the spirits show him how they were murdered, Armand must choose between fealty to the sadistic and manipulative Berj, or joining the Legion of the Lamb, a monster-hunting biker gang with their own agenda. What began as a dangerous game between secret societies has led Armand on a frightening quest to save the only family he’s ever known and a chance to get closer to the rebellious misfits who saved him. Heartfelt and evocative, Accursed Son is a story featuring generational clashes, found families, and the rewards of tempting fate.

Strange Cargo by Patrick Samphire

What do a smuggling gang, a curse that won't go away, and a frequently lost dog have to do with each other? Answer: they're all here to disrupt Mennik Thorn's hard-earned peace and quiet. As the sole freelance mage in the city of Agatos, Mennik is used to some odd clients and awful jobs. But this time, one of his clients isn't giving him a choice. Mennik might have forgotten about the smugglers whose operations he disrupted, but they haven't forgotten about him. Now he is faced with a simple ultimatum: help them smuggle in an unknown, dangerous cargo or flee the city he loves forever. Time is running out for Mennik to find an answer, and things are about to get completely out of control.

Sedona by Kerry Fryar Freeman

Sedona, AZ is a tourist town that lures people from around the world who believe there is more beyond the veil of reality. They come for the whispering pines, Hopi legends, vortices, magic crystals, and healing springs. Enter Cal Novak, a spunky editor from Atlanta, Georgia, who gives up the city life because she is searching for more time, more adventure, more meaning. The magic of her new hometown does not disappoint. Behind the curtain of every window there are secrets waiting to be uncovered. For those searching for more, there’s no place like Sedona.

Orphan Planet by Rex Burke

SPSFC 2023

They needed some help. They woke up the wrong guy. The colony ship, Odyssey Earth, is on a 17-year voyage across the galaxy to a new home. And Jordan Booth is exactly where he wanted to be – tucked up in hypersleep, with nothing to worry about until planetfall. However, Captain Juno Washington has other ideas. She’s got a quirky ship’s AI, Reeves, and a crew of loners and oddballs, but what she doesn’t have is anyone to look out for the Odyssey Earth’s six ship-born teenagers. When Jordan is revived and given the job, he’s far from happy about it. Then again, nor are the kids. Tight-knit, whip-smart, resilient – the last thing they need is a chaperone, and they make sure he knows it. After an unexpected change of course, everyone needs to join forces if they’re going to survive. But Jordan is out of his comfort zone – and the teenagers are in no mood to listen. Still, if they pull together and stop squabbling, they might all just make it. Yeah, right. Good luck with that. If you like feelgood, character-led SciFi with heart and humour, then you’ll love Orphan Planet. Perfect for fans of snappy dialogue, snarky space crew, strong, relatable characters, slow-burn action, and coming-of-age, found-family adventures.

Scribbles and Scrawls: A Short Story Collection by Bethany Votaw

Bethany Votaw gives you sixteen short stories featuring the darkness and the monsters surrounding us. Experience the uncomfortable realities lurking beneath the surface. Meet a devil at a coffee shop, discover what the Night Man is really after, and stumble upon strange creatures and events lurking just beneath the surface. If you like supernatural horror, psychological thrills, and mind-bending twists, then you’ll love this debut short story collection by Bethany Votaw. Unlock Scribbles and Scrawls and begin the journey into madness.

Wings So Soft by Dani Finn

SPFBO10

Can love bloom in war’s darkest hour? Mara and her owl work surveillance to keep Kuppham safe, but the news on the Stream is grim. The humans are coming, and she and her owl will soon be in the line of fire. Her once-vibrant city is a ghost town, with little to distract her as she waits for the skin-covered hordes to overrun the Maer capital. Until one day, this timid little artificer wanders into the aerie, asking to watch her owl land over and over. Uffrin makes owls powered by clockwork and magic to guard the great automatons on the northern front. He visits the aerie to study the owls’ flight mechanics, but it’s the owl handler who captures his attention. So gentle, so in control, with quick eyes that seem to stay with his all the time. Amid the looming clouds of war, hearts intertwine and feathers fly, but duty soon flings these two lovebirds apart. If the war goes as badly as everyone seems to fear, how will they ever find each other again? Love might be the only thing that saves them. Fly away from your troubles with this standalone fantasy romance, part of the Time Before trio. It’s steamy, with over 150 kisses, and includes a picnic in the park, a date in a basement speakeasy, and a secret mountain lake far from the ravages of war.

Sleeping Celeste by Alana K. Drex

It is October 1885, and Marie Maecott seems to be the only one who knows what has happened to her daughter, Celeste. She is angry that no one else understands her daughter's condition, as any mother would be. Then one chill night, groundskeeper for Heathridge Cemetery, Jacob Willis, tells her a dark secret in his family's past that just may hold the key to her problem. Marie will need to set off on a journey to find out--one in which she will discover terrible parts of herself--parts that would have been better off left buried. And some are going to find out the truth of the timeless adage: it is best not to come between a mother and her child.

Gold, Lock and Key by E J Doble

From grimdark author E J Doble, comes a fairytale with a dark twist... "All it needs, is a bit of tenacity... and three little bears." Goldie, an outlaw and contract hunter of the Baron's State, accepts a new assignment from her employer to find an old cabin in the woods, home to three 'shapeshifters' who can morph into bears. Considered to be little more than a myth, Goldie assumes at first that the shapeshifters are an exaggeration - but with the sizeable bounty her employer is offering, she soon realises there may be more truth in it than she realised. And that isn't the only thing on her mind: she discovers her main rival - a manipulative and incredibly cunning trapper named Southey - has also taken on the contract, and will be contending for the same bounty she so fervently desires. Having waited many long years to have her revenge and outsmart Southey for past mistakes, Goldie sees the new contract as a perfect opportunity to do so. All she has to do is play her cards just right. And kill three bears...

The Crescent Moon by E J Doble

The first novella in a new philosophical fiction trilogy by indie author E J Doble In the city of Arbash, nestled on the outskirts of a vast desert, the young girl My'ala walks out among the vineyards overlooking a delicate blue sea. Reaching a gnarled tree atop a small hill, she stumbles upon an old man, nestled among its roots - his name is Artemis the Hermit, and he longs to answer the simple question. What is the meaning of life? As the years pass, and the realities of a difficult life struggling to get by weigh heavy upon her, My'ala finds herself returning to the Hermit by the tree to seek counsel, and to find purpose in a world where she feels so lost. But when an enemy appears from the sea, and her family are torn apart by the spectre of war, it is in the Hermit's teachings that My'ala will find her answers - and how the meaning of life may just save her city from a swift and certain end...

A Pale Box on the Distant Shore by P.J. Nwosu

A silent killer stalks the slum towers of Death City. In the shadow of a drowned death god, a young soldier risks his life to solve a violent crime. To catch a killer, Soldier Honnan Skyin carves a bloody trail over the behemoth bones of a dead giant and through the deepest forest of a frozen island. But some secrets should stay buried. Welcome to Death City. The Red Kingdom is a new series of dark mysteries in fantasy worlds that delve into a land of vicious crimes, strange lore and Purge House zealots.

The Magic Surrendered by Dax Murray

Kraken Collective

"I haven’t been trying to build a weapon! I have been trying to prevent a war. Ellie, please don't make me do this." A short story about a brilliant mage and an insecure empress; of love and ethics, partnership and conflict. After generations of relentless expansion, Empress Eleanor is ready to put her family's habit of conquest behind her, content to cease her army's forward march and solidify her position as the ruler of the territories already in her possession. But these countries her fathers' conquered are eager to leave the Empire and willing to resort to revolution. Amalthea grew up poor, her homeland destitute after being invaded and occupied. But her new status as a citizen of the sparkling empire gives her access to the Academy of Mages and all of their teachings. However, once there, she defies their rules and pursues her own experiments with dangerous and forbidden magics. Despite this, she catches the Empress's eye and is soon the first official Imperial Scientist and the unofficial consort. Together, the two have the power to sow cohesion, spur innovation, and improve the lives of everyone in the Empire; or they could obliterate any resistance at a perilous cost.

Snow Merry Red by Nadya Frank

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This book pulled me out of a month-long reading slump!" Facebook reviewer How do you survive the holidays when someone from your family is trying to kill you? Holidays have always been hard on Viola: the scrutiny of her family members, their comments about her parenting, her drinking, her failing career… She expects all this as she arrives to yet another Christmas dinner. What she doesn’t expect is to find herself locked in a basement of the family’s country house in Moscow exurbs without memories of how she ended up here. Clearly, someone from her family attempted to get rid of her. But who? After freeing herself, Viola is committed to find the answer. As the family members arrive into the house for the New Year’s night—Russia’s most important winter holiday—Viola knows she can’t trust anyone. She recruits a con artist Zoya Volkova to help her. Together, they untangle the web of the family’s darkest secrets, malicious lies and heartbreaking betrayals. But as the year changes and Viola’s memory returns, she and Zoya aren’t looking for the truth anymore. Now, they need to survive. This dark page-turner with unpredictable twists is perfect for fans of Laura Lippman, Karin Slaughter, and Lisa Gardner. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Engaging and fast paced” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I never saw the twist coming!" Advance reader

Birthing Orion by Dax Murray

Kraken Collective

Too fondly have I loved these stars; all these galaxies we once called ours. A beautiful love story in verse. The relationship between two goddesses is tempestuous at best. Seya is the embodiment of a galactic creation and Tia of cosmic destruction. They create and they destroy and then they do it all over again. Seya and Tia use their divine magic to make pulsars and nebula, to set planets spinning around stars and bind a galaxy together with a central black hole. But when one of Seya's favorite stars goes missing, she blames Tia. What was once a symbiotic cycle of life and death becomes a game of broken hearts and promises betrayed. These tensions and insecurities are explored in sonnets and villanelles; the arc of their love tracked in meter and verse. These poems touch on queer love, betrayal, trust, acceptance, and forgiveness cast against a backdrop of stardust and celestial detritus.

Cora Christensen by Tanner Howsden

SFINCS

Ten years ago, Cora Christensen openly embraced her identity as a trans woman. Her father did not take it well. He burned her bras, refused to acknowledge her gender, and called her a pervert before exiling her from his home. Following his untimely passing, she has reluctantly returned to put his affairs in order. But after receiving a threatening call addressed to her deadname, she finds herself in the middle of a nightmare facing a crazed gunman, a disappearing child, and a house that aims to gaslight her at every turn. Beyond the nightmare lies a simple every choice we make changes our lives and the lives of those around us, including the choices we don't make.

How To Sell Your Blood and Fall In Love by D.N. Bryn

Kraken Collective

No romantic story has ever lived up to Dr. Clementine Hughe’s reality but at least he has his steamy two-million-word fanfic and a prestigious research position at Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceuticals, where their benefits are superb and their experimentation on vampires highly unethical. When a mysterious accident turns Clementine into a vampire, discovery would demote him to lab rat and his growing thirst for his coworker’s veins forces him to the streets to hunt. Justin Yu is usually the one attacking villains in alleys, not the other way around. After the tragedy he brought upon his local vampiric community in his youth, he’s struggled tirelessly to keep their vampires safe. So when a panicking Clementine botches a bite attempt, Justin takes pity—and advantage—and offers the vampire a trade: his blood in exchange for an exorbitant fee. In desperation, Clementine accepts. Justin’s blood is bland and unappealing, but the more Clementine learns to appreciate the man’s sharp humor and persistent compassion, the more he acquires a taste for Justin. Justin is determined not to let Clementine’s good looks and thoughtful intellect distract him as hunters from Vitalis-Barron close in on Justin’s neighborhood, and it turns out someone there knows Clementine’s vampiric secret…

Three Meant To Be by M N Bennet

Telepathic high school teacher Dorian prepares teen witches for professional casting because going in unprepared is what killed one of his partners. But new state mandates on magical proficiency make it nearly impossible, and Dorian worries he can’t give his students the education they really need. Seeking a distraction from work, Dorian kisses his still-living on-again off-again clairvoyant boyfriend, Milo. Instead of a distraction, Dorian glimpses Milo’s vague vision involving the murder of Caleb—one of Dorian’s new students. Already devastated by the loss of his partner, Dorian refuses to stand aside and let Caleb die. He searches for clues by delving into Caleb’s mind. Rooting through Caleb’s memories alongside teaching classes leads Dorian to two more students: Caleb’s ex-best friend turned rival and the prodigy with connections to dangerous warlocks. However, each step further into his students’ minds forces Dorian to confront his deteriorating relationship with Milo. After discovering a link involving illegal casting, Dorian resolves to work with Milo to prevent the impending vision. To succeed, Dorian will have to explore the potential of a future with Milo and find closure on their third partner, whose loss looms between them. But meddling with fate to save Caleb inadvertently draws the warlocks near, putting all his students in danger. Dorian will have to risk his life and gamble his second chance with Milo to keep his students alive.

One World by Lyssa Chiavari

IAMOS, S.C.D. 8378 One choice was all it took to put two worlds in jeopardy—but that choice could be the thing that saves them both. By choosing to betray the geroi, Nadin saved the lives of her friends in the future, but it may have cost her own. Imprisoned and sentenced to a fate worse than death, her only hope of rescue may lie in trusting the one person her heart tells her to distrust most: Ceilos, her one-time partner and a traitor in his own right. But accepting Ceilos’ help may be the only hope Nadin has of reuniting with Isaak... and saving both Iamos and Mars. Time is running out. Something is coming, something powerful enough to change the face of the entire solar system. If Nadin and Isaak can’t figure out how to stop it, all of Iamos will be destroyed. Little do they know that’s been the Liberator’s plan all along...

Changeling by Arista Holmes

SPFBO10

Fey go missing in the mortal realm. Everyone knows that. When Lizzy's mother is the next to vanish she's expected to grieve and move on. Instead, Lizzy wants to find out what happened, but the answers she seeks can't be found in the fey realm of Arbaon. With the help of her best friend, Booker Reed, Lizzy's determined to retrace her mother's final steps... straight through an illegal portal and into the mortal realm. Whatever leads she expected to find, it wasn't an academy of vampires, and a world stalked by their rabid cousins—the kavians. Forced to rely on the vampires for protection, and secluded away behind the high walls of Speculo School, it quickly becomes clear not everyone is pleased with Lizzy and Booker's investigation. With danger building the further they dig, the two fey need to decide if the closure they seek is worth risking their lives for. But the longer they remain amongst the vampires, the more Lizzy suspects that her answers lie with the deadly kavians instead.

Devout: An Anthology of Angels by Edited By Quinton Li

Featuring work by Freydís Moon, Dorian Yosef Weber, Angela Sun, Ian Haramaki, Tyler Battaglia, Daniel Marie James, Morgan Dante, Cas Trudeau, Aurélio Loren, Rae Novotny, Rafael Nicolás & Emily Hoffman. A collection of stories, poetry, and art dedicated to the angelic. Here you will find the strange, the creepy, the funky, slightly silly, pieces with feeling. An experience buried deep inside, it might be from another dimension. Something questionable that makes you wonder if your first impression of the world is accurate enough to trust. Or maybe something human — too human. How about a feeling between a feeling? Longing, yearning. Conflict between moral and love. World between worlds. Above all — angelic. Are we what angels make of us, or are angels what we make of them? This anthology is for mature audiences due to themes and explicit content. Our genres include, but are not limited to: Contemporary Fantasy Romance, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fantasy Romance, Mythological, Gothic Fiction, Science Fiction, Horror Drama

Welcome to Dorley Hall: The Sisters of Dorley Book One by Alyson Greaves

Mark Vogel is like the older brother Stefan Riley never had, until one day he disappears, and Stefan has to adapt to life without him. But, one year later, when he runs into a girl who looks near-identical to Mark, Stefan becomes obsessed. He discovers that other boys have disappeared, too, dozens over the years, most of them students of the Royal College of Saint Almsworth, many of them troubled or unruly before their disappearance. What is happening to these boys? Who are the handful of women on campus who bear a striking resemblance to some of those who went missing? And what is the connection to the mysterious Dorley Hall? Stefan works hard to get into the Royal College for one reason and one reason only: to find out exactly what happened to the women who live at Dorley Hall, and to get it to happen to him, too. A closeted trans girl attempts to infiltrate a secret underground forced feminisation programme.

Where We Converge by A.E. Bross

Darius Adair just wants to live in peace. He wakes up, goes to work, does his job, and comes home to a quiet studio apartment in Chicago. As a mage working to protect the magical and the mundane alike, it's as normal a life as he can have. After everything he’s been through, he deserves that much. A call in the dead of night shatters that illusion. Morgan Slavin can’t recall much. His memories are fractured, and his body feels like a thousand bits of broken glass. He only knows one thing: Time travel sucks. After completing a ritual that forced him through the timeline, his mind, body, and magic are twisted and broken. Beyond the pain and mental anguish, there's little he can reach for. He is desperate to find an anchor in this storm. After all, he came back in time to stop...what? Why had he returned? Sent by the late-night call to find the broken Morgan, Darius now must help him find out what he's come back to stop, and soon. If that wasn’t challenging enough, the longer they’re together, the more Darius feels himself drawn to Morgan, and the more willing he is to open old wounds that nearly destroyed him in the past.

Fool's Play by David R. Packer, Tao Wong

Not everyone falls during an apocalypse. Some rise to the occasion. For Fool and Jackal, the System Apocalypse was a chance to start again. A chance to rise, and be who they were meant to be. Now, they're trying to offer others the same opportunities as part of a secret organization helping humanity survive the System. Today's mission? Nothing big, just your typical save-the-princess quest. But when you're the Acolyte of a Trickster god, typical is the last thing you should expect. Just ask Fool's cat. Fool's Play is the first book in a new series in the System Apocalypse universe. Written by David R. Packer in Tao Wong's bestselling post-apocalyptic LitRPG universe, System Apocalypse: Kismet follows a different path through a post-apocalyptic world, one of hope, redemption, and second chances.

Odd Blood by Azalea Crowley

Stuck That’s what Josephine Pajimula felt like. A burnout millennial on the verge of losing her housing, her roommate, and maybe even her best friend. It made perfect sense to go to a Halloween party, ignore her feelings, and spend the time searching for apartments instead. A Chance She hadn’t expected meeting him. A man in a vampire costume took a hard fall in front of her. Against her better judgment, Josephine is determined to make sure this stranger makes their way home safely. Alarm bells in her head be damned. Luck Eadwulf is charming, silly and is super committed to whatever performance he’s putting on. Despite herself, Josephine enjoys their conversation, even indulges in his claims that he’s a vampire. Except, he isn’t pretending. Unexpectedly, Josephine is offered a way out of her dilemma. All she has to do is become the nanny to Eadwulf’s elderly granny roommate. That should be easy… right? Thrust into the spooky, quirky world of vampires; are things falling apart or falling into place? Odd Blood is a romantic comedy featuring diverse characters, a slow-burn romance, and creative expletives. This story has horror elements, such as gore, and has adult content suitable for 18+. Odd Blood is the first in a series with a guaranteed HEA/HFN. Please find a full content advisory on the author’s social sites. Please note: This is a demisexual late bloomer love story with NO SPICE and is the first act in a series with no major cliffhanger.

The Pyre Starter by Jaimie N. Schock

Exhausted with life, Dakota tries to end his—only to be saved at the last moment by his friend, Terrell, who then drags him into a world of magic and intrigue that's always been right there, hidden beneath the surface. Powerful magic users are steadily dragging the planet into a violent war, and evil forces will stop at nothing to take the talismans possessed by Dakota and his newfound family. Dakota soon finds himself deeply in over his head—with love, with family, with fighting for all their lives.